PROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge on Tuesday denied a request for a temporary restraining order that sought to prevent same-sex marriages from becoming legal on August 1.
Judge Daniel Procaccini denied the request by Ronald L'Heureux, cofounder of a faith-based group that opposed this year's passage of same-sex marriage, saying L'Heureux had fallen "far short" of the criteria needed to obtain a temporary restraining order, said courts spokesman Craig Berke.
Instead, Procaccini scheduled a preliminary hearing for August 9.
L'Heureux argues in his complaint that legalizing same-sex marriage will violate religious freedoms guaranteed by the state Constitution, forcing people to accept, in public spheres such as schools, a practice that they oppose based on their faith.
Ray Sullivan, who led the effort to legalize same-sex marriage, said "the judge's decision came as little surprise."