People v. Fulton

135 Cal. Rptr. 2d 466, 109 Cal. App. 4th 876, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 5061, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 6422, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 856
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 12, 2003
DocketD036550
StatusPublished
Cited by63 cases

This text of 135 Cal. Rptr. 2d 466 (People v. Fulton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Fulton, 135 Cal. Rptr. 2d 466, 109 Cal. App. 4th 876, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 5061, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 6422, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 856 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

*879 Opinion

HALLER, J.

Nathan K. Fulton pled guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol, causing injury. The trial court granted Fulton probation and ordered him to pay the victim restitution, including $25,000 in attorney fees the victim incurred pursuing a personal injury action against Fulton for economic and noneconomic damages sustained as a result of Fulton’s criminal conduct. (Pen. Code, § 1202.4.) 1

Fulton’s sole appellate challenge concerns the restitution award. Fulton contends the amount of the attorney fees awarded was improper because a portion of that award reflected attorney services incurred to recover noneconomic damages. While we agree section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3), allows restitution only for that portion of attorney fees attributable to the victim’s recovery of economic damages, we conclude the record supports that the $25,000 restitution award reflected attorney fees incurred to recover the victim’s economic damages and that this amount was reasonable. Accordingly, we affirm.

Factual and Procedural Background

In January 1999, Fulton was driving his car at a high rate of speed when he crossed over the center double-yellow line, causing a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by Gary Overton. Fulton, his passenger, and Overton were seriously injured in the accident. Fulton’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.16 percent. He pled guilty at arraignment. In May 1999, the court sentenced Fulton to probation and imposed various terms and conditions of probation, but did not set victim restitution. The court continued the victim restitution hearing several times to permit Overton (and his wife) to continue settlement discussions with Fulton’s insurer.

On September 1, 2000, the court conducted the restitution hearing. By that time, Overton had settled his civil case against Fulton and had been reimbursed for his past and future medical expenses, lost wages and property damage. The only remaining restitution issue was the amount of attorney fees and costs Fulton was obligated to pay Overton. Overton claimed $25,000 in fees, and Fulton argued the proper amount was 25 percent of Overton’s economic damages. Following an evidentiary hearing, the court ordered Fulton to pay Overton $25,000 in attorney fees pursuant to section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3)(H).

In support of Overton’s claim that he was entitled to $25,000 in fees, his attorney, Barbara Savaglio, submitted exhibits and points and authorities, *880 which (1) described the nature and extent of Overton’s injuries; (2) set forth the amount of Overton’s economic damages; (3) outlined the settlement negotiations between Fulton’s insurer and Overton; and (4) explained her fees. In opposition, Fulton’s counsel submitted points and authorities and exhibits, including Overton’s partial responses to Fulton’s discovery requests.

These documents revealed that as a result of the accident, Overton suffered injuries to his shoulder requiring surgery, physical therapy and possible future surgery; a severe laceration requiring 65 stitches to his ear; a large laceration to his head; and pain to his head, nose and legs. Overton’s injuries caused him to miss several weeks of work, resulting in lost wages. His vehicle was “totaled” in the crash, resulting in property damage and expenses for a rental vehicle.

The documents also showed that shortly after the accident, Overton (and his wife) retained the services of Attorney Savaglio to pursue legal action against Fulton. Overton agreed to a 25 percent contingent fee arrangement. Following unsuccessful negotiations with Fulton’s insurer, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, Savaglio filed a personal injury action against Fulton on behalf of the Overtons. The case settled in May 2000 for $100,000, Fulton’s policy limits. At that time, Overton’s economic losses were estimated to be approximately $25,898. 2 The Overtons signed a release of all claims, which specifically excluded their right to pursue further criminal proceedings against Fulton, including a restitution order.

The documents submitted at the restitution hearing further established that during the course of the initial, unsuccessful settlement negotiations, Wawanesa had agreed to pay Overton his property damages, but disputed the value of his other claimed damages. Wawanesa was particularly skeptical of Overton’s claim that his shoulder injury would require further surgery. Echoing a similar view, Fulton’s counsel opined that “it is doubtful that Wawanesa will pay $100,000 to resolve Mr. Overton’s claim.” Thereafter, Wawanesa offered $70,000 to settle the matter, but Overton rejected the offer. Unable to convince Wawanesa of the extent and nature of Overton’s *881 physical injuries, Savaglio filed the lawsuit against Fulton. Following initial discovery, the production of additional medical records and a defense independent medical examination confirming the need for future shoulder surgery, Savaglio successfully settled the case at the $100,000 policy limits. In doing so, Savaglio spent in excess of 135 hours of her time (at $175 per hour), and more than 50 hours of her legal assistant’s time (at $50 per hour). Under the contingency fee agreement, Savaglio received 25 percent of the $100,000 settlement ($25,000) and litigation costs.

In opposition to Overton’s claim that he was entitled to $25,000, Fulton argued that the restitution for attorney fees should be limited to the portion of the contingency fee attributable solely to recovering Overton’s economic damages which Fulton claimed were $12,500. 3 According to Fulton, the 25 percent contingency fee should be applied solely to the economic damages, not to the total recovery of $100,000, which reflected both economic and noneconomic damages. In the alternative, Fulton argued the $25,000 fee was unreasonable.

At the outset of the restitution hearing, the trial court stated it had tentatively concluded that the entire attorney fees were recoverable, regardless of how much of the attorney services were incurred to obtain economic, as opposed to noneconomic, damages. The court later stated it “remain[ed] unconvinced that there is any workable . . . practical formula that would allow a court to take attorneys fees and divide them up between economic and noneconomic damages. [f] I’m already and absolutely convinced you can’t do it by the ratio of the recovery, and I also find it entirely unworkable that you would do it by a full-blown factual analysis of the attorney time spent, [f] [Based on] the language of the statute, I remain convinced that the entire attorney fee contingency or otherwise is an economic cost that is attributable—that can be awarded by a judge in a criminal case.”

The trial court thus found the entire attorney fees qualified as an economic loss within the meaning of section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3), and that the 25 percent contingency fee was reasonable. Accordingly, the trial court ordered Fulton to pay restitution of $25,000 for attorney fees to Overton.

*882 Discussion

I.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Keller v. Bisno CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Russell CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Diop CA1/1
California Court of Appeal, 2025
Go v. McClaugherty CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2025
Grundfor v. Demarest CA2/6
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Beard CA2/8
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Sanchez CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Buckner
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Lara CA2/3
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Woolery CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Nonaka
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re E.L. CA2/6
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Sohal CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Marrero
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Reyes CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Kelly
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Kelly CA2/6
California Court of Appeal, 2020
People v. Lockett CA2/8
California Court of Appeal, 2020
People v. Grundfor
California Court of Appeal, 2019
People v. Montiel
California Court of Appeal, 2019

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
135 Cal. Rptr. 2d 466, 109 Cal. App. 4th 876, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 5061, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 6422, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 856, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-fulton-calctapp-2003.