A conservative group's last legal chance to stop gay marriages before the November election appears to have failed.
The Liberty Council had asked a state appeals court to block the same-sex weddings until voters could decide the issue on the November ballot.
The three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal refused the request in a brief ruling issued Tuesday, as gay marriages began in full swing around the state.
The appeals court, which had earlier banned gay marriages on a 2-1 vote, said the state Supreme Court made it clear in its May 15 decision that the weddings should be allowed. The Supreme Court overturned the appeals court's earlier decision.
The Virginia-based Liberty Council had filed the request on behalf of the Campaign for California Families on June 12.
