Thomas More Society Welcomes Counsel for County Clerks Who Intervened to Defend Marriage in 'Same Sex' Marriage Lawsuit
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net
CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Chicago-based Thomas More Society, representing the pair of downstate County Clerks from Tazewell and Effingham Counties who intervened in the ACLU's and Lambda Legal's "same sex" lawsuit in order to defend Illinois' prohibition of marriage between homosexual couples, welcomed two new major supporters today in proceedings before Cook County Circuit Judge Sophia Hall. The Catholic Conference of Illinois and the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), who were both instrumental in passing the ban on homosexual marriage, appeared before Judge Hall to support the defense. Judge Sophia Hall granted the Catholic Conference of Illinois' motion for leave to file an "amicus curiae" (friend of the court) brief.
IFI, represented by John Mauck of the Chicago law firm Mauck & Baker, as well as Bryan Beauman of the Lexington, Kentucky office of the Alliance Defending Freedom ("ADF"), petitioned the Court for permission to join the downstate County Clerks as additional intervenors in the lawsuit, to bolster and reinforce the Thomas More Society's defense of Illinois' homosexual marriage ban.
A briefing schedule was set as follows: IFI's motion to intervene will be due on August 20. Opposing counsel's reply brief will be due on August 30. Oral arguments on IFI's motion to intervene are set for September 27 at 10:30 a.m., in the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago, Courtroom 2301. The Catholic Conference’s amicus brief is due August 27.
Responses to the County Clerk intervenors' motion to dismiss the consolidated lawsuits filed by the ACLU and Lambda Legal as legally meritless are due September 24. The Thomas More Society's reply on behalf of the County Clerk intervenors will be due October 24. The hearing on the Thomas More Society's motions to dismiss, previously set for September 27, will be rescheduled later. Judge Hall's Order entered at the hearing can be viewed here.
About the Thomas More Society
Founded in 1997, the Chicago-based Thomas More Society is a national public interest law firm that seeks to restore respect in law for life, marriage, and religious liberty. The Society is a nonprofit organization wholly supported by private donations. For more information or to support the work of Thomas More Society, please visit www.thomasmoresociety.org.
