In a case that has drawn interest from a wide range of civil-liberties groups, a federal appeals court ruled that a state inmate can seek punitive damages in a lawsuit that alleged threats by guards at a Northwest Florida prison violated his First Amendment rights.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that Conraad Hoever can seek punitive damages after a jury found that officers at Franklin Correctional Institution violated his rights by threatening him with retaliation after he filed grievances.