Court challenge fails to stop California ga..

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San Francisco • The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to stop gay marriages in the state.

In a brief ruling, the high court unanimously tossed out a legal challenge by supporters of Proposition 8, the ballot measure passed by voters that banned same-sex marriages in California.

In June, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling left in place a trial judge's 2010 order striking down the ballot measure as unconstitutional. On June 28, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Prop 8 supporters had asked the state Supreme Court to stop the weddings, arguing that the federal court action applied narrowly and only to the two couples who filed the federal lawsuit challenging the ban.

With little comment, a unanimous state Supreme Court allowed gay marriages to continue. The state Supreme Court didn't address the legal arguments of Prop 8 supporters, leaving open the possibility they may take their case back to federal court.

Court challenge fails to stop California gay marriages