© 2024 St. Louis Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Other

High Court Ruling Could Alter Missouri Sodomy Law

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis, MO – Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says today's U.S. Supreme Court move to strike down Texas' anti-sodomy law raises questions about the legality of a similar Missouri law. Gay-rights activists contend the ruling invalidates laws in Missouri and three other states barring consensual homosexual sex -- even in private. The Missouri attorney general is not ready to go that far.

Nixon says the state law on sexual misconduct does contain similar language to the stricken Texas law. And Nixon says the high court ruling appears to call into question the Missouri statute prohibiting consensual same-sex sexual activity. Nixon says his office is reviewing the decision, to determine its impact, and will confer with county prosecutors. The law has seldom been enforced in Missouri.

Other