“Decision nears for changing athletes’ seasons; Supreme Court to look at Michigan case today; rejection would bring new schedules in fall”: This article appeared yesterday in The Detroit News.

And The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported yesterday that “MHSAA awaits high court ruling; Supreme Court considers season switch appeal.”

“Eminent domain holdouts sell; Two others still weighing their options”: Today’s edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer contains an article that begins, “Joy and Carl Gamble Jr. have reluctantly decided to give up plans to move back into the home they spent three years fighting to save from demolition in the landmark Norwood eminent domain battle. Because of serious health concerns, the Gambles have agreed to sell their house in Norwood to Rookwood Partners for $650,000 – or $370,000 more than the value a jury had placed on their property in the early part of the court fight.”

“High court won’t rule on policy; But another lawsuit planned over county’s strip-searches”: The Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, South Dakota today contains an article that begins, “A court’s ruling protecting Minnehaha County’s policy of strip-searching juvenile delinquents will stand, but an opposing lawyer said he’ll try the case again with hundreds of new plaintiffs. The U.S. Supreme Court said this week it will not hear the case of Jodie Smook, who as a 16-year-old in 1999 was required to strip to her underwear when she was held at the county’s juvenile detention center for violating curfew.”

“Pa. high court’s burden: Bob Brady’s case adds another load for a court that has been perceived as playing politics.” The Philadelphia Inquirer today contains an article that begins, “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has long had its issues – tiffs with the legislature, castigation of critics, even the impeachment in the mid-1990s of an errant justice. But perhaps the most enduring issue has been that it has not always been seen as a bastion of political independence. The decision last year to uphold pay raises for judges – while killing the raise for legislators – only fueled its image as a court too caught up in politics.”

Boston Red Sox 7, Philadelphia Phillies 5 (preseason): Dice-K was credited with the win (access the box score at this link), giving up three runs over four innings. He appears to have a deceptive mix of pitches, but he wasn’t always throwing them with great control. Not sure if he was featuring the gyroball as that’s not a pitch description that the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park features. The first regular season game for the Phillies is on Monday, and my son and I will be there, as noted in this earlier post.

“Australian Critics See Politics in Detainee Deal”: The New York Times on Sunday will contain an article that begins, “In Australia, Prime Minister John Howard is facing accusations that the relatively brief sentence and yearlong order of silence on Guantanamo detainee David Hicks resulted from governmental pressure, charges he dismissed as ‘absurd.'”

“The Conscience of the Colonel: Lt. Col. Stuart Couch volunteered to prosecute terrorists; Then he decided one had been tortured.” Jess Bravin has this front page article (pass-through link) today in The Wall Street Journal.

And speaking of baseball: I was pleased to note that the Milwaukee Brewers will be playing at home during this year’s session of the Seventh Circuit’s Judicial Conference, at which I will be speaking. Based on the schedule of events, it appears that my best bet is to catch the game on the afternoon of Sunday, May 6, 2007 between the Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Although I once attended a Brewers game at Milwaukee County Stadium (versus the Atlanta Braves), I have yet to set foot inside Miller Park.

“Judge’s jury award cut; High court justice gets $3 million less”: The Chicago Tribune today contains an article that begins, “Saying a $7 million verdict ‘shocks this judicial conscience,’ a trial judge Friday lopped $3 million from the amount a jury awarded to a state Supreme Court justice in a defamation case.”

The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois reports today that “Justice’s libel award cut in half; Judge says state chief justice got too much money.”

And The Kane County Chronicle contains an article headlined “Damages drop in libel case.”

Update: WSJ.com’s “Law Blog” has posted the trial court’s ruling granting remittitur at this link.

“Testimony keeps Gonzales on the defensive; He’s asked to clear one of the fired federal prosecutors; Congress interviews a Justice aide”: The Los Angeles Times contains this article today. And Law Professor Douglas W. Kmiec has an op-ed entitled “In defense of Alberto Gonzales: When the attorney general testifies before a Senate committee, he’ll have precedent and the Constitution on his side.”

The Boston Globe reports today that “In Hub visit, Gonzales defends dismissals; AG says firings weren’t improper.” The newspaper also contains an editorial entitled “An enlarging scandal at Justice.”

And The New York Times contains an editorial entitled “Avoiding Secret Testimony.”

“Plea deal gets Australian nine months on terror charges; A military jury decided on a seven-year sentence but was preempted”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

And in The Miami Herald, Carol Rosenberg has an article headlined “Aussie captive’s deal: freedom by year-end; In a surprise deal, an al Qaeda foot soldier from Australia trades silence on any possible Guantanamo abuse for a nine-month prison sentence in his homeland.”

“Government argues Jefferson raid valid”: Today’s issue of The Washington Times contains an article that begins, “FBI agents who raided Rep. William J. Jefferson’s Capitol Hill offices last year in a bribery investigation did not violate the law when they seized papers and electronic files, the government argued yesterday in documents filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.”

“Fenty, Groups Rally Against Court Ruling; Leaders, Youth Activists Decry Bid to Weaken Restrictions”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “Standing before about three dozen students and young adults, Ron Moten, the co-founder of the advocacy group Peaceoholics, painted a grim picture yesterday to illustrate why he hopes to save the District ban on handguns.”

“An Upcoming Supreme Court Fourth Amendment Decision: Can a Passenger Be Constitutionally Searched After an Unconstitutional Traffic Stop?” Vikram David Amar has this essay online at FindLaw.