UPDATING: Federal Judge Rules Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Does Not Apply to Puerto Rico

Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Is Valid and Law of the Land in U.S. Territory

In a stunning decision a federal judge has ruled that the Supreme Court’s decision almost a year ago that found same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry does not automatically apply in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

The decision affects nearly 3.5 million people in the commonwealth.

“Because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory, the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex couples’ marriage rights does not automatically apply there, U.S. District Court Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez ruled in a 10-page decision,” Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed just reported.

UPDATE I: 7:37 PM EST –
Geidner points to this key portion of Judge Pérez-Giménez’s ruling, noting that Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and not an “incorporated territory surely destined for statehood.”

 

 

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