We both have got blue chip matrimonial practices.
I've got a burgeoning entertainment practice as well.
And you're suggesting that we merge?
Right now.
Is leaving here what's best for me?
Breaking in on the ground floor of a new venture?
Being an administrator instead of a secretary?
Being with me? All you have to do is
shake hands and
-
- walk off whistling.
I'm Kimberly Dugan.
Hi. Are you singing, too?
No. I'm just the dance coach.
Oh, dance coach. Good.
Yeah. You wanna dance?
ALLISON: Number three.
MAN: Are you sure?
I said number three.
Those people at the r*pe treatment center,
they all say the same thing.
We have to confront this thing together.
You gotta include me.
A man threw me down on the floor
and rammed himself inside me.
What you lookin' at, man? Huh?
♪♪
I feel like a thief.
I'm only taking what belongs to me.
Then why do it before anyone gets here?
Why do it before anyone gets here?
Because it's cleaner, it's a done deal.
I don't have to sit through
everyone trying to talk me out of it.
Are you afraid that they will?
No, I'm not. No, I'm not.
I can't believe I'm not going to be working here anymore.
Look, I have certain conflicts, yes,
but I don't want to dwell on 'em.
This is business, Rox.
I want to act business like,
I don't want any emotional scenes.
Come on.
[door opens]
-Oh, hi.
-Hey, Benno.
-You want me to help ya?
-No, that's okay, we got it.
-Where you goin'?
-We're just
bringing some stuff down to the car.
Should I help ya?
That's okay, we'll be right back.
I got the bialys this time, Arnie.
Oh, good, Benny. Good.
[sighs]
♪♪ [theme]
♪♪
Anyone see Arnold?
I don't think he's come in yet.
Great.
[sighs] All right, let's get started.
What wrong with your mouth?
I got fitted for a small appliance.
It's nothing.
An appliance? What'd you get, a toaster?
Douglas.
You got braces.
Yes, I got braces.
-Why?
-Something called overjet.
Also a stress related malady known as temporal mandibular joint dysfunction.
I grind my teeth.
My dentist felt it was time to take steps.
Shall we proceed?
Cowen vs. Cassella Associates.
Yeah, that's the guy with Tourette's syndrome.
Trial starts today.
Are you okay to handle this, Jonathan?
-I'm fine.
-What's Tourette's syndrome?
It's a physical condition that makes people twitch in various ways
or yell inappropriate remarks at people.
Tin grin, metal mouth. Like that.
[sighs] And so the mockery begins.
JONATHAN: Anyway, my guy was fired for it.
ROSALIND: I'm not surprised.
You can't fire people for having physical handicaps
if they're doing their job.
We're going for back pay with interest.
Uh, excuse me.
I
-
- I'm gonna need a little personal time.
The preliminary hearing is this afternoon.
Take as much time as you need.
-Thanks.
-ABBY: How's Allison holding up?
-[door opens]
-I don't know.
WOMAN: Excuse me. This just came.
"Please be advised that I am hereby tendering my resignation
"from the partnership known as McKenzie Brackman Cheney and Kuzak.
"Said resignation shall in no way constitute
"a waiver of any monies owed,
"nor shall it constitute a relinquishment of any future monies owing.
"It is anticipated and intended that
"said settlement be arrived at following negotiations
"to be held at a future date.
Yours, etc., Arnold Becker."
-That bastard!
-How could he do this?
DOUGLAS: We need to find out what clients he's spoken to.
LELAND: Douglas, I want all the paralegals on this.
I want phone records and I want bank transactions.
Better check the file room, see what's missing.
Why don't you oversee that?
We should have seen this coming.
I want a partners meeting and I want it tonight.
-Rosalind, are you available?
-I'll make myself available.
-Is there any way Ann can make it in?
-I'll call her.
I'm gonna fall on Arnold Becker like the wrath of God.
GRACE: Did you know the defendant, Miss Gottlieb?
No. I really didn't know any of the crew that much
since I'd come in as a replacement director.
And yet, you let this man give you a ride home?
He was giving several of us a ride home,
including Marcy Pullan who I did know.
And I just assumed that she knew him
since she was the one who had hired him.
Okay.
So what happened next?
He drove us all home and I was the last stop.
He asked if he could use the phone,
he wanted to call his wife.
GRACE: What happened after he entered your house?
ALLISON: He made his call, at least I thought he did.
And then he, uh
-
-
he
-
- he made an advance at me.
GRACE: How did he make an advance, Miss Gottlieb?
He, um, put his hand on my shoulder,
and told me I was beautiful.
And what did you do when he did this?
I got, uh, really nervous and I... asked him to stop.
I asked him to leave.
Did he?
No.
GRACE: What happened then?
ALLISON: He grabbed me and he, uh... said,
"Why can't pretty girls be nice?"
Then he
-
- he kept calling me, uh, pretty girl.
GRACE: And what did you do?
ALLISON: I tried to push him away,
but he was too big.
He knocked me on the floor and, um...
got
-
-
he got on me,
and... he said that, uh
-
-
he said that if I didn't do what he wanted,
he would k*ll me.
GRACE: Allison, I want you to tell the court
what happened next,
and I need for you to be specific.
He yanked my skirt up, and, um...
he ripped my underwear off...
and then he, uh, s
-
-
he started to pry my, uh, legs apart with his knees.
I tried to fight back but he was too strong.
GRACE: And then what?
ALLISON: All of a sudden, he was, um,
pushing himself inside me.
And when you say he was inside you,
you're saying that his penis was penetrating your vag*na?
Yeah.
Allison, is the man who did this to you
sitting in the courtroom today?
Yes.
Could you please point him out for the court?
He's over there.
Allison, could you please look at him,
and point him out exactly for us?
I'm sorry.
[sighs]
That's him. There.
He's the one that did this to me.
Thank you, Allison.
I have nothing further.
[traffic noise]
How long had you worked for Cassella Associates
at the time of your discharge, Mr. Cowen?
Six years.
Oh, boy. Woop!
JONATHAN: Why'd you just make that sound?
I have Tourette's syndrome.
Would you tell the court what that is?
It's a neurological disorder.
It causes me to make sounds or say words or twitch
in different ways.
Uh, sometimes I do it more, sometimes I do it less.
JONATHAN: Can you control it?
No, not for any length of time?
What reason were you given for being discharged, Noah?
They said I was disruptive.
JONATHAN: Were you disruptive?
COWEN: I do market research,
and the office I work in
-
- Oh, boy!
is, uh, in the back,
and there are only a few co
-workers around to hear me.
Did they consider you disruptive?
I don't believe so, no. n*gg*r, n*gg*r!
[crowd murmuring]
Why'd you say that, sir?
It's all part of Tourette's.
Noah, would you tell the court
what it's like to have Tourette's?
-COWEN: What it's like?
-Yeah.
[sighs] Uh, well, the ticks and grimaces start
pretty soon after you wake up in the morning.
Oh, boy!
And then you go about your business when you're alone,
you know, hollering and spitting, barking.
Oh, boy. Bitch!
It's pretty weird if you're not used to it, I guess.
Oh, boy.
Anyway, uh, Tourette's is part of me,
and there's nothing I can do about that.
About that. Woop!
Nothing further.
Nothing you can do about that.
Tell me, Mr. Cowen,
have you ever heard of the drug Haloperidol?
Of course, I've heard of it.
ATTORNEY: How about the drug Clonidine?
I, uh, prefer not to take either of them.
Why? They're both frequently used in
the treatment of Tourette's.
Haloperidol, it makes me forget things.
It makes me feel totally spaced out.
And Clonidine, it, uh
-
- it doesn't work too well with me.
Whore, slut, bitch!
Tell me, Mr. Cowen, did you ever call
any of your female co
-workers bitch?
I wasn't calling them bitch, I was saying bitch.
How do they know the difference, sir?
If they know me, they know the difference.
So the burden of your behavior
should be on them, not on you?
-Objection.
-Burden? Bitch!
Let me tell you about burden.
A burden is not being able to go
into a restaurant or a movie.
A burden is
-
-
is not being able to find a woman to love you
or an employer to hire you.
Mr. Cowen, your attorney has made an objection.
A burden is being the kid in class
who everyone pointed at, the nut, the weirdo.
-JUDGE: Mr. Cowen
-
-
-COWEN: I'm a guy with a funny disease, all right?
That's all it is, so stop pointing at me.
And stop treating me like I am crazy.
Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Just stop it!
ANN: We played hard ball with him,
he played hard ball with us.
STUART: Uh
-uh, this isn't hard ball, Ann, it's deceit.
He stole clients, he set up his own practice.
Yeah, but do we know this?
Yes. John Standing wouldn't take my call.
Larry Gilson wouldn't take my call.
These are major corporate retainers,
and Becker's got them both.
I've also found out that Sol Rosen called.
He's asked that we return his entire file,
and two
-thirds of his retainer.
Get a restraining order.
It'll put the breaks on his venture in a hurry
if he can't take clients.
Uh, we have to prove irreparable harm.
If they're big corporate clients, I'm sure we can.
Let me ask another question.
-Do we need him?
-Do we need him?
Or do we need a matrimonial practice?
Oh, we definitely need a matrimonial practice.
Right now, it's responsible for percent of our income.
Does it have to be Arnold Becker
that brings that percent in?
Right now, it is Arnold Becker.
We lose him, we lose those clients.
When Sol Rosen comes by to pick up his things,
I'm gonna try to find out
just what Arnold Becker said to him.
We should also talk to Roxanne.
Ann.
She's not gonna tell us anything.
LELAND: She will if you approach her right.
Chances are, you're the only one here she really trusts.
Why don't you work some angle,
and pump her for what she knows.
I'm not working any angles, Douglas.
I've dealt with her straight in the past,
I'll deal with her straight now.
LELAND: Just do it fast.
And make sure you get something we can use.
If we wait too long, those clients he took
will be his for good.
That would represent a major financial loss to us,
and a major coup for Arnold Becker.
I don't want that to happen.
[clears throat] Ms. Gottlieb,
I'm Susan Jenkins, the attorney for Mr. Mores.
I'd like to ask you a few questions about yesterday's testimony,
and I'll try not to keep you up here too long.
Prior to your leaving the bar with my client,
what had you had to drink?
I left the bar with three people,
one of whom was your client.
I apologize if I suggested otherwise.
What did you have to drink?
I had a margarita.
-JENKINS: That would be tequila.
-ALLISON: Yes.
JENKINS: And as you left this drinking establishment,
did you communicate to my client
that you regarded him as physically attractive?
I did not.
You did not comment that Mr. Mores and Mr. Mayer
were better looking than the male models used in your commercial?
[sighs] I said something like these two guys
are better than the models, yeah.
It was light banter.
JENKINS: Was it flirtatious banter?
-No.
-Okay.
Now, after you brought Mr. Mores into your home,
and he first put his hand on your shoulder,
you say you told him to stop.
Isn't it true what you really said was,
"I don't think so"?
Maybe. What's the difference?
Well, there's nothing ambiguous about stop, Ms. Gottlieb,
but a soft giggle coupled with an I don't think so
-
-
There was nothing ambiguous about my response.
I told him flat out no.
That I was involved in a monogamous, exclusive relationship,
and that I wasn't interested.
This monogamous relationship is with who?
-Objection.
-She opened the door, your honor.
I'll allow it, she can answer.
JENKINS: Who is this exclusive relationship with, Ms. Gottlieb?
His name is Victor Sifuentes.
JENKINS: I see.
Ms. Gottlieb, is it possible my client thought
you wanted to have sex with him?
This was not sex, Miss Jenkins, this was v*olence.
-Move to strike.
-ALLISON: And no, it is not possible
-
-
-Move to strike.
-ALLISON: That he thought I wanted it.
-Overruled.
-Ms. Gottlieb,
have you ever had sex with a member of your crew?
-What is this?
-Objection.
Past sexual history is not admissible.
It is when she raises the issue.
The objection is overruled.
JENKINS: What about it, Ms. Gottlieb?
Have you ever had sex with a member, or plural,
members of your film crew?
In the past, I have had two relationships
with men who have been in my crew.
Two.
JENKINS: When you say relationships,
do you mean exclusive, spend the holidays together,
celebrate birthdays and so forth, that sort of thing?
Or do you mean extremely short
-lived physical encounters?
They were two short affairs.
Do you make room for the possibility, Ms. Gottlieb,
that my client, knowing your propensity to be sexually promiscuous
-
-
-I object.
-Get to it, Ms. Jenkins.
Isn't it possible he thought you wanted it?
He threw me down on the floor and ripped my clothes off.
-Move to strike.
-ALLISON: He pinned my legs back
-
-
-Non responsive, move to strike.
-Stuck his thumb
into my throat and he r*ped me.
-JUDGE: Ms. Gottlieb
-
-
-ALLISON: There is no way in hell
that any person could think
that any woman would want done to her
what he did to me!
Ms. Gottlieb, that's enough.
I have nothing further.
JUDGE: We're done for the morning.
Have you anything more, Ms. Van Owen?
No, your honor.
Ms. Jenkins, will you be putting on any witnesses?
Yes, your honor.
I'll be calling Victor Sifuentes to the stand.
Sol, come in, please.
I appreciate your taking the time to
sit down with me, Sol.
Why wouldn't I sit down with you?
I'm sure you know that we were all unhappy to hear
that you were leaving us.
I'm leaving, someone else is coming, life goes on.
-Am I wrong?
-You're not wrong.
I'm curious, though.
When did you first hear that Arnie was leaving?
To tell the truth, I don't remember.
Did he ask you to come with him, Sol?
He didn't have to ask.
Did he give you any indication
that a meeting would be held
with other members of McKenzie Brackman and you?
What for?
So that we might persuade you to stay here.
Who's your orthodontist?
What difference does it make?
I've got a grandson who needs braces.
What's the matter?
Arnold Becker never suggested that you meet with us, did he?
Arnold Becker was in the trenches with me,
you understand that?
Did he ever suggest a meeting with us
prior to his leaving the firm?
I'm getting a little PO'd here.
We've never had so much as a cup of coffee together in all these years.
And you come here from your goyish country club
with your steel
-rimmed glasses,
and suddenly I'm supposed to answer to you?
You want me to get a subpoena? I can do that.
You think you can muscle me, my friend?
You should live so long.
Dr. Towel, would you state your qualifications for the court?
Court, court, court, court.
I've been a practicing neurologist for years.
I have extensive clinical and child development experience.
In addition, I myself have been diagnosed as
having had Tourette's since the age of .
Your honor, I object to this witness testifying as an expert.
Regardless of his credentials,
the fact that he himself has this affliction
creates an inherent bias.
The jury can take all that into consideration, Ms. Stritch.
The witness can testify.
Doctor, would you characterize Tourette's syndrome
as a mental or physical condition?
-Oh, boy.
-TOWEL: Tourette's is
a neurological motor disorder.
That's all it is.
It might look like a mental condition,
but it isn't.
Tourette's doesn't respond to psychotherapy
any more than a limp would.
JONATHAN: Now, based on your examination of him,
would you attribute all of Noah Cowen's abnormal behavior
to anything other than Tourette's?
Tourette's, Tourette's
-
-
Tourette's, Tourette's.
-No.
-COWEN: Woop!
Multiform phonic and motor ticks,
such as displayed by Mr. Cowen,
are wholly symptomatic.
Coprolalia, or compulsive swearing,
palilalia, uh, or
-
- or repeating oneself,
and copropraxia, or compulsive obscene gesturing,
are also typical.
Echolalia, or the imitation of the last thing heard,
is the symptomology manifested in my case.
Yet, you're a practicing neurologist.
I was fortunate enough to find myself in
a nurturing environment, Mr. Rollins.
Tourette's didn't stand in my way.
Other people didn't stand in my way, either.
JONATHAN: I have no further questions.
You have shown us a great deal of determination, doctor.
Tell me, how do your patients respond to you?
-Woop!
-TOWEL: You, you
-
-
You, you.
I believe my patients respond to me
as they would any other physician.
What if they didn't?
-TOWEL: What do you mean?
-COWEN: Oh, boy. Oh, boy.
What if your patients weren't comfortable with
a doctor who repeated everything they just said?
What if they were just a little bit put off by
a doctor spitting and cursing and
-
-
Objection. Your honor, what's the point?
-TOWEL: Cursing, cursing
-
-
-STRITCH: The point is, your honor, that to this man,
all that's important is that he and the plaintiff
get to do exactly what they want
oblivious to those around them.
He's not testifying as a medical expert.
He's testifying as another individual
who suffers from Tourette's.
I don't suffer from Tourette's.
I suffer from intolerance.
I suffer from small
-minded aversions to anything strange,
anything out of the norm, that's what I suffer from.
I suffer from the likes of you.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
-I do.
-Be seated.
Please state your name for the record, sir.
Victor Sifuentes.
And do you presently have an exclusive romantic relationship
with the complainant, Allison Gottlieb,
as she so testified in this courtroom this morning?
I do.
JENKINS: Do you love this woman?
Yes, I do.
JENKINS: Seek to treat the witness as hostile, your honor.
Granted. Continue.
What was the date when you first met this woman, sir?
Uh, it was January of , I don't know the exact day.
And when was the firs time you went out with her on a romantic basis?
Objection, your honor.
Overruled.
Ms. Gottlieb put this in issue,
I'm going to allow it, but speed it up, Ms. Jenkins.
Your first date, sir, when was it?
VICTOR: I don't know the exact date.
I think it was the day after we met.
And how many days after you met
did you first have sexual intercourse?
-Objection.
-I'm sorry, your honor,
but the complainant has characterized herself
as a chaste, monogamous woman,
and I'm entitled to explore this.
You're not scoring any points with me, Ms. Jenkins.
I respectfully request the right to examine my witness.
-Your honor.
-The objection is overruled.
How long did this woman wait before going to bed with you?
Your honor, this is ridiculous.
Sit down, Ms. Van Owen.
-JENKINS: How long?
-VICTOR: I don't know.
-JENKINS: A week, a month?
-Asked and answered,
I said I don't know.
Maybe less than a week?
Asked and answered.
That's enough, Ms. Jenkins.
Sorry, your honor.
-Grace.
-Yeah?
Can I talk to you for a second?
Sure.
Honey, do you mind waiting?
You don't think that you could have cut off
a couple of those questions in there?
-I tried, Victor
-
-
-Not hard enough, you didn't.
For a prelim? Come on.
I appreciate the free discovery.
I do not appreciate the fact that
Allison comes off looking totally humiliated in there
like
-
- like some cheap kind of slut.
This is not about preserving her reputation,
it's about getting a r*pist bound over for trial,
which I'll do.
I'm not so sure about that.
You know what they're doing.
They're gonna be as rough as possible
to discourage her from sticking this out.
You've used the same strategy yourself a zillion times.
Yeah, well, look, I'd like to see a witness list,
plus the police and the medical reports.
I mean, did you run a cross state probation check on this guy?
Hey! You asked me to take this case, I took it,
now let me do my job.
Don't you tell me how to prosecute.
-I'm not doing that.
-You are doing it,
and I'm telling you right now, stop it, Victor.
I've got a percent conviction rate.
I'm good, and what I don't need is
a boyfriend getting in my way.
Are we clear?
I just don't want this guy walking, Grace.
He won't walk.
Trust me.
This guy is not gonna walk.
♪♪
How the hell could this have happened?
I got a piece of gristle caught in the damn braces,
and I couldn't get it out.
Here, sit down.
So you stuck a Slinky in your mouth?
I was using the flat edge.
-Sort of like a toothpick
-
-
-Uh
-huh.
And it got stuck.
-Let's see.
-Ow!
It got stuck, all right.
Here, I don't want to push down too hard
because I don't want to tear the gum.
Come over into the light.
Okay.
-[door opens]
-[knocking]
-Michael?
-Kimberly.
-Come on in.
-Michael.
I'm looking for Roxanne,
I have a video tape of her performance.
Roxanne doesn't work here anymore.
KIMBERLY: You're kidding.
Michael.
Oh! Excuse me. Uh, Kimberly Dugan, Douglass Brackman.
Kimberly was Roxanne's dance coach.
-Hello.
-Hi.
You have a Slinky in your mouth.
Excuse me.
Long story.
What about Roxanne?
Well, that's a long story, too.
You see, her boss formed his own practice
and she went with him.
But I think I can get the tape to her.
Oh, great. She's gonna love it.
Yeah.
Well... it was good to see you again.
Yeah, you, too.
Michael.
Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?
Tomorrow.
Uh...
Yeah. That'd be fine.
Great.
I'll make reservations.Actually, I hate lunches.
It's just less forward than if I'd asked you to dinner.
But since we're on for lunch,
and dinner isn't such a big leap from lunch,
let's make it dinner.
Okay.
:.
I'll make the reservation.
[traffic noise]
Your honor, I would submit
there is not enough evidence
to hold my client over for trial.
Yes, they had sexual intercourse.
But Henrico Mores had reason to believe she consented.
They knew each other, they had drinks,
he took her home, she invited him into her house.
She let him know she found him attractive.
And this is a woman who'd slept with members of her crew before.
A woman who is known by her crew to be sexually aggressive.
She was known to have affairs.
She customarily dresses very provocatively.
She says she resisted and that this was v*olence,
but there were no bruises, no property damage.
They will never get a conviction on this one, your honor,
and I would respectfully request
that we not waste the taxpayers' money
by chasing a conclusion that'll never happen.
If she wasn't r*ped,
what possible motivation could she have
to say she was?
So she could experience the fun of an ER room,
getting probed by a speculum?
So she could furnish vaginal fluid to crime labs,
and enjoy the thrill of a police line up?
Not to mention what a good time it is
to come into these courtrooms,
and be portrayed as a whore by the defense attorney.
I won't be wasting the taxpayers' money, your honor.
The taxpayers pay me to get people like
Henrico Mores off the streets
and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
JUDGE: Thank you both.
I find probably cause and I will hold the defendant over for trial.
Same bail.
Let's set a scheduling conference
for the week of February th.
That's all, we're adjourned.
I'm ready to talk plea, Grace.
Wanna get lunch?
Lunch it is.
Okay, Allison.
We got our trial.
Thanks.
[knocking]
-Hi.
-Hi.
Thanks for coming.
-How's Matthew?
-Oh, he's great.
Growing bigger every day.
I'm gonna have to see him pretty soon.
We'd love for you to.
Roxanne, no one here is blaming you.
Why did you want to see me, Ann?
We have reason to think that Arnie might have been luring clients away.
I don't know what went on between Arnie and his clients.
They're not his clients.
Whosever clients they are.
Did he have you photocopying files for him?
ROXANNE: No.
But he was having it done?
Why are you putting me in this position?
Roxanne, you left here to go with Arnie.
Arnie turned on each and every one of us
by doing what he did.
So now you're asking me to turn on him.
I'm asking you to tell the truth.
I told you the truth.
You asked me to come here, so I came.
I've told you the truth.
Now, I want you to honor our relationship
and not ask me anything more.
No promises.
All the years of working here don't matter.
All the attachments I have here don't matter.
The only thing that matters here is money.
It's the one thing that counts, isn't it, Ann?
The one thing that really counts.
[door slams]
ANN: She wasn't in the room when he talked to the clients.
What about the files?
I don't think she knows anything about the files.
What do you mean, you don't think?
Does she or doesn't she?
What are you gonna do, Leland?
Would you really force Roxanne to testify against Arnie?
In a second.
I don't think that'll be necessary.
How much do we need for an injunction?
LELAND: We'll find out this afternoon.
Judge Lobel is gonna hear our motion in chambers.
If you want to spare Roxanne,
you'd better hope that we don't come out of there empty handed.
Mr. Cassella,
why did you discharge Noah Cowen?
Because I just couldn't put up with it anymore.
Look, I like Noah, he's a good guy,
he's a... good worker.
I know this problem he can't help, but...
it's tough walkin' the clients through my office
with him calling me a douche bag.
Oh, boy. Woop! Woop!
CASSELLA: The cursin' is disruptive.
It upsets the co
-workers and, uh...
the clients, I think he scares them.
Oh, boy. Woop! Dago WOP!
You see, people just don't understand that kind of thing.
It's been hurtin' my business, I
-
-
[sighs] I had to fire him,
I just had to, Noah.
STRITCH: Thank you, Mr. Cassella.
I have nothing further, your honor.
My client's market research was always satisfactory,
was it not?
It was better than satisfactory.
It was great.
And social skills were never a function of his employment,
isn't that right, Mr. Cassella?
Look, I'm
-
- I'm not talkin' about a good personality here,
I'm talkin' about him yellin' kike all day at my assistant.
-COWEN: Oh, boy.
-But his co
-workers understood his affliction, didn't they?
Some did, some... you know, didn't.
You didn't.
Did you ever take time to really get to know Noah Cowen?
I don't know him that well, but I do know him.
Mr. Cassella, the only problem you have with Noah Cowen,
and the only reason you fired him
was because of his handicap, right?
Look, I've been dealin' with this for six years,
and it's hurt my organization.
Yeah, I
-
-
I fired Noah because of his handicap, but...
the way I see it, I didn't really have a choice.
JONATHAN: Thank you, sir. Nothing further.
You can't be serious.
I'm not saying we have to take it.
Felony as*ault?
The man r*ped me, how can he plead down to as*ault?
Because my doing so, we make sure he's put away.
Grace, are you telling me this guy could actually be acquitted?
No, I'm telling you
that he is a first offender with no record.
No oral cop, no weapons.
Even with a conviction, this is what we call
a straight low term r*pe.
The best that we'll get is three years,
so with parole, he's back on the streets in a year and a half.
Oh, God.
Now, they're willing to go for four years,
out in two, if we cop to as*ault.
Basically, he's willing to do an extra six months
to avoid a r*pe conviction.
And, Allison, you also have to consider that
there is a chance of a not guilty.
Now, I'm not saying that'll happen,
but it is your word against his.
And all he needs is a reasonable doubt.
You're telling me to take this.
As a district attorney,
there's nothing more that I want
than to nail this bastard for r*pe.
But as your friend,
I can't ignore the fact that a trial could take up to a year.
Hey, you want a trial, you got it.
People look at me differently.
Ever since this happened to me,
people look at me differently.
What's that say about me, Grace?
That says nothing about you.
Allison, I can get this guy, I can,
but this plea,
it allows us to put him away for a little longer,
and it allows you to put this behind you a lot sooner.
Okay.
Okay.
First of all,
I object to this private motion session.
We're on the record, counselor.
There's nothing private about it.
With all due respect, your honor,
it's a little unusual to be hauled down here
for an th hour hearing after the close of business.
You got your notice. Let's get on with it.
Your honor, as stated in our papers,
Mr. Becker abruptly severed
his partnership with McKenzie Brackman
and breached his fiduciary responsibility owed to our firm.
Upon information and belief,
he knowingly solicited McKenzie Brackman clients
and caused certain corporations to discontinue business with us.
Un
-true.
We have affidavits from three clients
that were approached by Mr. Becker,
which clients chose not to go with him,
nevertheless, they do confirm that
said solicitation did take place
while Mr. Becker was still a member of our partnership.
I can also confirm that three corporate clients,
Sol Rosen and Associates, Taft Industries and Berkshire Petrovic,
have all suddenly left our firm,
and are believed to be with Mr. Becker's new firm.
Did they go with you?
Yes. On their own volition.
I'm restraining you from doing any work for Sol Rosen, Taft
-
-
ARNIE: Your honor, that's crazy!
-Those are my clients
-
-
-Yell at me, Mr. Becker,
and you will be in jail very quickly.
There is no proof of inappropriate solicitation,
there is no proof of any breach of fiduciary responsibility.
He snuck files out in the middle of the night.
You can't force clients to go back to them.
I'm not forcing the clients to do anything,
they can go anywhere they want except to Arnold Becker.
This is depriving me of my livelihood.
Look up the definition of partner, Mr. Becker.
It means you don't plan late night coups
to s*ab your co
-workers in the back.
I object to that characterization.
The restraining order is granted.
Those are my clients.
Well, if you want to keep your clients,
and if you want to keep them,
then you people will have to get back together.
Hearing in days. That's all, we're done.
I can't believe you're doing this.
You steal from me, you answer to me.
JUDGE: I said we're done.
I suppose we can all laugh at Tourette's syndrome;
the way my client swears or spits,
or makes funny sounds.
And Noah Cowen certainly understands that
people can be shocked by his behavior.
He grew up being stared at in restaurants,
being laughed at on buses,
being ridiculed by strangers because the things he does
strikes people as funny.
But you know what's not funny?
A society that's unwilling to tolerate
someone's handicap.
This man became a highly qualified professional
whose work was beyond reproach,
and he still got fired.
-COWEN: Woop!
-Because he made people uncomfortable.
There's nothing so damn amusing about that, ladies and gentlemen,
because that kind of intolerance,
that kind of prejudice, that's our handicap, not his.
Ffff
-
- Woop!
Sal Cassella says people look at this man
and see a weirdo.
I see a man.
A man who's battled a nervous disorder
every day of his life,
and has beaten everything;
everything except public perception.
He deserves to b*at that.
Today.
COWEN: Oh, boy. Woop!
Sal Cassella liked Noah Cowen.
He hired him.
Trained him, promoted him,
and he didn't want to lose him.
But Noah cost him co
-workers.
He cost him clients.
A racial slur, a couple of woops,
a spit.
And Sal Cassella's business takes it on the chin.
COWEN: Oh, boy.
The law says it's all right to fire someone
because of their handicap if it affects their performance.
I'm telling you, Noah's did.
It put people off.
Now, maybe that is society's problem,
as Mr. Rollins has said,
but Sal Cassella shouldn't have to pay for it.
COWEN: Oh, boy. Woop!
Woop!
Case number ,
People vs. Henrico Mores.
Your honor, the parties are prepared to enter into a plea bargain.
After consulting with both defense counsel and the victim,
we feel that the interest of justice will be best served
by a reduced plea to felony as*ault
coupled with a joint recommendation of four years in state prison.
Defense counsel so recommends?
I do.
JUDGE: Mr. Mores,
you've discussed this plea with your lawyer,
and you understand the consequences?
Yes.
You understand that you are pleading guilty to a felony crime,
and that you will spend four years in a state prison
as a result of this conviction?
This is your own free decision?
Yes.
Very well.
It is therefore the decision of this court
-
-
No.
Excuse me?
I can't let this happen. I'm sorry, your honor,
I can't do this.
JENKINS: Your honor,
the parties have already agreed to the plea.
N
-
- No, your honor, I expressly stated
that my recommendation was based on the consent of the victim.
If the victim withdraws her consent,
I withdraw my recommendation.
Ms. Gottlieb, are you fully aware of
the consequences of your decision?
Yes, I am.
JUDGE: You are aware that
the final disposition of this matter
could take up to two years?
I don't care if it takes years, your honor.
They can do whatever they want,
they can't scare me off.
This guy has definitely picked the wrong girl to r*pe.
Your honor, the people stand ready for trial.
[sighs]
So if you can't have 'em, I can't have 'em.
Is that the way it's gonna be?
Got any suggestions as to how it could be otherwise?
Yeah. Let me take the clients
and I'll cut you in for a piece.
[scoffs] You got any other suggestions?
No, that was it. What about you?
You're thepater familias around here.
What suggestion have you got?
Douglas, would you mind excusing us?
No. Not at all.
[door opens]
[door closes]
You've got something to say to me.
What makes you think I got anything to say to you?
Well, I can only assume a man needs a reason
to betray people who trust him.
Oh, so I betrayed you.
LELAND: Yes.
Me and every other person who works here.
You think maybe you played a part at all in this, Leland?
I got in the way of your all
-consuming greed,
that's what I did.
What you did was...
hang me out to dry with the video tape
-
-
I was totally reasonable there.
-Shaft me with Rosalind Shays
-
-
-I had no choice.
And you get behind Michael Kuzak each and every time.
Never once do you get behind me.
Is that what this is about?
Hey, it's there, it's always there.
Kuzak's the principled one, I'm the slug.
Kuzak's the one you're proud of,
I'm the one you tolerate just to keep the money coming in.
You're the one chasing the money, Arnold!
The people here, including you,
will always matter more to me than money,
and that's the difference between us.
Yeah?
Well, I don't get that.
I built this firm, I spent my life building it,
and I will not allow you to reduce my investment here to dollars.
This firm is part of me.
Fine. But don't expect it to be a part of me.
Unless you're prepared to give something back.
What do you want?
I want my name added to the firm's name.
You want more loyalty out of Arnold Becker,
the stencil in Arnold Becker on the glass door.
Is that it?
Yeah.
That's it.
[door closes]
♪♪
JUDGE: Has the jury reached a verdict?
-We have, your honor.
-JUDGE: What say you?
We find for the plaintiff
and award the sum of , in back pay.
We award front pay in the amount of $,.
I'd like to dismiss the jury with the thanks of the court.
We're adjourned.
That's great. Great.
-Oh, boy. Oh, boy.
-Oh, boy, is right, Noah.
Oh, boy, is right. You happy?
-Happy, happy, happy, happy.
-Yes.
Oh, boy.
Woop!
Jonathan.
Can we talk to you guys for a minute?
No hard feelings, I hope. Bastard. WOP.
Not at all, Noah.
Why don't we find a room.
Sure.
I was wondering if there might be
a more constructive resolution to this dispute.
Like what?
Like Noah gets his job back.
Really?
I have yet to find a market research analyst as good.
Now, is this job offer in lieu of a judgment?
Here's the package: , up front, a new car,
and Noah gets promoted to research director.
How come you think now it's okay for me to work there
-
- there? Woop!
A modem and a fax machine.
-That's how come.
-What do you mean?
A modem lets us hook up his home computer to our office computer,
and a fax machine lets us sh**t documents back and forth.
We'll provide everything.
Well, that sounds pretty good, Mr. Cassella.
Oh, boy.
Noah, I think this is something we need to talk about a little.
CASSELLA: Please do.
Know what, Noah?
I know we're gonna work this out.
You want to be out in the world, Noah.
I thought that's what this trial was all about.
Look, in all this time,
I haven't been able to find another job.
A quarter of a million dollars will let you look some more.
It won't matter.
I should just stay home and work.
Damnit, Noah, I hate that you're saying that.
It's okay. I mean, this way,
nobody'll have to hear me.
Oh, boy. Nobody'll have to hear me.
♪♪
-Hi, Grace.
-Victor.
Come in.
Sorry for the intrusion, um,
but your phone's off the hook.
And I knew you'd be here.
Hi.
Hi.
It made the news. Did you see it?
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
Well, someone else who saw it
came to my office tonight.
Who?
A woman by the name of Rosanna Graham.
A woman who, until tonight,
never had the courage to tell anyone
that she had been r*ped by a man named Henrico Mores.
What?
We've got him now, Allison.
I mean, he is facing a r*pe conviction for sure.
Oh, God.
He's looking at at least eight years.
I just wanted you to know.
GRACE: Goodnight, guys.
[door opens, closes]
♪♪