City Attorney Herrera will join City’s witness in U.S. District Court trial in the Media Center, Federal Building’s First Floor, around noon
SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 19, 2010) — San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and his daughter, Lisa Sanders, will join City Attorney Dennis Herrera to make brief statements and take questions from members of the news media following the mayor’s testimony today in the federal trial over the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the controversial measure that eliminated marriage rights for same-sex partners in California. The American Foundation for Equal Rights launched the case, entitled Perry v. Schwarzenegger, enlisting Theodore Olson and David Boies to lead the litigation. San Francisco later intervened to address Prop 8’s negative impacts on local governments.
Herrera will conduct the direct examination of Mayor Sanders, whom the City has called as a witness in the case, during today’s court proceedings beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Republican mayor and former police chief had not previously supported same-sex marriage, but announced his change of heart at an emotional news conference in 2007 (see below), when he vowed to sign a San Diego City Council resolution backing San Francisco’s state constitutional challenge to discriminatory marriage statutes. Sanders acknowledged at the time that his lesbian daughter, Lisa, was a factor in his decision.
Today’s press availability will take place during the lunch recess, which is expected to begin at approximately 12:00 noon, in the Federal Bar Association Media Center on the 1st Floor of the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Federal court rules restrict access to only police-credentialed or courthouse-credentialed media. Court proceedings, however, are open to the public.
WHAT:
Press availability with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and his daughter, Lisa Sanders; City Attorney Dennis Herrera
WHEN:
TODAY, January 19, 2010, during lunch recess, expected at approximately 12:00 noon
WHERE:
Federal Bar Association Media Center
1st Floor, Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Turk Street entrance (between Polk and Larkin Streets)
San Francisco
ABOUT THE COURT PROCEEDINGS:
The trial is taking place in Courtroom 6, on the 17th Floor, with overflow access available in the Ceremonial Courtroom, on the 19th Floor. According to the federal court Web site, “[a]ll proceedings are open to members of the public and the media. Because seating is limited in this case, a portion of the seating in the main courtroom will be reserved for media representatives. Members of the public will be admitted on a first-come, first serve basis to occupy the remainder of the seats in the main courtroom. In addition, there will be audio/video feed to the court’s ceremonial courtroom, on the 19th floor of the Federal Building, which will serve as an overflow courtroom for those who cannot be accommodated in the main courtroom.”
Additional information on the case Perry et al v. Schwarzenegger et al (U.S. District Case Number 3:09-cv-02292) is available on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Web site at: httpss://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/09cv2292/