GovGuam owes more than $900K in legal fees for plebiscite case

The government of Guam must pay more than $900,000 in legal fees for Arnold “Dave” Davis, who filed a successful federal lawsuit in 2011, arguing he was prevented from registering to vote in the island’s pending political status plebiscite because he is not ethnically CHamoru.

Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood on Monday awarded a total of $947,717.39 in attorneys’ fees and costs for the case, which lasted longer than five years, including an appeal. Davis in April 2017 asked the court to award him $924,228 in fees.

The political plebiscite is a non-binding vote asking for voters preferred political status with the U.S. The choices are independence, free association or statehood for Guam.

The law that authorized the plebiscite specifies that eligible voters are native inhabitants of Guam, defined as people who became U.S. citizens on Guam by the Organic Act or their descendants.

Read more: https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2019/04/08/govguam-owes-more-than-900-k-legal-fees-plebiscite-case/3397840002/