Two Illinois Clerks Will Defend Gay Marriage Ban

Details: Published on Friday, 06 July 2012 16:18; Written by E-Li

In two lawsuits which claim that the prohibition of gay marriage in Illinois is unconstitutional, two county clerks were allowed to defend this prohibition.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall allowed to a public interest law firm, the Thomas More Society, to defend the prohibition of marriage equality representing clerk Christie Webb and clerk Kerry Hirtzel.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the Cook County state's attorney and the Illinois attorney general have said they agree with the lawsuits, so it was expected that an outside group would attempt to step in and defend the state's gay marriage ban.

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society's executive director and legal counsel, also filed a motion to dismiss the complaints brought by gay groups (Lambda Legal and the ACLU). The judge set a hearing on that motion for September 27.

John Knight of the ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, said he thinks "their arguments have no merit, but it’s best to face them now rather than face them later on."

"It gets us to a point where we can feel confident that we’ve won the freedom to marry statewide," he added.