1st Circuit Court

Trump-appointed appeals judges are ‘superstars’ based on 3 measures, study says

Are federal appeals judges appointed by former President Donald Trump disproportionately “superstars in a tournament of judges”? The answer is yes, a new study says, based on three measures used in the past by the study authors.

Sep 12, 2024 3:01 PM CDT

1st Circuit rules against Satanic Temple in challenge to city council snub

The Boston City Council’s failure to invite the Satanic Temple to deliver an invocation before its meetings did not violate the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Aug 7, 2024 3:07 PM CDT

Public middle school can ban ‘There are only two genders’ T-shirt, 1st Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Sunday that a middle school in Middleborough, Massachusetts, can prevent a student from wearing a “There are only two genders” T-shirt.

Jun 11, 2024 11:11 AM CDT

1st Circuit allows suit by fired worker who refused to remove Black Lives Matter face mask

A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived a lawsuit alleging that Whole Foods Market retaliated against a worker who protested the company's ban on Black Lives Matter face masks for employees.

Apr 25, 2024 12:39 PM CDT

Pulling the Weed: Bankruptcy opinion shows debt restructure path for cannabis workers

While 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use, it remains a criminal activity under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and bankruptcy courts generally have been a rather hostile forum for debtors employed in the marijuana industry.

Apr 18, 2024 11:35 AM CDT

Qualified immunity shield may depend on size and publication rate of federal appeals court, new report says

Qualified immunity “protects officials too much and our rights too little,” according to a new report by the Institute for Justice based on an analysis of more than 5,500 federal appeals decisions over an 11-year period.

Feb 7, 2024 8:47 AM CST

Mexico’s suit accusing gun-makers of facilitating gun trafficking isn’t barred by immunity shield, 1st Circuit says

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Mexico may proceed with its lawsuit alleging that gun-makers are liable for facilitating the trafficking of guns used by drug cartels.

Jan 23, 2024 9:44 AM CST

Citing mootness, Supreme Court tosses case of disability law tester who ‘singlehandedly generated a circuit split’

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed as moot a case of a disability law tester and directed a federal appeals court to vacate the opinion in her case.

Dec 5, 2023 11:04 AM CST

Is dismissal bid effort to keep ADA ‘gravy train’ running? Tester urges SCOTUS to drop her case

A Florida woman who tests hotel websites for compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act is seeking to dismiss all of her pending cases, including one pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Aug 1, 2023 2:45 PM CDT

We ‘live on a pro se planet;’ 5th Circuit allows parents to sometimes represent children without lawyers

A federal appeals court is giving a pro se parent a chance to persuade a federal judge that she may represent her minor children without a lawyer in a federal lawsuit filed against a Texas school district.

Jun 6, 2023 12:39 PM CDT

Federal appeals court nominee withdraws amid controversy over prior representation, legal brief

Federal appeals court nominee Michael Delaney is withdrawing his nomination after controversies surfaced over a stance that he took in a legal brief and his defense of a private school.

May 22, 2023 12:04 PM CDT

2 ‘Varsity Blues’ convictions overturned, partly based on faulty honest-services fraud theory

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston on Wednesday overturned mail and wire fraud convictions of two fathers accused of paying bribes to gain admission to top colleges for their children.

May 12, 2023 9:51 AM CDT

$2.1M IRS civil penalty for unreported Swiss bank account merits SCOTUS review, Gorsuch argues

Justice Neil Gorsuch argued Monday that the U.S. Supreme Court should have agreed to hear the case of a woman who argued that the Internal Revenue Service violated the excessive fines clause when it required her to pay a $2.1 million civil penalty for failing to report a Swiss bank account.

Jan 24, 2023 10:04 AM CST

Disability law ‘tester’ can sue hotel, despite no intentions of staying there, 1st Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that a disabled person has standing to sue a hotel for failing to provide accessibility information, even though she does not intend to stay there.

Oct 12, 2022 9:37 AM CDT

Feds drop charges against judge accused of helping immigrant evade ICE custody

Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against a Newton, Massachusetts, judge accused of helping an immigrant evade a courthouse arrest by immigration officials.

Sep 23, 2022 9:46 AM CDT