First Circuit
Coverage of First Circuit in the Nexus archive.
- Maine lobster defamation case smells fishy to First Circuit
Maine lobster trade groups sued the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch for defamation, claiming its environmental criticism caused a 40% price drop. The First Circuit raised First Amendment concerns, questioning whether the lawsuit could defame an entire industry of over 5,600 lobstermen.
- Feds’ child porn probe of peer-to-peer Freenet software gets First Circuit approval
A First Circuit panel upheld the conviction of Eric Robert Johnson for possession of child pornography, ruling that the federal investigation using Freenet Roundup did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Johnson argued the government conducted broad surveillance, but the court found the probe was akin to ordinary Freenet user activity. Investigators later recovered over 5,000 child pornography files and related items during a physical search of Johnson's residence.
- First Circuit revives investor suit against Roomba maker after Amazon buyout flop
The First Circuit revived a shareholder lawsuit against iRobot's former CEO Colin Angle and CFO Julie Zeiler, alleging they concealed warning signs before Amazon abandoned a $1.4 billion buyout. Amazon canceled the deal in January 2024 due to European Commission antitrust concerns, and the appellate panel focused on an August 2023 proxy statement that allegedly omitted critical regulatory information.