Mayor to stand trial for same-sex weddings

ALBANY, N.Y., May 28 (UPI) -- A New York state mayor who married 19 same-sex couples last year will face charges of violating domestic relations laws, Newsday reported Saturday.

New York's highest court ruled Friday the case of New Paltz Village Mayor Jason West will have to make its way through county and possibly lower state courts before it can be reviewed as a constitutional benchmark in the gay marriage debate, Newsday reported.

West, who conducted the marriages in an effort to champion gay and lesbian rights, would face fines and a year in jail if convicted of conducting marriages without a license.

The gay wedding ceremonies last year, coupled with similar marriages by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, generated a national debate concerning the moral and legal propriety of wedlock between same-gender couples.