Judge Denies Group's Petition To Intervene In Mt. Soledad Cross Case

In San Diego California, today's Union-Tribune reports that federal District Judge Gordon Thompson Jr. has, not unexpectedly, denied the request of San Diegans for the Mount Soledad National War Memorial to intervene in the litigation challenging the constitutionality of the Mt. Soledad Cross, saying that the group is much too late to become a party to the litigation that has been in the courts for 17 years. The petitioning group was behind Proposition A, a referendum last summer on donating the cross to the federal government for a national park. Currently the city of San Diego is involved in a last-ditch appeal of Judge Thompson's order to remove the cross or face fines of $5000 per day.