Nearly three years ago, a woman reported being abused by her husband. He was arrested, only to have the charge dropped after the wife recanted. The man, Patricio Jimenez, then sued New York City last year for false arrest.

City officials, to say the least, were not amused.

The police and hospital reports suggested that a violent altercation occurred in the couple’s Manhattan apartment. The wife said Mr. Jimenez, a restaurant cook, had come home drunk, become angry and started choking and slapping her, causing her to fall in the bathroom, according to court papers filed by lawyers for the city.

The city contested Mr. Jimenez’s lawsuit, and a judge dismissed the case after finding the couple most likely lied about what had happened. The city decided to pursue sanctions against Mr. Jimenez and his lawyer.

Last week, the judge, Shira A. Scheindlin of Federal District Court, ordered Mr. Jimenez and his lawyer, Gregory P. Mouton Jr., to pay $19,075 to reimburse the city for a portion of its work in defending the case.