Proposition 8 Unconstitutional, Court Upholds in Ruling

A rally to celebrate the ruling to overturn Proposition 8, Aug. 4, 2010, in San Francisco. That ruling was appealed by supporters of Proposition 8. Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit upheld the original ruling that Prop 8 is unconstitutional Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a ruling that Proposition 8, the 2008 ban on same-sex marriage in California, is unconstitutional Tuesday.

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples,” Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the ruling.

The National Organization For Marriage, which supports Proposition 8, condemned the ruling in a press release.

“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is the most overturned circuit in the country, and Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the author of today’s absurd ruling is the most overturned federal judge in America,” NOM chairman John Eastman said in the press release. “Today’s ruling is a perfect setup for this case to be taken by the U.S. Supreme Court, where I am confident it will be reversed.”

Read the full court ruling after the jump:

#Prop8 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court

Reaction has been swift on Twitter, including a tweet from GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich condemning the ruling.

Court of Appeals overturning CA’s Prop 8 another example of an out of control judiciary. Let’s end judicial supremacy bit.ly/nyblQ7

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) February 7, 2012

The ruling will have far-reaching implications. The case will likely reach the U.S. Supreme Court, SCOTUSblog reports .

The development does not mean that new weddings will occur right away, The Los Angeles Times explains in a helpful Q&A.

The news comes a year after the court heard arguments that were aired live online. Watch excerpts of those arguments and look back on key moments in the battle over Prop 8 here.

For full coverage and analysis of the ruling and history of Proposition 8, follow news from Northern California’s KQED here. Look through past reporting and court documents here.

PBS NewsHour will have coverage of the ruling on the show. NOM chairman John Eastman and David Boies, one of the two lead attorneys who has been arguing to overturn Prop 8, will discuss both sides of the news tonight. Watch live online at 6 p.m. ET here.

For even more background, click through a timeline of the history of same-sex marriage in California from KQED.

Tune in to NewsHour live online at 6 p.m. ET for more on the ruling and what’s next here.