on june 3, 2008, a lawsuit was filed by the alliance defense fund challenging the governor's directive. on september 2, 2008, justice lucy a. billings of the state supreme court in the bronx issued a decision that paterson acted within his powers when he required state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from outside new york state. in her dismissal of the alliance defense fund suit, justice billings found that the governor's order was consistent with state laws on the recognition of marriages from outside the state.