“‘Free speech’ still evolving”: Today in The Providence (R.I.) Journal, Edward Fitzpatrick has an article that begins, “Guess what happened to the antiwar protesters who threw anonymous pamphlets from a rooftop, urging people to go on strike because the president had sent troops to another country? They were sentenced to 20 years in prison and the nation’s top court upheld their conviction on sedition charges.”

“‘Issue ads’ playing big role in race for Wisconsin Supreme Court”: The La Crosse Tribune contains this article today.

And The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports today that “Butler touts experience as a judge, voting record on court.”

“Open-government advocate calls Ohio Supreme Court records panel unconstitutional; Lawyer says it lacks authority over access”: This article appears today in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“Cities modify Jessica’s Law even as court mulls validity”: Today’s edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune contains an article that begins, “As the state Supreme Court considers the validity of California’s sex-offender statute, known as Jessica’s Law, San Diego and other cities are passing tougher versions of it.”

“Suit against Democrats dismissed; Floridian wanting state’s delegates seated will try again”: This article appears today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The St. Petersburg Times reports today that “Tampa activist’s case to seat Democratic delegates is dismissed but still alive.”

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that “Suit challenging Democrats over Florida primary returned to lower court.”

And The Tallahassee Democrat reports that “Court rejects appeal to count votes.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit at this link.

“Refusal Keeps Terrorism Convict in Prison; Former Professor Fights Attempts to Force His Testimony Against Muslim Charities”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “Former university professor Sami al-Arian wants to finish serving his prison sentence for a terrorism-related crime next month so that he can be deported to the Palestinian territories. But the Bush administration is threatening to keep him behind bars until he does something he has steadfastly refused to do: testify before a grand jury investigating allegations that Muslim charities aided terrorism organizations.”

“Iraq Detention Case Heads to High Court; Jailed American Citizens Say They Have Right to Access U.S. Legal System”: Josh White and Robert Barnes will have this article Sunday in The Washington Post.

“The Supreme Court and Indecency”: Sunday’s edition of The New York Times will contain this editorial.

Today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times contains an editorial entitled “Supreme Court takes on TV’s dirty words; The FCC’s rules to shield kids from bad language are senseless when circumventing them is child’s play.”

And today’s edition of The Rocky Mountain News contains an editorial entitled “Broadcast TV and ‘fleeting obscenities.’”

“Mo’ Money, Mo’ Justice: Justice Maureen O’Connor says campaign money doesn’t affect her rulings; Her record says otherwise.” This article appears in the current issue of the Scene of Cleveland, Ohio.

And today in The Wall Street Journal, James Sample has an op-ed entitled “Justice for Sale: How judicial elections help breed corruption.”

“Vermont Court to decide if food is punishment”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Savory it isn’t: It’s made of whole wheat bread, non-dairy cheese, raw carrots, spinach, seedless raisins, beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, powdered milk and dehydrated potato flakes. To prison officials, it’s a complete meal. To inmates, it’s a food so awful, they’d rather go hungry than eat it. Now, in the latest legal battle over the prison cafeteria standard known as Nutraloaf, the Vermont Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether it’s punishment or merely behavior modification.”

“High court to consider self-representation”: At the web site of USA Today, you can access an article that begins, “A shoe shoplifting incident that escalated into a lunchtime shooting in downtown Indianapolis nearly a decade ago is now the basis for the Supreme Court to decide how much latitude states have to determine if a defendant is capable of representing himself at trial. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Wednesday in an Indiana case in which a Marion County judge decided a defendant with a history of mental illness was competent to stand trial, but not to represent himself as he requested.”

“Loophole in a liquor law puzzles experts; Businesses may not be liable for selling to an intoxicated minor”: Mary Flood has this article today in The Houston Chronicle.

“Clarence Thomas: Mr. Constitution.” Today in The Wall Street Journal, David B. Rivkin and Lee A. Casey have this commentary reporting on their recent interview of Justice Clarence Thomas.

“Timely decision: Overturned Louisiana murder conviction should send pointed message to Harris County prosecutors.” The Houston Chronicle contains this editorial today.

And CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen has a “CourtWatch” column headlined “The Book Of Clarence Thomas: Court’s Only Black Justice Won’t Oppose Legal Racism In Death Penalty Case.”

“Highest Lawman Prepares to Meet Highest Court”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

And The Wall Street Journal reports today that “Mukasey to Jump The Bar Tuesday.”

“To Keep and Bear Arms”: Charles Lane has this op-ed today in The Washington Post.

And today in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Rowland Nethaway has an op-ed entitled “Nine justices parsing 27 words.”

“Blunt submits Supreme Court brief supporting death for child rape”: Today’s edition of The Kansas City Star contains an article that begins, “Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the death penalty for child rapists.”

“Equal justice: A Supreme Court decision shows why all peremptory challenges to jurors should be abolished.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

Writing at Slate’s “Convictions” blog, U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner (D. Mass.) disagrees.

“N.Y. Governor Says Grim Economy Makes Judicial Pay Raise ‘Very Difficult'”: law.com provides this report.

“Court Disbars Cheney Ex-Aide; Libby Loses Right To Practice Law”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s order appears at this link.

“Colorado Court Rules ‘No Smoking’ Means Exactly That, Even on Stage”: The New York Times contains this article today.

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Colorado Court of Appeals at this link.

“Trigger happy on gun rights: The high court must balance its leaning toward a gun ownership right with society’s interest in safety.” This editorial appears today in The Christian Science Monitor.

And Saturday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal will contain an editorial entitled “Guns and Legal Ammo.”

“Barry Bonds’ Case Delayed 3 Months”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The perjury case against Barry Bonds was put on hold for three months Friday, with prosecutors telling a federal judge they plan to obtain a new indictment against baseball’s home run king.”

First Circuit affirms dismissal of defamation claim against documentary filmmaker Michael Moore arising from former Army Reserve Sergeant’s non-consensual appearance in the film “Fahrenheit 9/11”: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit at this link.

“Federal Courts Urged to Protect Cooperating Defendants”: The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has today posted online a news release that begins, “A committee of the policy-making Judicial Conference of the United States is asking district courts to consider adopting a local policy that protects information about cooperation in law enforcement investigations. But the committee is also urging those courts to recognize the need to preserve legitimate public access to court files.”

“There Will Be Guns: What happens if the Supreme Court recognizes individual gun rights? Not much.” Benjamin Wittes has this essay online today at The New Republic.

Ninth Circuit affirms dismissal of Idaho county’s racketeering lawsuit against agricultural companies accused of hiring illegal immigrants: According to today’s ruling, in the lawsuit the county sought to recoup the money it claims to have expended on public health care and law enforcement services for undocumented immigrants.

In earlier news coverage, The Idaho Statesman in August 2007 reported on the Ninth Circuit’s oral argument in an article headlined “Court hears appeal in Canyon RICO lawsuit.” And The Associated Press reported on the initiation of the suit in July 2005 in an article headlined “County Files RICO Suit Over Hiring of Illegal Immigrants.”

“Justice Thomas’s Inconsistent Originalism”: This book note appears in the March 2008 issue of the Harvard Law Review.

“Nacchio prosecutors want more time to decide next step”: Denver Business Journal provides a report that begins, “Prosecutors seeking to reverse the successful appeal of ex-Qwest Communications International Inc. CEO Joseph Nacchio have asked the appeals court to give them until April 30 to ask for a rehearing.”

“Appeals court tosses suit over Florida’s Democratic primary”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Court Dismisses Florida Primary Lawsuit.”

My earlier coverage of today’s Eleventh Circuit ruling appears at this link.

Second Circuit confirms existence of “ministerial exception” to federal anti-discrimination laws, holding that it would be unconstitutional to apply Title VII in African-American Catholic priest’s lawsuit alleging racially discriminatory firing: You can access today’s ruling by a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.

Law blogger Norm Pattis represented the priest on appeal.

“Judge’s service means trial’s end; State can’t prosecute assault accusation”: The Concord (N.H.) Monitor today contains an article that begins, “The state has lost its chance to prosecute a lawyer from Londonderry charged with assaulting a juvenile with a leather belt because before the trial ended, the judge left the bench for a tour of duty in Iraq. In a unanimous opinion issued yesterday, the state Supreme Court ruled that, narrow exceptions aside, Ernest Solomon had a constitutional right to have one judge hear his criminal case from start to finish.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Judge Departs for Iraq, Charges Dropped.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire at this link.

“Former Khalil principal can’t force city to restore her job: appeals court.” The New York Daily News today contains an article that begins, “The controversial former principal of a Brooklyn Arabic-language school cannot force the city to restore her to her position, a federal appeals court has ruled. Debbie Almontaser was pushed out of the school she founded, the Khalil Gibran International Academy, after defining the word ‘intifada’ as ‘uprising’ in a newspaper interview. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday upheld a lower court ruling that her comments were not protected by the First Amendment because she was speaking in her capacity as a school employee at the time. The court rejected her motion to stop the appointment of a new principal at the Boerum Hill school.”

The New York Post reports today that “Arab principal loses appeal.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Court Rejects Arabic School Principal’s Claim.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.

“Savoring his contribution: Law student assists in overturning sentence.” Today’s edition of The Concord (N.H.) Monitor contains an article that begins, “A 26-year-old Franklin Pierce Law Center student helped rescue a Louisiana man from death row this week. He aided lawyers in the case to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that the trial of Allen Snyder, a black man accused of killing his wife’s lover, was tainted because a state prosecutor kept blacks off the jury.”

“U.S. Defends Tough Tactics on Spitzer”: This article appears today in The New York Times.