Okla. gay marriage case before US appeals court

DENVER (AP) — An appeals court in Denver is hearing its second gay marriage case in two weeks.

A panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear a case from Oklahoma today. That is one week after it heard the appeal of a judge's ruling that found Utah's gay marriage ban is unconstitutional.

The two cases are similar. They are significant because they are the first time an appeals court has considered gay marriage since a big U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year shook up the legal landscape.

It could be months before the judges rule on the two cases. They probably will issue a separate ruling for each case, but the rulings could come on the same day.

Their decision almost certainly will be appealed. The Supreme Court likely will have the final word on gay marriage.