Thursday, July 25,2002
Connecticut court says domestic partner civil unions not recognized in state
A story released today by the Associated Press reports that a Connecticut appeals court rejected the dissolution of a civil union by a same-sex couple in the state Wednesday in what is believed to be the first such test of the law outside Vermont.
Glen Rosengarten and Peter Downes were married in Vermont in 2000, six months after that state enacted the first law in the nation allowing same-sexl couples to enter into something akin to marriage.
The Connecticut appeals court ruled that it cannot dissolve their union because Connecticut law does not recognize such relationships.
Vermont remains the only state that allows civil unions, and no state outside of Vermont has approved any dissolutions.
Rosengarten applied in July 2001 to have the relationship dissolved in a Stamford, Conn., court. The Superior Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction.
Rosengarten appealed to the Appellate Court, the second-highest court in Connecticut, which ruled that unions between same-sex couples do not fall under the state's definitions of family relations matters.
Gary Cohen, Rosengarten's attorney, said his client wanted a formal dissolution to protect the inheritance of his three adult children.
``This is not a test case,'' Cohen said. ``These are two very private people who want to have this resolved with dignity and discretion.''
Cohen said he would encourage Rosengarten to appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court.
