On September 19, 2011, Anchorage District Superior Court Judge Frank A. Pfiffner released a ruling that the state of Alaska and municipality of Anchorage were violating the equal protection requirements of the Alaska Constitution by maintaining a senior real property tax exemption program that discriminates against same-sex couples. The decision in Schmidt v. State of Alaska, Case No. 3AN-10-9519 CI (3rd Judicial Dist.), was heavily based on the Alaska Supreme Court's 2005 decision in American Civil Liberties Union v. State, 122 P.3d 781, in which, as summarized by Judge Pfiffner, "the Alaska Supreme court found that a marital classification in a state employment benefits scheme violated the Alaska Constitution's equal protection clause" because it denied equal benefits to cohabiting same-sex partners of state employees.