Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-2_05-cv-00925/USCOURTS-almd-2_05-cv-00925-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:2000 Job Discrimination (Sex)

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, NORTHERN DIVISION

ADWOWA JACOBS, )

)

Plaintiff )

)

v. ) CIVIL ACTION NO. 

) 2:05cv925-MHT

ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS ) (WO)

CORPORATION and JEFF )

WILLIAMS, )

)

Defendants. )

OPINION AND ORDER

On September 15, 2006 (Doc. No. 29), the court

declined to dismiss this lawsuit despite the plaintiff’s

noncompliance with the magistrate judge’s orders

compelling discovery and assessing fees. Instead, the

court ordered the plaintiff’s attorney to comply

immediately with those orders and to pay the defendants’

reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with

its motion to dismiss (Doc. No. 21). The defendants have

since filed notice (Doc. No. 32) stating that such

Case 2:05-cv-00925-MHT-SRW Document 38 Filed 10/05/06 Page 1 of 3
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reasonable fees and expenses amount to $ 2,413.80, and

the plaintiff objects (Doc. No. 37).

While by no means condoning the dilatory conduct of

the plaintiff’s attorney, the court concludes that a

$ 2,413.80 sanction would be both excessive and punitive

in this particular case. The defendants’ affidavit

states that their calculation of attorney’s fees is based

on 13 hours of preparation, filing, and arguing the

motion at a rate of $ 185.00 per hour for preparation and

filing and $ 345.00 per hour for argument. The court

finds excessive both the amount of time billed and the

billing rates. Additionally, it appears that the

plaintiff’s attorney has proceeded in good faith since

the court issued its September 15 order, having finally

paid $ 918.00 to the defendants as previously ordered by

the magistrate judge. Additional sanctions in excess of

$ 2,400 would be unduly punitive at this time.

In light of the foregoing, it is ORDERED that:

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(1) Defendants shall have and recover from

plaintiff’s counsel, L.D. Walker, III, personally, fees

and expenses in the amount of $ 1,000.00, with the check

in defense counsel’s hands by October 20, 2006.

(2) Defendants shall immediately file notice with the

court when they receive said payment, or, should they not

receive the payment on time, notify the court of that as

well.

Counsel for plaintiff is informed that this court

will not tolerate any further dereliction in this case.

DONE, this the 5th day of October, 2006.

 /s/ Myron H. Thompson 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

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