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How Did Prop. 8 Get to the Supreme Court? Tracking the Winding Path of Justice

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On March 26, the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban. Since voters approved the measure in 2008, there has been a dizzying string of state and federal court cases and appeals (and that, of course, doesn't include the many years of political wrangling over the issue before Prop. 8 passed). Now the decision is in the hands of the High Court's nine justices. But how did it go all the way from a California ballot measure to a Supreme Court case that could have a huge national impact? This presentation walks you through the many steps of the multi-tiered justice system that Prop. 8 had to pass through on its way to the highest court in the land.

Beneath the presentation is a diagram by the NY Times illustrating the various outcomes of the case.

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