Is the Defense of Marriage Act valid? A federal court judge says ‘no’ Hawaii Independent Staff July 18, 2010 07:08 PM FindLaw’s Joanna Grossman analyzes the recent federal court rulings on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. She also looks closely at the law’s origins as a reaction to what many thought was going to be Hawaii’s vote to legalize same-sex marriage that same year.