“Judge Allows Abuse Lawsuit Against Firm”: Lara Jakes Jordan of The Associated Press has an article that begins, “A federal judge allowed a lawsuit to proceed Tuesday against private defense firm CACI International Inc., whose interrogators are accused of abusing detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. A similar civil suit against a second contracting company, Titan Corp., was dismissed under the order by U.S. District Judge James Robertson of the District of Columbia.”
You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at this link.
“Justice Alito More Assertive at Court”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press provides this report.
“Oregon Court Hears Circumcision Arguments”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Day to Day.”
Access online today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument transcripts: The Court has just posted today’s oral argument transcripts in John R. Sand & Gravel Co. v. United States, No. 06-1164, and Federal Express Corp. v. Holowecki, No. 06-1322.
I’ve already voted today; Have you? Here in Pennsylvania, lots of judges are on the ballot. Voters will elect two new Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and decide whether a third should be retained for another ten-year term. On Pennsylvania’s busiest intermediate appellate court, the Superior Court, three new judges will be elected and the retention of another three currently-sitting judges will be decided. You can follow the results tonight via this link.
Without leaving your keyboard, you can vote in another contest of interest, for “Best Law Blog” in The 2007 Weblog Awards. “How Appealing” could use your vote in this popularity contest in order to have a respectable showing. To vote, simply click here and then click on the appropriate oval a couple of times until the current vote results are revealed. You can vote once per computer every 24 hours until the contest wraps-up, so please be sure to keep voting as often as possible. The voting on these awards will conclude on Thursday, November 8, 2007, so please go vote right now. “How Appealing” is currently entrenched in fifth place out of ten nominees, but if everyone who views this post clicks on this link and votes for “How Appealing,” this blog will rapidly catapult up the rankings to first place.
“Pawnshop owner takes deal; Mack pleads to wife’s killing, judge’s shooting”: This article appears today in The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
And The Reno Gazette-Journal today contains articles headlined “Surprise guilty pleas bring sudden end to trial” and “Jurors say defense’s prospects in case didn’t look good.”
You can view the written plea agreement by clicking here.
“Judge This: In the footsteps of Roberts and Alito.” Kristi L. Remington and Jamie E. Brown have this essay today at National Review Online.
The Associated Press is reporting: Mark Sherman reports that “Court Hears Age Discrimination Case.”
An article headlined “Judges Won’t Stop Military Commission” begins, “A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to block military commission proceedings against a Canadian detainee held at Guantanamo Bay.”
And in other news, “Court: Child Support Lawsuit Frivolous.” My earlier coverage of today’s Sixth Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“Jailing of ex-governor allowed”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”
The Chicago Tribune provides a news update headlined “U.S. Supreme Court turns down Ryan request to remain free.”
The Chicago Sun-Times provides a news update headlined “Ryan denied plea, must report to prison.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Justices Turn Down Ill. Governor’s Plea.”
“Calif. Court Considers Marijuana Use”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “When Gary Ross was ordered to take a drug test at his new job, the recently hired computer tech had no doubt the results would come back positive for marijuana. But along with his urine sample, Ross submitted a doctor’s recommendation that he smoke pot to alleviate back pain – a document he figured would save him from being fired. It didn’t: Ross was let go eight days into his tenure because his employer, Ragingwire Inc., said federal law makes marijuana illegal no matter the use. On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court is due to hear Ross’ case, the latest example of the intensifying clash between federal and local authorities over marijuana use.”
“Judge Kavanaugh on the Relevance of the Legal Academy”: Roger Alford has an interesting post today at the “Opinio Juris” blog that begins, “Two weeks ago I had the good fortune to moderate a panel at the International Law Weekend that included Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit. I thought his comments deserved wider dissemination.” Among the points covered in Roger’s post is “Judges Read Blogs.”
“Panel Sends Mukasey Nomination to Senate”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey to the Senate floor Tuesday, virtually ensuring his confirmation before Thanksgiving. The 11-8 vote came after two key Democrats accepted his vow to enforce any law Congress might enact against waterboarding.”
Does Columbus, Ohio make it too difficult to engage in the expressive act of burning stuff to demonstrate your disagreement with what that stuff represents? The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued this ruling today. Among the items whose destruction by fire is at issue in the case are the rainbow flag, the Koran, and copies of various U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit joins Michigan federal district court in rejecting father’s objections to child support in lawsuit some have referred to as “Roe v. Wade for men”: You can access today’s Sixth Circuit ruling in Dubay v. Wells at this link.
In earlier press coverage, The Detroit News in March 2006 published an article headlined “Dads: No cash for unwanted children; In lawsuit, activists argue if women have right to decide fate of fetus, fathers can decline financial role.” BBC News reported that “US men fight child support laws; Men’s rights activists in the US are to argue in court that fathers do not have an obligation to pay money towards raising a child they did not want.” And ABC12-TV of Flint, Michigan reported that “Matt Dubay speaks about lawsuit; Suit dubbed ‘Roe vs. Wade for men.’”
As you might expect, the case has also generated substantial commentary. In The Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby had an op-ed entitled “The obligation of unwanted fatherhood.” And in the Ideas section of that newspaper, Drake Bennett had a report headlined “A man’s right to choose: This is Joe’s sperm. It contains his genetic material. When joined with an egg, it can produce offspring–as well as certain legal responsibilities. Does Joe have any say in all this?” In USA Today, DeWayne Wickham had an op-ed entitled “Mich. paternity law dispute: A weak man, weaker case.” And in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Rick Esenberg had an essay entitled “A ‘male abortion’ right?”
“Is bad counsel something to die for? The Supreme Court will decide whether a flawed prediction by defense lawyer should mean execution for an Idaho murderer.” David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.
And today in The New York Times, Linda Greenhouse has an article headlined “‘Bad’ Legal Advice and the Death Penalty.”
“Before the Court: Are Munis Like Milk, or Garbage?” Linda Greenhouse has this article today in The New York Times.
Today in The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Supreme Court weighs status of tax-free bonds; It is unlikely to overturn states’ policy of favoring their own debt over that of other states.”
And in The New York Sun, Joseph Goldstein reports that “High Court May Protect States’ Taxation of Bonds.”
“Ten Commandments posted at state Capitol; Federal judge allowed display”: This article appears today in The Louisville Courier-Journal.
And The Lexington Herald-Leader reports today that “Fletcher invokes ‘values.’”
“More on The Second Circuit’s Recent, Significant Decision Regarding Two Suits Involving the Alien Tort Claims Act”: Anthony J. Sebok has this essay, part two in a two-part series, online today at FindLaw. Part one can be accessed here.
“The Questions Senators Should Ask Themselves About Attorney General Nominee Michael Mukasey”: Carl Tobias has this essay today at FindLaw.
“Lockheed Case at Calif. High Court Ends Abruptly”: law.com provides this report.
“Galveston judge’s reassignment will have costly effect”: The Houston Chronicle today contains an article that begins, “It is unclear whether a reassignment to Houston’s federal courthouse for rebuked Galveston federal judge Samuel Kent is part of his punishment, but the move will mean a change in the way his colleagues on the bench in Houston do business.”
The Associated Press is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined “Ala. Inmate With Cancer Loses Appeal” and “Feds Fight Ruling on Security Letters.”
Access online today’s U.S. Supreme Court transcript of oral argument in CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Georgia State Bd. of Equalization, No. 06-1287: The transcript is available at this link.
Attorney Carter G. Phillips, who argued this case today on behalf of petitioner, can take tomorrow off, as his next U.S. Supreme Court oral argument isn’t until Wednesday of this week, when he will argue on behalf of the petitioner in Hall Street Associates, L.L.C. v. Mattel, Inc., No. 06–989.
“Top court to decide Idaho death penalty case”: James Vicini of Reuters provides this report.
“Today’s Kentucky Department of Revenue v. Davis Oral Argument”: In this post, “TaxProf Blog” links to press coverage of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument, You can access the oral argument transcript at this link. And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Bonds and taxes, a choice of two theories.”
“Law Blog Lawyer of the Day: Miami’s Rick Diaz.” At WSJ.com’s “Law Blog,” Peter Lattman has a post that begins, “We spend lots of time gawking at the stars of the Supreme Court bar. But what about the lawyer who finds him or herself standing before the justices for the first time? What’s that like? Last week we spoke with Rick Diaz, an accidental Supreme Court advocate if there ever was one. Diaz represents Michael Williams, who is challenging the constitutionality of a federal child-pornography statute.”
The interview is quite interesting, although it fails to touch on criticism that has been directed toward the merits brief submitted on Williams’s behalf.
Today was a busy day in the courts for Alabama death row inmate Daniel Lee Siebert: As I noted earlier in this post, the U.S. Supreme Court today issued a per curiam ruling holding that Siebert was barred from receiving federal court review of his habeas corpus petition challenging his conviction because the habeas petition was filed too late.
Separately, Siebert is litigating before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to fend off Alabama’s imposition of the death penalty. Previously, a three-judge Eleventh Circuit panel issued a stay of execution. The very next day, on October 25, 2007, the Eleventh Circuit issued an order granting rehearing en banc, vacating the panel’s stay, and reimposing a stay from the en banc court. My earlier coverage of these developments can be accessed here and here.
Today, the en banc Eleventh Circuit issued an order sending the case back to the original three-judge panel to consider the issues raised in Alabama’s petition for rehearing en banc. And in response to that order, the original three-judge panel today issued a decision that rejected all but one aspect of Siebert’s challenge to Alabama’s imposition of the death penalty. The one aspect of Siebert’s challenge that remains is now returning to an Alabama federal district judge for consideration in the first instance, and in the interim the Eleventh Circuit is continuing to block Siebert’s execution.
eBay raises a stink about Perfumebay: Today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit represents almost a complete victory for eBay.
“Md. Court Rejects Sniper’s Appeal”: The AP provides a report that begins, “Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad does not deserve a new trial in Maryland, a state appeals court ruled Monday in a sharply worded unanimous decision that compared Muhammad to Jack the Ripper.”
You can access today’s ruling of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland at this link.
“Man Pleads in Nev. Courthouse Shooting”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A man accused of killing his wife and shooting the judge who was handling their bitter divorce reached a plea deal Monday, bringing an abrupt end to his trial.”
And The Reno Gazette-Journal provides news updates headlined “Darren Mack pleads guilty” and “Judge, victim’s mother react to Mack pleas.”
“Court to hear plea bargain issue”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Court to Hear Idaho Death Case.”
You can access today’s U.S. Supreme Court Order List at this link.
And you can access today’s per curiam opinion issued in Allen v. Siebert, No. 06-1680, by clicking here.
Programming note: I’ll be away from the computer mid-morning when the U.S. Supreme Court issues today’s Order List. “SCOTUSblog” will provide complete coverage.
Vote early, vote often: You may think that election day is not until tomorrow, but you can vote right now for “Best Law Blog” in The 2007 Weblog Awards. “How Appealing” could use your vote in this popularity contest in order to have a respectable showing. To vote, simply click here and then click on the appropriate oval until the current vote results are revealed. You can vote once per computer every 24 hours until the contest wraps-up, so please be sure to keep voting as often as possible.
“Court Learns Best Way to Keep a Secret Is Not by Posting It on the Internet”: Today’s installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com can be accessed at this link.
“Drawing a Line Between Enduring Harm and Legitimate Fear”: Today in The New York Times, Adam Liptak has an installment of his “Sidebar” column that begins, “When Alima Traore was a young girl in Mali, parts of her genitalia were cut off, which is the custom there.”
