In 1996, Holm legally marries Suzie Stubbs.
Later, Holm, a member of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, participates in a religious ceremony with Wendy Holm.
In 1998, Holm participates in a religious ceremony with 16-year-old Ruth Stubbs, the sister of Holm's first wife.
Holm, a police officer in Hildale, is arrested and charged with felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct and bigamy.
In 2002, Holm is convicted by a jury and sentenced to one year in jail, a $3,000 fine and 200 hours community service. Holm's request to call fellow FLDS members as expert witnesses on their culture is rejected by the court.
Holm later appeals his conviction on all charges and the case is sent to the Utah Supreme Court.
The issues:
Did Holm "purport" to be married to Stubbs?
Is the definition of "marry" confined to legal marriage or other non-legal marriages under the bigamy statute?
Is it constitutional to prosecute polygamist relationships under the bigamy statute?
Were Holm's rights violated when the trial judge did not allow fellow FLDS Church members to testify about the role polygamy plays in FLDS culture?
The ruling:
The Utah Supreme Court upheld Holm's conviction, finding that Holm did "purport" to be married in a ceremony where vows were traded. The high court in a four-to-one opinion found that the definition of marriage under bigamy recognizes marriages that are not state-sanctioned.
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