As is generally the case with "breaking" stuff, this diary will be brief. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has just just released an opinion upholding marriage equality bans in four states: Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
I will give you one quote from the opinion, which I haven't yet read.
What remains is a debate about whether to allow the democratic processes begun in the States to continue in the four States of the Sixth Circuit or to end them now by requiring all States in the Circuit to extend the definition of marriage to encompass gay couples. Process and structure matter greatly in American government. Indeed, they may be the most reliable, liberty-assuring guarantees of our system of government, requiring us to take seriously the route the United States Constitution contemplates for making such a fundamental change to such a fundamental social institution.My prediction is that the plaintiffs in these cases will IMMEDIATELY petition the Supreme Court for certiorari. Doing so would essentially guarantee a court ruling during the 2014-2015 term since it represents the circuit court split Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said was needed for the Court to take any further action.
As an aside, if the above represents the majority's view on equality, their views are contemptible. The decision was made on a 2-1 basis. As a further aside, the fact that this opinion was released two days after Election Day shouldn't be viewed as a coincidence.
UPDATE: The attorneys in DeBoer vs Snyder have already announced that they will go directly to the Supreme Court. It appears that Michigan AG Bill Schuette is actually in favor of that move.
Attorney General Bill Schuette defended the ban in Friedman’s court. He’s all for the Supreme Court settling the issue –“for Michigan and the country.”