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Showing posts with the label Mark Herring

U.S. Supreme Court unanimously blocks gay ‘marriages’ in Virginia…for now

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U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that the state of Virginia does not have to begin sanctioning same-sex “marriages.” The stay comes after a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to  strike down the state's constitutional marriage protection amendment . The appeals court refused to grant a stay until the Supreme Court decided the case, a decision that would have forced Virginia clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples  starting this week . However, one such clerk, Michele B. McQuigg , petitioned Chief Justice John Roberts to grant a stay. The order was allowed without dissent. “This is another indication that the rush to judgment declaring marriage to be unconstitutional is not only premature, but incorrect,” said Brian Brown, president of the  National Organization for Marriage . “The U.S. Supreme Court has determined that states have the right to define marri

Republican AGs reject Holder’s legal advice, vow to defend marriage

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WASHINGTON, D.C., February 26, 2014  – The Obama administration's newest foray into the culture wars has sparked a major pushback by the nation's Republican attorneys general. In an interview with  The New York Times   on Monday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder   advised   state attorneys general that they could refuse to defend state bans on same-sex “marriage.” He compared the decision to not defend state bans with not defending Jim Crow laws in the 1950s South.  On Tuesday, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) slammed Holder's remarks. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox said, “What General Holder is asking state attorneys general to do is accept a gratuitously offered nonbinding legal opinion on an issue that has not been decided by a national court of competent jurisdiction at this time.” In other words, according to Fox, Holder is expressing his personal opinion on a matter that has not yet been decided by a court with national authorit

Virginia’s attorney general leaves marriage defenseless

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February 25, 2014 ( BreakPoint ) - Imagine for a moment that someone sues you. You arrive in court, expecting your lawyer to defend your interests, only to hear him say that he disagrees with you and will now assist your adversary. There would be pandemonium. Your attorney would be relieved of his duties, and in all likelihood, face professional censure. Yet, something akin to this happened to the people of Virginia last week. It’s part of a trend that should trouble people regardless of their position on certain “hot-button” issues. On February 13, a federal district court judge in Norfolk struck down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Arrenda Wright Allen ruled that the voter-approved amendment to the Virginia constitution violated the 14th Amendment ’s Equal Protection Clause . Allen wrote that “Government interests in perpetuating traditions, shielding state matters from federal interference, and favoring one model of parenting over others must yield to th

Obama-appointed federal judge strikes down Virginia’s same-sex ‘marriage’ ban

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NORFOLK, VA , February 14, 2014 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – Yet another federal judge has  overturned  a state law banning same-sex “marriage,” as Judge Arenda Wright Allen declared Virginia’s law enshrining true marriage unconstitutional Thursday.  The state becomes the fourth to have a legislative or voter-approved measure banning gay marriage overturned by a federal judge. “The Court is compelled to conclude that Virginia's Marriage Laws unconstitutionally deny Virginia's gay and lesbian citizens the fundamental freedom to choose to marry,” Allen wrote in her  41-page decision , which  Mother Jones  called “incredibly moving.”  “Government interests in perpetuating traditions, shielding state matters from federal interference, and favoring one model of parenting over others must yield to this country's cherished protections that ensure the exercise of the private choices of the individual citizen regarding love and family.” “We have arrived upon another moment in

Virginia Attorney General faces growing impeachment calls over refusal to defend marriage amendment

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RICHMOND, VA, January 31, 2014 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – New Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is facing increased calls for impeachment in light of his decision to not defend his state's marriage amendment. After he announced the decision last week, Herring  faced  an impeachment call from the National Organization for Marriage . Those calls have now expanded to include  Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips  and unnamed  grassroots conservative organizations . Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring Republicans hold the state House in Virginia, which is where impeachment hearings are held . Since Herring holds the position of Attorney General, the House has the right to appoint prosecutors “according to the laws of the land.” In 2006, Herring voted for the state's marriage amendment that would respect marriage as between a man and a woman, which was approved by a majority of state voters. Since then, Herring says his position has changed, and he now supports sa

"Virginia won't defend its same-sex marriage ban!

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A Lawyer Abandoning His Clients It wasn't really a total surprise when the news came out this week that Virginia's new Attorney General , Mark Herring , has decided not to defend Virginia's marriage law against legal challenge. We've long suspected Herring to be on the side of radical redefinition of marriage , even though he said in his campaign that he would defend the amendment. The headlines nonetheless gave a cold shock. Particularly the one from  USA Today  which read, " Virginia won't defend its same-sex marriage ban. " Well, leaving aside the cynicism or agenda-driven bias that goes into calling laws such as Virginia's marriage amendment "same-sex marriage bans," the headline nonetheless hits upon the real travesty here. Mark Herring is Virginia's Attorney General. He is duty-bound to defend Virginia's laws. Yet here he is, abandoning the people and law of Virginia to pursue his own selfish motives.  The people of Vi