Tanya Lazaro, et al. v. Cook County Clerk David Orr and Darby v. Cook County Clerk David Orr

Case #: 12-CH-19718
Date Filed: 30 May 2012
Ruling Date: 17 December 2013

Description:

• ACLU and Lambda Legal filed two lawsuits for 25 same-gender couples. The plaintiffs argued that the IL civil union law is unconstitutional because it denies them the freedom to marry.
• Tanya Lazaro, et al. v. Cook County Clerk David Orr was later consolidated into Darby v. Cook County Clerk David Orr.
• 17 December 2013, the court dismissed the original case since the relief that the plaintiffs were seeking occurred when a civil marriage equality law was signed on 20 November 2013.

Demos Revelis, et al. v. Janet Napolitano, et al.

Case #: 1:2011cv01991
Date Filed: 23 March 2011
Ruling Date: 20 September 2012

Description:

• 5 January 2012, in Demos Revelis, et al. v. Janet Napolitano, et al., the U.S. District Court ruled that despite the federal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), LGBT couples must be treated the same as other married couples.
• 20 September 2012, the case was dismissed for a technicality not related to DOMA.

Vernita Gray, et al. v. Cook County Clerk David Orr

Case #: 13 C 8449
Date Filed: 22 November 2013
Ruling Date: 25 November 2013

Description:

• A federal judge ruled that terminally ill Vernita Gray (represented by Lambda Legal) was legally allowed to marry her lesbian partner Patricia Ewert immediately, instead of waiting until 1 June 2014 when IL was originally supposed to begin issuing civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Brenda Lee, et al. v. Cook County Clerk David Orr

Case #: 1:13-cv-8719
Date Filed: 6 December 2013
Ruling Date: 21 February 2014

Description:

• Four same-sex couples filed a federal suit seeking to marry immediately instead of waiting until the scheduled 1 June start date.
• 21 February 2014, the court ruled that banning civil marriage equality is unconstitutional, and ordered Cook County, IL to begin issuing licenses immediately, instead of waiting until 1 June 2014 when a new law was supposed to take effect statewide.