Case Seeking to Establish Civil Unions in Connecticut Dismissed Due to Death of the Plantiff

January 27, 2003

Mathew D. Staver

CONNECTICUT - The Connecticut Supreme Court has dismissed a case that sought to establish civil unions in the state because of the death of the Plaintiff.  Liberty Counsel had previously filed a motion to intervene in the Connecticut Supreme Court to support the traditional recognition of marriage and not Vermont civil unions. Liberty Counsel, who represented several Connecticut employers, is a civil liberties education and legal defense organization that has considerable experience in resisting the recognition of Vermont civil unions as traditional marriage in other states.

Glen Rosengarten and Peter Downes, both citizens of Connecticut, entered into a civil union in the State of Vermont on December 31, 2000.  After entering into the civil union and returning to Connecticut, the relationship between Mr. Rosengarten and Mr. Downes apparently terminated, and Mr. Rosengarten then moved to dissolve the civil union in Connecticut under Connecticut state law. Mr. Rosengarten has asked the state of Connecticut to recognize the Vermont civil union as a binding marriage, so that Connecticut can terminate the Vermont civil union.

Shortly after Liberty Counsel filed its Motion to Intervene, and before any briefing occurred in the case, Glen Rosengarten died.  The Connecticut Supreme Court placed the case on hold for a time and then, on December 31, 2002, dismissed the case.

Mat Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated, "Mr. Rosengarten's death ended his challenge to traditional marriage in Connecticut.  While our prayers are with his family during this time, we must recognize the end of his lawsuit that sought to bring the destructive Vermont civil union system to Connecticut."

Staver added, "The recognition of civil unions by Connecticut would have required Connecticut employers to pay additional benefits to civil union partners and force employers to finance a lifestyle that many have a religious objection to."  Staver concluded, "This back door attempt by the advocates of same-sex marriage to validate the Vermont civil union was a direct threat to traditional marriage and violated religious freedom."




Mathew D. Staver, Esq.
Liberty Counsel
http://www.lc.org.

An Ally of the Alliance Defense Fund