Judge grants permission for NJ's 1st gay divorce

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - February 6, 2009 The wider implications of Friday's ruling aren't immediately clear. But state Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson says New Jersey has a long history of recognizing marriages that are valid where they were performed.

New Jersey doesn't let gays marry but does allow civil unions, which extend the benefits of marriage to gay couples.

La Kia (lah-KEE'-ah) and Kinyati (KIN'-yah-tee) Hammond were married in Canada in March 2004 and lived in Maryland. La Kia Hammond says she needs a divorce recognized in Canada so she can marry another woman there.

The state has not said whether it will seek an appeal.

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