Cimarron Alliance Condemns Tulsa DA’s Involvement with Far-Right Lawyers in Same-Gender Marriage Issue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 30, 2010 -- March 30, 2010, Oklahoma City— The Cimarron Alliance Foundation today criticized the Tulsa County District Attorney for engaging lawyers from the ultra-conservative Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) in defending Court Clerk Sally Howe Smith in a lawsuit involving same-gender marriage. The suit stems from Tulsa residents Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin being denied a marriage license in February, 2009.

“We find it incredibly disturbing that a public official would even entertain engaging lawyers from an organization like ADF. Because of ADF’s history and purpose, we believe their engagement in this lawsuit to be an affront to separation of church and state,” states Scott J. Hamilton, executive director of Oklahoma City-based Cimarron Alliance Foundation.

ADF counts James Dobson of Focus on the Family among its founders. They have publicly honored controversial figures such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, and are allied with Exodus Faith Ministries, a group that exists to try to change the sexual orientation of gay people. “It is clear that ADF has a powerful agenda. We believe strongly that this agenda must not be advanced by representing public officials in court,” Hamilton says.

ADF’s website states that “[Our] involvement in direct litigation has helped create a much stronger, more effective alliance to confront the challenges before us and to win for the kingdom.”

“How can the Tulsa County District Attorney, who is tasked with serving all county residents, engage such an organization?” Hamilton asks. He noted that the Cimarron Alliance Foundation would have no issue were this a lawsuit between two individuals or an individual and a corporation. “This is a different situation. An individual may hire any attorney they like. The District Attorney is responsible for defending the Court Clerk in this case, so to include ADF in the defense is simply wrong,” he continues.

“Whether or not a person supports the rights of an individual to marry someone of the same gender is a topic for another day. At issue here is the involvement of ADF in the defense of a public official in this or any other litigation,” Hamilton states. “A group of this nature can find other ways of promoting its moral ideals. To be allowed to do so by representing public officials imperils justice for all Oklahomans.”

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