At the hearing I posted about earlier today, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker set a January 11 trial date for a federal challenge to Proposition 8 brought by Ted Olson, David Boies, and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. The Alliance Defense Fund, which is defending Prop 8, had argued Friday
that the case could be quickly decided without a trial. Boies and Olson
wanted a trial before a judge without a trial before the end of the
year.
Walker also denied a coalition of gay groups (Our Family Coalition; Lavender Seniors of the East Bay; and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)) the request to stand by Olson and Boies at that trial. Walker also disallowed the conservative Campaign for California Families to join the Alliance Defense Fund in the defense of Prop 8. Olson and Boies requested last week that the gay groups not be allowed
to join the case, saying their participation "would needlessly delay
the case's resolution," according to the Washington Post.
Lambda Legal and the ACLU, who were representing the coalition of gay groups, released a statement: "On behalf of our clients, we are disappointed that the court did not
permit organizations that represent California's diverse lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community to participate in the case
as the Court weighs the harms inflicted by Proposition 8. The
significance of this case for our entire community is enormous. To
exclude the people whose very freedom is at stake is troubling.
Our commitment to restoring marriage for all Californians is
unwavering, and we will continue to do everything within our power to
secure full equality and justice for LGBT people."
According to the SF Chronicle, the city of San Francisco, which had requested to join the case as well, will be allowed to participate, "but only to assess Proposition 8's impact on local government."
The Mercury News reports: 
"Walker ordered the parties
to start taking depositions and sharing information in the discovery
process immediately, with expert witnesses to be designated by Oct. 2
and discovery to conclude Nov. 30. A pretrial conference will be held
Dec. 16, rebuttal expert witnesses must be designated by Dec. 31 and
trial is set for Jan. 11; meanwhile, he'll hold an Oct. 14 hearing on
Proposition 8 proponents' motion to dispose of certain issues by
summary judgment before the rest of the case is tried. Walker indicated this timeline would balance the need for speed, so
Californians aren't left hanging with the issue unresolved, with the
need for developing a solid record for the assured appeals, perhaps all
the way to the U.S. Supreme Court."
