Appling v Doyle is a lawsuit seeking to have Wisconsin's domestic partnership registry declared unconstitutional. The action began as a petition for original action before the Wisconsin Supreme Court asking the Court for a declaration that the registry is unconstitutional and for a permanent injunction against the registry, which began registering couples on August 3, 2009. On November 4, 2009, the Court declined to take the case.[1] Petitioners then refiled in state district court and the court ruled in June 2011 that the registry is constitutional.
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On June 29, 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the same-sex domestic partnership registry into law as a provision of the 2010-11 state budget.[2] The registry creates a legal recognition of same-sex unions in Wisconsin, enumerating 43 rights and benefits for registered couples.
On July 23, 2009, Julaine Appling, President of Wisconsin Family Action, through attorneys at the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and ADF allied attorneys in Wisconsin, filed an original action with the Wisconsin Supreme Court asking the Court to declare the same-sex domestic partnership registry unconstitutional and to permanently enjoin the defendants from the enactment of the registry. Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen refused to defend the suit, claiming that the registry violates the state constitution. Doyle hired outside counsel to defend it.[3]
The petition asserts that the registry violates Wisconsin’s Marriage Protection Amendment, ratified by Wisconsin voters on November 7, 2006 by 59.4% to 41.6%.[4] The amendment states:
Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state. Wisconsin Constitution; Article XIII, Section 13.
On September 22, 2009, Fair Wisconsin and its members, represented by Lambda Legal, filed a motion to intervene in the case.[5] Five same-sex Wisconsin couples, who have registered as domestic partners and are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, also filed a motion to intervene.[6] In a motion filed the same day, the ACLU asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to deny the petitioners' request for the court to hear the case directly, and to instead send the case to a trial court to develop a factual record.[6] On November 4, the Supreme Court denied the petition. Petitioners refiled the lawsuit in Dane COunty District Court in 2010.[3]
In 2011, Scott Walker was inaugurated as the new Governor of Wisconsin. In March, Walker fired the lawyer representing the state. On May 13, Walker petitioned the trial court to allow the state to withdraw from the case, citing Walker's expressed belief that the registry is unconstitutional.[3]
The petitioners claim:
The form of domestic partnership created by the domestic partnership registry is prohibited by Art. XIII, sec. 13 of the Wisconsin Constitution by creating and requiring recognition of a legal status substantially similar to that of marriage...Such domestic partnerships are entered into by same-sex partners and are officially created and acknowledged in essentially the identical way that marriages are entered into by a man and woman and are officially created and acknowledged.
The petitioners believe the registry violates the Wisconsin Marriage Protection Amendment because it creates a new legal status for domestic partners. The requirements for obtaining a domestic partnership certificate are the same as those required for obtaining a marriage license with even the price for the certificate the same as for the marriage license.[7]
The petitioners asked the Court for three things:
The petitioners on the case are Wisconsin residents and taxpayers and members of the board of directors of Wisconsin Family Action.
Attorney Richard M. Esenberg, Michael D. Dean for the First Freedoms Foundation and attorneys Austin Nimocks and Brian Raum from the Alliance Defense Fund represent the Wisconsin Family Action board members on this case. Madison attorney Lester Pine defended the state until being fired by Walker in March 2011. Brian Hagedorn filed the petition on behalf of Walker to withdraw from the case. Christopher Clark represents Fair Wisconsin.
On June 20, 2011, Dane County Judge Dan Moeser ruled that the domestic partnership registry does not violate the state constitution, finding that the state "does not recognize domestic partnership in a way that even remotely resembles how the state recognizes marriage".[8]