05x10 - Pump It Up

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "L.A. Law"...

We're doing exactly what Mr. Okubu did.

We're buying a kidney.

We either do it, or she dies.

LELAND: You aided and abetted a federal crime.

If you ever do anything remotely like that again,

you will be out of here.

And the same goes for you.

We didn't mean for it to happen.

It just kinda snuck up on us.

What I'm trying to say is,

would it bother you if Grace and I started seeing each other?

Yes.

The new partners were voted on.

Victor's in, you're out.

Those bastards.


-I wanted to tell you, Abby, but
-
-
-ABBY: But what?

Your obligation to the partner took precedence over our friendship?

I get it exactly, Ann.

You're the most important thing in my life,

and you always will be.

Then come home.


-The idea of representing you is repugnant to me.
-Grace
-
-

Now, you can help me avoid the stain

of an investigation.

I'm willing to pay you $, to do it.

Why wasn't this out in the open, Leland?

I wasn't hiding it.

I just decided not to publicize it.

I knew there'd be opposition.

No jail for you this year.

[both laugh]

Thank you, Leland.

I don't know how I could ever repay you.

♪♪ [piano plays]

Thank you, Stuart. That was wonderful.


-Yeah, we get to go home together.
-That's the best part.


-Oh, my God.
-What?

Don't make it obvious, but nice and slow, look to your immediate right.

That's nice and slow?

STUART: What the hell are they doing here?

What does it look like they're doing? They're having dinner.

You think it's social? It couldn't be social.

Think it's social?

They're sitting in a booth. Why would they choose a booth?

Unless...

♪♪ [theme]

♪♪


-[buzzer]
-[cell door clattering]

So they'll plea it out to life, but that's all.

Life imprisonment? What the hell good is that?

It beats the death penalty, which is what you're looking at.

Lionel, you've got one m*rder conviction already.

They don't have to give you anything.


-How about parole?
-No.

Let's go for the trial then.

You know, life's as good as the gas to me.

Okay. It's your call.

I don't know what was in my head, not k*lling that girl.

She's dead, they got no eyewitness.

Are you telling me right now that you did k*ll the husband?

Well, that'd be pretty stupid of me, right, Counselor?

Smarter for me just to tell you nothing.


-They gave you a suit, right?
-Yeah. And a tie.

Wear it. We go in at :. I'll see you then.

You're gonna be a good lawyer, aren't you, Mr. Sifuentes?


-[knocking on door]
-[buzzer sounds]

First up, a very happy birthday to Arnold Becker.


-[cheering]
-Happy birthday.


-Happy Birthday, Arnold.
-Thank you.

My birthday isn't until Thursday.

Agreed, but since you seem to be particularly anxious about it,

I thought I'd take the opportunity


-to remind you everyday this week, big four
-oh.
-Thirty
-nine.


-Can we move on, please?
-Of course.

Anybody seen Miss Perkins?

Yes. She's in her office. She sends her regrets.

DOUGLAS: What do you mean, "she sends her regrets"?

She's skipping the staff meeting?

Evidentially, she's under the impression

things could manage without her.

Couldn't imagine what she could be thinking.

Ah! Victor! People v. Lionel Sanders?

Cross starts this afternoon.

How can you actually defend this scum?

The court ordered me to represent the guy, Ann.

It's not like I had much of a choice.

Just the same, you're gonna fight like hell to get him off, right?

I hope I lose. To answer your question,

yes, I'm gonna fight for the guy.

That's what I was appointed to do, right?

Moving on. Grace, you authorized

payment of hospital expenses for a Ms. Helena Washington?

That's the woman who supplied the kidney for Carol Graff.

She developed some complications,

and to protect the firm from potential liability,

I saw to it she be hospitalized and fully checked.


-What's this about?
-We went through a kidney broker to get Carol Graff's kidney.

Why are we just hearing about this now?

I've already reprimanded both Grace and Mullaney on this matter.

That's not the point. No file was open.

No case number was assigned.


-Why was this done secretly?
-It shouldn't have been.

They screwed up. Move on, Douglas.

There is some good news. Leland has landed Velnick Industries,

a major manufacturing company of household fixtures,

a client which could generate billables

upwards of a quarter of a million dollars annually.


-VICTOR: :That's terrific.
-That is good news.

And more good fortune. I note, Arnold,

you have a meeting with Christina Shepherd

regarding her divorce from Leonard Bey,

CEO of Kenmore Consolidates.

This could be major.

Mr. Bey is worth between fifty and a hundred million.

Hopefully, I'll reel in Mrs. Bey this morning.

Let's hope so. It's been a while since you brought in a big one.

What are you bringing, Doug?

DOUGLAS: It was an observation.

Don't be so sensitive during your birthday week.


-LELAND: Douglas!
-Sorry. We're adjourned.

Grace? Tommy? In my office, please.


-Well, can it wait? I
-
-
-No.

In my office now.

Why wasn't I told about this kidney broker thing?

It didn't involve you, that's why.

You expose us to this kind of liability, it does damn well involve me.

Leland knew all about it and gave us chapter and verse.

That doesn't absolve you of your obligation to inform me about it.

What do you mean, "inform you"?

This was a function of the litigation department.


-That means you come in here
-
-
-Hey, hey, hey. Cut the crap, will you, Michael?

You got a problem with me seeing Victor, fine,

but it is totally unprofessional for you to
-
-

I am talking about the way you practice law.

No, you're not. This is personal.

This is professional. As head of litigation, I
-
-

You are not head of litigation, I am.


-What?
-That's right, Michael.

Leland made me head of litigation.

It was a condition of my coming here.

So don't tell me what I can or can't do as a lawyer here.

And don't tell me what I can or can't do to concerning anything else.

[door opens]


-[door slams]
-Are you finished with me?

I'm not going to lie, even though I happen to be quite good at it.


-Thank you.
-[door closes]

You're the ninth lawyer I've gone to.

The other eight have all said the prenup can't be broken,

which is terrible since it limits me to ,.


-And you want more.
-Much more.

Leonard's worth about $ million,

, just seems a little bit trivial.

Maybe, but then on the other hand,

you've only been married to him for seven months.

Quality time. Look, I made a mistake,

a mistake I would like him to pay for,

and I hear you're creative.

Let me look at the agreement, see what I can come up with.

Four hundred an hour applied against a non
-refundable retainer of thirty thousand.

That seems a bit high compared to the others.

I don't compare to the others, Miss Shepherd.


-Is that right?
-I'm gonna have three lawyers

comb through this little contract, and then you're gonna tell me

everything you know about your husband,

everything, whether you think it matters or not.

Then I'm going to get to work and make you a very large amount of money.

How does that sound?

You arrived home around P.M.?

Yes. We went to a movie.

John parked the car in the garage,

and we came in through the side door,

and he was there in the kitchen.

WOMAN: And what happened to Mrs. Bursell?

Well, I think we surprised him at first,

because he
-
- he jumped back,

then he pointed his g*n at us.


-Does this look like the g*n, ma'am?
-Yes.

People offer this as Exhibit One, Your Honor.

And what happened next, Mrs. Bursell?

He started screaming at us to get down on the floor.

He said if we didn't get on the floor, that he would k*ll us.


-WOMAN: Keep going.
-We'll, we did what he told us to do,

and he was swearing all the time.

He was swearing at us.

And then he made John take off his
-
- his watch,

and he made me give him my rings and a bracelet.

Then he
-
- he put his g*n in my mouth,

and he was laughing.

He told John to look because he wanted him to watch.

He wanted him to watch his wife die.

I thought he was gonna k*ll me right then and there.

And then he took the g*n out of my mouth,

and he hit me in the side of the head with it,

and I guess I just blacked out.

And what's the next thing that you remember?

Waking up and seeing John there...

...lying in the blood.

He had a
-
-

He had a hole in the side of his head. He
-
-

He was sh*t. He k*lled my husband.

And you're absolutely sure

this was the man you saw that night?


-Yes. Yes, that's him.
-Thank you, Mrs. Bursell.

Nothing further.

Mrs. Bursell, my name is Victor Sifuentes.

And, ma'am, I am truly sorry for your loss.

Now, you didn't see my client sh**t your husband, did you?

No, I didn't see it.

VICTOR: Okay.

Okay.

I have nothing further.

Well, the prints from inside the house match those of the defendant,

and based on that, as well as Mrs. Bursell's positive photo identification,

we sought and obtained the warrant

and proceeded to arrest Mr. Sanders at his residence.

And, Detective, did you search the defendant's apartment


-incident to this arrest?
-Yes, we did.

And what did you find?

Located under some dish rags beneath the sink

was a . Magnum.

I show you People's Exhibit One

and ask if you recognize it.

This is the g*n we found.

I recognize it by the chip on the handle.


-You ran this through ballistics?
-Yes.

And the confirm this to be the g*n used to k*ll John Bursell.

Sir, what else did you find

on the premises or on the person

of the defendant, Lionel Sanders?

We recovered a watch and some jewelry

identified as belonging to the victim and his wife.

We also noticed a b*llet wound on the arm of the defendant.

WOMAN: Were you able to ascertain the cause of that wound?

We believe the victim attempted to go to the aid of his wife

as the defendant b*at her.

Now, the g*n probably went off, wounding the defendant,

and it was likely at this time he fatally sh*t Mr. Bursell.

Thank you, Detective. I've nothing further, Your Honor.

You have no eyewitness to the sh**ting, do you, Detective?

To the actual sh**ting? No, we don't.

And it is possible, isn't it,

that the fatal g*nsh*t could have gone off during the struggle?

It doesn't matter. Even if it goes off by accident,


-it's still m*rder one.
-VICTOR: Move to strike. That is a legal conclusion.


-JUDGE: Sustained.
-VICTOR: Thank you.

You can't rule out the possibility that this was an accident, can you?

He was sh*t point
-blank, Counselor. I don't think
-
-

It could have gone off during the struggle, right, Detective?

It could have, but I doubt it.

Thank you, sir.

That's all.

What the hell are you talking about accidents for?

It don't matter if it's an accident.

Your sentencing right now, that's the only thing worth concentrating on.

Hey, stop going through the damn motions and do something.

I'm trying to tell you there's not much we can do here.

Then screw the hell up in there. Get me an appeal for inadequate counsel.

Get me a damn mistrial. Anything.


-That's not gonna work.
-Do something for God's sakes.

I'm looking at the freakin' gas chamber here.

The appointed you to defend me,

so, damn it, let's see a defense.

Look, all I can tell you is
-
-

Right now, we're looking at a certain conviction.

Now, you can testify and try to change this,

but you have an obligation to tell the truth, you understand?

I cannot put you up on the stand if I know you're gonna lie.

I got you. Put me up there.

I'm just gonna ask you what happened, and you tell me.

Right.


-Hi.
-Hi.


-How we doing?
-Oh, we're all right.

Arnie's in his office sulking.

He's really freaked.

Then a surprise party's just what he needs.

Rox, I need you
-
- Hi.

Hi, sweetie. Dropped by to say hello.

Uh
-huh.

Look, in case you two are planning any surprise parties, forget it.

I am not celebrating this birthday.

We'll go out to dinner, just you and me.

No, I have to work late Thursday night.

Arnie? Excuse me.


-Sorry, the thing's airtight.
-Don't tell me that, Jonathan.

They haven't invented an airtight prenup.

They have now. This thing's crafted.


-You're telling me this?
-I've been telling you since last night.


-Just forget it, Jonathan.
-Fine.


-[papers slam]
-I gotta go to the bathroom.

No parties.

Now what do we do? I already booked a caterer.


-Relax, we'll just do it here.
-Here?

If we can't get him to the party,

we can bring the party to him.

What can I do for you, Ann?

I thought, initially, I wouldn't say anything.

But now that I think about it...

Stuart and I had dinner at Tribeca the night before last.

And as we were leaving, we saw you kiss Rosalind Shays.

Uh
-huh.

Is that it? "Uh
-huh"?

I didn't know that my social life was any of your business.


-It is if it affects the firm.
-Oh, this doesn't affect the firm.

You had us represent her in that S&L case because of your involvement.

That's deception, Leland, if not an outright lie.

We represented her to save ourselves $,.

Oh, please. Then why didn't you just tell us you were seeing her?

Well, if you were having an affair with Rosalind Shays, would you tell anybody?

You're sleeping with her?


-Please leave, Ann.
-I don't trust that woman.

I didn't trust her motives when she was here,


-and I certainly don't trust them with you now!
-I said leave.


-Leland, you got a minute?
-What do you want?

Oh, I'm sorry.

What can I do for you, Michael?

Grace Van Owen and Tommy Mullaney violated federal law.

We have knowledge of it,

thereby putting us at serious risk if we do nothing.

We could all be disbarred. Or worse,

we could all be brought up on conspiracy charges.


-What are you saying?
-I'm saying that, like it or not,

we have to do something to protect ourselves.

At a very minimum, they should both be suspended.


-You can't be serious.
-Leland, the donor is sick.

If she dies, there will damn well be an investigation.

If we are so much as charged criminally,

this firm is finished.

But if we suspend them, we leave ourselves open to scrutiny.

Then we have to do it very carefully.

We simply suspend them without pay for undisclosed reasons.

The partners will never suspend Grace. You know that.

On your strong recommendation, they might.

This have anything to do with Grace's new relationship with Victor?

I know about it. It's all over the firm.

I am talking about this firm. Period.


-I won't make that recommendation.
-You're risking the firm.

And this discussion is over, Michael.


-Who's head of litigation?
-I beg your pardon?

Grace told me that you made her head of litigation when you hired her.

At the time, you were leaving the firm.

But I didn't leave the firm, I stayed.

Who is head of litigation, Leland?

This firm has never operated on that kind of hierarchy.

Officially, who is head of litigation?

I made a commitment to Grace.

I stand by that commitment.

[door opens]


-When is it ever gonna cease to suck around here?
-[door closes]

This agreement is so fundamentally unfair


-it virtually has no chance
-
-
-Five hundred grand for seven months,


-I'd say she gets off okay.
-Given your client's net worth, Mr. Cleland,

this contract is conscionable.

She was represented by council. This thing is binding.

But ambiguity is construed against the drafter.

That's very true, but there's nothing ambiguous about it.

There is enough to get into court, where thing's can get very ugly.

That is not something that you want, sir.


-Is that a thr*at?
-I don't know.

The line between thr*at and promise is so easily blurred.

Go ahead and sue. I'll cross
-claim her

for being a gold
-digging, malicious slut.

MICHAEL: We'll add on for slander.

I'm surprised, Christina.

Is this all you'd come up with?

MAN: Let me tell you what I'm gonna do.

In exchange for you recommending to your client

that she walk with the and not a penny more,

I'll recommend to my client that he not haul you in


-for sanctions for abuse
-
-
-Who do you think you're talking to?

A lawyer that has no case, that's who.

Do some research, Mr. Cleland.

You're dealing with Arnold Becker here.


-Uh
-oh.
-Yeah, you're right.

Instead of five, we'll give you four.


-We'll see you in court.
-Hey, you know,

she's hired every lawyer in town to cr*ck this.

That should tell you something about the validity of this prenuptial.

And as for you, you're her ninth choice.

That should say something, too. Come on, Lenny.

We're dealing with Arnold Becker.

[Lenny chuckling]

Look, uh, why don't you just bill me for the time spent,

and we'll leave it at that, all right?


-It's not over yet.
-Well, for us, I think it is.

You're a very nice man. It was lovely to meet you.


-But I think I
-
-
-I'm not finished with them yet.

And your not gonna fire me. You give me another day,

and I'm gonna b*at those bastards.

I am not a nice man.

I promise.

I needed the money for dr*gs, that's why I broke into the house.

I'd just gotten inside when they came home.

And what happened, Mr. Sanders, after the Bursells entered their home?

It was like she said. At first, I put my g*n to 'em,

said, "Get down on the floor."

I, uh
-
- I took their jewelry.

Did you put your g*n inside Mrs. Bursell's mouth?

SANDERS: The reason I did that would make it harder for her to remember me.

I figured, she got a g*n barrel in her face, she's not thinking about the color of my eyes.


-So you did that to shock her, yes?
-Yeah.

Since I knew I wasn't gonna k*ll her,

I didn't want her remembering me.


-You strike her with the g*n?
-Yes, sir.

And then she passed out, so I stopped.


-And next you turned to Mr. Bursell.
-Yes, sir.


-Did you put your g*n inside his mouth, too?
-No, sir.

Well, could you tell the court what happened then?


-I r*ped him.
-[crowd gasps]

[crowd murmuring]


-You r*ped him.
-Yes.

And then what happened?

He was crying the whole time, begging me to stop.

And I made him, uh...

I made him do things to me.


-What things?
-Sex things.

And in the middle of it, he jumped up and grabbed me.

That's when he got the g*n away from me.

So Mr. Bursell got possession of the revolver.

Yes. And I started to run away.


-And that's when he sh*t me.
-And then what happened?

Oh, I just hit the floor.

I didn't know that he had just got me in the arm.

I thought that, uh, this was it, you know,?


-I thought that he was gonna k*ll me.
-So what did you do?

I just laid there on the floor and pretended I was dead

and prayed to God Almighty that he'd let me live.

And, uh, and the man, he just started crying again.

Mr. Bursell started crying.

Yeah, he was crying and, uh, he began to tremble, and
-
-

And, God
-
- And that's when he d*ed.


-Did what?
-He put the g*n to his head,

and he just, uh...

He just pulled the trigger.

[crowd moans]

Is it your testimony then...

that Mr. Bursell committed su1c1de?

SANDERS: I swear that's how it happened.

I wasn't gonna k*ll either of 'em.

He put the g*n to his own head.


-So then what did you do?
-I got the g*n and I left.

Look, Mr. Sifuentes, I didn't k*ll nobody.

I broke in there to steal, and I committed a r*pe.

I should go to jail, probably forever,

but I did not k*ll that man.

Thank you, sir.

I have nothing further.


-Mr. Sanders
-
-
-[pen drops]

...you expect us to believe

that the victim just took your g*n and sh*t himself?


-My word to God, that's what happened.
-Didn't check on his wife?

Didn't call an ambulance to make sure shed get help?

Just turned the g*n on himself and fired.

Objection! Your Honor,


-that goes to the victim's state of mind.
-Sustained.

How come you never told us this before?

Because I knew nobody would believe me.

You were previously convicted of manslaughter

in , weren't you, Mr. Sanders,

for which you served eight years?

I ain't lived my life too good.

I've done a lot of stuff I deserve to be punished for.

Just answer yes or no.

Yes, I committed that m*rder in ,

but this one I didn't.

That man...

He k*lled himself.

I didn't m*rder anybody that night.


-[sobbing]
-I didn't.

♪♪


-So what are you gonna do?
-What else can I do?

I have to try to prove this guy's story.

But you yourself said it's a total lie.

Yeah, but I don't know for a fact that it's a lie.

Do you even remotely believe this guy?


-No.
-Well, then you
-
-

But it doesn't matter.

If I don't use and incorporate his testimony into my defense,

then I'm as much as admitting to the jury that I don't believe him, and that's...

TOGETHER: Violation of privilege.

I gotta go with this cock and bull story.

I gotta do whatever I can to try to prove it.

Oh, Victor, what if you pull it off?

♪♪


-Dr. Felder?
-Mr. Sifuentes?

Thanks for coming.

Tommy Mullaney told me you're the best.

Well, I don't know what I can do on such short notice,

but, hell, let's give it a try, huh?

I tried to get a continuance, but, uh...

Look, these are all the medicals that I could dig up so far


-so far on John Bursell.
-Mm
-hmm.

Now, anything that you could possibly do to support the theory...


-When am I going on, hmm?
-Forty
-five minutes.

God.

Okay.

Let me pore through this.


-Did you bring the check?
-Yeah, , right?


-I'm gonna need a receipt to get reimbursed.
-No problem.

I wish I could give you more time to prepare.

Not to worry.

Forty
-five minutes should be fine.

And so you're saying it's possible that this was a su1c1de.

It's very possible. The trauma of r*pe

can affect near psychotic reactions.


-Victims are very often suicidal.
-Why is that, Dr. Felder?

FELDER: r*pe is extremely destructive.

The sense of violation is overwhelming.

Mr. Bursell was the victim of brutal, violent sodomy.

And this could cause a man to take his own life?

Usually, the suicidal tendencies manifest later,

but there are no rules here.

This man had to sit by helplessly

and watch his wife get a p*stol stuck in her mouth,

get knocked unconscious.

Then he was forced to have a**l sex.

He was forced to orally copulate this stranger?

This could very definitely have consumed him with such self
-disgust,

he just snapped.

There's plenty of anecdotal evidence to support this.


-Thank you, Dr. Felder.
-One more thing.

I examined the coroner's report, and from the angle of the b*llet wound
-
-


-Objection!
-...it definitely could have been self
-inflected.

Objection! This man is not a coroner!


-He has no foundation!
-JUDGE: Sustained.

Members of the jury, you'll give no weight

to the remark regarding the angle of the b*llet wound.

One does not have to be a coroner
-
-

Dr. Felder, be quiet.

VICTOR: I have nothing further, Your Honor.

You never knew or even met the victim, did you?


-FELDER: No. No, I did not.
-And you're up here espousing


-psychological opinions on him?
-I'm talking about r*pe and su1c1de.

You're talking about whatever defense counsel wants you to talk about.


-Objection!
-Be steady.

...you can think of to justify your witness fee.


-VICTOR: Objection!
-JUDGE: Counsel!

Let me tell you something, Ms. Kennedy. I don't like the defendant.

I think he should rot in prison for the rest of his life.

but that doesn't mean that I should overlook the evidence which is in front of me.

That evidence suggests the very real possibility, if not probability,


-that John Bursell took his own life.
-Move to strike!

That's why I'm sitting in this witness chair.

And when you investigated this crime, Detective,

you never explored the possibility of su1c1de, did you?


-No, we did not.
-When you recovered the m*rder w*apon,

you found two prints on it which belonged to the victim, didn't you?

Well, probably during the struggle, he grabbed ahold of the g*n.

VICTOR: The victim's prints were on the g*n.


-Yes or no?
-Yes.

And you never explored the possibility

that the victim was r*ped, isn't that right?

There's nothing in the autopsy report that suggests that he was.

VICTOR: But if there was no tearing or semen, autopsy could have missed it.

In fact, sir, you ordered to exhume the body of John Bursell yesterday

to check for evidence of r*pe, isn't that right?


-That's correct.
-What did the coroner conclude?

There was too much decomposition to tell.


-It was inconclusive.
-Yes.

Thank you, sir. Nothing further.

Christina! You're late. Where the hell were you?


-This better be good, Arnie.
-Just play along, Christina.


-Gentlemen.
-I'll tell ya, I will move for sanctions.

This is my meeting, Mr. Cleland. I'd appreciate it, if you
-
-

Be glad we showed up. Now, let's just settle this.

I don't wanna hear any more garbage about breaking the deal.

Oh, I don't care about the prenup.

We're gonna be seeking an annulment to the entire marriage.


-An annulment?
-you gotta be kidding.

I'm not kidding. The client induced this woman into wedlock through fraud.


-What are you talking about?
-I'm talking about

your inability to naturally consummate your marriage, sir.


-I'm talking about your penile implant.
-CLELAND: His what?


-Oh, God.
-My client had no knowledge

that a material part of your anatomy was inflatable.


-She knew it.
-ARNIE: After you were married.

She never would have known it had one of your cylinders not ruptured.


-For God's sake.
-What is this crap?

This crap concerns an internal mechanical device

designed to give him an artificial erection.


-You're not impotent?
-Absolutely not. I'm functioning.


-With the aid of technology, yes.
-You son of a bitch.

This is the lowest, most disgusting ploy I've ever heard of.

Thank you. And besides that, it's relevant.

Goes directly to the issue of conjugal relations,

and therefore is grounds for annulment.

All right, my friend, you want an annulment, you got one.

But that means that they were never married.

So instead of ,, she's entitled to absolutely nothing.

Excellent point. The only thing is, for the annulment,

I'll have to file the grounds with the court

and therefore make it a matter of public record

that the CEO of Kenmore Consolidates

has this built
-in body pump that sh**t liquids into
-
-


-That's blackmail.
-Two million dollars, Mr. Bey,

or the whole world finds out you're a self
-made man.

You can't do this.

Two million dollars by the end of business tomorrow.

Who the hell do you think you are?

Her ninth choice.

All right, Abby, how long is this gonna go on?


-I said I'm sorry.
-And I accepted your apology.


-So let's just forget it, okay?
-But you haven't forgotten it.

You've been carrying it around for over a week now.

Ann, I'm sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

I'll try and look happy.

Look...

I would quit if I could afford to.

I really would, but I have a son,

and I am a sixth
-year associate in a depressed market.

I have nowhere else to go.

So I trudge in here everyday to McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney,

Kuzak and Becker, so pleased with myself.

The depressed market is the only reason you weren't made partner.

Your work is great. Everybody likes you.

It's simply a question of economics.

That probably doesn't make you feel any better.

But you have to know there is still a lot of support for you here.

Who voted against me?

That's confidential.

Leland and I voted yes.

Everybody else voted no.

Did Leland push for me, or did he just vote?


-He fully supported you.
-No. Did he push for me?


-What's the difference how
-
-
-The difference is we had a deal.

Last year, Leland struck a bargain with Jonathan and me.

We pledged our support for him in his fight against Rosalind

in exchange for his promise to endorse us for partnership when the time came.


-Quid pro quo, just like that.
-Yeah.

And what I wanna know is, did he keep his promise?

Oh, yeah. He kept it.

[door slams]

Yes?

I'm sorry...

about before.

I was out of line, Grace.


-Okay. Let's forget it.
-Hold on a minute.

You don't even know what I'm apologizing for.

Yesterday, I went to Leland behind your back.

I tried to get him to suspend you and Tommy Mullaney,

ostensibly to protect the firm,

but more likely to punish you.

The only explanation I have for all of this

is that I'm not over you, Grace.

I thought I was, but...

I don't know how far your relationship has progressed with Victor,

but I do know that I love you.

And I want you back.

That's not gonna happen, Michael.

[exhales]

Is it Victor?

It's me.

You.

And, yes, Victor.

Okay.

[exhales]

Um, I gotta get back to work.

Again, I'm sorry.

[door opens]

[door closes]


-You're doing what?
-Just what I said.

We're dismissing the burglary and aggravated as*ault.


-Why?
-VICTOR: I'll tell you why.

She knows the jury hates my guy so much

they're never gonna dare to let him walk.

And by dismissing the other two counts,

the only available means to lock him up will be the m*rder charge.

If I want to dismiss in the interest of justice
-
-

Then I want the complaint amended to include the r*pe.


-WOMAN: Opposed.
-He admitted it under oath.

The interests of justice would also mandate
-
-

I'll bring the r*pe charges after this trial.

Judicial economy says do it now.

All right, you're both very clever.

Look, if the district attorney wants to dismiss

on burglary and aggravated as*ault, I really can't stop her.

And I'm certainly not amending the complaint to include r*pe now.

That'd be against the defendant's constitutional rights.


-So waive it.
-State won't stipulate.

Sorry, Counsel. Burglary and as*ault dismissed.

He remains up on m*rder alone.

Look... [chuckles]

I don't want this guy to go free, either. This isn't right.

You're trying to box the jury in a corner with their own fear

so that you can get a m*rder conviction that you might not otherwise get.

You are doing whatever you can to get him off, Victor.

I'm doing whatever I can to get him on death row.

But you're playing loose with the rules.

You're dropping counts to force jurors' hands.

You're playing fancy
-free with the system here, and you are letting her.

I've made my ruling.

Closing arguments : tomorrow morning.

To be perfectly honest with you, ladies and gentlemen...

I hate Lionel Sanders.

I'm here as an attorney under court appointment.

I have to tell you that the idea of representing this man is repulsive to me.

But...

...that doesn't change the fact

that on the charge of m*rder here,

Lionel Sanders must be acquitted.

He must be. Nobody saw him sh**t the victim.

The prosecution has offered nothing to refute his testimony.

The evidence suggests that the b*llet wound

could have been self
-inflicted.

Victim's fingerprints were on the g*n.

You heard Dr. Felder talk about the psychological effects of r*pe,

the trauma of being sodomized,

and how that could drive a man to take his own life.

Yesterday morning, the prosecution suddenly had enough doubt themselves

that they ordered the body to be exhumed.

And the tests were inconclusive.

The prosecution cannot exclude the possibility of su1c1de here,

and that means that they can't negate reasonable doubt.

Now, you can all go back to that room

and unanimously conclude that sitting over there is a despicable human being.

You can go back hoping that when he's brought up on those r*pe charges
-
-

and he will be after this trial is over
-
-

that he's put away for a long, long time.

But what you cannot do, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

is ignore the fact that reasonable doubt exists here.

No matter what she says,

no matter what they tell you,

she can't rule out su1c1de,

because they never investigated it.

They never even investigated it.

So...

You can be weak and do the popular thing,

or you can be strong

and cling to the principles and the obligations

that you took an oath to uphold.

It's not easy.

[chuckles] Damn it, your job is not easy here.

But be it for this system's integrity,

or simply your own,

you have to do it.

You have to do your job.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Lionel Sanders is a convicted felon

whom by his own admission had k*lled before.

He made up a wild su1c1de theory to save his life,

hired a veteran professional witness doctor

to lend credence to his theory.

And that is his whole defense.

He broke into this home,

battered the wife,

a b*llet from his g*n

ended up in the head of Mr. Bursell,

and they're asking you to swallow su1c1de.

There's no evidence of r*pe here.

Nothing in the autopsy or anywhere else,

because he made it up.

He is a cold
-blooded, two
-time k*ller

who told a desperate lie on the witness stand,

in order to get you people to acquit him

of a vicious homicide.

Don't do it, ladies and gentlemen.

You know what he is.

Don't give him the chance to show up one day

to show up in your kitchen.

Thank you.

LELAND: What's going on?

I have nothing to do with this. I just found out.

I'll take responsibility, Douglas since I'm the catalyst.

We have some concerns, Leland, and we'd to address them.


-What kind of concerns?
-With leadership,

specifically your emerging track record for deception.

You concealed your social relationship with Rosalind,

while mandating that we represent her.

You secretly promised Grace

that she would be head of litigation.

You never even told Michael, or me, for that matter.

Oh, please. Yesterday I found out

that you made a covert partnership promise

to Jonathan and Abby in exchange for them backing you against Rosalind.

My God, Leland, you sat in this room last week endorsing Abby on her merits,

when it was really a political payback.

I truly believe she would make a great partner.

The point is, you don't make deals like that,

and you of all people have to know that.

Today, I learned, through a little checking,

that Velnick Industries, our new big client,

is a subsidiary of the Tamen Group Corporation,

a corporation whose head lawyer is Rosalind Shays.

Dis she refer this subsidiary to you?


-So what if she did?
-So you never told us about that.

Now, since Rosalind's client has control over our client,

she indirectly has some control over us here.


-That's ridiculous.
-STUART: It's not ridiculous.

You've completely subverted the democratic process.

You're running around making decisions that affect all of us,

and you're keeping us totally in the dark.

You hired C.J. Lamb unilaterally.

That should have been put to a vote.

You hired Tommy Mullaney unilaterally.

That also should have been put to a vote.

I'm trying to build our revenues back up here, and C.J.
-
-

We don't like your methods. We don't like the secrecy,

especially now that Rosalind's got your ear.


-Now, that's out of line, damn it!
-Maybe it is,

but this is a partnership, not a dictatorship,

and we've called this meeting to make our feelings clear.

Fine. Now let me express my feelings.

The burden is still on me to bring in the business.

I can't spend eight hours a day trying to build a client base

and take out time to serve your sense of democracy.

I know I've been cutting some administrative corners,

but it is tough being both rainmaker and office ambassador at the same time.


-So what are you saying?
-I'm saying I'm going to set my priorities.

For the next six weeks, I'm going to completely concentrate

on expanding our client list,

thus free myself from all this office bureaucracy.

I am passing the senior partnership temporarily over to Douglas.


-STUART: You can't do that.
-LELAND: I certainly can.

The partnership agreement authorizes me

to make a pro team designation unilaterally, and that's what I'm doing.

Douglas, for the next six weeks, you're in charge.

I leave it to you to establish a fair and democratic process

that everyone can live with.

Are there any more questions from anyone?

Good. Thank you for airing your concerns.

This meeting is adjourned.

Isn't this exciting?

Mr. Bey, what a surprise.

You don't know how this kills me.

I could have just sent it over by messenger, but...

Listen, even though the deal says


-that she can't talk about my, you know
-
-
-Mm
-hmm.

...I know how lawyers tell w*r stories to each other,

and this would be a good one.

I won't tell anyone.

I must be the world's biggest sap, huh,

thinking that a girl like that

could go for an old fart like me?

As much as I can tell about your ex
-wife, Mr. Bey,

I wouldn't bother measuring yourself by her standards.

But I do, you know. Problem is,

I grew up handsome, and I just can't face the reality

that one day, even if it isn't now,

that people aren't gonna think that I'm attractive,

when I walk into a room, that girls like Christina aren't gonna look.

What are you, , ?


-Thirty
-nine.
-Well, then you know what I mean.

You still turning heads. That old smile is still work like it used to.


-Oh, I don't really worry about that.
-Then you're lucky.

You're lucky you're not vain.

Because aging, there's nothing gradual about it.


-You're just suddenly old.
-Is that why you got the implant?

I didn't need it. I wasn't impotent or anything.

I just wanted to be as strong and as virile
-
-

And God, the thought that one day I'd end up

with this limp, useless, rag
-like
-
-

Mr. Bey, I've got another meeting, so, um...

Yeah.

Tell Christine I wish the best for her, okay?

Sure.

[door opens]

[door closes]

They've come down to second
-degree.

Which translates to what?

Twenty years.

[laughing] You see that?

Never underestimate the value of a good lie, Counselor.

Three days ago, it was life. Now? It's years.

Look, you really need to decide. They can come back in any time.

Twenty years is pretty good. With parole, you'll be out in .

Well, what do you think? We got a chance?

Yeah, there's always a chance.


-Yeah.
-There's also a big risk.

You lose, you're looking at the death penalty.

Yeah. Yeah.

You know something? I'm feeling lucky.

You did a hell of a job in there, and I am feeling pretty lucky.

Even if you win, you're still looking at the r*pe.

So what? Even with high
-term and the prior,

I'll be out of there in seven,

which is a lot better than twenty.

Let's roll the dice, Counselor.

Your closing argument in there today was fantastic.

[traffic passing]

[crowd chattering]


-Hi.
-Hi.


-Hi.
-Hi.


-Hello.
-L
-A
-T
-E. You're late.

I got a call today about something that might interest you.

Shh! Shh!

[whispering] Please. Everybody quiet.

I'm gonna go get Arnie now.


-Okay.
-Okay.


-[knocking on door]
-Arnie?

Are you in there? It's me, Roxanne.

ARNIE: Go away!

Arnie...


-Get up.
-Are you crazy? Get out of here!


-Shh! Shh!
-What the hell's the matter with you?

Your wife and of your closest friends

are in the reception area waiting to give you a surprise party,

that's what's the matter with me.

Get your clothes on, for God's sake!

And you! You don't go anywhere.

You stay right here in this office,

and you don't move until I come back and say you can.


-Rox!
-Get ready, Arnie, before somebody walks in,

you stupid jerk!

Okay. Wait, wait, wait.

Okay, I'm ready.

Nice time for a nap, Arnie!


-Stop it.
-Now, you just look surprised, damn it,

you stupid, selfish, ungrateful pig.

ALL: Surprise!

[applause]

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday, dear Arnie ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

Thank you. Thank you.

Madame Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?


-We have.
-JUDGE: What say you?

In the matter of People v. Lionel Sanders,

on the charge of first
-degree m*rder,

we find the defendant not guilty.

JUDGE: Members of the jury, thank you for your service. The defendant's free to go.

Your Honor, I have a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Sanders

on the grounds of aggravated r*pe,

and I ask that he be taken into custody.

So ordered. Bailiff. We stand adjourned.

Mr. Sanders, are you gonna plead guilty to the r*pe?

I'm confident that we'll win that, too.

I have no comment.

The D.A.s office and the police have both stated

for the record they don't believe there was a r*pe.

I think I'll make reasonable doubt.

I'd like to thank my attorney.

Obviously, we are both satisfied that justice has been done.


-Mr. Sifuentes
-
-
-Hear what I just said?

I have no comment. That's all.

♪♪ [theme]