Ritchie Opposes Legal Fee Awards For Redistricting
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is opposing attorney fee awards for those who sued over political redistricting.
A brief he filed Thursday with a Minnesota Supreme Court panel opposes requests by the DFL and Republican parties and a group of citizens.
The DFL asked for $292,000, the GOP wants $246,000 and an attorney representing the citizens group is seeking $180,000.
Ritchie, a Democrat, says there's no need for an attorney fee award, "let alone one in the magnitude requested by all Plaintiffs' counsel."
Ritchie says much of the legal work was duplicated from 10 years ago and some of it related to the legislative process, not the court case that followed.
If the court panel awards attorney fees, he urged the judges to "significantly" reduce the amounts.
