Federal appeals judges have asked whether Utah needs a polygamy ban if the law challenged by the family on the TV show "Sister Wives" is used so rarely to prosecute abuses associated with multiple marriages.
A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also questioned the lawyer for Kody Brown and his four wives on Thursday. The judges asked whether the family had reason to fear prosecution or suffered other harm because of the law.
The Browns want the 10th Circuit to uphold a ruling that decriminalized polygamy in Utah. The state is appealing after key parts of its bigamy law forbidding cohabitation were struck down. Bigamy, or holding multiple marriage licenses, is still illegal.
State attorneys say the law helps curb abuses such as underage marriage.