Perry v. Schwarzenegger
Perry v. Schwarzenegger: The Background
The Perry v. Schwarzenegger case put one of the world’s biggest movie stars in the courtroom. The case started in May of 2009 when the County Court of Alameda, California refused to allow a same sex couple to receive a marriage license. The couple, Kristin Perry and Sandra Steir, was denied the right to legally marry in the country. The denial of a marriage license meant that the couple could not legally be viewed as a married couple in the United States.
Incensed by the blocking, Kristin Perry filed a case with the State Court of California to dispute the fact that she was not awarded a marriage license. The ruling of Perry’s case led to a verdict in favor of the woman; the state court found that Proposition 8 (the law that initially blocked the couple from receiving a marriage license) was a direct violation of her 14th Amendment Rights.
In Perry v. Schwarzenegger, Kristin Perry filed the suit against governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for singing a bill that outlawed same sex couples from receiving marriage licenses. The state of California did allow same sex couples to become partners and join civil unions, but the new law forbids these couples from receiving marriage licenses. This blockage hit same sex couples to the core; these couples simply wanted to be accepted and to affirm their love through the formation of a legal marriage. Thankfully, they had Kristin Perry on their side.After Perry won the case in the state court, Schwarzenegger and the state of California appealed the decision. They wanted the law to be upheld by the higher courts. The appeal filed by the State of California is still active; it has not been decided yet.
Perry v. Schwarzenegger: The Case Profile
The Perry v. Schwarzenegger case took place on August 4th of 2010. The original case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger began when Perry claimed that Proposition 8 was a direct violation of her civil rights outlined in the United States Constitution. The original case was decided on the same day it was filed: August 4th of 2010. Perry v. Schwarzenegger was tried in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Perry v. Schwarzenegger: The Verdict
The case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which was originally decided by the lower courts, was a big victory for same sex couples in the state. The lower court viewed Proposition 8 as a direct violation of an individual’s 14th Amendment rights.
The 14th Amendment disallows any government of the United States from infringing on an American citizen’s right to pursue ‘Life, Liberty and happiness.’
