How Appealing



Wednesday, March 17, 2010

“Court declines to decide if sexting is pornography”: The Philadelphia Inquirer has a news update that begins, “A federal appeals court in will not decide whether ‘sexting’ is pornography in the case of three Pennsylvania teenagers facing criminal charges for appearing in cell phone photographs partly clothed.”

My earlier coverage of today’s Third Circuit ruling appears at this link.

Posted at 7:51 PM by Howard Bashman



“Senate sends R.I.’s Thompson to appeals court”: The Providence Journal has a news update that begins, “The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to seat Rhode Island Superior court Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. On a vote of 98 to 0, the Senate confirmed President Obama’s nomination of Thompson to the traditional ‘Rhode Island seat” on the Boston-based federal appeals court.”

Posted at 5:23 PM by Howard Bashman



“Threatening posts not protected free speech”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “A state appeals court says a 15-year-old boy whose Web site was flooded with anti-gay slurs and threats can sue a schoolmate who admitted posting a menacing message but described it as a joke. In a 2-1 ruling Monday, the Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles said the violent language of the message — threatening to ‘rip out your … heart and feed it to you’ and to ‘pound your head in with an ice pick’ — conveyed a harmful intent that is not protected by the right of free speech.”

And Carol J. Williams of The Los Angeles Times has a blog post titled “Private school students’ gay-bashing not free speech, court rules.”

You can access Monday’s ruling of California’s Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, Division One, at this link.

Posted at 2:58 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court: Pa. DA can’t bring ‘sexting’ charges.” The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has ruled that a Pennsylvania prosecutor may not pursue felony charges against a teenage girl in a ‘sexting’ case. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in a criminal case involving the pervasive problem in which teens exchange sexually explicit photos and e-mails on their cell phones.”

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

Posted at 2:50 PM by Howard Bashman



“Study Shows Money Flooding into Campaigns for State Judgeships; Justices Ginsburg, O’Connor Say Fundraising Could Corrupt System, Reform is Needed”: ABCNews.com has this report.

Posted at 2:19 PM by Howard Bashman



“Senate Girds for Next Court Fight”: Today’s issue of Roll Call contains an article that begins, “A second Supreme Court confirmation fight during this Congress is all but certain to bring the Senate to a virtual standstill. But Senators in both parties don’t appear to be cowering from the fight; rather, they seem to be encouraging it.”

Posted at 8:10 AM by Howard Bashman