Page 100 of Maddy's Justice

“Minimal,” Marc interrupted.

Jacobson gave Marc a raised eyebrow look clearly warning him to wait his turn.

“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted,” Quinn said starting up again while ignoring the fact that she was the one who started it. “The odds of there being more victims is extremely high. These women have a right to compensation. It is quite normal to have the defendant set aside a pool of money for future claims. To be sure that their victims are compensated. We need their financials to be able to come up with a sum to do this.”

Marc started to stand but Jacobson waved him back down while he thought it over.

“You have a point but not a good one,” Jacobson told Quinn. “When you bring a civil suit for monetary damages you run the risk of the defendant’s ability to pay it if you prevail. Plus, in this case, the defendants have rightfully pointed out that what you are asking for has a another more serious problem. For the defendant to comply, there could be the potential for significant breaches of privilege. Bring me the names of women who might become plaintiffs and I’ll reconsider.”

“Women who are sexually abused and harassed are often not willing to come forward. They have to be convinced,” Quinn said.

“I know that, and I am not unsympathetic. To be blunt, there is not much I can do about that. Anything else, Ms. Quinn?”

“No, your Honor,” she dejectedly replied.

“Mr. Kadella, Ms. Mickelson? Be brief, you’ve won. Don’t mess it up,” Jacobson told them.

“No, your Honor,” Marc replied.

“Now, I’m addressing both of you and Ms. Stewart and Mr. Spenser sitting in the front row I assume on behalf of the defendant law firm. How much more of this are we going to have to deal with?”

“How much more of what, your Honor?” Marc ingenuously asked.

Jacobson shot him a stern look and said, “I’m not amused, Mr. Kadella. How much more squabbling over discovery?”

“We are doing the best we can, your Honor,” Connie said. “She had also asked for a lot of irrelevant and privileged material.”

Jacobson turned to Quinn and said, “She’s right, you have. Both of you need to stop this. When are you going to start taking depositions?”

“I’m working up a schedule now, your Honor,” Quinn said. “Probably within a couple of weeks.”

“Mr. Spenser, Ms. Stewart,” Jacobson said, “Let’s try our best to be accommodating, shall we?”

“Of course, your Honor,” Cliff Spenser said.

“Let’s go in here,” Marc said to Melanie and Cliff Spenser indicating the jury room. He looked at the judge’s clerk, pointed at the door to the jury room and she said, “Sure, go ahead.”

Marc looked at Philo who said, “I’m gonna talk to Lori Quinn. If you want me to hear your side, I’ll wait.”

“Call me later,” Marc said.

“I have to have this in by three,” Philo said.

“You do not. It isn’t that timely. Call me around four.”

When they were all seated Marc said to Connie, “Go ahead.”

“We need to get serious about a settlement,” Connie told them.

“I thought it could wait until after depositions,” Cliff said.

“There are more women out there and you know it. She’s looking for them. If she starts finding them, she told me she’ll ask for a settlement pool of a hundred million. She may not get that much but it will be close,” Connie said.

“Even if future claims don’t take it all, it could sit there for years earning one to two percent interest,” Melanie said.

“How much?” Cliff asked.

“To settle? She turned down five hundred each,” Connie said. “I’ll ask her but her opening bid is going to be a lot.”

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