San Francisco ? A judge said Tuesday that San Francisco appeared to be violating the law by issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, but he declined to order an immediate halt to the weddings.

A conservative group had asked Judge James Warren to immediately stop the weddings and void the 2,464 same-sex marriages performed in the city since Thursday.

Instead, Warren issued a nonbinding cease-and-desist order and told the city to return March 29 and explain its legal position.

Mayor Gavin Newsom said through a spokeswoman that the city would keep performing the marriages despite the court order.

“We will continue to issue marriage licenses until the court rules we can no longer do so,” spokeswoman Darlene Chiu said shortly after the ruling.