The Supreme Court could hear arguments in both cases as early as March. The justices could make a decision by June.

Jeffrey Prang is mayor of the city of West Hollywood, California. He supports gay marriage. He says there is no way to know what the court will decide. It could keep DOMA and say same-sex couples do not have a constitutional right to marry. Or, it could stop DOMA and legalize same-sex marriage across the nation.

“There are lots of good things that could come out of this decision, and lots of very bad things could come out of this decision.”

Opponents of same-sex marriage say they expect the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutional ban approved by California voters. That is because of the way the United States Constitution divides powers between the federal government and the states. Randy Thomasson is part of a group called SaveCalifornia.com.

“The Constitution of the United States does not have marriage in it. And the tenth amendment says what is not in the federal powers belongs to the states.”

Opinion surveys show that a little more than half of Americans support same-sex marriage rights. Elizabeth Wydra at the Constitutional Accountability Center, a private group, says the Supreme Court is aware of how Americans feel about gay marriage.

“The justices are human beings, so they are not completely immune to public opinion. I think the real question for them is going to be, do they want to be on the wrong side of history?”