Federal Judge Upholds Ruling that Prop 8 is Unconstitutional

The ongoing courtroom battle to settle the legality of California's ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, has crossed another hurdle today, as a federal judge has ruled to uphold the decision made previously by Judge Vaughn Walker that the proposition is unconstitutional.

Challenges by the prop's backers centered around the sexuality of Walker himself (he has been involved in a same-sex relationship for the past decade); lawyers argued that Walker and his partner stood to "personally benefit" from his ruling, and therefore he should have recused himself.

The legal team representing the two gay couples who filed suit against the state in order to overturn the ban "called the effort to disqualify Walker frivolous, offensive and unfortunate," according to the Associated Press.

"U.S. District Judge James Ware said the argument from the proponents [...] was invalid," notes the Sacramento Bee.