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Supporters of Proposition 8 brought their first witness to the stand today in a federal trial in San Francisco on the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage.
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is presiding over a trial on a lawsuit in which two same-sex couples are challenging California’s ban, enacted by voters as Proposition 8 in 2008.
Today is the 10th day of the trial in the case, which will be decided by Walker without a jury and is considered likely to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
The first witness for the sponsors of Proposition 8, associate government professor Kenneth Miller, of Claremont McKenna College, took the stand late morning.
He was due to testify about the political power of gays and lesbians.
The Proposition 8 sponsors plan to use Miller’s testimony to refute the same-sex couples’ argument that gay rights are entitled to the highest level of legal protection because homosexuals lack political clout.
Last week, political science professor Gary Segura testified on behalf of plaintiffs that gays and lesbians do not possess a “meaningful degree” of political power.
Testimony in the trial is scheduled to end Tuesday. Walker will hear closing arguments at a later date.
