A Chicago widow was awarded death benefits under a retirement plan earned by her same-sex spouse in the first reported ruling relying on the Supreme Court's recent Defense of Marriage Act ruling.

In Cozen O'Connor, P.C. vs. Jennifer Tobits, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania cited the higher court's Windsor decision, which ruled that the federal government can no longer restrict the term "spouse" to members of the opposite sex.

Judge Darnell C. Jones II handed down the district court ruling on July 29.

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