“Justices Continue Trend of Hearing Fewer Cases”: Robert Barnes will have this article Sunday in The Washington Post.

It’s not every day that you see a dissenting opinion from the re-election of a state supreme court’s chief justice: In news from Michigan, The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports today that “Weaver rips fellow justices in scathing dissent.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Weaver again criticizes other Republicans on state Supreme Court.”

I wish I knew where on the web site of the Supreme Court of Michigan one may access this sort of a dissent.

“Newest member makes history; She’s first woman elected directly to state’s high court”: Yesterday’s edition of The Salem Statesman Journal contained an article that begins, “When Virginia Linder of Salem formally joined the Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday, she made history. She is the first woman that voters have elected directly to the state’s highest court.”

“Medication Missteps: What patients should learn from the new revelations about Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s struggle with prescription painkillers.” Newsweek has today posted online this web exclusive.

“Appellate court’s longest-serving judge battles death penalty”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A veteran federal appeals judge has turned up the volume in his opposition to the death penalty, drawing increasing attention with his unusually blunt and outspoken opinions. Former Chief Judge Boyce Martin, a Jimmy Carter appointee on one of the most sharply divided appeals courts, is building a reputation for his stand, such as with a dissent that Capital Defense Weekly described as blistering.”

“Supreme Court is poised to act on business-sector cases”: MarketWatch provides this report.

“Who’s got mail?” The Chicago Tribune today contains an editorial that begins, “In deploying executive authority in the war on terrorism, President Bush has a history of pushing the envelope–and in the latest controversy, you might read that phrase literally.”

“Dueling Briefs In Sullivan Case; At Issue: Whether Appeal Is Now Moot.” Today in The Hartford Courant, Lynne Tuohy has an article that begins, “The state Supreme Court is poised to resolve the constitutional issue of whether lawmakers can subpoena judges to testify at proceedings other than impeachment or confirmation hearings. Or not. Documents filed Friday by lawyers for former Chief Justice William J. Sullivan maintain the landmark legal question will have to wait for another day, because Sullivan’s sudden willingness to testify makes the appeal by the co-chairmen of the legislature’s judiciary committee a moot issue.”

“N.Y. Times Urges Judge To Dismiss Hatfill Suit”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Tipping Over a Defense of Enron”: Today in The New York Times, business columnist Joe Nocera has this essay (TimesSelect temporary pass-through link) about Malcolm Gladwell’s article headlined “Open Secrets: Enron, intelligence, and the perils of too much information” published in the January 8, 2007 issue of The New Yorker.

“Court Was Once Cloistered; Now Its Chief Does ‘Nightline'”: Robert Barnes has this article today in The Washington Post.

“Editor’s E-Mail May Be Used in Suit Against The Times”: Neil A. Lewis has this article today in The New York Times.

“Supreme Court to Rule on Whistle-Blowing”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“Westar verdicts set aside on appeal; Three-judge panel blasts government in its ruling on dozens of convictions”: This article appears today in The Kansas City Star.

And The Topeka Capital-Journal today contains articles headlined “Evidence against Wittig, Lake described as ‘insufficient’; Denver-based court says defendants can’t be retried on most counts“; “Professor: Wittig could be freed; Defense to push to get former Westar exec out of prison quickly“; and “From hooray, to you’ve got to be kidding.” In addition, columnist Ric Anderson has an op-ed entitled “Westar — Just a bad dream?”

My earlier coverage appears at this link.

“Justices to Consider Impact of Mental Illness on Death Penalty”: Linda Greenhouse has this article today in The New York Times.

The San Antonio Express-News reports today that “High court to look at death row case.”

In The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Justices to consider school sports rules; The high court will take up athlete recruiting, home-care worker pay and stock fraud cases.”

And The Tennessean reports that “High court to hear recruiting case; TSSAA, Brentwood Academy dispute to go before justices again this spring.”