05x14 - The Gods Must Be Lawyers

[bunniefuu]

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

We asked you to step toward the car.


-Get your hands off me.
-Shut your mouth!

Hey, hey, hey! [grunts]

Ahh!

[grunts]

Ahh!

There's a police officer in the hospital

with a broken jaw, judge.

Which police officer att*cked Mr. Rollins


-without provocation.
-He was resisting arrest.

You're just looking for a conviction

to insulate the department from a civil suit.


-That's not gonna happen.
-Then we got another problem.

You see, the grandmother that was r*ped,

we showed her your picture.

With others, of course.

And while she couldn't conclusively ID you as the r*pist,

she couldn't rule you out, either.


-How's Zoey doing?
-Zoey?

She's a DA. She's also my ex wife.

That woman is your ex wife?

You can't win this, Tommy. Don't try to be a hero.


-The kid needs a hero.
-Tommy.

Look, Zo, I'm sorry,

I know I got no right puttin' you in the middle.


-Yeah.
-But this thing.

It's just a little hard to walk away from.

ZOEY: I'm coming forward as an officer of the court

to prevent what I believe to be

a gross violation of the judicial process.

Bruce Rogoff abused his power.

Jonathan Rollins is an innocent man.

Don't worry, Mr. Rogoff, I only believe every word.

Sometimes it's hard to believe

that you were such a God awful wife.

'Cause you are still the greatest person

that I ever met.

Can I quote you on my resume?

Absolutely.

You are such a bad influence.

I know.

The biscuits are getting cold, Joseph.

I can't keep the food hot forever.

It's funny that way.

I can't say the blessing 'til people sit, Gaby.

Everybody sit down.

All my cooking's gonna go to waste.

Ma, Ma, you made us sit down once, you made us get back up.


-Papa
-
-
-Now, Charlie, I want you there.

Anna, you're here. Victor, next to your father.

Ma, does it really make a difference where we sit?


-Grace, honey, next to me.
-Everything looks so delicious.

Grace, Grace, hurry up, her biscuits get cold


-and she turns into atigre.
-Hey, you know what?

I don't even like her biscuits, they're like kneepads.


-Charlie!
-Hey.

Joseph, do something.

Oy!

Can we just get started here, please?

Dear Lord in Heaven above
-
-

Wait, wait, I'm not in my chair yet.


-Get in your chair and stop yapping.
-God, please.


-Charlie, hit your father.
-Sure. Watch it.


-All right.
-GABY: Now, bow your heads
-
-

Shh, shh.

Dear Lord,

we give thanks for the food we are about to receive,

we give thanks for this family,

that we can be together like this,

on this occasion where Victor brings to us

his beautiful friend, Grace Van Owen.

Hey! I bring at least girls home for dinner,

none of them get mentioned in the blessing.


-Que paso?
-They're stupid, Charlie.

Ma, why don't we just skip the rest of the blessing?

Oh, the lawyer doesn't want to say the blessing.

[overlapping dialog]

Cállate,okay? Shut up.

Silencio, silencio, Charlie boy wants to say something.

We've already thanked God for the food and the family, all right?

I mean, he's got other blessings he has to listen to,

he's a busy god, especially nowadays,

so let's just give Grace a welcome, okay?

We're happy to have you here, Grace.

Thank you. I'm honored to be here.

That's nice. Now, pass me those damn biscuits.

[laughing]

♪♪

♪♪

All right, people. Busy days for everyone.

Let's keep it short.

First up, on a very exciting note,

I spoke last evening with Henrick Shay,

the estate planning counsel for Rikki Davis.


-The Rikki Davis?
-Yes.

For those of you who've been skipping page one

for the last few months,

Ms. Davis and her lover is charged with murdering

her year old husband.


-The Beverly Hills Hangers.
-DOUGLAS: The very ones.

The young widow is apparently upset with her defense counsel.


-She wants to interview us.
-Are you serious?


-I want this case.
-DOUGLAS: You've got it, Michael, if you can hook her.

She's due in this morning at :.

Needless to say, this will be a public relations home run.

It's probably the most talked about m*rder case in the country.

[overlapping dialog]

ANN: Why does Michael always get the big cases?

For once, I'd like a m*rder case, maybe.

You never want m*rder cases, Ann.


-I want this one.
-Well, you can't have it.

DOUGLAS: All right. There's probably

enough work here for everybody if we get it.

Michael, might I suggest your bringing

someone else in for the meeting?

Whatever it takes to snag her.


-Michael
-
-
-DOUGLAS: Moving on.

Jonathan. Jonathan, are you still planning

to proceed with your action against the police?

Yeah, yeah, I'm not chasing the DA's office, though,

out of deference to Zoey Clemmons.

Be apprised, people, I'm out of the office Wednesday morning

with some minor bunion surgery.

That's all. We're adjourned.

Why does he tell us these things?


-Bowling?
-Yeah, bowling.

Really. Charlie's in this thing called Friends League,

and he wants us to go with him tonight.


-You wanna go?
-Yeah, well, sure.

I mean, we can grab a bite to eat after work,

and then from there, about :, we hit the lanes.


-What do you say?
-Okay, sure.

Great.

Hey, Grace, thanks for last night, too,

I mean, you were
-
- you were a real sport.

I really liked them, Victor.

You have a terrific family.

Come here.

Thanks. I'll see you later?

Mm. Bowling.

Yeah, bowling.

Cop to the r*pe, I'll go with low term,

you'll be off in months.


-That's ridiculous.
-Orrin.

Misdemeanor battery. Suspended.

[chuckles] He r*pes a year old girl,

you expect me to let him walk on a misdemeanor?

I didn't r*pe anybody.

And she got exactly what she was looking for.


-Orrin
-
-
-If it hadn't been me,

it would have been somebody else.

Orrin.

As we agreed, anything said in this room

is in the context of plea negotiation,

and, therefore, totally inadmissible.

Did you contact the girl's mother

and offer her $, to drop this thing?

Well, the offer anticipated a potential civil claim.

It would be illegal for me

to tamper with a criminal prosecution.

Yeah, well, she got the impression that's exactly what you were doing.

She misunderstood.

You listen to me. If I get wind you're offering bribes

or doing anything to buy your way out of this,

I'll bring you both up on obstruction of justice.

Don't thr*aten me, Miss Clemmons.

Stay away from the girl, stay away from the mother.

Well, until they're represented by civil counsel,

and thus far, they're not,

I'm entitled to approach them.

Go near them again, I'm brining charges.

I don't care how many banks you run or how many lawyers you hire,

I'll screw up your life.

Well, you're never gonna make r*pe or statutory r*pe.

And after we b*at up the girl in a criminal case,

and make no mistake, I will get her,

we're gonna bring a civil libel action against her,

and even if we don't win it,

we'll bankrupt them with legal bills.

Now, you go back and tell your people that, Miss Clemmons.

And then you ask them

if they really want to follow through on this.

Will you excuse us?

My last lawyer suggested I plead out.

That means either he thinks I'm guilty,

or he doesn't think he can win.

Either way, a switch seems in order.

John Friar's a pretty sharp defense attorney.

If he's telling me to admit to a crime I didn't commit,

Mr. Mullaney, he's not sharp enough.

From what I gather in the papers,

you got a tough case.

What, exactly, have you gathered?

Your husband was found dead

one week after he decided to divorce you.

A divorce would have cut you off at the knees with a pre
-nup,

while his death, on the other hand,

leaves you million as the grieving widow.

You also had a lover.

They found his prints along with yours

on the cord used to hang your husband.

That's pretty much it.

Those prints were on the beam, not on the cord,

and they got there when we discovered him

and tried to cut him down.

We didn't hang him.

Then who did?

RIKKI: I think maybe he hung himself.


-He was depressed.
-What about?

A month before, he was diagnosed with

the inoperable liver cancer.

They say that's not much to go on,

but I didn't m*rder my husband.

And I didn't participate in any conspiracy to m*rder him,

and I need a lawyer who can help me prove that.

Well...

I'm gonna need all the files from John Friar's office today.

I also want you to take a lie detector test.


-Why?
-Because, evidently,

you want a lawyer who believes in your innocence.

I'm not there yet.


-Are you, Tommy?
-Nope.

Why don't you think it over.

No. You're hired.

Set up the polygraph, let me know.

Nice to meet you both.

Nice touch with the lie detector.

You know, I figured that would get her attention.

I want in on this case, Michael, as much as possible.

Don't worry, Tommy, I got big plans for you.

Good, because this thing here, this is serious juice.

I certainly don't want you to back down,

but I don't want to mislead you.

If we prosecute, his lawyer is gonna do

anything he can to destroy you.

And his lawyer is great.

Does she have to testify?

I mean, with statutory r*pe, consent doesn't matter, right?

But we're also going with straight r*pe.

On that one, consent is an issue.

Maybe we should drop that one.

ZOEY: That would be a mistake.

Our best sh*t's with the straight count.

With stat r*pe, the only issue is age,

and he can argue mistaken belief

that she looked old enough.

If we go forward,

we really should go with both counts.

Can you get him convicted?

I don't know, Laurie.

No. I don't want her put through this.


-Mom.
-Honey, you have no idea

how hard it's gonna be in there.

And the likelihood is, you'll lose.


-It's all for nothing.
-What do you think?

I want to prosecute. But she's right.

There's a good chance we'll lose.

I want to go through with it.

He r*ped me.

How can I just let him get away with it?

You understand how tough, how strong you'll have to be

in that witness chair?

I can do it. I'm ready to do it.

Then so am I.

Okay.

[laughing]

Oh! You're gonna regret this, Charlie.

I'm a lousy bowler.

Anybody can roll a ball, Grace.

Besides, you're probably a lot better than Victor.

What are you talkin' about? I kicked your ass the last time.

Sure you did. Sure you did.


-He stinks.
-[laughing]

Are you listening to him?

Obey me. Go unto your car,ese.

Hey, you gonna follow me?

I don't need to follow you, I know where I'm going.

You just make sure you don't get lost.


-[Charlie chuckles]
-Oh, woo.

Grace. He stinks!

GRACE: This is good to know, Charlie.

You are in deep trouble here.


-Why?
-Family likes you.

Oh, no. What comes after bowling?

What comes after bowling? Last year, he dragged me to

poor man's polo on cows.


-Real slow.
-Yeah, right.

[car horn honking]

[screaming]

Charlie!

GRACE: Call
-
-!

VICTOR: What happened?

Charlie.

Help! Somebody help!

Charlie!


-Victor.
-Charlie!

Come on, get away.


-Grace
-
-
-Come on, Victor.

VICTOR: No! Charlie!

Charlie!

And, Laurie, where did you first meet this group?

LAURIE: At the bar.

They were on a business trip or something.

And then he invited us up to his suite.

ZOEY: How old are you, Laurie?

LAURIE: Sixteen.

And what were you doing in a hotel bar having drinks?

I don't know, we were just sitting home bored, and
-
-

I don't know, we
-
- we just decided to go out.

Okay, but I want you to tell us exactly how

you happened to go up to the defendant's hotel suite.

There were two other men and a woman besides Carol and me,

and we talked about ordering room service and stuff up there.

And...

well, Carol and I just thought, I mean,

we didn't think they were dangerous or anything.

ZOEY: Okay.

So, what happened after you got there?

Well, we all talked and we danced a little.

There was a stereo,

and I was dancing with him, Orrin.


-Did you like him?
-Sure, I mean,

he seemed really cool, even though he was older.

ZOEY: So what happened?

LAURIE: Well, at about :, Carol said she had to leave

'cause she had to be home by :.

He said he'd drive me home, so I
-
-


-ZOEY: You stayed.
-Yeah.

And what happened after your girlfriend left?

LAURIE: Well, then the other people left, too.

I guess to go back to their rooms.

And then he made another drink.

And then...

we hugged.

And
-
- And then we kissed.

ZOEY: You willingly kissed him.

LAURIE: Yeah.

ZOEY: Then what?

Then, um, the kissing started to get heavier, you know?

A lot.

And then he began putting his hands on my breasts.

And I
-
- I told him no,

but he just kept telling me to relax.

And then he
-
- he pushed onto the bed,

and I tried to get away but I couldn't.

And he just kept saying, "You know you want it."

And
-
- And then he pulled up my dress,

and I just screamed.

And I tried to get out from under him, but I couldn't

because he had my arms pinned back.

And he was just too strong and I couldn't get him off.

And, well, the next thing I knew,

he was pushing himself inside me.

When you say pushing himself inside of you
-
-

He was raping me.

I mean, I tried to fight him but I couldn't.

Okay.

And, Laurie, are you sure the defendant knew

that you didn't want intercourse?

Yes, he knew, I mean, I was screaming at him to stop.

I was screaming for help.

He knew.

ZOEY: Thank you. I have nothing further.

JUDGE: Let's take a short break.

Let the witness collect herself.

You just sit for a while.

Ay, Victor. Ay, Victor.

[speaking Spanish]

Joseph.

We've removed all the skull fragments.

But the news isn't good.

What?

DOCTOR: He'll survive, but there's damage to the brain stem.

Bi
-lateral damage,

especially to the parietal and temporal lobes.

It looks permanent.

He's going to be extremely dysfunctional.

How dysfunctional?

I don't think he'll ever be able to speak...

or even to understand verbal language.

He'll be completely paralyzed on his right side.

Oh, Lord. [sobbing]

DOCTOR: We'll do whatever we can.

You were married to your husband for three years?

Yes.

Did you love him?

Very much.

Did you know he was planning to divorce you?

No.

Ms. Davis, did you m*rder your husband?

No, I did not.

Is your dress black?

Yes.

Did you lover, David Schaeffer, m*rder your husband?

No, he did not.

Do you know who hung him?

No, I do not.

Thank you.

That's all, we're done.

Excuse us a second, Rikki, we'll be right back.

[door opens]

Well, she's, uh, telling the truth.

You sure?

Well, these things aren't foolproof.

You know that as well as I do but, uh,

she passed.

I gotta get my gear.

Michael, news on Victor.

It looks like the brother will have permanent brain damage.

Oh, God.

Guy who hit him registered ., drunk driver.

Obviously, anything he needs, we give it to him.

Hello, Miss Penn.

Would it be all right if I called you Laurie?


-Yeah.
-Laurie, that night in the bar,

you were dressed a little differently than
-
- than you are right now,

weren't you?

Yeah.

BYRD: Nice dress, make up.

Would it be fair to say you looked older?

I guess.

BYRD: Well, the bartender served you alcohol.

We had fake IDs.

[chuckles]

Did you ever tell Mr. Baldwin

that you were under the age of ?

No.

BYRD: And before he sat next to you,

did any of the guys at the bar, you know,

hit on you?

A couple.

You looked pretty adult that night, didn't you, Laurie?


-Objection.
-BYRD: Withdrawn.

Laurie, why did you and your girlfriend

go to the bar that night?

I already said we were bored,

we were just looking for something to do.

You carry condoms in your purse,


-don't you, Laurie?
-Objection.


-BYRD: Goes to consent, your honor.
-All right.

You carry condoms in your purse, don't you?

Yeah, because my mother wants me to,

to be safe if I ever
-
-

Oh, so you were out looking for sex that night.


-Objection.
-LAURIE: No!

And I never told him that I wanted to have sex with him.

Laurie, how many drinks did you consume that night?


-LAURIE: Two.
-Two.

Were you inebriated?

I don't know.

Maybe just a little?

Maybe.

So when the two of you were kissing, it became passionate,


-did it not?
-I don't know.

BYRD: Well, you testified earlier that, uh,

"As we were kissing, it got heavier, you know, and a lot."

Well, that didn't mean he could do what he did.

Did you put your hands on his buttocks, Laurie?

Did you grab his buttocks and pull him toward you?

I don't remember.

So it's possible that you did?

The witness said she doesn't remember.

Move on, Mr. Byrd.

Laurie, what did you do immediately after

the two of you made love?

We didn't make love, he r*ped me.

What'd you do then?

I left and went to the lobby and I got a cab.

BYRD: Did you report to the hotel security


-that you'd been r*ped?
-No, I jut got out of there.


-BYRD: Where'd you go?
-Home.

Not to the hospital, not to the police?

No, I just wanted to go home.

And when you arrived at home, your mother was waiting for you,

very angry, wasn't she?

I mean, dressed the way you were, all that make up,

: in the morning, coming home drunk without your panties.


-Objection.
-BYRD: In fact,

you were so afraid of what she'd do

that you made up this whole story of being r*ped, isn't that true?


-ZOEY: Objection.
-That's not true, he r*ped me.

Come on, Laurie. You'd rather commit perjury

than have you mother find out the truth?


-Objection.
-BYRD: Withdrawn.

You know...

you seem to be a very nice young lady,

and I hope you realize that these lies

are hurting an innocent man.


-Most to strike that.
-Sustained.

Come on, Mr. Byrd.

No further questions, your honor.

I had him examined this afternoon

by three more doctors,

including the best neurologist in the state.

I used him as an expert in one of my trials.

He's not comin' back, Pa.

Charlie's only breathing right now

'cause of the machines.

Well, I'm not giving up.

The doctors, they say if he's lucky...

that he might be able to brush his teeth

or
-
- or feed himself,

but that he's never gonna be able to communicate,

he's never gonna be able to understand.

They told me that he's gonna have

the mental capacity of a dog.

Ah...

Pa, you remember the Amy Ferguson trial

that I had two years ago?

Mm
-hm.

Charlie and I, we used to talk about that one a lot.

I remember him saying that if he ever got like that

that he wouldn't want to be suffering

hooked up to some device.

Well, I'm not k*lling my son.


-But he's gone, Pa.
-No, he's not gone.

He's not gone! Charlie's not dead, Victor!

I don't want to let him go any more than you do,

he's my only brother.

We can't just let him live like that,

we can't just let him live like that, Pa.

[speaking Spanish]

[speaking Spanish]

Victor, we are Catholic people.

I know that.

God should have him now.

I wish I could be strong to help you, son.

I know how much you hurt.

Wish I could be strong.

♪♪

What do you mean, we can't do it?

He isn't dead, Victor. We can't just disconnect.

The damage is permanent. He'd be living like a vegetable.

Not totally. He'll have some use of his left side,

he'll be able to sit up.

W
-
- Wait, you told me that he'd be living like a dog.


-You told me that.
-But that isn't brain dead.

I'm sorry. The hospital just isn't authorized

to suspend life support under these circumstances.

Victor, try to understand their position,


-they really can't
-
-
-How can I let him just exist like this?

Charlie would never want to be kept alive like that.

Don't you understand that?

I
-
- I can't
-
- I
-
- I can't do that.

Look, Victor, honey, we'll get a court order,

we'll go in this afternoon.

I'll handle it, okay?


-Okay?
-Okay, okay.

Doctor, can I count on your support medically?

Absolutely.

Thank you.

DOCTOR: Miss Van Owen, you should know

I'll back you percent, you'll get no argument from me.

But you will from the hospital.

Yeah.

So, Mr. Baldwin,

you thought that the woman was older than .

Yes. She was sitting at a bar

being served alcohol when we met,

so I assumed she had to be at least years old.

Uh
-huh.

Did she ever at any time tell you her true age?

No. And she looked a lot different

than she does right now.

Okay, Mr. Baldwin.

But even though you did mistakenly believe that

she was old enough to consent,

she said she did not consent.

BALDWIN: Well, that's not true.


-She initiated it.
-She did?

I was certainly a willing participant,

don't get me wrong,

but me pushing her on the bed and forcing her,

that's not even close to the truth.

Well, what did happen?

BALDWIN: I had just made a drink,

and we were standing over by the bed.

It was all incredibly awkward

because, well,

we both knew what we had come back to my suite for.

Objection as to what the victim knew.

Sustained.

BALDWIN: Look, I am no ladies man,

I think I was more nervous than she was,

and I guess I was hoping she'd make the first move.


-And did she?
-Yeah, sort of.

She put her hand on my shoulder,

and then she ran it down my arm into my hand,

and then she squeezed it.

What'd you do then?

I turned to her and I put my arms around her waist,

and pulled her to me gently.

And then we hugged a little,

and I rubbed the top of her back,

and we kissed,

and the, uh, kissing escalated,

and then it, uh
-
- it all progressed.

Continue, sir.

We fell back on the bed and we made love.

We both made love.

And afterwards, she kissed me goodbye

and
-
- and she left.

Mr. Baldwin,

did she ever scream at any point?

No. God, no.

If anything, she enjoyed herself.

And next thing I know, the police show up

and charge me with r*pe.

BYRD: Thank you, sir.

I have nothing further.

When the police arrested you,

you had scratch marks on your neck.

BALDWIN: Yes, she did scratch me,

but it was from aggressive lovemaking.

She wasn't telling me to stop.

How did her panties get ripped?

I don't know.

They may have torn while she was taking them off.

Oh, she took them off and ripped them herself.

I guess so. I pulled her dress up, yes,

but she took off the panties.

You say that when contact was initiated,


-you put your arms around her waist.
-That's right.

Would you stand up outside the witness box, please.


-Your honor.
-ZOEY: A little latitude, your honor,

I'd like him to show us exactly what he's described.

Stand up.

ZOEY: Laurie, could you come here, please?


-Objection.
-This will only take a second, your honor,

I beg the court's indulgence.

You don't have to do this, Miss Penn.

Laurie, please?

Laurie, I want you to go to the witness

and stand before him.

Laurie, please do it.

Mr. Baldwin, could you show us how you put your arms around her?


-Your honor.
-I will get through this a lot faster

if you stop jumping up.

Sit down, Mr. Byrd.

Show us, Mr. Baldwin.

Show us how you held her before the kissing began.

Now show us how you pulled her towards you.

Show us, Mr. Baldwin.

ZOEY: Now, rub the top of her back like you said you did.

Your honor, this is outrageous!


-JUDGE: Mr. Byrd
-
-
-BYRD: Look, I don't care if you lock me up for contempt,


-I'm gonna keep objecting to this blatant
-
-
-Mr. Byrd.

Your honor, I know what counsel is doing,

and I'd like to be heard in chambers.

Let's go.

She's trying to shock the jury, your honor,


-and there is no
-
-
-Your guy offered up the description,

I just asked for a demonstration.

BYRD: That's not what that was about.

You just wanted the jury to see

the girl in his arms and be disgusted.

That's right, I wanted them to get the picture.

But that wasn't the picture.

She was dressed totally different that night, your honor.


-All right, Mr. Byrd.
-Your honor,

I want to put on my demonstration.


-Meaning what?
-She put the girl up there

to punctuate to the jury just how young she looked.

I'd like permission to dress Laurie Penn the way she was dressed that night.


-I object to that.
-Her appearance is directly relevant

to my client's defense that he thought she was of age.

What are you proposing to do?

The girls took a picture of themselves

before they left that night,

so we have a means of assuring accuracy.

We'll send her to an independent make up artist,


-she can wear the same dress.
-Oh, please.

Your honor, the jury should be allowed to see her this way.

It is vital to their understanding of the events.

Your honor, I could not be more opposed.

All right, look.

You had 'em see her your way,

the defendant could be prejudiced

if I don't give him his sh*t.

The court will appoint a make up person.


-Your honor
-
-
-Miss Clemmons,

I gotta let him put on their defense.

The jury will see her before closing arguments. That's all.

You don't think this is a little bit sick?

This is a r*pe trial, counsel.

Everything about it makes me sick.

Tomorrow at a.m.

[sighs]

[door closes]

TOMMY: This here is the deceased.

Before...


-and after.
-[all exclaiming]

Wait, this one's better.


-[all exclaiming]
-KUZAK: Ooh, look at his face,


-is he blue?
-He ain't happy?

[chuckling]

The victim had a bruise, top of forehead.

They might be sayin' the k*ller knocked him cold


-before stringing him up.
-Damn.


-TOMMY: The guy's teeth.
-I don't believe it.

TOMMY: The cord must have squeezed 'em


-right out of his head.
-ANN: Oh, please.

STUART: It's an incredible sh*t.

The boyfriend, David Schaeffer.


-JONATHAN: Guilty.
-[laughing]

His trial is separate, it starts in about two weeks.

KUZAK: Abby, I want you to monitor that.

ABBY: Sure.

TOMMY: Victim's daughter, cut out of the will.


-STUART: Aww...
-ANN: Hm...

We should do some diggin' on her.

Mildred Spicer, next door neighbor.


-ANN: She did it.
-She would come over twice a week

and scratch the victim's feet.


-Sweet.
-Yeah, she has a criminal record

for kleptomania.


-ANN: Get out.
-STUART: She does not.

TOMMY: Okay, that's all the photos

in the police file.

KUZAK: Okay. All right, people, now look,

if we're gonna win this thing,

we either have to hand the jury another suspect or sell su1c1de.

We're gonna have to pick one thing, and run with it.

In the meantime, I've called a press conference.

The media's coming out with stuff on this every day,

and since prospective jurors are probably reading about it,

I want to have our version in print, too.

as soon as possible.

Now, Abby, I need the motion to suppress by Friday.


-Okay.
-Jonathan, the same thing goes for the change of venue.

CJ, I want you to start working with

a private investigation team, and Stuart
-
-


-The will.
-Get crackin' on the will.


-Okay, everybody, that's it.
-I want an acquittal here, people.

That looked like a pretty good knot, Michael,


-he had to have help.
-Boyfriend.


-JONATHAN: Yep.
-Boyfriend did it.


-No way, too cute.
-CJ: Yeah, way too cute.

[traffic noise]

Did you ever discuss with your brother

the possibility that he could end up like this?

Yes. I
-
- I'd had a case about two years ago

which involved a young woman who was in

a persistent vegetative state,

and her parents were petitioning the court

to have the G tube removed, which was keeping her alive.

My brother and I had talked a lot about that case.

And he said
-
-

He said that if he ever ended up where

he couldn't speak or couldn't think,

he would not want to be kept alive by artificial means.

Was he clear in his intent?

Yes. Yes, he was very clear.

GRACE: Thank you.

Your honor, I submit the declarations of three physicians,

including the attending, Dr. Nyberg,

each stating that

the left side of Charles Sifuentes' brain

is permanently destroyed;

that he has severely impaired cognitive brain function,

and that this condition is irreversible.

I have nothing further.

I'm very sorry for your tragedy, Mr. Sifuentes.

I'll try to keep this short.

You and your brother never sat down specifically

to discuss this contingency, did you?

He told me his wishes.

ATTORNEY: Yes, in the context of one of your cases.

But your brother might not stay in a vegetative state

like the woman in that case.

He might be able to sit up, to recognize people,

maybe feed himself.

With therapy, maybe he could do even more.

Ma'am, the doctors say, at best,

he'll end up with less intelligence than a one year old.

In the Jamie Ferguson case,

according to the transcript,

you stood before the court and said,

"A judge should never measure the quality of a person's being

to decide whether that person has a right to be."

Now, that's exactly what you're asking this judge to do.

VICTOR: Well, at that time, I was standing up for the hospital.

Right now, I
-
-

Right now, I'm standing up for Charlie.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Are you sure you want to end your own brother's life?

Of course, I'm not sure.

I want him to be alive.

But, you see, it isn't about what I want.

I know my brother...

and he would never want to end up like this.

If he can't be himself, then he'd just rather not be.

ATTORNEY: Back in the Ferguson case,

you begged the judge not to play God.

You asked him, for Jamie Ferguson's sake,

to leave open the possibility that God might be God.

Why doesn't your brother deserve that same consideration?

All right, let's bring her in.

JUDGE: Members of the jury, the parties stipulate that

Miss Penn's appearance today fairly reflects

the way she appeared the night in question.

Miss Penn, please walk up and stand before the jury.

I'd like her to turn to the side, your honor.

Miss Penn.

Now, if you would please turn around

and put your back to the jury.

JUDGE: All right, that's enough.

Miss Penn, you can go back and sit down now.

Mr. Byrd, make your closing statement.

Well, I think, uh,

Laurie Penn just made it for me.

I mean, how could any red
-blooded American male

not be attracted to her?

The bartender believed her to be .

Other patrons believed it.

My client believed it.

And you can certainly understand why.

What a beautiful woman she is.

As for consent, ladies and gentlemen,

she dressed herself like that.

She equipped herself with condoms,

and camped out in a hotel bar.

She willingly went to my client's suite,

willingly kissed him, f*ndled him,

and eventually, she made love to him.

Now, faced with a little guilt,

and a disapproving mother,

she made up a story.

She got caught up in that story when Mom went to the police,

and now Orrin Baldwin is entangled in it, too.

I'm not going to as*ault your dignity

by trying to convince you that there's a reasonable doubt.

You must already know that.

Was Orrin Baldwin guilty of bad judgment that night?

Perhaps.

But r*pe?

Well, that's just ridiculous.

Ridiculous.

She dressed the way
-year
-olds dress these days.

The grow up watching Madonna videos,

the black lingerie, sexy... is in.

It's hip.

And the condoms in her purse.

We teach our children to carry condoms

with the AIDS epidemic.

Don't you dare accept his suggestion

that to do so is evidence of consent.

And yes, she kissed him.

And maybe she even grabbed his buttocks,

but she also did something else.

She said no.

Laurie Penn pushed the defendant away,

and told him no.

And he responded with violent forced intercourse.

That's r*pe.

It isn't sex, It isn't making love,

it's r*pe.

And she's here today

willing to be judged by you,

willing to relive that vicious att*ck

because that's the only way to make the point;

that every woman, whether or ,

still has the right to say stop.

You don't forfeit it when you go to a hotel room,

you don't waive it when you buy a condom

or when you kiss a man.

Even lying on a bed,

there is never a point, ladies and gentlemen,

where if a woman says no,

a man is entitled to overpower her.

That's why she's here,

to make that one simple point.

A point that Orrin Baldwin refused to get that night.

Please...

see that he gets it today.

This is hard.

This isn't about somebody who's brain dead.

This person might not even remain comatose,

he is capable of life,

although horrible life at that.

I feel extremely uncomfortable at drawing a line of
-
-

Well, where someone should be kept alive,

and where they shouldn't.

And I don't think it's appropriate

for judges to have this kind of discretion

to decide whether someone's life is worth living.

But I have to trust the family...

that you know what Charlie would have wanted.

Mr. Sifuentes, are you sure?

Yes, your honor, we're sure.

Okay, I'm hereby granting your petition.

The life support equipment shall be disconnected.

I'll say a prayer tonight.

For everybody.

We're adjourned.

Thanks.


-WOMAN: Mr. Kuzak
-
-
-MAN: Mr. Kuzak.

WOMAN: Mr. Kuzak, was it your success

in the Earl Williams trial that made Rikki come to you?

I won't speculate as to why she chose us as counsel.

The most important thing for us is just to prove her innocence.


-WOMAN: Mr. Mullaney
-
-
-You.

Mr. Mullaney, you said that you spent the day with her.

How would you describe her spirits?

Her husband's dead, the police are blaming her,

you people are calling her the hanging bitch every day in the papers.


-She is unhappy.
-[laughter]

What are you going to do that her last lawyer didn't try?

Well, any comment on our strategy


-would be premature at this time
-
-
-Except to say that

we're gonna show that she didn't do it.


-WOMAN: Then who did do it?
-MAN: How will you prove that?

Most likely, the guy k*lled himself.


-Tommy, Tommy
-
-
-Yeah, you.

What is your basis for thinking that

Mr. Davis took his own life?

Well, he had a few squirrels runnin' around up there.

Let's face it, the guy was a kook.

How do you explain

the severe bruise on the side of the head?

I think when the homicide dicks cut him off the beam,

he fell in a heap.


-MAN: Uh, Mr. Mullaney
-
-
-TOMMY: Back there.

Do you expect Rikki to testify?


-TOMMY: Well
-
-
-At this time,

we have not yet determined whether or not

Miss Davis will take the stand.

But if you're gonna bet, put your money on yeah.


-[laughter]
-WOMAN: I have one more question.


-[indistinct shouting]
-TOMMY: Now, hold on. Take it easy.

I will get to all of you.

[indistinct shouting]

It worked. They loved you.

You came off as Mr. Candid, a straight sh**t.

If we gotta manipulate a headline or two down the line,

you're gonna have an inside track.


-I hope you're right.
-Are you kidding?

They were ready to adopt you out there.

You watch. We do this a few more times,

the press is going to be our friend.

I gotta admit this is fun.

Of course it is, this is a case of a lifetime.

Mr. Foreman, the jury has returned a verdict?

Yes, your honor.

On the count , statutory r*pe,

we find the defendant, Orrin Baldwin,

not guilty.

On the count , r*pe,

we find the defendant, Orrin Baldwin,

guilty as charged.

[crowd murmuring]

Your honor
-
- Your honor, the People ask that

bail be revoked and that the defendant be remanded to custody.


-Opposed.
-It is so ordered.

The court officers will take him into custody.


-Your honor
-
-
-JUDGE: Forget it, counsel.

Court is adjourned.

[indistinct chatter]

[monitor beeping]

Victor, I don't think the family

should stay in the room.

Ma, Pa, I think you should go outside now, okay?

Bye, Charlie.

[speaking Spanish]

Bye, baby.

Go with God.

Be with God.

[sobbing]

I think I'm gonna want to stay with him.

I want to be here in the room, okay?

Just tell me when.

[monitor beeping]

I hope we're doing the right thing here, Charlie.

I know you don't like being like this.

I'm gonna be okay, Charlie.

You don't have to worry about anybody.

I love you.

Okay.

[monitor beeping]

♪♪

[gasping]

I'm right here, Charlie.

I'm still here, Charlie.

[gasping]

VICTOR: I'm right here, Charlie.

I'm right here.

[steady tone]

♪♪ [theme]