Two successful challenges to Florida's
gay marriage ban seek to merge as the state appeals.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has
appealed the cases.
One involves two men, Aaron Huntsman
and William “Lee” Jones, who challenged the ban in a Monroe
County courthouse. Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia struck
down the ban but Bondi's notice of appeal put the ruling on hold.
In the second case, six gay and lesbian
couples in Miami-Dade successfully challenged the ban. A Bondi
filing also put Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel's
ruling on hold.
Now plaintiffs are hoping to combine
the cases as they move forward.
Vanessa Alenier, a plaintiff in the
Miami-Dade case, told alternative weekly the New
Times Broward-Palm Beach that if approved the merger “will
just make us stronger.”
Plaintiffs have asked the Florida
Supreme Court to review their challenge.