Supreme Court to Weigh Attorneys’ Fees in Civil Rights Suits

The US Supreme Court agreed to consider if winning a temporary court order entitles a party to claim attorneys’ fees in civil rights litigation.

The dispute accepted by the justices on Monday stems from a proposed class action brought by motorists against the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. They challenged a law that automatically suspended the driver’s license of anyone convicted of crime who fails to pay a court-ordered debt.

Finding the drivers were likely to prevail, a district court issued a preliminary injunction to stop the state from enforcing the law. The ruling was limited to those drivers.

The ...