[JURIST] The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court [official website] has agreed to hear oral arguments on a request to block the court's May 17, 2004 ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health [PDF] that legalized same-sex marriage [JURIST Hot Topic news archive] in the state. The appeal, filed by The Thomas More Law Center on behalf of C. Joseph Doyle, the executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, calls for the decision on this issue to be determined by the "democratic processes outlined in the Commonwealth's Constitution rather than by the [court]". The decision to hear the appeal comes one week after the New York State Supreme Court ruled that state's ban on same-sex marriage violated the state constitution [JURIST coverage]. CNSNews.com has more.