In Meyer v. Stand for Salmon,[1] the supreme court held that in a claim with multiple constitutional issues, the constitutional claimant was entitled to recover attorneys’ fees for the issues on which it prevailed. The preceding action addressed four constitutional issues that arose after the Lieutenant Governor did not certify Stand for Salmon’s ballot initiative. Stand for Salmon prevailed on three of the constitutional issues. The supreme court ordered each party to pay their own costs and attorneys’ fees. Stand for Salmon moved for reconsideration of the attorneys’ fees. The Lieutenant Governor argued that Stand for Salmon did not prevail on the main issue, and therefore was not entitled to attorneys’ fees. The supreme court held that Stand for Salmon was entitled to full attorneys’ fees for those constitutional issues in which prevailed. However, Stand for Salmon was not entitled to any attorneys’ fees for work completed solely for the constitutional claim on which it did not prevail. The supreme court granted Stand for Salmon’s motion for reconsideration, holding that in a claim with multiple constitutional issues, the constitutional claimant was entitled to recover attorneys’ fees for the issues on which it prevailed.
[1] 450 P.3d 689 (Alaska 2019).
