Chief Justice's cousin 'excited,' can marry partner

(CNN) - Jean Podrasky, first cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts, said she had mixed feelings Wednesday about her relative's decisions on same-sex marriage cases at the Supreme Court.

"I have to say I am disappointed. I was completely stunned by the split rulings, but I'm sure this is just in keeping with his conservative beliefs," she said in an interview to air Wednesday night on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

Roberts sided with the minority in the 5-4 vote to throw out part of a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples, known as the Defense Against Marriage Act.

But Podrasky added she was pleased with Roberts' decision to side with the majority in a separate 5-4 ruling to dismiss the case on Proposition 8, a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California. State officials have interpreted the decision as allowing same-sex marriage to resume in the state within weeks.

"So, I want to take this still as a win," she said. "We did win on both, he did rule in our favor on Prop 8. I'm still very, very excited."

At the same time, the high court declined to make a sweeping statement on the broader issue of same-sex marriage rights nationwide, rejecting California's same-sex marriage ban but leaving intact laws banning such marriages in 35 other states.

Podrasky, who lives in San Francisco, wants to marry her partner of four years, Grace Fasano. Podrasky actively campaigned against Proposition 8 during its tumultuous ride through California courts.