“Detainee Acquitted on Most Counts in ’98 Bombings”: The New York Times has a news update that begins, “The first former Guantanamo detainee to be tried in a civilian court was acquitted on Wednesday of all but one of more than 280 charges of conspiracy and murder in the 1998 terrorist bombings of the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The case has been seen as a test of President Obama’s goal of trying detainees in federal court whenever feasible, and the result may again fuel debate over whether civilian courts are appropriate for trying terrorists.”
The Washington Post has a news update headlined “Ahmed Ghailani, Gitmo detainee, acquitted of all but 1 charge in NY.”
The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Gitmo detainee Ahmed Ghailani acquitted of all but one charge in N.Y.”
Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has a news update headlined “Jury convicts embassy bombing plotter on just one count.”
And The Associated Press reports that “Gitmo detainee acquitted of all but 1 charge in NY.”
“Egos on the Bench: The unexpected legacy of FDR’s court packing.” Online at Slate, Dahlia Lithwick has this review of law professor Noah Feldman‘s book “Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court Justices.”
Two Sundays ago, I linked to additional reviews of the book in a post you can access here.
“Teenage rapist Jose Walle re-sentenced to 65 years in prison”: The St. Petersburg Times has a news update that begins, “Circuit Judge Chet A. Tharpe didn’t agree with a U.S. Supreme Court decision forcing him to re-sentence teenage rapist Jose Walle, who was only 13 when he terrorized two Apollo Beach waitresses at gunpoint. But he obeyed the highest court in the land, which deemed life sentences unconstitutional for juveniles who didn’t kill. Walle hung his head as Tharpe sentenced him to 65 years in prison, which he will begin to serve after completing the 27 years he got in Pinellas for another rape. Taking into consideration credits prisoners get, he would be about 91 years old when he gets a chance at freedom.”
“Scholar Presses for More Supreme Court Diversity”: Tony Mauro has this post today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”
“Court ends group’s challenge to Calif. law school”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has shot down another attempt by a Christian student group to force a California law school to formally recognize it, despite the group’s refusal to allow gay members.”
And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “CLS’s legal woes continue; The Ninth Circuit, ruling on a case returned by the Supreme Court, rejects a law student group’s second attempt to keep alive its case on campus privileges.”
You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.
“Democrats Plan Votes on Controversial Nominees, Senator Says”: At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” David Ingram has a post that begins, “President Barack Obama’s nominees for the federal judiciary have stalled for months in part because of heated disagreement over a handful of nominees. Now, Senate Democrats are looking at forcing votes on four of them.”
“Court weighs forced meds for mentally ill suspect”: The Associated Press has this report on a case that was argued today before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
“Judge Refuses To Delay Steven Hayes’ Sentencing; Lawyers Cited Need For ‘Extensive’ Investigation”: The Hartford Courant has this news update.
The New Haven Register has a news update headlined “Judge denies Hayes’ lawyers request for delay in death sentence.”
And, in related coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Jurors in Conn. home invasion trial get counseling.”
Programming note: I will be presenting an oral argument this afternoon in Philadelphia before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Additional posts will appear here later today.
Update: I will post here a link to the oral argument audio once the Third Circuit places it online. My argument begins approximately 12 minutes into the recording, as I represent the plaintiff-appellee.
“Culver says he’d appoint justices if given the chance”: Yesterday’s edition of The Des Moines Register contained an article that begins, “Gov. Chet Culver said Monday that if given the opportunity he will fill Iowa’s three Supreme Court justice vacancies before Republican Terry Branstad takes office on Jan. 14.”
“Simpson lawyers ask justices to reconsider denial of robbery appeal”: This article appears today in The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Listen to the Terminator: The Supreme Court should use a challenge to California’s law on extremely violent video games to adjust its severe approach to content-based regulations of speech.” Law professor Barry P. McDonald has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.
“Breyer says justices must adapt to Facebook world”: The Associated Press has this report.
“Oracle Wins Appeals Court Ruling Upholding Dismissal of Shareholder Suit”: Bloomberg News has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.
“Justice Thomas’ wife may play less public role”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.
Federal Circuit overturns dismissal of an attorney’s putative class action lawsuit alleging that the federal government’s pay.gov system for paying court filing fees violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s credit card receipt redaction requirements: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit at this link.
“Ex-justice want even more diversity on high court; Stevens visiting Houston for Progressive Forum event”: This interview appears online at the web site of The Houston Chronicle.
“Odd Court Routine: Being the Judge of Whether to Be the Judge.” In today’s edition of The New York Times, Adam Liptak has this new installment of his “Sidebar” column.
“Image Rights vs. Free Speech in Video Game Suit”: This article appears today in The New York Times.
“Appeals Court sets stage for Proposition 8 arguments”: The Sacramento Bee has a blog post that begins, “The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals announced today how it wants opposing sides to lay out their cases during a critical Dec. 6 hearing on California’s gay marriage ban.”
And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Prop. 8 hearing details.”
You can access today’s order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.
“Gallegly animal bill passes House, but Senate might run out of time”: The Ventura County Star has a news update that begins, “Rep. Elton Gallegly said Monday that his bill to ban the sale of videos showing the mutilation and torture of small animals might be dead for this year after House Democrats made what he called an unwarranted change.”
And The Associated Press reports that “House votes on bill to stop animal ‘crush videos.’”
“Justice Thomas’s Wife May Be Exiting Advocacy Group”: This article will appear Tuesday in The New York Times.
“Virginia Thomas apparently stepping down from ‘tea party’ group; The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is going to ‘take a back seat’ at the conservative nonprofit she founded; The group’s partisan tone has drawn criticism from legal ethics experts”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has this news update.
And Nina Totenberg of NPR reports that “Clarence Thomas’ Wife Quits Tea Party-Linked Group.”
“Court Rules Gun Use in Drug Crimes Means Added 5 Years”: Adam Liptak will have this article Tuesday in The New York Times.
“Gun Rights Advocates Challenge D.C. Firearm Restrictions”: Today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Mike Scarcella has a post that begins, “Calling this city’s gun laws the most ‘radically restrictive’ in the country, a lawyer for a group of District of Columbia residents urged a federal appeals court in Washington today to strike down laws that requires gun owners to register all firearms and pass a training course.”
“Virginia Thomas stepping down as head of Liberty Central”: The Washington Post has a news update that begins, “Virginia Thomas, political activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has decided to relinquish control of Liberty Central, the conservative group she founded less than a year ago, so that the organization can escape the ‘distractions’ of her media celebrity, a spokeswoman said.”
“Kagan offers practicality to arguments, settles in as new justice”: Joan Biskupic will have this article Tuesday in USA Today.
“Silver Lining: Why Dems’ Big Loss Could Pave The Way For Obama Nominees.” Brian Beutler has this report at TPMDC.
“Legal High Fliers Flock to Challenge and Defend EPA Climate Regs”: Lawrence Hurley of Greenwire has this report.
“Appeals Court Struggles With ‘Red Flags Rule'”: At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” David Ingram has a post today that begins, “A federal appeals court in Washington wrangled today with the definitions of ‘credit’ and ‘any person’ as it tried to determine whether the Federal Trade Commission overstepped its authority in regulating the legal profession.”
“High court to decide Monday whether illegal immigrants must pay higher college tuition”: Maura Dolan of The Los Angeles Times has a blog post that begins, “The California Supreme Court is scheduled to decide Monday whether undocumented immigrants may continue to receive in-state tuition rates at the state’s colleges and universities or be required to pay the higher rates charged to students from other states.”
According to this notice of forthcoming filings from the Supreme Court of California, the decision will issue at 1 p.m. eastern time today.
Update: You can access the ruling at this link.
In early news coverage of the ruling, Howard Mintz of The San Jose Mercury News has an update headlined “State Supreme Court upholds law providing college benefits to undocumented students.”
The Contra Costa Times has a news update headlined “California Supreme Court upholds immigrant-tuition law.”
And Maura Dolan of The Los Angeles Times has a blog post titled “In-state tuition for illegal immigrants is preserved with California Supreme Court ruling.”
Access online today’s opinion in an argued case and Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court: The Court today issued one opinion in an argued case.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion of the Court in Abbott v. United States, No. 09-479. The decision was unanimous, with Justice Elena Kagan recused. You can access the oral argument transcript and audio via this link.
You can access today’s Order List at this link. The Court granted review in two cases.
In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Court OKs longer prison term in gun, drug crimes” and “Court won’t get involved in patient advocate case.”
And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “A day for criminal law.”
“Oklahoma Surprise: Islam as an Election Issue.” Today’s edition of The New York Times contains an article that begins, “Cory Williams, a Democratic state representative from Stillwater, expected his opponent in the recent election to label him a free-spending liberal allied with President Obama. He did not foresee that he would be accused of trying to subject Oklahomans to Islamic law.”
“Putting Money on Lawsuits, Investors Share in the Payouts”: This front page article appears today in The New York Times.
Judge experiences PDF redaction failure in Laos coup plot case: At his “Under the Radar” blog at Politico.com, Josh Gerstein today has a post titled “Judge slashes Laos coup plot case, exposes secret testimony” that begins, “Federal prosecutors suffered a major setback Friday as a federal judge threw out large portions of an unusual criminal case charging twelve California men with plotting to overthrow the government of Laos.”
