Nominee

By Timothy K. Lewis Recent attacks on judges and the courts by various candidates for office have at least raised the visibility of the role of the judiciary in American society. Unfortunately, the picture is not a promising one. The reason for the pessimism stems not from overreaching judges or out-of-control courts, but instead from a government branch caught in the middle of a political tug-of-war threatening to stymie any action at all. Judicial vacancies permeate court after court across the nation.

Super Bowl winners Charles Haley, Bill Parcells, Jerome Bettis, and Ed DeBartolo Jr. are among 17 finalists who will learn Saturday if they are voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Haley is the only player to win five Super Bowls, two with the 49ers and three with Dallas. DeBartolo owned the San Francisco team that won five NFL titles from 1981 through 1994. Parcells coached the Giants to Super Bowl wins in 1987 and 1991. He also took the Patriots to the 1997 game they lost to Green Bay. Bettis helped the Steelers win the 2006 Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit.

Should a gay nominee to New Jersey's Supreme Court be recused from gay marriage cases?

AS Philadelphia's new Council President, I'd hoped to begin the year developing an honest working relationship with the media. I am sorry to learn this good-faith effort was not met in kind by your paper. In a recent profile, "Shedding light on Council President Darrell Clarke," staff writers Jan Ransom and David Gambacorta reported that I was a "single father" who raised my daughter, Nicole, alone. Had they bothered to run this information by me, they would have learned that Nicole was loved and raised by both parents.

This morning, the Oscar nominations were revealed in Hollywood, and capturing the most nominations - 11 - was Martin Scorsese's Paris drama, Hugo . The tale of a train-station orphan and a pioneer filmmaker got nods for best picture and director - but none for acting. It showed up in all sorts of other artistic and technical categories, including adapted screenplay, cinematography, costume design, original score, art direction and film editing. This year, nine films will compete for best picture.

On the November night that nominations were announced on television for the 2011 Grammy Awards, Linda Chorney had a party at her house. Not that the 51-year-old songwriter from Sea Bright, N.J., seriously believed she would hear her name called. Sure, she had actively campaigned for her album, Emotional Jukebox , in the best Americana album category. And she had even taken the time to use Grammy365, a Facebook-like social-networking tool set up by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, to write to 1,500 members.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - None of the state's three Democratic candidates for attorney general secured a party endorsement Saturday, setting up a fractured primary as their party seeks to gain control of the office for the first time in three decades. Committee members from across the state deadlocked after two ballots, failing to express clear preference for former Bucks County U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, former Philadelphia District Attorney candidate Dan McCaffery, or ex-Lackawanna County prosecutor Kathleen Kane.

LOS ANGELES - When Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais took sharp swipes at Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, Robert Downey Jr., and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at last year's ceremony, some criticized the comedian for going too far. Downey described the vibe as "hugely mean-spirited, with mildly sinister undertones. " With Gervais back for his third turn as Globes host on Sunday, nominees are already preparing themselves for the British funnyman's pointed jabs. Elton John, nominated for his song from Gnomeo & Juliet , said he might well be a Gervais target, but added that would be fine with him. "I'm British," he explained.

Jeffrey S. Chiesa, a longtime colleague and confidante of Gov. Christie, eased through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning on his way to being confirmed as New Jersey's top law enforcement officer. Chiesa, who was unanimously approved by the committee for confirmation as attorney general, is to face a full Senate vote Monday. Last month, Christie appointed Chiesa as acting attorney general to replace Paula Dow, who is headed to a judgeship. The senators at Thursday's hearing asked a few questions but mostly praised Chiesa as fair, intellectual, and apolitical.

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, partly as payback for the Democrats' past opposition to Republican nominees. Republicans portrayed Caitlin Halligan as a liberal activist, while Democrats argued she had outstanding qualifications for the seat that has been vacant since John G. Roberts Jr. was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2005. The vote was 54-45, short of the 60 votes needed under Senate rules to break a filibuster.