Division of the Supreme Court, Third Judicial Department. February 16, 2006: The Appellate Division affirms the trial court in a 5–0 decision that consolidated all three cases (Samuels, Seymour, and Kane; see below) on appeal in its jurisdiction. May 31, 2006: Oral arguments are heard by the New York State Court of Appeals. July 6, 2006: The Court of Appeals issues a 4–2 decision upholding New York's existing marriage statutes and declining to judicially mandate the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. The Court's ruling states that same-sex partners do not have the right to marry each other under the New York Constitution. Seymour case June 2, 2004: Twenty-five same-sex couples, backed by the city of Ithaca, file suit to have the Domestic Relations Law include same-sex marriage. If the law is determined not to apply to same-sex couples, the suit challenges the prohibition on a constitutional basis. February 23, 2005: Tompkins County Supreme Court Judge Robert C. Mulvey issues an opinion in Seymour v. Holcomb rejecting Ithaca's standing to sue, the statutory claim, and the constitutional claims based on equal protection, due process, and free expression. October 17, 2005: Oral arguments are heard by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Third Judicial Department. February 16, 2006: The Appellate Division affirms the trial court in a 5–0 decision that consolidated all three cases (Samuels, Seymour, and Kane) on appeal in its jurisdiction. May 31, 2006: Oral arguments are heard by the New York State Court of Appeals. July 6, 2006: The Court of Appeals issues a 4–2 decision upholding New York's existing marriage statutes and declining to judicially mandate the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. The Court's ruling states that same-sex partners do not have the right to marry each other under the New York Constitution. Kane case June 16, 2004: Two same-sex couples file suit to obtain marriage licenses that would make official their marriage ceremonies from three months earlier. The ceremonies were held by a Unitarian Universalist minister on March 27, 2004. January 31, 2005: Albany County Supreme Court Judge E. Michael Kavanagh issues an opinion in Kane v. Marsolais rejecting both statutory and constitutional claims. The opinion also rejected the notion that their marriages were valid because of a section of the Domestic Relations Law that recognized marriages solemnized by ceremonies even if the couple failed to obtain a license. This section of