Illinois Prosecutors Won't Defend Gay Marriage Ban

Illinois is home to a 16-year-ban on gay marriage, and some 25 same-sex couples have been gearing up for a big court fight against it. Problem is, the defense's table is looking pretty empty. The AP reports that the state's attorney general and the Cook County state attorney are both refusing to defend the law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, saying it violates the state constitution's equal protection clause. "I'm not going to defend something I believe is in violation of the constitution," says Anita Alvarez, state attorney for Cook County.

But some legal experts believe prosecutors are legally bound to defend Illinois law, and explain that not doing so sets up a scenario where a judge could quickly strike down the marriage statute. But the AP notes that prosecutors in other states have, on occasion, refused to defend other laws they believed would be found unconstitutional. Alvarez and Lisa Madigan's refusal mirrors the Obama administration's decision last year not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, believing it too would be unconstitutional. (More Illinois stories.)