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Sosna v. Iowa

United States Supreme Court

419 U.S. 393 (1975)

Facts

Carol Sosna (plaintiff) and Michael Sosna (defendant) married in 1964 and separated in 1971. They lived in New York at the time. In August 1971, Mrs. Sosna moved to Iowa. In September, she petitioned for a divorce from Mr. Sosna in an Iowa court. Mr. Sosna contested jurisdiction. The court dismissed Mrs. Sosna’s petition on the grounds that she had not met the state’s requirement of a year’s residency prior to filing a divorce petition. Mrs. Sosna appealed.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Rehnquist, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
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Dissent (Marshall, J.)

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