Gay marriage supporters and anyone with an ounce of common sense and normal human decency are expecting another major turning point in the fight to overturn Proposition 8 tomorrow morning. The decision on whether or not California's ban on same-sex marriages is legal under the U.S. Constitution will be made around 10 a.m. tomorrow morning when the Ninth Circuit Court is scheduled to release their decision. During earlier oral arguments, the LA Times reports, the three-judge panel "appeared to be leaning toward" siding with Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 decision ruling Prop 8 unconstitutional. more ›

So, yeah. Prop 8. It's still being kicked back and forth around the courts like a bullied gay child on an unfriendly playground, and today it goes back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after several procedural questions were settled by lower courts this year. Onetime SFister Matt Baume, now vlogging for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, brings us this handy primer (with visual aids!) on where the case has been and where it's headed. Yes, it will likely be punted to the Supreme Court at some point, but when is the big question — and will SCOTUS even care to hear it? more ›

This week, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco re-opened a case that began in 2003 when Chinese emigre Lei Li was denied asylum by a Los Angeles immigration judge. Li, claiming he was persecuted and beaten for starting an underground Christian church in China back in 2001, had his credibility called in to question because he testified in his original hearing that Thanksgiving was a Christian holiday. more ›

After a federal judge blocked "a key provision of a new city program providing basic health care to uninsured residents, City Attorney Dennis Herrera is scheduled to petition the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today for an emergency stay pending appeal to help SF maintain the "Healthy San Francisco" program. The program, which would help uninsured San Franciscans receive health care, was scheduled to begin on January 2, 2008. According to CBS 5: more ›

-SF Board of Supervisors Committee approves plan for more foot patrols in troubled areas. -Daly and Newsom go at it again over anti-violence measures. more ›

-The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that an East Contra Costa County school can teach Islam by having the students pretend to be Muslim for three weeks. As part of a history course at Excelsior School for seventh graders, a teacher had students role-play being Muslim to help learn Islam. So the kids adopted Muslim names, read religious poetry, gave up something to simulate Ramadan, and stoned girls for not wearing burkas (kidding!). This got the school system sued by a couple of parents who thought that by "teaching" kids Islam, they were in fact "indoctrinating" them and thus violating their constitutional rights. The court, however, ruled that the school was only doing it for educational purposes and not trying to convert them. That's what science class is for. more ›

Medical marijuana finds its way back to the Supreme Court. Man, you just can't kill that weed! more ›