The Verdict

Mickey Morrissey passes a medical malpractice case involving Deborah Ann Kaye to Frank Galvin. The victim is left comatose after anesthesia during childbirth at a Catholic hospital. Galvin, a famed alcoholic ambulance chaser, senses a chance for redemption and begins to study the file.

A diocesan representative offers a settlement of 210,000 dollars to resolve the case. Galvin is deeply affected by Kaye's condition and publicly rejects the offer, declaring his intention to take the case to trial. This shocks the defendants and even the judge.

In a bar, Galvin meets Laura Fischer, a divorcée who becomes his romantic interest. The relationship provides a personal lifeline during the stressful lead up to trial. He tries to keep his professional focus on the case.

While preparing the case, Galvin discovers their medical expert disappears and is replaced by a hasty substitute whose credentials are questionable. The lack of witnesses from the delivery room complicates proving negligence.

The hospital's attorney Ed Concannon fields a large, well organized legal team that is adept at shaping media coverage. Their strategy threatens to overwhelm Galvin and influences public opinion about the case.

In chambers, Judge Hoyle threatens Galvin with disbarment and sides with no one. Galvin lashes back, calling Hoyle a Bag Man for the political machine, which only intensifies the confrontation.

Galvin learns that Kaye's admitting nurse Costello altered the eat note. He traces her down and travels to New York City to secure her testimony, hoping to prove the misrecorded admission ahead of the trial.

Morrissey discovers Laura is Concannon's spy and travels to New York to inform Galvin of the betrayal. In New York, Galvin confronts Laura in a bar and strikes her, a moment of personal crisis that tests his judgment.

Back in Boston, Morrissey urges seeking a mistrial due to the ethics violations revealed, but Galvin decides to press on and continue the trial. He remains committed to proving negligence despite the mounting obstacles.

Costello testifies that she originally filled out the admission form as if Kaye had eaten a meal, but later changed it after coercion by higher ups. She also produced a photocopy of the original note to back her claim.

Concannon objects that the original admitting note controls; Hoyle reserves judgment and later agrees, striking Costello's testimony from the record. The bishop asks a pointed question about whether anyone believed Costello, highlighting the ethical stakes.

Galvin delivers an impassioned closing argument, and the jury finds for the plaintiffs. The foreman asks if the award can exceed the requested amount, and Hoyle allows it, acknowledging the case's moral weight.

Galvin is congratulated outside the courtroom and glances at Laura across the atrium, signaling a complicated victory. The win marks a turning point in his career, even as personal relationships remain tangled.

That night, a drunk Laura dials Galvin's office. He sits with a cup of coffee and hesitates to answer as the call rings, leaving their uncertain future unresolved in the quiet hours after the victory.