Idaho Must Pay Attorney Fees in Gay Marriage Case

A federal judge has ruled that Idaho must pay more than $400,000 to the lawyers who successfully fought to overturn the state's ban on gay marriage.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale on Friday awarded an amount that is about 10 percent less than what the lawyers requested.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and attorney Christopher Rich argued for an award of little more than $200,000. They said that the six lawyers working on the case took too much time and charged too much in hourly fees.

The lead attorney billed $400 an hour and recorded more than 600 hours.

Dale disagreed, saying that the complexity of the case warranted frequent communication and extra time to prepare for court appearances.

Gay marriage became legal in Idaho on Oct. 15

This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.