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Posted on 10/26/2001 11:13:23 AM PDT by FormerLib
ANNAPOLIS -- People who gathered signatures in opposition to Maryland's homosexual rights law have been interviewed under oath.
The Rev. Matt Sine, co-chairman of TakeBackMaryland.org, a group opposing the law, called the depositions by lawyers for the law's supporters "search and destroy political tactics."
But Charles Buffer, an attorney for Free State Justice, a group supporting the law, said questioning was proper.
"We're just questioning people in an official setting, which is a deposition, and basically that's got them scared, because they know they didn't follow the proper procedures;' said Mr. Buffer, who represents Free State Justice.
Mr. Buffer said lawyers had deposed five persons who gathered signatures, and probably would question another dozen.
"If every single person who collected these signatures has nothing to hide, they shouldn't have any problem answering questions;' Mr. Buffer said.
The law, passed this year, adds sexual orientation to the state statute that prohibits discrimination based on factors such as race, religion and sex.
TakeBackMaryland.org led a petition drive to put a referendum of the law on the November 2002 ballot. The drive collected signatures of 47,539 registered voters, 1,411 more than was needed to block the law until the vote.
But Free State Justice sued, and a court master found potential problems with as many as 7,S00 signatures. If his findings are upheld, the law will take effect without voter approval.
Lawyers for Free State Justice filed a motion last week supporting the court master's findings. Take-BackMaryland.org attorneys filed their own motion disputing them.
Mr. Buffer said the depositions have shown that some signature gatherers didn't witness all the signings, despite swearing they did in affidavits. Some didn't follow a requirement for making the text of the law available with the petitions. Also, some of the required information that signers left off petitions was added by others later, he charged.
Tres Kerns, co-founder of TakeBackMaryland.org, said any problems with the petitions are merely technical errors.
"They are trying to use technicalities and legal tricks to throw the signatures of decent Maryland citizens who intended to support our referendum;' Mr. Kerns said.
Anne Arundel County Cir< Judge Eugene Lerner will address responses from both sides to court master's findings in a hem Wednesday, Mr. Buffer said.
The case is unlikely to be resolved before December at the earliest, Buffer said.
And how the fascists love the "if you have nothing to hide" routine to destroy the rights of others. Yet another example of the Gaystapo doing anything to violate the will of the people and to force their unholy agenda upon them.
The more these deceitful deviants deny people their legal voice in these matters, the more the homosexuals fuel the backlash against them! We can only pray that it will not be a violent one, but that often is the result of denying people the right to peacefully resist.
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