Case: Pareto v. Ruvin

2014-001661-CA-01 | Florida state trial court

Filed Date: Jan. 21, 2014

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On January 21, 2014, six same-sex couples and Equality Florida Institute filed suit in Florida state court against the County Clerk of Miami-Dade County after they were denied marriage licenses because they are of the same gender. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Florida's prohibition on same-sex marriage violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Represented by private counsel and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, plaintiffs sought injuncti…
On January 21, 2014, six same-sex couples and Equality Florida Institute filed suit in Florida state court against the County Clerk of Miami-Dade County after they were denied marriage licenses because they are of the same gender. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Florida's prohibition on same-sex marriage violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Represented by private counsel and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, plaintiffs sought injunctive and declaratory relief as well as attorneys fees.The case was assigned to state Judge Sarah Zabel. On July 25, 2014, she struck down the same-sex marriage ban, as applicable in Miami-Dade County. She wrote: The recognition that the right to marry encompasses categories of people not traditionally considered to be accorded that right has been slow in coming, but it has become increasingly obvious that it is not constitutionally permissible to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.The flood of cases that have come out since Windsor amply demonstrates this truth as not one court has found a same-sex marriage ban to be constitutional. As case after case has come out, unified in their well-reasoned constitutional condemnation of the deprivation of one class of person's right to marry, the answer to the question of whether it is constitutionally permissible to deprive same-sex couples of the right to marry has become increasingly obvious: Of course it is not. Preventing couples from marrying solely on the basis of their sexual orientation serves no governmental interest. It serves only to hurt, to discriminate, to deprive same-sex couples and their families of equal dignity, to label and treat them as second-class citizens, and to deem them unworthy of participation in one of the fundamental institutions of our society. News reports say that Florida's Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has appealed and that the ruling is stayed pending resolution of that appeal.

Summary Authors

Tifani Sadek (1/21/2014)

Clearinghouse (7/26/2014)

People

Judge(s)

Arzola, Antonio (Florida)

Emas, Kevin (Florida)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Alonso, Cristina (Florida)

Codell, David C. (California)

Cohen, Jeffrey Michael (Florida)

Attorney for Defendant
Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

2014-001661-CA-01

Docket

Oct. 10, 2017

Oct. 10, 2017

Docket

2014-001661-CA-01

Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief

Jan. 21, 2014

Jan. 21, 2014

Complaint

2014-001661-CA-01

Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment

July 25, 2014

July 25, 2014

Order/Opinion

Resources

Docket

Last updated Dec. 18, 2024, 5:55 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Florida

Case Type(s):

Public Benefits/Government Services

Special Collection(s):

Same-Sex Marriage

Key Dates

Filing Date: Jan. 21, 2014

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Six same-sex couples who wish to marry but are prohibited from doing so by Florida state law.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Clerk of the Courts of Miami-Dade County (Miami-Dade), County

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Equal Protection

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Declaratory Judgment

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Content of Injunction:

Discrimination Prohibition

Issues

General/Misc.:

Marriage

Discrimination Basis:

Sex discrimination

Sexual orientation

Affected Sex/Gender(s):

Female

Male

LGBTQ+:

LGBTQ+