L.A. Law (1986) s01e07 Episode Script
Raiders of the Lost Bark
1
Previously on L.A.
Law.
Damn it, detective!
My husband violates a T.R.O., kidnapping my son,
and the best thing you can tell me is to get my own P.I.?
Our two most senior partners will receive
50% of this year's profits.
One is dead.
The other might as well be.
You are out of line, Douglas.
If you raise this question ever again,
you can start your own firm.
They fired you for reasons that had
nothing to do with your competence.
They violated your civil rights, and arguably, they
made it impossible for you to continue your career.
I have a new client coming in, a movie writer-producer,
and I want to solicit her entertainment business.
Trust me.
And this film can cross over from a boutique
specialty item to a broad-based box office winner.
As an owner of a building, you have any
responsibility to your tenants?
Would it be better if I evicted them all?
Two weeks ago, Miss Fields had to take her
little boy to the hospital.
Rat bites.
While there at the hospital, her
nine-year-old girl got gang-raped.
I want to be married to you.
I hurt this man.
You want to go back to him?
No.
It's exactly it, just as I typed it.
Who saw this?
Just Sawyer, the vice president.
Mr. Mellor sent him a draft copy.
Anybody else?
No.
He destroyed it, and it was never officially circulated.
I used to have a copy, but he must have
taken it from my file.
Without the original, this is no good to me, Cindy.
I need you to testify.
I told you no.
I want to help, that's why I'm here,
but I can't do any more than this.
I think deep down you will regret not helping her in court.
Deep down, Mr. Kuzak, I need my job.
I could subpoena you.
Please, I have done all I can.
If I testify against the station, I'll get fired.
What kind of paper was the memo typed on?
Regular blue memo paper.
Thank you.
No comment.
No comment.
Any offer to settle this scale?
Mr. Kuzak.
Mr. Kuzak.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
What do you think of Roberts and Frost?
Right here.
Everybody right here.
Michael, where were you?
You were supposed to meet me outside.
Too much brand in the muffin.
Where's the client?
He'll meet you there.
Division 16.
Excuse me for a second.
Sure.
I really appreciate this.
It's just a simple little Municourt dog bite case.
Our guy's pet allegedly bit the plaintiff.
Did he?
To the bone.
It's a loser and we're stalling.
Just tell the judge I'm in court.
Get a continuance for as long as possible.
Well, will it be a problem?
No, no, just say unavailability of counsel.
He'll give you the continuance, no sweat.
Okay.
Victor, thank you.
I owe you one.
Case number two, Shirell v.
Salter, reported settled.
Third on the list, Winchester.
Weeks v.
Stokes.
Erica Tuckman for the plaintiff.
Ready, Your Honor.
Victor Sifuentes for the defendant.
Your Honor, the defense will be requesting
a continuance at this time due to the
unavailability of defendant's counsel, Michael Kuzak.
Mr. Kuzak is in trial in the Superior
Court, and I would therefore be seeking a
stay of this action until the conclusion
of that proceeding.
Both counselors, step forward.
I'm chagrined.
You have stalled.
Dragged and burdened this matter with
every dilatory measure known to mankind.
And I don't like lawyers who clog the
system just to put off paying a judgment.
Your Honor, I appreciate your sense of Don't yank me.
This case was marked no further
continuances, and the Honorable Mr.
Kuzak knew it.
And if he thinks this stunt of sending in an unprepared
attorney is going to buy him another minute, it's very wrong.
Well, what can I do, Judge?
I don't know the case.
Then learn it.
Because we're going to trial.
Right now.
With all due respect, Your Honor,
that would be a travesty of justice.
You'd be forcing the defendant to proceed
with You have two answers, Counselor.
Default judgment for plaintiff or ready for trial.
Ready for trial.
Hi.
Guess we're both running a little late today.
You're at, um, Mckenzie Brackman, right?
Yes.
I'm Peter Brosens.
I'm right upstairs at Shear, Taft, and Halbron.
Oh, sure, I think I've seen you in the elevator.
I'm Abigail Perkins, I know.
I asked around.
I was glad to hear you made an associate.
Thank you.
So, um, how's the search going?
For your son?
You really do ask around.
Well, the whole building kind of knows.
Sort of.
Oh.
I see.
So?
Well, it's going.
There's nothing really concrete yet,
but it's, um, it's going.
Well, if there's anything I could
ever do to help or Thank you.
I appreciate it.
Maybe we can get together sometime for a
drink after work or something.
I don't think so.
Oh.
Okay.
You seem very nice, Peter, but I don't go out socially.
Do you mind if I ask why?
It's just that, well, I just, I don't.
But thank you.
This is the check for $87,000 and the note
for your signature.
Stuart, I've been thinking about this.
I just can't.
Ann, I get the interest from you or I get it from the bank.
What's the difference?
The difference is I don't sleep.
I don't sleep with my banker.
He doesn't know what he's missing.
Stuart.
Okay, okay.
Give it back.
I can't.
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Exactly.
Well, you know, there is another solution.
You can marry me.
Well, that way, half your assets become
community property, half your debts become
community liability, and the loan zeroes itself out.
Well, you know, it would get you off the hook.
I'll accept.
Oh.
Oh, the loan.
The loan.
Enter.
Douglas, I think we ought to talk about this.
There's nothing to talk about.
I've resigned.
Why?
You made your opinion of my abilities
painfully clear at the partners' meeting.
How can I command respect from the other?
How can I command respect from the other
partners after a humiliation like that?
You don't command respect, Douglas.
You've got to earn it.
Someone's got to wear the black hat, do they not?
It's a question of style, Douglas.
Weighing the needs of the individuals
against those of the firm.
I thought I did that.
You're hard on people.
You don't make them feel cared for or wanted.
They have you for that.
You know, when your father was alive,
he was the spiritual leader of this firm,
and I was the lightning rod for people's discontent.
And partly because of that, he was one of the
most loved and respected men that I've ever known.
He was a demanding tyrant.
The law, according to Douglas Brackman,
Sr., God help anyone who questioned it or
fell short of its standard, the man could
carry a grudge, he could punish with his silence.
I was never able to please him enough.
Then it's long past time you stop trying to.
He's gone, Douglas.
Be your own man.
I hope you'll reconsider.
I
I'd hate to lose you.
Do you mean that?
Sincerely.
Thank you, Leland.
It was the most difficult decision I ever had to make.
Personally, I consider Stacey Gill to be a
courageous and exceptional journalist.
But our ratings just dropped dramatically.
What do you mean by dramatically, Mr. Miller?
Nielsen ratings showed a drop of two full
points after she came back from her treatment.
Are you kidding?
The two-point drop can cost the station
$3 million a year in lost advertising revenue.
Were there any other alternatives besides discharging
Miss Gill which could have remedied this problem?
Unfortunately, this is the news business, and the only way
to quickly boost ratings is to
replace your on-camera people.
I know it's unfair, especially in this
case, but our research showed that the
ratings dropped as a result of the lumpectomy
bit and because she showed her breast on camera.
And this was something we asked her to do.
We feel terrible about it.
Did you give any thought to letting her
continue as your anchorwoman?
Absolutely.
And believe me, if we could have, we would have.
But the truth is, with these ratings, we would have been
signing our own death certificate by keeping her on the air.
I have nothing further.
You fired her two weeks after she'd been
back on the job, didn't you?
Well, yes, but by that time Two weeks?
Well, as I said, our ratings plunged two
full points in that period.
Didn't she come back at the beginning of
the month, on, uh, May 2nd, 1985, to be exact?
That's about right.
Isn't it true, Mr. Miller, that your ratings dropped
one full point during the first ten days of every month?
Well, there's only some decline.
Because the new cable movies come out at the beginning
of each month, and that affects your ratings, doesn't it?
Yes.
So it's possible that one point of this two-point drop
was directly related to these new cable movies, isn't it?
Perhaps.
But market research showed that her ratings
would continue to fall in the ensuing weeks.
Wait a minute.
So what you're saying is you fired her not
only because of this dip in the ratings,
but because of an anticipated dip that was yet to come?
That's correct.
And you couldn't even wait long enough to
see if it actually would happen?
This woman bears her breast and her cancer
to the viewing public at your request,
and you fire her after two weeks because you
think your ratings might drop if you let her stay.
Objection.
Argumentative.
Lucky for her, she's such a courageous and
exceptional journalist.
Bought her an extra week.
Objection.
Sustained.
Mr. Miller, did you dictate a memo to Vice
President Scott Sawyer on May 18, 1985?
Possibly.
That's a long time ago.
It concerned your decision to fire Stacey Gill.
Did you dictate such a memo?
Well, I'm not sure.
Mr. Miller, did you dictate a memo saying, and I quote, How
long can the public accept an
anchorwoman with a nicked boob?
Who gave you that?
It makes no difference.
Did you say it?
That, I, that's out of context.
I can explain that phrase.
All right, let me see that memo, please.
I haven't got it.
But you wrote it, didn't you, Mr. Miller?
Is that a yes?
Yes.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Moving on to Gill v.
Barnett Broadcasting.
No, one more defense witness, then closing arguments.
Excellent.
Word through the vine is you're doing an outstanding job.
Congrats.
Sorry I'm late.
It's quite all right, Victor.
As the hour is unusually early due to respective
trial schedules, we can forgive a little tardiness.
Thanks, but I'm not supposed to have a trial schedule.
What I'm supposed to have is a continuance.
Donut?
You set me up.
You knew that judge would make me go forward.
Come now.
Victor, think of the client.
As a result of Michael's cagey maneuver,
Mr. Stokes has the benefit of being
represented by an exceptional defense attorney.
Arnold, anything to report on the Mishkin films?
Hillary's film opens soon.
His bombed.
Keep her surprised.
Thank you all for attending.
And now, if there's nothing else, we stand adjourned.
Don't forget your meeting with Mr. Taylor.
Thank you.
You could have told me.
I thought your not knowing was going to give
us a better chance of getting the continuance.
The more I'm prepared you were, the better.
Yeah?
Well, now what?
This case is a flat-out loser.
Dog bit him.
At least now we have a chance for an appeal.
We can say that it was an abuse of
judicial discretion to make you go forward.
Not to ruin your plans, but I'm going to win this one.
You're good, but you're not that good.
Don't be so sure.
Victor, Clarence Darrow couldn't win this case.
You care to make a little wager?
Mm-hmm.
Anything you want.
Your leather chair.
Except that.
No.
No, you can't have my leather chair.
Come on, counselor.
A bet's not a bet unless the stakes are high.
Where's your guts?
All right.
My chair against your earring.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No way.
Aha!
Okay.
You got a bet.
And upon completion of the sale,
all the tenants will be relocated at Mr.
Washington's expense to one of his other buildings.
Why are you doing this for me?
I'm not doing this for you.
Those people should know.
You're going to have to spend another
night in that building.
I agree, Andrew.
And I swear, I'm not looking to make a
single cent from the transaction.
If I could just break even or not lose my
shirt, I'll be grateful forever.
I'll see you this afternoon.
I look forward to it.
Hi, Peter.
Hi.
Come on in.
Thanks.
Um, look, I'm not really very good at chit-chat.
So, um
I was thinking about what you said about
not going out socially.
I once saw this film about a man whose
only son was kidnapped.
He spends every waking minute of his life
trying to find him.
He loses his job.
He loses his friends.
Finally, he even loses his wife.
But he is so obsessed with finding his son
that nothing else matters.
And finally, years later, he thinks he's located him.
But as he gets closer and closer, he begins to hesitate.
This search has taken up his whole life.
And when it ends, he realizes that he'll
lose his only reason for living.
The point being?
The point being, you've got to have a life
outside of this crisis.
How dare you presume to be to advise me.
My life inside or outside of this crisis
is none of your damn business.
I wasn't presuming.
I was just.
You were just what?
Suggesting I lighten up a little?
Butt out of my life.
You were not invited.
I'm sorry.
I guess I should have kept my mouth shut.
Now there's some advice.
Each rating point represents 50,000 households.
A two point drop would mean that 100,000
families were switching their dials to other stations.
All right, and what does that translate to
in dollars and cents?
A new show with 24 spots a night and a two
point drop would lose $7,200 a night,
$50,000 a week, 2.6 million a year.
So her drop in ratings could cost the
station approximately $3 million annually.
Yes, and her Q score indicated a further drop.
Q score?
A formula we use to measure viewer appeal.
It factors in her recognizability and her
likability, and we come out with a number.
80 is good.
60 is bad.
Hers was 43.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Well, pretty extensive data, Mr. Weiner.
We research everything.
Does your research show how many lives
were saved by Stacey Gill's story?
No.
Does it show how many women, after having
seen the story, opted for it?
Or a lumpectomy rather than the more mutilating mastectomy?
No.
Does it measure the pain suffered by my client
having to expose herself to millions of people?
No.
In fact, sir, these factors count for
nothing in your research.
Correct?
That's correct.
Thank you.
That's all.
And calling your attention to the morning of June 6,
1985, did you then have occasion to see the animal?
Yes, I did.
I was manicuring my shrubs, one of which
was turning yellow because it whittled on it.
Objection to the term it.
Overruled.
Cockapoo.
I beg your pardon?
It is a full-bred cockapoo.
Continue.
Could you tell us then, Mr. Weeks, what happened next?
Well, I said to him, see what you did.
These plants are my passion, my family, really.
See what you did, I said.
Then the little mutt mauled me.
Objection to the term mutt.
Counselor.
He is not an it or a mutt.
He's a pet.
And just because you hate
animals is I didn't say I hate it.
Tell the jury what you do to cats.
Mr. Sifuentes.
I'm sorry, judge, but I have no tolerance for animal abuse.
Mr. Sifuentes.
Maybe you can sit by and watch vindictive
eccentrics beat up on helpless little puppies, but I.
Oh, for God's sakes.
Runner, please.
Get up here.
Now.
I know your game, cowboy.
You want to miss trial so you can buy more time.
Well, you're not going to get it.
What you will get
Is sanctions.
What you will get is contempt.
What you will get is a directed verdict for the plaintiff.
Now, you step back and act like a lawyer, big
shot, or you're going to lose this case right now.
Yes, sir.
Now then, Mr. Weeks, getting back to the
day the dog bit you.
Objection to the term bit.
I'm sorry, Your Honor, but the medical
records indicate a nip.
A nip?
It was a vicious bite.
You're a liar.
I'm warning you.
Objection!
You're a dog beater.
And a liar, too.
In my chambers, now!
Jury is excused till 1 PM.
Move it!
You left me no choice.
You think I won't order a verdict for the plaintiff?
You think I won't?
With all due respect, if you direct a
verdict before I even present my case,
after already forcing an unprepared attorney to go
forward, I'm going to have automatic grounds for an appeal.
And you know it.
You want it, just ask for it.
Go ahead.
Take it.
I'd love it.
Face it.
The only way your guy can be a real winner
is to win this trial on the merits right here.
On the other hand, if you think I've got
you, take the directed verdict.
You'll lose money, but at least you'll save face.
No DV.
No mistrial, your honor.
Let's go back in there.
He's busy.
They loved it.
Brilliantly written and executed, Rosebush looks
like the sleeper box office smasher this season.
You can't pay for a better review.
Eroticism, so highly charged you can feel
the heat coming off of the screen.
Every teenager with raging hormones will
be lining up for this one.
You were totally right about the sex scene, Arnie.
I never thanked you.
You're a genius.
Oh, come on, I bet you say that to all the guys.
I'll make some reservations at Michael's.
We'll start the celebration there, continue at my place.
Oh, I can't.
I already have a date.
Well, break it.
I can't.
I did for you.
Arnie, I'm having dinner with a highly bankable actor.
If I can get him interested in me and or
my script, I've got a go project.
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I love you.
A lot.
And when things are less crazed,
I'll call and we'll have lunch.
Did.
That woman do something to you?
No.
No, I did it to myself.
I let my guard down.
I let myself care.
Oh, I should be smarter about women by now.
All they see is the package.
The money, the clothes, the flash.
That's all they want.
And when they've used you up, they just spit you out.
You go out with the wrong women, Arnie.
There's a sincere, loving woman somewhere
who could really appreciate you for who you are.
Rox, I've never shown this to anyone.
I've never trusted anyone enough.
Can I trust you?
With your life.
Arnold Becker in high school.
You look different.
Fat.
Fat boy with glasses.
A little stocky.
I went on a blind date once, Roxanne.
Peggy Miller.
Daughter of one of my mother's friends.
When I got to the door, there was one of those little,
those little peephole things, this eyeball looking me over.
Then I heard a lot of muffled voices moving around inside.
Finally, Peggy's friend let me in.
Peggy was standing there in a robe.
Her friend said that she was too sick to go out.
As I walked away from the door,
I heard them laughing in there.
They were laughing at me, Roxanne.
You have no idea what that felt like.
I know.
What you need is someone to really love
you, to hold you, and take away all the hurt.
Rox, have you ever been to Michael's?
No.
I really used to think the day that I
could afford to eat at a place like that,
then I'd be a happy man.
Where's the happiness if you haven't got
somebody to share it with, right?
Right.
So, as difficult as it is, I think the
thing to do is to go to Michael's,
a beautiful companion on my arm, and try
to enjoy the pleasure of the moment, right?
Right.
So let's try Christina Amorelli.
If she's not there
Barbara St. John.
Rox.
I don't know what I'd do without you.
So, all I'm asking, ladies and gentlemen,
is that when you assemble all of this
evidence, you take a good long whiff of
what they did, because it stinks.
They asked her to showcase her cancer,
to bare her breast, her pain, her
humiliation, and when she did, they fired her.
Sacrifice your personal privacy, they said.
Do it for the job, they told her.
And then they took away that job.
And now, after doing all of that to her,
they are asking you to say it's okay.
This one reeks of unfairness, people.
Draw upon your sense of justice,
upon your sense of fairness, and send a
message loud and clear that this sort of
blatant prejudice will not be tolerated.
Thank you.
Draw upon your emotion.
That's what Mr. Kuzak wants you to do.
Because emotion is blind, ladies and gentlemen.
And if he can blind you, then you won't
see the things that hurt his case.
Like the facts.
The fact that she had the worst ratings of
any anchor person in the last four years.
The fact that she turned down a job that would have
paid her most of the money she claims to have lost.
The fact that newscasters on every station
get fired all the time for bad ratings.
The only fact the plaintiff wants you to concentrate
on is the fact that she's been fired all the time.
That this whole thing is unfair.
And to that charge, I say they're absolutely right.
It's unfair that outstanding news people
get fired for low ratings.
It's unfair that Stacey Gill, in particular, got fired.
It's grossly unfair that what caused her ratings to fall
was a piece that perhaps will end up saving women's lives.
And what really tips the scales of equity
here is that the station told her to do
what ultimately caused her ratings to drop.
If the question here were fairness, I'll
admit we wouldn't have much of a case.
But the issue in this court of law is not
whether Stacey Gill was treated fairly.
She wasn't.
The question is whether Stacey Gill was treated legally.
Whether she has been denied any of her legal rights.
And the facts of this case say she hasn't.
And if you find, members of the jury,
that defendant's discharge of plaintiff
was motivated by any factor concerning her
physical anatomy or sexuality,
then you must find for the plaintiff.
But if you find that the discharge was
motivated solely by ratings, as that term
has been defined, then you must find for
defendant, no matter how unfair or
unpopular you may consider that discharge to
be, given the particular circumstances of this case.
I don't understand.
The judgment with the other side's instructions, not ours.
Well, what's the difference?
Ours would have allowed them to consider fairness.
It's an issue.
Please, Dana.
Mr. Kuzak, do you feel more or less?
Can I see a minute?
Excuse me for a second.
Come on, counsel.
Are you settling them?
All right, try this out.
Dismiss the sex discrimination count.
Settle the breach of contract for $200,000.
You're offering $200,000 with that dream
instruction you just got from the judge?
Well, as a jury, give them all the
instructions in the world, they could
still say we've got a big TV corporation
against a mother with a school-age kid,
cancer, and no husband.
You know, the truth is, I think I made my case.
But a sex discrimination rap ain't good for a TV station.
We just can't take the risk.
Lump sum or structured?
All of it.
Payable today.
No comment.
I'll recommend to my client that she accept this offer.
All right, good.
You ready for this?
They just offered us 200 grand if we drop
the discrimination claim.
I don't believe it.
Believe it, but let's not sit on it.
The jury could come back any minute.
Michael, I won't settle.
I've come too far.
Hold on a minute.
There's a good chance, no, make that a great
chance, that we could lose and get nothing here.
And even if we win, it may not be $200,000.
But if I drop the sex discrimination
claim, it's like I'm selling out.
Stacy, listen.
I know that I counsel you to hold to your
convictions, and I think you did the right thing.
But now, in my professional opinion,
this is the best result we can hope for.
But what about upholding my principle?
Your principle won't get upheld if we lose.
I won't settle.
I admire your fortitude, but don't let it
interfere with common sense.
Michael, you said it the other day.
If I settle, it's like telling them it was
okay for them to do what they did to me.
I won't tell them that.
Just be sure.
You hate this dog, don't you?
No.
I don't hate the dog.
Come on, Mr. Weeks.
Come clean.
Jury won't believe you unless you level with us.
Objection!
Those shrubs are your passion.
You weed them, you prune them,
you mulch, spritz them, then that little
mutt comes over and lifts his leg till all
the leaves fall off.
You like that dog?
I never said I liked him.
That's your family that he leaks on biweekly.
You hate that dog.
I don't like the dog.
Because he yellows your plans.
That's right.
Because he goes to the bathroom.
In my yard.
Well, why don't you just shoo him away?
I try.
He growls.
That's right.
He bit your bamboo rake and punctured the shaft, didn't he?
Yes.
What were you doing with the rake when he bit it, sir?
I was shooing him away.
You hit that dog with the rake, didn't you?
I didn't hit that dog.
I got three witnesses here, Mr. Weeks.
You want to change that answer?
Objection.
Overruled.
I just brushed him with it to shoo him.
You've called the pound three times in the last year.
Tell us, Mr. Weeks.
Tell us.
Tell us why you called the pound.
Answer the question, sir.
I called.
I called to suggest that they look into,
that they explore the possibility of
whether it would be appropriate to put the
dog humanely to sleep.
In other words, you beat on him with a rake
and now you want him dead for no good reason.
Objection!
For every reason.
That damn mutt is nothing but a bag of worms.
The damn dog destroyed my shrubs.
He deserves to die, doesn't he?
You bet he does.
No further questions, Your Honor.
You get off on the wrong floor?
Just the wrong foot.
You and me both.
Look, I am really sorry about
I really am sorry.
I had no business.
We were both out of line.
Look, for what it's worth, you did give me
something to think about.
And, well, I was kind of hoping that maybe we
could just wipe the slate clean and start all over.
Yeah, that sounds good.
And
So
A beer.
After work.
Yeah.
Okay.
Mr. Washington will purchase the building at the agreed-upon
price and assume the cost of relocating the tenants.
In addition, he will pay $2,500 in
settlement to each family.
In consideration of this arrangement, the
tenants agree to drop their suit against Mr.
Brackman and release him from all liability.
Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Oh, you guys really play hardball.
But
Okay.
All right, if you're both initial, I'll draw
up full papers tomorrow for signature.
Gentlemen, good night.
Dwight, how's it going?
Oh, pretty good, sir.
How about yourself?
A little lonely at this hour, isn't it?
Oh, I don't know, sir.
Well, I get quiet.
Sir, they got my music.
How long have you been with us now, Dwight?
Well, done with the business nine years now, sir.
Hmm.
Are you happy here?
I ain't got no complaints.
That's incredible, Dwight.
There aren't many people able to say that.
Well, we all have our problems, sir.
But you seem to bear yours with such
dignity and good humor.
May I ask how much you earn in a week?
I take on about $2.85.
Now, I earn ten times that.
But do you know something, Dwight?
You're the richer man.
Oh, I don't know.
I ain't got much.
You've got peace of mind.
And that's what it's all about, my friend.
Not if you say so.
I can learn much from a man like you.
Thank you, Dwight.
Thank you for your outlook, my friend.
Uh, I want you to have this.
Oh, no, I don't want your money, sir.
Take it.
I want you to have it.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you very much.
Good night.
Good night.
Sir.
Has the jury reached a verdict, Mr. Foreman?
We have, Your Honor.
Very well.
What then say you, Mr. Foreman?
We, the jury, find in favor of the
plaintiff on count one and count two of
the complaint and order the defendant to
pay damages in the amount of $1.3 million.
Congratulations.
You were right.
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Are you surprised by the verdict?
Do you plan to go back to broadcasting?
What do you think, one and two?
Would you ever go back to this station, Miss Gill?
Everything you've been so much.
Do you ever think they'll let you go?
I don't think they'll let you back in the room.
What are you going to do about it?
Ms. Gill, is it true that you signed a
book contract for the Stacey Gill story in
the neighborhood of a half million dollars or so?
Yeah.
I have signed a book contract, yes.
And is it also true that the deal was
conditioned upon this case going to a final verdict?
I'd rather not talk about the book right now if you don't.
Excuse me.
Who was the publisher, Ms. Gill?
Ms. Gill.
What's this book deal?
It was something I was offered during the trial.
How much?
I don't think that's really your concern.
How much?
$450,000 advance.
Conditioned on you're getting a jury verdict, right?
The publisher wanted an ending, win or lose.
So what?
So, that's why you wouldn't settle,
because you would have blown the book deal.
You lied to me.
I didn't lie.
Well, you omitted the truth, the same thing.
And if I had told you, would you have been
so passionate, so fired up?
I doubt it.
That's right.
And it was your fire that won this thing.
It was your passion that got the jury.
It paid off in there, and it's going to
pay off again when I capture it in my book.
In other words, anything for a story.
Oh, well, forgive me for thinking that the
livelihood of the client or the client's
family could ever come before the
attorney's interest in his tidy little trial.
Grow up, Michael.
You won, and so did I, and as far as
results go, I think that's a pretty good one.
You didn't.
Verdict for defendant in 17 minutes.
Congratulations yourself.
This is a great country, huh?
What happened to your foot?
A fleabag bit it.
So sue.
Oh, it'll be okay.
I'll just keep it elevated as I lean back
in my nice, soft chair.
Come on, Victor.
I want it back.
A bet's a bet.
Victor, it took me a long time to break it.
You know, you did a good job.
The soft spots, they're, uh, just in the right place.
Yeah, well, it's not just the time.
I've spent every day of my professional life in that chair.
It's part of me.
These things happen, Mike.
You could use that one if you want.
Another four or five years, and it'll be broken in.
Like this one.
Like this one.
Awarded her $1.3 million in damages.
Nope.
No what?
I'm not letting you in until you agree with me.
Oh!
I'm serious.
You won the case.
You're a hero in the news and with your
clients, and you made $400,000 for your
firm, and you're telling me I can't get in under
your sheets unless I agree you were victimized?
She used me.
Oh!
Look!
But I am most grateful to my attorney, Michael Kuzak.
Who was not only brilliant throughout, but a great
source of strength during these very trying times.
How do you feel about the outcome?
Uh, we're happy that justice was done.
The verdict was fair, and we're grateful
that the truth came out.
Pray for justice.
Well, uh
Uh-uh, tell the truth.
If you had to do it all over again, and she walked
into your office and she said, take my case, would you?
Well Of course you would, because it is juicy.
Newsy, exciting stuff.
Come on, Mckenzie.
Come on.
She may have used you to get her kicks as a journalist,
but you used her to get your kicks as an attorney.
Tell you the truth, I don't see the difference
between what she did to you and what you did to Victor.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
So give me one good reason to be so upset.
I lost my chair.
What?
I lost my chair.
You have my deepest sympathies, Mickey.
But don't worry.
As long as we're together, you'll always
have something to sit on.
Previously on L.A.
Law.
Damn it, detective!
My husband violates a T.R.O., kidnapping my son,
and the best thing you can tell me is to get my own P.I.?
Our two most senior partners will receive
50% of this year's profits.
One is dead.
The other might as well be.
You are out of line, Douglas.
If you raise this question ever again,
you can start your own firm.
They fired you for reasons that had
nothing to do with your competence.
They violated your civil rights, and arguably, they
made it impossible for you to continue your career.
I have a new client coming in, a movie writer-producer,
and I want to solicit her entertainment business.
Trust me.
And this film can cross over from a boutique
specialty item to a broad-based box office winner.
As an owner of a building, you have any
responsibility to your tenants?
Would it be better if I evicted them all?
Two weeks ago, Miss Fields had to take her
little boy to the hospital.
Rat bites.
While there at the hospital, her
nine-year-old girl got gang-raped.
I want to be married to you.
I hurt this man.
You want to go back to him?
No.
It's exactly it, just as I typed it.
Who saw this?
Just Sawyer, the vice president.
Mr. Mellor sent him a draft copy.
Anybody else?
No.
He destroyed it, and it was never officially circulated.
I used to have a copy, but he must have
taken it from my file.
Without the original, this is no good to me, Cindy.
I need you to testify.
I told you no.
I want to help, that's why I'm here,
but I can't do any more than this.
I think deep down you will regret not helping her in court.
Deep down, Mr. Kuzak, I need my job.
I could subpoena you.
Please, I have done all I can.
If I testify against the station, I'll get fired.
What kind of paper was the memo typed on?
Regular blue memo paper.
Thank you.
No comment.
No comment.
Any offer to settle this scale?
Mr. Kuzak.
Mr. Kuzak.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
What do you think of Roberts and Frost?
Right here.
Everybody right here.
Michael, where were you?
You were supposed to meet me outside.
Too much brand in the muffin.
Where's the client?
He'll meet you there.
Division 16.
Excuse me for a second.
Sure.
I really appreciate this.
It's just a simple little Municourt dog bite case.
Our guy's pet allegedly bit the plaintiff.
Did he?
To the bone.
It's a loser and we're stalling.
Just tell the judge I'm in court.
Get a continuance for as long as possible.
Well, will it be a problem?
No, no, just say unavailability of counsel.
He'll give you the continuance, no sweat.
Okay.
Victor, thank you.
I owe you one.
Case number two, Shirell v.
Salter, reported settled.
Third on the list, Winchester.
Weeks v.
Stokes.
Erica Tuckman for the plaintiff.
Ready, Your Honor.
Victor Sifuentes for the defendant.
Your Honor, the defense will be requesting
a continuance at this time due to the
unavailability of defendant's counsel, Michael Kuzak.
Mr. Kuzak is in trial in the Superior
Court, and I would therefore be seeking a
stay of this action until the conclusion
of that proceeding.
Both counselors, step forward.
I'm chagrined.
You have stalled.
Dragged and burdened this matter with
every dilatory measure known to mankind.
And I don't like lawyers who clog the
system just to put off paying a judgment.
Your Honor, I appreciate your sense of Don't yank me.
This case was marked no further
continuances, and the Honorable Mr.
Kuzak knew it.
And if he thinks this stunt of sending in an unprepared
attorney is going to buy him another minute, it's very wrong.
Well, what can I do, Judge?
I don't know the case.
Then learn it.
Because we're going to trial.
Right now.
With all due respect, Your Honor,
that would be a travesty of justice.
You'd be forcing the defendant to proceed
with You have two answers, Counselor.
Default judgment for plaintiff or ready for trial.
Ready for trial.
Hi.
Guess we're both running a little late today.
You're at, um, Mckenzie Brackman, right?
Yes.
I'm Peter Brosens.
I'm right upstairs at Shear, Taft, and Halbron.
Oh, sure, I think I've seen you in the elevator.
I'm Abigail Perkins, I know.
I asked around.
I was glad to hear you made an associate.
Thank you.
So, um, how's the search going?
For your son?
You really do ask around.
Well, the whole building kind of knows.
Sort of.
Oh.
I see.
So?
Well, it's going.
There's nothing really concrete yet,
but it's, um, it's going.
Well, if there's anything I could
ever do to help or Thank you.
I appreciate it.
Maybe we can get together sometime for a
drink after work or something.
I don't think so.
Oh.
Okay.
You seem very nice, Peter, but I don't go out socially.
Do you mind if I ask why?
It's just that, well, I just, I don't.
But thank you.
This is the check for $87,000 and the note
for your signature.
Stuart, I've been thinking about this.
I just can't.
Ann, I get the interest from you or I get it from the bank.
What's the difference?
The difference is I don't sleep.
I don't sleep with my banker.
He doesn't know what he's missing.
Stuart.
Okay, okay.
Give it back.
I can't.
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Exactly.
Well, you know, there is another solution.
You can marry me.
Well, that way, half your assets become
community property, half your debts become
community liability, and the loan zeroes itself out.
Well, you know, it would get you off the hook.
I'll accept.
Oh.
Oh, the loan.
The loan.
Enter.
Douglas, I think we ought to talk about this.
There's nothing to talk about.
I've resigned.
Why?
You made your opinion of my abilities
painfully clear at the partners' meeting.
How can I command respect from the other?
How can I command respect from the other
partners after a humiliation like that?
You don't command respect, Douglas.
You've got to earn it.
Someone's got to wear the black hat, do they not?
It's a question of style, Douglas.
Weighing the needs of the individuals
against those of the firm.
I thought I did that.
You're hard on people.
You don't make them feel cared for or wanted.
They have you for that.
You know, when your father was alive,
he was the spiritual leader of this firm,
and I was the lightning rod for people's discontent.
And partly because of that, he was one of the
most loved and respected men that I've ever known.
He was a demanding tyrant.
The law, according to Douglas Brackman,
Sr., God help anyone who questioned it or
fell short of its standard, the man could
carry a grudge, he could punish with his silence.
I was never able to please him enough.
Then it's long past time you stop trying to.
He's gone, Douglas.
Be your own man.
I hope you'll reconsider.
I
I'd hate to lose you.
Do you mean that?
Sincerely.
Thank you, Leland.
It was the most difficult decision I ever had to make.
Personally, I consider Stacey Gill to be a
courageous and exceptional journalist.
But our ratings just dropped dramatically.
What do you mean by dramatically, Mr. Miller?
Nielsen ratings showed a drop of two full
points after she came back from her treatment.
Are you kidding?
The two-point drop can cost the station
$3 million a year in lost advertising revenue.
Were there any other alternatives besides discharging
Miss Gill which could have remedied this problem?
Unfortunately, this is the news business, and the only way
to quickly boost ratings is to
replace your on-camera people.
I know it's unfair, especially in this
case, but our research showed that the
ratings dropped as a result of the lumpectomy
bit and because she showed her breast on camera.
And this was something we asked her to do.
We feel terrible about it.
Did you give any thought to letting her
continue as your anchorwoman?
Absolutely.
And believe me, if we could have, we would have.
But the truth is, with these ratings, we would have been
signing our own death certificate by keeping her on the air.
I have nothing further.
You fired her two weeks after she'd been
back on the job, didn't you?
Well, yes, but by that time Two weeks?
Well, as I said, our ratings plunged two
full points in that period.
Didn't she come back at the beginning of
the month, on, uh, May 2nd, 1985, to be exact?
That's about right.
Isn't it true, Mr. Miller, that your ratings dropped
one full point during the first ten days of every month?
Well, there's only some decline.
Because the new cable movies come out at the beginning
of each month, and that affects your ratings, doesn't it?
Yes.
So it's possible that one point of this two-point drop
was directly related to these new cable movies, isn't it?
Perhaps.
But market research showed that her ratings
would continue to fall in the ensuing weeks.
Wait a minute.
So what you're saying is you fired her not
only because of this dip in the ratings,
but because of an anticipated dip that was yet to come?
That's correct.
And you couldn't even wait long enough to
see if it actually would happen?
This woman bears her breast and her cancer
to the viewing public at your request,
and you fire her after two weeks because you
think your ratings might drop if you let her stay.
Objection.
Argumentative.
Lucky for her, she's such a courageous and
exceptional journalist.
Bought her an extra week.
Objection.
Sustained.
Mr. Miller, did you dictate a memo to Vice
President Scott Sawyer on May 18, 1985?
Possibly.
That's a long time ago.
It concerned your decision to fire Stacey Gill.
Did you dictate such a memo?
Well, I'm not sure.
Mr. Miller, did you dictate a memo saying, and I quote, How
long can the public accept an
anchorwoman with a nicked boob?
Who gave you that?
It makes no difference.
Did you say it?
That, I, that's out of context.
I can explain that phrase.
All right, let me see that memo, please.
I haven't got it.
But you wrote it, didn't you, Mr. Miller?
Is that a yes?
Yes.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Moving on to Gill v.
Barnett Broadcasting.
No, one more defense witness, then closing arguments.
Excellent.
Word through the vine is you're doing an outstanding job.
Congrats.
Sorry I'm late.
It's quite all right, Victor.
As the hour is unusually early due to respective
trial schedules, we can forgive a little tardiness.
Thanks, but I'm not supposed to have a trial schedule.
What I'm supposed to have is a continuance.
Donut?
You set me up.
You knew that judge would make me go forward.
Come now.
Victor, think of the client.
As a result of Michael's cagey maneuver,
Mr. Stokes has the benefit of being
represented by an exceptional defense attorney.
Arnold, anything to report on the Mishkin films?
Hillary's film opens soon.
His bombed.
Keep her surprised.
Thank you all for attending.
And now, if there's nothing else, we stand adjourned.
Don't forget your meeting with Mr. Taylor.
Thank you.
You could have told me.
I thought your not knowing was going to give
us a better chance of getting the continuance.
The more I'm prepared you were, the better.
Yeah?
Well, now what?
This case is a flat-out loser.
Dog bit him.
At least now we have a chance for an appeal.
We can say that it was an abuse of
judicial discretion to make you go forward.
Not to ruin your plans, but I'm going to win this one.
You're good, but you're not that good.
Don't be so sure.
Victor, Clarence Darrow couldn't win this case.
You care to make a little wager?
Mm-hmm.
Anything you want.
Your leather chair.
Except that.
No.
No, you can't have my leather chair.
Come on, counselor.
A bet's not a bet unless the stakes are high.
Where's your guts?
All right.
My chair against your earring.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No way.
Aha!
Okay.
You got a bet.
And upon completion of the sale,
all the tenants will be relocated at Mr.
Washington's expense to one of his other buildings.
Why are you doing this for me?
I'm not doing this for you.
Those people should know.
You're going to have to spend another
night in that building.
I agree, Andrew.
And I swear, I'm not looking to make a
single cent from the transaction.
If I could just break even or not lose my
shirt, I'll be grateful forever.
I'll see you this afternoon.
I look forward to it.
Hi, Peter.
Hi.
Come on in.
Thanks.
Um, look, I'm not really very good at chit-chat.
So, um
I was thinking about what you said about
not going out socially.
I once saw this film about a man whose
only son was kidnapped.
He spends every waking minute of his life
trying to find him.
He loses his job.
He loses his friends.
Finally, he even loses his wife.
But he is so obsessed with finding his son
that nothing else matters.
And finally, years later, he thinks he's located him.
But as he gets closer and closer, he begins to hesitate.
This search has taken up his whole life.
And when it ends, he realizes that he'll
lose his only reason for living.
The point being?
The point being, you've got to have a life
outside of this crisis.
How dare you presume to be to advise me.
My life inside or outside of this crisis
is none of your damn business.
I wasn't presuming.
I was just.
You were just what?
Suggesting I lighten up a little?
Butt out of my life.
You were not invited.
I'm sorry.
I guess I should have kept my mouth shut.
Now there's some advice.
Each rating point represents 50,000 households.
A two point drop would mean that 100,000
families were switching their dials to other stations.
All right, and what does that translate to
in dollars and cents?
A new show with 24 spots a night and a two
point drop would lose $7,200 a night,
$50,000 a week, 2.6 million a year.
So her drop in ratings could cost the
station approximately $3 million annually.
Yes, and her Q score indicated a further drop.
Q score?
A formula we use to measure viewer appeal.
It factors in her recognizability and her
likability, and we come out with a number.
80 is good.
60 is bad.
Hers was 43.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Well, pretty extensive data, Mr. Weiner.
We research everything.
Does your research show how many lives
were saved by Stacey Gill's story?
No.
Does it show how many women, after having
seen the story, opted for it?
Or a lumpectomy rather than the more mutilating mastectomy?
No.
Does it measure the pain suffered by my client
having to expose herself to millions of people?
No.
In fact, sir, these factors count for
nothing in your research.
Correct?
That's correct.
Thank you.
That's all.
And calling your attention to the morning of June 6,
1985, did you then have occasion to see the animal?
Yes, I did.
I was manicuring my shrubs, one of which
was turning yellow because it whittled on it.
Objection to the term it.
Overruled.
Cockapoo.
I beg your pardon?
It is a full-bred cockapoo.
Continue.
Could you tell us then, Mr. Weeks, what happened next?
Well, I said to him, see what you did.
These plants are my passion, my family, really.
See what you did, I said.
Then the little mutt mauled me.
Objection to the term mutt.
Counselor.
He is not an it or a mutt.
He's a pet.
And just because you hate
animals is I didn't say I hate it.
Tell the jury what you do to cats.
Mr. Sifuentes.
I'm sorry, judge, but I have no tolerance for animal abuse.
Mr. Sifuentes.
Maybe you can sit by and watch vindictive
eccentrics beat up on helpless little puppies, but I.
Oh, for God's sakes.
Runner, please.
Get up here.
Now.
I know your game, cowboy.
You want to miss trial so you can buy more time.
Well, you're not going to get it.
What you will get
Is sanctions.
What you will get is contempt.
What you will get is a directed verdict for the plaintiff.
Now, you step back and act like a lawyer, big
shot, or you're going to lose this case right now.
Yes, sir.
Now then, Mr. Weeks, getting back to the
day the dog bit you.
Objection to the term bit.
I'm sorry, Your Honor, but the medical
records indicate a nip.
A nip?
It was a vicious bite.
You're a liar.
I'm warning you.
Objection!
You're a dog beater.
And a liar, too.
In my chambers, now!
Jury is excused till 1 PM.
Move it!
You left me no choice.
You think I won't order a verdict for the plaintiff?
You think I won't?
With all due respect, if you direct a
verdict before I even present my case,
after already forcing an unprepared attorney to go
forward, I'm going to have automatic grounds for an appeal.
And you know it.
You want it, just ask for it.
Go ahead.
Take it.
I'd love it.
Face it.
The only way your guy can be a real winner
is to win this trial on the merits right here.
On the other hand, if you think I've got
you, take the directed verdict.
You'll lose money, but at least you'll save face.
No DV.
No mistrial, your honor.
Let's go back in there.
He's busy.
They loved it.
Brilliantly written and executed, Rosebush looks
like the sleeper box office smasher this season.
You can't pay for a better review.
Eroticism, so highly charged you can feel
the heat coming off of the screen.
Every teenager with raging hormones will
be lining up for this one.
You were totally right about the sex scene, Arnie.
I never thanked you.
You're a genius.
Oh, come on, I bet you say that to all the guys.
I'll make some reservations at Michael's.
We'll start the celebration there, continue at my place.
Oh, I can't.
I already have a date.
Well, break it.
I can't.
I did for you.
Arnie, I'm having dinner with a highly bankable actor.
If I can get him interested in me and or
my script, I've got a go project.
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I love you.
A lot.
And when things are less crazed,
I'll call and we'll have lunch.
Did.
That woman do something to you?
No.
No, I did it to myself.
I let my guard down.
I let myself care.
Oh, I should be smarter about women by now.
All they see is the package.
The money, the clothes, the flash.
That's all they want.
And when they've used you up, they just spit you out.
You go out with the wrong women, Arnie.
There's a sincere, loving woman somewhere
who could really appreciate you for who you are.
Rox, I've never shown this to anyone.
I've never trusted anyone enough.
Can I trust you?
With your life.
Arnold Becker in high school.
You look different.
Fat.
Fat boy with glasses.
A little stocky.
I went on a blind date once, Roxanne.
Peggy Miller.
Daughter of one of my mother's friends.
When I got to the door, there was one of those little,
those little peephole things, this eyeball looking me over.
Then I heard a lot of muffled voices moving around inside.
Finally, Peggy's friend let me in.
Peggy was standing there in a robe.
Her friend said that she was too sick to go out.
As I walked away from the door,
I heard them laughing in there.
They were laughing at me, Roxanne.
You have no idea what that felt like.
I know.
What you need is someone to really love
you, to hold you, and take away all the hurt.
Rox, have you ever been to Michael's?
No.
I really used to think the day that I
could afford to eat at a place like that,
then I'd be a happy man.
Where's the happiness if you haven't got
somebody to share it with, right?
Right.
So, as difficult as it is, I think the
thing to do is to go to Michael's,
a beautiful companion on my arm, and try
to enjoy the pleasure of the moment, right?
Right.
So let's try Christina Amorelli.
If she's not there
Barbara St. John.
Rox.
I don't know what I'd do without you.
So, all I'm asking, ladies and gentlemen,
is that when you assemble all of this
evidence, you take a good long whiff of
what they did, because it stinks.
They asked her to showcase her cancer,
to bare her breast, her pain, her
humiliation, and when she did, they fired her.
Sacrifice your personal privacy, they said.
Do it for the job, they told her.
And then they took away that job.
And now, after doing all of that to her,
they are asking you to say it's okay.
This one reeks of unfairness, people.
Draw upon your sense of justice,
upon your sense of fairness, and send a
message loud and clear that this sort of
blatant prejudice will not be tolerated.
Thank you.
Draw upon your emotion.
That's what Mr. Kuzak wants you to do.
Because emotion is blind, ladies and gentlemen.
And if he can blind you, then you won't
see the things that hurt his case.
Like the facts.
The fact that she had the worst ratings of
any anchor person in the last four years.
The fact that she turned down a job that would have
paid her most of the money she claims to have lost.
The fact that newscasters on every station
get fired all the time for bad ratings.
The only fact the plaintiff wants you to concentrate
on is the fact that she's been fired all the time.
That this whole thing is unfair.
And to that charge, I say they're absolutely right.
It's unfair that outstanding news people
get fired for low ratings.
It's unfair that Stacey Gill, in particular, got fired.
It's grossly unfair that what caused her ratings to fall
was a piece that perhaps will end up saving women's lives.
And what really tips the scales of equity
here is that the station told her to do
what ultimately caused her ratings to drop.
If the question here were fairness, I'll
admit we wouldn't have much of a case.
But the issue in this court of law is not
whether Stacey Gill was treated fairly.
She wasn't.
The question is whether Stacey Gill was treated legally.
Whether she has been denied any of her legal rights.
And the facts of this case say she hasn't.
And if you find, members of the jury,
that defendant's discharge of plaintiff
was motivated by any factor concerning her
physical anatomy or sexuality,
then you must find for the plaintiff.
But if you find that the discharge was
motivated solely by ratings, as that term
has been defined, then you must find for
defendant, no matter how unfair or
unpopular you may consider that discharge to
be, given the particular circumstances of this case.
I don't understand.
The judgment with the other side's instructions, not ours.
Well, what's the difference?
Ours would have allowed them to consider fairness.
It's an issue.
Please, Dana.
Mr. Kuzak, do you feel more or less?
Can I see a minute?
Excuse me for a second.
Come on, counsel.
Are you settling them?
All right, try this out.
Dismiss the sex discrimination count.
Settle the breach of contract for $200,000.
You're offering $200,000 with that dream
instruction you just got from the judge?
Well, as a jury, give them all the
instructions in the world, they could
still say we've got a big TV corporation
against a mother with a school-age kid,
cancer, and no husband.
You know, the truth is, I think I made my case.
But a sex discrimination rap ain't good for a TV station.
We just can't take the risk.
Lump sum or structured?
All of it.
Payable today.
No comment.
I'll recommend to my client that she accept this offer.
All right, good.
You ready for this?
They just offered us 200 grand if we drop
the discrimination claim.
I don't believe it.
Believe it, but let's not sit on it.
The jury could come back any minute.
Michael, I won't settle.
I've come too far.
Hold on a minute.
There's a good chance, no, make that a great
chance, that we could lose and get nothing here.
And even if we win, it may not be $200,000.
But if I drop the sex discrimination
claim, it's like I'm selling out.
Stacy, listen.
I know that I counsel you to hold to your
convictions, and I think you did the right thing.
But now, in my professional opinion,
this is the best result we can hope for.
But what about upholding my principle?
Your principle won't get upheld if we lose.
I won't settle.
I admire your fortitude, but don't let it
interfere with common sense.
Michael, you said it the other day.
If I settle, it's like telling them it was
okay for them to do what they did to me.
I won't tell them that.
Just be sure.
You hate this dog, don't you?
No.
I don't hate the dog.
Come on, Mr. Weeks.
Come clean.
Jury won't believe you unless you level with us.
Objection!
Those shrubs are your passion.
You weed them, you prune them,
you mulch, spritz them, then that little
mutt comes over and lifts his leg till all
the leaves fall off.
You like that dog?
I never said I liked him.
That's your family that he leaks on biweekly.
You hate that dog.
I don't like the dog.
Because he yellows your plans.
That's right.
Because he goes to the bathroom.
In my yard.
Well, why don't you just shoo him away?
I try.
He growls.
That's right.
He bit your bamboo rake and punctured the shaft, didn't he?
Yes.
What were you doing with the rake when he bit it, sir?
I was shooing him away.
You hit that dog with the rake, didn't you?
I didn't hit that dog.
I got three witnesses here, Mr. Weeks.
You want to change that answer?
Objection.
Overruled.
I just brushed him with it to shoo him.
You've called the pound three times in the last year.
Tell us, Mr. Weeks.
Tell us.
Tell us why you called the pound.
Answer the question, sir.
I called.
I called to suggest that they look into,
that they explore the possibility of
whether it would be appropriate to put the
dog humanely to sleep.
In other words, you beat on him with a rake
and now you want him dead for no good reason.
Objection!
For every reason.
That damn mutt is nothing but a bag of worms.
The damn dog destroyed my shrubs.
He deserves to die, doesn't he?
You bet he does.
No further questions, Your Honor.
You get off on the wrong floor?
Just the wrong foot.
You and me both.
Look, I am really sorry about
I really am sorry.
I had no business.
We were both out of line.
Look, for what it's worth, you did give me
something to think about.
And, well, I was kind of hoping that maybe we
could just wipe the slate clean and start all over.
Yeah, that sounds good.
And
So
A beer.
After work.
Yeah.
Okay.
Mr. Washington will purchase the building at the agreed-upon
price and assume the cost of relocating the tenants.
In addition, he will pay $2,500 in
settlement to each family.
In consideration of this arrangement, the
tenants agree to drop their suit against Mr.
Brackman and release him from all liability.
Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Oh, you guys really play hardball.
But
Okay.
All right, if you're both initial, I'll draw
up full papers tomorrow for signature.
Gentlemen, good night.
Dwight, how's it going?
Oh, pretty good, sir.
How about yourself?
A little lonely at this hour, isn't it?
Oh, I don't know, sir.
Well, I get quiet.
Sir, they got my music.
How long have you been with us now, Dwight?
Well, done with the business nine years now, sir.
Hmm.
Are you happy here?
I ain't got no complaints.
That's incredible, Dwight.
There aren't many people able to say that.
Well, we all have our problems, sir.
But you seem to bear yours with such
dignity and good humor.
May I ask how much you earn in a week?
I take on about $2.85.
Now, I earn ten times that.
But do you know something, Dwight?
You're the richer man.
Oh, I don't know.
I ain't got much.
You've got peace of mind.
And that's what it's all about, my friend.
Not if you say so.
I can learn much from a man like you.
Thank you, Dwight.
Thank you for your outlook, my friend.
Uh, I want you to have this.
Oh, no, I don't want your money, sir.
Take it.
I want you to have it.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you very much.
Good night.
Good night.
Sir.
Has the jury reached a verdict, Mr. Foreman?
We have, Your Honor.
Very well.
What then say you, Mr. Foreman?
We, the jury, find in favor of the
plaintiff on count one and count two of
the complaint and order the defendant to
pay damages in the amount of $1.3 million.
Congratulations.
You were right.
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Are you surprised by the verdict?
Do you plan to go back to broadcasting?
What do you think, one and two?
Would you ever go back to this station, Miss Gill?
Everything you've been so much.
Do you ever think they'll let you go?
I don't think they'll let you back in the room.
What are you going to do about it?
Ms. Gill, is it true that you signed a
book contract for the Stacey Gill story in
the neighborhood of a half million dollars or so?
Yeah.
I have signed a book contract, yes.
And is it also true that the deal was
conditioned upon this case going to a final verdict?
I'd rather not talk about the book right now if you don't.
Excuse me.
Who was the publisher, Ms. Gill?
Ms. Gill.
What's this book deal?
It was something I was offered during the trial.
How much?
I don't think that's really your concern.
How much?
$450,000 advance.
Conditioned on you're getting a jury verdict, right?
The publisher wanted an ending, win or lose.
So what?
So, that's why you wouldn't settle,
because you would have blown the book deal.
You lied to me.
I didn't lie.
Well, you omitted the truth, the same thing.
And if I had told you, would you have been
so passionate, so fired up?
I doubt it.
That's right.
And it was your fire that won this thing.
It was your passion that got the jury.
It paid off in there, and it's going to
pay off again when I capture it in my book.
In other words, anything for a story.
Oh, well, forgive me for thinking that the
livelihood of the client or the client's
family could ever come before the
attorney's interest in his tidy little trial.
Grow up, Michael.
You won, and so did I, and as far as
results go, I think that's a pretty good one.
You didn't.
Verdict for defendant in 17 minutes.
Congratulations yourself.
This is a great country, huh?
What happened to your foot?
A fleabag bit it.
So sue.
Oh, it'll be okay.
I'll just keep it elevated as I lean back
in my nice, soft chair.
Come on, Victor.
I want it back.
A bet's a bet.
Victor, it took me a long time to break it.
You know, you did a good job.
The soft spots, they're, uh, just in the right place.
Yeah, well, it's not just the time.
I've spent every day of my professional life in that chair.
It's part of me.
These things happen, Mike.
You could use that one if you want.
Another four or five years, and it'll be broken in.
Like this one.
Like this one.
Awarded her $1.3 million in damages.
Nope.
No what?
I'm not letting you in until you agree with me.
Oh!
I'm serious.
You won the case.
You're a hero in the news and with your
clients, and you made $400,000 for your
firm, and you're telling me I can't get in under
your sheets unless I agree you were victimized?
She used me.
Oh!
Look!
But I am most grateful to my attorney, Michael Kuzak.
Who was not only brilliant throughout, but a great
source of strength during these very trying times.
How do you feel about the outcome?
Uh, we're happy that justice was done.
The verdict was fair, and we're grateful
that the truth came out.
Pray for justice.
Well, uh
Uh-uh, tell the truth.
If you had to do it all over again, and she walked
into your office and she said, take my case, would you?
Well Of course you would, because it is juicy.
Newsy, exciting stuff.
Come on, Mckenzie.
Come on.
She may have used you to get her kicks as a journalist,
but you used her to get your kicks as an attorney.
Tell you the truth, I don't see the difference
between what she did to you and what you did to Victor.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
So give me one good reason to be so upset.
I lost my chair.
What?
I lost my chair.
You have my deepest sympathies, Mickey.
But don't worry.
As long as we're together, you'll always
have something to sit on.