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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
INVOICE MODIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL STATE'S ATTORNEYS IN CIVIL MATTERS
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Chapter 2 - Administration, Article IV. - Officers and Employees, Division 9. State's Attorney, Subdivision II. Cook County Guidelines for Special State's Attorneys, Sec. 2-334 is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 2-334. Fees, expenses, rates and fee petitions.
(a) Fees and expenses. Attorneys shall be paid reasonable fees and costs based on the type and nature of the case. Such fees and costs shall conform to the fees and costs authorized under this Section. The Attorney must pay for all expenses in advance and indicate on the firm's invoices such expenses to be reimbursed, unless otherwise expressly directed by the court or agreed to in writing by the Litigation Subcommittee. Reimbursement of expenses shall be requested as part of Attorney's fee petitions
Expenses shall be reimbursed as follows:
(1) Photocopying. Reasonable photocopying at actual cost, not to exceed $0.10 per page.
(2) Messenger service. The use of messengers when there is a genuine need for expedited delivery at actual charges of a third-party vendor or, when an in-house firm messenger is used, at actual cost (not at the paralegal or legal assistant billing rate).
(3) Computerized research. Actual costs of reasonably necessary computerized research services.
(4) Experts. The reasonable fees of qualified consulting and testifying experts retained to provide opinions necessary to the defense or prosecution of the litigation, except that all expert fees must be pre-approved by the Chief of the Civil Actions Bureau if they are anticipated to exceed $500.
(5) Travel. Air travel expenses must not exceed the highest fare coach rate for the flight. Mileage expenses shall be at the Internal Revenue Service deductible rates. Hotels, car rental companies and airlines offering moderate prices and discounted corporate rate...
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