NEW YORK, NY October 25, 2006 —Today's ruling by The New Jersey Supreme court which says same sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, leaves a landmark ruling in the legacy of the outgoing chief justice.

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah Poritz, the first woman to head the court, must retire because she reaches the mandatory age of 70 tomorrow. In its ruling, the high court stopped short of fully approving gay marriage and is giving state lawmakers 180 days to rewrite marriage laws.

But Chief Justice Poritz, filed a separate dissenting opinion from the majority saying same sex couples have a fundamental right to participate in state-sanctioned civil marriage. Poritz, a republican appointed by then Governor Christie Whitman in 1996, passes the issue on what you call marriage in New Jersey to lawmakers.

They could decide what Vermont did and create civil unions or go as far as Massachusetts which recognizes gay marriage for in state residents only.