Supreme Court of California

The rights of religious freedom and free speech, as guaranteed in both the federal and the California Constitutions, do not exempt a medical clinic's physicians from complying with the California Unruh Civil Rights Act's prohibition against discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/18/2008
• Published 08/18/2008

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Cole Pedroza,Curtis A. Cole, Kenneth R. Pedroza, Matthew S. Levinson, Pasadena;  DiCaro, Coppo & Popcke, Robert C. Coppo, Gabriele M. Prater, Carlsbad, Andrew T. Evans;  Advocates for Faith and Freedom, Robert H. Tyler, Biloxi, MS;  Alliance Defense Fund, Timothy D. Chandler, Folsom, and Douglas L. Edgar, Murrieta, for Petitioners., Robert G. Ho for Pacific Justice Institute as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Law Offices of Karen D. Milam, Karen D. Milam;  Americans United for Life and Mailee R. Smith for Christian Medical and Dental Associations, American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Physicians for Life as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., James L. Hirsen, Anaheim Hills, and Deborah J. Dewart for The Foundation for Free Expression as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Duane Morris, Mitchell L. Lathrop and Bridget K. Moorhead, San Diego, for Catholic Exchange, Inc., and Human Life International as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Patrick T. Gillen;  Charles S. LiMandri and Teresa L. Mendoza, Rancho Sante Fe, for Thomas More Law Center as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Alan J. Reinach;  Alan E. Brownstein;  Bassi, Martini & Blum and Fred Blum, San Francisco, for Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Center for Law & Religious Freedom, Samuel B. Casey and Gregory S. Baylor, Springfield, VA, for Christian Legal Society as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, Richard D. Barton and John Morris, San Diego, for The Islamic Medical Association of North America, Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Rabbi David Frank and Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Public Affairs & Religious Liberty, Alan J. Reinach;  Sweeney & Greene, James F. Sweeney and Stephen J. Greene, Sacramento, for California Catholic Conference as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Edwin Meese III and Peter Ferrara, St. Louis, MO, for American Civil Rights Union as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Thelen Reid & Priest and Curtis A. Cole for California Medical Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Albert C. Gross, Solana Beach;  Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Jennifer C. Pizer, Jon W. Davidson, Los Angeles;  Eisenberg & Hancock, Jon B. Eisenberg;  O'Melveny & Meyers, Robert C. Welsh, Los Angeles, Margaret C. Carroll, Santa Monica, James J. McNamara, Los Angeles, and Lee K. Fink for Real Party in Interest., Steven R. Zatkin, Stanley B. Watson and Mark S. Zemelman, Oakland, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., and The Southern California Permanente Medical Group as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Winston & Strawn, Benjamin Russell Martin, Gail J. Standish, Peter E. Perkowski and Kyle R. Gehrmann, Los Angeles, for National Health Law Program, Asian Pacific Aids Intervention Team, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, Bienstar Human Services, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Women's Law Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Jordan Rustin Coalition, Khmer Girls in Action, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Merger Watch Project, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund and Educational Fund, Zuna Institute, Anti-Defamation League, American Academy of HIV Medicine, American Medical Students Association, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, The Mautner Project, National Center for Lesbian Rights and National Health Law Program as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Shannon Minter, Vanessa H. Eisemann, San Francisco, Melanie Rowen and Catherine Sakimura for National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lyon-Martin Women's Health Services, Inc., The Mautner Project, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom and Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Morrison & Foerster, Angela L. Padilla, San Francisco, and Elizabeth O. Gill for Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, American Medical Student Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine and International Association of Physicians in Aids Care as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., James D. Esseks;  Sondra Goldschein;  Margaret C. Crosby, Alex M. Cleghorn, San Francisco;  Clare Pastore, Los Angeles;  and David Blair-Loy, San Francisco, for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, ACLU Foundation of Southern California and American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorney General, Manuel M. Medeiros, State Solicitor General, Thomas J. Greene, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Louis Verdugo, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, Angela Sierra and Antonette Benita Cordero, Deputy Attorneys General, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.