Federal appeals court strikes down California’s gay marriage ban

Affirming a ruling by the district court that California’s voter-passed ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, the Ninth Circuit struck down Proposition 8. In a 2-1 opinion, Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote:

“Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable,” 9th Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote, “it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently.”

“There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted,” Reinhardt wrote

More from ” title=”full opinion” target=”_blank”>full opinion is on the Los Angeles Times website.

This is the ” title=”find its way” target=”_blank”>find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court since voters approved the measure in 2008.

One of my law professors, Adam Winkler, has a great piece at the Huffington Post that breaks down what’s next for same-sex marriage and how the Supreme Court might resolve this case. A ” title=”here” target=”_blank”>here, where he also addresses the