When the stars of the TLC reality show Sister Wives aren't taping their shows, they've been fighting for their plural marriage in court. And after a years-long court case, they came out on top – for now.
Kody Brown and his wives, Meri, Robyn, Janelle, and Christine, sued the state of Utah in 2011 after a county prosecutor threatened to charge them with bigamy. They argued Utah's law violated their right to privacy. Because a 2003 ruling overturned Texas' ban on sodomy, they argued the law can't punish polygamists for their "intimate conduct" as long as they're not breaking other laws, like trying to get multiple marriage licenses. (Kody Brown is only legally married to one of his wives, Meri.)
On Thursday, a federal judge in Utah officially struck down parts of the state's anti-polygamy law, saying a rule forbidding cohabitation was unconstitutional. That ruling had made living with a person to whom you are not married punishable by up to five years behind bars, and the law was often used to prosecute polygamists, activists say.
The decision was a big win for the Browns, who have 17 children. "Families like the Browns can now be both plural and legal in the state of Utah," the Brown family's lawyer, Jonathan Turley, wrote in a blog post.
"This decision brings closure for our family and further reaffirms the right of all families to be free from government abuse," Brown said in a statement. "While we know that many people do not approve of plural families, it is our family and based on our religious beliefs."
The ruling actually happened in December, but wasn't made final until Thursday because of procedural issues and a final charge related to the investigation. But the Browns' case is far from over; the state's attorney general, Sean Reyes, has said he plans to appeal the decision.
[h/t Entertainment Weekly]
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