“Appeals court throws out child porn conviction”: The Associated Press has this report on a ruling that a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued yesterday.

My earlier coverage appears at this link.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Morgan Christen to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: You can access the official roll call vote tally at this link. The vote to confirm was 95-to-3. Currently, Christen serves as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Alaska and was the second woman to serve on that court.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “US Senate confirms judicial nominee.”

“States seek to delay action on immigration laws”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “After the U.S. Supreme Court agreed this week to rule on Arizona’s controversial law targeting illegal immigrants, some states with similar statutes want to delay legal challenges against their own laws pending the high court’s decision.”

“Second Circuit Weighs Closed Courtrooms”: At WSJ.com’s “Law Blog,” Chad Bray has this post about a case that was reargued en banc (or as the court that hosted the argument is still wont to call it on occasion, “in banc”) yesterday before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

“Oregon Recognizes Contributions of Senior, Recalled Judges”: The Public Information Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued this news release today.

“Corporate Personhood Debate, Tortured Reasoning In Tow, Heads Back To Supreme Court.” Mike Sacks of The Huffington Post has this report.

“Appeals Court Judges Grill Arpaio’s Lawyer on Alleged First Amendment Violations”: Peter Jamison has this blog post at SF Weekly. According to the post, “Kozinski also delivered a tongue-lashing to GilBride [Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s lawyer] for her lack of preparation for the [en banc] hearing, as the lawyer let slip at one point that she had not brought briefs in the case to court with her and was apparently unaware that one of the current issues in the case is whether Arpaio was engaged in a conspiracy against Lacey, Larkin, and the New Times.”

And Kate Moser of The Recorder reports that “Newspaper Wins Judges’ Sympathies in Arpaio Suit.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has posted online at this link the audio of yesterday’s oral argument before an 11-judge en banc panel in the case captioned Lacey v. Arpaio.

“Animal rights activists challenge 2006 federal law”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A group of animal rights activists sued the U.S. government Thursday to challenge the constitutionality of a rarely used law they say treats them like terrorists if they cause a loss in profits for businesses that use or sell animal products.”

“Not your Gingrich’s Supreme Court: The Supreme Court rediscovers federalism just in time for 2012 election.” Law professor Barry Friedman and Dahlia Lithwick have this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Justice Clarence Thomas ’74 Visits the Law School; Meets with Student Groups, Teaches Class”: Yale Law School issued this news release yesterday.

“Federal magistrate has a shot at appeals court position, sources say”: Today’s edition of The Tulsa World contains an article that begins, “A beleaguered process that repeatedly has failed to put Oklahomans in key federal positions reportedly has produced a potential nominee to fill a year-old vacancy on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.”

A victory for the “blame it on the dead guy” defense, on appeal in a child pornography case no less: A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued this decision yesterday.

Circuit Judge E. Grady Jolly‘s dissenting opinion begins, “The record does not reflect whether the jury box had more than twelve chairs, but we do know–and we know for sure–that two more jurors are trying to crowd into the box. I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion, which is little more than a presentation of the defendant’s case and the substitution of the views of judges for the views of jurors.”

“Number of death sentences hits a 35-year low”: Joan Biskupic of USA Today has this report.

Today in The Wall Street Journal, Ashby Jones has an article headlined “New Death Sentences Fall to Lowest Level in 35 Years.”

Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “Executions, death sentences continue steady declines in 2011.”

Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has an article headlined “Report: US death sentences reach 35-year low.”

Terry Baynes of Reuters reports that “Study finds death penalty use in decline.”

And today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition” contained an audio segment entitled “Death Sentences Drop To Historic Lows In 2011.”

“Ohio justice urges repeal of death penalty”: In today’s edition of The Toledo Blade, Jim Provance has an article that begins, “Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer said Wednesday he believes it’s only a matter of time before the death-penalty law he helped write 30 years ago will end. He urged the House Criminal Justice Committee to make that date sooner rather than later.”

And The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports today that “Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer urges lawmakers to repeal death penalty in Ohio.”

“Relentless anti-abortion crusader takes her fight to Supreme Court; Grandmother, 63, has been arrested, jailed many times for protesting at clinics”: Postmedia News of Canada has this report.

“Texas Counties in Voting Chaos Over Redistricting Case”: The New York Times contains this article today.

“DFW sidewalks at center of legal dispute over disabled access”: This article appears today in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“Rock Bottom”: At the “Opinionator” blog of The New York Times, Linda Greenhouse has a post that begins, “Now that another highly qualified judicial nominee has been left as road kill, the question is how much lower can the confirmation process sink.”