Equality On Trial

Federal judge reconsiders, grants motion in Cooper-Harris v. USA to appear via telephone

December 12, 2012

DOMA trials

By Scottie Thomaston

We have been covering the attempts by House Republicans (through the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, tasked with defending Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act) to stall the Cooper-Harris case. The case is brought by a military servicemember seeking benefits for her spouse she is denied under Section 3 of DOMA. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the VA ruled that it is a result of her service. Almost since their intervention, BLAG has wanted to stop the case from proceeding.

Now with a lack of money, they asked the judge to allow them to attend a hearing via telephone in order to conserve their resources. The request was unopposed but the judge denied it by way of simply stamping “DENIED” on their proposed order.

Now, “multiple parties” to the case have requested that the December 14 meeting be held via telephone so the judge has reconsidered. The motion denying the phone conference was vacated and a new one was granted allowing all parties to participate via telephone.

The hearing is a routine matter on a motion by BLAG to exclude certain testimony.

h/t Kathleen for this filing which I am unable to embed

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