In light of the fact that Lambda Legal has just asked the US Supreme Court to overturn the abominable decision in Bowers vs Hardwick (1986) in their appeal of the Texas sodomy case I read this footnote in the recent Arkansas Supreme Court case invalidating that state's sodomy statute with interest (excerpt of Footnote 4 follows):
Nine states have invalidated sodomy laws by judicial decision:
*Georgia--Powell v. State, 510 S.E.2d 18 (1998)
*Kentucky--Commonwealth v. Wasson, 842, S.W.2d 487 (Ky.1992)
*Maryland--Williams v, State, 1998 Extra LEXIS 260, Baltimore City Circuit Court, (January 14, 1999) (trial court holding that sodomy statute did not apply to consensual, non- commercial, private sexual behavior. The decision was not appealed by the State)
*Massachusetts--Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders v. Attorney General, 436 Mass. 132, 763 N.E.2d 38 (2002)
*Minnesota--Doe, et al. v. Ventura, et al., 2001 WL 543734, No. 01-489 (Dist. Ct. Hennepin County May 15, 2001)(neither the State of Minnesota nor Attorney General Mike Hatch appealed the lower court decision)
*Montana--Gryczan v. Montana, 942 P.2d 112 (1997)
*New York--People v. Onofre, 415 N.E.2d 936 (N.Y.1980),cert. denied, 451 U.S. 987 (1981)
*Pennsylvania--Commonwealth v. Bonadio, 415 A.2d 47 (Pa .1980) (the state legislature later repealed the law in 1995)
* Tennessee--Campbell v. Sundquist, 926 S.W.2d 250 (Tenn.Ct.App.1996).
Six states, including Arkansas, maintain "same-sex" sodomy statutes
*Arkansas--Ark.Code Ann. 5-14-122 (Repl.1997)
*Kansas--Kan. Stat. Ann. 21-3505 (1995)
*Michigan--Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. 750.158, .338(a)-(b)(1991)
*Missouri--Mo Rev. Stat. 566.090 (1999)
*Oklahoma--Okla. Stat tit. 21 886(1983)
*Texas--Tex. Penal Code Ann. 21.06 (1989).
Nine states and Puerto Rico maintain statutes prohibiting same-sex and opposite-sex sodomy:
*Alabama-"Sexual Misconduct" Ala.Code 1975, 13A-6- 65(a)(3) ("Sodomy" is defined what would be rape, except for the parties. Ala.Code 1975, 13A-6-63 & -64)
*Florida--Fla. Code. 800.02 (1993)
*Idaho--Idaho Code 18-6605 (Supp.2001)
*Louisiana--La. Rev. Stat. Ann. 14:89 (1986)
*Mississippi--Miss. Code Ann. 97-29-59 (1972)
*North Carolina--N.C. Gen.Stat. S 14-177 (1994)
*Puerto Rico--Penal Code sections 99 and 103 (33 L.P.R.A. 4061 and 4065)
*South Carolina--S.C.Code Ann. 16-15-120 (1985)
*Utah--Utah Code Ann. 76- 5-403 (1995) Virginia-Va. Code Ann. 18.2-361 (1994). _______________________________________________ queerlaw mailing list queerlaw at lists.qrd.org http://lists.qrd.org/mailman/listinfo/queerlaw free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org