N.J. Court Hears Same-Sex Marriage Arguments
Jun 27, 2003 1:57 pm US/Eastern
TRENTON (AP) One day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas law banning gay sex, an attorney for seven gay couples argued in a New Jersey courtroom that same-sex marriage should be legally recognized by the state.
A deputy attorney general countered that the issue belongs in the Legislature, not the courts.
Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg said she would not rule on the matter for at least two months.
Friday's hearing was on a state motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the same-sex couples.
Deputy Attorney General Patrick DeAlmeida said that while the state does not doubt the sincerity of committed relationships of same-sex couples, there is nothing in the New Jersey Constitution that guarantees their right to marriage.
David S. Buckel, the attorney for the couples, argued that the marriages should be allowed under the constitution's guarantees of equality and privacy.
Buckel said Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling was heartening to those seeking same-sex marriages.
"The federal Supreme Court sent a very strong message that the day has come when lesbian and gay couples are due dignity and respect," Buckel said.
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