04x20 - Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sued

[bunniefuu]

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

Is Knowlsteads gonna become a client here?

I just opened some dialog, that's all.


-Like hell.
-What are you saying, Victor?

I'm saying you sold out our client.

I'm saying you were bought, Rosalind.

Do you know for a fact?

You mean, can I prove it?

No.

You never can with her, she's too damn good.

I'm not sure how to put this but...

the quality of the work we've been getting

has never been better than

since Rosalind Shays took over the account.

If she left the firm, there could be a problem.

Don't walk out on me, Michael.

It wouldn't be walking out on you, Leland.

It'd be walking out on Rosalind.

I'm not stepping down.

The I'll have to break you.

You want a w*r, Leland?

You've got one.

MAN: I think your father is losing touch with reality.

In what way?

He takes on the persona of a television character.

I wanted to see where you was working.

What are you wearing?

Same thing I always wear.

Norton, pal of mine.

Let me take care of you.

No.

Thank you.

JUDGE: You're facing the depravation of very important rights.

Your daughter has petitioned for a conservatorship.

You're entitled to an attorney, sir.

It's okay, judge.

I was always able to stand up for myself.

And that's what I'm gonna do here.

JUDGE: As you like.

Mr. Becker, you may call your first witness.

Yes, your honor. We call Gus Nivens.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?


-I do.
-State your name.

Uh, Gus Nivens.

How do you know the respondent, Mr. Nivens?

Well, he had the unit next to mine

at the retirement home.

Until they kicked him out.

Did you spend much time with him?

At one time, we were best friends.

But not anymore.

ARNIE: Why not?

I hate to say this with him sittin' there,

but, uh, he ain't right in the head.

He really believed that he was Ralph Cramden.


-Judge.
-JUDGE: Yes, Mr. Melman?

Where does he get off saying what it was that I believed?

The witness will refrain from speculating on

the respondent's state of mind.

How do you know that he wasn't just having fun?

What he talked about wasn't funny.

He'd say how his family didn't want him around,

he'd say, "Norton, you're all I got left."

Finally, I said, uh, my name ain't Norton.

How did he respond to that?

He grabbed me by the throat.

For a minute, I thought he was gonna k*ll me.

Then, just like that, he lets go

and busts into tears.

Was that the last time you spoke with him?

No, I spoke to him this morning, as a matter of fact.

I asked him how he was doing,

and he said that if they're not gonna let him drive a bus no more,

that he was gonna throw himself underneath one.

ARNIE: No further questions.


-My turn?
-JUDGE: Yes, Mr. Melman.

MURRAY: Hi, Gus.

You really think I'm crazy?

Well, you tried to strangle me, Murray.

Does that mean I'm crazy?

GUS: Well, look, I ain't no shrink.

Yeah, but you're sitting here saying that I'm nuts.

What have I done?

Do I yell at strangers?

Do I drop my pants in public?

You're losing touch with reality, Murray.

Reality?

Reality was a bunch of toothless old farts

sitting around discussing the last thing they ate.


-Mr. Melman.
-MURRAY: I'm sorry, judge.

Gus...

do you still talk to your buddy, Mitchell?

Well, you know I do, Murray, every day.

Would you tell the judge where Mitchell is right now?

Sure. Sittin' right here on my shoulder

where he always is.

♪♪ [theme]

♪♪

Trudging forward, Victor,

you start the priest malpractice case today?


-Yep.
-STUART: Priest malpractice?

Negligent confession.

Our client refused to absolve a year old woman

who ended up having a breakdown.

Her husband is suing for emotional distress

and loss of consortium.

Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?

VICTOR: The count against the church was dismissed,

but they're making it stick against our guy individually.

ROSALIND: Why isn't the church defending him?

Father McNamara baptized me.

And when he asked me to personally defend him, I said yes.

Well, just make sure the father pays his legal fees.


-Move along, Douglas.
-DOUGLAS: Arnie,

you're handling Roxanne's conservatorship hearing?

I am, and the old goat is representing himself,

and he's pretty good.

DOUGLAS: Glad to hear it.

Now, as you all know, because none of you

could have possibly forgotten, Benny's portrayal as

the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz"

takes place this Friday evening.

Incredibly, Abby has managed to get tickets.

ROSALIND: All right, all right, can we move along, please?


-I think we're done.
-LELAND: Hold on.

I have an announcement.

I'm seeking to reinstate my position as senior partner.

A new vote will be scheduled for this Friday.

ROSALIND: Excuse me.

You have no authority to call that vote.

The executive committee can call the vote, Rosalind,

and that's what I'm doing.

The executive committee hasn't even discussed this.

LELAND: We're discussing it now.

All committee members in favor of a new vote, say aye.

Aye. Douglas, how do you vote?

I guess there's nothing wrong with voting if, uh
-
-

LELAND: That's two to one.

The committee has authorized a new vote.

Now we're adjourned.

We can still settle it, Walter.

It might make sense.

Penance isn't something you negotiate for, Victor.

Yeah. I just want you to remember

that even though the church is behind you,

you're the only one on the hook here.

I mean, if they win,

any judgment comes out of your pocket personally.

Wait a minute, Victor.

Personally, I'm a priest.

If I ignore God's law, then I've gotta face

a whole different kind of judgment.

I wasn't wrong, Victor.

I don't want to settle.

Okay.

She had always been a very devout Catholic.

Church every Sunday.

She'd go to confession all the time.

And there were these counseling sessions.

What counseling sessions, Mr. Delahanty?

She'd have all these sessions with Father McNamara.

Those are what usually upset her.

But this particular time, it was the confession.

LAPORTE: Now, this was the confession with Father McNamara

on April , . Correct?

DELAHANTY: Yes. She came back from church,

and she wasn't talking.

LAPORTE: Did she tell you what was wrong?

DELAHANTY: Not right then,

but I sure found out the next morning.

What happened then, sir?

DELAHANTY: Well, she just went crazy.

Ranting and...

crying, you know, crying that she was going to hell.

What else did she say?

She said that Father McNamara

had condemned her to eternal damnation.

Objection, your honor, that's totem pole hearsay.

JUDGE: Overruled.

Go on.

He said that since we used birth control,

she was committing a sin against God,

and that because of that, God would not forgive her.

LAPORTE: What affect did this have on your wife?

Well, she was sedated that day,

and, uh, she was hospitalized for a depression

after the breakdown.

And she really can't do anything now.

The doctors say that she's becoming totally dysfunctional.

Objection. Your honor, could we have counsel use psychiatrists

to present his psychiatric evidence?

Sustained.

What about your children?

She can't even talk to them or spend any time with them.

She says that...

her soul is damned, and that the kids,

for their own sake, should stay away from her.

They're three and seven years old.

LAPORTE: I have nothing further, your honor.

JUDGE: Mr. Sifuentes.

Sir, as I understand these medical reports,

your wife's depression was brought on by severe guilt,

which guilt was caused by having violated her religious faith.

That correct?

It was brought on by him telling her that

she was gonna burn in hell.

VICTOR: Forgive me, sir, but to your knowledge,

did he ever use those words?

DELAHANTY: He said he wouldn't forgive her.

She certainly knew what that meant.

And he also knows how seriously she takes her religion.

As did you, sir.

And yet, you repeatedly encouraged her

to go against her religious beliefs, didn't you?

I make love to my wife. That's hardly an
-
-

You'd wear a condom.

You'd insist to her that you use birth control

against her faith, didn't you?

Look, Catholics today use contraception.


-Everybody knows that
-
-
-Sir, your wife is

a foreign born Irish Catholic,

strictly religious,

and you'd insist on wearing a condom, yes or no?

We have two kids. I make $, a year.


-We could have
-
-
-Yes, thank you, sir.

Now, at the time of her breakdown,

on the morning of April ,

exactly what were you two doing?

She had the breakdown because he condemned her
-
-

VICTOR: What were the two of you doing

when she suddenly started, as you say, ranting and crying?

We were having marital relations.

You were having intercourse.

You were using a prophylactic.


-Weren't you?
-Yes.

And the doctors concluded that it was this particular event,

it was the intercourse that was the initiating event

of this breakdown, did they not?


-That's what they say, but
-
-
-Thank you, sir.

Nothing further, your honor.

This is bad.

The clients Rosalind's brought in

currently account for percent of our revenues.

What's more, three of our biggest pre
-existing clients

have indicated they'll go with Rosalind if she leaves.


-ANN: Who?
-Petramco,


-Feldenkrantz, Toll.
-Oh, God.

By my calculations, we stand to lose over

percent of our projected revenues.

How the hell can this be?

She's been winning over Leland's clients, that's how.

We gave her the big accounts because they seem to like her so much.

And now she's got them.

So what you're saying is if we vote against her,

she walks,

this place could fold.

We let it fold. We can all find other jobs.

I mean, it's better than being under Rosalind's reign. Right?

STUART: It's not as simple as that, Mike.

We've got a five year lease here,

$, a month.

If this place dissolves,

the partners are gonna be on the hook for that money personally.

So they re
-rent the space.

STUART: Don't bet on it.

There's a lot of vacant office space

in downtown L.A. right now.

It's not gonna be easy for them to re
-rent it.

And if they don't, we're gonna have to fork over

as much as $, a piece.


-What?
-DOUGLAS: We also have

an outstanding loan of half a million

which will cost us another each.

[stammers] This is unbelievable.


-This can't be right.
-DOUGLAS: It's right.

If we lose Rosalind and her clients,

we don't just make less money,

some of us could be losing our houses.

MAN: A priest can be more empowered over

a confessee's mental state

than is your average psychiatrist.

But, doctor, priests see a great many parishioners.

Yes, but he saw this particular parishioner

over and over again in counseling sessions,

which made his relationship with her

much more like doctor and patient.


-So?
-So he knew her fragile emotional state.

And how vulnerable she was with respect to her religion.

He had to know that damning her soul would devastate her.

Doctor, why doesn't this woman

simply find herself another priest?

MAN: She doesn't have the freedom of conscience

to choose another priest.

She's convinced, by virtue of their

counseling sessions together,

that Father McNamara specifically is her agent of God.

If he doesn't absolve her, in her mind,

she goes to hell.

LAPORTE: Well, thank you, Dr. Smithson.

I have nothing further.

Doctor, based on your psychiatric examination of this woman,

what is the cause of her underlying depression?

Guilt for having sinned against God.

VICTOR: That's right.

And is my client in any way responsible for

the commission of these sins?

No, but he's the one who exacerbated her depression

to the point of making her delusional.

VICTOR: How is she delusional, sir?

She's obsessed with the thought she'll burn in hell.

Well, do you know for a fact that she won't?

Well, that's a ridiculous question.

You're not Catholic, are you, sir?


-Objection.
-Your honor,

the expert is obviously making judgments

concerning the plaintiff's religious beliefs.

His own religious beliefs are therefore relevant

to his foundation as an expert.

The objection is overruled.

VICTOR: Are you a Catholic, sir?


-No, I'm not.
-VICTOR: I see.

And so in the Gospel when St. Mark claimed that

a man who had been dead for three days

rose and ascended bodily into Heaven,

was he delusional?

SMITHSON: I don't consider religious beliefs

to be delusional, per se.

Do you think a dead body could rise up and ascend?


-No.
-If someone told you

that they saw this happening, would they be delusional?

When my client holds the wafer and wine in his hand,

and believes it to be the body and blood of Christ,

is he suffering from some psychiatric infirmity?

Those happen to be his beliefs.

If a woman says she's pregnant, but says she's never had sex,

is she psychotic?

You're talking about religious faith.

VICTOR: Exactly. You see, when you cut right down to it, doctor,

if Kate Delahanty is going to hell,

if her soul is going to burn,

then she is not delusional, is she?

Not if you make that kind of assumption, no.

VICTOR: Thank you, sir.

I have nothing further.

He insists that people around him

are other characters from "The Honeymooners."

He gets very agitated when they tell him that they're not.

Has he ever endangered himself?

He commandeered a city bus.

He didn't crash it only because the cops got to him first.

Was you there, Charlie?

JUDGE: Are you making an objection, Mr. Melman?

No.

I'm just saying she wasn't there.

Of all the people who were there,

no one said a word about my driving.

How come she's so sure I would have crashed?

The respondent's correct.

His driving ability isn't before the court.

I'd like to ask you something, Miss Melman.

Isn't possible that your father's an eccentric,

and he's behaving this way simply because he's bored?

In the beginning, that's all I thought it was.

That's what I
-
- I desperately wanted to believe.

I
-
- I've watched him go into these states, though.

He's becoming someone who can't take care of himself.

I'm afraid of what could happen.

All right, Miss Melman. Thank you.

I have no further questions.

I wouldn't ever put him through this otherwise.

JUDGE: Mr. Melman.

So, you think your old man

can't flip the flapjacks anymore, huh?

I think you need help.

ARNIE: Your honor, I ask that the witness

be addressed as a witness and the respondent conduct

his cross examination appropriately.

JUDGE: All right, Mr. Becker, but I am giving everybody

a little latitude here.

Mr. Melman, you can only ask questions for now.

Questions.

Hm.

Uh, when you got the call that your father

was being thrown out of the retirement home,

how long had it been since you last paid him a visit?

Objection. Wholly irrelevant.

Really? I don't think so.

The witness said how concerned she is.

I'd like the judge to decide for herself.

You may answer the question.

It had been about six months.

And how long before that?

It had been, uh, months, I don't know how many.

How can you talk about what your father was becoming

when you have no idea what he was to begin with?

That's not true.

Does the witness know that last year

her father underwent surgery?


-For what?
-An obstruction.

In his digestive tract.

Thought to be cancerous in nature.

Was it?

Apparently, the witness knows nothing about this.

Daddy, do you have cancer?

No. But you wouldn't have known about it even if I did.

Why do you think I'm doing this, Daddy?

So you can forget all about me, honey.

So you can put me in a nut house

and forget all about me.

I have nothing further for this witness.

♪♪

What's going on, Douglas?

And why on earth do we have to meet in the men's room?

Because this is the one room Rosalind won't come in.


-I have the solution.
-What?

Leland can't bear the thought of her being in charge,

and Rosalind can't bear the thought of losing her power.

Leland would support me as senior partner, however,

and Rosalind might, too, if I can convince her

I'd still let her run things.

KUZAK: Oh, she'd never go for it.

She might if she's faced with losing.

Or if she wins, a mass exodus.

She's got to be willing to compromise,

and I might be the perfect compromise.

And you'd be the senior partner.

Figuratively, yes.

Yeah, well, what about me being senior partner,


-figuratively?
-You? Come on.


-What do you mean, come on?
-What's the matter with that?

The only other vote you got was from your wife.


-What does that tell you?
-Oh, that doesn't mean anything at all, Douglas.

Douglas, you didn't even get your own vote.


-What does that tell you?
-Stuart, don't start with him.


-Come on, guys.
-Hey, I'm trying to make a good faith effort


-to solve a crisis here.
-No, you're not.

No, you're not. You're trying to weasel yourself

into becoming senior partner, that's what you're trying to do.


-Typical short man's complex.
-Typical bald man's complex.


-Okay, enough. All right!
-I used to have hair, but you've never been tall.

Shut up! For God sakes, you're both acting like children.

I'm just trying to solve a problem.


-Well, this doesn't do it.
-Fine.

Sorry I brought it up. Meeting's over.

Fine.

Mrs. Delahanty, you have agreed to testify here

on behalf of the man your husband's suing.

Could you tell us why?

I don't think what the father did was wrong.

He refused to grant you absolution.

I didn't deserve it.

Do you think you deserve to be condemned for using birth control?

KATE: I believe in one true church, Mr. Sifuentes;

Holy Catholic and Apostolic.

I have sinned in thought, word and deed.


-And birth control is a sin.
-A mortal sin.

And you also believe that whoever dies in the state of mortal sin


-is condemned to hell.
-Yes.

VICTOR: It would seem that your belief has caused you a great deal of pain.

That
-
- That isn't important.

VICTOR: Kate, don't you wish that Father McNamara

could find it in his heart to absolve you?

Father McNamara has been my strength

since the day I moved into his parish.

He's guided me and he's comforted me.

He didn't absolve me because he couldn't absolve me.

Even now, he hasn't abandoned me.

And I never will, Kate. I never will.

That will do, Father.

Thank you very much.

Nothing further, your honor.

Aside from what Father McNamara told you,

did you think what you did was so bad?

It's not what I think that matters,

it's what the church tells me.

LAPORTE: And is it fair to say that

Father McNamara knew this about you?

Of course. He was my priest.

Did you ever tell him how hard it was

to be a good wife and a good mother,

and a good Catholic all at the same time?

Yes.

LAPORTE: Did you tell him how desperately afraid you were


-of having more children?
-Yes.

LAPORTE: What was his advice?

To use natural planning,

and to follow the teachings of the one true church,

Holy Catholic and Apostolic.

And if you strayed from the teachings

of the one true church,

Holy Catholic and Apostolic,

did he tell you what would happen?

If I remained in a state of sin,

I would spend an eternity in hell.

Did he paint a picture of what that would be like?

KATE: Yes.

You'd burn forever in a non
-consuming fire
-
-

Hotter than a thousand suns.

My flesh gnawed by vermin and goaded by spikes.

Never to be permitted into Heaven.

Never to be allowed in the presence of God.

Since Father McNamara

confirmed that this would be your fate,

have you been able to care for your children?

No.

LAPORTE: Have you been able to so much as touch them?

No, sir.

Did Father McNamara know this?

Yes.

LAPORTE: I have no further questions, your honor.

JUDGE: Let's take a minute recess.

MURRAY: What can I say, judge?

How can I prove I'm not crazy.

How does anyone?

JUDGE: You'll concede, Mr. Melman,

that your behavior does raise the issue.

What am I doing that's so terrible?

Assuming that I fall into my own little world...

who am I hurtin'?

JUDGE: I think your daughter's fear

is that you might end up hurting yourself.

Please, judge, tell her not to worry.

I can take care of myself.

JUDGE: Mr. Becker.

Are you aware of it when you assume the role of Ralph Cramden, Mr. Melman?

Sure, I'm aware of it.

ARNIE: Yet, you told your daughter that you weren't.

I was yanking her chain, that's all.

So when you called the mentally Ret*rded clerk at McKenzie Brackman

Ed Norton,

you were just having fun with him?

That's right.

Same as when you put on a uniform

and drove off with a city bus.

I was just trying to be funny, that's all.

Come on, Mr. Melman
-
-

Listen, wise guy,

I'm tellin' you the way it was.

Maybe I don't dress as good as you do,

but I put on a clean pair of underwear every morning.

I eat three meals a day.

And I was doin' just fine until you came along.

Why Ralph Cramden, Daddy?

Miss Melman, you have an attorney here.

Your honor, you said you were

giving some latitude.

Now, I'd like to ask a few questions myself.

All right.

Daddy.

Daddy, you watched a lot of other television shows.

Why didn't you become Jack Benny?

Or Sergeant Bilko?

Why Ralph Cramden?

Because he never gave up, that's why.

Because he was always looking for his pot of gold.

He also never ran off and left his family.

I did you's all a favor.

ROXANNE: You didn't.

I was always a failure in everything I did, no?

You were a failure because you left.

Son of a bitch!

Promised me the parking concession.

Mr. Melman, who are you referring to?

MURRAY: Frank. Everything he wanted, I did for him.

He needed tickets, I got him tickets.

He wanted me to watch the store for him, I watched the store.


-Sir
-
-
-I'm gonna take care of you, Murray,

I'm gonna give you a piece of the pie.

Where is it?

When was the last time you spoke with Frank, Mr. Melman?

MURRAY: Just last Friday. I said, Frank,

Roxanne is gonna start high school next year.

Before I know it,

she's gonna be thinkin' about college.

What are we talkin' about, huh?

Do I get the concession or not?


-Who am I, Mr. Melman?
-Ah, come on, buddy.

What's the matter, you don't trust me anymore?

All of a sudden, everybody decides

Murray's cash only.


-Daddy
-
-
-Well, it's nice to know who my friends are.

I think maybe we should take a short recess.

Ah, forget about it.

I can always make a buck.

As long as I got my strength, I can always make a buck.

Who wants tickets?

Oh, thanks for coming in.

Listen, I'd like to represent to the partners

that the associates here fully back me.

I have Victor.

And I'd like to confirm the two of you.

Well, Leland, you know we both hope you win.

I want your endorsement on the record.

Suppose you lose.

That makes our future here very tenuous.

Oh, look, Rosalind could certainly forgive you

for backing me.

She isn't the one who hired you.

I, on the other hand, did hire you.

You're putting us in a bad position, Leland,

and I don't think that we should
-
-

Yes, yes, I am. But this is a w*r,

and everybody has to take a side.

I'm simply asking you to make your call now.

Okay. You have my official support.


-Good.
-In exchange for

your unconditional support when I come up for partner.

Me, too.

I didn't call you in here to bribe you with anything,


-and I don't think
-
-
-Then let's not call it a bribe.

Let's call it a thr*at.

Because that's exactly what you just did to us.

Look, Leland, when we come up for partnership,

everyone is gonna have to take a side.

We're just asking you to make your call now.

Okay. Good.

We have a deal?

Yes, we do.

Good.

Best of luck on the vote, Leland.

We're with you.

[door opens]

MCNAMARA: I'm sorry, I cannot break the confessional seal


-to talk about this.
-I understand that.

But generally,

and, of course, hypothetically speaking, Father,

if a person came to you

and confessed to having used birth control,

would you grant absolution?

If I felt the person were truly repentant, yes, I would.

VICTOR: Again, hypothetically speaking,

under what circumstances would you not?

Well, like very priest, I would refuse to grant absolution

if I felt the penitent was not sincere about his confession.

VICTOR: And if a person had come to confession,

say, hundreds of times,

and each time confessed to having committed the same sin,

would a priest consider him or her to be truly repentant?

If a person kept repeating the same sin,

and showed no real intention of conforming his or her, uh, moral behavior,

no, no, I would not consider the person to be repentant.

And would you condemn this parishioner to burn in hell?

No, I would never say that.

I simply would no longer continue to

absolve that person for the same sin.

VICTOR: Thank you, Father. Nothing further.

What happens when a person dies

in the state of mortal sin?

It's God's will that the soul is damned for eternity.

And if Kate Delahanty were ever denied absolution,

she'd understand that to mean she'd burn in hell, right?

Objection, your honor.

This witness had counseling sessions with her.

He knows her state of mind, he knows how obsessed she was with her afterlife.

The objection is overruled.

In fact, Father, you knew that by withholding absolution

you'd shatter this woman, didn't you?

I
-
- I'm sorry, I cannot divulge

the contents of a confession.

LAPORTE: Would the vast majority of Catholic priests

withhold absolution because of birth control?

If the penitent was not sincere, yes.

Many Catholics today use contraception.


-Are you saying
-
-
-Yes, I know.

Many of them don't even come to confession at all anymore.

They might as well be Protestants.

LAPORTE: Well, in his encyclical letter,

"Of Human Life,"

Pope Paul VI called upon priests

when dealing with this issue

to have consideration of the weak.


-Now, did you think
-
-
-I had consideration, Mr. LaPorte.

But paragraph of that encyclical letter

calls for obedience to the teaching authority of the church,

and that encyclical letter also clearly states

that birth control is against the law of the church.

In the Vatican II document,

"The Church and the Modern World,"

it says that the condition of the times

should be taken into account

when dealing with contraception, right?

But that paper also says that conjugal love

is intended for the transmission of life.

LAPORTE: Hypothetically speaking, Father,

would you deny absolution to a parishioner

even though you knew it would psychologically devastate her?

All we can do, Mr. LaPorte, is put our trust in God.

LAPORTE: No, Father.

Kate Delahanty put her trust in you.

LAPORTE: Forget about the fact that he's a priest,

ladies and gentlemen.

This case has nothing to do with God's law.

We're talking about a therapeutic relationship

where that man served as this woman's de facto counselor.

Now, Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter

called upon the priests to act as counselors.

Well, if they're gonna hold themselves out that way, people,

they have to assume the responsibilities of that role.

They have to exercise ordinary care.

That man didn't.

A weak and unstable woman

came to him seeking compassion,

and he crushed her.

Knowing her to be fragile,

knowing her to be emotionally infirm,

this man, from his own psychological vantage point,

devastated her.

That made his conduct negligent.

That made it reckless.

Because of what he did,

she can't hug her own child.

She can't have sexual relations with her husband.

Because of what he did, she has nightmares every day

about her flesh burning in hell.

That man did that to her.

He did it knowingly.

And he wants you to excuse that

just because he wears a collar on his neck.

For her sake,

for God's sake,

don't you forgive him.

Basically, they're asking you to find my client negligent

for suggesting that Kate Delahanty

would be going to hell.

But in order for you to find him negligent,

you'd have to find the whole Catholic faith negligent.

Because it is the teachings of Catholicism that say

this woman will go to hell.

Despite what modern day practice is,

the law of the Catholic Church

is still that a penitent who is not sincere in his confession

shall not be granted absolution.

The law of the Catholic Church

is that if a person dies in a state of mortal sin,

he will be damned for eternity.

Now, you don't have to believe that.

You are all free to pick your faith,

just as Kate Delahanty picked hers.

She chose Catholicism.

And my client acts in strict accordance with the laws of that religion.

You condemn him, then you condemn the Catholic Church.

And if you want to put his religion on trial, look out.

Yours will be next.

Because the truth is, ladies and gentlemen,

the day you apply negligence law

to religion,

the day you hold divine faith

up to standards of reasonableness,

that is the day you outlaw religion altogether.

Thank you.

You may be seated.

JUDGE: There are few things sadder than

the deterioration of a human mind.

Most of us just stand and watch helplessly

as it becomes clear that a person can no longer do

what they've done all their lives.

We may be powerless to prevent it

or reverse it,

but we're not powerless to minimize the consequences.

Based on the testimony presented

and what I myself have observed,

I'm granting the petition for conservatorship,

and appointing Roxanne Melman as conservator.

Effective immediately, she's to have

full control over all of Murray Melman's finances and affairs.

His pension and Social Security checks

will be mailed directly to her.

I've also taken it upon myself

to revoke Mr. Melman's drivers license.


-You're locking me up.
-JUDGE: No, sir.

I urge you, however,

to accept the fact that you need to be taken care of.

That's all.

[sighs] Sorry.

Okay. This will simply be a forum for free discussion.

After which, we'll convene at the end of the day

for final statements from the two candidates,

followed by the vote.

The floor is now open.

ROSALIND: If I may.

I would like to hear your specific criticisms

of my performance as senior partner.

I assume you do have reasons for wanting me out.

Nothing?

This stupid executive committee thing.

Leland's idea, I simply put it into effect.

What else?

You wanted to take on Anderson Industries

who directly do business with South Africa.

Arnold Becker also wanted to take on that client.

As did Douglas Brackman, as did Leland McKenzie, initially.

What about going to Victor's client behind his back?

I asked Victor to go to the client.

When he refused,

I had to fulfill an attorney obligation.

There is no attorney obligation

to accept a bribe and sell out a client.

I did no such thing.

I challenge everybody in this room

to offer a single piece of evidence to the contrary.

Oh, look, Rosalind, nobody can tell

what goes on behind closed doors.

But you did go to the client behind the back of a lawyer here,


-and you
-
-
-And you went behind my back

to Scott Perot

with a deliberate attempt to undermine me.

Now, that is a breach of fiduciary duty,


-and you did it.
-Maybe in an attempt to keep this firm together.

ROSALIND: Is that where your interest lies, Michael,

in staying together?

If so, I'd be very curious to know

why you're currently interviewing with a firm on Wall Street.

Don't underestimate my network out there.

I find out most everything.

Look, my future is not the subject matter of this meeting.

But the future of this firm is.

And I am the only one here that can guarantee it.

Keep in mind, with me in charge,

you have the freedom to leave.

But if I leave,

I take percent of the business with me.

And you lose that freedom.

Your only choice remains

to stay and work much, much harder for far less money,

or to leave, in which case, the firm dissolves,

and you all incur staggering partnership liabilities.

Come on.

I'm certainly open for more discussion.

JUDGE: Has the jury reached a verdict?

WOMAN: We have, your honor.

JUDGE: What say you?

On the claim of negligence leading to loss of consortium,

we find for the plaintiff Kevin Delahanty.

We award the lump sum of $, in damages.

JUDGE: This matter is concluded.

The jury is dismissed with the thanks of the court.

[crowd murmuring]

Frank.

Think maybe we can, uh,

sit down and work something out here?

Excuse me a minute.

You wanna work something out?

Here's what you tell your client.

Tell him I don't want his money.

Tell him I want my wife back.

He's not about to give in, Kevin.

Why don't you give me a couple of minutes with him?

Sure.

VICTOR: All those people want from you, Walt,

is absolution.

I think you should grant it.

You've known me along time, Victor.

Do you really think I could put a price tag

on the blessed sacrament of confession?

No.

Then why are you asking me to sell it?

According to my reading of canon law,

what's required for absolution is repentance.

You really think she's undeserving of mercy?

It's not enough, Victor.

She hasn't committed that sin in two years, Walt.

That tells me that she's sincere.

Look at her, Walt.

Father McNamara.

Look at her.

Wait here, Victor.

Would you excuse us, please?

Come on, let's go.

MCNAMARA: Through the ministry of the church,

may God grant you pardon and peace.

I absolve thee.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

♪♪

This vote isn't about Rosalind.

Isn't about me.

It's about all of you.

It's your standards,

your priorities that are on the line here.

Arnold, you said that if I put your name on the door,

this firm would become a part of you.

Well, Arnold Becker was stenciled in on that glass.

This place is now a reflection of you.

With your vote,

you get a chance to show us what that means.

Ann, you once said that Rosalind Shays

embodied money and power,

and you feared this place would become her.

The question today is not whether

the firm has strayed from its moral center,

but rather, have you?

Stuart, when you campaigned for this job,

you said the main function of a senior partner

is to breed a sense of community

into an otherwise cut
-throat business.

What kind of community feeling is Rosalind giving you?

By far, the most humbling part of this

is for me to have to lobby for your vote.

Your father and I started this firm.

It flourished and it floundered

a hundred times during those early years.

But whatever this firm was,

it was always us.

And then he passed on,

and this firm became you and me.

You and me.

If Rosalind Shays remains as senior partner,

Michael Kuzak won't be the only one to leave.

One by one, you will all leave.

Because each of you, ultimately,

will choose to work at a place that

just doesn't help to make your mortgage payment,

but in a place that serves your values.

A place that makes you proud,

a place that personifies what you know yourselves to be.

If I stay, you get that.

If I stay,

this place remains what it's always been:

McKenzie Brackman Cheney Kuzak and Becker.

And that's something.

I'm asking you now,

don't you let that get away.

Rosalind.

Leland is beloved.

I'm not.

I know this.

I know this.

But, I've rescued this firm.

Not without a...

few personality clashes.

But I've rescued it.

Is there anybody here

who wants to see me remain as senior partner?

I don't think there's any need for a vote.

Douglas, I resign.

So, what now?

Can I turn on some lights?

What are you askin' me for?

You're gonna do whatever you want anyway.

I wish there had been another way to do this, Daddy.

MURRAY: Well, it's done now.

You want to tell me what I'm in for?

What kind of an institution?

Are there gonna be bars on the windows?

Straight jackets?

Shock treatments?

It's not gonna be anything like that.

Oh...

Well, what's it gonna be like?

I don't know.

It can't be another one of those retirement villages.

They don't want anybody who's a problem.

Listen, we haven't even started looking.

You're putting me in a home.

I'm not putting you anywhere.

We're gonna find someplace where you're comfortable.

If you don't want to stay there, you won't.

I don't want to go in a home.

Maybe you oughta see some of these places

before you say that.

A home is a place you go when you're ready to die.

When the rest of the world doesn't need you anymore.

When one day is just like the next.

I have to know that I have something going for me.

Even though it's only handing out handbills.

Placing a two dollar bet on a horse.

[sighs]

You can live with me, Daddy.

It's not gonna work.

Maybe it will.

You got a life of your own.

And now you're in it.

Come on. Let's go.

I'll help you pack.

I'm paid up here 'til the end of the week.

I'd like for you to come with me now.

♪♪

♪♪