“Appeals court says requirement to attend AA unconstitutional”: Saturday in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko had an article that begins, “Alcoholics Anonymous, the renowned 12-step program that directs problem drinkers to seek help from a higher power, says it’s not a religion and is open to nonbelievers. But it has enough religious overtones that a parolee can’t be ordered to attend its meetings as a condition of staying out of prison, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.”

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

“Appellate justice remembered as a modest, giving man; Jurists, former students, lawyers and family gather after Judge Paul Boland’s unexpected death”: Henry Weinstein has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Extradition Fight Blocks Noriega Release”: The Associated Press provides this report.

And today in The New York Times, Everett Ellis Briggs has an op-ed entitled “Our Man in Panama.”

“Taking the Guilt Out of the Death Penalty”: You can access at this link (TimesSelect temporary pass-through link) the installment of Dan Barry‘s “This Land” column that appears today in The New York Times.

“Mom defends daughter’s right to blog speech”: The Waterbury (Conn.) Republican-American contained this article in last Wednesday’s edition.

My earlier coverage of the recent ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut appears at this link.

“For Mexican Trucks, a Road Into the U.S.” This article appears today in The New York Times.

And The Associated Press reports that “Mexico Sends 1st Long-Haul Trucks to US.”

“The Truth and Alberto Gonzales”: Clark Hoyt, public editor of The New York Times, today has this essay in that newspaper.

Philadelphia Phillies 8, Florida Marlins 5: My son and I were back at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon, where we saw the home team jump out to an 8-0 lead over the visiting Marlins.

Phillies starting pitcher Jamie Moyer was making the 600th major league appearance of his career, and he held the Marlins without a hit until one out in the top of the fourth inning, when Marlins right fielder Jeremy Hermida reached first base safely on a softly hit ground ball to third base after Chase Utley, making a rare appearance as first baseman for the Phillies, dropped the ball on a throw that otherwise may have just beaten the batter to the bag on a bang-bang play.

After having attended Friday night’s game at Turner Field in Atlanta, where Braves pitcher John Smoltz took a no-hitter into the top of the 8th inning, I was just a little disappointed that Moyer’s chance this afternoon at a no-hitter disappeared on a play that easily could have been called an error on Utley.

But in the top of the sixth inning, the Marlins lead-off hitter smacked a legitimate double off of the wall in left field, and later that half-inning three different batters hit home runs, including two that reached the second deck in right field. After the third home run of the inning made the score 8-5, Moyer was pulled from the game, having pitched five and one-third innings. Fortunately, for the second day in a row, the Phillies bullpen was able to hold the Marlins scoreless for the remainder of the game after the starting pitcher had departed.

You can access the box score of today’s game at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Today’s Phillies victory allows the team to move just two games back of the San Diego Padres in the National League wild card standings, vaulting the Phillies over the Los Angeles Dodgers for second place in the wild card race.

“Gitmo Panels Struggle to Assess Facts”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “After years of indefinite confinement, many detainees at Guantanamo Bay say they feel they may never receive justice, according to transcripts of hearings obtained by The Associated Press. Fewer than one in five of detainees allowed a hearing last year even bothered to show up for it.”