Original subtitles

[rustling]

Alright, we have a lot of ground to cover,

so why don't we get started?

Fire away, Arnie.

We're already in agreement on the children.

Mm-hmm.

The house goes to Sheila,

Douglas provides $2,500 a month in maintenance

and continues to pay the utilities.

Place in Santa Barbara gets sold and proceeds split.

Unless you want to hold onto it.

No, no.

Douglas establishes a trust fund

for the kid's education

to be administered by Sheila.

Sheila's interest in McKenzie Brackman to be bought out

for $200,000 payable upon execution.

- Sounds good so far, Sheila. - It's fine.

Sheila takes the Jaguar, Douglas takes the Mercedes...

and maintains the insurance on both.

[clinks]

The stamp collection, inherited

from Douglas's father and augmented

with community assets, will be retained by Douglas.

Only because it's a link to my father.

It's fine, really.

Arnie: Well, that's substantially it.

I prepared a schedule of everything

so you can verify the figures.

Great. [paper rustling]

Well, I must say, I never expected

such an amicable get together.

Stan: Arnie. Arnie: Stan--

There's one more thing.

Douglas: Your place in the Brackman family plot.

What about it?

I'm keeping it for you.

[chair creaks]

I want the ages to find us together.

That's a beautiful gesture.

Actually, Douglas, I just assume make my own arrangements.

Anyway, it's there if you want it.

Just a second, Arnie.

Sheila, we have a prime location

at Encino Knolls, overlooking the golf course.

Douglas: Our sons will join us when their time comes.

If you remarry, your future husband

can even be interred there.

I have an option in the entire hillside.

Sublet it, you'll make out great.

In any event, it's only a minor detail.

We can always work it out in the papers.

Just a minute, I want us laid to rest as a family.

- But we're not a family. Douglas: We have kids.

Married or not, you're their mother, I'm their father.

Can our only real permanent address

finally acknowledge that?

If I thought I was going to be buried with you

that alone would give me the will to go on living forever?

[clink]

[theme music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[theme music]

[instrumental music]

[paper rustling]

Victor, peace offering.

Lakers game, Thursday night, what do you say?

- Greatness. Thanks. - Alright.

male #1: No idea? - Mm-hmm.

What's the word on Abby, Michael?

- She's clear. - Good.

The DA is satisfied that she shot him

in self defense and that the gun was legal.

Any other referrals to send her way, Douglas?

Shall we get started? First of all,

since there seems to be some perverse pleasure

in ignoring my repeated request to cut back

on the flagrant waste of paper goods around here,

I've taken some unilateral action.

Beginning tomorrow, reusable cloth towel dispensers

will be installed in both lavatories.

Duly noted.

Ann, how goes the Amanda Shaw libel case?

Trial starts a week from today.

I have better than six full cartons

of depositions to go through by then.

Are you at all available, Victor?

I have a court appearance tomorrow, but

I can give you some time after that, Ann.

Israel et. al. versus Lawlor Millicron?

That's me, it's a Shareholder derivative suit and

Lawlor's house counsel brought us in to help beat it back.

And I'm gonna need some help chasing down

the bona fides of the plaintiffs.

I'm preparing the Castellano case for trial,

but sure, I'll squeeze it in.

I really appreciate it.

We need to get some new associates in here.

Douglas: No kidding.

Who do you think placed ads in the paper and spent

the last week and a half interviewing people?

- Anyone even close? Douglas: No.

A singularly unimpressive lot so far.

Well, we keep looking, that's all we can do.

You know, for what it's worth, the guy I'm up against

in the Tecowsky case would be great.

- Who is it? Kuzak: Richard Mathers.

A sole practitioner, he's really great on his feet.

I went up against him in the Salamander case, he is good.

What's his background?

University of Pennsylvania, '83.

Does a lot of commercial litigation.

I dated a girl who was in that class.

Why don't you check him out?

Brackman: How goes the case, Michael?

Well, I offered to throw in the policy

one last time and they turned it down.

We should have upped the offer.

No, I disagree.

Gil Tecowsky sold this guy a car.

This guy gets in an accident, where's the liability?

It was a souped up car.

The plaintiff was incompetent to drive it.

That doesn't mean our guy's on the hook.

He's the one that souped it up.

Well, there's nothing negligent about selling a guy

a GTO Tri-Power if that's what he wants to buy.

Personally, I fail to see the appeal.

Really? Not me.

I had a '64 Impala, lifted front and back.

Sifuentes: Candy paint and a set of gold Daytons

with 520 sportways all around.

Is my carrucha firma?

To think I traded that all in for

a briefcase and a Japanese sedan.

[all laugh]

Well, when I was a child,

I spake as a child.

Brackman: I understood as a child, I thought as a child.

But when I became a man,

I put away childish things.

For now, we see through a glass darkly.

But then face to face.

Ain't that the truth?

[siren wails]

[engines revving]

[knocks on door]

[clinks on door]

Lieutenant Ringstrom's here to see you.

[siren wails in distance]

- Ms. Perkins. Hi. - Hi.

How are you holding up?

Fine.

Glad to hear it.

Oh, uh [paper rustling],

I'm returning your gun.

[clinks]

Um, could you put it back, please?

Sure, I thought you might have wanted it back.

Not yet.

- Um, I can't. - I'm sorry.

I-- I should've contacted you before I brought it over.

God! Couldn't even look at it.

Abby, someone tried to kill you, you didn't let them.

So how come I keep crying for no reason?

How come all I can think about

is what those little bullets did?

His whole body jerked every time he was hit.

I must play it back in my head in slow motion

a 100 times a day.

Why don't you think about taking some time off?

'Cause I only have a handful of cases as it is,

and I can't afford to let any of them go.

[sighs]

Can't you put them on hold for a little while?

How can I put them on hold?

I have two trials starting this month.

I have-- I have a client who's fighting an eviction.

Abby: I said I'd write a habeas corpus writ for some guy

who's in prison, and I don't even have any idea

where my next month's rent is coming from.

Plus, I have to interview some biker in Fontana

who I need as a witness, but I've been putting that off,

mostly because I am scared to death.

Would it help if I went along?

- I can't ask you to do that. Bill: Why not?

I moonlight for attorneys all the time,

my fees are reasonable.

And if you need to, you can always run a tab.

[horn honks in distance]

The thing is, I have to do it tomorrow.

I'll pick you up.

[screen rattles]

[clinks on door]

- Here we are. See that? - Oh, boy, a door prize.

Whoever said that going to the gynecologist wasn't fun?

Okay, what do I do?

Your basal temperature chart shows

your regular monthly ovulation.

The kit uses a urine sample to pinpoint exactly when.

[rustling]

Dr. Karen: Given Stuart's sperm count,

the odds are against you.

But at least you'll be able to maximize your chances.

Doesn't sound very romantic, does it?

Wanting babies is what is romantic.

Steps you take don't have to be.

I'll try to remember that.

How are you two managing?

Oh, we've been better.

It's not an easy thing.

Stuart always thought it would just

be a matter of making up his mind.

He has a hard time accepting the fact that it's not.

What about you?

[rustling]

Oh, I don't know, Karen.

Right this way.

The thought of never really being pregnant,

feeling the baby, kicking, the whole thing...

that makes me pretty sad.

Anne, listen.

I know how much this means to you

and you're doing everything you can.

- Don't give up. - I won't.

Thanks.

You're saying then, that your husband was a terrible driver?

It was a standing joke among everyone who knew him.

We were just glad that he drove slowly.

After we bought the hot rod in question,

did you ever ride with him in it?

- Object to the term hot rod. - Sustained.

After he bought the modified

1964 Pontiac GTO in question...

did you ever ride with him in it?

Only once. I refused to after that, I was terrified.

It skidded all over the place, it-- it--

it lurched when he started it up.

It was obvious that he didn't know how to control it.

Asked that the witness' response be stricken in its entirety,

Your Honor, to the extent that she is testifying

as to the specific driving capabilities

of her husband or the behavior of an automobile

she is wholly unqualified.

She's testifying to what she saw.

While she was, in her own words, terrified.

I'll allow the answer. But I'd like you

to move on, Mr. Mathers.

[rustling]

Could you tell us what special care

your husband requires, Ms. Toland?

Objection, she's not qualified as a doctor, either.

Mathers: She doesn't have to be a doctor, she lives with him.

Overruled, gentlemen, please.

Ms. Toland: Barry has to have

someone with him at all times.

I work during the day now,

so we have a nurse five days a week.

He...

he needs physical therapy,

anti-seizure medication

and monthly examinations.

Look at him.

This bright, bright man.

Ms. Toland: College professor before he was thirty.

This terrific talker who doesn't talk anymore.

Knowing the way he used to be and seeing him now...

I'm only sorry that he knows the difference.

I have no further questions.

[Ms. Toland crying]

[sighs]

Would you like to take a few minutes?

No, I'm-- I'm... I'm fine.

Ms. Toland did your husband characterize

himself as a terrible driver?

No, [chuckles] what man does?

[chuckles] None that I know of.

In fact, didn't your husband, like most men

think of himself as a simply sensational driver?

Objection. The witness is in no position

to know what her husband thought.

Judge Reeves: Sustained.

Miss Toland...

did you ever tell your husband that you were

against him buying this GTO?

Yes, I did. Of course.

He said that it was the quintessential muscle car

and that he could handle it.

But he was just bragging, though?

No, it was more like he was trying to convince himself.

Do you suppose that he was just bragging

to Gil Tecowsky when he went to buy the car?

My husband had a natural curiosity

about a great many things.

He was the scholarly man, not this braggard

that you're making him out to be.

If I've offended you, I apologize.

Let me suggest...

that it was his very scholarliness,

which permitted him to assimilate

massive amounts of arcane detail...

which he would then spew forth in an attempt

to impress whomever he was talking to.

Objection. Counsel's making a speech.

Let me suggest...

that he set out to convince the defendant

not only that he was capable of driving that car,

but that he was also an old hand at it.

Your Honor, I've lodged an objection, I want a ruling.

What's the question, Mr. Kuzak?

Doesn't that sound like your husband, Ms. Toland?

Doesn't that sound like what

this terrific talker would do?

[sobbing]

I have no further questions at this time, Your Honor.

[Toland sobbing]

female 1: Yes sir.

Put a regular clothing on it.

[door slides]

Mike, hang on.

[phone rings]

- I checked out Richard Mathers. - Oh, yeah?

- What's the book on him? - There is none.

My friend went to the University of Pennsylvania.

Never heard of him. Marindale-Hubbell doesn't

list them. The California state Bar Association,

the American bar association

have absolutely no record of him.

How can that be? They got a record of every lawyer.

That's right.

What are you trying to tell me, that he's not a lawyer?

Never went to law school, never passed The Bar,

never got admitted in this state or any other.

[indistinct chatter in background]

Excuse me.

[elevator bell dings and door slides]

[phone rings]

Now you have my resume, Mr. Brackman?

- I do indeed. - I'll be expecting your call.

Excellent. Thanks for coming in.

By the way, I like the organizational dynamics

I see around here. I think I could play a role.

[indistinct chatter in background]

[phone rings]

[indistinct chatter in background]

You at all close to a decision, Douglas?

Nussbaum's been calling me, like, every half hour.

I never thought a grave would matter that much to me, Arnie.

Becker: Well, I've got to tell you, it's about

the stupidest argument I've ever heard.

Everything you're asking for is totally

unenforceable from your end and costs her nothing.

The fact that you two feel fit to make it a deal breaker

tells me you're still looking to stay attached.

Brackman: Did it ever occur to you that I might just

be a little terrified of the great beyond?

That I might just want to surround myself

with the people I've been closest to?

That there just might be some strength in numbers?

What numbers?

No matter who you're lying next to,

you go out of this life alone.

I don't want to go out alone.

No? It's as much a part of being human

as what you're doing right now.

[rustling] So is wanting a family.

Becker: Douglas. [water gurgling]

A cluster of tombstones is not a family.

You need to let her go, you need to get on with your own life.

- Am I right, Beno? - Uh, right, Arnie.

[footsteps]

[water gurgling]

[tap screeching]

You long for peace,

you long for stability...

but your emotions keep you

on a roller coaster ride through hell.

[Markowitz knocks on door] Ann?

Oh, Madame Curie.

[sighs]

[door closes] So tell me,

are we close to a breakthrough yet?

You just made me spill urine all over the Shaw complaint.

[rustling] Damn it.

Maybe you should put a little red light

or something outside your door.

Maybe I should just check into a sanitarium.

[sighs]

I have the Shaw trial starting this week.

I have the Voorhees appeal due the first of next month.

I'm about to get hit with sanctions if I don't provide

Jeff Liddle's firm with the discovery

they're after in Kaplowitz.

And what am I doing? This!

So tell me, has the magic dot appeared yet?

As a matter of fact, it has.

- Great. - [sighs] Good.

Okay, good, so figure on sex

twice within the next three days.

Good, [smacking lips] go.

You uh...

you want to be a little more precise about that?

Markowitz: I mean, I've got a pretty busy week myself.

I mean, what is exactly our window of opportunity?

[paper rustling] Alright, Stuart.

Starting within the next 40 hours and lasting for 30 hours.

Alright, so that means anytime between now and

03:00 a.m., Thursday, until 07:00 a.m., Friday.

Right. [paper rustling]

Markowitz: Alright.

Now I can plan my week.

- Would you excuse me, please? - Yeah.

[clinks on door]

[loud indistinct chatter]

[footsteps]

Tell me this, am I the first to find out about you?

Find out what?

You must have known that someday someone would check you out.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, I think you know exactly

what I'm talking about, counselor.

[loud indistinct chatter]

Come on.

[clinks on door]

Looks like I have a problem.

[clinks on door] We both got a problem.

If I go to the court right now with what I know about you,

there will be an automatic mistrial.

Kuzak: Since my client has spent

more than $50,000 in legal fees

and waited more than three and a half years to get this

little matter resolved, he doesn't want a mistrial.

Get to the punchline.

Recommend that your client accept the settlement offer.

Would you sell out your client to protect yourself?

I don't consider it a sellout.

It was a reasonable offer before we went to trial.

It's an even more reasonable offer now.

You think I got you beat, Mike.

[scoffs] If I thought you had me beat,

I'd go in there and have a mistrial declared right now.

You want to turn me in, turn me in.

But don't threaten to expose me as a way to jack up my client.

No settlement?

On the terms you're offering, no chance.

- Okay. [thud] Mathers: What are you gonna do?

[clinks on door]

[loud indistinct chatter]

male #2: Yeah, yeah.

[sighs]

[engines rumbling]

[upbeat music on radio]

[balls clink] Excuse me.

I'm looking for Randy Huggins.

[laughter in distance]

So?

Someone told me I could find him here.

Who told you that?

I'm a lawyer, I represent Val Necco.

[balls clink]

I don't talk to lawyers, it's against my religion.

Excuse me.

You a lawyer, too?

No, actually, I'm a lieutenant with

the Los Angeles Police Department.

[balls clink]

And just looking around I notice you've got a inebriated patron

asleep on your premises, you're smoking a cigarette behind

the bar, both violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Plus, I just bet the water you're washing

those glasses in isn't quite hot enough.

[music continues]

The guy with the long hair playing pool.

I appreciate it.

[balls clink]

[laughter]

[balls clink]

Randy Huggins?

Who's asking?

My name is Abigail Perkins.

And? [balls clink]

I'd like to talk to you about Val Necco.

Your testimony might be the only thing

that keeps him out of prison.

Val Necco.

I never heard of no Val Necco before.

[balls clink]

[music continues]

You his old lady or something?

No, I'm his attorney.

[balls clink]

She's an itty bitty thing, ain't she?

Just your type.

I bet if you take off your shirt,

Randy would tell you whatever you wanna know.

Hey.

Now, she just wants to ask a few questions.

Why don't you give her a break, huh?

What are you, a cop?

Why, you doing something illegal?

I'm playing pool.

Eight ball in the corner.

[balls clink]

Oh, come on now, fellas.

Are you going to make her get a subpoena?

Hey, you're in my way. [loud thud]

Come on, Bill, forget about it, let's just go, okay?

Yeah, take your girlfriend and get out of here.

Better yet, you split and leave the chick with us.

- Think you'd like that, baby? - Hey, you being rude.

Get your fingers out of my chest.

Why? [thud] Am I hurting you?

[loud clinks]

Not nearly as much as I'm going to hurt you.

[clinks on gun]

[music continues]

Drop it.

[clinks]

[gun cocks]

[gun cocks]

[cheerful music]

[tires rustling]

Mr. Tecowsky, would you please describe your business for us?

I have a shop in Redondo Beach where I restore and

modify American performance cars.

- GTOs, Chevelle, 'Cudas. - Mm-hmm.

And when Barry Toland came into your shop,

what exactly did he say?

He said he wanted to buy a Goat.

- Which you took to mean... - Pontiac GTO.

And did you ask him if he'd ever driven a car like that before?

- No, sir, I did not. - Why is that?

Heh. Because he-- he-- he talked like a, like an expert.

Like he had driven one all of his life.

Kuzak: Thank you. I have no further questions, Your Honor.

[footsteps]

Mr. Tecowsky...

how is the GTO that Mr. Toland purchased from you

different from one he could have bought at a Pontiac dealer?

[gasps]

You want me to be specific?

I want you to be very specific.

I uh, board out the engine, put in over sized pistons.

Mr. Tecowsky: Edelbrock manifold,

Headman headers, Holly Carbs, Iski cam--

Even more of a muscle car than the stock model.

- You could say that, yeah. - Quicker off the line.

More power, shorter response time.

Object to council's commentary.

Sustained, strike it.

That Iski cam was modified to what's

known as three quarter race, right?

That's right.

That made the car rev a lot faster than a stock GTO.

- Didn't it? - Yeah.

It also made it far more

apt to lurch forward, didn't it?

Calls for a conclusion.

He's qualified to make a conclusion.

Yeah, the witness can answer.

It would only lurch forward if he didn't know how to drive it.

Exactly. Thank you.

Now, that being the case,

didn't you think it prudent to take Mr. Toland

for a little ride around the block

to see if he did know how to drive it?

There was no reason to think that he didn't.

He came in knowing exactly what he wanted.

I don't think he wanted to be brain damaged

for the rest of his life.

- Objection. - Sustained and stricken.

I didn't send for this guy, I ain't no hustler.

Mr. Tecowsky: I do what I do for people

who like to drive fast cars.

- That's enough, Mr. Tecowsky. - I'm sorry, judge.

I don't get it, why is this my fault?

The man's a big shot professor.

I didn't even finish the eighth grade.

Why should I look out after him?

Because you knew what you were doing...

and he didn't.

Mathers: That's why.

[loud indistinct chatter]

[bell dings]

- Grace! - Hi.

Hi. I heard you signed the Necco case.

Yeah. Think we can plead it out? Go have lunch?

Well, my guy will still be facing a parole violation.

[scoffs] He's not expecting

accommodation from the mayor, is he?

What I really need is the continuance.

[loud indistinct chatter]

Well, it would put me in a bad spot.

I have two witnesses down here ready to testify.

All I'm looking for is a week.

You've had two continuances already, you ask for another one

the judge is going to pin your ears back.

Not if you don't oppose it.

He's not gonna care if I oppose it or not.

This is McGrath we're talking about, Abby.

Look, Grace, I'm a little shaky right now.

Can't you of all people understand that?

Yes.

So I think that you should let them reassign

a few of your cases and give yourself the time you need.

Thank you very much.

I'll take my chances with McGrath.

I think we'll find it at the cafeteria.

[loud indistinct chatter]

People versus Valentine Necco.

Your Honor, may I approach the bench?

Your Honor, the people aren't ready to proceed at this time.

McGrath: What? - My apologies to the court.

But I respectfully request a two week continuance.

Your predecessor assured me

that this one was ready to go.

I know, Your Honor.

McGrath: He told me there'd be no more delays.

My present calendar just got hopeless--

And he especially promised me

that I wouldn't have to hear

any excuses about how busy anybody was.

McGrath: Two week continuance

marked final against both sides.

Next case. [paper rustling]

People versus Lawrence Edward Kohn.

This one yours too, Ms. Van Owen?

Yes, it is, Your Honor.

You're going to ask me for another continuance?

No, Your Honor.

The people are ready to proceed.

Well, how nice.

[paper rustling]

[clinks on door]

Thank you.

- Who's next? - Dorothy Wyler?

[rustling]

[phone rings]

- Ms. Wyler. - Hello.

[beeps]

- You clerk for Judge Gladwin? - Yes.

You were an associate at Harborn Bullock.

Have a seat.

You did a lot of appellate work, I see.

[paper rustling]

I was never really a courtroom person,

but I know my way around a law library.

Where have you been since 1969?

Well, I stopped work when my youngest was born.

She just turned nineteen.

I find myself recently divorced, so here I am.

You've been gone quite a while.

My skills will be a little rusty, but I'll get them back.

I've taken a few courses with PLI and...

one thing I've never been accused of is being lazy.

Ms. Wyler, I admire your determination.

But I'm wondering if you've forgotten what it's like

to be a junior associate in a busy firm.

In other words, is a 52 year old woman prepared

to take orders from an associate half her age?

Well, yes.

Why on earth would you want to put yourself through all that.

Compared to my divorce?

Let me tell you, it's nothing.

The papers on mine were supposed to be filed this week.

Wyler: I'm sorry.

I must say, as miserable as we were together...

the emotional reality of divorce...

the sense of personal failure...

has devastated me.

[groans]

Wyler: I was devastated, too.

There are still mornings when I lie there thinking that

there isn't a solitary person in the world

who'd notice whether or not I got out of bed.

The mornings are the worst time for me, too.

You're drifting in and out of sleep...

reliving other mornings from years ago.

Brackman: The kids were little, and they'd climb into bed.

The whole family burrowing underneath the blankets.

All sleepy and warm.

Only now, when you open your eyes, the kids are gone.

Your wife is gone.

And there's no one there but you.

It isn't always easy to let go and get on with things.

You've done it.

Wyler: Only because I looked at my life for what it was

instead of what I'd hoped it would be.

Sometimes we want things to be a certain way so badly we...

lose sight of the way they really are.

Ultimately, I didn't let go of a marriage.

I let go of an illusion.

Anyway, I'm sure you're not that interested in my personal life.

Wyler: I have a feeling I'm not what you're looking for.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Brackman.

[clicks tongue] Ms. Wyler.

[indistinct chatter]

[phone rings]

I have to talk to my partners, but uh...

female #2: Uh-huh. male #3: I think it'll all...

Would you be able to start Monday?

[indistinct chatter in background]

[chuckles]

The defendant profits by providing driving enthusiasts

with cars designed for maximum thrills and minimum safety.

Now, I don't think I'm being unreasonable in asking

that he take a few basic precautions.

Mathers: So that these lethal instruments not be

lurching out of control on our streets.

When he sold that car to Barry Toland, he set in motion

an accident waiting to happen.

And for that, he was horrendously negligent...

to the plaintiffs and to each and every one of us who drive...

who walk or who guide our children across the street.

My client had a professorial love of popular culture.

He liked the sound of saying he had a '64 Goat.

Mathers: But he didn't have a clue what it would be

like to drive one. He never considered

that if he shifted wrong...

the rear end would seize up, the wheels would lock...

and he would be sent speeding into a concrete wall.

Now, I think Gil Tecowsky had an obligation.

To ascertain the degree of Barry Toland's expertise.

Mathers: All it would've taken was a ride around the block.

But if he had warned him, it might have cost him the sale.

Justice demands

that his negligence

cost him more...

much more.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all be protected from ourselves?

Steep ski slopes could be made gentle

so that the clumsy wouldn't fall.

Raging rivers could be dammed

so that the inexperienced wouldn't drown.

Spirited horses could be broken

so the neophyte wouldn't be thrown.

Our lives would all be made a little safer.

And a little duller.

Until one day we'd look up and wonder what had become of us.

Kuzak: If you find for the plaintiff in any degree...

if you impose on an honest tradesman like Gil Tecowsky

the obligation to be a surrogate parent

for every person who walks into his shop...

then you will wipe him out.

Richard Mathers might say that's a small price to pay.

After all, who wants these gas guzzling

speedsters racing down our streets anyway?

Well, I'm here to tell you that if we lose

the Gil Tecowskys of this world

we lose something of ourselves as well.

If we straitjacket the genius...

if we punish the audacity found in the back alleys

and industrial flats of this country...

if we judge a product solely on its safety

in the hands of the incompetent,

then we will find ourselves living

under the tyranny of the mediocre,

in a land where the lowest common denominator rules.

Kuzak: Now, we can feel bad for what happened to Barry Toland

without relieving him of the responsibility

for bringing it about.

But...

if we blame Gil Tecowsky...

we punish the dreamer for his dreams.

And we reduce every last one of us in the process.

[paper rustling]

[footsteps]

[paper rustling]

"On the charges of negligence,

fraud and breach of warranty

we find for the defendant."

[sighs and chuckles]

Judge Reeves: This time I'd like to thank the jury

for its time and patience.

Your Honor... [chair creaks]

I move that the court set aside

the verdict and declare a mistrial.

Judge Reeves: On what grounds?

The plaintiffs were not represented

by an attorney at law.

They were represented by you.

I'm not an attorney, Your Honor.

And even though these people didn't know anything about it,

counsel for the defense did, thereby placing me

at a severe disadvantage in terms of a negotiating posture.

Gentlemen, in my chambers.

Jury is to be held.

Mathers: Your Honor, the paramount issue here must be

the interest of the parties, not the misconduct of an attorney.

Or an individual serving in that capacity.

Excuse me, I'll get to you later.

Mr. Kuzak, are you at all familiar with

the canon of ethics as it pertains to an attorney's

obligation when he discovers the unauthorized practice of law?

Your Honor.

When he's made aware of the

ongoing commission of a crime.

Forgive me, Your Honor, but

I didn't think that my client should be victimized

by this man's fraud.

He didn't hesitate to try to victimize

my clients with his own opportunism, though.

Thank you, Mr. Mathers.

You weren't going to say anything unless you lost.

Is that right, Mr. Kuzak?

All I was doing was trying to mitigate the damage.

That isn't your role. When you found out, you had an obligation

to reveal what you knew, period!

With all due respect, Your Honor, Mr. Mathers may be

lacking in character, but his clients received

legal representation at least as good as that provided by most

of the licensed practitioners to be found in these courts.

That in no way vitiates the need for a mistrial.

There is a presumptive conclusion that a party

can receive adequate representation only

from an attorney licensed to practice.

Kuzak: The Toland's got a fair trial.

Justice isn't served by declaring it void.

Thank you for your commentary, gentlemen.

Judge Reeves: Mr. Kuzak, despite your rhetoric,

you were party to defrauding this court.

I'm declaring this a mistrial.

And I'm referring you to the disciplinary committee

of the Bar Association, you can tell them

how you were trying to serve the interests of justice.

[chair squeaks]

Mr. Mathers.

Judge Reeves: Is this the first case you've lost?

[sighs] No.

Then why the confession now?

Because these people were more innocent

and more ruined than any clients I ever had before, that's why.

Mathers: They had terrific lives.

Then, wham, the bottom fell out.

Placed their trust in me to try to obtain for them...

little [chuckles] financial security.

Seems like honoring that trust

is a little more important than covering my ass.

[clinks on phone]

Gene, will you come in here?

[clears throat]

You're smooth, mister.

Judge Reeves: But I suspect that whatever you'll call yourself,

whatever trade you'll appear to ply

first, last and forever,

you'll always be a con man.

Lock Mr. Mathers up.

[rattles on handcuff]

[pensive music]

[clinks on door]

[thud]

[loud indistinct chatter]

Hi.

Hi, sit down.

[loud indistinct chatter]

- Ah, you want a beer? - Sure.

[loud indistinct chatter]

[liquid burbling]

- There you go. [thud] - Thank you.

[bell dings]

[loud indistinct chatter]

- Here. - What's this?

Sworn statement from Randy Huggins.

I believe it gives your client just what he's looking for.

[paper rustling] How'd you get it?

I can be very persuasive.

He's not gonna die of internal injuries before the trial date?

Never laid a hand on him.

Must have ice water in your veins.

Don't you believe it. I've just learned a few tricks

to make it look that way.

[paper rustling]

[Abby sobbing]

Hey...

[loud indistinct chatter]

Come on now, take it easy. Here, here.

[gasps]

I'm sorry, it's...

[inhales sharply] it's just that a lot of people

have been doing me a lot of favors lately. [gasps]

And it makes me feel so helpless, like...

like I can't take care of myself.

[chuckles]

Which I guess I can't very well right now.

[loud indistinct chatter]

Listen to me.

Bill: I killed a guy who was holding a hostage,

put six shots in his head while he was holding a knife

to a woman's throat.

So I'm a big hero, right?

My pictures in the paper, the whole thing.

A month later, I'm on medical disability,

sitting home all day with the shades drawn,

drinking vodka and watching television.

Now, I'm not a hero.

I'm just a basket case.

Well, you managed to pull yourself together pretty well.

Little by little, you put it behind you.

How?

Bill: Don't try to pretend

it didn't happen.

I mean, don't try to tough it out.

When it gets rough, call me.

You're not alone.

Can you take this good care of everyone?

No. The truth is, I don't.

[loud indistinct chatter]

[chuckles in background]

But I've got a wicked crush on you, Abigail.

You might as well know it.

[sighs]

Oh, boy.

Hey, it's-- it's not going to be a problem.

I mean, if you want to keep it strictly business, that's fine.

No, that's not okay.

Abby: Because I'm attracted to you, too.

That said, you'll excuse me, I have to get home.

Wait-- wait a minute, shouldn't we talk about this?

There's nothing to talk about.

[rattling]

Bill, this is a mistake that is not gonna happen.

- Excuse me. - As attracted to you...

As I might be, I'm not looking for a hot weekend.

Neither am I.

Well, I don't have time in my

life for anything more.

I have a seven year old son to raise.

I have a struggling law practice to contend with.

- And I can't-- - Let me help.

No, it won't work.

I-- I'm the basket case right now.

I don't trust any of my impulses

and I don't want to have to pick up the pieces

while they turn out to be wrong.

Would you consider allowing

for the possibility that your impulses

just might be right?

[chuckles in background]

No. [paper rustling]

[indistinct chatter in background]

[footsteps]

[keys rattling]

Goodnight?

[keys rattling]

[crickets chirp]

[horn honks in distance]

[paper rustling]

[smacking lips]

[paper rustling]

[keys rattling]

[thud]

Hey, still not ready to go home?

I'm not even close.

[sighs] So what are we supposed to do?

Tonight's the night.

I can't help it, I have to prepare for trial.

[deep breaths] It's like I've been hearing

about that trial for a month now.

What do you want to do?

You want to forget about it or what?

[deep breaths]

Now's the time.

Let's do it now. [chair slides]

Markowitz: What, here? - Why not?

Because this is a law office, that's why not.

You know what, Stuart? I don't really care.

Do you think I've been hunched over my test pads

and medicine droppers trying to calculate the right time,

only to have you tell me you don't like the atmosphere?

Yeah, well, pardon me for being a prude, but I generally

like to confine this activity to the privacy of a bedroom.

Well, we don't have that luxury.

Let's go, [claps] take off your pants.

[sighs] Fine.

[rustling]

[zipper screeches]

[dog barks]

[crickets chirping]

[knocks on door]

[clinks on door]

Hi.

What do you want?

Just to talk to you for a minute.

Look...

I've got some things to be sorry about.

Not the least of which was that whole business about the grave.

I know it's important to you.

Forget I ever mentioned it.

Arnie will draw up the papers

and send him over to Nussbaum,

just like we said.

- You mean it? - Yeah.

It'll be good to get it done with, Douglas.

Are the kids home?

They're having dinner at the Nathanson's.

Ah!

[crickets chirping]

Do you want to come in?

I don't think so.

Boy... if this is what we wanted

how come we're both so glum?

We slept in the same bed together

for nearly our entire adult lives.

I know.

It's hard to imagine that it's all come to an end.

It hasn't, really.

No?

We have kids.

That'll give us something to fight about for years.

You're right.

It's not being dead together, but it's something.

I guess so.

Are you sure you don't wanna come in

and have a cup of coffee?

Thanks.

I should probably be going.

[crickets chirping]

Another time.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

[somber music]

[clinks on door]

[clinks on door]

[clinks on door]

You can't be telling me you're actually going to do

more work between now and tomorrow morning.

Hey, if I pick up the file now, I go directly to court

in the morning which means I have an extra half an hour

of sleep, which means I'm more rested,

which means I do a better job.

Aha! The sleep litigation efficiency theory.

- Better yet. - Right.

[clink]

[paper rustling]

[Markowitz sneezing]

[paper rustling]

[door creaks]

[gasps]

Oh, I-- I didn't know anyone was in here.

Yeah, well, there are two people in here.

So why don't you close the door, Jonathan?

Absolutely.

- You happy now? - What's that supposed to mean?

Well, don't forget, this was all your idea.

[chuckles] Alright!

You had nothing to do with it.

Vic, come here.

- What? - Just come here.

[giggling]

[paper rustling]

[knock on door]

Ann? Stuart?

Yes, Victor, it's Ann and Stuart.

And right now we're not receiving visitors.

[sighs] No problem.

[giggling]

[thud]

At least we could get dressed.

I can't get dressed, I have to leave my legs up.

How many times I have to tell you that? [clinks on door]

By the way, Stuart, you're in great shape on

the stock purchase, the plaintiffs inherited

their shares and the basis that they took shows

a valuation date after the alleged ultra vires act.

Get out of here, Jonathan.

What's the matter with that guy? [clinks on door]

You know, you guys never even asked us if we enjoyed the game.

Ah! [thud]

[Sifuentes and Jonathan chuckle]

Look ah...

I think maybe there's another way to go about this.

Tell me how.

Once we have the baby, does it really matter where we got it?

Adoption.

Yeah.

[deep breaths]

I think we ought to give it a shot.

It's not just because it's too much trouble

for our busy, busy lives, is it?

No, Ann.

It's because I love you too much to feel this desperate.

Markowitz: And it's because...

I don't ever think you're going to get pregnant with me.

[somber music]

Come here.

[rustling]

I love you, Stuart.

I love you so much.

[theme music]

[music continues]