BY LISA LEFF, ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court refused Tuesday to reconsider a landmark ruling by two of its member judges that struck down California's ban on same-sex marriages.
Backers of the ban, known as Proposition 8, petitioned the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February to review the decision instead of appealing directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gay marriage opponents said at the time they would go to the high court if the appeals court declined to rehear the case. They have 90 days to do so.
Same sex unions were briefly legal in California before voters passed Proposition 8 in November 2008. Due to the ongoing legal wrangling, it's unlikely the practice will resume in the state anytime soon.
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