A federal appeals court will issue its long-awaited decision Tuesday on the constitutionality of a 2008 ballot initiative in California banning same-sex marriages in the state.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue its decision on Proposition 8, which just over 52 percent of California voters approved during the 2008 election.

The case, Perry v. Brown, has been closely monitored for its possible implications not just in California, but nationwide as well. A bipartisan pair of prominent attorneys, Theodore Olson and David Boies, have represented the opponents of Prop. 8, raising speculation that the case may eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If the U.S. Supreme Court were to hear the case, the decision could possibly have a wide-ranging impact on marriage law due to any precedent established in that case.

msnbc.com's Michael O'Brien contribued