“Conservatives to Bush: Fire Gonzales.” Time magazine has posted this report today at its web site.

California Supreme Court set to rule today on procedure for certifying class action cases: California’s highest court has announced that it plans to issue a decision today in Fireside Bank v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County (Sandra Gonzalez, Real Party). The case presents the following question:

May a trial court ever depart from the preferred practice of deciding whether to certify a class action before adjudicating any class claims on the merits, or is the rule against such “one-way intervention” in class actions a firm prohibition applicable in all circumstances?

The decision of the California Court of Appeal in the case can be accessed here (Microsoft Word document).

The blog “The UCL Practitioner” has previously covered the case in posts that you can access here and here. Today’s ruling is scheduled to issue at 1 p.m. eastern time and will be available via this link.

Update: You can access today’s ruling at this link.

“Court grants no new cases”: Lyle Denniston provides this report on today’s U.S. Supreme Court Order List at “SCOTUSblog.”

On today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition“: The broadcast contained audio segments entitled “Gonzales Set to Defend Firing of Prosecutors“; “Long, Winding Road Led to Padilla Trial“; “Gay-Marriage Advocates Switch Tactics“; and “Judicial Crisis Imperils Pakistan’s Musharraf” (RealPlayer required).

“The Pace of the Court’s Decisionmaking”: Tom Goldstein has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Overtime case may change pay rules for home care workers”: The Chicago Tribune today contains an article that begins, “The U.S. Supreme Court today will hear a case that could affect hundreds of thousands of home care workers and their elderly and disabled clients.”

“The N-Word and a Plaintiff’s Right to His Day in Court”: You can access at this link today’s installment of my weekly “On Appeal” column for law.com.

“Gonzales offers prosecutors apology ahead of testimony; Attorney general still defends firings of U.S. attorneys”: This article appears today in USA Today.

And The Wall Street Journal reports today that “Gonzales Deputy, in Crossfire, Looks for Quiet Exit; McNulty Seeks Job In Private Sector; Scrutiny Intensifies” (free access).

“When a Judge Offers an Opinion Away From the Bench”: Today in The New York Times, the brand new installment of Adam Liptak‘s “Sidebar” column (TimesSelect temporary pass-through link) begins, “Judge Wendell L. Griffen sits on the state appeals court here, and he likes to give a lively speech now and then. That may cost him his job.”

Online today at FindLaw: Julie Hilden has an essay entitled “A Student Who Posted Profanities About Her School Principal on MySpace Wins Before The Indiana Court of Appeals: Why the State Constitution Protected Her, And How She Would Have Fared Under The First Amendment.”

And Jonna M. Spilbor has an essay entitled “Closing The Door On the Duke Lacrosse Rape Claims: Why the Accuser Should Be Prosecuted, and The State Should Revamp the Way It Handles False Crime Reports.”

“Overheated: The Court’s EPA ruling won’t clean up our air.” Benjamin Wittes has this essay online today at The New Republic.

“‘Supreme Conflict’ by Jan Crawford Greenburg: Bush built a right wing on highest court by trial, error.” Law Professor Ken Gormley has this book review today in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Dog case may set murder standard; Infamous attack and subsequent trial consumed San Francisco and sparked a nationwide debate over killer dogs”: Maura Dolan will have this article Monday in The Los Angeles Times.

“A Woman Wrongly Convicted and a U.S. Attorney Who Kept His Job”: Adam Cohen will have this Editorial Observer essay Monday in The New York Times.

Available online from National Public Radio: This evening’s broadcast of “All Things Considered” contained audio segments entitled “Gonzales Admits Missteps in Attorney Firings” and “Home Health Aides Seek Labor Protections.”

And today’s broadcast of “Weekend Edition Sunday” contained audio segments entitled “Jury Selection to Begin at Padilla Trial” and “Durham Seeks Calm After Duke Lacrosse Case.”

RealPlayer is required to launch these audio segments.

“‘Nothing to Hide,’ Gonzales Insists Before Senate Hearing”: This article will appear Monday in The New York Times.

The Washington Post on Monday will report that “Ex-Justice Official’s Statements Contradict Gonzales on Firings.”

Monday’s edition of The Los Angeles Times will report that “Gonzales to insist attorney firings were appropriate; In Tuesday Senate hearings, the attorney general plans to acknowledge mistakes in the dismissals, but will maintain that none of the prosecutors were fired for political reasons.”

And McClatchy Newspapers report that “Gonzales declares he has `nothing to hide.’”

“Dropped Duke Charges Renew Hope in Georgia”: The New York Times on Monday will contain an article that begins, “When North Carolina’s attorney general said last week that an overreaching prosecutor lacked the evidence to support charges of rape against three former Duke University lacrosse players, some in this neighboring state hoped that tremors from his pronouncement would help free a former star high school football player. But as Georgia’s legislative session neared a close, the odds were against them. The former football player, Genarlow Wilson, is serving 10 years without parole for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party, an offense that constituted aggravated child molesting even though he was 17 at the time.”

“US antiterror tactics crimp new terror case: Some of the strongest evidence against Jose Padilla, whose trial begins Monday, was coerced and can’t be used in court.” Warren Richey will have this article Monday in The Christian Science Monitor.

“On Tuesday, all eyes will be on Gonzales”: McClatchy Newspapers provide this report.

“TPMmuckraker” has posted at this link the prepared text of the Attorney General’s opening statement to be delivered at Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Via “The Volokh Conspiracy“). Update: CNN.com has posted the 25-page opening statement in PDF format.

“Tombstone case may bury free speech”: Today in The Chicago Tribune, columnist John Kass has an op-ed in which he writes, “The case is now pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago and could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which may mark the first time that the high court’s justices decide what may be printed on fake tombstones in your front yard.”

You can access via this link the briefs and appendix filed in the case on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The Seventh Circuit heard oral argument in the case on April 4, 2007, and you can download the oral argument audio via this link (6 MB mp3 file).

“Gonzales: Keeping his distance, or deficient? Some say the attorney general delegates and doesn’t worry about the details; Others question his priorities.” The Los Angeles Times contains this article today, along with an article headlined “3 fired U.S. attorneys were tried by border policing; Documents show the Justice Department and prosecutors were often at odds over how to control illegal immigration.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports today that “Politics had no role, Biskupic says; U.S. attorney was unaware his job was in jeopardy during prosecution of state official, he says.”

In The Washington Post, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales has an op-ed entitled “Nothing Improper.” In addition, Scott Turow has an op-ed entitled “It’s Up to Gonzales Now.”

And The New York Times contains an editorial entitled “The Fantasy Behind the Scandal.”

“Padilla terror trial is ready to unfold; After five years in detention, Jose Padilla will finally have his day in court as jury selection begins Monday in a high-profile terrorism trial in Miami”: This article appears today in The Miami Herald.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports today that “5 years later, Padilla terror case closer to trial.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Padilla Jury Selection Opening.”

“In Mexico, Powerful Forces Drive a Furious Debate Over Abortion; Catholic Church Fights Legislation”: The Washington Post contains this article today.

“The politics of life and death: An inmate’s fate often hinges on luck of the draw.” This article appears today in The Cincinnati Enquirer. According to the newspaper’s summary of the article’s findings, “An Enquirer analysis of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati shows that judges appointed by Republicans vote against inmates 85 percent of the time, while those appointed by Democrats vote for them 75 percent of the time.” (Via “Sentencing Law and Policy“).

On yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday“: The broadcast contained audio segments entitled “Ethics of Prosecutor in Duke Case Questioned” and “Raleigh Paper Publishes Duke Accuser’s Name” (RealPlayer required).

“The Supremes: Just what are top justices really afraid of?” Columnist Lisa Scottoline had this op-ed yesterday in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“U.S. legal roots noted; Jamestown event with top U.S., English judges caps Rule of Law Conference”: The Richmond Times-Dispatch contains this article today.

And The Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Virginia reports today that “Jurists from two continents mark birth of law and land; U.S. and British legal minds celebrate the beginning of a beautiful relationship at Jamestown.” A related photo can be accessed here.

“A case starts to unravel: District Attorney Mike Nifong brusquely rejects defense lawyers’ overtures and an offer to share information; The emerging evidence does not support his certainty.” This article — part two in a five-part series, appears today in The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina. I previously linked here to part one of the series, published yesterday.

And The Herald-Sun of Durham, North Carolina today contains articles headlined “Brodhead defends Duke handling of case” and “City officials counter botched investigation claims.”

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting: Today’s newspaper contains an article headlined “New execution chamber infuriates lawmakers; Facility at San Quentin was built quietly.”

And Bob Egelko reports that “They can’t send ‘guru of ganja’ to jail, but feds will retry case.”

“Justices weigh limits on racial slurs in the workplace; The Supreme Court may hear the case of a black computer technician fired after he complained about a co-worker’s comment”: David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

“E-Mail Identified G.O.P. Candidates for Justice Jobs”: The New York Times contains this article today, along with an article headlined “Lawyer Says Rove Assumed E-Mail Was Kept.”

The Washington Post today contains articles headlined “Gonzales Aide Floated Replacements Early On” and “Explaining Missing E-Mails, Attorney Says Rove Thought RNC Saved Them.” The newspaper also contains an editorial entitled “White House E-Mail Mystery: The administration needs to do better if this puzzle is not to become a scandal.”

The Los Angeles Times contains articles headlined “Attorneys assessed long before firings; Bush officials looked at insiders to take the prosecutor jobs, new documents show“; “Search for e-mails in U.S. attorney firings may be fruitless; Karl Rove’s messages sought by congressional Democrats may be lost to changes in storage practices“; and “Rove, others were warned to save e-mails.”

The Boston Globe reports that “Testimony of ex-aide to Gonzales questioned; E-mails show list of replacements for prosecutors.”

In The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Justice Dept. criticized S.F. prosecutor, papers show; Memo suggests Ryan was fired for running a ‘fractured’ office.”

And McClatchy Newspapers report that “Wisconsin prosecutor surfaced on ‘firing’ list” and “U.S. attorney asserts politics had no place in his decisions.” You can also access online this statement issued today by Steven M. Biskupic, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

“Administration Seeks to Expand Surveillance Law”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

The New York Times reports today that “Legislation Seeks to Ease Rules on Domestic Spying.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Narrower role for Court on electronic spying?”

“Lawyer Attacked for Book His Panel Deems Offensive”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “Raoul Felder, a celebrity divorce lawyer who is chairman of a state commission that oversees judges, has been given a unanimous vote of no confidence by the other nine members of the commission for helping to write a book they said is racially and ethnically inflammatory.”

The New York Post today contains an article headlined “Roasting Raoul: Law panel moves to ax Felder for ‘racial’ book.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Judge conduct panel shuns its ‘Schmucks!’ chairman.”

You can learn more about the book in question at this link.

“Texas Inmate Basis of Supreme Court Case”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“Courts and Greens”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “A little over four years ago, when the forces of deregulation were riding high, this page observed that the federal courts could turn out to be the last, best hope for slowing the Bush administration’s assault on the body of bipartisan environmental law established over the last four decades and, by extension, on the environment itself. As things have turned out, this is pretty much what has happened.”