Read Acevedo-Luis v. Zayas, 06-1567

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 suit alleging that defendants retaliated against plaintiff because of his political association, judgment limited to punitive damages for plaintiff is affirmed over plaintiff's arguments that the district court erred: 1) by failing to give a proffered jury instruction that any injury to First Amendment rights must be deemed to be "irreparable injury" for purposes of determining a compensatory damages award; 2) in instructing the jurors that they may consider the financial resources of the defendant in fixing the amount of punitive damages; and 3) by denying plaintiff's motion for a new trial under Rule 59 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Appellate Information

• Submitted 12/08/2006
• Decided 02/22/2007
• Published 02/23/2007

Judges

• LYNCH, Circuit Judge., Before BOUDIN, Chief Judge, TORRUELLA and LYNCH, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Israel Roldán González on brief for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Susana I. Peñagarícano-Brown, Assistant Solicitor General, Salvador J. Antonetti-Stutts, Solicitor General, Mariana D. Negrón-Vargas, Deputy Solicitor General, Maite D. Oronoz-Rodríguez, Deputy Solicitor General, on brief for appellee.