“[A] federal judge always is disqualified from hearing a collateral attack on a judgment he or she entered or affirmed as a state judge”: So holds a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in an opinion that Circuit Judge Frank H. Easterbrook issued today.

“Court reinstates Ohio’s Freddie Mac suit over pension losses”: The Associated Press has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued today.

“Pants on fire: Man ignites himself while burning American flag outside RNC.” Adam Ferrise of The Cleveland Plain Dealer has this report. According to the article, “A witness to the protest said Gregory Lee ‘Joey’ Johnson lit the flag on fire is now demanding that he be released from custody. Johnson is famous for a legal battle that set a U.S. Supreme Court precedent in 1989 that says burning an American flag is protected speech.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Arrestee involved in original flag burning case.”

“U.S. appeals court voids forfeiture of Iran-linked New York office tower”: Jonathan Stempel of Reuters has this report.

And The Associated Press reports that “US court reverses record forfeiture order over Iran assets.”

You can access here and here today’s two rulings of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in this matter.

“Appeals court says Texas voter-ID law discriminates against minorities”: Robert Barnes of The Washington Post has this report.

Manny Fernandez and Erik Eckholm of The New York Times report that “Federal Court Rules Texas’ ID Law Violates Voting Rights Act.”

Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal reports that “Federal Court Orders Texas to Change Voter ID Law Before November; Ruling says law violates the Voting Rights Act.”

Richard Wolf of USA Today reports that “Appeals court strikes down Texas voter ID law.”

Jamie Lovegrove of The Dallas Morning News reports that “Appeals court calls Texas voter ID law discriminatory, orders changes.”

Jon Herskovitz and Lawrence Hurley of Reuters report that “U.S. appeals court finds Texas voter ID law discriminatory.”

The Associated Press has a report headlined “Appeals court: Texas voter ID law discriminates; orders fix.”

Ariane de Vogue of CNN.com has an article headlined “Appeals court: Texas voter ID law violates Voting Rights Act.”

Josh Gerstein of Politico.com has an article headlined “Appeals court: Texas voter ID law violates Voting Rights Act; Identification-check law looks likely to be watered down in November.”

Jim Malewitz of The Texas Tribune reports that “Texas Voter ID Law Violates Voting Rights Act, Court Rules.”

Kim Bellware of The Huffington Post reports that “Appeals Court Strikes Down Texas Voter ID Law As Violation Of Voting Rights Act; The nation’s strictest voter ID law was ruled to be racially discriminatory.”

This evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment titled “Appeals Court Demands Changes To Texas Voter ID Law.”

And at his “Election Law Blog,” Rick Hasen has a post titled “Divided 5th Circuit Holds Texas Voter ID Law Violates Voting Rights Act.”

You can access today’s en banc ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.

“Still A Conservative Court”: Adam Feldman has this post today at his “Empirical SCOTUS” blog.

“Perhaps previewing coming SCOTUS work in Beckles, four Eleventh Circuit judges make case against circuit’s refusal to apply Johnson to guidelines”: Douglas A. Berman had this post yesterday at his “Sentencing Law and Policy” blog about several quite interesting separate opinions that a few different judges serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued recently.

Although eight of the 11 judges now in regular active service on the Eleventh Circuit were the appointees of Democratic presidents, that federal appellate court remains far from a liberal bastion when it comes to criminal justice matters. Nevertheless, as Berman’s post explains, “Circuit Judges Wilson and (Jill) Pryor and Rosenbaum and Martin [recently issued separate opinions] all explaining why they think Matchett is so wrong and so troublesome as we await a SCOTUS ruling in Beckles.” Four of the five judges whom President Obama has appointed to the Eleventh Circuit are women, and they have not hesitated to speak up when they disagree about the conservative path that the Eleventh Circuit has frequently chosen to follow in criminal justice matters.

“Justice Ginsburg: Political and Efficient All Wrapped Up in One.” Adam Feldman had this post Monday at his “Empirical SCOTUS” blog.