FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Delegate Bob Marshall
703-853-4213
Marshall Requests
Herring Opinion on Bigamy in Light of SCOTUS Decision on Marriage
Amendment
Manassas, VA - Delegate Robert G. "Bob"
Marshall today requested an official opinion from Attorney General Mark Herring
on the Constitutionality of Virginia's Bigamy laws in light of the decision
of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear Virginia's Marriage
Amendment case.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals said in their decision that,
"Accordingly, we decline the Proponents’ invitation to characterize the
right at issue in this case as the right to same-sex marriage rather than simply
the right to marry."
If the Virginia Marriage Amendment defining marriage as between one man and
one woman has been overturned on the basis of the "right to marry" that that
right surely extends to "throuples", those who identify as polyamourous
and polygamists and any individual who wishes to marry who or what he/she
"loves."
If it is the "right" of all people to marry who they love then I would like
to know if it is the Attorney General's legal opinion that Virginia's bigamy and
perhaps other laws related to marriage are also Unconstitutional.
Attorney General Herring said in a speech yesterday, October 6, 2014, at the
Arlington Court House that, "Today we celebrate a moment when we move closer to
fulfilling the promise of equality..." I would like to know what further steps
he believes are legally necessary to fulfill this promise.