Gates v. Deukmejian

977 F.2d 1300 Jay Lee GATES; Charles Edward Puett; John Ronald Betram, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. George DEUKMEJIAN, Governor, Defendant, and James Rowland, Director, Nadim Khoury, M.D.; Eddie Ylst; Kenneth Sheppard, M.D., Nicholas Poulos, Daniel Thor, Paul Morentz, H. Benton, Bruce Baker, A.R. Rotella, D. Michael O'Connor, Douglas G. Arnold, Clyde Murrey, Sylvia Blount, Defendants-Appellants. No. 91-15270. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted March 11, 1992. Decided Oct. 6, 1992. John G. Donhoff, Jr., Deputy Atty. Gen., San Francisco, Cal., for defendants-appellants. Samuel R. Miller and Sanford J. Rosen, Rosen, Bien & Asaro, San Francisco, Cal., for plaintiffs-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Before: CHOY, FARRIS, and RYMER, Circuit Judges. CHOY, Circuit Judge: 1 A number of California state officials appeal the district court's award of over $6 million in attorneys' fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988 . We affirm the district court's decision in part, vacate and remand in part, and reverse in part.I. BACKGROUND 2 This dispute arises out of a complex class action suit brought by…