The Runaway Jury by John Grisham Essay -- Movie Runaway Jury Grisham E

The Runaway Jury by John Grisham Takes place in Biloxi, Mississippi. MAIN CHARACTERS Nicholas Easter – (real name is Jeff Kerr) Juror that was a plant on the jury. He and his girlfriend Marlee had money motives. Nicholas molded the jury from day one to vote his way. Marlee – (aka Claire Clement - real name is Gabrielle Brant) Nicholas Easter's accomplice on the outside of the courtroom. Rankin Fitch - Ran the show of high-priced lawyers and consultants for the defendant, Pynex (tobacco co.). Directed all the illegal proceedings going on outside the courtroom for the defendant. Durwood Cable - Head lawyer for the defendant team. Wendal Rohr – Plaintiff's, Mrs. Jacob Wood, head lawyer. Judge Frederick Harkin - the presiding justice for this case.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story was about how two very smart and focused individuals who could manipulate a jury and the defense team in a multi-million dollar legal battle to receive a very large cash payment. The defense was Pynex, a tobacco company, and they had very deep pockets and were willing to pay for the correct verdict. A verdict for not guilty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story starts with the very laborious job of jury selection. The tobacco industry has on their payroll a man by the name of Rankin Fitch. Fitch foresees the selection of the lawyers and consultants. Fitch and the consultants foresee the selection of the jurors. Each perspective juror is investigated and watched. The defense as well as the plaintiffs want to secure a verdict so they only want jurors sympathetic to their side. Fitch along with Rohr, the plaintiff's lawyer, also had high priced detectives tailing perspective jurors. Anyone who was the least bit wrong for their cause had to be eliminated from the process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One person both sides couldn't find any information on was Nicholas Easter. He seemed rather neutral which is good for both sides but not being able to find out his past made them nervous. Nicholas had covered his tracks rather well along with Marlee his accomplice. The two of them wanted Nicholas on that jury for personal as well as monetary reasons. Their hard work was paid off because Nicholas along with eleven other people was selected as the jurors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The case had to do with Mr. Jacob Wood. He died in his early fifties from lung cancer. The plaintiff was trying to prove that the lung cancer was directly caused f... ...t she would double their money in days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Nicholas was swaying the jury towards a plaintiff verdict, Fitch was finding out about Marlee's true past. Her mother and father both died of lung cancer and they were heavy smokers. This was Marlee's pay back for her parent's deaths. She got money from Fitch who was the tobacco co. and then doubled it by playing with cigarette stocks. She then would really hit the tobacco co. where it hurts with a large verdict for the plaintiff. It would be a double bang.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The verdict came in, the jury found for the plaintiff $2 million in compensatory damages and $400 million in punitive damages. The vote was 9 to 3 in favor of the plaintiff. Nicholas slipped into the night and had a Learjet take him to Marlee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Six weeks after the trial ended Marlee showed up where Fitch was eating lunch alone. She gave Fitch back the $10 million since she already made her money from using it in the stock market. She explained to him she was returning the money because it wasn't hers and that she did this for her parents. She told Fitch she would always be watching him and if they went to trial again she and Nicholas would be there in some way.