Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced on Wednesday that he will not appeal a federal judge's ruling that struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, WCTI-TV reported.
The governor issued a statement after U.S. District Judge John E. Jones determined the idea of marriage as between one man and one woman to be unconstitutional. Corbett said that state lawmakers will "follow ... the provisions of Judge Jones' order with respect for all parties."
State Attorney General Kathleen Kane also said she would not defend the state's ban due to "the unconstitutionality of this law."
However, he reaffirmed his Catholic faith in the statement and said he still believes "that marriage is between one man and one woman" and his decision not to fight the ruling came after "a judgment as to the likelihood of a successful appeal."
"Given the high legal threshold set forth by Judge Jones in this case, the case is extremely unlikely to succeed on appeal," Corbett said. "Therefore, after review of the opinion and on the advice of my Commonwealth legal team, I have decided not appeal."
Both Corbett's and Kane's decision do not mean that other individuals or parties in Pennsylvania won't try appealing the decision.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) -- an anti-gay group -- criticized Corbett's decision "to defend himself and his political aspirations."
"Governor Corbett is abandoning marriage with this choice," Brown said on the NOM blog. "He is also turning his back on the people of Pennsylvania and selling out his principles precisely when it is most necessary that he stand by them!"
Aside from some opposition, many groups came out to support and applaud Corbett's decision including the American Unity Fund, a group dedicated to making a conservative case for "the cause of freedom for gay and lesbian Americans."
Jeff Cook-McCormac, a senior advisor with the organization, said the governor "did the right thing today, preventing a prolonged, divisive debate and providing much needed certainty for loving Pennsylvania families."
