California Court of Appeal

In a constitutional challenge to several domestic violence programs and programs for inmate mothers, denial of petition for writ of mandate is reversed where: 1) the gender-based classifications in the challenged statutes that provide programs for victims of domestic violence violated equal protection; 2) male victims of domestic violence are similarly situated to female victims for purposes of the statutory programs and no compelling state interest justified the gender classification; and 3) plaintiffs failed to show men are similarly situated to women for purposes of the prison programs for inmate mothers.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/14/2008
• Published 10/14/2008

Judges

• MORRISON, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Men's Legal Center and Marc E. Angelucci for Plaintiffs and Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Roy S. Liebman, Deputy Attorneys General, for Defendants., Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorney General, Douglas M. Press, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Paul Reynaga and Roy S. Liebman, Deputy Attorneys General, for Defendants and Respondents.