“Abortion law ruling expected today”: From South Dakota, The Associated Press reports here that “U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier said she will rule by the end of the day Thursday whether to prevent a new state law on abortions from taking effect Friday.”

“Ruling Thursday on papers’ JOA; State high court’s decision to shape dispute’s direction”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today contains an article that begins, “The dispute between the owners of Seattle’s daily newspapers could reach a pivotal moment Thursday with an expected ruling from Washington’s highest court on a central issue in their 26-month- old lawsuit. The opinion from the state Supreme Court may not end the legal fight between the owners of The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. But the ruling, focusing on a disputed contract clause, will shape the direction of the conflict — potentially determining the fate of both papers.”

“Activist Tries a Grab for Jurist’s Property; A foe of the high court’s eminent domain ruling wants to apply it to seize David H. Souter’s home”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Your home can be Pfizer’s castle”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Debra J. Saunders has an op-ed that begins, “Americans who want to keep government out of the bedroom, beware.”

“‘Death row’ Briton faces decision; A Scot who has spent 18 years on death row in the United States for killing a two-year-old child is to learn whether he is to be released or retried”: BBC News provides this report, along with a related item headlined “Kenny Richey: Serving time.” You can access at this link the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in this case.

“Green guilty on single charge of mail fraud; Prosecutors ponder whether to retry him on other counts”: The Times-Picayune of New Orleans today contains an article that begins, “State Judge Alan Green, the only defendant who chose to go to trial to fight racketeering charges stemming from a federal probe of Jefferson Parish Courthouse corruption, was convicted Wednesday of mail fraud involving two $5,000 cash payments he took from Bail Bonds Unlimited.”

“Senate minority chief offers his court picks”: This article appeared yesterday in The Sacramento Bee.

“State’s domestic partner law survives a legal challenge”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

And The Los Angeles Times reports today that “State Justices Won’t Hear Challenge to Partners Law.”

“Time Magazine to Hand Over Reporter Notes”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Time Inc. said Thursday it would comply with a court order to deliver the notes of a reporter threatened with jail in the investigation of the leak of an undercover CIA officer’s name.”

Update: Now available online is the “Time Inc. Statement on Handing Over Documents.”

“Supreme Court notebook: Is Friday a good day to retire?” The Associated Press provides this report.

“Girls Gone Wild” and State Farm v. Campbell: The Virginian-Pilot today contains an article headlined “Beach woman wins lawsuit against ‘Girls Gone Wild'” that begins, “A jury on Wednesday ordered the company that produces the ‘Girls Gone Wild’ videos to pay $60,150 for filming and using the image of a Virginia Beach woman without her written consent. The jury ordered Mantra Films Inc. to pay $150 in compensatory damages and $60,000 in punitive damages.” (Via “Obscure Store.”)

“2nd Circuit Reverses $248 Million Cayuga Award”: law.com provides this report. Additional press coverage can be found in this post at “Overlawyered.”

“Judge Warns Reporters They Face Jail in a Week”: In today’s edition of The New York Times, Adam Liptak has an article that begins, “With mounting frustration and a hint of anger, a federal judge said at a hearing Wednesday that he would send two reporters to jail in one week if they did not agree to testify before a grand jury about their confidential sources in the meantime. Lawyers for the reporters, Judith Miller of The New York Times and Matthew Cooper of Time magazine, said their clients would accept jail time rather than testify. The judge, Thomas F. Hogan of Federal District Court here, added that he would also impose very large fines against Time Inc., in an effort to force the company to obey a court order directing it to turn over documents in the investigation.”

In other coverage, The Los Angeles Times reports today that “Reporters Get 1 Week to Name Sources; A federal judge says he’ll then jail journalists for Time magazine and the New York Times.”

And The Washington Post reports that “2 Reporters in Leak Case Given 48 Hours to Argue Against Jailing.”

Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia posted online court filings it received from lawyers for the reporters and the federal government.

“The High Court, Between the Lines”: Today in The Los Angeles Times, CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen has an op-ed that begins, “There are memorable Supreme Court terms and then there are Supreme Court terms like the one we have just witnessed.”

“Friendly Pa. senators at odds in stem cell debate; Never wanting to fault the other, GOP’s Specter, Santorum now face bitter fight”: This article appears today in USA Today.

Modest Mouse thanks Justice David H. Souter for the mention; “He can live in our tour bus if his house is seized for commercial redevelopment,” band’s leader says: Inexplicably, none of the matters discussed in the heading to this post merited mention in this review, published today in The Chicago Sun-Times, of the band’s performance Tuesday night.

“Bridge ladies will show all their cards to save courthouse”: The Star Press of Muncie, Indiana today contains an article that begins, “Call them the Courthouse Girls. Seven women – with a combined age of 590 years – will bare it all in an effort to raise money and continue the fight to save the Randolph County Courthouse.” In case you’d like to purchase a calendar featuring nude women whose average age is 84 to raise money for courthouse restoration, the article provides ordering instructions.

A photograph of the courthouse can be viewed here, while earlier press coverage of this matter can be accessed here, here, and here.

“It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Uncertainty; Washington’s staffers and activists suspend summer vacation plans, anxiously awaiting a Rehnquist retirement that has yet to occur”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

The Chicago Tribune today contains an article headlined “Bracing for a nomination battle like no other.”

And in The Washington Post, Dana Milbank’s “Washington Sketch” is headlined “Only Vacancy Is in Supreme Court News.”

Even more news coverage of Sandra O’Connor’s retirement: This article appears today in The Baltimore Sun. I first noted the retirement announcement yesterday in a post that can be accessed here.