Proposition 8 defenders allowed to intervene against attack on Calif. marriage amendment

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal court Tuesday ruled that the official proponents and campaign committee for Proposition 8, ProtectMarriage.com, will be allowed to intervene federal court against a Hollywood-backed lawsuit designed to tear down California’s voter-approved marriage amendment. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are co-counsel in the case along with ADF-allied attorney Andrew Pugno and lead counsel Charles J. Cooper.

“In America, we respect the results of fair elections. This latest lawsuit is yet another attempt by those who want to redefine marriage to achieve what they have not been able to obtain,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum. “We look forward to vigorously defending the definition of marriage that has existed since the founding of this state, that has been affirmed by the people, and that has been upheld by the courts.”

“This ruling designating us to defend Proposition 8 reflects the unfortunate fact that, if left up to state officials, the will of the people would not be defended at all,” added Pugno.

A foundation led by a Hollywood-area public relations firm that frequently represents celebrities and their causes is backing the lawsuit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which attorneys for two men and two women in same-sex relationships filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, on May 22. ADF attorneys filed a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of ProtectMarriage.com on May 28.

In its order granting the motion to intervene, the court scheduled a conference for Thursday to discuss details with regard to how the case will proceed. The court noted that the California attorney general was not defending the state’s laws as contemplated in the California Constitution.

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.