“As a Man of Letters, Roberts Showed Practicality and Humor”: This article will appear Saturday in The New York Times.
Saturday’s edition of Newsday will contain an article headlined “Roberts’ legal drill on LI; Supreme Court nominee was lawyer who backed evacuation test, despite county opposition.”
And this evening’s broadcast of the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” contained a segment featuring Jan Crawford Greenburg entitled “Documents Shed More Light On Roberts’ Work as Counsel” (RealPlayer required).
Available online from law.com: In news from Texas, “Merck Ponders Grounds for Appeal in Wake of $253M Vioxx Verdict; Texas jury finds for plaintiff in first civil Vioxx trial against drug maker” and “Lottery Winner Not So Lucky After All, 5th Circuit Says.”
An article reports that “State Justices Defend Attorney-Client Privilege; Judges also speak out for habeas rights, innocence projects.”
And in other news, “11th Circuit: Whistleblower Claims Should Go to a Jury.”
“New tolerance for Ten Commandments display”: At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has this interesting post about today’s en banc ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which I earlier noted here.
On this evening’s broadcast of NPR‘s “All Things Considered“: The broadcast contained segments entitled “Groups Push for Release of Roberts Documents” (featuring Nina Totenberg) and “Widow Awarded $250 Million in Vioxx Death Suit.” RealPlayer is required to launch these audio segments.
Cross burning and free speech: A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued this decision today.
“Democrats to target Roberts’ views on race, gender equality”: James Kuhnhenn of Knight Ridder Newspapers provides this report.
And PlanetOut Network offers a report headlined “Roberts memo on AIDS raises concern.”
“John Roberts’ Woman Problem: The humorless feminists strike again.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.
The Associated Press is reporting: Hope Yen reports that “Roberts Scoffed at Promotion for O’Connor.”
And in other news, “Sen. Reid Reports Suffering Mild Stroke.”
Available online from The Daily Journal of California: Today’s issue contained an article by Brent Kendall headlined “Nominee backed support for religion” and an article by Lawrence Hurley headlined “Decades-old Roberts memo applies to today’s old Court.”
And yesterday, Brent Kendall had an article headlined “Republican Senator wants to ‘wait and see’ about Roberts.”
“Roberts’ 1st ‘Ticket’ to Court Came in ’84”: The Associated Press provides this report.
“Jury: Merck negligent; Merck blamed for death in Vioxx suit; jury awards $253 million in damages; Drug giant to appeal.” CNN/Money provides this report.
And Reuters reports that “Widow awarded $253 million in first Vioxx trial.”
“US rights groups seek release of more Roberts memos”: Reuters provides this report.
“Student Wins Verdict Over T-Shirt Flap; Student’s T-Shirt Called Homosexuality A Sin”: The Associated Press provides this report. My earlier coverage is here.
“Judges now free to speak their mind; Jurists may respond to questionnaires if they choose”: The Anchorage Daily News yesterday contained an article that begins, “A rule barring state judges from expressing opinions on controversial issues outside the courtroom is unconstitutional, according to a ruling issued by a federal judge in Anchorage.”
You can access the recent ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska at this link.
“CAFC takes a new look at ‘rear end’ definition”: The blog “Patently-O: Patent Law Blog” provides this post about the ruling I noted yesterday in a post titled “Not exactly on par with the Fifth Circuit’s recent ‘Back That Azz Up’ opinion.”
“In search of meatier memos from Roberts; Liberal and environmental groups seek documents from stint as deputy solicitor general; Bush and Specter oppose release of such memos”: Tom Curry, national affairs writer for MSNBC, provides this report.
“Court reverses $1 bil. State Farm verdict”: This article appears today in The Chicago Sun-Times.
The Chicago Tribune today contains articles headlined “State Farm ruling tossed out by court; $1.18 billion judgment overturned; decision could cut class actions” and “Cigarette case before court; Altria stock boosted by State Farm ruling.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch contains articles headlined “Illinois high court rejects award against State Farm” and “Aftermarket parts debate has raged for years.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that “Verdict Against State Farm Is Tossed; Illinois Supreme Court rejects plaintiffs’ class status in a $1-billion auto parts case.”
And The Madison County Record reports that “Illinois Supreme Court’s ‘Avery’ decision rips through appellate court.”
“Vioxx Maker Found Liable in Man’s Death”: The Associated Press provides this report, which notes that the jury awarded damages totaling $253.4 million.
“Philosophical Reflections”: Timothy J. Dowling, chief counsel of Community Rights Counsel, has this U.S. Supreme Court nominee-related op-ed today in The Daily Journal of California.
The religion of atheism: Today a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has reinstated a prison inmate’s federal civil rights claim alleging that a Wisconsin correctional institution violated the inmate’s rights under the establishment clause of the First Amendment when the prison refused to allow the inmate to create an inmate study group devoted to atheism. You can access today’s ruling at this link.
“The People’s Court — Ed Helms takes a look at the f*#@ing awesome job Supreme Court nominee John Roberts might score.” Be sure not to miss this video clip (Windows Media) from “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (via “Bench Memos“).
En banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit overturns order requiring the removal of Plattsmouth, Nebraska’s Ten Commandments monument: You can access today’s ruling at this link. Back in February 2004, as I then reported here, a divided three-judge Eighth Circuit panel reached the opposite result, with the author of today’s majority en banc opinion in dissent. You can view an image of the monument at this link.
“Unfounded Fodder: The zealots behind Justice Sunday II are selling their vision of the Constitution to an unwitting public; Liberals need to pitch their own.” Adele M. Stan has this essay online at The American Prospect.
“Roberts’ Papers Shed Light on Reagan Years”: Nina Totenberg had this report (RealPlayer required) on today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”
“Documents Show Roberts’ Conservative Side”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press provides this report.
In news from Kansas: The Wichita Eagle reports today that “Kline sues to stop state-paid abortions.”
The Kansas City Star reports today that “Kline backs fetal right to life in suit over abortions.”
And The Lawrence Journal-World reports today that “Kline sues Sebelius to end state-funded abortion; Attorney general wants court to rule that life begins at fertilization.”
“Nominee’s Memos Critical of Gender-Equality Efforts”: David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times, which also reports that “Reagan Files Paint Court Nominee as a Watchdog.”
In The Chicago Tribune, Naftali Bendavid and Jan Crawford Greenburg report today that “Critics say women’s issues could be pitfall for Roberts.”
In The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Michael McGough reports that “Roberts data hit gender equality issue.”
In The Boston Globe, Charlie Savage and Rick Klein report that “Roberts, as Reagan aide, backed national ID card; Trove of judge’s papers released.”
USA Today contains articles headlined “Roberts argued for national ID card in 1983; Records show bit of independent streak” and “It’s quite a fight, and some of it’s about nominee; Groups concentrate on firing up backers and raising money for the next battle.”
Newsday contains an article headlined “Conservative memos.”
The San Francisco Chronicle contains an article headlined “Boxer and Feinstein: Two pro-choice senators, two views of John Roberts.”
The Easton (Pa.) Express-Times contains an article headlined “A Supreme Debate: Upcoming Roberts hearings ignite controversy and speculation about abortion laws changing.”
And FOXNews.com provides a report headlined “Roberts’ Shepherd Hopes to Lead to the Supreme Court.”
In commentary, The Des Moines Register contains an editorial entitled “Roberts appears a lock, but give him due scrutiny; Public deserves vetting of his views on fundamental rights.”
In The Washington Post, Dana Milbank’s “Washington Sketch” column is entitled “Newshounds on the Paper Chase.” And U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy has an op-ed entitled “Why Roberts’s Views Matter.”
Finally, FindLaw commentator Vikram David Amar has an essay entitled “More on the Propriety of Asking Judge Roberts to Comment on Specific Past Supreme Court Rulings.”
“Seattle man forced from Navy fights ‘don’t ask, don’t tell'”: This article appears today in The Seattle Times.
“Olson helping Kansas defend death penalty”: The Kansas City Star today contains an article that begins, “Attorney General Phill Kline has recruited one of the country’s legal heavyweights to help defend the Kansas death penalty law before the U.S. Supreme Court.”
“Court sides with Navy in dispute over abortion; Judges couldn’t consider fact that deformed fetus would die”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer contains this article today.
The New York Times reports today that “Court Rules U.S. Need Not Pay for Abortion of Doomed Fetus.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that “Court Upholds Restrictions on Pentagon Coverage of Abortions; The medical plan won’t pay for a sailor’s wife’s procedure; Her fetus had a fatal birth defect.”
And in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Navy wins appeal in abortion case; Woman must pay, even though fetus was nonviable, because her life wasn’t in danger.”
