On Thursday, the plaintiffs in the Prop 8 trial in California continued to present their case. The day began with Stanford University political-science Professor Gary Segura being cross-examined by the defense. Segura said that gays and lesbians are under constant attack from religious groups and therefore deserve greater constitutional protection.
In the afternoon, the plaintiffs called one of the defendants, William Tam, as a hostile witness. They are trying to prove that Tam brought the case out of hatred. The Supreme Court has ruled that animus is not a just reason for passing a law. Plaintiff’s attorney David Boies tripped up Tam many times during the afternoon. He pounded him on the statement that gays are 12 times more likely to molest children. He pressed for a citation and Tam could provide none. Tam argued that San Francisco was run by homosexuals. Boies asked him if the mayor of San Francisco was gay. Tam admitted he was not. He entered e-mails Tam sent that said California would fall into the hands of Satan if same-sex marriage were legal.
The defense tried to distance itself and the Prop 8 campaign from Tam. They asked if any of his statements were cleared by the campaign and he admitted they had not been.
The plaintiff’s case ends today with testimony from a University of California-Davis professor who will testify on the nature of homosexuality.
