Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-04192/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-04192-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 28:2241 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

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ORDER DENYING PETITIONER'S MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION—C-05-04192-RMW

MAG

E-FILED on 1/14/08

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

JUAN CARLOS VALADEZ-LOPEZ,

Petitioner,

v.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF; ALBERTO

GONZALES; NANCY ALCANTAR; LOU

BLANAS,

Respondent

No. C-05-04192 RMW

ORDER DENYING PETITIONER'S MOTION

FOR RECONSIDERATION

[Re Docket No. 32]

Petitioner Juan Carlos Valadez-Lopez was awarded $16,145 in attorney's fees by order of the

court dated July 16, 2007. Petitioner's counsel asks the court to increase that fee award to $18,348

by adjusting the rate it awarded for attorney's time for cost of living.

Although petitioner's counsel originally sought $74,307.00 based on 425.8 hours of work

(168.5 hours for 3 attorneys; 257.3 hours for 4 law students), the court took into account the limited

success achieved and determined that petitioner's counsel was entitled to recover for 40% of the

hours originally claimed. The court declined to apply an enhanced hourly rate under 28 U.S.C. §

2412(d)(2)(A), which sets the maximum rate for attorney's fees under the Equal Access to Justice

Act at $125 per hour "unless the court determines that an increase in the cost of living or a special

factor, such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys for the proceedings involved, justifies a

Case 5:05-cv-04192-RMW Document 35 Filed 01/14/08 Page 1 of 3
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1 The part of the court's attorney's fees award attributable to attorney time was $8,425.

Applying the cost of living increase to the attorney rates would result in compensation of $10,628 for

attorney time for a total increase of $2,209.

ORDER DENYING PETITIONER'S MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION—C-05-04192-RMW

MAG

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higher fee." The court found that an enhanced hourly rate was not warranted on the basis of

distinctive knowledge or specialized skill. It did not expressly rule, however, on the application of a

cost of living increase to the attorney's fee request. Petitioner's counsel asks the court to consider

awarding it a cost of living enhancement for all rates sought by petitioner's three attorneys.1

Although it did not so state, the court declined to award a cost of living enhancement in lieu of

further reducing the number of hours claimed by the law students. Petitioner's counsel originally sought

compensation for a total of 425.8 hours, of which 257.3 hours was for law student work. The court

found the hours claimed for law student work to be extremely high and considered reducing the amount

to 200 hours, but opted instead to forego applying a cost of living enhancement.

The court finds its previous award of costs and fees to be more than fair in this matter and thus

declines to reconsider the amount of attorney's fees previously awarded.

DATED: 12/20/07

RONALD M. WHYTE

United States District Judge

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ORDER DENYING PETITIONER'S MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION—C-05-04192-RMW

MAG

3

Notice of this document has been electronically sent to:

Counsel for Petitioner:

James Frank Smith jfsmith7@earthlink.net 

Carter White ccwhite@ucdavis.edu 

Counsel for Respondents:

Edward A. Olsen edward.olsen@usdoj.gov

James Randall Wood woodj@saccounty.net 

Counsel are responsible for distributing copies of this document to co-counsel that have not registered

for e-filing under the court's CM/ECF program.

Dated: 1/14/08 /s/ MAG

Chambers of Judge Whyte

Case 5:05-cv-04192-RMW Document 35 Filed 01/14/08 Page 3 of 3