A Civil Action Page #5

they're no longer required.

We'll empty our own ashtrays.

To understand what's going on

in the ground water system,

we must start with the soil itself.

These are soil samples...

So you see,

the Aberjona River valley...

I...l can't send you

the entire balance right now.

But perhaps we could work out

some sort of a deal.

How much can I send you right now?

Nothing.

A plaintiff's case

depends on momentum.

The fewer objections he gets,

the better his case will go.

So whenever you can,

you should object.

18 times yesterday, 20 today.

They're not even his witnesses,

they're his.

I can't not object when you

phrase questions improperly.

As a craftsman...

He is deliberately trying

to destroy the rhythm of my case.

Here we are. You must have

some good luck on these.

- Hold on. 17, 17, 17.

- You got a winner?

No! Shoot.

Relevance - objection.

Hearsay - objection.

Best evidence - objection.

Authenticity...

Objection.

If you fall asleep, the first thing

you say when you wake up is...

Objection.

Do you swear to tell

the whole truth, so help you God?

Yes.

Good morning, Mr Riley. Would

you care for a glass of water?

No, thank you.

Are you sure?

The single greatest liability

for a lawyer is pride.

Pride...

pride has lost more cases

than lousy evidence,

idiot witnesses and

a hanging judge put together.

There is absolutely no place

in a courtroom for pride.

Mr Riley, you own the property

referred to here as the 15 acres?

No, it's currently owned

by a non-profit corporation

called The Wildwood Conservancy.

Oh, yes. What is that?

The Wildwood Conservancy.

- Is that a conservation group?

- Yes, sir.

I've donated the land as

a sanctuary for indigent wildlife.

I don't think the indigent wildlife

has heard about this, Mr Riley.

I've been there several times

and haven't seen any living thing.

He says no, no, no.

He says yes once, I've got him.

He's not that stupid.

Keep him there long enough,

he'll figure a way to get you.

I'm not that stupid.

Mr Riley, experts

have testified in this court

that your land, your 15 acres,

is the most grotesquely polluted

land in New England.

You have no idea how that happened?

- No, sir.

- Does it upset you to learn this?

- Very much so.

- Really? Why?

And one last thing,

unless you know exactly

what the answer is,

never, ever ask a witness "why".

Never.

My factory is the oldest

surviving business in Woburn.

When the other tanners moved out,

I stayed,

even though that was

a very big financial burden.

- That's not...

- Woburn is my home...

That's not the question.

He's trying to answer it,

Mr Schlichtmann. Let him.

That land has been in my family

for three generations.

That land to me is hallowed ground.

So when you ask me would I be upset

if someone desecrated it -

Iand that's part of the town

that I love -

my answer to your question,

Mr Schlichtmann...

is yes.

I have no further questions,

Your Honour.

The sad part is, they rob themselves

of the blessing of giving.

If somebody wrote a cheque

for the total budget of my church,

it wouldn't affect my giving.

Ain't nobody gonna rob me

of the blessing of giving!

You know why folks ain't getting?

'Cause they ain't giving!

Do not rob yourself

of the blessing of giving.

You'll never guess what I did

last night. You'll like this.

I pledged 200 to a televangelist. I'm

not kidding.

He said,

"Give and ye shall receive."

I know. I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking, Gordon's losing it.

He's falling apart.

He's probably

buying lottery tickets.

I bought a few. I'll admit it.

I know, but seriously,

the jackpot's 45 million.

That's just this week!

You should see the lines out there.

- Is that a gun?

- What?

This? No. No, this is for you.

My Krugerrands.

I've had them forever.

I want you to have them.

And this is the deed to my house.

Here is Conway's

and Crowley's and Jan's.

See, I've come bearing gifts.

We really need the money.

You can tell your child isn't well.

"Has he got a temperature?" "No."

"He's all right, then", they say.

"Bring him to the clinic Monday."

He died Monday morning.

Start with Jimmy Anderson -

countless trips to hospital,

futile chemotherapy treatments.

Then the others, ending with Jared

Aufiero, dying on the highway.

Could somebody get that?

Where is everybody?

You're just noticing now? Gordon

laid everybody off two weeks ago.

Gordon, instead of sitting there

reading a magazine,

why not go to Uncle Pete

and get me a staff?

Good idea.

Why didn't I think of that?

Hello?

There was a Cheeseman

on the Mayflower.

- This way, sir.

- Thank you.

Jan, have a seat.

You want something to drink?

Some coffee? Soda?

You've been talking

without me present?

No, we have been drinking coffee

without your being present.

Don't be so paranoid.

They were early.

- All right. What's up?

- Jerry?

Last night, I was at a ball game.

It was the seventh innings

and I was standing there,

and it occurred to me

at that moment,

unless you've proven that any...

What word should we use?

- Chemicals?

- Poisons.

If you like that word, I'll use it.

Unless you've proven that poisons

reached the wells, there's no case.

And therefore,

no need to make these families,

who've already suffered so much,

relive their suffering

all over again

by putting them on the stand.

- Your Honour, you've...

- That's interesting.

- What?

- I'd have to agree with that.

Your Honour, the...

If the jury decides favourably

on the geological evidence,

you could bring your families in.

Your Honour, the jury

was expecting a human drama.

For three months

they've had lessons in geology.

We had to do that.

Now it's over - finally.

Now we have to see where we are

before moving on,

and subjecting these families

to more trauma than necessary,

because that would just be cruel.

- They want to testify.

- The decision is made.

- It's the defendant's plan.

- It's my plan.

Right from the beginning,

he threatened...

It's MY plan!

Now...

my plan is to present the jury

with some simple questions.

How you answer

these three questions,

will determine whether

this trial continues.

I don't disagree -

I don't understand them.

What don't you understand?

They're straightforward questions.

Have the plaintiffs established,

by preponderance of evidence,

that chemicals containing TCE

were disposed of on these lands

after October 1, 1964

and August 27, 1968, respectively,

and did those chemicals contribute

to the well water contamination?

What were these dates?

Where are they from? Out of a hat?

Question two.

What, according to

a preponderance of the evidence,

was the earliest time

at which these chemicals

substantially contributed

to the wells' contamination?

How can they determine that?

Science can't even determine

when the chemicals arrived

with the precision

that you're asking of the jurors.

And finally, three.

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