Backers of California's Proposition 8 must immediately hand over documents to those pursuing them in federal court, Judge Vaughn Walker ruled on Friday:
"The sponsors had sought to keep the documents while challenging the order to turn them over in an appeals court. But in a ruling late Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker
of San Francisco said backers of Proposition 8 had failed to show that
disclosing internal memos and e-mails would violate their freedom of
speech or subject them to harassment. He said they had refused to identify any documents that needed
special protection and noted that he could order their opponents to
keep any sensitive material confidential. 'It simply does not appear likely that (Prop. 8's) proponents will prevail on the merits of their appeal,' Walker said. He said he doubts that a federal appeals court even has jurisdiction to consider the dispute at this early stage of the case….The lawsuit by two same-sex couples, a gay rights organization and
the city of San Francisco contends Prop. 8 violated the U.S.
Constitution's guarantee of equality by discriminating on the basis of
sexual orientation and gender. Walker has scheduled a trial in January. Plaintiffs in the suit said documents from the Yes on 8 campaign
might help them prove that the ballot measure was motivated by anti-gay
bias, which would increase their chances of overturning it."
