A federal appeals court refused Thursday to release videotapes of the trial challenging the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban. Siding with backers of the ban, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision of a district court judge to release the tapes, citing promises made to litigants by United States District Judge Vaughn Walker that the tapes would stay sealed. After the 2010 trial, which was open to the public and followed closely by news media, Judge Walker struck down the ban as unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit Court has yet to rule on that decision.