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Obergefell V Hodges
Obergefell V Hodges
Obergefellv.Hodges
Nos.14556,14571,and14574
June26,2015
Facts:
Inthiscase,fourteensamesexcouplesweretheplaintiffs,
and James Obergefell was one of them. The defendant is the
DirectoroftheOhioDepartmentofHealthnamedRichardHodges.
1)TheStatesstatuteviolatedtheEqualProtectionClause
andDueProcessClauseoftheFourteenthAmendment;
3)TheFourteenthAmendmentrecognizedthevalidityofsuch
marriagesexecutedinotherjurisdictions.
Thefederaldistrictcourtsruledinfavoroftheplaintiffs
buttheCourtofAppealsconsolidatedthecasesandreversedthe
rulingsconsequentlytheplaintiffsappealedtotheSupremeCourt
oftheUnitedStates.
Issue:
Whetherornotmarriagelicensesmustbegrantedtosamesex
couplesineveryState.
Held:
Yes.TheFourteenthAmendmentrequiresthattheStatesmust
grant marriage licenses to samesex couples because samesex
coupleshavetherighttomarryineveryState.
TheSupremeCourtreasonedthatthehistoryofmarriageis
manifestedbybothcontinuityandchange.Changes,forinstance
the abandonment of the law of coverture and the waning of
arranged marriage have affected characteristics of marriage.
Thesenewinsightsinunderstandingmarriagehavefortifiedit,
notdestabilizedit.