Saturday, February 19, 2005
Polygamy, sadly I'll have to wait
A federal judge says a recent Supreme Court ruling scrapping state laws against homosexual sex practices can not be used to scrap laws against polygamy—the practice of having two or more spouses at the same time.
Polygamy has been illegal in the U.S. since the Supreme Court decided the Reynolds v. United States case in 1879. But a polygamist and his two wives recently claimed the recent Lawrence v. Texas decision cleared the way for multiple marriages. Barnard hung his case on the fact that, in recent years, the Supreme Court struck down laws against homosexual conduct on the books in Texas and more than two dozen other states.
"The more recent cases," Barnard said, "decided by the United States Supreme Court, if they were applied, will result in a different decision than the Reynolds decision," Barnard said.
But U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart did not buy that argument. He ruled this week that polygamy laws are about marriage—not the personal sexual issues addressed in the Lawrence decision. Hence, polygamy is still illegal.
I'd actually like Mormon polygamy a lot more than lots of the stuff filtering up through the courts these days. I mean, if Orthodox Jews can do it, it can't be that bad.
Polygamy has been illegal in the U.S. since the Supreme Court decided the Reynolds v. United States case in 1879. But a polygamist and his two wives recently claimed the recent Lawrence v. Texas decision cleared the way for multiple marriages. Barnard hung his case on the fact that, in recent years, the Supreme Court struck down laws against homosexual conduct on the books in Texas and more than two dozen other states.
"The more recent cases," Barnard said, "decided by the United States Supreme Court, if they were applied, will result in a different decision than the Reynolds decision," Barnard said.
But U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart did not buy that argument. He ruled this week that polygamy laws are about marriage—not the personal sexual issues addressed in the Lawrence decision. Hence, polygamy is still illegal.
I'd actually like Mormon polygamy a lot more than lots of the stuff filtering up through the courts these days. I mean, if Orthodox Jews can do it, it can't be that bad.
