Opinion ID: 6157
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Witness Fees--Travel costs

Text: 9 Holmes raises three challenges to the district court's award of Cessna's travel costs. She first argues that the taxation of travel and lodging expenses for Cessna's witnesses must be reversed because the court failed to find that such expenses were necessary to Cessna's prosecution of the case. Holmes is mistaken. 10 28 U.S.C. section 1920(3) is the statutory authority for the taxation of costs for witness fees. This subsection must be read in conjunction with section 1821 which, in effect, defines the taxable fees and disbursements associated with witnesses. Section 1821 includes expenses associated with a witness' travel and lodging. Here, the court specifically found that the witness fees ... sought by defendant Cessna are reasonable and were necessary to Cessna's successful verdict from the jury. By so finding, the court necessarily found that the travel and lodging expenses for Cessna's witnesses were necessary. 11 Holmes also argues that the district court erred by taxing travel expenses for Cessna's witnesses because Cessna failed to provide receipts or other documentation as proof of these claimed expenses pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1821(c)(1). Section 1821(c)(1) relates to the payment of a witness' expenses for traveling on a common carrier. The last sentence of subsection (c)(1) states that [a] receipt or other evidence of actual cost shall be furnished. 12 In support of its motion for costs, Cessna attached the affidavit of its trial counsel, Peter Martin, in satisfaction of the verification requirements of 28 U.S.C. section 1924. Martin swore that he was familiar with the costs of defending the case, that the travel expenses claimed were actually incurred by Cessna, and that they were necessary to Cessna's successful defense of the suit. He also incorporated by reference an itemized statement containing the specific amounts claimed as travel expenses. We believe that this affidavit presents sufficient evidence to meet the requirements of section 1821(c)(1). National Bancard Corp. v. VISA, U.S.A., Inc., 112 F.R.D. 62, 69 (S.D.Fla.1986). 13 Holmes finally argues that the district court erred in taxing as costs the travel expenses and other fees associated with the trial attendance of two of Cessna's expert witnesses whom, as the record reflects, Holmes had previously deposed. Holmes argues that Cessna had available for its use the depositions of these witnesses and that Cessna should bear the cost of its decision to call them live at trial. 14 Holmes brought this products liability action against Cessna attempting to prove that the fuel system in Cessna's model 205 aircraft was defectively designed and that such defect was the cause of the crash that claimed the life of Holmes' relation. In products liability suits based on defective design, the issue of defect and causation almost always boils down to a swearing match between conflicting experts. We can hardly say that it was a preference rather than a necessity for Cessna to call its experts live at trial. Moreover, the district court's decision on this issue is accorded great deference and will not be disturbed absent a clear abuse of discretion. Eastman Kodak, 713 F.2d at 132. We find no abuse.