All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S04E16.Bounds.for.Glory.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

Breecher: I was shocked.

They're running a frog
jumping contest.

It's supposed to be
a legitimate thing.

I show up with my frog
and they won't let him jump.

What reason did they
give for excluding you, sir?

Breecher: They
said he was too big.

Now, there's nothing
about size in the rules,

and suddenly they go "too big."

The fix had to be in.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

I paid thirteen hundred bucks
for this frog.

- Plus travel.
- Plus travel?

I had him flown in from Africa.

There's a lot of paper work
to be done on that, I tell you.

You also put him through a

rigorous training camp,
did you not?

We did sprints, jumps,
squats, big hops, little hops,

and I even put him on his little
wheel for aerobic conditioning.

I tell you, I pushed that frog.

How much did this, uh,

arbitrary disqualification
cost you, sir?

The winner gets forty thousand,
which would have been mine.

You get an extra ten
grand for setting a record,

which my frog could
have done on one leg, easy.

I have nothing further, sir.

Are you real concerned
with fairness, Mr. Breecher?

What's a contest
without fairness?

Yeah, four years ago you
attempted to enter a tiny,

but long leaping
runt toad, didn't you?

Ah, it looked like a frog.
I was mistaken.

And two years ago your winning
entry tested positive

for cocaine, did it not?

I don't know he got the drugs.

The frog had a life.

Mr. Breecher, your reptile
has been known

to-- to eat small rats.

Objection, Your Honor.
It is not a reptile.

It is an amphibian.
Judge Green: Sustained.

How large is
your amphibian, sir?

Breecher: It's big.
Rollins: Exactly how big?

Well, with legs extended,

I'd say he was about
three feet long.

- Three feet?
- Yeah.

That's one big mother frog.

[theme music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

Markowitz: Anne.

Douglas,
I think everybody's here.

Why don't you get started?

Okay.

People versus Lassen.

Joel Lassen's been
busted for possession again.

- Abby: Arraignment's tomorrow.
- Why are we in this?

Because he's Abe Lassen's son.

Say no more.

Breecher versus Wynn.

That's mine. Our client
packages county fairs.

The main event of one of
them is a frog jumping contest.

There was prize money involved,
and one enterprising entrant

got himself something
called an African Goliath frog.

Brackman:
An African Goliath frog?

Yeah. It was ruled
ineligible hence the suit.

I understand that there is

appeal in things
novel and strange.

I also understand
that as attorneys

we need to amuse ourselves.

But, quite frankly,

what I can't countenance

are the sort of indulgences that
hurt us.

How does this hurt us?

Rosalind: It costs us.
It makes us look foolish.

What I'm saying, Jonathan,
is that I think you're gonna

have to be more selective of
the kinds of cases you take on.

Actually, he didn't take
on the case, Rosalind. I did.

Moving along.

Brackman: Jackson versus Haas.

That's mine.

A young black boy was kicked

to death by a skinhead.

We're suing the
skinhead's parents.

- Why?
Kelsey: Why?

Because a kid doesn't become

a racist thug in a vacuum.

Brackman: But suing the parents?

To me this is
utter litigiousness.

It's-- it's looking to
the courts for a payday.

It's looking to the courts
to fight bigotry.

Like-- like Brown versus
Board of Education.

Was that utter litigiousness?

What was the age
of the defendant's son

at the time
of the killing, Anne?

He was 15, Rosalind.

Well, I think that's
young enough

to infer parental liabilities.

Good luck.

Move along, Douglas.

I said, why don't we move along?

Did you see that?
She's taking over.

I told you, Stuart. I told you.

Ah, she just backed you up

on your case, Anne.
That's a good thing.

That wasn't backing
me up, Stuart.

That was calculated
manipulation.

She bossed me. Did you hear
the way she bossed me?

She wasn't bossing you, Douglas.

Support, support, support.

That's all she
ever gets from you.

She beat me in the election.

I'm the one who should
be sensitive here.

I think we should organize
a little private

meeting and see
how everyone feels.

Why don't we just
take another vote?

Um, got to be done
by executive committee.

Article three, section seven.

[scoffs] Support,
support, support.

No, not support, Anne. A rule.

McKenzie: Excuse me.

- What's going on?
- Ah, nothing.

We're just talking.

Benny has a little problem,
Stuart. Could you help him out?

Sure.

Let's be grown-ups.

[sighs]

Two grams, simple possession.

I could probably plead him out
and get six months

minimum security.

Of course, if we go
to trial and lose,

we're talking a year, easy.

- State prison?
- I doubt it.

But it's their defense.
It's possible.

- Take the plea.
Abby: No, just a minute.

Don't forget the
motion to dismiss.

We have a real shot
at getting it kicked.

Becker: Right.

In which case he just walks?

Abby: Exactly.

Take the plea.
Let him do the six months.

Excuse me?

Abe: My son has a drug
problem, Ms. Perkins.

Nothing we tried has
ever worked. Programs, clinics.

This is the third time
he's been arrested.

Every time he goes free.

Every time
he goes back to drugs.

Maybe jail is
just the thing he needs.

That may be, Mr. Lassen,
but Joel is the client.

At least technically. And it
would have to be his decision.

If Joel were capable
of making tough decisions,

we wouldn't be standing
here right now, would we?

Listen, this is my son.
My only son.

If something drastic
doesn't happen

to shake him out of this,
I'm gonna lose him.

You're asking a defense attorney

to deliberately
put her client in jail

when there is
a chance of getting him off.

That's the way you see it.

The way I see it, is I'm asking

you to help me save his life.

And the refrigerator
guy came by and he said--

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down.

Come on in.
Tell me all about it.

It started cause I wanted
a new refrigerator

on account of
I'm getting married.

And the one I have,
it doesn't get

cold on the bottom part.

And the guy who came to fix it

said he can't fix it now.

And he said it'd be cheaper
to get a new one.

So that's what I wanna do.

'Cause if I'm gonna get married,

I wanna have
a good refrigerator.

I agree with that.

But I...

I don't have enough
money in my emergency savings.

I used it for Alice's ring.

So I decided to sell my baseball
card collection for money.

So Jerry, he came
and looked at my cards

and he said he wanted them.

Who's Jerry?

Benny: Oh, he likes my cards.

Only I can't
give him all my cards

'cause I promised
Frank Malzone to Ed.

- Who's that?
- Third base, Red Sox.

No, that's, uh, that's
Frank Malzone. Who's Ed?

Oh, he's my friend
who likes my cards.

Except he doesn't want
all of them.

- He just wants some.
- Mm-hmm.

And so I told Jerry
that I couldn't give him

Frank Malzone
and some of the others,

and he got real mad.

And he sent me this.

It's a summons.

What's that mean?

It means he's suing you, Benny.

Your friend Jerry's
gonna take you to court.

- Oh, God!
- No, don't worry.

I'll look into it, okay?
Don't worry.

I just wanted a new refrigerator
'cause of the bottom part.

It doesn't get cold, I know.

When did you move
into the house, Mr. Jackson?

April, '87.

I was made the branch
manager at the bank.

For the first time in our lives
we were actually

able to own our own home.

How did you like
the neighborhood?

I liked it a lot.
We were near a park.

My son could walk to school.
We loved it.

Would you describe for us
what happened to you there, sir?

One morning I went out
and "white power"

was painted on the sidewalk.

I reported it to the
police, painted it out.

and... got myself ready.

Kelsey: Ready for what?
Jackson: I grew up in the South.

When people start talking
about "white power"

it isn't just words.

It wasn't just words here in
California either, was it, sir?

No. It wasn't.

What happened, Mr. Jackson?

One afternoon I got a call...

at work from my son's school.

They said Nathan had
been involved in an incident.

They said my son was dead.

Your Honor, I offer
at this time the stipulation

of the parties that the death
of Nathan Jackson, age 14,

was caused by
the physical violence

intentionally inflicted
upon him by Keith Haas,

the 15 year old son
of the defendants,

Jim and Pauline Haas.

So stipulated.

It is further stipulated
that Keith Haas was tried

and convicted of the
murder of Nathan Jackson

for which crime he
is presently incarcerated.

Again, so stipulated.

Mr. Jackson,

would you describe for the court

the anguish caused to
you and your wife

by the loss of your son?

Your Honor,
the defense will also

stipulate that the pain and
suffering caused by this tragedy

is both extraordinary
and immeasurable.

I'd like the witness
to give his answer.

The stipulation is noted.

The witness can still
give his response.

Kelsey: Mr. Jackson.

I'm sorry. I...

I know you said
I had to talk about this.

But I'm-- I'm sorry. I...

That's okay, sir.

I have nothing
further, Your Honor.

Have you ever met
these people, Mr. Jackson?

- Yes, sir.
- When did you meet them?

After that happened and then...

again at the trial.

Do you have any reason
to think that they wrote

"white power" on the sidewalk?

No, sir.

Willis:
Did they ever use a racial

epithet in your presence?

Jackson: No, sir.

Do you have any knowledge that

they knew that their son would

commit violence against Nathan?

Their son grew up
in their house.

They knew he was a racist.

But they
didn't know he was about

to commit violence, did they?

That boy picked
fights with six other

black people
in the last 18 months.

- Willis: Move to strike.
- They knew.

Overruled.

Jackson: Where did he learn that

kind of hatred to stomp a boy

to death in a school playground?

Their son did that, sir.
How do you blame them?

Because their son did that!

The boy they raised
grew up hating blacks!

Willis: Move to strike.

The boy they raised murdered

my son because he was black.

Willis: Your Honor!
Van Owen: Mr. Jackson--

Jackson:
How can I not blame you?

How... can I not blame you?!

[Mrs. Haas cries]

Wynn: It wasn't that
his frog would have won.

I don't know if it would
have even budged.

It was very obese.

Why did you disqualify it?

Because it was dangerous.

He's trying to enter this
giant African thing with teeth

and I had to be concerned
for the other frogs.

- Come on, Your Honor.
- Mr. Roitman.

It's true. The people
spend a lot of money on them.

They're like pampered athletes.

And if one of them
gets eaten by his entrant,

then we've got
a big lawsuit on our hands.

Move to strike, Your Honor.

There's no evidence
that my client's frog

eats its competition.

- Denied.
Wynn: I'm sorry.

But the committee couldn't
consider this

a normal frog within
the spirit of the rules,

and we felt that
disqualification was warranted.

Rollins: Thank you, Mrs. Wynn.

Mrs. Wynn. Uh, Ms. Wynn.

Are there, uh, rules
guiding these competitions?

There are.

Do these rules limit

the size of the entrants?

Who would have thought
they could get so big?

Is it not true, Mrs. Wynn,

that you disqualified
my client's frog

because you knew that it would
break the world's record?

You didn't want to be on
the hook for an extra ten grand.

Wynn: Not true.

That frog was fat and languid,

and it probably
wouldn't have budged.

- You lying cheat.
- Objection.

Breecher: It jumps huge.
Judge Green: Hey, Mr. Breecher.

- We also suspected steroids.
- Objection, Your Honor.

Defamation of character, Judge.

That's enough. Alright,
I want to see this thing.

- Can you bring it in here?
- On a truck maybe.

Mrs. Wynn, I'm going
to lose my patience.

Ah, yes, Your Honor. We could
have said frog here in the a.m.

Good, I want
to see if it's really a frog

and I want to see if it jumps.

Have it here at ten
o'clock tomorrow morning.

Drug free. We're adjourned.

Van Owen: Counselor.

You don't deny killing
Nathan Jackson,

do you, Keith?

No, sir, I don't.

Why would you do
something like that?

It started off as just a fight.
I guess I lost control.

Can you tell us what
part your parents played?

They didn't play any part.

What do you think they might
have done if they had known

you were going
to do something like this?

- Objection. Speculative.
- Sustained.

Let me try it a different way.

How did they react to this?

They were very unhappy about it.

Now, did you ever
indicate to your parents

that you might attack somebody?

No.

As I said, I didn't know myself

it was gonna happen.

It just did.

Willis: Nothing further.

You look a little different now
than you used to,

don't you, Keith?

I guess.

Is this a fair and accurate

representation of
the way you looked

at the time that you kicked

Nathan Jackson to death?

Yes.

Ask that this photograph
be admitted into evidence

as plaintiff's
exhibit number one.

Van Owen: So ordered.

Ask that the court
instruct the witness

to role up his right sleeve.

Mr. Haas.

Kelsey: Let the record reflect
that on the witness'

right forearm is a tattoo
of a swastika.

Did you have that at
the time of the murder?

I believe I did.

Did your parents know about it?

Yeah. They knew.

Kelsey: What did they say when
you first came home with it?

Keith: I don't remember.

The reason that
you attacked Nathan Jackson

from behind
and kicked him to death

is because he had taken
a walk with a white girl.

Is that right?

Isn't that the reason that
you gave for the attack, Keith?

Yes.

Kelsey: And you called
her a race traitor

for walking with a
black boy, didn't you?

She was a race traitor.

Are your parents
race traitors, Keith?

- Objection.
- Overruled.

Are your parents
race traitors, Keith?

No.

Do they feel the same way

you do about blacks and Jews?

Willis: Objection!
Keith: Overruled.

Kelsey: How do they feel about
blacks and Jews?

- Ask them.
- I'm asking you, son.

Kelsey: You refer to black
people as ***.

Did you hear that word at home?

I'll tell you this much.

They weren't
ashamed of being white.

They didn't raise me
to be ashamed of it either.

And you're thankful
for that, aren't you?

I'm thankful I was born with

enough intelligence to know

that white Christian people
have been getting

pushed around
from every direction.

We're tired of it.

We're fighting back.

And when the time comes,
this will be our country.

This will be our courtroom.

And we'll be the ones
asking the questions.

I have nothing
further, Your Honor.

I can't hack six months in jail.

It might be a good way
to get drugs out of your system.

What about this
motion to dismiss?

- You said we could win that.
Abby: And then what?

You're back on the street,
you're getting high. I mean--

Hey, you're supposed to be
my lawyer here,

not my social worker.

I am your lawyer.

And I'm also trying
to think of what's best for you.

This is coming from
my father, isn't it?

This is what he wants, right?

Your father is scared, Joel.

He's scared that drugs
are gonna end up killing you.

I can't spend six months
in jail, Abby. I can't.

Look, I have always
been straight with you, okay?

And I am being straight
with you now when I say that

I think your father is right.

Alright, be straight
with me on one more thing.

This motion to dismiss...

- Do you think you can win it?
- Yes.

Then that's what I
want you to do.

Abby: He's the client, not Abe.

If he doesn't want to
plead guilty, I can't make him.

Come on.
Abby, he's a drug addict.

He wasn't on drugs
when he was here, Douglas.

I have no reason to question his
capacity to make this decision.

Okay, Abby,
technically you're right.

Joel is the client. You're...

You're supposed
to do what he says.

But look, if we do
get this thing kicked,

that kid goes
straight back to drugs.

Now, are you gonna feel good
about that just

because "technically"
you're ethically correct?

Let me tell you something else.

If we get the case dismissed,

we'll lose Abe
Lassen as a client.

I can't let that be a factor.

Look, Abby, I'm gonna be
perfectly honest with you here.

If I lose Abe
Lassen as a client,

I lose a big chunk of my clout,

and the balance of power
tilts even more heavily

in Rosalind Shays' favor.

She already has the
biggest client base.

She's already been
made senior partner.

Losing Abe Lassen's gonna
put her one step closer

to having unfettered control to
do whatever the hell she wants.

Why don't you take me off
the case? Cop the plea yourself.

If we did that,
Joel would smell a rat,

and get a new lawyer,

and the results for
here would be the same.

You know the kid is better
off doing the six months, Abby.

You know it.

All we're asking you
to do is steer him in

the direction that would
best help him give up drugs.

Yes, I'm asking you
to do it for Abe, and yes,

I'm asking you to do it for me.

But I'm also asking
you to do it for Joel.

May be his only chance,
for God's sake.

Okay, I'll see
if I can convince him.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Look, he's willing to
sell them to you, Mr. Svetka.

He just wants to hold
back a few for Ed.

He's looking to hold
back Heinie Manush.

He's looking to
hold back Gus Bell.

He's looking to hold
back a sixty two

Warren Spahn
in near mint condition.

I never said I'd sell
them to you, Jerry.

Whether expressed or implied,
binding representations

were made which I placed
reliance upon thereto.

Are you an attorney?

- Freelance paralegal.
- Ah-hah.

What, do you think that's
gonna make it easy for you?

Look, what are we talking about
here, a couple hundred bucks?

Try thirteen thousand.
And it's an appreciating asset.

He's got an important
collection, Mr. Markowitz.

I'm not about
to just watch slip away.

You'll see by
the affidavits annexed hereto,

that all parties
have been served.

A TRO has been issued freezing

the subsequent transfers

and depositions
have been scheduled.

You've got to be kidding.

I know my way around

litigation, Mr. Markowitz.

Maybe even better than your

average tax attorney.

Look, you wanna go to court,
we'll go to court.

Stuart!

Jerry: Benny, I want those cards

placed in escrow. Excuse me.

Stuart, I don't
wanna go to court.

You said we wouldn't have to.

It's gonna be fine,
Benny. Don't worry.

It's just gonna be fine.

[knock on door]

How goes life at the top?

[chuckles]

As lonely
as it's cracked up to be.

I'm still a little
terrified, Leland.

Ah, you've got
nothing to worry about.

I'd be a little more self
assured if I'd gotten your vote.

Well, you won the
election, Rosalind.

Having done so, you
get my full support.

You need anything, you just ask.

Thank you.

There is one thing
you could do for me.

Name it.

Start wearing your hearing aids.

- Excuse me?
- I'm sorry.

I know that you
wear them to court,

and at home
in your private life.

I think you
should wear them here.

But that's a personal
decision, Rosalind and I--

Leland, if a client's
representation

is compromised because
you didn't catch something

or you misheard something,

this firm could be subject
to a malpractice suit.

Oh, but that's never
happened, Rosalind. And I--

And it probably never will.

But your hearing
disability is known.

And that makes the possibility
of a mishap foreseeable.

And that leaves us
exposed to potential liability.

Just as you had to
look after this

place when you were in charge,

so now must I.

Okay, Rosalind.

- I will.
- Hm.

[door closes]

Mr. Haas: I knew he
liked to wear his hair short

and I knew he joined that group,

but kids go through
stuff like this.

I thought he'd grow out of it.

Kids don't usually
commit murder, sir.

I had no idea he could
ever do something like that.

But what if you had, Mr. Haas?

What if you had had any inkling
at all that your son

could attack somebody the way
he went after Nathan Jackson?

I would have tried to stop him.

I don't know whether I would
have succeeded or not,

but I sure
as hell would have tried.

I have no further questions.

Did you ever tell your son
not to join the skinhead group?

He was a mixed
up kid, Ms. Kelsey.

He never listened to me much.

- Did you try?
- As best I could.

As best you could.

Well, wouldn't
that group sometimes

hold their meetings
in your garage?

Mr. Haas:
Well, they weren't meetings.

A few of them would come over

and Keith and them would hang
out in the garage, yeah.

Ms. Kelsey:
And you also let your son hang

Nazi posters in his
bedroom in your house.

Isn't it possible, Mr. Haas,
that your son

was led to believe that
you approved of all this?

No, I never told him I approved.

Did you ever say,
"Take 'em down"?

Did you ever say, "I don't want
posters in my house that read

"death to race mixing"
or "*** get out""?

Hey, lady, I'm a parent
just like everybody else,

praying to God every
night just to hang on to my kid.

So you condoned his bigotry.

I didn't condone anything.

Maybe we tolerated some of that
stuff more than we should have

because we didn't
want him running out

one day and never coming back.

Oh, I get it.

What a relief it must be to know
that after he finishes

kicking blacks to death,
he'll be home for supper.

- Van Owen: Ms. Kelsey.
- Objection.

If I thought he was
gonna do what he did,

I would have broken his legs.

Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson,

you've got to believe me
when I tell you that I'm sorry.

[instrumental music]

Van Owen: Okay,
exactly where are we?

We've offered 35,000, Your
Honor, and they've rejected it.

Thirty-five may seem low,

but according to the
financial statements submitted,

the defendants
are pretty judgment proof.

You could be
chasing an empty bag.

They have a house, Your Honor.

Yes, they do.

Valued at ninety-two
thousand dollars,

carrying a mortgage
of forty one thousand,

leaving them with an
equity of fifty-one thousand.

And it could take a long
time to execute

the attachment and the sale.

You really wanna go through
all that for the extra sixteen?

My son's
life was worth more than

thirty-five thousand
dollars, Judge.

Van Owen:
Of course it was, Mr. Jackson.

But I'm sure your
lawyer has told you

that this lawsuit is going to be
very difficult for you to win.

Suing parents for the
crimes of their children

is a pretty novel
approach, Mr. Jackson.

I know that.

And Ms. Kelsey tells
me that because of that

a lot of people will be
watching what happens here.

That's what I'm
after, Your Honor.

I want people noticing this.

Can you tell me what
that accomplishes?

If I win, it says he should
have done something.

It says that parents cannot
raise up their children to be

racists, murderers, and then
just unleash them on the world.

I'm just a working stiff,
Mr. Jackson.

- I'm just a working stiff, too.
- That's right.

The truth is, we're probably

more alike
than we are different.

No. See...

your son is not dead, mine is.

And I don't want
him dying for nothing.

Something's gonna
come out of this.

Van Owen:
Gentlemen, that's enough.

- You wanna go forward?
- Yes, we do.

Summations at two o'clock then.

[frog croaking]

[people murmuring]

As you can see, Your Honor,

this is clearly a frog.

It's a very big frog.

What's that on its leg?

It's a little Ace
bandage, Your Honor.

He pulled a ham string
during a workout yesterday.

- Show him the teeth.
- Alright. Alright.

I'm sure it is bigger than

any of the contest
commissioners ever imagined.

But, Mrs. Wynn, that is a frog.

Thank you, Your Honor.
May we expect a judgment?

Hold on. I don't see
it doing much jumping.

There's no
evidence that it would

definitely have won the event.

Oh, I would like to demonstrate

then, Your Honor.

May I remind the court of the

ham string injury.

Just make it jump.

Okay, Richard, inhale and leap.

Come on, boy. Inhale. [inhales]

He just had breakfast,
Your Honor, so...

Probably a donut.

Objection, Your Honor.

May I ask the defendant
to cease the harassment

during this demonstration?

What demonstration?
It looks dead to me.

He's gathering himself,
Your Honor.

He's about ready to I jump.
Look at his eyes.

- Oh, for God's sake.
- No, no. I can see it.

Hey, he's sticking him
with a pin.

- Prodders are allowed.
- Just get on with it, will you?

I told you, it doesn't jump.

[all gasping]

[yelps]

He's attacking the judge!

Wynn: Look at the teeth.

- I told you. Vicious.
- Sit, Richard. Sit.

- Stay. Stay right there.
- It's a vicious frog.

Get this thing now!

I got him.
I got him, Your Honor.

Oh, I think he
pulled another muscle.

Ask that you recuse
yourself, Your Honor.

Forget it.

I'm going to take this stupid

thing under advisement.

I want everybody back
here at two o'clock tomorrow.

[frog croaking]

For God's sake!

[people laughing]

[door closes]

Abe: Let's just see what

the District Attorney offers.

- If it's reasonable--
- Let's cut the crap, dad!

You want me to do time,
so let's not pretend you're--

I want you off drugs, Joel.

Look, I don't even
know what our options are yet.

If we can get an offer of six

months, Joel,
we should probably--

No! You're my lawyer, not his.

- You're supposed to be look--
- We're all on the same side.

We are not on the same side!
You want me in jail!

- Will you listen to me?!
- Get your hands off me!

Will you listen to me?!

For God's sake, Joel,
I'm your father,

you're my son. I love you.

But we got a problem
here we can't seem to get by.

Well, prison's
not gonna do it, dad.

Don't make me do this.

It's the only thing left to try.

Six months is a good deal.

Probably the best we
can do. Ask your lawyer.

Come on.

We better get in there.

[indistinct chatter]

It's not like you're going
to San Quentin, Joel.

Jail is jail.
They stick you in a cell.

Listen to your lawyer,
you don't plea and you lose,

you could get two
years in state prison.

- You want that?
- No. All I want is to be free.

Look, I don't even know
what our options are yet.

Okay? I got to talk to the DA.

When the case
is called, step up with me.

- People verses Steve Delah.
- Disturbing the peace, sir.

He tried to use
the ladies room...

Jim. I got Joel Lassen.

Yeah, that's me.
Want to deal it?

I'm looking for next to nothing.

He got a rookie cop
searching the trunk

on a moving violation.
There's no way--

Yeah, yeah.
What was it, two grams?

No intent.

You want a guilty plea,
let him go with probation.

- Yeah, yeah. Okay.
- What?

But we do it today.

You roll the
dice with a dismissal motion

and I'm going for jail time.

- Okay.
- Six months?

- Done.
- People versus Joel Lassen.

Jim: Jim Aoli for the People.

Straight possession, Your Honor.

I think we can make this thing
go away right now.

How delightful.

Jim: Defendant agrees
to plead guilty.

Joint recommendation for
six months probation.

- Judge: Defense will agree?
- We do.

You got it. Guilty.
Six months probation.

Mr. Lassen, check with
the probation officer, please.

Next case.

Bailiff: People versus Robert...

Probation? That's it, I can go?

- Yeah.
- Way to go, counselor.

Look, Mr. Lassen, I didn't
know the D.A. was gonna--

I don't talk to you anymore.

I talk to your boss.
Come on, Joel.

Now, he only wants seven
cards in total. So that--

The collection is meaningless
to me without those cards.

Now hold on.
Now which seven do you want?

Don't talk to my client.
He's represented.

I'm asking him
a simple question.

You told me I could
have 'em Benny!

There was an offer and
an acceptance.

- A valid contract.
- Wait, wait. Back up.

Now, first of all
let me just say

it as delicately
as possible that

there are certain
questions as to Benny's

capacity to enter into
an enforceable agreement?

- He's trying to squirm out!
- I don't appreciate that.

- Hey, don't talk to my client.
- Buddy, I'll go for punies.

What about moral obligations?

When you needed Elroy
Face, I got you Elroy Face.

- Let's try to be constructive.
- 'Cause I gave you Willy Mays!

[all arguing]

Hold it, guys!

[chuckling] We're talking
about baseball cards.

We're talking about
promises my client

relied upon to his detriment.

Now, he could have
made other acquisitions--

The trouble with your lawyer,
Benny,

is that he doesn't grasp nuance.

I never said I'd sell
them to you, Jerry.

You ever hold
a fifty-one Mickey Mantle

with four sharp corners
and original gloss?

You're nuts!

These things come five to a

pack with a stick of gum.

That's one of the seven cards!

Give me that--

Jerry: That was a fifty-four
Wally Moon.

You ripped my card!

He ripped it, not me.
You saw it.

I'm adding on
a claim against you.

That was gross
negligence. I'm amending.

I'll pin your ears
back, you little squid.

- I'm leaving.
Ed: The big guy's upset.

Jerry: This isn't over, Benny.

You said you'd fix things.

Obviously,
we can't start chasing parents

every time a kid screws up.

And I'm certainly not suggesting
that the Haas' are criminals

or asking that they
be put in jail.

Their son did this, not them.

What I'm asking is that they
take a little responsibility

because the hatred that
ultimately killed Nathan Jackson

was born in their home.

They shrugged their shoulders

when their son came home with
a swastika burned into his arm.

They let him hang posters that
read "death to the ***."

They sat back and did nothing
while he repeatedly

instigated
fights with black children.

The most malignant assumption
we can make about these people

is that they encouraged
their son's racism.

The most benign

is that they ignored
it and allowed it to fester.

Either way,

it ended up
killing Nathan Jackson.

Either way, they have
to take some responsibility.

Lawsuits are about allocating
burdens, ladies and gentlemen.

We use lawsuits to place the
burden on the manufacturers

to make their products safer

we use lawsuits to
place the burden on people

to act in non-negligent ways.

Right now, today,

let's put the burden
on the parents.

That they can't just
close their eyes

to bigotry in their own home,

because if we allow
the parents to ignore

the prejudices
in their children,

if we allow them to
turn away from racism

and just hope
that it will go away,

it will never go away.

And more kids
like Nathan Jackson

are going to die.

That was a stirring speech.

It really was.

It was so good

it could almost make
you forget the law.

Under the law,
ladies and gentlemen,

you can't hold parents liable

just because
their child is a racist.

Under the law,

you can't punish parents
for the sins of the children.

You can only hold them liable

if they knew this crime
was going to happen

and they did
nothing to prevent it.

And there was
no evidence whatsoever

that my clients knew their son

was going to
attack Nathan Jackson.

None.

This is not a case about racism.

It is about a murder.

And the evidence is
uncontroverted.

My clients' only
connection to this crime

is that they were the
parents of the killer.

In Ms. Kelsey's world,

that's enough to hold
them liable, I guess.

But in this world...

under the laws of this country,

it isn't.

It just isn't.

[instrumental music]

What was I supposed to do?
The DA went for it.

- I'm supposed to say--
- Because you pushed for it!

Listen, Abe, this was
a difficult call ans--

Where the hell were you?

You're supposed to
be taking care of me.

- I thought Abby would.
- Thanks, Arnie.

I agree with Abe.
Jail time is what Joel needs.

Sorry I'm late.

And who the hell are you?

I'm Rosalind Shays, Mr. Lassen.

I'm the new senior partner here.

Douglas has explained
to me what's happened.

Good. Explain to me what
you're gonna do about it.

Well, under the
circumstance I think--

I don't want any circumstances.

I want her fired. Today.

- Now why would I do that?
- Why?

Because she ignored
my instructions, that's why.

Ms. Perkins was bound by an
attorney's code of ethics

and she behaved appropriately.

This firm stands behind her.

These two don't seem
to stand behind her.

As I said, I'm
the senior partner.

I'll have somebody
here to pick up my files.

You just lost yourself
a client, senior partner.

I appreciate that, Rosalind.

That was my client you just

encouraged out the door.

How dare you hang
an associate out like that!

Both of you!

Abby had no choice
but to do what she did.

And for you not to support
her here is reprehensible.

Abe Lassen is good for about
five hundred thousand a year!

There was no price tag on our
ethics when Leland was in charge

and there isn't now.

[door slams]

If you find the defendants
knew of their son, Keith Haas'

propensity to commit violence,
then you must consider

whether they had opportunity
to prevent this violence.

And if your answer
to this question is yes,

you then must consider
whether the defendants

failed to take reasonable steps

to prevent the
violence from occurring.

And if your answer
to that question is also yes,

you must then
find for the plaintiff,

and award damages
which you find to reasonably

compensate the plaintiffs

for the loss of their son.

I must caution you, however...

it is not enough

that the defendants
knew their son to be racist.

It is not enough
that they tolerated

or even contributed
to his racist beliefs.

There is no legal
obligation upon parents

to shape the opinions
of their children.

You are to focus only

on the propensity
for the violence

and the parents' opportunity
to prevent this violence.

This concludes my instructions.

This court is hereby adjourned
pending your deliberations.

And good luck.

How could you possibly
give a charge like that?

Anne, this is ex parte. You know
better than to come in here.

And you know better
than to practically

guarantee a defense verdict!

I didn't do that.

That's exactly what
you did. You said--

What I did, Anne, was to
focus them on the issue at hand

instead of the societal
problem you asked them to cure.

I cannot send a jury
back with the idea

that they have an obligation
to wipe out bigotry.

The issue was the
violence and the defendants'

connection to the violence.
And that's it.

The parents helped
cultivate the racism which--

If that's all they're guilty of,
then the defendants win here.

Your speech was sensational,

but it was way ahead of the law.

And you want to run
for office, I'll vote for you.

But in my courtroom,
I go by what's in the books.

Those instructions
weren't in the books, Grace.

Those instructions were tailor
made for a defense verdict.

This is ex parte communication.
It is inappropriate.

And my friendship for you aside,
I will hold you in contempt.

[sighs]

Be seated.

First of all, let
me thank all of you

for the entertaining
demonstration.

I decided to muzzle him, Judge.

I don't care. Be glad
I don't have him put to sleep.

Judge Green:
First of all, I find that

under these very
unusual circumstances,

the creature did
pose a safety risk.

Your Honor, how can
you be objective? It bit you.

Mr. Roitman, if you
make one more objection

or move for a
mistrial one more time,

I shall order you to
bathe with it.

[scattered laughing]

The exclusion, however,

was nevertheless illegal.

The event was an
invitation open to all frogs,

and Mr. Breecher did
in fact proffer a frog,

albeit a gigantic one.

There's no evidence
that the physical size

was drug induced,
and so the disqualification

was therefore capricious.

Find for the plaintiff
and order the defendant

to pay damages in the amount
of fifty thousand dollars.

That's all.

Ed: Now, you-- you have
doubles of Luis Aparicio.

- His rookie of the year card?
- Uh-huh.

Okay, I'll give you that,

you give me Johnny
Podres and Gil Hodges.

What's, uh, what's going on?

We're having a meeting.

Benny, I think
I should be involved.

Especially if it
affects the baseball--

No lawyers. I can fix it myself.

Benny, we're talking about
a considerable sale here.

- I don't think--
- Here's the check.

You can put it in escrow pending

the completion
of the transaction.

This is for the full amount.

Hey, you're dealing
with card collectors here.

We're an honest group.

Benny: You have all
the Dodger pitchers.

- Ed: I still need Ralph Branka.
- Oh.

You give him Ralph Branka

and you give him Pee Wee Reese.

Pee Wee Reese?

It's a good trade.

Jerry: Wait a minute. There's
a gum stain on this one.

Benny:
Well, give him Norm Sherry, too.

Ed: What?

You still have his rookie card.

That's better.

I don't know how
you can do it, Ben.

How can you give up your cards?

I'm getting married.

Uh...

Now, you need Joe Pignatano

and he needs Chuck Essegian.

Thanks a lot.

Listen, I just had to
come in and tell you,

you're the greatest, and I thank
you, and you won't regret it.

[laughs]
I know the old man's upset,

but everything's gonna
work out okay.

Don't you worry.
It's all gonna work out great.

Are you on cocaine
right now, Joel?

[laughs] No. I'm just up.

You're lying.

Listen, I'm gonna stop.

But I'm gonna stop my way.

There's only one way to stop

and you need help to do it.

No, I don't.

I'm young, and I'm smart,

and I'm too loose to break.

What I'm trying to say, Abby,

is that this boy
comes out on top.

[door closes]

I'll have those contracts ready
for you by the end of the week.

- That'll be great.
- Daniel.

Leland. [both laughs]

They got you working!

Well, we're under new
management here.

Rosalind tells me the
prospectus is done.

Oh. It's at the printers.

Great. It's great to
see you, old friend.

You too, Leland.

I never knew
he wore a hearing aide.

Well, he's getting a
little up there, you know?

Is that why he stepped down?

He's still a valuable
contributor, Daniel.

I know, but...

There's nothing for me
to be concerned about, is there?

Of course not. You're
in very good hands.

I'm in complete charge here now.

Good.

- Talk to you tomorrow.
- Good.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

- We have, Your Honor.
Van Owen: What say you?

Foreperson: In the matter
of Jackson versus Haas,

we find for the plaintiffs

and award the sum of one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars.

Van Owen: The jury is discharged
with the thanks of the court.

This matter is concluded.

Court is now adjourned.

[all murmuring]

You can take my house,
but that's all I got.

I don't want
your house, Mr. Haas.

I got what I wanted.

Is there anything I
can give you?

No.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I know you are.

[pensive music]

[theme music]