8 Supremes pull rug from under ‘basic freedom of self-determination’

The vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia may have impacted a decision not to hear a case opposing a New Jersey law that bans professional counseling for minors who wish to overcome a same-sex attraction.

 

The court had been scheduled to hold a conference on the case in January, but it was rescheduled for February.

 

The non-profit Liberty Counsel, which brought the case to the high court, said Supreme Court watchers “began speculating that the court would decide to hear the case.”

 

But then Scalia died, and at the next available meeting, the court decided not to hear the case.

 

“One can only speculate whether Justice Scalia’s absence on the court contributed to the announcement … not to hear the case,” Liberty Counsel said.

 

The case concerns a law signed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

 

How did America get from “Mayberry” to “gay marriage?” Here’s the explanation, in “A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been.”

 

The legal team said it challenged the  law on behalf of a minor client, whose name was not released, and his parents, “who desperately wanted to help their son live his life according to the dictates of his conscience and his religious beliefs and values.”

The law firm said that prior to receiving counseling, the plaintiff “dealt with daily thoughts of suicide and depression.”

 

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