“Hello, Dahlia! Lithwick relishes Supreme Court jester role.” This week’s issue of The Hook of Charlottesville, Virginia contains this profile.

“A Key Case on Gun Control: In a landmark case, the Supreme Court considers just how far the Second Amendment’s freedoms go.” Emma Schwartz of U.S. News & World Report has this article.

“Candidate seeks info on justice; Answers wanted on Maynard’s link to Massey CEO”: The Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette today contains an article that begins, “Bob Bastress, running for one of two open seats on the state Supreme Court in May’s Democratic primary, wants Chief Justice Elliott ‘Spike’ Maynard to reveal more information about his relationship with Don Blankenship, chief executive officer of Massey Energy. During a Wednesday press conference at the Capitol, Bastress called for an independent commission to investigate ties between Maynard and Blankenship, who were photographed together while on vacation along the French Riviera and Monaco in July 2006.”

And The West Virginia Record provides a news update headlined “Supreme Court says it can’t investigate Maynard-Blankenship friendship.”

“Supreme Court of Canada will hear appeal of Quebec language law”: The Canadian Press provides this report.

“Oregon Supreme Court rules punitive damages excessive”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “In a victory for an insurance company accused of acting in bad faith, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a $20.7 million jury award for punitive damages in a fatal traffic accident in 1987 was excessive. The case also set a guideline for most lawsuits involving punitive damages by deciding that four times the actual damages should be the limit in Oregon.”

You can access today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Oregon at this link.

Available online from law.com: An article reports that “Polo Association Trademark Survives Ralph Lauren Lawsuit.” My earlier coverage of Tuesday’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.

And in other news, “Judge’s Widow May Not Pursue Benefits on Claim Husband Was Worked to Death; After 21 years, quest for benefits reaches dead end.” My earlier coverage of last week’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Connecticut appears at this link.

“26-Year Secret Kept Innocent Man In Prison; Lawyers Tell 60 Minutes They Were Legally Bound From Revealing Secret”: The CBS News program “60 Minutes” provides this preview of a segment that will air on Sunday.

“Fired U.S. attorney says colleague told him politics was behind his ouster”: Marisa Taylor of McClatchy Newspapers provides this report.

Merely using a name that belongs to someone other than yourself in the commission of bank fraud may not suffice to establish the federal criminal offense of aggravated identity theft: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued this ruling today.

“California Ruling Against Home-Schoolers Causes Stir”: Mark Walsh has this post today at “The School Law Blog” of Education Week.

“Cameras In The Courtroom Bill Approved By Senate Panel”: At his “Washington Briefs” blog, Lawrence Hurley of The Daily Journal of California has a post today that begins, “The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed out a bill that would allow TV coverage of all federal courts.”

“DIA keeps Wi-Fi on the mild side”: Yesterday’s edition of The Denver Post contained an article that begins, “Want to browse Vanity Fair magazine on the Denver airport’s free Wi-Fi system? Sorry. You’ll have to buy it at the newsstand, because DIA’s Internet filter blocks Vanity Fair as ‘provocative.’ You can’t get to the popular gossip column perezhilton.com on DIA’s Wi-Fi signal, either. Or the hipster-geek favorite boingboing.net. Or the Sports Illustrated swimsuit photos, even though the magazine’s bare-breasted cover shot is on prominent display at airport stores, right next to Penthouse and Hustler.” (Via “Obscure Store.”)

“Key Figure in Wiretapping Suit Goes Public”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit now has a web page for those who like to access the internet using mobile devices: Why use your BlackBerry or similar devices to read blogs that summarize noteworthy Seventh Circuit rulings when you can now access those rulings directly over your mobile device?

The Seventh Circuit’s new page for mobile access can be found at: http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/mobile.htm.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issues ruling in case captioned Robert Steinbuch v. Jessica Cutler: Blog law and personal jurisdiction aficionados once again have cause to rejoice. The three-judge panel’s unanimous opinion issued today begins, “Robert Steinbuch brought this action against Jessica Cutler and several corporate entities for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress arising from the publication by Hyperion Books of Cutler’s sexually explicit novel and the potential development of a future television series based on it.”

The ruling reverses the dismissal of Steinbuch’s claim against Hyperion Books and remands for additional discovery relating to the propriety of exercising personal jurisdiction over that defendant.

“Friends, Montco file Barnes’ briefs; oral arguments next”: Yesterday, The Main Line Times of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania posted online an article that begins, “Meeting a deadline Feb. 29, the Friends of the Barnes Foundation and Montgomery County each filed briefs asking Orphan’s Court Judge Stanley Ott to set aside objections raised by the world-renowned art gallery and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and reopen the case of its proposed move from Merion to Philadelphia. Oral arguments in the matter are scheduled to begin in Norristown March 24.”

“Ex-senator’s legal tactics spurned”: Today’s edition of The Washington Times contains an article that begins, “Retired Sen. Mark Dayton has been trying to shield himself from a lawsuit by a former congressional aide by using a legal defense so unusual that it has alienated his former colleagues and been scorned by the courts.”

“Gun debate draws nation”: The Washington Times today contains an article that begins, “The District’s interim attorney general yesterday said the city’s Supreme Court fight to maintain its 30-year-old ban on handguns has prompted hundreds of organizations and individuals to throw in their two cents.”

“A new tack for gay rights; Lawmakers weigh granting couples limited benefits”: This article appears today in The Baltimore Sun.

Today in The Washington Post, Metro columnist Marc Fisher has an essay entitled “Md. Senator at a Loss for Words Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill.”

And The Los Angeles Times contains an article headlined “Same-sex union — it’s personal: As the high court considers the legality, couples who wed in the Bay Area savor the joy of the institution.”

“Another alleged bin Laden driver charged”: Today in The Miami Herald, Carol Rosenberg has an article that begins, “A Pentagon official on Wednesday formally approved charges against another Guantanamo captive who allegedly worked as a driver and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden — this time a Sudanese man.”

And today in The Los Angeles Times, Carol J. Williams reports that “Another Guantanamo prisoner charged with war crimes; An alleged former aide to Osama bin Laden is the 13th detainee at the U.S. military prison to be indicted.”

“Abortion foes peddle ideology”: This editorial appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Swiss bank drops suit against Wikileaks site”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “A Swiss bank dropped its lawsuit Wednesday against the whistle-blowers Web site Wikileaks after stirring up a free-speech furor over a judge’s order, now rescinded, to shut down the site for allowing the posting of private bank documents. Julius Baer & Co. filed a brief notice of dismissal in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, saying it reserves the right to pursue its case at a later date in the same court or elsewhere.”

The organization Electronic Frontier Foundation has posted the dismissal notice at this link.

“Senators seek to cancel easing of cross-ownership; Tribune Co. and other companies with newspapers and broadcast stations in the same city are expected to fight legislation that seeks to invalidate a recent FCC ruling”: Jim Puzzanghera has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

“FBI Chief Confirms Misuse of Subpoenas; Security Letters Used to Get Personal Data”: Dan Eggen has this article today in The Washington Post.

The Los Angeles Times reports today that “FBI says warrantless wiretapping lasted until 2006; Director Robert S. Mueller says reforms intended to curb the use of national security letters to gather data have started working.”

And The New York Times reports that “F.B.I. Says Records Demands Are Curbed.”

“Secure Lawsuits: A Senate bill would allow civil liberties challenges to secret government operations.” This editorial appears today in The Washington Post.

“Death penalty costs Md. more than life term”: Today’s edition of The Baltimore Sun contains an article that begins, “The death penalty has cost Maryland taxpayers at least $186 million more in prosecuting and defending capital murder cases over two decades than would have been spent without the threat of execution, according to a study to be released today.”

And The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports today that “Governor vetoes gun measures; Bills aimed to increase types of crimes eligible for the death penalty.”

“For High School Students, Some Justice; Supreme Court’s Roberts Pays a Visit to Walt Whitman”: Robert Barnes has this article today in The Washington Post. The newspaper reprints some of the questions and answers in this sidebar.

“AutoAdmit defendant sues Yalies; Former director of legal chatroom seeks damages from Law School students for libel, abuse of process”: The Yale Daily News contains this article today.

“Ector County trustees settle Bible lawsuit; Committee will be formed to create new curriculum”: This article appears today in The Midland (Tex.) Reporter-Telegram.

The New York Times reports today that “District to Settle Bible Suit.”

And yesterday, the ACLU issued a news release headlined “Texas School Board Agrees To Stop Teaching Unconstitutional Bible Class In Public Schools.”

“In Trial, Alaska Says Lilly Concealed Risks of a Schizophrenia Drug”: The New York Times contains this article today.

The Associated Press provides a report headlined “State: No Alerts on Zyprexa Side Effects.”

Meanwhile, in local coverage, The Anchorage Daily News reports today that “State claims drug maker hid data; Zyprexa risks weren’t disclosed by Eli Lilly, lawyer says.” And yesterday’s newspaper contained an article headlined “Millions of dollars at stake in Zyprexa trial; State is suing Eli Lilly for not publicizing risks of mental health drug.”

“Gay Marriage Gains Notice in State Court”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

And The New York Sun reports today that “Same-Sex Couples Could Gain Domestic Violence Protections.”

“More judges, prosecutors at risk; 69% increase in threats since 2003”: Today’s edition of USA Today contains an article that begins, “Threats against federal judges and prosecutors are on pace to rise for the fifth consecutive year, according to statistics from the U.S. Marshals Service.”