How Appealing



Friday, August 19, 2005

“As a Man of Letters, Roberts Showed Practicality and Humor”: This article will appear Saturday in The New York Times.

Saturday’s edition of Newsday will contain an article headlined “Roberts’ legal drill on LI; Supreme Court nominee was lawyer who backed evacuation test, despite county opposition.”

And this evening’s broadcast of the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” contained a segment featuring Jan Crawford Greenburg entitled “Documents Shed More Light On Roberts’ Work as Counsel” (RealPlayer required).

Posted at 10:40 PM by Howard Bashman



Available online from law.com: In news from Texas, “Merck Ponders Grounds for Appeal in Wake of $253M Vioxx Verdict; Texas jury finds for plaintiff in first civil Vioxx trial against drug maker” and “Lottery Winner Not So Lucky After All, 5th Circuit Says.”

An article reports that “State Justices Defend Attorney-Client Privilege; Judges also speak out for habeas rights, innocence projects.”

And in other news, “11th Circuit: Whistleblower Claims Should Go to a Jury.”

Posted at 10:33 PM by Howard Bashman



“Student Wins Verdict Over T-Shirt Flap; Student’s T-Shirt Called Homosexuality A Sin”: The Associated Press provides this report. My earlier coverage is here.

Posted at 3:48 PM by Howard Bashman



“Judges now free to speak their mind; Jurists may respond to questionnaires if they choose”: The Anchorage Daily News yesterday contained an article that begins, “A rule barring state judges from expressing opinions on controversial issues outside the courtroom is unconstitutional, according to a ruling issued by a federal judge in Anchorage.”

You can access the recent ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska at this link.

Posted at 3:22 PM by Howard Bashman



“In search of meatier memos from Roberts; Liberal and environmental groups seek documents from stint as deputy solicitor general; Bush and Specter oppose release of such memos”: Tom Curry, national affairs writer for MSNBC, provides this report.

Posted at 3:10 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court reverses $1 bil. State Farm verdict”: This article appears today in The Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago Tribune today contains articles headlined “State Farm ruling tossed out by court; $1.18 billion judgment overturned; decision could cut class actions” and “Cigarette case before court; Altria stock boosted by State Farm ruling.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch contains articles headlined “Illinois high court rejects award against State Farm” and “Aftermarket parts debate has raged for years.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Verdict Against State Farm Is Tossed; Illinois Supreme Court rejects plaintiffs’ class status in a $1-billion auto parts case.”

And The Madison County Record reports that “Illinois Supreme Court’s ‘Avery’ decision rips through appellate court.”

Posted at 3:05 PM by Howard Bashman



“Vioxx Maker Found Liable in Man’s Death”: The Associated Press provides this report, which notes that the jury awarded damages totaling $253.4 million.

Posted at 3:00 PM by Howard Bashman



The religion of atheism: Today a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has reinstated a prison inmate’s federal civil rights claim alleging that a Wisconsin correctional institution violated the inmate’s rights under the establishment clause of the First Amendment when the prison refused to allow the inmate to create an inmate study group devoted to atheism. You can access today’s ruling at this link.

Posted at 1:33 PM by Howard Bashman



“The People’s Court — Ed Helms takes a look at the f*#@ing awesome job Supreme Court nominee John Roberts might score.” Be sure not to miss this video clip (Windows Media) from “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (via “Bench Memos“).

Posted at 12:24 PM by Howard Bashman



“Unfounded Fodder: The zealots behind Justice Sunday II are selling their vision of the Constitution to an unwitting public; Liberals need to pitch their own.” Adele M. Stan has this essay online at The American Prospect.

Posted at 9:40 AM by Howard Bashman



“Nominee’s Memos Critical of Gender-Equality Efforts”: David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times, which also reports that “Reagan Files Paint Court Nominee as a Watchdog.”

In The Chicago Tribune, Naftali Bendavid and Jan Crawford Greenburg report today that “Critics say women’s issues could be pitfall for Roberts.”

In The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Michael McGough reports that “Roberts data hit gender equality issue.”

In The Boston Globe, Charlie Savage and Rick Klein report that “Roberts, as Reagan aide, backed national ID card; Trove of judge’s papers released.”

USA Today contains articles headlined “Roberts argued for national ID card in 1983; Records show bit of independent streak” and “It’s quite a fight, and some of it’s about nominee; Groups concentrate on firing up backers and raising money for the next battle.”

Newsday contains an article headlined “Conservative memos.”

The San Francisco Chronicle contains an article headlined “Boxer and Feinstein: Two pro-choice senators, two views of John Roberts.”

The Easton (Pa.) Express-Times contains an article headlined “A Supreme Debate: Upcoming Roberts hearings ignite controversy and speculation about abortion laws changing.”

And FOXNews.com provides a report headlined “Roberts’ Shepherd Hopes to Lead to the Supreme Court.”

In commentary, The Des Moines Register contains an editorial entitled “Roberts appears a lock, but give him due scrutiny; Public deserves vetting of his views on fundamental rights.”

In The Washington Post, Dana Milbank’s “Washington Sketch” column is entitled “Newshounds on the Paper Chase.” And U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy has an op-ed entitled “Why Roberts’s Views Matter.”

Finally, FindLaw commentator Vikram David Amar has an essay entitled “More on the Propriety of Asking Judge Roberts to Comment on Specific Past Supreme Court Rulings.”

Posted at 6:54 AM by Howard Bashman



“Olson helping Kansas defend death penalty”: The Kansas City Star today contains an article that begins, “Attorney General Phill Kline has recruited one of the country’s legal heavyweights to help defend the Kansas death penalty law before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Posted at 6:50 AM by Howard Bashman



“Court sides with Navy in dispute over abortion; Judges couldn’t consider fact that deformed fetus would die”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer contains this article today.

The New York Times reports today that “Court Rules U.S. Need Not Pay for Abortion of Doomed Fetus.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Court Upholds Restrictions on Pentagon Coverage of Abortions; The medical plan won’t pay for a sailor’s wife’s procedure; Her fetus had a fatal birth defect.”

And in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Navy wins appeal in abortion case; Woman must pay, even though fetus was nonviable, because her life wasn’t in danger.”

Posted at 6:45 AM by Howard Bashman