a public defender

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Hello everyone! I’ve been extremely busy this week, which is why there hasn’t been any posting. I’m terribly sorry and I’m sure I’ve missed some interesting legal developments. I also received a decision in a case which went to trial 5 months ago, and unfortunately, as is the case with most Habeas claims, we lost.

On a slightly brighter note (want to know why it’s not all bright? Read this), California’s Senate passed a measure that would legalize same-sex marriages by a vote of 21-15. It will now  go to the Assembly, which has rejected similar measures in the past.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports the state’s domestic-partner laws and has signed several related bills, has said he believes that legalization of same-sex marriage should come from either the voters or the courts. His administration points out that voters passed an initiative in 2000 that says that California recognizes marriages only between a man and a woman.

Backers of the measure suggested that the Senate vote would give them enough momentum to win in the Assembly, where proponents fell four votes short of getting the 41 votes needed for approval. The Assembly is expected to vote before the Legislature wraps up its business for the year next week.

A San Fransisco judge has already ruled that the Constitution mandates same-sex marriages, but it is being appealed. There’s much more in the news article than I have reproduced here, so please read it.