Ohio Judge To Rule Marriage Recognition Ban Unconstitutional

News coming out of Ohio that a federal judge will rule the state's ban on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states to be unconstitutional.

From Buzzfeed:

In a docket entry summarizing the hearing, the court stated, “The Court anticipates striking down as unconstitutional under all circumstances Ohio’s bans on recognizing legal same-sex marriages from other states.”

Ohio’s 2004 law and constitutional amendment barring same-sex couples from marrying also bar the state from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples performed elsewhere. The case is not about whether Ohio must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but only the recognition portion of the state’s laws.

This case, brought in February on behalf of Brittani Henry and Brittni Rogers, initially was about birth certificates, and being able to have parents’ marriages recognized on them, but, per Friday’s docket entry, the decision will be finding the recognition ban unconstitutional “under all circumstances.”

The ruling is expected by April 14.

Should the state choose to appeal the ruling (very likely), the case would head to the Sixth Circuit Appeals Court where already lined up are cases regarding marriage equality from Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.