article_snippet.sent: Washington (CNN)Supreme Court justices appeared divided Tuesday during historic arguments over the constitutionality of gay marriage, with Justice Anthony Kennedy returning to a familiar role as the court's pivotal vote.
article_snippet.sent: How a Cincinnati judge could shape the gay marriage case .
article_snippet.sent: Many questions on Tuesday centered around the definition of marriage and whether the decision to authorize or ban gay marriage should be left to voters in individual states or decided by the judicial system.
article_snippet.sent: Chief Justice John Roberts was also concerned with the traditional definition of marriage.
article_snippet.sent: Scalia said that the issue is not whether there should be same-sex marriage, "but who should decide the point.
article_snippet.sent: Chief Justice John Roberts brought up how long marriage has been considered between a man and a woman and cast doubt that such a definition was meant to demean same-sex couples.
article_snippet.sent: U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, who represented the Obama administration's views, also presented arguments in favor of same-sex marriage, focusing on equal protection under the 14th amendment and likening bans on same-sex marriage to handing second-class status to gay Americans.
highlights_snippet.sent: Questions Tuesday centered on whether defining marriage should be left to voters in individual states or decided by  judicial system .
  