Calif. Supreme Court Schedules Sept. Arguments in Prop. 8 Case

The California Supreme Court will hear arguments September 6 as to whether proponents of Proposition 8 have the legal standing to appeal Judge Vaughn Walker's decision striking down the ballot measure -- one he issued nearly a year ago.

In February the state's highest court certified a question from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where the case is currently on appeal, on whether under state law the backers of an initiative have "the authority to assert the State's interest" when public officials refuse to do so.

"I am confident that the California Supreme Court will swiftly reach a decision on this question, and that this nation is now one step closer to seeing the dark walls of discrimination finally crumble," said Chad Griffin, board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the group that has organized and funded the legal challenge to Prop. 8.


The Thursday press release via the foundation:


San Francisco, CA - Today the Supreme Court of California announced that the hearing date for Perry v. Brown will be on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 10:00AM. The date announced is the very first day of the court's fall calendar. The court will hear oral arguments on a question of whether under state law proponents of initiatives have standing to defend their initiatives when they are challenged in court. The question was certified to them by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit earlier this year.

In response to the court's scheduling order, Chad Griffin, American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) Co-Founder and Board President, had the following to say: "I am very pleased that the Supreme Court of California calendared our case for the first day of their fall session. The governor and attorney general of California -- and the United States District Court -- all have found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. I am confident that the California Supreme Court will swiftly reach a decision on this question, and that this nation is now one step closer to seeing the dark walls of discrimination finally crumble."

In a separate, but related matter -- the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will hear AFER's motion on August 29, 2011 requesting that the video recordings from our January 2010 trial be released to the public.