“N.C. Judge Tries Again for Federal Seat”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press provides this report.

And FOX News reports that “Boyle Battle Highlights Judicial Nominee Fight.”

“Man in Plot to Kill Judge Says Slayings Are ‘Heinous'”: This article will appear Friday in The New York Times.

“Sears elected chief justice of Georgia Supreme Court”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contains this article today.

“White supremacist said judge’s life was not in danger in papers filed before murders”: This article will appear Friday in The Chicago Tribune.

The Associated Press reports that “Killing of judge’s family focuses attention on NJ radio host.”

And CNN.com reports that “Extremists applaud murder of judge’s relatives.”

“European justice rules top U.S. court”: Debra J. Saunders has this essay today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

“How judges cope with everyday threats on the job”: This article will appear Friday in The Christian Science Monitor.

“White Supremacist Denies Link to Killings”: The Associated Press provides this report from Chicago.

Access online a copy of the federal government’s brief in opposition to Zacarias Moussaoui’s petition for writ of certiorari filed in the U.S. Supreme Court: A copy of the federal government’s redacted brief in opposition can be accessed at this link. Back in January 2005, I posted online here (very large PDF file) a redacted copy of Moussaoui’s cert. petition.

“Smackdown Over Tribe”: Over at “The Volokh Conspiracy,” “Juan Non-Volokh” has a link-rich post that begins, “Ramesh Ponnuru and Tom Goldstein continue to duke it out over whether Larry Tribe presented a fictional account of his argument in the Richmond Newspapers case.”

“Nuclear Options and Term Limits in the Judicial Wars: What Will It Take to Overcome the Impasse?” Law Professor Rick Hasen has this post today at his blog.

View live online this afternoon’s judicial confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee: You can access the live feed by clicking here (RealPlayer required). The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. eastern time.

U.S. Congressman seeks both the division and the unification of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Yesterday, Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) — one of Congress’s leading proponents of legislation that would split the Ninth Circuit into three parts — introduced a bill (HR 1064) that would require the Ninth Circuit, when hearing and deciding cases en banc, to have all judges in regular active service participate.

Thus, instead of reporting on 6-5 en banc Ninth Circuit rulings, I might sometime soon be reporting on 14-13 en banc Ninth Circuit rulings (or perhaps a 10-9-8 three-way plurality ruling would be fun). Thanks much to Representative Simpson’s office for providing me with a copy of the bill.

“Bush has made spent fuel of Frist’s ‘nuclear option'”: The Hill yesterday published this essay by Dick Morris.

Available online from The New Republic: Will Baude has an essay entitled “Low Opinion: The use of international law in Roper made no sense,” while David Fontana has an essay entitled “Foreign Exchange: The use of international law in Roper will benefit U.S. foreign policy.”

Access online the Petition for Writ of Certiorari that the federal government filed on Monday in the U.S. Supreme Court asking for review of the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit declaring the Solomon Amendment unconstitutional: I have posted a copy of the cert. petition online at this link. Thanks much to the reader who so kindly forwarded an electronic copy of the cert. petition to me.

Update: Another reader emails to note why this case is enjoyable. According to the petition at page 10, the case involves “the receipt of federal funs.”

“A Lawyer’s Unlikely Journey Up the Legal Ladder”: Today in The New York Times, Ralph Blumenthal has an article that begins, “Win or lose, Thomas Van Orden savored the moment Wednesday as the lawsuit he brought here three years ago was preoccupying the highest judges of the land in Washington.”

Today’s the day: The Los Angeles Times today contains a front page article by Maura Dolan headlined “Is Justice Done in 2 Versions? A California murder case in which two juries were told differing accounts of events raises concerns about fairness, ethics and tactics.”

The Supreme Court of California is scheduled to announce its ruling on the merits of the matter at 1 p.m. eastern time today.

Update: You can access today’s ruling at this link.

Today’s Senate Judiciary Committee judicial confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.: Fourth Circuit nominee Terrence W. Boyle will be the central focus of today’s hearing. Two U.S. District Court nominees are also scheduled to appear, including U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Dever III, who thanks to former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC) may currently qualify as the longest-delayed federal district court nominee.

“Justices Rule Spy Contract Is Not Valid”: Linda Greenhouse has this article today in The New York Times.

In The Washington Post, Charles Lane reports that “Justices Rule Spies Cannot Sue U.S. Over Deals; 9 to 0 Decision Affirms Agencies’ Leeway in Hiring Foreign Agents.”

In The Los Angeles Times, Henry Weinstein reports that “2 Recruited to Spy for U.S. Can’t Sue CIA, Justices Say; The government would be vulnerable to ‘graymail’ if such litigation were allowed, Supreme Court rules.”

Michael McGough of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “Ex-spies barred from suing CIA over broken promises.”

BBC News reports that “US spies ‘cannot sue government’; Spies cannot take the US government to court for allegedly reneging on their contracts, the Supreme Court has said.”

And on today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition,” Nina Totenberg had a segment entitled “High Court Rules Ex-Spies Cannot Sue CIA.”

“Michael Francis Lefkow, 64; Attorney fought for social justice”: The Chicago Tribune has published this obituary today. I have collected additional recent news coverage of the slayings in posts that can be accessed here and here.

“The Supreme Court Strikes Down the Death Penalty For Juvenile Offenders: A Morally Good Result, Supported by Less-Than-Convincing Legal Reasoning.” FindLaw commentator Edward Lazarus has this essay today.

“Display of Scripture May Split Justices”: David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

Jan Crawford Greenburg of The Chicago Tribune reports that “Court debate of biblical proportions; 10 Commandments displays at issue.”

Joan Biskupic of USA Today reports that “Commandments cases may hinge on 1 high court justice; ‘It’s so hard to draw the line,’ O’Connor says during hearing.”

The Boston Globe reports that “Justices weigh Commandments case; Debate suggests court won’t render definitive ruling.”

The Washington Times reports that “Religious displays debated in court.”

The Baltimore Sun reports that “Justices weigh government-religion issues in Ten Commandments cases; Public display of biblical laws: Endorsement or fact of history?”

The Austin American-Statesman reports that “High Court hears arguments in Ten Commandments cases; Justices ask probing questions of lawyers on both sides.”

The Houston Chronicle contains articles headlined “Texas case before high court could redefine church, state; Justices weighing historical ties vs. endorsing religion” and “Capitol monument got its start in movie promotion; Cecil B. DeMille’s ‘Ten Commandments’ went from film to stone.”

The Dallas Morning News reports that “Dallas has its own granite Decalogue.”

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that “Justices hear cases on Ten Commandments.”

The Herald-Sun reports that “Duke prof presents plaintiff’s case to court.”

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that “High court seeks line between law, religion; Kentucky case brings hundreds to Washington.”

Michael McGough of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “Court tackles religious displays.”

The New York Sun reports that “10 Commandments Frustrate Court.”

The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina reports that “Ten Commandments cases go before high court; Justices debate legality of Texas, Kentucky displays.”

The Cox News Service reports that “Ten Commandments in court’s hands; Justices to decide fate of public display of tablets.”

The Tennessean reports that “With displays in courthouses, state apt to feel fallout of high court ruling.”

The Detroit News reports that “Commandments stir supreme debate; Michigan residents voice mixed opinions about public displays as top court takes up issue.”

And The Arizona Republic reports that “Monument at Capitol stirs debate; Church-state quandary at high court.”

Also today, The Washington Post contains an editorial entitled “Commandments in Context.”

“Cross-on-county-seal petition fails”: The Los Angeles Daily News contains this article today.

“Evidence Analyzed in Slayings of Judge’s Family; The execution-style killings in Chicago prompt a call to reassess security arrangements for the federal judiciary”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

The Chicago Tribune today contains articles headlined “Judge: I won’t back down; Lefkow defies killers, vows she’ll return to federal bench“; “DNA sought on cigarettes, drink can; Murder probe fans out like ‘spider web’“; “Hale seeking apology from U.S.“; “Parents certain that Hale had no link to murders“; “Internet leaves an open window on lives of judges“; and “No-nonsense jurist known as fair, patient.” The newspaper also contains an op-ed entitled “Some cases are too hot even for cops’ comfort” by columnist John Kass.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that “Judge enraged at ‘hit’ on family.” And columnist Mark Brown has an essay entitled “Any way you look at it, this is pure madness.”

The Daily Herald of suburban Chicago reports that “Sketches released as family plans funeral.”

The Denver Post reports that “Murder of judge’s mom stuns local neighbors, friends; Donna Humphrey, 89, reportedly thought her daughter was safe despite worry about an earlier death threat.”

The Rocky Mountain News contains articles headlined “Sorrow, grief linger in empty law office” and “Wyoming had own brush with group.”

Finally for now, The Deseret Morning News reports that “Police look at pro-white leader with Utah ties.”

“Pryor Impressions: Alabamas want to know why Bill Pryor is being filibustered in the Senate.” Quin Hillyer has this op-ed today in The Wall Street Journal.

“N.C. judge to get hearing on long-delayed nomination”: This article appears today in The Winston-Salem Journal.

And The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday contained an editorial entitled “Bench marks: Ideologue or independent? Critics say a federal judge from North Carolina is unfit for promotion, but his record shows strengths.”