“Kan. abortion provider seeks dismissal of charges”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“California’s deceptive Proposition 4: It says it’s about parental notification, but it’s really about attacking legalized abortion.” Francesca Ratner has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Brain test could be next polygraph; Seattle scientist making his pitch”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today contains an article that begins, “A Seattle scientist who has developed an electronic brain test that he says could improve our ability to force criminals to reveal themselves, identify potential terrorists and free those wrongly convicted may have finally broken through the bureaucratic barriers that he believes have served to stifle adoption of the pioneering technique.”

“Bush Was Shielded From Crisis: President was nowhere in the picture as Cheney fought to keep surveillance program on track.” This book excerpt appears today on the front page of The Washington Post.

“No heir apparent for exiting chief judge; Judith S. Kaye held job longer than anyone else”: This article appears today in The Times Union of Albany, New York.

“‘Libel Tourism’: When Freedom of Speech Takes a Holiday.” Adam Cohen has this “Editorial Observer” essay today in The New York Times.

“Put Palin on the Supreme Court: Washington’s old-boy problem hardly ends at the Oval Office.” Columnist Dahlia Lithwick has this essay in the September 22, 2008 issue of Newsweek.

“9/11 justice: War crimes tribunals don’t engage public; On Sept. 11, the trials at Guantanamo designed to get justice seem remote, military-run affairs that don’t capture the imagination of the American people.” Carol Rosenberg had this article last Thursday in The Miami Herald.

“All pants rise for judge of dignity”: Columnist Sue Carlton had this op-ed yesterday in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Animal rights drive dog lawsuit; Money ‘not the object’: Ellijay couple say the unnecessary loss of their pet has them left empty, angry.” This article appears today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Supreme Court visits Yale Law”: The Yale Daily News today contains an article that begins, “The Yale Law School auditorium was transformed Friday from a classroom into a courtroom. Students were privy to up-close Connecticut Supreme Court action when it set up shop at the Law School, part of a decades-old program that takes the court on the road to universities and high schools across the state.”

“Former Guantanamo chief takes helm at R.I. Veterans Home”: This article appears today in The Providence (R.I.) Journal.

“Senior Circuit Judge Bruce M. Selya: ‘I love my court.'” Edward Fitzpatrick had this article yesterday in The Providence (R.I.) Journal.

“High-Stakes Trial Is Set Against Alleged Hamas Arm”: Today in The New York Sun, Josh Gerstein has an article that begins, “Prosecutors are set today to take a second run at convicting officers of a Texas-based charity that the government contends was a Hamas beachhead in America, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.”

And The Dallas Morning News reports today that “Holy Land prosecution begins again.”

“GIs Look to 9 for Justice on War Wounds; Several Cases on Supreme Court’s Docket Are Already Generating Interest”: Joseph Goldstein has this article today in The New York Sun.

“Court: Widow can’t use husband’s frozen sperm.” Saturday in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko had an article that begins, “Iris and Joseph Kievernagel disagreed about having children during their 10-year marriage, and their argument moved into the courts – and the casebooks of legal precedent – after his death in a helicopter crash. In a ruling made public Friday, a state appeals court said the Sacramento County woman has no right to use her husband’s frozen sperm to become pregnant because he had made it clear he did not want to father a child posthumously.”

And The Sacramento Bee reports today that “Widow’s suit to keep husband’s frozen sperm denied.”

You can access last week’s ruling of the California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District at this link.

“Relentless Terrorism Prosecutor Faces Accusations of His Own”: Jerry Markon has this article today in The Washington Post.

“A White House Led to the Brink: Efforts by Cheney, his counsel to quash legal storm over eavesdropping put presidency to historic test.” This book excerpt appears today on the front page of The Washington Post.

“2 Border Patrol agents lose appeal in shooting”: The San Antonio Express-News on Friday contained an article that begins, “Two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a drug smuggler near El Paso and covering it up lost an appeal Thursday. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans refused to reconsider the ruling a three-judge panel had issued in late July that affirmed most of the charges against Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean.”

The El Paso Times reported on Friday that “Ex-border agents denied hearing.”

And Friday in The Washington Times, Jerry Seper reported that “Border Patrol agents lose last appeal over shot smuggler.”

“Federal Judge Suspended On Misconduct Charges”: Nathan Koppel has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.

Pamela A. MacLean of The National Law Journal reports that “Federal Judge Slammed by 5th Circuit in Disciplinary Action.”

And today’s edition of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans contains an editorial entitled “Rid us of this unfit judge.”

“Va. Ban On Spam Is Ruled Unlawful; E-Mail Restriction Called Violation of First Amendment”: The Washington Post on Saturday will contain an article that begins, “The Virginia Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the state’s anti-spam law, designed to prevent the sending of masses of unwanted e-mail, violates the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) promptly said he would appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

My earlier coverage of today’s Supreme Court of Virginia ruling appears at this link.

“Obama, McCain make a joint appearance — in frivolous lawsuits”: Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers provides this report.

“$54 Million Pants Case Set for Appeal”: Jeff Jeffrey has this post today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Appeals court rules ‘Crosses’ can stay”: The Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News provides an update that begins, “Appeals have been denied in two lawsuits that argued the city of Las Cruces and its school district violated the U.S. Constitution by using Christian crosses in city logos and buildings. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver this morning issued an opinion that affirmed a lower court ruling, dismissing a lawsuit by Las Crucens Paul Weinbaum and Martin Boyd against the city, and another lawsuit by Weinbaum against Las Cruces Public Schools.”

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

Why not include a smiley face in your appellate court ruling? Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner includes a smiley face in an opinion he issued today, and that opinion happens to be a dissent.

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“Va. court strikes down anti-spam law”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The Virginia Supreme Court declared the state’s anti-spam law unconstitutional Friday and reversed the conviction of a man once considered one of the world’s most prolific spammers. The court unanimously agreed with Jeremy Jaynes’ argument that the law violates the free-speech protections of the First Amendment because it does not just restrict commercial e-mails.”

You can access today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Virginia at this link. The author of the opinion is former Justice G. Steven Agee, who now serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Second Circuit rejects antitrust challenge against the exclusive licensing agent for Major League Baseball clubs’ intellectual property: You can access today’s ruling by a three-judge, all female panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link. The case was argued on January 23, 2007.

“Supreme Court vetting process damaged by apparent leak, Newfoundland minister says; Hearn, who said some judges turned down invitations, says he didn’t know names”: Wednesday’s edition of The Toronto Globe and Mail contained an article that begins, “The federal government has permanently damaged its Supreme Court of Canada nomination process by appearing to leak confidential information about judicial candidates to a cabinet minister, Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy said yesterday.”

“Lawsuit Rx: If we can’t sue drug companies, where’s the accountability?” Thomas Kostigen has this commentary online at MarketWatch.

“Supreme Court justice attends Notre Dame practice”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts stopped by the University of Notre Dame on Thursday to watch the Fighting Irish football team practice. Coach Charlie Weis talked to the team about the attacks on September 11th seven years ago, then Roberts talked to them about those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The practice and talks were closed to the media.”

“Supreme Court Justice Scalia to speak at UM Sept. 24”: Today’s issue of The Montana Kaimin contains an article that begins, “The University of Montana will welcome Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as its fifth U.S. Supreme Court speaker on Sept. 24 in the University Theater.”

“State Supreme Court: Porreco prenup OK.” The Erie (Pa.) Times-News today contains an article that begins, “After circling through the legal system for nearly 10 years, a dispute over a fake diamond engagement ring and a prenuptial agreement has ended.”

“Conn. Supreme Court to hear cases at Law School today”: This article appears today in The Yale Daily News.

“Secret sex tape can’t be used, court says; Man accused of assault of wife in coma”: Today’s edition of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contains an article that begins, “Prosecutors can’t use secret videotapes of a Watertown minister having sex with his comatose wife while she was in a nursing home, the 4th District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. The man faces eight felonies — four counts of second-degree sexual assault of an unconscious person and four counts of third-degree sexual assault — as well as a misdemeanor. The case raises a number of issues, including a nursing home’s obligation to protect the health and safety of a patient, an individual’s right to privacy and questions of marital sexual abuse.”

And The Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin reports today that “Appeals court throws out video evidence in nursing home sex case.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s ruling of the Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, District IV, appears at this link.

“Panel lays out case against judge; Pace of proceedings in U.S. House lags”: This front page article appears today in The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.

My two earlier posts about the recently issued Order and Public Reprimand against U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. of the Eastern District of Louisiana appear immediately below.