Ethics

WSJ Law Blog carries the story.  Supposedly, Judge Reinhdardt's wife, Ramona Ripston, was involving in planning a legal challenge to Prop 8.  As far as I can tell, she didn't work on the matter now pending before the Ninth Circuit, but rather was present in confidential meetings about what lawsuit was the best vehicle to challenge Prop 8.The challenge cites this article from California Lawyer.  

[updated and corrected per comment below] As is almost always the case with these sorts of press releases, I'd urge caution in drawing conclusions before more facts are known.  And, needless to say, this presents yet another one of those spouse-related conflicts issues we've been seeing more of.  (Justice Thomas's wife has been the focus of some speculation along these lines, and not too long ago an FTC's commissioner's husband was a lawyer at a firm that was handling the European regulatory aspects of a merger that was also pending before the FTC (where a different law firm was handling it).  Details on the FTC matter are here and here.  [post has been edited slightly for clarity]