'Sister Wives' News: Supreme Court Rejects Brown Family's Appeal Over Bigamy Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday has denied hearing an appeal from the family in the reality show - "Sister Wives" challenging Utah's prohibition laws on bigamy. From a lower court, the case of the Browns, a polygamist family, had been disposed due to an unofficial charge under the law.

According to court documents, as reported by The Hill, 30,000 polygamists live in Utah. The county prosecutors say that they don't put much of an issue to the polygamists but are banned when they are committing crimes such as underage marriage and sexual assault. It was said by the prosecutor, that from 2001 - 2011, a total of 10 people were charged for violating this law. 

"Sister Wives" is a reality TV show from TLC network features the lives of Kody Brown, a husband to his four wives - with one to whom he is legally married, Meri Brown and the other three, he is "spiritually married" and are his "sister wives" as he called it. He has asserted that Utah's bigamy law is violating their right to freedom of speech and religion. It has been a notable show, with its unusual setting as a plural family.

The fight between Browns and Utah started out in September 2010, during which "Sister Wives" first aired. An investigation has been opened by a county prosecutor which caused the family to move out of their hometown, Utah in 2011 and took up residence in Las Vegas up to now. The Browns filed a lawsuit against the investigation, with an accusation of government abuse. The case closed without the family filing charges.

The 10th circuit, an appeals court in Denver has said that the Browns could not sue because they were not charged under the law of Utah. It did not consider constitutional issues. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the Browns' appeal means that the ruling stands.

TagsSister Wives, bigamy laws, complaints, Supreme Court, Reality show