U.S. appeals court says Texas must pay legal fees in voter ID case

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court said on Tuesday the state of Texas must pay about $3 million in legal fees to plaintiffs after being on the wrong side of a civil rights lawsuit over voting.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said a lower court made a mistake when it allowed Texas to avoid paying the fees and reversed its decision.The trial stemmed from a battle over stringent voter ID measures signed into law in 2011 by former Governor Rick Perry, a Republican. The measure, which supporters said would prevent voter fraud, required voters to present a photo identification such as a driver's license, passport or military ID card.In October, a federal judge struck down the Texas law, saying it placed an unconstitutional burden on voters and discriminated against minorities.(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Additional rpeorting by Lisa Bose McDermott in Texarkana, Texas; Editing by Sandra Maler)Join the conversation about this story
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