Office of the DeKalb County States Attorney

DeKalb County Courthouse 133 W. State Street Syca&ore' (llinois $)1#8 General Offices: Tel: (815 8!5"#1$% *a+: (815 8!5"#1)1

RICHARD H. SCHMACK
State,s -ttorney

MEMORANDUM
To: Dou. /ohnson' DeKalb County Cler0

*ro&: 1ichar2 Sch&ac0' DeKalb County State,s -ttorney Date: *ebruary 38' 3)1% 1e: 4e.al 2e5elo6&ents re.ar2in. sa&e"se+ &arria.e licenses 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 State!ent of "ur#ose The DeKalb County Cler0 is 5este2 8ith the authority to issue &arria.e licenses in DeKalb County an2 any 2ecision of 8hether or not to issue a &arria.e license' 6ursuant to the (llinois 9arria.e an2 Dissolution of 9arria.e -ct' lies solely 8ith the DeKalb County Cler0. :o8e5er' a 2ecision not to issue one on the .roun2 that the &arria.e is 6rohibite2 shoul2 not be &a2e in a 5acuu&' es6ecially 8ith re.ar2 to *e2eral or State Constitutional 6ro5isions that &ay o5errule statutory 6ro5isions. There ha5e been &any recent le.al 2e5elo6&ents re.ar2in. sa&e"se+ &arria.e in (llinois. (t is the 6ur6ose of this 9e&oran2u& to a25ise the DeKalb County Cler0 of the recent chan.es an2 the current status of the la8 re.ar2in. sa&e"se+ &arria.e in (llinois. Statutory History of Illinois Marria$e %a&s To un2erstan2 the current status of the la8s re.ar2in. sa&e"se+ &arria.e' it is hel6ful to briefly re5ie8 the history of such la8s. (n 1!## the (llinois General -sse&bly a2o6te2 the (llinois 9arria.e an2 Dissolution of 9arria.e -ct (;(llinois 9arria.e -ct< 8hich authori=e2 &arria.e ;bet8een a &an an2 a >a.e ' of (

8o&an.< #5) (4CS 5?3)1. (n 1!!$' the (llinois 9arria.e -ct 8as a&en2e2 to s6ecifically state that a &arria.e bet8een 3 in2i5i2uals of the sa&e se+ 8as 6rohibite2. #5) (4CS 5?313(a (5 . The (llinois 9arria.e -ct further 6ro5i2e2 that &arria.es of sa&e se+ cou6les are ;contrary to the 6ublic 6olicy of this State.< #5) (4CS 5?313.1. The (llinois 9arria.e -ct only 6er&its a county cler0 to issue &arria.e licenses if the &arria.e is not 6rohibite2. #5) (4CS 5?3)3(3 . On @o5e&ber 5' 3)13' the (llinois General -sse&bly 6asse2 Senate Aill 1) 8hich re&o5es the 6rohibition a.ainst sa&e"se+ &arria.e. S6ecifically' Section 3)1 of the (llinois 9arria.e -ct 8as a&en2e2 to authori=e &arria.e ;bet8een 3 6ersonsB< an2 Sections 313(a (5 an2 Section 313.1 8ere re6eale2 entirely. Senate Aill 1)' ho8e5er' 2i2 not i&&e2iately .o into effect because the (llinois Constitution 6ro5i2es that a bill 6asse2 after 9ay 31 ;shall not beco&e effecti5e 6rior to /une 1 of the ne+t calen2ar year unless the General -sse&bly by the 5ote of three"fifths of the &e&bers electe2 to each house 6ro5i2es for an earlier effecti5e 2ate.< (ll.Const.' -rt (C' D 1). The General asse&bly 2i2 not 5ote in fa5or of an earlier effecti5e 2ate. Recent )e*eral Court Rulin$ On Dece&ber $' 3)13' a co&6laint 8as file2 in the Enite2 States District Court for the @orthern District of (llinois a.ainst the Coo0 County Cler0. The 6laintiffs sou.ht a 2eclaratory Fu2.&ent that the inability to issue a &arria.e license to sa&e"se+ cou6les 5iolate2 the Due >rocess an2 GHual >rotection .uarantees of the Enite2 States Constitution an2 a 6er&anent inFunction enFoinin. the Coo0 County Cler0 fro& enforcin. sections of the (llinois 9arria.e -ct 8hich banne2 sa&e"se+ &arria.e. The 6laintiffs sou.ht su&&ary Fu2.&ent fro& the District Court on these issues. The Coo0 County Cler0 su66orte2 the 6laintiffs, 6osition re.ar2in. GHual >rotection but &aintaine2 that he 8as boun2 by (llinois la8 to u6hol2 the la8 bannin. sa&e"se+ &arria.es until /une 1' 3)1%. -ttorney General 4isa 9a2i.an inter5ene2 in the case on behalf of

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the State of (llinois an2 also su66orte2 the 6laintiffs, 6osition that the ban on sa&e"se+ &arria.e 5iolate2 their ri.hts to GHual >rotection as .uarantee2 by the *ourteenth -&en2&ent of the Enite2 States Constitution. The *ourteenth -&en2&ent of the Enite2 States Constitution 6ro5i2es' in rele5ant 6art' that ;@o State shall &a0e or enforce any la8 8hich shall abri2.e the 6ri5ile.es or i&&unities of citi=ens of the Enite2 States.< E.S. Const. -&en2 I(C. On *ebruary 31' 3)1%' the District Court .rante2 the 6laintiffs, &otion for su&&ary Fu2.&ent an2 foun2 that the ban on &arria.e for sa&e"se+ cou6les 2oes 5iolate their ri.hts to GHual >rotection as .uarantee2 by the *ourteenth -&en2&ent of the Enite2 States Constitution. :o8e5er' the District Court also state2 that ;this fin2in. can only a66ly to Coo0 County base2 u6on the 6osture of the la8suit.< 4ee' et. al. 5. Orr' 13"c5"8#1!. I!#act of the Statutory A!en*!ents an* )e*eral Rulin$ The -ttorney General for the State of (llinois has ta0en the 6osition' on behalf of the entire State of (llinois' that the la8s 8hich ban sa&e"se+ &arria.e 5iolate the GHual >rotection Clause of the Enite2 States Constitution. The Enite2 States District Court for the @orthern District of (llinois has rule2 that the la8s 8hich ban sa&e"se+ &arria.e 5iolate the GHual >rotection Clause of the Enite2 States Constitution. DeKalb County is locate2 8ithin both the State of (llinois an2' s6ecifically' the @orthern District of (llinois. Aase2 u6on the 6osition of the State of (llinois as a25ocate2 by the (llinois -ttorney General an2 the rulin. of the @orthern District of (llinois' there 8oul2 be no 2efense to a le.al challen.e' on GHual >rotection .roun2s' to continue2 enforce&ent of the la8s bannin. sa&e"se+ &arria.e. 9oreo5er' the Constitution of the Enite2 States is the su6re&e 4a8 of the 4an2' an2 all 6ublic officials' fe2eral' state' an2 local are reHuire2 to u6hol2 an2 enforce it. Therefore' 8ere the DeKalb County Cler0 to refuse to issue a license for a sa&e se+ &arria.e' for sin.le a66licants 8hose &arria.e is not 6rohibite2 by a

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se6arate statutory 6ro5ision' an2 those a66licants sou.ht relief fro& the Circuit Court' or the Enite2 States District Court' on the .roun2s of an GHual >rotection Clause 5iolation' the State,s -ttorney of DeKalb County coul2 6ro5i2e no 2efense to such an action.

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