Chapter 4 Chapter One

(after eight months) Massachusetts, Boston Monday, June 5, 2006 9:35 am All rose, and the uniformed court clerk shouted and walked out of the inner court, holding a white scepter in his hand. The judge followed, in a flowing black robe.He was a tall black man with a double chin, curly gray hair, a mustache, and piercing black eyes.He took a quick glance at his domain, then climbed the two steps unhurriedly to the judge's bench.He stood still in front of the table and turned to look at the court.On the left of the courtroom is the American flag, and on the right is the state flag of Massachusetts, both with bald eagles painted on them.This judge is known for his fairness and has profound legal knowledge, but he has a bad temper.In this court, he represents the supreme authority.At this time, the strong morning sunlight shone through the metal panes, shone in from the edge of the blinds, and poured down from his shoulders. His whole body was shrouded in a golden halo, like a pagan god in a classical painting.

Quiet, quiet, quiet, the court clerk had a baritone voice with a Boston accent.The Suffolk Supreme Court in Boston is now in session. Those who are related to the court, please come here, report your name, and state your grievances.God bless Massachusetts.Please sit down! The court clerk's words set off a murmur of the kind that always follows the national anthem at a sporting event.Courtroom No. 314, everyone sat down one after another.The judge tidied up the files and jugs in front of him.cried the clerk at the desk, Patience.Stanhope family sues Craig.Dr. Berman's case is now in court.Presiding Judge Ma Wen.Davidson.

The judge calmly opened the glasses case, took out the rimless reading glasses, and put them on the tip of his nose.Then he glanced at the plaintiff's seat from above the glasses, and said: Please state the names of the defense lawyers of both parties for the record.Unlike court clerks, he spoke without an accent and in a deeper voice. Anthony.Fasano, Your Honor, the plaintiff's lawyer replied quickly, with an accent that resembled court documents.He barely stood up from the chair, as if carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders.But most people call me Tony.His finger points to the right.I represent the plaintiff, Jordan.Mr. Stanhope.Then he pointed to the left.This is my right hand man, Renee.Ms Rylf.After speaking, he quickly sat down, looking very shy and not wanting to be the focus of everyone's attention.

Judge Davidson moved his gaze to the dock. Randolph.Bingham, Your Honor, said the defendant's attorney.Unlike plaintiffs' attorneys, he spoke slowly, emphasizing every syllable, and spoke fluently.I represent Craig.Doctor Berman.My assistant is Mark.Mr Cavendish. I think you are ready for court, Judge Davidson said. Tony just nodded in agreement.Instead, Randolph stood up and said the defense had filed several routine motions. The judge gave him a glare, indicating that he neither liked nor needed being reminded to deal with pretrial motions.He lowered his head, dipped his index finger on the tip of his tongue, and started flipping through the files in his hand.His actions showed that he was annoyed, as if Randolph's words had awakened in him his usual disdain for lawyers.He cleared his throat, denying the motion to dismiss.Moreover, the court believed that the witnesses and evidence submitted by both parties were not excessively bloody or complicated, and would not affect the jury's understanding, so the motion to prevent prejudice was rejected.He looked up, gave Randolph another look, as if to say I'm making you mess up, and then turned his gaze to the court clerk.Call the jurors to court!There's still business to do.Judge Davidson is famous for his quick fixes.

As soon as the words fell, there was a burst of whispering from the auditorium, but it didn't last long.The clerk quickly drew sixteen names from the list of candidate jurors, and then the court clerk went to the candidate juror waiting area to pick up the selected people.Within minutes, the sixteen were ushered into court and sworn to tell the truth.Jurors are diverse and diverse, with an almost equal ratio of men to women.Although mostly white, there are other minorities as well.About three-quarters were well dressed and half were businessmen.Others wear everything, T-shirts, tracksuits, denim, sandals, and hip-hop.Some clothes must be lifted from time to time so as not to slip off.Several experienced candidate jurors brought their own newspapers and magazines, and a middle-aged woman even brought a hardcover book.Some people were stunned by the atmosphere in the courtroom, while others looked disdainful.Candidate jurors walked into the jury box one after another and took their seats.

Judge Davidson made a brief speech, first thanking the candidate jurors for fulfilling their civic duties and telling them how important it is to help find out the truth.He went on to briefly describe the screening process, though he knew someone in the jury office had already explained it to them.Then he began to ask a series of questions to test the impartiality of the jurors, hoping to eliminate those jurors with special prejudices, so as not to affect the interests of the plaintiff or the defendant.He emphasized that the purpose of doing so is to achieve justice in the end. Justice, bullshit!Craig.Berman said to himself.He took a deep breath and changed his sitting position.He hadn't realized that he was so nervous, and his hands had already clenched into fists on his knees before he knew it.He raised his hand, put it on the table, supported it with his arms, and leaned forward with his upper body.He spread his fingers, stretching as far as possible.He was wearing his most conservative gray suit, white shirt and tie.These are the attorney Randolph S., sitting on his right.Bingham specifically urged.

The lawyer also urged Craig to try to keep his facial expression as calm as possible, even though he knew it was difficult to be peaceful in such an embarrassing situation.He needs to appear dignified, respectful (who knows what that means) and humble, never arrogant or angry.This was especially difficult because he was so angry about the whole thing.The lawyer also asked him to draw the jurors' attention, look them in the eye, and treat them as if they were his acquaintances and friends.Craig glanced at the juror candidates, amused to himself.It's a big joke to let these people decide his fate.His eyes rested on the face of a female juror.The person looked homeless, with locks of blond hair covering her elf-pale face.She was wearing an oversized Patriots tracksuit with sleeves so long that only her fingertips were visible.She kept parting the hair that covered her face and pulled it to the sides so as not to block her view.

Craig sighed.The past eight months have been hell.When he got the subpoena last fall, he felt that the case was difficult to handle, and it turned out to be worse than he expected.First, there were question after question one after another, going over every aspect of his life.Interrogation is scary enough, forensics is even worse. Craig leaned forward to get a better look at Tony in the plaintiff's box.Fasano.Craig hated a few people in his life, but never to such a degree. Even Tony's appearance and clothes were not pleasing to his eyes.The guy always wore smart gray suits, black shirts, black ties, and heavy gold jewellery.Craig thinks Tony.Fasano looked like a crappy mafia rookie.This laity represents today's group of ambulance-chasing lawyers who specialize in medical malpractice lawsuits, who use other people's disasters as opportunities to make money for themselves, and take the opportunity to blackmail wealthy insurance companies who are unwilling to pay.What made Craig even more disgusting was that he advertised it as a selling point on his website, without even considering that such a lawsuit might ruin a physician's career.

Craig's eyes moved back to the dock. Randolph was watching the jury oath ceremony, his profile showing aristocratic temperament.Randolph has a straight, slightly aquiline nose, a bit like Tony in that part, but in a completely different way.When Tony looked at people, his eyes always peeked out from under his dark bushy eyebrows, the tip of his nose was downcast, and there was a cruel smirk at the corner of his mouth.Randolph's nose is always pointed forward, maybe a little bit up, and some people may think that he looks a bit arrogant when looking at people.Tony's lips are thick, and he licks his tongue from time to time to keep them moist while talking.Randolph's lips were a thin line, hardly lip-shaped.When he speaks, no one can see his tongue.In short, Randolph represents the rigorous and sophisticated Boston literati; Tony is young and energetic, like a fairground juggler or a villain.The contrast pleased Craig at first.But looking at the jury candidates now, he couldn't help but wonder if Tony's style was more resonant, and therefore more convincing.Thinking of this, Craig became even more nervous.

That's not all that made him nervous.Despite Randolph's reassurances, the case did not go well.Of particular note is that the Massachusetts statutory arbitration body has actually ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.After hearing from both parties, the agency ruled that there was sufficient and well-substantiated evidence of medical malpractice for the court to take the case.The ruling also showed that the plaintiff Jordan.Stanhope is not required to post a security deposit. The day when the ruling was handed down was the darkest day before Craig's trial. For the first time in his life, he had the idea of ​​suicide, although no one knew it.Randolph comforted him as usual, telling him not to take it seriously, and not to give up after a little setback.But how could he not be serious?The ruling was handed down jointly by judges, lawyers and fellow physicians.These aren't high school dropouts or dumb blue-collar workers; these are professionals.These people felt that his treatment was improper, that is to say, his treatment method was not professional enough, which was a fatal blow to Craig's sense of honor and dignity.He tried his best to be the best doctor all his life, and he succeeded.This can be proved by the grades in medical school, the evaluation during the residency in the best hospital in the country can prove it, and the invitation of a doctor with excellent reputation to join his practice can prove it.But now, these professionals say he is incompetent.He truly felt that all his worth and self-esteem had collapsed in an instant, and his reputation was at stake.

In addition to the ruling of the arbitration institution, other things also make him feel that the prospects are not optimistic.From the very beginning, before the questioning was even over, Randolph suggested repeatedly that he try to reconcile with his wife Alexis and move out of his leisure apartment in the city (Randolph's version) and move back to Newton with his family. live.Randolph felt that the jury might not be too receptive to Craig's new life of indulgence (his account).Although Craig felt he had to rely on his family to do so, he felt that Randolph was very experienced, so he followed his advice exactly.Alexis agreed to let him go home, but in the guest room, which he was content and grateful for.She expressed tolerance and support to Craig, and today she even sat in the gallery to help him out.Craig turned unconsciously and looked Alexis in the eye.She was a psychiatrist at Boston Memorial Hospital and wore natural business attire, a white shirt and blue cardigan.Craig smiled unnaturally, and she saw it, and smiled unnaturally. Craig turned his attention back to jury screening.A shabby-dressed accountant tried to evade jury duty on the pretext of being busy with work, but was severely reprimanded by the judge.The accountant claimed that the client could not leave him for a week because the judge speculated that the trial would last a week based on the witness list, most of which were witnesses for the plaintiff.Judge Davidson relentlessly accused him of civic conscience but let him go, replaced by another alternate juror, and the selection continued. Alexis's generosity and generosity have contributed to a more harmonious atmosphere in the family over the past eight months.Craig believes this is firstly because she is more mature, and secondly because she is a psychologist.Craig knew that, had it been the other way around, and he had been in Alexis' shoes, the atmosphere in the house would probably have been unbearable.Looking back now, Craig feels that his so-called awakening period was actually trying to become another person, which was very naive.He was destined to be a doctor, which was arranged by God, not to be a literati.At the age of four, his mother gave him a set of doctor toys.He always remembered the precocious earnestness he showed when he gave his mother and brother injections.His talent as a clinician was manifested at that time.Although in the first year of college and medical school, he felt that he was suitable for basic medical research.He later discovered that he had a talent for clinical diagnosis, which also impressed his superiors and made him very happy.When he graduated from medical school, he knew he would be a clinician with some research on the side, not the other way around. While Alexis and his two young daughters (Megan, eleven, and Kristina, ten) forgave and understood him, Tracey was a different story.Fifteen years old and a painful adolescent herself, she has openly stated that she has been unable to forgive Craig for abandoning her family for six months.Perhaps in order to express dissatisfaction with her father, she had several rebellious behaviors, took drugs, did not come home after the lights-out time, and even sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night.Alexis was worried, but after talking to Tracy a few times, she believed that sooner or later the kid would turn around.Alexis tells Craig not to interfere for now.Craig gladly complied, because he wouldn't have known how to deal with this kind of thing without the lawsuit, let alone the fact that all his energies and emotions were now so entangled in his own disaster that he had no time for anything else. Judge Davidson struck out two more juror candidates.One who is openly hostile to insurance companies, who thinks they're skimming the country: All right, bye.The other's cousin was a former patient of Craig's at the hospital.He had heard that Craig was a very good doctor.Several other juror candidates were dropped because lawyers began using their right of challenge without cause.Tony takes out a well-dressed businessman, and Randolph takes out a young black man in exaggerated hip-hop attire.The court selected four more jurors from the pool to take oath.Screening continues. Having to deal with Tracy's hatred hurts Craig a lot.But compared to Lian Na's attitude, these are nothing.She became a jilted mistress and had to find another apartment to move out, so she was very vindictive.This attitude of hers made the office uneasy, and Craig was in a dilemma.He dared not fire her.The maltreatment lawsuit hadn't been settled yet, and he was afraid of causing another sex discrimination lawsuit, so he had to try his best to coordinate the relationship with Lian Na.He couldn't understand why Lianna herself didn't resign, because her conflicts with Marlene and Darlene had already been made public.Every day, Marlene and Darlene are clamoring to resign, and the crisis continues.Craig couldn't let them go, he needed them now more than ever.Now he has been tossed about by the lawsuit and is mentally and physically very fragile, unable to practice medicine at all.He felt that every patient might sue him, so he couldn't concentrate.From the day he received the citation, he has had bouts of anxiety that have made his already sensitive stomach even more vulnerable, causing heartburn and diarrhea.Worst of all was insomnia, and he had to start taking sleeping pills, which made him wake up each day feeling a bit sluggish instead of refreshed.Anyway, he's a mess right now.The only good thing is that because of his lack of appetite, he did not regain the weight he lost through fitness.However, the sallow flab on his face had returned, and with the dark circles and sunken eye sockets, he looked worse than ever. Craig has been overwhelmed by Lianna's behavior in the office.Not only that, but she also played a disgraceful role in the lawsuit.The first time he realized the seriousness of the problem was to find her appearing in Tony.Fasano's witness list.He didn't know how bad the situation was until the evidence was collected.The experience was painful for him, and he fully realized how much she hated him.Not only that, she also ridiculed him for not being powerful enough as a man, which made him feel very embarrassed. Before the evidence collection, Craig confessed to Randolph the details of his affair with Lena, so that Randolph would be mentally prepared to know what questions to ask.He also mentioned that on the night he received the subpoena, he talked irresponsibly about his views on the deceased.But there were some things he still didn't tell Randolph.I don't know if it's because of hatred, or if she really has a good memory, Lianna reminded Craig about Patience that night.Stanhope recited almost verbatim what he said.Including how he hated the woman, called her a hypochondriac, a slut, and said it would be better for everyone if she died.After Lian Na finished speaking, even Randolph, who was always optimistic about the outcome of the lawsuit, was quite shocked.As he and Craig left Fasano's office on Hanover Avenue in Boston's North End that day, Randolph was more silent and serious than ever. She can't help me with this case, can she?Craig asked, secretly praying his fears were unnecessary. I hope you have nothing else to hide from me, Randolph replied.Your remarks have turned this lawsuit into a sailing against the current.You haven't said anything like that to anyone else have you? No. Thank God! When they got into Randolph's car, Craig admitted he hated Randolph's condescending attitude.Then he gradually realized that he actually hated having to rely on lawyers.Craig has always dealt with things by himself, facing any difficulties alone, and now all this has changed.He couldn't handle it alone.He needs Randolph.Therefore, in the eight months before the trial, his impression of the defense lawyer was up and down, and he was greatly affected by the lawsuit. Craig heard Randolph snort in displeasure. It turned out that Tony had removed a well-dressed nursing home supervisor with the no-cause recusal clause.Randolph's long fingers tapped impatiently on the yellow notepad.As if in retaliation, Randolph then culls the homeless man in the oversized tracksuit.The court selected two more jurors from the pool to take oath.Screening continues. Craig moved closer to the lawyer and asked in a low voice what he should do if he wanted to go to the bathroom.His anxiety had affected his oversensitive bladder.Randolph told him it was all right, as long as he went himself.Craig nodded and pushed back his chair.He walked across the partition between the trial area and the public gallery, feeling all eyes on him, feeling extremely awkward.He just nodded to Alexis.With others, he tries to avoid eye contact. The men's restroom was old fashioned and smelled of old urine.A few unshaven men loitered by the sink, talking in low voices and looking suspicious.Craig hurried into a cubicle to avoid contact with them.The bathroom stank, the walls were covered in graffiti, and the mosaic floor was in disrepair. Craig felt that this place was very similar to his life now.He has a stomach upset now, and he fears he'll have to frequent the place for the rest of the trial, despite the depressing circumstances. He pulled a length of toilet paper and wiped the toilet seat.After he sat down, he began to think about Lianna's testimony.While this may be the most unfavorable testimony so far, it's not the worst from a purely emotional standpoint.The worst was Tony.Experts invited by Fasano and his own testimony.To Craig's dismay, Tony had no trouble finding a sizable number of local experts willing to testify, all of whom he knew and respected, and who knew him too.The first person to testify was Madeleine, a cardiologist who helped him with artificial respiration in the emergency room at that time.Mattie.The second witness is William.Dr. Tudolph, Chief of Cardiology at Newton Memorial Hospital.The third, and the one that upset Craig the most, was Herman.Dr. Brown, Chief of Cardiology at Boston Memorial Hospital and Chair of the Department of Cardiology at Harvard Medical School.All three have confirmed that the first few minutes after a heart attack are critical to a patient's survival.All three agreed that it was common sense that the patient should be taken to the hospital immediately, and that any delay would be unwise at this point.All three of them believed that since the patient had symptoms of myocardial infarction, it was not advisable to go to the clinic at this time.Still, Randolph got the trio to admit that Craig couldn't pinpoint the condition and make a diagnosis until he saw the patient.Randolph also got two of the three to admit that Craig was willing to go out to the clinic before his illness was confirmed, and he was in good spirits.Both testimonies are on the record. Unlike Craig, Randolph did not care about the testimony of the experts and handled it calmly.Craig cared because these physicians were respected peers.Craig felt that their willingness to be witnesses for the prosecution was a public criticism of his professional reputation.Especially Herman.Doctor Brown.He was a supervising physician at the Craig School of Medicine and an attending physician during his residency.Craig had been praised many times by Dr. Brown when he was a student, so his criticism and condemnation hurt him especially now.Worst of all, Craig couldn't find a local counterpart willing to testify for him. While the expert testimony had already distressed Craig, his own testimony was even more troubling.He himself felt that this was the most annoying and painful experience in his life.The process of Craig's evidence collection was overthrown by Tony.For two days, Fasanola looked like a senator giving a long speech to delay a vote on a bill.Randolph predicted that Craig might have difficulties in advance, and he also conducted special training for him.He advised Craig to wait a moment after hearing the question before answering, so that he could object as appropriate.Before answering, carefully consider all aspects that may be involved in the question, and answer calmly, and do not take the initiative to answer if the plaintiff did not ask.Most importantly, don't be arrogant and don't quarrel with others.There was only so much advice Randolph could offer, since he had never had a relationship with Tony.Fasano fought.Tony specializes in personal injury cases and this is his first malpractice case. Craig's evidence collection process was carried out in his luxurious office at 50 State Street, Randolph, with the Boston pier outside the window, and the view was excellent.Tony's attitude was okay at first, not very pleasant, but at least not hostile, just the tone of a juggler at the fairground.He even told a couple of non-case-related jokes that only amused the court clerk.But soon the juggler's face is put away and replaced by a villain.He began to stare at the details of Craig's work and private life, attacking and accusing him constantly, and Craig's fragile defense began to collapse.Randolph objected at the right time, and even offered to take a break at the critical juncture, but Tony finally pushed Craig to the point where he couldn't bear it.Even though he knew he shouldn't get angry, Craig did get angry, very angry.Next, he violated all of Randolph's advice, and threw all his advice into the background.The worst scene happened after lunch the next day.Despite Randolph warning Craig again at lunch not to lose control, Craig agrees to follow his advice.But soon, under Tony's ridiculous accusations one after another, Craig fell into the same trap again. Wait a moment!Craig yelled angrily.you listen to me. Please, Tony shot back.I'm all ears. I did make some mistakes in my career.All physicians are the same.Available at Patience.I was right about Stanhope!Absolutely! Yeah?Tony asked haughtily.What do you mean by error? I thought it would be better to take a break, and Randolph intervened. I don't need a damn break, Craig cried.I need the bastard to understand, even for a second, what it's like to be a physician: what it's like to be in the trenches on the front lines, dealing with sick people and hypochondriacs. But our purpose is not to educate Mr. Fasano, Randolph said.What he believes has nothing to do with the case. The so-called mistakes are doing stupid things. Craig ignored Randolph, leaned forward, and brought his face closer to Tony’s. examine. Or keep critically ill patients who can't breathe from going to the hospital instead of some goddamn clinic so they can get to the concert? The men's bathroom door slammed shut, and Craig came back to reality.He hoped his small intestine would get through this morning without incident.He got up, put on his suit, and went out to wash his hands.He looked in the mirror while washing and was taken aback by his own image.He's in much worse shape now than he was before going to the gym, and now that the trial has just started, he doesn't think it's likely to change anytime soon.Thinking of his disastrous performance during the forensics, he felt that the next week would be very long and stressful.After that setback, he didn't need Randolph to tell him how badly he played.Randolph's attitude was very kind, but suggested that he needed more training before testifying in court.Before leaving Randolph's office that day, Craig pulled him aside and looked him in the eye.I have something to tell you, he insisted.Like I told Fasano, I've made mistakes, even though I really did my best to be a good physician.Available at Patience.I was not at fault or dereliction of duty in the matter of Stanhope. I know, Randolph said.Believe me, I can understand your desperation and pain.I promise, no matter what, I will do my best to convince the jury. Craig returned to the courtroom and took his seat again.The screening process is over and the jury is seated.Judge Davidson was speaking, reminding jurors to turn off their cell phones and explaining to them the civil trial procedure that would follow.He told the jurors that the decision in the case was entirely theirs, which meant that they would decide all the facts.At the conclusion of the trial, he will pay them accordingly under the appropriate legal terms within his purview.He thanked them again for their service.Then he looked at Tony over the glasses.Fasano. Are plaintiffs ready?asked Judge Davidson.Just now he told the jurors that the trial will begin with the opening statement from the plaintiff's lawyer. Wait a minute, Your Honor, Tony said.He turned sideways and whispered something to his assistant, Ms. Rylf.She nodded as she listened, then handed him a stack of cards. Taking advantage of this short interval, Craig began to attract the attention of the jurors, as Randolph suggested.He looked at each juror in turn, trying to make eye contact.As he did so, he hoped his expression would not give away his true thoughts.In his opinion, this group of rabble is not worthy to decide his fate.A nonchalant, muscular firefighter in a spotless white T-shirt.Several housewives, after the battle just now, looked quite excited.A retired teacher, with faded blond hair, looks like everyone's idea of ​​a grandmother.An overweight plumber's assistant in jeans and a dirty T-shirt had one foot on the railing in front of the jury box.Standing in stark contrast to him is a well-dressed young man in a tan linen jacket with a crimson square scarf in the breast pocket.Next came a prim female nurse, of Asian descent, with her hands folded on her knees.Then there were two small, hand-to-mouth businessmen in polyester suits, obviously bored and angry at being forced to do jury duty.Another brokerage looked much better economically.He sat in the back row, directly behind the businessman. Craig looked at the jurors one by one, and the despair in his heart continued to increase.Except for the Asian nurse, no one wants to make eye contact with him, even just for a moment.He couldn't help but feel that it was almost impossible for anyone other than the nurse to understand what it was like to be a doctor these days.When he realized this, and thought of his own performance during the evidence collection process, coupled with the testimony that Lianna was about to present, as well as the testimony of the plaintiff's expert witness, the hope of winning this lawsuit was slim at best.In the past eight months, he has experienced anxiety, sadness, helplessness, and insomnia, and he keeps replaying the whole process in his mind.The status quo is indeed depressing, but compared to the suffering of eight months, this is a perfect ending.Craig realized that the whole thing had taken a toll on him, having robbed him of his self-confidence, his sense of justice, his self-esteem, and even his passion for practicing medicine.He sat there, looking at the jurors, thinking that no matter what the final outcome of the lawsuit, he would never be the same doctor he had been.