Opinion ID: 777187
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Attorneys Costs

Text: 137 The district court awarded $62,638.16 in attorneys fees and costs, adopting in whole the plaintiffs' cost affidavit with the exception of deposition costs and the costs for assembling the affidavit in support of attorneys fees. The plaintiffs contend that the district court abused its discretion by excluding the costs for depositions, $18,060.65, and the costs for preparing the attorneys fees motion, $2,775.21, from the fee award. Attorneys fee awards are reviewed for abuse of discretion. Fischer v. SJB-P.D., Inc., 214 F.3d 1115, 1118 (9th Cir.2000). 138 Both deposition costs and costs for preparation of attorneys fees motions are recoverable under Title VII in certain circumstances. See Harris v. Marhoefer, 24 F.3d 16, 19 (9th Cir.1994) (holding that plaintiffs may recover out-of-pocket expenses and expenses related to discovery and expert witnesses under § 1988). Normally [the attorneys fees award] will encompass all hours reasonably expended on the litigation, however, the district court should ... exclude from this initial fee calculation hours that were not `reasonably expended.' Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 433-34, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983). 139 In this case, the district court could have determined within its discretion that the hours preparing some of the witnesses or taking the depositions were over-inflated or unnecessary. See Van Gerwen v. Guarantee Mutual Life Co., 214 F.3d 1041, 1045 (9th Cir.2000) (holding that district courts should not include hours that are excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary) ( quoting Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 434, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983)). We therefore find that the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying costs for depositions or preparation of the motion for attorneys fees. 140 THOMAS, Circuit Judge, in which Judges PREGERSON and RONALD M. GOULD joined: