Closing arguments for California's same-sex marriage trial began today in a federal courtroom in San Francisco. The 2 1/2 week trial began in January, but was delayed over procedural issues until now. The trial seeks to determine whether marriage is a fundamental constitutional right for all people and whether it is being illegally denied to gays and lesbians through the passage of Proposition 8.
The ballot measure Proposition 8 was passed by voters last fall in response to a decision by the California Supreme Court that said it was discriminatory to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. In the six months between the state Supreme Court's decision and the passage of Prop 8, 18,000 same-sex couples went from being domestic partners to legally married couples in California.
During the evidentiary hearing examining same-sex marriage, the proponents of Prop 8 only called two witnesses, to the plaintiff's 16. The proponents of Prop 8 say that their lack of witnesses was because many scheduled witnesses feared harassment and backed out. The plaintiffs, two same-sex couples, and their attorneys have said they feel confident about their presentation of their case at trial, and legal experts agree that they did well. A tougher audience in the U.S. Supreme Court, however, awaits them.
No matter what Chief District Judge Vaughn R. Walker decides in this case, both sides are poised to advance to San Francisco's 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. From there, the case will almost certainly move on to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Source:
Closing arguments begin in Calif. trial on same-sex marriage (The Washington Post)
