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95 Maryland Attorney General Reports and Opinions 3 (2010)

handle is hein.sag/sagmd0033 and id is 1 raw text is: FAMILY LAW

MARRIAGE - WHETHER OUT-OF-STATE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
THAT IS VALID IN THE STATE OF CELEBRATION MAY BE
RECOGNIZED IN MARYLAND
February 23, 2010
The Honorable Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.
Maryland Senate
You asked whether the State may recognize same-sex
marriages legally performed in other jurisdictions, including other
countries. You also noted action taken by the Governor of New
York in 2008 concerning recognition of out-of-state marriages and
asked whether a Maryland Governor can issue an executive order
concerning recognition of such marriages.
Same-Sex Marriages from Other Jurisdictions in Maryland
This opinion does not concern whether individuals of the same
sex may wed in Maryland. The General Assembly has clearly
answered that question no - an answer that the Court of Appeals
has found to be constitutional.
Rather, your inquiry raises the question whether the State may
recognize a same-sex marriage that is valid in the jurisdiction in
which it was contracted. Several states and foreign countries now
provide for same-sex marriage under their own laws.
Although two individuals are married in another jurisdiction,
their marital status in Maryland can become significant in a variety
of ways. A same-sex couple validly married in another state or
country may move to Maryland for employment. A same-sex couple
validly married in another state or country may vacation in the State
- or may stop temporarily in the State while traveling to another
destination. A same-sex couple in Maryland may go to another state
for the specific purpose of marrying under that state's law, and then
return to Maryland. A same-sex couple married in another state may
never set foot in Maryland, yet their marital status may have legal
significance for others in Maryland.

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