Governor Intervenes in Same-Sex Marriage Case

By Jeff Amy/Associated Press

JACKSON – Gov. Phil Bryant is intervening in a case involving a DeSoto County woman who wants Mississippi to recognize her same-sex marriage in order to grant a divorce.

Bryant, represented by Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, is opposing the woman’s appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The state Supreme Court said Monday that it would hear the case instead of assigning it to the Court of Appeals. Tuesday, it approved Bryant’s motion to intervene.

Lauren Czekala-Chatham has appealed a 2013 decision by DeSoto County Chancery Judge Mitchell Lundy Jr. that the Mississippi Constitution and statutes prevented him from granting a divorce.

Czekala-Chatham and Dana Ann Melancon married in San Francisco in 2008. They could divorce in California, but Czekala-Chatham says she shouldn’t be treated differently than straight couples.