N.J. Supreme Court rules same-sex couples must receive identical rights


TRENTON, N.J. -- Same-sex couples must receive the same rights as married couples, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled today.

In a 4-3 decision, the court found that "denying committed same-sex couples the financial and social benefits and privileges given to their married heterosexual counterparts bears no substantial relationship to a legitimate government purpose."

The court went on to say that it should be up to the "democratic process" to determine how those rights are given to same-sex couples, whether through marriage or "some other term," such as civil unions.