[quote=flu]For example, the gay-marriage ban in CA. Personally, I had no issues with gay-marriage, but the voters did speak that they wanted the ban. Why should a judge be allowed to overturn what the people wanted? Same thing could be said about the immigration bill in Arizona. And this is also why CA will never do anything to take care of immigration issues/etc.[/quote]

I agree with the gist of your argument, but not necessarily with your specific examples. It’s not so cut and dry as “overturning the will of the people” when it comes to civil rights. I would argue, and I’m guessing the judges you mention would argue as well, that civil rights are not subject to popular vote or legislation. At one time the majority of the people wanted interracial marriage banned, but the will of the majority was overturned for the rights of the minority. In many ways, this is exactly how the system is supposed to work and exactly why the balance of power was designed the way it was.