Opinion ID: 660185
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Award of Attorney's Fees to Defendants Under Section 1988

Text: 31 Though we are reversing the grant of summary judgment on the state malicious prosecution claim, the District Court's award of attorney's fees to the defendants under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988 remains an issue because the defendants are still prevailing part[ies] on the section 1983 claim. 32 Concerned about the potential chilling effect on section 1983 plaintiffs--who are  'the chosen instrument of Congress to vindicate' a policy of the highest national priority--we are hesitant to award attorney's fees to victorious defendants in section 1983 actions. See Santiago v. Victim Services Agency of Metropolitan Assistance Corp., 753 F.2d 219, 221 (2d Cir.1985) (quoting Christiansburg Garment Co. v. EEOC, 434 U.S. 412, 418, 98 S.Ct. 694, 698, 54 L.Ed.2d 648 (1978)). A court should award defendants attorney's fees under section 1988 only if the plaintiff's claim was 'frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless, or ... the plaintiff continued to litigate after it clearly became so.'  Oliveri v. Thompson, 803 F.2d 1265, 1272 (2d Cir.1986) (quoting Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 15, 101 S.Ct. 173, 178, 66 L.Ed.2d 163 (1980) (internal quotations omitted)), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 918, 107 S.Ct. 1373, 94 L.Ed.2d 689 (1987). Though a showing that the plaintiff acted in bad faith will further support an award under section 1988, the determination generally turns on whether the claim itself is clearly meritless. See Davidson v. Keenan, 740 F.2d 129, 133 (2d Cir.1984). The District Court concluded that the Rounsevilles' section 1983 claim was meritless, relying primarily on the fact that the Rounsevilles came forward with nothing but conclusory and unsupportable allegations regarding the involvement of Judge Barrett. 819 F.Supp. at 1165. 33 Though the Rounsevilles did not have any direct proof to support their claim of conspiracy, there was circumstantial evidence at the time they filed their complaint to support the existence of a conspiracy involving Judge Barrett. The defendants went to Judge Barrett's home to swear out the criminal complaint against the Rounsevilles, where Judge Barrett's wife typed out the document for them. Further, according to the Rounsevilles' counsel, Judge Barrett had attended citizen rallies in protest of the Rounsevilles' tax assessments and had also discussed these matters with the defendants prior to their filing of criminal charges. As we often note in other contexts, conspiracies are by their very nature secretive operations that can hardly ever be proven by direct evidence, see, e.g., United States v. Rivera, 971 F.2d 876, 890 (2d Cir.1992); United States v. Pitre, 960 F.2d 1112, 1121 (2d Cir.1992). In light of the circumstantial evidence, the Rounsevilles' claim at the time of filing was not so frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless as to justify an award of defendants' attorney's fees under section 1988.