The Rainmaker Page #8

You stole confidential reports -

- as blackmail for revenge. Hell hath

no fury as what, Ms Lemanczyk?

A woman scorned!

I move that all documents

provided by Ms Lemanczyk -

- be deemed stolen work papers

and struck from these proceedings.

Based on the evidence

presently before the court...

...these documents are inadmissible.

- No further questions.

- Mr Baylor?

You may step down, Ms Lemanczyk.

I'm sorry.

- I need to speak to Big Rhino.

- Big Rhino? Just a second.

- Hello? Deck, how you doing?

- Good, how are you?

- Are you here?

- I'm here and there.

Here and there...

Listen, I got a stolen evidence situation.

Okay, stolen evidence...

Let me see...

DeSoto case.

Carmine DeSoto. You remember him?

- Club Ruby.

- Where do I find that?

Around '92,

6-50 something, Southwest 2nd.

- Boss, you're a lifesaver.

- Club Ruby case.

92, Carmine DeSoto, Club Ruby...

It kind of rings a bell.

I got it from Bruiser, of all people.

- How did you know where he was?

- I got an emergency contact number.

They got me in touch with him. Nobody

knows more about stolen evidence.

It's his stock-in-trade.

- Hello?

- This is the Shelby County DA.

Could you come here tonight?

I'd like to discuss the Kelly Riker case.

In the case of DeSoto

versus Club Ruby, -

there are reams of stolen evidence.

- Not now. I've got to go.

- You got to go?

The CEO of Great Benefit is coming in

tomorrow. We've got to nail this guy!

- Good luck, Kelly.

- Thanks.

I met with the DA.

She's not going to prosecute.

She said she'd never get a conviction.

It was self-defence.

The plaintiff would like to call

Wilfred Keeley to the stand.

Do you swear your testimony will be

the truth, and nothing but the truth?

- I do.

- You may take the stand.

- State your name.

- May I approach the witness?

Mr Keeley, is your name

on the Great Benefit brochure?

- Yes.

- What do those initials stand for?

- CEO?

- Yeah, what do they stand for?

- Chief Executive Officer.

- Thank you.

So you're the main guy, the cheese.

The buck stops with you.

You could say that.

I'd like to turn the questioning

over to my partner, Rudy Baylor.

- You don't have a licence!

- I had no choice. You're late!

Good morning, Your Honour.

I'm sorry I'm late.

- Approach the witness?

- You may.

- This is Ms Lemanczyk's manual.

- Objection! You ruled on this.

- Sustained.

- May we approach?

I thought this matter was settled.

Just this morning I found a case

that is controlling in this situation.

If you'll just take a look at this ruling.

It's Club Ruby versus Carmine DeSoto.

Here are copies. Number 5-85,

Southwest 2nd, page 431.

Argued by J. Lyman Stone. It shows

that stolen documents are admissible -

- if the lawyers played no part

in that theft.

According to this, this case

would overrule your objection.

- Sorry, Leo.

- Oh, I'm sure you are.

- But note my strong objection.

- Objection noted.

- May I approach?

- Do so.

Sorry.

Excuse the interruption. We were

talking about the claims manual.

Is that a complete

Great Benefit claims manual, sir?

- Yes.

- Does it have a section U?

It has a section U.

Let's talk about this mysterious

section U. Let's explain it to the jury.

Just read paragraph three.

"Claim handlers are directed

to deny all claims within three days. "

How would you explain this?

Sometimes we get frivolous

and fraudulent claims in our business.

Sometimes we use this language

to focus on the more needy claims.

Do you honestly expect this court

to believe that explanation?

This chapter merely denotes

in-house processing guidelines.

In-house processing guidelines?

No, section U does more than that.

- I don't think it does that.

- It explains how you re-route claims.

- Anything to avoid payment.

- I admit nothing.

- Your Honour, approach the witness?

- You may.

How many policies did

Great Benefit have in effect -

in the year 1995?

I don't know.

But let's see.

Does the figure 98,000 sound correct?

- Maybe. That could be right.

- Thank you.

Now, of these policies,

how many claims were filed?

I don't know.

Does the figure of 11,400

sound correct to you?

That's about right,

but I'd have to verify it, of course.

- But the information is in that book?

- Yes.

Can you tell us, of the over 11,000

claims filed, how many were denied?

- No, that would take more time.

- You've had two months. Answer him.

Well, I don't think...

9,141.

11,462 filed...

...9,141 denied.

Your Honour,

I have yet another document.

This is a report from

Great Benefit's medical committee.

Request permission under previous

precedent to present to Mr Keeley.

- Same objection.

- Overruled, objection noted.

That is a report from Great Benefit's

own medical committee, -

which you chaired.

Would you please read from line 18?

"Since bone marrow transplants

have become standard procedure, -

- we would be financially justified

in investing in bone marrow clinics. "

- Approach the witness?

- You may.

There you go... a little louder.

- Objection. Repetitious.

- Overruled.

I want the jury to hear this.

"Since bone marrow transplants

have become standard procedure, -

- we would be financially justified

in investing in bone marrow clinics. "

Financially justified. That's what

it's all about at Great Benefit.

- Tender the witness.

- Mr Drummond.

- We'll rest on our objections.

- You are excused, Mr Keeley.

Rudy, come on, get up.

It's time. Let's go.

What will giving a judgement

of $10 million accomplish?

All insurance company premiums

will spin out of reach -

- and it will lead to government

controlled health coverage.

Yours is a grave responsibility.

Be wise, be careful -

and be just.

Be just.

Thank you.

- Mr Baylor, your rebuttal.

- Thank you, Your Honour.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

When I think of Donny Ray Black...

...gasping for his last breath of air,

slowly dying...

...I am disgusted with myself.

And with the entire legal profession

that could not save him.

I don't even feel good enough about

myself to make my own summation.

So I thought I'd let Donny Ray do that.

Exhibit 16.

I weigh 110 pounds.

11 months ago, I weighed 160.

The leukaemia was detected

in plenty of time.

I was being treated when they realised

that the only thing that could save me -

would be a bone marrow transplant.

So I got released from hospital,

because my family couldn't afford -

what they had recommended.

Great Benefit denied our claim.

If I had had a bone marrow transplant,

I'd have had a 90% chance of survival.

I hope that you are astonished,

as I am, -

- that a wealthy company would

take money from a low-income family, -

- and then keep it,

while denying a legitimate claim.

It's no wonder they spend so much

on their lawyers and PR machine -

- to convince us we need tort reform,

that we need to end punitive damages.

I'm asking you, the jury...

Just do what you think is right,

in your hearts.

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