The case becomes even more intriguing because Walker, who as far as we can tell is not now nor has ever been a Texas Ranger, has already told the Feds that they can go stuff it when they tried to get the AT&T case dismissed. Previously, both AT&T and the Government had tried to get the case dismissed due to "national security grounds." "Dismissing this case at the outset," Walker wrote, "would sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security." Rock on, dude.

Lest you think Walker is some "Activist Judge" who sits all high and mighty and was appointed by Bill Clinton in one of his post-coital moods, as these types of judges are usually depicted, Walker was actually appointed by Papa Bush and has some serious Conservative Cred. According to this SFGate story on him, Walker has, over the years:

"overturned San Francisco's voter-approved limits on bank ATM fees, dismissed a slave-labor suit against Japanese companies by former World War II prisoners of war and allowed reporters to watch all stages of lethal injection executions. He dismissed a suit by anti-logging protesters whose eyes were swabbed with liquid pepper spray, a decision later overturned by an appeals court; and approved Hearst Corp.'s purchase of The Chronicle, despite Walker's reservations about the Justice Department's antitrust review."

Not exactly the decisions of Judge Liberal McHippie.