MICHIGAN (March 21, 2014)– U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman Friday struck down Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage.
In a 31-page ruling,Friedman declares the ban unconstitutional because it violates “the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
Less than an hour after the ruling was reported, Attorney General Bill Schuette released a statement saying his office was seeking an emergency stay and appeal of the federal ruling.
“In 2004 the citizens of Michigan recognized that diversity in parenting is best for kids and families because moms and dads are not interchangeable,” he said in a release. “Michigan voters enshrined that decision in our state constitution, and their will should stand and be respected. ”
Following Friedman’s ruling, Michigan became the 18th state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.
Those other states are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
FOX 17 will continue to follow this story and bring you the latest developments.
