— A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a bid by Proposition 8
supporters to block the broadcast of the upcoming trial involving a
challenge to
In a one-paragraph order, the
Lawyers for the Proposition 8 campaign had argued that Chief U.S. District Judge
The Proposition 8 backers did not ask for a delay in
the trial. But the Proposition 8 legal team filed an emergency petition
with the 9th Circuit, asking the appellate court to intervene and block
the broadcast until their arguments can be addressed. The petition
contends that Walker’s decision to broadcast the trial on
Attorneys defending the law have opposed any
broadcast of the trial, saying that it exposes the Proposition 8
campaign’s witnesses to threats and intimidation from same-sex marriage
supporters. In fact, one prominent proposition sponsor and same-sex
marriage foe,
Walker rejected the campaign’s arguments against
cameras earlier this week, authorizing delayed video of the trial to be
posted through
The judge broke new ground, making use of a pilot program put in place in December by the 9th
The program permits trial judges to allow cameras in civil, nonjury
trials, breaking with federal court tradition generally banning the
video of federal court cases.
Plaintiffs lawyers have supported the broadcast of
the trial, the first such proceeding in the nation in the battle over
the legality of same-sex marriage.
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