How Appealing



Friday, November 6, 2009

“Teacher Claims Fingerprinting Is ‘Mark of the Beast'”: At Wired.com’s “Threat Level” blog, David Kravets has a post that begins, “A 22-year veteran kindergarten teacher in the Texas Bible Belt could lose her job for refusing, on religious grounds, to give fingerprints under a state law requiring them.”

Posted at 8:33 AM by Howard Bashman



“Kennedy predicts ‘Carcieri fix’ bill might pass”: Today’s edition of The Providence (R.I.) Journal contains an article that begins, “Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy said Thursday that a bill to reverse a U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking special land status for the Narragansett Indian tribe could become law during this Congress.”

Posted at 8:23 AM by Howard Bashman



“Judge weighs dead woman’s right to cash”: The Boston Herald today contains an article that begins, “Whether a dead woman is entitled to loss-of-companionship damages 28 years after her daughter was murdered by mob monster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger is at the heart of a potential landmark decision by the city’s federal court.”

Posted at 8:22 AM by Howard Bashman



“Va. high court rules on Henrico wrongful-death suit”: Today’s edition of The Richmond Times-Dispatch contains an article that begins, “Parents have a broad duty to assure the welfare of a juvenile guest, even when harm comes to that guest from a third party outside the home. In a split decision yesterday, the state Supreme Court reinstated and sent back to Henrico County Circuit Court a wrongful-death case in which a 14-year-old guest died in a car crash.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Virginia court reinstates wrongful death suit.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Virginia at this link.

Posted at 8:17 AM by Howard Bashman



“Bill allowing taxpayer money for state Supreme Court races passes”: Today’s edition of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contains an article that begins, “Supreme Court candidates would get taxpayer money to run their campaigns, under a bill approved Thursday by the Legislature. Democrats said the bill would improve the tone of the increasingly nasty Supreme Court races by limiting the role of special interests, even while some advocates for campaign finance reform said it didn’t go far enough.”

And The Wisconsin State Journal reports today that “Wis. Senate OKs new election money for justices.”

Posted at 8:05 AM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court query puts Janet Napolitano on the spot”: At Politico.com, Josh Gerstein has an article that begins, “A simple query from the Supreme Court is forcing the Obama administration to wrestle with the limits of states’ authority to enforce immigration laws — and also is throwing an uncomfortable spotlight on Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.”

Posted at 7:54 AM by Howard Bashman



“Death penalty foes rip Coakley for signing brief”: Today’s edition of The Boston Globe contains an article that begins, “Attorney General Martha Coakley, who says she is firmly against capital punishment, has drawn the ire of some death penalty opponents by urging the US Supreme Court to limit federal review of state court decisions, which opponents say could make it harder for defendants on death row to challenge their sentences.”

Posted at 7:52 AM by Howard Bashman



Available online from law.com: An article reports that “D.C. Court of Appeals Resurrects Cell Phone Radiation Cases; Cases target some of the biggest names in the wireless industry, who in turn have recruited a battery of big-name defense firms.” You can access last week’s ruling of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals at this link.

An headlined “Expect Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Case to Stay Two-Party Affair” reports on an appeal argued Wednesday before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

And in other news, “Law School Professor Withdraws Suit Against Legal Blog.”

Posted at 7:33 AM by Howard Bashman



“Catholics angered by S.F. supes win new hearing”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “A federal appeals court granted a Catholic advocacy group’s request Thursday for a new hearing on whether San Francisco expressed official hostility to religion in 2006 when the Board of Supervisors denounced a Vatican order to Catholic Charities not to place children with same-sex couples for adoption.”

You can access yesterday’s order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.

My earlier coverage of the now-vacated three-judge panel’s ruling, which issued in June 2009, can be accessed here.

Posted at 7:22 AM by Howard Bashman