Supreme Court Prop 8 ruling paves way for same-sex marriage in California

The US Supreme Court decided Wednesday that the supporters of California's ban on gay marriage lacked the standing to bring the case to court.

By default, the decision allows Californian same-sex couples to get married again. However, it does not make a decision on gay marriage as a whole.

The court voted 5-4, with Chief Justice Roberts writing the opinion and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting.

It leaves in place a trial court's declaration that Prop 8 was unconstitutional. California officials are likely to allow same-sex unions to resume based on the ruling.

The opinion reads, "We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here."

It added, "Because petitioners have not satisfied their burden to demonstrate standing to appeal the judgment of the District Court, the Ninth Circuit was without jurisdiction to consider the appeal. The judgment of the Ninth Circuit is vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction."

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Here is the opinion as a whole.

Here's a look at supporters and detractors before the decisions came through today: