A Maximalist Decision?

Dale Carpenter is carefully reading the Prop 8 ruling:

My concerns about this decision outweigh what I see as its merits. Inreading so far, I think a notable feature of Judge Walker's decision isits judicial maximalism — a willingness to reach out and decidefundamental constitutional questions not strictly necessary to reachthe result. It is also, in maximalist style, filled with broadpronouncements about the essential characteristics of marriage andconfident conclusions about social science...