“Va. seeks reinstatement of anti-spam law”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Virginia’s attorney general asked the nation’s highest court Thursday to revive a state anti-spam law struck down by a lower court as unconstitutionally overbroad.”

The Attorney General of Virginia has today issued a news release headlined “McDonnell Appeals Spam Case to U.S. Supreme Court; Spammer made millions of dollars with fraudulent e-mails.”

“Bipartisan Report: Rumsfeld Responsible for Detainee Abuse; Senate Committee Finds Officials Made Decisions That Led to Offenses Against Prisoners.” The Washington Post has a news update that begins, “A bipartisan Senate report released today says that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other top Bush administration officials are directly responsible for abuses of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and charges that decisions by those officials led to serious offenses against prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere.”

You can view the report by clicking here.

“Not coming soon to the Supreme Court: TV cameras.” Mark Sherman of The Associated Press provides this report.

“Nichols jury tells judge it can’t decide penalty; Judge says he will send them back to continue deliberating”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a news update that begins, “A Fulton County jury announced today that it is ‘hung’ on whether to sentence convicted murderer Brian Nichols to death. Superior Court Judge James Bodiford said the jury was asking for advice on how to proceed in its deliberations. Bodiford prepared to call the jury into the courtroom for a conference Thursday morning. The jury is split 9-3. Bodiford did not inquire whether the majority favored a death sentence or life imprisonment. He said he would have the jury continue deliberating after lunch.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Atlanta courthouse shooting jury says no verdict.”

“Kent wants lie detector tests to be admissible in his trial; Federal judge accused of abusive sexual conduct”: This article appears today in The Houston Chronicle.

And The Associated Press reports that “Judge’s lawyers want lie detector tests admitted.”

“A family feud over the fate of Guantanamo: The Pentagon gives a platform to family members of Sept. 11 victims who support the prison and tribunal; Relatives who oppose them make their own statement.” Carol J. Williams has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

And Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald reports that “9/11 kin denounce the Guantanamo war court; In a tug of war over the legitimacy of military commissions, a few dozen family members of 9/11 dead counter the endorsements of the war court by others.”

“Princeton settles battle over millions; Heirs said school ignored parents’ wishes for fund”: The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger contains this article today.

The Daily Princetonian reports today that “University gains control over Robertson endowment in settlement; Princeton will pay $100 million to cover legal fees, establish new foundation.”

The New York Times reports that “Princeton Settles Money Battle Over Gift.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that “Princeton Settles Suit Over Big Donation, Agrees to Pay Family About $100 Million.”

And in the New Jersey Law Journal, Henry Gottlieb reports that “Princeton Agrees to $90 Million Settlement of Suit Alleging Misuse of Endowment; $40 million in defense costs made the case the most expensive litigation in Princeton’s 262-year history.”

“Criminal-libel laws’ overreach: Laws that permit criminal-libel prosecution for online trash talk fly in the face of the 1st Amendment.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Justices Hear a Case Weighted by 9/11”: Today in The New York Times, Adam Liptak has this article.

Today in The Washington Post, Robert Barnes reports that “Court Weighs Post-9/11 Liability; Justice, FBI Chiefs Named in Suit Alleging Anti-Arab Bias.”

In The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Supreme Court is asked to dismiss top officials from 9/11 lawsuit; An administration lawyer says plaintiffs haven’t shown that ex-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft and FBI chief Robert Mueller were involved in discrimination; The Muslim detainees’ lawyers see a Catch-22.”

Joan Biskupic of USA TODAY reports that “Case against Ashcroft, Mueller considered; Justices seem wary of allowing abuse lawsuit.”

And law.com’s Tony Mauro reports that “Top Bush Officials Unlikely to Face Personal Liability for 9/11 Detentions.”

“Justices Hear Bias Case on Maternity, Pensions and Timing”: Adam Liptak has this article today in The New York Times.

“Eight and on Trial: Young Defendants Throw Criminal Justice Into Confusion.” Dionne Searcey has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Full 6th Circuit Weighs NEA Suit Against NCLB”: At “The School Law Blog” of Education Week, Mark Walsh has a post about a case argued yesterday before the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that begins, “The educational and fiscal ramifications of the federal No Child Left Behind Act came under legal review today in an ornate federal appeals courtroom here in Cincinnati.”

My earlier coverage of the divided three-judge Sixth Circuit panel’s ruling in the case can be accessed here.

“Appeals judges hear Internet freedom of speech case”: The Philadelphia Inquirer today contains an article that begins, “Saying the freedom-of-speech case against the Hermitage School District in Western Pennsylvania would have an ‘incredibly far-reaching effect,’ a federal appeals court judge yesterday questioned whether the district could discipline a student for comments made on the Internet.”

“Death sentences, executions drop in 2008”: Bill Mears of CNN.com has this report.

Today in USA Today, Joan Biskupic reports that “Executions drop to 14-year low in 2008.”

The New York Times reports today that “Executions and Death Sentences in United States Dropped in 2008, Report Finds.”

And The Associated Press provides a report headlined “Report: US executions, death sentences on decline.”