Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Approves C-SPAN Request to Televise Proposition 8 Hearing

Ted Soqui

Gay marriage supporters at a West Hollywood rally in August.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals approved a request by C-SPAN to televise a Proposition 8 hearing on December 6. Two cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, which will also serve as a pool feed for other media organizations.

In August, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker found Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California, to be unconstitutional. Pro-Prop. 8 forces, which successfully fought to keep cameras out of the courtroom for the initial trial, are appealing Walker's ruling.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court barred TV cameras in Walker's courtroom in San Francisco, overturning the judge's approval of such media coverage and citing the safety of trial witnesses.

It's unclear if the U.S. Supreme Court can or will intervene again, but this time only lawyers will be appearing in the courtroom.

As of now, C-SPAN is allowed to do a live broadcast of the hearing, which will take place on Monday, December 6 at 10 a.m.

Chad Griffin, board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a group based in Los Angeles that organized and funded the lawsuit to overturn Proposition 8, said in a statement:

"For too long the truth about marriage equality has been obscured by misleading political rhetoric. Our case is rooted in the principles of equality upon which our nation was founded and the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law for every American, without exception. That case has already been proven conclusively in federal court, and now millions of Americans will be able to hear the truth about this issue first-hand."

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.