United States Fourth Circuit

The district court's denial of plaintiff's motion for attorneys' fees, following his successful suit against defendant-officials for First Amendment violations is reversed and remanded, where: 1) plaintiffs who prevail in suits to vindicate civil rights are entitled to attorneys’ fees unless special circumstances make a fee award unjust; and 2) qualified immunity, the absence of a policy or custom of discrimination, and the nature of the injunctive relief granted here, whether considered individually or together through a "totality of the circumstances" lens, cannot support the denial of attorneys' fees to plaintiff.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/11/2014
• Published 07/11/2014

Judges

• WYNN

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel