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Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriage

On this day, Friday, June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriage. Before the ruling,  same-sex couples could marry in only 36 states and District of Columbia. Within hours of the Supreme Court decision, weddings were taking place in new states, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and North and South Dakota.

In their landmark 5-4 decision, justices ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage that can’t be denied by individual state law.  President Barack Obama called the decision a “victory for America” and was among those cheering the move. Opponents of same-sex marriage expressed deep disappointment.

If you’re unsure how same sex marriage, reach out to an estate planning attorney to discuss up-to-date legal repercussions following this decision.

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Summer Camp’s New Duties to Disclose

California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal has ruled that summer camps, as daycare providers, have a duty to minors and their parents to disclose suspected molestation by camp employees, a duty beyond simply caring for the campers.

The case arose after parents brought suit against Keith Edward Woodhouse and his employer, Camp on the Hill, a summer camp for first through sixth graders run by the First Baptist Church of San Jose.  Woodhouse had been repeatedly reported for inappropriate behavior with children, yet parents were never informed as the camp elected to turn their backs on the issue.

Special Relationship Triggers Duty

As with previous decisions in California, the Appeals Court decided, as a day care provider, acting in loco parentis, it had a special relationship which imposed a duty to prevent harm to the minors attending the camp and the general duty to act reasonably.  The California Supreme Court had previously found that therapists have a duty to third parties endangered by their clients to disclose credible threats against those third parties. State appellate courts have found a special relationship between a school district, a student and her mother, imposing a duty to disclose molestation by another student.