Marriage Amendment Provides Defense to Domestic Battery

An editorial in the Toledo Blade points out that two domestic violence cases in Cuyahoga County, the public defender’s office has asked that domestic-violence charges be dismissed, citing the amendment’s prohibition against any legal status for unmarried couples that approximates marriage. Ohio’s domestic-violence law, the public defender pointed out, applies to a “person living as a spouse.” I've also heard rumblings that some Ohio public universities that offer same-sex domestic partner benefits will not stop providing them, thus setting up a possible court battle. I checked Ohio State's web page that offers info on the latter and could find no mention of the constitutional amendment.

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