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US court must rule on gay marriage
The California Supreme Court appeared divided over gay marriage today during nearly four hours of oral arguments on the contentious issue that experts said could impact gay rights nationwide.
Several of the seven judges asked whether the state legislature might better decide whether matrimony should be limited to a man and a woman, while others pointed to how the same court ended the state ban on marriages between blacks and whites after World War II.
"I think it's going to be a divided opinion but I wouldn't want to predict who will win," said Christopher Krueger, a lawyer representing the state attorney general who presented arguments before the judges.
The hearing brought into focus the highest-profile US fight over gay rights in recent years and the outcome could end up influencing legislation and litigation in other states on a matter that has been a hot-button issue in election campaigns.
"California's a bellwether state. What happens here, blows east," Larry Bowler, a retired deputy sheriff from Sacramento who opposes gay marriage, said outside the courthouse.
Expecting heated disagreement over a case in which US constitutional questions are at stake, the state's top court scheduled a three-hour session, making a rare exception to its one-hour limit on oral arguments.
But the marathon hearing lasted three hours and 40 minutes, and several people interviewed said it was the longest presentation of oral arguments before the top court they could remember.
"Same-sex couples come here today to praise marriage, not to bury it," said Shannon Minter, a lawyer for clients who favor of gay marriage.
