“Justices sympathetic to immigrant in ID theft case”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.
On today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Nina Totenberg previewed the oral argument in an audio segment entitled “High Court Hears Illegal Worker’s ID Theft Case” (RealPlayer required).
And yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Day to Day” contained an audio segment entitled “Targeting Illegal Immigrants Through ID Theft Laws” (RealPlayer required).
You can access the transcript of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in Flores-Figueroa v. United States, No. 08-108, at this link.
“Judge in sex crimes case could face impeachment”: The Associated Press provides this report.
“High Court Rules Against Religious Marker”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) featuring Nina Totenberg appeared on this evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
“Thou Shalt Not Blog: Obama’s OLC Nominee discovers the perils of ‘blogging, advocating, and speeching.'” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.
“Experts: Nacchio appeal not a certainty.” The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Legal analysts are divided over whether the Supreme Court would re-examine expert witness rules if former Qwest Communications chief Joe Nacchio appeals his conviction on $52 million worth of illegal stock sales.”
“Senators Question OLC Nominee on National Security”: At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” David Ingram has a post that begins, “The nominee to lead the Office of Legal Counsel faced questions today about the same set of issues that occupied the office under the Bush administration: the legal limits of the executive branch in preventing terrorism.”
“Should Supreme Court Justices Have Term Limits?” This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation.”
“AG Holder says closing Guantanamo won’t be easy”: The Associated Press provides this report.
“Posner writes faster than publishers can publish”: At the “Brainiac” blog of The Boston Globe, Christopher Shea has a post that begins, “How fast does the prolific law professor and appellate judge Richard Posner write? Faster than the Harvard University Press can edit.”
“Ysursa puts Roberts’ stamp on union-fees debate”: Tony Mauro has this news analysis online at the First Amendment Center.
“U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in ceded-lands dispute”: The Honolulu Advertiser has this news update, along with an update headlined “Hawaiians plan protests nationwide.” In addition, the print edition of today’s newspaper contains articles headlined “Hawaii ceded-lands bills differ on which properties OHA would get” and “Decision probably months away.”
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin has a news update headlined “Hawaiian protests coincide with Supreme Court hearing.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Hawaii argues over land dispute at Supreme Court.”
You can access the transcript of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in Hawaii v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs, No. 07-1372, at this link.
“Bar Association Recommends Akin Gump’s Millett for 4th Circuit”: This post appears today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”
“U.S. Supreme Court sides with Pleasant Grove”: The Deseret News has an update that begins, “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Pleasant Grove cannot be forced to place a Salt Lake City-based religious sect’s “Seven Aphorisms of Summum” in its park, even though the city already displays other religious monuments like the Ten Commandments. But an attorney for Summum told the Deseret News the fight was not over.”
David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Religious group’s monument does not fall under free speech; Utah city is not required to allow ‘Seven Aphorisms’ in park beside Ten Commandments, court rules.”
Robert Barnes of The Washington Post has a news update headlined “Court: Religious Group Does Not Have Right to Erect Monument in Utah Park.”
And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Tony Mauro has a post titled “Justice Alito ‘Imagines’ John Lennon.”
“Full court upholds Nacchio insider trading conviction”: The Denver Post has a news update that begins, “A federal appeals court in Denver today upheld Joe Nacchio’s criminal insider trading conviction, overturning an initial three-judge panel’s decision to grant the former Qwest chief executive a new trial.” An additional news update is headlined “Qwest unlikely to recapture Nacchio legal fees.”
The Rocky Mountain News has an update headlined “Court reinstates Nacchio’s insider trading conviction.”
The Associated Press reports that “Court reinstates conviction of former Qwest CEO.”
And Bloomberg News reports that “Nacchio’s Conviction, Prison Term Reinstated by Court.”
You can access at this link today’s 5-4 ruling of the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
“Court rules for Utah city in religious marker case”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a small religious group cannot force a city in Utah to place a granite marker in a local park that already is home to a Ten Commandments display.”
Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. delivered the opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court today in Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, No. 07-665. Everyone other than Justice David H. Souter joined in Justice Alito’s opinion. Justice Souter issued an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice John Paul Stevens issued a concurring opinion, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined. Justice Antonin Scalia issued a concurring opinion, in which Justice Clarence Thomas joined. And Justice Stephen G. Breyer issued a concurring opinion in which no one else joined. The oral argument transcript in the case can be accessed here.
At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Court allows religious monument.”
The Court today also issued its ruling in a second argued case, Pacific Bell Telephone Co. v. linkLine Communications, Inc., No. 07-512. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. issued the majority opinion, in which Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito joined. Justice Breyer issued an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justices Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg joined. The oral argument transcript in the case can be accessed here.
“E.P.A. Is Told to Reconsider Its Standards on Pollutants”: This article appears today in The New York Times.
My earlier coverage of yesterday’s D.C. Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“Classified Documents Allowed in Espionage Trial”: Jerry Markon has this article today in The Washington Post.
Today in The New York Times, Neil A. Lewis reports that “Ex-Lobbyists in U.S. Case of Espionage Win a Round.”
And The Washington Times reports that “Lobbyists win classified leaks ruling; Government bar set higher.”
My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Fourth Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“Horse-slaughtering plants endorsed by House”: Today’s edition of The Helena Independent Record contains an article that begins, “The Montana House Tuesday easily endorsed a bill to allow and encourage horse-slaughtering plants in the state, as supporters said it will address a national crisis of horse abandonment and bring jobs to Montana.”
“And Unequal Justice for Some”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in the case of an illegal immigrant who provided an employer with phony identification numbers.”
“Lawsuit Over Leaking Law School Library Dismissed”: The Hartford Courant today contains an article that begins, “A Superior Court judge in Waterbury has thrown out the state’s lawsuit against the contractors and designers who built the leaking University of Connecticut law school library, saying the legal action was filed beyond the time limit set by the state’s statute of limitations.”
“In U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Narragansett Indian Tribe loses fight for sovereignty over 31-acre parcel in Charlestown”: This article appears today in The Providence (R.I.) Journal, along with an article headlined “U.S. Supreme Court ruling deals blow to Massachusetts tribes’ casino plans.”
And The Boston Globe reports today that “Ruling puts tribe hope for casino in doubt; US justices bar land trust tactic.”
In commentary available online from FindLaw: Anthony J. Sebok has an essay entitled “The Recent, Eight-Million-Dollar Verdict Against Philip Morris and in Favor of A Smoker’s Family: Why It Will Likely Be Reversed as Unconstitutional.”
And Michael C. Dorf has an essay entitled “Can Anyone Protect Clients From Bad Lawyering? Some Lessons of a Recent Appeals Court Case.”
“Congressman wants Kent impeached; He also wants to deny retirement for judge who pleaded guilty in sex-crimes case”: Today in The Houston Chronicle, Mary Flood has an article that begins, “A ranking congressional judiciary committee Republican said Tuesday he will call for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice this week. U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said Tuesday that once Kent has been sentenced he will introduce a resolution to impeach the 59-year-old jurist who is seeking to retire with full pay.” In addition, columnist Rick Casey has an op-ed entitled “The Judge Sam soap opera continues.”
Pamela A. MacLean of The National Law Journal reports that “Kent’s abrupt retirement shrouded in mystery.”
And at the web site of the Houston Press, Richard Connelly has a blog post titled “What We Missed Because Of Judge Kent’s Plea Deal.”
