First Briefs in
Prop. 8 Court Battle to Be Filed Today

The first briefs in the legal battle over Proposition 8 are set to be filed in the California supreme court on Friday. Both the state's attorney general, Jerry Brown, and the Protect Marriage Coalition are expected to deliver their written opinions today, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Brown opposed Prop. 8, which amended California's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but must defend the state's laws as enacted. However, he's said that the estimated 18,000 couples who married before the ballot measure passed should remain legally wed, the paper reports. Protect Marriage, which shepherded Prop. 8 onto the ballot and to victory, is expected to argue for invalidating those marriages.

After Prop. 8 passed on Election Day, several parties filed suit to overturn the measure, claiming it was not in fact an amendment but a full-scale revision of the state's constitution. The latter requires legislative passage before voters can weigh in. (Advocate.com)