1st Circuit Court

Migrants’ temporary legal status remains intact after 1st Circuit denies Trump administration’s stay request

Migrants granted temporary legal status to remain in the United States through a humanitarian parole program during the Biden administration can’t be kicked out of the country immediately, a federal appeals court decided Monday.

May 6, 2025 9:25 AM CDT

State’s ban on assault weapons likely constitutional, federal appeals court rules

A Massachusetts law that bans assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices is likely to survive a Second Amendment challenge, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston ruled last week.

Apr 21, 2025 2:17 PM CDT

1st Circuit refuses to lift block on Trump’s freeze on state grants during challenge

A Rhode Island federal judge’s order requiring President Donald Trump to keep appropriated grant flowing to the states will remain undisturbed during appeal after a federal appeals court declined to issue a stay.

Mar 31, 2025 3:51 PM CDT

Third federal appeals court rejects Trump administration bid on birthright citizenship

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Boston on Tuesday refused to allow President Donald Trump’s order on birthright citizenship to take effect, joining two other federal appeals courts that also ruled against the administration on the issue.

Mar 12, 2025 12:05 PM CDT

Supreme Court appears likely to rule against Mexico in suit against gun-makers for cartel violence

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to side with U.S. gun companies arguing that Mexico cannot sue over the flow of firearms into the country because of a 2005 law providing gun-makers with immunity for third-party crimes committed with their products.

Mar 5, 2025 12:46 PM CST

Trump partly defied court order on frozen funds, federal judge says; is there an Article II exception?

Updated: The Trump administration failed to comply with a “clear and unambiguous" temporary restraining order lifting a freeze on federal funds, a federal judge said Monday.

Feb 11, 2025 2:29 PM CST

Retired Supreme Court Justice Breyer will hear cases with 1st Circuit

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is returning to the federal bench.

Jan 2, 2025 1:49 PM CST

2 federal judges have changed their minds about senior status; will 2 appeals judges follow suit?

After President-elect Donald Trump won a second term in the White House, two Democratic-appointed federal judges announced that they no longer plan to take senior status.

Dec 5, 2024 10:02 AM CST

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