In January 2010, in advance of the historic trial to determine the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the proceeding. The San Francisco federal judge overseeing the trial, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, had obtained permission from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to have video of the trial streamed live over the Internet.
Gay marriage opponents filed an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court, arguing that the broadcast would create a media frenzy and intimidate expert witnesses testifying in favor of California’s ban. The high court ducked that question but barred the broadcast on narrow procedural grounds.
Judge Walker nevertheless had the trial videotaped. He told lawyers on both sides that he’d use the tape in his chambers to help him decide the case. As the trial concluded in May 2010, the judge also said the two sides could use video in closing arguments. He provided copies of the videotape to the parties under a protective order.
Full Story from Thomson Reuters
Click here for gay wedding resources in California.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook. We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
they need to fuck’n get Prop 8 over with and strike it down for good….this is wasting tax payers money and time