High Quality
Open the downloaded document, and select print from the file menu (PDF reader required).
No.05-09-0ll70-CV
lIn
t l 1 J ~
Grourt of Appeals for
t4e
lJiift4
J u ~ i t i a l
Bistritt
tBallast wexas
IN
THE
MATTER
OF THE MARRIAGE OF
J.B.
AND
H.B.
On
Appeal from the 302nd Family District Court,Dallas County, Texas
BRIEF
OFTHE
STATE
OF
TEXAS
GREG
ABBOTTAttorney General
of
TexasC. ANDREW WEBERFirst Assistant Attorney GeneralDAVID S. MORALESDeputy Attorney General forCivil LitigationJAMES C. HOSolicitor GeneralState.
Bar
No. 24052766JAMES D. BLACKLOCKAssistant Solicitor GeneralState Bar No. 24050296
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
P.O.
Box
12548Austin, Texas 78711-2548
[Te1.]
(512) 936-2872[Fax] (512) 474-2697
COUNSEL FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS
IDENTITY
OF
PARTIES
AND
COUNSEL
ArPELLANTnNTERVENOR
State
of
Texas
Represented
by:
Greg AbbottC. Andrew WeberDavid
S.
MoralesJames C.
Ho
James D. BlacklockOffice
of
the Attorney GeneralP.O. Box 12548Austin, Texas 78711-2548
APPELLEEIPETITIONER
J.B.
Represented
by:
Peter A. SchulteSchulte
&
Apgar, PLLC4131 N. Central ExpresswaySuite 680Dallas, Texas 75204James J. ScheskeAkin Gump Strauss Hauer Feld LLP300 West 6th StreetSuite 2100Austin, Texas 78701-3911J. Carl Cecere
Akin
Gump Strauss Hauer Feld LLP1700 Pacific AvenueSuite 4100Dallas, Texas 75201-4675
RESPONDENT
H.B.
11
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
StatementRegardingOralArgument................................. ......... xStatement
of
the
Case.
.................................................
..
xiIssuesPresented ..................
.'
.....................................xii
In
d'
.
ro uctlon 1Statement
of
Facts 3 .Standard
of
Review 7Summary
of
Argument 7Argument 8
1.
The
Proper Remedy Under Texas Law For Achieving
lB.'s
StatedGoal
of
Terminating His Invalid Marriage Is Voidance,
Not
Divorce
....
8II.
The
Decision
Below-Striking
Down Texas Law As a Violation
of
theFourteenth
Amendment-Contradicts
U.S. Supreme Court Precedent
...
12A. The U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Upheld the TraditionalDefmition
of
Marriage
in
Baker
v.
Nelson
(1972)-Consistent
With Established Fourteenth Amendment Principles 12B.
Baker
Applies
To
This Case Because
An
Action for DivorceNecessarily
Presumes-And
Indeed, Enforces the Obligations
of-a
Valid Marriage 20III. The Revised
Order-Invalidating
Texas Law As a Violation
of
Freedom
of
Association and the Right to
Travel-Is
LikewiseMeritless. .
;.....................................
. . . . .
21
IV. The Ruling Below
Not
Only Strikes Down Texas
Law-It
Invalidatesthe Federal Defense
of
Marrlage Act
Sub Silentio
As Well 23Prayer
24
111
Add a Comment