United States Tenth Circuit

In the context of recognition of adoptions by same-sex couples, final adoption orders by a state court of competent jurisdiction are judgments that must be given full faith and credit under the Constitution by every other state in the nation. An Oklahoma statute, which bars recognition of adoptions by same-sex couples already finalized in another state, categorically rejects a class of out-of-state adoption decrees and thus violates the Full Faith and Credit Clause.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/03/2007
• Published 08/06/2007

Judges

• EBEL, Circuit Judge., Before HARTZ, EBEL, and O'BRIEN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Sandy Ingraham, Ingraham & Associates, McLoud, OK (Kenneth D. Upton, Jr., and F. Brian Chase, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Dallas, TX, with her on the briefs), for Plaintiffs-Appellants in Case No. 06-6216.


• For Appellees:
  
• Martha R. Kulmacz, Assistant Attorney General, State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, for Defendant-Appellant in Case No. 06-6213., Sandy Ingraham, Ingraham & Associates, McLoud, OK (Kenneth D. Upton, Jr., and F. Brian Chase, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Dallas, TX, with her on the briefs), for Plaintiffs-Appellees in Case No. 06-6213., Martha R. Kulmacz, Assistant Attorney General, State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, for Defendants-Appellees in Case No. 06-6216.