Plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Arkansas’s unconstitutional 12-week abortion ban were awarded $27,060 in attorney fees and $1,375 in costs for work to date on the state’s unsuccessful appeal of the district court decision striking down the law.
The award Tuesday was a reduction from nearly $51,000 sought, but likely isn’t an end to costs because the state has asked for a decision by the entire 8th Circuit Court on an appeal of a three-judge panel’s decision. It’s a loser, case law makes clear.
Judge Susan Wright had earlier ordered the state to pay about $69,000 in fees and costs for losing the case at the district court level. That puts the total assessed so far near $98,000.
The fees don’t include the state attorney general’s costs for defending the law.
