Quick Fact: District Judge Orders the State of Ohio to Recognize a Same Sex Marriage

James Obergefell and John Arthur, residents of Ohio, were married on July 11 in Maryland. John Arthur is currently in hospice care and is expected to die soon.  

United States District Judge Timothy Black has ordered the state of Ohio to recognize Mr. Obergefell as Mr. Arthur's surviving spouse on his death certificate.

"The end result here and now is that the local Ohio Registrar of death certificates is here by ORDERED not to accept for recording a death certificate for John Arthur that does not record Mr. Arthur's status at death as 'married' and James Obergefell as his 'surviving spouse,'" Judge Black wrote on Monday.

Ohio's 2004 constitutional amendment banning the recognition of same-sex marriages and Ohio's statute addressing the issue "likely violate the United States Constitution," concluded Judge Black.

I feel sad for Mr. Arthur and Mr. Obergefell, but grateful that they pursued this issue and thankful that there are still judges like Timothy Black working in Ohio.   

Is this the beginning of the end for state constitutional bans on same sex marriage?  I sincerely hope so.