SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The backers of California's same-sex
marriage ban have petitioned a federal appeals court in San
Francisco to review a split decision by three of its judges that
struck down the voter-approved law known as Proposition 8.

Lawyers for the religious and legal groups that qualified the
ban for the 2008 ballot had faced a Tuesday deadline for asking the
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear the 2-1 decision made
two weeks ago.

The ruling declared Proposition 8 to be a violation of the civil
rights of gay and lesbian Californians.

Andy Pugno, legal counsel for the Protect Marriage Coalition,
says the backers appealed to a bigger 9th Circuit panel instead of
going directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The move means same-sex marriages will remain on hold at least
until the 9th Circuit decides to accept or reject the rehearing
petition.