Latta v. Otter

• Decision Date: 07 October 2014
• Docket Number: 12–17668.,Nos. 14–35420,14–35421,s. 14–35420
• Citation: 771 F.3d 456
• Parties: Susan LATTA; Traci Ehlers; Lori Watsen; Sharene Watsen; Shelia Robertson; Andrea Altmayer; Amber Beierle; Rachael Robertson, Plaintiffs–Appellees, v. C.L. OTTER, “Butch”; Governor of the State of Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant–Appellant, and Christopher Rich, Recorder of Ada County, Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant, State of Idaho, Intervenor–Defendant. Susan Latta; Traci Ehlers; Lori Watsen; Sharene Watsen; Shelia Robertson; Andrea Altmayer; Amber Beierle; Rachael Robertson, Plaintiffs–Appellees, v. C.L. OTTER, “Butch”; Governor of the State of Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant, and Christopher Rich, Recorder of Ada County, Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant–Appellant, State of Idaho, Intervenor–Defendant–Appellant. Beverly Sevcik; Mary Baranovich; Antioco Carrillo; Theodore Small; Karen Goody; Karen Vibe; Fletcher Whitwell; Greg Flamer; Mikyla Miller; Katrina Miller; Adele Terranova; Tara Newberry; Caren Cafferatajenkins; Farrell Cafferatajenkins; Megan Lanz; Sara Geiger, Plaintiffs–Appellants, v. Brian Sandoval, in his official capacity as Governor of the State of Nevada; Diana Alba, in her official capacity as the County Clerk and Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Clark County, Nevada; Amy Harvey, in her official capacity as the County Clerk and Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Washoe County, Nevada; Alan Glover, in his official capacity as the Clerk Recorder for Carson City, Nevada, Defendants–Appellees, and Coalition For The Protection of Marriage, Intervenor–Defendant–Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

771 F.3d 456

Susan LATTA; Traci Ehlers; Lori Watsen; Sharene Watsen; Shelia Robertson; Andrea Altmayer; Amber Beierle; Rachael Robertson, Plaintiffs–Appellees,

v.C.L. OTTER, “Butch”; Governor of the State of Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant–Appellant,andChristopher Rich, Recorder of Ada County, Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant,State of Idaho, Intervenor–Defendant.

Susan Latta; Traci Ehlers; Lori Watsen; Sharene Watsen; Shelia Robertson; Andrea Altmayer; Amber Beierle; Rachael Robertson, Plaintiffs–Appellees,

v.C.L. OTTER, “Butch”; Governor of the State of Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant,andChristopher Rich, Recorder of Ada County, Idaho, in his official capacity, Defendant–Appellant,State of Idaho, Intervenor–Defendant–Appellant.

Beverly Sevcik; Mary Baranovich; Antioco Carrillo; Theodore Small; Karen Goody; Karen Vibe; Fletcher Whitwell; Greg Flamer; Mikyla Miller; Katrina Miller; Adele Terranova; Tara Newberry; Caren Cafferatajenkins; Farrell Cafferatajenkins; Megan Lanz; Sara Geiger, Plaintiffs–Appellants,

v.Brian Sandoval, in his official capacity as Governor of the State of Nevada; Diana Alba, in her official capacity as the County Clerk and Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Clark County, Nevada; Amy Harvey, in her official capacity as the County Clerk and Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Washoe County, Nevada; Alan Glover, in his official capacity as the ClerkRecorder for Carson City, Nevada, Defendants–Appellees,andCoalition For The Protection of Marriage, Intervenor–Defendant–Appellee.

Nos. 14–35420, 14–35421, 12–17668.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Argued and Submitted Sept. 8, 2014.¹

Filed Oct. 7, 2014

Affirmed; reversed and remanded.

Reinhardt, Circuit Judge, filed concurring opinion.

Berzon, Circuit Judge, filed concurring opinion.

Held Unconstitutional

Idaho Const. Art. 3, § 28;West'sI.C.A. §§ 32–201, 32–209;West'sNRSA Const. Art. 1, § 21;West'sNRSA 122.020(1)Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General, Steven L. Olsen, Chief of Civil Litigation Division, W. Scott Zanzig, Deputy Attorney General, and Clay R. Smith, Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, Boise, ID, for Defendant–AppellantChristopher Rich and Intervenor–Defendant–Appellant State of Idaho.

Monte Neil Stewart(argued) and Daniel W. Bower, Stewart Taylor & Morris PLLC, Boise, ID; Thomas C. Perry and Cally A. Younger, Office of the Governor, Boise, ID, for Defendant–Appellant Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter.

Deborah A. Ferguson(argued), The Law Office of Deborah A. Ferguson, PLLC, Boise, ID; Craig Harrison Durham, Durham Law Office, PLLC, Boise, ID; Shannon P. Minter and Christopher F. Stoll, National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA, for Plaintiffs–AppelleesSusan Latta, Traci Ehlers, Lori Watsen, Sharene Watsen, Shelia Robertson, Andrea Altmayer, Amber Beierle, and Rachael Robertson.

Tara L. Borelli(argued), Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Jon W. Davidson, Peter C. Renn, and Shelbi D. Day, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; Carla Christofferson, Dawn Sestito, Dimitri Portnoi, Melanie Cristol, and Rahi Azizi, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Kelly H. Dove and Marek P. Bute, Snell & Wilmer LLP, Las Vegas, NV, for Plaintiffs–AppellantsBeverly Sevcik, Mary Baranovich, Antioco Carrillo, Theodore Small, Karen Goody, Karen Vibe, Fletcher Whitwell, Greg Flamer, Mikyla Miller, Katrina Miller, Adele Terranova, Tara Newberry, Caren Cafferata–Jenkins, Farrell Cafferata–Jenkins, Megan Lanz, Sara Geiger.

Catherine Cortez Masto, Attorney General, C. Wayne Howle, Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General, Carson City, NV, for Defendant–Appellee Governor Brian Sandoval.

Neil A. Rombardo, District Attorney, Randal R. Munn, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Joseph L. Ward, Jr., Senior Deputy District Attorney, Carson City District Attorney's Office, Carson City, NV, for Defendant–AppelleeAlan Glover.

Monte Neil Stewart(argued), Craig G. Taylor, and Daniel W. Bower, Stewart Taylor & Morris PLLC, Boise, ID, for Intervenor–Defendant–Appellee Coalition for the Protection of Marriage.

Shannon P. Minter, Christopher F. Stoll, and Samantha Ames, National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA, for Amici Curiae 13 Public Interest and Legal Service Organizations.

Michael L. Whitlock, Susan Baker Manning, Jared A. Craft, Sara Carian, John A. Polito, and Erik Wilson, Bingham McCutchen LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae 27 Employers and Organizations Representing Employers.

Byron J. Babione, David Austin R. Nimocks, and James A. Campbell, Alliance Defending Freedom, Scottsdale, AZ, for Amicus Curiae Alliance Defending Freedom.

Dean Robert Broyles, Western Center for Law & Policy, Escondido, CA, for Amicus Curiae Helen M. Alvare.

Margaret A. McLetchie and Lisa Rasmussen, Langford McLetchie LLC, Las Vegas, NV; Daniel M. Gluck and Lois K. Perrin, ACLU of Hawai'i Foundation, Honolulu, HI, for Amici Curiae American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Nevada and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Hawai'i.

Nathalie F.P. Gilfoyle, American Psychological Association, Washington D.C.; Paul M. Smith, Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and National Association of Social Workers.

Nathalie F.P. Gilfoyle, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.; Paul M. Smith, Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American Psychoanalytic Association, and Hawaii Psychological Association.

Carmine D. Boccuzzi, Jr., Mark A. Lightner, Andra Troy, and Andrew P. Meiser, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae American Sociological Association.

Rocky C. Tsai, Samuel P. Bickett, and Rebecca Harlow, Ropes & Gray LLP, San Francisco, CA; Steven M. Freeman, Seth M. Marnin, and Michelle Deutchman, Anti–Defamation League, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae Anti–Defamation League, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Global Justice Institute, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, Hindu American Foundation, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, Japanese American Citizens League, Jewish Social Policy Action Network, Keshet, Metropolitan Community Churches, More Light Presbyterians, National Council of Jewish Women, Nehirim, People for the American Way Foundation, Presbyterian Welcome, Reconcilingworks: Lutherans for Full Participation, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Society for Humanistic Judaism, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Women of Reform Judaism, and Women's League for Conservative Judaism.

Rocky C. Tsai, Samuel P. Bickett, Rebecca Harlow, and Idin Kashefipour, Ropes & Gray LLP, San Francisco, CA; Steven M. Freeman, Seth M. Marnin, and Michelle Deutchman, Anti–Defamation League, New York, NY; Eric Alan Isaacson, Anti–Defamation League, San Diego, CA, for Amici Curiae Anti–Defamation League, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, Board of Trustees of the Pacific Central District/Unitarian Universalist Association, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, Hindu American Foundation, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, Interfaith Alliance Hawai'i, Japanese American Citizens League, Keshet, National Council of Jewish Women, Metropolitan Community Churches, More Light Presbyterians, Nehirim, Pacific Central District/Unitarian Universalist Association, Pacific Southwest District/Unitarian Universalist Association, People for the American Way Foundation, Reconcilingworks: Lutherans for Full Participation, Religious Institute, Inc., Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Society for Humanistic Judaism, South Asian Americans Leading Together, Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Union for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Women of Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, and Women's League for Conservative Judaism.

Jyotin Hamid and Joseph Rome, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Professor Carlos A. Ball.

Daniel McNeel Lane, Jr., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, San Antonio, TX; Jessica M. Weisel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Los Angeles, CA, for Amici Curiae Historians of Marriage Peter W. Bardaglio, Norma Basch, Stephanie Coontz, Nancy F. Cott, Toby L. Ditz, Laura F. Edwards, Michael Grossberg, Hendrik Hartog, Ellen Herman, Martha Hodes, Linda K. Kerber, Alice

Kessler–Harris, Elaine Tyler May, Serena Mayeri, Steve Mintz, Elizabeth Pleck, Carole Shammas, Mary L. Shanley, Amy Dru Stanley, and Barbara Welke.

Jerome C. Roth and Amelia L.B. Sargent, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, San Francisco, CA, for Amici Curiae Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, et al.

Jeffrey S. Trachtman, Norman C. Simon, Jason M. Moff, Kurt M. Denk, and Jessica N. Witte, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae Bishops of the Episcopal Church in Idaho, General Synod of the United Church of Christ, Mormons for Equality, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association, Affirmation, Covenant Network of Presbyterians, Methodist Federation for Social Action, More Light Presbyterians, Presbyterian Welcome, Reconciling Ministries Network, Reconcilingworks: Lutherans for Full Participation, Religious Institute, Inc., and 38 Faith Leaders in the ...