Lawyers for California governor accuse same-sex marriage ban backers of judicial ‘witch hunt’

<p>SAN FRANCISCO – Lawyers for California Gov. Jerry Brown are accusing the backers of the state’s same-sex marriage ban of engaging in a thinly veiled “witch hunt” against the gay federal judge who struck down a gay marriage ban as unconstitutional.</p> <p>The charge came in legal papers state lawyers filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco arguing that the voter-approved ban’s sponsors have no basis for trying to get former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling overturned.</p> <p>The group that qualified the measure for the ballot has asked Walker’s successor to vacate the judge’s decision because Walker revealed after he retired this year that he is in a long-term relationship with another man.</p>