2025 First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Case Law

Justia Opinion Summary: David Núñez Pérez was convicted in Puerto Rico in 2006 for carjacking and manslaughter. He sought habeas relief, arguing that his prosecution and convictions violated the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Three FBI agents arrived at Alan Parrot's house to execute a search warrant. Initially, the interaction was calm, but it escalated when Parrot tried to close a sliding glass door after becoming upset. Special Agent…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between several states and the U.S. Department of Education regarding the termination of grants for Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED)…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2023, Jorge Luis Armenteros-Chervoni, an attorney in Puerto Rico, was convicted of five offenses in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The convictions stemmed from a visit to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kilvert, a Rhode Island company, acquired a commercial property and claimed that SBC Tower, a Delaware company, breached their lease agreement by failing to pay fifty percent of the payments received from subleases.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Pedro Martínez-Mercado, a former postmaster of the Sabana Grande Post Office in Puerto Rico, moved to New Jersey with a postal remittance bag containing over $11,000 in cash and money orders. He was convicted by a jury…

Justia Opinion Summary: A petitioner, Kathya Roxana Duarte De Martinez, sought review of a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) order affirming the denial of her application for cancellation of removal. Duarte argued that her removal would cause…

Justia Opinion Summary: Scott Cannon, individually and as the personal representative of the estate of Blaise Cannon, filed a wrongful death and punitive damages claim against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBS). Cannon alleged…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC; MSPA Claims 1, LLC; and Series PMPI filed a lawsuit in September 2018 against Fresenius Medical Care Holdings and related entities, alleging negligence, product liability, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, a seaman, Magnus Aadland, filed a lawsuit in 2017 against Boat Santa Rita II, Inc. (BSR II) and related parties, alleging that he fell ill while working offshore in 2014 and was owed maintenance and cure,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kenneth Pontz was convicted by a jury of violating a federal embezzlement statute, 18 U.S.C. § 641, by misrepresenting his financial situation to obtain public benefits over an eight-year period. The government presented…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Lecy Frederico Rosa, his wife Maristela Gomes-De Souza Frederico, and their minor child, M.E.F., who entered the United States without inspection near El Paso, Texas, on January 27, 2022. They were…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dr. Susan O'Horo, an interventional radiologist and Director of Quality and Safety at Boston Medical Center Corporation (BMC), alleged that she faced discriminatory and retaliatory actions at her workplace. She claimed…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a challenge by eighteen states and other plaintiffs against the enforcement of Executive Order No. 14,160, which limits the recognition of U.S. citizenship for certain individuals born in the United…

Justia Opinion Summary: Vicor Corporation supplied power converter modules to Foxconn for years. Vicor alleged that Foxconn switched to manufacturing and importing knock-off modules that infringed Vicor's patents. In July 2023, Vicor filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, José M. Rojas-Tapia appealed the denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitions for post-conviction relief, which he filed in the District of Puerto Rico. Rojas's convictions and sentences stem from his October…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ángel Forteza-García appealed the denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petition for post-conviction relief from his conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 924(j), which criminalizes causing death through the use of a firearm during a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a business venture between W.R. Cobb Company (Cobb) and V.J. Designs LLC (VJ Designs) to sell diamond products under the Forevermark brand. Cobb, unable to secure a license directly from Forevermark,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Carmen Quintana-Dieppa, a 62-year-old Puerto Rican woman, worked for the Department of the Army since 1988 and served as a Child Youth and School Services Coordinator at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, since…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rosemary Morgan-Lee, a former employee of Therapy Resources Management, LLC (TRM), alleged that she was discharged in violation of the whistleblower protections under the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Rhode Island…

Justia Opinion Summary: An environmental group, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), sued Academy Express, LLC (Academy), a transportation company, alleging that Academy violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) by idling its buses beyond state limits in…

Justia Opinion Summary: A high school student, Adrianna Wadsworth, filed a lawsuit against her principal, Andrew Cavanaugh, a school social worker, Chuck Nguyen, and the school district, MSAD 40/RSU 40, alleging constitutional violations and a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Guillermo Vasquez-Landaver, was sentenced in 2016 to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release for crimes committed as a member of the MS-13 gang. Conditions of his supervised…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves parents (the "Parents") of a student at Baird Middle School in Ludlow, Massachusetts, who challenged the school's protocol regarding the use of a student's requested name and gender pronouns without…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the United States government alleging that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) by covering copayments for patients prescribed Eylea, a drug used to treat wet age-related…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs Jodi Bourgeois and Pamela Smith filed separate lawsuits against The TJX Companies, Inc., Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., and The Gap, Inc., alleging violations of the New Hampshire Driver Privacy Act (NH DPA). The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a civil enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Henry B. Sargent for allegedly violating registration and antifraud provisions of federal securities laws. The district…

Justia Opinion Summary: Franciele dos Reis Olimpio Alves, a native and citizen of Brazil, along with her husband and child, arrived in the United States in 2021 and were placed in removal proceedings. They conceded removability, and Olimpio…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Jesús Abdiel Feliciano-Candelario was indicted on five federal counts related to three separate armed robberies. Feliciano pled guilty to four counts under a plea agreement, which included a joint…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sine Phimmady, a Laotian refugee admitted to the U.S. in 1979, was convicted of multiple assault-related crimes in 1992 and 1993. He served five years in prison and was subsequently placed in removal proceedings by the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A developer purchased a historical property in Newton, Massachusetts, and began restoration work. The Newton Historical Commission issued a stop-work order, claiming the developer violated the permit by demolishing large…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, Inc. (MALA) challenging a final rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that seasonally bans vertical buoy lines used in lobster and Jonah…

Justia Opinion Summary: In April 2009, Doneyn Bourke and William Hayward, Sr. defaulted on their $950,000 mortgage for a property in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The mortgage holder, Emigrant Mortgage Company, Inc., foreclosed on the property, but…

Justia Opinion Summary: A registered nurse, Alexandra Melino, sued her former employer, Boston Medical Center (BMC), alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Massachusetts General Laws by denying her request for a religious…

Justia Opinion Summary: Mario Rafael Castillo was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under twelve and one count of abusive sexual contact of a child under twelve. He pleaded guilty to the second count, which involved…

Justia Opinion Summary: Anlert Perez-Segura pled guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. In exchange for a specific term of imprisonment, he waived his right to appeal any aspect of his conviction and sentence. He was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Norene Rodríguez and Iris Rodríguez, sued Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of San Juan, Inc. and Dr. José Báez Córdova for medical malpractice related to the treatment of their mother, Gloria…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two state forensic chemists in Massachusetts tampered with drug evidence and falsified test results, affecting tens of thousands of drug cases. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) vacated over 30,000 criminal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Humana, a health insurance company and Medicare Part C and Part D sponsor, filed a lawsuit against Biogen, a drug manufacturer, and Advanced Care Scripts, Inc. (ACS), a specialty pharmacy, in the District of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Maine healthcare workers who were terminated from their employment for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate based on their religious beliefs. The mandate, initially promulgated by…

Justia Opinion Summary: George Rodrique, II, a photographer for WCVB-TV, sued his employer, Hearst Stations, Inc. ("Hearst"), after it denied his request for a religious exemption from the company's COVID-19 vaccination requirement and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Regina M. Thornton was employed by Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. as Associate Director - Patient Safety. In September 2021, Ipsen required employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Thornton requested a religious…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jesse Sutherland was employed as an oil service technician at Peterson's Oil Service, Inc. ("Peterson's"). Two months into his job, he injured his right knee, leading to a torn meniscus and damaged patella. Sutherland…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dario Giambro was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction stemmed from evidence found by police officers who forcibly entered his home in Hebron, Maine, without…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, a local attorney, was contracted by Theory Wellness, a marijuana dispensary operator, to assist in obtaining a host community agreement from the City of Medford, Massachusetts. Instead of…

Justia Opinion Summary: On June 1, 2021, two masked men, later identified as Hall and Medina, abducted a U.S. postal worker at gunpoint to interrogate him about a package with missing contents, which was found to contain illicit drugs. During…

Justia Opinion Summary: Justin and Jared Brackett own and operate two restaurants in Harwich, Massachusetts: Ember Pizza, Inc. and The Port Restaurant and Bar, Inc. Both establishments held liquor and entertainment licenses issued by the town.…

Justia Opinion Summary: A family of four from Ecuador, including Milton Geovanny Vargas Panchi, his wife, and their two children, entered the United States in August 2021. They sought asylum and withholding of removal, claiming persecution…

Justia Opinion Summary: In September 2021, Jonathan Fargas-Reyes pled guilty to unlawfully possessing a modified Glock pistol. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release, starting in November 2021. In January…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the fate of the Frank J. Wood Bridge, a historic bridge in Maine connecting Topsham and Brunswick. Built in 1932, the bridge is no longer safe without substantial rehabilitation or replacement. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rasheed Akinsanya, a Nigerian citizen, petitioned for review of the administrative denial of his application for deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Akinsanya argued that he would be tortured…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early hours of May 11, 2018, Chasrick Heredia, while celebrating his birthday, had a violent encounter with Manchester Police officers, including Officer Michael Roscoe. Heredia filed a complaint alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: In June 2013, Fagbemi Miranda was convicted of first-degree murder in Massachusetts state court. The defense aimed to discredit the government's key witness, suggesting Miranda's brother was responsible for the shooting.…