Judge sets January trial for Prop. 8 lawsuit

[Kadie]

Judge sets January trial for Prop. 8 lawsuit

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

(08-19) 14:10 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge has scheduled a trial for Jan. 11 on the constitutionality of California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage - the first trial on that issue in any U.S. court - and allowed the city of San Francisco to join the case against the ballot measure.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's decision Wednesday to hold a trial on whether Proposition 8 violates gays' and lesbians' rights to equality under the law was a tactical victory for opponents of the November 2008 initiative, who say experts and other witnesses can help them show that Prop. 8 was rooted in anti-gay bias.

Sponsors of the ballot measure had opposed a trial, saying legal precedents and studies about parents and children can easily demonstrate that voters had reasonable grounds to add a traditional definition of marriage to the state Constitution.

But their lawyer, Charles Cooper, did not argue against a trial at Wednesday's hearing in San Francisco and said only that he would try to narrow its scope.

Read more:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/19/BA7T19AQ10.DTL&tsp=1

[stopbush]

1. Here's hoping the good guys win this one and that anti-gay laws,

ordinances, etc are stricken down across the country.

[WillyT]

2. K & R !!!

:kick: