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Varnum v. Brien
Iowa Supreme Court
763 N.W.2d 862 (2009)
- Written by Dennis Chong, JD
Facts
Iowa had a statute expressly stating that “[o]nly a marriage between a male and a female is valid.” Six same-sex couples, headed by Katherine Varnum (plaintiffs), sued the Polk County Recorder, Timothy Brien, in his official capacity (defendant), for refusing to register their marriages. The district court held that the statute limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the equal protection clause of the Iowa constitution. The case was eventually taken up to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Cady, J.)
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