M.D. Georgia cuts prisoner rights fee award 7.2%, including for block billing

What happened

The Southern Center for Human Rights sought $764,121.66 in fees under a contract fee clause in a prisoner rights case. The court awarded $708,690, a reduction of $55,431.66, or 7.2%. It applied the Settlement Agreement rates rather than the requested rates. It also reduced total hours by 10% to account for possible inefficiencies and block billing during one period, cutting hours from 4564.8 to 4083.2. Judge Marc T. Treadwell issued the order.

What the court said

Thus, to account for possible inefficiencies and/or block billing, as it relates to this period, the Court applies a 10% reduction to the total hours.

The court also reduced the award for: hourly rate reduced, excessive hours.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a court may apply a percentage cut to total hours when time entries combine tasks or show inefficiency, rather than parsing each entry. It also shows that a fee clause can fix the rates used, even in enforcement proceedings, limiting recovery regardless of the hours claimed.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Record one task per entry, each with its own time.
• Write the entry when the work happens, not at the end of the week.
• If a task really is one unit of work, say what it was and what it produced.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the M.D. Georgia approves and attorney fee motions in Georgia federal courts.

Figures and quotes are taken from the opinion and checked against its text. Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.