Utah polygamy laws declared unconstitutional

[Gothmog]

The cohabitation provisions of the Utah law was declared invalid http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56894145-78/utah-waddoups-brown-family.html.csp

[Cal Carpenter]

1. Wow

[defacto7]

2. My understanding was that

the constitutional provisions were added as an agreement with he US government so Utah could become a state? I guess that doesn't change anything. The polygamists have been doing their thing here in Utah with or without the Utah constitution. Kind of "don't talk don't tell."




http://www.wasatchbeers.com/polygporter.html

[MADem]

3. Well, there's a narrow distinction carved out....

Utah’s bigamy statute technically survived the ruling. However, Waddoups took a narrow interpretation of the words "marry" and "purports to marry," meaning that bigamy remains illegal only in the literal sense — when someone fraudulently acquires multiple marriage licences.

This is probably gonna get interesting...

[rug]

4. Here's the decision.

https://ecf.utd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?211cv0652-78

Pretty thorough.

[Major Nikon]

5. Well there you have it, just like they said

Plural marriage brought to by homosexual Christian activists.

[davidpdx]

6. Moving backward in time

So we are back to allowing men to have as many "wifes" as they want in Utah. OMG it's their religious freedom. But gay people, no they can't marry. Isn't that special.

I'll tell you exactly what will void it. Pass a law making extramarital affairs (adultery) illegal like it is here in South Korea. Add a section saying something like "the consent of the current spouse is not an exemption from the law" or "spousal consent is not a defense against adultery". The bible thumpers in Utah ought to pass this if they believe marriage is between "a man and a wife".

[TampaAnimusVortex]

7. As long as it's voluntary, I could care less...

Women should be able to have multiple wives or husbands, as men should be able to have multiple husbands or wives... as long as its voluntary. The very idea that an adult needs "permission" by the state to get married smacks of serfdom.

[LadyHawkAZ]

8. I'm no longer a potential felon, yay!