CA Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Posted By Raleigh Divorce Lawyer on Aug 12, 2010 9:20am PDT
Proposition 8 was approved by California voters in 2008, making gay marriage in the state, previously legal, illegal. It was a heavily financed campaign from both sides, although much of the money in favor of the ban came from out of state religious groups. On August 4th, it was struck down by the California Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
That does not mean, however, that gay marriage is now legal in California, it merely means that the state cannot ban it. It is expected that it will again be legalized within a short time, although it is also expected that interest groups will appeal the ruling, possibly even taking the case to the nation's Supreme Court.
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker wrote "Proposition 8 both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation."
Governor Schwarzenegger, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, and President Obama have all expressed their approval of the ruling.
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