A Sixth Circuit panel of three judges is hearing six marriage equality cases from four different states (all the states in that circuit). Below is a great quote from a district court ruling from each state - Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Quotes collected from Freedom To Marry:
From Michigan - DeBoer v Snyder Ruling (Judge Friedman):
In attempting to define this case as a challenge to the "will of the people," state defendants lost sight about what this case is truly about: people. Today's decision affirms the enduring principle that regardless of whoever finds favor in the eyes of the most recent majority, the guarantee of equal protection must prevail.
From Ohio - Henry v Wymyslo Ruling (Judge Black):
The record before the court is staggeringly devoid of any legitimate justification for the state's ongoing arbitrary discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and, therfore, Ohio's marriage recognition bans are facially unconstitutional and unenforceable under any circumstances.
From Kentucky - Love v Beshear Ruling (Judge Heyburn):
Defendant adds a disingenuous twist to the argument: That traditional marriages contribute to a stable birth rate which, in turn, ensures the state's long-term economic stability. These arguments are not those of serious people.
From Tennessee - Tanco v Haslam (Judge Trauger):
All signs indicate that, in the eyes of the United States Constitution, the plaintiffs' marriages will be placed on an equal footing with those of heterosexual couples and that proscriptions against same-sex marriage will soon become a footnote in the annals of American history.
You can read about these cases and virtually all the other marriage equality cases on Freedom To Marry's litigation page
here.
The Sixth Circuit panel consists of Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey (a Clinton appointee), Judge Jeffrey Sutton (a George W Bush appointee), and Judge Deborah L. Cook (a George W Bush appointee).
Attorney Ari Ezra Waldman has a column in towleroad today giving a summary of the cases before the panel and also a bit of background on the judges on the panel. If you'd like, you can check that out here.