Prop. 8 trial could be televised

[Kadie]

Policy shift could put Prop. 8 suit on TV
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, December 17, 2009


(12-17) 16:40 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Television cameras will be allowed for the first time in federal trials, under an experimental program approved by a San Francisco-based appeals court Thursday that could lead to TV coverage of a lawsuit challenging California's same-sex marriage ban.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, presiding over the case on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, has said he may approve TV coverage of the trial, scheduled to start Jan. 11 in San Francisco.

On Thursday, the Judicial Council of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it would allow experimental use of cameras throughout the nine-state circuit.

Appeals court Chief Judge Alex Kozinski said the idea was to improve "public understanding of our judicial processes and (enhance) confidence in the rule of law."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/17/MNKM1B623E.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0ZzxI0BSI