United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

UNITED STATES v. OSVALDO CALDERIN-PASCUAL

Wescott v. Stanfill

The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge to Maine's IOLTA program, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to plausibly allege that the program compelled their speech. The court held that the plaintiffs did not sufficiently demonstrate that the client funds in question would have earned net interest outside the IOLTA program, a necessary element for a compelled-speech claim under existing precedent.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KEVIN LEE ROSS

The First Circuit affirmed Kevin Lee Ross's conviction for possessing child pornography, ruling that the district court properly admitted graphic exhibits despite a joint stipulation. The court held that the evidence was necessary to prove Ross's knowledge of the illicit material, which he denied, and that its probative value was not substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KEVIN LEE ROSS

Kevin Lee Ross was previously convicted in 2014 of possessing child pornography and sentenced to ninety months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. During his supervision, a probation officer received a tip that…

JIMMY VILLALOBOS-SANTANA; JIMMY COLÓN-RODRÍGUEZ v. PUERTO RICO POLICE DEPARTMENT

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the prison sentences and multi-million dollar forfeiture orders imposed on the Ponzo brothers for their bribery and fraud schemes involving the Mass Save program. The court rejected arguments regarding sentencing guideline calculations, enhancements, and the constitutionality of the forfeiture amounts, finding the district court's decisions supported by the evidence.

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the sentences and multi-million dollar forfeiture orders against the Ponzo brothers, rejecting their challenges to sentencing enhancements and the calculation of criminal proceeds. The court held that the brothers' elaborate bribery scheme involving Mass Save contractors justified the prison terms and forfeiture amounts under federal law.

United States v. Ponzo

The First Circuit affirmed the sentences and forfeiture orders of the Ponzo brothers, who orchestrated a massive bribery scheme involving the Mass Save energy program. The court rejected arguments regarding sentencing miscalculations and the constitutionality of the multi-million dollar forfeiture, upholding the penalties as reasonable and supported by the evidence.

BELIA ARLENE-OCASIO; EFRAÍN COLÓN-DAMIANI v. COMISIÓN ESTATAL DE ELECCIONES; JORGE RIVERA RUEDA

The First Circuit reversed a district court order allowing the collection of attorneys' fees against Puerto Rico's election commission, holding that the fee award was a discharged claim under Puerto Rico's PROMESA debt restructuring plan. The court ruled that the claim arose before the plan's effective date and was barred because the plaintiffs failed to file a proof of claim by the administrative expense deadline.

State of Washington v. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

The First Circuit denied the Department of Housing and Urban Development's request for an emergency stay of a district court injunction blocking its new Continuum of Care funding rules. The court found that the agency failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits or that the public interest favored lifting the injunction, which preserves stable housing for vulnerable populations.