ACLU-MS Applauds Objections in Same-Sex Divorce Case

JACKSON, Miss – Today, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that supplemental briefs of the parties in the same-sex divorce case of Lauren Beth Czekala-Chatham v. The State of Mississippi are necessary. Justice Leslie King in his separate statements stated, “I see no reason for useless supplemental briefing or for delaying a decision to allow this couple their long-awaited divorce.” He further stated that “tradition may not trample rights.”

In September 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi filed a “friend of the court” brief with the Mississippi Supreme Court in Chatham, asserting that denying a couple the right to a divorce infringes upon their constitutional right to due process and equal protection. The following is a statement from the ACLU of Mississippi Legal Director, Charles Irvin:

“We applaud the written objections of Justice Leslie King, to the Mississippi State Supreme Court’s En Banc Order. It is our sincere hope that the Mississippi State Supreme Court will eventually render a decision which recognizes the right of all Mississippians to be treated equally.”

View this statement online here: http://www.aclu-ms.org/news/2015/02/26/aclu-ms-applauds-objections-same-sex-divorce-case

View the En Banc Order here: http://www.aclu-ms.org/files/3914/2499/2089/2-26-15_-_En_Banc_Order.pdf

View the release about our brief from September here: http://www.aclu-ms.org/news/2014/09/25/aclu-files-brief-same-sex-divorce-case