“U-M’s black enrollment up 12% for freshmen”: The Detroit Free Press today contains an article that begins, “Nearly two years after Michigan voters banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, the University of Michigan’s freshman class shows a 12% increase in the number of African Americans — despite the fact that the university shrank the class.”

The Detroit News reports today that “Minority admissions fall at U-M; Enrollment in state not greatly impacted by ballot initiative; law, medicine hit hardest.”

The Ann Arbor News has an article headlined “University of Michigan: Recruiting limited minority enrollment losses.”

And The Michigan Daily reports that “Minority enrollment at ‘U’ drops slightly; In first full admissions cycle since Prop. 2, black enrollment sees highest numbers since 2005.”

“Nottingham officially steps down as federal judge”: The Rocky Mountain News provides an update that begins, “U.S. District Court Judge Edward Nottingham resigned today amid allegations he asked a prostitute to lie about their relationship. In a prepared statement released by his attorney’s office, Nottingham said he is ‘deeply remorseful for his actions.’ He said resignation was ‘in the best interest of all concerned.'” The newspaper has posted the statement issued on the soon-to-be former federal district judge’s behalf at this link.

The Denver Post provides a news update headlined “District Judge Nottingham resigns, apologizes.”

Denver’s NBC News affiliate 9News.com reports that “Nottingham resigns due to ‘multiple investigations.’”

And The Associated Press reports that “US judge in Colo. resigns amid misconduct probe.”

A statement from the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding Judge Nottingham’s resignation also appears at the Tenth Circuit’s web site.

“Jury selection for ex-judge’s trial remains open”: Paula Reed Ward of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a news update that begins, “Jury selection in the federal criminal trial of former state Superior Court Judge Michael T. Joyce is continuing this afternoon.”

“Court won’t consider Neb. ‘rape’ testimony issue”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal involving a case in which a Nebraska judge banned anyone from saying ‘rape’ in a sexual assault trial.”

“Court gives immigrant a break in youth sex case”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “A legal immigrant who has been jailed under a deportation order since 2005 because of a sexual relationship that began when he was 20 and his girlfriend was 16 won a chance for freedom Monday from a federal appeals court.”

You can access yesterday’s unanimous en banc ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.

“Next president will shape Supreme Court”: Bob Egelko had this article yesterday in The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Justices Take Case on Illegal Workers and Penalties for Identity Theft”: Adam Liptak has this article today in The New York Times.

And today in The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage has articles headlined “Supreme Court to hear case on immigrants’ use of fake IDs; The justices will decide whether illegal workers can be convicted of identity theft if they didn’t know their bogus cards used the Social Security number of a real person” and “Jesse James Hollywood appeal turned down by the Supreme Court; The justices agree with a California court that the former fugitive can get a fair trial in a 2000 slaying even though a prosecutor helped a director turn the story into a fictionalized movie.”

“Bush Decides to Keep Guantanamo Open”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“Transfer of detainees to U.S. blocked”: Last night at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston had a post that begins, “In a split decision, the D.C. Circuit Court on Monday evening barred the transfer of 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees to the U.S., where they were to be released, until at least late November.”

You can access yesterday’s D.C. Circuit order and the dissent therefrom at this link.

“Two Justices Clash Over Race and Death Penalty; Ga. Court’s Handling of 1999 Case at Issue”: Jerry Markon has this article today in The Washington Post.

And Bill Rankin of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today has an article headlined “High-court rebuke for Ga.; John Paul Stevens criticizes way state Supreme Court considers death-penalty appeals; Clarence Thomas defends it.”

“Ruling on Guns Elicits Rebuke From the Right”: Today in The New York Times, Adam Liptak has an article that begins, “Four months after the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess guns, its decision is under assault — from the right. Two prominent federal appeals court judges say that Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in the case, District of Columbia v. Heller, is illegitimate, activist, poorly reasoned and fueled by politics rather than principle.”

The two examples of written criticism that are the subject of the article can be accessed here and here.

As noted in this “How Appealing” post from September 27, 2008, Mark Sherman of The Associated Press that day had an article headlined “Conservative judges fault Scalia opinion on guns.”

“Judge orders Nassau to remove name, photo from ‘Wall of Shame'”: Today’s edition of Newsday contains an article that begins, “A judge has ordered Nassau County to remove a woman’s name and mug shot from the county’s online ‘Wall of Shame,’ saying that posting the information about her DWI arrest violates her right to due process. State Supreme Court Judge William LaMarca said posting Alexandra Bursac’s photo punishes her in a way not authorized by the law. And because of the permanence of the Internet, it imposes an inappropriate penalty by exposing her to ‘limitless and eternal notoriety.'”

New York City’s 1010 WINS newsradio has posted an article featuring the woman’s mug shot photo at this link.

“Joyce jury pool pared; Pace of fraud case against former judge could quicken once panel is picked”: This article appears today in The Erie (Pa.) Times-News.

“Eight Years After Bush v. Gore, Why is There Still So Much Election Litigation and What Does This Mean for Voter Confidence in the Electoral Process?” Richard L. Hasen, author of the “Election Law” blog, has this essay online at FindLaw.

“Will Justice Kennedy Recuse Again?” In this week’s issue of Legal Times, Tony Mauro has an article that begins, “One of the more confounding Supreme Court happenings of 2007 was Justice Anthony Kennedy’s recusal in two cases involving an important issue arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”