The Supreme Court has denied a request by the Log Cabin Republicans that the stay of an injunction barring enforcement of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals be vacated.
Translating this from lawyer-speak into regular-person speak: the ruling by District Judge Virginia A. Phillips’ declared the Don’t ask, don’t tell policy unconstitutional and issued an injunction prohibiting the Department of Defense from enforcing or complying with the policy. The 9th Circuit stayed the injunction — allowing the Department of Defense to continue compliance with DADT. The Log Cabin Republicans had asked that the stay be vacated. The Supreme Court said no.
You can read the two-sentence denial of the request HERE.
SCOTUS blog had this to say: “Friday’s order was not a good sign for the challengers of “don’t ask/don’t tell,” but it was not a ruling for or against the constitutionality of the policy. The Court’s decision to leave intact a lower court order in the situation that existed in this case at this time is based on different considerations, and does not necessarily telegraph how any Justice or the Court would come out after a full review of the merits of a case, following briefing and oral argument.”
