A federal judge in Idaho has ruled that the state must pay the lawyers that successfully fought to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage over $400,000 in legal fees.
From the Idaho Statesman:
“Simply put, the case was neither easy nor ordinary,” Dale wrote. “It is therefore not surprising that plaintiffs employed a team of experienced attorneys to divvy up the many legal tasks.”
While Gov. Butch Otter and his legal team didn’t dispute that the state should pay the lawyers’ fees, they did argue that the lawyers took too much time communicating with one another and charged too much in hourly fees. State lawyers argued the amount, therefore, should be cut in half to $204,049.
Dale disagreed, saying that the complexity of the case warranted frequent communication and extra time to prepare for court appearances.
“Whatever this case lacked in procedural complications or disputed issues of material fact, it surely made up in legal complexity,” Dale wrote. “After all, the case involved constitutional issues of first impression not only in Idaho, but in all district courts in the Ninth Circuit.”
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Idaho since October 15th of this year when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Dale’s ruling striking down the marriage ban.
Since late October, Governor Otter has spent over $80,000 in legal fees preparing for further appeals.
In that marriage equality is here to stay, if I were a citizen of Idaho I’d be mad at the Gov for wasting tax payer money on an issue that’s settled law.
But hey, maybe that’s just me…