In today’s edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The newspaper contains articles headlined “The Nichols Case — DA: Public denied ‘fair trial’; Doomed from start: Howard says holdouts never ‘entered into a meaningful discussion’ about death sentence“; “Bid to execute now up to feds“; “Failure to win death penalty resonates“; “Holdout jurors face pressure“; “A widow’s journey to justice“; “2 months of tests, then prison assignment“; and “Life in Supermax prison.”

“Report: Justice lawyer leaked surveillance program.” The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A former Justice Department lawyer says he tipped off the news media about the Bush administration’s warrantless eavesdropping program because it ‘didn’t smell right,’ Newsweek magazine reported Sunday.”

In the December 22, 2008 issue of Newsweek, Michael Isikoff has an article headlined “The Fed Who Blew the Whistle: Is he a hero or a criminal?” And Daniel Klaidman has an article headlined “Now We Know What the Battle Was About: Justice Department lawyers defied President Bush over secret surveillance–but not for the reasons you might think.”

“Putting the power back: With the case of Ali al-Marri, there’s renewed hope that the rule of law will be restored.” Law Professor Gene Nichol has this op-ed today in The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Court of the utmost import: As Judith Kaye must retire, a great jurist, regardless of gender, must be chosen as chief judge.” Law Professor Vincent Martin Bonventre has this op-ed today in Newsday.

“Supreme Court to Review if Consent Defense to Lewd Conduct on Minor”: Friday’s edition of the Metropolitan News-Enterprise contained an article that begins, “The California Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether consent is a defense to a charge of lewd conduct on a child under 14 by means of force or duress. Justices attending Wednesday’s conference in San Francisco voted unanimously to review the Sixth District Court of Appeal’s Sept. 9 ruling overturning a Santa Clara County man’s three convictions on the basis that the trial court deprived him of a valid defense when it instructed the jury that consent was not a defense.”

“Gov. Crist has chance to put stamp on state Supreme Court”: This article appears today in The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“Maneuvering to succeed state Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams begins”: The Providence (R.I.) Journal contains this article today.

And Saturday’s newspaper contained an article headlined “Justice’s departure has many looking for the reason why.”