Programming note: Midday on Friday, I will be traveling to Atlanta, where this weekend my law school class will be celebrating its 30th reunion. I figured after 29 years of not attending these things, perhaps I’d give it a try this year. I will remain in Atlanta until Monday evening, because on Monday I’ll be speaking with a law school class and visiting the participants in Emory Law’s Supreme Court clinic.
As a result, new posts will not appear here until Friday afternoon. As always while I’m traveling, more frequent appellate-related retweets are likely to appear on this blog’s Twitter feed.
“US solicitor general weighs in on cross-border shooting case”: Ariane de Vogue of CNN has this report.
“Trump’s sister retires as federal judge in Philadelphia amid reported probe of family finances”: Joseph A. Gambardello of The Philadelphia Inquirer has this report.
Larry Neumeister and Maryclaire Dale of The Associated Press report that “Trump’s sister retires, negating judicial ethics complaints.”
Caroline Kelly and Augusta Anthony of CNN report that “Investigation into Trump’s sister ends with her retirement.”
Kate Riga of Talking Points Memo reports that “Under Pressure From Tax Probe, Trump’s Older Sister Steps Down From Judgeship.”
And Matthew Yglesias of Vox reports that “Trump’s sister quietly retired in February, and it’s actually a really big deal; A key hint in the question of whether the president evaded taxes.”
CNN has posted online at this link the order of the Judicial Council of the Second Circuit concluding the judicial misconduct proceeding.
“The Supreme Court didn’t ban corporal punishment. Local democracy did.” Ryan Park has this essay online at The Washington Post.
“The Mandatory Guidelines Predicament in the Sixth Circuit”: Leah Litman has this post at the “Take Care” blog.
“Clarence Thomas to speak at Christ Chapel dedication”: Isabella S. Redjai of The Hillsdale Collegian has this report.
“Liberal groups demand House investigate Kavanaugh confirmation”: Alex Swoyer of The Washington Times has this report.
Samuel Chamberlain of Fox News reports that “Brett Kavanaugh should be investigated, liberal groups tell House Oversight, Judiciary panels.”
Tal Axelrod of The Hill reports that “Progressive groups call on House Dems to investigate Kavanaugh’s confirmation.”
And Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News reports that “Progressive Groups Ask Congress To Investigate Brett Kavanaugh; More than two dozen groups signed a letter to the House of Representatives urging an investigation into what they characterized as Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s ‘sham confirmation process.’“
“Group To Run Ads Urging University To Cancel Brett Kavanaugh’s Teaching Gig; ‘The hiring of accused sexual assaulter Brett Kavanaugh at George Mason University is unacceptable,’ reads the ad from Demand Justice”: Jennifer Bendery of HuffPost has this report.
“A Supreme Court Do-Over: Will the court be able to avoid mirroring the country’s polarization?” Linda Greenhouse has this essay online at The New York Times.
“Supreme Court revisits wedding cakes and same-sex marriages”: David G. Savage has this article in today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times.
“The friendly skies are not always so friendly.” So writes Ninth Circuit Judge John B. Owens in an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part issued today.
His opinion continues:
You do not need to watch Passenger 57, Flightplan, Turbulence, or even the vastly underrated Executive Decision to know that dangerous criminal activity occurs on airplanes.
Judge Owens dissented from his colleagues’ decision to reverse the defendant’s criminal conviction for improper venue, arguing that the panel’s ruling “creates a circuit split and makes prosecuting crimes on aircraft (including cases far more serious than this one) extremely difficult.”
“Fort Zumwalt Schools sued over former teacher’s secret shower videos”: Robert Patrick of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had this article back in April 2016.
Today, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued this decision affirming the district court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of the school district defendants.
“This couple helped drown Eastern Kentucky in pain pills. Now they’re going to prison.” Bill Estep of The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader had this article back in September 2017.
Today, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued this decision affirming the defendants’ convictions and sentences.
“Ask the author: ‘Mr. Everything’ — Joan Biskupic on Chief Justice John Roberts.” Ronald Collins has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”
And if you missed Biskupic’s discussion of her new book yesterday at UCI Law — which may have included an audience question from law professor Leah Litman — you can view the video via this link.
“Gorsuch Charts Course as Originalist With Independent Streak”: Patrick L. Gregory and Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson of Bloomberg Law have this report.
