Gay Rights Groups Lose Appeal, Must Surrender Prop 8 Docs

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

An appeal filed by California gay rights groups Equality California, No on Proposition 8, and the Campaign for Marriage Equality that sought to overturn a federal judge’s order forcing them to surrender documents related to Proposition 8, has been rejected by a Federal three-panel judge.

The groups argued that the documents are confidential internal communications protected by the First Amendment as political speech, but Chief Judge Vaughn Walker – the judge presiding over the case – required the documents as a stipulation of issuing a ruling.

Equality California, No on Proposition 8 and the Campaign for Marriage Equality appealed the ruling, but the 9th Circuit said it lacks jurisdiction in the case. The judges said the groups cannot appeal the ruling until they have been held in contempt for failing to comply with it.

The rejection of the appeal is certain to jump-start the process to scheduling closing arguments, as well as issuing a ruling in the case, which is arguing the constitutionality of Prop 8.

Regardless of what happens in this ruling, the case is widely expected to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.

http://blogout.justout.com/?p=16684

Gay rights activists failed to gather enough signatures to put on the November ballot an initiative to repeal California’s marriage protection act.

Supporters of a Prop. 8 repeal needed to gather the signatures of more than 694,000 registered voters by Monday in order to qualify the measure for this year’s vote. Restore Equality 2010, the volunteer group that headed the effort, said it did not have enough signatures by the deadline, but did not reveal how many signatures it had gathered.

“Even the minority of Californians who voted against Prop. 8 have accepted that the majority rules and moved on to other issues,” commented Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, which backs Prop. 8.

But Restore Equality 2010 chairman Sean Bohac has a different explanation for the shortfall in signatures. According to Bohac, the gay rights community was not unified in supporting the effort to get the Prop. 8 repeal on this year’s ballot. The larger groups wanted to wait for the 2012 presidential election.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100414/no-prop-8-repeal-on-november-ballot/

[one...two...tree 2,762]

That'll teach 'em.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

That'll teach 'em.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Regardless of what happens in this ruling, the case is widely expected to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.

Precisely why it is so vital that Obama not shy away from a fight and nominate some milqetoast "moderate" for SCOTUS. Nominate Karlan!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Precisely why it is so vital that Obama not shy away from a fight and nominate some milqetoast "moderate" for SCOTUS. Nominate Karlan!

Why not Barbara Lee? There is no reason why a justice has to have any legal experience, just a good sense of empathy. That's a political win-win, satisfying so many left wing constituencies. The right doesn't expect anything less than a confirmed liberal to replace Stevens, so why not double down. Unless Obama picks another Eagleton, or Shriver, I don't see how it really makes any difference.

Lee was educated at Mills College and received an M.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Lee