In January, the Wyoming House of Representatives approved a bill [text, PDF] that would prevent Wyoming from recognizing same-sex marriages and civil unions performed out-of-state. However, several states recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. Earlier this month, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King [official website] issued an opinion stating that gay marriages from out of state would likely be legal [The New Mexico Independent report] there. In February, Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler [official website] declared that Maryland should recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere [JURIST report]. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington DC [JURIST reports].

Benin's presidential election was initially scheduled for February 27. Benin's Constitution [text] requires that the first round of presidential voting be held 30 days prior to the end of the current president's term, which is on April 6. On Friday, the National Assembly [official website, in French], Benin's parliamentary body, approved a law [AFP report] that overrules the constitutional provision and would allow the election postponement.

The US Department of Justice announced last month [JURIST report] that it will no longer defend the constitutionality [press release] of Section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage for federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman, in court cases challenging the provision. Attorney General Eric Holder [official profile] acknowledged that the announcement marks a change in policy for the DOJ and the Obama administration, but noted that the change was necessary due to cases pending in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Holder explained that when the DOJ previously defended DOMA it had done so in jurisdictions with binding precedent stating that a permissive standard of review was applicable to laws dealing with sexual orientation.

Prosecutors first filed charges against Loughner [JURIST report] in January. Chief Judge John Roll of the US District Court for the District of Arizona [official website] and five other people were killed in the shooting, plus another 14 wounded, including Giffords. Before serving in the Arizona District Court, Roll was a state judge and an assistant US attorney. Roll was named to the District Court in 1991 by President George HW Bush and became chief judge in 2006. Giffords received harsh criticism in Arizona for her vote for the health care reform law [HR 3590 text; JURIST news archive] and was among those members of Congress who reported threats or vandalism in 2010. Giffords also was an outspoken critic of Arizona's controversial immigration law [SB 1070 text, PDF; JURIST news archive]. Ultimately, however, a clear motive into the shootings has yet to be identified.