All language subtitles for L.A. Law S08E20 How Am I Driving

Yeah. You wanted to see me? Yeah, I did.

I've just seen an internal memo that
you've got criminal investigators

to tail Arnold Becker.

Mm -hmm. It's in connection with a
criminal investigation.

Are you aware that he's a former law
partner of mine?

Yeah. So were you planning on saying
something to me at some point? No, I

wasn't. Was I obliged to? I think you
were. I think common courtesy would have

suggested that a word to a colleague
would have been in order. When I conduct

investigations...

There are a few things more important to
me than being courteous. I want to know

what this is about, Belinda. It's about
the Lambert case.

That one I believe you're familiar with.
There's no basis for a criminal

investigation in the Lambert case. I
think there is. I think what Becker did

obstruction of justice.

Assume that's true. What he did is done.
There's no ongoing crime being

committed. There's no reason for having
Becker under surveillance.

Given that the case is on my desk,
Tommy, I think that's a determination to

made by me.

All right.

Look, Belinda, I know that you and
Arnold Becker were briefly involved with

other. Assuming there is a case to be
made here, it is not appropriate that it

be on your desk. It's not appropriate?

You've been sleeping with a sitting
judge for the past six months, and

going to tell me what is and isn't
appropriate?

I don't conduct official business in
that judge's courtroom.

As far as I'm concerned, your dalliance
with Carolyn Walker completely

compromises the effectiveness of every
prosecutor in this office.

First of all, it's not a dalliance.

Second of all, I have yet to hear Judge
Walker accused of using the power of her

office for some vindictive private
purpose of her own. Is that what you're

suggesting I'm doing?

That's right.

Well, Tommy, I'll tell you what.

If you're so sure that neither Becker
nor anyone in his office is guilty of

obstruction of justice, I suggest you
make that opinion known.

If you think I'm acting solely out of
spite, I think you should bring me up on

charges. And let me also say, should
your former law partner become cognizant

the fact that he's under investigation,
I will assume presumptively that he

found out about it from you.

Are you making threats, Belinda? I'm
making assurances.

You tell Arnold Becker that he's being
investigated, and I'll see to it that

you're fired.

Why don't we just give him another
minute? I think not. Let's get started.

Ruling versus wayside... Ah, ah, ah,
Douglas, here he is. Oh, here he comes.

Sorry. Sorry.

Uh -huh. The buses were running late.

You actually take a bus?

Yes. Unbelievable, isn't it? It's really
not that unbelievable.

Are you doing it for some kind of
ecological reason, Eli? I'm doing it

don't have a driver's license.

Denise is giving me lessons, however.
I'm inching up on being ready to take

road test. And I'm about to buy a car.
You're going to buy a car before you get

your license?

My two old partners just settled a case
of mine. They sent me a very large

check. I thought I'd do something
extravagant. What are you getting? I

idea. Denise has set me up with a car
broker who presumably will get me

this as painlessly as possible.

Ultimately, when buying a car, keep one
question uppermost in mind.

How am I going to feel when I'm standing
in front of a restaurant and the valet

brings me my car?

Thank you, Arnold.

Rulon versus Wayside Hospital.

Yeah, that's mine. A 16 -year -old girl
found to be incorrigible by her father.

is being committed to a psychiatric
facility by him. She's suing to be

from the facility, and we're
representing the father and the

she do?

Drugs, sex, alcohol.

Well, her father feels that she's
basically out of control.

There but for the grace of God.

Askoff versus Askoff. Yes, we're
representing Frank Askoff. His wife is

him for divorce, also looking to
disembowel him financially.

Her leverage is Camilla Greer.

What? He's in her book? Yes, he is. He
also runs a publicly traded corporation.

He wants very much for this not to get
out.

Who's Camilla Greer?

She's a madam.

A rather well -placed madam.

I suspect there are a number of people
in that book who very much don't want it

to get out.

Well, you frequent prostitutes. You run
that risk.

Yeah, I have never been with a
prostitute.

Oh, gee.

Eli, this is Lenny Pollack.

How do you do?

Hi, I'm told you're the man to see about
cars. I am that man.

Yeah, he told me he never owned a car
before and that you only have a

permit. Oh, you know, if you have any
problems with that road test, let me

Why? Well, let's just say I have
relationships at the Department of Motor

Vehicles. You're kidding.

Look, you buy a car from me, I take care
of you. That means plates,

registration, insurance.

Turn on the phone, soup the nuts. Plus,
you can find him any car that he wants,

right? Tell me what you want.

If it's been made, I'll get it.

Wow.

So, uh, what are you looking to spend?

I'm looking to spend some money,
actually.

You're single?

Yeah. There's a white Carrera in
Pasadena that I think we could do very

You can have it this afternoon.

A white Carrera.

What is that?

It's a Porsche.

How about a Mercedes -Benz?

Somehow I've always associated one of
those with living in Los Angeles.

You want an SL500?

What is that?

Two -seater convertible. That I can get
you by tomorrow.

How much?

A little over $100 ,000. It has to be in
five figures.

Go with the 320.

Ah, how much is that?

85. That I can live with.

And what color are you interested in?

Black.

Black? You want the car phone, the CD
player in the trunk, the basic big shot

package, right?

Why not?

All right.

Well, I'll call Denise with the amount.

You have a cashier's check for me by the
end of business today. You'll have a

car by tomorrow.

This, Denise, is the way to buy an
automobile.

Linda, I'd like you to describe the
events that took place on the 1st of

1994, please.

My father woke me up at 6 o 'clock in
the morning.

He was standing next to my bed with a
private detective, and he told me that

was taking me down to the center for
evaluation.

Did they, in fact, do so?

Yes. They took me by force to Wayside
Psychiatric, and I've been there ever

since.

Linda, you ever attempted suicide?

No. You ever deliberately try to hurt
yourself in any way?

No. You ever deliberately seek to hurt
anyone else?

I've stood up for myself in a fight, but
I never attacked anybody.

Do you have a boyfriend?

Yes, I do.

Does your father get along with him?

No, he doesn't get along with him. In
your opinion, why is that?

He doesn't get along with him because
he's black. No matter what he says, the

truth is that he doesn't like me being
with a black guy. And that's why James

wasn't welcome in his house. And that's
why I'm in a mental hospital.

Thank you. I have nothing further.

To the question, have you ever
deliberately hurt yourself, you answered

Isn't that right?

Right. On February 6th of this year, you
were taken to the county USC emergency

room, were you not?

Yes, I was.

Why was that?

I took some pills I shouldn't have
taken. You combined said pills with a

significant amount of alcohol, did you
not?

Yes. Wouldn't you call that a deliberate
attempt to hurt yourself?

No, I wouldn't. I would call it being at
a party and getting a little wild. I

see.

What's a 40, Miss Rowland?

It's a bottle of malt liquor.

It's a 40 -ounce bottle of malt liquor,
isn't it? That's why they call it a 40.

How many of them do you drink in an
average day?

I don't know. A ballpark figure. More
than one, less than ten. The witness

she didn't know.

Let's move on, Mr. Owens. Have you ever
known your boyfriend to carry a gun? I

don't know whether he carries a gun or
not.

Did you not on more than one occasion
warn your father that your boyfriend

always carries a gun?

If I said it, I said it to scare him.
Had you been having sexual relations

your boyfriend?

Yes. What, if any, precautions did you
take against sexually transmitted

diseases or the possibility of becoming
pregnant?

Either we used a condom or we did things
you don't need a condom for. Did you

tell your father that more than anything
else, you wanted to get pregnant with

James's baby?

If I said that, I said that to scare
him. It worked.

I have nothing further.

Frank, I want to propose something.

Your wife is holding you up with the
threat to make public you're going to

prostitutes. I'd like to take an
aggressive position in response.

What do you mean? Number one, I deny it.

I am in the book.

Maybe you are, maybe you're not.

Meantime, we haven't seen the book. We
don't know the book exists.

Look, she had me tailed to Camilla's
house, Arnie. She knows that I went

What she knows and what she can prove
are not necessarily one and the same.

Now, assume... Assume that she can prove
it.

What are the damages?

The damages are catastrophic.

Are they? I answered to a board of
directors made up of very conservative,

Midwestern men. Right, right. None of
whom have ever once in their life paid

it. I also answered to the shareholders.

Frank, I'm not saying you want it to
come out. I'm saying it's not the end of

the world.

I don't want it.

I have been incapable of functioning
sexually with my wife for over five

We went to therapists, separately,
together.

Nothing helped.

It became a source of almost
indescribable pain to me.

I finally sought out prostitutes.

You see, with prostitutes, I could
function.

Arnie, I don't want people to know
anything about that.

It's a source of great embarrassment to
me to even be sitting here and telling

you. You really needn't be.

I would only ask that you do everything
possible so that this does not become

public.

Ms. Ascoff.

You initiated this divorce, did you not?

Yes. And before doing so, you emptied
out both the safe deposit boxes held in

your and your husband's name.

You also emptied out all joint bank
accounts. Is that right?

Yes, it is. Were you aware in doing so
that you were leaving your husband

without adequate funds to meet his
monthly obligations?

Not her problem.

When we work out the finances, we'll pay
over what we owe. That's assuming we

owe anything.

Now, you're seeking to examine your
husband's corporate records. Is that

That's right.

My husband was concealing marital assets
in corporate accounts.

I want to know just how much of those
assets were being spent on prostitutes.

And what do you base your allegations
that your husband frequented

I based it on reports from private
investigators.

Do you want to deny it? For the record,
we categorically deny it.

However, for the sake of argument, let's
assume that your husband did in fact...

Pay for the services of a prostitute. Is
it possible that said services

represented a last -ditch therapeutic
approach to a long -standing condition?

What condition would that be, Mr.
Becker? It would be impotence, Ms.

Would it be impotence as in a
physiological condition or just

was with me? I think the literature
shows impotence to be a fairly complex

condition. I wouldn't presume to ascribe
it to one thing or the other. I don't

think it's in the least bit complex.

My husband wasn't physically attracted
to me.

He clearly was to prostitutes. From the
number of times he visited them, one can

safely assume that he was not impotent
with them. Again, assuming that's true,

isn't it possible that you bear some of
the responsibility?

No, it is not possible.

That is wholly irrelevant for the
purpose of this exhibition. Was it not

for the past five years subtly and
continuously belittled and berated your

husband? I did not do that. I supported
my husband. I encouraged him.

To get a physical examination.

I encouraged him to get psychological
help.

We even went to therapy together, which,
I might tell you, was not an easy thing

for me to do.

But I did it.

I stood by him.

I was faithful to him. I was desperate,
Vivian.

I was desperate and I didn't know what
else to do.

Your desperation doesn't move me
anymore, Frank.

May I ask a purely practical question?

What are you hoping to accomplish here?

If you make these claims in your
pleadings, if you argue them in court,

it's true or not, it's going to get out
that a big executive went to whores.

Your husband's short term, possibly his
long term financial picture worsens.

You're on board for lifetime support, I
assume.

Why would you want to poison the well?
Because, Arnie, we're not looking for

support.

We want the money up front.

What you're asking for is
unconscionable. Mr. Becker, I was

man.

I was lied to.

I was frozen out.

I was exposed to a life -threatening
disease.

Since all I can get from him now is
money, I want to get all the money I

And I suggest that you don't appeal to
my conscience.

My conscience is clear.

$85 ,000.

Pat, a lot of money. Yes, it is a lot of
money. What kind of things do you say

to get someone to overcome panic at this
point? I don't say anything.

Crash worthiness, high retail value,
comparisons with other luxury

Eli, one buys a car like this much the
way one buys a Steinway Piano. What

you're paying for is the pleasure of
knowing that you own it.

What's that worth?

You want to know who else owns this car?
What do you mean?

We'd like to know what celebrities drive
the same automobile as their personal

car. I don't think I want to know that.
I do. Who?

Johnny Depp.

James Caan.

Lenny Pollack.

No,

I have a different model, but it's the
exact same body style.

What's the difference?

Oh, mine's a 600.

It's a 12 -cylinder car, very hard to
find. How much?

This one was $123 ,000 to me.

I think it's safe to say you can live
with four fewer cylinders.

Six fewer cylinders.

You said this one was six cylinders,
right? It is a 3 .2 in line six, yes.

In my opinion, an altogether terrific
engine. But yours says 600 on it, where

this one says 320.

Yours says 600.

You worried about that?

No. Sit in it.

Here's the key. Turn it on. Pull that
red button.

Wow.

Denise. That's beautiful.

Wow.

This is going to be good for me. Owning
this car is going to be good for me.

Are you familiar with the petitioner,
doctor? Yes, I'm currently treating her

Wayside Hospital, where I'm both a
psychiatrist and an administrator.

What's your evaluation?

I find her to possess what we call a
borderline personality disorder.

Would you explain what that is? It
manifests itself in a variety of ways.

Unstable relationships.

Mood shifts, temper tantrums, coupled
with persistent identity disturbances.

Couldn't that description fit a lot of
teenagers?

Perhaps it could. What it comes down to,
however, is a matter of degree.

Linda's behavior is extreme.

She acts without reasonable regard for
her own safety.

Is it possible to treat Linda on an
outpatient basis?

It's only possible if she's willing.
Prior to coming to Wayside, she refused

attend outpatient therapy.

How important is it that Linda Ruland
stay at Wayside, Doctor?

In my opinion, it's a matter of life and
death.

Nothing further.

A borderline personality disorder. This
is something of a catch -all diagnosis,

isn't it, Dr. White? It's generally used
when no one dysfunctional trait is more

extreme than another.

In your opinion, when Linda Rulon
ingested drugs and alcohol on February

1994, she did so with the intention of
killing herself?

With a borderline personality. It's less
an intentional act of self

-destruction.

than an inability to realistically
assess the consequences of her actions.

was an accident? It was an incident in a
pattern of highly self -destructive

behavior. In the four weeks that Linda
has been at Wayside, has she ever

attempted to commit suicide or injure
herself?

She's constantly monitored at Wayside.

Is that a no?

Yes. Is Linda Rowland a drug addict?

No. Is she violent toward other people?

No. During your treatment, have you had
counseling sessions with Linda and her

father? Many of them. Would you say that
Larry Rulon is the sort of man that

needs to be in control, doctor?

I'd say he's more comfortable when he's
in control. Who isn't? But is it

possible that Larry Rulon committed his
daughter not because her condition

warranted, but rather that he needed to
reassert that control?

Regardless of Mr. Rulon's motivation,
counselor, I would not have admitted

young woman, nor would I be sitting
here.

testifying today if I wasn't convinced
that her condition warranted it. Doctor,

would you be testifying today if Larry
Rulon didn't have the funds to pay for

it? Larry Rulon's financial situation
and Linda Rulon's mental health are two

separate issues.

You're not answering the question,
Doctor. Would you be here fighting to

Linda Rulon in your hospital if her
father couldn't pay the freight?

Unfortunately, no. I probably would not
be.

Thank you.

Do you run a house of prostitution, Miss
Greer? I'm instructing my client not to

answer that question.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a writer.

What do you write?

Currently, I'm writing a book. Do you
have a publisher?

Not yet.

What kind of book is it? Just an honest
account of my life and the people I've

met. Have you ever met Frank Ascoff?

Yes, I have.

Would you describe for us the
circumstances under which you met him?

instructing my client not to answer that
question.

All right.

Would you estimate for us the number of
times you've had contact with Mr.

Ascoff? I really couldn't. More than
once?

Yes. More than ten times? I saw or spoke
on the phone with Mr. Ascoff an average

of twice a week for more than three
years.

Though I haven't seen him very much at
all lately.

Did you ever receive money from Mr.
Ascoff? I'm going to recommend that my

client not answer that question.

Is it fair to assume, ma 'am, that if
you had been receiving payments of money

from Mr.

Ascoff... You would have kept a written
record of that somewhere?

Given that I'm a Virgo, and given that
I'm a writer, I'd say it's fair to

I keep records of everything.

Thank you for your time, Miss Greer.

Nice to see you, Arnie.

You too.

Why did you have your daughter committed
to Wayside Psychiatric Hospital, Mr.

Rowland?

Over the past year, Linda's behavior had
been getting progressively more self

-destructive.

I felt that without drastic
intervention, she'd end up killing

Would you tell us what type of
destructive behavior you're referring

She stopped going to school.

She would habitually lie about where
she'd been and with whom.

Sometimes she wouldn't come home for
days on end.

And when she did...

More often than not, she'd be
intoxicated.

Had you tried to address these problems
early on?

As best I know how.

What did you do?

My mother died when she was eight.

From that point on, it was clear that
she required special attention.

I sent her to child psychiatry.

The two of us went to family counseling
together.

When she'd reject one therapist, I'd
find another one. When she'd reject one

school, I would enroll her somewhere
else.

Had you ever tried disciplining your
daughter, Mr. Rulon?

Yeah, I'd set rules.

She'd break every one of them. I'd
ground her. That didn't faze her. She'd

out, steal the car, steal money.

At a certain point, I had to acknowledge
that I had no control of her.

How did it make you feel, sir, to put
your daughter in a mental hospital?

Horrible.

I keep asking myself, how did this
happen?

How could this...

A little girl who used to wait by the
window for me to come home from work,

into someone who tells me to my face
that she hates me.

I didn't know what else to do.

I have not approved.

Are you familiar with James Truby, Mr.
Rulon?

Yes. Mr. Truby has been your daughter's
boyfriend for nearly a year now, isn't

that right?

So I'm told.

Shortly after Linda began dating Mr.
Truby, you forbid her from seeing him,

didn't you? The first time he picked her
up at the house, he sat in the car and

honked the horn. He didn't even bother
to introduce himself to me. Then when he

brought her home at 3 o 'clock in the
morning, her eyes were glassy and she

stunk from pot.

Mr.

Truby is black, is he not?

Objection. Irrelevant.

I'd ask the court for an opportunity to
demonstrate relevance.

Objection overruled. Witness will
answer.

Yes. Mr. Truby is black.

Does that have anything to do with your
attitude toward him?

No, it does not.

Did you at one point tell your daughter
that black men consider white girls to

be status symbols?

I was talking about one individual.

I wasn't making a sweeping
generalization. Sir, isn't it true that

sweeping generalizations all the time?
Not true.

You made them in therapy sessions. You
made them raging around the house. This

isn't about race, Mr. Sparrow.

Objection sustained.

Stop arguing, Mr. Sparrow.

Sir, did you ever speak of a special
agony at seeing your daughter go out

black man?

Again, I was referring to this.

Black man.

So if it were another black man, then it
wouldn't necessarily have the same

effect. You know, my daughter's got
bigger problems than who she goes out

Except that those bigger problems never
led you to committing her, against her

will, to a mental hospital, did they?
And what am I supposed to do, Mr.

Am I supposed to shrug my shoulders?

Do nothing?

Wait for the phone call from the cops?

Or the hospital?

Or the morgue? Sir, did you give your
daughter an ultimatum saying that unless

she stopped going out with black men,
you would take drastic action against

First of all, we're not talking about a
black man.

At least let's define our terms.

We're talking about a teenager with a
criminal record who uses drugs.

This isn't Sidney Poitier we're talking
about.

Is that what it would take, Mr. Rulon?
I'm supposed to say it doesn't matter,

right? I'm supposed to say race doesn't
matter.

Well, it does matter.

My daughter is a pelt to this guy.

She is a gold necklace or a tricked -out
Mercedes or a new pair of sneakers.

That has nothing to do with the fact
that he's black and she's white.

It has everything to do with it.

Thank you. I have no further questions.

It's so frustrating not being able to
jump in that car and drive it.

I've only been trying to book you a road
test for like two months now. Yeah, I

know. You want to go out on it at
lunchtime?

It's not the same having somebody take
me.

Well, listen, the truth is you could
drive it if you wanted to.

Only with a licensed driver present.

Come on, Eli, you can drive it by
yourself.

What do you mean?

I only have a learner's permit.

That's a part of your intention in
buying this car. It's a little

know, to take a risk.

To a limited extent, that's true.

Well, consider this a limited risk.

What if the cops stop me? Hila, the cops
are not gonna stop you. You're a 40

-year -old man driving a Mercedes.

Come on.

Mind turning that off?

Of course.

I didn't turn the key all the way.

I haven't had this car very long.

Have your license and registration,
please. Right.

First, let me get you my registration.

There.

That's the registration.

You've got that.

As for the license, let me show you what
I have.

Do you know how fast you were going? No,
I don't know. I didn't feel as though I

was going at an excess rate of speed.

You're doing 20.

Ah.

This is a learner's permit.

Yes. There must be a licensed driver
over the age of 21 present in the car.

There is not one present.

I'm going to have to give you a
citation, Mr. Levinson.

I understand.

I'm also going to have to impound your
vehicle.

Officer, I just got this car.

Would it be possible for you to follow
me back to my office garage and let me

park it there? I give you my word that I
will not take it out until such time as

there is a licensed driver with me.

My partner's running your plates. Let me
check with him.

Place both hands on the steering wheel,
sir.

Why? It's a 1037.

What is that?

Step out of the vehicle, sir.

Would you mind explaining what's going
on? Placing you under arrest.

For driving with a learner's permit?

Possession of a stolen vehicle. Put your
hands behind your back.

Oh, my God.

Mr. Ascoff, you have in front of you a
copy of the financial statements your

accountant has provided us?

Yes.

I draw your attention to page two, item
23, quote -unquote, entertainment

expenses.

Yes, I see it.

That seems to me an unusually large sum
of money. Not unusual at all.

Frank Ascoff runs a big company. People
who do that spend a lot of money on

dining and entertainment.

Except that since neither Mr.

Ascoff nor his company have thus far
furnished us with expense account

statements and check registers, we have
no idea what dining and entertainment

mean. We're not going to allow you to
take a fishing expedition through the

books of a Fortune 500 company.

The company's accountants weren't
satisfied that these were bona fide

They wouldn't have allowed them. Should
I take it to mean that you remain

unwilling to comply with our subpoenas?

Yeah, you can take it to mean exactly
that.

We'll await a ruling from the court.
Sure, fine.

Mr. Azkov?

Yes. In what connection do you know
Camilla Greer? I'm going to instruct my

client not to answer that question.
Frank, Frank, Frank, I want to answer. I

don't want to play this game anymore,
okay?

I know Camilla Greer because she
supplied me with prostitutes. How often

supply you with prostitutes?

Initially, it was quite infrequent, but
I went.

I was ashamed of myself.

I didn't go back for six months, but
gradually I found that I could live

ashamed of myself easier than I could
live without prostitutes.

By the time you had me followed, I was
going to Camilla three or four times a

week. How did you pay for these visits,
Mr. Ascoff? I had a private account.

I paid for them out of that.

How was this private account funded?
Frank, I would not give them this.

It was funded out of my earnings.

Earnings made during the time you were
married?

Yes. Earnings that were therefore
marital in nature? There isn't a jury

Cicely. Who are you trying to impress?

I'm not trying to impress anyone,
Arnold. I'm trying to conduct a

How much are you paying Camilla? I don't
know what you're talking about. Vivian,

don't do this, please.

Talk to her. As soon as Mrs. Ascoff has
paid what we're asking for, we have no

interest in exposing you.

Yeah.

So for $11 million, give or take, the
house in Beverly Hills, the apartment in

New York, and the condo in Palm
Springs...

You'll make like it never happened.

Right.

Here's my response to that.

We'll agree to a 50 -50 split of all
marital assets. We want Beverly Hills,

York, and Palm Springs sold with all
proceeds split.

I take it that means you're willing to
let it come out that he was spending six

figures a year on prostitutes? I don't
think that you can prove he spent

anywhere near that. Oh, I'm sure we can.

Then prove it.

Meantime, we're putting the houses on
the market. Tell your client to start

ordering boxes.

Jonathan.

I feel like I need to say something
about what happened on the witness

You don't need to say anything. I feel
like I do.

Things came out that don't necessarily
reflect the way that I feel.

I understand.

This is my daughter, you know.

We should go in.

You don't have kids.

It's a whole different thing when you
have kids. You don't have to say

about it, Larry.

I need to clear the air here, Jonathan.
I'm sensing that you're miffed about

what I said, and I need for you to
understand where it comes from. Larry, I

understand exactly where it comes from.

If it had been a younger version of me
going out with your daughter, you would

have felt a little differently about it,
but not that differently.

Jonathan! I knew that long before I put
you on the witness stand.

It seems to me that psychiatric care
should relate to a psychiatric

It should not represent a disciplinary
alternative for a frustrated parent.

I'm definitely not here to defend my
client's drug use, her truancy, her

drinking, and certainly not her sexual
behavior.

No doubt she is in need of guidance. No
doubt she is in need of attention.

What she is not in need of is
institutionalization.

I submit to you that the basis of this
is not her condition, but her father's.

It is being done to relieve him of the
quote -unquote special agony at the

of seeing his daughter going out with
somebody black.

Together with a private for -profit
hospital, he's become her jailer.

I submit to you that he has violated the
civil rights of this young woman.

I submit to you that his actions are
wholly unwarranted, and I appeal to this

court for her release.

Mr. Owens.

I would argue that when a person engages
in behavior that is demonstrably life

-threatening, that person is in need of
intervention by others. Now, whether you

choose to call it a psychiatric
condition or not, that person's life

someone doing something.

One could well ask, is this the
appropriate thing to do?

By our own admission, this is the girl
who drinks to excess.

She uses drugs.

She refuses all attempts at voluntary
treatment.

She shows every indication of
progressing toward actions with

consequences, be they pregnancy or be
they crime.

To those such as my adversary who claim
that confinement is categorically

inappropriate, I would ask for an
alternative. I would ask, is it

that in the interest of this person's
civil rights, we effectively abandon

is not about race your honor this is
about trying to reach someone who needs

be reached i believe this father has
acted out

of love for his daughter i really do i
believe he's done the only thing he

do thank you

Appreciate you getting there as fast as
you did.

Coles from relatives in jail always
assume the highest priority.

I still can't believe I got arrested.

Why don't you do a dealer like a normal
person? I know.

So what are the prospects of you getting
the money back? Who knows?

Eli, $85 ,000 is the theory. How could
he have done this? Well, that's easy.

He's a criminal.

I just don't understand how someone has
the audacity to pass themselves off as

legitimate, take $85 ,000 for a stolen
car, and think they can actually get

with it.

Oh, Eli, Lenny Pollack called. He wanted
to know how you like the car.

I haven't seen you in a while.

Much too long a while.

Camilla's out by the pool.

Thanks, April. Sure.

Hello, Arnie.

Hi.

Can I get you something?

No.

No, thanks.

I kind of figured you'd be paying me a
visit.

Well, I have a very nervous client.

I'll bet you do.

Do you mind if I sit down?

Please. Let me ask you something.

How much is his wife paying you?

What makes you think she's paying me
anything?

You're not in this for your graduate
school thesis, doll. Whatever you do,

do for money.

At present, I have no arrangement of any
kind with Mrs. Vascoff.

Does that mean you're open for business?

That's exactly what it means.

If Frank wants his name out of that
book, it's going to cost him. I always

thought you were a stand -up broad,
Camilla.

What happened?

I adapted.

What's going to happen to your business
when it gets out that you blackmailed a

steady customer?

Look around, Arnie.

I don't have any business.

The DA's office is breathing down my
neck. I can't so much as walk into a

restaurant that it doesn't show up in
variety the next day. My clients aren't

coming near me. I'm done in this
business.

Frank Ascoff and a few others like him
will give me...

Let's call it a pension.

How much?

A million five.

Which buys me what? All records
pertaining to Frank Ascoff are

Neither myself nor my employees will
reveal that Frank Ascoff was ever a

I'll let him know.

Also tell him I have a standing offer
from his wife.

You're aggravated, you have every right
to be aggravated. Are you on the lam,

Lenny?

Because I know the police are looking
for you.

Excuse me, the police are not looking
for me. I've already spoken to police.

The matter's been taken care of. What
does that mean?

It means that it was a mishap. A bill of
lading went awry. An erroneous report

was made.

Miscommunication, pilot error. You know,
call it whatever you want. It wasn't

supposed to happen, but it happened.

Listen, the cops said they found it
stolen off the pier in Brooklyn.

My point is this. Whether or not it was
stolen...

You and I both stand in the position of
good -faith third -party Vendees, if I

remember my law school training. What
about the $85 ,000? Yeah. Well, let's go

after the $85 ,000. We'll sue the vendor
together.

Lenny, as far as I'm concerned, you're
the vendor.

Now, that would be, I think, a
misreading of basic agency law. And even

was the case, I have no assets.

I live with my parents.

I can be instrumental in going after the
parties who I think are responsible,

and I would like to get to work putting
you in another car.

You want to put me in another car?

Yes.

This time I think you should look into a
cabriolet.

You know the difference between a
cabriolet and a roadster? No, Lenny, in

of fact, I do not.

But the truth is, I already know what my
next car is.

Tell me.

My next car is yours.

Again? That car you were driving the
other day.

You're going to give that to me. Wait a
minute, Eli.

You're going to give that to me because
if you don't give that to me, I'm going

to sue you.

And if I remember my law school
training, in all likelihood, I am going

Don't agree.

In the course of suing you, I will
depose the entire chain of title to that

starting with whoever stole it off the
pier.

By the end of that, we'll see how much
of a good -faith third -party vendee you

are. And you don't want to mess with Eli
and Courtney.

This is a shakedown.

I also think that your entertainment
industry clientele is going to fall off

some when it comes out that you deal in
hot cars.

You're aware of the fact that your car
was a 320 and mine is a 600?

That's a disparity in price of over $40
,000.

Come on. Consider it the cost of
continuing to do business.

Up the key.

I'll send somebody by for the pink slip
in the morning.

He can't even drive it.

Until I get my license, she can drive
it.

I've reached a decision.

The issues in this case are far from
clear, and reaching a decision was far

easy.

Raising children in violent times can be
a terrifying ordeal.

Clearly, this young woman did nothing to
make it easier.

That in and of itself does not justify
her being held against her will.

A teenager is not without civil rights.

and any encroachment on those rights
must be made only if that teenager

a danger to herself and even then solely
as a last resort.

Sadly, I believe this to be the case
here.

Based on the evidence shown, I will not
second -guess the opinion of the medical

profession or of that of her father.

I choose instead to err on the side I
believe to be caution.

I hereby remand Linda Rulon back to
Wayside Psychiatric Hospital for further

treatment until such time her doctor or
her father feels she's ready to be

released. This court is adjourned.

Thank you.

Linda?

Can I bring you anything from home?

I don't have a home.

I live in a hospital, remember?

Linda, why do you insist on making
everything so difficult?

If you cooperate, these people just
might be able to help.

Don't touch me!

Linda, this is a temporary thing. You're
going to get out of the hospital.

You bet I am.

And when I do, you know what?

You will never see me again.

Larry, I think it's time to let her go
back now.

Come on, come on, let's go.

The day they left... me out, I'm gone.

I'll move to another state.

Change my name. And just like that, you
don't have a daughter anymore.

Say goodbye to me, Daddy.

This is it.

Let her go.

Larry, what are you doing?

Give her what she wants.

Let her go.

I'll sign the release papers.

No, thanks, Denise. I'm fine.

All right. See you.

Do you ride this bus often?

Frank,

come on in. I'll be right with you.

Arnie, I need you to go back to Camilla.

It's not going to do any good, Frank.

I want you to tell her that I will give
her $100 ,000 now. I will consider the

balance alone, which I will repay with
interest according to schedule.

She's not interested in the payout.

She wants the money up front.

Uh -huh.

Well, if plan A doesn't work, then we'll
go to plan B.

I inherited a house from my father in
Montecito. I will sell it, and I will

her out of the proceeds.

Frank, I think you're crazy to be doing
this. Arnie.

I can't allow that information to become
public.

Forgive me for being presumptuous, but I
say that you can.

I say it'll do you infinitely less harm
than you think it will. Moreover, paying

off Camilla is no guarantee of anything.

She sells you one book, she'll keep
another one for herself.

I'll have to risk that.

See, I think Camilla will honor an
agreement.

I think she could be trusted. Frank, be
serious. Am I sure of it?

No, I'm not sure of it, but... I still
want you to make the offer.

Okay. Okay. Arnie.

I would appreciate it if you could
please do it today.

I'd like to talk to you. Yeah, now, who
are you?

He's my father's lawyer.

What are you going to talk to him about?
I have some business to talk to her

about. I don't mean to disrespect you or
anyone else.

I'm going to ask her if I can talk to
him privately.

It's okay.

I don't want you to give it to me.

They tell you to tell me what I'm not
supposed to spend it on?

Cash, limit, you can spend it on
whatever you want.

Okay. I also want to give you my card.

What's that, in case I get arrested?

It's in case you want to call me.

Why would I want to do that?

For a variety of reasons. Maybe you want
to communicate with your father without

speaking to him directly. You might need
help in going back to school.

You might have medical problems you
can't afford treatment for.

Oh, yeah, in case you get arrested.

You doing this because my father's
paying you to do it?

Or are you actually interested?

Both. Yeah, both.

You were the one trying to keep me
locked up. You're not exactly the first

person I'd call.

Whether I'm the first or the last, you
might as well have the phone number.

Tell my father thanks.