The Verdict Monologues

An outcast, alcoholic Boston lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.

You know, so much of the time we're just lost. We say, "Please, God, tell us what is right; tell us what is true." And there is no justice: the rich win, the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie. And after a time, we become dead… a little dead. We think of ourselves as victims… and we become victims. We become… we become weak. We doubt ourselves, we doubt our beliefs. We doubt our institutions. And we doubt the law. But today you are the law. You ARE the law. Not some book… not the lawyers… not the, a marble statue… or the trappings of the court. See those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are… they are, in fact, a prayer: a fervent and a frightened prayer. In my religion, they say, "Act as if ye had faith… and faith will be given to you." IF… if we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. And ACT with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts.

That that poor girl put her trust into the... into the hands of two men who took her life. She's in a coma. Her life is gone. She has no home, no family. She's tied to a machine. She has no friends. And the people who should care for her - her doctors... and you and me - have been bought off to look the other way. We've been paid to look the other way. I came here to take your money. I brought snapshots to show you so I could get your money. I can't do it; I can't take it. 'Cause if I take the money I'm lost. I'll just be a... rich ambulance chaser. I can't do it. I can't take it.

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 and they take you in the back room - they get you laid… Mike says, "Now wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Do you mean to say there's a new bar and you go inside and for a half a buck they give you a beer, a free lunch and they take you in the back room and they get you laid?" Pat says, "That's right." "Have you ever been in the bar?" And he says, "No, but me sister has."

You couldn't hack it as a lawyer. You were a bag man for the boys downtown and you still are, I know about you.

I'm an attorney on trial before the bar. Representing my client. MY client, do you understand? You open your mouth and you're losing my case for me.

No, no, you listen to me. All I wanted in this case is an even shake. You rushed me into court in five days… my star witness disappears, I can't get a continuance, and I don't give a damn. I'm going up there and I'm going to try it. Let the jury decide. They told me Sweeney he's a hard-ass, he's a defendant's judge. I don't care. I said, the hell with it. The hell with it. I'll take my chances he'll be fair.

And don't give me this shit, 'I was a lawyer, too.' 'Cause I know who you were. You couldn't hack it as a lawyer. You were Bag Man for the Boys and you still are. I know who you are.

Damn right I'm done. I'm going to ask for a mistrial. I'm going to request that you disqualify yourself from sitting on this case. I'm going to take a transcript to the State and ask that they impeach your ass!

The court doesn't exist to give them justice? The court exist to give them a *chance* at justice.

It's just a shame that happened to your husband, Mrs. Dee. 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 - in any way.

The weak. The weak have got to have somebody to fight for them. Ain't that the truth? You want another drink?

You see, the jury wants to believe. I mean, the jury wants to believe. It is something to see. I got to go down there tomorrow and pick out twelve 'em. All of 'em, all of their lives, saying, "It's a sham. It's rigged. You can't fight City Hall." But, when they step into that jury box, I mean, you can just barely see it in their eyes, "Maybe. Maybe."