What The Heart Wants

We Have The Results

Brian, Aaron, Lauren, and all named plaintiffs were outside Courtroom 654 waiting for a verdict to come back from Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson. As time moved on with no sign of a decision forthcoming, Steph Labbe, Ali, Kristie, and Steph McCaffrey began a discussion about things they'd like to do in the few days before preseason begins next Thursday.

Ali: I think we're able to begin showing up at the club's training facility on Monday. Since we have three days free to use the facility before Erica and Carm start business with us, we should use the time to run through some combinations that we think could work out.

Kristie: Like what exactly, Ali?

Ali: Like various formations, players in different spots, alternative pairings or partnerships.

Steph Mac: Something like Kristie, me,and Jen across the front in a 4-3-3 or you and Morgan side-by-side with two out-and-out wingers?

Ali: Those, or maybe Savs, you, and Stephany with Mana, myself, and Diana behind that like the Sam/Lindsey/Julie triangle with the national team.

Kristie: Or me at left back just for the heck of it?

Ali: Possibly. Heck, me at right back and see if I can keep up with you.

Steph Mac: It'd be a good chance for us to see what might work before we get the eyes of the coaching staff on us and what they choose to come in with.

Ali: We could also test out their preferred means of play, that 4-1-3-2 with some combination of me, Becca, Diana, and Morgan taking up the central spots. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to get our shooting boots working, which means torturing Bae, SJ, and EJ.

Steph Labbe: I think having McCaff, Savs, and Mayor pummeling us on a daily basis will make all three of us well-prepared for the regular season.

A ringing sound went off outside the courtroom, indicating that a verdict had been decided. The players and legal team went in, followed shortly by David Jay and Greg.

***

Bailiff: All rise!

Everyone stood from their seats as Judge Massiah-Jackson assumed her post on the bench.

Judge Massiah-Jackson: You may all be seated. Before I render my verdict on the various claims, I want to say a few words about the trial and its participants. Being given such a reasonably high-interest case was a bit different for myself, because I am more used to dealing with lawsuits for back rent or defaulted loans or personal injury. This one dealt with a lot of subjectivity of damage and how it should be compensated that I spent a good couple of hours weighing how much harm had been done to the plaintiffs by the defendant and how much was of their own making. I have to applaud Mr. O'Hara and Mr. Glassman for making what could have been a very confrontational trial one that had few objections and only one minor flare-up. In the end, I had to strip away all the conjecture that both sides and their witnesses brought forth and break this down to the ultimate question of whether the defendant had done any harm to the plaintiffs and, if so, what they were entitled to related to compensatory and restorative damages along with how much of a deterrent needed to be sent in the way of punitive damages. Despite attempting to be level-headed and even-handed, part of me wanted to throw all of this out and tell the two sides to shake hands and go away.

My personal opinion of the trial for the most part can be wrapped up in the word unamused, not because of the attorneys' actions but because of those of the witnesses. There are multiple villains in this case, from the defendant to some of the plaintiffs and even persons who did not take the stand in this case. With that said, here is how I have ruled on the claims before this court:

* In the case of Philadelphia Hearts v. Orlandini, I find for the plaintiff in the amount of $375,000.

* In the case of Krieger v. Orlandini, I find for the plaintiff in the combined amount of $525,000 ($175,000 in restorative damages, $350,000 in punitive damages)

* In the case of McCaffrey v. Orlandini, I find for the plaintiff in the combined amount of $312,500 ($12,500 in compensatory damages, $100,000 in restorative damages, $200,000 in punitive damages)

* In the case of Labbe vs. Orlandini, I find for the plaintiff in the amount of $150.

* In the case of Johnston v. Orlandini, I find for the plaintiff in the amount of $4,800,000.

I am hereby staying my verdict for one week to allow both sides to bring forth financial statements related to real damages incurred by the plaintiffs and the ability of the defendant to meet his obligations of the verdict, an amount that when totaled equals more than $6 million. Attorneys for both sides will meet with me in chambers on Monday morning at 9am to offer up their requisite financials so a final verdict may be determined. This court stands adjourned.

***

On the steps outside the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Brian was taking questions from the local media on the verdict.

Jonathan Tannenwald, Philadelphia Inquirer: Mr. O'Hara, how did the verdict align with what you were hoping for from this case?

Brian: I was quite pleased that the Hearts have been initially compensated above what we were asking and that the judge agreed with our position on the impact that Mr. Orlandini's actions had on Ms. Johnston. Naturally, she chose to parcel out less in compensation to all the individual witnesses than originally asked, but the $6 million judgment against the defendant should keep him occupied for a long time.

Sean Bell, FOX 29: What is your expectation for Monday's meeting with Judge Massiah-Jackson and Mr. Glassman?

Brian: I expect that all the numbers will decrease and some form of proportional compensation will be determined whereby everyone gets something from this case.

Jamie Apody, ABC 6: How was Ms. Johnston able to secure such a large judgment from the court, one that dwarfs that of the other plaintiffs?

Brian: In the case of most of the plaintiffs, the question was the relative damage done to them, which is highly subjective and doesn't necessary have a set dollar value attached to it. In Julie's case, there was a clear cause-and-effect between the defendant's actions and the result of her divorce trial. We went for the total amount that she "lost" in the proceeding and the judge agreed in part with that claim. We will need to read the verdict and see how she came to her decision regarding the various monetary values placed on all the claims.

Marisa Pilla, NBC Sports Philly: This question is for Wendy. How quickly will you as an organization be able to turn the page from concentrating on the trial to the start of preseason next week?

Wendy: Despite having a large number of our players here during the trial, only our senior members were intimately involved in it. The bigger issue will be incorporating the six players we picked up since Orientation Week and bringing them up-to-speed with the organization. We have an all-organization event scheduled for Saturday which will be the first chance for our full twenty-player roster to be together.

Brian, Wendy, and the players walked from the courthouse to Nineteen 26 to celebrate the end of the trial and talk through some ideas of how to invest some of the funds won into the community.