United States First Circuit

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 suit against a Puerto Rico agency alleging discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, summary judgment for defendant is affirmed where: 1) plaintiffs' First Amendment claims fail since they offered no evidence to contradict defendants' position that their salaries were reduced to correct violations of Puerto Rico law; 2) plaintiffs' equal protection argument fails because it is merely a restatement of their failed First Amendment claims; and 3) summary judgment was appropriate on plaintiffs' due process claims since plaintiffs only had their salaries reduced, and Puerto Rico law does not recognize a property interest in salaries paid to government employees that are illegally awarded.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/23/2007
• Published 05/23/2007

Judges

• LYNCH, Circuit Judge., Before TORRUELLA and LYNCH, Circuit Judges, and DiCLERICO, District Judge.

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• John F. Nevares, with whom Carlos R. Ramírez and John F. Nevares & Associates, P.S.C. were on brief, for appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Sarah Y. Rosado-Morales, Assistant Solicitor General, with whom Salvador J. Antonetti-Stutts, Solicitor General, Mariana D. Negrón-Vargas, Deputy Solicitor General, and Maite D. Oronoz-Rodríguez, Deputy Solicitor General, were on brief, for appellees.