A Civil Action Page #4

never did anything like that,

never saw anybody who did.

Tommy Barbas lied.

So did Paul Shalline.

Tommy, Paul and Joey

were out back all the time...

- Joey?

- Joey Miola, plant maintenance.

And the rumour is,

there's 50 more barrels buried

that the inspectors didn't find.

- 50?

- Or more. Here.

OK. Is there anyone else

at the plant that might talk to me?

I don't think so.

Bobby Pasqueriella.

Bobby?

He might. He doesn't

work there any more though.

Could you call him?

Yeah, that's the stuff got dumped.

All the time. Threw it

back there myself all the time.

Eddie Arsine - he'd say,

dump that stuff in the gully.

Out there in the gully, you know?

Dumped it back there

in the gully right there.

Washed belts and gearboxes with it,

and threw it in the gully.

He'd say, dump it out

in the gully, like Joey.

- Did Tom Barbas?

- Tommy? No, not Tommy, no.

- Never did that?

- No, no.

He dumped his in a ditch.

Mr Barbas, I understand you've had

a chance to think about things

since your first deposition.

He says you said

to pour it into the pit.

Is that how you remember it now?

He just said, go out

and dig a trench...30 feet long.

Load the barrels onto the truck,

drive out and dump it

into the swimming pool.

That's what we called it -

the swimming pool.

Right.

Mr Cheeseman, well done.

The odds of a plaintiff's lawyer

winning in court

are 2 to 1 against.

Think about that for a second.

Your odds of surviving a game

of Russian roulette are better.

12 times better.

So why does anyone do it?

They don't. They settle.

Out of the 780,000 cases

filed each year,

The whole idea of lawsuits

is to settle,

to compel the other side to settle.

You do that by spending

more money than you should,

forcing them to spend

more money than they should.

And whoever

comes to their senses first...

Ioses.

Trials are a corruption

of the entire process.

And only fools with something

to prove end up ensnared in them.

When I say prove,

I don't mean about the case.

I mean about themselves.

Hey, old man, out of the way!

- How's business?

- It's good.

Is it? I was afraid, with

all these scientists and doctors,

a small firm like yours

might be in trouble.

I appreciate your concern.

We've got more than enough

to go the distance.

Are you sure? lf you realised

you miscalculated the arithmetic,

you'd be digging quarters

out the seats of your car.

- You don't have to worry, Jerry.

- That's a relief.

You know what? You don't want me

in this case. You've got Grace.

I'm only gonna hurt you.

So get rid of me.

Tell me what you've got so far,

I'll get a cheque cut - OK?

My expenses? You're offering

to cover my expenses?

Your expenses and your pride.

You think you're gonna put

those families on the stand.

They'll tell their stories

so the jury

pull out their handkerchiefs?

Do you really think

I'd let that happen?

I don't see how you can prevent it.

Of course you don't.

- Yeah?

- Jan, guess what?

Cheeseman wants to talk.

He wants a number. He wants out.

I'll meet you back here

at the office.

Jan, this is it. We've got them.

That's great.

Oh, baby. God, no!

Oh, God!

He said he'd be here.

Are the Red Sox in town?

Sorry I'm late. I got tied up. Yeah.

I was just given a chair

at Harvard, of all things.

You're kidding. Which chair?

It's black with arms, with my name on

a brass plate on the back.

From my students.

Jerry, ever thought about

getting yourself a new briefcase?

You don't change your socks

in the middle of the World Series.

Am I sitting in the right place?

Actually, we have a seat

for you here, but that's fine.

Nice pen.

- They're courtesy of the hotel.

- Really?

This is a good quality pen. Yeah.

- So?

- So, Bill...

How much did Grace make last year?

I have no idea.

But I have a feeling you do.

198 million. And Beatrice, Jerry?

- What?

- 436 million.

Together, that's 634 million.

That's one year. That's net.

So, that's what they made.

What should they be made to pay

to compensate the families,

to provide for their

economic security in the future?

Don't forget to mention you -

compensating you.

And to make sure

that this doesn't happen again.

25 million cash.

And another 25 million

to establish a research foundation

to study the links between

hazardous waste and illness.

And 1.5 million per family

annually for 30 years.

320 million.

Can I ask a question?

I'm sure everyone has questions.

What's yours, Jerry?

Can I have this?

Thank you.

Excuse me.

- Jan?

- Yes, Gordon?

What's the story?

- They don't want to end this.

- They don't...

You said this wouldn't go to trial.

You just made certain that it will.

Without consulting us, I might add.

They patronise us.

They think we're blackmailers.

They think they can buy us.

Yeah?

We can't afford a long trial.

Find a way

of getting some money, then.

- What do you suggest?

- Am I the financial advisor?

No, you're not.

This is the plan.

Start with scientific evidence.

Then the medical experts

and their evidence.

Then the parents,

then your testimony.

Your presence is very important.

It's where the jury

gets to know you.

If you're only there some days,

they'll ask "why? Does she care?"

I'll be there every day,

in the back left-hand corner.

Wherever you're comfortable.

That was our plan.

If we got separated in the grocery

store that's where we'd meet.

Oh, I see, I see.

In the end, when he was dying,

he said, I'll meet you in the

back left-hand corner of heaven.

All rise.

This court is now in session.

The Honourable

Walter J Skinner presiding.

Civil Action 841672.

Anderson and all versus

W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods.

Ladies and gentlemen...

there's a small town

north of Boston called Woburn.

Woburn is like many small towns.

It has homes, it has churches,

it has schools, it has industry.

But Woburn has something else.

It has more than its share

of sickness and death.

Small amounts of solvents

were left on the ground.

Why? To evaporate.

Did they? Yes.

These chemicals never reached

Wells G and H - we will show that.

And they never made anyone sick.

We will show that, too.

The idea of criminal court

is crime and punishment.

The idea of civil court

and personal injury law by nature -

though no-one says it,

Ieast of all

the personal injury lawyer himself -

is money.

Money for suffering.

Money for death.

As if that

could somehow relieve suffering.

As if that could somehow

bring dead children back to life.

Every credit card application

we send, we get more in the mail.

Here's one from North Dakota.

Fill it out. Fill them all out.

It's the last great pyramid scheme.

The terrain of East Woburn was

actually shaped 12,000 years ago,

during the end of the last lce Age.

At this time, an immense glacier,

over a mile thick,

covered what is now New England.

Cancel The American Lawyer.

Cancel all the legal journals.

And tell the janitorial people

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