With completion of the legal dispute over same-sex marriage, the Wagoner law firm of Little Rock has renewed its request for attorney fees in the state lawsuit — $95,747 for attorney fees, to be multiplied by 1.5 for prevailing in the civil rights case, and $3,485 in costs.
The filing makes clear that the request is only for work by the firm headed by Jack Wagoner. Cheryl Maples was the lead attorney in the state lawsuit. She earlier had made a “fair assessment” of the cost of her work at $256,060 and said the amount should be enhanced.
The Wagoner filing asks Judge Chris Piazza to set a hearing on the fee request.
Fees also will be sought in the successful federal case, in which Wagoner was the lead lawyer and Maples joined as co-counsel. Maples has requested $15,900 in fees and $511 in costs in that case. The state has opposed the request on ground of insufficient proof for the claim. Wagoner’s law firm did not join that filing, but instead asked the federal judge to set a timetable for filing for fees should the plaintiffs prevail in the case, as they now have.
The appeal of Piazza’s ruling has been dismissed by the Arkansas Supreme Court. The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has written attorneys in the federal case asking attorneys how they wish to tie up loose ends on disposal of appeals of federal court rulings against marriage bans in several states, including Arkansas.