“Scalia at Stetson praises original intent view of Constitution”: This article appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Born To The Bench; Chief Justice Nominee Called A Natural To Take Charge Of Judicial Branch”: Lynne Tuohy has this article today in The Hartford Courant.

And this evening, Tuohy had a news update headlined “Chief Justice Nominee’s Hearing Begins.”

“A Tale of Two Guantanamo Sentences”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Day to Day.”

And The Los Angeles Times today contains an article headlined “Release of ‘American Taliban’ is urged; John Walker Lindh’s parents contrast his five years in prison with the 9-month sentence recently given a Guantanamo detainee.”

“Supreme Court: More Scrutiny Required in Whistleblower Claims; Recent ruling could lead to fewer recoveries for whistleblowers.” Marcia Coyle has this article online at law.com.

“Georgia Thompson’s conviction reversed”: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides a news update that begins, “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has reversed the convictions of Georgia Thompson and ordered her released from prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Milwaukee. Thompson, a former state purchasing employee, was convicted of steering a travel contract to a company whose executives had given the campaign of Gov. Jim Doyle large contributions.”

And The Wisconsin State Journal provides a news update that begins, “Appeals court tosses out ‘Travelgate’ conviction linked to Doyle — evidence called ‘thin,’ charges unfounded.”

The Seventh Circuit‘s reversal with instructions to enter a judgment of acquittal came today just hours after this morning’s oral argument. You can access the Seventh Circuit’s order both here and here. You can download today’s oral argument audio via this link (mp3 file). The trial court’s order releasing the defendant from prison can be accessed here.

Also available online are press releases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendant’s attorney, and the Governor of Wisconsin.

“Is Crawford, the Indiana Voter Identification Case, Likely to Be Heard by the Supreme Court?” Law Professor Rick Hasen has this interesting post at his “Election Law” blog.

“Senior justice has a leading role at pivotal juncture; Stevens leads liberal bloc that faces re-energized conservatives; He has prevailed in recent rulings, working closely with swing vote Kennedy”: Joan Biskupic has this article today in USA Today.

Atlanta Braves 8, Philadelphia Phillies 4: After losing the first two games of the new season to the Braves in extra innings, the Phillies managed to lose more efficiently today, without any need for extra frames. The weather was bitterly cold and windy, and snow flurries were falling throughout much of the game. The Phillies had twelve hits — three more than the Braves — but those hits only managed to produce a total of two runs. The other two runs that the Phillies scored came in the ninth inning, without any hits from the Phillies, when the bullpen for the Braves allowed five walks.

The Phillies are now heading to south Florida, where they will have a three-game weekend series against the Marlins. Perhaps the warmer weather there will awaken the Phillies bats. Or perhaps another forgettable April will once again create a substantial obstacle to making the playoffs come October.

Today’s box score can be accessed at this link, while wraps are available here and here.

Programming note: Despite the cold weather, my son and I will be attending this afternoon’s baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Today, our seats are located in this section. You can view previews of the game here and here.

Over the dissent of four judges, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit denies rehearing en banc of divided three-judge panel ruling that rejected challenge to Indiana’s voter ID law: You can access today’s order denying rehearing en banc, and the accompanying dissent of Circuit Judge Diane P. Wood, at this link.

The original three-judge panel’s ruling can be accessed here, while my coverage of that earlier decision appears here and here.

Eighth Circuit reinstates African-American couple’s federal civil rights lawsuit against retailer Dillard’s based on allegation that that they were prevented from closing a purchase by the discriminatory conduct of a Dillard’s employee who refused to wait on them and called them a racist epithet: Today’s ruling reverses the grant of summary judgment in favor of Dillard’s on the couple’s claim arising under 42 U.S.C. sec. 1981.

“Allow assisted suicide: California’s lawmakers should pass a bill to give the terminally ill control over their lives.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

Details on how to attend this year’s Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference: Looks kinda secretive, as details on the program, occurring next month in Atlanta, are only being provided via return mail. By contrast, the Seventh Circuit‘s Judicial Conference, occuring next month in Milwaukee, puts its detailed program out there for all to see.

“The real crime in the David Hicks case: Any legal system in which a supposed deadly terrorist goes free by admitting his crime is a disgrace.” Ben Wizner has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Gonzales Prepares to Fight for His Job in Testimony”: This front page article appears today in The Washington Post.

And The Los Angeles Times today contains an editorial entitled “Compromise on White House testimony: The administration should listen to the Democrats’ proposed rules on White House officials speaking before Congress on the U.S. attorney firings.”

“A journalist in his own mind”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Debra J. Saunders has an op-ed that begins, “There is an old journalist’s saw that says you shouldn’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. No wonder newspapers, including The Chronicle, have referred to blogger Josh Wolf, 24, as ‘the longest imprisoned journalist’ in America. There is, after all, nothing more seductive to those in this profession than a story about a plucky journalist who stands up to authoritarian power and goes to jail to preserve his right to protect his sources. So who cares if Wolf is not a journalist?”

And online at the First Amendment Center, Gene Policinski has an essay entitled “Now-freed Josh Wolf went to jail … why?”

“Unusual Allies in a Legal Battle Over Texas Drivers’ Gun Rights”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“Justices ponder city’s pit bull law; Case arises from Toledo, state limits on owning vicious dogs”: The Toledo Blade contains this article today.

And The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reports today that “State justices consider limits on pit bulls.”

You can view online yesterday’s oral argument before the Supreme Court of Ohio by clicking here (RealPlayer required).

“Koh considered likely candidate for Court”: This article, part two of a two-part profile, appears today in The Yale Daily News. The article begins, “The first-ever Asian-American Supreme Court justice — still several years away from his nomination — may be sitting today in the dean’s office of Yale Law School. At Washington, D.C., cocktail hours, on the pages of the New York Times, in the minds of his students and colleagues, Law School Dean Harold Hongju Koh is perhaps more well-positioned than most other legal-minded liberals to one day sit on the highest court in the land.”

“Court: Scout Jamboree May Receive Federal Help.” Josh Gerstein has this article today in The New York Sun.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports today that “Ruling lets jamboree stay at A.P. Hill; ACLU ponders next move; plaintiffs argued event was equal to endorsing a religion.”

And The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, Virginia reports that “Jamboree suit fails on appeal; Federal Appeals Court reverses ban on government funding for the National Scout Jamboree.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Seventh Circuit ruling can be accessed here.

“Justice Alito honored at Duquesne U.; Worked with the late Judge Mansmann”: This article appears today in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

And The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports today that “Alito gets award in Pittsburgh named for friend.”