Sycamore Row - John Grisham

“They are.”
“Then let’s proceed.”
With the jurors so deeply in his pocket, the last thing Wade Lanier wanted to do was
to bore them. He had made the decision to streamline his case and get to the jury as
soon as possible. He and Lester Chilcott had mapped out the rest of the trial. They would
spend Thursday calling their remaining witnesses. If Jake had anything left, he would
then be permitted to call rebuttal witnesses. Both lawyers would deliver their closing
arguments mid-morning on Friday, and the jurors would get the case just after lunch.
With the weekend looming, and with their minds already made up, they should finish
and deliver a verdict long before the courthouse closed at five. Wade and Lester would
be in Jackson in time for a late dinner with their wives.
As seasoned lawyers, they should have known better than to plan the rest of the trial.
Their first witness Thursday morning was a retired oncologist from Jackson, a Dr.
Swaney. For decades he had worked as a practicing physician while teaching at the
medical school. His résumé was impeccable, as were his manners, and he spoke with a
deep backcountry drawl that carried no pretensions. He was thoroughly credible and
believable. Using as few medical terms as possible, Dr. Swaney explained to the jury the
type of cancer that was killing Seth Hubbard, with emphasis on the tumors that
metastasized to his spinal cord and ribs. He described the intense pain involved with
such tumors. He had treated hundreds of patients with a similar condition, and it created
some of the worst pain imaginable. Demerol was certainly one of the most effective
drugs available. An oral dosage of a hundred milligrams every three to four hours was
not uncommon and would alleviate some of the pain. It usually rendered the patient
drowsy, sluggish, dizzy, often nauseous, and unable to carry out many routine functions.
Driving was certainly out of the question. And, obviously, important decisions should
never be made while under the influence of that much Demerol.
As a younger lawyer, Jake had learned the futility of arguing with a true expert. A
bogus expert often provided the opportunity for some real carnage before the jury, but
not so with witnesses like Dr. Swaney. On cross, Jake made it clear that Seth Hubbard’s
own treating physician, Dr. Talbert, was not certain how much Demerol Seth was taking
in the days before his death. The witness agreed it was all speculation, but politely
reminded Jake that patients rarely buy more of an expensive drug if they’re not using it.
The next expert was another medical doctor, a Dr. Niehoff, from the medical school at
UCLA. Small-town juries are easily impressed with experts who travel great distances to
spend time with them, and no one knew this better than Wade Lanier. An expert from
Tupelo would have their attention, while one from Memphis would be even more
believable. But bring in the same guy from California and the jury would hang on every
word.
For $10,000 of Wade Lanier’s money, plus expenses, Dr. Niehoff explained to the jury
that he had spent the last twenty-five years researching and treating pain in cancer