Previously on "L.A. Law"...
Move along, Douglas.
I said why don't we move along?
She bossed me. Did you hear the way she bossed me?
She wasn't bossing you, Douglas.
-Support, support, support.
-Move along.
She b*at me in the election.
I'm the one who should be sensitive around here.
Abby had no choice but to do what she did,
and for you not to support her here is reprehensible.
Abe Lassen is good for about $, a year.
There was no price tag on our ethics
when Leland was in charge, and there isn't now.
Start wearing your hearing aids.
But that's a personal decision, Rosalind.
Leland, if a client's representation is compromised
because you didn't catch something
or you misheard something,
this firm could be subject to a malpractice suit.
I never knew he wore a hearing aid.
Well, he's getting a little up there, you know.
Is that why he stepped down?
He's still a valuable contributor, Daniel.
There's nothing for me to be concerned about, is there?
Of course not. You're in very good hands.
I'm no complete charge here.
[ chattering ]
-There they are.
-There they are.
Mr. Sifuentes, is it true the state offered
-manslaughter last night?
-No, that is not true.
There's been no new offer by the prosecution.
Mr. Lafferty, how did you and your wife
get ready to testify?
My client has no comment. I'm sorry, no comment.
Any thoughts about accepting second degree?
Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty are both innocent
of all the charges that have been brought against them
and we have no intention of entering any guilty plea.
Mrs. Lafferty, how are you holding up?
Any differences in strategy between you and Mr. Sifuentes?
We have nothing to say, I'm sorry.
Is it true they've been offered a movie deal
for the rights to this story?
Who will be taking the stand first?
Excuse us, please.
Please, excuse us folks. No further comments, thank you.
I can't take this.
This is just the beginning, Wayne,
how are we ever going to get through this?
Because we will.
Look, I'm sorry, but you're going to have
to get used to this.
The press is going to be here hounding us every day.
It's only going to get worse.
Don't even listen to their questions.
How can we not hear their questions?
Mrs. Lafferty, did you k*ll your baby?
Mrs. Lafferty, who is the actual m*rder*r,
you or your husband?
How can I not hear those questions?
Listen, Mrs. Lafferty, people are going to think
what they're going to think, but by the end of the trial,
we'll be okay.
Things will never be okay, Mr. Sifuentes.
We hadn't buried him yet, and they arrest us for m*rder.
Come on, Wayne.
Our friends look at us like they don't know us.
They're not sure.
After the acquittal, they will be.
No, they won't.
[ sighs ]
Our little boy stays dead, no matter what.
No matter what, people are going to think we did it.
♪♪
♪♪
Moving on, I'm lunching with Richard Murmelstein,
CEO of Tappen.
[ giggles ]
Oh, sorry, Douglas.
He's got an idea for a new television
interaction program.
Arnold, I'd like you to join.
I can't, Corrine and I are taking Chloe
to lunch this afternoon.
It's her seventh birthday.
Stiff them.
This is a big paying client.
I will not stiff them, Douglas.
Come on, Arnold, I'm talking about new business.
Rent her a clown for the day.
Or give her a puppet show.
But please
-
-
All right, Douglas,
let's not get into this big debate right now.
Move along.
I'm sorry, Arnold has the expertise in entertainment,
he should be there.
And you should have given him notice.
Move along, Douglas.
What, are you still telling me to move along?
Is the right to snap Move Along, Douglas
a function of senior partner status only
or does everyone have that authority?
Last week it was Michael.
Jonathan, Abby, would you like to tell me to move along?
Why don't you try it?
Move along, Douglas.
[ chuckles ]
People vs. Elizabeth and Wayne Lafferty.
Victor's in court.
Representing the baby K*llers.
He's only representing the mother.
The judge wanted co
-counsel because this is a m*rder case.
He appointed John Trischuta to represent the father.
I don't know how you can defend either one of them.
The baby wasn't k*lled, Douglas.
The baby d*ed of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
So the theory goes.
Victor says they're innocent, and I believe him.
All I know is it would be nice to see this firm
representing somebody other than
an accused m*rder*r for a change.
I have this arsonist I'm trying to snag.
Just kidding. Move along, Douglas.
Isn't it nice to have this levity?
We're adjourned.
All right, Douglas. What's the matter?
Nothing, I just don't appreciate all the jocularity
at a staff meeting, that's all.
Okay.
Leland... wait.
I had a date last night.
Yes?
Things... progressed to the point
where there was an opportunity
for a culmination of sorts,
and I couldn't.
I haven't been intimate with a woman
for almost a year, Leland.
Is this... is there something medical?
It's Sheila.
I beg your pardon?
Sex reminds me of her.
And I think it's her memory that incapacitates me.
Well, that doesn't...
that doesn't sound like it could be right, Douglas.
It's right.
I just never knew her vileness could have such reach.
Listen, when I was with Jennifer,
I initially suffered from intimidation.
But I was referred to an excellent therapist.
One of the best.
Did it work?
Well, I never went, actually.
I was going to but...
I suddenly came to.
But I think you should give it a sh*t.
What made you first suspect foul play, Dr. Waibel?
Well, I noticed when the baby was first brought in,
it had extensive bruises on his chest and neck.
Which told you what?
It told me this baby was subjected to physical trauma.
It suggested child abuse.
And what else, doctor?
The child also had conjunctivitis in his eyes.
That's a tell
-tale sign of suffocation.
Well, Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty claim
that their little boy just stopped breathing.
Well, as the doctor who examined this child,
I don't believe that.
I think this baby was k*lled.
-Move to strike.
-Objection, no foundation, Your Honor.
Sustained. The jury will disregard that last remark.
Nothing further.
You've heard of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,
-haven't you, doctor?
-Of course.
Of course. For the court, what is it, sir?
It's crib death.
Basically, it's when a baby inexplicably
just stops breathing and dies in its sleep.
In fact, more babies have d*ed of SIDS
than from heart disease, cancer, cerebral palsy
and virtually all other diseases combined,
-isn't that right, doctor?
-Yes.
And doctor, babies that die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
are sometimes inaccurately diagnosed
as having been suffocated, aren't they?
It happen sometimes.
It happens so often that for death scene investigations,
there has been new legislation in California
that requires police officers
to take SIDS
-awareness training, right?
That's correct.
I want to show you a statement that was made
by state senator Dan Boatwright
Thank you, Jon. Are you familiar with this, sir?
I am.
Could you read the last sentence of the first page here?
Objection, hearsay.
Overruled.
I'll allow it.
Read the line please.
"With our focus on child abuse, we have too many parents
"being treated as criminal suspects
at the scene of the SIDS death."
Thank you, doctor.
Now, you say you saw bruises on the child's
neck and chest area.
Could these bruises have resulted from CPR attempts
to revive the child?
I don't believe they were caused by that.
Is it possible, doctor,
that these bruises resulted from
CPR attempts to save the baby after it had stopped breathing?
It's possible.
Thank you.
Thank you, doctor, I have nothing further.
Mmm.
Nice, Markowitz.
Our anniversary lunch, and you're working the room.
They're clients. I have to be polite.
You know the romance is gone
when passion gives way to good manners.
You want passion?
There's a cheap little motel up on Sunset
about six minutes away.
Right.
No, really.
Excellent day rate.
Very fast room service.
You're bluffing.
What if I'm not?
What, do you want me to cancel my : conference call?
One hour of undivided attention.
No baby, no nanny.
Just you and me in a tacky little room
with orange bed spreads and a red carpet.
Doing... unspeakable things.
Let's go.
What about your conference call?
Let's go.
Hi, Sandy, listen, something has come up.
And... I know I have that : conference call,
But I think you'll be able to push them all 'til :.
I'll be back by :.
Tell Stuart's secretary too, will you?
Bye.
Very well done.
I feel like I'm skipping school.
-[ siren blares ]
-I'll write you a note.
Oh my God.
Oh, boy. Unbelievable.
Take it easy, Stuart. Just pull over.
Pull over, nice and easy.
Don't panic.
What did I do?
Did I do anything?
I didn't do anything.
Relax, Stuart, just keep your hands on the wheel.
-Where's the registration?
-In the glove compartment.
He's coming, he's coming.
Of course he's coming.
He didn't pull us over to test his siren.
Don't start with me, Anne.
I'm not starting. Just relax, will you?
All right, here he is. Here he is.
Driver's license and registration please.
Yeah. Here's the registration.
And proof of insurance.
Proof of insurance, and, um...
Here's, uh...
Here's my driver's license.
Um... did I do anything wrong, officer?
You went right through a stop sign
without even slowing down.
Oh, man.
We were talking and I didn't even see it.
You know, we were talking...
Have you been drinking, sir?
I had a little wine with lunch.
How much wine, sir?
Don't answer that.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Would you like to be arrested
for interfering with a police investigation?
I'm a lawyer. I'm his lawyer.
I'm entitled to give him legal advice, officer.
Step out of the car, sir.
Please step to the curb.
Stand completely still. Watch my finger.
Okay.
Put your arms to your side and close your eyes, please.
Heels together, lean back slightly.
Now take your right index finger
and touch your nose.
Your right hand.
Okay, sir, please take eight steps, heel to toe,
in the direction,
and take eight steps back in the same direction.
Okay, sir, please turn around.
Put your right hand behind your head.
You're under arrest on suspicion
of driving under the influence of intoxicating substances.
You have got to be kidding me.
Be glad I don't test you, ma'am.
Come along with me, sir.
This is a big mistake.
-No blood test, Stuart.
-Come on.
Urine or breathalyzer,
don't let them take blood, Stuart.
I'll be right down, Stuart.
We're not animals, damn it.
Can't chain us up like this.
Let go, you pig.
-Knock it off!
-Hey, come on!
You, shut up.
Next.
Okay, open up.
Please blow very hard.
Again please.
Take him back and book him.
How can this take so long?
It's one of those days.
There's no reason for this, I'm posting bail.
What are you doing to him?
We're not done with him yet, counselor.
We will let you know.
Turn to the right, please.
Now to your left.
We just finished watching this, uh... uh...
TV movie and the news was about to come on.
The : news?
Yes, sir.
I went into the nursery.
He was...
Laying on his stomach.
So I couldn't see too much.
Then suddenly I noticed
there wasn't even any breathing movement.
So, um...
I flipped him over.
My God... he was just blue.
Was your son alive, sir?
I...
I don't think so.
What did you do?
I, uh... I screamed to my wife
and then we called and talked to somebody there.
And what did you do as a result of that conversation?
They told me to do CPR, and I did.
I... uh... I...
I started breathing air into his mouth,
and I squeezed it out of him.
And did you push down on his chest
during this procedure?
Yes.
The man told me to.
-Objection, hearsay.
-State of mind.
Overruled.
What happened next, Mr. Lafferty?
He wouldn't breathe.
Steven wouldn't breathe.
Uh...
An ambulance came and took him to the hospital.
They tried to revive him.
But he was dead.
Thank you, sir. Nothing further.
I have no questions at this time, Your Honor.
Your son had an impartially formed intestine
as a result of being a month premature.
Isn't that right?
Yes.
And as result of complications at birth,
your son was also blind, correct?
Yes, that's also true.
So, you came home from the hospital
with a six
-week
-old blind infant with intestinal problems.
There were a lot of medical bills ahead for you, weren't there?
-Objection!
-Goes to motive, Your Honor.
The survival of this child would have worked
severe financial hardship on the defendants.
Objection is overruled.
You told your friend Alan Levin that you thought this baby
would be better off dead, didn't you?
[ gasping ]
I was despondent.
In fact, you told him that you prayed for its death,
isn't that right?
I was devastated, for God's sakes.
That wasn't reflective thought.
Well, was it reflective thought, Mr. Lafferty,
when you tried to place this baby
with the Westside Adoption agency?
Objection!
I have a copy of adoption papers here
filled out by Mr. Lafferty in connection
-
-
Your Honor, these papers were never made available to the defense.
Overruled, I'll admit them.
What did the agency tell you, Mr. Lafferty,
in response to your inquiries?
They said they couldn't place my son.
When was this?
The day before he d*ed.
So, this baby...
whose death you prayed for,
who you tried to give away,
who was going to cost you hundreds of thousands
of dollars in medical care,
this baby just happened to die inexplicably?
-Objection!
-Argumentative!
Sustained.
Nothing further.
I do have one question, Your Honor.
Go ahead.
Did your wife know about this adoption plan, sir?
No.
She didn't.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Please.
It's a little unusual,
coming to a residence, isn't it?
Douglas, I think you're a little confused about something
which I'd better make clear.
Please, sit down.
I am not a sexual therapist.
What I am is a surrogate partner.
Excuse me?
I thought so.
It's okay, Let me explain.
A sex therapist renders her services
exclusively in the form of dialogue.
Surrogates are partners.
I beg your pardon?
We start with talking.
Then we move on to a series of intimacy exercises,
touching, holding, stroking,
and we gradually work to eliminate the discomfort
brought on by sexual encounters.
You mean, um..
you and me..
we touch.
Yes, we do.
How exactly do I graduate?
Are you asking me if we ultimately engage in intercourse?
In most cases, yes.
But not always.
It depends upon the type of problem
and the progress achieved.
I see.
I can see your very skeptical.
No, no.
Well, I'm wondering whether Blue Cross will cover this.
Perhaps you should think this over, Douglas
But judging from our phone conversation,
I think you will ultimately be referred to a surrogate.
Okay.
I think I will think about this.
That's great.
Case number .
Okay, Ellen Harris is the city attorney.
I know her.
We agreed on a September trial date.
September?
That long, huh?
No, no, this is good.
A long trial delay works in our favor.
The arresting officer won't remember as much.
What's more, Judge Matthews
will be sitting in division III in September.
This is also good.
Why?
Because Rosalind is a good friend of his, that's why.
Every little bit helps.
Michael, Stuart, Anne,
How are you guys doing?
-Jon. How are you?
-Great.
Listen, Stuart, thanks for the contracts
on the Aufter syndication.
You'll be getting my redline copy
at the end of the week.
We can put this thing to bed.
Good, very good.
Well, what brings you boys and girls down to the zoo?
People vs. Stuart Markowitz, driving under the influence.
Excuse us, Jon. Stuart.
Michael Kuzak for the defendant, waive reading, plead not guilty.
-Question of bail?
-No, Your Honor.
First offense OR is fine.
Both parties agree on a September trial date.
Second week of September.
Mr. Markowitz, check with probation, please.
Next case.
Victor.
Elizabeth. Come on in.
What's going on?
Uh, I'm not sure.
I don't know what's going on.
What's the matter?
This adoption thing...
It came as a total shock to me, you know that.
And when I got home, I started going through Wayne's desk,
looking for the papers.
I found this.
It's an article on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
And?
Look at the date, it's two weeks before Steven d*ed.
Well, maybe somebody sent it to him after.
That's what I thought at first,
but why wouldn't he show it to me?
And read it, that article is all about how SIDs...
how you never know the cause
and how it can be mistaken for child abuse?
Wait a minute, are you saying you think
he got the idea from this?
No.
Victor...
That night...
when we were watching the TV movie...
Wayne did go in to check the baby.
An hour before the news, he did go in.
Why didn't you tell me about that before?
Because we discussed it and we figured it would be
better not to say anything about it,
and I never thought he could have
done something like this.
I still don't!
I know Wayne, I can't believe
he could be capable of something like this!
Elizabeth, the reason you're here now is
because you think he might have done it.
The reason I'm here right now
is because I don't know what to think anymore.
That article, the lie, the adoption thing,
I don't know what to think. Maybe I'm just going crazy!
All right.
Wow.
You got to testify about this.
No.
I have to put you on the stand, Elizabeth,
in which case you have to tell the truth.
I don't know what is the truth
and I'm not gonna hang my husband.
Well, I'll tell you this: we got hurt today.
It looks really bad for us, and as your lawyer.
I am advising you to tell the court what you just told me.
And what if I'm wrong?
So then you admit that you could be wrong.
Right now, everyone on that jury
thinks you both did it.
This is a m*rder trial here, Elizabeth.
You could be looking at life imprisonment.
You've gotta think about yourself.
He's my husband.
He also could be the person who k*lled your son.
I don't know what to do.
Then you listen to your lawyer.
♪♪
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth
so help you God?
I do.
State your name for the record, please.
Elizabeth Lafferty.
Mrs. Lafferty, you were present
for your husband's testimony yesterday?
Yes.
And were you aware, ma'am, that your husband
tried to put your son Steven up for adoption?
No, I wasn't.
And Miss Lafferty, your husband also testified
that neither you nor he
went in to check on the child the night of his death
between the hours of : and :.
Now, is that correct?
Is that correct, ma'am?
Mrs. Lafferty, I'm going to remind you now
that you're here under oath.
Did anyone check on the baby before
Yes, my husband did during the movie.
Your Honor, move for a recess to confer with co
-counsel.
I am not interested in conferring, Your Honor.
Move for a recess?
-Denied.
-Victor!
Mr. Trischuta, sit down.
I'm going to show you an article on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
that is dated September th, .
That is two weeks before the death of your child.
Do you recognize it?
Objection!
Mr. Trischuta, I said sit down.
Mrs. Lafferty, do you recognize it?
Your Honor, permission to treat this witness as hostile.
-Objection.
-Objection.
She's your own client.
Your Honor, in the interest of justice,
I am asking this woman to give testimony
against her husband.
Mr. Sifuentes, I'll give you a little latitude.
Thank you, Your Honor.
You found this article in your husband's desk drawer,
did you not?
Yes.
Would you please read
the first line on the second paragraph?
For the court. Please, read it, Mrs. Lafferty.
"Sometimes victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
will appear to have suffered from suffocation."
And the next line.
"And efforts to resuscitate can end up bruising the infant
giving rise to child abuse allegations."
Did it occur to you...
that your husband after reading this article
came up with the idea of suffocating your child?
-Objection!
-Sustained.
All right, I'll put it another way.
As a result of your husband going in
to check on the baby that night alone,
as a result of you finding that article in his drawer,
an article that predated
the death of your son by two weeks,
as a result of his wishing aloud to you
for the death of your baby,
you have now come to the conclusion that your husband
k*lled your child, haven't you, Mrs. Lafferty?
Haven't you?
I'm sorry, Wayne, I don't know any more.
I want to believe you, but I just don't know.
Your Honor, I move for an immediate mistrial.
Denied.
I just don't know what to think.
You suckered me!
I didn't sucker you, this whole thing unfolded last night.
We met for minutes this morning before going into court.
You told me none of this!
I couldn't tell you!
Now come on, Jon, I'm her lawyer, you're his.
We have to protect our clients.
From the beginning our defenses were common, they were joined.
Now you sell me out, you son of a bitch!
Hey! Look, I didn't know things were going to turn out like this.
But I had no choice, I had to do it this way.
If I would've told you,
I would've been violating privilege.
I would've been undermining my client's interest.
I did what I had to do, okay?
Good. Now I'm gonna do what I have to do.
Come on, Wayne.
Wayne, let's go.
The first exercise is called the hand caress.
The object here is to establish intimacy
without establishing sex.
I'd like you to try this.
Like this?
Good.
Now try to be just a little more rhythmic.
Now, contemporaneously along with the caress,
I'd like to continue our discussion.
Move along.
[ sighs ]
AS I said, it's not the holding hands
or hugging that debilitated me.
It's always been after we're disrobed.
Right at that point, I become excited.
You both had been man and wife a long time.
The prospect of having sex with another woman
could cause you to become overridden with guilt.
I doubt it.
I had no trouble cheating on her when we were married.
I see.
It's almost chemical.
As soon as I see a naked woman, I get nervous.
I get gas.
You get gas.
It varies with my diet, but yes.
And then, as soon as I experience a pinnacle,
I almost black out. This can't be normal.
Anxieties are neither normal nor abnormal.
But nudity makes my knees wobble.
What the hell is going on?
I'm not quite sure,
but you know there's only one way for us to find out:
tomorrow, :,
you and I are gonna get naked.
Peter Hymson is the best toxologist in the state.
Him testifying for us, our stock goes way up.
Great.
Okay, to the facts.
Now, you had a glass of wine minutes
before leaving the restaurant.
Right?
Well, I had wine with lunch, so I guess it was...
Yes, but timing is very important.
Let me explain something.
It takes minutes for a drink
to get into your bloodstream.
That means if you had a glass of wine
just before you got into your car,
our expert witness could testify
that it wasn't in your system when you were arrested.
He could testify that even though your blood alcohol level
was . when you took the breathalyzer minutes later,
that it was actually much lower
when you were behind the wheel.
This is very important testimony.
But if you had that drink over lunch say half an hour
before driving,
that argument wouldn't be available to us.
So, when do you think you had that last glass of wine?
He drank it right before we left.
You willing to testify to this?
Yes.
Good. very good.
Excuse me.
Rosalind.
I just spoke with Judge Matthews.
He will be in Division III.
Thank you.
Thank you, Rosalind.
And he's a fair judge.
I just hope it all works out.
So, what now?
Well, I put all this together,
I take it to the district attorney
and I hope that I make this whole mess go away.
-Good.
-Good.
Good.
JUDGE: I remind you, you're still under oath.
Mr. Lafferty, would it be safe to say
your wife's testimony comes as some surprise?
Yes, completely.
Did you cause the death of your son, Steven Lafferty?
Of course not.
Can you think of any reason your wife could accuse you?
There's only one reason I can think of.
What might that be, sir?
She must have done it.
This isn't simply the best defense
is a good offense, is it, sir?
No, it's not. No sir.
It's... First of all, I...
I never checked on the baby that night before :.
I did leave the house once when she asked me
to get her a foot stool from the garage.
A foot stool.
What she wanted it for, I don't know
in the middle of the movie.
But I left the house.
Giving her time and opportunity
to do whatever she wanted.
-Objection!
-Overruled.
What about that newspaper article she found
in your desk drawer?
That...
That was never in the drawer.
After we were arrested,
the police searched all through the house.
They went through my drawers.
They never found the article.
During the course of your marriage, sir,
did your wife ever require psychiatric care?
Yes.
She suffered terrible depression on account of the child
and she was seeing a psychiatrist.
Did she ever tell you why she was seeing this doctor?
Yes.
She felt there was something wrong with her
because she couldn't love her child.
Because she hated the son she gave birth to.
And that's why I looked into adoption.
Because I was afraid she couldn't handle this.
Your Honor, Dr. Peter Welper has invoked
the doctor patient privilege and refuses to testify.
However he does confirm by declaration that
he did in fact treat Mrs. Lafferty in the weeks
immediately proceeding and following the child's death.
Go on.
Sir, did you think your wife had k*lled your son?
Of course not.
How could I? This is the woman I love.
But now...
I can't...
I can't believe she could have done this.
But I...
I think...
I think she's gone crazy.
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained.
The last remark is stricken.
Give me a break.
Oh, this is not a bribe.
I just don't like plea bargaining
in dreary rooms, that's all.
I ought to bring you up on charges.
I have three little words for you:
point
-o
-nine.
That's not even enough to be charged in another state.
But he was driving in this state, and in California,
the legal limit is ., so that means...
Yeah, yeah, but it's rebuttable.
He passed two field sobriety tests.
I got a witness who says he passed all four.
Which witness happens to be his wife.
Ellen...
I need this.
Now, Stuart Markowitz is a friend.
He's a good man.
He's... a respected attorney with no record, Ellen.
I need this one.
I'll give you a wet reckless.
Come on, the insurance company'll
still go crazy with that.
Dry reckless.
I got a witness who said he took his last drink
just before he got into his car.
I got the best toxologist in the state.
I got Judge Matthews.
You've got ..
Why do you want to bother with this?
Dry reckless, but you owe me big.
[ sighs ]
I owe you very big.
Get out of here.
Take your stupid flowers with you.
You're going to get me in trouble.
Thank you.
And he never suspected her until she testified against him.
And suddenly he has to come up with a new defense,
and the only one he can offer up
to refute her compelling testimony
was that she must have done it.
Out of desperation in the th hour, he blames her.
But I want you to remember, ladies and gentlemen,
who came forward first.
She did.
And remember that he was the one
who tried to give away his child.
He was the one who openly admitted
to his best friend
that he wished his son were dead.
The bruises on that child's chest
matched his thumbprints.
Wayne Lafferty k*lled his son, ladies and gentlemen.
He read that newspaper article
and he came up with that idea
and as much as Elizabeth Lafferty loves this man,
she simply could not ignore that awful truth,
and neither can you, ladies and gentlemen.
Neither can you.
She was the one who was in such
a depression over this baby
that she had to seek psychiatric help.
She was the one who sent her husband
out to the garage that night
giving her time alone with the infant.
She's the one who suddenly comes up
with the smoking g*n article
that police detectives somehow couldn't find.
And after she comes to the so
-called conclusion
that her husband k*lled the child,
where did she sleep that night?
With him.
The night before her surprising testimony,
she is in bed with him.
If she really thought that this man k*lled her son,
her son,
would she be sleeping next to him at night?
This is one smart,
calculating criminal, ladies and gentlemen.
She k*lled the baby,
then pretended to cooperate with her husband
at trial in order to sink him at a time
when it was too late to react.
She did it.
She k*lled her son.
And she's trying to frame an innocent man.
Wow.
You know what they've just done here?
They have conspired to create reasonable doubt.
He says she did it, she says he did it.
They confuse us all,
and we've got reasonable doubt for both.
This was a masterpiece, ladies and gentlemen.
Maybe one of the most ingenious defense strategies
I've ever seen because they think
if we can't figure out which of the two did it,
they both have to go free.
Don't be fooled, ladies and gentlemen.
They came forward with their
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome defense,
a defense which in and of itself is appalling.
SIDs is a real tragedy.
It affects thousands of babies every year,
and they are using it as a device
to commit a m*rder.
And when that device suddenly falls apart for them,
they suddenly shift strategies,
start to point the fingers at each other.
They both deserve Oscars,
but they're both liars, both K*llers,
and they deserve guilty verdicts as well.
They're laughing at you right now.
Don't give them the last laugh.
This is a little excruciating.
It's really important that you feel
comfortable with this, Douglas.
Are you feeling any nausea right now?
I think I'm okay.
Good.
Now, I'd like you to stare at my breasts.
Really.
One of the things we want to get from this exercise
is we want to remove some of the sensitization
that society has built up around certain body parts.
Okay.
Good. Very good. You're doing fine.
Now, tell me exactly
what are you thinking at this moment?
-The truth?
-Mm
-hmm.
I'm hoping I don't become flatulent.
Okay, that's fair.
Now, tell me,
did you and Sheila look at
each other's body parts when you were making love?
It was usually dark.
Does looking at me remind you of her?
Not even remotely.
Great.
Douglas, I think you are doing fantastic.
I'd like to try something, all right?
What?
I'm going to kiss you.
Just a soft kiss.
No hugging or groping.
Just a small kiss.
Do you think I'm ready?
I'm a little queasy.
Let's give it a try, okay?
All right.
I think so.
Don't be afraid now.
I'm going to touch you with my tongue.
Just unclench your jaw a little bit.
[ farts ]
Oh dear.
Stuart!
I just talked to Michael, that's fantastic.
Isn't that great?
Straight reckless, no under the influence.
Over and done with.
Yeah, over and done with.
So, what's the matter?
I was guilty.
Stuart, you weren't drunk, I was there, remember?
You were not drunk.
Honey, I had three glasses of wine.
It's not what you can call completely sober.
I was lucky.
I was lucky I had Mike Kuzak who knows
how to work the system.
I was lucky I had Rosalind who knows a judge,
and I was lucky I had three grand so I could
buy the best expert witness money can buy.
I was real lucky some kid
wasn't running across the street
when I barreled through that intersection
with my little buzz on.
Stuart...
You know the difference between me and some drunk
you read about in the newspaper who kills people?
It's that I'm lucky.
Madam Foreman, has the jury reached its verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the defendants please rise?
In the matter of the people vs. Wayne Lafferty,
criminal complaint number , we the jury
find the defendant not guilty.
In the matter of the people vs. Elizabeth Lafferty,
criminal complaint number , we the jury
find the defendant not guilty.
So say you all on both questions?
Yes, Your Honor. So say us all.
Members of the jury, thank you for your time and service.
This matter is concluded.
You are dismissed.
We're adjourned.
Mrs. Lafferty, will you two be filing for divorce?
No comment, no comment.
Do you really think she did it, Mr. Lafferty?
We're very pleased with the verdict and
we have no further comment.
Any chance for reconciliation?
So what now? Was it a plan?
When will you release a statement to the press?
♪♪
04x17 - Justice Swerved
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High-powered law firm of McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak handles both criminal and civil cases, but the office politics and romance often distract them from the courtroom.
High-powered law firm of McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak handles both criminal and civil cases, but the office politics and romance often distract them from the courtroom.