Opinion ID: 429227
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Award of Costs to Plaintiff.

Text: 65 Plaintiff Tikalsky also asserts that the district court abused its discretion in failing to award her certain costs she requested. 21 She requests reimbursement for all of the costs that she incurred pursuant to Rule 54(d), Fed.R.Civ.P., 22 and pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1920 (1976 & Supp. IV 1980) 23 and 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988 (1976). 24 These costs are awarded to the prevailing party. Lenard v. Argento, 699 F.2d 874, 900 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 69, 78 L.Ed.2d 84 (1983). In reviewing the district court's determinations, we are to focus first on whether the expenses are recoverable costs and second on whether the costs are reasonable, both in amount and necessity. Illinois v. Sangamo Construction Co., 657 F.2d 855, 864 (7th Cir.1981). We have observed that [o]ur inquiry is much broader with respect to the first question than the second, because the trial court is in the best position to determine the reasonableness of the cost. Id. 66 We believe that each of the expenses the district court denied--charges by the official court reporter, certain expenses relating to the depositions of five of the defendants, and exemplification expenses--are all recoverable costs under the applicable provisions. See, e.g., Illinois v. Sangamo Construction Co., 657 F.2d at 867; Lenard v. Argento, 699 F.2d at 900. However, we are unable to review whether the costs denied were unreasonable costs because the district court failed to make any such findings. The court gave no reasons whatsoever for its decision to deny the costs requested here. However, we need not remand this issue to the district court; after examining all of the facts and after assessing plaintiff's arguments, to which the City did not respond in its brief or at oral argument, we believe the costs requested by plaintiff were reasonable and were necessary to plaintiff's litigation of the case. Accordingly, we reverse the determination of the district court denying the costs.