Opinion ID: 409481
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Interest on the Original Award

Text: 22 Finally, the Attorney General challenges the district court's allowance of interest on the original $70,000 attorney's fees award computed at 8% interest from April 22, 1980, the date of the formal stipulation between the parties setting the $70,000 figure. Title 28 U.S.C. section 1961 provides that (i) nterest shall be allowed on any money judgment in a civil case recovered in a district court and that interest should run from the date of the entry of judgment. Although this court has never addressed the issue whether section 1961 applies to attorney's fees awards under 42 U.S.C. § 1988, it has concluded that section 1961 permits interest on attorney's fees awards in antitrust actions made pursuant to a similar attorney's fees statute, 15 U.S.C. § 15. 5 See Perkins v. Standard Oil Co., 487 F.2d 672, 675-76 (9th Cir. 1973); Mt. Hood Stages, Inc. v. Greyhound Corp., 616 F.2d 394, 406 n. 10 (9th Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 831, 101 S.Ct. 99, 66 L.Ed.2d 36 (1980); Twin City Sportservice, Inc. v. Charles O. Finley & Co., 676 F.2d 1291, 1316-17 (9th Cir. 1982). 23 We see no reason to distinguish between the two statutes in allowing interest on attorney's fees. Indeed, given the acknowledged purpose of section 1988 to encourage private actions to enforce civil rights statutes where a monetary judgment in such actions is often nominal or, as in this case, not available at all, see S.Rep.No.1011, 94th Cong., 2d Sess. 3 reprinted in 1976 Code Cong. & Ad.News at 5910-11, the justification for awarding interest on attorney's fees under section 1988 is stronger than in awards in antitrust actions where a prevailing plaintiff will usually recover damages. See Gates v. Collier, 616 F.2d at 1272-78. 6 Under these circumstances, it would be anomalous to permit the State in effect to reduce the award by withholding payment for a considerable time. See Perkins, 487 F.2d at 676 (defendant should not be permitted free use of money judgment for attorney's fees while case is on appeal). 24 We therefore conclude that the district court did not err in allowing interest on the $70,000 attorney's fees award to which appellees were entitled under section 1988. 25 The judgments of the district court are in all respects affirmed.