“Court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court review likely”: Robert Barnes will have this article Saturday in The Washington Post.

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor reports that “Appeals court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court could loom; A federal court on Friday rejected an Alabama county’s argument that a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights act is outdated; That could set the stage for a Supreme Court hearing.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Marcia Coyle has a post titled “D.C. Circuit Upholds Key Section of Voting Rights Act.”

“Top Pa. judge charged with campaign corruption”: The Associated Press has this report.

And Reuters reports that “Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge charged with corruption.”

“Federal Circuit Will Hear Judges’ Back-Pay Challenge”: At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Marcia Coyle has this post reporting on an order granting rehearing en banc that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued today.

My earlier coverage of the now vacated three-judge panel’s ruling can be accessed here.

“Citizens United Foes John McCain, Sheldon Whitehouse Take Argument To Supreme Court”: Mike Sacks of The Huffington Post has this report.

“Voting Law’s ‘Preclearance’ Provision Upheld On Appeal”: Bloomberg News has this report.

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

“Federal appeals panel hears CIA leak case in Va.” The Associated Press has this updated report.

“Ninth Circuit Recognizes Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain”: The Public Information Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued this news release.

Longtime readers of this blog may recall that Judge O’Scannlain was the first Ninth Circuit judge, and the second judge overall, to participate in this blog’s “20 questions for the appellate judge” feature. You can access my interview with Judge O’Scannlain, originally published on March 1, 2003, by clicking here.

“Edmondson to take senior status on appeals court”: Bill Rankin of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a news update that begins, “Judge J.L. ‘Larry’ Edmondson has told President Barack Obama he will take senior status on July 15, opening up another vacancy on the federal appeals court in Atlanta.”

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has issued an order stating that “Madame Justice Orie Melvin is hereby relieved of any and all judicial and administrative responsibilities as a Justice”: You can access today’s order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at this link.

A second order issued today by Pennsylvania’s highest court directs the Court Administrator of Pennsylvania to “take such steps as are necessary to secure the records, files and equipment which are the property of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania” located at Justice Orie Melvin’s Pittsburgh office and further directs that those premises are to be vacated pending further order of the court.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has posted a copy of the criminal complaint issued today at this link.

“Maryland court recognizes same-sex marriages for purpose of divorce; Out-of-state gay marriages recognized”: The Baltimore Sun has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Md. highest court recognizes same-sex divorce.”

You can access today’s ruling of the Court of Appeals of Maryland — that state’s highest court — at this link.

“Justice Joan Orie Melvin to step away from state Supreme Court to fight charges”: Paula Reed Ward of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a news update that begins, “State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin this morning informed the court that she will voluntarily recuse from all duties because nine criminal counts will be filed against her today. According to a letter submitted to Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille by Justice Melvin’s attorney, she will surrender at 2 p.m. to receive the charges contained in the grand jury presentment.”

Majority on divided three-judge D.C. Circuit panel rejects challenge to the continued constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today issued its ruling in the case captioned Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder.

This blog’s earlier coverage of the federal district court’s decision in the case, which today’s D.C. Circuit ruling affirms, can be accessed here and here.

At his “Election Law Blog,” Rick Hasen has a post titled “Breaking News: Divided D.C. Circuit Panel Upholds Constitutionality of Voting Rights Act, Teeing Up Issue for Supreme Court.”

In other early coverage, Mary Orndorff of The Birmingham News has an update headlined “Shelby County loses appeal; Voting Rights Act is upheld by federal court.”

And Pete Yost of The Associated Press reports that “Appeals court upholds key voting rights provision.”

“Fourth Circuit to hear big campaign finance oral argument in Richmond”: Kevin C. Walsh has this post at his “walshslaw” blog.

“Federal appeals panel to hear CIA leak case”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals panel will hear the case of an ex-CIA officer charged with leaking classified information about Iran’s nuclear program to a New York Times reporter.”

“Allegheny County DA charges state Supreme Court Justice Melvin”: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a news update that begins, “Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. this morning charged state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin with nine criminal counts, including four felonies, following a lengthy grand jury investigation into accusations she used her state-paid staff for campaign work.”

You can access today’s statement of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Office at this link.

“Candidates duke it out in races for Texas Supreme Court”: This article appears today in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“Supreme Court to make life and death decision on landmark appeal in December”: In today’s edition of The Toronto Globe and Mail, Kirk Makin has an article that begins, “The Supreme Court of Canada has left little doubt that it intends to create a blueprint for end-of-life treatment when it hears a landmark appeal next December.”

“State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin expected to be charged today”: In today’s edition of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Paula Reed Ward has an article that begins, “State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin is expected to be charged today as a result of a grand jury investigation looking into improper campaign activity, according to a source familiar with the investigation.”

And The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports today that “No charges filed yet against Melvin.”

“Court denies motion to reconsider pardons”: Today’s edition of The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi contains an article that begins, “The Mississippi Supreme Court has denied Attorney General Jim Hood’s motion to reconsider a ruling that validated then-Gov. Haley Barbour’s pardons.”

And CNN.com reports that “Mississippi Supreme Court again upholds pardons.”