Original subtitles

[chatter]

- I met your girlfriend yesterday in the ladies room.

- You did?

- Yeah, she was sweet.

She said you're taking her to an Italian restaurant.

- Yeah.

- You like Italian food?

- Yeah.

Do you?

- My last name is Ianello.

I grew up on it.

Ianello is an Italian name, Benny.

- Oh.

- By the way, was Douglas Brackman serious about only

buying office supplies on sale?

- If he said it, I'm sure he was serious about it.

- Hmm, like I got time for that.

- I don't know, Denise, he's pretty serious about that kind

of stuff.

- Well, Benny, he can forget it 'cause I'm not going to 11

different stores looking for the best price on office supplies.

[woman gasps]

- Go find out if she's ever acted.

Go ahead, go ask.

- Excuse me?

Do you have any acting background?

- What's it to you?

- Oh, she's perfect.

- Excuse me?

- This is Rose Stepanoff.

- Yeah, so?

- I'm a casting director, dear.

I'd like you to come in and read for me.

- Benny, let's go.

- She's not believing you, Rose.

- I know that, and I find that absolutely adorable.

- Hey, look, if you two are looking

to bring me home and take pictures,

you could just forget about it.

- Here's my card.

Ask around about me.

If you're interested in auditioning for a major motion

picture with a major director and major talent

already attached, call me.

- Whether you realize it or not, you've just been discovered.

- Hmm.

[theme music]

[music playing]

- Morning.

Hi. - Hi.

I was just looking for you.

- So I heard.

- Oh, put it on ice, Arnold.

I just wanted to ask you a question.

- Has anybody ever told you that you

have a very suspicious mind?

- Has anyone ever told you you have

a way of making the most innocent

comments sound like a come-on. - It's a gift.

- Mm.

- So what's the question?

- Well, you have connections in the entertainment business,

right? - Yeah, some.

- Well, have you ever heard of a Rose Stepanoff?

- Of course.

She's a big casting director.

How come?

- Well, she saw me in a store yesterday,

and she asked me to audition for a movie.

- Are you gonna do it? - I don't know.

I mean, it's not like I have this burning

desire to be a secretary for the rest of my life, you know.

[chuckles] - Hi.

- Hi.

- Hey, big guy.

- Did you ask him?

- Yeah, he said she's for real.

- So you really were discovered?

[chuckles]

- Well, it's not like they gave me the part yet, Benny.

- Oh, I bet they will, though.

I bet that as soon as they see you, they give you the part.

- Well, with that vote of confidence,

I'm gonna go for it.

All right, well, bye.

- Bye.

- So, Benny, what's with the wandering eyes?

I thought you were getting your watch wound with Rosalie.

- What do you mean?

- I mean you two are still going out, right?

- Yeah.

- That's what I thought.

- Well, that doesn't mean I can't be friends with Denise,

does it?

- No.

- But it probably means I can't be good friends with her,

though, right?

- How good?

- Like have supper with her.

- Well, that depends what you have in mind.

It also depends on whether you and Rosalie

are getting serious.

- What do you mean serious?

- Well, there's a variety of indicators.

Let's see, has she brought her toothbrush over yet?

- No, but she calls me almost every day.

And she always wants to know what I'm doing.

She wouldn't like it if I had supper with somebody else.

- Take it from me, Benny, it's a lot

easier to get away with lunch.

- Oh, yay.

Oh, yay.

Let's get started.

- Ah, before you get down to business, Douglas,

I would like to start this meeting by welcoming

Eli Levinson to this firm.

[applause]

- Thank you, Leland.

It's a pleasure to be welcomed here.

I look forward to working with all of you.

And as soon as I pass the California bar,

I'm sure I'll actually be of some use around here.

- Don't worry, Eli, we'll keep you busy.

- Yes, we will.

And on that note, Gelleher versus Walters, the Los

Angeles Police Department, and Los Angeles

Unified School District.

What is this?

- A 10-year-old girl, as part of the school's drug

awareness program, brings in some pot

that her father was growing.

He gets arrested, serves time.

The kid's in therapy.

The parents are suing for damages.

- How does the father justify the fact

that he was using drugs?

- He doesn't.

- He doesn't have to.

If his child was encouraged to inform on her own parents,

and as a result, the family's privacy and civil rights were

violated and the child was traumatized,

the fact that they smoked pot seems a little insignificant,

don't you think? - No, I don't.

If the parents were using drugs, I

think it indicates that they were derelict in their duties

as parents.

- It was pot.

It wasn't heroin.

It wasn't cocaine.

It was pot.

- Pot is a drug.

- Pot most certainly is a drug.

- You've smoked a little reefer in your time,

haven't you, Arnie?

- Yes, I did.

There was a time in my life when I smoked pot,

when I drank to excess, when I fornicated, when I engaged

in debauchery of many forms.

I'm happy to say those days are behind me.

- Stuart, you have a call.

- Who is it?

- He won't say who it is, just that it's very important.

Would you like me to get rid of him?

- Oh, no, no. I'll take it over there.

Thanks.

- What do you attribute this transformation to, Arnie?

- The arrogance of pride, the pleasures of lust,

the poisons of vain curiosity are the impulses

of a soul that is dead.

Saint Augustine.

- God, will these quotations never cease?

- Oh, hi. I was just thinking about you.

- Does anyone know how to get ahold of Jack Michelin?

- Well, I'll make time.

- Did you try his office?

- Want to come over this afternoon?

All right, where do you want me to meet you?

You're kidding, right?

- Mr. Gelleher, will you tell this court

what happened to you and your family

on the evening of February 8, 1993?

- When I came home from work, most of my neighbors

were out in the street.

There were two police cars parked in my driveway.

My wife had not come home yet.

My daughter Emily was sitting in the back seat

of one of the police cars.

And when she saw me, she started to cry.

- What, if anything, did you do?

- I tried to open the door.

But before I could do that, three cops

came out of my house.

They slammed me against the car and told me I was under arrest.

They handcuffed me in front of my daughter.

They wouldn't let me talk to her.

And she was hysterical by then.

And all the time, she's trying to get out of the car,

but she can't because there aren't any handles

on the inside of the doors.

- What were you charged with?

- Cultivating marijuana, 10 plant's worth.

- And what was the outcome of those charges?

- I was convicted, and I served six months in jail.

My wife was given probation.

I lost my job.

She lost hers.

- What happened to your daughter?

- The first thing that happened was that she

was placed into a foster home.

It was felt that she would be abused for having reported us.

- Would you describe the effect all this had on your daughter?

- She used to be a real front-of-the-line kind of kid.

She was always real excited about everything.

She was always asking a million questions.

But now she doesn't even want to go to school or talk

to her friends.

She sees a police car and she hides.

And she cannot bear to be left alone.

Her whole world is different.

She is 10 years old and her whole world is different.

- Thank you, Mr. Gelleher.

I have no further questions.

- Do you take any responsibility at all

for the trauma your child and family have gone through?

- I take responsibility for growing marijuana.

I do not take responsibility for scaring my child into thinking

that anybody who uses marijuana is either gonna

die or become a heroin addict.

And I do not take responsibility for turning

my child against her parents.

- Where did you grow the plants, sir?

- In a locked room in the basement.

- Did you tell her you kept pot in there?

- I did not.

- Did you and your wife ever smoke pot in front of her?

- No, we did not.

- Why not?

- Because she's 10 years old.

My wife and I don't have sex in front of our daughter,

and we don't discuss our financial problems

in front of her either.

I was only trying to protect her from something

that I don't think she's old enough to understand.

- When is a child old enough to understand her parents are

breaking the law, Mr. Gelleher?

- Parents break the law all the time, Ms. Hauber.

Sometimes they may drive too fast,

or they put an extension on the garage without a proper permit,

or they throw a can of motor oil into the garbage.

That doesn't give them the right to send the police

into the classrooms to manipulate the children

into turning in their parents.

- Have you ever considered the possibility that your daughter

wasn't manipulated at all, that she sought the intervention

of authorities because she was concerned

about her parents' drug use?

- Objection!

Compound and irrelevant.

- Sustained.

- There were 2 and 1/2 ounces of marijuana found in the house.

That's it. Period!

- Mr. Gelleher?

- I would just like somebody to explain

to me how that justifies what he did to my family.

I want someone to explain to me how that justifies

what he did to my kid!

- Sir, you will control yourself in my courtroom.

Ms. Hauber?

- I have no further questions.

- Should we get one?

- I think so.

- Hey, Barry.

- Hey, Stuart.

- So what's going on?

- Anybody know you're here?

- No. - You sure?

- Yeah.

You told me not to tell anybody.

I didn't tell anybody.

- Good.

Stuart, you've known me for a long time as Barry Glassman,

but that's not who I am.

My name is Jay Ellison.

The reason I don't use that name is because I'm a fugitive.

I've been a fugitive since 1968.

- What do you mean?

- I was involved in a prison escape of a Black Panther

named Horace Washington.

A guard was killed.

Horace was killed.

I supplied the getaway car.

- What are you telling me?

- I took off.

I hid out in Europe.

I hid out in Algeria.

About 1975, I came back.

- Well, wait a minute, Barry.

You're a nice Jewish boy.

- I know.

- You built a business, you started a family,

and the whole time you were a fugitive?

- Stuart, the reason most criminals get caught

is because they live like criminals.

I lived like a nice Jewish boy.

I grew up in the garment business.

It's what I knew.

So when it was time for me to start making a living,

it's what I went to.

- Does Faith know?

- She does.

The kids don't.

- OK.

Um.

Why are you telling me this now?

- The FBI has been sniffing around,

asking people questions.

I had to disappear.

I haven't been staying at home.

I haven't been going into work.

I haven't had contact with anybody

I think that might be watching.

- What do you want me to do?

- I want you to go see the US Attorney,

find out what kind of a deal we can make.

- I'm a tax attorney, Barry.

- I know that, Stuart.

- You want a criminal lawyer representing you in this.

- You deal with the IRS.

I think you can handle these guys.

- Let me take somebody in with me.

- No, I'd rather you didn't.

- I'll take somebody from the firm.

I'll take Ann.

- For now, I'd like it to be just you.

OK?

- Yeah.

- Was I dreaming or were you up most of the night last night?

- No, you weren't dreaming.

I was up almost all night.

- Really?

Why?

- I don't know.

- Are you feeling all right?

- Yeah, I'm fine.

- Are you nervous about something?

- No, no.

- Well, what is it?

- I told you.

I don't know.

- Stuart-- what is it?

- I got a call from Barry Glassman the other day.

He asked me to meet him in the boardwalk in Venice Beach.

And he told me that his real name is Jay Ellison.

He helped a Black Panther escape from prison,

and he has been a fugitive for the last 25 years.

- What?

- And he wants me to go to the US Attorney

and negotiate his surrender.

- Wait a minute, this is Barry Glassman

with the Mercedes and the Range Rover

and the house in Brentwood Park?

- Yeah.

Our friend, Barry.

[sighs]

- My God.

- Yeah, I know.

- You can't go to the US Attorney by yourself, Stuart.

- Well, he asked me specifically to go by myself.

- That's insane.

- Ann, when it comes time to agree to terms, I'll get help.

Today, I'm just gonna listen.

I know how to do that.

[music playing]

- Thanks.

See you tomorrow.

- Hey.

How you doing?

- Fine, thanks.

Do you have an appointment?

- Uh, no.

Don't you remember me?

- Oh, right.

- Denise Ianello.

- Right.

OK, Denise, they're running a little late.

You can take a seat right over there.

- OK.

- No, Angelo, I'll fight you.

I will.

- Oh!

Ah.

- No, Angelo.

I'll fight you.

I will.

- Excuse me.

- You can't do that Angelo.

I'll fight you.

[chatter]

- Didn't I see you at the open call for Starlight Express?

- No.

- 'Cause you look familiar.

- This is my first audition ever.

- You're kidding.

- Yeah, the casting director saw me in a store

and asked me to come in.

- Unbelievable.

Do you know that I had to beg my agent for a month

to get me in on this call?

[chuckles]

- Well, it's not like I'm gonna get the part.

So you can relax.

- No, no, no, you will.

That's how it happens.

Harvey Keitel will be Angelo.

You'll be Camille.

And I'll still be doing pool supply trade shows.

- Well, you never know, right?

- Great accent.

- Thanks.

[knocking]

[chatter]

- Denise, this is Truman Teas, our director, and Rachel

Neuborn, our producer.

- Hello.

- Hi, Denise.

- How do you do?

- Do you have any questions before we get started?

- Um.

Is Harvey Keitel really playing the part?

- Yes, he is.

- Oh, I love Harvey Keitel.

- Harvey's great.

- Yeah.

- Do you have any questions about the character?

- Um, not really.

I mean, she's like most of my New York girlfriends, so.

- I'll be reading with you.

Where'd you go last night?

- What do you care?

- Just tell me.

- I went out with Theresa.

- I'm gonna stop you.

I'd like you to try it again.

And I'd like you to try it with less fear.

Also, I'd like you to dial back the accent.

- Dial back the accent?

OK.

[clears throat]

- I heard you were at the club.

- Yeah, so?

- I heard you were dancing with Sal at the club.

- You and me ain't going out no more.

So I don't got to tell you nothing.

Get used to it, Angelo.

I'm not just leaving you.

I'm leaving this whole stinking neighborhood.

I don't want to live in a two-family house

with a husband who thinks that I should

kiss his ring just because he gives me a secondhand Camaro.

I got bigger hopes and bigger dreams,

and I'm not gonna see any of them come true if I stay here.

I'm gonna make something of myself, Angelo.

I'm gonna be happy.

I'm gonna live on Long Island.

- That was incredible.

- It really was.

- Yeah?

Oh, thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

- Dr. Walsh, will you tell the court

what Emily's condition was when her mother

first brought her to see you?

- She was suffering from a rather severe trauma.

Her father was in jail, and her mother

was confused and frightened, and Emily

felt responsible for all of it.

- How is she today?

- Well, she's less anxious than she was,

but her sense of security is still extremely fragile.

She's afraid to depend on or trust anyone,

especially authority figures.

The world is full of danger for her.

- Do you have anything against the idea

of drug education for children?

- No, I don't.

But I think that a curriculum that depicts every drug user

as being in mortal danger and that manipulates children

into a state of heightened anxiety

does a lot more harm than good.

- What kind of harm does it do?

- It forces a child like Emily into having

to choose between her parents and her teacher

at a time in her life when she desperately

wants approval from both.

- And, Doctor, what in your opinion

was responsible for the psychological harm

done to this family?

- The fact that their unity as a family was destroyed.

Emily was encouraged to believe that her parents

were going to leave her either by going to prison or by dying.

She wanted to protect them.

- Is that in and of itself an abnormal impulse?

- No, it is not.

And had she been encouraged to talk to her parents,

then her fears could, in all likelihood,

have been quieted without the resulting trauma.

Instead, she was encouraged to confide in Officer Walters.

She did so, and her father was sent to prison.

- Thank you.

I have nothing further.

- Dr. Walsh, in your practice, you see a number of children

from abusive home situations.

Is that correct?

- Objection, irrelevant.

The Gelleher's home was never in any way found to be abusive.

- Your Honor, one of the things we're here to determine

is whether or not it was reasonable for Officer Walters

to believe it was abusive.

- I'll allow it.

Witness will answer the question.

- Yes, many of my patients are from abusive homes.

- And isn't it true that drugs or alcohol

are almost always part of those abusive situations?

- Alcohol and drugs are frequently

present in abusive situations, but it is not a cause

and effect relationship.

Alcohol and drugs do not automatically lead to abuse.

- But with the correlation so high,

is it unreasonable for a teacher,

even a part-time teacher like Officer Walters,

to fear an abusive situation when

a student reveals his or her parents

are using illegal drugs?

- It's a lot more complicated than that.

- Please answer my question, Doctor.

Is it reasonable for someone who works with children

to suspect abuse when a child reveals

illegal drug use in her home?

- It's not necessarily unreasonable,

but I would say one has to look to other outward signs

of behavior before--

- Thank you, Doctor.

I have no further questions.

- Mmm.

Well, maybe I should 've taken the lettuce out before I

put it in the microwave.

- I thought you were gonna call before you come

to see me at work, Rosalie.

- I forgot.

Ew, gross!

- Rosalie!

- What?

- Don't bump me.

- What's the matter, bae?

You didn't call me back for two days this time.

You don't want me to come to the office anymore.

You don't want me to bump you.

Do you-- do you have another girlfriend?

- No.

Just that I've been really busy.

- Do you still like me?

- Uh-huh.

- Good.

Oh, what do you want to do tonight?

- I don't know.

- Well, maybe we could stop by your house 'cause I

want to drop something off.

- What?

- La la!

Now I don't have to use yours anymore.

- No.

You can't bring that to my house.

- Why not?

- Because-- because I don't want to get serious.

- Wha-- what do you mean?

- Well, I don't want your stuff at my house.

And then I don't want my stuff at your house.

And I don't want us to always be together.

- Oh.

I thought that you did.

- I have to get back to work.

[somber music]

- Officer Walters, would you please describe for this

court your role in the 17th Avenue

School anti-drug abuse program?

- Specially trained officers like myself

go into 4th grade classrooms one day a week for 15 weeks.

We talk to the students about the dangers of drug abuse.

- And you performed this role in Emily

Gelleher's 4th grade class?

- Yes, I did.

- Are you also in the classroom to ferret out information

from the children about drug abuse

among their friends and family?

- No, we're not.

We're there to educate these children.

We specifically tell them not to mention the names

of parents or friends.

- What happened on February 6, 1993?

- Emily Gelleher came to me after class

and pulled a leaf out of her pocket.

She asked me if it was marijuana.

- What did you tell her?

- I told her that it was.

- What did you do next?

- I asked her where she got it.

- And what did she say?

- She said that she got it from a plant in her basement.

Then she started to cry.

She said she was worried that her parents

were breaking the law.

I reported the situation to her teacher

and to my commanding officer.

Two days later, we arrested Mr. Gelleher.

- I have no further questions.

- Is it your testimony, Officer, that you didn't use

your position of authority as both a teacher and a police

officer to manipulate this 10-year-old girl

into informing on her parents?

- Yes, Counselor, it's my testimony

that I did no such thing.

- Did you tell her that she didn't

have to answer any questions?

- She came to me.

She needed someone to talk to, and she

couldn't talk to her parents.

- I'll take that as a no.

Did you tell her that answering your questions

could result in her father being arrested?

- She understood that her father was breaking the law.

- Just yes or no, Officer Walters.

- I don't remember if we specifically discussed arrest.

- Did you at least let her know when she had crossed the line,

if there is a line to cross, from talking to her friend

and teacher to talking to a member of the Los

Angeles Police Department?

- When drugs are used in the home,

the possibility of the child using drugs

increases significantly.

I thought Emily Gelleher was in a very dangerous situation,

so I acted as an advocate for her.

- And my question to you, Officer Walters is,

who appointed you to be her advocate?

- They did, the minute they broke the law.

- Would that be you the teacher talking or you the cop talking?

Or are you having as much trouble

distinguishing between those two as Emily Gelleher did?

- Objection.

- Sustained.

- No further questions.

[music playing]

- I assume, Mr. Markowitz, that you

want to talk about arranging for a surrender.

Is that right?

- Mostly, I'd like to hear what kind of terms you're offering.

- [chuckles] What kind of terms do

you think you're in a position to ask for?

- Ones that reflect the context that these events

took place in, number one.

And number two, they take into consideration

the fact that Mr. Ellison has been living as an upstanding

citizen for over 25 years.

- The last time I looked, Counselor, the act of remaining

a fugitive from justice didn't quite

qualify one for the status of upstanding citizen.

- What are you looking for, Mr. Shale?

- I'm looking to balance the books.

- Which means what?

- Depends.

Mr. Ellison turns himself in, we're

probably looking at aiding and abetting an escape.

My guess is he'll draw a three-year suspended, six

months served in one of those sleep-away camps

for inside traders.

- Is that a guarantee?

- You're not in a position to ask

for a guarantee, Mr. Markowitz.

What I'm willing to do with your client

simply reflects what we've done for other individuals

in similar circumstances.

- OK.

- What I can guarantee is that he'll do a damn sight

better if he surrenders than he will

if we have to apprehend him.

- It's been 25 years, Mr. Shale.

You haven't been able to apprehend him.

[sirens wailing]

[chatter]

- Stuart wasn't supposed to tell me, was he?

- It's OK.

I don't mind that Stuart did that-- too much.

- Why didn't you tell us before this?

- I didn't tell anybody.

The only person I was in contact with who knew was Faith.

- It's not just that we're friends

and you should have trusted us, although we are friends

and you should have trusted us, we're lawyers.

There might have been times over the past 15 years

when you could have used us.

- I'm sure there were.

And now, at long last, I am.

- Well, my recommendation is that we move

forward with setting terms.

- Although it doesn't sound like you're

gonna get any guarantees.

- What does that mean?

- It means that you're gonna have to take a leap of faith.

- Well, I was hoping not to spend the rest of my life

in prison, Stuart.

- Not gonna happen.

The political climate is very different now from when

you first went underground.

And people in similar circumstances

have turned themselves in and received

pretty lenient sentences.

There's absolutely no reason to believe that it

won't be the same with you.

- Well, my parents are old.

I'd like to see them again before they die.

Also, like my kids to meet them.

- Well, let us set this up.

Let us bring you in.

[tires screeching]

- Clear the walkway!

[sirens wailing]

- FBI!

Freeze!

Hold it right there!

- FBI.

Please put your hands behind your back.

I'm placing you under arrest. - What is this?

- This man is our client. - We understand.

- We insist on remaining with our client.

- Sir, right now, this man is our prisoner.

Now, after he's processed, you can meet with him.

Until then, any attempt to interfere with our operations

constitutes a federal offense and subjects you to arrest.

Do you understand?

- Yeah.

- Stay back.

[chatter]

[engine revving]

- Don't get too close, man.

[tires screeching]

[chatter]

- No, this is not open for debate.

We all agreed that Emily would testify when we filed the suit.

- No, Mitch, we all agreed to consider it.

Emily's been a nervous wreck about this.

I don't want to put her through anything more.

- And I don't think we need to do it.

- Dr. Walsh said it could be helpful because she

feels like it's all her fault.

- So tell her that it's not.

- I have told her that it's not.

- Tell her again.

Tell her so that she thinks you mean it.

- Emily needs to take an active role in healing the family.

- It's not that simple, Mitch.

Testifying in court can be grueling for a child.

- I don't want to put her through it.

- Emily needs to feel like we are

all aligned on the same side.

- Isn't there any other way of accomplishing that?

- No.

Look, I don't care if we win this case or not.

I just want to set things right.

And the only way that I know of to make her feel like she's

part of this family again is to let her participate in this,

and that means testify.

- OK.

- 4 o'clock?

Let me check my schedule.

Yeah, 4 o'clock is doable.

Mm-hmm.

You have it.

OK.

I'll see you then.

[knocking on door]

- Eli, you got a minute?

- Sure.

What's up?

- I got a callback.

- You did?

- 4 o'clock today!

[chuckling]

- Congratulations.

- I'm so excited.

- Oh, that's just like one of those movies,

A Star is Born, 42nd Street.

- God, I was so nervous.

Can you practice with me before I go?

Please. - Sure.

- Now, the scene's between my character

and her no-good boyfriend.

- Right.

- All right?

Um.

Uh, you have the first line.

[blows raspberry]

- Mmma.

Mmma!

- Eli!

I'm the one who's auditioning, all right?

Why don't you sit down? You're making me nervous.

- Right. Sorry.

- OK.

- Where'd you go last night?

- I went out with Theresa.

- I heard you were at the club.

- Yeah, so what?

- I heard you were dancing with Sal at the club.

- Hey, Angelo, get something straight.

You and me ain't going out no more.

I don't got to tell you nothing.

- You're gonna open your mouth to me?

- Hey, if I want to open my mouth to you,

I'll open up my mouth to you.

I ain't scared of you no more, you guinea bastard!

[smack]

[denise yelps]

Did that make you feel like a man?

- You're not gonna make a fool out of me, you little tramp.

I'm gonna give you a beating you're never gonna forget.

- Not the bell, Angelo, please not the bell!

- Leave her alone!

- Benny?

- What were you doing to her?

- Nothing, we were just acting.

- I heard you hit her.

- I just did this.

[clap]

- I got a callback on the audition.

We were just practicing for the part.

- You're sure? - Yeah.

I'm fine, Benny.

Thank you.

- OK.

- That's right, Stuart, you do need someone with trial

experience to represent him.

There can be no question about that.

- Yeah, I'm thinking about Eli.

- Me?

- You did a great job representing

Sandy Morrison, Eli.

People down at the courthouse are still talking about it.

- That was a pro hac vice appearance.

Until I pass the bar, I can't practice in California.

- Well, as long as you haven't given up your New York office,

this could be a pro hac vice appearance as well.

- What about me?

- Well, you just finished one trial,

and you're about to start another.

- I'm hoping to settle it.

And if I can't, I can get a continuance.

- Well, I don't know if I want to put you in that position,

particularly when Eli is available.

- I've been a litigator at this firm for seven years.

I've got as good a track record as anyone here, anyone.

And this particular case involves

the Black Panther Party.

It will in all likelihood entail winning the trust

of ex-Black Panthers to induce them to testify

on our client's behalf.

Quite frankly, I think I'm in a better position

to do that than Eli is.

And I also think that if I want a case bad enough,

you should give it to me.

I think I've earned that.

- I don't think it's even a question.

- You want it that bad, Jon, huh?

- Yes, I do.

- You got it.

- The arraignment's tomorrow.

- Come on.

- Hi, Emily.

- Hi.

- We're going to ask you a few questions.

If you get tired or confused, you just sing out, OK?

- OK.

Would you tell us please, how did you find the marijuana

plants in your basement?

- I took the keys out of my mother's dresser

and I opened the door.

- Why'd you do that?

- It was right before Christmas.

I thought maybe my parents had hidden one of my

presents there.

- Did you say anything to your parents?

- No.

I was afraid they'd be mad at me.

- But you felt OK telling Officer Walters?

- He told us he'd been in trouble a lot

when he was a kid.

I thought he'd understand.

He also told us about what happens

to people who use drugs.

- Objection.

- I'm going to allow a little leeway

with this witness, Ms. Hauber.

Objection overruled.

- What did Officer Walters do, Emily?

- He told me I was brave for coming to him.

- Did he ask you any questions?

- Yes.

- What kind of questions did he ask?

- He asked how many plants there were.

He asked where in the house they were kept.

He told me I would be helping my parents by telling him.

- He told you you would be helping your parents.

And would you tell us please what

happened the very next day?

- Policemen came to my house before my parents got home

and they asked me to show them the plants.

- Did you?

- Yes.

- And what did they do after you did that?

- They took the plants out in garbage bags.

Then they put me in a police car.

When my dad got home, they arrested him

and took him away to jail.

- How do you feel now about having

talked to Officer Walters?

- I wish I'd never done it.

- Thanks.

- Did Officer Walters tell you to bring that leaf in, Emily?

- No.

- So you did it on your own.

And when you showed it to him, did he force you

to tell him where you got it?

- No.

- So you did that on your own as well, didn't you?

- I guess so.

- OK.

I'm going to say something and you

tell me if I'm right or wrong.

I think you didn't like it that your mom

and dad had drugs in the house.

- Objection, Your Honor.

- Sustained.

- I think you told Officer Walters because you wanted

Officer Walters to make your mom and dad get

those drugs out of the house.

- Your Honor?

- Ms. Hauber, the objection is sustained.

- Emily, I'd like you to tell me in your own words

why you brought the leaf to Officer Walters.

- I didn't want anything bad to happen to my mom and dad.

- I'll bet that's because you love them both very much,

isn't it?

- Objection!

- I would ask to be given the same leeway as my adversary was

given, Your Honor.

- Objection overruled.

- Emily-- do you love your mom and dad?

- Yes.

- And I'm sure that they both love you.

You don't think your dad's mad at you

because of what happened, do you, Emily?

- I don't know!

- Do you think he blames you for sending him to jail?

- [sobbing]

- Emily, honey, I'm going to have to ask

you to answer the question.

- I'm sorry, daddy.

I'm sorry.

- Enough!

- Mrs. Gelleher, please sit down.

- My daughter is upset, Judge, and I'm taking her home.

- Due to the lateness of the hour,

we'll adjourn for the day.

We'll resume tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

[somber music]

[sighs]

[chatter]

- Through here.

You're in number two.

[chatter]

- So you got me covered? - Yes.

- I'll call you when he's done. - I'll go get him now.

- Hi.

- How are you?

- I'm OK.

- I checked in at your business.

Everything seems pretty normal.

- I know.

I-- I spoke to them this morning.

Thanks.

- I'm going to say something, Barry.

I don't know what's running through your mind,

and I don't know if anything I can say can make a difference,

but what I've got to say, whether it makes a difference

or not, is that I didn't do this.

- Do what?

- I didn't set you up.

But maybe, inadvertently, I did.

I'm new to this.

I told you I had no experience as a criminal lawyer.

Obviously, these people were following me,

and I didn't know it.

- Well, it takes a certain act to be a fugitive, Stuart.

And obviously, you haven't acquired it yet.

- I didn't willingly lead them to you, Barry.

- It never occurred to me that you did.

- Are you sure?

- Stuart, I want you to put this out of your mind

and never think of it again.

I trust you with my life.

[sighs]

- OK.

- [sighs] Where do we stand?

- Arraignment's this afternoon.

- And you'll be representing me?

- No, I will not.

I'm not a criminal lawyer, Barry.

I'm not a trial lawyer.

I would not be competent to represent

you if this case goes to trial.

Now, there's an attorney from my firm.

His name is Jonathan Rollins.

And he is extremely competent.

And he's gonna be there this afternoon.

- And you'll also be there?

Good.

- Good morning. - Your Honor.

- What's going on, Mr. Morales?

What are we doing?

- My clients want to withdraw their suit.

- Why?

- We've decided that to continue with the case

would not be in the best interests of our child.

- At the risk of sounding less than impartial, Mr. Gelleher,

I'd say your concern is coming a little late in the game.

- Yes, Your Honor.

- Mr. Morales, your clients will be responsible for court costs.

- They understand that, Your Honor.

- All right then.

This case is dismissed.

- Now this one.

- OK.

- Did we win?

- Nobody won, honey.

Nobody won and nobody lost.

- We just agreed to stop fighting.

- Because of what I did?

- No, Emily, not because of you.

- It's because of what I did in court yesterday.

- No, it isn't.

- It's my fault, mommy.

I know it is.

- Emily, listen to me.

It's not your fault. What has happened

to us happened because of me.

- It's my fault you got arrested.

- No, no, it's my fault. What I did was against the law.

And that's my fault. That's all my fault. Nothing that has

happened is your fault.

- I told on you.

- But, honey, you did what we always told you you should do.

You saw something that was wrong and you went and you

told a grown up about it.

- I love you, daddy.

- Oh, I love you too, honey.

- Come on, let's go home.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Good luck to you.

[music playing]

- Bye.

- Bye, Emily.

[music playing]

- Ah, Benny, when you get done with this,

I want you to leave one copy on my desk.

I want you to messenger the other copy

to Hugh Nolan at this address.

- OK. - All right?

- Yes.

- Hey.

What's the word on the movie?

- Don't quit your day job.

- You didn't get the part?

- No.

- Well, you know what they say about the lights on Broadway.

- No, I don't.

What do they say?

- There's a broken heart for every one of them.

[scoffs]

- Benny, make sure you get that messengered.

- Yeah.

I can't believe they didn't want you.

- You know, it sounded like Arnold needed to get those out.

Maybe you ought to start copying them.

Benny, can I tell you something just between me and you?

- Uh-huh.

- I couldn't believe they didn't want me either.

When I was there, they acted like they loved me.

I mean, the director, he couldn't get over it.

And then nothing.

I mean, I had to call them to find out I didn't get it.

They didn't even call me.

I had to call them.

I couldn't believe it.

You know, it's weird, I never considered

being an actress until that day at the stationery store.

You know, even the auditions seemed like a big goof.

And then when they told me I didn't get it,

I was like crushed.

You know, it was like something I wanted my whole life.

[scoffs]

Stupid, huh?

- No.

I don't think that's stupid.

- No?

- No.

- Thanks, Benny.

- All rise.

United States of America versus Jay Ellison.

Please be seated.

- John Shale, Your Honor, representing

the United States government.

- Jonathan Rollins representing the defendant.

- What are the charges, Mr. Shale?

- Unlawful flight to avoid prosecution,

aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner,

and conspiracy to murder a correctional officer.

- What? - Stuart.

- Your Honor, I was lied to.

I sat with Mr. Shale not two days ago

and was told by him the only charge contemplated

was aiding and abetting.

- Would you identify yourself, sir?

- Yes, my name is Stuart Markowitz.

I'm a member of Mr. Rollins' firm.

- Your Honor, no guarantees of any kind

were made during my conversation with Mr. Markowitz.

- But representations were made, Your Honor.

The opportunity was going to be provided

for me to arrange a surrender.

And no one said anything about conspiracy to commit murder.

And no one said anything about the FBI

following me in order to rob my client

of his chance to surrender.

- Mr. Markowitz, I don't know how much experience you have

as a criminal attorney, but the fact

is no one had to say anything.

Is the defendant ready to enter a plea?

- I am, Your Honor.

- How do you plead?

- Not guilty.

- Application for bail, Your Honor.

- Application for bail?

- This man has substantial roots in the community.

He has a family.

- The man has been a fugitive.

- He was ready to turn himself in, Your Honor.

He was denied that opportunity.

- He has had 25 years in order to turn himself in.

He has proven himself to be a flight risk.

Your Honor, the government strenuously

opposes his release on bail regardless of any amount set.

- The issue of bail will be taken under advisement.

In the meantime, I suggest that you, Mr. Rollins,

and you, Mr. Markowitz, determine

who it is that's going to be trying this case because it's

not going to be both of you.

- What was that? - I'm sorry.

- You think I'm gonna miss something?

- Jonathan, I said I was sorry.

I thought there were things that needed to be said,

so I said them.

- In the future, I'd appreciate it if you said them to me.

Write me a note, whisper in my ear,

and if necessary, I will ask for a recess.

But don't you ever do that to me in front of a judge.

- Jonathan, I wasn't trying to show you up.

I was trying to help our client.

- Well, that's what I'm trying to do too, Stuart.

And I think maybe our client would be better served if you

just didn't come to court.

- That I didn't come altogether? - That's right.

You're emotionally involved in the case, Stuart.

You're not a trial lawyer, and I don't need

anybody backing me up in there.

- Understand something, I got enlisted in this case

because this man was my client and because he is my friend.

And then unfortunately, because of something I did,

I made matters worse for him.

I intend to see this through.

I will be in court.

I will be involved in everything that happens outside of court.

Nothing will happen pertaining to this case

that I don't know about. - I don't--

- And this is not Markowitz the tax attorney.

This is Markowitz the partner in your firm.

Am I emotionally involved?

Like it was me sitting in that jail cell.

[chatter]

[theme music]