UNITED STATES V. WINDSOR

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• 2007 - Windsor and Spyer married in Canada (homosexual couple)
• 2009 - Spyer died
• 2010 - filed law suit

FACTS OF THE CASE

• Windsor left Spyer's estate
• Windsor denied tax exempt on Spyer's estate in 2009

CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION

• Is the decision to deny the tax exempt to Windsor due to the fact that the word "spouse" doesn't apply to same-sex marriages constitutional?

COURT RULE

• 2010 - Windsor filed law suit
• 2013 - Windsor refunded $363,053.

JUSTIFICATION

• Court used section 3 of DOMA, Defense of Marriage Act
• Windsor won because it violated equal protection

MAJORITY OPINION

• Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional
• The majority of people would rule that it was also unconstitutional

MINORITY

• The minority opinion is that it is constitutional to deny her tax exempt