Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-06671/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-06671-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

RONALD CRAIG FISH,

Plaintiff,

v.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY,

Defendant.

Case No.18-cv-06671-VKD 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR 

ATTORNEYS’ FEES WITHOUT 

PREJUDICE

Re: Dkt. No. 32

On March 13, 2019, defendant Magnum Aviation Inc. (“Magnum”) filed a motion for 

attorneys’ fees and costs pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988(b) and California Civil Code § 1780(e). 

Dkt. No. 32. For the following reasons, the Court denies that motion without prejudice.

Civil Local Rule 54-5 requires counsel for the respective parties to meet and confer for the 

purpose of resolving all disputed issues relating to attorneys’ fees before a motion for fees is filed. 

Civ. L.R. 54-5(a). A motion for fees must be supported by declarations or affidavits containing 

certain information, including a “statement that counsel have met and conferred for the purpose of 

attempting to resolve any disputes with respect to the motion or a statement that no conference 

was held, with certification that the applying attorney made a good faith effort to arrange such a 

conference, setting forth the reason the conference was not held.” Civil L.R. 54-5(b)(1). Magnum 

submitted a declaration in support of its motion for fees from its counsel, Christopher Hersey, but 

Mr. Hersey’s declaration does not indicate whether the parties attempted to meet and confer prior 

to Magnum’s filing of its motion. See Dkt. No. 33. “Such a violation of the meet and confer 

requirement is a permissible ground for the denial of a motion for attorneys’ fees.” Van v. 

Language Line, LLC, No. 14-cv-03791-LHK, 2016 WL 5339805, at *12 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 23, 

2016) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). 

Case 5:18-cv-06671-VKD Document 40 Filed 04/26/19 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

Magnum may file a motion for attorneys’ fees that complies with Civil Local Rule 54-5 by 

May 7, 2019. If it chooses to make such a motion, Magnum must submit for in camera inspection 

its contemporaneous time and billing records showing: (i) the services for which it seeks 

attorneys’ fees, (ii) the dates on which the services were performed, and (iii) the amounts billed for 

those services. See Civil L.R. 54-5(b)(2).

The hearing scheduled for April 30, 2019 is VACATED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 26, 2019

VIRGINIA K. DEMARCHI

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 5:18-cv-06671-VKD Document 40 Filed 04/26/19 Page 2 of 2