Courthouse

The Moakley Courthouse is quiet on this particular Tuesday morning, the lawyers make quiet exchanges outside of the courtroom with the sunlight flooding in through the panes and panes of glass that look out upon Boston Harbor. A few serious, distinguished looking young men enter the courtroom and everyone rises for the honorable Judge Joseph L. Tauro. The proceedings begin with the Plaintiff, Trustees of Pipefitters, a local pension fund, represented by Christopher Souris, making the claim that the defendant, Seaport Mechanical Corp., owes them a great sum of money totaling over $300,000. Seaport has missed their December, January and February payments to the company, and has fallen back on verbal negotiations about payment extensions. As Souris begins the discussion, the defendant’s attorney, William Marr, shakes his head and makes corrections and Souris’ claim saying that Seaport cleared their December payment the previous Friday. Marr continues to state the due to the foul state of the economy, their main employer, Stop and Shop, has been cutting back their work hours, thus resulting in less income. Whatever income they do have, goes to paying back the IRS, to which they are in a million dollars in debt to. “If the IRS is first in line, there really is no line,” Marr says. “It starts and stops with the IRS.” Souris then points out that within the next week, Seaport will be receiving a check from Stop and Shop for the sum of $280,000. Judge Tauro then tells Marr that he suggests that Seaport pay the plaintiff 75% of this $280,000 check after two payments to the IRS which would ultimately deduct $40,000. The plaintiff argues to make it after only one payment to the IRS. Judge Tauro then calls a recess for the two men to come to an agreement so he can put it on the record. Marr nervously paces outside of the room, the heels of his loafers clicking on the tile as he talks on his cell phone to his client. The two men come together and shake hand cordially after settling to pay the plaintiff $253,000 to the defendant within the next 24 hours.