U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman (appointed, not elected, by the Bush administration) has halted the January 1st domestic partnership legislation.
Opponents asked U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman to intercede after the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office ruled in October that they had failed to collect enough valid signatures on a referendum to block the law.
The openly Mormon Judge Mosman was also responsible for the 1986 Supreme Court's faulty decision upholding laws against certain consensual sex acts (i.e. sodomy defined as either oral or anal sex) done by adults in private. Justice Lewis Powell's deciding vote was based on Mosman's faulty legal advice. After retiring, Powell publicly regretted his decision.
Fortunately, Mosman's ruling doesn't affect a companion state law that will take effect on January 1, 2008 that bars discrimination against gays in work, housing and public places. However, the opponents of domestic partnerships also want to legalize discrimination with a ballot initiative.
A couple interesting points-
1. It's interesting this "activist judge" is republican. Especially with all the republican hoopla over "activist judges"!
2. It's also interesting he is stepping up to the plate for a voting issue since he was not voted into office!
This article is a followup. Click here to view the original article.
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