Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

California Governor Urged to Arrest Mayor of San Francisco
Agape Press ^ | 1/16/04 | Fred Jackson, Allie Martin, and Jody Brown

Posted on 02/16/2004 2:05:54 PM PST by truthandlife

A Christian law firm is calling for the arrest of the mayor of San Francisco in the wake of his decision last week that has resulted in hundreds of same-sex marriage licenses being issued. Despite the threat of that lawsuit, the City by the Bay continued throughout the weekend to grant licenses to homosexual couples who waited in long lines.

Steve Crampton, a spokesman for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy (CLP), calls Mayor Gavin Newsom's move "an arrogant stunt [that] proves the radical homosexual movement will trample the rights of all who stand in their way."

Newsom started handing out marriage licenses to homosexuals on Thursday in the midst of the debate on homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts. According to the mayor, California's law banning same-sex marriage amounts to discrimination -- and he is ready to go to court to make his point.

Crampton believes the mayor's action demonstrates that "even criminal law and the constitution of the State of California are no barrier to radical homosexuals attempting to force their agenda on the rest of the nation."

On Friday the CLP sent letters to the governor and attorney general of California and to the San Francisco city attorney, calling for Newsom's arrest and removal from office. Those letters state that it is "patently unlawful" in California to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples, citing the specific portion of the California Family Code being violated. But the CLP's letters do not stop there.

"Mayor Gavin not only acted in violation of the civil law, he apparently violated the criminal law as well," the letters state. "California Penal Code section 115 prohibits the knowing procurement of any false or forged instrument to be filed or recorded in any public office, making such an act a felony punishable by up to three (3) years in prison. Since Mayor Newsom has procured approximately 96 such false certificates as of yesterday [Thursday], he may face up to 288 years in prison."

The potential penalty has increased substantially since those letters were written. Associated Press reports that the city hall offices in San Francisco remained open over the weekend and experienced brisk business from homosexual couples. According to AP, more than 1,700 marriage licenses have now been issued -- and that the demand was so high that authorities had to turn away hundreds of waiting "couples" on Sunday, many of whom had rushed to the Golden State from around the country.

Many of those couples chose to go before city officials, exchange vows, and be declared "spouses for life." Among those were the mayor's chief of staff and policy director, both of whom married their long-time "partners" with Newsom himself officiating.

Pro-family activist Gary Bauer says Newsom's action has created "yet another constitutional crises with respect to marriage" -- a direct reference to events last week in Massachusetts. "But this time instead of activist judges rewriting the law, renegade municipal officials are flagrantly violating the law and ignoring the will of the people," he says. In March 2000, more than 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 22, the Defense of Marriage Act in that state.

Bauer says it remains to be seen what Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will do. "[Thursday's] actions by a radical sexual minority and their liberal sympathizers are direct assaults upon the rule of law and the institution of marriage," he says. "Will Governor Schwarzenegger act to impeach the mayor and county clerk? Will he issue executive orders rescinding the phony 'marriage' licenses?

"It's time to see just how tough Arnold really is," Bauer says.

No Court Hearing Till Tuesday Meanwhile, the president of Liberty Counsel describes Newsom's decision to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples as "a reprehensible abuse of power." Mat Staver's group has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco, claiming the mayor's actions are void and unconstitutional -- and ridiculous.

"This particular mayor [Newsom] has a radical homosexual agenda to push," Staver says. "Back in 1998, this same mayor issued a resolution that said that pro-family groups that say homosexuality is wrong or is a choice [constitutes] hate speech and ought to be prohibited. This [recent action] is simply ridiculous, and he's engaging in illegal acts that we intend to stop."

The lawsuit, filed by Liberty Counsel on behalf of the Campaign for California Families, was filed Friday morning in San Francisco Superior Court but, because of the Presidents' Day holiday, will not be heard until Tuesday morning. In contrast, the County Clerk's office remained open on Monday, staffed by employees volunteering their time, to accommodate the demand for same-sex marriage licenses.

Randy Thomasson, executive director of CCF, says the city's open defiance of state law and "trashing" of traditional marriage is getting the attention of people across the globe.

"Parents and grandparents are shocked at seeing these counterfeit marriages being paraded on TV," Thomasson says. He adds that his group is looking forward to the citizens of California having their day in court on Tuesday to protect marriage for a man and a women -- as they did when they passed Proposition 22 in 2000.

Across the nation in Charlotte, North Carolina, a black pastor from Detroit told the National Religious Broadcasters convention that most black and white churches agree that homosexual marriage is wrong. Glenn Plummer, who is also the NRB's chairman, says the organization want to help black and white Christians unite in bringing the nation "back in line" so that "one man and one woman are man and wife in a marriage."

Also speaking at the NRB convention, Christian broadcaster Warren Duffy told his colleagues that the hustle and bustle surrounding the issuance of marriage licenses for same-sex couples in San Francisco makes it seem like a "different country" -- one he jokingly calls "the people's union of soviet socialists of northern California."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; US: California
KEYWORDS: arrest; gavinnewsom; homosexual; homosexualagenda; homosexuality; lawbreakers; marriage; mayor; prisoners; samesexmarriage; sanfrancisco; sanfransisco; schwarzenegger; sf; stunt
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-172 next last

1 posted on 02/16/2004 2:05:54 PM PST by truthandlife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
Don't hold your breath.
2 posted on 02/16/2004 2:07:47 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Blood of Tyrants
Agreed, but wouldn't it be nice?
3 posted on 02/16/2004 2:12:24 PM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Write in Tancredo in 04'!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
I agree. Time for Arnold to do his job.
4 posted on 02/16/2004 2:12:45 PM PST by inquest (The only problem with partisanship is that it leads to bipartisanship)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
You can bet if the conservative Californians had stood by a real conservative ie., McLintock, this would be handled very quickly.
5 posted on 02/16/2004 2:14:14 PM PST by Integrityrocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
A small step in the right direction would be a statement condemning the illegal and immoral actions of the SF mayor. How about it Arnold?
6 posted on 02/16/2004 2:19:01 PM PST by claudiustg (Go Sharon! Go Bush!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: inquest; Integrityrocks; truthandlife; Bikers4Bush
The same standard should be applied here as was applied to Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Justice Moore was removed from the court when he supposedly defied the law by refusing to remove the Ten Commandments monument from state property.

7 posted on 02/16/2004 2:20:36 PM PST by Liz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Integrityrocks
I don't think governors indict people. That is the job of Attorney General Bill Lockyer - the man who would be governor.
8 posted on 02/16/2004 2:22:55 PM PST by BigBobber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Integrityrocks
Who the hell defines what a REAL conservative is? You!!!!!!!
9 posted on 02/16/2004 2:23:27 PM PST by cksharks (quote from)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
There's no punitive article in the relevant California law.
10 posted on 02/16/2004 2:24:15 PM PST by Poohbah ("Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons?" -- Maj. Vic Deakins, USAF)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: inquest
Do you think that he meant it when he took an oath to uphold the laws of the state of California?
11 posted on 02/16/2004 2:29:29 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
Emails and links to the Governor's office? please?

This is perfect for a freep.
12 posted on 02/16/2004 2:38:45 PM PST by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
From the CLP letter, as quoted in the article:

"California Penal Code section 115 prohibits the knowing procurement of any false or forged instrument to be filed or recorded in any public office, making such an act a felony punishable by up to three (3) years in prison. Since Mayor Newsom has procured approximately 96 such false certificates as of yesterday [Thursday], he may face up to 288 years in prison."

13 posted on 02/16/2004 2:47:35 PM PST by inquest (The only problem with partisanship is that it leads to bipartisanship)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: claudiustg
A small step in the right direction would be a statement condemning the illegal and immoral actions of the SF mayor. How about it Arnold?

Small step hell!

Revoke the damn city charter!

14 posted on 02/16/2004 2:47:43 PM PST by navyblue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Blood of Tyrants
I don't really care whether he meant it. He took the oath, now he needs to be held to it.
15 posted on 02/16/2004 2:48:30 PM PST by inquest (The only problem with partisanship is that it leads to bipartisanship)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
The mayor needs to be charged for each count of gays being "married" at city hall.
16 posted on 02/16/2004 2:50:47 PM PST by freeangel (freeangel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigBobber
I don't think governors indict people. That is the job of Attorney General Bill Lockyer - the man who would be governor.

However, if a government is flagrantly violating the law, the governor has the power to send the National Guard in, as happened in the integration struggles in Alabama. Wouldn't it be an entertaining sight to see troops rolling up on S.F. City Hall?

17 posted on 02/16/2004 2:52:51 PM PST by John Jorsett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: BigBobber
Apparently Lockyear was consulted prior to the mayor acting.
So does this mean that the California assault weapons ban is null and void as it is in violation of the U.S. constituiton which is the supreme law of the land.
Lockyear can not enforce it if he does not enforce the law in this case.
But knowing liberals they will pick and choose which laws they follow.
18 posted on 02/16/2004 2:53:23 PM PST by chuckwalla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
Well, Arnie did say he was a social liberal didn't he?

Maybe now we'll find out just how liberal he really is.

19 posted on 02/16/2004 2:55:21 PM PST by navyblue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
The media's filming it, everyones discussing its merits nonchalantly, meanwhile...
This mayor has been BREAKING THE LAW for days! What is going on? Does anyone in CA have a spine?
BTW I DO NOT want to see anymore kissing of the bride/ groom whoever is whom on TV again.
God help us.
20 posted on 02/16/2004 2:56:26 PM PST by bluegrass (tit for tat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-172 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson