Original subtitles

Previously on L .A. Law.

Are you at all familiar with the canon of ethics as it pertains to an

obligation when he discovers the unauthorized practice of law?

Your Honor. When he's made aware of the ongoing commission of a crime?

Forgive me, Your Honor, but I didn't think that my client should be

by this man's fraud.

I'm declaring this a mistrial, and I'm referring you to the disciplinary

committee of the Bar Association. You can tell them how you were trying to

the interests of justice.

You think there might be another way to go about this?

Tell me how.

Once we have the baby, does it really matter where we got it?

Adoption. I think we ought to give it a shot.

Can you take this good care of everyone?

No, the truth is I don't.

I've got a witty crush on you, Abigail.

You might as well know it.

Oh, boy. Ms. Weiler.

I admire your determination, but I'm wondering if you've forgotten what it's

like to be a junior associate.

Compared to my divorce, let me tell you, it's nothing.

Anyway, I'm sure you're not that interested in my personal life.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Brackman.

Ms. Weiler, I have to talk to my partners, but would you be able to start

Monday?

What are you looking at, Waldo?

You're making him talk.

Oh, oh, you guys are gonna get along just great. You're both dummies.

Hey, Waldo!

Have another donut.

Why settle for tubby when you could be fat?

What's the matter, Waldo?

Huh? Cat got your tongue?

Stop it. Stop calling me Waldo. My name is Benny.

Sorry, Benny.

Mr. Peterson? That's us, Ace.

Come on in.

Hey, Waldo. Did you hear about the moron who ate the refrigerator bowl?

He wanted to have a light lunch.

Before we begin, for those of you who haven't met her, I'd like to introduce

Dorothy Weiler, our new associate, who begins employment with us today.

Ms. Weiler will initially be concentrating on corporate matters, and

assignments to her are to be channeled through me.

First item up, a reminder to all that the Christmas party will commence at the

close of business Thursday.

A further reminder that business concludes at 6 .30 p .m. Ho, ho, ho,

Feel free to invite your clients to share in the holiday cheer, provided

generated over 200 hours of business this year and their accounts are not

60 days past due. Stuart, I trust you've taken care of catering?

On a less jolly note, where do we stand with your inquisition, Michael?

I'm appearing before the disciplinary committee this morning with the able

Victor Cifuentes at my side.

They wouldn't levy a fine against the firm, would they? They don't levy fines,

Doug. My guess is a private censure.

So what happens to, uh, what's his name, Mathers? He's up on criminal charges

for fraud, impersonating a lawyer.

Last I heard, he got an expedited trial, and he's representing himself.

How incompetent could he be if he got himself an expedited trial?

Moving on. People versus Peterson.

In the Twilight Zone.

This guy's charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest...

only talk through a nasty little dummy named Gilbert.

The guy's a certifiable kookaboo. Well, you're going to have to use the well

-known kookaboo defense.

Seriously, Leland, I don't know what to do.

I waltz this guy into court without his dummy, I don't have a case.

I waltz in with the dummy, they laugh me out of the courthouse. I'm not

unmindful of the degree of difficulty here, Jonathan.

We're all aware of Kenny Peterson's extensive psychiatric history and the

unfortunate event which precipitated it, but... His father is one of our more

prized clients, and I have assured Peterson Sr. that his son will be

and successfully defended in this matter.

I trust you'll accomplish this in your inimitable fashion.

I'll do my best.

Mm -hmm. Good, good.

Move along, I guess.

Amanda Shaw versus the National Informer.

Settlement offer was up to $300 ,000.

Amanda takes a stand today.

Yes, me, I'd take the $300 ,000. Celebrities almost never win libel

We're talking about an actress with an image purer than ivory soap. An image

completely destroyed by the lies they printed. So she should run with it.

Enjoy all the controversy. Move up to something R -rated. Get away from all

those G -rated musicals.

I'll mention it to her.

Finally, Masterson versus Omni -American.

Trial starts next week. And I'm going to need some backup on that. Whatever you

need. Dorothy, coordinate with Michael. And Stuart, maybe you could jump in to

crunch some numbers?

No problem.

Let's not blow this one.

Aside from this case bringing in major revenue, this is a real chance to show

that we can handle sophisticated antitrust cases as well as the big boys.

Jack Matheson still pleased, Michael?

No, so far so good.

He loves me.

Yes? Well, on that megalomaniac reflection... Go, John.

Ann.

Stuart.

News on the adoption front.

I've got you in with Ross Burnett, Wednesday, 12 .30, his office. Kidding.

thought there was a six -month wait for this guy.

There is, but I pulled a few strings for him on his divorce, and he owes me one.

But it's just a meeting, right? I mean, we're not committed to anything.

Look, I think he assumes you're ready to go forward.

What's the charge?

$15 ,000.

What?

Look, Ann, they don't give him away.

I don't want to feel like a couple of overprivileged adults who go out and buy

baby the way you go out and buy a car.

Look, you're paying Ross for his legal services. The birth mother for her rent

and medical expenses is totally legitimate.

Now, the other thing to remember is that she has the right to take the baby back

any time until the consent form is signed. How long is that?

About six months.

Six months?

Ann, we're going to take it one step at a time, okay?

Okay. Okay.

We're in business here.

Thank you.

Who's that?

What are you doing here?

I thought I'd lend you my support.

In exchange for what?

You doing the same.

I testify for you, you testify for me.

Very symmetrical, no?

No.

He'd be helping me out. Hey, don't look at me.

Mike, I'm sorry, but I don't want you to be my witness, and I certainly don't

want to be yours.

First part of that's up to you.

The second part's up to me.

Here's your subpoena.

If you could get there by 10 o 'clock, that'd be great.

As the evidence clearly has established, Michael Cusack violated disciplinary

rule... 3 -1 -0 -1, in aiding the unauthorized practice of law.

If the committee, please.

In order to assess Mr. Kuzak's ethical conduct, I believe it first necessary to

appreciate the circumstances under which it occurred.

In other words, you got an excuse.

The discovery that Richard Mathers was unlicensed to practice law came more

halfway through the trial. The issue here is that the court didn't learn of

until after the verdict.

Then from only Mr. Mathers himself.

Well, if you could just stand back from the code for one moment, I think that

you'll see that the only motivation here was a fair settlement.

We don't stand back from the code, Mr. Cifuentes. We enforce it. I understand

that, ma 'am. Furthermore, this isn't some nitpicking technical violation

talking about.

These charges indicate conduct in direct violation of a lawyer's obligation as

an officer of the court.

All my Cusack did.

was try to avoid having Richard Mathers' fraud force his client into protracted

litigation and considerable further expense.

That's not the concern of this committee.

Well, with all due respect, maybe it should be.

Mike. If the only question here is did I or did I not violate the code, let's

stop wasting each other's time. I did.

But you only talk about a lawyer's obligation as an officer of the court.

about my obligation to my client? Your first loyalty is to the legal system.

purpose of which is to administer justice.

Richard Mathers was a highly skilled practitioner. There's no argument about

that. Mr. Cusack and he went head to head. Both clients received skilled,

uncompromised representation.

Tell me what that is, if not justice.

And you, in fact, read this article on the day it was published, correct?

It wasn't even two weeks after my daughter's death.

I had just buried my little girl when I picked up that paper and read those

lies. Could you tell us exactly what the lies were, Miss Shaw?

They said, They printed that I was having sexual intercourse with Elena's

boyfriend, her 17 -year -old boyfriend.

And that when Elena found out about it, that's when she took the overdose.

I know it's painful, but I'd like you to try to describe the humiliation you

felt. Humiliation?

They said that I was sleeping with my teenage daughter's boyfriend, that I

helped cause her suicide.

I know that goes way, way beyond humiliation.

Do you think that I'm sitting in this chair right now because I feel

Has there been any public reaction to this article?

I get letters every day.

Letters calling me perverted, twisted, sick.

My friends have all backed away because they feel that if they've printed that,

there must be something to it. What about the professional reaction?

As far as the studios are concerned, I make people sick.

I'm the repulsive mother who screwed her daughter's teenage boyfriend.

Would you want me on your marquee?

Thank you. Nothing further.

I take it from your testimony that you did not have sex with Michael Lyons.

Of course I didn't. Yet, you were physically attracted to him, were you

He was my daughter's boyfriend.

Did you not refer to him in a talk show interview as being fabulously handsome

and sexy?

I was talking about my daughter and how wonderful Michael and she were together.

And you said that he was handsome and sexy, didn't you? Yes, but I... Did you

ever kiss the sexy guy, Miss Shaw?

Romantically, no.

The question is, have you ever kissed Michael Lyons? You mean, have I ever

kissed him hello or goodbye?

Yes. Did he ever swim with you naked in your backyard pool?

I'm sorry, did you not hear the question?

You're taking that out of context. Now, that was a party where a couple of the

kids ended up going skinny dipping. Including you and this fabulously sexy

teenager completely naked.

I had my suit on and I got out the minute they took theirs off. I'm sure

did. Ma 'am.

On February 22nd, 1986, when your daughter was away on a ski trip, did

Lyons spend the night at your house? He had a fight with his father, and his

mother called me and asked me if I would put him up for one night. Your

suggestion is completely perverted. Well, now, all I am suggesting is that

possible for people to get the wrong idea.

No, it is not possible.

Ma 'am, you publicly declared your attraction for him on a talk show. You

him, you hugged him, you spent the night alone with him in your house. You are a

bastard! Miss Shaw.

I'm sorry, Miss Shaw. I am just demonstrating how it looks to me right

And how it looked to my client when he published that article.

Move to strike the speech, Your Honor. I'll withdraw it.

Nothing further.

And what happened next, officer?

I pulled him over and started writing up the citation when this dummy strapped

into a car seat starts ridiculing me. The dummy was ridiculing you? Well,

Peterson, but he was doing it through the dummy. So what did you do? I warned

him to stop. He didn't, and when he became verbally abusive, I impounded the

dummy and attempted to place it in the trunk of my unit for safekeeping.

That's when he jumped on me. Mr. Peterson? Right. He just came at me like

madman, so I said, that's it. You're busted.

Then he really went berserk.

knocked me down, and started pummeling me. Did Mr. Peterson injure you, sir?

Chipped three teeth, 12 stitches in my forehead.

I was on disability for two weeks.

Thank you, sir.

Nothing further.

Why'd you grab the dummy, sir?

Excuse me? You said that prior to my client attacking you, you grabbed the

dummy. I'm asking you why.

You should have heard what he was calling me.

Well, I mean, I know it was Peterson, but it was through... Well, if you knew

was Mr. Peterson, why'd you grab the dummy?

I don't know. I was agitated. I lost my head and out of impulse I... So, at the

time of the arrest, you... your mental facilities were impaired and you were

acting impulsively? I didn't say that.

Well, what did you say? I'm saying if you had been there... Ha! He's got that

pig squirreling now.

Objection. You see, that's what I had to put up with.

You broke my arm, you infected grunt. I should have broke your head.

Hey!

Mr. Rollins, I thank you to control your client.

And Officer Jordan, would you please refrain from addressing the puppet?

What did you do with the dummy after you grabbed it, sir? I just put it away for

safekeeping. You stunk me in the trunk of your car, you Nazi!

That's it.

Bailiff, confiscate that thing.

Your Honor, I object.

My client cannot communicate without that dummy, Judge.

If you remove it from his possession, you strip his ability to confer with

counsel, to contribute to his own defense, and he'd be incompetent to

trial. You've got to be kidding.

This is a joke.

He's sane, and Mr.

Rollins knows it.

The idea that Mr. Peterson thinks this dummy is real is ridiculous, is it?

The last 20 minutes alone, we've all individualized it. You objected to it

twice. Your witness here threatened to break its head, and you, Your Honor,

to take it into custody.

Imagine how Kenny Peterson thinks of it, having lived his whole life with it.

Look, you want to plead temporary insanity or self -defense here, fine.

But I won't have your client and his imaginary friend disrupting my

Now, we'll adjourn until tomorrow. In the meantime, get your client to clean

his act.

Forty -two and?

And I'm thirty -eight.

We brought resumes.

Educational, professional, V -tie, that sort of thing.

Religion? Protestant.

And Jewish.

And the baby?

How will you raise it?

Oh, we thought we'd just do a menorah and a Christmas tree, that sort of

Is that an issue?

Sometimes. Some birth mothers request a certain religion, others don't care.

Anne, do you plan on working full -time after the baby's born? Part -time,

probably. We have the money, so... Would you consider a black baby?

Stuart? Um... I don't know.

How do you feel about it?

I just want to know your requirements.

I feed the data into a computer.

Birth mothers tell me what they want. I try to make a match.

White.

We want a white baby.

I'll get this information out to attorneys, to doctors, to high school

teachers, to anyone who might know a birth mother.

I'll need pictures, happy pictures of you two together.

Do you have a dog?

Should we get one?

Birth mothers like dogs in the pictures, what can I tell you?

We'll get a dog.

When I find a birth mother who seems right for you, I'll give her your phone

numbers and she'll call you, collect.

Make a list of questions. Write them down. People tend to forget everything

the call happens.

And take the call no matter what's going on.

I should probably get back to court.

Ann, the call will come for you.

Considering the circumstances, these girls generally have no use for men

now. Be open and honest.

Tell her how much you want to have a baby.

Let her know how vulnerable you feel.

Above all, don't cut the conversation short for anything.

Not even if you have to get back to court.

Okay.

Mr. Cusack, in the period of time that we were adversaries, you observed me

conducting some 11 depositions.

You heard me argue 11 pre -trial motions.

You watched me pick a jury.

You sat across from me during 15 days of trial.

What kind of lawyer am I?

Competent. Competent?

Tell us, how many attorneys did Barry and Nina Toland have prior to hiring me?

I believe they had three. Three different bona fide attorneys, licensed

practice law in the state of California.

What settlement offer, if any, was on the table during that time?

None. And two months after I had come into the case, how would that change?

Mr. Takowski's insurance carrier authorized throwing in the proceeds of

policy. Which amounted to how much?

Half a million dollars.

I guess they thought I was competent, too, huh?

Objection. Sustained.

Mr. Kuzak, around December 1st of this year, you approached me with the same

half -million -dollar offer and one additional piece of information, namely

you knew I was not licensed to practice law.

What was my reaction to that?

You turned it down.

And what reason did I give for doing so?

You said you wouldn't sell your client out to save yourself.

Thank you.

I have no further questions.

What did you do when you found out that Mr. Mathers wasn't a lawyer?

Objection irrelevant.

Goes to credibility, Your Honor. This witness perpetrated a fraud upon the

for which he is now under investigation by the state bar. I moved to strike

that. It's prejudicial and... Both of you settle down.

The witness can answer the question.

I confronted Mr. Mathers directly.

So you tried to convert it to your advantage.

Argumentative, sustained.

Tell me, sir.

What is the status of Toland v.

Takowski now?

It's been settled.

Is that right?

Did the plaintiffs engage a new counsel so soon? The parties reached an

agreement between themselves.

Did you have any conversations with Mr. Mathers subsequent to his arrest as to

what that agreement might be? We set certain parameters.

I advised Takowski. I assume he did the same with the Tolands. And how'd you two

boys make out?

I object, Your Honor.

The district attorney is slinging mud against the wall and hoping something

sticks. Well, that's funny, Mr. Mathers, because with the two of you, it seems

that something always does.

That's quite sufficient, thank you.

Tell me, Mr. Cusack, is your testifying on behalf of Mr. Mathers part of the

settlement arrangement?

I'm here under subpoena.

Naturally.

I'm sure the two of you are well -versed in avoiding the appearance of

collusion.

I never had any romantic thing with her mother. That was a total lie.

Did anyone from the National Informer contact you prior to publishing this

article? No, never.

Michael, what was your relationship with Amanda Shaw?

She was my girlfriend's mother.

Were we close?

Probably.

Lovers? No, that's ridiculous.

Totally ridiculous.

Thank you, Michael. Nothing further.

Mr. Lyons, you and Elena were boyfriend and girlfriend for how long?

Almost two years.

You were in love?

Yes. Were you ever unfaithful to her?

Once, but it wasn't with her mother.

This was about a month before Elena's death, is that correct?

It was one incident, and it was all straightened out. I'm sure it was.

Mr. Lyons.

Did you ever have private discussions with Elena's mother about Elena's mental

well -being?

We talked about her depression.

She wanted me to help convince Elena to get counseling.

And how did Elena feel about these discussions with Mrs. Shaw?

She wasn't happy about it. In fact, she shouted at you at school one day to stop

going behind her back to her mother. Isn't that correct?

Elena was real upset about a lot of things. She had a lot of... So, as I

understand it, about...

A month before Elena took her own life, she was upset about you cheating on her

at approximately the same time that she was openly screaming at you to stay away

from her mother. Is that a fair understanding?

You're making it sound like something completely different than what it was.

I see. So what you're saying is that it is possible to misinterpret the

circumstances.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Lyons. Nothing further.

And what exactly did your source tell you, Mr. Bellini? That a romantic affair

existed between the boy and Mrs. Shaw.

And you were satisfied that this information was accurate?

Well, he'd been accurate in the past.

Jibed with all the circumstantial evidence we collected, I had no reason

believe the story was not true. And accordingly, we decided to run the

Thank you.

No further questions.

Who told you about this so -called affair, Mr. Bellini?

A reporter is not required to reveal his sources. That's my right under the

state constitution.

You're absolutely correct.

But you also have the right to disclose your source if you so desire.

And since your neck is on the cutting block of a $50 million lawsuit here, I

would think you'd want to prove that this informant really exists.

Or would that compromise your journalistic integrity?

I told my source I protect his identity, and I stick to my word.

Are you telling this court and this jury that it's your game plan to exalt the

rights of a blatant liar over those of an innocent victim?

You say he's a liar.

I've put seven witnesses up here saying he's a liar. Who have you got to say

he's not? Your Honor, I'm a professional reporter. I check my sources. I verify

my... Did you check with Amanda Shaw before printing this article? She didn't

return my calls. Did you check with Michael Lyons before running this

figured he'd deny it.

And why ruin a good story with a fact, huh, Mr. Bellini? There's plenty of

we didn't print.

I was told she was pregnant with a kid's baby and had to have an abortion.

What? Sit down, Mrs. Shaw. But I didn't print that. I couldn't verify it, so I

didn't print it. Because you're such a decent and honorable man, right?

Objection. Here is a file containing every article you've published in the

two years, Mr. Bellini.

Find me one single piece that doesn't bash the reputation of a celebrity.

are all legitimate stories that I wrote. Find me one that doesn't bash the

reputation of a celebrity.

I do investigative expose work. That's what I do.

That's what you do.

No further questions.

Mr. Cifuentes, do you have anything to say before we render our decision?

Only that it has never been our intention to minimize the importance of

standards. I've simply tried to make the committee aware of the difficulty of

Mr. Cusack's situation.

Now, Mike's record both as a prosecutor and in private practice has been

exemplary. I would just hope that his actions be taken in context.

Mr. Cusack.

Your counsel has argued that the actions of Richard Mathers justify your own.

It doesn't work that way.

What he did constitutes fraud. What you did constitutes devious and unethical

behavior, utterly at odds with our code of conduct.

Now, since Mr. Mathers isn't an attorney, he is beyond the limits of our

authority. You, sir, are not.

We are your peers, we speak for our profession, and we condemn what you did.

Our recommendation to the State Bar Association is that you be publicly

and suspended from the practice of law for a period of not less than one month,

effective immediately.

A month?

That's right, Mr. Cusack.

A month.

Well, I'm going to sleep a lot better knowing that the members of this

are there to pass out pronouncements on the correctness of my conduct,

especially when they don't allow themselves to be distracted by the

the situation.

If your contempt for the committee is any indication, sir, I fully expect this

will not be the last time we'll be seeing you.

We're going to fight this out with the Bar Association in court. Let's see how

smug these fat -ass Rotarians are after they've gone a few rounds with the

litigator. No.

What do you mean, no?

Bottom line, you broke the rules, Mike. Now, we tried to put the best faith on

it that we could, and this is the way it came down.

What are you saying? You think that they're right?

Yeah. And if you want my recommendation, both as your friend and as your lawyer

right now, I'm going to tell you to take your medicine and glad it's not worse.

Oh, here it is.

Kenneth Peterson was kidnapped when he was less than three years old.

He was thrown into the trunk of a car and driven around for days in a state of

virtually total sensory deprivation. And from that time, he has never spoken.

But, Dr. Shale...

Everybody in this room has heard him talk through the dummy. But

psychologically, that's not really Kenny.

In lay terms, that's a separate personality that he's created to protect

real self. Protect his real self from what?

From the outside world.

It's called atypical dissociative disorder, and it's usually brought on by

early childhood trauma.

Such as kidnapping.

Exactly. And this makes people become ventriloquists?

When a child won't talk, we try to get him to talk.

through a doll.

I've treated Kenny from about age 7 until 13, at which time he refused any

further treatment.

And what's the prognosis for him now, Dr. Shue? Well, it's impossible to say

with any certainty, but unless Kenny somehow develops a greater trust in the

outside world or faces his trauma through treatment, I'd say his chances

reconstituting his personality are slim.

And do you think he poses a threat to society, sir?

No.

The only reason he became violent that night was because he felt Gilbert was

being threatened.

When he saw Gilbert being thrown into the trunk of that cruiser, it recalled

own terrifying experience, and he probably just snapped.

Thank you, Dr. Shale.

Nothing further.

Doctor, are you saying this guy's insane?

No. I'm talking about a basically functional man who has withdrawn into a

private fantasy world.

Then he knows this dummy isn't real, doesn't he? Yes, I think he does.

Then why did you always talk to me, you fruitcake? You know I'm real.

Get your hands off of me. You should be objecting to this quack.

Mr. Peterson.

Hey, judgy boy, get with the program.

Kenny's a dummy here. He's the one who doesn't talk. Your Honor. Mr.

Peterson. Go ahead.

Don't be such a wimp.

Say something. I dare you.

Show us you're not a lost cause, Kenny.

Give us a word.

One well -chosen word.

I rest my case.

This guy is hopeless.

And so are you, everyone in my chambers.

Now.

So how the hell did you ever get to be a judge?

Gilbert, I swear, if you don't shut up, I'll roast your chestnuts on an open

fire.

It's clear to me that we're dealing with some pretty extraordinary circumstances

here, but I can't have this guy going crazy every time the trunk of a car

shut. He's not dangerous, Judge.

He beat up a cop.

You heard the psychiatrist.

It was a unique and threatening situation.

Look, Kenny.

Gilbert.

All right, Gilbert.

If I let Kenny go...

Can you promise me he'll resume his treatment?

What am I, his keeper?

Yes, in a manner of speaking, you are.

And I want your word that you and Kenny will go back to getting therapy.

Otherwise, he's going to jail.

Alone.

Do you understand?

All right.

Criminy.

Mr. Rollins, I'm going to continue this matter without a finding for one year.

After which, I'll drop the charges if he stays with the treatment.

That's all.

We're done.

I'll enter this matter in the record.

You can all go.

You are pathetic.

Look up.

Masterson pulled out.

He what?

He's going to Cray Lightner and Farrell.

Why? He's afraid a federal judge who thinks he's first cousin to God Almighty

might just be a little suspicious of whatever it is you have to say.

And you know something?

Under the circumstances, I can't say as I blame him.

I'm numb.

Yeah, well... Before it gets any worse, assuming such a thing is possible... We

have to take some steps.

Well, I suggest you start by speaking to Victor. He seems to think that we

should go gently into that good night, and I... I have spoken to Victor.

I believe he is absolutely correct.

And I intend to honor that suspension recommendation to the letter.

Go home, Michael.

Your very presence in these offices compromises this entire firm.

You're not going to stand up for me?

Oh, damn it, Michael.

You kept your mouth shut about Mathis without so much as a word of

You were wrong.

And everybody here is now paying for that.

And if you expect us all just to fall in line behind you, well, I suggest you've

overestimated your own importance.

I can't come back to the office for a month?

Not anywhere near it.

This newspaper printed malicious, devastating lies.

Lies that destroyed Amanda Shaw's professional career.

Lies which caused her emotional pain that will haunt her for the rest of her

life. And as if that isn't bad enough, they're here now standing proud,

themselves in the First Amendment, freedom of expression, freedom of the

the fundamental principles that America stands for.

But the Constitution doesn't say you can disregard the truth and obliterate the

reputation of innocent people.

They accused her of having sex with her daughter's teenage boyfriend.

They said that she contributed to her daughter's suicide.

That's vicious.

That's devoid of any human decency.

And don't you dare endorse their suggestion that that is what America

for. Don't you dare accept their notion that it's this kind of freedom that

makes this country great.

Because everyone in this room knows that they printed that trash for the sole

purpose of selling more newspapers at the checkout stand.

And all the flag -waving in the world won't change the fact that they

an innocent, grieving mother for the sake of corporate profit, and that is

abhorrent.

They think they know what America stands for.

Show them what we don't stand for.

In order for Amanda Shaw to prevail here,

She has to prove that the National Informer recklessly published that

when they knew or should have known that it was false.

Michael Lyons was having an affair with someone. About 20 people at school heard

Elena scream at Michael to stay away from her mother, stay away from Amanda

Shaw, a woman who admittedly kissed him, who embraced him, who said on national

television she was sexually attracted to him.

The woman who spent the night alone with him when Elena was out of town.

Did the national informer jump to a conclusion here?

Maybe.

Was it a reckless, malicious leap? Of course not.

My client was probing the questions that a lot of people were asking. And isn't

that exactly what a free press should do? To ask your questions.

To explore your curiosity.

Oh, sure, newspapers and magazines can print nice, pleasant articles that never

offend, anger, or provoke.

Wouldn't it be neat if we can pick up a newspaper every day and never have to

read anything that was, my God, inappropriate?

Wouldn't it be swell if the press stopped being aggressive or hungry? I

stall Miss Kelsey's momentum here, but the First Amendment exists in part not

only to promote that kind of zeal by the media, but to guarantee it.

So that we don't have editors telling us what is good to read and what is not.

So we do not have to have publishers suspending our civil rights every time

there's a chance that somebody might be bruised.

Amanda Shaw suffered real pain here.

I won't ask you to believe otherwise.

But when Ms. Kelsey steps up here and tells you that this case is not about...

First Amendment, or freedom of the press. Don't you believe that either?

Not for one single second.

Have you reached a verdict, Mr. Foreman?

We have, Your Honor.

I'll say you.

In the matter of Amanda Shaw versus the National Informer, we find in favor of

the plaintiff and order the defendant to pay damages in the amount of $1 .3

million.

Costume. Very satisfied, yes. How are you going to spend it, Amanda?

Maybe donate it to a university that teaches responsible journalism.

1 .3 million is a pretty big donation.

Money isn't the issue here. I think you all know that.

The big thing is that I'm finally exonerated. That verdict told the world

those lies were lies.

I'm just happy to get my name cleared.

Then I take it you haven't seen today's edition of the National Informer.

No, and I don't care to thank you.

How do you feel about making the front page again, Amanda?

Any twist on the story about your abortion, Amanda, please? I'll sue them

You pigs! I'll sue you again.

Amanda. You bastard. Amanda. I'll sue you again!

Mr. Nelson.

Nice. Very nice.

Mr. Nelson, any reaction, please? Any comments?

She called us pigs.

We can't sue them. What are you talking about? This one's worse than the other

one. This just recounts what was said in court. They can print that.

Was there a reporter who said it in court? Doesn't matter. A newspaper can

court proceedings.

Then let's sue the reporter for saying it in the first place.

We can't do that either.

Witnesses have qualified immunity. Are you telling me that because he said this

lie in a witness stand, he can get away with it?

Basically.

So is this how the system works, Ann?

Is this what I went through two years of litigation for?

I always felt that the beauty of the jury system was that ordinary people

the ultimate decision.

Guided by their heart, their mind, and their own humanity.

Right now, I don't want to talk about the elements of fraud, burdens of proof,

or reasonable doubt, or any of that.

I just want to tell you who I am.

My whole life, I never wanted to be anything but a lawyer.

At the time I was a teenager, I could recite the courtroom speeches from every

lawyer movie I had ever seen.

Inherit the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Town Without Pity. I knew all of them.

I went to law school for a year at night.

When I lost my scholarship, I dropped out. I drove a cab.

I taught high school.

I sold office furniture.

But the whole time, I read and I worked at teaching myself how to be a lawyer.

At first, I practiced just for friends. Little by little, though, I realized I

could really do this.

I didn't need a diploma.

I was going up against graduates from top ten schools and beating them cold.

I might not have been legitimate.

But I served my clients with unstinting loyalty.

Not a single one of them came to testify against me because not a single one of

them felt defrauded.

Competent representation was what they asked for, and competent representation

was what they got.

Yes, I practiced law without a license.

And regardless of your verdict, I will never practice law again.

That, for me, is the greatest punishment of all.

When I walked through those doors,

When I see that reporter sitting at her machine, and I plead my case knowing

that someone is depending on me to get them through what are most likely the

most desperate moments of their life, I feel more alive here than I do anywhere

else on earth.

I love doing this.

God, I love doing this.

It's hard to imagine that this is the last time I ever will.

Thank you. Come on. Come on.

Well, Leland, another year, another holiday season to demarcate the passage

time. Yes, indeed. I don't know about you guys, but I've always felt the

spiritual side and business side to be wholly compatible.

Huh. Hmm. I mean, is a pretzel and potato chip sampler lithographed with a

of Christ in the manger or an electric menorah with sequentially blinking bulbs

necessarily?

Any less an expression of faith than simple prayer?

Have thee.

If I promise to be a good little boy, can I come in and have some cake and ice

cream?

Now, what's new on the fertility front?

We met with a baby broker yesterday.

Ann, that's wonderful.

Abby.

I'm 38 years old. I've never even changed a diaper.

It's easy.

What if we get one of those colicky babies that cries all night and never

sleeps? And what happens if they get sick?

I mean, it's not as if they can tell you what's bothering them. What about crib

death? Anne, stop.

Don't worry about things you can't control.

I guess I just always thought that I'd have nine months of pregnancy to learn

how to accept a baby and love it. But I'm not going to be pregnant.

What if I don't love this baby?

You may be terrified right now, but the first time that you hold this little...

Tiny, helpless baby in your arms.

You'll fall in love.

And within 24 hours, you won't be able to imagine your world without it.

Merry Christmas!

So,

how do you feel about the place so far?

Not bad. I think I'll get used to it.

Have much experience with divorce cases?

Only my own.

Well, first thing is, thanks, divorce yourself from your own divorce.

You don't have to worry. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.

Miss Kelsey, kudos and attaboys and a big win.

Some win, Douglas.

All Amanda Shaw got for her troubles was another round of vicious public lies.

Celebrities open themselves up to it, Ann, but at least through our efforts.

Maybe they'll think twice before doing it to someone else.

Fat chance. At a million three, they probably made money on the deal. That

aside, let us not forget the one third that swells the coffers of Mackenzie

Brackman.

What's the use of protecting you?

You are useless.

Everybody out there is on to you, boy.

They're laughing at you.

They know how screwed up you are.

You're a pathetic little mole.

Don't look away. I'm talking to you, Buster.

Leave him alone.

Shut up, dummy.

Don't you pick on him. He's scared.

Scared?

What's he got to be scared about?

I'm the one who takes the heat.

I'm the one who got thrown into the car trunk when he refused to talk to us with

policemen. I'm the one who had to go to court and talk to the stupid judge for

him. Do you think it's easy living my life as this idiot's mouthpiece?

You know what I think?

I think you don't want him to talk.

Excuse me, doofus?

Because if he could talk, he wouldn't need you.

Hey.

No practicing law, remember?

Giving instructions for a few things that have to be taken care of during my

exile. Any plans of your own?

Well, no more appointment book, for starters.

You could always reread Crime and Punishment.

Maybe I should.

When too many people tell me that I'm wrong, I'd be a fool not to consider the

possibility.

On the other hand...

Maybe I better just find a rock and sit down and think.

I'll join you.

I've had a few doubts about my own ethics lately.

You know what the funny thing is?

Mathers doesn't have any such doubts.

I saw his summation today. He's one of the best lawyers I've ever seen.

He may have broken the law, but his moral center never wavered.

Will a jury make that distinction?

They already did.

It took them exactly 35 minutes to come back with an acquittal.

So he's a fake, we're for real, and it's our moral compasses that need

adjustment.

Well, not to worry.

I think that between the two of us, we ought to be able to find true north.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Mickey.

Merry Christmas, Benny.

Thanks, Victor. You too.

Hey, Waldo.

What?

This dummy thinks he's got something to say to you.

Thank you.

For sticking up for me.

It's okay.

I know I have to find the strength to face people.

Just like you do. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Big deal.

Anyway... Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

And Happy New Year.

This is making me sick.

I gotta go puke.