California high court to rule on gay marriage ban

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's supreme court announced on Friday that it will rule next week on whether to uphold a ban on same-sex marriages that critics say violates civil rights in the most populous U.S. state.

The ruling will also decide the fate of about 18,000 same-sex couples who were married last summer before California voters outlawed the practice through passage of the Proposition 8 constitutional amendment in the November, 2008 election.

The ruling in the so-called Prop 8 case will be issued on Tuesday, the court said on its website...