Original subtitles

Gallagher Vs. Martin.

- How do we stand, Victor? - Lousy. We lost.

Appeal. And notify the client.

Sifuentes: That was the appeal, Douglas.

And he is no longer a client.

Brackman: Michael, Abrams Vs. Bertrand?

Jury was empaneled yesterday.

We start today.

Why haven't we settled this?

Because we haven't been offered anything

worth settling for, douglas.

This case is a loser at trial.

How do you prove sexual assault

when she willingly went back to his room?

Well, she wasn't willing to be raped.

Brackman: Isn't the boy a first-round draft pick?

I would think an instant millionaire should be willing

to come up with a few dollars

to keep this nastiness out of the papers.

Alright, Douglas. Let's move along.

Michael has the case in hand.

Ms. Kelsey, perhaps you could inform us

of this new matter on the list entitled "In re Kelsey?"

I've got my condo up for sale.

Leland said I could open up a file

for administrative convenience.

Fine, just be aware that these things

are never as simple as they appear,

[inhales ] and I don't want a lot of office time

piled up on this.

Oh, please!

Can we discuss item six on the list?

Keris Vs. Brackman?

That's a legitimate lawsuit and I did not initiate it.

No, but you enlisted Abby to defend you.

Which means that your little barking dog is costing this firm

the time of one associate

and one partner for at least one full trial day.

For your information, I happen to be a victim here.

I'm being sued by a senseless and vindictive neighbor,

who's attempting to get Sparky destroyed.

I've enlisted Ms. Perkins because, A. She knows the dog.

B. Sympathy happens to be our strong suit in this matter,

And she's best able to exploit it

and C. The last time Douglas represented himself

he got pasted by Andrew Taylor.

That's it. I will not sit here and tolerate this abuse.

Douglas.

That psychotic is after my dog.

And when I come into this office looking for a little support,

I don't need to be mocked and ridiculed by a group of people

completely insensitive to my feelings.

An innocent pet is being maligned and persecuted...

Excuse me.

[theme music]

[theme music continues]

[upbeat music]

Then when I called to complain about it

he was rude, he called me an animal hater, a bad neighbor.

He refused to even consider that his dog could be a nuisance.

- When you get up in there-- - Cross, Ms. Perkins.

Uh, Mr. Keris, since you're representing yourself

you have the right to object to questions you find improper.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Now, your complaint states that the dog

has been barking incessantly since last October.

He never stops. Yap, yap, yap.

At Thanksgiving dinner, why I could hardly hear Grace.

Are you aware, sir, that the dog

did not come to live at the Brackman residence

until early December?

Keris: He what? - December 5th, to be exact.

Well, it's been so non-stop

that I probably don't ever remember not hearing him.

Objection. Conclusory, argumentative, and self-serving.

Mr. Brackman, you're not the attorney of record here.

Could I take a moment to confer with my counsel, Your Honor?

Hurry up!

Ask him how he can hear it all day when he's at work.

Ask him why his wife never complains.

Ask him about the last time he sued me.

- Question him about-- - Douglas. I'll get to it.

You've gotta be more aggressive.

- I just started. - I understand.

Let's go, Ms. Perkins.

[clears throat] Mr. Keris.

Isn't it true that you sued my client

two years ago, also for nuisance

claiming that he failed to keep the lids fastened tightly

to his trash cans?

A good easterly breeze and the reek of his garbage

would waft right through my kitchen.

Objection. Prior bad acts are inadmissible.

Mr. Brackman, your lawyer asked him about it.

But his answer was non- responsive to her question,

which was merely designed to establish

that the witness is on a personal vendetta,

and he's been initiating frivolous and baseless

lawsuits against me.

Mr. Brackman, sit down.

Could I take a moment to confer with counsel, Your Honor?

No. Now, sit down and be quiet.

You wanna meet me for lunch later?

Not if my trial gets started.

It's a loser. Settle it.

We could take the whole day.

We could do something fun for a change.

God knows my office won't miss me.

Just say so and I'll tell 'em to get lost.

Mr. Kuzak, has the team or the league offered,

uh, any sort of settlement on Bertrand's behalf?

[scoffs] I have no comment on that.

Well, does that mean that it's going to trial?

I have no comment.

If I were you I really would try to drop this case.

You're starting to sound like a broken record.

I'm just trying to get you to look at this realistically.

Michael, if there really was a case,

my office would have prosecuted.

But this is civil. Not criminal.

We're not asking a jury to send this guy to jail.

I think we got one hell of a shot.

Don't bet on it.

What? Are you saying there was no assault here?

I'm saying that date rape is hard to prove in court.

- Michael. - I'll call you.

Good luck.

$50,000 conditioned on no disclosure to the press.

I'll take it to my client, but I have to advise against it.

Come on! You got no case.

Are you kidding? I like my case just fine.

Your guy signs an NBA contract.

My client, the victim, she has to drop out of school,

she's been in therapy, she's broke,

her family's been humiliated.

I know just what I've got, counselor.

75 grand. That's it. That's as high as I'm authorized.

You see, for my client, this case is not just about money.

Well, you bounce 75 grand off of her,

and we'll see what it's about.

- Well they're offering $75,000. - That's it?

They also want a stipulation barring you from any disclosure

of the terms of the settlement.

You mean they want to buy my silence.

- Pretty much. - Forget it.

If I take this offer the truth'll never come out.

Lori, this thing will get ugly.

They've got one of your ex-boyfriends

to testify against you.

They subpoenaed one of the therapists who treated you.

They're gonna do whatever they have to.

Michael, he raped me.

Nothing those lawyers do to me could be worse than that.

The dog does bark at strangers.

An excellent watch dog.

But other than that, he's a very quiet little fellow.

I see. [whispering]

Mr. Brackman, what are you doing?

Nothing, your honor.

Could you tell us what steps you took

to solve this problem with Mr. Keris?

I'm not sure I understand your question.

I think what you mean to ask is,

"What does the whole neighborhood think of him?"

They hate him.

He's been nothing but a source of disruption

and discontent for the whole block.

Now, that's not true. He's the one.

Sit down, Mr. Keris.

- But Your Honor-- - Sit down.

Continue.

Would you say then that there is a good deal of animosity

between the two of you?

I'm not sure I follow.

I think what you mean to ask is,

How does he behave when I attempt to work things out?

He verbally assaults me.

He's more interested in an argument than he is a solution.

Could you tell us what transpired--

I'm sure the court would like to know what he said

to my wife last week.

The court is getting very annoyed.

The court would like the lawyer to ask the questions,

not the witness.

And I think the court has heard from both sides by now.

Mr. Keris, do you have anything further?

Oh, no, Your Honor.

But I would like to add, for the record,

That Mr. Brackman is a liar.

Objection.

Now, let me say this to the both of you.

The courtroom is not a place to play out neighborhood squabbles.

Barking dogs are a fact of life, Mr. Keris,

and I don't find these circumstances

to be so aggravated as to constitute a deprivation

of your quiet enjoyment of your property.

Accordingly, I find the facts to be insufficient

to support your nuisance claim,

And I'm entering judgment for the defendant.

Judges and lawyers. You're all together.

That's enough, sir.

And Mr. Brackman...

Though this thing has not risen to the level of nuisance yet,

I remind you that it still could.

And there is nothing to stop Mr. Keris

from instituting an action at that time.

I suggest you try keeping the dog quiet.

- Yes, Your Honor. - This court's adjourned.

Very good, Ms. Perkins.

I never had a moment's doubt.

Thank you.

You think you're gonna get away with this, Brackman?

Well, I'll get justice in my own way.

You wait. Just you wait.

Lori, I want you to tell us everything that happened

between you and the defendant before leaving the party.

We were just talking. Um...

There wasn't even any dancing going on at this party.

It was just a lot of drinking and celebrating.

Do you remember what it was you were talking about?

Lots of things. Um...

In fact, I remember being really impressed

that he wasn't totally consumed with the game.

- The basketball game. - Yeah.

They had just won the championship

and everybody was intent on rehashing this thing

play by play and, uh, here he was

this, um, big star, and, uh...

We talked about a lot of things.

I met him a few times before, but this was the first time

I'd really gotten a chance to know him.

And, uh, he seemed...

Really personable and, uh, unassuming.

You were attracted to him.

Thought he was great.

Kuzak: So, what time did the two of you leave the party?

It was about midnight.

Um, it was getting really noisy and rowdy

so we couldn't even hear each other talk,

And his dorm was right across the way,

And we thought we'd go over there.

- Just the two of you? - I know how it looks.

But we just wanted to go someplace quiet

where we could talk.

Kuzak: And what happened when you got there?

Lori: We sat on the couch in the living room,

and we talked some more, and we had some wine,

And we kissed.

Kuzak: Voluntarily? Lori: Yes.

And what happened next?

Lori: Well, we kissed for about a minute.

I don't think it was any longer than that.

And then suddenly he started to climb on top of me.

[inhales sharply] And I said, "What are you doing?"

And then he turned me and pushed me to the cushions on the couch.

And I yelled at him to stop.

And then I felt his knees digging into my thighs

I tried to get free,

And the next thing I knew,

He was reaching up under my skirt,

and rips down my panties from the back.

And then he started to force my legs apart with his knees.

And before I could even register what was going on,

he was ramming himself into me.

And I couldn't, I couldn't get him to...

Now, you said that you were trying to get free

during this time.

Yeah. He had my arms pinned down with his elbows.

And his legs were on top of my legs.

And...

He was too strong. I couldn't fight him.

And I took a deep breath,

and I screamed as loud and hard as I could.

And I must've surprised him because he jumped off of me.

And I left.

How long, approximately, did this attack take?

I can't remember, it happened so fast.

But it was like in slow motion.

It was like it wasn't happening to me.

It was like it was somebody else.

But it was me.

He was inside of me and he, and he wouldn't stop.

Mr. Kuzak.

Since it's now 4 o'clock,

and it seems like an appropriate time for a recess,

I'm inclined to adjourn till tomorrow morning.

That would be fine, Your Honor.

It's okay.

[dog whimpers]

Take it easy, Sparky. It's only me, okay?

I'm going to work now. And, uh, be a good boy.

Okay? Be a good boy.

I just get the sense that George wants a lot from me right now,

and I don't really know if I'm in the position

to give it to him.

In other words, he's asked you to go to bed with him.

The subject has come up.

And I just don't know.

I mean, we both come with so much baggage,

and it's- it's all so complicated I...

sometimes I just think let's forget the whole thing.

I mean, what's so terrible about celibacy anyway?

On the other hand, what's so great?

I'm serious, Ann.

Having sex with someone is a big deal to me.

And I am, I am just not comfortable

with one night stands.

You've been out with him at least a dozen times.

And maybe I shouldn't be tying myself down right away.

I mean, right after a divorce?

Just jumping into another commitment?

Is that what George wants?

That's what he says. But who knows, maybe he's just talking.

I mean, what if I go to bed with him,

and he never calls me again?

He doesn't sound to me like that kind of guy.

Abby: Besides, I'd like to live long enough

to dance at my son's wedding.

What?

Aids. You have heard of it.

Before you go to bed with him you're certainly entitled

to ask about his sexual history.

Or you could buy him some condoms.

Well, that's very romantic.

Besides, where are we supposed to do it anyway?

We each have a young child at home.

And there is no way that I am going to some tacky motel.

Look Abby, if you don't want to go to bed with him,

don't go to bed with him. You don't have to explain it to me.

I know. But I'm so attracted to him.

So go to bed with him.

Would you like the keys to my place?

I'm never there. It's just sitting empty.

So that if you do decide to make love with George,

you wouldn't have to worry about logistics.

I've been looking all over for you.

- In my office right away. - What's wrong?

That lunatic has just slashed my tires.

We're gonna sue him blind.

I want one count for property damage,

one count for trespassing,

I want negligent infliction of emotional distress,

and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

- Municipal court? - No, superior court.

Jury trial.

He's gonna have to hire a lawyer this time,

and it's gonna cost him big.

Let's hit him with interrogatories,

and a request for admissions.

Then we'll depose the filthy roach.

Ask for damages in the amount of $500,000.

Half a million for four steel-belted radials?

We're talking emotional distress and punitive damages.

When I get through with him,

he's gonna have to sell his house.

I want a draft copy of the complaint

on my desk by 5 o' clock.

I want to be ready to file it tomorrow.

This sounds kind of big.

Are you sure you don't want Michael to handle it?

Don't be silly. You're my lawyer.

You beat him once. You can whip 'em again.

Ann? Ann? Hey.

What happened with the open house?

- Nothing much. - No offers?

Some airline pilot and his wife.

Airline pilot. That's great.

Not really. It's a lot less than I'm asking.

- Thanks. - How much less?

$20,000.

I tell ya, Ann. It's not so far out of line.

Well, that's the only one who put 10% down

and they wanted me to carry a second.

I told the realtor I didn't think it was gonna work out.

Wait a minute. You didn't come back with a counter offer?

What for? We're miles apart.

Ann, it's a negotiation.

They come up a little, you go down a little.

Forget it, I don't have the time or energy

to hassle over this thing like some rug merchant.

- You want me to get into it? - No. It's alright.

No problem. I'll call your broker. I'll set up a meeting.

Hey. All they can do is say no.

So, I'll expect you Thursday at 11:00.

May I validate your parking ticket, Mrs. Havens?

Thank you much.

- Hi. - Hi.

- Ahem! - Oh. Thank you much.

Ciao, Arnie.

- Bye. - Meow.

Beautiful. Cosmopolitan.

Going through a rough divorce.

Doubting her own attractiveness.

I can tell.

Some guy could be the beneficiary

of all that smoldering passion, but, uh...

[exhales deeply] Sifuentes: Pass.

After my last two disasters I've taken a vow of celibacy.

Nah.

Great. Who sent flowers?

- They're for me. - Oh!

From Leon.

Not much of an arrangement.

Why do you keep putting him down?

Rox, I'm not putting him down. I think Leon's perfectly nice guy.

I just don't think he's good enough for you.

Leon happens to be a wonderful person.

He's kind, understanding...

Cheap. Take a look at this.

He couldn't even spring the extra $20 for roses.

I think they're beautiful.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put them in water.

Ms. Abrams, you testified yesterday

that while at this party you became attracted to my client.

- Yes. Pittman: Physically attracted.

Part of the attraction was physical, yes.

And it's likely that Mr. Bertrand sensed this, isn't it?

I guess so.

Is it conceivable that my client thought

you wanted to go to bed with him?

- No. - Really?

A young woman who is physically attracted to him

leaves the party and goes back to his room

with him after midnight?

Both people are a little tipsy from alcohol.

Is it your testimony before this jury

that it's inconceivable for a young man

under these circumstances to think that the woman

might be interested in having sex?

It's conceivable that he could have thought that

at first, maybe.

But when he started to climb on top of me

he knew damn well I didn't want it.

- Because you resisted him. - Yes. I did.

And have you ever had sex with a man

after initially resisting him?

What? No.

Mr. Nessen. Would you please rise?

Have you ever had sex with this man, Ms. Abrams?

I renew my objection to Your Honor's previous ruling

on this entire line of questioning.

And I object to her method here.

It goes to state of mind and credibility, Your Honor.

And as for my method, I can do it this way,

or I can call Mr. Nessen to the stand

and then recall Ms. Abrams when I conclude with him.

I'm going to allow it.

Pittman: You may sit down, Mr. Nessen.

Ms. Abrams, will you tell the court

whether or not you engaged in sex

with Mr. Nessen prior to the evening in question?

We had been going out for four months.

Yes I had sex with him.

And on the first occasion that you engaged

in intercourse with him,

you resisted him at first, didn't you?

Answer the question, Ms. Abrams.

Yes.

In fact, you told him, "No," didn't you?

You even pushed him away at first, right?

I didn't think it was a good idea at first.

And then you engaged in intercourse.

- Was that rape, Ms. Abrams? - No!

It- it- it's not the same.

So, you're telling the court that in some instances

when you push away and say no it's rape,

and in other situations it's not.

With Mark it was a matter of judgment.

I wanted to have sex with him.

I- I- I didn't wanna rush into it.

So even though you said no, you wanted it.

- Objection. Judge Pehlman: Overruled.

I was reluctant with Mark, but I did consent.

With him, it was rape. I said no.

And he raped me.

How do we know when to believe a little girl who cries "no?"

- Objection. - Sustained.

Ms. Abrams, you told your therapist that you thought

this whole event was partially your fault, didn't you?

Objection, communications between the witness

and her doctor are privileged.

Well, she's seeking to recover mental pain

and suffering, Your Honor,

thereby putting her mental condition at issue.

Any statements she made to her doctor

in regard to that condition are therefore not privileged.

I'm going to overrule the objection.

Tell us, ms. Abrams.

Did you not in fact tell your therapist

that you blamed yourself for much of what happened?

[inhales deeply] At first I blamed myself a little,

but then as I thought about it--

- No further questions. - I realized it wasn't my fault.

And I shouldn't be blamed.

There are no questions before you, Ms. Abrams. That's all.

Re-direct, Mr. Kuzak?

Lori. Do you still blame yourself?

No. He did it to me.

I didn't do anything wrong.

The only thing that I was guilty of is trusting him.

Thank you.

[upbeat music]

Look. I love the place. I really do.

But I just can't swing $225,000.

And even if I could, I'd never get the financing.

Well, that's it, I guess.

Gosh. I feel terrible.

For you too, I mean.

All that work and no commission, huh?

Well. It's a real shame.

You know? [chuckles]

There is a way we could salvage this.

- How? - How?

Well, you know. You... never mind.

No, what?

We could cut the purchase price to $215,000

and you take a 3% commission instead of 6%.

- What? - Sounds drastic, I know.

But not when you consider that 3% of $215,000

is a hell of a lot better than 6% of nothing.

- But-- Markowitz: Yeah, I know.

$215,000's still a little high for you.

But we could give you 100% financing,

completely relieving you of the burden of a down payment.

What?

You take a note for, say,

12% interest payable only,

with a balloon payment for the principal,

the $215,000, at the end of five years. Sweeten it, no?

Stuart.

You mean no down payment at all?

Yeah, it works out very nicely. Solves your cash flow problems.

Gorgeous condominium.

- Well, Ned? - Sounds good to me.

Stuart, can I talk to you for a minute?

Yeah. Excuse me.

Yeah. What's up?

I don't wanna wait five years for my money.

Ann, Ann, look, if you get your money right now,

you're gonna plop it down on a savings account

and get a 6% return on it, right?

I'm getting you 12%, plus you get to defer

your capital gains taxes for five years.

Ann, it's a steal. Believe me.

No. It's too convoluted.

Are you nuts?

Look. This way, you're getting more than your asking price

because of the commission cut and the investment deal

of a lifetime.

- I can't. - Ann.

Uh, I'm sorry. I just can't accept those terms.

Thank you for your interest and I apologize

for the inconvenience.

Um...

uh, give- give- give us until the morning.

And, uh, I'll talk to her.

It's Mrs. Brackman.

I'll have to call her back.

She says it's a crisis.

What? Sheila. Stop shrieking.

Take a moment.

- What? Sheila: Sparky is dead.

What do you mean, he's dead?

Are you sure he's not just sleeping?

Oh my god. I'll call ya right back.

Hilda. Get me the police.

For god's sakes. Sparky.

So, you thought that she wanted this to happen?

Well, yeah. I mean, I thought she was expecting to have sex,

and that I'd be kind of a wimp if I didn't...

like, take charge.

But her resisting didn't suggest to you

that she was less than willing?

Well, a lot of women resist.

Not that I've been with that many,

but some think it's more sexy

if they're sort of overpowered.

- Why is that? - I don't know. I...

I think some women are turned on by the macho thing.

Pittman: And do you think that Ms. Abrams was turned on

by it that night?

Bertrand: Yes, I really thought she was until she screamed.

Pittman: What happened when she screamed?

Bertrand: Well, it was sort of like a blood curdling yell.

I could tell something was wrong so I got off of her,

and that's when she got up and ran out of the room.

Nothing further.

Is it your testimony, sir, that women are turned on

by having their panties ripped off

and their legs forced apart?

Hey, look. I'm not a rapist, alright?

She wanted to have sex with me.

What about these bruises? Did she want these too?

Pittman: Objection. - Overruled.

Take a look at these, people.

Now, here is a girl having fun.

- Objection. - Sustained.

She was yelling at you to stop.

She was struggling to get away.

Now, tell me, Mr. Bertrand,

what exactly does a woman have to do

in order for you to get the message?

I don't know. Maybe she shouldn't have come to my room.

And why is that?

Do you only rape at home?

- Objection. Pehlman: Sustained.

No further questions.

[upbeat music]

Yo. Mr. Brackman. Over here.

How ya doin', sir? It's good to see you.

I must've driven by this place five or six times.

You said dark and outta the way.

- Listen. - Everything alright, Mr. B?

If you don't mind my saying so,

you sounded terrible on the phone.

I'm in a nightmare, Vinnie.

Please, I need your assurances

that we never had this meeting.

Oh, let me say this.

I've been a P.I. 15 years now.

Client swears me to secrecy, goes with me to my grave.

You want some lunch? They make a nice brisket here.

I'm too upset to eat.

My dog's been killed.

What?

My neighbor poisoned him.

We haven't had an autopsy,

but the vet thinks it was strychnine.

That's terrible.

Sparky. My wife found him in the back corner of the yard.

He must've crawled over there to die.

Did you call the police?

They say they can't do anything.

I'm a dog lover myself.

I know what you must be going through.

Some screwball did this to my Little Queenie,

I mean, I wanna go nuts here.

You know, I think I wanna kill somebody.

- Exactly. What about that? - What about what?

- Justice. - Justice?

Surely you must know some people out there?

People in the underworld who could give me justice.

- Justice? How? - As in hit man.

- Hit man? - Shh!

Look, look, look. Time out, here, Mr. B.

I mean, this is extreme.

If you're talkin' about murder

you're gonna have to let me out right here.

Alright. Just break his knees.

Look Mr. B, if you're serious,

and I only pray that you're just very overwrought

and emotional here, I mean, what you're thinkin' about doin',

it- it- it's just plain wrong.

I can't just let Sparky's death go un-avenged.

Could I give you a piece of advice here?

Now look, whatever your differences are with this guy,

and I'm not trying to make light of it,

I mean, how do you even know he did this terrible thing?

Go see 'em. Talk to 'em.

- Confront him directly. - It's the only way.

You're a very wise man, Vinnie.

Thank you for the good advice.

Anytime, sir. It's all part of the service.

Now, this isn't about sex, ladies and gentlemen.

Sex is something that's shared.

What we're talking about here is one person

physically overpowering another.

What we're talking about is a man

sexually assaulting a woman.

What we're talking about is a rape.

That's not mitigated by the fact that they knew each other.

Or by the fact that she liked him.

Or even by the fact that she kissed him.

Now, I don't care how benign the setting was.

The fact remains that he physically forced

himself onto her and he raped her.

I know this is not your standard "Guy jumps out of dark alley

with ski mask and a knife" scenario.

This is worse.

Worse because after what he did to her,

she's not only afraid of strangers,

she's afraid of friends.

She was raped by someone she knew.

Someone she had made a judgment about.

And she was betrayed by that judgment.

She no longer can trust friendship.

She no longer can trust her own instincts.

And she no longer has faith in her ability

to tell the good guys from the bad.

Because of what he did to her,

every time she meets a man, she asks herself,

"Could this guy be a rapist?"

Believe me, folks, that's one hell of a scar

to walk around with.

The damage done to my client by this man is irreparable.

Absolutely irreparable.

And for the sake of this scared, young woman,

I ask you to make him pay for it.

It's a strange phenomenon sometimes when boy meets girl.

Everything is so unstated.

There are no pronouncements of affection

or declaration of attraction. Just the opposite.

We send signals. Little smile. Maybe a squeeze of the hand.

Sometimes signals get mixed.

And the problem with playing this little guessing game

is that people guess wrong.

According to the plaintiff, my client did just that.

But the thing you people have to consider here

is not whether his guess was right or wrong,

but whether it was reasonable under the circumstances.

They meet at a party. Both have been drinking.

She's attracted to him. He to her.

And they leave after midnight

to go back to his room together.

They sit on the sofa. They embrace. They kiss.

And then it goes further than she now says

she wanted it to go.

And she now claims that he must've known

that she wanted him to stop.

Because she said no?

Well, unfortunately, one of the little signals

that young women are schooled to flash

is a sign of resistance.

It's simply not proper to give sex freely.

Now, we can all say, "Hey this is the 80s,"

but every woman in this courtroom knows

that it is more respectable,

more feminine, and sometimes more alluring

to manifest a sign of resistance.

At least initially.

You know something else?

The men know it too.

The simple fact is that sometimes we say no,

when we really mean yes.

And sometimes we say no when we really mean no.

And sometimes men can't tell which is which.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

the plaintiff is asking you to punish my client

for not being a better mind reader.

But before you do,

I want to remind you of a few indisputable facts.

She admitted that it was conceivable for my client

to think that she wanted to have sex with him.

She admitted that she had said, "No" in the past

when she really didn't mean no,

and she admitted that as soon as she cried out

he retreated, and she admitted that she blamed herself...

for much of what happened.

Two kids and a lot of suffering already.

There's no rape here.

Did things get out of hand? Sure.

But rape?

You know better.

[upbeat music]

May I help you? Sir. Wait a minute.

Stand up, you murderer.

What?

Aah!

Get back. If you want a piece of me,

you know where to find me.

Somebody call the police.

Mr- Mr. Keris, are you alright?

Clerk: All rise.

Be seated.

Judge Pehlman: Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

Clerk: "In the matter of Abrams vs. Bertrand,

we the jury find in favor of the plaintiff,

Lori Abrams.

We further find that the defendant, Richard Bertrand,

be held liable to pay damages to the plaintiff

in the amount of $1.

What?

That's great.

The jury is dismissed.

The court is adjourned.

Mr. Kuzak, what does the verdict mean?

The jury reaffirmed our belief

that Mr. Bertrand sexually assaulted my client.

Ms. Abrams, are you disappointed in the monetary amount?

No, it- it's great.

Uh, after legal fees, I guess, uh, 60 cents?

- Um, do you have any change? - Come on. This way.

No comment. We have no comment.

This stinks. I want a new trial.

Well, I don't know that we have grounds for a new trial.

And even if we did, I'm not sure it would do any good.

How can you say that? The man raped me.

Lori, look. You knew this was gonna be a tough case going in.

You were drinking, you did go to his room,

and at least initially you consented to what was going on.

- So I deserve what I got? - I didn't say that.

But I think the jury was saying with its verdict

that even though you were assaulted you have to take

some measure of responsibility for what happened.

And the next jury will probably say the same thing.

Or even worse, we could flat out lose.

You never really believed in me did you, Mr. Kuzak?

I mean, you took my case because you thought you could win.

And because you didn't, it isn't worth any more of your time.

I'm suggesting that it isn't worth any more of your time.

Let it go, Lori.

You had your day in court.

You established that he raped you.

Now, for your own good, just drop it.

Get on with your life.

I'll tell you something, Mr. Kuzak.

The only thing that I'm thinking of dropping is you.

[Kuzak sighs]

You got a minute?

I think we better discuss the situation.

What's to discuss?

Well, you left those people hanging.

Are you gonna take their offer or not?

No.

I shouldn't have to explain this to you, Ann.

Then don't.

Ann. Look, these people negotiated in good faith.

If you pass on it, that's it. You lose the sale.

I'm aware of that, Stuart.

And are you aware of the fact

that you opened yourself up to a lawsuit?

Your broker could sue you for this.

- Will you stop brow-beating me? - I'm not brow-beating you.

- I'm explaining... - Yes you are.

You're selling my home out from under me.

My- my things. My privacy. My space.

I didn't put your house in the market, Ann. You did.

Well, whose idea was it?

Hey, go kill yourself. Will ya?

Don't you dare talk to me like that, Stuart.

Not you, Ann. Them.

[sighs]

Look. I've got a lot of work to do, Stuart. Okay?

Ann. If you have a problem with me, then deal with me.

If you have a problem with our living together

then somehow we'll deal with that.

But you're giving me mixed signals.

It's not fair to me, Ann. It's not fair to you.

It's not fair to these people.

Stuart, I'm really busy. I'm- I'm running late.

Can we please talk about this later.

I have to call your broker. What am I supposed to tell her?

Tell her anything you want. The deal is off.

So, I just have to go and clean up your little mess.

Is that it? You are some piece of work, lady.

And you are a manipulative, controlling piece of...

Ann.

The world according to Garpowitz.

Hey. Do you mind?

- Close the shutters. - The shutters don't close.

Let me do it.

I can't get any work done in this place.

- Where are you going? - Home.

Well, I got work late. I'll be home later.

Not your home. My home.

Michael, there's a woman here

to see you about the Lori Abrams trial.

She says it's real important.

Well, tell her to come in.

You can come in now.

Mr. Kuzak?

- Fran Winston. - Hi.

- Hi. - What can I do for ya?

It's about the Abrams case and the man that raped her.

He raped me too.

What?

About a year ago. It was the same kinda thing.

We were on a date, and on the way home he pulled over

to the side of this mountain road.

He pulled right to the ledge so that there was

no way out on my side. It was a sheer drop.

And then he raped me.

- Well, did you tell the police? - No.

And I'm not going to either. Or anybody else for that matter.

- B- but he raped you. - It doesn't do any good.

The police won't prosecute, and you can see what happens

when you try to sue.

But why didn't you come forward before now?

I could've put you on the stand. We could've nailed him.

I don't wanna tell anybody about this.

I'm married now.

I won't let it destroy my life

anymore than it already has.

Then why are you here today?

I want you to tell your client.

I just want her to know that she's not crazy.

That man is a rapist.

Mrs. Winston.

And just so you know, that's not my real name.

- Got a minute? - Sure.

I just found out that the guy who raped Lori Abrams

raped somebody else before.

Well, that information would, in all probability,

be inadmissible.

Nevertheless, I think I was casting the same presumption

as everyone else.

That somehow she brought this on herself.

That she deserved it, when the fact is she was

every bit as wronged as she says she was.

Do you think your feelings in this case

compromised your performance?

Yes, damn it.

When I lost, a part of me turned on her.

It was easier for me to blame her than it was to blame myself.

Excuse me. Mike. Doug Brackman's on three.

He says it's an emergency.

Douglas?

Where are you?

No, no. I'll be right down.

Douglas has been arrested.

[instrumental music]

[gasps] Who's that? Who's that?

Oh my god. I- I- I'm so sorry.

[laughing]

Thank god you're here.

You've gotta get me out. I'm going crazy.

- Okay, Douglas. Take it easy. - You take it easy.

They deliberately put me in a cell with homosexuals.

- What? - Homosexual rapists.

They've all been eyeing me.

I've only been safe so far by keeping my back to the wall.

Douglas. What is going on with you?

This business has gotten way out of hand.

Out of hand?

He killed Sparky and they throw me in jail?

He's got a concussion. You could've killed him.

You could get jail time for this.

He killed my Sparky.

[sighs] Okay, Douglas.

You loved your dog, hmm?

But come on.

That dog was the only creature on this earth

who loved me for me.

And this bastard took him away from me.

Forever.

When he killed Sparky, a part of me died.

You can't just let him get away with it.

Alright. Alright.

But there's nothing we can do about it tonight,

so, first thing's first, huh? Let's get you bailed out.

Okay.

You alright?

[instrumental music]

[sighs] Busy?

Yeah. As a matter of fact I am.

Too busy for an apology? [sighs]

I'm sorry for all the chaos, Stuart.

I... I was worried that I would lose

all my autonomy and I panicked.

Ann, all I ever wanted was for you to do

whatever makes ya happy. Alright?

I'm trying to.

- So what do you want? - Did you call the realtor?

Yeah. Yeah. I told her the deal was off.

Oh.

Well, you said that's what you wanted, right?

[chuckles]

I'll call her in the morning and we'll make it work, okay?

Thanks.

Hey.

Home?

Home.

I love you, Garpowitz.

I love you too.

[romantic music]

[theme music]

[music fades]