Last year, two animal rights activists got a federal judge in San Jose, Calif., to issue an injunction safeguarding their right to protest the circus without interference by police or private security. But the court order didn’t help pay their legal bills — until now.
In a decision filed Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Ware granted a request by plaintiffs lawyers to recover attorney fees and costs. San Francisco’s Gonzalez & Leigh has already asked for nearly $640,000 in fees, plus about $11,000 in costs, but Ware said he would decide on a “reasonable” fee amount next month, after a magistrate judge reviews an itemized list.
