“Chief justice nominee praised as a fair, tough”: This article appears today in The Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire.

“John Paul Stevens, William J. Brennan and the Death Penalty”: Seth Stern has this entry today at The Huffington Post.

In today’s edition of The Austin American-Statesman: This obituary of former Texas Solicitor General Gregory S. Coleman appeared.

“Court says county doesn’t have to pay for mistake”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press has this report.

Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “Justices rule against couple still on state registry.”

And at the “School Law” blog of Education Week, Mark Walsh has a post titled “High Court Broadens Protection Against Municipal Liability.”

Today, Justice Stephen G. Breyer delivered the opinion for a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court (with Justice Elena Kagan recused) in Los Angeles County v. Humphries, No. 09-350. You can access the oral argument via this link.

“California’s attempt to halt a mass prisoner release gets skeptical hearing at Supreme Court; A majority of the justices say the state has failed to remedy the problem of severe prison overcrowding, despite decades of lawsuits; But Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. warns that releasing 40,000 prisoners will bring more crime to California”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has this news update.

Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Supreme Court divided over California’s inmate population.”

Mark Sherman of The Associated Press reports that “Supreme Court considers Calif prison crowding.”

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “California Order to Release Inmates Questioned by U.S. Justices at Hearing.”

And James Vicini of Reuters reports that “High court to rule in California prisons case.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Jousting over prisoner release: A deeply engaged Court debates whether, and how, to reshape a lower court’s controversial solution to the serious problem of prison overcrowding, and the health hazards that causes; Justice Kennedy seems to hold the controlling vote.”

You can access the transcript of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in Schwarzenegger v. Plata, No. 09-1233, by clicking here.

Programming note: This morning, I will be taking part in an appellate mediation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Additional posts will appear here this afternoon.

“SCOTUSblog” will provide prompt coverage of whatever opinions in argued cases the U.S. Supreme Court issues at 10 a.m. eastern time today.