Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-01017/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-01017-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Breach of Contract

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Custom Homes By Via LLC, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Bank of Oklahoma; Bank of Arizona, 

Defendants. 

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No. CV-12-01017-PHX-FJM

ORDER

The court has before it plaintiff’s Request for an Order Fixing the Amount of

Attorney’s Fees for Waiver of Jury Trial (doc. 156), the Bank’s response (doc. 157), and

plaintiff’s reply (doc. 158). 

We granted the Bank’s motion to strike the jury on the eve of trial based on

defendant’s agreement to pay plaintiff’s “reasonable fees and expenses incurred in preparing

for a jury trial.” Order (doc. 106) at 1. Plaintiff argued that it would otherwise be prejudiced

because it had spent a significant amount of time “preparing for a jury” including “pretrial

motions, Voir Dire, jury instructions, Opening Statements etc”. (Doc. 103 at 2). The Bank

agreed to cover plaintiff’s pretrial fees and a bench trial was held.

Plaintiff has now filed an itemized fee statement showing that it incurred a total of

$23,497.50 on pretrial matters in preparation for a jury trial. In particular, plaintiff incurred

$9,705.00 responding to defendant’s motions in limine, $4,912.50 in preparing its own

Case 2:12-cv-01017-FJM Document 170 Filed 06/06/14 Page 1 of 2
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motions in limine, and $2,220.00 in preparing its opening statement. The Bank now argues

that plaintiff should not be reimbursed for these fees because plaintiff would have prepared

motions in limine and an opening statement regardless of whether we held a bench or jury

trial. 

Because motions in limine are designed to avoid prejudice that may flow from ruling

on an evidentiary objection in front of a jury, motions in limine apply only to jury trials.

There is no reason to file them in a case to the court without a jury. Plaintiff is entitled to

reimbursement for all fees associated with motions in limine.

Opening statements, on the other hand, are presented to a judge as well as a jury.

Plaintiff’s counsel argues that he originally designed his opening statement for a jury. But

some form of it was also presented to the court. Nevertheless, at the time of the agreement,

the Bank did not object to plaintiff’s request for fees associated with opening statements.

Therefore, we will award plaintiff half of the expense incurred in preparation of opening

statements, or $1,110.00. 

IT IS ORDERED GRANTING plaintiff’s motion for Order Fixing Attorney’s Fees

(doc. 156) and AWARDING plaintiff pretrial fees in the amount of $22,387.50. 

DATED this 6th day of June, 2014.

Case 2:12-cv-01017-FJM Document 170 Filed 06/06/14 Page 2 of 2