Prop. 8 Decision Coming Tuesday

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will rule Tuesday on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, possibly bringing the case challenging California's public vote on marriage equality one step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision will likely come Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific time, concerning the constitutionality of Prop. 8, as challenged in Perry v. Brown. The Perry case has been tied up in peripheral legal challenges, including whether supporters of the ballot measure have standing to defend it and whether recordings of the trial can be released. A Ninth Circuit three-judge panel ruled against the latter last week, though local court rules mandate documents filed under seal to be released 10 years after a case is closed.

Chad Griffin of American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organization behind the case, said in a statement, "At the end of the day, it's wrong for the government to tell someone they can't marry the person they love. Couples like our plaintiffs, Kris & Sandy and Jeff & Paul, simply want what other Americans want: to be treated with fairness and dignity."