Judge eyes quick action on Calif. gay marriage ban (AP)

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AP - A federal judge in San Francisco said a lawsuit seeking to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban will likely one day reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

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U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker made the comment Thursday during his first hearing on the suit in explaining why he wants to conduct a full trial. It's a trial judge's job to settle any factual disputes surrounding the voter-approved ban and its effect on the civil rights of gays and lesbians before the case goes to a higher court, he said.

"I am reasonably sure that, given the personalities in this courtroom, this case is only touching down in this court and it will have a life after this court," Walker said. "What happens here is in many ways a prelude to what happens later."

The judge, who was named to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, has been asked to strike down Proposition 8 as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of due process and equal protection.

Judge eyes quick action on Calif. gay marriage ban - Yahoo! News