February 7th, 2012
03:32 PM ET
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Toobin: What Proposition 8 ruling means for California, other states

Editor's note: Shortly after a federal appeals court ruled against California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin answered questions about the implications of ruling and his reaction to it.

WHAT, IN A NUTSHELL, DID THE COURT DECIDE?

Proposition 8, the initiative passed by voters in 2008, is unconstitutional, a violation of the rights of gay and lesbian people who want to get married.

CAN SAME-SEX COUPLES IN CALIFORNIA GET MARRIED NOW?

No - not yet. The 9th Circuit panel left a stay in place that will continue as long as the defendants in the case continue their appeal. Since the defendants have indicated they will continue their appeals, it is likely to be months before same-sex marriages may resume.

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Filed under: California • Courts • Gay and lesbian • Proposition 8
May 4th, 2010
11:00 AM ET
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What to watch for N.Y. bomb suspect's hearing

Faisal Shahzad, 30, will appear in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday, officials said.

Editor's note: CNN's Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin takes a look at what we can expect to see out of today's hearing in connection with the Times Square bomb plot.

Much of what will happen to Faisal Shahzad in federal district court today is predictable.  One very important part is not.

Shahzad will probably be arraigned on a variety of charges, including use of an incendiary device and terrorism. He will be assigned a lawyer. He will not - obviously - be released on bail. The charges are likely to change and be expanded when the case is presented to a grand jury, but Shahzad will not be eligible for the death penalty because (fortunately) no one died as a result of his actions.

The big unanswered question is whether Shahzad will be charged with conspiracy.

The authorities clearly believe that he was a central figure in the plot to bomb Times Square, but what's unknown is if they believe that he acted alone. If he was not alone, the question then is whether his alleged co-conspirators are also in custody.

We'll know more about this critical question after Shahzad appears in court today.

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Filed under: Justice