The Importance of State Courts
State courts play a major role in determining the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and families. The highest court in a state, usually the state’s supreme court, has the last word on interpretations of state law. These interpretations can be influential to other states and even to federal courts and lawmakers. For example, the direction of public opinion and state supreme court decisions on an issue can influence whether the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to weigh in on the issue and sometimes even how it rules.
Because states, rather than the federal government, determine the family and marriage status of their residents for most purposes, the decisions of a state’s highest court are critically important to how that state’s marriage, divorce, adoption, and child custody laws are interpreted and applied. Check out your state for significant decisions by the state high court.
Significant State Court Decisions on Marriage Equality:
Select a State
State Court Decisions can be filtered by state or you can view the full list of Court Decisions by selecting "All State Court Decisions."
Alaska: Alaska Civil Liberties Union v. State
Arizona: Arizona Together v. Brewer
Arkansas: May v. Daniels
California: In re Marriage Cases
California: Strauss v. Horton
Connecticut: Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health
District of Columbia: Dean v. District of Columbia
Florida: Advisory Opinion to the Attorney General re: Florida Marriage Protection Amendment
Georgia: Purdue v. O’Kelley
Hawaii: Baehr v. Lewin
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