St. Mary's gets sued

[Hot N Bothered]

Originally posted by Club'nBabySeals
I don't know about that....but I believe (at least up until a few years ago) Sodomy was still illegal in the state of Maryland. I don't know if certain counties were allowed to maintain, or enforce that law. Perhaps St. Mary's has not repealed it?


That would certainly make marriage a little difficult...

Sodomy is on the books as illegal in most states, but the Supreme Ct. has ruled that what goes on behind closed doors between consenting adults is not the state's business. It stays on the books because it is used in cases where the parties weren't consenting adults in order to add one more charge against rapists and child molesters and maybe add a few more years the their sentences.

[Hot N Bothered]

Originally posted by Ken King
I'm still confused as to why the county would be the subject of a suit concerning a state statute, unless there were an extraordinary number of prosecutions from that specific county.

Why would there be ANY prosecutions. It's not like gay people get married anyway. They may apply for a license, they get turned down. The ACLU must be suing the county licensing agency for discrimination. I guess it's because there isn't a state licensing agency, they have to name some entity. But I would think that as soon as it gets to court the judge would throw it out because they are suing the county over a state law. If they want to sue, they have to find a state entity to sue.

[SurfaceTension]

[i] I guess it's because there isn't a state licensing agency, they have to name some entity. [/b]

I believe the license is issued through the Circuit Court, part of the MD State Judiciary...

Aimhigh, where are you getting your information?

[jazz lady (Premo)]

Article from the Washington Post

Nine gay couples sued the state of Maryland yesterday, contending that its ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and should be overturned.

The couples filed the suit in Baltimore Circuit Court after officials in Baltimore and three counties, including Prince George's, denied them marriage licenses over the past two weeks. A gay man whose partner recently died, but who would like to marry one day, is also a plaintiff.

Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union, representing the plaintiffs, said they hope to make Maryland a test case in their ongoing struggle to legalize same-sex marriage.
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The nine couples, who include Patrick Wohahn, 28, and Dave Kolesar, 26, of College Park, sought marriage licenses in Baltimore or the counties of Prince George's, St Mary's and Dorchester.

[Ken King (Premo)]

Originally posted by Hot N Bothered
Sodomy is on the books as illegal in most states, but the Supreme Ct. has ruled that what goes on behind closed doors between consenting adults is not the state's business. It stays on the books because it is used in cases where the parties weren't consenting adults in order to add one more charge against rapists and child molesters and maybe add a few more years the their sentences.

In the Supreme Court decision for Lawrence V. Texas it states that there are only 13 states that still have such laws on the books ( http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/02-102.ZS.html ). Of those only 4 enforce the laws for homosexual conduct.

Originally posted by baswm

1. The legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family.

As if the traditional family wasn't already destroyed in our country.

[Aimhigh2000]

What info specifically are you referring to? Most everything I get is from work, Library of Congress, GW University. Watching idiots like (r) Rick Santorum spew his hate on CSpan.

[RPM]

my personal belief is that i am against it. marriage should be MAN AND WOMAN.


from a leagle standpoint, i think it should be allowed. its dangerous to let the government stop any group of people from doing something everyone else is allowed to do.

what would happen if the government decided african-americans were no longer allowed to marry?

or what if the government decided gay people cant vote anymore?


you rights as an american are not supposed to be affected by race, religion, age, etc.... and really that should include sexual preference.

[Spoiled]

Originally posted by RPM
from a leagle standpoint, i think it should be allowed. its dangerous to let the government stop any group of people from doing something everyone else is allowed to do.

what would happen if the government decided african-americans were no longer allowed to marry?

or what if the government decided gay people cant vote anymore?


you rights as an american are not supposed to be affected by race, religion, age, etc.... and really that should include sexual preference.

Originally posted by cmdrfunk
As if the traditional family wasn't already destroyed in our country.

[SurfaceTension]

Originally posted by Aimhigh2000
What info specifically are you referring to? Most everything I get is from work, Library of Congress, GW University. Watching idiots like (r) Rick Santorum spew his hate on CSpan.

I was just trying to get clarification on who was being sued - the County or the State. Contrary to what the opening post of this thread seemed to imply, it's my understanding that it's actually the State that is being sued.