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should be compatible with the goal of keeping costs within reasonable ~
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bounds. Crane v. St~lz, 136 So. 2d 238 (Fla. 2 OCA 1961). :
. Although we are reminded that the trial court has broad
discretion in t~xing costs, it is also true that the question :
of whether the exercise of discretion was properly exercised
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is subject to.appellate review. Miller Yacht Sales, Inc. v. Scott, `
311 So. 2d 762 F. 4 ~
( la DCA 1975). With due respect to the learned ,
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trial judge and with appreciation of his~difficult task of assessing . `
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costs in an age of exorbitant.witness fees constantly on the rise,3 `
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we find that the fee charqed by this Tampa physician for his testimony ~
at trial is so excessive that the taxation af the entire cost against ,
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Appellants is an abuse of discretion. In order to determine how ~ -
,much of the fee is excessive the court should take into consideration ~
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the fees charged by the other medical witnesses and may consider
the usual fees charged by medical witnesses in other cases if such
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evidence is introduced at a future hearing. That portion of the fee
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which is excessive must be paid by the successful part~r who called +
him as a witness. ~
'i`};M~ *+ar~ nf thr~ nrrlAr taxi ng Aonellants for the COSt Of
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this physician's trial testimony is reversed with directions to ~
assess a cost more in harmony with the fees charged by the other
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medical witnesses, taking into consideration the travel and time ;
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required, reasonable fees usually charged by medical witnesses and ~
any particular skill of the witness which would entitle him to a
greater fee. _
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AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART AND REMANDED. ~
CROSS and MOORE, JJ., concur. - -
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3. At ~he costs hearing, the trial judge expressed concern about
the fees charged by some of the expert witnesses: "I wi~ll be
very frank with you. I am concerned with the reasonableness of ~
some of these charges." (T. Vol. III, p.217).
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