Globe Editorial: Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has sued to strike down 1996 federal law, and last week asked a judge to rule on the case without a trial. The unfairness of the law is evident. The federal Defense of Marriage Act denies these couples benefits that other married couples in the Commonwealth take for granted, including Social Security payments owed to someone whose lifelong partner has passed away and the ability to get a green card for a spouse who is a legal immigrant from another country. There is no legal justification for singling out legally married same-sex couples for this disparate treatment.

Taunton Daily Gazette: Attorney General Martha Coakley has announced that a former Seekonk school teacher and Rehoboth resident was arraigned in connection with stealing school funds and secretly accepting over $5,000 in gratuities for organizing student trips.