The Verdict

Mrs Dee, this is Frank Galvin.

He's a good friend of ours, and a very fine attorney.

Well, it's just a shame what happened to your husband, Mrs Dee. He was a...

I knew him vaguely at the Lodge. He was a wonderful man.

It was a crime what happened to him. It was just a crime.

If I can help, uh, in anyway,

don't hesitate to call.

Well...

If this can help in any way...

What is that?

Oh. Um... It's my card.

What the hell is that?

I was a friend of your father's.

You never knew my father.

Get out of here.

- Who the hell do you think you are? - Excuse me, Mrs Cleary.

Who the hell do you think you are?

- Hey, you know me. - I don't want you coming back here ever!

- You understand? - I was just talking to the guy!

Those are bereaved people in there!

So Pat says... He says "They got this new bar,

and you go inside, and for half a buck you get a beer, a free lunch,

they take you in the back room and get you laid."

- Another one, Frankie? - Yeah. Everyone.

Mike says "Now wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute."

"There's a new bar, and you go inside, and for half a buck

they give you a beer, a free lunch and they get you laid?"

Pat says "That's right." "Have you ever been in the bar?"

He said "No, but me sister has."

Hey!

Oh, yeah. Everyone.

Frankie?

Frankie! Frankie, you all right?

Oh, Frankie.

Come on, get up.

Get up, Frank! Oh, Christ.

What the hell's goin' on here?

What have you been doin'?

I got a call from Sally Doneghy.

Who's that?

You're in court in ten days, and you haven't even met with them yet.

Sally Doneghy? Who is that?

One lousy letter in 18 months.

I try to throw a case your way, and look at ya.

Frankie,

I got these people to trust you.

They're gonna be here at noon, by the way, and look at this shit.

I got this expert doctor to talk to ya.

Remember his name? Dr Gruber?

It's been 18 months, and I've been doin' all the fuckin' legwork.

You're due in court in less than two weeks,

and I bet you haven't even looked at the goddamn file.

What are you, my nanny?

Now listen to me, Frankie.

Frankie, listen to me, cos I'm done fuckin' with ya.

I can't take this any more.

I mean, you're not gonna change.

Look around ya. I mean, what's gonna change?

You think it's gonna be any different next week, next month?

It's gonna be the same goddamn thing.

Now I got you a good case.

It's a moneymaker.

You do it right, it'll take care of ya.

But I'm through, you understand?

I mean, I can't take this shit any more.

Life's too fuckin' short, Frankie.

I'm gettin' too fuckin' old.

Fuck!

Excuse me, sir.

Mrs Doneghy. Hi. Frank Galvin.

- Why didn't you go in? - It's locked..

Locked?

I'm sorry.

God, I hope I hope this didn't put you out.

Let me see here...

Come on in. I'd get you a cup of coffee, but, uh,

looks as though my girl went out.

It's not a good case, it's a very good case.

A young, healthy woman goes into a hospital to deliver her third child, and...

Well, it's just beyond comprehension. She's given the wrong an aesthetic.

- We love her, Kevin and me. - I'm sure you do.

But what can we do? She don't know who's visiting her.

Mm-hm. I know. I went.

- You saw her? - Oh, yes.

My sister? You know how beautiful she was?

Her, uh... husband left her, and he took her kids.

They, uh,

they let you die in there.

They don't care. Nobody cares.

The Patriot Home, the Chronic Care in Arlington? They'd take her in.

Perpetual care. $50,000 they want in endowment.

50,000?

I don't wanna leave her. Kevin, he, uh...

And Father Laughlin, he said it was God's will.

Well, I understand.

My doctor told me I gotta move out West. That's when we filed in court.

- We didn't wanna sue. - Oh, I understand that too.

But Kevin's looking for two years in Tucson.

They called him up and they said to come out.

He's a good man. He's only trying to do what's right.

Come on in.

This is my husband.

Come on in. Sit down.

I told your wife, I'm sorry we have to meet out here, but I got a case in superior court.

- The place is full of papers. - That's all right.

- I was also telling her you got a good case. - He saw her at Northern Care.

I may get some very important corroborating testimony from a Dr Gruber.

It'll be a problem getting one doctor to testify

that another doctor's negligent, but...

The archdiocese called and said who was our attorney, cos the case is coming to trial.

Well... I doubt very much that the case will ever come to trial.

We told them we didn't want it to come out this way.

I completely understand.

- See, we just, uh... - We just can't do it any more.

This is our chance to get away.

I'm gonna see that you get that chance.

How much is this gonna cost?

It's not gonna cost you anything. It's done on a contingency basis.

Whatever the settlement is, I retain a third.

But that's normal procedure. You can check around.

OK?

OK.

His name is Frank Galvin. Boston College, class of '52, was second in his class.

Editor of the Law Review. Worked with Mickey Morrissey 12 years.

Criminal law and personal injury. Married Patricia Harrington, 1960.

Joined Stearns, Harrington, Pierce, 1960, as a full partner.

Resigned the firm, 1969, over the Lillibridge case.

- He was accused of jury-tampering. - Accused, not indicted. He resigned the firm.

Divorced, 1970. Galvin worked with Michael Morrissey until Morrissey retired in '78.

Since then he's been on his own. Four cases in three years. He's lost them all. He drinks.

Four cases in three years.

The man's an ambulance chaser.

- Tell me about this case. - This is a nuisance suit.

He's asking for $600,000 and betting we don't want to go to court.

- No, we don't want this case in court. - Neither does he. That's where he loses.

He's scared to death to go to court. We only have to call his bluff.

I want to settle and be done with it. I don't want the archdiocese exposed, Mr Alito.

No. Absolutely. And we're going to see that it's not.

So, what I want to do is stop it here.

I'm going to make him an offer myself. I want it to come from me.

All right. But let's keep the price down.

I called Ed Concannon.

He recommends we continue to respond as if we're going to trial.

If we were to go to trial, would we win the case?

Well, of course it's always dangerous.

I know that answer. Would we win?

Yes.

Dr Gruber?

Yes. Galvin, right?

Well... well, I sure appreciate a man as busy as you are...

It's perfectly all right. Look, I'm kinda rushed.

Do you mind if we walk while we talk?

I read the hospital report on your client.

Deborah Ann Kaye? They called. They want to settle. It's just a matter of jacking 'em up.

- Who called? - The archdiocese. They wanna settle.

- And you're gonna do that? - Yeah.

- You're gonna settle out of court? - Well, yeah.

Why?

In the interests of her family. And you, Doctor.

You can never tell what a jury's gonna do. St Catherine's is a renowned institution.

- Her doctors are... - Her doctors killed her.

- I'm sorry? - Her doctors killed her.

They gave her the wrong an aesthetic, and she drowned in her own vomit.

- The doctors murdered her. - Do you know who her doctors were?

Yeah, I read the file. Marx and Towler. I know who they were.

- Two of the most respected... - I thought you wanted to do something.

I've no interest in the woman's estate.

No of fence, we all know where the money is going.

I have an interest in hospitals. I don't want those bozos in the same profession as me.

They gave her the wrong an aesthetic, they killed her and her kid, and you caught 'em.

You want a cigar?

No, thank you. The hospital's owned by the archdiocese...

What are they gonna do? Not invite me to their birthday party?

Look, I'm sorry I'm rushing, but I have to be in Cambridge.

When can we get together again and get a deposition?

OK. We'll meet here Tuesday night.

I gotta go. Are you goin' my way?

OK. But we're gonna have to keep you under wraps, you know.

- You can't discuss the case. - I understand.

You're gonna meet me here on Tuesday. We'll go over your testimony.

Right. Seven o'clock in the locker rooms.

- I got it. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - My pleasure.

Why are you doin' this?

To do the right thing. Isn't that why you're doing it?

Whoo-ha!

Sorry. Nobody ever stood here since 1952.

Give me a Bushmill. Who are the civilians?

Lousy weather, good for business, Frankie. There you go.

- Would you like a drink? - I'd like an apartment.

Would you settle for a drink?

No. Thank you.

I had a good day today.

Let me at 'em.

Gentlemen...

- To ya. - To ya. To ya.

I cut myself so badly shaving this morning, my eyes almost cleared up.

- Bad? - (laughter)

I'm glad you had a good day.

- Good night. - Thank you.