Two lawsuits seeking marriage equality in Illinois have been combined into one, in the first court date on the suits June 21.
Cases brought by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU) will be fought simultaneously after Cook County Circuit Court Judge Moshe Jacobius approved a motion to consolidate the cases.
The suits, which name Cook County Clerk David Orr, will go unchallenged by officials. Orr and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez have said they believe the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed to intervene in support of the lawsuits.
But Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society law firm has vowed to fight the suits. He is currently in the process of finding clients to intervene, he said.
"We are hopeful that the court will allow some intervention," he said, adding that his firm has been asking government officials to counter the suits.
According to Breen, the Illinois Family Institute will also seek to intervene.
John Knight of the ACLU said his organization has analyzed the possibility of an intervention and warned of a long fight ahead. But he added, "it is really good for us [the ACLU and Lambda Legal] to be together."
Knight called the first court date "a very small step forward in seeing marriage equality in Illinois."
The case will now be heard by Judge Sophia Hall. A court date has not yet been set.