Original subtitles

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.