Litigation

Sonia Sotomayor: Thoughts and Links

Posted on May 26, 2009
The news in Washington today is President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, a New York-based federal appellate judge who would become the nation’s first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice. Before offering a few thoughts on today’s announcement ceremony (for C-Span video, click here), here are some valuable media links: New York Times; Washington Post; USA Today; Wall [...

California Court Upholds Prop. 8

Posted on May 26, 2009
Prop. 8, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in California, has been upheld 6-1 by the state Supreme Court. The ballot measure has triggered angry words toward the high court from opposing sides. Opponents of gay marriage had issued veiled threats to unseat state Supreme Court justices if they had found Prop...

links for 2009-05-23

Posted on May 23, 2009
Obama's Right and Cheney Doesn't Get It: Freedom Makes Us Strong - Robert Schlesinger (usnews.com) Obama Endorses Indefinite Detention Without Trial for Some Now at Guantanamo - washingtonpost.com On Obama's Speech on Guantanamo Bay Detainees / Rise to the rule of law Opening Arguments - Abortion Foes Re-Energized by Court Fight The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times : [...

links for 2009-05-22

Posted on May 22, 2009
Sentencing Law and Policy: Upcoming House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on crack sentencing First Guantanamo inmate to face New York trial - Telegraph The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times : Specter Recommends Four Women Who Are Not Judges Senate approves stripping Gitmo funding - First Read - msnbc...

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links for 2009-05-21

Posted on May 21, 2009
The Legal Intelligencer Blog: Williams Drops Support of Merit Selection Judicial discipline needs a full probe — The Galveston County Daily News Wisconsin marriage amendment goes to black robes (OneNewsNow.com) judgesonmerit.org » The Morning After Brings A Call for Reform appear The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times : Two New Judges Appointed to FISA Court Another judge defines detention power [...

links for 2009-05-20

Posted on May 20, 2009
judgesonmerit.org » On Eve of Election, Endorsements for Merit Selection judgesonmerit.org » Will Concerns About Judicial Integrity Affect the Pennsylvania Judicial Elections? Judge Sotomayor?s Civil Opinions - Part II | SCOTUSblog Judge Sotomayor?s Appellate Opinions in Civil Cases | SCOTUSblog

links for 2009-05-19

Posted on May 19, 2009
Stopping bias on the bench Keller court accepted after-hours filing in 2003 A makeover for Pa.'s notorious kids-for-cash court | AP | 05/16/2009 Legislature leaves judicial selection alone, helps public defenders – EDITORIAL: Judicial performance — Las Vegas Review-Journal JANE ANN MORRISON: Method of picking justice of the peace candidates has merit — Las Vegas Review-Journal Midnight hour at the Capitol [...

Conservatives, Interest Groups Gear Up for SCotUS Battle

Posted on May 18, 2009
An article in the Sunday New York Times outlines ten memoranda drafted by conservative groups, the contents of which show that the conservative movement is preparing itself to vigorously fight any nominee that President Obama chooses to replace retiring justice David Souter...

Attack on Merit Falls Short in Missouri

Posted on May 18, 2009
A plan to revise Missouri’s merit selection system failed on Friday, when the Senate adjourned without voting on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given elected offiicials more influence in the appointment of appeals court judges...

Op-Ed Cautions Against Bybee Impeachment

Posted on May 18, 2009
An opinion column by Justice at Stake’s executive director, Bert Brandenburg, calls the impeachment of judges for their legal views the “atomic bomb of American politics,” and warns that impeaching federal judge Jay Bybee for his memos on interrogating detainees would set a dangerous precedent...

links for 2009-05-16

Posted on May 16, 2009
House (Republicans) accuse Tx Supreme Court of judicial activism — TRAIL BLAZERS Blog | The Dallas Morning News Choosing judges based on merit a good system | www.azstarnet.com ® Senate panel advances judicial selection proposal — The Elizabethton Star The current plan on judges is ridiculous | www...

links for 2009-05-15

Posted on May 15, 2009
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White House Releases Statement on Military Commissions

Posted on May 15, 2009
The White House released a statement today regarding the use of military commissions to try suspected terrorists. President Obama is seeking continuences in several military commission proceedings in order to buy time to explore the matter further.  The statement outlines five changes that will be implemented in military commission proceedings: The rule changes will ensure that: First, [...

links for 2009-05-14

Posted on May 14, 2009
Most NC judges agree to voluntary pay cut | CITIZEN-TIMES.com | Asheville Citizen-Times 'Tennessee Plan' unfettered by politics | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean Saint Louis Beacon - If Missouri Senate agrees, non-partisan court plan could be put up for a vote Bad system leads to some bad judges | www...

A ?Civilized? Confirmation? Ideas From the LA Times

Posted on May 14, 2009
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Merit Foes Make Last Push in Missouri

Posted on May 14, 2009
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Anti-Merit Bill Vetoed in Indiana

Posted on May 14, 2009
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links for 2009-05-13

Posted on May 13, 2009
Ramsey relents on contested elections for justices - WRCB Channel 3 Chattanooga News, Weather | judgesonmerit.org » Election Season Leads Inquirer To Call for Merit Selection Court worker overcame fears to take down Galveston judge | Houston & Texas News | Chron...

Elections Off Again in Tennessee

Posted on May 13, 2009
Tennessee’s struggle to replace its old judicial nominating commissions is taking on the twists and turns  of a Victorian melodrama. In the latest update, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, left, a Republican who has led efforts to remove the  old system, appears to have dropped his own recent proposal to elect appellate and Supreme Court judges...

links for 2009-05-12

Posted on May 12, 2009
O?Connor on Judicial Elections: ?They?re Awful. I Hate Them? | ABA Journal - Law News Now Missouri Plan secrecy not good for courts | The Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, MO In retrospect, signing Tennessee Plan was mistake | www...

O?Connor Warns of Diminishing Trust in Courts

Posted on May 12, 2009
In a keynote speech last week in Charlotte, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor renewed her concerns about electing state Supreme Court judges, saying that “Distrust of the judiciary in any jurisdiction becomes distrust of the judiciary in all jurisdictions...

Transparency Urged for Texas Court

Posted on May 12, 2009
An interesting debate is taking shape in Texas over how much transparency state Supreme Court justices should have. A bill by Texas State Senator Kirk Watson, left, would force the judges to disclose their votes on whether to accept or decline cases, according to this Austin American-Statesman article...

links for 2009-05-09

Posted on May 09, 2009
judgesonmerit.org » PA Supreme Court Candidates Talk About Money Keep Tennessee Plan for state judges | jacksonsun.com | Legal Theory Blog: Public Discourse About Judicial Nominations (Again) White House Formalizes Supreme Court Short List - Legalities WisBar | Wisconsin Lawyer May 2009: President's Message: Reflecting on Loyalty, Freedom of Speech

More on ABA Summit From Legal Times

Posted on May 09, 2009
Tony Mauro of the Washington Legal Times has this report on the ABA summit on fair and impartial courts, which we referenced yesterday in Gavel Grab.

Poll Urges Greater Cooperation on Justice Issues

Posted on May 08, 2009
A new national poll on relations among the branches of government has been released by the National Center for State Courts, which is coordinating an American Bar Association summit of state leaders in Charlotte, N.C. (To learn about the ABA meeting, click here...

Missouri Bar Leader Rebuts Journal Editorial

Posted on May 08, 2009
Thomas Burke, president of the Missouri Bar Association, has responded to a Wall Street Journal, which had praised an attempt to reconfigure his state’s commission-based system for appointing judges. Burke called the proposal a “Trojan horse” that would inject politics into the state court system...

links for 2009-05-08

Posted on May 08, 2009
Ginsburg: The court needs another woman — USATODAY.com TheHill.com - Sessions says he?d consider gay Supreme Court nominee Pa. Bar Association posts judicial candidate questionnaires | News | citizensvoice.com | The Citizens' Voice

links for 2009-05-07

Posted on May 07, 2009
:: TheSouthern.com - Southern Illinois' Homepage :: Judicial Reform Proposal Is a Political Trojan Horse - WSJ.com Missouri?s court system isn?t broken | The Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, MO The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times : Judge Michael McConnell Leaving the Bench

links for 2009-05-06

Posted on May 06, 2009
Deseret News | Hatch says Senate to debate future of courts, not just nominees Obama Talks With Senators About Souter Retirement — Legal Blog Watch judgesonmerit.org » Pa. Judicial Candidate Praises Merit Selection Texas Supreme Court judges should disclose votes

Sessions to Replace Specter as Ranking Member on Judiciary

Posted on May 06, 2009
The GOP has selected Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama to serve temporarily as the Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill. Sen. Sessions replaces Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter as the highest ranking Republican on the committee...

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