Vaughn R. Walker is a retired United States District Judge who served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, he became known for his rulings on various high-profile cases, including those related to civil rights and intellectual property. Walker gained significant attention for presiding over the case challenging California's Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage. His ruling in 2010 declared the proposition unconstitutional, contributing to the ongoing national conversation about LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality in the United States.