Calculating Costs And Attorney’s Fees District Court Told To Do Its Math.

In a civil rights case, the district court vacated an award for attorney fees and reduced it from $3.2 million to $500,000, and reduced costs sought from $900,000 to $100,000 without explanation. The Ninth Circuit reversed, stating: “While it identified the correct rules, it provided no explanation for how it applied those rules in calculating the costs and attorney’s fees. Therefore, we vacate the district court’s award of costs and fees and remand to the district court for an explanation of how it used the lodestar method to reduce Padgett’s fees and how it calculated Padgett’s reduced costs.” Padgett v. Loventhal (Ninth Cir.; February 11, 2013) (Case No. 10-16533).