All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S08E13.The.Age.of.Insolence.1080p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

- We can't find a way
to avoid this trial ?

- I don't see how, your honor.

Ms Heberton adopted this little
girl more than two years ago.

Mr Connolly's attempt to
assert his parental rights

at this late date we
view as both self-serving

and wholly inimical to the
best interests of this child.

- Your honor, the fact that
we're doing this when we are

isn't because of my client.

It took him a year and a
half to find this child.

And having done that,
we've met with delay

after delay engineered by Ms
Heberton and her attorneys.

- The delays were not
engineered, Mr Angeletti.

We want to resolve this
every bit as much as you do.

- Is there any possibility
for shared custody?

- My client feels that that
would only confuse the child.

It's time for the little girl
to come home to her father.

That's what we want.

- Ms Kelsey?

- Your honor, Emily
is my daughter.

I am not willing to
share custody of her.

- Mr Connolly, I assume your
lawyer is speaking for you

when he says the same thing.

- Yes, your honor, I'm not
willing to share

custody either.

Look, this woman
might have named her,

but that doesn't mean that she
has the right to raise her.

She's my daughter.

I want to raise her.

- All right, we'll start at
2 o'clock this afternoon.

I would ask both
sides to refrain

from making any inflammatory
statements to the press.

I don't want this to
be any more public

than it absolutely has to be.

- Your honor.

- Mr Kelsey.

- How much of an
issue is going to be

made about the
respective characters

of Ms Heberton and Mr Connolly?

- We've been
specifically admonished

by the judge in this
case not to make

any statements that
inflame the proceedings,

and I'm going to abide by that.

- I think my adversary is
being overly fastidious.

The truth is, before
we get down here,

both these people's
pants are going

to be down around their ankles.
- What do they have to hide?

- You yourself adopted
a child, didn't

you, Ms Kelsey, a little girl?

- Thank you.

I don't have
anything more to say.

Laura.

- Do you have a
personal involvement?

- I'm just wondering
if that experience

led you to taking this case.

- I'm not answering any
questions from you Ms Farr.

- Why is that?
- You're not a journalist.

You're here as a member of
the Birth Parents Network,

and I'm not getting
into a debate.

- Oh, that was not my intention.

I just wanted to say to you
both that people with the Birth

Parents Network are not without
compassion for your pain

as well.

I'm sure that having
a child taken from you

and returned to
her birth parents

was a devastating
moment in your life.

And I just wanted to
share that with you.

- Dr. Farr, do you feel
as a member of the Birth--

[theme music]

[upbeat music]

- I just think we had to show
her some fiscal responsibility.

- Haven't you heard, Douglas?

Eat, drink, be merry
for tomorrow, you die.

- Wow, what's this about?

- That's the
skirmishing preliminary

to the partnership meeting.

- Ah.

- Yeah, we're voting
on how to split

up the profits this quarter.

- The renovations
took a big chunk out

of our first quarter earnings.

- The renovations are
finished, Douglas.

Why do we work like
dogs if we can't

enjoy the fruits of our labor?

- We can discuss this later.

Heberton versus Connolly.

- Laura Heberton is a single
mother who adopted a baby

girl 2 and 1/2 years ago.

And now the birth father
is suing for custody.

- Tough one to win, no?

- If the judge's primary
concern is the best

interest of the child, I'm OK.

If it's the rights of
the father, we're dead.

- What inspired the
father to be doing this?

- Part of it is that he wants to
have a daughter and part of it

is that he's got the Birth
Parents Network behind him.

- What is that?

- It's an organization
dedicated to asserting

the rights of the birth parents
over the adoptive parents.

They are urging him on,
providing legal counsel,

and covering whatever other
expenses are involved.

- So this encompasses more than
just the parties of interest?

- You might say that, yeah.

- Churchill versus Bowles.

- Madeleine Churchill
works for the main branch

of the La City Library.

She's been repeatedly
harassed by a fellow librarian

she's suing.

- How does a librarian
harass somebody?

- Very quietly.

[chuckling]

- Yes, this is a
rather unusual case.

Madeline faints
anytime she hears

vulgarity or sexual innuendo.

Most of the other
employees have been quite

considerate in
accommodating her situation,

but the defendant has
chosen to make sport of her.

- She faints?

- She faints.

- So this is a mental condition?

- I wouldn't call it
a mental condition.

I prefer to think of it as
a heightened sensitivity.

- How heightened is it?

- What do you mean?

- Well, how vulgar a vulgarity?

How sexual a sexual
innuendo does it take?

- I don't know, Arnold.

- Hey, if anybody could
make her faint, you could.

- However eccentric
Madeline may seem,

the fact remains
that someone has

made her workplace intolerable.

I think the basis for the
lawsuit is legitimate,

and I expect to win.

- Yeah, OK, I'll see you later.

Conference room
is all booked up.

- Where are we going to go?

- To the safe room.

Is it set up?

- All set up.

- What is the safe room?

- It's the place we're supposed
to go when we're under attack.

They got a phone in here
and they put some lights--

- I've got the
documentation, just--

[knocking]

- Come.

- Can I talk to you?

- Sure.

What's up?

- It's about the
partners' meeting.

- Ah.

- The first time you passed
me over for partnership,

you said it was
because of finances.

- Mm-hmm, it was.

- You asked me to be
patient, and I was.

Since then, you've taken on
two new partners ahead of me.

- Well, they both had been
partners at other firms.

- I've been here
seven years, Leland.

I've made more than
my share of rain.

I've handled more than my
share of high stakes cases.

And I don't think I've
been found wanting.

- Well, you're
right, far from it.

- I think I'm due.

- Well, I can't make
you any promises,

but I will bring the matter up.

- Thanks.

- So Ms Halliday,
since when does

McKenzie Brackman get involved
with nonsense like this?

- Harassment isn't nonsense.

- Did I ever lay a hand on you?

- You repeatedly and
deliberately made her workplace

intolerable, Mr Bowles.

Ms Churchill is completely
within her rights

to seek damages.

- Let me be a pragmatist
for half a minute.

Let's say that you're right.

Let's say that this
poor woman was harassed.

What do you think you're
going to come away with?

My client has $73 in the bank.

- You're aware of our demands.

If he finds another job,
we'll drop the suit.

- Forget it.

These are fascist mind games,
and I'm not giving in to them.

- Ever since you came to
work at the library, your

every intention has
been to debase me--

- Untrue.

- and poison the
atmosphere I'd come to love.

- Look, profanity is part
of the lingua franca,

you know what I mean?

At this point in history,
that is the way people talk.

- It isn't the way
I talk, Mr Bowles.

- Well, that may be because you
are something of a tight ass.

- Oh, dear.

- Mr Peters, due to the fact
that my client has somewhat

of a delicate nature, I
would ask that your client

control his language.

- She has a delicate nature.

She wants to rule the
world, and if we're

not careful, in
the 21st century,

she and women like her will.

- Carver, please, let's try to
return to the business at hand.

- We are not androids, Madeline,
nor are we pure of thought.

We are, all of us, raging,
devouring sexual carnivores.

- Mr Peters, once again,
I would ask that you

put a muzzle on your client.

- Put a muzzle on me?

She's suing me and you
want to put a muzzle on me?

[bleep] you.

[bleep] the both of you.

- [groans]

- Look at her.

- Great.

- Mr Connolly, would you
please tell the court

who Maureen Booker is?

- She's the mother
of my little girl.

- Objection.

Ms Booker has waived
her parental rights.

- Let the record reflect that
the witness's response is taken

to mean biological mother only.

- Had you and Ms Booker
made arrangements regarding

the custody of this child?

- After she got pregnant,
uh, we agreed to get married.

Then she changed her mind, so
we agreed to split up and share

custody when the baby was born.

- And then what happened?

- Well, just before the baby
was due, Maureen disappeared.

I tried to find her but
nobody knew where she was.

Then six months later,
she showed up and told me

that the baby had died.

- Did you believe her?

- Yeah, I believed her.

I couldn't imagine
that anyone would

lie about something like that.

- What, if anything, happened
to change your belief?

- Well, one night,
one of her friends

called me up and
told me that the baby

didn't die, that Maureen
had put it up for adoption.

- What did you do?

- I hired a private
investigator.

He looked for her
for about six months.

But when I ran out of the
money, he stopped looking.

Then I read about
Birth Parents Network.

I made a phone call,
went to a meeting,

and suddenly, I had
this whole organization

that was willing to help me.

I mean, they paid for good
private investigators.

They paid for you, Mr Angeletti.

They're the reason that
I found my daughter.

- What steps, if
any, have you taken

in anticipation of being awarded
the custody of your daughter?

- Well, I enrolled myself
in a substance abuse program

and got myself straight.

That's the first thing.

Then I got a job.

I got a decent place to live.

And I made arrangements
with my mother

to take care of my
daughter while I'm at work.

- Mr Connolly, if
two years ago, you'd

been asked to waive
your parental rights,

would you have done so?

- No, no, I wouldn't have.

I wouldn't have waived them
then and I don't waive them now.

- I have nothing further.

- Mr Connolly, [exhales deeply]
is it your desire to act

in what would be
considered the best

interests of your daughter?

- Of course, it is.

- You are of the
belief, are you not,

that her best
interests are served

by being given over to you?

- That's correct.

- But it's safe to assume
that the biological mother

of this child felt otherwise.

- Objection.

Speculation.

- Sustained.

- Were you drinking while
Ms Booker was pregnant, sir?

- I was then.

I'm not now.

- Were you using amphetamines?

- I was then.

I'm not now.

- Did you ever become
physically violent with her

while she was pregnant?

- It happened once.

She might have even had
something to do with it.

- In other words,
it was justified?

- No, it wasn't.

- You would agree,
would you not,

that placing a child in the sole
custody of an individual who

has a drinking problem,
who has a drug problem, who

is prone toward physical
violence in all likelihood

would not be in the best
interests of that child?

- Objection.
- Yes, I would agree.

- Overruled.

- You're not like that Anymore

- That's right, I'm not.

I'm also that child's father.

- I have no further questions.

- I'm her real father, and I'm
the one who should be raising--

- Mr Connolly, I'll have to
ask you to step down now.

- Yes, your honor.

[sombre music]

- Ms Booker, would you tell
us about your relationship

with Brian Connolly?

- We were together
about six months.

It didn't work out.

- Why not?

- A lot of reasons.

He's got a temper.

He drinks.

When I got pregnant, we
were going to get married,

but I thought about what
my life would be like

and what my kid's
life would be like.

And I-- I said, no way.

- Why did you put your
baby up for adoption?

- I was just out of high school.

I wasn't ready to be a mother.

I met Ms Heberton and decided
to do what was best for my kid.

- Did you know that Mr
Connolly wanted custody?

- That's not what he said then.

He wanted me to
raise it so he could

come and visit once in a while.

He didn't want the
responsibility.

I couldn't even get him to
chip in for medical expenses.

- Did you consider
having an abortion?

- I don't really
believe in abortion.

On the other hand, if I
thought the alternative

was to have Brian
raise her, I probably

would have considered it.

- Why?

- He wasn't any more ready
to raise a kid than I was.

- Thank you.

I have nothing further.

- Ms Booker, at the time of
your break up with Mr Connolly,

were you seeing other men?

- I was seeing
another man, one man.

- Did he have money?
- Objection.

Irrelevant.

- Sustained.

- Laura Heberton has
money, doesn't she?

- Objection.

- Sustained.

- How much did Laura
Heberton pay you, Ms Booker?

- She paid for my medical
expenses, that's it.

- You say that Mr
Connolly refused to pay

for your medical expenses?

- That's right.

- You disappeared
before the baby was due.

And then you didn't get in touch
with him again for six months.

And when you did, you said
that the baby was dead.

Did you really give
him a chance to pay

for those medical expenses?

- [scoffs] It wouldn't
have mattered.

- How do you know?

- I know Brian.

- Isn't what happened was
that you wanted to hurt Brian

and you wanted to leave
yourself unencumbered?

And what better
way to accomplish

both those things
than by denying

him the child that was his?

- I care about that child as
much as anyone in this room.

I gave her up because I
thought it was best for her.

She could be loved.

She could have someone
to take care of her.

And as painful as it was, I
don't regret it for a second.

I did what was right.

- Have you visited
your child, Ms Booker?

- No.

- The truth is you have no
idea what kind of a parent

Laura Heberton is, do you?

- I think she's a good parent.

- I'm sure it's comforting for
you to think that, isn't it?

- Objection.
- Withdrawn.

I have nothing further.

- Before we begin
the deposition,

I would like to remind Mr Bowles
that certain words and phrases

are extremely
discomforting to my client

and I don't propose to
subject her to them.

- In the interest of
expediting the matter,

my client has agreed to
refrain from vulgarity.

- When did you start working
at the library, Mr Bowles?

- Last November.

- Would you describe
your duties?

- I put the books
back on the shelf.

I work at check out desk,
bounce the homeless people

if they got too stinky.

General library duties.

- Were you ever told about
Ms Churchill's sensitivity

to language?

- I was told she fainted.

- Having been told
that she fainted,

did you ever act in such a
way as to cause her to faint?

- Well, apparently, I did.

- Did you do so deliberately?

- No, I did not.

- Did you ever use
profane language

when speaking to Ms Churchill?

- I'm a human being.

I speak in the colloquial
vernacular of the age.

Besides, she is a
pain in the ass.

- In other words,
you resented her?

- Every day, there
was a new rule.

One day, it was no jeans.

The next day, it was no gum.

The next day, it was a
memo about the proper forms

of salutation.

- I was seeking a certain
minimal level of decorum.

- Is that why you told
me I couldn't handle

any 19th century editions?

- I told you that because your
fingernails were ill kept.

- More rules.

- Rules of conduct, Mr
Bowles, are in the end what

define us as a civilization.

- Let me tell you something,
rules and repression

start with the genitalia, and
they work their way upwards

until they imprison the mind.

- Could we get back to
the deposition, please?

- Read Fahrenheit 451 sometime.

Read Philip K Dick.

- I thought that we had
agreed on something.

- It's a name.

That's his name, Philip K Dick.

- Did you not taunt her on
a daily basis, Mr Bowles?

Did you not do
everything in your power

to make conditions at work
utterly intolerable for her?

- I used words.

At first, I used
them in the course

of ordinary conversation.

Then when the
philosophical ramifications

of her repressive attitude
towards language sunk in,

I used them deliberately.

I used words to describe the
human excretory function.

I use words to describe
human sexual function.

I use words that describe
and define human existence.

It was intolerable
for her to hear them?

Well, it was
intolerable to me to be

prohibited from using them.

So yeah, every now and then,
I would come up to her,

I'd lean in and
I would whisper--

- Madeleine?

- Well, she beat me
too at that time.

[chatter]

- Something has come
up we have to discuss

before we can proceed.

- What's that?

- Jonathan Rollins
approached me this afternoon.

He thinks it's time
we made him a partner.

- Partnership decisions
are made in June.

This is February.

- I realize that.

Jonathan would like
a decision now.

- That's a little
cheeky, isn't it?

- Douglas, we told
him two years ago he

was being passed
over because the firm

was in financial straits.

Clearly, that's not
the case anymore.

- How do you define
financial straits?

Do we have more
money than we need?

I don't think so.

- He's also young.

He hasn't been an associate
for a terribly long time.

- He also took a year off.

- Jonathan is one of the
best litigators in the city,

and everybody in
this room knows it.

- I don't think
anyone's arguing that.

- The truth is that's not
an appropriate criteria.

This would have a
negative financial impact

on everyone in this room.

- Well, that's true whenever you
take on a new partner, Douglas.

Does that mean we
should never do it?

- It means we do it as
dispassionately as possible.

- Let's put it to a vote.

- Blind ballot.

- Given that I don't
feel comfortable

being part of this decision,
I'm just going to listen.

- I can't thank you enough for
all the trouble you've taken,

Ms Halliday.

I'm truly sorry to
be such a burden.

- You're not a burden, Madeline.

You're a client.

- Just the same.

All these scenes,
all this fainting,

it's quite embarrassing.

- I'm sorry that
you're embarrassed.

You needn't be.

Let's see.

OK, we have mint,
apple, Earl Gray--

- Have you any valerian root?

- No, I don't see any.

Um, chamomile.

- Chamomile will be fine.

- Sugar?

- Please.

- Madeleine Churchill?

- Yes.

- Arnold Becker.

How do you do?

- Very well, thank you.

- I've been following your case.
- Have you?

- Yes, I have.

We like to afford our clients
the benefit at various points

of view here, notwithstanding
that Jane is as

capable as any attorney here.

- Yes, Ms Halliday is
doing a wonderful job

and under rather
difficult circumstances.

As you may or may not know, our
opponent is something of a cad.

- He keeps using those
upsetting words, doesn't he?

- Yes, he does.

- We should probably
get back to work.

- Just one second.

I find you to be a
fascinating woman.

I'm sorry, was that too forward?

- No.

- The relations
between the sexes

is my bailiwick, so to
speak, hence my curiosity.

So I find myself
wondering, is it

the word or the implication of
the word that gets you upset?

- Arnie, I really need to
get Madeleine going here.

- I'm not sure I know the
difference, Mr Becker.

- Some words are
exclusively sexual.

They either refer to genitalia
or various sexual acts.

Whereas, other words
acquire their sexual meaning

from the context in
which they're used.

- Arnie.

- A restaurant chain
is called Hooters.

Now, if you infer
that that name refers

to the waitresses' breasts
rather than to owls,

would that cause you to faint?

- Contrary to what you
may think, Mr Becker,

I am not a knave.

I know to what the name of
these restaurants refers.

And while I choose
not to patronize

such an establishment,
neither would

the name cause me to faint.

- If a man told you
that he was going to go

home to polish the bishop--

- OK, Arnie, that's
all we have time for.

- One more.

One more.

A woman walks into a room
full of men and asks,

which one of you is Eric?

Now, if you were to hear
this as which one of you

is erect, thereby conjuring up
images of orgiastic behavior,

multiple penetration,
and so forth,

would that cause you to faint?

- [moans]

- My God, it works.

- Your honor, once again,
I would argue this witness

is not qualified to
testify as an expert.

- She's a psychologist ,
your honor, Board certified.

- She's been associated with the
American Birth Parents Network

since its inception, your honor.

She's here as an advocate--

- And I'm sure you'll
cross-examine her accordingly.

The witness may testify.

- Dr. Farr, would you
please state for the court

your field of specialization?

- I deal with families who have
suffered through the trauma

of adoption, either
parents who have

lost their children or children
who have lost their parents.

- Characterize for us, if you
will, the effect of such loss.

- Objection.

Council is dealing in
meaningless generalities.

- The issue of adoption per
se should be considered here.

- The objection is overruled.

Witness can answer.

- Most children who
have been adopted

spend their lives
trying to puzzle

out their identity in a way that
other people can't understand.

No matter how much their
adoptive parents love them,

these children grow up feeling
like a part of themselves

is missing.

Adopted children live with
a sense of having been

abandoned by their parents.

It's a tremendous
burden to carry.

- And how do these
children respond?

- Objection.

Excessively broad.

Excessively vague.

- Overruled.

- Adopted children can
respond in any number of ways.

Some are more
affected than others.

But the range of response
includes behavior

that is quite destructive,
whether it be eating disorders

or drug abuse or criminality.

The healthiest solution
for an adopted child

is to seek out his
or her birth parent

and establish a
relationship with them.

- In your opinion,
doctor, at what age

is it better to let things be?

At what age is it
better for a child

not to be taken from
its adoptive parents?

- If a birth parent stands
ready, willing, and able

to make a home for
that child, I believe

that child is better off
with their birth parent

at whatever age.

- Thank you, doctor.

- Would you concede, Ms Farr,
that at the present time,

Brian Connolly is, in fact,
a stranger to this child?

- First off, Ms
Kelsey, I would ask

that you refer to me as
doctor as I have in fact

earned that credential.

And as to your question,
no, I would not concede

that Mr Connolly is a stranger.

He is anything but a stranger.

And yes, I think a two-year-old
child would sense that.

- And how would she
sense that, Dr. Farr?

- I have seen pictures
of little Emily.

She has her father's eyes
and her father's chin.

If I can recognize
that, so can she.

- Have you ever met
little Emily, doctor?

- No, I haven't.

- Have you ever
interviewed Laura Heberton?

- No, I haven't
done that either.

- And yet, you're up here
as an expert witness,

testifying as to what's in the
best interest of this child.

Don't you find that
a little odd, doctor?

- No, Ms Kelsey, I don't
find it in the least bit odd.

You see, I myself was adopted.

I was rejected by my birth
parents, not once, but twice.

The first time, when I was born.

The second time, 28 years later
when I finally located them.

- Is it ever
harmful to the child

when the birth
parents make contact?

- I'm 38 years old, Ms Kelsey.

Every year, on my
birthday, I wait for a card

from my birth parents.

- Is your expertise based
on being a psychologist

or on the fact that you
were an adopted child?

- It's based on both.

- I have no further questions.

[knocking]

- Come in.

- I'm afraid the vote did
not go as I had expected.

I may have made a mistake by
insisting that the vote be

taken at this time.

There were some who
thought we should

wait until June when partnership
decisions are usually made.

- You think the results would
be different in three months?

- I think so, yes.

- Who voted against me?

- It was a secret ballot.

I don't know.

- Then how do you know they'll
vote differently in June?

[music playing]

- Hey, Jonathan.

How are you doing?

- OK.

- I spoke to Barry
Glassman this morning.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

He and faith said say hi.

You know, we should all
get together sometime.

- Sure.
- Have dinner.

- Great.
- Yeah?

OK.

[chatter]

- Stuart Markowitz.

- What?

- You voted against him.

- Could we not talk
about this here?

- How could you
vote against him?

- Because I think,
occasionally, we

have to exercise a little
fiscal conservatism around here.

- Fiscal conservatism?

- Yeah.

Partnership decisions
are made in June.

There's a reason for that.

And we have rules around
here for a reason.

- I can't believe
I'm hearing this.

What are you all of a sudden?

Douglas MacArthur?

- And the fact is it's
better for Jonathan this way.

It's better for
his tax situation.

It's better for his
buy-in situation.

- I see.

So you're just looking out
for his best interests?

- Yeah, your sarcasm
notwithstanding,

I feel totally justified.

- He saved your
best friend's life

and you feel totally justified?

- Let me tell you what
you did yesterday.

You caused a perfectly
innocent, rather fragile woman

a tremendous amount
of embarrassment.

After your little
performance yesterday,

Madeleine spent 20 minutes
in the ladies room weeping.

That woman is a
client of this firm.

That entitles her to your
protection as well as mine.

- You're right.

I'm sorry.

- Whatever sexual games
you might play with me,

Arnie, does not give
you the right to involve

an innocent bystander.

Do it again and I'll
gouge your eyes out.

[door shuts]

- Wow.

- Ms Churchill,
how long have you

worked at the public library?

- Four years at
the Wilshire branch

and 10 years now at the
main branch downtown.

14 years.

- Hmm.

And in that time, have you
ever had any trouble getting

along with other employees?

- Not at all.

- [scoffs] Yeah, right.

- Well, there are occasional
misunderstandings.

But for the most part,
my fellow librarians

are diligent and
considerate workmates.

- Isn't it true, Ms
Churchill, that you've

had three other employees
fired for nothing more than

offending your sensibilities?

- Absolutely not.

- Oh, well, I've got a letter
here from Ms Melody Weigle.

- A terrible laggard.

She was routinely late for work.

- Right.

She said it only happened
a couple of times.

- Punctuality, Mr Peters,
is not an occasional virtue.

- What about Mr Kirk Dolphinese?

- That man was a drunk.

- He'd have a beer at his lunch.

- He stank of liquor.

- Kathy Twill.

- Ms Twill engaged in illicit
activity in the library stacks.

- She was kissing her boyfriend.

- They were doing more
than kissing, Mr Bowles.

- Isn't it true that
you cost these people

their jobs, Ms Churchill?

And I think you're trying to
do the same thing to my client.

- Your client is not
a gentleman, sir.

- Well that happens not to
be a crime, Ms Churchill.

You see, this is not
19th century England.

It's 20th century Los Angeles.

And you may not like it,
but this is where you live.

- I beg to differ
with you, Mr Peters.

Time and culture are not a
place but a state of mind.

In fact, I do not live
in the 20th century

nor do I have any
intention of ever doing so.

- Fine.

uh, I have no other questions.

Let's go to trial.

With all due
respect, Ms Halliday,

your client's a lunatic.

- We'll see you in court.

- Why am I a lunatic, Mr Peters?

- Madeline, we're finished now.

You don't have to
talk to him anymore.

- No, Jane, I'm curious.

I go to work every day.

I perform my duties
valiantly and well.

I treat my fellow
man with kindness.

My standards of behavior
are rigorous, I admit,

but I'm never mean
spirited about the failure

of my employees to
meet those standards.

What is it about
my behavior which

suggests mental instability?

- Well, look at you.

Look at the way you're dressed.

- Excuse me, Jane, uh,
Jane, they need the room.

- Tell them that we're
running a little bit late.

- OK.

- Mr Bowles, I hardly
think we are sufficiently

familiar with one another so
as to engage in a conversation

about the way in which I dress.

- Ms Churchill, you can't force
other people to live like you.

You don't have that right.

- Do you have the right to force
me to live like you in a world

where violence is as common
as the common cold and common

decency is all but obsolete?

In this world, your world, Mr
Peters, the sins of the flesh

have nearly annihilated
the life of the mind.

Even the discussion
of spirituality

has become an embarrassment.

People's very souls have shrunk.

Am I the lunatic because I
will not embrace this world?

Perhaps the Victorians
were fragile creatures

whose mistakes were as
grand as their achievements,

but they bowed before beauty.

They yearned for grace.

They struggled for
intellectual integrity.

And they had manners.

I beg your pardon if I
am reluctant to exchange

their values for yours.

[music playing]

- Ms Heberton, could
you tell the court

how you met Ms Booker?

- I had placed advertisements
with several adoption agencies.

I paid an attorney who
specializes in adoptions.

Maureen contacted me when she
was seven months pregnant.

I flew to Ohio to meet with her.

- When did you first
learn about Mr Connolly?

- About two weeks before
Emily's first birthday.

Maureen called me
to tell me that she

had heard through
friends that he was

actively looking for the baby.

- Did you try to contact
Mr Connolly at that time?

- No.

- Why didn't you?

- I was in a complete
panic, that's why.

I couldn't imagine what
I would say to him.

And as soon as he
contacted me, I hired you.

- In contesting Mr
Connolly's suit,

do you believe that you're doing
what's best for your child?

- To the core of my being.

I was there when Emily
started to crawl.

I was there when
she learned to walk.

I make her breakfast
every morning.

I color with her.

I pat her back at night
until she goes to sleep.

I am her whole world.

I'm sorry if Brian Connolly
feels that his rights

have been violated.

Quite frankly, he
is not my concern.

Emily is.

- Thank you.

I have further questions.

- How much did you pay
the lawyer who arranged

this adoption, Ms Heberton?
- Objection.

Irrelevant.
- Sustained.

- How much did you wind
up paying Maureen Booker?

- Objection.
Irrelevant.

- Sustained.

- Are you able to have
a child of your own?

- Objection.

Irrelevant.

- I'll allow it.

- I have a child of
my own, Mr Angeletti.

I have a daughter.

- Are you able to have children
by giving birth to them?

- No.

- Is it fair to say, ma'am,
that this is a source

of great frustration to you?

- Yes.

- And thanks to your
financial resources,

you've been able to overcome
this frustration, haven't you?

- I assure you,
sir, that regardless

of my financial
resources, I would

have found the money to
try and stop you people

from taking Emily away from me.

- Does Emily have a nanny?

- Yes, she does.

- How many hours a week
does she spend with her?

- I don't keep
track week to week.

- 60?
70?

- I try to keep my
workweek to 40 hours.

Occasionally, I can't.

- Does Emily call
the nanny mommy?

- Not that I know of, no.

- Emily is seeing a
child psychiatrist

right now, isn't she?

- Yes.

- Why would a two-year-old
need to do that?

- This trial has
taken a toll on her.

I'm upset, and she senses that.

- You're upset, so your
child sees a psychiatrist?

Emily was taken to the
emergency room at Cedars-Sinai

nine weeks ago, was she not?

- Her arm was burned.

She reached up to the stove
while I was making dinner

and spilled hot
water on herself.

- Do you think you're a
good mother, Ms Heberton?

- Yes, I do.

- Would you acknowledge
it if you weren't?

Would you acknowledge
that it might not

be in the best interests of
this child to remain with you

rather than be returned
to her real parent?

- Objection.

- I am her real parent.

I'm real because of what I do.

I'm real because I
am the only mother

that Emily has ever known.

That, Mr Angeletti, is real.

- I wonder if Emily
will agree with you when

she finds out she's adopted.

- Objection.

- Sustained.

- You do intend to
tell her, don't you?

- Yes.

When she's older, I intend
to tell her everything.

- I have nothing further.

[chatter]

- Laura, I think we
should discuss this.

- I don't want to discuss it.

And if we discuss
it, you're going

to talk me out of doing it.

- Uh, what is it you
want to do, Mr Heberton?

- I want to make an offer.

- Laura--

- [exhales sharply] Until now,
I've been unwilling to agree

to any kind of visitation.

I was concerned that Emily
was too young, that it

would be upsetting for her.

I'm still concerned.

OK, that said, I'm
willing to try it.

I'm willing to see how some sort
of structured visitation goes.

- Is that it?

- If it's not upsetting to
her, we can increase it.

- Forget it, Ms Heberton.
What you're offering is nothing.

- Do you think it's
nothing, Brian?

- Don't talk to my
client, Ms Kelsey.

Talk to me.

- Well, I was hoping
to get custody.

- Do you know what that
would do to her, Brian?

You would be taking her
away from the only home

that she's ever known.

- Yes, we would, Ms Heberton.

I'm sure the transition period
would be somewhat difficult,

but we believe that
Emily, assuming that Brian

decides to continue
calling her that,

would get to her new home.

We think that, in time,
she'd come to barely remember

either you or your home.

Let's go, Brian.

[sombre music]

- [whimpering]

[door closes]

- Leland.

- Yes?

- I want to talk to you
about that partnership issue.

- You know, of course,
if it was up to me,

you'd be a partner by now.

What I'd like more
than anything is just

to do it by executive
fiat and be done with it.

But this firm doesn't
work that way.

- I realize that.

- There are limits to what
I can do unilaterally.

- With all due respect,
Leland, I don't care.

I don't care about
your limitations.

I don't care about your good
intentions anymore, Leland.

This is about business now.

I have to take care of business.

I would like to stay here
at McKenzie Brackman,

but I won't if you're not
going to make me a partner.

You have until 5 o'clock
today to make a decision.

- Jonathan, ultimatums are
really not appropriate here.

- I expect to hear from you
one way or another, Leland.

- Hey.

How are you doing?

- Fine, thank you.

- I like your hair.

How did you get it to do that?

Pins?

- Yes.

[chuckles mildly]

- It's a great look.

It kind of reminds me of--

what's her name?

Cathy from Wuthering Heights.

- Cathy Earnshaw, I
think of her often.

You've read Wuthering Heights?

- Oh, it's a book?

- Yes.

- I was surprised to receive
your call, Mr Peters.

I didn't think we had
anything more to talk about.

- Neither did I.
However, my client seems

to have had a change of heart.

- I was impressed by what you
said yesterday, Mr Churchill.

For the first time, I
glimpsed the mind and the soul

that lay behind your visage.

I want to apologize
for whatever pain

I may have caused you by the
grossness of my behavior.

- If this is some kind
of ploy, Mr Bowles--

- It's not.

I realize that what
Ms Churchill said

was true, that I have
not been a gentleman.

And to my surprise,
this realization was

extraordinarily painful to me.

I'm willing to accede to your
demands, anything you want.

I'll quit.

I'll give you money.

- You don't have
any money, Carver.

- Ms Churchill has suffered
grave distress at my hands.

I've been a brute.

- Are you on some
kind of medication?

- Ms Churchill, last
night, I went home

and I read Bleak House.

- Mr Bowles--

- I couldn't put it down.

Joe's death destroyed me.

- Oh, yes, yes of
course, it did.

- I had no idea.

- I'll draw up the papers.

- I realize that I have
given you great pain.

If you could see into
your heart and forgive me,

forgive a wretched
foolhardy man like me,

perhaps we could have tea.

- This is quite
sudden, Mr Bowles.

- Are we ready to proceed
with summations, counsel?

- Ready, your honor.

We start from the premise
that children are best

served when they're
raised by the people

who brought them into being.

Now, we have here two people,
both claiming the right

to be awarded custody of a
two-year-old child, her father

and the woman who adopted her.

- Your honor, I'd
like to stop this.

- Mr Connolly, your attorney's
in the middle of his summation.

- Your honor, I want to
withdraw my claim for custody.

- Your honor, I would like a
minute to talk to my client.

- I want to see both
sides in chambers.

- Your honor,
before anything gets

said here, I would like
an opportunity to consult

with my client alone.

- Do you want to talk to
your attorney, Mr Connolly?

- No, I do not, your honor.

- He doesn't want to talk
to you, Mr Angeletti.

Are you formally
withdrawing your petition

for custody, Mr Connolly?

- No, he is not.

- Mr Connolly?

- Yes, your honor.

If Ms Heberton is
still willing to let

me see her once in a
while, I'd appreciate that.

- I'm willing, yes.

- How in the name of God
can you be doing this?

- My daughter is not
a cause, Mr Angeletti.

She's a two-year-old
little girl.

And I think the best
thing for her right

now is for her to
stay where she is.

I think that.

I know that you and the
Birth Parents Network

don't, but I do,
and I'm her father.

- Do you understand, Mr
Connolly, that if you withdraw

this action, you will
in all likelihood

be precluded from
reinstituting it?

- Yes, I do.

- Your daughter will never
forgive you for this.

- Maybe she will.

Maybe she won't.

- Why are we meeting in here?

- Space shortage.

Business is booming.

Conference room is
booked till June.

- We need to build a
second conference room.

We could knock out a wall
in one of the old offices.

- No more renovations.

- I also think it's appropriate
we divvy up the spoils

in a room that was
designed to withstand

attack from those outside.

- Arnold.

- Ah, thank you.

- Stuart.

- Thank you very much.

- And this is for Anne.

- She thanks you very much.

- We have some
business to take care

of before we distribute checks.

- What kind of business?

- Jonathan Rollins has said that
if we don't make him a partner,

he'll leave the firm.

He wants a decision
by 5 o'clock today.

- Seriously?

- If the answer is no, he'll
be gone by tomorrow morning.

- He's bluffing.

- We must also assume
that if he leaves,

a considerable number of
his cases will go with him.

- Basically, he's
blackmailing us.

- He's not doing anything
of the kind, Douglas.

He's just forcing us
to make up our minds.

- Yeah, but we did
make up our minds.

We said no.

- And now he's telling
us the consequences

if we don't change our minds.

- I can't believe
he'd stoop to this.

- Why not?

You would.

- Does he want to stay?

- He says he does.

- Then it seems to
me we have no choice.

- Frankly, I don't like
the fact that we're

being forced into it.

- Neither do I. This is not
the way to take on a partner.

- I would very
much have preferred

a decision based
on mutual respect

and affection among colleagues.

Since that option has passed us
by, I suggest we take this one.

[ding]

[chatter]

- You should know
that if the day ever

comes when Brian Connolly
decides to seek custody again,

our organization will be
there in support of him.

- Dr. Farr, neither
my client nor I

have anything to say to you.

- We will be there
in support of him

if he attempts to make
contact with his child.

We will be there
in support of him

if he decides to
go back into court.

- I don't want to
stand here, Anne.

- We will be there in
support of the birth mother

if she ever attempts to
make contact with her child.

- Let's take the stairs.

- Do you understand
that the little girl

that you call your daughter
is not your daughter?

That she has a place in
this world with people

whose daughter she is?

- Dr. Farr, I think
you should stop this.

- Do you understand that
I am this little girl?

- No, you are not.

[sombre music]

[chatter]

- Congratulations.

[theme music]

[audio logo]