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View Full Version : Part Of Utah's Bigamy Law Ruled Unconstitutional




angelatc
12-14-2013, 10:57 AM
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/14/us-usa-polygamy-sisterwives-idUSBRE9BD02720131214


A U.S. federal judge struck down a portion of Utah's bigamy laws as unconstitutional on Friday, siding with a reality television star and his four wives.

Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states. But Utah's law is unique in that a person can be found guilty not just for having two legal marriage licenses, but also for cohabiting with another adult in a marriage-like relationship when they are already legally married to someone else.

U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled that the second aspect is too broad because it bars consenting adults from living together and criminalizes their intimate sexual relationships.

He said the law violates both the First Amendment's clause ensuring religious rights and the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause designed to ensure liberty

More at link

JK/SEA
12-14-2013, 11:02 AM
aside from the usual reasons for having more than one wife or......husband, whats the big problem with this?.....is it all religious based as to the objection, or is it other things involved?

pcosmar
12-14-2013, 11:30 AM
aside from the usual reasons for having more than one wife or......husband, whats the big problem with this?.....is it all religious based as to the objection, or is it other things involved?

I can not find any Religious Issue with it. Polygamy was common in many religions,, until recent history.

The only basis for objection I can find for it is jealousy .

angelatc
12-14-2013, 11:48 AM
I can not find any Religious Issue with it. Polygamy was common in many religions,, until recent history.

The only basis for objection I can fined for it is jealousy .

Heh. Because I read everything and anything, I was reading a forum about 3-or-more way relationships late one night. On the forum I was reading, it seemed that most of the people who had abandoned the concept did so because it was emotionally exhausting to spend so much time sorting out "feelings" and that the other benefits of that type of relationship just weren't worth the headaches.

I do find it odd that they in essence said common-law polygamous marriage is a constitutional right but state sanctioned polygamous marriage is not.

JK/SEA
12-14-2013, 11:54 AM
to be clear...its not for me, but i don't object.

Ender
12-14-2013, 12:02 PM
aside from the usual reasons for having more than one wife or......husband, whats the big problem with this?.....is it all religious based as to the objection, or is it other things involved?

The more strident Utah laws came as a crackdown on the Mormons, who were polygamous and highly persecuted. Eventually Mormons became almost as strident toward the practice while trying to be "good Americans", not realizing that the were actually a conquered people, much like the Indians.

Also- gov has no business in marriage.

angelatc
12-14-2013, 12:08 PM
The more strident Utah laws came as a crackdown on the Mormons, who were polygamous and highly persecuted. Eventually Mormons became almost as strident toward the practice while trying to be "good Americans", not realizing that the were actually a conquered people, much like the Indians.

Also- gov has no business in marriage.


Yeah, agreed. And I might be wrong, but didn't the Mormons go to Utah specifically to be left alone in that regard?

PierzStyx
12-14-2013, 12:10 PM
U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled that the second aspect is too broad because it bars consenting adults from living together and criminalizes their intimate sexual relationships.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/14/us-usa-polygamy-sisterwives-idUSBRE9BD02720131214



More at link


Wait. Doesn't the first part do that exact thing?

PierzStyx
12-14-2013, 12:12 PM
Yeah, agreed. And I might be wrong, but didn't the Mormons go to Utah specifically to be left alone in that regard?

Yes. After being driven from the nation the Mormons fled to what was when they started out Northern Mexico, in order to escape the violence, robbery, and hatred of Americans. America just followed them.

pcosmar
12-14-2013, 12:21 PM
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qB_dIrLWN44/S-QxIBZnQ7I/AAAAAAAAFUc/YcHB3UKmVSw/s1600/3360146035_4e5fdc9818.jpg

Anti Federalist
12-14-2013, 12:38 PM
'Bout time.

Ridiculous to think that two men can legally "marry" but more than one man and woman can't.

UtahApocalypse
12-14-2013, 01:58 PM
Polygamy will be struck down in due time.....

Ender
12-14-2013, 02:09 PM
Yeah, agreed. And I might be wrong, but didn't the Mormons go to Utah specifically to be left alone in that regard?

Yep.

They were forced at gunpoint to renounce some of their basic beliefs. The Extermination Order for Mormons in Missouri was not even lifted until the 1980s.

Free country and all that......:rolleyes:

Brian4Liberty
12-14-2013, 02:26 PM
Government should stay out. But that needs to include government handouts.

angelatc
12-14-2013, 03:09 PM
Government should stay out. But that needs to include government handouts.


This just makes the case that marriage is best left to the private sector, and marriage licenses should be renamed shared entitlement vouchers.

Edward777
12-15-2013, 04:20 PM
As this female anthropologist points out polygamy can be empowering for women, and give them a lot of options that they currently don't have:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erTwhTCAAss&feature=youtu.be

Why not allow it? It's the logical extension of libertarianism.