Mo. lawmaker says court shouldn't grant annulment to gay couple

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP ) -- A state lawmaker says a Missouri judge should not grant an annulment to a lesbian married in Massachusetts.

Republican State Sen. Delbert Scott of Lowry City said the couple violated a Massachusetts residency requirement when they moved to Missouri. In 2003, Missouri lawmakers overwhelmingly passed Scott's bill limiting marriage to be only between a man and a woman.

Scott filed a brief Tuesday asking Buchanan County Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg to drop the case as an "unrecognized marriage." The brief said state law bars judges from recognizing same-sex marriage for any purpose.

The legal squabble stems from a request late last year by Charisse Sparks to annul her 2005 marriage to Janet Peters Mauceri Sparks.

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Information from: St. Joseph News-Press, http://www.stjoenews-press.com