The California Supreme Court said Wednesday that it scheduled a March 4 hearing on the legality of same-sex marriages, assuring that a ruling will be issued by June.

The plaintiffs are the city of San Francisco, the state’s leading gay advocacy group, and several same-sex couples who have not been allowed to marry.

The battle over same-sex marriage first unfolded four years ago when Mayor Gavin Newsom temporarily issued marriage licenses to gay couples. Nearly 4,000 marriages were performed back then. The marriages were nullified in August 2004 when the court ruled that Newsom had no authority to disregard the marriage law.

In April 2005, San Francisco’s Superior Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriages but the court of appeal overturned the decision in a 2-1 ruling. The California Supreme Court unanimously granted review in December 2006. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed Assembly Bill 43, which would have allowed same-sex marriages in California, but he preferred to leave the decision up to the Supreme Court, according to his veto message in October.

Supporting marriage rights for gays and lesbians include the governments of 20 California cities and counties, The NAACP and other civil rights groups, associations of psychologists and anthropologists, companies such as Levi Strauss and the san Francisco Chamber of commerce, the San Francisco Chronicle, reported.

Other supporters for gay marriages included the Mormon Church and the California Catholic Conference.

This kind of support “shows the depth and breadth of a belief in the importance of marriage equality,” San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, whose office will take part in the arguments, said, according to the Chronicle.

The Unitarians and other liberal denominations are against same-sex marriages.

Attorney Matthew Staver of Liberty Counsel, representing the Campaign for California Families, will hold the argument against gay marriages. A gay union is a factor that “will destroy the unique institution that provides a stable cultural environment for children and their families,” he said.

The court will begin the hearing at 9 a.m. at 350 McAllister St. The session will also be televised live on the California Channel.