Gay Marriage Foes Balk At Televised Trial

Supporters of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, have denounced a federal judge's suggestion that he may allow TV coverage of a lawsuit challenging the law. In a filing with U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who will preside over the case on the law's constitutionality, Proposition 8 sponsors said that TV coverage of the trial, which is scheduled to begin on January 11, could expose witnesses to harassment and intimidation and that some have already "indicated that they would not be willing to testify" if the trial is televised. While local and state courts routinely allow trial coverage, federal courts have had a long-standing policy against doing so -- a policy likely to be overturned following last September's approval of a pilot program to televise nonjury civil trials by the federal appeals court in San Francisco. Plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case said in their own filing on Tuesday that they support TV coverage of the trial, citing "the overwhelming national public interest in the issues." A media coalition, including all of the broadcast networks, are seeking permission to bring TV cameras into the courtroom, with cable channel In Session (formerly Court TV) asking permission to provide gavel-to-gavel coverage.

30/12/2009