Supreme Court Will Hear Gay Marriage Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the constitutional right to marry, the Associated Press reports. The justices said Friday they would review a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the state's gay marriage ban. The San Francisco-based appeals court said the state could not take away the same-sex marriage right that had been granted by California's Supreme Court. The court will also review a provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that limits a range of health and pension benefits to heterosexual couples. The cases will probably be argued in March, with decisions expected by late June. Gay marriage is legal, or will be soon, in nine states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington -- and the District of Columbia.