Legal Opinion
Peter Irons and Melvin Lewis v. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice
Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Decided February 5, 1987No. 86-1446PublishedCited by 77 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
SELYA, Circuit Judge.
This case presents a question of novel impression in this circuit: does the willingness of a confidential informant to give trial testimony, if necessary, constitute a blanket waiver of the source’s confidentiality so that investigatory records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which might tend to reveal his identity become subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552? The district court, favoring a per se rule concerning such potential witnesses, answered this inquiry in the affirmative. We do not agree.
I. BACKGROUND
Peter…
2Cases cited35 opinions
- Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp.Supreme Court of the United States · 1949
- Department of the Air Force v. RoseSupreme Court of the United States · 1976
- Federal Bureau of Investigation v. AbramsonSupreme Court of the United States · 1982
- Seatrain Shipbuilding Corp. v. Shell Oil Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1980
- United States v. Ven-Fuel, Inc.Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1985
30 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by77 opinions
- Bankr. L. Rep. P 71,787 in Re John E. Tully, Debtor. Henry J. Boroff, Trustee in Bankruptcy of John E. Tully v. John E. TullyCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1987
- Wilma Cumpiano A/K/A Wilma Cumpiano Sanchez v. Banco Santander Puerto RicoCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1990
- Anne Anderson v. Cryovac, Inc., Anne Anderson v. Beatrice Foods Co.Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1988
- Arthur B. Keys, Jr. v. United States Department of JusticeCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1987
- Donna Reilly, Etc. v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1988
72 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.