15-0139 motion for stay

8/9/2019 15-0139 Motion for Stay

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No. ______

In the Supreme Court of Texas

IN RE S TATE OF TEXAS ,Relator

Original Proceeding from167t !"dicial #i$trictTra%i$ &o"nt', Te(a$

E MERGENCY M OTION FOR T EMPORARY R ELIEF

TO T)E ) ONORA*+E S PRE-E &O RT OF TEXAS

P"r$"ant to R"le of A//ellate Proced"re 0 .12, Relator State of

Te(a$ $ee3$ emergenc' tem/orar' relief /ending re$ol"tion of t e $oon4

to45e4filed Petition for rit of -andam"$. Relator a$3$ t e &o"rt to $ta'

t e di$trict co"rt $ Tem/orar' Re$training Order r"ling t at Te(a$

&on$tit"tion art. I, 89 , and Te(a$ Famil' &ode $ection$ .221, .21 , and

6. 2: are "ncon$tit"tional and to $ta' all f"rt er $tate trial co"rt

/roceeding$ t at $ee3 to re$ol%e t e i$$"e c"rrentl' /ending 5efore t i$

&o"rt in In re J.B. and H.B. ;No. 11422 :< and t=o ot er ca$e$. See

A//endi(. Relator respectfully requests that the Court act on this

e er!ency otion "ithin the hour .

FILED15-01392/19/2015 11:02:44 AMtex-4208090SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS

BLAKE A. HAWTHORNE, CLER


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# TATEMENT OF F ACT#

Toda', Plaintiff$ Sara >oodfriend and S"?anne *r'ant filed an

original /etition and a//lication of Tem/orar' Re$training Order in

Tra%i$ &o"nt' $ee3ing a declaration t at Te(a$ &on$tit"tion, art. I, 8 9 ,

and Te(a$ Famil' &ode $ection$ .221, .21 , and 6. 2: are

"ncon$tit"tional "nder t e #"e Proce$$ and E@"al Protection &la"$e$ of

t e Fo"rteent Amendment of t e nited State$ &on$tit"tion. See

A//endi(. At 0 a.m., !"dge a l5erg granted t eir motion, declared

Te(a$ $ marriage la=$ "ncon$tit"tional, and $igned a 7 4 o"r =ai%er

form, /ermitting t e $ame4$e( marriage to ta3e /lace =it o"t a%ing to

=ait t e t'/ical 7 o"r$. T e State of Te(a$ a$ inter%ened in t e $"it

5elo=. A RG$MENT

T e &o"rt a$ t e /o=er to $ta' order$ t at are c allenged 5' an

original /roceeding "nder R"le 0 .12. See T EX . R. A PP . P. 0 .12;a< ;BT e

relator ma' file a motion to $ta' an' "nderl'ing /roceeding$ or for an'

ot er tem/orar' relief /ending t e co"rt $ action on t e /etition.C


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.221, .21 , and 6. 2:;5< "ncon$tit"tional "nder t e #"e Proce$$ and

E@"al Protection &la"$e$ of t e Fo"rteent Amendment to t e nited

State$ &on$tit"tion. A $ta' i$ nece$$ar' to ma3e clear to all co"nt' cler3$

t at Te(a$ marriage la= remain$ enforcea5le "ntil t ere a$ 5een final

a//ellate re$ol"tion.

Federal /recedent on t i$ /oint i$ in$tr"cti%e. A di$trict D"dge for

t e e$tern #i$trict of Te(a$ al$o eld t at Article I, Section 9 , of t e

Te(a$ &on$tit"tion and related Te(a$ Famil' &ode /ro%i$ion$ =ere

"ncon$tit"tional, 5"t agreed to $ta' i$ r"ling /ending a//eal. De Leon

v. Perry , 70 F. S"//. d 69 , 666 ; .#. Te(. 21:


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#"ring t i$ time, t e Fift &irc"it al$o addre$$ed a re@"e$t to $ta'

an inD"nction declaring -i$$i$$i//i $ marriage la=$ "ncon$tit"tional.

Campaign for S. Equality v. Bryant , 779 F.9d 00 ;0t &ir. 21:


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"ncon$tit"tional, and to $ta' all f"rt er $tate trial co"rt /roceeding$ t at

$ee3 to re$ol%e t e i$$"e c"rrentl' /ending 5efore t i$ &o"rt in In re J.B.

and H.B. ;No. 11422 :< and t=o ot er ca$e$, "ntil it can decide t e

mandam"$ /etition filed in t i$ ca$e.

C ONCL$#ION AN% P RAYER

T e State of Te(a$ a$3$ t e &o"rt to $ta' t e di$trict co"rt $

tem/orar' re$training order and con$tit"tional r"ling, and to $ta' all

f"rt er $tate trial co"rt /roceeding$ t at $ee3 to re$ol%e t e i$$"e$

c"rrentl' /ending 5efore t i$ &o"rt in In re J.B. and H.B. ;No. 11422 :<

and t=o ot er ca$e$, /ending re$ol"tion of t e Relator $ fort coming

/etition for =rit of mandam"$.


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Re$/ectf"ll' $"5mitted.

J EN P AXTON Attorne' >eneral of Te(a$

&)AR+ES E. ROK Fir$t A$$i$tant Attorne' >eneral

S &OTT A. J E++ER Solicitor >eneral

L$L -ic ael P. -"r/ '

- I&)AE+ P. - RP)K A$$i$tant Solicitor >eneralState *ar No. :2012 7

OFFI&E OF T)E A TTORNEK > ENERA+ P.O. *o( 1 0: ;-& 20 <

A"$tin, Te(a$ 7 7114 0:Tel. ;01 < 964 0

Fa( ;01 < :7:4 6 7mic aelp.murp y!te"a#attorneygeneral.gov

&O NSE+ FOR RE+ATOR


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C ERTIFICATE OF C ONFERENCE

P"r$"ant to Te(a$ R"le of A//ellate Proced"re 0 .12;a


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C ERTIFICATE OF C OMPLIANCE

T i$ motion contain$ 7 : =ord$, co"nted con$i$tent =it R"le of

A//ellate Proced"re .:;i


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C ERTIFICATE OF # ER&ICE

I certif' t at on Fe5r"ar' 1 , 210, t e foregoing doc"ment =a$

$er%ed %ia .S. -ail andLor electronic mail "/on co"n$el for real /artie$

in intere$t.

*rian T. T om/$on)o//er -i3e$3a:22 . 10t Street, S"ite :2

A"$tin, Te(a$ 7 721

& arle$ )erring, !r.

!e$$ -. Ir=in III)erring M Ir=in, ++P1:11 e$t A%e., Ste. 122

A"$tin, Te(a$ 7 721

&at erine A. -a"?'-a"?' M T"c3er P++&1717 e$t 6t St., 910

A"$tin, Te(a$ 7 729

T e Re$/ondent =a$ $er%ed a co/' 5' email and 5' .S. -ail, $entFe5r"ar' 1 , 210.

)on. #a%id a l5erg!"dge of 167t #i$trict &o"rt, Tra%i$ &o"nt', Te(a$02 e$t 11t , t floor

A"$tin, TX 7 721P one ;01 < 0:4 912Fa( ;01 < 0:46: 0

RESPON#ENT

L$L -ic ael P. -"r/ '-ic ael P. -"r/ 'Coun#el for Relator


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Appendix


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S R H G O O D FR I E N D N D

S U Z A N N E B RYA N T

P L A I N T I F F S

V S .

DANA DEBEAUVOIR TRAVIS

C O UN T Y C L E RK

D E F E N D N T

N O .

I N T H E D I S T R I C T C O U RT

O F T RAV IS C O UN T Y T E XA S

J U D I I L D I S T R I C T

P L I N T I F F S O R I G I N L P E T I T I O N

N D P P L I C T I O N F O R T E M P O R R Y R E S T R IN I N G O R D E R

T O T HE H ON OR AB LE JU DG E O F S A ID C O UR T:

Plaintiffs Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant file this Original Petition and

Application for Injunctive Relief against Defendant Dana DeBeauvoir.

I.

Plaintiffs Goodfriend and Bryant are a same-sex couple who desire to get married. United

States District Judge Orlando Garcia has ruled that the Texas ban on same-sex marriages is

unconstitutional, illegal, and unenforceable. On February 17, 2015, the Honorable Guy Herman,

Probate Judge, Travis County, Texas, issued an Order expressly finding that Texas Family Code

§§ 2.401, and 6.204 b , and Art ic le I, § 32 of the Texas Constitution a re unconstitutional insofar

as they restrict marriage in the State of Texas to the union of a man and woman and prohibit the

creation or recognitionof

marriage to same-sex couples, because such restrictions and

prohibitions violate the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth

Amend men t to t he U n i te d S t at e s C o ns ti tu t io n . Plaintiffs h a ve t he r ef or e a s ke d D e fe n da n t

DeBeauvoir to issue a marriage license to allow Plaintiffs to m rry Based upon her concerns

Case 1:13-cv-00955-SS Document 28 Filed 02/19/15 Page 2 of 8


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about the Texas statutory and constitutional prohibitions against same-sex marriage—including

Texas Family Code §§ 2.001,2.012, and 6.204, andin Article I, § 32 of the Texas Constitution-

Defendant DeBeauvoir has told Plaintiffs that she cannot issue thema marriage license, unless

and until a Court orders her to do so. The denial of a marriage license, based on those statutory

and constitutional prohibitionsagainstsame-sexmarriage, violates Plaintiffs constitutional

rights under the Due Process and Equal Protectionclauses of the United States Constitution.

Accordingly, Plaintiffs request that this Court issue an immediate Temporary RestrainingOrder

granting the reliefnecessaryto allow DefendantDeBeauvoirto issue a marriage license.

As theUnited States Supreme Court has held, the freedom to marry haslongbeen

recognized asone of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free

men. oving v. irginia 388U.S. 1 (1967). The Texas statutory and constitutional prohibitions

against same-sex marriage denyPlaintiffs the opportunity to exercise that fundamental personal

freedom. Current Texas law promotes the view that same-sex relationships and families are

inferior; discriminates against homosexuals; demean[s] Plaintiffs and other same-sex couples;

and treats Plaintiffs and other same-sex couples as second-class citizensby tell[ing] those

couples, and all the world, that their [prospective] marriages are unworthy of recognition.

ee United tates v. Windsor 133 S. Ct. 2675,2693-96 (2013).

Plaintiffs inability to obtain issuance of a marriage license is also causing Plaintiffs

ongoing, irreparable loss of actual and potential benefits otherwise available under the law,

including financial losses that are not capable of being calculated with reasonable certainty, and



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includingbut not limited to depriving Plaintiffs of intestacyrights; homestead rights; the

potential rights of spousal maintenance and community-propertypresumption; right of a

surviving spouse to pursue remedies for possible wrongful death; and spousal evidentiary

privileges. Additionally, Plaintiff Goodfriend has been diagnosed with and received extensive

treatment for ovarian cancer, a life-threatening illness, with all of the inevitable, attendant stress

and disruption of life and family; thus, her future remains very uncertain.

I V

Plaintiffs have no adequate remedyat lawto obtain a marriage licenseand to remedythat

ongoing violation of the United States Constitution. Unless this Court grants an immediateTRO,the violations of Plaintiffs fundamental constitutional rights will continue on a daily basis, and

will cause ongoing, imminent, and irreparable damage to Plaintiffs.

Therefore, Plaintiffs request that this Court immediately (i) issue a Temporary

Restraining Order to prevent the unconstitutional violationof Plaintiffs right to obtain a

marriage license; (ii) set a bond in accordance withTex. R. Civ. P. 684; iii) setthis matter for

Temporary Injunction hearing, and then for trial on Permanent Injunction hearing; and (iv) atthe

conclusion of such hearings, grant temporary and permanent injunctive relief,and grant all

additional rel ief to which Plaintiffs are entitled

Respectfully submitted,

HERRING IRWIN L L P1411 West Avenue Suite 100Austin Texas 78701(512)320-0665

1Tex. Probate Code §§ 38,45.2Tex. Const., art. 16, § 52.3 Tex. Family Code §§ 3.003,7.001, 7.003, 8.051.



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512) 519-7580-FAXEmail: cherr [email protected]

Charles Herring, Jr.Sta t e B ar N o. 0 9 5 3 4 1 0

Jes s M . I rwin II I

Sta t e a r N o. 1 04 25 7

C AT H E R I N E A. M A U Z Y

Sta t e a r N o . 1 3 2 3 9 4 0 0

Mauzy Tucker PLLC1717 West 6th Street Suite 315Austin, Texas 78703 512 474-1493 512 479-7910

Brian ThompsonSta t e B ar N o . 24051425

HOPPER M I KE SK A , P LL C

4 West th Street Suite 4 8Austin, Texas 78701 512 615-6195 512) 610-1306-FAXEmail: [email protected]

AT T O R N E Y S O R P L A I N T I F F S



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y

T HE S T T E O F T E X S

C O U N T Y O F T R V I S

V E R I F I C T I O N

BEFOREME, the undersignedNotary Public,on this daypersonallySarah Goodfriend,whobeingby medulyswornon heroath deposedandsaid thatshehasreadPlaintiffs'OriginalPetitionand Applicationfor Temporary RestrainingOrder, and that the facts stated therein arewithin her personal knowledgeandarc true and correct.

_':xXv Cjor^-ifiACL^ <S a ra h G o o d f r ie n d

SUBSCRIBEDANDSWORNTOBEFOREME

onthis jg^dayofFebruary2015to

certify which witness my hand and official seal.

4 &S& NICOLEM H LLI YK'Wfcs^l Notary Public.Stateof TexasW-.AN.-V/ MyCommission Expires && * March 22, 2018

My Commission Expires:3 J Q f t

N OT RY P U L IC - ST TE OF TE



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S A RA H G O O D FR I EN D A ND

S U Z A N N E R Y N T

P L A I N T I F F S

V S

D A N A D E B EA U V O IR T R AVI S

C OU N TY C LE RK

D E F E N D A N T

N O

O R D E R

IN T H E D IS T RI CT C O U RT

OF TRAVIS COUNTY TEXAS

J U D IC I A L D I ST R IC T

Plaintiffs Goodfriend and Bryant in the above styled and numbered action are seeking an

immediate Temporary Restraining Order to prohibit the defendant from continuing to enforce

prohibitions against issuance of marriage licenses to same sex persons. Given the time urgency

and the other circumstances in this case, and the ongoing violations of Plaintiffs constitutional

rights the Court has concluded that good cause exists to allow filing ofthe pleadings in this

matterin paper form rather than by e-filing, and to permit filing directly with the Court in

accordance with Tex. R. Civ. P. 21 f) 4)C) and 74.

It is s o O r de r ed

S I G N E D th i s th e

day of February. 2014



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D N Oe E UVOIR

Travis county Clerk

5501Airport Biva Austin. Texas78751www co travis tx us

72 HOUR WAIVER FORMcame to be

an d

Onthis theM dayof_ ̂ X ^ — eardtherequestof_5^2_^feJ^

C^ ̂ /-- applicants ^ X U ^ ^ ^ ^ f ^ ^ r ^ ^ r Tia c e during

hourperiodimmediately^ J ^ ^ S S ^ » ^d atthereilicense. TheCourt havingh ^ ^ g H a aforementioned72-cood cause for the marriageto take plaffhourperiodAndso doesorder

udge and Court _/^Z

a-lO to 9-20 am and 1:30 to 2:20 pmKEEPTHISWITHYOURMARRIAGELICEN

Applicant s Address:

MarriageLicense Document arr iage l . i « . i i ^ ~ha«been nerformed returnthisorderwiththeAfter the ceremonyhas been pcnorwcu

Marriagelicenseto: ^ ^ ^ ^ QerkPO. Box 149325

Austin Texas 78714-9325

Recording ElectionsAccountingand AdministrationDivisions5501 Airport BlvdAustin Texas 78751

Misdemeanor RecordsClviUProbate^RTcordsWanagemsntDMsioTravis County Courthouse

1000 GuadalupeAustin Texas 78701

•M t r r v n i W 9ZSI tS«IS l Vi cc:gG SO0Z/CT/0T



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NO. L

S AR AH G O OD FR IE ND A N D § IN T H JS U Z A N N E B R YA N T §

§P L A I N T I F F S §

§V S §

§

O F T R

DANA DEBEAUVOIR TRAVIS §C O U N T Y C L E R K §

§D E F E N D A N T §

O R D E R

J U D IC I A L D I ST R IC T

Plaintiffs Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant have filed Plaintiffs Original Petition

and Application for Temporary Restraining Order supported by affidavit against Defendant

Dana DeBeauvoir the County Clerk of Travis County.

It clearly appears from the facts set forth in the Application that because of the current

unconstitutional statutory and state constitutional prohibitions in Texas against same-sex

marriage including as set out in and applied through Texas Family Code §§ 2.001 2.012 and

6.204 and in Article I § 32 o f t he Texas Constitution Plaintiffs ar e unable to obtain issuance o f

a marriage license by Defendant DeBeauvoir.

The Court finds that unless the Court immediately issues a Temporary Restraining Order

the unconstitutional denial of a marriage license to Plaintiffs will cause immediate and

irreparable damage to Plaintiffs based solely on their status as a same-sex couple.That

irreparable injury includes the ongoing violation of their rights under the Due Process Clause and

the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

through the denial of their vital personal right to marry ased on the Plaintiffs sworn pleading

regarding the severity and uncertainty of PlaintiffGoodfriend s health condition the Court finds


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that Plaintiff Goodfriend's health condition strongly militates in favor of issuing immediate

relief, before a hearing can be held on Plaintiffs' request for temporary injunction and before a

final trial on the merits of permanent injunctive relief. Plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law

for the damage and the continuing harm that this course of action is causing them and will

continue to cause them, and thus the only remedy available to Plaintiffs is the issuance of a

temporary restraining order to prevent that ongoingunconstitutional denial of Plaintiffs'

constitutional rights.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Defendant Dana DeBeauvoir, County Clerk of

Travis County, is hereby commanded forthwith to cease and desist relying on theunconstitutional Texas prohibitions against same-sex marriage as a basis for not issuinga

marriage license to Plaintiffs Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant.

The clerk of this Court shall on the filingof the bond, as specified below, issue a

temporary restraining order in conformity with the law and the terms of this Order

ThisOrdershall remain in place and effective for 14calendar days after thedate this

Order is signed.

The Plaintiffs' request for temporary injunction shall be set for heanng on g

2 15at^ ju f ^This rder shall not be effective unless an d until Plaintiffs execute and file with the clerk

a cash bond in conformity with the law in the amount of$ [££• . r

SIGNED on/ -7/, 2 15

PRESIDING) JUDGE

15-0139 motion for stay

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