Another State Chief Justice Known for Gay-Marriage Opinion Announces Retirement
Another chief justice who wrote a ground-breaking gay marriage opinion is retiring.
Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall announced today that she is retiring to spend more time with her husband, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, according to the Boston Globe and the Associated Press.
Marshall, 66, is married to former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis. At a news conference, she said she is leaving “so that Tony and I may enjoy our final seasons together.”
“Tony and I are both at an age where we have learned to value—value deeply—the precious gift of time,” she said.
Marshall was appointed to the court in 1996 and became chief justice three years later. She wrote the 2003 opinion finding that the Massachusetts Constitution protects gay marriage and “forbids the creation of second-class citizens.”
California Chief Justice Ronald George announced his retirement last week, saying he wanted to return to private life “while the proverbial music still plays.”
