[Active-seattle-l] [Active-l] (ACTION ITEM) (MARYLAND) Fundamentalist attempt to IMPEACH Maryland judge for pro-GBLT marriage ruling

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

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---- actual message starts here ----
	Focus on the Family has sent out a "news" item urging its membership 
in Maryland to support impeachment of a judge on the basis of pro-GBLT 
ruling issued earlier this year. If you live in Maryland or know 
someone who does, it is important to contact your Delegate IMMEDIATELY 
to oppose this measure. They're going to debate the first step of this 
on Thursday, March 9, 2006, which is "today" at this point for most of 
you.
					- Dara

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Impeachment Efforts Underway in Maryland
by Jessica Stollings
Focus on the Family
March 8, 2006

What can be done about activist judges who make up the law? A lawmaker 
in Maryland has a plan – impeach them.

Delegate Don Dwyer is leading an effort to toss Judge M. Brooke Murdock 
off the bench for what he calls an “unconstitutional ruling” of 
Maryland’s marriage law. Murdock made her decision after nine 
homosexual couples filed suits against the state of Maryland for 
infringing upon their rights to marry. She says the 1973 marriage law 
“cannot withstand constitutional change” because it discriminates 
gender and is inconsistent with Maryland’s equal rights amendment. This 
is the first effort against a Maryland judge since 1860 and it has a 
lot of people talking. Delegate Dwyer says this is not the first 
controversy he’s faced.

  “We’ve just been in a tremendous, on-going battle here trying to 
protect the institution of marriage.”

That battle turned into a war last month when Judge Murdock overturned 
Maryland’s 1973 marriage law that states “only a marriage between a man 
and a woman is valid in this state.” Delegate Dwyer charges Murdock 
with violating public trust, abuse of power and misbehavior in office 
and, despite the end result, challenges his colleagues to follow his 
lead.

  “My hope in all of this is that, whether I win or lose the fight that 
we will educate the public and legislators across the country that we 
must use the legislative prerogative of removal or impeachment to hold 
the court accountable.”

Now we see the root of the debate: accountability for judges. Director 
of the Christian Coalition of Maryland, Lee Merrill agrees.

  “I do believe that the judge took a particular combination of words 
and put a new interpretation on them that was never intended by the 
people who wrote them and issued a ruling that suited her idea of what 
society ought to look like. But its time for these checks and balances 
to kick in and for us to reign in some of these judges.”

And that is just what Delegate Dwyer commits to do. His address has 
been referred to the House Judiciary Committee where the issue will be 
debated and, most likely, voted on tomorrow. Constituents are 
encouraged to write letters supporting what Delegate Dwyer has done in 
Maryland. 

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