March 25, 2005

The Legal Reader details how the language of Ohio's anti-gay-marriage constitutional amendment resulted in the invalidation of the state's domestic violence law. Judge Stuart "Friedman said that because Ohio's domestic violence law recognizes the relationship between an unmarried offender and victim as one 'approximating the significance or effect of marriage,' it represents a direct conflict with the amendment's prohibition against such recognition and is thus unenforceable." (Brian Albrecht, "Issue 1 conflicts with domestic abuse law, judge says", Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Mar. 24).

Overlawyered (Mar. 20) covered a similar bait-and-switch consequence of Michigan's anti-gay-marriage amendment.