Original subtitles

Previously on L .A. Law.

Roxanne's a sweetheart, but it makes me feel funny.

She's still good to me.

Want to live at my house?

I'd like you to.

You know something, Benny?

I think I'd like it too.

Listen, sweetheart, I got a present for you.

Non -smoker, lung cancer, secondhand smoke.

We can't test for everything, for God's sake. You can't test to see who your

smoke kills.

None of the others did. Why should we? Why should we?

One fine.

Totally sealed.

No admission of liability.

We draft a settlement to say whatever we want. Check by end of business today.

I have just spent the last half hour convincing Leland McKenzie that you

help this place.

You've got to be kidding.

The IRS swooped down, Douglas. They just pounced. Nobody could have seen it

coming. Pouncing is what we're here to prevent, Stuart. The IRS doesn't stand a

chance with you. They're not going to know what hit them. Do you really

that?

Absolutely. You're one hell of a support staff.

And you are one hell of a lawyer.

Stuart, we can't do this.

And she didn't kiss me. I kissed her.

I don't know who I am anymore.

I'm not a good husband.

I have to leave for a while.

Leave?

I have to move out.

I told you a million times, don't inhale.

I don't like it here. Let's go home. What are you, nuts?

We've been practicing two weeks for this. We came here to dance. We're going

dance. Why don't they say no? They can't say no. It's a taxi dance. For 30 cents

a minute, they're yours.

Hello, sweetheart.

How you doing? How you doing?

I've been all my life.

And this, too.

Okay, sport.

See, buddy, baby.

Bring out the big hook.

You're with him, and you're mine, honey.

Whatever you say.

You ready, Benny? Ready. Okay.

Five, six, seven, eight.

You guys are good.

Good? Well, perfect.

Okay, Betty, now.

Wow. Six years as a dance hostess. First time I've been dipped. When I dip a

girl, baby, she stays dipped.

Where'd you learn to dance like this? Murray. Papa Murray? No, just Murray.

First up, let us welcome Tommy Mullaney, our new associate here in a trial

basis. Your parking pass. Thanks.

Good to be here.

You'll find supplies and a daily diary in your office.

Timesheets in the top left drawer of your desk. Anything else you need, let

know. Thanks again.

On another administrative note, our new copying machine arrived today. Very

sophisticated. There'll be a programmer here all week to help us handle the

transition. Your patience is appreciated. Now, anybody know the

Grace Van Owen? She's in her office. A friend of hers has some emergency.

Next up, Hoblet et al. versus Exodus Transit.

That's my bus accident.

Happened last week involving 20 rather large gentlemen on their way to a fat

farm in Palm Springs.

Mostly just bumps and bruises, but where there's volume, there's profit.

One of my drivers handled the wreck. That's how I got it. One of your

I own a tow truck company.

Sixteen trucks. Good business.

And all the drivers refer the fender benders to me.

Feeds a nice little whiplash practice.

A whiplash practice. How exciting.

Yes, very. Anyway, the boys are coming tomorrow. I'll take down the essentials,

file my little complaint, and hopefully have a modest settlement by Friday

lunch. You'll never pull that off. Yes, I will. All right, moving on. Weston

versus Rammel. I hope you've settled.

We haven't. Trial starts tomorrow.

Big mistake. You aren't going to get a penny.

What, an unprovoked assault leaving my client half -dead? It wasn't unprovoked.

Your client burned an American flag at a cemetery.

And that's a reason to attack him? I'm not saying you should have been beaten

up. but he did deface the symbol of our country. Oh, come on, Douglas.

Flag burning is reprehensible. What's reprehensible is that a guy can commit a

vicious assault like that and then call himself patriotic for defending a piece

of cloth.

Well, now, that piece of cloth is symbolic for what this country stands

agree with Victor.

This whole flag business is out of control.

Cheap Washington politicians exploiting Yankee doodle dandy for electoral

profit. I don't agree with that. It's a wonder we're all not under surveillance

by the FBI with this kind of sentiment. All right, Douglas, move along.

I'm too put off to move on.

Let someone else take over.

I thought you said these were at home.

Well, the problem will be proving it. My doctor's willing to go on record if he

has to. But all he has is suspicion.

He has no real proof. Grace, I was on the transplant list for almost two

This kidney's a perfect match.

Suddenly it's going to some rich guy from Tokyo who wasn't even on the list.

There had to be a payoff.

The kidney arrived when?

Yesterday morning.

And you're sure it was a match? My surgeon told me.

Suddenly I find out I'm being bumped by some guy who was put on the list that

morning.

I've seen your partner know some people at Cedric's. Let me check it out.

I'm sorry to hit on you like this. I hate taking advantage of friendship.

you shut up?

Diabetes and kidney failure is a bad combo.

Doctors are saying I'm looking at blindness, possible stroke.

eventual death.

If I don't get this kidney.

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

That's all you ever do.

I will do everything I can, Carol.

I know you will.

What's the matter? We can't go to lunch? Benny can't take a lunch break? Of

course he can, but what's with the hat?

As a matter of fact, we have a double date.

The hat's our fashion statement. A double date with who?

Two lovely, beautiful ladies.

Right, Benny?

Right.

Excuse us?

Hi, dolls.

Leland! Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go. Hi, Douglas.

I like your hat.

Oh, thanks.

Mr.

Weston, what were you doing in the military cemetery in Westwood on

11th, 1988?

It was Veterans Day. We were conducting a peaceful demonstration to protest

another cut in the VA budget.

You're a veteran of the Vietnam War, is that right?

Yes. and I was marching with other veterans.

Were you being disruptive in any way?

Well, not at first.

We weren't even being noticed.

All the attention was going to the politicians posing by the graves.

How did that make you feel?

Hurt. It also made us angry.

We fought for this country.

Some of us died for it, and they were acting like we didn't even exist.

So you got their attention by burning an American flag, an act of deliberate

disrespect.

Guys who served in Vietnam make up maybe a third of the homeless.

They're sick, they're hungry, and nobody cares.

They're human beings, Mr. Cusack.

Our protest was meant to remind people of that.

What happened when you burned the flag?

It drew a crowd.

There was shouting.

A few people started to push and shove, but mainly it was just name -calling.

And then he came up from behind and attacked me.

For the record, the witness has indicated the defendant, Daniel Rammel.

Now then, Mr. Weston, what exactly did Mr. Rammel do to you?

He tackled me, knocked me down.

When I tried to get up, he punched me in the jaw.

Sort of half -dazed by then.

Then he started kicking me in my head.

All over. Did you fight back?

I tried to, but I was only sort of half -conscious by then.

If my friends hadn't pulled him off me, he probably would have killed me.

How badly were you injured?

Four broken ribs, a concussion, a broken arm, a broken jaw, and I have blurry

vision in my left eye.

The doctors say it's permanent.

Thank you, Mr. Weston. I have nothing further.

You went there to start a fight, didn't you? I went there to make a point. Come

on. You wanted to provoke somebody at that cemetery, didn't you?

You wanted to get somebody, anybody, mad enough to get you and your cause on the

6 o 'clock news. I didn't know what would happen. But you knew when you

the flag that you'd get some people there very upset, didn't you? Yes,

But nothing, Mr. Weston.

You slapped my client in those other mornings in the face. That is not what I

was after. You went there for confrontation.

You went there to express your hatred for this country. I went there to

my outrage.

Move to strike. I enlisted to fight for this country. I almost died for it. And

I was out there protesting because I still care about it. Move to strike. Non

-responsive and irrelevant.

I'll allow it. Relevant.

I got shot up to pieces over there. Your Honor. We matter, damn it. Bob. People

treat us like we were traitors.

But for God's sakes, we should matter.

I'm only entertaining this meeting as a courtesy to your friendship for Mr.

Hill. I can't allow you to influence hospital policy.

Well, I'm not trying to.

We just want to know why Carol Graff was suddenly passed over for the kidney.

Well, it was a medical decision.

Made by the transplant surgeon.

Mr. Malton, Carol Graff was put on your waiting list over two years ago. Mr.

Kubo was put on just yesterday morning.

Seniority doesn't control.

There's a multitude of criteria. Carol was informed that she satisfied all

criteria. Oh, she was suitable, no question.

It was a tough decision.

Based on very detailed evaluations. How detailed could it have been if you chose

a candidate you hadn't even heard about a week before?

Look, this isn't a debate.

Robert said you had some questions, and we've been happy to answer those

questions. Well, I'd like to see the medical files and the two candidates.

That's not going to happen, and this meeting's over.

Here's an authorized release signed by Miss Graff. She will give us her

I don't know what you're trying to pull here, but I can tell you that... I

happen to know that Medicare puts a fixed ceiling on how much you can charge

a kidney transplant, except...

with foreigners.

Now, you can bill this Mr. Okubo up to $85 ,000 for this operation, where you

can only get half that with an American citizen.

Get the hell out of here. George, I don't have to tolerate accusations like

that. Then you'd just better hope we can't prove them. This discussion is

officially over. This thing is not over.

We'll see you in court.

We'll get an injunction.

Do whatever you want. As I said, this discussion is over.

What's going on, thank you Plaintiffs, this is Douglas

Brackman, major attorney here. Please wish him good morning. Good morning.

Good morning. What the hell is going on? I'm organizing my case.

I'm the photographer.

And I'm Dr. Kendall.

Look, you can't jam up reception like this. Listen, looks like I'm going to be

taking statements all day. Could you possibly come back tomorrow?

It's okay by me.

Same time?

Excellent. Thank you.

I want to get a psychiatrist in it as well. For God's sakes, CJ, this is a

circus. We have important clients coming, and you have to clear the area.

be... through this as soon as I can. I really do promise.

Thank you.

Gentlemen, Douglas is leaving. Please wish him good day. Good day!

Okay, those with broken bones, step up first, please. Let's see those

gentlemen. They were paid off, Your Honor. That kidney was bought.

That's a blatant lie, and I ask that she be sanctioned. No, I'm not going to

sanction her.

This is going on all the time at your hospital, Mr. Stafford. Rich foreign

nationals coming over here, buying body parts, and Americans are losing out.

Your Honor. Now you tell me, how come this guy gets the kidney, he's not even

the list? Mr. Okubo was on the list before the kidney was found, Your Honor.

suffers from polycystic kidney and heart disease, which is extremely life

-threatening. According to counsel's papers...

Miss Graff is just as sick. Yes, but the committee felt that the need was more

immediate with Mr. Okubo. Well, only because of the heart condition.

Certainly, Your Honor, cannot substitute his own medical opinion for that of the

doctor's. Who the hell are you?

Attorney Joseph Fielding, Your Honor. I represent Mr. Okubo, the prospective

kidney recipient, as selected in full accordance with the hospital's medical

standards. Shut up and sit down. You're not relevant.

Your Honor, if I may, the condition of Mr. Okubo is more dire.

If he is... Miss Graff will die, for God's sake. She's got a good chance of

surviving long enough for us to find another kid. Come on! It took you two

to find this one. Not so. Mr. Okubo is 54 years old. The cutoff age for

transplants is 55.

It is now or never. My client is in a wheelchair today. She could go blind.

could die.

Shut up!

Miss Van Owen.

Do you have any proof this kidney was bought?

I have the suspicions of Miss Graff's doctors. We also have this hospital's

history of catering to foreigners.

Which is no proof at all. In time, I'll get proof.

All right.

Absent any hard evidence of wrongdoing by the hospital, I can't upset their

medical decision.

Miss Graff, I would love to order them to give you this kidney because I think

know what's going on here.

But without proof, my hands are tied.

I sincerely hope another kidney comes along, and in the meantime, I pray for

your health.

Motion for TRO denied.

Next case.

Mr.

Van Owen, I heard it didn't go so good.

No, it didn't.

Look, I got a couple of connections.

Maybe it does some good, maybe it don't.

The kidney gets transplanted in less than two hours.

You'd be a little rushed to make your connections.

Yeah, well, this would be for a different kidney.

I know some people who know some people. How about I introduce you?

To save some time, end of the day?

Wow, that's a beautiful piece of equipment.

Arnie Becker.

And you are?

Maura Fitzgerald, coffee master programmer.

I'll be training your employees.

Oh, nice to meet you.

This is really quite extraordinary, huh?

It's nice to see somebody who can appreciate their photocopier. Are you

I've been fascinated by reproductive techniques since I hit puberty.

Oh, please, not again.

Every time I go into an office, it's the same thing.

Do you like the top tray or the bottom tray?

Aren't multiples thrilling?

Oh, come here. Help me get an enlargement.

Are these things phallic or what?

I don't know.

But I will tell you this.

I am not someone who needs to go fishing with entendres.

First, I'm a happily married man.

Second, if it were my intent to come on to someone as beautiful as yourself, I

wouldn't do it with flirtatious little puns about a copying machine.

I would be direct.

I would look straight into her eyes and would tell her how physically attracted

I was.

Then I would search those eyes for the slightest hint of reciprocity, and if I

found it, I would act.

No verbal foreplay.

I would just go for it.

Right then.

Right there.

If that were my intent.

It's now 3 .30.

How about I return all these calls, tell them you're out for the day, you'll get

back to them tomorrow?

That would be great.

Also, Kenwood and Manor called. They said for an extra $12 .75 per month, you

get dishes, silverware, and laundry service.

So I went ahead and booked it. Great.

Stuart, if this has anything to do with me, let me quit.

Because I don't see the point.

It's not about you, Gwen.

I mean, God knows you are a beautiful woman that any man would want and any

woman be jealous of.

But this thing is sad.

This thing is Ann and me.

If there's anything I can do.

Thanks.

Excuse me.

Oh, yeah. I was just leaving.

Hi.

Stuart, I've been thinking.

It's really your house.

And if we're going to be apart, I should really be the one that goes someplace

else. It just doesn't make sense.

No. I want Matthew to live in his own house.

I don't want him to be schlepped back and forth.

No.

Okay.

Unless... Unless you'd consider leaving him with me.

Absolutely not.

No, right. Well... I've already moved out.

You stay in the house.

Fine.

And you did apologize to Mr. Weston? Of course.

I'm sorry for what I did.

I still think he's wrong, but I should never have hit him.

Mr. Rammel, why did you hit Mr. Weston? When I saw him burning the flag, I lost

it. I just put a flag on my dad's grave and something inside of me snapped.

When and how did your father die? Objection. Irrelevant.

Overruled. He died in Vietnam in 1968 during the Tet Offensive.

He was in a fire base near Da Nang, and the whole unit was wiped out. Now, the

Tet Offensive was in January, and you were born in April of that year? That's

right. So you never met your father?

No, I didn't. I just, uh... I just have... his memory.

And when you saw Mr.

Weston burn the American flag, you took that as an insult to that memory and

lost control?

My father died for that flag.

He gave his life for it.

Thank you. I have nothing further.

So, you admit in front of this jury that you were wrong. And what he did was

wrong, too. Well, how is the expression of an opinion wrong, sir? He wasn't

expressing an opinion. He burned the flag.

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that flag burning is

conduct protected by the First Amendment. Now, you want to take a whack

too? It was Veterans Day.

Families were there paying respects to their loved ones, and he does that?

In front of news cameras and congressmen? You had your reasons. Yes,

Well, now I'm confused.

One minute you say you just snapped. The next minute you say you had your

reasons. Now, which one is it? The reasons made me snap.

Uh -huh.

Now, you tried to enlist in the army on two separate occasions, but were turned

down both times because of a heart murmur. Objection. There's no relevance.

Honor, I'd like a little latitude here. I'm trying to show that this man is a

frustrated wannabe soldier looking to be a hero wherever he can. That's

ridiculous. I'll allow it. What is that supposed to mean? It means that you're

angry. You're angry that you never got a chance to get in there and mix it up

yourself. Well, at least I tried, Mr.

Cusack. I didn't pull some strings and end up in the reserves like you did.

Excuse me? Yeah, we checked on you. When people like my father were off in

Vietnam, people like you were not.

Well, what does that say? It says you used connections.

My dad died for this country, and you get to live. And I shouldn't live,

I? No, no, I should be beat up and stomped on like Mr. Weston here, because

don't live up to your standard of patriotism. You're a coward!

Well, go ahead and beat me up, Mr. Rammel. Objection! Mr. Cusack, that's

Withdrawn.

Nothing further.

This is illegal.

You're a kidney broker, and that's against the law. I've been doing this

seven years, Ms. Van Owen. I've never been arrested. Because you've never been

caught. Very true.

All right, listen, I'm here.

Do you want me to stay or should I go?

Exactly what would happen if we did this?

Well, first I check my donors for tissue typing. Wait a second. You already have

donors? There are certain people in your less fortunate neighborhoods who are

willing to help out for compensation.

They sell their kidneys?

A person only needs one kidney.

The second is a windfall.

Look, Grace, this is not a glamorous thing here, but there are people who

money and who want to do this. It's a reality. Given it's a fact that neither

you nor I can change, why not save your friend's life?

You'll need to get me her medical records, ASAP.

I need to get her tissue type and other vitals. I have a pretty big network, so

if she's type O, I'll have somebody by tomorrow.

What's the cost? With this kind of acceleration?

$15 ,000. She doesn't have that kind of money. But even if she... Look, I could

front her a little. I recently came into some tobacco money. We're doing exactly

what Mr. Okubo did.

We're buying a kidney.

Set it up, Frank, but get the donor in here. I gotta talk to her first. Tommy.

We either do it or she dies.

Get to work.

You slap her on the thigh and ride the tide in.

I don't get it.

That's what I love about this guy. He refuses to get a dirty joke. I love it.

How about another picture of me, lovely ladies? Why not?

Okay, come on. Let's go, Douglas.

Sorry?

Watch where you're going, for God's sakes, you idiot.

He said he was sorry. Him saying he's sorry isn't going to unruin my car. I

get a towel, and then I can dry it off.

What are you, a wiseass or a retard?

Why don't you shut your mouth?

Oh, hey, I'm sorry. That's what, all right.

Okay,

that's it.

You

don't

want to get mixed up in this.

Excuse me.

Rox, just calm down. Don't tell me to calm down. They spent the whole night in

jail. We'll have them out by noon.

Arnie, get the file. Right here. Remember, plead not guilty to

have diminished capacity.

I got it. I got it. You ready? I'm ready.

Arnold Becker.

Elodie, calm down. Calm down. I'm going in my office.

The reason I wanted to meet you, I want to be sure you know all the risks.

Mr. Royko told me.

And you are absolutely certain that this is something that you want to do?

Yes. And you realize, ma 'am, that even though you can live just fine with one

kidney, if something should ever go wrong with your remaining kidney, it

be, well, very serious. She knows all this, Tommy. You have her written

All right. Okay.

Here's a summary of Mrs. Graff's personal history.

Remember? I told you. The hospital won't do the operation.

Unless they convinced you two are really cousins.

We'll have to go over all this. Okay.

Okay, we meet with the hospital 9 .30 a .m. and on the outside chance they could

operate tomorrow. No eating after midnight tonight.

Mrs. Washington, I want you to know how grateful I am.

This could save my life.

When do I get the money?

After the operation.

As soon as you come out of the hospital.

Okay. Great. Then we'll all see each other tomorrow morning.

Good.

Good. Now, Doctor, are you telling this court that my client was conditioned to

snap? I'm saying it's possible. Many people, particularly men, are raised to

regard the American flag as sacred, even more than religion.

And this was a factor here. Well, you have a young man whose entire image of

father is attached to a coffin draped by this symbol. He also went to school as

a youth, where the first thing every morning, the students pledged their

allegiance to this flag.

Then you have our own government.

Now... What's the government got to do with it? There's military recruitment

over the airwaves, certainly selling patriotism.

You have the president of the United States with his country trillions of

dollars in debt, suggesting that we spend millions of dollars on a

constitutional amendment to protect the flag.

What's the relevance of this? The relevance is this country has exalted

importance of the flag to a disproportionate level. Now, there's a

opinion. All right. Doctor, just stick to your examination of the defendant. My

psychiatric conclusion is that this man was raised to attach extraordinary

meaning to the American flag, and seeing it desecrated was an extreme shock to

his sensibilities, and it was that shock that caused him to act aggressively.

Thank you, Doctor.

I have nothing further.

How much did they pay you to come up with that?

Objection. Withdrawn.

So what is this now, the red, white, and blue defense?

Those colors can be pretty blinding, Counselor. There are 300 ,000 kids in

Persian Gulf right now ready to die for cheaper oil prices.

That makes sense to me. Doctor, I'm going to ask you again to refrain from

politics and stick to medical testimony. The two are not exclusive, Your Honor.

I am talking about patriotism causing irrational behavior, and that is what

we're dealing with here. So then, Doctor, it is your medical opinion that

patriotism can render people incapable of distinguishing right from right?

Wrong? Not specifically, no, but... In fact, Doctor, Daniel Rammel knew the

nature of his act that day, didn't he? Yes, he did, but... He got angry, and

instead of controlling his anger, he acted upon it, and he beat up Bob

correct? So it would seem.

So it would seem.

Thank you, Doctor Gregory.

Case number 90823, people versus Murray Mellman, people versus Benjamin

Stulwitz. Assault and battery, wanton destruction of property.

Fifty cifuentes for both defendants, Your Honor.

Wave reading.

Barroom brawl, Judge.

Your Honor, I think we can get rid of this today.

Mr. Mellman suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Stulwitz is mentally

There's some serious question as to whether the defendants can form criminal

intent here.

plus which this was just a fight where the only real damage was the property,

I'd be seeking a dismissal conditioned on my clients paying their fair share of

restitution to the bar. I do this for you. I got to kick the two guys they

fought with. You live with that?

Oh, I'll get by, Judge.

Mr. Melman.

I see last year you also swiped a bus.

If I send you home, am I going to be seeing you again?

If it please the court, Your Honor, Mr. Melman's episode with the bus occurred

at a time where he was particularly vulnerable to the Alzheimer's. He's

progressed somewhat now and... He's breaking bottles over people's heads.

Excuse me, sir. May I say something here?

Oh, God.

I wish you would.

Well, the thing is this, Judge.

I know that this Alzheimer's thing makes me wacky sometimes, but the reason I'm

here today is because...

Some jerk in a bar called my friend here an idiot and a retard.

I was sticking up for my buddy.

If that makes me a criminal or crazy, so be it.

I don't want to see either of you two again.

Next time, I'm not such a nice guy.

Complaint conditionally dismissed.

Next case.

This is shaping up into quite an exciting case.

Wonderful. The doctor.

He said I might have punctured a lung. You're kidding.

Oh,

hi, Leland. How's it going?

Fine.

You settled okay?

I'll tell you, I think it's going to take me a little while to break

in. But I'm having fun.

That's good.

I had a call from Bob Hill over at Cedric's Hospital.

Said they had a request for a meeting over a potential new donor for Carol

Said the request came from you.

Yeah, we got lucky.

We may have lined up a donor, so I want the hospital to be ready to go.

You went to a kidney broker, didn't you?

Well, see, now I got a dilemma here. I mean, you're the senior partner.

I got to ask myself, is he in here looking for insulation, or does he want

have a candid conversation?

I want the truth.

I got a kidney broker.

All right, now you listen to me.

I'm aware that this sort of thing goes on.

I'm also aware that you're not used to doing business the way we do it, but I

will not allow my integrity or the integrity of this firm to be compromised

matter what the situation.

Do you understand me? I think so. A woman's dying and you're worried about

reputation. I'm worried about being involved in illegal actions, criminal

activity. But you're not involved. I didn't tell you about the meeting, so

could just stay in your office uninvolved. Why don't you do that? I

uninvolved, Counselor, and you're starting off on the wrong foot here. All

right, I'll tell you what. Why don't you just...

Give Carol Graff a call. You tell her that you're sorry she's gonna die, but

got an image to protect.

Look, there is a bigger picture at stake here than... I never look at the big

picture. I just do one job at a time. The only question I ask is, can I live

with myself?

On this one, I can. And I'm telling you, I can't.

All right, come on. $75 ,000 is a great offer.

Bob?

I need the money.

And I'm not going to take it. Good, because I don't want to pay it anyway.

Dan. No, no.

Look, I said I was sorry for hurting you, and I am. But what you did was

despicable. I think I care what you think. All right, can we just keep this

the offer, please? The only thing you care about is how sorry you can feel for

yourself. Okay, Dan, that's enough.

The same lies, the same delusions that killed your old man. Let me tell you

something about my father. People like you would have made him sick. You think

he gave his life for people like you? You would have made him sick.

All right.

All right, you want to come head on this time? Shut your mouth!

The United States of America killed your father! Shut up! Shut up! Your father.

Don't you understand?

We were there.

We killed civilians.

We killed babies.

Your father and me.

We were only 19 years old.

None of you was in Vietnam.

So there's not the slightest chance that you or I could ever know the

frustration or the rage that Bob Weston must know, having risked his life for a

country that would only ignore him upon his return.

Likewise, we can never know the emptiness of Dan Rammel or the rage that

feel having lost a father to a war that the American people would willingly

forget. Both of these men...

are victims of the Vietnam War.

And there isn't a jury anywhere that could make them whole. But that's not

this trial is about.

This trial is only about the suffering of a plaintiff caused by the illegal act

of a defendant.

And your job here, ladies and gentlemen, is to sift through all of the emotion

and all of the passion and apply the law.

The law?

as declared by the Supreme Court of the United States, provides that flag

-burning is protected free speech.

Under the law, that man beat up that man because he exercised his

First Amendment right.

Now, this country should be ashamed of the way it's treated its Vietnam War

veterans. It's an unforgivable disgrace.

The government should be ashamed that there are people like Dan Rammel who

grown up never knowing their fathers.

But if you condone what the defendant did, then you attack the one thing that

this country should be most proud of, the right for its citizens to enjoy free

speech, the freedom to engage in open and frank debate. It's what this country

is all about, ladies and gentlemen, and if you do anything today to discourage

that.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

All the plaintiff did was exercise free speech.

He just made a statement.

And this is the statement that he made.

Objection! Mr. Echevarria! This is how he expressed his free speech, ladies and

gentlemen. Bailiff, take that away! All parties stipulate this as expressive

conduct, Your Honor. Move for sanctions, Your Honor. Ask for instruction. What's

your objection, Mr. Cusack?

That it's prejudicial?

That the jury will be inflamed by something my client had no right to be

inflamed by? All right, that's enough.

Just finish your closing, Mr. Echevarria, and no more stunts.

How did you feel as you saw a flag being burned?

Imagine how Dan Rammel must have felt at the cemetery honoring his dead father.

Imagine how he must have felt. The only thing his father gave him was cause to

be proud.

And the plaintiff tried to take that away. The plaintiff spit on that.

What Sun wouldn't do.

What Dan Rammel did.

You expect us to believe that this woman is Miss Graff's cousin? Why would you

not believe it? I just have doubts, Mr. Mullaney.

And naturally, the hospital has to be concerned with potential exposure should

they accept a kidney from a living donor whose motive isn't purely altruistic.

Oh, you couldn't possibly be thinking about exposure here, because if you

you'd be thinking about the wrongful death action we'd file should Carol

die. Even if she don't die, you'd be thinking about the emotional distress

claim. We're drafting as we speak.

On what grounds?

Conflict of interest. Breach of implied promise.

Come on. And if you're really worried about exposure, you've got to be

of the big public stink I'm going to make on how Mr. Okubo got that kidney.

already tried that. You've no evidence. Yeah. That's because I haven't

investigated it yet.

I haven't deposed everyone on your selection committee. I haven't deposed

Graff's doctor, who I know is going to point me to some leads. I haven't

every doctor, nurse, radiologist, orderly, and employee who works here.

know what?

Even if I scrape up nothing, I like what I got already. A dying woman, two years

on the waiting list, suddenly pushed aside for a rich alien who can pay twice

much. And, of course, gentlemen, should that Japanese guy ever make a gift to

this place, imagine how bad that would look to the jury.

But, fortunately, we're all on the same side.

We don't have to be confrontational here.

Certified medical records attesting to the cross -matching of the donor and the

donee. I got signed releases here from everybody, insulating you from

including releases for litigation currently under consideration by Ms.

All you have to do is perform the transplant.

It protects the hospital from exposure, and you get to save Ms. Graff's life,

something I know you want to do. It's a win -win situation.

Very nice presentation, Mr. Mullaney.

You should see me with slides.

All this is conditioned on our own testing of both women.

Absolutely. They're ready to go.

Okay, get them in here.

Miss Lamb, just the person I'm looking for.

What a coincidence.

I was just about to go looking for you. What happened yesterday simply cannot

happen again.

Besides paralyzing our kitchen, this bus accident is not the kind of case

Mackenzie Brackman takes on.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to be abrupt, but I wish you would terminate our

involvement in this matter as soon as possible. I already terminated this

morning. We settled with a bus company for $225 ,000.

And here is a check made payable to the firm for $36 ,400.

Oh.

Did you need me for anything else?

No. Okay.

I just want to know if I could get Matthew at 9 instead of 11 on Saturday.

want to get an early start with him.

Okay.

Okay, thanks.

Hi. Hi.

Oh, no, he's still at lunch. He should be back in a few minutes, though.

I'll just wait in his office.

Okay.

Excuse me. I'm kind of pressed for time, and I need your boss's home phone

number. What for?

Actually, it's private.

Actually, Arnie's a happily married man.

Well, then there wouldn't be any threat to me having his number, would there?

Listen to me. If you make one move in Arnie's direction, even the tiniest

wiggle, I'll go right to the senior partner. I'll make sure you never

around here again.

Got it?

I heard all that.

Did Arnie... Never mind.

Arnie doesn't even know her, Corinne.

That woman makes tracks for everything in pants. She needs no invitation.

Hmm.

Thanks, Roxanne.

Sure.

Has the jury reached a verdict, Mr. Foreman? We have.

I'll say you.

In the matter of Robert Weston versus Dan Rammel, we find in favor of the

plaintiff and order the defendant to pay compensatory damages in the amount of

$9 ,000.

We further order the defendant to pay punitive damages in the amount of $1.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

We are now adjourned.

I want to appeal.

Bob, even if we did have a ground, the best we could get is a new trial. I'm

sure the situation would be any different.

Look, I wouldn't risk bankruptcy. I know you wouldn't.

You play it safe. You don't take risks.

That's why you joined the reserves.

Now, what's that got to do with anything?

I'm not taking the easy way out, Michael.

What I fought for 20 years ago, what Rammel's father died for, was my right

burn that flag.

And I want an appeal. Look.

Whatever your demons are with this, listen to me.

As lawyer to client, I'm telling you, you have to look at this objectively.

you listen to me.

From the guy who was there to the one who wasn't, don't you tell me how to

at this situation.

Hi. The transplant was a success.

Really? Yeah. The new kidney was a take.

Both patients are fine. Oh, that is great.

That's fantastic. Thank you, Tommy. No problem.

Well, not only for helping to save Carol, but also for taking me off the

I beg your pardon?

I'm an ex -DA, an ex -judge. I've spent my life preaching that people can't take

the law into their own hands. But for Carol's sake, somebody had to. And you

knew it couldn't be me, so you took over.

Yeah, well, my ex -wife's the DA.

And I figured...

Well, so long as the job got done, right?

Yeah. It got done.

I owe you.

I'm aware of what transpired today.

To you, all I can say is I am shocked.

To you. If I could figure out a way to fire you without firing her, you'd be

packing out of here right now.

You aided and abetted a federal crime. If you ever do anything remotely like

that again, you will be out of here.

And the same goes for you.

The girl's called.

Oh. Good.

Very good.

We'll call them back in five days.

Five?

Hard to get, but not too hard.

Oh.

You sure know a lot about women.

Nobody knows a lot about women.

But my wife used to say I was a good student.

Your wife?

That's Roxanne's mom.

Yeah, she had red hair.

Boy, she loved to laugh.

She loved to tell me off, too.

You miss her.

Look at the dragon.

Hey, come here, come here, come here, come here. Look at this, look at this.

know what that is, huh?

That's Fred Nethel.

That's right, Fred Nethel.

I smell the blood of a McGillicuddy.

What's a McGillicuddy?

Lucy. Come here, come here, sit down. Sit down, look at this.

Well, then she must be. Yeah, yeah, I'm tomorrow's blue plate special.

Eat me. Oh, no, we couldn't do that. Spanish food gives us heartburn.

I don't want to hear it.