Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced on Monday that his
administration would drop its legal challenge to allowing gay marriage
in the state, hours after same-sex couples started exchanging vows.
Mr. Christie’s decision to withdraw his appeal before the state’s
Supreme Court, a reversal from his long-held position that the question
of gay marriage should be decided by voters, effectively removes the
last hurdle from making same-sex marriage legal in New Jersey.
“Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting
its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a
vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view
of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the
law,” Mr. Christie’s administration said in a statement.
“The governor
will do his constitutional duty and ensure his administration enforces
the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”
Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow gay couples to marry.
Last month, a judge ruled that the state must allow same-sex marriage,
saying that failing to do so would deprive residents of rights that were
guaranteed by the United States Supreme Court.
In June, the Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act
and declared that the federal government must provide the same benefits
to gay married couples as it does to heterosexual married couples.
Judge Mary C. Jacobson of State Superior Court in Mercer County, in a
ruling issued on Sept. 26, found that the state’s not allowing same-sex
couples to get married deprived them of getting federal benefits and “is
currently harming same-sex couples in New Jersey in a wide range of
contexts.”
Mr. Christie said he would appeal the decision and sought a stay to prevent the marriages from taking place starting on Oct. 21, as the court ordered.
His petition was denied and the first couples across the state were married just after midnight on Monday.
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