Same-sex couples in New Jersey will be able to wed starting on Monday, after the state's highest court unanimously denied Governor Chris Christie's request to put gay marriage on hold while the state's appeal is heard.
The governor had asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to freeze a state judge's ruling allowing gay marriage until the top court hears the case in January and issues a final decision.
But in a signal that the court may be prepared to accept gay marriage permanently, all seven judges on the court ruled that the state had "not shown a reasonable probability it will succeed on the merits."
New Jersey on Monday will become the 14th state to permit gay marriage, along with the District of Columbia.
In a statement, Christie's spokesman reiterated the governor's position that gay marriage should be subject to a voter referendum but said Christie had ordered local officials to begin allowing gay marriage in accordance with the ruling.
Hayley Gorenberg, a lawyer with Lambda Legal who represents the gay couples, rejoiced at the news: "Take out the champagne glasses - wedding bells will soon be ringing in New Jersey."
Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson in Trenton ruled three weeks ago in favor of gay couples who had challenged the state's civil union law, finding that it unfairly restricted federal benefits that are guaranteed for married couples.
Jacobson's decision made New Jersey the first state to lift a gay marriage ban as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to strike down the federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
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