Plaintiff Patricia McCardle appeals from so much of a judgment and supplemental judgment (collectively "judgment") of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, Alfred V. Covello, Judge , as awarded her $1.00 in nominal damages and $0.33 in attorneys' fees on her claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (1994) against defendant Jonathan Haddad for violation of her right under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution to be free from unreasonable searches. Judgment was entered following a jury verdict finding that McCardle's automobile had been unreasonably searched, but awarding no damages...
In the present case, though the jury found that Haddad was liable to McCardle for searching her car in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights, it awarded her no compensatory damages, apparently finding that her disillusionment did not warrant a money award. Further, the court had refused to instruct the jury that it could award McCardle punitive damages, because it concluded--properly, as discussed in Part II.C. above--that she had failed to establish the intent, malice, or recklessness required to sustain such an award. Accordingly, McCardle did not succeed in establishing her entitlement to more than nominal damages.
