The Guardian (2001) s01e19 Episode Script
Lawyers, Guns and Money
Listen, thanks, man.
I've been sitting in here all night, and I don't know anybody else in this city, other than Louisa, and you're a lawyer-- what happened? Well All right, I was driving in from Columbus last night, right? For the engagement party.
I was gonna surprise Louisa a day early, and when I got in town and called her, she was out, so I went to grab a drink and had a few, and when I was sitting at the bar, I bumped into this girl.
We started talking.
You didn't know she was a hooker? I'll find out when you're supposed to go in front of the judge.
And I'll see what I can do.
Paul: We just have to ask a few preliminary questions regarding your application to the federal bench.
Name and date of birth? Burton fallin.
September 13, 1933.
Are you married? I was-- August 16, 1965.
Have you been divorced? I am divorced, in 1980.
Children? I have one son-- Nicholas, 32.
He works as an associate in my law firm.
Morning, Gretchen.
Dale.
I talked to Alvin Masterson.
Yeah? Says you missed Yeah, I had a very big case here, and a lot of work at the clinic.
It won't happen again.
New York City, march 22.
Yeah.
Nick, you left the state.
It was a business meeting.
I flew in for 2 hours.
That's 3 technical violations, Nick.
When you first came into my office, I thought you were the least of my problems.
But I get these reports, and I start to think there must be other violations, so I check around, and you know what? I find a lot more.
A fight at the incline at 2:00 in the morning.
The incline, as I recall, is a drinking establishment.
So it's my guess that you were drinking.
Dealings with several legal services clients who are known drug users and felons, and no reports to me about these relationships.
Let's go to your office.
You know you got your periodic review coming up on Friday? Yes, I know.
My girlfriend.
I was her probation officer, too.
That's how we met.
I helped her through a tough time in her life, and we kind of fell in love.
Anyway, she's in this line of business.
She works as an entertainer, and she and I were thinking about becoming proprietors.
Great.
Here's the thing.
There's a liquor license involved here, and Mandy's got a drug conviction, so I've got to buy the license, which is almost as expensive as the building.
And we got a lot of forms and legal stuff we don't understand: A contract-- you need help? If you're offering, yeah.
Don't do that.
Excuse me? If you have a problem with me or the way I'm handling my probation, then tell the judge, and we'll sort it out in court.
Well, if that's the way you want to play it You may not like what I have to say to judge handley on Friday.
Is there any information that may reflect adversely on you in connection with your nomination for the federal judiciary? Not that I know of.
Any business partner or family member who has had problems with the law? If you're talking about my son He has a criminal record? He was convicted of a misdemeanor drug possession charge and sentenced to probation and community service, but, as I say, he's got that under control now.
Judge: I am sentencing you to 1,500 hours of community service, using your skills as a corporate attorney to work as a child advocate.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Masterson You spoke to my probation officer? Excuse me? You told him about the meetings I missed? I've got to report into the probation department.
Nick, it's part of the requirement.
Lulu: Hey, Nick! Come here.
You want to hear something funny? [Muttering.]
Why not? So I was just sitting with this wedding planner, and, uh UghA wedding planner.
Um, she starts asking me whether or not I want swans to swim in the pool at Brian's country club.
Swans.
Yeah, swans.
And then she goes on to say that they do occasionally make a little bit of poo-poo in the pool.
And I started laughing, and she gave me a look, and it made me laugh even harder.
OhShe quit.
And she's a friend of Brian's family, and he's gonna be kind of mad when he gets into town tomorrow.
Well, I'm sure he'll forgive you.
Oh, anyway, my friend Kate is throwing us an engagement party this Friday night, and I'd really like for you to come.
This is a termination of parental rights petition.
Yeah.
[Cracks knuckles.]
When did you receive it? Last week.
Says you've just been released from prison.
Mm-hmm.
4 months ago.
I was in for third-degree murder.
Uh, Mr.
hinkins, did you continue to keep up contact with your daughter? Yeah.
I called twice a week, wrote 4 times a month, sent gifts.
And since you've been released from prison? I got a job, an apartment in her school district, I've met all my parole requirements.
Ok.
My ex-wife and her new husband won't let me see Tess, my daughter.
Last time I go over there, my ex-wife comes out and tells me her new husband's adopting Tess, they're moving to Minnesota, and I should get the hell out of there, or she's calling the cops.
Then I got that form in the mail.
Well, the hearing's tomorrow morning.
I'll meet you outside the courtroom.
Thanks for bringing him by, man.
No problem.
Smoking pot in my house with a 19-year-old girl? Come in my office.
You are under home detention.
Do you know what that means? If that truant officer hadn't known me, he'd have called the police instead.
You'd have ended up in youth detention instantly.
I'm not messing around here, levi.
You've been living with me for less than a month, and I've already let things slide.
You're not gonna call the cops, are you? I got a full day ahead of me.
You're gonna sit here until I'm done.
What, in your office? Until I'm done, you're not moving.
I don't want you going to the bathroom without asking me.
Uncle James, man, you-- don't you move.
Burton: Richard Stanton was a fair, solid guy, who could laugh at a joke and wasn't afraid to have a drink in the afternoon.
He loved the pirates And he, uh He loved his family.
So it's my honor to be the first person to call this space the, uh Judge Richard Stanton courtroom.
[Applause.]
I appreciate your being here, Nicholas.
Well, you did a good job.
Yeah? I was a little nervous.
It didn't show.
Really? Yeah.
Dad, uh My probation officer's probably gonna write me up on a couple of technical violations.
I have a hearing in front of judge handley this Friday.
God Listen, this federal bench thing.
Yeah? You still want to do it? Yeah.
Man: Burton, Burton fallin.
Great job.
Hey, how are you, Ralph? Good to see you.
Thanks for coming.
[Woman laughing.]
Sorry I'm late.
Hey! Nick fallin, Mandy gressler.
Nick's volunteered to help out with the deal.
[Clears throat.]
You're a lawyer? Yes.
I hope you know what you're doing.
We can buy the building for $100,000.
The liquor license is gonna be another 75.
Who's financing this? I got my loan through bellefield union.
And I got the other half covered.
This is a nice place, mister Fallin.
Dale tell you who we're doing business with? No.
Lenny getkin.
He's not the type of guy who hires expensive lawyers to do his deals, if you know what I mean.
No, I don't.
Well, if I were you, I'd walk in with one of these [Mandy giggles.]
Instead of that pen.
Petrocki: Come on.
She's kidding.
Here's the contract.
Well, this requires you to put 4,000 down in good faith and carries a 10-day escrow.
Ok.
Not really.
to perform the due diligence, particularly with the liquor license.
Mandy's already taken care of all that.
I've arranged all the physical inspections, checked out the permits, the parking, and the kitchen.
It's all set.
[Petrocki laughs.]
All except the liquor license.
I do more than just take off my clothes, Mr.
fallin.
[Chuckling.]
You're buying a strip club? A gentlemen's club.
Oh, sorry.
[Indistinct chatter.]
So where's this baby-sitter? Don't worry.
He'll be here.
Not him.
Him.
Ha ha ha! Jimmy! Ha ha! My man, my man.
Hey, you lookin' good, man, real good.
Well, I'm hittin' the gym a little.
I'm benchin' 225.
You look good, too, Jimmy.
Thanks, man.
Yeah.
[Chuckles.]
This the boy? Yes.
TophLevi.
Levi, toph.
What up, toph? You'll call me "Mr.
Nance.
" Sorry I'm late, James.
I stopped by his school.
What was you doin' at my school, man? Was I speakin' to you? No.
Then don't be jawbonin'.
I got the assignments he missed today.
They're gonna send us both e-mails whenever he has homework.
Thanks, man.
This sucks.
Where you goin', jawbone? I'm about to go hang out with some friends.
No, no, no.
Only friend you got to worry about is right here, levi.
You got that? Yeah.
You got busted for pot.
You run with drug people, it's only a matter of time before you're all in jail or dead.
So what you want me to do, man? Just say no? He's a funny boy.
How old are you, jawbone? Mmm.
Summer I was 17, got pretty friendly with this white guy, Steve, who always had good drugs.
Labor day weekend, he has a party that just won't quit-- girls comin' and goin', kegs.
We barbecuin' and playin' records.
And at that party, this other guy, dancer, starts pushin' Steve around.
And I pull dancer off, you know, 'cause I think Steve is my friend.
And we get into it.
And dancer reaches into his pocket and points a gun at me.
I reach out to push it away.
And it goes off.
I look down, and damn if there isn't a hole in me.
Steve and all those guys I thought were down with me, they run.
I'm dyin', and they run 'cause they think the cops are comin'.
And so what happened? Bullet went through my gut Into my spine.
I'm not gonna walk again.
I take a dump in a colostomy bag.
I can't even feel my own Johnson.
'Cause I was a badass.
Went to stick up for my boys.
Heh heh.
Now, you got assignments in American history and algebra ii, jawbone.
After we eat, we go back to my house And you do them.
You got a problem? No.
N-no, I don't got a problem, Mr.
Nance.
Good.
All right.
Levi, what do you want to eat? Nothin', uh I'm not hungry.
No, no.
You got to eat somethin' so you can concentrate on your homework.
Uh, uhYeah.
Get them, uh, chicken fingers.
They got a lot of protein in them.
Are they gonna publish my name in a newspaper, or, uhPut my picture on a web site or somethin'? What happens next? Trial's set for July 10th.
Oh, can't we get that resolved sooner? You can try to plead out.
Well, can you help me with that? You're gonna need to hire a criminal attorney.
I mean, I don't want to get anybody else involved in this.
I mean, if Lulu finds out about this, Nick It would kill her.
Ok.
Come on.
Let me pay you for doin' this.
Let's-- Paul: You did well, Burton.
The committee was impressed.
Oh.
Good, good.
Tell you the truth, I was a little surprised they wanted to meet with me.
They were impressed.
Good.
So, what, uh What's next? This is a political appointment, so you have to be ready to get political.
WellI understand.
You should consider the members of your firm that might hurt your chances and look at any organizations you belong to or habits you have that may make you vulnerable to scrutiny.
You have something in mind, tom? Bob dole quit smoking when he ran for president.
[Chuckles.]
Well, I'm not, uh I'm not running for president.
But you may run into tobacco issues.
Oh, that's a lot of crap.
What--what else? Riverbrook country club.
Been a member there No Jews, no African-Americans, and a gender bias against women.
Oh, tom.
You can't be serious.
One of your associates Sylvia doucette.
Yeah? What do you think of her? She's good.
Real estate attorney.
Does a good job for us.
Is she partner material? Possible, but we're not planning to add any new partners until next year.
Sylvia doucette is very active in the allegheny county bar association.
She has good contacts in the mayor's office.
Yeah, I know.
I understand, tom, but you're, uh You're not pushing her on me because she's a black woman, are you? She graduated third in her law class at Cornell.
She's reputed to be a top-drawer negotiator, and as it happens, if she were a partner, the judiciary appointment committee will never have to ask why all your partners are straight white men.
Because they won't be.
Right.
Right.
[Sighs.]
Mandy: I know what you're thinking, Mr.
fallin.
But everything's gonna change The carpet, the stage, the sound system.
I'm gonna buy a bunch of nagel prints and hang 'em all over the club.
Isn't she something? This place is gonna be great when she gets done with it.
Lenny.
This is our lawyer.
Nick fallin.
Fancy outfit.
You, too.
So, where we at? My, uh, clients have agreed to the 175.
What? Sorry.
I couldn't hear you.
My clients have agreed to the 175.
Ok! So before we make this official, I need to see your books.
No, I'm not gonna do that.
Well, how do we know what your numbers are? You do the math.
Uh Mr.
getkin Lenny.
Lenny.
You won't show us your books, and you can't prove to us what your revenue stream is, so we can't give you what you're asking for.
Tell you what, I'll open my books if your clients sign the contract.
What? I'll open my books If your clients [Louder.]
Sign the contract.
No.
Can't do that.
If they sign the contract, then you get the hand money.
That's the way it works.
No.
It's not.
Can't we work somethin' out? I wouldn't sign.
What am I on the hook for if I sign? The complete deposit-- $4,000.
[Chuckles.]
What the hell, huh? [Giggles.]
Huh? [Laughing.]
Let's do this thing.
It's called a culotte steak.
Only place in town they serve this particular cut.
What do you think? It's fine.
Mr.
fallin, what's up? Well, I just wanted a chance to tell you how much I admire your professionalism and tell you that your contribution to the firm is, uh Outstanding.
Thank you.
We're thinkin' about the next generation of management So I was lookin' around, and I thought, um Sylvia doucette.
What's on your mind, Burton? We had a meeting of the partnership committee last night.
We'd like to make you a non-equity partner.
Non-equity.
Yeah.
The same as equity, except you don't get to share in the profits of the firm and you don't get to vote on major decisions, but [Chuckling.]
Other than that "Other than that.
" No, it's a It's a stepping stone.
Gives us a chance to see how you perform on the next level.
Everything goes well, you could be an equity partner next year.
A lot of firms do this.
Your firm doesn't.
Sylvia, this is, um This is an excellent opportunity.
For you.
I've heard about the federal bench, and I've looked around at a lot of the associates.
And the only other woman quit, and you and I both know the only other person of color, Pete marston, is a goof.
You want to make me a partner, make me a partner.
Yummy.
[Chuckles.]
Lulu: Mrs.
stowe, why do you want to terminate your ex-husband's parental rights? Lawrence is Tess' dad now, not Bobby.
Lawrence has been there for her, supported her financially, and been a great dad to her.
And Tess loves Lawrence like a father.
How does Tess feel about Mr.
hinkins? She's afraid of him.
She knows what he did and how he was before he went to prison.
She's afraid to be around him.
Are there any other reasons for doing this? Lawrence got a job at 3-m in Minnesota.
We want to move there as a family.
Unless Bobby's rights are legally terminated, of course, Lawrence can't adopt her.
And how will terminating Bobby's rights affect Tess' life? It won't.
He's never had a hand in raising her.
He never sees her.
She never speaks to him.
No further questions.
Mrs.
stowe, you said, uh Bobby plays no role in Tess' life.
Yes.
Isn't that because you won't let him? He's not a good influence.
Last week he called to talk to Tess 11 times.
Did you let him? No.
He stopped by in person 4 times in the last month, twice with gifts, right? Yes.
Did you let him see her? No.
Did you let her know that he stopped by to see her? No.
Did you at least give her the gifts that he left for her? He killed 2 men in a bar.
He's a violent man who should not be around Did you give Tess the gifts that he left for her?! No! Mr.
hinkins, since you were released, what have you done to be able to support Tess and spend time with her? I got a job, which, after 90 days, has a health insurance plan that kicks in.
And I got an apartment-- It's in the same school district she'd go to if she was in public school.
Were you close to your daughter before you went to prison? I'm not gonna lie.
I was a drunk, and I had some problems.
But when I was with her, I did hold her.
And I made money to take care of her.
And I made sure she was safe.
No further questions.
Mr.
hinkins, from June 4, 1994, until march 11th of this year, you were unable to see Tess.
Is that correct? That's correct.
Is it true that Philip nespor, age 21, and Hank thumann, age 30, were killed by you in a bar fight? Objection! Relevance.
It goes to parenting ability.
Overruled.
You may answer.
It's true.
Is this a photograph of the crime scene? Objection.
More prejudicial than probative.
We're establishing grounds to terminate his parental rights.
Overruled.
That's it.
That's it.
This the file? I'll take a look at it.
Ok? Toph.
Give me a second.
Yeah, sure, no problem.
What happened? Yesterday, comes over, does the assignment, no problem.
Today he just had a story to read for English.
Ok? So he says he read it.
He splits.
No problem.
I got a chronic pain from the bullet that I treat with painkillers, ok? And a half hour after he leaves, I get a flare, and I go to my bathroom.
He's cleaned me out.
He stole your prescription drugs? Sure did.
He'll get about 500 bucks for them on the street.
Hi, Tess.
Hi.
That's a nice purse.
Thank you.
Where'd you get it? My mom's husband Lawrence.
Tess, how often does your father call you? He doesn't call.
Does he write you letters? He used to, but not anymore.
No, that's not true.
I write you every week, Tess.
Mr.
hinkins, uh, please sit down.
But it's not true.
Sit.
What do you think of your father? I'm afraid of him, because of his temper, and because of what he did.
No further questions.
Tess, have you ever spent any time with your father? Not really.
Then how do you know to be afraid of him? My mom.
I have no more questions.
Boy: So you know I got the number.
Of course, of course! Yeah, yeah.
Levi.
So, what, you a thief now, stealin' pills from toph? Who told you that, man? Who do you think told me? I didn't steal anything, ok? What you think, I'm stupid? The man has 2 bottles of prescription painkillers when you show up and none when you left.
What are you talkin' about, I took, like, 3 pills.
All right! Levi, stopLying.
You can't tell me what to do, man.
The hell I can't.
Thinks he runs things! Sit your asses down.
LookI'm not scared of you, man.
What, you callin' me out? Did you hear what he said? No, I got this.
I got this.
You couldn't take me, old-timer.
You want to find out? You better shut your face before somethin' happen to you.
Boy: Hey [Chuckles.]
Get in the car.
You crazy.
Get in the car.
I ain't gettin' in no car.
Get in the car! Don't touch me like that! Get in the car! Don't touch me-- get in the car! Bailiff: All rise.
Bailiff: Be seated.
Mr.
hinkins, given your criminal background, your long incarceration, and the close-knit family that your daughter accepts as her own, I find that the grounds of abandonment and parental incapacity are established, and that Tess' needs and welfare are served by terminating your parental rights.
I served my time-- I did it for her.
Worked in the metal shop, got my high school diploma.
I knew what would be waiting for me when I got out.
I knew the whole world would be against me.
But I had my daughter, Mr.
fallin.
You don't understand a thing I'm saying.
You don't get it.
I'm sorry.
Are you? Scary thing is, Mr.
fallin You're the only person that's given me the time of day since I've gotten out-- the only person.
Ah, what's the point, really, huh? What's the point of any of this? James: Came to this place every day after school.
This place--don, gene, give me a minute? Levi: What the hell, man? Take your shoes off.
Why? Your jewelryOff.
Put some head gear on him.
Matter of fact, I don't even need head gear.
Put these on.
Lace 'em up.
I spoke to the prosecutor.
He's agreed to a $600 fine and 3 weeks of John's school.
That's it? Yes.
I owe you one, man.
I really do.
Slap on the wrist, huh? You know what's ridiculous about this whole thing? And I'm sure that everyone says this, but it truly was my first time to do something like that.
I mean, I have no idea what got into my head.
I mean, I think it was probably just the pressure, you know, of being in med school and being engaged, and, you know, just kind of snapped.
Don't try to be my friend.
I did this for Lulu.
Ok.
Wanna get something to eat? No, I'm gonna go.
Brian.
Hey, sweetheart.
When'd you get into town? Just this morning.
Really? Well, what's going on? What are you two doing-- well, I was gonna surprise you.
Hello.
Hello, Mary.
But, anyway, well, here you are.
So Nick and I were just talking about the party, and he was giving me recommendations for hotels for out-of-town guests.
Why don't you guys join us.
Come on.
You did a good job for Bobby hinkins today.
Nick, look, we gotta talk.
Excuse me.
They won't give Mandy-- just excuse us, please.
Please excuse us.
What is it? What is it? Mandy didn't get the loan.
She said the guy at the bank found some old debt-- a credit card or something.
They won't give her the money! She can go to another bank.
She--you know, she did all that.
They're not giving her a cent.
Nobody.
Am I gonna lose my money? You signed a contract.
Yeah, yeah, you have to talk to Lenny again.
You get me an extension.
I did what you asked me.
You know what? I'm asking again.
Alvin, you've met my probation officer.
Dale petrocki, Alvin Masterson.
The police came by the office to see you.
Bobby hinkins kidnapped his daughter this afternoon.
They want you to carry this pager number in case he tries to contact you.
Come on, then.
The time's up that round.
Why don't you go with that footwork right there, huh? Huh? Come on, tough guy.
Show me what you got, hard ass.
Old timer, old man, you sure you want the fast hands? Or you want the fast feet? All that cute stuff.
All right, tough guy.
That's all you got? Hmm? Don't hold back! Whoo! Oh, come on.
I didn't even hit you that hard.
[Grunting.]
I didn't mean to hit you that hard.
Go ahead and turn me in, man.
I don't need to live with you.
Yeah.
Yeah, you do.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Yeah? What is it? The contract my client signed-- [cash register opens.]
Yeah? Well, if I wanted to challenge that in court, there's no legal consideration there.
What are you saying? What I'm saying is my client wants his money back.
You made the deal.
You knew the terms.
I still have a few days left.
You have to fix this thing.
Which bank was Mandy dealing with? P.
A.
Savings and loan.
Can you go down there, smooth things out? I can't make them give her a loan.
No, but you can try, Nick, can't you? You can try! I'm so wild about you [siren in distance.]
Hey.
Sorry.
What are you doing here so late? I had some paperwork to finish up.
Uh, Brian's been telling me how you've been going out of your way to help with the party.
Oh.
Yeah.
You know, I thought you'd change your mind about him.
Lulu-- I waited outside her school, and when she came out, I told her to get in my car.
That her mom had asked me to give her a ride home.
She was scared at first, but She calmed down.
I'm in trouble, right? Given the circumstances, you'll probably serve out the rest of your sentence.
yeah, I figured.
Boy, kids change fast.
Lot of things we couldn't talk about on a monitored phone call we got to talk about.
You need to call your parole officer.
Oh, I already did.
I told him to come down here.
We had a good time.
We went to waffle-a-teria.
It's all-you-can-eat Thursday.
And we drove around.
I wanted to show her where I grew up.
It's now an apartment building, but it used to be my home.
[Sirens approaching.]
Maybe that lady can give Tess a ride back home, huh? Yeah.
So she doesn't have to see this.
Sure.
Tess, this lady's gonna give you a ride home now.
Ok.
Lulu: Ok.
Tess? It was I hope I didn't scare you.
You didn't.
Good.
That's really good.
Bye.
Bye, Tess.
Bye.
I was just over at p.
A.
Savings and loan.
I talked to a guy.
They're gonna help? [Sighs.]
Mandy never applied for the loan.
What are you talking about? DaleShe ripped you off With Lenny.
What? She never tried to get a loan.
I want you to come with me and get my money back.
Lenny is not the kind of guy that's gonna give it to you if you ask him.
You come with me, and I'll give you a totally clean slate at the review, and I'll never mention another infraction.
James, do you have the stone file? What happened? We was just working some stuff out.
WeTook it into the ring.
You did this? You got a minute, James? You've taken custody of an at-risk child with a bad background, and you're encouraging him to resolve his problems with violence? It's not violence.
It's boxing.
James, I think you need to check into a parenting class.
I do things the way I do things.
Levi's not a client, and we weren't in the office.
What's his problem? Nothing.
Petrocki: Why did you lie to me?! I didn't! Why did you lie to me?! You're still on the drugs, aren't you? No, baby.
You sleeping with him, too? You sleeping with that guy?! What are you talking about?! Mandy, tell me you're not still with this guy, please.
Dale, I'm sorry.
I just-- I owe him money, and I didn't want to tell you.
I love you, baby.
Come on! Give me my money back.
Get it from your girlfriend.
Give me that money! She put it up her nose.
You know what? I'll fix you good.
You know what? I got friends on the force.
I'll bring this whole place down, and you with it.
Dale-- no, you can't.
You couldn't even make it as a cop! Whoa! Nick: Oh! [Grunting.]
[Gunshot.]
What are you gonna do? Put the gun down.
What are you gonna do? I'm gonna pull the fire alarm, and I'm gonna walk straight out of here.
[Alarm ringing.]
I'm not quitting, tom.
Fair enough.
And I'm not gonna resign my membership to the club, and I'm not gonna treat my son any differently or run my firm any differently, so if that costs me the opportunity, well, so be it.
You've made the short list.
I did? You, John goldfarb, and Linda salganicoff.
The d.
A.
'S going for this? Goldfarb's been angling for this position for a while.
Congratulations, Burton.
So, where do we, uh, where do we go from here? Another round of interviews.
A little more scrutiny, and then, with luck, a nomination.
Little more scrutiny.
If you're going to sit on the bench, you'll need to be vetted.
Yeah.
You ready for this? [Chuckles.]
I guess so.
You're ready.
Well, thanks, tom.
Thanks for everything.
I appreciate it.
I'll see you soon.
[Knock on door.]
Yeah? Hey.
Well, I've just-- you better close that door, son.
Well, I've just been informed that I made the short list for the federal bench.
I'll announce it to the firm later today.
You know, Nicholas, it might get a little bit ugly around here.
If I leave, there's gonna be quite a battle over who's running this place.
So I might need your help for damage control, ok? Yeah.
Now, the other thing is if I'm gonna get this appointment, I've got to distance myself from your legal problems.
I won't be able to be here for you like I have been.
That's not gonna be a problem.
You off the hook? It's not gonna be a problem.
Good.
Ok, now, every time you laugh, it means another year of a long and happy marriage.
Stop.
Ok, I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me.
Oh, come on.
Come on.
I laughed a lot.
I'd like to make a toast.
Thank you.
To Louisa.
You make me the proudest man in this room In this city.
And, uh, speaking of this city, all of you know that Lulu's been lobbying pretty hard for us to stay here in Pittsburgh, so we've been looking around town, and we found a house we liked.
And our offer was accepted.
[Cheering.]
You've got something on your collar.
It looks like blood.
It's already set.
There's nothing you can do about it now.
There's nothing you can do.
I've been sitting in here all night, and I don't know anybody else in this city, other than Louisa, and you're a lawyer-- what happened? Well All right, I was driving in from Columbus last night, right? For the engagement party.
I was gonna surprise Louisa a day early, and when I got in town and called her, she was out, so I went to grab a drink and had a few, and when I was sitting at the bar, I bumped into this girl.
We started talking.
You didn't know she was a hooker? I'll find out when you're supposed to go in front of the judge.
And I'll see what I can do.
Paul: We just have to ask a few preliminary questions regarding your application to the federal bench.
Name and date of birth? Burton fallin.
September 13, 1933.
Are you married? I was-- August 16, 1965.
Have you been divorced? I am divorced, in 1980.
Children? I have one son-- Nicholas, 32.
He works as an associate in my law firm.
Morning, Gretchen.
Dale.
I talked to Alvin Masterson.
Yeah? Says you missed Yeah, I had a very big case here, and a lot of work at the clinic.
It won't happen again.
New York City, march 22.
Yeah.
Nick, you left the state.
It was a business meeting.
I flew in for 2 hours.
That's 3 technical violations, Nick.
When you first came into my office, I thought you were the least of my problems.
But I get these reports, and I start to think there must be other violations, so I check around, and you know what? I find a lot more.
A fight at the incline at 2:00 in the morning.
The incline, as I recall, is a drinking establishment.
So it's my guess that you were drinking.
Dealings with several legal services clients who are known drug users and felons, and no reports to me about these relationships.
Let's go to your office.
You know you got your periodic review coming up on Friday? Yes, I know.
My girlfriend.
I was her probation officer, too.
That's how we met.
I helped her through a tough time in her life, and we kind of fell in love.
Anyway, she's in this line of business.
She works as an entertainer, and she and I were thinking about becoming proprietors.
Great.
Here's the thing.
There's a liquor license involved here, and Mandy's got a drug conviction, so I've got to buy the license, which is almost as expensive as the building.
And we got a lot of forms and legal stuff we don't understand: A contract-- you need help? If you're offering, yeah.
Don't do that.
Excuse me? If you have a problem with me or the way I'm handling my probation, then tell the judge, and we'll sort it out in court.
Well, if that's the way you want to play it You may not like what I have to say to judge handley on Friday.
Is there any information that may reflect adversely on you in connection with your nomination for the federal judiciary? Not that I know of.
Any business partner or family member who has had problems with the law? If you're talking about my son He has a criminal record? He was convicted of a misdemeanor drug possession charge and sentenced to probation and community service, but, as I say, he's got that under control now.
Judge: I am sentencing you to 1,500 hours of community service, using your skills as a corporate attorney to work as a child advocate.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Masterson You spoke to my probation officer? Excuse me? You told him about the meetings I missed? I've got to report into the probation department.
Nick, it's part of the requirement.
Lulu: Hey, Nick! Come here.
You want to hear something funny? [Muttering.]
Why not? So I was just sitting with this wedding planner, and, uh UghA wedding planner.
Um, she starts asking me whether or not I want swans to swim in the pool at Brian's country club.
Swans.
Yeah, swans.
And then she goes on to say that they do occasionally make a little bit of poo-poo in the pool.
And I started laughing, and she gave me a look, and it made me laugh even harder.
OhShe quit.
And she's a friend of Brian's family, and he's gonna be kind of mad when he gets into town tomorrow.
Well, I'm sure he'll forgive you.
Oh, anyway, my friend Kate is throwing us an engagement party this Friday night, and I'd really like for you to come.
This is a termination of parental rights petition.
Yeah.
[Cracks knuckles.]
When did you receive it? Last week.
Says you've just been released from prison.
Mm-hmm.
4 months ago.
I was in for third-degree murder.
Uh, Mr.
hinkins, did you continue to keep up contact with your daughter? Yeah.
I called twice a week, wrote 4 times a month, sent gifts.
And since you've been released from prison? I got a job, an apartment in her school district, I've met all my parole requirements.
Ok.
My ex-wife and her new husband won't let me see Tess, my daughter.
Last time I go over there, my ex-wife comes out and tells me her new husband's adopting Tess, they're moving to Minnesota, and I should get the hell out of there, or she's calling the cops.
Then I got that form in the mail.
Well, the hearing's tomorrow morning.
I'll meet you outside the courtroom.
Thanks for bringing him by, man.
No problem.
Smoking pot in my house with a 19-year-old girl? Come in my office.
You are under home detention.
Do you know what that means? If that truant officer hadn't known me, he'd have called the police instead.
You'd have ended up in youth detention instantly.
I'm not messing around here, levi.
You've been living with me for less than a month, and I've already let things slide.
You're not gonna call the cops, are you? I got a full day ahead of me.
You're gonna sit here until I'm done.
What, in your office? Until I'm done, you're not moving.
I don't want you going to the bathroom without asking me.
Uncle James, man, you-- don't you move.
Burton: Richard Stanton was a fair, solid guy, who could laugh at a joke and wasn't afraid to have a drink in the afternoon.
He loved the pirates And he, uh He loved his family.
So it's my honor to be the first person to call this space the, uh Judge Richard Stanton courtroom.
[Applause.]
I appreciate your being here, Nicholas.
Well, you did a good job.
Yeah? I was a little nervous.
It didn't show.
Really? Yeah.
Dad, uh My probation officer's probably gonna write me up on a couple of technical violations.
I have a hearing in front of judge handley this Friday.
God Listen, this federal bench thing.
Yeah? You still want to do it? Yeah.
Man: Burton, Burton fallin.
Great job.
Hey, how are you, Ralph? Good to see you.
Thanks for coming.
[Woman laughing.]
Sorry I'm late.
Hey! Nick fallin, Mandy gressler.
Nick's volunteered to help out with the deal.
[Clears throat.]
You're a lawyer? Yes.
I hope you know what you're doing.
We can buy the building for $100,000.
The liquor license is gonna be another 75.
Who's financing this? I got my loan through bellefield union.
And I got the other half covered.
This is a nice place, mister Fallin.
Dale tell you who we're doing business with? No.
Lenny getkin.
He's not the type of guy who hires expensive lawyers to do his deals, if you know what I mean.
No, I don't.
Well, if I were you, I'd walk in with one of these [Mandy giggles.]
Instead of that pen.
Petrocki: Come on.
She's kidding.
Here's the contract.
Well, this requires you to put 4,000 down in good faith and carries a 10-day escrow.
Ok.
Not really.
to perform the due diligence, particularly with the liquor license.
Mandy's already taken care of all that.
I've arranged all the physical inspections, checked out the permits, the parking, and the kitchen.
It's all set.
[Petrocki laughs.]
All except the liquor license.
I do more than just take off my clothes, Mr.
fallin.
[Chuckling.]
You're buying a strip club? A gentlemen's club.
Oh, sorry.
[Indistinct chatter.]
So where's this baby-sitter? Don't worry.
He'll be here.
Not him.
Him.
Ha ha ha! Jimmy! Ha ha! My man, my man.
Hey, you lookin' good, man, real good.
Well, I'm hittin' the gym a little.
I'm benchin' 225.
You look good, too, Jimmy.
Thanks, man.
Yeah.
[Chuckles.]
This the boy? Yes.
TophLevi.
Levi, toph.
What up, toph? You'll call me "Mr.
Nance.
" Sorry I'm late, James.
I stopped by his school.
What was you doin' at my school, man? Was I speakin' to you? No.
Then don't be jawbonin'.
I got the assignments he missed today.
They're gonna send us both e-mails whenever he has homework.
Thanks, man.
This sucks.
Where you goin', jawbone? I'm about to go hang out with some friends.
No, no, no.
Only friend you got to worry about is right here, levi.
You got that? Yeah.
You got busted for pot.
You run with drug people, it's only a matter of time before you're all in jail or dead.
So what you want me to do, man? Just say no? He's a funny boy.
How old are you, jawbone? Mmm.
Summer I was 17, got pretty friendly with this white guy, Steve, who always had good drugs.
Labor day weekend, he has a party that just won't quit-- girls comin' and goin', kegs.
We barbecuin' and playin' records.
And at that party, this other guy, dancer, starts pushin' Steve around.
And I pull dancer off, you know, 'cause I think Steve is my friend.
And we get into it.
And dancer reaches into his pocket and points a gun at me.
I reach out to push it away.
And it goes off.
I look down, and damn if there isn't a hole in me.
Steve and all those guys I thought were down with me, they run.
I'm dyin', and they run 'cause they think the cops are comin'.
And so what happened? Bullet went through my gut Into my spine.
I'm not gonna walk again.
I take a dump in a colostomy bag.
I can't even feel my own Johnson.
'Cause I was a badass.
Went to stick up for my boys.
Heh heh.
Now, you got assignments in American history and algebra ii, jawbone.
After we eat, we go back to my house And you do them.
You got a problem? No.
N-no, I don't got a problem, Mr.
Nance.
Good.
All right.
Levi, what do you want to eat? Nothin', uh I'm not hungry.
No, no.
You got to eat somethin' so you can concentrate on your homework.
Uh, uhYeah.
Get them, uh, chicken fingers.
They got a lot of protein in them.
Are they gonna publish my name in a newspaper, or, uhPut my picture on a web site or somethin'? What happens next? Trial's set for July 10th.
Oh, can't we get that resolved sooner? You can try to plead out.
Well, can you help me with that? You're gonna need to hire a criminal attorney.
I mean, I don't want to get anybody else involved in this.
I mean, if Lulu finds out about this, Nick It would kill her.
Ok.
Come on.
Let me pay you for doin' this.
Let's-- Paul: You did well, Burton.
The committee was impressed.
Oh.
Good, good.
Tell you the truth, I was a little surprised they wanted to meet with me.
They were impressed.
Good.
So, what, uh What's next? This is a political appointment, so you have to be ready to get political.
WellI understand.
You should consider the members of your firm that might hurt your chances and look at any organizations you belong to or habits you have that may make you vulnerable to scrutiny.
You have something in mind, tom? Bob dole quit smoking when he ran for president.
[Chuckles.]
Well, I'm not, uh I'm not running for president.
But you may run into tobacco issues.
Oh, that's a lot of crap.
What--what else? Riverbrook country club.
Been a member there No Jews, no African-Americans, and a gender bias against women.
Oh, tom.
You can't be serious.
One of your associates Sylvia doucette.
Yeah? What do you think of her? She's good.
Real estate attorney.
Does a good job for us.
Is she partner material? Possible, but we're not planning to add any new partners until next year.
Sylvia doucette is very active in the allegheny county bar association.
She has good contacts in the mayor's office.
Yeah, I know.
I understand, tom, but you're, uh You're not pushing her on me because she's a black woman, are you? She graduated third in her law class at Cornell.
She's reputed to be a top-drawer negotiator, and as it happens, if she were a partner, the judiciary appointment committee will never have to ask why all your partners are straight white men.
Because they won't be.
Right.
Right.
[Sighs.]
Mandy: I know what you're thinking, Mr.
fallin.
But everything's gonna change The carpet, the stage, the sound system.
I'm gonna buy a bunch of nagel prints and hang 'em all over the club.
Isn't she something? This place is gonna be great when she gets done with it.
Lenny.
This is our lawyer.
Nick fallin.
Fancy outfit.
You, too.
So, where we at? My, uh, clients have agreed to the 175.
What? Sorry.
I couldn't hear you.
My clients have agreed to the 175.
Ok! So before we make this official, I need to see your books.
No, I'm not gonna do that.
Well, how do we know what your numbers are? You do the math.
Uh Mr.
getkin Lenny.
Lenny.
You won't show us your books, and you can't prove to us what your revenue stream is, so we can't give you what you're asking for.
Tell you what, I'll open my books if your clients sign the contract.
What? I'll open my books If your clients [Louder.]
Sign the contract.
No.
Can't do that.
If they sign the contract, then you get the hand money.
That's the way it works.
No.
It's not.
Can't we work somethin' out? I wouldn't sign.
What am I on the hook for if I sign? The complete deposit-- $4,000.
[Chuckles.]
What the hell, huh? [Giggles.]
Huh? [Laughing.]
Let's do this thing.
It's called a culotte steak.
Only place in town they serve this particular cut.
What do you think? It's fine.
Mr.
fallin, what's up? Well, I just wanted a chance to tell you how much I admire your professionalism and tell you that your contribution to the firm is, uh Outstanding.
Thank you.
We're thinkin' about the next generation of management So I was lookin' around, and I thought, um Sylvia doucette.
What's on your mind, Burton? We had a meeting of the partnership committee last night.
We'd like to make you a non-equity partner.
Non-equity.
Yeah.
The same as equity, except you don't get to share in the profits of the firm and you don't get to vote on major decisions, but [Chuckling.]
Other than that "Other than that.
" No, it's a It's a stepping stone.
Gives us a chance to see how you perform on the next level.
Everything goes well, you could be an equity partner next year.
A lot of firms do this.
Your firm doesn't.
Sylvia, this is, um This is an excellent opportunity.
For you.
I've heard about the federal bench, and I've looked around at a lot of the associates.
And the only other woman quit, and you and I both know the only other person of color, Pete marston, is a goof.
You want to make me a partner, make me a partner.
Yummy.
[Chuckles.]
Lulu: Mrs.
stowe, why do you want to terminate your ex-husband's parental rights? Lawrence is Tess' dad now, not Bobby.
Lawrence has been there for her, supported her financially, and been a great dad to her.
And Tess loves Lawrence like a father.
How does Tess feel about Mr.
hinkins? She's afraid of him.
She knows what he did and how he was before he went to prison.
She's afraid to be around him.
Are there any other reasons for doing this? Lawrence got a job at 3-m in Minnesota.
We want to move there as a family.
Unless Bobby's rights are legally terminated, of course, Lawrence can't adopt her.
And how will terminating Bobby's rights affect Tess' life? It won't.
He's never had a hand in raising her.
He never sees her.
She never speaks to him.
No further questions.
Mrs.
stowe, you said, uh Bobby plays no role in Tess' life.
Yes.
Isn't that because you won't let him? He's not a good influence.
Last week he called to talk to Tess 11 times.
Did you let him? No.
He stopped by in person 4 times in the last month, twice with gifts, right? Yes.
Did you let him see her? No.
Did you let her know that he stopped by to see her? No.
Did you at least give her the gifts that he left for her? He killed 2 men in a bar.
He's a violent man who should not be around Did you give Tess the gifts that he left for her?! No! Mr.
hinkins, since you were released, what have you done to be able to support Tess and spend time with her? I got a job, which, after 90 days, has a health insurance plan that kicks in.
And I got an apartment-- It's in the same school district she'd go to if she was in public school.
Were you close to your daughter before you went to prison? I'm not gonna lie.
I was a drunk, and I had some problems.
But when I was with her, I did hold her.
And I made money to take care of her.
And I made sure she was safe.
No further questions.
Mr.
hinkins, from June 4, 1994, until march 11th of this year, you were unable to see Tess.
Is that correct? That's correct.
Is it true that Philip nespor, age 21, and Hank thumann, age 30, were killed by you in a bar fight? Objection! Relevance.
It goes to parenting ability.
Overruled.
You may answer.
It's true.
Is this a photograph of the crime scene? Objection.
More prejudicial than probative.
We're establishing grounds to terminate his parental rights.
Overruled.
That's it.
That's it.
This the file? I'll take a look at it.
Ok? Toph.
Give me a second.
Yeah, sure, no problem.
What happened? Yesterday, comes over, does the assignment, no problem.
Today he just had a story to read for English.
Ok? So he says he read it.
He splits.
No problem.
I got a chronic pain from the bullet that I treat with painkillers, ok? And a half hour after he leaves, I get a flare, and I go to my bathroom.
He's cleaned me out.
He stole your prescription drugs? Sure did.
He'll get about 500 bucks for them on the street.
Hi, Tess.
Hi.
That's a nice purse.
Thank you.
Where'd you get it? My mom's husband Lawrence.
Tess, how often does your father call you? He doesn't call.
Does he write you letters? He used to, but not anymore.
No, that's not true.
I write you every week, Tess.
Mr.
hinkins, uh, please sit down.
But it's not true.
Sit.
What do you think of your father? I'm afraid of him, because of his temper, and because of what he did.
No further questions.
Tess, have you ever spent any time with your father? Not really.
Then how do you know to be afraid of him? My mom.
I have no more questions.
Boy: So you know I got the number.
Of course, of course! Yeah, yeah.
Levi.
So, what, you a thief now, stealin' pills from toph? Who told you that, man? Who do you think told me? I didn't steal anything, ok? What you think, I'm stupid? The man has 2 bottles of prescription painkillers when you show up and none when you left.
What are you talkin' about, I took, like, 3 pills.
All right! Levi, stopLying.
You can't tell me what to do, man.
The hell I can't.
Thinks he runs things! Sit your asses down.
LookI'm not scared of you, man.
What, you callin' me out? Did you hear what he said? No, I got this.
I got this.
You couldn't take me, old-timer.
You want to find out? You better shut your face before somethin' happen to you.
Boy: Hey [Chuckles.]
Get in the car.
You crazy.
Get in the car.
I ain't gettin' in no car.
Get in the car! Don't touch me like that! Get in the car! Don't touch me-- get in the car! Bailiff: All rise.
Bailiff: Be seated.
Mr.
hinkins, given your criminal background, your long incarceration, and the close-knit family that your daughter accepts as her own, I find that the grounds of abandonment and parental incapacity are established, and that Tess' needs and welfare are served by terminating your parental rights.
I served my time-- I did it for her.
Worked in the metal shop, got my high school diploma.
I knew what would be waiting for me when I got out.
I knew the whole world would be against me.
But I had my daughter, Mr.
fallin.
You don't understand a thing I'm saying.
You don't get it.
I'm sorry.
Are you? Scary thing is, Mr.
fallin You're the only person that's given me the time of day since I've gotten out-- the only person.
Ah, what's the point, really, huh? What's the point of any of this? James: Came to this place every day after school.
This place--don, gene, give me a minute? Levi: What the hell, man? Take your shoes off.
Why? Your jewelryOff.
Put some head gear on him.
Matter of fact, I don't even need head gear.
Put these on.
Lace 'em up.
I spoke to the prosecutor.
He's agreed to a $600 fine and 3 weeks of John's school.
That's it? Yes.
I owe you one, man.
I really do.
Slap on the wrist, huh? You know what's ridiculous about this whole thing? And I'm sure that everyone says this, but it truly was my first time to do something like that.
I mean, I have no idea what got into my head.
I mean, I think it was probably just the pressure, you know, of being in med school and being engaged, and, you know, just kind of snapped.
Don't try to be my friend.
I did this for Lulu.
Ok.
Wanna get something to eat? No, I'm gonna go.
Brian.
Hey, sweetheart.
When'd you get into town? Just this morning.
Really? Well, what's going on? What are you two doing-- well, I was gonna surprise you.
Hello.
Hello, Mary.
But, anyway, well, here you are.
So Nick and I were just talking about the party, and he was giving me recommendations for hotels for out-of-town guests.
Why don't you guys join us.
Come on.
You did a good job for Bobby hinkins today.
Nick, look, we gotta talk.
Excuse me.
They won't give Mandy-- just excuse us, please.
Please excuse us.
What is it? What is it? Mandy didn't get the loan.
She said the guy at the bank found some old debt-- a credit card or something.
They won't give her the money! She can go to another bank.
She--you know, she did all that.
They're not giving her a cent.
Nobody.
Am I gonna lose my money? You signed a contract.
Yeah, yeah, you have to talk to Lenny again.
You get me an extension.
I did what you asked me.
You know what? I'm asking again.
Alvin, you've met my probation officer.
Dale petrocki, Alvin Masterson.
The police came by the office to see you.
Bobby hinkins kidnapped his daughter this afternoon.
They want you to carry this pager number in case he tries to contact you.
Come on, then.
The time's up that round.
Why don't you go with that footwork right there, huh? Huh? Come on, tough guy.
Show me what you got, hard ass.
Old timer, old man, you sure you want the fast hands? Or you want the fast feet? All that cute stuff.
All right, tough guy.
That's all you got? Hmm? Don't hold back! Whoo! Oh, come on.
I didn't even hit you that hard.
[Grunting.]
I didn't mean to hit you that hard.
Go ahead and turn me in, man.
I don't need to live with you.
Yeah.
Yeah, you do.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Yeah? What is it? The contract my client signed-- [cash register opens.]
Yeah? Well, if I wanted to challenge that in court, there's no legal consideration there.
What are you saying? What I'm saying is my client wants his money back.
You made the deal.
You knew the terms.
I still have a few days left.
You have to fix this thing.
Which bank was Mandy dealing with? P.
A.
Savings and loan.
Can you go down there, smooth things out? I can't make them give her a loan.
No, but you can try, Nick, can't you? You can try! I'm so wild about you [siren in distance.]
Hey.
Sorry.
What are you doing here so late? I had some paperwork to finish up.
Uh, Brian's been telling me how you've been going out of your way to help with the party.
Oh.
Yeah.
You know, I thought you'd change your mind about him.
Lulu-- I waited outside her school, and when she came out, I told her to get in my car.
That her mom had asked me to give her a ride home.
She was scared at first, but She calmed down.
I'm in trouble, right? Given the circumstances, you'll probably serve out the rest of your sentence.
yeah, I figured.
Boy, kids change fast.
Lot of things we couldn't talk about on a monitored phone call we got to talk about.
You need to call your parole officer.
Oh, I already did.
I told him to come down here.
We had a good time.
We went to waffle-a-teria.
It's all-you-can-eat Thursday.
And we drove around.
I wanted to show her where I grew up.
It's now an apartment building, but it used to be my home.
[Sirens approaching.]
Maybe that lady can give Tess a ride back home, huh? Yeah.
So she doesn't have to see this.
Sure.
Tess, this lady's gonna give you a ride home now.
Ok.
Lulu: Ok.
Tess? It was I hope I didn't scare you.
You didn't.
Good.
That's really good.
Bye.
Bye, Tess.
Bye.
I was just over at p.
A.
Savings and loan.
I talked to a guy.
They're gonna help? [Sighs.]
Mandy never applied for the loan.
What are you talking about? DaleShe ripped you off With Lenny.
What? She never tried to get a loan.
I want you to come with me and get my money back.
Lenny is not the kind of guy that's gonna give it to you if you ask him.
You come with me, and I'll give you a totally clean slate at the review, and I'll never mention another infraction.
James, do you have the stone file? What happened? We was just working some stuff out.
WeTook it into the ring.
You did this? You got a minute, James? You've taken custody of an at-risk child with a bad background, and you're encouraging him to resolve his problems with violence? It's not violence.
It's boxing.
James, I think you need to check into a parenting class.
I do things the way I do things.
Levi's not a client, and we weren't in the office.
What's his problem? Nothing.
Petrocki: Why did you lie to me?! I didn't! Why did you lie to me?! You're still on the drugs, aren't you? No, baby.
You sleeping with him, too? You sleeping with that guy?! What are you talking about?! Mandy, tell me you're not still with this guy, please.
Dale, I'm sorry.
I just-- I owe him money, and I didn't want to tell you.
I love you, baby.
Come on! Give me my money back.
Get it from your girlfriend.
Give me that money! She put it up her nose.
You know what? I'll fix you good.
You know what? I got friends on the force.
I'll bring this whole place down, and you with it.
Dale-- no, you can't.
You couldn't even make it as a cop! Whoa! Nick: Oh! [Grunting.]
[Gunshot.]
What are you gonna do? Put the gun down.
What are you gonna do? I'm gonna pull the fire alarm, and I'm gonna walk straight out of here.
[Alarm ringing.]
I'm not quitting, tom.
Fair enough.
And I'm not gonna resign my membership to the club, and I'm not gonna treat my son any differently or run my firm any differently, so if that costs me the opportunity, well, so be it.
You've made the short list.
I did? You, John goldfarb, and Linda salganicoff.
The d.
A.
'S going for this? Goldfarb's been angling for this position for a while.
Congratulations, Burton.
So, where do we, uh, where do we go from here? Another round of interviews.
A little more scrutiny, and then, with luck, a nomination.
Little more scrutiny.
If you're going to sit on the bench, you'll need to be vetted.
Yeah.
You ready for this? [Chuckles.]
I guess so.
You're ready.
Well, thanks, tom.
Thanks for everything.
I appreciate it.
I'll see you soon.
[Knock on door.]
Yeah? Hey.
Well, I've just-- you better close that door, son.
Well, I've just been informed that I made the short list for the federal bench.
I'll announce it to the firm later today.
You know, Nicholas, it might get a little bit ugly around here.
If I leave, there's gonna be quite a battle over who's running this place.
So I might need your help for damage control, ok? Yeah.
Now, the other thing is if I'm gonna get this appointment, I've got to distance myself from your legal problems.
I won't be able to be here for you like I have been.
That's not gonna be a problem.
You off the hook? It's not gonna be a problem.
Good.
Ok, now, every time you laugh, it means another year of a long and happy marriage.
Stop.
Ok, I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me.
Oh, come on.
Come on.
I laughed a lot.
I'd like to make a toast.
Thank you.
To Louisa.
You make me the proudest man in this room In this city.
And, uh, speaking of this city, all of you know that Lulu's been lobbying pretty hard for us to stay here in Pittsburgh, so we've been looking around town, and we found a house we liked.
And our offer was accepted.
[Cheering.]
You've got something on your collar.
It looks like blood.
It's already set.
There's nothing you can do about it now.
There's nothing you can do.