Original subtitles

[intercom buzzes]

Secretary: Mr. McKenzie, Ms. Kepler's here.

[door opens]

- Hi. - Come in.

Come in.

Have a seat.

[chuckles]

What?

You're always so awkward with me in your office,

like you think I'm going to take off

all my clothes or something.

Jennifer...

Well, there's no easy way to say this except to...

just say it.

We have to stop seeing each other.

Why?

Because, simply,

I'm not happy.

This is all about the anxiety attack

the other night, isn't it?

That triggered it, yes.

I had a frighteningly clear vision of myself

ten, fifteen years from now when my ailments

might not be quite so psychosomatic.

And if the 35 years between us seems troublesome now,

believe me, ten years from now, you'll hate me for it.

Leland--

From the very beginning, I told you

how awkward this relationship was for me.

You didn't warn me about anything.

All you did was hide behind our age difference.

You never really gave us a chance.

I'm sorry I can't give you the commitment you want, Jennifer.

At my age...

at my age, I've earned the right to be who I am.

Anything else would be dishonest.

You are old, Leland.

I thought I could prove to you you weren't.

Instead, you've proven to me that you are.

[door opens]

[door closes]

[theme music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[upbeat music]

Moving on. Hayes v. Skylight Entertainment, Inc. Arnold?

Yes, Melanie Hayes, be still my heart,

has retained us to pry her out of her TV series.

Why? It made her a star.

For the last two years she's asked them

to write her out so she could pursue a film career.

Becker: Her producers promised they would. They never did.

Now she's up for a co-starring role opposite Gene Hackman

and they won't let her out to do it.

Is she single?

Becker: To my knowledge, yes.

- Can you fix me up? - Take a number.

Alright.

Dolgen vs. The Sports Fitness Clinic. Leland?

John Dolgen was a somewhat overweight corporate attorney

who wanted to get in shape.

He went to the Sports Fitness Clinic

because they advertised individually designed programs

by trained fitness experts.

Midway through his first workout,

he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

McKenzie: And, for all intents and purposes,

he was vegetablized.

This is potentially a multi million dollar case.

That'll buy a lot of Bearnaise sauce.

Indeed. Victor, you'll be handling it.

- I'll get you the file. Kuzak: excuse me?

Why is Victor being given this case?

It simply makes sense,

given Victor's experience with personal injury cases.

What are you talking about?

I've done twice as many as he has.

Yes, but he's been winning them.

Brackman: It was felt that the firm's interest

will be better served at this time

if you backstopped Arnold's case.

[scoffs] That's a settlement negotiation.

It's not even a court case and you know it.

McKenzie: We'll discuss this later, Michael.

No, we'll discuss it now!

I said later!

McKenzie: Move along, Douglas.

Brackman: Jonathan,

people vs. Wanda Havens.

Trial starts tomorrow.

Excuse me.

I am this firm's chief litigator.

Not only am I owed the decency of being informed,

but it is my function to make this decision.

I'm sorry, but I had to act in the best interest of this firm.

This is not a dictatorship, Leland!

You want to act in the best interest of the firm,

you call a partner's meeting

and you put the damn thing to a vote.

A vote would embarrass you, Michael,

because everybody would vote Victor.

Now, you're a fine attorney. We all know that.

But you've hit a bad patch

and I will not have this firm victimized by it.

[tense music]

[upbeat music]

Your Honor, this time I'd like to show the tape, if I may.

Very good.

Members of the jury, you're about to see a videotape

that was recorded by the bank's security cameras,

the day of the robbery.

- What? Television? - Shh!

- We're going to watch TV? - Objection.

- Quiet. - What did he say?

- Why are you shushing me? - Shh!

Motion to strike.

Judge Shubow: Mr. Henderson,

what are you moving to strike?

That would be correct, Your Honor.

Run the tape.

Okay, this is me to the left of the screen.

The guy Harold is holding his gun in my stomach.

The other guy with a gun, Sam...

is terrorizing the rest of the room.

He's got everybody lying face-down, spread-eagled.

Pocklington: This is Walter on the right

with the other guy Pike up at the teller.

- They've just got the money. - It's on.

Pocklington: And they're about to make their getaway.

It's a very clear picture.

I think it's a Sony.

Quiet!

Judge Shubow: Run the tape.

Sam: I'll shoot. I'll shoot to kill!

Walter: Come on, let's go! I've got the money.

Harold: Come on, Pike, let's go!

Sam: The gun is completely loaded.

Walter: Oh, for God's sakes! Let's move!

Sam: Oh, no. Pike fell down.

Sam: Pike fell down. Harold: You idiot!

Walter: Come on. Just get him up!

Harold: We have to leave him! Sam: I'm gonna shoot!

Sam: I'm shooting. Walter: We can't leave him.

Walter: He's the driver.

Sam: Then get him up! Harold: Oh, God!

Walter: Come on, Pike.

Walter: You could help us out a little.

Harold: He weighs a ton. His colostomy bag must be full.

Policeman #1: Freeze! Hold it!

Policeman #2: Drop your weapons!

That's it.

I have nothing further, Your Honor.

Move to run the tape again, judge.

- Oh, yes. - Yes.

Yeah.

[upbeat music]

[knocking on the door] Mike?

- Got a couple of minutes? - What for?

I could use some help with my opening argument.

What's the matter? Isn't Victor available?

I was hoping you could help me.

Look, Jonathan, don't get into the middle of this.

Jonathan: In the middle of what?

I'm in the doghouse around here,

and they're sending you in to throw me a bone.

I don't like it.

Everyone tells me I should accept

a little more supervision.

And when I finally come in looking for it,

you bounce me out on my ass.

Jonathan: I'm going into a courtroom tomorrow

to defend my first murder case. A murder, I might add,

to which the client has confessed.

I'm fighting for this woman's life

and you're pouting over a bruised ego?

Kuzak: Jonathan. - What?

I'm sorry.

Kuzak: Let's see what you got.

I said I'm sorry.

She had been repeatedly beaten and raped

by her husband, ladies and gentlemen.

He terrorized her children.

This woman could not even go to sleep at night

because she was too afraid he would come charging

through her front door with an ax.

Kuzak: Okay, okay, hold it.

Don't go into details about

how she was terrorized by him.

Don't go into it? It's my whole defense.

Your defense is to get the jury

to feel shocked and horrified by her story.

If you stand out there and tell it first,

you're just gonna soften the impact of her testimony.

I have to set up my case, don't I?

All you have to do in your opening

is to establish your own credibility with the jury.

Act fair.

Sound reasonable.

Also...

concede parts of the prosecution's case,

the parts that don't really hurt you.

You come off believable,

the jury's gonna be more inclined

to believe your witness.

They see you accepting Wanda's story,

they might be more apt to accept it, too,

because they trust your judgment.

- Okay. - One other thing.

You have a tendency to walk around

and pace a lot while you're questioning witnesses.

Yeah.

When she's up there testifying...

stand still.

You want the jury's focus to be completely on her.

Don't distract them by moving around a lot.

But to the extent that you have to move at all,

go to the witness,

drawing their eyes and attention to her.

If her testimony goes the way it should,

nobody should even be aware that you're in the room.

What?

I just keep thinking, here I am in a first-degree murder case.

There's still so much I don't know

and this woman's trusting her entire life to me.

You can do this, Jonathan.

You're a good lawyer.

You can do this.

Yeah, I can do it.

[vehicle revving]

Kuzak: Thanks.

Skylight is taking a very hard line with you, Melanie,

which, quite frankly, is fine with me.

I love your show.

You think this will end up in court?

Well, with your popularity...

and both of our connections with the press,

I would love to have this go to trial.

Play it out in public.

What do you think, Mike?

You know, there's a question I am always dying to ask

when I hear about situations like this.

[pages flipping]

Why is it that you don't think contracts apply to you?

- Mike-- - No, I mean...

If your company decided to dump you

four weeks after picking up your option,

you would be crying breach, am I right?

Mike, maybe I didn't properly

characterize Melanie's circumstance...

Maybe it's that you...

think of it as a kind of artistic license?

No, Mr. Kuzak, I've never been mistaken for an artist.

But I have worked for the "Masters of Monteceto"

for the past six seasons without missing a call.

I've never been stricken with a convenient case of laryngitis,

not even last year when a different movie offer came up

they agreed to let me go, and then reneged.

I have repeatedly demonstrated my good faith.

They have repeatedly demonstrated bad faith.

For the record, I don't know why

you've hung in there as long as you have.

I'm gonna fight for this, Mr. Kuzak.

If that means I have to sit still

for some harsh opinions from a good attorney

who's got more important things to do,

it's a small price to pay.

Gold: What happened then, sir?

I had just served the guy another beer when she came in.

It was around 11:30.

By she, you mean the defendant?

Gaston: Yes, she walked up to the bar

right where he was sitting. Then, all of a sudden...

- She's got a gun in her hand. - Then what?

She says, "You're not gonna hurt my babies.

You're not gonna hurt us anymore."

Then she raises the gun.

Gaston: And before he could move or say anything,

before any of us could do anything,

She pulls the trigger.

His head just, uh...

He fell to the floor.

There was blood everywhere.

Gold: What did you do, sir?

Gaston: I think I stood there frozen for...

a minute or so, like I was in shock or something.

The next thing I really remember was her crying.

She just started to cry real uncontrollable.

I felt sorry for her.

Then, the cops showed up and then took her away.

Thank you, Mr. Gaston.

That's all.

Had you ever heard Mr. Havens make

threats toward my client, sir?

Gaston: Sometimes. After he'd had a few,

he'd make very serious threats, yes.

Specifically, sir.

Sometimes he'd say he was going to kill her.

In fact, on December 18, 1988,

you reported one of these threats

to the police, didn't you?

The way he stormed out of the bar,

I thought he was gonna hurt her.

Jonathan: What did the police say when you reported this?

Gaston: They called it a domestic situation.

Did they indicate as to what they were going to do?

They indicated that they were going to do nothing.

Thank you, sir. And were you personally

in fear for your life that night in the bar?

Gaston: No.

This woman, was holding a gun

less than ten feet away from you.

She had just killed a man.

Jonathan: And yet you weren't afraid?

I knew the man.

I figured she was just doing what she thought she had to do.

I didn't think she was any dangerous criminal or anything.

Thank you for your honesty, sir.

Nothing further.

[indistinct chatter]

Mr. Henderson?

Mr. Henderson?

Oh, Miss Van Olin.

- Van Owen. - Huh?

- Van Owen! - Oh.

Any relation to Ezekiel Van Owen?

No, sir, not to my knowledge.

That's just as well.

He was put to death by lethal gas in 1937

for murdering his third wife.

I defended him.

Mr. Henderson, may I speak with you in private?

Oh, absolutely.

[door opens]

[indistinct chatter]

I was hoping that we might be able to

make this case of ours go away.

Sure. Just withdraw all charges against my clients.

[sighs] I can't do that, Mr. Henderson,

but I am prepared to offer you a very favorable deal.

Such as?

Probation, contingent on community service,

and no jail time.

No, thank you.

But they're guilty, Mr. Henderson.

There is no question about it.

Nevertheless,

my clients intend to...

exercise their... constitutional rights to a

fair trial by a jury of their peers.

Well, then I'm afraid

I'm going to have to make a motion...

to have you removed as attorney of record...

on the grounds of incompetence.

Miss Van Olin,

I have never been

incontinent in my life.

Incompetent, Mr. Henderson.

You...

you misstated the facts in your opening.

Y-- you don't have the full command

of the rules of evidence and on top of that,

you're hard of hearing.

Hmm?

Why don't we go into court tomorrow

and get ourselves a continuance?

Then your clients can retain the services of another attorney,

and you can still stay on as co-counsel.

But then I wouldn't

get to give my closing.

I've already written it.

I think it's pretty good.

Oh, would you like to hear a little of it?

No, Mr. Henderson.

I'm sorry.

This is not a nice thing to do

to a fellow member of the legal fraternity.

I know.

I shall see you in court, Ms. Van Olin.

[indistinct chatter]

About a month after the divorce,

he just started showing up.

He'd try to force me to have sex.

And when I wouldn't, he'd rape me.

Did you report this to the police, Mrs. Havens?

No, not at first.

He was the father of my children.

I didn't want to see him locked up in jail.

Jonathan: So you didn't do anything?

Wanda: I told my lawyer,

the one that did the divorce,

and we went down and got a court order

that said he had to stay away.

Only he didn't.

Wanda: A week later, he was back.

And what happened this time?

He tried to drag me out of the apartment.

He threw me down a flight of stairs and broke my arm.

Wanda: My oldest, Jimmy,

yelled at his father to stop,

and Billy knocked him down

and started to kick him.

Wanda: He was kicking his own five-year-old son in the head.

And was it after this you decided to go to the police?

I had to.

I was afraid he was gonna end up killing us.

Jonathan: And what did the police do?

Wanda: They arrested him for assault.

Uh, I had to testify against him,

and they give him 45 days in jail.

And in court,

he told me when he gets out,

he's coming to kill me.

Jonathan: Did you tell this to the police?

They said that there was nothing they could do...

till he did.

They said, "if you...

really want to be safe...

buy a gun."

Jonathan: The police told you to buy a gun?

Wanda: And I did, too.

I bought a pistol...

and I kept it right in my bedroom.

When did you next see your husband, Mrs. Havens?

Two days after he got out of jail,

he showed up... in the day.

And he had this...

real crazy look.

And he told me...

that this was the last day...

me and the kids...

was going to be alive.

And he meant it.

What did you do?

I called the police.

And they said I could swear out a complaint...

or they could bring him in for questioning,

but they didn't think that they could lock him up.

Jonathan: So what did you do? - I, um...

I-- I put the kids in my bedroom

for the night so they'd be safe.

And then about 11:00,

the phone rang.

It was him.

He said he was coming to get me.

He was coming to kill me.

Wanda: That's when I knew I...

had to do it.

What did you have to do, ma'am?

I... had to save myself...

and my babies.

[voice breaking] So, I stopped him.

You shot your husband?

I had to.

Wanda: The police couldn't do nothing...

and the court order couldn't do nothing.

I couldn't just sit and wait for him to kill me.

I couldn't let him kill my children.

Thank you, Mrs. Havens.

Nothing further.

The reason that you claimed you killed your husband

was self-defense, right?

Yes.

When you walked up to your husband

at that bar, Mrs. Havens,

did you think he was about to kill you at that very moment?

No, not at the moment, but--

Thank you.

And was your husband armed

with any weapon at the time you shot him?

Not that I knew about.

Thank you, ma'am.

Nothing further.

[instrumental music]

[knocking on the door]

Come in. [clears throat]

Ms. Van Owen, can we talk to you?

Actually, we shouldn't speak.

Van Owen: Uh, you are represented by counsel.

That's why we're here.

He tells us you want to have him declared incompetent.

That's correct.

We don't want another lawyer.

Lorimar Henderson's our man.

Van Owen: Did he tell you the deal I offered him?

We don't want a deal.

We want a trial.

Look, Ms. Van Owen,

we're four old geezers

with nothing to do and no place to go.

This trial's the most fun we've had...

since old Pike here stole a van last year...

and drove a bunch of us to du-par's in reverse.

The truth of it is at least I did it.

Uh, gentlemen,

holding up a bank and using...

a criminal trial as a playground

to fight boredom isn't fun.

Neither is walking into a bank

and being told you can't withdraw any of your own money.

You made that deal when you joined the home.

We signed over our social security checks

and we signed over our pensions.

Then when the food and the care stinks...

and we want to supplement the quality...

of our life with a little of our own money, we can't do it.

We never made that deal.

You broke the law.

And now we want our trial

with our own lawyer!

[clicks tongue] Okay.

- What did she say? - She said okay!

Well, let's get out of here before she changes her mind.

- Miss Van Owen. - Mr. Haber.

I couldn't help noticing in court.

You have a cute little tuchus there.

Thank you.

Just thought I'd mention it.

[door closes]

[scoffs]

[upbeat music]

Jimmy...

it's very important that you tell the truth.

Do you understand that?

- Yes. - Good.

Could you please tell everybody your name?

Jimmy Havens.

Jonathan: How old are you, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Six.

Can you tell us who that person

is sitting right over there?

That's my mother.

Jonathan: Jimmy,

do you know what this trial is all about?

Okay. I know how scary this seems,

but there's nothing to be afraid of.

So I want you to be real brave

and speak up for us, okay?

Okay.

Can you tell us why we're in court today?

Because mommy killed daddy.

Jonathan: Jimmy, your mother claims

your father used to beat her up

and that sometimes he used to beat you up, too.

Jonathan: She also said--

Objection to form, Your Honor.

He's six years old. I think it's appropriate to lead.

The objection's overruled.

Did your father used to hurt you and your mother?

Yes.

Jonathan: Did he make you afraid?

Yes.

Can you tell us some of the things

he did to hurt you or make you afraid?

He told me not to tell.

When you're not supposed to tell...

Please, Jimmy, your mother needs your help now.

He knocked us down and he kicked us.

Sometimes he'd come in with a knife.

One time, he poured hot water from the stove on us.

Okay.

Jonathan: It's going to be okay.

Are they going to put my mother in jail?

Are they going to put her in jail?

I hope not.

[melancholy music]

I hope not.

I have nothing further.

I have nothing, your honor.

Walter: When the bank told us

we couldn't withdraw our own money,

we resorted to self-help.

That's all we did.

So, Mr. Graf,

when you discovered that the senior citizen's home

had frozen your accounts...

Well, answer the question, sir.

You didn't ask me the question!

My God, you're as bad as Sam.

- Objection! - Mr. Henderson.

Your honor, may I approach the witness?

Certainly.

[Pike snoring]

Where do you figure he's headed?

I think he's going to see Walter.

What's the big rush?

[laughing]

Gentlemen, shh!

Stop making wise.

Just tell me how much money you took.

You didn't ask!

Henderson: I'm going to ask you right now!

Mr. Graf...

whose car did you drive to the bank?

We took sixteen thousand dollars.

Walter: That was what our four accounts

totaled all pooled together.

We only took what was coming to us.

Erm...

I have nothing further.

Your witness.

So you decided that...

since you couldn't take out...

your money with a... withdrawal slip,

you'd do it with guns?

That's right, and I'm not ashamed of it.

Well, if you're not ashamed of it,

then why were you wearing the masks?

Well, we knew it was illegal, technically,

but we thought we'd get away with it.

And we would have if Pike hadn't gone down.

I see.

Was the intent to rob the bank

held mutually between all four of you?

Henderson: Objection, your honor.

It seems that one of my clients has expired.

- What? - Pike Johnson's dead.

[indistinct chattering]

- My god, Pike! Sam: Dead, you say?

Judge Shubow: Bailiff. - Pike's dead?

No, wake up!

Clerk, call an ambulance

and see if there's a doctor around.

Move it!

[indistinct chatter]

Uh, I need some time, judge.

This affects my strategy.

It's a contract, pure and simple.

We own her.

I'm not a thing to be owned, sir.

Every contract has an implied covenant of good faith.

Becker: The studio has not once shown--

The deal is, we give her dialogue,

she reads it, we pay her.

DeGrassi: The hell with good faith.

This is the very type of blatant contempt

that caused this mess.

Melanie, hold it.

What caused this mess...

is the bloated ego of an actress

who's suddenly too important to service

the very vehicle which made her famous.

That's it.

Meeting is over.

Burdick: Suit yourself. - See you in court, counselor.

Hold it. Hold it.

If this thing goes to trial, you both lose.

Kuzak: The courts don't order specific performance on

personal service contracts,

so you can never force her to be in your show.

But they will enjoin you from working for anyone else--

Michael.

Which means there goes your movie deal

and your income.

Michael, please?

Kuzak: So, look, instead of winding up here

with nothing but a stack of bills from your lawyers,

why not offer them...

six or seven episodes in exchange

for time off to do your movie?

- It's not that simple. Kuzak: It's exactly that simple.

Kuzak: Only you can't see it because you're too intent

on teaching her a lesson

for the sake of some studio precedent.

And you can't see it...

because you're too blinded by anger

over the way they've treated you.

Michael.

Could I speak with you privately for a moment?

Excuse us.

Michael, will you cool it, please?

And you can't see it because you're too excited about

the publicity that this kind of a trial might generate.

Publicity that is gonna help her career.

Arnie...

If you could do this movie, Melanie,

would you be willing to explore the possibility of a settlement?

Maybe.

If you could have, say, half a dozen or so episodes

so you could truly map out the departure of her character,

would you be willing to consider a settlement?

Possibly.

So, I got one possibly

and one maybe. That's very nice.

Why don't you put together a proposal? So will we.

And we'll see if we can hammer something out here.

Okay. Good.

Good.

Great.

Judge Shubow: We'll hear first from the defense.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Okay.

They robbed that bank...

because they were not allowed

to withdraw their own money.

The senior citizens' home had it all tied up.

Now when my clients joined that home, ladies and gentlemen,

they probably did consent

to be treated like old men.

They did not consent to be treated like children.

Henderson: We're old, yes.

But dignity is not something that atrophies

when our bones grow brittle.

We still have every right to be proud

and to be independent.

And when Walter Graf, Harold Cooley,

Sam Haber, and dead Pike Johnson

walked into the bank that day,

they went in as messengers.

This was not just another stickup, ladies and gentlemen.

It was political activism.

It was freedom of speech.

These men are not criminals.

They are patriots,

public servants of the greatest nation on earth,

the United States of America.

[door shuts]

[indistinct chatter]

Oh, my mistake, my mistake.

Not guilty.

[light chuckling]

Yeah.

Thank you.

You can do yours now.

Thank you.

They robbed a bank, ladies and gentlemen.

They went in with loaded guns,

stole money, and could have ended up hurting people.

They are very sweet men...

but they committed a very serious crime.

Thank you.

Is that it?

Judge Shubow: Mr. Henderson.

I didn't hear her closing.

Did you hear her closing?

What closing?

What did she say?

Something about a closing.

My client killed a man.

I certainly don't expect you to ignore that.

Nor do I expect you to ignore her agony...

or the terror which caused her to act that night.

She was protecting her life against

a man who had raped her,

against a man who had threatened to murder her.

Jonathan: Go to the police? She did that.

They told her to buy a gun.

There's a scared little boy sitting over there,

praying to God you don't take his mother away from him.

I know, in the big picture,

we don't want people arming themselves

and having shootouts in bars like the Wild West,

but before you go back into that jury room...

take a look at the little picture.

Jonathan: She's no murderer, ladies and gentlemen.

What happened that night, happened...

because, as the police put it,

the survival of her family was in her own hands.

Now it's in yours.

What happened that night was she walked into a bar

and shot an unarmed man in the head,

a man who, by her own testimony,

was not about to harm her at the moment she pulled the trigger.

As a matter of law, ladies and gentlemen,

that does not fall within the definition of self-defense.

You want to feel sorry for her,

please do.

Gold: You want to hate the victim and feel

he's a horrible human being, please do.

That does not change the fact...

that she stalked him and shot him...

without any legal justification.

However much you empathize

with her or agonize for her,

she committed first-degree...

murder.

That's the only conclusion...

you could possibly reach.

Thank you.

[melancholy music]

Clerk: Will the defendants rise?

Members of the jury, have you reached your verdict?

- We have, your honor. Judge Shubow: What say you?

In the matter of people vs. Samuel Haber,

Walter Graf, Harold Cooley, and Pike Johnson,

we find each and every one of the defendants

guilty as charged.

Sam: What did she say? - She said guilty.

I appeal, Your Honor.

- Go directly to jail. - Jail?

I thought you said we were gonna get sympathy.

- We have to go to jail? - Gentlemen, please.

Your honor, I would like to formally charge

the district attorney with trickery.

Judge Shubow: Quiet!

Members of the jury, thank you.

Your service is completed.

Mr. Henderson, have your clients

back in this room next Tuesday,

10:00, for sentencing.

Mistrial! Appeal! Trickery!

We are adjourned.

- Mr. Henderson. - Oh, hi.

Look, don't take this personally.

I'm just saying this stuff for the record.

Off the record, I like you.

I like you, too, and-- and I'm willing to recommend

suspended sentences so your clients

won't have to go to prison.

- Prison? - Oh, shut up, Sam!

- You really would do that? - I would.

And I'd-- I'd also like you to know...

that I thought your closing argument was brilliant.

- Honestly? - Honestly.

Mr. Henderson, you are a fine attorney,

and I wish you the very best of luck.

Well,

thank you very much, Ms. Van Olin.

Michael.

You did a good thing there.

Well, what else could I do?

I want to be able to sleep at night.

Speaking of which,

I'd like to join you one of these nights.

I know. Me, too.

It has just been so crazy.

Well, how about this? We've been invited

out to dinner tonight by this client of mine

who I negotiated out of a TV series--

- I can't. - [scoffs] Grace.

Michael, Heiser and Monzio are both out with the flu.

I've got to get continuances on about a million cases.

Plus, I've got to be ready early tomorrow morning

on people vs. Alvarez, which I haven't even started.

Dinner is out. Sleep is out.

And as far as sex is concerned,

I vaguely recall it is something

very nice that normal people indulge in.

- Which we're not? - Michael, I'm sorry.

I miss you. I love you.

But I'm gonna have to make it up to you.

[indistinct chatter]

- Uh, counselor. - Hey.

That was a very nice closing yesterday.

Thanks. You, too.

Look,

I'm prepared to offer a deal.

- Now? - Manslaughter. Two years.

[laughs] He stands there looking stunned.

I'm not stunned. I'm just thinking about it.

Gold: Come on. What's to think about?

Your client walks in premeditated, blasts

an unarmed man, I'm offering manslaughter? It's a dream.

A dream served up maybe by your nightmares of an acquittal?

Very true, look, I admit...

I didn't give you a chance in hell when this case began,

but you've even got me feeling sorry for her,

and lord knows what the jury is doing.

But she did murder the guy,

and the best I can offer is manslaughter.

Okay, I need a little time to think about it.

Think away. The clock is ticking.

The jury could be out five more hours or five more minutes.

[indistinct chatter]

What am I supposed to do?

If we take the deal, it's two years and you're out.

The other way could be pretty fatal.

What-- what about my kids?

Are they gonna take my kids away?

Yes, but there's a chance

we can get them back after you're released.

A chance. That means there's a chance

I could lose them forever.

If they come back with first-degree,

you'll definitely lose them forever.

I can't lose my kids.

- I can't. - Wanda.

- Jury's coming in, counselor. - What?

I-- is it too late?

Did we wait too long?

No, but we got to decide now.

I-- I-- I don't know.

Alright, let's take the deal.

I can't let you risk 30 years in jail.

I promise I'll be all over social services

to help you get your kids back.

Wanda, we got to decide.

[cries]

Wanda: Okay.

Okay.

[door opens]

[indistinct chatter]

Malcolm, is the offer still good?

- Yeah. You want it? - We want it.

Uh, come on.

Nothing like waiting till the last minute.

Judge, believe it or not, we have a plea bargain.

Now? Right before the verdict?

Sorry about the timing, judge, but we've reached an agreement

which we both believe serves the interest of justice.

Gold: The defendant will plead guilty

to the lesser charge of manslaughter

with a recommended sentence of two years.

Judge Mueller: Is that acceptable to you, counselor?

Judge Mueller: Mr. Rollins?

Excuse me?

Judge Mueller: Mr. Rollins.

No, your honor, it's not acceptable.

I'd like a minute to confer with my client.

- Go ahead. - What the hell are...

I want to call off the deal.

- Why? - They were looking at you.

The jury members were looking right at you.

- What does that mean? - Maybe nothing.

But if they're about to hammer you with a guilty verdict,

I don't think that they'd be still

willing to make eye contact.

- Are you sure? - No. It's just a feeling.

You can still take the deal if you want,

but my gut says let's take the chance.

O-- okay.

If-- if that's what you think.

No plea bargain, Your Honor.

- Now, we had a deal-- - Malcolm, I'm sorry.

I can't force the defendant to accept a plea bargain, Mr. Gold.

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

Foreman: We have, Your Honor.

Judge Mueller: The defendant will rise.

"In the matter of people vs. Wanda Havens,

criminal complaint number 8-9-2-4-3,

we the jury find the defendant...

not guilty."

[cheering]

[sobbing]

[mellow music]

Nice work, counselor.

Thanks, Mike. Thanks for everything.

[crying]

This mean you're coming home, mom?

Wanda: Yes, baby. I'm coming home.

[mellow music]

I hope you won't mind if I say that, um...

I'm glad your significant other couldn't make it tonight.

Well, not if you don't mind the fact

that I've bored you to death

with an endless recitation of all the cases

I've lost the last six months.

On the contrary. It's been fascinating.

Well, you're very kind to say so.

No, really. I mean...

What you do...

The stakes are so high.

I know my case was just over a contract,

but the settlement you hammered out is going to make

a profound difference in the quality of my life.

Well, I hope so.

[glasses clink]

[instrumental music]

You may be on a losing streak

as far as Mckenzie Brackman is concerned.

But as far as Melanie Hayes is concerned...

you're a winner.

[scoffs] This was no big deal.

Just take the compliment, okay?

Yeah.

Okay.

[vehicle pulling up]

Would you, um...

like to come inside?

I, um...

I'd better not.

Hmm.

Well, uh...

- It's-- it's been wonderful. - Yeah.

Thank you for a lovely, lovely evening.

Thank you.

[instrumental music]

[theme music]