CA: Supreme Court Sides With Anti Gay Forces Again, Temporarily Blocks Video of Prop 8 Trial

The camera-shy justices of the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a halt Monday to the planned video coverage of the San Francisco trial of California's Proposition 8, apparently concerned witnesses opposed to gay marriage could face harassment if they were shown on YouTube. It was the second time in three months the high court had intervened on behalf of defenders of “traditional marriage.” In October, the court issued an emergency order to prevent Washington state officials from putting online the names of 138,000 citizens who signed ballot petitions seeking to overturn a law giving gays and lesbians equal benefits. While the justices did not explain their action Monday, the high court's order may also reflect a deep-seated reluctance to permit TV coverage of a trial in federal court. The televised trial of the O.J. Simpson murder case in Los Angeles is still cited among the justices when the topic of cameras in the court arises. The federal judiciary had a policy of barring broadcast coverage of all trial courts. But last month, the independent-minded U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals announced it would experiment with a “limited use” of cameras in its trial courts. For several years, the 9th Circuit has permitted TV coverage when it hears some high-profile appeals. Full Story from MyDesert.com: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100112/NEWS01/1120308/1006/news01

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