Delmus Punton, Plaintiff-Appellee/cross-Appellant v. The City of Seattle, Defendant-Appellant/cross-Appellee

*1379GOODWIN, Circuit Judge:

The City of Seattle appeals from a district court judgment for money damages, assigning error to the denial of its motion to dismiss Punton’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim on the basis of the res judicata effect of a prior state court judgment. Punton v. City of Seattle Public Safety Commission, 32 Wash.App. 959, 650 P.2d 1138 (1982), cert. denied, 98 Wash.2d 1014 (1983). Punton cross-appeals, challenging the district court’s refusal to grant him the full amount of attorneys’ fees requested pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988.

In September 1980, Punton, an officer of the Seattle…