Blanchard v. Bergeron
United States Supreme Court
489 U.S. 87 (1989)
Relevant factsFree
Arthur Blanchard (plaintiff) won a jury verdict against sheriff's deputy Bergeron (defendant) under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for a beating, and sought attorney's fees under § 1988. The trial court awarded $7,500 in fees, but the Fifth Circuit capped the award at 40 percent of the judgment to match Blanchard's contingency-fee agreement with his attorney, reducing it to $4,000. Blanchard sought Supreme Court review.
IssueFree
Whether courts may rely on congressional committee reports to determine legislative intent in setting a reasonable attorney's fee under § 1988, and whether such a fee may be capped by a private contingency agreement.