Advertisement Judge strikes down Pa.'s same-sex marriage ban Judge John Jones III calls ban on same-sex marriage injustice Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A federal judge has struck down Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that it is unconstitutional.Read the full ruling here What do you think? Join the discussion on our Facebook pageThe opening lines from Judge John Jones III decision on Whitewood v. Wolf read:"Today, certain citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are notguaranteed the right to marry the person they love. Nor does Pennsylvania recognize the marriages of other couples who have wed elsewhere. Hoping to end this injustice, eleven courageous lesbian and gay couples, one widow, and two teenage children of one of the aforesaid couples have come together as plaintiffs and asked this Court to declare that all Pennsylvanians have the right to marry the person of their choice and consequently, that the Commonwealth’s laws to the contrary are unconstitutional. We now join the twelve federal district courts across the country which, when confronted with these inequities in their own states, have concluded that all couples deserve equal dignity in the realm of civil marriage."Jones stated that same-sex couples who seek to become married in Pennsylvania should be allowed to do so. He also said that marriages of same-sex couples in other states should be recognized in the state.Jones cited the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in his decision."We hold that Pennsylvania’s Marriage Laws violate both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Because these laws are unconstitutional, we shall enter an order permanently enjoining their enforcement. By virtue of this ruling, same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in the Commonwealth," he wrote.Jones also acknowledged that his ruling would not be without controversy, writing, "The issue we resolve today is a divisive one. Some of our citizens are made deeply uncomfortable by the notion of same-sex marriage. However, that samesex marriage causes discomfort in some does not make its prohibition constitutional. Nor can past tradition trump the bedrock constitutional guarantees."Jones ends his decision by comparing Pa.'s ban on gay marriage to America's bygone laws on segregation. He states:"We are better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history."ReactionNews 8 reached out to Gov. Tom Corbett's office shortly after the ruling was released. A representative there said the governor needed time to review the decision before commenting. The governor will likely issue a statement on Wednesday.Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who had refused to enforce the state's ban on gay marriage, did react to the decision. You can see what she had to say here.Moments after the news broke, the ACLU of Pa. tweeted the following message:"Judge Jones just struck down PA’s DOMA. Victory for freedom, equality, and loving same-sex couples in PA!"News 8 is following this story. Refresh this page for updates, and reaction from lawmakers and the community.State-by-state look at same-sex marriageThe decision was left up to Jones after the Corbett administration and the same-sex couples who are suing the state agreed they did not want to go to trial.Before the ruling came down, the Dauphin County Register of Wills Office said it was prepared to follow the law. However, officials clarified that they would have to review the ruling to make sure they understood it correctly before proceeding.