“Gov’t to insist at US high court Arelma account is ill-gotten”: Monday’s issue of The Sun Star of Manila contains an article that begins, “State lawyers will try to argue next month before the US Supreme Court (SC) that the US$35-million Arelma account held in the name of a dummy corporation allegedly owned by the late President Ferdinand Marcos is ill-gotten and actually belonged to the Philippine government.”

“Supreme Court to hear case about detaining rape victims; Justices will review an appeals court ruling that overturned a San Marcos man’s convictions”: The North County Times of Escondido, California today contains an article that begins, “The state Supreme Court has agreed to review a San Marcos rape case that could determine how the legal system treats sexual assault victims who live out of state and refuse to return to California to testify in court.”

“Mayor Kilpatrick takes case to Michigan Supreme Court; City says legal principle, not politics, is at stake”: Yesterday’s edition of The Detroit Free Press contained an article that begins, “Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took his text message scandal to the Michigan Supreme Court on Friday, urging justices to strike down decisions from two lower courts to provide the public with secret documents he used to settle police whistle-blower lawsuits last year for $8.4 million. The city filed the appeal under seal, but city law director John E. Johnson Jr. said in a statement the city asked the high court to consider the same arguments that were rejected Wednesday by the Michigan Court of Appeals and on Feb. 5 by Wayne County Circuit Judge Robert Colombo Jr., in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Free Press.”

“Judge denies setting up ‘sham residence'”: The Grand Rapids Press contained this article yesterday, along with articles headlined “Servaas battles to stay on bench” and “Judicial complaints seldom reach public airing.”

Today’s newspaper contains an article headlined “Residents critical of inquiry involving judge.”

The newspaper has also posted online this profile of the judge originally published in August 2006.

“Starcher recuses himself from Massey case; Justice suggests colleague Benjamin do the same”: This article appeared yesterday in The Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette.

The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, West Virginia reported yesterday that “Starcher steps away from Massey case.”

And The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that “Second justice recuses himself in W.Va. case.”

“Candidates weigh in on Guantanamo trials”: Carol Rosenberg has this article today in The Miami Herald.

“Complicated sentencing laws blamed for long prison stays”: Today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times contains an article that begins, “The thousands of incorrect release dates for state prisoners result from a series of decisions by the California Supreme Court and two state appeals courts between May 2005 and January 2006.”

“New York ‘Crack Tax’ Proposal Is Derided; Many States Aid Enforcement With Levy on Illicit Drugs”: The Washington Post contains this article today.

“Justice Official Defends Rough CIA Interrogations; Severe, Lasting Pain Is Torture, He Says”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Supreme Court Weighs 5 Age Bias Cases”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press provides this report.

“Did politics trump law in case of polluting Canadian smelter?” McClatchy Newspapers provide this report on the Teck Cominco case.

“Court: Rider could sue stable despite waiver.” In Saturday’s edition of The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko had an article that begins, “A rider who fell from her horse and was injured on a trail in Marin County can sue the stable despite having signed a release that warned of the dangers of horseback riding, a state appeals court says.”

You can access Thursday’s ruling of California’s First District Court of Appeal at this link.

“Man linked to accused terrorist denied bail”: Yesterday in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko had an article that begins, “A federal appeals court denied bail Friday to a San Jose man who is charged with sending money and supplies to his brother, a reputed terrorist leader in the Philippines.”

And yesterday in The San Jose Mercury News, Howard Mintz reported that “Court rejects bail for engineer accused in global terror plot.”

You can access Friday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.

“Appeals court race is back on voter radar; Questions over recent case has judge on defense”: The Houston Chronicle today contains an article that begins, “The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals does not get much publicity, unless it is negative, and much of that revolves around controversy over the death penalty.”

“Judge: Victims aren’t legal experts.” Today in The Providence (R.I.) Journal, Edward Fitzpatrick has an article that begins, “The judge who handled the Station fire criminal cases says crime victims and their families aren’t in the position to tell him what sentences he should impose because they are often focused on their loss and not on the criminal charges or pleas that dictate sentencing options.”

“When God and the Law Don’t Square”: Adam Liptak has this article today in the Week in Review section of The New York Times.