Federal Judge Hears Challenge to Michigan Gay Marriage Ban

Battle against a vote-approved constitutional amendment

A federal judge is considering a U.S. constitutional challenge to a voter-approved 2004 amendment to the Michigan Constitution that ban's same sex marriages.

Similar challenges are working their way through courts around the country.

In less than a month, federal judges in Oklahoma and Utah have struck down state bans on gay marriage for the same reason, concluding that they violate the U.S. Constitution's promise of equal treatment under the law.

U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman in Detroit said in October that he needed to hear from experts on Feb. 25 before settling the fate of the Michigan Constitution's clause that recognizes marriage as being only between a man and a woman.