Initial Publication Date: October 17, 2007

Trial Documents


The trial documents listed below can be downloaded to read the original complaints, amended complaints, attorneys opening statements, closing arguments, Judge Skinner's charge to the jury, to see what a subpoena looks like, and to view field maps and exhibits presented in the actual trial. These files are listed in chronological order.


  • Deposition subpoena served on John J. Riley Co., Inc. ( 166kB Jan25 07) by Schlichtmann, Conway & Crowley to appear for deposition on January 10, 1986 at 10:00 a.m. at their office on 171 Milk Street in Boston
  • John Drobinski's field map (Acrobat (PDF) 465kB May3 07) from his 1985 site evaluation of the Beatrice 15-acre property showing locations of drums, debris piles, and other surface features
  • Motion to Amend Complaint (Acrobat (PDF) 48kB Jul3 06) submitted by Jan Schlichtmann on behalf of the plaintiffs to add John J. Riley Co. to the lawsuit
  • Second Amended Complaint (Acrobat (PDF) 1.2MB Jul3 06) submitted by Jan Schlichtmann on behalf of the plaintiffs to the Federal District Court in Massachusetts
  • Motion to Add Third Party (Acrobat (PDF) 37kB Jul3 06) submitted by William Cheeseman on behalf of W.R. Grace & Co. to add UniFIrst Corporation as a third party in the lawsuit
  • Opening statements (Acrobat (PDF) 1.8MB Jun7 07) to the jury made by Jan Schlichtmann (plaintiffs), Jerome Facher (Beatrice Foods), and Michael Keating (W.R. Grace)
  • Photographs of trial exhibits: Drobinski's field map of debris piles and drums on the 15-acre property, Pinder's geologic cross section, Pinder's potentiometric profile
  • Subpoena served on the Keeper of the Records ( 183kB Jan25 07) at the U.S. Geological Survey office in Massachusetts to testify at the trial in Courtoom #6 on the 15th floor of the McCormack Post Office and Courthouse on June 16, 1986 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Closing arguments to the jury: Michael Keating (W.R. Grace) (Acrobat (PDF) 1.2MB Jun17 07), Jerome Facher (Beatrice Foods) (Acrobat (PDF) 1.9MB Jun17 07), and Jan Schlichtmann (plaintiffs) (Acrobat (PDF) 2MB Jun17 07)
  • Judge Skinner's charge to the jury (Acrobat (PDF) 3.3MB Jun17 07) delivered on 15 July 1986, the 78th day of the trial.