“Trial Judges Will Hear Appeals in Sentencing; 9th Circuit District Court Jurists Will Make Determination”: The Daily Journal of California today contains this article reporting on yesterday’s en banc ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
“Judge to rule Monday in election challenge trial”: The Associated Press provides this report from Washington State.
On today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Talk of the Nation“: The broadcast contained segments entitled “Confidentiality and the Law” and “Internet Body Approves Dot-XXX Domain.” RealPlayer is required to launch these audio clips.
“Poway eighth-grader wins National Spelling Bee”: The San Diego Union-Tribune provides this news update.
The Associated Press is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined “Hearing Held for Notorious Canada Inmate” and “Sen. Vitter Takes on Colleague in Speech.”
“Cooper: Live-in lawsuit baseless; Woman: Sheriff pressed her to wed.” The Associated Press reports here that “A lawsuit aimed at overturning North Carolina’s 200-year-old law against unmarried couples living together is baseless and should be dismissed, says a motion filed by Attorney General Roy Cooper.”
“White House counsel’s ouster sought; Former Lawrence attorney now under fire for stance on gay discrimination”: This article appears today in The Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World.
In related coverage, The Washington Post last week published articles headlined “Official Says Law Doesn’t Cover Gays; Counsel Cites Lack of Authority to Enforce Discrimination Ban” and “Senators Criticize Special Counsel’s Treatment of Employees.”
The National Women’s Law Center launches blog focusing on judicial nominations: You can access here a press release issued today announcing the blog, while the blog itself can be accessed by clicking on its name — “NominationWatch.”
An appellate judge blogs anonymously? Say hello to the blog “Have Opinion, Will Travel,” while keeping in mind that on an anonymously-written blog anyone can be an appellate judge.
For appellate judges who blog for attribution, see here and here. Update: See also here and here.
“‘Justice has prevailed’; It’s the end of one of Lancaster County’s most infamous murder cases; More than 13 years after the brutal slaying of Laurie Show, the U.S. Supreme Court rejects Lisa Michelle Lambert’s final appeal”: This article appeared yesterday in The Lancaster (Pa.) New Era.
“Case Challenges Child Support Rules for Sperm Donors”: This segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Day to Day.”
“Brown Model Jurist for Filibuster Fight”: David Kravets of The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Janice Rogers Brown, a sharecropper’s daughter who became the first black woman and most conservative justice on California’s Supreme Court, is a model jurist for U.S. Senate Republicans fighting judicial filibusters.”
“Sex killer fights limits on her freedom”: Reuters provides a report that begins, “A notorious Canadian sex killer made her first public appearance in more than a decade on Thursday to fight a request that she be kept under close watch after she completes a prison sentence in several weeks for the torture and killing of two schoolgirls.”
Canadian Press reports that “Homolka sheds tears at sister’s death; Judge assures lawyers that he won’t be influenced by Ontario premier.”
In other coverage, The Montreal Gazette today contains an article headlined “Keep Homolka on leash, judge to be urged today; Ontario seeking fetters after imminent release.” Canada.com offers access to additional coverage of the case both here and here.
The Toronto Globe and Mail provides a news update headlined “Homolka in court as release nears.” That newspaper today also contains an article headlined “Won’t greet Karla, Homolka family says; Residents of infamous killer’s hometown want her to stay away from scene of crime.”
And The Toronto Star today reports that “Homolka still a risk police inspector says; But psychiatrist claims she’s fine; Although therapy needed, he says.”
“Rehnquist Runs an Efficient Supreme Court”: Gina Holland of The Associated Press provides this report.
Ninth Circuit decides appeal involving World Trade Organization-related riots in Seattle: Today a partially divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in which the majority opinion begins:
In this case we search for the proper balance between, on the one hand, the vibrant rights of free speech and assembly in an open society and, on the other hand, the needs of a city to maintain order and security. We consider the constitutionality of an emergency order prohibiting access to portions of downtown Seattle, Washington, during the 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) conference. Appellants filed lawsuits in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington seeking damages for the constitutional rights that were alleged to be violated by the emergency order. Four of the Appellants also filed individual claims in which they alleged that their constitutional rights were infringed by Seattle police officers in the course of the conference. We determine that the emergency order was a constitutional time, place, and manner restriction on speech on its face, and we affirm the judgment of the district court on that issue. But we also determine that there are genuine issues of material fact whether the emergency order was constitutional as applied to certain Appellants, and we reverse and remand for trial on that issue. As for the Appellants’ individual claims, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.
The Ninth Circuit has posted online both the court’s ruling and an appendix thereto.
In early press coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Court rules police may have gone too far in WTO protests.”
On today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition“: This morning’s broadcast contained segments entitled “Washington Library Tested by Patriot Act“; “Library Records Led to Break in Unabomber Case“; and “Choosing Words for the National Spelling Bee.” RealPlayer is required to launch these audio clips.
In news from Mississippi: The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson today contains articles headlined “Prosecutor: Judges given payoffs” and “Miss. law limiting abortions blocked; State law would have prevented some abortions after 13 weeks’ gestation.”
And The Sun Herald of Biloxi today contains an article headlined “Feds: Money hidden; Prosecutor: Judges knew they were doing wrong.”
In news from Washington State: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports today that “Expert diputes GOP’s method; Party’s way of counting votes ‘just doesn’t work.’”
And The Seattle Times today contains articles headlined “Elections chief Logan put on hot seat — by judge” and “Rossi hard-pressed to prove fraud, says man whose case set precedent.”
“A Gift to the Gun Industry”: The Washington Post today contains an editorial that begins, “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which the House Judiciary Committee approved last week, is not a nuanced piece of legislation.” You can view the proposed legislation at this link.
“The Supreme Court’s New Ruling on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act’s Prison Provisions: Deferring Key Constitutional Questions.” FindLaw commentator Marci Hamilton has this essay today.
“Bringing Fairness to Drug Sentencing”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “Congress spawned a national trend toward discriminatory sentencing when it drew a false distinction between powdered cocaine and crack cocaine for law enforcement purposes during the 1980’s.”
The Indianapolis Star is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains articles headlined “Speaker of House defends prayers; ICLU says invocations don’t reflect all faiths; Bosma vows to fight suit” and “Some states limit prayers at legislature; Mentioning specific deities, like Jesus, can be against the rules.”
And in other news, “Judge refuses to delay medical records seizure.”
“How a Lawyer Finally Unveiled ‘Deep Throat'”: This article (free access provided) appears today in The Wall Street Journal.
“Court Backs Sentencing Reviews; The 9th Circuit in San Francisco says the original judges should hear challenges to sentences set under mandatory guidelines”: Henry Weinstein has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.
Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Sentencing judges to decide on cutting terms.”
And David Kravets of The Associated Press has a report headlined “U.S. Court: Thousands Can Challenge Terms.”