A federal jury returned a verdict totaling more than $2.6 million in favor of three people who maintain they were fired from the Lake County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in retaliation for campaigning for the current clerk’s political opponent.The jury awarded compensatory and punitive damages of $1.1 million to Michelle “Micki” Higgins, $1 million to Tiffany Deram and $542,000 to Joshua Smothers.The three allege Erin Cartwright Weinstein fabricated grounds to fire them while promoting less …