Opinion ID: 1721534
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: was the chancellor correct in denying john robinson's equal protection challenge to the doctrine of separate maintenance?

Text: John relies upon Orr v. Orr, 440 U.S. 268, 99 S.Ct. 1102, 59 L.Ed.2d 306 (1979), to support his equal protection challenge to the doctrine of separate maintenance. In Orr, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Alabama statute which created a right of alimony in favor of women only. The United States Supreme Court held that the law created a suspect, gender based classification which served no important governmental purpose and was, therefore, violative of the man's right to equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Mississippi Legislature amended the divorce statute effective July 1, 1985, regarding alimony in light of the Orr decision to read as follows: When a divorce shall be decreed from the bonds of matrimony, the court may, in its discretion, having regard to the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case, as may seem equitable and just, make all orders touching the care, custody and maintenance of the children of the marriage, and also touching the maintenance and alimony of the wife or the husband, or any allowance to be made to her or him, and shall, if need be, require bond, sureties or other guarantee for the payment of the sum so allowed. § 93-5-23, Miss. Code Ann. (1988) (emphasis added). However, this authority for a equal protection challenge is in a suit for divorce where the marriage is being dissolved and is inapplicable to the case at bar where no divorce is granted. This Court notes that the governmental objectives in separate maintenance suits will have to be addressed in the proper case, but here the Court does not address the issue since the separate maintenance to the wife, if any, has been set aside. Orr v. Orr, supra . [C]onstitutional questions are not reached unless necessary for a decision of a case. Tribou v. Gunn, 410 So.2d 378, 380 (Miss. 1982). Under Mississippi case law, John Robinson failed to sustain his burden of proof on the ground of cruel and inhuman treatment, and Nancy Robinson's conduct did materially contribute to the separation. Therefore, the trial court's denial of a divorce to John was proper; the award of separate maintenance to Nancy, if any, is dissolved and the award to her is reversed and rendered. The issue of the amount of child support is remanded to the Chancery Court of Hinds County. AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED AND RENDERED IN PART; REMANDED ON CHILD SUPPORT. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and SULLIVAN, ANDERSON, PITTMAN and BLASS, JJ., concur. ROBERTSON, J., concurs in part and dissents in part.