Jeffrey R. Howard

Jeffrey R. Howard
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Current Court Information:
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Title:	Judge
Position:	Seat #2
Station:	Concord, NH
Service:
Appointed by:	George W. Bush
Active:	5/3/2002 - Present
Preceded by:	Norman Stahl
Personal History
Born:	November 5, 1955
Home State:	Claremont, NH
Bachelors:	Plymouth State U. '78
Law School:	Georgetown U. Law '81

Jeffrey R. Howard (b. 1955) is a federal judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. Prior to his appointment, Howard was a private practice attorney in New Hampshire from 1997-2002 but has held positions including the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Attorney General.

Early life and education

Born in Claremont, New Hampshire, Howard graduated from Plymouth State College with his Bachelor's degree in 1978 and later graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with his Juris Doctor degree in 1981.

Professional career

Howard served as Staff Attorney for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office from 1981 to 1988. From 1988 to 1989, Howard was Deputy Attorney General of New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. Howard was nominated by President George H.W. Bush as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire and served there from 1989 to 1993. After successful election, Howard served as New Hampshire Attorney General for New Hampshire from 1993 to 1997. Howard entered private practice in New Hampshire from 1997 to 2002.

Judicial career

First Circuit

On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, Howard was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit by President George W. Bush on September 4, 2001, to the seat vacated by Norman Stahl. Howard was confirmed by the Senate on April 23, 2002 on a Senate vote and received commission on May 3, 2002.

Notable cases

Stolen gun liability case

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit      *Jones v. Secord 11-1576

On July 6, 2012, a three judge panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the ruling of Judge Paul Barbadoro of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire who held that a New Hampshire man could not be held liable for the use of his handgun in a violent crime. Gail Jones, the mother of a shooting victim, filed a lawsuit alleging that Lawrence Secord was liable for the use of his handgun by his grandson in an armed robbery that resulted in three fatalities in 2007. Secord's gun was stolen by his grandson, who broke into a locked summer cabin to obtain the firearm. Barbadoro agreed with Secord that he had taken proper precautions to secure his firearm. Judge Bruce Marshall Selya agreed, writing the opinion of the panel of Judges Jeffrey R. Howard and O. Rogeriee Thompson. He stated in the opinion, "The record here, even when construed in the light most flattering to the plaintiff, does not show either a particularized risk of harm or a degree of foreseeability sufficient to animate this exception." Jones told the press she brought the lawsuit on to raise awareness of gun storage and risk, telling the press, "Firearms are very dangerous when they're in the wrong hands."

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• News: 1st Circuit upholds NH District Court gun liability ruling, July 12, 2012

External links

• Judge Jeffrey R. Howard FJC Bio
• USCA, 1st Cir. website

References

Federal judicial offices
Preceded by: Norman Stahl	First Circuit 2002–present Seat #2	Succeeded by: NA