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Skepticism over tossing gay judge's Prop. 8 ruling
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/13/11 | Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Posted on 06/13/2011 7:48:02 PM PDT by SmithL

Sponsors of California's ban on same-sex marriage tried to convince an apparently skeptical federal judge Monday that the jurist who overturned their ballot measure should have been disqualified because he failed to disclose his longtime relationship with a male partner.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling last year throwing out the ballot measure should itself be overturned because the judge didn't reveal his relationship, attorney Charles Cooper said.

Walker's 10-year relationship, which he publicly confirmed only after leaving the bench, was "a fact critically relevant to his interest in the case," Cooper declared during a nearly three-hour hearing in San Francisco.

Before presiding over the Proposition 8 trial in January 2010, Walker should have revealed his relationship and declared whether he intended to marry his partner, said Cooper, who represents backers of the November 2008 initiative outlawing such marriages.

Key information

He said Walker's silence deprived Prop. 8's advocates of information they could have used to ask him to step down from the case. That should invalidate all his subsequent decisions in a lawsuit challenging Prop. 8, including his August 2010 ruling declaring the measure unconstitutional, Cooper argued.

But Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware said Cooper offered no evidence that Walker had any marriage plans at the time of the trial that would have given him a stake in the case he was deciding.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: homosexualagenda; june2011; prop8; vaughnwalker
The fix is in.
1 posted on 06/13/2011 7:48:06 PM PDT by SmithL
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Ware, James
Born 1946 in Birmingham, AL

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of California
Nominated by George H.W. Bush on August 3, 1990, to a seat vacated by Robert F. Peckham; Confirmed by the Senate on September 28, 1990, and received commission on October 1, 1990. Served as chief judge, 2010-present.

Education:
California Lutheran University, B.A., 1969
Stanford Law School, J.D., 1972

Professional Career:
U.S. Army Reserve Second Lieutenant, 1972
U.S. Army, Military Police, 1973
U.S. Army Reserve Captain, Military Police, 1973-1986
Private practice, Palo Alto, California, 1972-1988
Judge, Santa Clara County Superior Court, 1988-1990

2 posted on 06/13/2011 7:48:28 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Perhaps Walker’s relationship is with Ware.


3 posted on 06/13/2011 7:51:02 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama are not rivals, they're running mates." - Rep. Thaddeus McCotter)
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To: SmithL

Keep in mind the prop 22 and prop 8 folks are only reacting to the laws passed against them by guys to indoctrinate their children.

No one cares what they do in their bedroom but we don’t what them teaching our children how to put on condoms and any sex is ok.

Society has a right to define itself and what it accepts as normal, always adjusting the ring.


4 posted on 06/13/2011 7:53:29 PM PDT by edcoil (What? Me worry.)
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To: SmithL

There may be ways to overturn or vacate the Prop 8 ruling, this is not one of them.


5 posted on 06/13/2011 7:56:28 PM PDT by trumandogz
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To: trumandogz

Defending Prop 8 is a lost cause. In fact, California is a lost cause.

The only vote in California that counts these days for people with traditional values is voting with ones feet to get the heck out of the State.


6 posted on 06/13/2011 8:17:55 PM PDT by rdcbn
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To: rdcbn
The only vote in California that counts these days for people with traditional values is voting with ones feet to get the heck out of the State.

I aint leaving until I am illegal. And then I will stay anyway. Heheh. My post-apocalyptic career aspiration is to be Emperor Norton III, Warlord of NorCal After People Figure That A Free Republic Was A Better Choice Than Nanny State Despotism Leading To Anarchy And Feudalism, Oh Well Too Late, You Sorry Bunch Of Starry-Eyed Drooling Dopers.

7 posted on 06/13/2011 8:34:23 PM PDT by no-s (B.L.O.A.T. and every day...because some day soon they won't be making any more...for you.)
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To: SmithL

Don’t most gay-normers believe in “gay” marriage?


8 posted on 06/13/2011 8:47:09 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: rdcbn
Defending Prop 8 is a lost cause. In fact, California is a lost cause.

Prop 8 WON as far as the State of California is concerned; this is being tried OUTSIDE of California. Remember, the Supreme Ct of California overwhelmingly found that Prop 8 is valid. So the sodomite anarchists had to go elsewhere for a sympathetic ear.

And the fact that this is being tried outside of California is Prop 8's biggest strength right now.

9 posted on 06/13/2011 8:56:07 PM PDT by fwdude (Prosser wins, Goonions lose.)
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To: SmithL

Warning!
Use of the terms “gay” and “tossing” in the same sentence could be an FR zottable offense!


10 posted on 06/13/2011 9:34:08 PM PDT by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
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To: SmithL
The fix isn't in. The argument is ridiculous. It's like saying religious judges can't rule on those first amendment issues, a minority judge can't rule on civil rights, or no judge can rule on Social Security because it'll effect him in old age, etc.

The ruling itself is flawed. There was no reason to make it personal.

11 posted on 06/13/2011 11:43:50 PM PDT by newzjunkey
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To: rdcbn
Defending Prop 8 is a lost cause.

Newsflash: this is in the federal courts, not the state courts. If Prop 8, a state constitutional amendment, is held as unconstitutional on appeal (it's at the 9th circus now, then off to SCOTUS) it'll effect EVERY state with marriage defined as being only between one man and one woman.

12 posted on 06/13/2011 11:47:45 PM PDT by newzjunkey
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To: fwdude

I notice some at FR see “California” mentioned and become unhinged. Facts don’t matter: it’s CA, it must be bashed.


13 posted on 06/13/2011 11:58:56 PM PDT by newzjunkey
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To: fwdude

“Remember, the Supreme Ct of California overwhelmingly found that Prop 8 is valid. “

The California SC ruled that Prop 8 was indeed an amendment, not a revision, and that the ballot initiative was proper. They made no ruling on whether it was constitutional. That’s what the current case is about.


14 posted on 06/14/2011 5:11:06 PM PDT by Coronal
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To: Coronal

No, the issue of a properly enacted amendment was addressed before the election. The California Supreme Court did address it’s constitutionality (with respect to California’s Constitution) after it became part of the Constitution, and it passed muster with them. This case is outside of California altogether.


15 posted on 06/14/2011 6:59:48 PM PDT by fwdude (Prosser wins, Goonions lose.)
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To: SmithL

I see Judge Ware was educated a Lutherite. Last I heard even
Luther did not disagree with Scripture -on Marriage. I see as well that Judge Ware was a butterbar MP.Too bad he did not
learn from the UCMJ,and benefit from the same training I had.
Judge Ware ignores the “orientation” and the history of the
Gay rights movement (since we allowed the Courts to kick God,the Bible and Prayer from school. James Wilson teaching the Consequences of Marriage under American Law reflected the Biblical model. As did Joseph Story in his Commentaries-as did the US Supreme Court in the spate of legal opinion beginning with Reynolds v. the US and ending with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints case decided in 1890. Murphy v. Ramsey and others 1885 gave the best definition of Marriage. But Orientation remains the motivation behind Judge Walkers unlawful decision. And his “orientation” prevented Judge Walker from #1 disclosing his disqualifying orientation and #2 from disclosing his anti-Christian bias.
His “orientation” not any announced plan to benefit by State recognition of the fraud of same sex marriage.was clear factor disqualifying this Judge and ought vacate his unlawful opinion.And strip him of any recognition as hero of his cause.


16 posted on 06/15/2011 6:18:51 AM PDT by StonyBurk (ring)
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To: fwdude

From the court’s ruling in Strauss v. Horton:

“In summary, we conclude that Proposition 8 constitutes a permissible constitutional amendment (rather than an impermissible constitutional revision), does not violate the
separation of powers doctrine, and is not invalid under the “inalienable rights” theory proffered by the Attorney General. “

No mention of the constutionality of the amendment, other than the specific issues addressed in the decision.


17 posted on 06/15/2011 11:34:01 AM PDT by Coronal
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