CA: Thanks to a semicolon, gays and lesbians keep marrying in San Francisco

AP via San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Feb. 17, 2004 | DAVID KRAVETS and LISA LEFF

[calcowgirl]

SAN FRANCISCO - Two judges delayed taking any action Tuesday to shut down San Francisco's same-sex wedding spree, citing court procedures as they temporarily rebuffed conservative groups enraged that the city's liberal politicians had already married almost 2,400 gay and lesbian couples.

[umgud]

Semicolon? How about; C:

[madprof98]

Thank the Lord I live in a decent place and not the indecency of kalifornia.

Don't be so sure. Georgia (down-south state, Zell Miller and lots of rednecks) is on the verge of recognizing gay marriage. Cynthia Tucker is cackling away even as I type.

[Don Joe]

What we have here is the American equivalent to the Saudi "Religious Police" who locked some schoolgirls into a burning building, where they burned to death, because they could not be allowed to exit without the proper headgear.

I believe the biblical terminology is, "straining at gnats while swallowing a camel," and frankly I can't think of a better analogy.

[Don Joe]

You mean kinda like, I only have the authority to overrule written laws, the constitution and write my own laws as I see them, but I don't have REAL POWER the kind it takes to remove a semicolon and replace it with "or."

It's a simple mockery of justice. He did what he wanted to do, and used the most convenient excuse. Any excuse will do.

What is ominous is that he is so brazen about it. He's essentially admitting that a major miscarriage of justice is happening, in an ongoing situation, but, he's going to look the other way because one tiny jot is out of order.

Sort of like a SWAT team showing up to a hostage situation, and instead of taking down the perps, they're tsk-tsking around the parking lot writing tickets on the overdue meters -- for the cars belonging to the hostages.

[Samwise]

Well, in a gay marriage, no one would be concerned about a missed period.

[Don Joe]

Yes, I don't get this. I was a legal secretary in CA for 10 years and there were times attorneys would draft a handwritten stipulation in court and have it signed! If they were arguing about that semicolon all day, there's no reason on earth a new one couldn't have been printed and messengered to the courthouse, if the judge refused to strike it out himself (which I believe he could do...).

The only way to "not get it" is to accept at face value (with a straight face, no less!) the idea that "the semicolon" was the real issue.

This is a travesty of justice, that's all. No biggie. If it wasn't the semicolon, it would have been "the top margins on your papers aren't in accord with our local court rules (just revised this morning)."

[mhking]

Everyone keeps getting worked up about this for no reason.

These "licenses" aren't worth the price of the piece of paper they're printed on.

Gay marriages are illegal in the state of California. Period. No matter what Gavin Newsom thinks. End of discussion.

[Future Snake Eater]

Well, Bush did come out totally against it in the SOTU speech. I guess he figures that's enough?

[Don Joe]

Amateurs. When I have a big case in court, I bring a laptop and portable printer just in case I need to whip out a quick document, subpoena, draft order or whatever. You have to be prepared for these possibilities.

Get real. If they'd tried that, His "Honor" would have ruled them out of order, and held them in contempt for violation of court rules. "Which rules? These rules -- one moment please, I'll have the ink dry on them in just a moment, let me finish affixing my signature to them. Ah, yes, here we go... the court rules. Here ya go. No computers in court, no revisions to filings until next calendar day. See? It says so right here in the rules."

Remember Judge Roy Bean? He's back, or so it would appear.

[Don Joe]

Has Arnold even said anything about this? He seems to be totally silent on the issue. He is being completely irresponsible by allowing these illegal acts to go forward.

Um, and you are surprised about this exactly why?

[Future Snake Eater]

I'm surprised b/c even in Political Science 101, it is taught that mayors cannot supercede state law. Arnold could still be diplomatic by saying something to the effect of "If the people of CA want this to be the law of the land, then bring it up as a proposition, but for now, the law states that marriage is solely between a man and a woman. Since my administration and I are charged with upholding the law of the land, that is how it will be."

I realize asking for a little backbone is ludicrous, but simply stating what's in your own job description shouldn't be too out there, should it?

[Don Joe]

It's ridiculous! The mayor should be arrested. He's making his own law in totally disregard to the will of the people who reinforced EXISTING law of what a marriage is.

Well, civil war isn't supposed to be pretty, is it? That's precisely what SFCA has done -- it's committed an act of civil war against the rest of the USA.

This is not "civil disobedience" (individuals rebelling against a law), nor is it "anarchy" (the absence of any rules or law). This is in the most basic definition of the term, civil war, plain and simple: It is one unit of jurisdiction setting itself apart from the rest of the country, establishing its own rules, on its own terms, and refusing to submit itself to the rule of law -- to due process -- as the nation requires.

What is even more ominous is the response to this act of civil war: Silence, and by way of logical extention, surrender. The State of California, by its inaction, has surrendered to the rebel city. And it appears that the USA is likewise surrendering to SF/CA.

It's as if one of the Southern states had seceded, and Lincoln refused to even discuss it, and just went on about his business as if nothing had changed. Regardless of your personal sentiments on that war, consider the scenario, and how it applies to this situation. Because that's exactly what's happening.

[Don Joe]

I'm sorry, but your strawman has already been litigated in another thread. Thanks for playing, and we have a lovely consolation prize awaiting you, it's hanging on the doorknob.

[Don Joe]

It takes a month and a half to change a semi-colon?

Hey, you don't go racing into things, you gotta be real careful like, 'specially when the stakes are so high. It's like the fire department. Let's say they come up to a burning building. What's the first thing they do? Yup, that's right. They perform an inspection, to see if there are any code violations. If there are any, they've got to locate the owner and properly serve him. That means they write up the violations, take them down to the municipal attorney, have him review them, make sure they're in order, draw up the papers, and have them lawfully served.

Then they can start thinking about putting out that fire. But first things first! It's the details that count -- especially when you want to see that damned building burn down.

Make sense now?

[Brilliant]

What a pansy nincumpoop judge. Won't apply the law unless your brief is flawless in every way (in his opinion). Only in CA (or MA).

[Don Joe]

I'm surprised b/c even in Political Science 101, it is taught that mayors cannot supercede state law.

That's only when a society is not in a state of terminal collapse.

We're at the stage where things are coming apart faster and faster. Nothing would surprise me these days. Nothing at all. Chaos is taking over, and when it does, it tends to snowball. We're still mostly stuck in "it can't happen here" mode, but, it can, and it is.

[Don Joe]

What a pansy nincumpoop judge. Won't apply the law unless your brief is flawless in every way (in his opinion). Only in CA (or MA).

BZZZZT!

Wrong answer.

It's, "Won't apply the law unless your brief is what I want to enforce. Other wise, I'll nitpick it to death no matter how much you work on it."

In short, it's a kangaroo court. The fix is in. The fix was in before they started this op. That much seems fairly obvious by now. I believe that the Mayor and his crew went into this with the full knowledge that they had the support of the rest of the legal infrastructure. They weren't taking a gamble, they weren't risking anything at all. It's a set up. The fix is in.

[tort_feasor]

I agree. Every motion I write states "and any other relief the Court deems appropriate."

[EdReform]

Ping

What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda

Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)

[ican'tbelieveit]

lol