U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle has ordered that the state pay more than $500,000 in legal fees to the ACLU of Florida, William Sheppard, Betsy White, and Samuel Jacobson who represented the Brenner plaintiffs more than a year ago in a case where the same-sex ban on marriage in Florida was deemed unconstitutional.
“This is a victory for the American courts and democracy, in my opinion. That sounds hokey, but that’s how I count it in my belief system,” Bill Sheppard said in a telephone interview.
“We are grateful for Judge Hinkle’s order recognizing the work our legal team did in arguing that Floridians have a right to marry the person they love and that denying them that right was unconstitutional,” ACLU of Florida spokesman Baylor Johnson said.
While the legal wrangling may not be over, the state has acknowledged that the lawyers are entitled to fees and a Bondi spokesman said that they respect Judge Hinkle’s order when asked if the state planned to appeal. To read a full article on Judge Hinkle’s order published by CBS Miami click here.