Supreme Court Grapples With Whether Motorists Who Won Injunction Should Get Attorney’s Fees

Virginia motorists filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a driver’s license suspension law, blocked it in court, but then the law was repealed.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 7, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Plaintiffs who enjoy partial success in civil rights lawsuits should not be entitled to have the governments they sue cover their attorneys’ fees, the Supreme Court heard on Oct. 8.

The justices heard oral arguments in Lackey v. Stinnie, which involves a now-repealed Virginia statute that mandated the automatic suspension—without notice or a hearing—of driver’s licenses for people who fail to pay court fines or fees.