Friday round-up

Linda Greenhouses recent column for the Opinionator of the New York Times (to which Adam linked yesterday), in which she questioned the motives behind, and effectiveness of, some of Justice Scalias recent dissents, has generated several responses.  Ashby Jones at the Wall Street Journal Law Blog has excerpts from both Greenhouses post and Orin Kerrs response (to which Adam also linked yesterday); at Reason, Damon Root sides largely with Kerr, concluding that Scalia does have a point.  Todays harsh dissents do sometimes become tomorrows majority opinions.

The editorial board of the New York Times reflects on the recent oral argument in Ashcroft v. al-Kidd.  In particular, the board notes an amicus brief filed in support of al-Kidd by thirty-one former federal prosecutors, who emphasize the settled understanding that the material witness statute has no other purpose beyond securing a witnesss testimony. The board

The editorial board of the Baltimore Sun reports on proposed legislation that would limit the activities of the Westboro Baptist Church in light of their recent victory in Snyder v. Phelps.  The board sympathize[s] with the sentiments prompting the legislation, but it warns that the legislation might ultimately make matters worse by giving the Church a national stage.

The Associated Press (at NPR) analyzes voting trends in the twenty-three cases decided so far this Term. The article observes that the Court has shown a remarkable degree of consensus so far, but it also notes that the term is young.

Crime and Consequences has linked to a video on C-SPAN of a conversation between ideological rivals Erwin Chemerinsky and John Eastman.  The two discuss, among other things, possible outcomes in challenges to health care reform and same-sex marriage.

The Iowa Independent reports on a bill in the Iowa Legislature that would align the state law with the Courts holding in Graham v. Florida that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life in prison without parole for crimes other than murder. At his Sentencing Law and Policy blog, Doug Berman has pulled excerpts from the article.