“Business donations to judges’ campaigns often equal friendly rulings”: Michael Doyle of McClatchy Washington Bureau has an article that begins, “State supreme court justices are favoring the corporate interests that finance their election campaigns, a comprehensive new study concludes.”

My earlier coverage of the study (PDF) appears at this link.

“Appeals court rules man can challenge Oklahoma ‘rain god’ plate; The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that a judge in Oklahoma City erred by throwing out the lawsuit of Keith Cressman, pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Bethany”: The Oklahoman has this news update.

And The Associated Press now has a more detailed report headlined “Court: Man can challenge Oklahoma ‘rain god’ plate.”

My earlier coverage of today’s Tenth Circuit ruling appears at this link.

“Serial killer’s life may get spared again”: 12News of Beaumont, Texas has this report.

The Associated Press reports that “Violent Texas man set to die for fireman’s slaying.”

The Austin Chronicle has a report headlined “Chief Judge: New Panel Will Be Assigned to Consider Death Row Appeal; Execution still slated for tomorrow.”

And at his “Sentencing Law and Policy” blog, Douglas A. Berman has a post titled “Notable capital habeas echo from Firth Circuit after complaint about Judge Jones.”

You can access today’s unpublished reassignment ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.

“Palmer Raids Redux: NSA v civil liberties.” Law professor Jeffrey Rosen has this essay online at Reuters.

“Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Over Indian ‘God’ On Oklahoma License Plate”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court says Oklahoma’s Indian ‘rain god’ license plate can be challenged on grounds that amounts to a state endorsement of a religion.”

And at the blog “Turtle Talk,” Matthew L.M. Fletcher has a post titled “Tenth Circuit Revives Establishment Clause Challenge to Oklahoma’s Indian Arrow License Plate.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit at this link.

“Huguely asks for expanded appeal”: Frank Green of The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a news update that begins, “Lawyers for George Huguely V, convicted of the slaying of Yeardley Love at the University of Virginia where the two were students, asked the judges of the Virginia Court of Appeals this morning to expand his appeal.”

“Guantanamo war court debate: When is a spiral notebook a weapon?” Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has this report.

“Justice at Risk: An Empirical Analysis of Campaign Contributions and Judicial Decisions.” The American Constitution Society today issued this report (PDF), written by law professor Joanna Shepherd.

At The Washington Post’s “Wonkblog,” Dylan Matthews has a related post titled “When businesses give judges money, they usually get the rulings they want.”

“Court hears arguments on NYC’s big soda ban”: The Associated Press has a report that begins “A state appeals court is considering whether to allow New York City to ban oversized sodas and other large sugary drinks at city restaurants as part of its war on diabetes and obesity.”

And Bloomberg News reports that “Large-Sized Soda Limits Should Be Reinstated, N.Y. Says.”

“Comic writer’s Ghost Rider copyright lawsuit revived on appeal”: Bernard Vaughan of Reuters has this report.

Bloomberg News reports that “Marvel Must Defend ‘Ghost Rider’ Copyright, Court Says.”

And The Associated Press reports that “NY ‘Ghost Rider’ lawsuit reinstated.”

My earlier coverage of today’s Second Circuit ruling appears at this link.

“Calif. readies for possible return of gay marriage”: The Associated Press has this report.

“A Small Right-Wing Conspiracy: The Federalist Society; The elite Federalist Society has become one of the most effective conservative groups in the country; How did it happen?” Law professor David Fontana has this essay online today at The Daily Beast.

“United States scales back plans for Guantanamo prosecutions”: Jane Sutton of Reuters has this report.

“New Leadership for Federal Courts’ Administrative Office”: Zoe Tillman has this post today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

You can access at this link today’s news release from the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Meet ‘Mr. Ali,’ Somali Pirate Negotiator”: Wired.com’s “Danger Room” blog had this post back in June 2009.

Now in federal criminal custody, Ali Mohamed Ali is the subject of an interesting piracy-related ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued today.

Update: In other coverage, at his “Suits & Sentences” blog, Michael Doyle of McClatchy Washington Bureau has a post titled “Piracy case captivates D.C. Circuit.”

For those who believe that federal appellate court rulings need to contain more comic book pages: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued this ruling today.

Update: In other coverage, at the “Hollywood, Esq.” blog of The Hollywood Reporter, Eriq Gardner has a post titled “Marvel’s ‘Ghost Rider’ Legal Victory Overturned; The Second Circuit remands for trial the issue of who holds rights to the popular comic book character.”

“Judicial Selection Reform: All Over the Map; States are unlikely to reach consensus, so they should aim to reduce role of money, regardless of selection method.” Earlier this month, Aaron Bayer had this essay in The National Law Journal.

In news from Afghanistan: The Associated Press reports that “Suicide blast in Kabul kills 14 at Supreme Court.”

“Appeals court will consider blocked NYC soda ban on Tuesday”: Joseph Ax of Reuters has this report.

“In jurisdiction battle, 3rd Circuit rules for GSK”: Terry Baynes of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued last Friday.

“Constitution Check: Will the courts put limits on the government’s electronic spying?” Lyle Denniston has this post today at the “Constitution Daily” blog of the National Constitution Center.

“Ninth Circuit Keeps Cards Close in Google Street View Case”: Scott Graham of The Recorder has this report.

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Ninth Circuit oral argument (audio link) can be accessed here.

“Supreme Court bars retroactive application of sentencing guidelines”: Robert Barnes has this article today in The Washington Post.

Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that “Law OKing pickets on private land stands.”

And Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor has reports headlined “Supreme Court rules in dispute over federal sentencing guidelines; The Supreme Court ruled that a businessman was entitled to be sentenced under a version of sentencing guidelines in effect at the time he committed bank fraud, not the guidelines later enacted“; “Can protesters wave gruesome signs? Supreme Court declines free speech case; Antiabortion protesters waved the signs in public as they targeted a church in Denver; A Colorado court then barred the use of the signs, and on Monday the US Supreme Court refused to examine the free speech issues in the case“: and “Are Calif. labor-protest laws constitutional? Supreme Court turns away case; Members of a labor union picketed a non-union grocery store in Sacramento, Calif.; The US Supreme Court declined an appeal challenging the constitutionality of two state laws that allow such picketing.”

“Exclusive: FBI probing Justice McCaffery over referral fees.” Craig R. McCoy has this front page article today in The Philadelphia Inquirer.