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 Wednesday, August 25, 2004 |
Virginia judge refuses to recognize Vermont civil union in custody battle
Bernard Hibbitts at 11:39 AM ET
A Virginia circuit court judge has refused to recognize a Vermont civil union between two women embroiled in a child custody battle taking place in Virginia, where the biological mother and her child currently live. Judge John R. Prosser invoked Virginia's Affirmation of Marriage Act (already the subject of harsh criticism by gay groups), specifically declaring that unions or domestic partnership contracts between members of the same sex are void in Virginia law and have no legal significance; as a result, he held that the mother was the child's "sole parent." Gay rights advocates have criticized the ruling as potentially turning Virginia into a "Las Vegas of gay divorces" where parties to civil unions would have no rights. Wednesday's Washington Post has more. Virginia's Winchester Star has local coverage.
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Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible, ad-free format.
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