The next step in California’s Prop. 8 trial begins today before 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Prop. 8 violates due process and equal protection rights of gays and lesbians under the U.S. Constitution. His decision was stayed; today begins the next step in the legal debate.
The hearing opened this morning with Prop. 8’s sponsors having to justify their legal right to challenge Judge Walker’s decision. Now both sides will argue the constitutionality of their cases before a three-judge panel. Both sides have also said if they lose, they will challenge the decision, which means the next stop for the same-sex marriage debate is the U.S. Supreme Court.
You can watch a live stream of the hearing below. (You may have to refresh the page to start the stream.)
You can also follow the trial on C-Span (or read a real-time transcript of the hearings at C-Span.com). Or you can watch the proceedings live from San Francisco’s NBC affiliate, Channel 4.
