05x02 - Happy Trails

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "L.A. Law"...

There was no bad faith, no sex discrimination.

You've got no case.

Leland, you've just made your last mistake.

Did you tell her that things might have been different

if she were a man?

Yes or no.

Yes.

I think we should just think about just settling this thing.


-Make it disappear!
-Everybody shut up!

Oh, that's constructive, let's all shut up?

Stuart?

Is he... is he having a heart attack?

Now say nothing. Just follow me.

Ah, there he is the heroic officer

who shot a black kid in the back.

You're second chairing the Chisolm case as of now.


-Why?
-Because you're black.

Because the media and everyone else

is making this into a race thing,

and because I need some window dressing.

I'm not comfortable with that.

It's not a request, Jonathan.

This is happening too fast.

Let it.

I think we should stop.

I don't want to stop.

I think you're going to make a great husband.

My history with women would indicate otherwise.

I hear you're getting married.

Yeah, I am.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A sex therapist renders their services

exclusively in the form of dialogue.

Surrogates are partners.

Are you sure you want to risk getting involved

with someone who does what I do for a living?

You don't take your work home with you at night, do you?

[doorbell rings]

Oh, oh.

I came as fast as I could.

Now, what's
-
-

I don't know what to do, this has never happened to me before.

I don't know what to do.

Calm down, Marilyn, just calm down.

Okay, okay, okay.

Tell me what happened.

There. That happened.

One of my clients.

God, I made him take a stress test

before I even took him on.

I swear he was in good health.

He's dead?

I don't know what to do.

I would've called the authorities,

but that's Jerome Miller.

The state senator?

I'm scared of the publicity,

plus I don't think he had a permit for the g*n.

I don't think
-
-

I'm getting out of here.

I really need help. Douglas!

I don't care, I'm not getting involved in this for God's sake!


-Douglas!
-No!

After I leave, you call the police.

[doorbell rings]

God!

It's just my :.

I'll get rid of him.

And then I'm leaving.

I was never here.


-Douglas...
-No!

Hello, hello, Hello.

Go home Howard, the mission's scrubbed for today.

I'm sorry, sweetie.

♪♪

♪♪

Let's make this fast, we've got a busy day.

Stuart, welcome back.


- Welcome, Stuart.
- Glad you're feeling better.

Thank you.

You'll be putting in half days?

Just this week, then full time.

We were thinking that since Stuart

has been shouldering so much of the accounting

and administrative stuff here,

he should get a second secretary

to ease the burden, at least temporarily.

Michael, people vs. Chisolm?

Voidier today.

Trial starts tomorrow or Wednesday, I'm not sure.

I thought you struck a deal.

We did, until Rogoff caved in.

I'll be needing Jonathan all week.

Rosalind Shays vs. all of us.

Obviously, she's winning thanks to Anne Kelsey.

Don't start with me, Douglas.


-You totally buried us.
-All right.

I was asked questions under oath and I answered them.

There is no point dwelling on Anne's gaff.


-Gaff?
-She didn't gaff.

Point is, how do we go from here?

Arnold, I'm a little nervous about

putting you up there.

Why?

Why, because you have a shaky reputation for honesty.

She knows you to be the sleaze factor here

and Sollers will pick at you like an open sore.

Stick it, Doug.

All right, Arnold.

Hey, I'm not talking to hear the sound of my voice.

Stop it, you're upsetting Stuart.


-I'm not upset.
-Clam down.

...does not cover sex discrimination.

Anne, stop telling me to calm down

We're looking at real liability here.

And our own people are k*lling us with stupid testimony!

Hey, come on now.

Now, this thing is far from being over.

Grace took a big chunk out of Rosalind on the stand,

And we haven't even begun our defense yet.

Arnie, are you ready?


-Very.
-There you go.

We start with him and then from there we just get better.

There is a plan here.

This thing is not over, okay?

Now, he is absolutely correct.

Just ask me the questions, Grace, I'll pull us even.

Sollers won't lay a glove on me.

Well, let's not get too cocky, Arnold.

I'm not being cocky, I'm just telling ya.

He can't touch me.

Okay.

Let's go. We're adjourned.

About time.

Leland, can I see you for a second?

Yeah, my office.

Arnold.

Arnold, I'm sorry, I'm just a little on edge because

of a situation I had this morning.

Okay.

A situation, actually, for which I could use your advice.

What could I possibly have to offer?

I'm an open sore.

It was just a figure of speech.

Find me after lunch.

Thank you.

This firm has never forced lawyers to take cases.

I don't see how
-
-

Right now, this firm is all tied up.

We can't keep everybody happy.

The only reason you stuck me on this case is I'm black.

That's right.

That's right, just like I did the age discrimination case

because I was old

and Anne Kelsey did the OBGyn case last year

because she was pregnant.

You have to use whatever gives you an advantage, Jonathan.

In this case, it happens to be your skin color.

Leland...

Okay.

Brian Chisolm may very well be innocent, I know this.

But personally, I'd like to think I might be an effective

voice for the black community.

If I go up against Derron Holloway, that'll never happen.

I'll always be the guy who took on Derron Holloway.

Yeah, well, I'm not unsympathetic to that, Jonathan.

Believe me, I'm not, but Mr. Holloway is not a client.

The black community is not a client.

Brian Chisolm is,

and right now he needs your help.

Look, I've got to get to court.

Give Michael whatever he needs.

Removing Rosalind Shays

was not something that we did casually.

It was a very risky move for us.

How so?

Well, any lawfirm to survive these days

must project unity and stability to the outside business world.

Now, playing musical chairs with your senior partnership

severely undermines that objective.

The consequences could be devastating.

Why, Mr. Becker?

What did Miss Shays do that was so terrible?

Well, many things. First...

By the way, let me say that personally,

I happen to like Ros.

I think she's a very misunderstood person.

Not nearly the ogre she presents herself to be.


-Objection.
-Sustained.

Mr. Becker, just answer the question.

Of course.

Initially, it was the alienation of the associates.

She took on a client who supported apartheid in South Africa.

And then ignored our black associate

when he justifiably protested.

She went behind the back of Victor Sifuentes,

our Hispanic associate

and settled a case from under him.

Now, I'm not saying that Ros is overtly r*cist,

but she demonstrated no regard whatsoever

for our minority employees.

What else did she do, Mr. Becker?

Well, it was this fundamental incompatibility that ultimately

began to spread through the firm like a cancer,

and her underlying dishonesty simply became prohibitive.

We felt sorry for her.

That's why we chose not to fire her.

But senior partner? Please.

Thank you, Mr. Becker.

Nothing further.

Fundamental incompatibility?

You yourself secretly defected from this firm

in the middle of the night last year, didn't you?

I temporarily left the firm, yes, I did.

You snuck out, you stole clients and they sued you.

Is that what you mean by stability and unity, Mr. Becker?

Truth be told, one of the reasons I left

was because Rosalind Shays was brought in.

Oh, really?

A second ago you said you liked her.

Personally, but professionally I couldn't endorse her methods.

And putting her in a leadership position to me

represented a major shift in this firm's moral center.

Something that didn't sit well with my conscience.

Your conscience?

You've had sexual relations with several

of your divorce clients, haven't you?

Objection, relevance.

Goes to explore this man's moral center, Your Honor.

I'll allow it. He opened the door.

The slept with clients, you slept with opposing counsel.

Yes, Mr. Sollers, I've had relationships

with people I've represented.

All before I became a very happily married man.

As a person who works extremely hard,

most of the people I meet are through work.

The fact that social friendships have resulted from

some of my professional associations

is neither an indictment of my integrity

nor my sense of ethics.

And I'm personally offended

at your suggestion to the contrary.

I'm confused, Mr. Becker.

You say Rosalind Shays was ousted

because of incompatibility.

Anne Kelsey says it's because she was a woman.

Which one of you's lying?

Objection.

No, that's okay.

Let me answer that.

Anne Kelsey wasn't lying.

She was mistaken.

Well, pretty big mistake to make under oath

with such a huge judgment on the line.

The simple fact is Anne Kelsey tends to suffer

from hypersensitivity on man/woman issues,

stemming from the basic insecurity

that she only became partner on the coattails of her husband.

I'm sorry Anne, but sometimes this insecurity

would cloud her judgment, and while I have no doubt

that she was sincere when she made this statement,

I also have no doubt whatsoever

that her assumption about Rosalind Shays

was totally misplaced.

The fact that a trial is going forward means nothing.

This could be nothing more than feigning the illusion

of justice where none exists.

Here we go again.

Mr. Kuzak, why are they insisting on a trial

if as you say they have no case?

Because district attorney Rogoff is more interested

in politics than he is in justice.

Oh, let's all turn to Mr. Kuzak

for his interpretation of justice.

Ask Mr. Holloway if he even know the facts of this case.

Ask Mr. Kuzak why Mr. Rollins is here.

Why all of sudden

has he put a black attorney at his table?

Why don't you ask Mr. Holloway why he has

to look on Jonathan Rollins as a black attorney

and not just an attorney.

Because black is why you picked him.

He has nothing to do in this trial.

I doubt he even believes in your client's innocence.

Is that true, Mr. Rollins?

Do you think Brian Chisolm 's guilty?

I have no comment.

Did Mr. Kuzak ask you to take this case?

Neither Mr. Rollins nor I have any doubt whatsoever

as to Brian Chisolm 's innocence, and neither will the jury.

[reporters clamoring]

Excuse me, thank you.

Brian, will you excuse us for a minute, please?

Yeah, sure.

Jonathan.

What the hell was that?

What?

A reporter asks you whether you think your client is guilty,

and you say no comment?

Hey, I thought the object here was to just get through it.

Don't give me that crap.

No comment to a question like that borders on malpractice.

The cameras were pointed at you, for God's sake,

and you said no comment?

Fine, I'm sorry.

Don't give me you're sorry.

There's a lynch mob mentality out there

that's gonna hang an innocent man

and you just helped to fuel it.

I said I was sorry.

I don't care what your problem is.

You get your head and you ass into this trial.

Was the g*n inside the holster?

That's really not important, Arnie.

You're probably right.

Big fat cowboy senator croaks

on top of a palliative surrogate,

who's gonna care about the g*n?

Oh, please.

They're evidently hauling him out as we speak.

Arnie, I can't take this relationship anymore.

I can't come home to here, ask her how was her day,

and hear about bull whips and gerbils.

Tell her to quit he job.

She won't. She trained to be a sexual surrogate.

She says that's what she is.

No, I have to end it between us.

So end it, why do you need me?

Because you're the resident expert

on wiggling off hooks, that's why.

I'm afraid Marilyn's pretty involved.

I don't want to hurt her.

And I...

You want to find the chicken's way out.

Exactly.

Well, I happen to think that you two make a very good couple.

But if you're sure that's what you want,

here's what you do.

You take her to a nice, elegant restaurant.

You know, someplace where she wouldn't dare make a scene.

Nicky Blair's, great. Nicky Blair's.

A little wine, salad and souis,

and then you lean over with all the humility you can muster,

and you say, now trust me, this works, you say...

Marilyn...

I am overwrought with ambivalence.

Come on.

Swear to God.

You just drop the b*mb straight out.

She's not going to make a squeak, the place is too public.

She might even admire your honesty.

God, I love it when that happens.

You say goodbye.

You tell her that it hurts you more than it hurts her.

You ask for the check, and you don't look back.

Tip the valet on the way in, and he'll have the car waiting.

Oh, it's so cold.

I was hoping to come out of it as friends.

Big mistake, big mistake, believe me.

You want a total severance, a clean break.

The last thing you need

are old memories coming back to haunt you.

Arnie, Douglas.

You know this young lady, don't you?

Uh, yes, hello.

Hello.

Hi, Arnie.

Gwen, what brings you?

I just hired her.

Oh, great. Great.

So, how's married life treating you?

Good, very good.

Good. Good.

And how long have you lived in Inglewood, Mr. Lewis?

About years.

Ever had any problem with the police?

None that I can recall.

Do you believe that white policemen apply

one set of rules to white people and a different set to blacks?

Not in my experience.

Thank you. Defense accepts this man.

Ever been a victim of a crime, Mr. Lewis?

My house was robbed once.

Police catch who did it?

Yes.

You recall his race?

He was a black kid.

The prosecution asks that Mr. Lewis be excused for cause.

Objection, there's no showing for cause.

I believe that Mr. Lewis is conditioned to believe

that blacks are more likely guilty when charged with a crime.

Where do you get that?

The juror is discharged for cause.

Would the fact that he's a police officer make you

more inclined to believe that he was innocent?

No.

All kinds of people commit crimes,

policemen, too.

Thank you, Mr. Prior.

The people accept this juror.

Have you ever been arrested, Mr. Prior?

I resent that.

I take it you've never been arrested, then.

That's right.

Thank you.

You ask white jurors that question?

Your Honor, the defense asks that Mr. Prior

because excused for cause.

No showing of cause, Your Honor.

I see no reason this juror should be excused.

The defense exercises it's last peremptory challenge,

asked to be heard in chambers, Your Honor.

Let's go.

Well, I move we skip the trial and proceed

immediately to sentencing.

Don't get smart with me.

That juror was not only predisposed to see a race thing here,

he took a potshot at me.

Maybe you provoked him.

Your Honor, I move that you recuse yourself from this case.

Opposed.

On what grounds?

On the grounds that you like Rogoff,

are too politically scared to do the job here.

If I was scared, I would find a way to get off this case.

I would dodge this thing like an oncoming train,

which is exactly what it is,

but this judge doesn't delay justice

simply because the victims are black.

And this judge doesn't dole out favors and continuances

to defendants simply because they happen to be police officers.

And this judge, because the boundaries

of his district were changed,

suddenly can't be re
-elected

unless he captures at least % of the black vote.

Your motion is denied.

I want this on the record.

It's on the record.

Now let's get back in there, this trial's going forward.

Abby.

Abby, there's a film crew in reception.

And there's some reporter who would like a comment

on what's going on with all the trials.

Can't do it, I got to get to a motion session.

Matt Kramer's trying to get an attachment

on John McMan's house.

And that man is still sitting in Leland's office.

Anybody home?

I got the winning case here.

All he has to do is go over this deposition transcripts

and sign the bottom page.

Sex discrimination in a law firm.

Daddy, this is not a very good time.

The plaintiff was a witch!

[overlapping dialogue]

What's going on here?

Everybody goes and comes like flies?

I'm sorry, but you'll just have to
-
-

Excuse me, is there someone here who can

give a statement on the ongoing trial?

I have no comment on the Rosalind Shays trial

other than to reiterate our continued confidence.

As for the Chisolm case, we remain gravely concerned

to the extent that both politics and the media

have invaded, if not infected the judicial process.

Do you think Holloway will
-
-

I'm sorry, I can't, I have to go to court.

Your Honor, at this time, defense calls to the stand

Mrs. Susan Raab.

Objection, this witness is not on their pre
-trail.

Your Honor, we just decided to call this witness last night.

I notified counsel this morning.

Sidebar, Your Honor.

This witness has no relevance to this case.

Our defense is that Miss Shays is a difficult person to get along with.

This is a cheap attempt
-
-

Mr. Sollers, if you want to adjourn after direct, you got it.

But let's keep this thing going.

Swear her in.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth so help you God?

I do.

Please state your full name for the record.

Susan Raab.

Miss Raab, you're here under subpoena today, are you not?

Yes, I am.

Could you please state your relationship

to the plaintiff, Rosalind Shays?

She's my mother.

I seek to treat tie witness as hostile, Your Honor.

Granted.

Where do you live, Miss Raab?

I live in Glendale, California..

Do you know how far that is from

Pacific Palisades, where your mother resides?

It's probably about an hour car ride.

I'm not positive.

And before this moment, when was the last time

you saw your mother?

Objection.

I'd like a little latitude, Your Honor.

Go ahead.

When was the last time you saw her, ma'am?

I'm not sure.

Was it more than a year ago?

Yes.

More than five years ago?

Probably.

Could it be more than years ago?

Look, I'm not sure. I said I don't know.

Do you have children, Miss Raab?

Yes.

What are their ages?

I have a seven year old son and a five year old daughter.

Have they ever met their grandmother?

Have your children ever met their grandmother?

No, they haven't.

Why have your children never met their grandmother?

Answer the question, ma'am.

We just...

We just don't get along, that's all.

Do you have any more questions, Miss Van Owen?

No, Your Honor.

Do you love your mother?

Of course I do.

Nothing further.

Cafeteria workers at Oakridge High School

who are on strike for better wages only last week

today celebrated winning a million dollar lottery jackpot.

Somebody call for room service?

What's this?

This is a little bedtime champagne.

Stuart, you know my morning head if I drink this stuff

right before going to sleep.

Well, maybe we shouldn't go right to sleep.

That's sweet.

It's sweet.

Come here, you.

I'm healthy, Anne. The doctor said I'm fine.

It's the trial, Stuart, it's hard to relax
-
-

No, it's the heart attack.

If we're going to have a problem,

let's at least be honest about it.

Doctor said sex is okay.

It's not going to k*ll me.

I know.

Okay, let's have sex.

[sighs]

Attorney Michael Kuzak completed jury selection

in the m*rder trial of Police Officer Brian Chisolm,

his partners at McKenzie Brackman Cheney and Kuzak

were busy in their own defense

against the splashy sex discrimination suit

brought by powerhouse Rosalind Shays.


-Powerhouse.
-Left out Becker.

...Joyce Kulhaywick to get an inside look

at this headline making lawfirm.

Litigation always tends to be consuming.


-What's he doing?
-Oh my God.

When your own firm is a main party,

and your own partners are subpoenaed as witnesses,

obviously, things get hectic.

But in the end, we'll get Brian Chisolm off
-
-

How did he do this?

And grind up Rosalind Shays into a cheap mulch.

This just in: State Senator Jerome Miller suffered

a fatal heart attack this morning,

apparently stress
-induced during sexual intercourse.

The Senator was best known for his decision to fast

in protest of the public railways act

only to be secretly videotaped

at a McDonald's drive
-thru.

[sighs]

♪♪

This is a last
-minute stunt.

It's no stunt, Your Honor,

my client seeks to discharge me as counsel.

That's his prerogative.

What's wrong?

As long as I am still his lawyer I would like

all dialogue to go through me, please.

Denied.

You want a new lawyer?

You yourself will have to tell me why.

We have differences of opinion which I feel compromise

Mr. Kuzak's ability to provide effective representation.

Such as?

Work product, don't answer.

Fine. Mr. Rollins will be your lawyer.

We start tomorrow.

Your Honor, the conflicts are germane to the entire firm.

Mr. Rollins included.

Either you tell me what these conflicts are,

or your motion is denied.

Defense strategy, personality differences.

He's not satisfied with my competency.

Uh
-huh.

Well, you're competent, all right.

So competent, in fact, that I have no doubt

that you instructed him to discharge you

in order to buy more time,

hoping that by the time this things

rolls around again to trial,

I'd be wrapped up in something else

and you've have to get a different judge.

Well, that's not going to happen.

You're very adequate, counsel.

No grounds for a switch,

this trial starts tomorrow. That's all.


-Your Honor...
-I said that's all.

You can live with this?

Hey, do you think I like it?

I got everybody breathing down my back for a conviction

while I barely have any evidence.

I was hoping your little trick would work.

Mr. Kuzak.

Mr. Kuzak, what the hell is going on?

God, I thought you said this would work out.

Well, I was wrong, Ryan,

and quite honestly right now I don't know what to tell you.

Aside from humiliating this firm,

what you did bordered on fraud.

I was just trying to help!

That doesn't help, passing yourself off as an attorney.

Lying to the media, that doesn't help.

I thought it sounded good.

Did you see it?

Murray, you can do that.

So you don't want me to help?


-No.
-No.

You don't want me to pitch in?


-No!
-No!

Okay, okay, just so I understand it,

my help you never want.

You ready?

Ready.

The main thing is, show authority.

I know, Grace.

We've been over it again and again.

Leland, I've prepared more than a thousand witnesses,

and nobody testifies exactly the way it's rehearsed.

When you get up on the stand, you're gonna be nervous.

That's acceptable.

Nerves cause some people to be tentative.

That is not acceptable, not in this case.

They'll try to paint you as the weak, aging senior partner

who needed to be rescued.

Your demeanor has to suggest otherwise.

I know what I have to do.

Good.

The reason I asked for this lunch...

Mm
-hmm.

There's something we must discuss.

You're a little flipped out about yesterday.

Actually, this concerns a bigger picture

than yesterday's events.

Marilyn, I'm overwrought with ambivalence.

Excuse me?

I adore you.

But I want to terminate our relationship.

Because of one dead client and a holster?

[sighs]

It goes beyond that, but yes.

The shocking confrontation with what you do,

I'm sorry, but I just can't handle it.

And the honest thing is just to

end things between us.

The honest thing?

Douglas, I told you from the very beginning

you didn't want to get involved with a sexual surrogate.

Shh, keep your voice down.

Why did you specifically tell me that my job

was not a barrier if it was?

I didn't really know myself very well back then.

You knew yourself.

You were a bald, impotent workaholic

who couldn't even think about having sex without breaking wind.

Check please.

And I changed all that, Douglas.

I made you happy.

We made each other happy.

Overwrought, I' told you I'm overwrought.

I was the one who brought her in,

I certainly wanted to see her succeed.

But she didn't succeed in your mind, did she?

A senior partner has to be trusted by her partners.

She wasn't.

A senior partner has to deal honestly

with clients, coworkers.

She didn't.

So she was voted out.

It never came to that.

Once it became clear she couldn't win,

she resigned.

She wasn't pushed or shoved out

or even asked to leave.

She just quit.

But you've heard her claim

that she was forced out because she was a woman.

Well, that's ridiculous.

If we were against women, why would she have been elected

senior partner in the first place?

If we were against women,

why would three of the last four partners

we've made been women?

Now, this dispute has nothing to do with gender and

Rosalind Shays knows that.

Thank you, Mr. McKenzie.

I have nothing further, Your Honor.

You're old, you couldn't hack it,

so you brought in a woman.

You gave her the title,

you let her build the firm back up

and then you just took the job back.

It didn't happen that way.

That's exactly how it happened.

You were smart, Leland.

Objection to the informality.

I'm sorry, Mr. McKenzie.

That's right, that's right.

It's okay for Mr. Becker

to sit up here calling the plaintiff Ros,

but dare we use a man's first name?

Stick to the case, Mr. Sollers.

I'm very much sticking to the case, Your Honor.

This man specifically wanted a woman taking his place

because he knew with the make
-up of his firm,

he knew he could more easily get rid of a woman.


-Objection.
-That's crazy.

She lost the job because she manipulated people.

She lost the job because she couldn't be trusted.

Well, if you breed the trust that she can't,

tell us why Arnold Becker defected from you, not her.

She could not run the firm.

Then tell us why revenues went down under your rule,

not hers?

Tell us why when Rosalind Shays left,

she took eleven of your long
-standing clients with her.

I'll tell you this:

everything I ever did was in the best interest

of my fellow partners.

Oh, is that right?

Well, could you tell us why you exalted your own vanity

at the expense of your partners?

What?

Isn't it true, sir,

even though you are hard of hearing,

you refused to wear your hearing aids

because they embarrassed you?

Isn't it also true, sir, that Rosalind Shays

because she was worried about the firm

being sued for malpractice

had to ask you to wear your hearing aids?

This is totally irrelevant.

It is not irrelevant.

It goes to this man's ego,

which is completely at issue.

An ego that compromised the interest of his firm.


-Your Honor!
-Mr. Sollers...

An ego that victimized this woman.

She victimized herself.

You were the executioner, Leland.


-Objection.
-You were the one
-
-

Mr. Sollers, that is enough.

I founded that firm and I was not going to let her ruin it.

You're a tired and scared old man,

scared of becoming obsolete.

I'm not obsolete. I am not obsolete.

I founded that firm.

Mr. McKenzie. Settle down.

I founded that firm.

I am not obsolete.

No further questions.

Hey.

It's a lot easier when you close your eyes.

Thanks.


-Diana...
-Hmm?

Thanks for not beating me up on this.

Maybe I don't think you're wrong.

I'm sitting at the defense table, looking black,

letting myself be exploited.

You don't think Holloway's exploiting things a little?

Oh, yeah. To make a point.

What's my point?

He's a blatant rejectionist, Jonathan.

He... offers up nothing but rage.

Gets him a lot of cheers, but what does he accomplish?

Sometimes rage is a start.

And look at what it started.

A public desperation for a conviction, no matter what.

Innocent or guilty there damn well

has to be a conviction to keep the peace.

That's what Holloway has started.

Baby, I don't know if Brian Chisolm is innocent.

The point is...

wither he is or not,

seems to be totally irrelevant.

There's so much hate in that courtroom.

In the halls.

Everybody's eyes.

They're all afraid of it.

The judge, the D.A., even Michael.

They're all afraid of the hate.

Okay, I'm listening.

Simple deal: you stop talking to the press,

inflaming the media, we stipulate to negligence at the civil trial.

[laughs] Nice sense of humor.

Hey, you represent the kid's family.

Your obligation is to them.

Now, we've just offered to make your whole civil claim.

My clients aren't in this for money.

They're in this because their child was m*rder*d,

and they want the person responsible for that

to be held accountable.

And what are you in this for,

with all your grandstanding and pulpit thumping?

What are you in this for?

Well, one thing about me, Mr. Kuzak,

I never bother trying to justify myself

to people like you.

Well, you're making it impossible for us to get a fair trial here.

You're poisoning the process,

and you want to bother justifying that?

You assume that the process is poison free to begin with.

I don't.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Rollins, you're doing a great job.

I can see why he brought you in.

The toughest thing here, I suppose,

is to put a price tag on a dream.

because that's what they took from her, ladies and gentlemen,

her dream to be a senior partner.

She finally had her chance,

and when they forced her out, they crushed that dream.

And the news went whipping through the legal grape vine.

Did you hear? They threw her out.

Can you believe it? They dumped Rosalind Shays.

Put her out on her ass. She only lasted two months, wow.

By their actions, they put out a declaration

to the entire legal world

that Rosalind Shays is unfit

for senior partnership status.

Oh, they had their reasons. a bunch of them.

She was incompatible.

She was this, she was that.

Well, it's funny how they waited until after she rescued them

from potential bankruptcy

before deciding that she was incompatible.

You heard Anne Kelsey.

She admitted, had Rosalind Shays been a man,

this might never have happened.

That's bad faith, ladies and gentlemen.

Bad faith.

Now, you can't give Rosalind Shays back her senior partnership.

You cannot return to her her dream,

that's probably gone forever.

The only thing that you good people can do

is give her money.

See to it you give her a lot.

Your Honor.

My clients knew that Rosalind Shays

would likely pack up and leave

if she lost the senior partnership

and they also knew the likelihood

that clients would go with her.

And that that could financially cr*pple the firm.

So why would they want to vote her out?

Because she's a woman?

Give us a little credit for intelligence, ladies and gentlemen.

They want you to believe

that this firm risked its entire solvency

because they didn't like women.

Would Anne Kelsey be working there if she thought that?

Would I?

Now sitting here is one of the most gifted attorneys you could ever meet.

It was no fluke that McKenzie Brackman began to flourish with her.

She brought in clients. She made deals.

It is indisputable that Rosalind Shays

is an extraordinary legal talent.

What is also indisputable, however,

is that she can't get along with people.

She's severed every relationship that she's ever had.

That's why she sits here today.

She's a woman without friendships.

A woman without family.

A woman who has never, ever even met her own grandchildren.

Feel sorry for Rosalind Shays.

Definitely do that because I think her dream,

her real dream is to be liked.

And she's not.

Thank you.

I didn't like the judge's charge to the jury.

If we lose, let's order an expedited transcript.

There are grounds for appeal, here.

Okay.

Mr. McKenzie.

Hi.

Hello.

I'm sorry about the scene.

But you hurt me.

I know.

Listen, I think you're being very reactive to something

that shocked you.

And I totally understand.

But Douglas, I love you.

Somehow, I fell in love with your stupid bald head

and your little pessimistic idiosyncrasies.

I'm absolutely crazy about you.

Marilyn...

all my life I viewed myself through my father's eyes.

I know that's unhealthy,

and probably stupid,

but the bottom line is,

he'd never approve of you and me.

But he's dead.

For God's sakes, Douglas!

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

Please go.

I love you.

Officer Chisolm claims that he was fired upon first

by two unknown drug dealers.

There's no evidence to suggest that

these two drug dealers even exist.

No stray b*ll*ts were ever found.

And though Mr. Chisolm never took a lie detector test
-
-

Objection!

Miss Fusco, you know better than that.

Members of the jury, whether or not the accused took

a polygraph test is of no relevance,

and you're to give that no consideration.

Move for a mistrial.

Approach.

You're not getting a mistrial.

Oh, for God's sake, Your Honor...

She didn't say he failed it.

She implied that he refused to take it.

She did no such thing, she just said he didn't take it.

I see no prejudice.

This is outrageous!

Keep your voice down.

You let Holloway grandstand, you let him buy his jurors,

and now with an obvious prejudicial statement

by the district attorney
-
-

Your motion is denied.

It's all on the record, take it up on appeal,

but I am not stopping this trial.

Now step back, both of you.

This is a bag job.

Step back.

Members of the jury, I apologize for the disruption.

I'm not going to take up any more of your time.

I think that justice will best be served

if we get right to the evidence,

evidence that will clearly demonstrate

that the defendant, Officer Brian Chisolm,

gunned down a black teenager in cold blood.

Evidence that will demonstrate

beyond a reasonable doubt

that Brian Chisolm is a m*rder*r.

[courtroom murmuring]

Thank you.

Mr. Kuzak.

Mr. Kuzak?

I'm sorry.

Serving justice.

That's what she said we were here for, right?

The only problem with that is it's premised

on the assumption that we have

impartial jurors and a fair judge.

Now, I have my doubts about you jurors,

I'll be honest with you.

But I have no doubts at all about that big chicken bastard

sitting up there wearing the robe.

Mr. Kuzak, you are in contempt!

This man cares nothing about justice.

All he cares about is getting re
-elected.

Bailiff!

All he cares about is staying on Holloway's good side

so he doesn't get scathed in the press.

You got to call a mistrial now.


-Take him away!
-You have no choice, now.

I haven't finished my opening statement!

Members of the jury,

you are not to consider counsel's breakdown.

Or in any way hold it against the defendant.

Mr. Kuzak was simply attempting to get this trial

called off for reasons which have nothing to do

with the issue before you.

Mr. Rollins, please take over.

Excuse me?

Your Honor, under the circumstances, I
-
-

I will not reward Mr. Kuzak's outburst

by letting him obtain his objective.

Now, this trial will go forward.

Mr. Rollins, please take over where Mr. Kuzak left off.

You can't be
-
-

I said take up where he left off.

Okay.

Um...

Um...

I believe he left off

calling you a big chicken bastard worried about reelection.


-You're in contempt.
-He left out two things.

He forgot to call you stupid.

He forgot to ask who you bribed to get that robe.

Get him out!

Objection! Get your hands off me.

I want my objection on the record!

This is highly prejudicial!

Members of the jury,

I'm sorry, I have no other choice

but to suspend these proceedings and to declare a mistrial.

You're giving them what they want!

Shut up, Mr. Holloway.

I have no choice.

The jury is dismissed.

We're done.

Mr. Foreman, have you reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

On the claim of bad faith termination,

we find in favor of the plaintiff

and order the defendant to pay compensatory damages

in the amount of one dollar.

We further order the defendant to pay punitive damages

in the amount of . million dollars.

[murmuring]

[buzzer sounds]

So what happens now?

Well, we just sit here.

No, I mean with the trial, what happens?

They'll empanel a new jury

and we start all over again.

With Judge Stone still sitting?

I'll make another motion for recusal,

but with the way things are going...

Jonathan...

I want you to try this case.

Okay.

You sure?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll try the case.

We're obviously saddened

at the incarceration of our two attorneys.

We feel it's a terrible abuse of judicial discretion.

As for the Rosalind Shays verdict,

that's an aberration.

The finding is wholly unsupported by the evidence,

and the award outrageously excessive.

Another atrocity of an overly litigious society.

Naturally, we will appeal.

♪♪ [theme]