The legal battle over California's Proposition 8 will likely not end with the ruling Tuesday (7 February) by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.

The ruling will now most certainly be appealed by Prop. 8 proponents to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court can either decide not to hear the case and allow the ruling to stand, or set the stage for the ultimate legal battle over same-sex marriage.