No. 22-96

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico v. Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, Inc.

Lower Court: First Circuit
Docketed: 2022-08-01
Status: Judgment Issued
Type: Paid
Amici (11) Experienced Counsel
Tags: abrogation circuit-split federal-jurisdiction financial-oversight-and-management-board puerto-rico puerto-rico-oversight sovereign-immunity statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
Environmental Arbitration SocialSecurity Copyright JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2022-09-28
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does 48 U.S.C. § 2126(a)'s general grant of jurisdiction to the federal courts over claims against the Board and claims otherwise arising under PROMESA abrogate the Board's sovereign immunity with respect to all federal and territorial claims?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED It is a bedrock principle of federalism that a statute does not abrogate sovereign immunity unless Congress’s intent to abrogate is “unmistakably clear” in the statutory text. Dellmuth v. Muth, 491 U.S. 223, 228 (1989). This Court and each of the other Circuits have held that a statute granting the federal courts jurisdiction over a category of claims without expressly addressing sovereign immunity does not abrogate. See, e.g., Blatchford v. Native Vill. of Noatak, 501 U.S. 775, 786 & n.4 (1991). The First Circuit nevertheless held, over a vigorous dissent, that 48 U.S.C. § 2126(a) of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA)—which grants federal jurisdiction over claims against the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico and claims otherwise arising out of PROMESA, but says nothing about the Board’s immunity in _ its _ totality. While acknowledging that the statutory language “may not be as precise” as other instances of abrogation, the court held that certain provisions “impl[y]” that result. It did so even though jurisdiction was necessary for those claims not subject to immunity. The Question Presented is: Does 48 U.S.C. § 2126(a)’s general grant of jurisdiction to the federal courts over claims against the Board and claims otherwise arising under PROMESA abrogate the Board’s sovereign immunity with respect to all federal and territorial claims?

Docket Entries

2023-06-12
Judgment issued.
2023-05-11
Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Kagan, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-96_6j7a.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Alito, Sotomayor, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion.
2023-01-11
Argued. For petitioner: Mark D. Harris, New York, N. Y. For United States, as amicus curiae, supporting vacatur: Aimee W. Brown, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Sarah M. Harris, Washington, D. C.
2023-01-03
Reply of petitioner Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-27
Brief amici curiae of Clemente Properties Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-27
Brief amici curiae of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-27
Brief amicus curiae of Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-27
2022-12-27
Brief amici curiae of Puerto Rican Legal Scholars filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-27
Brief amici curiae of Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-23
Brief amicus curiae of GFR Media, LLC (El Nuevo Día/Primera Hora) filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-23
Brief amici curiae of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 20 Media Organizations filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-23
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae, for divided argument, and for enlargement of time for oral argument GRANTED.
2022-12-22
Brief amicus curiae of Asociación de Periodistas de Puerto Rico filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-22
2022-12-19
Brief of respondent Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, Inc. filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-16
Application (22A540) granted by Justice Jackson extending the time to file the reply brief on the merits until January 3, 2023.
2022-12-14
Application (22A540) to extend the time to file a reply brief on the merits from December 30, 2022 to January 3, 2023, submitted to Justice Jackson.
2022-12-07
CIRCULATION
2022-11-29
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae, for divided argument, and for enlargement of time for oral argument filed.
2022-11-23
Brief amicus curiae of United States supporting vacatur filed.
2022-11-21
Record received from the U.S.D.C. of Puerto Rico. The record is available on PACER.
2022-11-18
Record received from the U.S.C.A. 1st Circuit. The record is available on PACER.
2022-11-17
Brief of petitioner Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico filed.
2022-11-17
Joint appendix filed (statement of costs filed).
2022-11-16
Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 1st Circuit.
2022-11-10
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
2022-11-08
Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, Inc.
2022-11-08
Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico
2022-10-03
Petition GRANTED.
2022-09-07
Reply of petitioner Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico filed. (Distributed)
2022-09-07
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2022.
2022-08-23
Brief of respondent Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, Inc. in opposition filed.
2022-07-20

Attorneys

Asociación de Periodistas de Puerto Rico
Ariadna Michelle Godreau AubertAyuda Legal Puerto Rico, Amicus
Ariadna Michelle Godreau AubertAyuda Legal Puerto Rico, Amicus
Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, Inc.
Sarah Michelle HarrisWilliams & Connolly LLP, Respondent
Sarah Michelle HarrisWilliams & Connolly LLP, Respondent
Clemente Properties Inc.; 21 In Right Inc.; Roberto Clemente Jr.; Luis Roberto Clemente; Roberto Enrique Clemente
Tanaira Padilla-RodriguezTanaira Padilla-Rodriguez, Amicus
Tanaira Padilla-RodriguezTanaira Padilla-Rodriguez, Amicus
Espacios Abiertos
Brendan Colin BenedictBenedict Law Group PLLC, Amicus
Brendan Colin BenedictBenedict Law Group PLLC, Amicus
Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico
Martin J. BienenstockProskauer Rose LLP, Petitioner
Martin J. BienenstockProskauer Rose LLP, Petitioner
GFR Media, LLC (El Nuevo Día/Primera Hora)
Rafael A. Cox AlomarUniversity of the District of Columbia, Amicus
Rafael A. Cox AlomarUniversity of the District of Columbia, Amicus
Hon. Rafael Hernandez-Montanez, in his official capacity as Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
Jorge Martinez-LucianoML & RE Law Office, Amicus
Jorge Martinez-LucianoML & RE Law Office, Amicus
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, CAMBIO PR, Citizens' Commission for a Comprehensive Audit of the Public Credit, Sembrando Sentido, Inc., Liga de Ciudades de Puerto Rico, Inc.
Jessica Esther MendezBufete Emmanuelli, C.S.P., Amicus
Jessica Esther MendezBufete Emmanuelli, C.S.P., Amicus
LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Hispanic Federation, and Long Island Hispanic Bar Association
Steven Alan ZalesinPatterson Belknap Webb and Tyler LLP, Amicus
Steven Alan ZalesinPatterson Belknap Webb and Tyler LLP, Amicus
Public Citizen
Scott Lawrence NelsonPublic Citizen Litigation Group, Amicus
Scott Lawrence NelsonPublic Citizen Litigation Group, Amicus
Puerto Rican Legal Scholars
Hiram Alberto Melendez-Juarbe — Amicus
Hiram Alberto Melendez-Juarbe — Amicus
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 20 Media Organizations
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Amicus
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Amicus