Morris v. Carnathan

63 F.R.D. 374, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1268, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8921
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedApril 18, 1974
DocketNo. EC 72-92-S
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 63 F.R.D. 374 (Morris v. Carnathan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morris v. Carnathan, 63 F.R.D. 374, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1268, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8921 (N.D. Miss. 1974).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

ORMA R. SMITH, District Judge.

This action is before the court on plaintiff’s motion in opposition to the Bill of Costs submitted by defendant, the prevailing party, for taxation by the clerk pursuant to Rule 54(d), F.R.Civ.P.

Rule 54(d) provides that the action of the clerk may be reviewed by the court. The Bill of Costs was filed by defendant with the clerk on January 15, 1974. The clerk did not tax the1 costs in response to the Bill and plaintiff filed, on January 28, 1974, a motion in opposition thereto.

The matter has been submitted to the court for review upon the record and argument of counsel.

There is attached, as an appendix, an itemization of the Bill of Costs. A reference thereto will reflect that the major items involve fees for witnesses and transcripts of reporter’s notes of testimony given on the trial of the action and at the pretrial depositions.

Congress has provided for the taxation of costs by the adoption of a statute in regard thereto. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1920. This statute provides:

A judge or clerk of any court of the United States may tax as costs the following:

(1) Fees of the clerk and marshal;

(2) Fees of the court reporter for all or any part of the stenographic transcript necessarily obtained for use in the case;

(3) Fees and disbursements for printing and witnesses;

(4) Fees for exemplification and copies of papers necessarily obtained for use in the case;

(5) Docket fees under section 1923 of this title.

Congress has also provided for the allowance of witness fees. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1821. This statute provides in pertinent part:

A witness attending in any court of the United States ... or before any person authorized to take his deposition pursuant to any rule or order of a court of the United States, shall receive $20 for each day’s attendance and for the time necessarily occupied in going to and returning from the same, and 10 cents per mile for going from and returning to his place of residence.

The leading precedent on the issues before the court is the case of Farmer v. Arabian American Oil Co., 85 S.Ct. 411, 379 U.S. 227, 13 L.Ed.2d 248 (1964). The opinion was written by Mr. Justice Hugo Lafayette Black, who served the court with distinction for a period of 34 years prior to his death September 25, 1971. Several cardinal rules were established by the opinion. In discussing the impact of Rule 54(d), F.R.Civ.P.,1

[377]*377Mr. Justice Black said:

We do not read that Rule as giving district judges unrestrained discretion to tax costs to reimburse a winning litigant for every expense he has seen fit to incur in the conduct of his case. Items proposed by winning parties as costs should always be given careful scrutiny. Any other practice would be too great a movement in the direction of some systems of jurisprudence, that are willing, if not indeed anxious, to allow litigation costs so high as to discourage litigants from bringing lawsuits, no matter how meritorious they might in good faith believe their claims to be. Therefore, the discretion given district judges to tax costs should be sparingly exercised with reference to expenses not specifically allowed by statute. Such a restrained administration of the Rule is in harmony with our national policy of reducing insofar as possible the burdensome cost of litigation. (Emphasis supplied). 379 U.S. 227, 235, 85 S.Ct. 411, 416, 13 L.Ed.2d at 254, 255.

Mr. Justice Black recognized the universally accepted rule that the district court is vested with a sound discretion as to the allowance of costs, except when the matter is controlled by a federal statute. Rule 54(d) F.R.Civ.P.; Wright and Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, Civil § 2668, at 139, et seq.; Ida Mae Hollingsworth v. Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Company, (N.D.Miss. DC 72-7—K, January 3, 1974).

WITNESS FEES

It is the opinion of the court ¿hat all persons, other than the parties, .who have testified in the case, or who have been in actual personal attendance upon the court, either at trial or on deposition, are entitled to $20.00 for each day’s attendance. There may be circumstances in which the parties abuse the witness privilege, but such circumstances are not shown to be present in the action sub judice. Applying this standard to the facts peculiar to the action sub judice, the court finds that fees for witnesses are properly included in the Bill of Costs, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Ronald Smith, one day, or $20.00. The Bill of Costs charges two days for this witness. The record shows that Mr. Smith testified on the last or fourth day of the trial. He was permitted to remain at his place of employment subject to call during the first three days. He was in attendance upon the court only one day.

Donald Harrison, one day, or $20.00. Mr. Harrison testified on the second day of the trial, but was not in attendance the first day. Mr. Harrison, as in the case of Mr. Smith, was permitted to remain at his place of business, subject to call when needed.

Charles Pruett and Richard Joseph resided in Aberdeen. Although subpoenaed as witnesses, they were never called to testify and were not required to be in attendance upon the court. They were permitted to remain at their post of duty, subject to call. Defendant paid each of these witnesses a per diem of $20.00 upon service of the subpoena. Defendant is entitled to recover such expenditures. The witnesses are not entitled to additional compensation.

Mack Godsey was subpoenaed as a witness. He was in attendance upon the court for the entire trial. Counsel for defendants decided that Godsey would not be called to testify. He was released at the conclusion of the trial. No facts have been submitted to the court upon which the court would be justified [378]*378in holding that counsel for defendant acted other than in good faith in retaining Godsey at the trial. Under such circumstances a witness fee for each of the four days of trial will be allowed, as well as mileage in the sum of $20.00 for 200 miles travel at 10^ per mile.

Those witnesses, other than the parties, who appeared for depositions, are entitled to fees as follows:

Mrs. Mabel Carnathan $ 20.00

Jim Carnathan $20.00 witness fee plus mileage $3.40 23.40

Defendant has claimed as an item of costs the deposition fees charged by several medical doctors who treated and/or examined plaintiff. These are:

Dr. Edward C. Seagerson, discovery deposition, July 31, 1973 $100.00

Dr. Richard A. Miller, discovery deposition, July 31, 1973 100.00

Dr. Richard A. Miller, deposition, September 11, 1973 150.00

Dr. Matthew Wood, deposition September 10,1973, including fee for examination of plaintiff under court order 190.00

Dr. Ralph Williams, deposition July 31, 1973 100.00

Total $640.00

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 F.R.D. 374, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1268, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8921, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morris-v-carnathan-msnd-1974.