Supreme Court strikes down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional
June 26, 2013
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling by Justice Kennedy in United States v. Windsor, strikes down Section 3 of DOMA as unconstitutional under equal protection principles in the Fifth Amendment. Because of its decision, married same-sex couples are able for the first time to access the full range of federal marital benefits.