Hamilton v. Cuyahoga County Welfare Dept.

613 F. Supp. 170, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18235
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedJuly 3, 1985
DocketNo. C77-1280
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 613 F. Supp. 170 (Hamilton v. Cuyahoga County Welfare Dept.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. Cuyahoga County Welfare Dept., 613 F. Supp. 170, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18235 (N.D. Ohio 1985).

Opinion

ORDER

BATTISTI, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff on May 11, 1984 moved for reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1988 and 2000e-5(k). Plaintiff states he is the prevailing party in the above-captioned action which sought to “vindicate the rights of Plaintiff under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as amended.” As of February 22, 1985, plaintiff’s counsel claimed he had expended 197 hours and incurred $237.20 in costs in this case.

I.

Plaintiff filed the complaint in the above action on December 20, 1977. On May 1, 1984, this Court issued a memorandum opinion and order declaring that plaintiff was entitled to backpay through July 18, 1977 in the amount of $23,266.80; that plaintiff was entitled to additional contributions to the Public Employees Retirement System; that pre-judgment interest on plaintiff’s award of back pay would be imposed at the adjusted prime rate; that plaintiff was entitled to be promoted to a position of responsibility and salary within the Cuyahoga County Welfare Department at the level of “Social Services Administrator 2”; and that if no such position currently existed, the Welfare Department was to compensate plaintiff at pay range “333” and promote her at the earliest possible time an opening occurred. Finally, the Court denied plaintiff’s claim for punitive damages.

On May 31, 1984, Defendant filed its Notice of Appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. On Defendant’s Motion, the Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal on November 23, 1984.

II.

Title 42, section 1988 of the United States Code provides in pertinent part that “In any action or proceeding to enforce a provision of sections 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986 of this title, title IX of Public Law 92-318, or title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney’s fee as part of the costs.”

It is clear that plaintiff is indeed the prevailing party in this action, having been awarded not only backpay but a declaration of entitlement to promotion and additional contributions to a retirement fund. In light of Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983), the Sixth Circuit has clarified the determination of the “prevailing party” in Kelley v. Metropolitan County Board of Education, 755 F.2d 67 (6th Cir.1985)

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Related

Gibney v. Toledo Board of Education
596 N.E.2d 591 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
613 F. Supp. 170, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-cuyahoga-county-welfare-dept-ohnd-1985.