Prop 8 judge's sexual orientation a nonissue-so far

[amurderofcows]

Judge Vaughn Walker was appointed to the US District Court for the Northern District of California in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush. His appointment was opposed at the time by gay rights activists because, as a lawyer, he successfully represented the US Olympic Committee in a trademark lawsuit against the Gay Olympics, which had to change its

Comments

[tko_ak]

Interesting context. He's basically damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't (he'll be seen as pushing his personal views based on his sexuality if he strikes down Prop 8, and as an Uncle Tom if he doesn't. It may even bolster the pro-Prop 8 people if they can say that even a gay judge saw through our arguments).

[mathwhiz78]

This is going to be heard by the Ninth Circuit anyway, so Walker's opinion, while it may look nice, won't matter at all in the long run.

[tko_ak]

And then it's likely to be petitioned to SCOTUS, so none of it may matter if they decide to wade into the mess (which seems likely considering the current ideological breakdown of the Court).