“Less” means “more” in the Third Circuit, too: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today issued an opinion construing the meaning of the appellate timing provision found in the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005.

My law.com essay on this subject, from February 2006, was headlined “Less Is More: When Courts Decide a Law Means the Opposite of What It Says.”

“The New York Times versus Religion: So much nonsense in a four-part series.” In the October 23, 2006 issue of The Weekly Standard, John J. DiIulio Jr. has an essay that begins, “On Sunday, October 8, the ‘public editor’ of the New York Times, Byron Calame, criticized Times reporter Linda Greenhouse for a speech she delivered last June at Harvard.”

“Blind Sheik’s Lawyer Gets 28 Months”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison on a terrorism charge for helping a client who plotted to blow up New York City landmarks communicate with his followers.”

“Justices may see bigamy case”: The Salt Lake Tribune today contains an article that begins, “A Utah polygamist is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review his bigamy conviction, arguing the state’s law is used to target a religious minority for relationships others enjoy without consequence. In his petition, Rodney H. Holm also asks the nation’s highest court to reconsider whether the polygamy ban enshrined in its 1879 Reynolds decision is justified today, given modern customs and more recent rulings on liberty and privacy rights.” (Via “Religion Clause.”)

“Relatives Admitted to Top Court Practice”: The Associated Press provides this report.

Unresolved thus far is whether the U.S. Supreme Court would consider children and their same-sex parents to constitute a family for swearing-in-to-the-Bar statistical purposes. If not, then I imagine that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie won’t be joining the Supreme Court’s Bar as a family any time soon.

Today’s rulings of note from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit: Notwithstanding protestations to the contrary, even Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner must sometimes accord precedential effect to foreign law. Today’s occasion arises thanks to a plaintiff who filed suit in Illinois as a result of breaking his leg while jet skiing in the Bahamas.

Today’s other ruling of note arises thanks to a Wisconsin state prison inmate who “stopped eating altogether because, he says, he was using the ‘power of prayer and fasting’ to implore God to move his former accusers to recant the testimony that led to his conviction and imprisonment for sexual assault.” Not only did the inmate’s fasting apparently fail to have the desired effect on God, but the prison’s efforts to keep the inmate among the living also, as today’s ruling reveals, failed to confer on the prisoner any valid claims under the Eighth Amendment or the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

“Trouble brews in cyberspace over Newburgh blog”: The Times Herald-Record of Middletown, New York yesterday published an article that begins, “Michael Gabor asks a lot of questions, and after living here for 17 years, he also has a lot of opinions. He expresses himself on a Newburgh-oriented Internet chat board, putting him on the cutting edge of discourse in the 21st century. But these days, the bespectacled, reflective photographer goes online with an old-fashioned albatross hanging around his neck: He’s waiting for his lawyer to convince a judge to toss out a $5 million defamation suit that hit him back in June, for opinions he expressed about a renovation project in Newburgh’s historic district.”

Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Order List: You can access the Order List at this link. The Court did not grant review in any new cases today.

At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Court denies new ‘takings’ case.”

Lyle’s post concludes:

The Court opened its proceedings on Monday by admitting new members to practice at its bar. Among the group was a family of nine — the Donald Snyder family from upstate New York — the largest family group admitted together since the Perla family joined the bar in 1994, according to Court data. A news story about the Snyder family, in the Utica Observer-Dispatch, can be found here. On admitting them, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., wryly remarked: “No one wanted to be a doctor?”

The article from yesterday’s issue of The Utica Observer-Dispatch is headlined “First family of the court: U.S. Supreme Court to admit Snyders.” Meanwhile, the web site of the law firm Perla & Perla LLP provides access to an article that The Buffalo News published in 1994 under the headline “Buffalo clan sets a record for high court; Nine in Perla family sworn in at tribunal.” Nine years later, a slightly smaller group from the Perla family competed against one another on “The Weakest Link” television program.

In other coverage of today’s developments at the Court, The Associated Press reports that “High Court Won’t Review Boy Scout Case.”

On today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition“: The broadcast contained audio segments entitled “Lawyer Faces Sentencing for Helping Client” and “Lawyer Discusses Implications of New Detainee Law” (RealPlayer required).

Voters in South Dakota next month have the ability to outlaw both abortion and same-sex marriage: The Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, South Dakota today contains an article headlined “Morality, privacy at issue; Marriage measure foes fear unintended consequences.”

“Blogger stays in prison, defying grand jury order”: The San Francisco Chronicle today contains an article that begins, “Blogger and anarchist Josh Wolf, spending his 57th day in federal prison today for refusing to surrender video he shot of a violent San Francisco protest, is well on his way to becoming the longest-jailed journalist in U.S. history.”

“Our Broken Constitution: What many consider the greatest American document is in reality a blueprint for undemocratic governance.” Law Professor Sanford Levinson has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains an article headlined “Making a Family Without a Marriage; The son and daughter of lesbians think of their mothers as a wedded couple; Reminders that they aren’t often arise.”

And in other news, an article is headlined “Loyal to Country or Conscience? An Asian American soldier faces a court-martial for his refusal to serve in Iraq; His stand stirs anger and admiration among Japanese Americans who remember World War II.”

“Broadcast condemns same-sex marriage; Romney urges evangelical fight”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe.

And The Boston Herald today contains an article headlined “Attack on gay marriage – Gov blasts Bay State in his own backyard.”

“Protect the Constitution”: Nat Hentoff has this op-ed today in The Washington Times.

“The Treason Puzzle: The administration tries a new legal tack against terrorism.” The Washington Post contains this editorial today.

“Specter’s Role in Passage Of Detainee Bill Disputed”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Lawyer Is Due for Sentencing in Terror Case”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “Lynne F. Stewart, the firebrand lawyer known for defending unsavory criminals, now faces the possibility of living out her life like many of them, in maximum-security lockdown in a federal prison.”

And The New York Sun reports today that “Stewart Plans Plea for Mercy In Court Today.”

“Justice for All: The Honorable Stephen G. Breyer interviewed by Jeffrey Toobin.” The New Yorker magazine has posted online the video, in four parts. You can access the video by clicking here.

David Lat’s earlier write-up of the interview, posted at “Above the Law,” appears at this link.

Meanwhile, those who would rather view The New Yorker’s video of comedian Steve Martin’s interview of cartoonist Roz Chast can do so by clicking here.

“Taking the Initiative: How judges threaten direct democracy.” John Fund has this essay online today at OpinionJournal.

“ACLU Brings Scalia Out of the Judicial Cloister”: Josh Gerstein has this article today in The New York Sun.

In The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports today that “Scalia Debates Law, Liberties With ACLU Chief; In a televised session, the Supreme Court justice defends his views before a liberal crowd of 1,500.”

And in USA Today, Joan Biskupic reports that “Conservative justice defends views at annual ACLU meeting.”

My earlier coverage appears here and here.

“Are Lawyers’ Blogs Protected by the First Amendment? Why State Bar Regulation of Law Blogs As ‘Advertising’ Would Be Elitist and Reductive.” Julie Hilden has this essay today online at FindLaw.

“Blawg Review #79”: Available online here, at “Tech Law Advisor.”

“ACLU State of Civil Liberties: Scalia & Strossen.” C-SPAN has posted online at this link (RealPlayer required) archived video of this evening’s discussion.

And Hope Yen of The Associated Press reports that “Scalia Defends Positions in TV Debate.”

“Brownback won’t back down”: The Grand Rapids Press today contains an article that begins, “U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback said he ‘doesn’t relish’ stepping in the middle of a hard-fought compromise to fill three key federal judge positions in Michigan. But the Kansas Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said his block on the nomination of Janet Neff to a seat on the U.S. District Court will continue until he gets more answers, and that communication from Neff on Friday did not answer his questions.”

Fifteen years ago today: As The Associated Press notes here, on this date in 1991, the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 52-48, confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

“Reforming The 9th”: Investor’s Business Daily on Friday published an editorial that begins, “How to bring a wayward court into the mainstream? Some say it should be broken up. But the ballot box offers a more lasting remedy. That’s another reason elections matter.”

“U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and America Civil Liberties Union president Nadine Strossen discuss civil liberties at the ACLU Convention; The discussion is moderated by NBC News correspondent Pete Williams”: C-SPAN will broadcast the event live at 5 p.m. eastern time today. You can view the event live, online using either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player.

“Judge doesn’t object to video game ‘Bully’; A judge said that although he wouldn’t want his children to play the video game Bully, it shouldn’t be banned”: This article appeared yesterday in The Miami Herald.

The Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains articles headlined “Ban’s limits worry some S.D. doctors; But abortion foes say questions about health care risks for women overstated” and “Women form differing views after perilous pregnancies.”

“Marine Corps Issues Gag Order in Detainee Abuse Case; The action has lawyers worrying they could be punished for defending Guantanamo clients”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“The Right Charge for the Crime: Adam Yahiye Gadahn’s actions are treasonous, and the charge ensures he’ll have the right to trial guaranteed him by the Constitution.” The Los Angeles Times contains this editorial today.

“Call of the West: Rein In the Judges; Conservative ballot measures in many states would check judicial power; South Dakotans seek a right to sue jurists, Montanans to recall.” This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“The time for forced integration has passed”: Today in The St. Petersburg Times, columnist Robyn E. Blumner has an op-ed that begins, “Race is back at center stage at the U.S. Supreme Court this term. The court has another opportunity to put the government out of the business of social engineering by race. I hope the new conservative majority on the court takes it.”

“Who cares about civil liberties? If Democrats gain big in the midterm elections, it won’t be due to outrage over domestic spying or the treatment of terrorism suspects; Does defending civil liberties have to be a political nonstarter?” Drake Bennett has this essay today in the Ideas section of The Boston Globe.