South Carolina Supreme Court: Domestic Violence Protections Apply to Same-Sex Couples, Too

People in married, same-sex relationships are protected under the state's domestic violence law passed in 2015, the S.C. Supreme Court determined Wednesday in a split ruling.

But the S.C. Attorney General said the order from the state's highest court would effectively limit the number of people the law protects, saying his office will urge the Supreme Court to reconsider.

Justices last March heard the case of a woman who was denied an order of protection by a Richland County court after being hit and choked by her ex-fiancee, also a woman. Attorneys for the woman, identified as Jane Doe, argued the state’s law violates the constitution because it does not protect unmarried same-sex couples.