From Meade v. Pongonis (1991) an unreported decision from then Judge (and now Justice) Katz:
Specifically, despite statutes designed to facilitate divorce and separation for persons who choose to end their marriages, the statutory framework, considered in its entirety, seeks to promote and preserve marriage as an institution.
I never really looked at it that way but Justice Katz is right. Very interesting.
On a normal day, the halls of Hartford Family Court are a strange place.
If you’ve never been, the building is mostly one giant hallway. Even on slow days, the building feels like a crowded subway car. Too many people, too few seats. Sometimes it’s hot. Sometimes, like a subway car people don’t shower before entering.
On most [...]
Some couples going through a divorce wish they could make their marriage disappear. For at least two women, their marriage did disappear.
Two Ladies in Waiting takes a fascinating and fresh look at same-sex marriage, constitutional rights, federalism, civil unions through the lens of their honeymoon. Really good stuff. This is one of the best blog [...]
When statutes and a supreme court ruling conflict the legislature should look at revising its statutes.
Uncertainty can make life uncomfortable for citizens, lawyers, and judges – it’s generally a bad thing.
Today, the legislature is holding a hearing on exactly what to do in the wake of Kerrigan. Link.
Proposed legislation would transform all civil unions into [...]
You’ve probably read or heard about Nebraska’s safe haven law and its horrible and presumably unintended effects. Nebraska is now set to change this law.
Here’s the text of the Nebraska law:
“No person shall be prosecuted for any crime based solely upon the act of leaving a child in the custody of an employee on duty at [...]
I don’t have a ton of time today so this is some thinking out loud.
Here’s my question: Is it unconstitutional for the State to deny opposite sex couples the ability to enter into a civil union?
Here are the eligibility requirments for civil unions in Connecticut:
A person is eligible to enter into a civil union if such person is:
(1) [...]
I’ve written before about parenting education classes in Connecticut.
To make a long story short, a pro se litigant challenged the validity of the law by taking his case up to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Good for him. Dutkiewicz v. Dutkiewicz.
The Appellant argued that the classes unconstitutionally infringed on his right to parent his children and [...]
Last week’s ruling in Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health legalized same-sex marriage in Connecticut. But where does that leave civil unions in Connecticut? Professor Jennifer Levi stops by to answer this question.
How the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Lawrence v. Texas laid the groundwork for Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health and same-sex marriage in Connecticut.
Link.
More to follow…Justice Palmer writes for the majority.
Finished skimming Justice Palmer’s opinion and it is compelling.
Justices Palmer, Norcott, Katz, and Harper in the majority.
Three dissenting opinions (Justice Borden joined by Justice Vertefuille, Justice Vertefuille, and Justice Zarella).
Some highlights:
Especially in light of the long and undisputed history of invidious discrimination that gay persons have suffered.. we cannot discount [...]
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