No. 14-556

In the Supreme ourt of the United States

 

 ______________________________

J

 AMES

O

BERGEFELL ET AL

.,

 Petitioners

, v. R

ICHARD

H

ODGES

,

 IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS

D

IRECTOR OF THE

O

HIO

D

EPARTMENT OF

H

EALTH

,

Respondent.

 

 ______________________________

B

RITTANI

H

ENRY ET AL

.,

 Petitioners

, v. R

ICHARD

H

ODGES

,

 IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS

D

IRECTOR OF THE

O

HIO

D

EPARTMENT OF

H

EALTH

,

Respondent

.

 ______________________________

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

 ______________________________ BRIEF FOR RESPONDENT  ______________________________

MICHAEL DEWINE  Attorney General of Ohio ERIC E. MURPHY* State Solicitor *

Counsel of Record

STEPHEN

 

P.

 

CARNEY PETER

 

T.

 

REED Deputy Solicitors 30 East Broad St., 17th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-466-8980 eric.murphy@ ohioattorneygeneral.gov

Counsel for Respondent

 

 

QUESTION PRESENTED

Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a State to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?

 

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

QUESTION PRESENTED .......................................... i

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................. ii

 

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ....................................... v

 

COUNTERSTATEMENT ........................................... 1

 

 A.

 

In 2004, Ohio Twice Retained Marriage‟s

Traditional Definition ...................................... 1

 

B.

 

Petitioners Brought Two Suits

Challenging Ohio‟s D

ecision Not To Recognize Out-Of-State Same-Sex Marriages ......................................................... 2

 

C.

 

The Sixth Circuit Held That The Constitution Leaves The Question Of Same-Sex Marriage To Democracy ................. 4

 

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .................................... 5

 

 ARGUMENT ............................................................. 10

 

I.

 

W 

INDSOR

 

L

EAVES

M

 ARRIAGE

R

ECOGNITION

T

O

F

EDERALISM

‟

S

 A 

CTIVE

D

EMOCRATIC

P

ROCESSES

 .. 11

 

 A.

 

 A Recognition Right Conflicts With The Full Faith And Credit Clause ........................ 11

 

B.

 

 A Recognition Right Conflicts With The

Constitution‟s Federalist Design

 ................... 13

 

1.

 

Federalism enhances liberty in the domestic-relations context ........................ 13

 

2.

 

Windsor

promoted federalism, but a recognition right would erode it ............... 16