5-21-12: Recognizing Same Sex Divorce…and Marriage

Maryland’s highest court ruled unanimously on Friday that the state must recognize the marriages of same-sex couples who were legally wed in other states.

The case came about because a lesbian couple living in Maryland wanted to divorce.  The couple had originally wed in California. A Prince George’s County judge denied the petition to divorce, saying the original marriage was “not valid” under Maryland law.

On Friday, the Court of Appeals reversed that decision, writing that recognizing foreign marriages quote “is consistent with Maryland public policy.”

Sheilah talks about the ruling with Jana Singer, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, who specializes in family and constitutional law.  She was one of more than 60 law professors who signed a “friend of the court” brief in this case, supporting the position that Maryland recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

Read More: Maryland Morning