Original subtitles

Previously on L .A. Law.

Seven years in the trenches is training enough. You can do this.

I don't know what to say.

Just say you'll accept.

Judge.

Okay.

I accept.

Are you about done?

I'll be a while, actually.

Do you need something? I need my chair. I need my desk. I need my office. Get

off the phone.

Norman, I'll call you right back.

When I...

First joined up with this place, it was headed up by a man who would never back

down in the face of prejudice.

I have to look out for this firm.

Uh -uh.

You've turned into a scared old man, Leland.

You're more concerned with your pension than your principles.

When it feels like I'm being pushed out of here, I don't have to be diplomatic.

Who told her she could use my office? Was it Douglas?

No, that, um... That was me.

You?

You know, this was once a pleasant place to work. There was fellowship.

There was trust?

Hey, it's not that bad, Leland.

Yeah, it is.

For me.

Grace, look.

You know, this is... Kimberly.

Kimberly Dugan, Grace Van Owen.

Hi. Hi.

I'm a judge.

I have to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

You're bringing a lawsuit might strike some people as a little extreme, Mr.

Paul. Look, I became a comedian for one reason.

I'm funny.

She shows up at a gig, I'm not funny anymore.

The she you're referring to would be the defendant.

Right.

What exactly would she do, sir? If I happen to use one of her lines, she goes

crazy. I mean, she yells at me right in the middle of my act.

That happens. My timing takes a bust.

It's never your fault, is it, Joey? It's never your fault. Ma 'am. You're not

supposed to be using my lines. Look, when I'm performing, I don't always

remember who wrote what, all right?

Mr. Paul. See, this is what she does to me, Judge.

Mr. Rollins, please proceed. Thank you. Did you ever ask the defendant to talk

about it privately to stop interrupting you? I begged her. Every time I played

the comedy corner, she showed up. Every time she showed up, I went straight into

the toilet.

Now, there are other clubs, though, aren't there?

Not like the comedy corner.

Why, sir?

Does the word sine qua non mean anything?

Oh, forget it, Joey. You're no funnier in Latin than you are in English. Will

counsel control her client?

Yes, Your Honor. Did your career suffer as a result, sir? Yeah, yeah. How about

I'm supposed to do six weeks in Tahoe? They cancel on me. How about I'm

to do Letterman? They cancel that.

I mean, I am back to selling teeth goods now on account of her.

Objection. Sustained.

One last question.

Joey, when did the defendant start doing this? Right after we got divorced.

Nothing further.

Until the time you got divorced, Mr. Paul, who wrote your material?

She did.

And the terms of the settlement expressly forbid you from continuing to

material, did they not?

Yeah, but performing requires a certain degree of spontaneity. I mean, sometimes

I forgot.

And sometimes she reminded you. Hey, I died up there on account of her.

Is it just possible, sir, that since she stopped writing your material for you,

the jokes aren't as funny anymore? What are you, a critic?

I'm suggesting that your career may have stalled for reasons having nothing to

do with your ex -wife's behavior.

Look, funny is funny, all right? I mean, I got a thousand ways of making people

laugh. She'll tell you. When I opened for Victor Moan, I killed him. Because I

was still writing for you. Miss Paul, please.

Yeah, but I'm the one who killed him, Lainey. You can't accept it, can you?

the funny one. I'm the one who makes them laugh.

If it wasn't for you, I'd be doing great right now.

Ladies and gentlemen, Joey Paul!

Get down, Miss Paul.

And his fabulous excuses. Thank you, Miss Bitter. Thank you, Miss Vindictive.

Thank you, Miss Vengeance -Seeking Nightclub Heckler from Hell.

This has to be very short, as we all have places to be within the hour.

First up, welcome back to Miss Kelsey, who rejoins us today part -time.

She'll be working the 9 -to -1 shift, so she gets priority on morning conference

room needs.

Thank you.

Uh, great feedback.

Jonathan, how goes the Joey Paul matter?

Trial in progress.

I've been trying to get them to settle, but both sides are a little stubborn.

Joey Paul's a comic, right?

He's suing his ex -wife. She's been showing up to clubs harassing him. Isn't

heckling kind of a fact of life with comedians?

That's gone a little beyond heckling. He's losing bookings. She's ruining his

act. Well, I know the world certainly hopes you can save it. Moving on.

here from Abby?

She's in with a client getting ready. Trial starts this afternoon.

Good. Stuart, thank you for the Thompson perspective.

The client is very pleased. Michael, I'm waiting for the update on the Williams

appeal. And Victor, you have the Weyburn depositions today and tomorrow?

Mm -hmm. I do.

Great. Arnold?

You'll send me a copy of the Matthias and settlement papers?

Ah, thank you much. That's all for now. We're done. Short, sweet, succinct. It's

a science, Douglas. Thank you, thank you.

Rosalind, can I talk to you for a second? Sure.

I owe you an apology.

My little tirade about your using my office that day.

I know that Stuart said you could, and I was out of line.

I should have checked with you first. It wasn't Stuart's office to offer.

Well, that's between him and me, but taking it out on you was wrong. I hope

you'll accept my apology.

Consider it accepted.

Oh, and one other thing, and this is really going to sound stupid, but in the

staff meeting, you've been sitting in my seat.

Excuse me?

The seat you sit in, that's always been my place.

And now that I've returned... Do you want it back?

Well, it's kind of a superstition with me, and I thought you wouldn't mind. No

problem, Ann.

I'll sit somewhere else. I didn't realize.

I feel so silly.

Don't.

Well, welcome back.

Counselor.

Your Honor.

How are you?

I'm fine.

Fine. How are you? Good.

Good. Good.

You're like a couple of guilty teenagers.

Well, maybe I ought to be guilty anyway. I mean, I sort of have a girlfriend.

Sort of?

Well, listen to you, Mr.

Commitment.

Nicky, it was just a moment. It was one moment of impulse.

You shouldn't have to torture yourself over it.

You don't even have to think about it.

Well, I do think about it.

Grace, it's hard for me not to think about it. What are you saying?

Well, I guess I'm saying that I miss you.

Yeah, I miss you too.

This must be when I say I got to get to court.

I'll see you around.

Let's have lunch.

I'm getting scared, Abby.

I thought I was ready for this, but I don't think we can win.

Diane, he did beat you for 12 years. He hit you and he beat you. They'll say he

was my husband.

Doesn't excuse it.

It does in a lot of people's minds.

Look, Diane, you can't be waffling like this.

We are about to start a trial.

Now, I'm not going to let you cave in at the last minute because of fear.

You're going to take the stand, you're going to tell your story, and you're

going to be strong, okay?

I don't think I can.

Diane.

Something that I haven't told you through all this.

My ex -husband used to batter me.

He would hit me, he... I know how debilitated you feel.

I know how hard it is for you to stand up to him, but you have got to.

The first step towards getting on with your life is winning this lawsuit.

And we will win.

Exactly how would he hit you, Diane?

With an open hand or with the back of his hand.

Sometimes if he was really mad, he'd close his fist.

And where on your body did he strike you?

My head, my face, and on my shoulders.

Did he ever injure you?

Sometimes I'd get a black eye.

Once I fell and hit my chin, I had to have stitches.

And how often did he strike you?

Some spells would be worse when we weren't doing too well.

But on average, maybe once or twice a month.

And yet, you stayed married to him for 12 years. I thought he would get so mad

because he loved me.

And my own father.

What about your own father?

My father would hit me and my mother sometimes.

Not often, but it happened.

And maybe that made me accept... I don't know.

When did you refuse to accept it? After my divorce, I got therapy.

The therapist told me that I suffered from battered spouse syndrome.

Objection. Hearsay.

Sustained. You can get the psychiatrist to state their findings, Ms. Perkins.

Diane, have you been able to sustain a physical or romantic relationship with

any man since your divorce three years ago?

I'm ashamed that I let the situation happen for 12 years.

I'm repulsed. And when I'm touched by a man now in any way,

I remind myself, I just can't be touched.

I have nothing further.

Other than the time that you fell and hit your chin.

You never required any medical attention as a result of my client's actions, did

you?

No.

Did you ever report him to any authorities as the result of this

No, I didn't. Did you ever talk to a lawyer about it?

Not during the marriage, no. In fact, ma 'am, you didn't want this marriage to

end, did you?

In retrospect... He left you, isn't that right?

Yes. And, Miss Campbell, didn't you sometimes make love to my client

after being hit by him?

Objection.

Overruled. Did you or did you not, on some occasions, have sexual intercourse

with your ex -husband in the wake of this domestic violence?

Yes, that sometimes happened, but it was probably because... Thank you, ma 'am.

Isn't it possible that my client thought you enjoyed being hit?

No.

Well, you always told him you dreamed of marrying a man just like Dad. Dad hit

Mom. He knew this. I should have left. But you didn't. He'd hit you, and

of walking out that door, you made love to him. You discouraged him real good,

Diane. Objection!

Counselor, that's enough. Why didn't you leave him? I don't know.

I don't know.

I have nothing further.

Comedy Corner.

Is it to hurt Joey Paul?

Absolutely not. I'm a comedy writer. I go there to check out comics.

But you did interrupt him. He was using my lines.

Hey, they were the only laughs he got. That's not true, Mr. Paul.

He does Max von Sydow impersonations.

This is funny. Can you specify what material of yours you witnessed him

The Chinese restaurant bit was mine.

Just the part about the clean glass.

Sir. That's the heart of the bit.

What else?

The co -ed dormitory, the guy buying sanitary napkins, the dog jokes, the

convenience store bits.

Did you ever ask the plaintiff to stop using your material?

Of course I did. Every time he got desperate, he just went ahead and did

I have nothing further.

You sometimes interrupted Joey when he wasn't doing your material, didn't you,

ma 'am?

That's not what hurt him. Is the answer yes or no?

The answer's yes, so what?

You called out requests.

People do that all the time. You called out insults. He was done. I was lying up

there. I was trying to help him out. How were you trying to help me out, Lainey?

By feeding you set -ups, yuck.

But why is it that he needed help?

Can you spell hopelessly obscure?

Can you spell borespell? Well, which is it? Was I hopelessly obscure or was I

borespelled? I'm going to hold you in contempt, Mr. Paul. You're giving me no

other choice.

The man does not know how to tailor material to an audience.

You do not play a room filled with 20 -year -olds in L .A. doing Georgie

gags. That's not the point, ma 'am.

Joey Paul deleted your material from his act. He told you he didn't want your

help. You still insisted on sitting there. For 11 years, I put up with him.

paid the rent.

I got him an agent. I gave him his routine, and I listened to him, bitch.

If he's a comic, it's because I made him one. Whoa.

The truth is, ma 'am, you didn't want this marriage to end. The only reason

showed up night after night was to get him back.

Objection. So what?

Since when is it against the law to make a fool out of yourself?

No further questions.

You may step down, Ms. Paul.

Your Honor, the defense would like to recall Joey Paul to the stand.

For what?

The plaintiff claims to be a funny man, except when heckled by the defendant,

I'd like him to substantiate that. What have you got in mind, Ms. Sidgwick?

My client will sit absolutely still while he does his routine for the jury.

I object.

Your Honor, may I have a word with my attorney?

Go ahead.

Let me do it.

I don't know, Joey.

I'll murder him.

I will.

I withdraw my objection.

All right. Mr. Paul can testify or perform when court commences tomorrow

afternoon.

This is great.

This is great.

Come in.

Hi, Rosalind.

Wow.

This is wonderful.

You know, I've never been in your office before.

Really?

You have done a fabulous job.

Thanks. We put in so many hours around here, I think a small investment in the

decor is worthwhile.

Me too.

This is just great.

Listen, I understand that you've got the Ross Feynman file. Can I take it?

Actually, I'm using it today. I have an appointment with Ruth tomorrow, and I

need to prepare.

But maybe... What I was thinking was that if I can get up to speed, then I'll

able to take that meeting.

Don't be silly. You'd be killing yourself trying to catch up.

No, I want to, Rosalind.

I'm back, and I want to resume working for my clients.

You couldn't possibly assimilate everything that's happened in the last

months. You could synopsize it for me in a memo, and then I could read it this

afternoon. I don't have time to do a memo.

Ross Feynman is my client, Rosalind.

I appreciate your filling in, but now that I'm... Ross Feynman wants me

this matter, and if you have any doubt about that, I suggest you call him.

I'll do that.

Anne, you are totally unprepared to be involved in this matter, and the only

reason you are endeavoring at all is because you have a fundamental problem

that file being on my desk.

That's not true. Don't patronize me. You brought me into your office yesterday

under the pretext of an apology, which was as late as it was hollow.

I was sincere about that.

The sincerity didn't come in until you asked me to free up your chair in the

staff meetings.

You don't like me.

You didn't want me here in the first place. You don't want me here now.

That's fine.

We don't have to be friends.

But if you think...

That I'm going to let our clients be compromised by your petty jealousies and

insecurities, you're very wrong.

And if you think that you can step into the void left by my absence so that you

can... I've never seen any void.

You think you're this tough, lady?

Don't take me on, Ann.

There are a lot of mistakes you can bounce back from, but don't take me on.

Hey. Kimberly, hi.

I came by to steal you for lunch, if that's possible.

I thought you hated lunches.

I do.

But I also hate eating dinner alone, which is the way it's felt lately.

I don't want to talk about that.

I'm not sure that I follow.

We were sailing along pretty well, Michael.

And then suddenly we took an abrupt shift into awkward.

Now I know that I don't follow.

But let me draw you a map.

About a week ago, you suddenly became very detached.

It was about the same time your old girlfriend unexpectedly dropped by to

her life with you.

Kimberly.

Which could be a coincidence, I know.

So let me just ask.

You know, it's not like you to be suspicious.

And it's not like you to be evasive.

Well, the answer to your question is no.

I mean, there's nothing between Grace and me but friendship.

I don't know you well enough to know if you're lying.

But someday I'm going to pick the expression.

Something tells me to look a lot like the one you're wearing right now.

So you admitted to some of the violence that you were accused of, didn't you,

Mr. Campbell? I'm not proud of the fact that I hit my wife.

This is something I sought therapy for.

But when we argued or fought, I would become inflamed, and I would lash out.

Well, striking her is more than just lashing out, Mr. Campbell. I never meant

hurt her.

And I never really did hurt her, except for the time that she lost her balance.

Did she ever tell you to stop hitting her? In the heat of the battle, she

yell out for me to stop or to get away, yes.

But never once, never, did she come to me quietly or reflectively to discuss

this. Because I think she accepted it, believe it or not.

Objection. Goes to his state of mind, Your Honor.

I'll allow it.

Why would she accept this kind of behavior?

Diane is an extremely insecure person with very low self -esteem. And I think

the fact that I could be so affected by her, that she could be so important, I

think she found some sort of self -affirmation in all that.

Permission to vomit, Your Honor?

Objection. Miss Perkins, the jury will disregard that comment.

Proceed.

And it actually helped our physical relationship.

Wow.

This sounds pretty chauvinistic, sir. I know. But I can tell you that the most

intense love we ever made came after some of these episodes.

She'd be more into it when there was anger involved, more passionate.

That's why I think she stayed with me for 12 years.

A lot of her friends have these very cold, disinterested husbands.

You never had that, Diane.

Objection moved to strike.

Sustained. So stricken. I loved my wife.

And through all of this, she loved me back.

We both know that to be the truth. Thank you. I have nothing further, Your

Honor.

So, you smacked her around as part of foreplay.

It happened because I'd lose my temper, I admit that.

You'd hit her in the face.

You'd blacken her eyes. You'd knock her down. Ask your client if she doubts how

much I cared for her. Then why did you leave her, Mr. Campbell?

We drifted apart.

We stopped communicating.

You drifted apart.

You would beat this woman up and down.

You say it made for good sex?

And the marriage ended because you drifted apart?

Do you really expect anyone in this courtroom not to be sickened by you at

moment? Objection.

Sustained. Everybody?

I don't know. Maybe.

Not her.

She continued to love me. Objection. Move to strike. You never wanted me to

leave, did you, Diane?

Move to strike. Mr. Campbell.

Why did you cry when I told you it was over? Mr. Campbell, you'll stop right

now. Maybe she cried, sir, because of that low self -esteem you were talking

about. The self -esteem you helped cultivate with your fists.

Objection. Miss Perkins.

Withdrawn. I have nothing further.

It was the way that she did it, Stuart.

She was so smug, so sure that she would trump me.

And then she threatened me, for God's sake.

You know, it doesn't sound to me like she really threatened you, honey.

Don't take me on. That's what she said.

Don't take me on.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Did it ever occur to you that maybe she's the

that feels threatened?

No, why should she? Well, think about it. I mean, you're the one who didn't

invite her into the firm. And then two weeks ago, you took the top of her head

off. And then yesterday, you asked for your chair back. And today, you went and

took a pile back. Why are you defending her? I'm not defending her. You have

been nothing but a pillar of support for her from the start.

Your vote was the one that hired her. And then you gave her my office. Oh,

again? Yes, that again. I'm sorry I gave her your office.

I'm sorry.

Now, you have your office.

She has her office. She sure does.

Did firm money pay to decorate that? Oh, God.

She challenged me, Stuart.

Don't take me on. That's what she said.

That is a threat.

That is a threat, and I am not backing down. Good.

Good. I'm very proud of you.

Now, could we forget about it and get some sleep?

Not a chance, Stuart.

None? None.

How do you do, ladies and gentlemen? It's great to be here.

You know, I always wanted to be an attorney.

If you didn't need a high school diploma, I probably would have made it.

All kidding aside, though, Jonathan Rollins is a terrific lawyer.

He had a client who was going to the electric chair, and he gave him one

of advice.

Don't sit down.

You've also had an opportunity to meet my ex -wife.

I wish I was just meeting her now myself.

Well, she did write jokes for me, though.

Her best joke was on our wedding night.

That's when she said, you're the first.

She also loused things up between me and my manager.

I found the two of them in bed together.

I said, Marie, I have to, but you?

I mean, her idea of safe sex is me being out of town.

Well, I took it all in stride, though.

Another time, I found her in bed with somebody else.

I went into the kitchen. I made myself a cup of coffee.

She comes in. She says, Joey, what are you doing?

There's somebody in bed with me.

I said, let him get his own coffee.

A guy's fishing in a cesspool.

Somebody walks by, asks him what he's doing. He says, my jacket fell in there.

They say, so what? Don't tell me you're going to wear it again.

The guy says, of course not. It's just that I had my lunch in the pocket.

What is this, an audience or a jury?

Two broads are walking by a whorehouse when a midget falls out the window.

Mr. Paul.

Wait a minute. The midget says, Mr. Paul.

I think we've heard enough.

What are you doing? Your Honor, shouldn't the plaintiff be allowed to

We'll take a short recess, Miss Zitkowitz.

Fifteen minutes.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I was just getting my rhythm. Come on, Joey.

Joey, you gotta start off each day with a song.

Even when things go wrong, why, you'll look better. You'll even feel better.

You've been a terrific audience, folks.

You've been great.

So do you have an opinion as to this type of behavior?

I thought Mr. Campbell was acting out his masculinity by mistreating his wife.

By depreciating her, he felt stronger.

Of course, she contributed to this syndrome as well.

Well, how so, Doctor? She's a weak woman who has a history of attaching herself

to powerful men. His anger was part of the attraction.

Wait a second. Or you think she liked to be hit?

No. No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the fighting seemed to give their

relationship more emotional intensity.

Now, Mr. Campbell said that this seemed to make her more passionate sexually.

That's probably true.

The fighting was a turn -on.

It certainly could result in stronger sexual passions.

This is a familiar pattern with some women who feel that their men must take

them in order to release their sexual inhibitions.

So, what's the bottom line of all this analysis, Doctor? The bottom line is

Mrs. Campbell, however subconsciously...

encouraged this pattern of marital abuse. The problem was more his, there's

doubt about that, but it certainly couldn't have gone on for 12 years if

hadn't somehow helped to foster it.

Thank you, sir. I have nothing further.

Are you saying that she needed to be hit in order to be sexually responsive?

I'm only saying that subconsciously... Let's stick to the conscious for the

moment.

Now, this man knew he was committing violence.

Yes. And he was conscious of the fact that she opposed this violence, correct?

Yes. And you never examined my client before forming this psychological

of her, did you?

No, I did not, but I did have extensive discussions. So you are diagnosing a

person that you have never met.

What a talented doctor you must be.

Objection. Withdrawn.

You say it's typical for people with low self -esteem to feel powerless.

Yes. Then isn't it possible, Doctor, that through this 12 -year pattern of

marital abuse, my client felt powerless to stand up to this man?

Of course, yes. And isn't it possible that she felt powerless to leave him?

Yes, it is possible, but... And in fact, Doctor, isn't it true that many

battered wives stay with their abusive husbands for long periods of time

they feel trapped?

It is not uncommon, correct.

And does the fact that she stayed married to him for as long as she did

Excuse his violence in your mind?

No, it does not.

Thank you, sir.

Nothing further.

Maybe... Thanks.

Maybe for me it's not over.

Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy.

Well, thank you.

Hey, it's only a problem if... if a third person gets hurt, and that I don't

want to happen.

Yeah.

Me neither.

I don't know what your relationship is with this woman. I don't want to know. I

mean, that's for you to figure out.

And, Mickey, I've been seeing other people, too.

And, hey, you know, if you want to shut it down between us, that's okay.

No.

No, it's not okay.

Then what?

I don't know what.

But I do know that no one else will ever know me the way you do.

What does that say?

Maybe it says that it's not over for me either.

More coffee?

Hi.

Uh -oh. I spoke to Rosalind.

Which means I'm about to be handled with that... deft McKenzie diplomacy.

Well, you can tell me to go to hell, Ann, but with recent events around here,

it wouldn't be original.

This is my problem, Leland.

No, no, no, it's more than that. If you and Rosalind didn't care for each other,

well, we could accommodate that, but from what I'm gathering, you hate her.

Now, this is a small shop, and the partners have to work very closely with

another. This kind of contempt... It's unworkable.

I'll try not to impose my feelings on the rest of the firm, Leland. Could you

tell me what it is you find so distasteful about her?

She feeds on money and power.

That's the essence of her.

Same thing could be said of Douglas, to an extent, and Arnold, too.

But she's more contagious with it.

This place is more apt to become like her.

A place with no soul.

Maybe it's unrealistic for us to attach human characteristics to a law firm. But

that's just it.

The thing I loved about this place was that you always could.

With you, we could.

But this firm is becoming less you and more Douglas, more Arnold, more her.

You haven't given her a fair shot, Ann.

No, I haven't. You're right.

But, Leland, if our differences are irreparable, what then?

Rosalind has already informed me.

If you don't want her here, she won't stay.

There'll be no vote. You win, she goes.

She's good.

It'll be much better for us all, Ann, if you two work this out.

Okay.

You were present sometimes when your parents fought, Brian?

Yes. And what would your mother tell you about your father hitting her?

Your Honor, I renew my objection to this witness on relevance.

The plaintiff is claiming that she was harmed by my client's actions.

She told this witness that she was not harmed, and those statements are

relevant. What she may have said to her son is in no... Counselor, I'm

overruling the objection.

Brian, you have to answer the question.

What did she tell you about it, Brian?

She'd say that they were just disagreeing over stuff and they got too

because they loved each other Did she tell you that she was never really hurt

and that it wasn't so bad that daddy hit her objection leading It's obvious that

he's a reluctant witness permission to lead granted Did she tell you that it

okay that your father hit her You're still under oath Brian

Didn't she say that yes, thank you Brian.

That's all I have

Brian, do you really believe that your mother didn't mind being hit?

Or do you think that she just told you that so you would feel less upset?

Objection. No confidence as to her state of mind. I am asking him what he

believes, Your Honor.

Objection sustained.

Brian, what would your mother do when your father started hitting her?

He'd put her hands up over her face.

To protect herself?

Yes.

Did you ever run to her aid to protect her? A couple times I did.

Once when this happened, you screamed at your father that you wished he were

dead. Didn't you, Brian?

You're still under oath. You still have to tell the truth.

Didn't you once tell your father, after he hit your mother, that you wished he

were dead?

Yes.

Thank you.

I have nothing for you.

is a wife -beater.

For 12 years, he battered her. He systematically victimized her with

And then he comes in here, and he claims that subconsciously she wanted it

because it made her stronger.

It gave her more sexual gratification. It made her feel more important.

That's repulsive.

Getting beaten makes you feel...

degraded and powerless. It makes you loathe yourself.

How could she possibly have had any self -esteem when her own husband, the

person that she loved and she trusted more than anyone else in the whole

would regularly punish her with cruelty and abuse and this kind of damage?

It lasts forever.

The victim never gets beyond it.

It follows you.

No matter who you're with, no matter... It follows you.

And if she's lucky, she'll bury it.

But she'll never erase it.

Never.

The duty to mitigate.

You know what that is.

It's the obligation of every plaintiff to avoid avoidable damages.

She didn't.

The injury she's claiming doesn't stem from one isolated incident or attack.

She's trying to recover for emotional harm caused by a pattern of activity

spanned over 12 years. And that injury, ladies and gentlemen, she could have

avoided.

All she had to do was walk away.

Walk away.

But she didn't.

She stayed to love him, to make love to him, to cook for him, and to let herself

be hit again, again, and again.

And now here she is today trying to sue for the very conduct that she ratified

over those 12 years.

Yes, they introduced psychiatric evidence of how she felt powerless, how

didn't have the will to leave.

Please.

She didn't want to leave.

She'd still be married today if my client hadn't left her. She continued to

him. And now that she's lost him, she's filed this action asking you to find

unforgivable the very behavior which she herself forgave for all those years.

Let's be grown -ups.

By her own admission, she's responsible.

So let's hold her a little responsible.

Jonathan, I think your client has amply demonstrated that he can bomb all on his

own. Wait a minute. You think I bombed in there? What would you call it? The

room was ice cold.

It took me a while to get the feel of it, that's all.

By the end, I started cooking. I can't believe you, Joey. You were like a three

-day -old corpse in there.

Yeah, like you're really going to tell me the truth. I didn't see very many

people laughing in there, Mr. Paul. People don't have to laugh to think

something's funny.

That's a common misconception among lay people. Joey, you stunk. I didn't think.

I didn't think.

Jonathan, did I stink?

Why don't we go outside for a minute?

Professional jealousy sometimes.

God almighty.

You really weren't very good, Joey.

Yeah, but when you say I wasn't very good, are you saying, what, the material

was a little flat?

What, the delivery?

It was a little stilted. You weren't funny.

Yeah, but when you're saying I wasn't very funny, you're saying... You stunk.

I'm sorry, Joey, but the jury thought you stunk, too.

Well, I think we ought to try to sit down and settle it. Will you let me do

that?

Come on.

What's it going to be?

I'd like to see if we can settle this.

You willing to drop the suit?

Joey?

Sure, what's the difference?

All right, we'll expect you to cover court costs.

Court call.

And legal fees?

Maybe I should just go away, live out the rest of my life quietly.

Oh, Joey, please.

Lainey, I'm dying.

What do you want from me?

Listen, I love the Durante.

I always loved it.

I think you should put more impressions into your ass. Yeah, you know, I should

have stayed on a marriage longer.

Absolutely. You go talk about aggressive women? I bought her a pit bull. She

scared it away.

Right. Folks. And a mule.

Picture Joan Rivers on speed.

Yeah. Now imagine that you're stuck in an elevator with her. You know what,

Jonathan? I think we're going to go grab a cup of coffee. And then you could

say, I can still see her false eyelashes sitting on the dresser, like

parentheses, with hair.

Now listen, if we put the impressions, you'd put them at the beginning, right?

Yes, of course.

Hi. Hello.

Rosalind? For everyone involved, I think we should try to work out our

differences.

The problem is we have no differences. The problem is how you feel about me,

feelings aren't something one apologizes for.

Are you deliberately trying to make this difficult?

As a matter of fact, I'm trying to keep it simple.

Exchanging words of affection, walking out of here with the feeling that

everything is fine, that would make it difficult. We'd be analyzing the subject

of every conversation, wondering what's being inferred or implied.

Okay.

Strained friendship is very complicated.

Right now, you don't like me and I don't like you, and that's easy.

You watch your back, I'll watch mine.

You're a hypocrite. No.

You're the hypocrite, Anne, for trying to paint a happy face on that. I'm being

honest, seeing it for what it is, what you made it. You told Leland if I wanted

you to go, you'd go.

And now you talk to me like this. I will go.

If that's what you want, just say so.

But you will bear the responsibility of your colleagues making a lot less money.

Would you dislike for me that strong?

It's getting there.

I've done some of my best work with fellow lawyers who despise me, so we're

to a good start.

Fine.

You want to keep this between you and me? You got a deal. I work here, you

here, and our respective feelings stay private.

But get one thing straight.

You don't scare me.

And if you do anything to undermine me with the rest of this firm, I will bury

you.

Don't take you on.

Don't you take me on.

Madam Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor. What say you?

In the matter of Campbell v.

Campbell, we find in favor of the plaintiff, we award the sum of $1 ,500.

Your Honor, the plaintiff requests leave to make a motion for editor.

You can make your motion, counsel, but I'll tell you right now, I won't be

increasing the award.

Members of the jury, thank you for your service. This matter is adjourned.

You're hereby dismissed.

What are you doing here?

I've been thinking, that's what.

You told me to think, so I thought.

You said get in, I'll get out.

Well, I want in.

Hey, don't try to peg my expression. I told you I want in and I meant it.

They're gonna be ground rules.

Number one, you talk to me. No more of this mysterious let the world figure me

out routine you love to front.

Number two... Number two...

You have to forget about the age difference.

What? Stop compensating for it with the take charge, let the world see I'm able

routine that you like to front.

Okay? You are smart, Kimberly, and I know you're tough.

But believe it or not, once in a while, I can make the dinner reservation.

Is that right?

Excuse me.

Anything you have to say should go through your lawyer, and it should go to

The case is over, Miss Perkins.

I beg your pardon, this case is not over.

I just filed an appeal with the clerk's office. This lawsuit is still alive.

Look, I am not the monster that you made me out to be, and I think... Mr.

Campbell, you are represented by counsel.

This conversation is inappropriate.

Would you excuse us, please?

A wait outside?

What does that mean?

We're going to dinner to talk.

What? He still loves me, Abby.

Diane, you are not possibly thinking of going back to him. I just agreed to go

to dinner. That's all.

Well, I strongly advise against that. I mean, with the appeal, this case is

still open. And aside from that, this man beat you up for 12 years. I mean,

are you going to do? A lot of what happened probably was my fault, Abby.

that doctor said.

That doctor was a paid witness.

He was hired to defend your husband. He was not objective.

What about the jury?

They're objective.

They seem to think I'm to blame for some of it.

I don't care what they think.

What about what you and I know?

We're just going out to eat, okay?

No. No, you're not just going out to eat.

You're giving in to how weak you feel.

And you're looking for reinforcement anywhere you can find it. And believe

Diane, you are going to the worst possible place.

Now, I'm telling you that as your lawyer.

And I'm telling you that as someone who has been right where you are.

Don't.

I'll call you tomorrow.

You free for dinner?

I just canceled my plan.

Yeah.