According to the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen has decided to remove herself from a position to decide on the lawsuit to invalidate a ballot initiative that would require doctors to notify parents if their minor child seeks an abortion. Years ago, Christen had served on the board of Planned Parenthood, the group that brought the suit, and The Alaska Family Council, an anti-abortion group, sent out e-mail alerts telling its members to contact judicial officials and object to an alleged conflict of interest. A "barrage" of messages ensued. The Alaska Judicial Conduct Commission's executive director told the Daily News that preliminary evidence seemed not to require Justice Christen to step down from the case. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, which has given no position on the matter, said that Christen's removal will prevent a "cloud" from forming over the Supreme Court's eventual decision. Christen herself offered no explanation for her decision. Read more, here.