Fast Track DP in Utah? The Utah legislature is considering putting a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot that would shorten post conviction review of death penalty cases. The measure, which has been proposed by the Attorney General, would set time limits for raising constitutional claims in the state courts. A story by Pamela Manson of the Salt Lake City Tribune quotes one Deputy AG who said that under the current lax post conviction review process, "we have the death penalty on the books, but no death penalty."

Murderer's Appeal Rejected: A Texas inmate convicted and sentenced to death for murdering an accomplice by giving him a lethal injection of heroin while they shared a cell in the El Paso County jail, has lost his bid for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. According to this AP story by Michael Graczyk, Ricardo Otiz was in jail awaiting trial for aggravated robbery when they put his accomplice in the same holding tank. Otiz injected his victim with heroin smuggled into the jail to keep him from testifying. Great jail security.

Reagan Judges: A USA Today story by Joan Biskupic focuses on the influence of federal judges appointed by President Reagan two decades ago. "They became the legal vanguard of the Reagan agenda to lessen federal control -- and protections -- in American life", she opines. The piece correctly notes the importance of a president's judicial philosophy and the lasting impact appointees, especially to the appellate courts, have on the rule of law nationally. Many also appear as speakers at "meetings of the arch-conservative Federalist Society." Oh my.

Anonymous rape exams: "Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges," reports Kristen Wyatt for AP.