Programming note: Tomorrow morning, my wife, son, and I will embark on a ten-day vacation to the fabled birthplace of the Phillie Phanatic.
While I am away, “How Appealing” will not be updated. You may wish, during my absence, to visit one or more of these links in the hope of finding similar content:
New posts will next appear here on Monday, August 25, 2008.
“Supreme Court justice defends self at hearing”: In news from Texas, The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht, appearing before the Texas Ethics Commission, defended himself Thursday against allegations he broke campaign finance laws by accepting discounted legal fees to fight an abuse of office complaint.”
Available online from law.com: An article reports that “Cybersex Patent Case Leads to Bad Vibes Between Firm, Client.”
In other news, “Steinbeck Descendants Lose Bid to Renegotiate Publishing Rights.” My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.
And an article reports that “2nd Circuit Sets Standard for Anonymous Suit Filings.” My earlier coverage of Tuesday’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“Cozen O’Connor dealt blow in 9/11 lawsuit”: The Philadelphia Inquirer provides a news update that begins, “An ambitious lawsuit by the Philadelphia firm of Cozen O’Connor blaming the government of Saudi Arabia for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was dealt a sharp setback today when a federal appeals court ruled that the desert kingdom could not be sued for acts of terrorism.”
Newsday has a news update headlined “Court: Saudi princes can’t be sued for 9/11 attacks.”
And Reuters reports that “U.S. court rules Saudi Arabia immune in 9/11 case.”
My earlier coverage of today’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.
Fifth Circuit denies habeas relief to Texas death row inmate who claims that jurors improperly considered passages from the Bible during the sentencing phase of their deliberations: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.
The Associated Press is reporting: An article is headlined “Appeals court in NYC will rehear torture case.” My earlier coverage of Tuesday’s Second Circuit order can be accessed here.
And in other news, “Appeals court orders Cuban militant to stand trial.” You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.
“Judge bans general from Guantanamo trial role”: Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has this news update.
And The Associated Press reports that “Pentagon official removed from 2nd Gitmo trial.”
“In Extremely Rare Occurence Court Moves to Rehear Case of Canadian Rendition Victim Maher Arar; Court Acted Sua Sponte, Deciding to Revisit June Decision Against Arar Before Being Asked”: The Center for Constitutional Rights today has issued a press release that begins, “The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an extremely rare order that the case of Canadian rendition victim Maher Arar would be heard en banc by all of the active judges on the Second Circuit on December 9, 2008. For the court to issue the order sua sponte, that is, of its own accord without either party submitting papers requesting a rehearing, is even more rare.”
You can access at this link Tuesday’s order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granting rehearing en banc.
My earlier coverage of the three-judge panel’s ruling in the case, from late June 2008, can be accessed here and here.
“Court: Saudi Arabia not liable in Sept. 11 attacks.” The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has ruled that Saudi Arabia and four of its princes cannot be held liable in the Sept. 11 attacks. The appeals court issued the ruling Thursday, saying the Saudi defendants are protected by sovereign immunity. It also agreed with a lower court that a Saudi banker and a charitable organization cannot be held liable.”
You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.
“State top court to review medical pot limit”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.
“Justice at Justice: Attorney General Mukasey has the only appropriate response to politicized hirings.” This editorial appears today in The Washington Post.
“Court backs Houston smog plan; Panel rejects claim EPA rules are too lenient”: The Houston Chronicle contains this article today.
You can access at this link yesterday’s non-precedential ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
“Miami fights to shutter house where online porn is filmed; Miami’s yearlong quest to close down a house used by an adult website has prompted a federal court battle — while the site continues to operate”: This article appeared yesterday in The Miami Herald.
Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald is reporting: In today’s newspaper, she has articles headlined “It’s general vs. general at Guantanamo war court; An Army general testified against an Air Force general in a military lawyer’s bid to get charges dismissed against a Guantanamo captive” and “Clooney buys rights for bin Laden driver’s story; The story of Osama bin Laden’s driver Salim Hamdan was bought by actor George Clooney’s production company.”
“The ABA Plots a Judicial Coup: The lawyers want to run their own ‘merit selection.'” This editorial appears today in The Wall Street Journal.
“Ruling Is a Victory for Supporters of Free Software”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “A legal dispute involving model railroad hobbyists has resulted in a major courtroom victory for the free software movement also known as open-source software. In a ruling Wednesday, the federal appeals court in Washington said that just because a software programmer gave his work away did not mean it could not be protected.”
My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Federal Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“Fix to Patent Judge Appointment Procedure”: Adam Liptak has this newsbrief today in The New York Times.
“Georgia plea for water goes to Supreme Court; State seeks to reverse an appeals court decision in February that nullified the Army Corps’ OK of increased withdrawals from Lake Lanier”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Georgia asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to overturn a February ruling that said the state needs congressional approval to use more water from Lake Lanier to supply the fast-growing Atlanta area. Lanier, which provides most of Atlanta’s water, is at the heart of a nearly two-decade water feud between Georgia, Florida and Alabama.”
“Jury deciding battle over school system’s flag ban; Anderson teen sued after attire led to suspension”: Today’s issue of The Knoxville News Sentinel contains an article that begins, “‘This case is about much more than Tom Defoe.’ That statement by Defoe’s attorney Wednesday was the one thing on which he and his courtroom opponent agree in the legal battle over the Anderson County school system’s quarter-century-old ban on the display of the Confederate flag. It was 18-year-old Defoe who was suspended from Anderson County High School in 2006 after repeatedly refusing, albeit politely, to take off or cover a T-shirt and belt buckle bearing the Rebel battle flag.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Tenn. teen battles school’s Confederate flag ban.”
“Court urged to ignore Manchin brief in DuPont smelter appeal”: This article appears today in The Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette.
The Associated Press reports that “Manchin, DuPont met over appeal of $196M verdict.”
And today’s edition of The Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail contains an editorial entitled “A governor should protect rights.”
“Ex-inmate helps make Bush nominee ‘controversial'”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Had this been like most nominations for federal judgeships, the chief lawyer with Corrections Corporation of America might have been packing up his office and heading for the courthouse by now. But a determined opponent – a former prisoner at a Corrections Corporation of America facility in Clifton, Tenn. – has worked tirelessly to see that would not happen. And he may have succeeded.”
“Battle over gun rights — Round 2: Handgun bans under fire after high court’s ruling; Oak Park, Ill., fights back.” Warren Richey has this front page article today in The Christian Science Monitor.
