Fight over Texas abortion law shifts to legal fees
The legal fight over Texas abortion regulations didn’t end when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned two far-reaching restrictions last summer, it shifted into the final phase — determining how much money the lawyers get.
Not surprising for an issue as heated as abortion, there is sharp disagreement over how much money U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of Austin should award to the winning side.
Abortion providers have submitted a bill seeking $4.55 million in fees and expenses for 18 lawyers and five paralegals who worked almost 6,000 hours over three years on the case, charging up to $995 an hour for its top lawyers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, however, argues that the other side’s lawyers aren’t owed a dime because the abortion regulations were passed in 2013 to “to improve the standard of care for women.” Because the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a similar argument when it struck down the regulations for improperly impeding access to abortion, that line of reasoning isn’t expected to sway the judge.
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/fight-over-texas-abortion-law-shifts-to-legal-fees/ntC9s/
= new reply since forum marked as read
