Kim Davis’ Anti-Gay Crusade Might Cost $233,058 if a Federal Court Agrees with the ACLU [View all]

The ACLU has asked a federal court to award it $233,058 to cover the legal expenses incurred when Kim Davis broke the law and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Buzzfeed’s Dominic Holden reports:

In court documents filed Monday in the US District Court in Eastern Kentucky, the American Civil Liberties Union said its attorneys logged more than 600 hours and billed their time at $250 to $700 an hour.

ACLU of Kentucky legal director William Sharp said in a statement Monday that he wanted the fees to send a message about the high price of violating people’s rights.

“Courts recognize that when successful civil rights plaintiffs obtain a direct benefit from a court-ordered victory, such as in this case, they can be entitled to their legal expenses to deter future civil rights violations by government officials,” he said. “By filing today’s motion, we hope to achieve that very objective — to send a message to government officials that willful violations of individuals’ rights will be costly.”