“She blinded me with science”: The Associated Press has an article headlined “Ga. top court finds teacher not liable for injury” that begins, “The Georgia Supreme Court says a Forsyth County teacher can’t be held liable for a student’s injury during a bottle rocket experiment.”
You can access today’s 4-3 ruling of the Supreme Court of Georgia — which apparently is not closed today in celebration of the Independence Day holiday — at this link. The majority opinion begins, “David Dollar suffered an eye injury during a science experiment performed in his eighth-grade science class taught by appellant Patricia Grammens.”
The title of this post is courtesy of Thomas Dolby.
“Summary rulings spike at the high court”: Tony Mauro of The National Law Journal has this report.
That publication has also posted online this chart showing who argued the most cases at the U.S. Supreme Court during the October 2009 Term.
Texas Education Agency’s policy requiring its employees to maintain “neutrality” with respect to the teaching of evolution and creationism does not have the “primary effect” of advancing religion, Fifth Circuit rules: You can access Friday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.
The Associated Press has this report on the ruling. Earlier news coverage of the case can be accessed here and here.
Available online from Slate: Dahlia Lithwick has a jurisprudence essay entitled “Thurgood Marshall Made Them Do It: How Republicans inadvertently made the case for confirming Elena Kagan.”
And William Saletan has an essay entitled “When Kagan Played Doctor: Elena Kagan’s partial-birth abortion scandal.”
“High court nominees’ cautious answers frustrate senators”: Robert Barnes will have this article Sunday in The Washington Post.
“Conservative justices leave their mark”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.
En banc Seventh Circuit issues lengthy RLUIPA ruling: Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner wrote the majority opinion. The case presents the question of how to construe a section of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act stating that “no government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly or institution.”
This just in: Moments ago, Justice Sonia Sotomayor entered the New York Yankees radio broadcast booth, leading announcers John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman to remark that having Justice Sotomayor in the broadcast booth always results in good luck for the Yankees. Moments later, left fielder Brett Gardner hits a grand slam to give the Yankees an 8-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
In all, the Yankees scored 11 runs that half-inning, sending 15 batters to the plate, leading Sterling to suggest that Justice Sotomayor should renounce her post on the U.S. Supreme Court and simply follow the team around.
“Identities of Blagojevich jurors could be made public; Appeals court says media’s request for names was not too late”: This article appears today in The Chicago Tribune.
Chief Judge Frank H. Easterbrook is the author of yesterday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
“Ark. woman’s lawsuit against airline dismissed”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of an Arkansas woman’s lawsuit claiming she was illegally imprisoned on an American Airlines plane for 9 1/2 hours.”
You can access yesterday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit at this link.
“Roberts proves First Amendment prowess in latest term “: David L. Hudson Jr. has this commentary online at the First Amendment Center.
“Chicago approves new handgun restrictions; 45-0 vote comes after Supreme Court hits city on gun ban”: Abdon M. Pallasch of The Chicago Sun-Times has this news update.
The Chicago Tribune has a blog post titled “City Council passes Daley gun restrictions 45-0.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Chicago approves tough new handgun restrictions.”
“Major fight brews on Munaf; The other 2008 detainee ruling”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”
“Teen resolute in fight to have pledge said in classrooms; Arlington school board deadlocked on issue”: This article appeared Wednesday in The Boston Globe.
In today’s mail: An advance reading copy of the eagerly awaited book “Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion” by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel. The book’s official publication date is October 4, 2010, which of course is the first Monday in October.
“Republicans Press Kagan on Social Issues”: This article appears today in The New York Times, along with an editorial entitled “Confirm Elena Kagan.”
Today’s edition of The Washington Post contains articles headlined “Kagan finishes Supreme Court confirmation hearings” and “At hearings, Elena Kagan charmed her critics — and seemed to enjoy herself,” along with an editorial entitled “Meaningful dialogue between a Republican and Obama’s nominee.”
James Oliphant of The Los Angeles Times reports that “Kagan slips on fruits and vegetables in Senate panel questioning; The Supreme Court nominee’s otherwise smooth testimony bodes well for her confirmation, but conservatives have a field day with one embarrassing answer.” In addition, columnist Doyle McManus has an op-ed entitled “Political rhetoric gets a hearing: Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearing gave both parties a chance to broadcast their views, with the GOP radical, cohesive and fierce; the Democrats, scattered, diverse and only occasionally fierce.”
Joan Biskupic of USA Today reports that “Kagan approval seems sure as her testimony ends; Nominee defends current court’s ‘good faith’ efforts.”
The Wall Street Journal contains articles headlined “Confirmed: Hearings Aren’t Pleasing Anybody” and “Amid All the Talk, a Willingness to Curb Some Speech.”
McClatchy Newspapers report that “Kagan seems to be cruising toward easy confirmation.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “Specter says he could vote against Kagan.”
And law.com reports that “On Final Day of Questioning, Kagan Refuses to Define Her Views.”
“Getting to know her: A portrait of Kagan emerges.” The Associated Press has this report.
“Confirming the Two North Carolina Nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit”: Law professor Carl Tobias has this essay online at FindLaw.
“State Supreme Court deadlocked on Gableman ethics case”: Today’s edition of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contains an article that begins, “A fractured state Supreme Court deadlocked Wednesday on the fate of Justice Michael Gableman’s ethics case, failing to agree on an outcome or even a way forward in the matter. The dueling opinions, released late in the night without the court’s usual advance notice, showed the increasing dysfunction of an ideologically split court that is seeking to decide on whether to discipline one of its own.”
The Associated Press reports that “Supreme Court deadlocks in Gableman ethics case.”
And the Wisconsin Law Journal reports that “Justices split on Gableman decision.”
You can access here and here yesterday’s dueling opinions of the evenly divided Supreme Court of Wisconsin.
“The old Philly neighborhood remembers Kagan’s family”: This article appears today in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
