jg.thepelicanbrief-第45节

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es　collected　in　Baton　Rouge　paid　the　salaries　of　state　employees。　
　　
　　The　small　bayou　villages　had　been　turned　into　boomtowns。　The　politicians　from　the　governors　down　took　the　oil　money　and　played　along。　All　was　well；　and　so　what　if　some　of　the　marshlands　suffered。　
　　
　　Green　Fund　filed　the　lawsuit　in　the　U。S。　District　Court　in　Lafayette。　A　federal　judge　halted　the　project　pending　a　trial　on　all　issues。　
　　
　　Mattiece　went　over　the　edge。　He　spent　weeks　with　his　lawyers　plotting　and　scheming。　He　would　spare　no　expense　to　win。　Do　whatever　it　took；　he　instructed　them。　Break　any　rule；　violate　any　ethic；　hire　any　expert；　mission　any　study；　cut　any　throat；　spend　any　amount　of　money。　Just　win　the　damned　lawsuit。　
　　
　　Never　one　to　be　seen；　he　assumed　an　even　lower　profile。　He　moved　to　the　Bahamas　and　operated　from　an　armed　fortress　at　Lyford　Cay。　He　flew　to　New　Orleans　once　a　week　to　meet　with　the　lawyers；　then　returned　to　the　island。　
　　
　　Though　invisible　now；　he　made　certain　his　political　contributions　increased。　His　jackpot　was　still　safe　beneath　Terrebonne　Parish；　and　he　would　one　day　extract　it；　but　one　never　knows　when　one　will　be　forced　to　call　in　favors。　
　　
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　　BY　THE　TIME　the　Green　Fund　lawyers；　both　of　them；　had　waded　in　ankle　deep；　they　had　identified　over　thirty　separate　defendants。　Some　owned　land。　Some　did　exploring。　Others　laid　pipe。　Others　drilled。　The　joint　ventures　and　limited　partnerships　and　corporate　associations　were　an　impenetrable　maze。　
　　
　　The　defendants　and　their　legions　of　high…priced　lawyers　answered　with　a　vengeance。　They　filed　a　thick　motion　asking　the　judge　to　dismiss　the　lawsuit　as　frivolous。　Denied。　They　asked　him　to　allow　the　drilling　to　continue　while　they　waited　on　a　trial。　Denied。　They　squealed　with　pain　and　explained　in　another　heavy　motion　how　much　money　was　already　tied　up　in　exploration；　drilling；　etc。　Denied　again。　They　filed　motions　by　the　truckload；　and　when　they　were　all　denied　and　it　was　evident　there　would　one　day　be　a　trial　by　jury；　the　oil　lawyers　dug　in　and　played　dirty。　
　　
　　Luckily　for　Green　Fund's　lawsuit；　the　heart　of　the　new　oil　reserve　was　near　a　ring　of　marshes　that　had　been　for　years　a　natural　refuge　for　waterfowl。　Ospreys；　egrets；　pelicans；　ducks；　cranes；　geese；　and　many　others　migrated　to　it。　Though　Louisiana　has　not　always　been　kind　to　its　land；　it　has　shown　a　bit　more　sympathy　for　its　animals。　Since　the　verdict　would　one　day　be　rendered　by　a　jury　of　average　and　hopefully　ordinary　people；　the　Green　Fund　lawyers　played　heavy　on　the　birds。　
　　
　　The　pelican　became　the　hero。　After　thirty　years　of　insidious　contamination　by　DDT　and　other　pesticides；　the　Louisiana　brown　pelican　perched　on　the　brink　of　extinction。　Almost　too　late；　it　was　classified　as　an　endangered　species；　and　afforded　a　higher　class　of　protection。　Green　Fund　seized　the　majestic　bird；　and　enlisted　a　half…dozen　experts　from　around　the　country　to　testify　on　its　behalf。　
　　
　　With　a　hundred　lawyers　involved；　the　lawsuit　moved　slowly。　At　times　it　went　nowhere；　which　suited　Green　Fund　just　fine。　The　rigs　were　idle。　
　　
　　Seven　years　after　Mattiece　first　buzzed　over　Terrebonne　Bay　in　his　jet　helicopter　and　followed　the　swamplands　along　the　route　his　precious　canal　would　take；　the　pelican　suit　went　to　trial　in　Lake　Charles。　It　was　a　bitter　trial　that　lasted　ten　weeks。　Green　Fund　sought　money　damages　for　the　havoc　already　inflicted；　and　it　wanted　a　permanent　injunction　against　further　drilling。　
　　
　　The　oil　panies　brought　in　a　fancy　litigator　from　Houston　to　talk　to　the　jury。　He　wore　elephant…skin　boots　and　a　Stetson；　and　could　talk　like　a　Cajun　when　necessary。　He　was　stout　medicine；　especially　when　pared　to　the　Green　Fund　lawyers；　both　of　whom　had　beards　and　very　intense　faces。　
　　
　　Green　Fund　lost　the　trial；　and　it　was　not　altogether　unexpected。　The　oil　panies　spent　millions；　and　it's　difficult　to　whip　a　bear　with　a　switch。　David　pulled　it　off；　but　the　best　bet　is　always　on　Goliath。　The　jurors　were　not　impressed　with　the　dire　warnings　about　pollution　and　the　frailness　of　wetland　ecology。　Oil　meant　money；　and　folks　needed　jobs。　
　　
　　The　judge　kept　the　injunction　in　place　for　two　reasons。　First；　he　thought　Green　Fund　had　proven　its　point　about　the　pelican；　a　federally　protected　species。　And　it　was　apparent　to　all　that　Green　Fund　would　appeal；　so　the　matter　was　far　from　over。　
　　
　　The　dust　settled　for　a　while；　and　Mattiece　had　a　small　victory。　But　he　knew　there　would　be　other　days　in　other　courtrooms。　He　was　a　man　of　infinite　patience　and　planning。　
　　
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　　THE　TAPE　RECORDER　was　in　the　center　of　the　small　table　with　four　empty　beer　bottles　around。　
　　
　　He　made　notes　as　he　talked。　〃Who　told　you　about　the　lawsuit？〃
　　
　　A　guy　named　John　Del　Greco。　He's　a　law　student　at　Tulane；　a　year　ahead　of　me。　He　clerked　last　summer　for　a　big　firm　in　Houston；　and　the　firm　was　on　the　periphery　of　the　hostilities。　He　was　not　close　to　the　trial；　but　the　rumors　and　gossip　were　heavy。〃
　　
　　〃And　all　the　firms　were　from　New　Orleans　and　Houston？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　the　principal　litigation　firms。　But　these　panies　are　from　a　dozen　different　cities；　so　of　course　they　brought　their　local　counsel　with　them。　There　were　lawyers　from　Dallas；　Chicago；　and　several　other　cities。　It　was　a　circus。〃
　　
　　〃What's　the　status　of　the　lawsuit？〃
　　
　　〃From　the　trial　level；　it　will　be　appealed　to　the　Fifth　Circuit　Court　of　Appeals。　That　appeal　has　not　been　perfected；　but　should　be　in　a　month　or　so。〃
　　
　　〃Where's　the　Fifth　Circuit？〃
　　
　　〃New　Orleans。　About　twenty…four　months　after　it　arrives　there；　a　three…judge　panel　will　hear　and　decide。　The　losing　party　will　undoubtedly　request　a　rehearing　by　the　full　panel；　and　this　will　take　another　three　or　four　months。　There　are　enough　defects　in　the　verdict　to　insure　either　a　reversal　or　a　remand。〃
　　
　　〃What's　a　remand？〃
　　
　　〃The　appellate　court　can　do　any　of　three　things。　Affirm　the　verdict；　reverse　the　verdict；　or　find　enough　error　to　send　the　whole　thing　back　for　a　new　trial。　If　it　goes　back；　it's　been　remanded。　They　can　also　affirm　part；　reverse　part；　remand　part；　sort　of　scramble　things　up。〃　
　　
　　Gray　shook　his　head　in　frustration　as　he　scribbled　away。　〃Why　would　anyone　want　to　be　a　lawyer？〃
　　
　　〃I've　asked　myself　that　a　few　times　in　the　past　week。〃
　　
　　〃Any　idea　what　the　Fifth　Circuit　might　do？〃
　　
　　〃None。　They　haven't　even　seen　it　yet。　The　plaintiffs　are　alleging　a　multitude　of　procedural　sins　by　the　defendants；　and　given　the　nature　of　the　conspiracy；　a　lot　of　it's　probably　true。　It　could　be　reversed。〃
　　
　　〃Then　what　happens？〃
　　
　　〃The　fun　starts。　If　either　side　is　unhappy　with　the　Fifth　Circuit；　they　can　appeal　to　the　Supreme　Court。〃
　　
　　〃Surprise；　surprise。〃
　　
　　〃Each　year　the　Supreme　Court　receives　thousands　of　appeals；　but　is　very　selective　about　what　it　takes。　Because　of　the　money　and　pressure　and　issues　involved；　this　one　has　a　decent　chance　of　being　heard。〃
　　
　　〃From　today；　how　long　would　it　take　for　the　case　to　be　decided　by　the　Supreme　Court？〃
　　
　　〃Anywhere　from　three　to　five　years。〃
　　
　　〃Rosenberg　would　have　died　from　natural　causes。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　but　there　could　be　a　Democrat　in　the　White　House　when　he　died　from　natural　causes。　So　take　him　out　now　when　you　can　sort　of　predict　his　replacement。〃
　　
　　〃Makes　sense。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　it's　beautiful。　If　you're　Victor　Mattiece；　and　you've　only　got　fifty　million　or　so；　and　you　want　to　be　a　billionaire；　and　you　don't　mind　killing　a　couple　of　Supremes；　then　now　is　the　time。〃
　　
　　〃But　what　if　the　Supreme　Court　refused　to　hear　the　case？〃
　　
　　〃He's　in　good　shape　if　the　Fifth　Circuit　affirms　the　trial　verdict。　But　if　it　reverses；　and　the　Supreme　Court　denies　cert；　he's　got　problems。　My　guess　is　that　he　would　go　back　to　square　one；　stir　up　some　new　litigation；　and　try　it　all　again。　There's　too　much　money　involved　to　lick　his　wounds　and　go　home。　When　he　took　care　of　Rosenberg　and　Jensen；　one　has　to　assume　he　mitted　himself　to　a　cause。〃
　　
　　〃Where　was　he　during　the　trial？〃
　　
　　〃pletely　invisible。　Keep　in　mind；　it　is　not　public　knowledge　that　he's　the　ringleader　of　the　litigation。　By　the　time　the　trial　started；　there　were　thirty…eight　corporate　defendants。　No　individuals　were　named；　just　corporations。　Of　the　thirty…eight；　seven　are　traded　publicly；　and　he　owns　no　more　than　twenty　percent　of　any　one。　These　are　just　small　firms　traded　over　the　counter。　The　other　thirty…one　are　privately　held；　and　I　couldn't　get　much　information。　But　I　did　learn　that　many　of　these　private　panies　are　owned　by　each　other；　and　some　are　even　owned　by　the　public　corporations。　It's　almost　impenetrable。〃
　　
　　〃But　he's　in　control。〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　I　suspect　he　owns　or　controls　eighty　percent　of　the　project。　I　checked　out　four　of　the　private　panies；　and　three　are　chartered　offshore。　Two　in　the　Bahamas；　and　one　in　the　Caymans。　Del　Greco　heard　that　Mattiece　operates　from　behind　offshore　banks　and　panies。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　remember　the　seven　public　panies？〃
　　
　　〃Most　of　them。　They；　of　course；