New Jersey Supreme Court Refuses Stay of Decision Allowing Same-Sex Marriage

The New Jersey Supreme Court yesterday denied a stay of a trial court's decision (see prior posting) extending the right to marry to same-sex couples. Before this decision, New Jersey law allowed same-sex couples to enter civil unions, but not to marry.  Beginning Monday they will now be able to marry.  In Garden State Equality v. Dow, (NJ Sup. Ct., Oct. 18, 2013), the state Supreme Court held unanimously that the state had not shown a reasonable probability of success on the merits in its appeal, saying:

The State's statutory scheme effectively denies committed same-sex partners in New Jersey the ability to receive federal benefits now afforded to married partners.

Bergen County Record reports on the decision.