Judge rules against state ban in same-sex marriage
By AP from KATU 2 News from the Web, September 7, 2004
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A judge in Olympia has ruled that Washington state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
The ruling is similar to another judge's decision in Seattle.
The Thurston and King County cases will be combined in an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
In today's ruling posted on the Thurston County Superior Court Web site, Judge Richard Hicks says the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act directly conflicts with the state constitution.
The case was argued last Thursday by an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing eleven gay and lesbian couples from across the state.
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