New Jersey Governor Christie Withdraws Appeal Of Judge's Decision To Legalize Gay Marriage

New Jersey Governor has withdrawn his appeal of a judge's decision to legalize gay marriage in the Garden State, the Newark Star-Ledger has tweeted.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker opened city hall at midnight to perform New Jersey's first same-sex wedding ceremonies after a judge ruled in favor of gay marriage, Reuters reported.

The New Jersey Supreme Court rejected on Friday Christie's request to put the judge's ruling on hold while he appealed it.

New Jersey previously allowed civil unions for gay couples, but Judge Mary Jacobson ruled in a 53-page opinion that that was essentially a separate and unequal status.

A key part of her ruling was inspired by the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal benefits to same-sex married couples. The civil unions of gay couples could not be equal to marriage since they were denied federal benefits, she reasoned.

New Jersey's legislature previously legalized gay marriage, but Christie vetoed the bill.