Cory Booker Officiates Same-Sex Marriages At Newark City Hall

Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) opened City Hall at 12:01 a.m. on Monday to officiate some of New Jersey's first same-sex marriages.

Booker was elected to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate in a special election last Wednesday. He will succeed the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D).

On Friday, the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that would recognize gay nuptials in the state beginning Oct. 21, a start date Gov. Chris Christie (R) had hoped to delay.

"The state has advanced a number of arguments, but none of them overcome this reality: Same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today," Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said in the court opinion. "The harm to them is real, not abstract or speculative."

Christie, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, has a pending appeal. However, according to The Associated Press, the justices said they would not hold up marriages while they consider it.