Author Archives: Scott Shafer

Will New York Break Gay Marriage Log Jam in CA?

June 27, 2011, 11:20 am • Posted by Scott Shafer
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Friday’s dramatic passage of a law permitting same sex marriage in New York State raises the obvious question: What does this mean for California? The answer? A squishy “too soon to tell.”   New York has a set of circumstances unique … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, History, Prop. 8 Campaign
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Prop. 8 Judge Could Rule Tuesday

June 13, 2011, 5:54 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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At the end of Monday’s 3-hour long oral arguments, District Court Judge James Ware said he hoped to have a written ruling on the motion to have Judge Vaughn Walker’s Prop 8 ruling vacated “within 24 hours”. The bottom line issue: … Continue reading »

Filed under: Case Background, Judge Walker

Was the Gay Judge Too Pro-Gay?

June 10, 2011, 5:43 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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During more than two decades on the bench, Judge Vaughn Walker almost never spoke publicly about his sexual orientation. The Republican jurist was long rumored to be gay, but it wasn’t until he retired earlier this year that Walker told … Continue reading »

Filed under: Judge Walker

Walker Turns Over Trial Videos

May 12, 2011, 2:53 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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   The federal judge who struck down Proposition 8 last year today turned over controversial recordings of the same sex marriage trial he presided over. Vaughn Walker — who’s now retired — came under fire for using a short excerpt … Continue reading »

Filed under: Case Background, Judge Walker, Trial Video

I Do? Don't Ask.

May 11, 2011, 5:11 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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As California continues along its long legal road to resolving Proposition 8, the issue of same sex marriage has surfaced in a rather unexpected place — the Navy. As the Pentagon prepares to lift its Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy banning … Continue reading »

Filed under: Uncategorized

9th Circuit Punts on Prop. 8 Tapes

April 27, 2011, 3:52 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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   The 9th Circuit of Appeals panel considering the appeal to Judge Walker’s ruling today declined to force him to return copies of the Prop. 8 trial videos. Instead, they issued an order kicking it back down to the District Court, … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, Trial Video

Judge Fast Tracks Motion to Toss Ruling

April 27, 2011, 2:29 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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  James Ware, Chief Judge of the Northern District of California, today issued an order expediting the hearing schedule for efforts have Judge Walker’s Prop. 8 decision striking down Prop. 8 vacated. “Due to the nature of the Motion,” Ware wrote, “the … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, Judge Walker, Ruling

Prop. 8 Backers: "Judge was biased"

April 25, 2011, 8:28 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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Some are calling it a “hail Mary” legal move, but backers of Proposition 8 filed a motion in federal court Monday calling on the Chief Judge who replaced Vaughn Walker to throw out Walker’s sweeping 2010 decision striking down the ballot … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, Judge Walker

Walker Replaces Prop. 8 Video with Nazi Trial

April 19, 2011, 8:15 pm • Posted by Scott Shafer
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Although Judge Vaughn Walker informed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last week that he was planning to use the excerpt from the Prop. 8 trial again this week in a talk at Gonzaga University Law School, a spokeswoman now … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, Judge Walker, Trial Video

Push to Unseal the Video

April 19, 2011, 11:21 am • Posted by Scott Shafer
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   A coalition of media, including the Los Angeles Times, CNN and KQED, is joining the legal fray over the Prop. 8 video tapes. In papers filed April 18th attorneys for the coalition indicate they want to join the motion … Continue reading »

Filed under: Appeals Court, Trial Video