The Verdict Movie Analysis

The Verdict, starring Paul Newman, portrays legal ethics and justice in a troublesome yet intriguing light. This touching story had its complexities in various forms. There were ethical violations, laws broken and personal values being challenged. It shed light on how discrepancies in the healthcare system can cause a life, and how law in the justice system can easily work for you or against you. One can gain immense perspective after watching this film on how brutal and cutthroat the justice system can be. It was disconcerting to see that “right” or “wrong” doesn’t necessarily determine a verdict. Fortunately in the case of Debra Ann Kaye it did.
Frank Galvin, played by Newman, is an attorney with a troubled career. He has had three cases in the last three years in which he has all lost, and spends most of his time in a bar. The character of Galvin is of good essence however. It was Galvin who witnessed jury tampering from a senior in his firm and when presented, the tables were turned on him. He was accused of the jury tampering and was almost disbarred. This ultimately shattered his career and family. His former colleague, Mickey, hands him this malpractice case to get him on …show more content…
She had proof that Dr. Towler had told her to alter the admissions form from one hour to nine hours when the patient was asked how long ago she ate. Kaitlin sickened by the doctor’s action made a copy of the original form to protect herself. While in trial, the defendant deemed this evidence inadmissible according to the law McGee v. Indiana and the judge agreed. According to the movie, a “copy of an original document is not allowed to an existing original document because it may presume alteration” (The Verdict). Even though the jury could not consider the evidence, the damage was done. Kaitlin’s courageous testimony pushed the jury to make the verdict finding the defendant