The Cost of Wine Justice: $1.3 Million

Posted by Tom Wark on Dec 19, 2005

Onemillion
The Detroit News reports that plaintiffs in the Direct Shipping lawsuit in Michigan are asking for $1.3 Million in legal fees. Such recovery of legal fees is allowable when lawsuits are filed under U.S.C. 1983.

The plaintiffs, who won their case when it was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, are asking for legal fees to be paid not only by the State of Michigan but also want the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers who intervened in the case as defendants as they tried to protect their legal monopoly on wine sales.

I can’t imagine residents of Michigan reacting well to this news. Particularly when they just got news from their Attorney General that the law that was passed to rectify the discriminatory laws the Supreme Court called unconstitutional is likely to also be unconstitutional. That’s another story.

Thanks to A Fool In The Forest for the tip and to the good folk at Crime & Federalism for insight.