Nikki Araguz's Marriage Voided by Judge

• Its when everyone on this site gives this women the benefit of the doubt because if you don't you're "ignorant" or some kind of "bigot".

• What the hell is a "pro-transgender bias"?

• What does AIDS or being straight have to do with it?  The surgery took place well after the wedding, so clearly this man was aware what he was getting into.

• Justice..karma...the judge absolutely made the right decision. Nikki has a very long criminal record of frauding, theft, and deceiving straight men for years with no remorse. I wonder how many people she has exposed to aids. Giving these unsuspecting victims Aids. She only started showing crocodile tears when $$$$$ was on the line. Hopefully she will turn her life around and get some integrity and compassion for all those she has hurt.

• And no mention of it here yet. Pro-transgender bias, or still to come?

• Looks like Ms. Araguz is busy with yet *another* criminal charges.  Not the first rodeo for her - nor probably the last. 

• Thanks for the research, Kyle.

• He apparently released it as a draft ruling, just a plan of how he intended to rule.  I'm not sure how long we have before the official ruling is released, but my guess is that he is going to cite something in the Texas Constitution as superceding the change to the family code. I think he'll have trouble with citations, because he can't really cite Littleton vs. Prange [1999] now that the statutes have changed. The other possibility is that he'll attack the common law aspect. Araguz had the gender reassignment surgery done after the marriage, and was trying to claim that they lived together long enough after the surgery to have a common law marriage. I suppose if the judge wanted to get hyper-technical he could say that the Araguzes didn't submit a court order establishing gender reassignment when they applied for marriage. If he does that, he's going to leave the door open for future cases where people have crossed all their Ts.

• I'd have to say that in the states "eyes" this breaches moral boundaries. They are so wrapped up in their devotion to Christianity that ruling in favor of a transgendered widow would only open up a shitcan of controversy. The judge should have released his opinion on this case for further clarification. But as Brittanie Shey said in her comment, this could possibly become a test case. It's a shitty situation from top to bottom.

• I sure hope the ex-wife and mother can't touch this money that should only be set for his children only.. Sounds like way to much greed!

• You have to wonder what its like to be the ex wife and mother in this case. They are so wrapped up in hate for this woman that they are willing to ignore the wishes of their dead son/ ex-husband just to make sure she doesn't get benefits. Why do they choose to shit upon his choice to marry her?

• More thoughts: It sucks the judge did not release his opinion, but this could possibly become a test case to challenge the potential SB 723 and further secure the rights for trans people to marry, especially if there is an appeal that sets a precedent.

• Okay, I'm confused. I thought, at least as it stands now, that the state of Texas accepts proof of a sex change for acquiring a marriage license. I was of this understanding because there has been a proposed bill, SB 723, to limit courts' rights to accept this as proof of a legal and valid marriage. Is the problem that Nikki didn't have the court order proving her to have had a sex change? If not, how could the judge have ruled her marriage invalid? http://www.texastribune.org/texas-newspaper/texas-news/texas-ag-asked-to-rule-on-transgender-marriage/

• <i>"but that isn't what the law is."</i> Seriously? How do you think bad laws get overturned?

• Actually, the judge has essentially ruled that same gender people are allowed to marry in certain circumstances.  There is nothing keeping Araguz from marrying a woman. They didn't drag anyone through anything.  It was the ex-wife and the man's mother dragging Araguz through this.  Had they not intervened, Araguz would have gotten the benefits she was [at least ethically] entitled to.

• No matter what anyone's personal opinion - Nikki Araguz and her lawyer must have known what the law is before they went into this fight.  Shame on them all for making the children's family pay for lawyers and to through all this drama and stress.  They must have known they'd lose.  Why drag all these people through this? BTW - Personally, I think same sex people should be able to marry.  Or, people in Ms. Araguz' situation - but that isn't what the law is. 

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