Supreme Court Notebook

Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s fitness tip
BOSTON ( The Daily Record Newswire) — Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor, in the middle of a media blitz and tour to promote her new autobiography, hasn’t limited her interview topics to her tough upbringing and legal career. Speaking at an event in New York this week, the Supreme Court justice was also giving out fitness tips.
“As Latinos, we do a lot of salsa, and that’s healthy,” Sotomayor said, according to the Huffington Post.  She even pointed to fitness trends such as the Latin dance-inspired zumba as proof. “What do you think they’re doing in the gyms right now?” she asked. “They’re doing salsa!”

What Justice Clarence Thomas actually uttered
BOSTON (The Daily Record Newswire) — Brace yourselves: The simmering mystery over the words Justice Clarence Thomas used to break his nearly seven-year silence during oral arguments has been solved!
The U.S. Supreme Court has published the final — and revised — transcript from oral arguments in the ineffective assistance case Boyer v. Louisiana revealing the joke Thomas cracked in response to Justice Antonin G. Scalia’s observation that the defendant’s attorneys went to Harvard and Yale law schools.
“Well, there — see, he did not provide good counsel,” Thomas replied, drawing laughter from his colleagues.

Attorney’s appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled a Feb. 15 conference to decide if it will hear an appeal from imprisoned former attorney Paul Minor.
Court officials say a decision could be announced shortly after the conference.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last August upheld the sentences of Minor and former judges Wes Teel and John Whitfield. Prosecutors said Minor backed loans for the judges in exchange for favorable court rulings.
Minor was first convicted of corruption charges in 2007 and sentenced to 11 years. He was re-sentenced in 2011 to eight years because the 5th Circuit had vacated bribery convictions in 2009. The appeals court let some of his convictions stand, including racketeering.
Teel and Whitfield also were re-sentenced to shorter terms.@