The Verdict - Plot

Plot

Frank Galvin (Paul Newman), once a promising graduate of Boston College Law School and a lawyer at an elite Boston law firm, is now an alcoholic ambulance chaser who has lost all of his four cases over the last three years. As a favor, his former partner and friend Mickey (Jack Warden) throws him a medical malpractice case where it's all but assured that the defense will settle for a large amount. The case involves a young mother who was possibly administered the wrong anesthetic and is now in a coma. Her sister and brother-in-law are hoping for a settlement to properly care for the victim, and Frank assures them they have a strong case. Meanwhile, Frank becomes romantically involved with a woman he meets at a local bar, Laura.

Frank visits the coma-stricken young mother and is deeply affected. He then meets with the defendants: the Archdiocese of Boston, who run the Catholic hospital where the incident took place. As expected, the archdiocese offers a fairly substantial amount of money to settle out of court, but Frank declines the offer, as he fears that this may be his last chance to do something right as a lawyer, and that merely taking the handout would render him "lost." Everyone, including the presiding judge and the mother's relatives, is stunned by Frank's decision.

Things quickly go wrong for Frank: his clients' brother-in-law finds out from "the other side" that he has turned down a $200,000 settlement, and angrily confronts Frank; his star medical expert disappears; a hastily arranged substitute's credentials and testimony are called into serious question on the witness stand; his opponent—the high-priced attorney Ed Concannon (James Mason)—has at his disposal a large legal team that is masterful with the press; the presiding judge (Milo O'Shea) takes great strides to obstruct Frank's questioning; and any witnesses present in the operating room refuse to testify about what, if anything, went wrong.

While looking for cigarettes in Laura's handbag, Mickey discovers a cheque from Concannon—evidently she's a spy providing information on Frank's legal strategy to the opposition. When he is informed of this, an enraged Frank strikes Laura in the face with great force on their next meeting, knocking her to the floor. Even then, when he has the clear opportunity to have the case declared a mistrial, Frank decides to continue to trial.

Frank's big break occurs when he discovers the whereabouts of a lone witness quickly hushed after the incident. Her shattering testimony—that she was forced to change her notes on the admitting form after the incident to hide an egregious error by one of the defendants—stuns the entire courtroom. A distressed Concannon's attempts at discrediting her, serve only to further cement her veracity, even after the judge declares her testimony stricken from the record on legal technicalities. Frank delivers a brief but moving closing argument, beseeching the jury to pursue "truth and justice." When the jury returns, they find for Frank's client and then ask whether they are limited to the amount sought by the plaintiffs. When the presiding judge resignedly replies they are not, it is implied the award will far exceed expectations.

As Frank is congratulated by his clients, Mickey, and colleagues and strangers alike, he catches a glimpse of Laura watching him from afar. The final shot is of Frank deeply contemplating his new and unfamiliarly bright lease on life, ignoring his telephone's continuous ringing from a call from Laura.