Opinion ID: 1346280
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The District Court's Judgment on Attorneys' Fees

Text: Following the settlement agreement, Plaintiffs' counsel, Cohen, filed an application for attorneys' fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988(b) in the amount of $202,056.50. Cohen first argued that Plaintiffs were prevailing parties because the so-ordered settlement materially altered the legal relationship between the parties and the settlement had sufficient judicial imprimatur to warrant attorneys' fees under § 1988(b). Second, he argued that the PLRA fee cap should not apply, both because the Order of Settlement allowed the Plaintiffs to move for attorneys' fees outside the cap, and because the cap does not apply to former prisoners who are no longer incarcerated. Third, he argued that the fees applied for were reasonable, particularly in light of the fact that counsel was not seeking approximately $95,000 in (1) fees for legal services performed before Cohen joined Fox, (2) costs, and (3) fees for filing the fee application (fees on fees). Defendants contested each of these arguments. First, they asserted (1) that Plaintiffs were not prevailing parties because the County's change of conduct was voluntary and the legal relationship between the parties was not altered, and (2) that there was insufficient judicial imprimatur because the District Court did not retain jurisdiction to enforce the settlement, the settlement agreement was not a consent decree, and the District Court had closed the case. Next, assuming that Plaintiffs were entitled to fees, the County argued that the PLRA fee cap should apply, as it covers all lawsuits that are filed by a prisoner, not just those that are completed while the plaintiffs are still incarcerated. Lastly, the County argued that the 743.5 hours that Fox Rothschild claimed were excessive and unreasonable and that many of the fees sought were redundant, duplicative, or otherwise unwarranted. On July 22, 2008, the District Court awarded Fox fees in the amount of $99,658.48. The Court held that Plaintiffs were prevailing parties because (1) the Order of Settlement materially altered the [parties'] legal relationship and (2) there was ample evidence of judicial imprimatur as the court denied the motion to dismiss, held several settlement conferences, participated in an effort to resolve contested issues, and then reviewed, revised, and so-ordered the settlement. The District Court found that the language of the PLRA cap, which refers to any action brought by a prisoner who is confined to any jail, prison, or other correctional facility, 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(d)(1), limited Fox's fees because the Plaintiffs were prisoners at the time of filing. Then, after reviewing the fee application, the Court held that the number of hours billed was reasonable. Based on the fee cap, the District Court reduced the requested hourly rates to $138 per hour for attorneys and $80 per hour for paralegals, and awarded Fox $99,658.48.