Court: CA gay marriage ban is unconstitutional

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal appeals court has declared California's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional but agreed to give sponsors of the voter-approved law time to appeal before ordering the state to resume gay weddings. The ruling will not take effect until the deadline passes for Proposition 8's backers to appeal to a larger panel of the 9th Circuit. Lawyers for the coalition of conservative religious groups that sponsored the measure could also file an appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appeals panel said its decision applies only to California, even though the court has jurisdiction in nine western states. University of Santa Clara constitutional law professor Margaret Russell said the U.S. Supreme Court might not agree to take up the case on appeal because the appeals court focused its decision exclusively on California's ban. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.