California Court of Appeal

Summary adjudication for plaintiff on a constitutional free exercise of religion affirmative defense is vacated in an Unruh Act action against a medical group and physicians based on defendants' refusal to perform intrauterine insemination on plaintiff allegedly because of her sexual orientation.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/14/2006
• Published 03/14/2006

Judges

• O'ROURKE, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• DiCaro, Coppo & Popcke, Robert C. Coppo, Gabriele M. Prater;  and Robert H. Tyler, Fresno, Douglas L. Edgar, Timothy Chandler for Petitioners North Coast Women's Care Medical Group, Inc., Christine Z. Brody and Douglas K. Fenton., Duane Morris and Mitchell Lathrop, San Diego, for Catholic Exchange, Inc., and Human Life International as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Karen Dean Milam for Christian Medical and Dental Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Thelen Reid & Priest and Curtis A. Cole, Fresno, for California Medical Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., O'Melveny & Meyers, Robert C. Welsh, Margaret C. Carroll, Lee K. Fink, Los Angeles, Jennifer C. Pizer and Albert C. Gross, Solana Beach, for Real Party in Interest Guadalupe T. Benitez., Winston & Strawn, Benjamin Russell Martin and Gail Standish, Los Angeles, for Anti-Defamation League;  American Academy of HIV Medicine;  American Medical Students Association;  Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California;  Bienestar Human Services;  California Latinas for Reproductive Justice;  California Pan-EthnicHealth Network;  California Women's Law Center;  Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles;  Gay and Lesbian Medical Association;  International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care;  Latino Coalition for a Healthy California;  M Mautner Project;  National Center for Lesbian Rights;  Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund;  and National Health Law Program;  as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.