On the same day that activists and supporters rallied together for homeless rights at the Safe Ground Jubilee, attorneys for the city of Sacramento were busy filing a motion to appeal a Federal Court decision in a contentious homeless class action lawsuit. “Our rationale for appeal is based primarily on procedural and evidentiary rulings that came up in the trial,” Brett Witter, supervising deputy city attorney for Sacramento said Thursday. The motion for appeal was filed Sept. 14 in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by attorney Chance Trimm, on behalf of the city. According to court documents, the city is appealing a May 24 Federal Court decision that found the city liable on two of s

The judicial clock is ticking down towards Judge Vaughn Walker’s Wednesday, August 18th, 5:00pm lift of the stay in the Federal Prop 8 Trial. In the event that the temporary stay is lifted and once again, same-sex couples are allowed to apply for a marriage license, the leadership of Equality Action Now and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center will host Wedding Ceremonies on the West Steps of the California State Capitol Building beginning as soon as the first couples arrive from the Sacramento County Clerks Office. Same-sex couples and their supporters all across the state have been on an emotional roller coaster; first in anticipation of the initial ruling in the case then jubilation w

Following a five-month hiatus, intriguing closing argument to the Federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8 were heard in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16, and a decision in the case is expected shortly. The leadership of Sacramento’s Equality Action Now, a local, grassroots civil rights organization and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center are planning to respond to whatever ruling Judge Vaughn Walker decides in the case with a rally at the Sacramento G&L Center, 1927 L St. As of this writing there are no indications when the ruling will take place. Organizers are preparing for any day or time it could be announced. There were rumours flying yesterday that t

 A Sacramento couple is in jail Wednesday night on charges related to allegedly hiding an explosive device outside the downtown federal courthouse last weekend. The FBI on Wednesday arrested Matthew Fraticelli, 30, and Stephanie Ann Shinn, 35, of South Sacramento on charges of attempted arson of a federal facility and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Wednesday afternoon, the two had an initial appearance in federal court at the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse at 501 I St. -- the same building where the device was found. Fraticelli was convicted about two years ago in the state court system for possession of a destructive device, said the FBI’s Sacramento Division Sp