Prop. 8 Proponents Desperately Trying to Hide Trial Tapes from Public
Channel: American Foundation for Equal Rights
Date: 2011-08-29

Today, Plaintiffs in Perry v. Brown -- the case to overturn the ban on marriage for gay and lesbian Californians -- urged Chief Judge James Ware to unseal the video recordings of the Proposition 8 trial, citing the strong presumption of public access to judicial records and the lack of any basis to keep the video secret. Prop. 8 was ruled unconstitutional in August 2010.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) is the sole sponsor of the Perry lawsuit.

During the Prop. 8 trial, then-Chief Judge Vaughn Walker allowed the entire trial proceedings to be videotaped. Because the trial tapes are now part of the District Court record and record on appeal, Plaintiffs contend that the First Amendment and the common law establish a strong presumption that these judicial records are open to the public.  Moreover, Prop. 8 Proponents have offered no legitimate reason or factual evidence to keep the entire video recording of the trial secret.