United States Third Circuit

In a dispute over damages and attorney's fees stemming from a Religious Freedom Restoration Act and tort action, district court judgment is vacated where that the district court assessment of the evidence was based on an improper interpretation of the interrogatories and verdict sheet and thus the court erred in attributing a portion of plaintiff's tort award to her RFRA claim. On remand, the Hensley standard should guide the district court's consideration of pendent state claims in a litigation where a plaintiff has prevailed on a fee-eligible federal claim.

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/20/2009
• Decided 08/12/2009
• Published 08/12/2009

Judges

• Before:  RENDELL and GARTH, Circuit Judges, and VANASKIE, District Judge.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• James C. Owens, Esq, Virginia A. Seitz, Esq., Frank R. Volpe, Esq., Rebecca K. Wood, Esq. [Argued], Sidley Austin, Washington, DC, Larry S. Reich, Esq., Blank Rome LLP, New York, NY, for Appellants, Esmor Correctional Services, Inc., n/k/a Correctional Services Corporation;  and John Lima.


• For Appellees:
  
• Drew Dorman, Esq., Derek S. Tarson, Esq., Justin P. Smith, Esq. [Argued], Mary Beth Hogan, Esq., Alison J. Page, Esq., W. Barton Patterson, Esq., Erica Davila, Esq., Debevoise & Plimpton, New York, NY, Frank Askin, Esq., Rutgers University, Constitutional Law Clinic, Penny Venetis, Esq. [Argued], Rutgers University, Constitutional Litigation Clinic, Newark, NJ, for Plaintiffs-Appellees, Hawa Abdi Jama, n/k/a Hali Hashi Egal;  Jeyakumar Anantharajah;  Abu Bakar;  Cecilia Kou Jeffrey;  Abraham Kenneth;  Shamimu Nanteza;  Dennis Raji;  Agatha Serwaa;  Sarah Tetteh Yower.