In news from Kansas: The Associated Press provides a report headlined “Hensley knew of court contact with Morris early” that begins, “The Senate’s top Democrat acknowledged Saturday that he knew several weeks before other legislators that Senate President Steve Morris had contact with a Supreme Court justice on school finance issues.”
And The Topeka Capital-Journal today contains an article headlined “‘Good guy’ mired in scandal; Senator trusting, not fiery,” along with editorials entitled “Supreme Court Controversy — Have patience; Doug Mays was wise to postpone an investigation until after adjournment” and “Controversial Lunch — It looks bad.”
“Blogging the Harvard Bloggership Conference”: Ian Best of the blog “3L Epiphany” has assembled what appears to be a comprehensive collection of posts appearing on other blogs about this past Friday’s “Bloggership” conference at Harvard.
Tomorrow is the big day: As noted in this press release, “Thomas C. Goldstein, a leading Supreme Court practitioner, will join Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a partner in Washington effective May 1.”
In commentary from today’s edition of The Hartford Courant: Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has an op-ed entitled “It’s Time To Let A Little More Light Shine On Courts.”
Daniel J. Klau has an op-ed entitled “Tragic Justice: Top Judge’s Ploy Scuttled Nomination And Sullied Court.”
And Wesley W. Horton has an op-ed entitled “State’s Top Justice Can’t Pack Court.”
“AG offers insights into job”: Yesterday’s edition of The Rutland Herald contained an article that begins, “Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said when he argued a case recently before the nation’s highest court he went prepared, armed with words of advice from colleagues and friends.” The article even offers advice on how to deal with an antagonistic Justice Antonin Scalia at oral argument.
“Remaking cities: What price? Most Norwood owners well-paid; many glad to be out.” The Cincinnati Enquirer today contains a series of articles on the subject of eminent domain, and those articles can be accessed via this link.
The Miami Herald is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains articles headlined “Salon on cutting edge of eminent domain; An eminent domain case in Hollywood could have statewide implications for the government’s ability to force private landowners to sell their property” and “Property-seizure rules could be tightened; Redevelopment in cities might be at a crossroads as Florida legislators debate whether to strip community redevelopment agencies of the ability to take private property and give to a developer.”
“Top court to rule whether hosts are liable for drunk driving of party guest”: Canadian Press provides this report.
“George calls death penalty ‘dysfunctional'”: David Kravets of The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The chief justice of the California Supreme Court said the state’s death penalty has become ‘dysfunctional’ and blamed lawmakers for looking the other way as 650 condemned inmates idle on death row.”
“Cries to change patent law; Congress resumes hearings; Supreme Court considers three appeals”: This article appears today in The Baltimore Sun.
New York State appellate court rules “Don’t have a cow, man!” The Buffalo News today contains an article headlined “Ruling bans cows, goat from family’s home.” My earlier extensive coverage of this case appears at this link.
“All eyes are on Mount Laurel eminent domain suit; Developer takes his case of alleged abuse to state Supreme Court tomorrow”: This article appears today in The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger.
“Breyer discusses Supreme Court’s role, rulings during appearance at Princeton”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The role of the nation’s top court is often misunderstood, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said Sunday during an appearance at Princeton University.” Earlier, Princeton University previewed today’s event at this link.
“At Enron trial, jury sees a testy Ken Lay; The executive’s bumpy testimony, which continues Monday, may have harmed his defense, analysts say”: This article will appear Monday in The Christian Science Monitor.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains an article headlined “Courtroom camera bill stirs debate” that begins, “As far as opinions go, Justice David Souter has made it clear what he thinks of TV cameras in Supreme Court hearings. ‘I think the case is so strong,’ Souter told a House subcommittee in 1996, ‘that I can tell you the day you see a camera come into our courtroom it’s going to roll over my dead body.’ But now a bill sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee he leads would force the Supreme Court to let cameras into its hallowed halls, one of the few public spaces in Washington, along with other federal courts, where cameras are banned.”
And in other news, “Bush team imposes thick veil of secrecy.”
In today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times: The newspaper contains an article headlined “A Dilemma for the Defenders; Ordered to represent Guantanamo prisoners who repudiate them, military lawyers face a quandary that tests their highest obligations.”
In other news, “Porn Shoots Get Under Their Skin; Encino neighbors may object to the filming, but there’s little recourse if city permits are in place.”
An editorial entitled “‘American Justices’?” begins, “Arlen Specter, who as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee prides himself on grilling Supreme Court nominees, is now picking a fight with justices already on the bench. The Pennsylvania Republican is championing legislation to televise oral arguments before the court despite complaints by two justices that cameras would change the proceedings for the worse.”
And David Wise has an op-ed entitled “Read the news, go to jail; Most Americans possess classified information, whether they know it or not.”
“Homicide Case Against Boy Rouses Punishment Debate”: The Washington Post contains this article today.
“Bracing for the sniper trial; Muhammad to face court tomorrow in 6 Montgomery killings”: This article appears today in The Baltimore Sun.
And The Washington Post today contains a front page article headlined “At Last, Sister of Sniper Victim Gets Her Day in Court; Muhammad Goes on Trial Tomorrow in Montgomery.”
“The Little Guy”: In today’s issue of The New York Times Magazine, William Safire’s “On Language” column begins, “A New York Times editorial a few months ago denounced the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, charging he had ‘a history of tilting the scales of justice against the little guy.'”
“Enron On Trial”: Friday’s broadcast of the public radio program “On Point” included a lengthy segment (available in both RealPlayer and Windows Media Player formats) featuring, among others, Mary Flood of The Houston Chronicle and Law Professor John C. Coffee.
“Moussaoui Sentencing Put Off for Weekend”: This segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on Friday’s broadcast of NPR‘s “All Things Considered.”
The brand new installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com is titled “Considering a Likely Appeal in the Moussaoui Case.”
“Decompressing in Boston”: Ann Althouse offers here some additional thoughts about Friday’s “Bloggership” conference. I really enjoyed finally meeting Ann in person, and her very interesting paper for the conference is available via this link.
At a conference chock-full of law professor bloggers, you might expect that among the presenters the ratio of law geeks to non-law geeks would be quite high. In that respect, I found it interesting to observe first-hand that the coolness (or lack of coolness) of a given law professor’s blog did not reliably indicate the coolness (or lack of coolness) of the blog’s author. Not surprisingly, however, with Ann she was every bit as cool as her blog, which I mean as a compliment, and I think that this proves that Ann’s blog is accomplishing precisely what she intends.
One of the odd things about attending a conference with other highly dedicated law bloggers is that, in many instances, online friendships have already developed in the absence of any previous face-to-face contact. Among the most pleasant surprises were: (1) Larry Solumn of the “Legal Theory Blog” is not just an amazing blogger who generates a tremendous resource, but he is also a wonderful person; (2) Michael Froomkin of the blog “Discourse.Net,” although he and I probably share little in common in our personal political views, is fascinating to speak with in person; and (3) it was great to meet Roger Alford of “Opinio Juris” at the pre-conference gathering, and I hope that he and I have an opportunity to speak again someday, perhaps after I am invited to give a talk at a certain southern California law school overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
“Bush challenges hundreds of laws; President cites powers of his office”: Today in The Boston Globe, Charlie Savage has an article that begins, “President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.”
“Rowland Sowed Judicial Scandal; Waterbury Stamp Taints High Court, Judges Say”: Today in The Hartford Courant, Lynne Tuohy has an article that begins, “The scandal over the actions taken by former Chief Justice William J. Sullivan to help his ally on the court succeed him as head of the judicial branch has roots in the cronyism cultivated on the state’s highest court by former Gov. John G. Rowland.”
“Judge Defends Decision to Jail Miller”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The federal judge who jailed a former New York Times reporter for refusing to name her source during the CIA leak investigation defended his decision Friday.”
“Chief justice not ready to rest”: This profile of Wisconsin’s Chief Justice, Shirley S. Abrahamson, appears today in The Wisconsin State Journal. This year, Abrahamson marks her 30th year of service on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.
Relatedly, you can access my “20 questions for the appellate judge” interview with Chief Justice Abrahamson, from September 2004, at this link.
