"Activist" judge is really a Republican

[giza]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11135567..htm

Judge in gay marriage case is a Catholic Republican appointee

DAVID KRAVETS

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - Supporters of same-sex marriage found an ally in San Francisco Judge Richard Kramer - a Catholic Republican appointed to the bench by a former GOP governor.

"We're certainly feeling the judge's decision is right," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose city's lawsuit prompted Kramer's ruling Monday that gays and lesbians have the right to marry in California, despite a law and a voter-approved measure declaring marriage to be the exclusive realm of heterosexuals.

Opponents of gay marriage immediately declared that 57-year-old Kramer is a judicial activist whose decision was "ludicrous" and "nonsense."

"We knew Judge Kramer was under tremendous political pressure to redefine marriage, but we were hopeful he would recognize the limited role of the judiciary," said Robert Tyler, an Alliance Defense Fund attorney trying to uphold California's traditional marriage laws. "We do not believe it is appropriate for judges in this setting to overturn the will of the people."

With a 27-page stroke of the pen, Kramer did just that. "The parade of horrible social ills envisioned by the opponents of same-sex marriage is not a necessary result from recognizing that there is a fundamental right to choose who one wants to marry," he wrote in the decision, which won't be enforced for 60 days, to give opponents time to appeal.

Lawyers who have practiced before Kramer said the 1972 graduate of the University of Southern California Law Center is among the top judges in San Francisco, and is unswayed by public opinion.

Wow, who'd have thought? A judge who actually makes decisions based on legal principles, and not along party lines. What a guy.

Comments

[garrwolfdog.livejournal.com]

Wow! O_O ,... maybe there is hope yet,...

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry... was that against the party line?

It's nice every once in a while to see an official do something that's RIGHT, instead of something that's just popular. That's a fine but important distinction.

[kovucougar.livejournal.com]

Isn't that the major primary purpose of the judiciary brance?

[silverscalenaga.livejournal.com]

yep but alot of judges will lick bush's ass for him getting them their nominations

[giza.livejournal.com]

Only the Supreme Court judges. I believe that judges on the state level are chosen by governors. And Schwarzenegger made a statement the other day to the effect that he won't fight same-sex marriages. :-)

[silverscalenaga.livejournal.com]

puppets are the suck. have you read the bush xmas carol?

[tailen.livejournal.com]

Weeeeell, all he actually said was that he would not move for a (California) Constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage. He would leave it as a federal matter.

[melskunk.livejournal.com]

Hey, human rights aren't a matter of the majority, and never will be. I do find the knee jerk 'activist' claims of the opposition amusing in this case.