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Mission Impossible: On Baker, Equal Benefits, And The Imposition Of Stigma, Mark Strasser
Mission Impossible: On Baker, Equal Benefits, And The Imposition Of Stigma, Mark Strasser
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
In Baker v. State, the Vermont Supreme Court held that the state constitution required same-sex couples be afforded the same benefits and protections that married couples receive. While the state did not need to recognize same-sex marriage, at the very least, it needed to create a parallel system providing equal benefits. Professor Mark Strasser argues that a civil union alternative ultimately would not meet the court's requirements because it cannot possibly provide this requisite equality. His central concern is the differing treatment that same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships receive from other states. Additionally, Professor Strasser notes that such a system …
The Absolution Of Reynolds: The Constitutionality Of Religious Polygamy, Todd M. Gillett
The Absolution Of Reynolds: The Constitutionality Of Religious Polygamy, Todd M. Gillett
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
The ancient practice of polygamy became prevalent in parts of the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, when the Mormon Church canonized the doctrine of polygamy and encouraged its practice among its members. Today, there are nearly 40, 000 polygamists in the United States, mostly living in Utah. The Supreme Court has ruled on polygamy several times in decisions and dicta, each time finding it to be unconstitutional within the United States. In Reynolds v. United States, a 1878 decision upholding a statute that criminalized polygamy, the Court introduced the belief/action distinction that controls religious First Amendment doctrine today. This …