Judge Strikes Down Law

Former Pender County (NC) 911 dispatcher Deborah Hobbs has prevailed in her appeal of a 201 year-old state law that prohbited unmarried couples from living together, and which led to her resignation in May 2004. Superior Court Judge Benjamin Alford issued a ruling that said the state’s law violated Hobbs’ constitutional right to liberty. Hobbs will not return to her former job, where Sheriff Carson Smith had given her a ultimatum–resign or be fired for being in violation of the law. The state could appeal the judge’s ruling, but it seems unlikely, since the legislators have been looking for a way to repeal the law for many years, without looking as if they’re condoning gay rights. [Interestingly, the city of Greensboro, NC is considering a plan to allow domestic partner benefits to its gay and lesbian employees. They waited until the Hobbs case was decided before going ahead with the plan.]