High Court Stay Keeps Secret Petition Signers for ‘Protect Marriage’
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a stay barring release of the names of those who signed a petition circulated by a group opposing Washington state’s expanded domestic partnership law.
The stay overturns a decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals requiring the names to be released, according to Seattle Times and the New York Times. The names will remain confidential until the Supreme Court either declines to accept the case, or accepts it and issues a decision on the merits, according to the order (PDF posted by SCOTUSblog).
Justice John Paul Stevens dissented from the order.
A group called Protect Marriage circulated the petition for a ballot measure asking voters to either accept or reject a new law expanding the rights of same-sex couples. The court’s action will keep petition signers confidential through the Nov. 3 referendum.
The lawyer for Protect Marriage, James Bopp, told the Times that keeping the names secret protects speech. “It has to do with the right of citizens to be able to engage in political speech without the government requiring the public identification of people who engage in political speech,” he said.
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