How Appealing



Monday, June 25, 2007

In Tuesday’s edition of The Washington Post: Robert Barnes will have a front page article headlined “5-4 Supreme Court Weakens Curbs on Pre-Election TV Ads; Ruling on McCain-Feingold Law Opens Door for Interest Groups in ’08.”

Charles Lane will have an article headlined “Court Backs School On Speech Curbs; A 5-4 Majority Cites Perils of Illegal Drugs In Case of the ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ Banner.”

And an article will report that “Justices Quash Suit Over Funds For Faith Groups.”

Posted at 10:22 PM by Howard Bashman



“Fairness in Affirmative Action in Schools: Roberts Supreme Court Poised to Rule On Controversial Racial Issue.” ABC News correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg provides this written report.

Posted at 9:05 PM by Howard Bashman



Available online from National Public Radio: This evening’s broadcast of “All Things Considered” contained audio segments entitled “Supreme Court Rules on Free-Speech Cases” (featuring Nina Totenberg) and “Court Allows Transfer of EPA Authority to States.”

And today’s broadcast of “Talk of the Nation” contained audio segments entitled “Supreme Court Rules Against Teen in Speech Case” (featuring David G. Savage) and “Millions for a Pair of Pants? Judge Says No!

RealPlayer is required to launch these audio segments.

Posted at 7:30 PM by Howard Bashman



Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor is reporting: In Tuesday’s issue of that newspaper, he will have articles headlined “Court restricts student expression; The Supreme Court ruled Monday that school officials retain discretion to censor student speech that they believe may encourage illegal drug use“; “Court clips campaign-finance law; In a 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court justices say Wisconsin issue ads did not violate McCain-Feingold act“; and “Taxpayers can’t sue over faith-based initiatives; A White House program to aid religious groups in providing social services survives a court test.”

Posted at 6:00 PM by Howard Bashman



“Appeal Heard in Verizon-Vonage Case”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A judge suggested a possible compromise in a patent dispute between Internet phone carrier Vonage and Verizon Communications that would allow Vonage to continue signing up new customers while it modifies its technologies. Judge Timothy B. Dyk, part of the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, made the remark during oral arguments Monday.”

You can download the audio of today’s oral argument of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit via this link (66.2MB mp3 file).

Posted at 5:10 PM by Howard Bashman



Over the dissent of six judges, the Ninth Circuit denies rehearing en banc of three-judge panel decision that set aside one count of conviction of “Millennium Bomber” Ahmed Ressam: You can access today’s order denying rehearing en banc, and accompanying dissent, at this link.

Posted at 4:58 PM by Howard Bashman



“The Conservatives Crush”: This afternoon’s part three of Slate’s “A Supreme Court Conversation” version of “The Breakfast Table” featuring Walter Dellinger and Dahlia Lithwick can be accessed here.

Posted at 4:40 PM by Howard Bashman



“WRTL: Big Win for Campaign Finance Deregulation.” Law Professor Rick Hasen has this post at his “Election Law” blog.

Posted at 12:48 PM by Howard Bashman



“Dry Cleaner Wins in Missing-Pants Case”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A judge on Monday ruled in favor of a dry cleaner that was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants in a case that garnered international attention and renewed calls for litigation reform.”

And The Washington Post provides a news update headlined “Plaintiff in Pants Suit Gets Nothing; Ruling for Dry Cleaner May Spell Bigger Woes for D.C. Judge Roy Pearson.”

Update: Via WSJ.com’s “Law Blog,” you can access both the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and judgment in the case.

Posted at 10:33 AM by Howard Bashman



Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Order List and opinions in argued cases: At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Court decides endangered species, religion, student speech, campaign finance cases; four new grants.”

Today’s first opinion in an argued case issued in National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife, No. 06-340. You can access the opinion here and the oral argument transcript here. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court in the case, which was decided by a 5-4 margin. Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen G. Breyer issued dissenting opinions.

The second opinion in an argued case issued in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., No. 06-157. You can access the opinion here and the oral argument transcript here. Justice Alito announced the judgment of the Court on behalf of a three-Justice plurality. Justice Antonin Scalia issued an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Clarence Thomas joined. The remaining four Justices dissented in an opinion by Justice David H. Souter.

The third opinion in an argued case issued in Wilkie v. Robbins, No. 06-219. You can access the opinion here and the oral argument transcript here. Justice Souter issued the opinion of the Court in the case, which was decided by a 7-2 margin.

The fourth opinion in an argued case issued in Morse v. Frederick, No. 06-278. You can access the opinion here and the oral argument transcript here. The Chief Justice delivered the opinion of the Court.

The fifth and final opinion in an argued case issued in Federal Election Comm’n v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., No. 06-969. You can access the opinion here and the oral argument transcript here. The Chief Justice delivered the opinion of the Court.

You can access today’s Order List at this link.

And in early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Student Free-Speech Rights Defined“; “Court Nixes Suit Over Faith-Based Plan“; “Court Loosens Limits on Election Ads“; “Business Prevails in Environmental Case“; and “Court Turns Down Pharmaceutical Case.”

The Court will next issue opinions in argued cases on Thursday, June 28, 2007, which is expected to be the final day for the issuance of opinions this Term.

Posted at 10:05 AM by Howard Bashman



“Blinded by the law: Teen sex case shows that focusing on the letter of the law doesn’t always spell justice.” Yesterday in The Chicago Tribune, Radley Balko had an op-ed that begins, “Earlier this month, a Georgia judge threw out the 10-year prison sentence of 21-year-old Genarlow Wilson.”

Posted at 8:50 AM by Howard Bashman



“An abuse of power deepens”: The St. Petersburg Times today contains an editorial that begins, “One of the more troubling ways President Bush has abused the power of his office is through his profligate use of bill-signing statements.”

Posted at 8:25 AM by Howard Bashman



“Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power”: The Washington Post today contains a front page article that begins, “Shortly after the first accused terrorists reached the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Jan. 11, 2002, a delegation from CIA headquarters arrived in the Situation Room. The agency presented a delicate problem to White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, a man with next to no experience on the subject.”

Posted at 8:14 AM by Howard Bashman



“Media, DA decried in Manzanares death; Ethics questioned in coverage of stolen laptop case”: The Rocky Mountain News today contains an article that begins, “The death of Larry Manzanares has raised several sharp ethical questions about the news media and prosecutors for the way the case against the former Denver judge and city attorney was filed and covered. Several friends and colleagues of Manzanares blamed the media in general, and the Rocky Mountain News in particular, for what they felt was sensational treatment of the fact that pornography was discovered on a stolen state court laptop computer found in his possession.” In addition, columnist Tina Griego has an op-ed entitled “Sadness, anger reflect enormity of this loss.”

And The Denver Post reports today that “Family, friends mourn lawyer; Gathering at the park.”

Posted at 8:05 AM by Howard Bashman



“Bench Marks: The Supreme Court’s looming legitimacy crisis.” Online today at The New Republic, Benjamin Wittes has this essay.

Posted at 7:55 AM by Howard Bashman



“A Judge at the Plaintiff’s Table Tips the Scales”: Today in The New York Times, the new installment of Adam Liptak‘s “Sidebar” column begins, “Chief Justice Robert R. Thomas of the Illinois Supreme Court has lately been disqualifying himself from hearing libel cases. That is probably because he is a libel plaintiff himself, one who not long ago won a $7 million verdict against a little newspaper in the Chicago suburbs, The Kane County Chronicle, circulation 14,000.”

My most recent earlier coverage of this matter, including a link to access the newspaper’s federal court lawsuit against the Chief Justice of Illinois, can be accessed here.

Posted at 7:54 AM by Howard Bashman