How Appealing



Friday, April 3, 2009

“Iowa Court Voids Gay Marriage Ban”: This article will appear Saturday in The New York Times.

Saturday’s edition of The Washington Post will report that “Iowa Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage; Ban Violated Constitutional Rights, State Supreme Court Rules.”

Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle has a news update headlined “Iowa high court backs same-sex marriage.”

And The Des Moines Register has news updates headlined “Hundreds rally to celebrate Supreme Court decision“; “People at Des Moines’ gay bars say cheers“; and “Gay marriage opponents push for action from lawmakers.”

Posted at 11:28 PM by Howard Bashman



“Baltimore Officer’s First Amendment Lawsuit Reinstated”: Saturday in The Washington Post, Jerry Markon will have an article that begins, “A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit filed by a police officer who said he was fired because he gave information to a reporter, handing the media a rare victory in the legal battle over confidential sources.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Fourth Circuit ruling appears at this link.

Posted at 11:18 PM by Howard Bashman



“‘Holy Hell’ Over Torture Memos: Attorney General Eric Holder wants to release classified Bush-era interrogation memos; But U.S. intel officials are fiercely lobbying the White House to block him from moving forward.” Michael Isikoff has this online exclusive at Newsweek’s web site.

Posted at 4:47 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court asked to block release of sex offenders”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The Obama administration is seeking to block the release of sex offenders who have completed their federal prison terms, despite federal court rulings invalidating a law allowing the indefinite commitment of ‘sexually dangerous’ prison inmates.”

Posted at 4:44 PM by Howard Bashman



“MoFo’s Brinkmann to Head DOJ’s Civil Appellate”: Mike Scarcella has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

Posted at 2:20 PM by Howard Bashman



“D.C. Vote Memo Called Informal; Holder’s Query Is Subject of Debate”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “After receiving a legal memo that declared the pending D.C. voting rights bill unconstitutional, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. reached out to another lawyer on whose judgment he had relied for years. Holder contacted Deputy Solicitor General Neal K. Katyal, who served as one of his advisers in the Justice Department during the Clinton era. Katyal gave Holder, who said he had already decided that the bill passed muster, an informal view that the measure could be defended in court if Congress passed it and the president signed it.”

Posted at 10:05 AM by Howard Bashman



BREAKING NEWS — “Iowa Supreme Court upholds Hanson’s ruling; marriage no longer limited to one man, one woman”: The Des Moines Register has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Iowa court says gay marriage ban unconstitutional.”

Today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Iowa can be accessed here. Because that court’s web site has been overwhelmed with visits this morning, I have posted a back-up copy of the ruling at this link.

The court’s unanimous ruling begins, “In this case, we must decide if our state statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the Iowa Constitution, as the district court ruled. On our review, we hold the Iowa marriage statute violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. Therefore, we affirm the decision of the district court.”

Posted at 9:45 AM by Howard Bashman



“Baltimore judge nominated for U.S. appeals court; Andre M. Davis gets second shot at the seat”: This article appears today in The Baltimore Sun.

Posted at 9:14 AM by Howard Bashman



“Court tackles intimidation of witnesses; N.J. justices urge Legislature to protect threatened people”: Today’s edition of The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger contains an article that begins, “New Jersey’s highest court waded into the growing problem of witness intimidation yesterday, recommending the Legislature create a law denying defense lawyers the right to cross-examine people who had been threatened. The state Supreme Court recommended lawmakers enact a measure saying the statement of an intimidated witness — taken earlier by police or prosecutors — could be used at trial, even if the person had become too frightened to take the stand.”

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

Posted at 9:05 AM by Howard Bashman



“LR schools declared desegregated”: Today’s edition of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette contains an article that begins, “The Little Rock School District – supervised by federal courts longer than any other desegregating school district in the nation – is ‘completely unitary,’ a federal appeals court panel affirmed Thursday.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Eighth Circuit ruling appears at this link.

Posted at 8:37 AM by Howard Bashman



“Judge Rules Some Prisoners at Bagram Have Right of Habeas Corpus”: Charlie Savage has this article today in The New York Times.

Today’s edition of The Washington Post contains a front page article headlined “3 Detained in Afghanistan Can Take Challenges to U.S. Court; Habeas Ruling Is a Blow to Administration.”

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times reports that “Some prisoners at Bagram air base can challenge detentions, judge rules; He says the detainees who were shipped from outside Afghanistan to Bagram air base were in legal terms ‘virtually identical’ to those sent to Guantanamo.”

And Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor reports that “Terror suspects held in Afghanistan may challenge their detention; A federal judge applies the same principles as the Supreme Court ordered at Guantanamo, which presents a challenge to the Obama administration.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at this link.

Posted at 8:35 AM by Howard Bashman



“Renovations cost $43,000 to refurbish new office for former Chief Justice Frank Williams”: This article appears today in The Providence (R.I.) Journal.

Posted at 8:17 AM by Howard Bashman



“Iowa’s gay marriage ruling today”: The Des Moines Register today contains an article that begins, “Social conservatives and gay rights supporters are braced for a landmark Iowa Supreme Court decision that could strengthen the state’s decade-old marriage law or allow same-sex couples to wed.”

When the Supreme Court of Iowa posts the ruling online this morning, you should be able to access the decision via this link.

Posted at 7:58 AM by Howard Bashman