Same-Sex Marriage Oral Arguments

The California State Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether or not San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and other city officials overstepped their authority and violated state law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Those who felt that the local officials had overstepped argued that they had a duty to enforce state laws, and that interpreting laws or declaring them unconstitutional were the province of the state judiciary. Supporters of the mayor claimed that the city administration acted in good faith by refusing to enforce a law they believed was unconstitutional. These cases, Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco and Lewis v. Alfaro, did not address the question of whether or not a state law limiting marriage to opposite sex couples violated the equal protection clause of the California state constitution. close