New York State's Court of Appeals has ruled that New Paltz mayor Jason West will be charged with 24 misdemeanor counts of violating the state's domestic relations law.
As you will remember, Mayor West is facing those charges for performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples last year.
From the AP:
"The village mayor who challenged New York law by attempting to marry gay couples last year will face trial, the state's highest court ruled Friday.
...
West's actions came amid a flurry of efforts in various states to wed gay couples after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed gay couples there to marry in February 2004. Those efforts have largely been put on hold by the courts.
West has maintained he was upholding the gay couples' constitutional rights to equal protection - and thus his oath of office - by allowing them to wed in the Hudson Valley college town in late February 2004.
But top state officials, including Gov. George Pataki and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, have said same-sex ceremonies violate state law."
But, today's court decisions are not a total wash:
"Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, the high court there rejected a Roman Catholic activist's bid to halt gay marriages in that state until after voters have weighed in on a constitutional ban.
...
In Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court on Friday rejected a lawsuit by C. Joseph Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League, to halt gay marriages in the state until the voters could decide on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The vote could happen in November 2006 at the earliest."
Win some, lose some. But ultimately, justice and equality under the law will prevail.
I hope.