Litigation

Goodwin Liu Hearing on Twitter

Posted on April 16, 2010
Goodwin Liu, a Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals nominee, is undergoing a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Follow it on Twitter: www.twitter.com/justicestake. For earlier postings on Liu, click here.

NY Times: ?Things Can Get Worse? on Detainee Policies

Posted on April 15, 2010
Reflecting on Attorney General Eric Holder’s testimony before Congress, a New York Times editorial says progress has halted on the U.S. government’s defining detainee and terror-trial policies. It  urges President Obama to act boldly before further ground is lost...

MO Partisan Elections: A ?Terrible? Idea

Posted on April 15, 2010
Activists who want to change the way Missouri selects most of its judges face a May 2 deadline for turning in signatures to get a statewide vote. As that deadline approaches, the Kansas City Star editorial board has taken a strong stand against replacing Missouri?s nationally recognized merit system for selecting appellate and state Supreme Court [...

Justice at Stake Highlighted in Wall St. Journal

Posted on April 15, 2010
Justice at Stake got top attention when the Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” recently reported the viewpoints of leading interest groups on Justice John Paul Stevens’ announcement of his planned retirement. The Washington Wire article first quoted Bert Brandenburg, executive director of JAS, as describing Justice Stevens’ role in deciding the landmark Caperton v...

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Kagan at Center of Supreme Court Speculation

Posted on April 15, 2010
For a day, at least, it is Solicitor General Elena Kagan who has gotten a lion’s share of news media attention as perhaps the “frontrunner” for nomination by President Obama to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens. The government’s top appellate lawyer was the subject of a profile in the New York Times, which noted that the [...

OH Governor Appoints New Chief Justice

Posted on April 15, 2010
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has named a fellow Democrat, Franklin County probate judge Eric Brown (photo at left), to serve as Ohio’s Supreme Court chief justice. He will serve the remainder of the term of the late Chief Justice Thomas Moyer. Brown will take office May 3...

PA Election Scandal: A Case for Reform?

Posted on April 15, 2010
A  scandal that allegedly involves two sisters of a newly elected Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice not only is troubling, but it’s an important example of some of the deep-seated problems with judicial elections, a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial suggests...

Supreme Court Nomination Links

Posted on April 15, 2010
STEVENS LEGACY Wakefield Observer: With next Supreme Court pick, Obama has a model Editorial – 4/14/2010 NOMINATION REPORTING CNN: List of potential Supreme Court nominees coming into focus Bill Mears – 4/14/2010 FOX News: Gibbs: Supreme Court List “Expanding” Dominique Pastre – 4/14/2010 My FOX LA: Rumors About Supreme Court Frontrunner Elena Kagan 4/14/2010 NOMINATION COMMENTARY NY Times: Stints in Court May Yield Clues to a [...

Thursday Media Summary

Posted on April 15, 2010
NATIONAL SECURITY/COURTS NY Times: Holder Won't Rule Out N.Y. 9/11 Trial CHARLIE SAVAGE – 4/15/2010 NY Times: The K.S.M. Files Editorial – 4/15/2010 FOX News: No Decision Yet on Where to Try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 9/11 Conspirators 4/14/2010 Washington Independent: Just Like That, Graham and Holder Find Indefinite Detention Consensus Spencer Ackerman – 4/14/2010 The Atlantic: On Terror Trials, Obama’s Policy Is No Policy Max [...

Supreme Court Continues on ?Rightward March?

Posted on April 14, 2010
When his successor dons the judicial robes after Justice John Paul Stevens retires, it is nearly inevitable that “the Supreme Court’s long march rightward…will continue.” In the analysis of Bloomberg columnist Ann Woolner, Senate Republicans already would be plotting an all-out filibuster if President Obama were to nominate someone of this liberal a philosophy: opposing the [...

WI Senate OKs Shareholder Consent Bill

Posted on April 14, 2010
Corporations would need to get shareholder approval before spending money on political advertising and would be required to disclose this spending, under a bill approved by Wisconsin’s Senate. Wisconsin is among a number of states nationwide where legislators have scrambled to respond to the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court, permitting unlimited corporate and union [...

Who?s Bankrolling Challenge to MO Merit Selection?

Posted on April 14, 2010
It’s important when evaluating a political campaign to know the high-rollers and something about their motives. But in a current battle over changing the way Missouri selects most of its judges, that information is from scarce to nonexistent. That’s the conclusion of an in-depth article in the St...

Senate Democrats to Push for Votes on Judges

Posted on April 14, 2010
Judicial confirmation battles could dominate late-night Senate sessions soon if Senate Democrats execute a plan to press for votes on stalled nominees for 22 judgeships. Democratic leaders announced they plan to launch the confirmation push before a possible battle looms this summer over a nominee to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens, according to a Bloomberg article...

Justice Stevens Media Links

Posted on April 14, 2010
STEVENS LEGACY CNN: What Justice Stevens stood for Robert A. Schapiro – 4/12/2010 Illume: Justice Stevens’ Gavel Leaves a Mark on History Maryam Khan Ansari – 4/12/2010 National Law Journal: Stevens’ Legacy Includes Key Role in Terrorism Cases Marcia Coyle – 4/14/2010 ACS Blog: Examining Justice Stevens and Discussion of Court's Makeup, Future 4/12/2010 NOMINATION REPORTING FOX News: Obama Casts Wide Net for Next Supreme [...

Wednesday Media Summary

Posted on April 14, 2010
CITIZENS UNITED/CAMPAIGN FINANCE The Defenders Online: The Cost of "Free Speech" in 'Citizens United' for Black Candidates Olympia Duhart – 4/13/2010 The Atlantic Wire: Democrats Aim to Curb Corporate Political Influence Max Fisher – 4/13/2010 Politico: Citizens United answer almost ready KENNETH P...

Holder: Terror Trial in NY Still Possible

Posted on April 14, 2010
Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and his co-defendants still could face a trial in Manhattan, or perhaps the larger Southern District of New York region, Attorney General Eric Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Holder defended the Obama administration’s record in prosecuting terrorism suspects, policies for which he came under sharp criticism from [...

Twitter Alert: JAS to Cover Holder Hearing

Posted on April 13, 2010
On Wednesday, April 14, at 9:30 a.m., Justice at Stake will attend the Senate Judiciary Hearing regarding oversight of the Department of Justice. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to testify. Follow us on Twitter, at http://www.twitter.com/justicestake for live coverage of the hearing, by JAS federal assistant Caitlin Russi.

Legislators Advance Disclosure Bill in Alaska

Posted on April 13, 2010
Could Alaska be one of the next states to enact a new law requiring corporations to disclose their political spending? Alaska’s state Senate approved recently such a bill in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in January...

Supreme Court Vacancy: A List of 10 Candidates?

Posted on April 13, 2010
Some names that are less familiar inside Washington have surfaced on the list of possible candidates for President Obama’s selection to succeed Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. As many as 10 candidates are under serious consideration, according to a Washington Post article...

Citizens United Behind Legislative, Confirmation Strategies

Posted on April 13, 2010
The Supreme Court’s blockbuster Citizens United ruling lies at the heart of dual political strategies apparently unfolding in Washington that may dominate the headlines this summer: Democrats are close to introducing legislation that would require new levels of disclosure by private companies and groups...

Calls for Massey?s Blankenship to Resign

Posted on April 13, 2010
Massey Energy Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship is facing calls to resign in the wake of the company’s Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. The CtW Investment Group demanded Blankenship’s resignation in a letter to Massey’s board of directors...

Appeals Court Hears Debate over AZ Public-Finance Law

Posted on April 13, 2010
A federal appeals court panel heard arguments this week over the constitutionality of a portion of Arizona?s public financing system for statewide and legislative offices, in a legal dispute that could go all the way to the Supreme Court. An attorney for the Citizens Clean Elections Commission defended the law before a panel of the Ninth [...

Justice Stevens Media Links

Posted on April 13, 2010
STEVENS LEGACY Chicago Tribune: Book to shed light on Stevens' rise to Supreme Court Ameet Sachdev – 4/12/2010 CNN: White House will find Justice Stevens tough to replace Bill Mears – 4/12/2010 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Stevens: A polite, fair-minded force Editorial – 4/12/2010 NOMINATION REPORTING CBS News/Crossroads: Kagan, Wood and Garland Still Top Supreme Court List Jan Crawford – 4/12/2010 Washington Post: Obama considering as [...

Tuesday Media Summary

Posted on April 13, 2010
JUSTICE AT STAKE American Courthouse: The National Journal Discovers the Earth is Round Dan Pero – 4/12/2010 NATIONAL SECURITY/COURTS The Atlantic/Daily Dish: Cheney Knew They Were Innocent Andrew Sullivan – 4/12/2010 NOMINATION/DIVERSITY ABC News: Obama’s Supreme Court Short List Includes Six Women Jake Tapper – 4/13/2010 CITIZENS UNITED/CAMPAIGN FINANCE NY Times: Democrats Push to Require Campaign Disclosure ERIC LICHTBLAU – 4/13/2010 The Hill: Democrats prepare for election-year battle [...

JAS Featured in Report on Big Money in Judicial Elections

Posted on April 12, 2010
Skeptics play down the significance of Citizens United. But data from state-level judicial elections show major political expenditures by corporations and real cause for concern, the National Journal reports in an article that prominently cites the Justice at Stake Campaign...

Judicial Independence Threatened in OK Legislature?

Posted on April 12, 2010
In 2006, South Dakota voters solidly defeated the “J.A.I.L. 4 Judges” initiative to let a special grand grand jury indict judges for controversial decisions. Now several legislators in Oklahoma have come up with their own measure that’s a bold slap at judicial independence, according to a commentary in the Tulsa World...

MN Judicial Election Reform Bill Stalls

Posted on April 12, 2010
A proposal to reform the way state judges are selected in Minnesota has passed through one committee in each chamber of the legislature, but it’s in limbo because another committee chair has declined to hold a hearing on it. Rep. Joe Mullery, chairman of the House Civil Justice Committee and a Democrat, simply doesn’t want to [...

Election-Year Battle Over High Court Brewing?

Posted on April 12, 2010
Will there be a heated election-year battle over confirming a successor to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens this summer? It’s possible, with emboldened Republicans refusing to forswear use of the filibuster and Obama strengthened by congressional passage of historic health-care legislation...

MS Commentary Cites JAS, Urges Election Reform

Posted on April 12, 2010
The national momentum for reform in how we elect judges continues to build. One week, a legislature votes. Another week, a column or editorial forcefully advocates reform based on what states have done, or on new data about election spending. The latter was the case this week in Mississippi...

Justice Stevens Media Links

Posted on April 12, 2010
JUSTICE AT STAKE STATEMENT Justice Stevens, 'One of the Best Friends America's Courts Ever Had' Press Release – 4/9/2010 Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire: Interest Groups Weigh In on Stevens Louise Radnofsky – 4//9/2010 National Journal/The Ninth Justice: Roundup: Lawmakers And Activists On Stevens Ashlie Rodriguez – 4/9/2010 JUSTICE STEVENS REPORTING NY Times: The End of an Era, for Court and Nation Adam Liptak – [...

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