“Paw prints in judge’s office spell end for masked bandit”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides a news update that begins, “The judge took it in with a swift look — the papers in disarray; the remainders of what the thief had left; footprints leading away from the scene. Analysts came. They photographed the scene, took an inventory of missing goods, and agreed: a bandit had breached security at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building. No longer. Authorities trapped the bandit Monday morning as he prowled in the ceiling above offices where judges dispense justice. Now, extradition awaits the masked intruder, a young raccoon.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Raccoon’s courthouse crime spree ends with capture.”

The Associated Press is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined “Bonds seeks dismissal of most of criminal case“; “Leaking battery forces D.C. courthouse evacuation“; “Gay marriage foes mobilize for ban in California“; and “Ban on unmarried adoptions cleared for Ark. ballot.”

“Union members have right to picket malls, court rules”: Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle has a news update that begins, “California shopping malls can’t prohibit union members from carrying picket signs, standing on sidewalks or picketing during the peak holiday season, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned restrictions on picketing imposed by a company that manages shopping centers in Santa Cruz and Sacramento.”

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

Welcome back, readers! I’m pleased to report that my family and I had a wonderful time visiting the Galapagos Islands last week. Thanks to Lindblad Expeditions for a tremendously exciting and informative vacation. Among those on the boat with us were a former employee of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts who had worked on court rule revision issues. Also on the trip was a school teacher in the Louisville public school system who had an interesting perspective on the U.S. Supreme Court‘s recent race-based school assignment ruling. Coincidentally, the teacher resides close to the home of Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Danny J. Boggs.

Although we were supposed to arrive home early this morning, so-called “crew legalities” — namely, the rule that pilots must have ten hours’ rest after a day of work — prevented our flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador from departing on time to Miami on Sunday morning, meaning that we missed our connection last night to Philadelphia. Instead, we arrived home this evening.

After flying from the Galapagos Islands to mainland Ecuador midday this past Saturday, my family and I that evening toured the must-see riverfront development in Guayaquil known as the Malecon followed by a very tasty dinner at El Caracol Azul. Taxi service in Guayaquil is very inexpensive, and gasoline prices are under two dollars per gallon. (Although Ecuador has adopted the metric system for most purposes, gasoline is still measured in gallons at the pump.)

My wife (the best photographer in our family) took hundreds of photos during our trip, and once she has had a chance to select some of the best, I will post a few images from our Galapagos journey here at “How Appealing.” My principal reading material on vacation was Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner‘s book “How Judges Think,” allowing Judge Posner to visit the Galapagos in thought if not in body. In any event, now that I have read nearly all of the book, I can confidently recommend it highly to others who are interested in appellate theory.

Regular posts will appear here again on Tuesday morning.