A DeKalb County jury took about three hours to add $235,000 in punitive damages to more than $5.5 million it awarded last week to a man who sued his former lawyer and employer for legal malpractice and other claims.

Jury members said they "dart-boarded" a range of numbers from zero to $850,000 before deciding Atlanta attorney James Potts II should pay the additional money for the trouble he caused plaintiff William Clowdis Jr.

Earlier on Monday, Clowdis' lawyer, Louis Levenson, told the jury Potts has remained defiant and unapologetic for actions that seriously damaged the reputation of Clowdis, who is both an attorney and licensed medical doctor.

Levenson said evidence at the trial demonstrated that Potts deliberately worked to sabotage Clowdis' efforts to get his Virginia medical license reinstated and to seek admission to the state bars of New York and Georgia.

"Mr. Potts has testified that he doesn't feel that he's done anything wrong to Mr. Clowdis," said Levenson, adding Potts has said "he is not sorry … and that he doesn't know what he'd do differently."

Potts' lead counsel, Eugene Butt, implored the jury not to heap further ruin upon his client and colleague whom, who has no insurance and is already unable to pay the $5.5 million judgment entered last week.

"Mr Potts has essentially been bankrupted; he has essentially been destroyed by your verdict," said Butt, a member of Potts' two-man Atlanta firm.

"Mr. Potts is a good man" who has worked to help underrepresented areas and supported others when they needed help, Butt said.

"We think he deserves your mercy and kindness," Butt said.

Potts said his only regrets were in hiring, housing and trusting Clowdis.

On Monday afternoon, Clowdis said he was relieved to have the trial behind him but was under no illusion that the case is over.

"I feel good; it's been a real roller-coaster," said Clowdis. "But I'm sure it'll be a long, long time before I ever see a penny of this judgment."

Potts' other lawyer, Decatur solo R. Edward Furr, said they will file some posttrial motions before readying the case for an appeal.