Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01713/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01713-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 446
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Other
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JEFF HAWORTH, )

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Plaintiff, )

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vs. )

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ARTURO HADDOCK, )

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Defendant. )

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No. CV-F-06-1713 OWW/DLB

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S

MOTION FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES

AND COSTS (Doc. 20)

An Order granting Plaintiff’s motion for default judgment in

this Americans with Disabilities Action based on the findings and

recommendation of Magistrate Judge Beck was issued on February 5,

2008 (Doc. 18). The order granting the default judgment provided

“Plaintiff shall recover attorney’s fees in an amount to be

determined upon motion of the Plaintiff” and that “Plaintiff

shall recover costs of suit.” 

Plaintiff moves for an award of attorneys’ fees in the

amount of $5,650 and costs in the amount of $1,687.75.

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The prevailing party in an ADA action may recover

“reasonable attorney’s fees, including litigation expenses and

costs.” 42 U.S.C. § 12205. Courts in this circuit have adopted

the “lodestar” method for calculating attorneys’ fees. Widrig v.

Apfel, 140 F.3d 1207, 1209 (9 Cir.1998). To determine the th

appropriate fee amount under the lodestar method, the court

multiplies the number of hours reasonably expended in the

litigation by a reasonable hourly rate. Id. Although there is a

strong presumption that the lodestar represents a reasonable fee,

Burlington v. Dague, 505 U.S. 557, 562 (1992), the district court

has the discretion to exclude from the initial fee calculation

hours that were not reasonably expended, for example, cases that

are overstaffed. Furthermore, the Supreme Court in Hensley held:

Counsel for the prevailing party should make

a good faith effort to exclude from a fee

request hours that are excessive, redundant,

or otherwise unnecessary, just as a lawyer in

private practice ethically is obligated to

exclude such hours from his fee submission. 

'In the private sector, "billing judgment" is

an important component in fee setting. It is

no less important here. Hours that are not

properly billed to one's client also are not

properly billed to one's adversary pursuant

to statutory authority.' ....

Id. at 434. The fee applicant bears the burden of documenting

the appropriate hours expended in the litigation and must submit

evidence in support of those hours worked. Hensley, supra, 461

U.S. at 433, 437.

Attached to Plaintiff’s counsel’s Declaration in support of

this motion is a copy of his time and expense records in this

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action. 

With regard to the hourly rate, Plaintiff’s counsel refers

to two recent ADA cases involving Plaintiff’s counsel in the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of

California, Sacramento Division where it was held that $250/hr.

was a reasonable hourly rate. This is the hourly rate being

sought in this action. The hourly rate of $250/hr. is a

reasonable hourly rate for the Eastern District of California.

Upon review of the time records attached to the Declaration,

it is determined that an award of attorney’s fees in the amount

of $5,000.00 is reasonable.

With regard to costs, Plaintiff seeks costs of $350.00 for

the filing fee and $80.00 for service of process. These costs

are recoverable. See 28 U.S.C. § 1920(1); Alflex Corp. v.

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., 914 F.2d 175, 178 (9th

Cir.1990), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 812 (1991). Because this is an

ADA case, Plaintiff’s expert witness fee of $1,257.75 is also a

recoverable cost. Lovell v. Chandler, 303 F.3d 1039, 1058 (9th

Cir.2002), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1105 (2003).

CONCLUSION 

1. Plaintiff’s motion for attorney’s fees and costs is

GRANTED;

2. Plaintiff is awarded attorney’s fees in the amount of

$5,000.00 and costs in the amount of $1,687.75. 

3. Plaintiff’s counsel shall prepare and lodge within five

days of service of this Memorandum Decision and Order a form of

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judgment setting forth the relief obtained through the default

judgment and the award of attorney’s fees and costs.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 14, 2008 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

668554 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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