Court weighs constitutionality of gay marriage ban (CALIFORNIA)

[Yahoo! News]

AP - A line of questioning at an appeals court hearing over California's gay marriage ban suggested the three judges could issue a decision that would legalize same-sex marriage in that state but leave intact bans in other western states under the court's jurisdiction.

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Co-lead counsel of legal team challenging California's ...

Co-lead counsel of the legal team challenging California's same-sex marriage ban, David Boies, standing, argues during a hearing in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Monday, Dec. 6, 2010, in San Francisco. The federal appeals court in San Francisco was scheduled to hear two hours of arguments Monday about the voter-approved ban known as Proposition 8. A trial court judge overturned the measure as a violation of gay Californians' civil rights in August.

[forum_admin]

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard nearly three hours of arguments Monday during a televised hearing that reached a nationwide audience anxious for a final decision on whether voter-approved Proposition 8 and similar same-sex marriage bans violate the U.S. Constitution.

The judges appeared troubled over whether they could recognize marriage as a civil right for all same-sex couples or only those in states that already grant gays the rights of marriage without the title.