New Jersey Supreme Court Denies Motion to Hear Lambda Legal's Marriage Equality Case

(Trenton, July 26, 2010) — The Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a 3-3 ruling today against a motion seeking marriage equality filed by Lambda Legal on behalf of plaintiffs in the original Lewis v. Harris lawsuit.

Lambda Legal Deputy Legal Director, Hayley Gorenberg, issued the following statement:

"We are terribly disappointed about today's ruling. Our plaintiffs and the New Jersey legislature's own Civil Union Review Commission documented the rampant discrimination same-sex couples face as a consequence of civil union status, and this ruling now relegates our plaintiffs to second-class citizenship for even longer.

"The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in favor of equality in 2006, and this ruling is a saddening setback for our plaintiffs and their families, who have been denied the rights and responsibilities of marriage for years, and now continue to be denied.

"Separating out one group and relegating the people in it to a lesser status, in this case to civil unions in New Jersey, invites discrimination from all quarters—the government, businesses, schools, medical providers, individuals.

"It is heartbreaking that these families must wait longer for equality. As the son of one of our plaintiff couples pointed out when we launched our new motion, he has waited for half his life for his family to be treated equally and it still hasn't happened. He is now almost college-aged.

"We are now assessing possible next steps in Superior Court."

Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director, is handling this case for Lambda Legal. Lawrence S. Lustberg of Gibbons, DelDeo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, one of New Jersey's largest and most prestigious law firms, is cooperating attorney for Lambda Legal in this case.

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