In case that prompted US Supreme Court ruling, W.Va. high court again sides with Massey Energy

For 3rd time, W.Va. Supreme Court finds for Massey

Supreme Court won’t review case in which lawyer served as judge’s re-election co-chairman

Court won’t hear case with conflict question

US judge selects cumulative voting to protect Hispanics’ rights in NY village’s elections

NY village gets new voting system to aid Hispanics

Federal judge selects cumulative voting to protect Hispanics’ rights in NY village’s elections

NY village gets new voting rules to aid Hispanics

Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry interracial couple quits, gives no reason

La. justice resigns after interracial wed flap

APNewsBreak: La. justice of the peace who refused to marry interracial couple resigns

AP: La. justice quits after interracial wed flap

Wis. Supreme Court adopts rules allowing judges to hear cases involving campaign supporters

Wis. high court: Donations don’t require recusals

Wis. business group proposes rule allowing justices to hear cases involving campaign backers

Wis. group: Justices shouldn’t have to step aside

Baghdad security increased, authorities investigate failure to prevent attack that killed 155

Baghdad steps up security after bombs kill 155

Iraq steps up security in capital as authorities investigate failure to prevent massive attack

Iraq steps up Baghdad security after massive bombs

Resignation of embattled Ensign would set up political two-step for Nevada’s US Senate seat

Ensign resignation would set up Nevada scramble

Nicaragua court says President Ortega can seek re-election; opposition in uproar

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Leftist President Daniel Ortega appears to have won the right to seek re-election in 2011, though opponents call the decision illegal and are vowing to fight it.

Craig Watkins, Texas DA who exonerates wrongly convicted, faces challenges as election looms

DALLAS — Craig Watkins, the first black district attorney in the history of Texas, is having a midterm crisis.

Italian court to deliberate on legality of Berlusconi’s immunity from prosecution

ROME — Silvio Berlusconi’s lawyers asked an Italian court Tuesday to uphold an immunity law that has shielded the Italian premier from a corruption trial in Milan — a decision that could determine the future of his government.

Ex-Ala. judge accused of having sex with male inmates in exchange for sentence leniency

Ex-Ala. judge accused of trading sex for leniency

Retired Supreme Court Justice O’Connor calls for end to judicial elections in Washington state

SEATTLE — The first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court says there’s a serious problem with the government in Washington and many other states: They elect their judges.

Senator seeks Justice Department review of Diebold’s sale of voting-machine business

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Sen. Charles Schumer on Monday asked the Justice Department to review Diebold Inc.’s sale of its U.S. voting-machine business to a bigger competitor, saying he is concerned it could have an adverse impact on American voting.

Iran judiciary panel rejects rape allegations, calls for prosecution of opposition leader

TEHRAN, Iran — A high-level Iranian judicial panel rejected claims made by a pro-reform presidential candidate that detained protesters were raped and demanded those making the allegations be prosecuted, the state news agency said Saturday.

Back in Arizona, O’Connor helping lead talks on possible changes for state’s government

PHOENIX — Since retiring as a Supreme Court justice in 2006, Sandra Day O’Connor has championed such causes as judicial independence, civics education and Alzheimer’s research. Now add improving Arizona’s nearly century-old state government.

Czech constitutional court cancels early elections in October; President slams court ruling

PRAGUE — The Czech Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that early national elections scheduled for Oct. 9-10 will not take place because the law that allowed them to occur suspended the constitution.

Supreme Court seems likely to lift restrictions on campaign spending by businesses, unions

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it may let businesses and unions spend freely to help their favored candidates in time for next year’s elections. Such a step could roll back a century of attempts to restrain the power of corporate treasuries in American politics.

Supreme Court receptive to arguments for freer campaign spending by businesses, unions

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it may let businesses and unions spend freely to help their favored political candidates in time for next year’s elections.

Massey appeal before W.Va. justices for third time after US Supreme Court upended ruling

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In a case that led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on judicial ethics, Massey Energy Co. asked West Virginia’s top court on Tuesday to stick with earlier conclusions absolving it of a multimillion-dollar judgment.

Suicide car bomb near western Iraqi city of Ramadi kills 8 at checkpoint

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bomber targeted a line of vehicles stopped at a checkpoint in western Iraq on Monday, killing eight people and wounding 16, police and hospital officials said.

Car bomb near western Iraqi city of Ramadi kills 7, wounds 14

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bomber targeted a line of vehicles stopped at a checkpoint in western Iraq on Monday, killing seven people and wounding 14, police and hospital officials said.

Could ‘Hillary: The Movie’ lead Supreme Court to wipe away some campaign spending limits?

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appears poised to wipe away limits on campaign spending by corporations and labor unions in time for next year’s congressional elections in a case that began as a dispute over a movie about Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Report: Doctor provides first official confirmation of prisoner abuse death after Iran vote

CAIRO — An Iranian medical examiner found that the son of a prominent conservative politician’s adviser died from beatings and poor prison conditions, a semiofficial news agency reported Monday, in what would be the first official confirmation of a prisoner abuse death during Iran’s post-election turmoil.

Politicians on both sides of political divide criticize Iran’s trial of opposition

TEHRAN, Iran — A conservative who ran in Iran’s disputed election and a former president allied with the opposition criticized the government’s prosecution of opposition supporters, saying those who killed protesters must be brought to justice.

Prominent conservative calls on Iran to try people who used violence against the opposition

TEHRAN, IRAN — A conservative who ran in Iran’s disputed presidential election has criticized the government for not putting people on trial who attacked opposition protesters and tortured detainees.

Official: Iran releases 140 prisoners detained during crackdown on election protests

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Tuesday released 140 people detained in Iran’s postelection turmoil and the supreme leader ordered the closure of a prison where human rights groups say jailed protesters were killed, in a nod by authorities to allegations of abuses in the crackdown on protests.