By Lisa Keen on February 2, 2012
Most gay legal activists issued a subtle yawn in reaction to the 22-page decision Thursday by a federal appeals panel to keep the Proposition 8 trial videotapes under seal.
Posted in Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships
By Lisa Keen on September 19, 2011
On the same day a Broadway play is to premiere to highlight the transcripts from the landmark Proposition 8 trial, a federal judge has ordered release of videotapes of the trial.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. District Courts
By Lisa Keen on September 6, 2011
Proponents of Proposition 8 argued Tuesday that Yes on 8 must be granted standing to defend the California same-sex marriage ban in federal court; opponents argued Yes on 8 must be denied standing.
Posted in Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, State Courts
By Lisa Keen on August 25, 2011
Even before the August 29 hearing takes place on whether to release to the public videotapes of the landmark trial challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban–Proposition 8–there has already been decision to prohibit the recording of the hearing on whether to release the trial videotapes.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 14, 2011
As expected, a federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday refused to vacate last year’s landmark ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 13, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO – It now seems unlikely that a federal judge will vacate a landmark decision in which a gay judge ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 11, 2011
Famed attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies will not be in a San Francisco courtroom Monday when attorneys in the landmark Proposition 8 case square off once again.
This time, the fight is over a motion to vacate the ruling August 2010 by federal district court Judge Vaughn Walker, and over whether Walker must leave videotapes of the trial sequestered permanently with the court.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on May 10, 2011
Former U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker recently told a small group of reporters that it would be a “very slippery slope” to say that a judge’s “sexuality” should prevent him or her from handling a case such as the trial against Proposition 8. Many legal activists—gay and straight—agree. In fact, the lead attorney for the Yes on 8 coalition that is defending California’s ban on same-sex couples marrying agrees.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on April 26, 2011
Proponents of Proposition 8 filed a motion Monday, April 25, in federal district court, seeking to vacate the August 2010 ruling by Judge Vaughn Walker that the initiative is unconstitutional, citing Walker’s recent disclosure that he is gay.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on April 18, 2011
The court battle over Proposition 8 has escalated yet another step—now over a First Amendment issue.
Two days after attorneys for proponents of California’s ban on same-sex marriage filed a motion seeking to have a videotape of the landmark Proposition 8 trial sequestered from public availability, attorneys for same-sex couples challenging the ban filed a motion seeking the tape’s “immediate release.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on April 17, 2011
Proponents of California’s Proposition 8 alleged in a court brief Wednesday, April 13, that former U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker “defied” a U.S. Supreme Court decision in February when he showed a college audience a video clip from the 2010 landmark trial, Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on April 6, 2011
U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker, who last August declared California’s same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, acknowledged to a small group of reporters Wednesday, April 6, that he is gay.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on April 4, 2011
Proponents of Proposition 8 are trying to subvert the California constitution for a second time, argues the legal team of Ted Olson and David Boies, in a brief filed Monday with the California Supreme Court.
The brief is in preparation for oral arguments in September on the question of whether there is any authority in California law to give Yes on 8 officials standing to represent voters in a federal court case which elected state officials chose not to appeal.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on March 23, 2011
The U.S. Court of Appeals panel hearing the Proposition 8 case on Wednesday denied a request by plaintiffs to lift the stay on the lower court’s ruling in their favor.
Had the three-judge panel granted the request, same-sex couples in California would have been able to obtain marriage licenses immediately. In refsing to lift the stay, the panel ensures that same-sex couples will not be able to obtain marriage licenses in California for at least another year or two.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 23, 2011
Ted Olson, lead attorney for the lawsuit challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban, announced Wednesday that he is asking the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to lift a stay on a district court ruling that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 16, 2011
The road to marriage equality in California just got a little longer. The California Supreme Court said today it would make ruling on whether Yes on 8 proponents have authority, under California law, to appeal a federal court ruling that the initiative is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, State Courts, State Supreme Courts, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on January 4, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel surprised many Proposition 8 observers Tuesday when it suddenly issued five documents relating to the case. But there was no decision Tuesday in Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on January 4, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel surprised many Proposition 8 observers Tuesday when it suddenly issued five documents relating to the case.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on December 31, 2010
If past is prologue, 2011 should turn out to be a fairly decent one for the LGBT community. It’s not that everything turned out so rosy for the community in 2010, but the gains registered more powerfully than the losses.
Posted in Politics
Children with LGB parents: youthful perspectives on marriage
GOP gays and Florida back Romney
New HUD rule called ‘truly historic’
Religious bias cases at high court