Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises, Inc. Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States1968Docket #96854
19 L. Ed. 2d 1263 88 S. Ct. 964 390 U.S. 400 1968 U.S. LEXIS 2168 1 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9834

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: Plaintiffs sued under Civil Rights Act Title II to enjoin racial discrimination. The Supreme Court held that prevailing plaintiffs in such cases should ordinarily recover attorney’s fees, rejecting a restrictive ‘bad faith’ standard, to encourage private enforcement of civil rights.

Legal Significance: Established that prevailing plaintiffs in Title II Civil Rights Act cases are presumptively entitled to attorney’s fees, acting as ‘private attorneys general’ to vindicate important public policy, unless special circumstances make an award unjust.

Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises, Inc. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Petitioners, representing a class, sued under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a-3(a), to enjoin racial discrimination at five drive-in restaurants and a sandwich shop owned by Piggie Park Enterprises, Inc. in South Carolina. The District Court found undisputed evidence of racial discrimination at all six locations. However, it erroneously concluded that Title II did not cover drive-in restaurants and thus only enjoined discrimination at the sandwich shop. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed the District Court’s refusal to enjoin discrimination at the drive-ins. Regarding attorney’s fees, authorized by § 204(b) of Title II (42 U.S.C. § 2000a-3(b)) for the “prevailing party” in the court’s discretion, the Court of Appeals instructed the District Court to award fees only if the respondents’ defenses were advanced “for purposes of delay and not in good faith.” 377 F. 2d, at 437. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to determine whether this subjective bad-faith standard correctly interpreted the counsel-fee provision of Title II.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: What is the appropriate standard for awarding attorney’s fees to a prevailing plaintiff under § 204(b) of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

The Court held that the Court of Appeals erred in applying a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fug

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Legal Issue

What is the appropriate standard for awarding attorney’s fees to a prevailing plaintiff under § 204(b) of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Conclusion

This case established a strong presumption favoring attorney's fee awards for prevailing Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,

Legal Rule

Under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, § 204(b), Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo co

Legal Analysis

The Supreme Court, in a Per Curiam opinion, reasoned that Congress, in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut al

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • Prevailing plaintiffs in Title II Civil Rights Act cases should **ordinarily
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit i

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