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Attorney Fees Reduced in General Assistance Lawsuit

Published

10 years ago

March 12, 2014

Litigation concerning the county’s General Assistance (GA) program filed by the Public Interest Law Project concluded with a judge’s reduction of requested attorney fees from $2.4 million to $423,573, or by 83 percent.

In his announcement on March 10, Marin Superior Court Judge Paul Haakenson explained why he reduced the attorney fees claim, finding that the petitioners significantly overbilled their efforts in the case.

The petitioners asked the court for $2,443,358 in attorney’s fees, but Haakenson only awarded $423,573.65 in his March 7 ruling. Additional costs of $11,675 were awarded after being reduced from the requested $23,350.75.

The GA program, which provides temporary monthly loans to qualified adults with no dependent children, is regarded as one of the best in the state of California. Marin ranks among the top 25 percent of counties in the amount of general assistance aid distributed and the amount of cash given directly to clients.

“We’re pleased with the judge’s expert analysis and findings,” said Heather Ravani, Assistant Director of the County’s Health and Human Services Department, which oversees the GA program. “We agreed when he said the sheer number of hours spent in this litigation by the petitioners was exorbitant, unnecessary and qualified as profound overbilling.”

In June 2013, the County reached a settlement with the Oakland-based law project, which provides legal assistance to lower-income clients. The allegations pertained to client eligibility and program process issues.

Per the agreement terms, the GA program guidelines and process were refined. Two clients represented by the litigants received settlements of approximately $4,600 each.

The mission of the state-mandated GA program is to provide services to enhance a client’s ability to become self-sufficient. The county offers workshops at the Marin Employment Connection geared toward professional development and support with the job-seeking process.

Applicants can receive face-to-face interaction with staff on a daily basis and, on average, wait only five days for an intake appointment.

Marin provides a maximum general assistance grant of $387 per individual per month, the highest grant amount in California.

Marin is one of the only Bay Area counties that does not deduct a monthly health care payment or use vouchers in place of a check. The program also ranks well on the amount of assistance distributed as a percent of the population and on the amount of people in poverty receiving GA funds.

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Related Topics:California GA General Assistance litigation Marin marin court judge Marin Superior Court Judge Paul Haakenson Oakland

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.