“Environmental policy a specialty of Obama’s solicitor general”: Greenwire has this article online at the web site of The New York Times.

“‘Survivor’ star Hatch seeks early release from prison”: Katie Mulvaney of The Providence Journal has a blog post that begins, “He bared it all as the ‘Survivor’ show’s first star, and now Richard Hatch wants to get out of jail — immediately.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Survivor winner seeks release from US prison.”

You can access the pro se habeas petition at this link.

“Who’s Policing the Fourth Amendment? Two cases push the unevenly enforced exclusionary rule closer to repeal.” David G. Savage will have this article in the April 2009 issue of the ABA Journal magazine.

“A Busy April for Civil Rights Litigation at the Supreme Court”: Tony Mauro has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Hundreds of Pa. juvenile convictions reversed”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Pennsylvania’s highest court on Thursday overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions issued by a corrupt judge accused of taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send kids to privately owned detention centers.”

The Citizens Voice of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has a news update headlined “Judge orders expungement of juvenile court records.”

And The Philadelphia Inquirer has a news update headlined “Court overturns hundreds of cases in court scandal.”

You can view today’s order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at this link. And the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts today issued a news release headlined “Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Approves Expungement of Juvenile Records in Luzerne County.”

“Former Ala. gov., HealthSouth CEO seek full review”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy are asking the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review arguments to overturn their convictions in a government corruption case.”

Eighth Circuit affirms federal district court decision that orders State of Missouri to issue “Choose Life” specialty license plates: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit at this link.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Appeals court upholds decision requiring Mo. to issue ‘Choose Life’ license plates.”

Police officer who lost sense of smell says this appellate court ruling stinks! The Associated Press has a report headlined “Pa. court OKs removal of officer who can’t smell” that begins, “A Pennsylvania appeals court says a township is allowed to discharge an officer because he lost his sense of smell in an off-duty motorcycle accident.”

You can access today’s ruling of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania at this link.

“Obama Backs Banks, Seeks to Block State Fair-Lending Crackdown”: Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News has a report that begins, “The Obama administration’s call for greater financial regulation may have its limits. The administration late yesterday urged the Supreme Court to bar New York and other states from enforcing their fair-lending and other consumer-protection laws against federally chartered banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co.”

“Arizona’s high court bans school vouchers”: The Arizona Republic today contains an article that begins, “The Arizona Supreme Court on Wednesday declared the state’s school-voucher programs unconstitutional because they violate a ban against appropriating public money for private or religious schools. The unanimous decision shuts the door on vouchers in Arizona unless voters agree to a statewide ballot measure to change the state Constitution.”

And Howard Fischer of The Arizona Daily Star reports today that “AZ vouchers for schools ruled illegal; High-court ruling for public education overturns ’06 programs of Legislature.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Arizona at this link.

“High court unanimous in decisions so far”: Today’s edition of The Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail contains an article that begins, “So far this term, the state Supreme Court has delivered unanimous decisions in every one of the 19 appeals it has heard. The five judges have been in agreement on every case since the term began Jan. 13. It seems to be a shift from recent years. Prior to the November election that changed the make-up of the court, many decisions split the justices 3-2.”

“Is the Bonus Tax Unconstitutional? The Supreme Court defers too much to Congress.” Law professor Richard A. Epstein has this op-ed today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Holder Frames Future at Justice With Portraits From the Past”: FOXNews.com has this report.

“Elena Kagan and the GOP’s perilous partisanship: Thirty-one Republican senators voted against her nomination as solicitor general; That could tempt Obama to ignore the minority’s views when it comes to picking a Supreme Court justice.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“State court leaves room for Lokuta”: Today’s edition of The Citizens Voice of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania contains an article that begins, “Ann H. Lokuta won a huge victory in her fight to regain her seat on the Luzerne County bench Wednesday when the state Supreme Court stopped an election to replace her and opened the door for a possible reargument of her case. The state’s highest court stayed a state Court of Judicial Discipline decision removing Lokuta from the bench. It also ordered the discipline court to determine whether it should reconsider that decision in the light of federal corruption charges lodged against three high-ranking county court officials who testified against Lokuta.” The newspaper also reports today that “Judicial candidates undeterred by ruling.”

And today’s edition of The The Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre contains articles headlined “Ruling: Keep Lokuta seat off ballot; Decision removing judge from office stayed” and “Ruling could keep seat empty until 2012; Although Lokuta not serving, state Supreme Court’s order means her seat is not vacant.”

You can access yesterday’s order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at this link. And former Judge Lokuta’s application for a stay can be accessed here.