Massachusetts high court hears non-resident gay marriage lawsuit News
Massachusetts high court hears non-resident gay marriage lawsuit

[JURIST] The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts [official website], heard oral arguments Thursday on the issue of whether same-sex couples from out-of-state can marry in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive]. The court is deciding whether a 1913 law [text], which prohibits out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their home states do not recognize the union, comports with the Massachusetts constitution [text]. The 1913 law, rarely invoked until the high court ruled same-sex marriages legal [decision, PDF], has been used by Governor Mitt Romney to deny gay couples from nearby states marriage licenses. AP has more. The Boston Globe has local coverage.

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THIS DAY @ LAW

38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

Louis XVI put on trial during French Revolution

On December 26, 1792, Romain de Sèze, a defense attorney for deposed King Louis XVI, presented a defense of his client. The former King was on trial before a French Revolutionary court on thirty-three charges, including treason and other crimes against the state. He was convicted on January 15, 1793 executed by guillotine on the following January 21.