“Federal appeals court rejects Forsyth County’s sectarian prayer practice”: The Winston-Salem Journal has a news update that begins, “A federal appeals court has ruled that the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners was wrong to allow opening prayers at its meetings that singled out praise for a specific deity.”

You can access today’s ruling of a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit at this link.

“Top court rules Ottawa can’t be dragged into smoking suits”: The Canadian Press has this report on a ruling that the Supreme Court of Canada issued today.

“Not So Confidential: A Call for Restraint in Sealing Court Records.” Law professor Bernard Chao has posted this essay online (via “Patently-O“).

“Federal Circuit: Isolated Human DNA Molecules are Patentable.” The blog “Patently-O” has this post on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued today. Each of the three judges on the panel wrote a separate opinion.

“Clemens accuses prosecutors of provoking mistrial”: The Associated Press has this report.

And Bloomberg News reports that “Roger Clemens Asks Judge to Bar U.S. From Retrying Steroid Perjury Case.”

“Judge orders release of Nixon Watergate testimony”: The Associated Press has this report.

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Mike Scarcella has a post titled “Judge Orders Release Of Richard Nixon’s Watergate Testimony.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at this link.

“Lawyer tells appeals panel Chafee has right to refuse transfer of murder suspect to federal system”: The Providence (R.I.) Journal today contains this article reporting on an oral argument that occurred yesterday before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

“Gov. Jan Brewer’s border security countersuit stumbling; Dismissal likely for state’s immigration case vs. U.S.” This article appears today in The Arizona Republic.

And in today’s edition of The Arizona Daily Sun, Howard Fischer has an article headlined “Judge: No basis for ordering feds to protect border.”

“Canada’s top court to rule on tobacco liability; Ruling could mean Ottawa liable for billions in damages; Tobacco firms say government should share costs”: Reuters has a report that begins, “Canada’s Supreme Court will decide on Friday whether the federal government should be partly liable for damages, possibly amounting to many billions of dollars, stemming from lawsuits against tobacco firms.”

The Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to release its ruling at 9:45 a.m. eastern time today. The ruling, once issued, should be available via this link.

“Ruling may weaken escort roles at abortion clinics”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

And The Oakland Tribune reports today that “Court holds all abortion demonstrators equal under Oakland ‘bubble ordinance.’”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Ninth Circuit ruling appears at this link.

“CA gay marriage ban case to be heard Sept. 6”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “California’s highest court says it will hear arguments right after Labor Day on an issue that is likely to prove decisive for the fate of the state’s voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriages.”

“Jackson put to death by lethal injection”: The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware has an update that begins, “Robert W. Jackson III died by lethal injection at 12:12 a.m. today, the first man to be executed in Delaware in nearly six years.”

“Loughner’s attorneys appeal for end to his forced medication; The Tucson shooting suspect’s public defenders say the government is violating his constitutional right to refuse potentially dangerous antipsychotic drugs”: In today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times, Carol J. Williams has this article reporting on the Brief for Appellant filed Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Atheists Sue to Block Display of Cross-Shaped Beam in 9/11 Museum”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

The Associated Press reports that “Atheist group sues over cross at Sept. 11 museum.”

And Reuters reports that “Atheist group fights steel cross at 9/11 museum.”