Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry, a challenge to the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage after it was (briefly) made legal in that state. Tomorrow, the Court hears oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, which is a challenge brought to part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act by a widow who was required to pay estate taxes on her same-sex spouse’s inheritance, which would not have been owed had federal law recognized their marriage (which was conducted in Canada and legally recognized by their state of New York). Together, these are the celebrated same-sex marriage cases. While there are significant differences between the two, both come to the Court framed as equal protection cases.
Obviously, the cases are all over the news. But here are a few select news sources likely to be worth following — including within the next few hours as recaps of the Hollingsworth arguments begin to filter out. While all the usual opinion and general-interest outlets have commentary and analysis (some quite insightful) these are just places to turn for quick, newsy, takes and in some cases for links to deeper treatment.
- Scotusblog will provide extensive coverage of the arguments, and in recent posts has pulled together and referenced a significant amount of commentary and analysis of the cases.
- The Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog is another respected legal-news blog which has largely focused on the same-sex marriage cases in recent days.
- The New York Times’s The Lede Blog is “live blogging” the immediate reaction at the Supreme Court today (and, presumably, tomorrow).
- Bloomberg News is also live blogging the early reports from today’s arguments.
The merits briefs in both cases are available online via the ABA’s “Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases” feature.
Scotusblog, mentioned above as a newsy source, also has “profile” pages for each of the cases (as for other cases before the court). Hollingsworth is here. Windsor is here. These pages link to the Supreme Court docket sheets, to the opinions below, and to the party and amicus briefs.
Windsor is on appeal from this Second Circuit opinion. Hollingsworth is on appeal from Perry v. Brown, this opinion of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (with this opinion from the California Supreme Court having grappled with the standing/procedural issues).
ADDED: Oral argument audio and initial transcription now available at www.supremecourt.gov, for Hollingsworth.
ADDED: And for Windsor.