Wrongful Death: The AIDS Trial

by Stephen Davis

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sarah waits until the tidal wave of reporters has passed and disappeared out the door. She then bucks the bit of remaining oncoming traffic, trying to make her way to the front of the courtroom, hoping to speak with Benjamin Messick. As she approaches the rail separating the spectators from the attorneys and trial participants, she has to pass the defense table where Crawley and others of his team, along with Dr. Gallo, are in the middle of a heated conversation, which Sarah easily overhears.

  “I thought you said she was on our side?” It was Crawley chastising Dr. Gallo.

  One of Gallo’s lackeys from the row behind jumps to his defense. “I was told she was. Someone must have gotten to her.” He turns to one of his assistants standing on the outside of the group. “Call the CDC and make sure she doesn't have a job come Monday.”

  With that, Sarah decides she wants to hear more and pauses, pretending to be searching for something in her purse.

  “Well, that's it. I'm not getting up to cross-examine anybody else based on your recommendations.” Crawley is still steamed at Gallo. “From now on I need to know myself for a fact what they're going to say. My god, that's the first thing you learn in law school. How could I let you...?” He looks at Gallo and shakes his head.

  One of the younger lawyers – the newest member of Crawley’s personal team – leans to ask Crawley a question.

  “I still don't understand why you didn't cross-examine more witnesses.”

  Crawley can’t let go of his feud with Gallo at the moment, so it’s not the best time to question his tactics.

  “Look, we’ve already made a public statement, based on what Dr. Gallo told me…” the last part being said louder and with emphasis so that Gallo can’t help but hear, “…that Koch's Postulates are archaic and should be ignored. If that’s true…,” again shot in Gallo’s direction, “…then we should also ignore the witnesses talking about Koch's Postulates. How would it look if I said that it didn't matter if HIV doesn't meet Koch's Postulates, and then got up and argued with a witness who was saying that HIV doesn't meet Koch's Postulates? I came damn close to looking like a fool with…what’s her name…Hanover.”

  He suddenly sees Sarah standing close by, perhaps listening to what should be a private conversation.

  “Gentlemen, we should continue this elsewhere.”

  Crawley begins to usher everyone out the side door when Sarah sees that Messick has almost finished packing up and is about to leave as well. She rushes over to speak to him across the rail.

  “Mr. Messick, can I have a word with you?”

  He looks around only briefly. “I have no comment at the moment.”

  “Mr. Messick, I'm Sarah Meadows, health correspondent for the Arizona Tribune newspaper. Please, just a moment of your time...”

  A reporter, I knew it. Messick continues to ignore her, picks up his briefcase and a stack of books, and proceeds toward the door off the opposite side of the courtroom where Crawley and his entourage disappeared, where Sarah can't go.

  “Not now.”

  Sarah tries one more time, and her voice has a ring of desperation.

  “Mr. Messick, I just want to know why?”

  Messick stops for a moment and turns back to look at her. Sarah seizes the opportunity.

  “Why are you doing this?” She made it sound like he was doing it to her, personally.

  Messick looks a little puzzled at the question, almost says something, and then changes his mind and leaves through the door.