The City of Syracuse just got its total bill for losing a police excessive force trial -- and it increases the amount of the verdict five-fold.

Elijah Johnson sued the city and three police officers, alleging they beat him using unreasonable force during an arrest in July 2014. A jury this summer found one of the officers liable and awarded Johnson $35,000 in damages.

Plaintiffs like Johnson who prevail in civil rights cases are entitled to attorney’s fees. That means the city of Syracuse is on the hook for paying Johnson’s lawyers.

New York City attorney Fred Litchmacher represented Johnson at trial with help from associates and paralegals. He filed his fees and expenses with the trial court, U.S. District Court Judge Brenda Sannes. The city objected to some of Lichtmacher’s fees, but Sannes for the most part agreed he was entitled to the compensation he asked for.

Sannes awarded Johnson a total of more than $178,000 in legal expenses. That’s almost five times the $35,000 amount awarded by the jury, which Johnson can hold on to for himself.

Of the total, about $138,000 will go to Lichtmacher for almost 393 hours of work at a rate of $350 per hour. About $3,000 went to costs and expenses. The remaining money was for associates and paralegals who assisted with the case.

In her decision, Sannes remarked on Lichtmacher’s fine work as an lawyer in obtaining an excellent result for his client.

Lichtmacher currently represents seven people with federal civil rights lawsuits against the city of Syracuse or its police department. That includes suits by the daughter and pregnant fiance of Gary Porter, a man shot and killed during a chaotic Father’s Day party in 2016, as well as a lawsuit by Kadeem Arrindell-Martin, who was shot by police in his car in 2015.

Lichtmacher also plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of Torrence Jackson, a Syracuse man who was forcefully knocked out and anally probed for drugs in October 2017.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992

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