Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Surviving spouse

A week ago I wrote about the marriage of John and Jim. Because of ALS John is near death and doesn't travel well. The couple rented a private jet to fly from Cincinnati to Baltimore so a ceremony could be conducted on the tarmac.

Once back in Cincinnati, Jim went to a federal district court with a request that his marriage be recognized by the state of Ohio. And he wanted it for a specific reason. When John dies the couple wants the death certificate to list John's status as "married" and Jim as the "surviving spouse." With amazing swiftness the judge ordered the state to do just that. The justification is that Ohio will honor other marriages celebrated in other states when it would have been illegal if celebrated in Ohio. An example is a marriage of first cousins. If you can do it for them, said the judge, you can do it for John and Jim.

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