Man watches March '09 hearings on Prop. 8 in front of San Francisco City Hall (Photo: Matt Mills McKnight)

Critics of same-sex marriage have wondered if holding this trial in San Francisco wasn't a kind of "home-field advantage" for Prop. 8 opponents. Of course this trial is before a judge only, so there's no "liberal jurors" to deal with, no cheering crowds chanting for the "home team." Still, there are what political consultants call "atmospherics."  When plaintiffs' attorneys David Boies and Theodore Olson break for lunch in the courthouse cafeteria, they're besieged with well-wishers shaking their hands and thanking them for their help. By contrast, defense attorneys and Prop. 8-campaign guru Frank Schubert walk the halls without notice. Also, a group from the American Foundation for Equal Rights -- including two of the plaintiffs -- has rented a house near San Francisco's Panhandle for the trial's duration. When people in the neighborhood found out, they started to bring them home cooked meals.