The Supreme Court has issued a ruling in the case of Lackey v. Stinnie, determining that civil rights plaintiffs who obtain a preliminary injunction granting them permanent relief are not considered "prevailing parties" and therefore do not qualify for court-awarded attorneys' fees. This decision diverges from previous rulings by all 11 lower federal courts that have addressed this issue.
Cecillia Wang, the ACLU's national legal director, commented on the ruling: “The court’s decision in Lackey is a grave error because it is at odds with the system for private civil rights enforcement that Congress enacted.” She further emphasized the implications of the decision: “Though the decision may seem technical, make no mistake, the court has gone out of its way to put up another obstacle for Americans seeking accountability when government officials violate their constitutional rights.”
The American Civil Liberties Union participated as part of a coalition of organizations from across the political spectrum that filed an amicus brief supporting the civil rights plaintiffs involved in this case.
This particular case is included in the ACLU's Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket.
