Conneticut Supreme Court Sides With Same-Sex Couples; Weddings Could Begin Next Month

October 10, 2008 7:44 p.m. EST

Hartford, CT (AHN) - The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that eight homosexual couples have the right to marry under the state's constitution.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said he disagreed with the ruling but will not challenge it, paving way for the legalization next month of same-sex marriage in Connecticut, the third state to do so after Massachusetts and California.

Plaintiffs Beth Kerrigan and her partner, Jodie Mock, from whom the case was named, welcomed the decision and told ABC News that they will soon get married.

In the ruling, four justices against three overturned a lower court's finding with their opinion that the state constitution's equal protection principles apply also to gay persons.

The Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders provided the plaintiffs with legal assistance in their case filed in 2004.