Two Plaintiff Attorneys Awarded Damages of $20,400 Each.
As reported by Julia Cheever of Bay City News in the online version of SFAppeal on December 21, 2010, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of the Northern District of California earlier had awarded two plaintiffs affiliated with an Islamic charity foundation (who happened to be attorneys) damages of $20,400 each for illegal wiretapping activities by the Bush Administration. The damages were for 204 days of wiretapping, with the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act providing for a $100 per day penalty for illegal wiretapping. As further reported by Cheever, “Walker awarded no damages to the former foundation. He said there is ‘ample evidence’ supporting its designation as a terrorist organization and it is not eligible for compensation because it qualifies as a foreign power.”
Then, on December 21, Judge Walker also awarded plaintiffs’ eight attorneys $2.5 million in attorney’s fees and $22,000 in expenses for their successful work on the case.