Comedian Richard Pryor has died; National Public Radio notwithstanding, he was never nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit: The New York Times contains this obituary today.

Back in July 2003, NPR’s “Morning Edition” (as I noted here then) aired an audio segment (RealPlayer required) that referred to Eleventh Circuit nominee “Alabama Attorney General Richard Pryor.”

“Federal Marijuana Monopoly Challenged; Researchers Want to Grow More Plants and Find More Medicinal Uses”: This article will appear Monday in The Washington Post.

“Governor Postpones Decision on William’s Execution”: The Los Angeles Times provides this news update.

And David Kravets of The Associated Press provides a report headlined “Williams’ Supporters: Witness Has Surfaced.”

“Major lauded for 13 years of service on top court”: This article appeared yesterday in The Toronto Globe and Mail.

“Frist Cautions Senators Against Stalling Alito Vote; Democrats Don’t Plan Filibuster”: Monday’s edition of The Washington Post will contain this article.

And Reuters reports that “US Senate leader says Alito vote may need rules change.”

“For justice, jurors put lives on hold; The group hearing the Sami Al-Arian trial brought a lot to the table, and left it knowing they were part of something bigger than themselves”: This article appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Hypocrisy”: Columnist George F. Will has this op-ed today in The Washington Post.

“Alito’s classic family odyssey; Ancestors came from Italy and struggled in US”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe, which also contains an op-ed by Kenneth W. Starr and Ronald A. Cass entitled “Alito’s sticky thicket.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch today reports that “Campaigns on Alito are starting to build.”

And in The St. Petersburg Times, Bill Adair has an article headlined “A shame nominees must play it safe.”

In other commentary, The Dallas Morning News contains an editorial entitled “Where Alito Stands: Ask about voting rights and Roe before recusal.”

In The Baltimore Sun, Jon Hanson and Adam Benforado have an op-ed entitled “The conservative hypocrisy.”

And in The New York Times Magazine, Noam Scheiber has an essay entitled “Republican Elitism.”

“Frist Says He’s Ready to Block Filibuster”: The Associated Press provides this report.

FOXNews.com has posted at this link a transcript of today’s “Fox News Sunday” interview with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (R-TN).

“Williams’ Lawyer Appeals to Supreme Court; Constitutional issues challenging the validity of his convictions and death sentence are raised in request for a stay of execution”: Henry Weinstein has this article today in The Los Angeles Times, which also reports that “Glitz and Gore of Williams Case Draw Foreign Media.”

The San Francisco Chronicle today contains articles headlined “Governor in L.A., fends off queries; He has till Monday to decide on plea for clemency” and “Californians soul-searching in countdown to execution; Two-thirds in state support the death penalty, but polls haven’t asked questions about redemption.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Tookie Williams Seeks Stay of Execution.”

In news from Canada: The Toronto Globe and Mail today contains articles headlined “For RIM, a defining fight rooted in a Chicago basement; Lawsuit may affect every BlackBerry user in the U.S.” and “Court reserves decision on health-care rights fight.”

According to the BlackBerry-related article, “Joletta Campana and Mr. Stout each own about one-third of NTP. The remainder is held by a couple of dozen investors — many at the firm’s Washington law firm Wiley, Rein & Fielding — who have financed the long legal battle with Waterloo, Ont.-based RIM.”

And in earlier coverage, Financial Post on Thursday published an article headlined “The firm that may run RIM off the court: Lawyer Don Stout is known for draining long shots in lunch-hour basketball encounters at a local gym; Co-founders Don and Tom ‘seemed like an odd couple at first; Don was a patent lawyer and Tom was a complete nerd.’”

“Shouldn’t men have ‘choice’ too?” Today in The Los Angeles Times, columnist Meghan Daum has an op-ed that begins, “For pro-choicers like myself, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s position regarding spousal consent for abortion seems like one more loose rock in the ongoing erosion of Roe vs. Wade.”

“Gov. Names Moderate to High Court; Carol A. Corrigan, who joined the GOP after appointment to Court of Appeal, is praised for analytical abilities and people skills”: Maura Dolan has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports today that “Governor picks moderate for top state court.”

The Sacramento Bee reports that “High court justice named; Governor selects Carol Corrigan, a Republican appellate judge.”

In The San Jose Mercury News, Howard Mintz reports that “State court justice named; Governor picks ex-Alameda County prosecutor, judge.”

In The Oakland Tribune, Josh Richman reports that “Oaklander tapped for high court; Governor’s pick of Republican Corrigan to state bench draws tepid conservative response.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that “S.F. judge chosen for California high court; Governor’s nominee known as a moderate Republican.”

And The Stockton Record reports that “Stockton native nominated to Supreme Court; Appellate judge praised for her sharp legal mind.”

“Law schools challenge military recruitment”: This article appeared yesterday in The Chronicle of Duke University.

The Boston Globe today contains an editorial entitled “A threat to gay equality.”

The December 19, 2005 issue of The Weekly Standard contains an editorial entitled “Solomonic Nonsense: Thirty-six leading law schools advise the Supreme Court that contemporary American legal education bears meaningful comparison to a Klan assembly.”

And in yesterday’s issue of The Harvard Crimson, Alexander N. Li had an op-ed entitled “In the Service of the Nation.”

“Providence not liable in officer’s shooting death; Jury members say lawyers for Sgt. Cornel Young Jr.’s family failed to prove that inadequate police training caused his death”: The Providence (R.I.) Journal contains this article today.

“Every Execution Detail Prescribed; Inmate movements, visitor rules, the mix of chemicals, the number of syringes: Nothing is left to chance; Wheels have started turning.” This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Ex-Judge to Admit to Possessing Child Porn; The former Orange County jurist was arrested after a hacker broke into his computer and found images of young boys in sex acts”: The Los Angeles Times contains this article today.

And The Orange County Register reports that “Deal may put judge in prison; Ex-judge agrees to suggested sentence of 27 to 33 months in child porn case.”

“Appeals Judges Question SEC’s Hedge Fund Rule”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

And The New York Times reports today that “Judges Weigh Hedge Funds vs. the S.E.C.”

“Justice Department Asks Court to Release Case of Terrorism Suspect”: Neil A. Lewis of The New York Times provides this report.

And The Washington Post reports today that “U.S. Won’t Fight Ruling’s Withdrawal; Indictment Affecting Litigation on Detention of Terror Suspect.”

Available online from law.com: Marcia Coyle reports that “Justices Ponder Heavy Patent Docket; David vs. Goliath case one of many patent disputes before Supreme Court.”

Shannon P. Duffy reports that “3rd Circuit Reinstates Federal Obscenity Laws.”

Justin Scheck reports that “Tech Millionaire’s War on ID Checks Takes Him to 9th Circuit.” Earlier today I collected additional coverage here.

And in other news, “Judges Ask 8th Circuit to Reconsider Its Gun Stance; Multiple convictions are permitted for a single act of possession.”

“Live Tracking of Mobile Phones Prompts Court Fights on Privacy”: This article will appear Saturday in The New York Times.

“BlackBerry Users Remain in the Dark; PR Experts Say RIM Must Do More to Inform Customers”: The Washington Post on Saturday will contain an article that begins, “Research in Motion Ltd. made it easier to communicate with the introduction of its BlackBerry wireless e-mail device, but the company has not been as communicative with the public about its own plans in its time of legal crisis.”

“Feds push to try Padilla in Miami; To avoid a Supreme Court showdown, the Bush administration said ‘dirty bomb’ suspect Jose Padilla could be tried in federal court on lesser charges, not held as an ‘enemy combatant'”: This article will appear Saturday in The Miami Herald.

“Court Rules Against Mom in Download Suit”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A federal appeals court late Friday upheld the music industry’s $22,500 judgment against a Chicago mother caught illegally distributing songs over the Internet.” My earlier coverage is here.

Reuters is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined “US court questions basics of SEC hedge fund rule” and “U.S. Court Voids Attempt to Strip Pooh License.”

“Government willing to give up Padilla precedent”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

And Reuters reports that “US says court ruling on Padilla should be set aside.”

“Is the Supreme Court Moving to the National Mall?” Daniel J. Solove has this post at “Concurring Opinions.”

“Groups Ask Court to Toss Auto Recall Rule”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A federal appeals court was asked Friday to throw out a rule that allows the government’s highway safety agency to limit some vehicle recalls by region.”

“RIM surges on settlement talk; BlackBerry maker may pay $700-$800M to NTP in patent dispute, less than feared”: Reuters provides this update.

“Pay-Raise Hearing: Who’ll judge the judges?” The Philadelphia Inquirer today contains an editorial that begins, “State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy made a wise decision to recuse himself from the case involving pay raises for Pennsylvania judges. But his move alone doesn’t assure public confidence in a fair outcome of this controversy.”

Snow storm causes First Circuit to close early today: Details here.

“Gov. Picks Moderate to Replace Brown on High Court”: The Los Angeles Times provides this news update.

The San Francisco Chronicle provides a news update headlined “Schwarzenegger names centrist judge to state high court.”

The Sacramento Bee provides a news update headlined “Governor appoints Corrigan to Supreme Court.”

The Associated Press reports that “Schwarzenegger Names Judge to High Court.”

And The Recorder provides a news update headlined “Corrigan Tapped for State Supreme Court.”

“With all of these means available to consumers who want to choose where to spend their money, downloading full copies of copyrighted material without compensation to authors cannot be deemed ‘fair use.'” In an opinion by Circuit Judge Frank H. Easterbrook, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit today considers the appeal of a woman who “downloaded copyrighted music through the KaZaA filesharing network” and, as a result, was ordered to pay damages totaling $22,500 for having downloaded thirty songs.

“Western-state Democratic senators oppose splitting 9th Circuit”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The Democratic senators representing the nine Western states that make up the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals signed a letter Thursday opposing a House GOP plan to break the circuit in two.”

Update: You can access a copy of the letter at this link.

“The Conservative Farm System: Once a little-known fraternity of conservative law students, the Federalist Society has become a major player in the fight to reshape the courts and the law; Why has it been so successful?” The Week Magazine has today posted online this briefing.