article_snippet.sent: His opinion, issued in November, goes up against an avalanche of judicial rulings striking down such bans.
article_snippet.sent: The split helped pave the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case on Tuesday that could ultimately decide whether gay and lesbian couples nationwide have a constitutional right to marry.
article_snippet.sent: And it provides important insight into the legal arguments that could be made before the U.S. Supreme Court by states seeking to uphold bans at a time when the national sentiment is quickly shifting in favor of same-sex marriage.
article_snippet.sent: Critics call the opinion an outlier and don't believe the opinion will carry much weight, considering the number of courts that have overturned same-sex marriage bans in the nearly two years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the core of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
article_snippet.sent: Here are the central arguments from Scalia opinion that states seeking to uphold their same-sex marriage bans are expected to echo on Tuesday.
highlights_snippet.sent: Avalanche of appellate rulings have struck down state bans on same-sex marriage .
  