All language subtitles for The Practice s07e06 The Tell Tale Nation

We're certainly prepared to go to trial.
Don't misunderstand.

You just don't think you can win.

It's not that we can't, but nobody's
ever won this type of suit before.

There is a last -minute offer.

It's likely just to avoid trial, but
it's something.

How much?

It's, uh, $8 ,000.

$8 ,000?

Is that the going rate for manual rape
these days? The thing is, this case

against the church or the priest.

It's against a fellow victim. It's
against someone who could have prevented

from happening to me.

And should have.

Like I said, we're prepared to move
forward.

But we need you to be aware, we're not
confident of victory.

I'm not walking away for $8 ,000.

We saw the article in the newspaper on
the fat woman singing, and we thought,

well, maybe you're like the specialist
in nuisance law, which is, that's why

we're here.

But you're suing her.

Yeah, that's correct. She's my neighbor.

And, well, neither one of us could
afford a big trial.

And we'd heard about this alternative
dispute resolution where a

lawyer, you know, kind of decides, you
know, like a ref.

Or something.

It actually isn't that simple. Each of
you would have to be represented by your

own attorney.

Oh.

What, you got another one here?

I thought this was supposed to settle.
Stay low, Balder. You can't try this.

jury will laugh at you.

Why the hell didn't you just sue the
church? We did. We got lumped into a

action on that. We're pursuing this
defendant separately.

Why? Because he's a deep pocket?

Bobby, this is a dog, Eugene, and you
know it.

A victim has no duty to another victim.
It's tort law 101.

Without duty, there's no brief. Perhaps
you'd like to argue for the other side.

The other side at least has merit. Yes,
which has always been a prerequisite for

taking a case here. All right.

Walk up.

I took the left. I'm in trial.

Jamie. Come on.

I'm sorry. None of you find her too
perky?

To answer your question, a civil case
should have merit before you take it on

contingency, for God's sakes, which you
know.

I think another bias is in play here.
Bobby. Excuse me? Are you talking about

bias or yours? Eugene. The jury will
just laugh at us? The man was raped.

kind of bias allows for a person to see
that as nothing?

You know what? Good luck with your case.

I hope you win.

I mean, it's my apartment.

I should be allowed to make ordinary
household noises.

I see.

So you both went to Lindsay Dole? Yes.
And she said we needed separate

and sent me over here.

Excellent. And the nature of the
household noises?

Lovemaking.

Lovemaking? Yes.

I guess I'm a little vocal.

I can't believe I'm saying this, peace
in heaven.

So... And see, Albert, he and I used to
be a couple.

So it's difficult for him to hear noises
that used to only get made for him.

Ah. I think that's what this is really
about.

He's just trying to stop me from making
love.

He's a very jealous man.

I was 18 years old at the time.

I was having emotional problems at
school and at home.

And I knew that Walter was being
counseled by him, so I thought that I

it. Walter Beck was a friend of yours?
My best friend.

In fact, he was the only friend that I
confided my problems to.

It was because of this I learned that he
was seeing Father Brindle.

And later, you met with this priest?

Yes. And what happened?

At first, he thought that I was
suffering from depression.

And then he started to zoom in on fear
of intimacy, physical intimacy.

And at some point, this went beyond
talk.

Yes.

After a couple of months or so, he asked
me to take my clothes off, to be

naked before God, and to lie down on a
sofa that he had in his office.

For the next several sessions, I would
talk while naked.

And then it began to progress where he
would lie down with me,

clothed, and hold me to help me with my

phobia of physical intimacy, as he would
put it.

And then he would take off his clothes
and lie down next to me naked as well.

Soon after that, he began to molest me.

Arvin.

Did you ever talk to Walter Beck about
this?

I didn't tell him specifically what was
happening.

But I raised questions.

I asked Walter how much he trusted this
priest.

And Walter always spoke incredibly
highly of him. So you continued to have

sessions with Father Brendel? Yes.

And then he began to penetrate me with
his hands.

Did you ever tell anybody?

No. Why not?

Embarrassment, shame, fear.

He was a very well -respected priest,
and I thought perhaps I was the only

so I made a decision to stay quiet.

And then?

And then after about a year, I stopped.

My life went on.

Certainly not well.

For the next 20 some odd years, I tried
to get those sessions out of my mind.

Until the allegations came out that he
had done it to others.

And at that point, you came forward.

I joined a class action lawsuit against
the church and Father Brindle.

And as I was reviewing the pleadings, I
came across the name of an old friend of

mine.

Walter Beck.

And I read...

that he had been molested by the same
priest before me.

He spoke so highly of him. He's the
reason I went to him.

You let me walk into that room.

Objection. Knowing exactly what was
waiting for me. Your Honor. Mr. Grayson,

please don't address the defendant, sir.

A deposition?

I would like to get his account on
record. That way... Jamie, this is just

couple having a fight.

Ex -couple.

And I couldn't agree more. But I think
that by formalizing the proceedings with

a deposition, it might cause them to
take a step back and say, whoa, there's

complaint filed.

I know. And maybe there won't be if we
do this.

The goal is to make this go away
quickly, right?

And you simply can't wait to take your
first deposition.

Does it show?

It's just that for it to be against you,
talk about irony, you are such a role

model for me.

I am?

Yes.

Not on stuff like anger management, but
professionally.

After you'd been molested by Father
Brindle, raped, did you tell anybody?

Not for 20 years.

And... As you read the pleadings in the
class action complaint, you saw that

many other boys after you had also been
molested. Is that correct, sir?

Yes. Would those boys have a cause of
action against you for not telling? I

didn't know those other boys. As I
testified, I thought that I was the only

victim, so... Did you tell Walter you'd
been molested?

I told him that I no longer trusted this
priest and that he should be careful

around him. But you didn't tell Walter
you'd been molested.

No. So he's expected to tell you stuff
you don't tell him.

He didn't just not tell.

He vouched for this priest.

I didn't do that with him.

You testified that one of the reasons
you didn't come forward was because you

thought there was the possibility that
you were the only one being victimized.

Did you not say that, sir?

Yes. Do you allow for the possibility
that Mr. Beck also thought that he was

only victim?

Even if he thought that, you don't just
sit by quietly and let your best friend

fall into a sex pervert's clutches.

He could have and should have said
something.

Instead, he endorsed the guy.

I thought he held up okay.

I don't know.

This comes down to a definition of
friendship.

A slippery slope becomes a cliff.

Are you ready for the defendant?

Don't worry.

I'll get him.

You know, Eugene, this thing with the
priest and the sex abuse, it's made a

of people angry.

It's clearly made you angry.

And?

Well, I'm just curious as to why you
seem to be directing that anger at

He came at me this morning, Eleanor. No,
he attacked the merits of our case. You

responded by attacking him.

I didn't mean for it to come off that
way.

There's something else going on here.

I'm upset over the case.

If I acted out against him, it wasn't my
intent.

And again, he brought it to me first.

It's just about the case with me.

Okay. Two, three, sometimes four times?

A month.

A week.

Can I interject?

No, this isn't a discussion.

Well, I'd like you to ask him how he
knows. Zeus in heaven, has he got his

to the wall? I don't need my ear to the
wall, Louise.

All right, let's not do this. She's a
slut.

Okay, okay.

Time out.

I'm going to ask the questions.

Mr. Ball, you'll answer. Louise?

You'll remain quiet.

Excellent. So she would have multiple
sexual visits during the week?

Sometimes, yes.

And these visits interfered with the
quiet enjoyment of your property?

Yes. Because you could hear the activity
through the wall?

Yes. Excellent.

To the best of your ability, I'd like
you to describe these sounds.

Oh, I don't have to describe it.

I taped it.

I beg your pardon?

Right here on tape.

Shall I play?

Well, sure.

That's what you sound like?

Zeus in heaven.

Okay, Albert, we've heard it.

As you can see, it's quite disruptive.

I didn't seek out Arvin and say to him,
you should go see this priest.

Arvin came to me.

He asked me if Father Brindle was
helping me.

And you told him yes?

I really thought he could help Arvin.

Also... Also what?

Well, what the subsequent years of
therapy have taught me.

I was desperate to believe that Father
Brindle was a good man, and I was

desperate to have my best friend, the
person who I trusted most, affirm this.

Makes it sound like you were using your
friend a little.

Unconsciously, I suppose I was.

But I did believe that he could help
Arvin, and I didn't think that Father

Brindle would molest him.

I really thought that I was the lone
target, and like Arvin...

I assumed it was all my fault.

Arvin, I am deeply, deeply sorry.

Objection! Mr.

Beck, I'll ask you as well not to
address the opposing party.

That's all I have.

Hey, Jane.

Be careful.

The jury seems with him.

First, Mr. Beck, if I may ask, how did
Father Brendel go about seducing you?

It was almost exactly as Arvin
described.

So, as I understand it, just like with
Mr. Grayson, he basically used the

pretext of emotional counsel to
eventually wind up next to you naked on

couch. Correct.

Yet, when your best friend asked for
your advice, you recommended this priest

for counseling.

As I said, I didn't think he'd be
targeted.

But you knew the man targeted his
patients.

You're simplifying it, Mr. Young.

Had you told anybody about your abuse?

No. That must have been hard, not being
able to talk about it, being the only

one.

You have no idea?

I bet it would have been easier had
there been at least one other victim,

somebody to talk to.

I didn't send my best friend to a rapist
so I'd have company. You testified you

were desperate for affirmation.

I didn't do that. Do you ever blame
yourself, sir, for what happened to

Grayson? Of course I do. A day doesn't
go by...

Of

course I do.

Thank you, Mr. Peck.

How'd it go? Not bad. They upped the
offer to 110, so we must be doing

right. Did you take it?

The client turned it down.

What? Bobby... You should have jammed it
down the client's throat.

The client was adamant. I don't care.

You guys are partners.

You see the book.

We have to start exercising some
discretion on the cases we take. And we

steer clients towards settlement when
it's indicated. Do I really need to tell

you that?

Eleanor asked me last night why I seemed
to be attacking you. I didn't really

think I was, but the more I thought
about it, this case, it has made

me angry at you, Bobby.

Why?

You're not going to like the answer any
better than I do.

Why?

You're Catholic.

There. I said it.

Last thing I ever want to believe is
that I could be guilty of bigotry, but

the Catholics keeping the church in
business.

People like you who make donations, who
go to the cathedrals and put the

envelope in the offering plate.

Those priests were protected.

They were given safe harbor, allowed to
go on raping kids because their crimes

were kept secret as policy, as policy in
the Catholic Church.

I know that most priests are good, don't
get me wrong, but what we're talking

about here, it's been going on for 30,
40 years. It's been systemic, and it's

not enough for the Catholic people to
say, oh, isn't that awful, and here's my

check. And what do you propose we do,
Eugene?

Shut the church down.

Start a different institution of
Catholic faith. Hell, I might join

I propose you stop giving the current
institution the money. I propose you be

more angry.

Dozens of kids have been abused in this
state alone, and the church knew what

was going on, did nothing about it, and
let it continue.

I propose you be as angry as I am, and
that you good Catholic

people stop giving the church the money.

Bobby? What's wrong?

Um, there's been some shooting. One of
my clients I couldn't really follow, but

I can't go there. Can you please go for
me?

Oh, don't tell me.

Your client. We think it might be
Lindsay's. We don't know which.

Well, that one's over here.

Shooter's in the bedroom.

That's, um, Lindsay's client.

So, Louise, in her bedroom.

I better go.

I'll, uh... I'll go in.

Talk time's over, Mike. She's
represented.

Are you?

Give us some privacy, will you?

My name is Bobby Donald.

I work with Jamie.

First of all, what did you just tell
Detective McGuire?

The truth?

He came in with a knife.

He was going to kill me.

He said... He said he was going to stab
me in the heart.

So I would know the feeling.

He just kept saying it.

I'm going to stab you in the heart.

He came at me.

And I shot him.

Not yet. Could be justified self
-defense.

She did call 911 when he first entered.
Did he break in? No. He let himself in

with his own key.

He also has two assault priors and a
history of mental problems. Did he ever

indicate to you that... No, he never
gave any indication that he was going to

anything.

He was armed with a kitchen knife.

From whose kitchen?

His. Okay.

We'll talk to her again. If everything
checks out, we'll let her give a full

statement. In the meantime, let's
prepare as if they're going to charge.

If Walter Beck had simply told his
friend that Father Brindle was a rapist,

Arvin Grayson wouldn't have been raped.

But Walter Beck, who was in the habit of
telling his best friend everything,

decided not to tell him this.

Instead, he just let him fall
unknowingly into the hands of a depraved

offender.

About 15 years ago, A bunch of
bystanders at a bar did nothing while a

repeatedly raped on a pool table.

A few years after that, a little girl
was murdered in a Las Vegas casino

restroom while the killer's friend did
nothing.

The public became outraged and things
started to change.

Law started getting passed criminalizing
bystander apathy.

Doctors today... have to report injuries
that they think are the results of

crime. Witnesses to child abuse have to
report it. We have laws now pending

saying people have to report foreigners
taking flying lessons.

We have got whistleblowing laws to
prevent stock fraud, corporate

because the law is finally starting to
catch up to our sense of morality,

requiring people to get...

the hell involved.

It's also starting to catch up to our
sense of reality.

That unless we all become our brother's
keepers, we're doomed.

Here, we're not asking for Walter Beck
to have done all that much.

We're not even asking him to help a
stranger, only his best friend.

If he could have said so much to Arvin
Grayson as, hey,

Be careful.

Instead, he continued to endorse this
abusive priest knowing he was a

rapist.

He not only failed to prevent a crime,
his silence, in fact,

facilitated one, a horrible one.

To say that Walter Beck should bear no
responsibility in this, that kind of

thinking, It takes us back 15 years when
it was okay to sit back and laugh

while a woman got gang raped on a pool
table.

I agree with Ms. Front on this.

The world is changing.

We're seeing a rash of chicken little
legislation.

Laws requiring everyone to run around
telling on everybody else.

We're quickly becoming the telltale
nation.

But even should you want to go where the
law has not yet gone, imposing a duty

on one friend to help prevent the
molestation of another, the molestation,

minimum, would have to be foreseeable.

Here, it wasn't.

As Mr. Beck testified, he did not think
Mr.

Grayson would be victimized.

Should he have known?

Should he have seen more clearly?

Are we going to start imposing that duty
as well?

Victims of sexual abuse should be
required to see and act clearly?

Please.

Privacy is rapidly being eroded in this
country.

Public fear is certainly winning out.

But today...

You're being asked to impose a duty on
sexual abuse victims to come forward and

tell the world what has happened to
them.

Or at least tell their best friends.

God help us.

So they're not going to file?

They're still investigating, but... It
doesn't look like it.

How's Jamie?

She's okay.

She plunged into preparing a defense
just in case, so she's occupying

How are you?

I'm okay.

It's a little too much deja vu too
early, I guess.

How are you?

I'm fine.

You talk to Eugene again?

Listen, when I told you what he said,
you didn't respond. Is that because you

agree with him?

I don't blame the Catholic people for
abusive priests. I certainly don't blame

you. But it seems like you're
withholding on the issue.

Are you?

No. Are you?

I don't really want to talk about this
now.

Lindsay, I'd like to talk about it now.

Okay.

Every so often, you bring up how we
haven't christened Bobby Jr.

yet, and we really need to do that.

And I always find a way to deflect it.

Well... I'm just going to say this.

There's no way I'm going to let him be
raised Catholic.

It is not a faith or an ideology issue,
but even with the remotest of

possibilities, that he could fall into
the hands of the wrong priest... Totally

prejudiced. I don't deny it.

But I would rather be a bigot than
risk... Let's talk about other

You don't think a minister or a rabbi
has ever... Probably, but not as many as

priests. Until you drop the celibacy
thing, Catholic clergy... I'm not going

hear this.

Fine. I mean, I can't believe you'd be
guilty of such blatant bigotry.

I'm a mother.

And my son will never be walking into
any confessional alone.

I know that's a prejudice, but the
church has to accept some responsibility

my bigotry as well. Oh, really? Yes.

When somebody walks through your door
and says, one of your priests raped me,

you don't just reach for the phone and
dial up your publicist.

When did the jury go out? About an hour
ago. I don't think we're going to hear

anything today.

I'm thinking we should see if that offer
still stands.

You closed well, Eleanor.

Zeus in heaven.

Oh, my God.

I've been pulling up every case, every
clipping I can with similar fact

patterns. See if anybody anywhere used
any new defenses on... Seven years ago

in Denver, same thing.

A woman shot her ex -boyfriend trying to
kill her with a knife. Exact same

thing.

So what's the problem?

Exact same woman.

What? She had a different name,
different social security number, but

her. Well, was she charged?

No. The police ruled it justifiable self
-defense. She was so traumatized,

according to this article, she left to
start a new life. So she's done this

before. And not just once.

Three years ago in Cleveland, again a
boyfriend, again justified self

There's no picture here but a quote. He
just came at me from nowhere, Zeus in

heaven.

What I don't understand is if you could
pull this up in six hours, why can't the

police? The police aren't investigating.

Both shootings were ruled justifiable.
They're not looking. Well, how many

boyfriends does she have to kill before
they get suspicious?

The same woman didn't do it as far as
they know. She's had three different

identities, which, by the way, is simple
to do. So what do you do now besides

not date her?

Jamie.

Could I talk to you?

Sure. Go in the conference room. I'll be
right in.

What do I do? We stick to this case.
Why?

Because what we don't know could help
us, Jamie. Should she ever get charged

this case?

Oh, come on. We know. We saw the
newspaper. We saw a woman who looked

Period.

So what's happening?

The police are still investigating.
We're hoping they rule it justifiable.

Good.

Listen, this whole thing is obviously
upsetting.

I can't continue to live in that
apartment.

In fact, I'm thinking maybe it's best if
I leave Boston altogether.

Oh? I think maybe I should just try to
start a new life somewhere.

Try to escape all this.

Certainly you don't want to leave the
jurisdiction now.

The police would consider that
suspicious.

After they decide not to charge you,
that would be the time to think about

leaving. I see.

Yes, of course.

This in heaven, I can't even begin to
think where I would even go.

Denver's nice.

So is Cleveland.

Why did you say that?

Oh, I visited Denver once. It was
beautiful. And who doesn't love

Listen, I've been talking to some
potential character witnesses, and

plenty of support, by the way.

But I found out Albert actually broke up
with you, not the other way around.

I never said it was the other way
around. Well, it's just in

as a jealous ex -boyfriend.

Also, one of your lovers said that he
got the idea that you were trying to

Albert jealous, you know, to punish him
a little.

Would I be the first girlfriend to do
that?

No.

You wouldn't.

I expressly told you not to confront
her. I didn't. How about Denver?

Or Cleveland? What the hell was that?
That's hardly confronting her. And the

stuff about the witnesses was relevant
to this case, Bobby. Don't play games

with me.

You were fishing in waters I asked you
not to.

I threw out one little cast. Don't do it
again.

Do I make myself clear?

Yes.

There is a pecking order here, Jamie.

Let's not forget that.

I won't.

She's been hanging around Lucy too much.
That's her problem. Picking up all that

sassiness. I think she's still pushing
to fit in. Fit in? She challenges us at

every turn. Do they teach that at
Harvard now?

Well, the last Harvard grad worked out.

You married her.

That's not going to happen this time.

Listen to me.

I do have something I want to talk to
you about.

Catholic to Catholic.

How are you handling this priest thing?

I don't know.

Well, clearly you've thought about it.

Thought about it?

Bobby, a lot of nights I don't sleep.

I'm not an abstract thinker. You know,
when I think of God, I kind of give him

human image.

My priest, in a way, he's always
represented the face of God to me.

So to think of priests doing what some
of them did,

it's... Have you ever thought about

leaving the church over?

No.

That would be like leaving God.

Bobby, the church is not just the
priests.

It's you and me.

We are the church.

To leave would be like walking away from
ourselves.

Who we are.

People of God. But as people of God, how
do we tolerate these?

Look, the media has so overblown this.

They don't talk about all the good the
church does.

And it's a lot.

Maybe he's right.

Who?

Eugene.

There is enough rage.

All right, then. Mr. Foreman, I'll ask
you to rise and read your verdict to the

court.

In the matter of Grayson v. Beck, we,
the jury, find in favor of the

and we order the defendant to pay
compensatory damages in the amount of $1

million.

This trial is completed.

Members of the jury, your service is
finished. We thank you.

And this matter is adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

Be prepared for an appeal.

And it's one we have to take very
seriously.

I know.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thanks again.

Another? I think so.

Calgary, Alberta.

She lived there for a year after Denver.
That's her, see?

And she shot yet another boyfriend.

All four had criminal records for
assault, battery. I think it's a

for her. It helps her justify her
shootings.

And every time she's been cleared? And
then falls off the face of the earth.

Four victims.

And counting.

That was Helen Gamble's office.

It's been ruled justifiable self
-defense.

We have to tell them.

Tell who? The police. There are going to
be more. She's serial.

You want to lose your bar ticket.

So we say nothing.

We don't tell anybody.

We won.

1 .4 million.

What? You won? The laws are changing,
folks. We're as shocked as you are.

Congratulations.

Really.

Thank you.

Uh, Eugene.

This came for you. I did not accept
service, but he left it anyway.

What is it?

You know a Marshall Hasberg?

Marshall?

Yes, he worked at the church, too.

You and he were friends?

Friendly. Played basketball together,
but I wouldn't say we were close. Why?

He's suing you.

What? For not telling him about Father
Brendel.

Seems he was raped after you.

Louise?

Zeus in heaven.

You startled me.

Clearing out?

Yes.

Lucy called.

Told me the shooting was ruled
justifiable, so I thought I'd pack and

Sooner the better.

Where to?

You know, I haven't really decided yet.

I'm going to go see some friends, move
around.

Pick a place, I guess.

Any suggestions?

Well, after Denver and Cleveland, only
leaves Calgary.

Never been there.

Maybe I'll try it.

Uh -huh.

Why are you here, Jamie?

Trying to get me to say something?

It's... Almost as if you think I'm a
killer or something.

Of course, if you did think that, I
doubt you'd come here alone.

That'd be dangerous.

If you'll excuse me now, I need to
finish packing.

Bobby?

Hey, Father.

Thanks for agreeing to meet me here.

Oh, no problem.

I'm leaving the church, Father.

Oh, what do you mean?

Leaving the church?

I have loved being a part of this
parish.

And specifically being your parishioner.

But the sex abuse scandal... Bobby,
let's sit down and talk.

What can you say?

Molestation gets a bad rap. I can say
that the offending clergy makes up a

microscopic portion of the priesthood. I
know that.

But the church is confluent.

It's enabling these priests to destroy
so many young lives.

We've made mistakes.

I believe that we're acknowledging them.

Our new policy is zero tolerance. I know
the litigation tactics being employed

against the victims.

I also know that... Look, this isn't
about

vengeance.

Bobby.

When you have a crisis of conscience,
well, any personal crisis for that

where do you go?

I come to you.

But this isn't about you.

Or... I'm not leaving the faith.

Just the church.

My son, when you leave the church, you
leave the faith.

Can I give you the speech about all of
the good work that we've done?

Do you have any notion of the global
charitable work done by the Catholic

Church? I do.

But I don't look to the Church like it's
the United Way.

For me, it's about spiritual and moral
leadership.

Until you expel every offending priest.

Everyone involved with protecting them
and concealing them.

There's been no true penance.

When that day comes, I hope to return.

Bobby, you can't just leave.