Justice Roberts Has a Gay Cousin and She's Coming to Prop. 8 Trial

The first cousin of the chief justice will attend this week's hearings and says she thinks the high court will toss Prop. 8.

The lesbian cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts has the hottest ticket in D.C.: a seat at this week's Supreme Court hearing on California's marriage equality ban.

Jean Podrasky, the first cousin of Roberts, lives in San Francisco and tells the Los Angeles Times she hopes to marry her partner of four years. Podrasky is an avid gay rights supporter and campaigned against Prop. 8 before voters narrowly passed the constitutional amendment in November 2008.

Podrasky, along with her partner, sister, and niece will attend Tuesday's hearing on Prop. 8., sitting in seats reserved for Roberts's family (Podrasky and family members will also attend Wednesday's hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act). Podrasky obtained the tickets through Roberts's sister; Podrasky appears to be on very good terms with her cousins, who she is related to through Roberts's mother.

"[Justice Roberts] is a smart man," she told the Times. "He is a good man. I believe he sees where the tide is going. I do trust him. I absolutely trust that he will go in a good direction."

Appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, Roberts has long been seen as a conservative addition to the court. That changed last year when Roberts cast the deciding vote to uphold President Obama's landmark health care reform law.

Podrasky says she doesn't know how Roberts will vote on Prop. 8, but she believes the court as a whole will strike it down.