No. 20-1534

Patrick Doughty, et al. v. State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984, CTW, CLC

Lower Court: First Circuit
Docketed: 2021-05-04
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (1) Experienced Counsel
Tags: 42-usc-1983 agency-fees compelled-association compelled-speech damages first-amendment restitution section-1983
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity FirstAmendment DueProcess FourthAmendment CriminalProcedure Privacy
Latest Conference: 2021-06-10
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does a First Amendment compelled speech and association claim for damages or restitution brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 require a plaintiff to prove malice or lack of probable cause?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED In 2018, this Court overruled Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209 (1977), holding states and unions compel speech and association by exacting agency fees from nonconsenting public-sector employees and thus violate the First Amendment. Janus v. AFSCME, Council 81, 138 S. Ct. 2448, 2486 (2018). Petitioners are or were New Hampshire state employees who, before Janus, had agency fees exacted from them by the State and respondent State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire. After Janus, petitioners sued respondent seeking damages or restitution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for this violation of their First Amendment rights. The First Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing petitioners’ complaint reasoning that their First Amendment claim could be analogized to the common-law torts of “abuse of process” and “malicious prosecution,” which require a plaintiff to prove “malice” or “lack of probable cause” to recover damages or restitution under § 1983. The question presented is: Does a First Amendment compelled speech and association claim for damages or restitution brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 require a plaintiff to prove malice or lack of probable cause?

Docket Entries

2021-06-14
Petition DENIED.
2021-06-03
Brief amicus curiae of Freedom Foundation filed. (Distributed)
2021-05-25
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/10/2021.
2021-05-24
Reply of petitioners Patrick Doughty, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2021-05-20
Letter waiving the 14-day waiting period for the filing of a reply pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed.
2021-05-13
Brief of respondents State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984, CTW, CLC in opposition filed.
2021-04-29
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 3, 2021)

Attorneys

Freedom Foundation
Timothy Ray SnowballFreedom Foundation, Amicus
Timothy Ray SnowballFreedom Foundation, Amicus
Patrick Doughty, et al.
Frank Dawson Garrison IVNational Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc., Petitioner
Frank Dawson Garrison IVNational Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc., Petitioner
State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984, CTW, CLC
Ramya RavindranBredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C., Respondent
Ramya RavindranBredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C., Respondent