Page 51 - RICHERT VS. SORKIN THEFT OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND THE WEST WING

David Evans gave a clear description of what was taking place but he was ignored
LAW OFFICES OF DAVID EVANS
November 7, 1995
Ms. Sally Burrnesrcr Writers Guild of America 8955 Beverly Blvd-
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Re: "The American President"
Dear Ms. Burmester:
TEL .
(3101 395 - 0965
Flx .
(310) 395 - 8071
{ am. writing on behalf of Bill Richert p re_spectrtlly demand rp-arbitradon of the writing credits for the motion picture '"The American President," for the reasons set forth below.
{t a prySrbitration hearing held at the request of Aaron Sorkin on September 7, lgg1, a WGA lWcial..Committee took the extraordinary step of denying to Bill Richen and Iiyle Monis the irreducible story credit to which they are intitltd undcfne wGA's own nrles. Ttris decision did mo.re tlan just deprive Messrs. Richert and Morris of story crcdit; it also fundamentally tainted and undermined the intcgrity of the entire arbitration process in connectiort with this fikir. Since the conclusion of the arbitration, further evidence has come to light that supports Richert and Morris's position in thc arbitration and fundamcntally contradicts f,Ar. Srrtintiposition (as well
as. undercuning the only possible grounds upon which Oe Special Commitrcc criuH havcdenied Richen and Morris irreduciblc story credit).-
I1 ryutngat its decisigtl,.th. Sp-ec-ial Committee relied signiflcantly upon statements made by Mr. Sorkin's atlorney, Richard Heller, who asserted that dEspite the minv similarities bcnrceir "The President Elopes" and'The American Prresidcnt," the later was initially devcloped c.omp-t-e1e.ly independently by 9qtl. Rock.. (I base my account of Mr. Hellcr's arlument uion the WGA's own rymmqy of the same in your letier to Richert, Morris and Sorkin &ited leplembgr 29, l99-s.) H9ll9r informed ttre girila that Sorkin's writer's agrcement with Castle Rock referred to the work he was to create as an "oniginal scnecnplay" ind that Castle Rock
purchased UniversaVWfdryoo$'s rights to "The Prresiiicnt Elopes'-' afrcr the date of Sorkin's writer's agrccmenl Heller furttrer claimed that it was only aner Sortin had unitten a draft of his sceenplay that Roben Rodfod became involvcd in thc project, ad that, in ordcr to secure his commitment to the pryhxq and as aprecautionary maneuier-o.prcy9n! nvb similar proiats not competing in the marketplacgr CT$" Rock subslquently acquiied UnivenalAffilddbch's rigtits.
-any
Heller also asserted that-Sorkin did not have acccis of ftina to_
any of tite pre"ious G;;; materials ryqF q the credit arbitration. In sum, Heller argued that Castle Rock ind earon Sorkin
camc. up. withrhe_idea.for$tit -knowledge p.ptury -without any
of the story oi ct atacieri contained in 'The Prre-sident Elopes-," and &at it was oily after Caitte Rock trad liircd So*in and dcvcloped his screenplay ttrat if contactcd Robert Rodfod about his pd;bE involvement with
BY FAX/EOPY BY CERTIFIED MAIL
@EANAVENI,,E '5'1 rdtc3m
SA NTA M ONI CA, CALIFORNIA 90aor