Obamacare lawsuit will cost Florida $6,000

UPDATED: Attorney General Bill McCollum's lawsuit against President Barack Obama concerning the national health care legislation will cost Florida $6,000.

The terms of the cost sharing agreement between the 10 states who filed suit give a break to small population states -- North and South Dakota -- which pay just $1,000. The remaining eight states will each contribute $6,000 toward legal fees incurred by Baker and Hostetler lawyers David Rivkin and Lee Casey, who are charging $250 an hour. The total cost is capped at $50,000. So if you do the math, it's about $30 an hour, McCollum's office said.

Comments

[komputerzrkool]

More wasted money by the Republicans.

[Patriot Come Lately]

Best investment that FL has made in years!!

[Commander Zero]

Bill McCollum should have consulted a good attorney before signing such a flimsy "agreement".

To anyone who has sued or been sued, the parties to this case (read, Florida Taxpayers) could get stuck with document fees, deposition costs, court reporter costs, court costs, travel costs, and staff costs, etc., exceeding many times the initial $50,000 retainer. When you play with a tiger's tail there is no telling what can happen.

[londonchica]

This is a great bargain. At $250 per hour (or $30/hour pro rated), the rates are about $100/hour less than large law firms charge for first year lawyers straight out of law school and far less than any lawyer with years of experience. In this type of case, there are no depositions or any of the typical big ticket items. Court reporter fees are fairly minimal, and in Federal Court, picked up by the system unless the parties order transcripts. Travel is also minimal, since there are not more than a few hearings and most of the case is argued on paper. Florida and the other states are getting top lawyers practically for free. The Herald quoted Democrats who charged the AG with "waste" before. Where are the quotes of what a great deal he cut?

[RealConservative]

$6000? who are you kidding?? It may be $6K only in the salary of the legal assistant that typed the document....by the time this ends it will be millions spent on this idiocy...millions that could have been spent on the babies that are going to loose services when the republicans cut the Healthy Start program in the state. You are watching how this party destroys the state with ideology in slow motion. Good luck Florida, if you do not wake up and smell the coffee...