The plaintiffs in the Purple Line lawsuit filed documents Tuesday requesting that the federal government pay their attorneys’ fees in the ongoing case.
If the motion is granted by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon and the plaintiffs win the case, paying the fees could cost the government more than $500,000, including more than $300,000 for one of the plaintiffs—Chevy Chase attorney John Fitzgerald, who is claiming more than 1,900 hours of work on the case.
In addition to Fitzgerald, the other plaintiffs are Chevy Chase resident Christine Real de Azua and the trail advocacy group Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail.
The plaintiffs won a victory in the case when Leon vacated the Purple Line’s Record of Decision—its federal approval—in August after citing concerns about Metro’s safety and ridership issues that were raised by the plaintiffs. Leon later upheld the ruling in November and requested the defendants—the Federal Transit Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration—evaluate how Metro’s issues would impact the proposed 16.2-mile light-rail line that would connect Bethesda with New Carrollton in Prince George’s County.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Andrew Metcalf over at Bethesda Magazine