News from around the nation.

SAN FRANCISCO

Schwarzenegger urges no delay of marriage ruling

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who twice vetoed legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage, has surprised gay rights supporters by urging a federal judge to allow gay couples to resume marrying in the state without further delay.

Lawyers for Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown, two gay couples and the city of San Francisco all filed legal motions Friday asking Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker to implement his ruling striking California’s voter-approved same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional.

“The Administration believes the public interest is best served by permitting the court’s judgment to go into effect, thereby restoring the right of same-sex couples to marry in California,” the Republican governor’s lawyers said on his behalf. “Doing so is consistent with California’s long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect.”.

EASTON, Pa.

Inmate gets his judge to perform his wedding

The bride wore a gray suit. The groom wore a prison jumpsuit – and handcuffs.

And a Pennsylvania judge was doing double-duty after having just handled proceedings in the groom’s drug case.

Northampton County prison inmate Franklin Barndt and Takesha Piazza were married Friday after he tried to have evidence against him dismissed in a cocaine case.

Defense attorney Gary Asteak said he hatched the idea after seeing Piazza in the courtroom.

Judge Leonard Zito said he had never gotten such a request before, but “we’re a full-service court.”

And when Zito asked whether anyone knew any reason why the marriage shouldn’t proceed, the three-year mandatory minimum sentence that Barndt faces if convicted didn’t come up.

The pair even managed to exchange a kiss over the objections of prosecutor Michele Kluk.

SAN FRANCISCO

Ousted CEO was in talks for $100 million contract at HP

Lauded for making Hewlett-Packard Co. the world’s biggest technology company, CEO Mark Hurd was in talks for a new contract worth about $100 million, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

Instead, he’s getting almost one-third that much just to go away.

HP said Friday that it ousted Hurd after its investigation of a sexual harassment complaint found he had falsified expense reports and other documents to conceal a relationship with a contractor. Hurd also allegedly helped the woman get paid for work she didn’t do.

She worked for HP as a host at high-profile events accused him of sexual harassment, a person with intimate knowledge of the case told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because this person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the details of the case.

 

-From news service reports

 

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