“World Court: U.S. execution broke global law.” Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Will Europe help close Guantanamo?” McClatchy Newspapers provide this report.

“Bush Commutes Sentences of Ex-Agents; When in U.S. Border Patrol, Two Shot Mexican Who Admitted Smuggling Drugs”: This article will appear Tuesday in The Washington Post.

Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times will report that “Bush Commutes 2 Border Agents’ Sentences.”

The Los Angeles Times provides a news update headlined “Bush commutes former Border Patrol agents’ prison terms; The two ex-lawmen had been convicted of shooting an unarmed Mexican drug smuggler; The case has been a cause celebre among illegal-immigration foes.”

McClatchy Newspapers report that “Bush commutes sentences of 2 Border Patrol agents.”

The Houston Chronicle provides a news update headlined “Bush commutes sentences of 2 ex-Border Patrol agents.”

And The Dallas Morning News provides an update headlined “Bush frees 2 Border Patrol agents imprisoned for shooting smuggler.”

“How Much Should Judges Make?” Adam Liptak will have this installment of his “Sidebar” column Tuesday in The New York Times.

“9/11 terror suspects defiant at Guantanamo hearing”: Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “9/11 suspects declare guilt at Gitmo war court.”

“No Pardon For Libby; Bush uses clemency powers sparingly to the end”: Michael Isikoff of Newsweek provides this online report.

“Bush commutes sentences of former US border agents”: The Associated Press provides this report.

My earlier coverage of the Fifth Circuit’s decision affirming the agents’ criminal convictions can be accessed here.

Imagine having only yourself to blame if you’re disgruntled about the due date for filing your client’s principal brief on appeal: Last Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced a new policy for determining when appellate briefs will be due in criminal appeals.

Whether this new policy will speed-up or slow-down the processing of criminal appeals remains to be seen.

“It’s too late to save face for judiciary”: Yesterday in The Galveston County Daily News, Heber Taylor had an op-ed that begins, “You can say one thing about the Judicial Council of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ order saying it would reopen its investigation into U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent: It’s a year too late to be credible.”

“World Court says US defied order in death row case”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The International Court of Justice has ruled that the United States defied its order when authorities in Texas last year executed a Mexican convicted of rape and murder.”

You can access at this link the press release that the International Court of Justice issued today. And you can access today’s ruling at this link.

“Illegal wire-tapping suit now in Obama’s court”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has a front page article that begins, “President-elect Barack Obama dismayed civil liberties groups last summer when he voted to authorize President Bush’s clandestine wiretapping program after publicly denouncing it. Now, thanks to a ruling by a San Francisco federal judge, Obama must take a stand on whether the Bush administration violated Americans’ rights when it intercepted their phone calls and e-mails without seeking a court’s permission.”

“Harlington Wood Jr., 88, Siege Negotiator, Is Dead”: This obituary appears today in The New York Times.

Earlier, obituaries for Senior Seventh Circuit Judge Harlington Wood, Jr. appeared in The State Journal-Register of Springfield, Illinois and in The Chicago Tribune.

“Gitmo war court back for what may be last session”: The Associated Press provides this report.

And Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald reports that “At Guantanamo, it’s business as usual.”

“Interest Rate Drop Has Dire Results for Legal Aid”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “Scores of legal aid societies that help poor people with noncriminal cases — like disputes over foreclosures, evictions and eligibility for unemployment benefits — are being forced to cut their staffs and services, even as requests for help have soared.”