Beltran Rosas v. County of San Bernardino

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS EPIFANIO BELTRAN ROSAS’S AND ALMITA C. ROSAS’S MOTION FOR AWARD OF ATTORNEY’S FEES

The Court, Judge Robert J. Timlin, has read and considered plaintiffs Almita C. Rosas (“Almita”) and Epifanio Beltran Rosas (“Epifanio”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”)’ motion for an award of attorney’s fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988 (“Section 1988”); defendants County of San Bernardino, Michael Blay, Dan Braun, Tom Watson, Deputy Elder, and Detective Walsh (“Defendants”)’ opposition; Plaintiffs’ reply; Defendants’ surreply; and Plaintiffs’ reply to Defendants’ surreply. Based on such consideration, the Court concludes as follows:

I.

BACKGROUND

On April 21,1999, Plaintiffs, represented by attorneys E. Thomas Barham (“Bar-ham”) and Shirley A. Ostrow (“Ostrow”) (sometimes collectively “attorneys”), filed a complaint claiming the Defendants deprived them of certain constitutional rights in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”). A felony complaint against Epifanio was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Bernardino on May 28, 1999 (“criminal action”).

On September 13, 1999 plaintiffs Lisa Cruz Galindo, Debbie Galindo and…