December 21, 2022
2022 saw the nation's smallest federal court of appeals weigh in on thorny employment issues, a Black Lives Matter face mask lawsuit, and a novel criminal prosecution against a state court judge.
October 11, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a case in which Democratic lawmakers in New Hampshire sued the state House speaker for denying them the ability to participate in sessions virtually during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 28, 2022
A divided full First Circuit found that legislative immunity prevents the speaker of the New Hampshire house from being sued for prohibiting virtual votes during the COVID-19 pandemic, an opinion dubbed "flat-out wrong" by one judge's fiery dissent.
September 10, 2021
The full First Circuit on Friday suggested the New Hampshire House speaker may not be immune from a suit challenging his ban on virtual votes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with one judge saying lawmakers were effectively "ousted with the threat of death."
July 20, 2021
New Hampshire Democrats told the full First Circuit on Monday that the state's Republican House speaker is wrongly claiming "absolute" legislative immunity to avoid allegations he violated federal disability laws by not letting lawmakers cast votes virtually during the pandemic.
June 02, 2021
The full First Circuit will reexamine a panel ruling that said the speaker of the New Hampshire House could be sued for refusing to allow virtual votes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 09, 2021
The speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives isn't immune from a suit challenging his ban on virtual votes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the First Circuit said Thursday, reviving federal claims by older Democratic lawmakers in the Granite State.
April 05, 2021
The First Circuit on Monday questioned whether New Hampshire state legislators waited too long to challenge the House speaker's rule prohibiting virtual votes during the COVID-19 pandemic, since most of the challengers are or soon will be vaccinated against the virus.
March 26, 2021
The speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives told the First Circuit Thursday that one of the members cannot force the chamber to conduct voting virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic since legislative immunity bars challenges to how the chamber functions.