Supremes Strike Down Gay Marriage Ban

Breaking News: The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for same-sex marriages. In a 121-page ruling, Chief Justice Ronald George wrote that the state laws limiting marriage to heterosexual couples violate the California constitution.

The court applied strict scrutiny to the laws, finding gays and lesbians a suspect class. “We conclude that to the extent the current statutory provisions limit marriage to opposite-sex couples, these statutes are unconstitutional,” George wrote.

Justices Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Mickle Werdegar and Carlos Moreno concurred. Justices Marvin Baxter, Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan dissented. Here's the whole 172-page package: opinion.pdf  

Mike McKee's first take on the story is live at Cal Law now (free reg. req'd). The same link will be updated later today, with the final version live before 7 p.m.

—  Scott Graham