05x22 - Since I Fell For You

[bunniefuu]

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

They are things! They're just property!

No matter how expensive it is,

no matter how much you love it

they will never love you back.

Isn't that what you guys always fall back on,

when you're at a dead end?

Blame it all on mommy.

Fear of intimacy can often be traced

to parents destructive transferal
-
-

Whoa, whoa, whoa, fear on intimacy?

If anything, I want too much intimacy.

Arnold, intimacy is the last thing you want.

I lost Corrine.

I lost Chloe.

I've lost every woman who ever tried to get close to me

and I did it to myself just like you're doing now.

You can't stop trusting, Benny.

Michael Walker was an angel worth of any obsession

or delusion.

I didn't k*ll him.

You get me an acquittal.

What happened after you husband broke off

his relationship with the defendant?

First she started calling.

And if I'd answer, she'd say that Michael belonged to her.

And if Michael answered she threatened to k*ll him.

We have to give them another suspect.

Show the jury it could have been someone else.

Who?


-The wife.
-Oh.

The defense will show

this woman m*rder*d Michael Walker.


-What?
-This is ridiculous!

Not so ridiculous.

Are you telling me that the police

did not consider her a suspect?

Objection!

Corey, are you trying to protect your mother?

No.

Okay, son.

Okay.

In the matter of the people vs. Suzanne Hamil,

on the charge of first degree m*rder,

we find the defendant not guilty.

[audience clamoring]

He's a good boy.

Has his father's eyes, you know.

He doesn't belong with that woman.

Excuse me?

His mother. The connection wasn't there at all.

I bet Michael would prefer he be with me.

Suzanne was talking about Corey in a way...

I think there might be some danger.

Mrs. Walker, can we have your reaction.

The victim, Suzanne Hamil,

appears to have two b*llet wounds.

One in the forehead, one in the abdomen.

Do you know that he called her?

No.

Where did you get the g*n?

I bought it from a kid at school.

Should I tell?

Yeah, honey.

Go ahead.

I used it to k*ll dad.

Oh, God.

I just... I just got my own client k*lled.

What are we gonna do?

I don't know.

Come on. Come on, Hogan.


-Hi.
-Hi.

Victor.

Hi, Mark.

Can I come in for a second?

Well... yeah, sure.

I'm sorry about the mess here.

I've got a trial starting in the morning.

Well, you know how it is.

I just heard all about it.

Look, Mark, I know this is last minute.

You shouldn't be trying this case.

Yeah, why is that, Victor?

Because any lawyer who represents himself

has a fool for a client.

Health insurance law is complicated.

I can't just trust any attorney
-
-

Trust me.

Yeah, well, right now, I can't afford you.

Well, you wouldn't have to worry about that.

Hey...

I don't need your charity.

You gonna put your evidence in with narrative?

Come on, Mark, you need a lawyer.

I am a lawyer!

I'm still a good lawyer.

Yeah, but you can't be objective here.

You're too close to the subject.

I can be objective here.

No, you can't! You have AIDS.

You need this drug.

You have a better chance of forcing the insurance company's hand

with an independent lawyer.

This is a big case, Victor.

A lot of pressure will be
-
-

I can handle it.

And I can win.

I hope so.

You don't, and I'm a dead man.

♪♪

♪♪

Next up, Jack, I see the calendar marked in re:

Rosalind Shays.

Yes, her will is finally ready for probate.

I am reading it today, :.

Leland, plan to be there. You're one of the takers.

I am?

You, her daughter Susan Raab, and her maid.

Maybe she left you her clients.

[chuckling, thumping]

What is that?

That would be the electricians.

They'll be working in the crawlspace

above our ceilings this week making repairs.

If they get too loud, let me know.

I'll hit the landlord for a rebate.

Next up, Anne, what's happening

with the Suzanne Hamil m*rder?

Apparently, nothing.

The police still think Suzanne k*lled Michael Walker,

even though she was found not guilty,

and they think Corey's sh**ting of Suzanne

was justified self defense.

Are we representing this kid?

I never said I'd handle the case, I just agreed to listen.

Nobody's been charged, so there's been no representation needed.

A boy kills two people totally premeditated

and nothing's going to happen to him.

Privilege is privilege.

None of us can say boo.

Lastly, with the exodus of partners Kuzak and Van Owen,

the partners convened last night to elect a new partner,

which partnership commences immediately

upon contribution of capital.

Who?

Let me preface this by saying

that all of you are worthy candidates, and
-
-

ALL: Who?

Abigail Perkins.


-TOMMY: Yay.
-What?

Hold on a second.

Well, Jonathan, she's been here longer.

I don't think
-
-

I'd like to say something, please.

It's about time.

Congratulations, Abby.


-All right, Abby.
-[whistling]

And on that joyous note, we're adjourned.


-Congratulations.
-And well deserved.

It's great.

What's up?

We just issued a warrant for the arrest of Jeanette Walker.

What?

For what?

For the m*rder of Suzanne Hamil

and for the m*rder of her husband.

They're picking her up now.

But Corey said that he sh*t Suzanne.

We think she was behind it.

We know that the same g*n was used in both sh**t.

The boy said he wrestled it away from Suzanne

after she came to the house,

but there was no sign of a struggle.

So, what do you think happened?

We think Jeanette set Suzanne up.

The message unit shows she called her

an hour before she came over.

That's not a lot of facts, though.

We know it was premeditated, we can prove that.

It was too sophisticated for a
-year
-old kid.

Jeanette had to have masterminded it.

Prelim is tomorrow, are you representing her?

I don't know.

Well, just thought I would apprise you of this in person.

Thanks.

Evidently, she had it sculpted a couple of weeks

before she, uh... mis
-stepped.

About the same time that she ex*cuted the new will.

She left this to me?

Well, it was supposed to be ready for your birthday,

but they, uh, flared the nostrils too much so she sent it back.

Let's just do this, please.

Okay, I'm going to skip through the formal

will and testament jargon and just get right to it.

First off, the bust, it goes to Leland.

To Margarita, for your extended kindness and service,

I bequeath $,.

To my daughter Susan Shays Raab, I leave $,

to be used for the education of my grandchildren.

The rest and remainder of my estate

including all real and personal property

I bequeath to Leland McKenzie.

Well, that can't be right.

No, it's right.

I am executor, all fees and taxes come from your share.

Well, that's it.

Probate shouldn't take long.

Disbursements could start in three to six months.

About how much is her estate worth?

Including the , she'll get from the firm's insurance

for the elevator free
-fall, . million.

Lucky you.

And how long have you had AIDS, Mr. Gilliam?

I tested HIV positive in December, .

I became symptomatic about a year ago.

Could you briefly describe these symptoms to the court?

I'm dying.

Your doctors have given you no hope?

No, the doctors have give me hope.

My insurance company has blocked the pursuit of that hope.


-Objection.
-Sustained.

What treatment have your doctors prescribed?

First they put me on AZT,

but I became anemic so then they went for a drug

called DDC.

It's designed to ret*rd the AIDS virus from

spreading throughout the blood cells.

Your doctors told you that this would work?

No. No, but they said it could.

Human studies show it has been effective.

I would certainly like to try it.

But you can't.

I can't afford to.

My insurance company refuses to cover

the hospital costs of the treatment

because they deem DDC to be an experimental drug.

Hmm. Have you made it clear to them

that this drug may be your only chance for survival?

Very clear.

Their response is since it's not FDA approved,

they won't pay the cost associated with taking it.

And do you have any other means of affording this treatment?

I haven't worked regularly for about a year,

and I've expended all of my savings trying to get well.

This is supposed to be what insurance is for.

Yes.

And sir, without this drug therapy,

what's your prognosis?

I've got three months. Maybe four.

Thank you.

I have nothing further.

You're a lawyer, aren't you, Mr. Gilliam?

Yes, I am.

So you certainly understand the language

of your insurance policy, do you not?

I understand the basic intent of the contract, Mr. Castraverdi.

In consideration for my paying annually premiums,

they would take care of me should I become ill.

I paid the annual premiums
-
-

I show you a copy of your insurance policy.

And ask that you read the highlighted portion.

You highlighted that portion with a fluorescent pen.

They bury it in a boilerplate clause.

Could you read it?

Please?

No coverage is provided for services

which are experimental or investigational in nature.

DDC treatment is experimental, isn't it, sir?

That's an interpretation, I think
-
-

Human studies are incomplete.

The FDA has not approved it
-
-

It's my only hope.

But it's experimental.

How dare you hide behind that?

Mr. Gilliam.

I've paid you premiums for years.

I've listened to your jingles on the radio

where you sing out about protection and security

in times of medical catastrophe.

I'm having a medical catastrophe, Mr. Cashman!

That's enough.

I'm not looking for some snake oil therapy.

This is the best medical therapy,

the best medical treatment available.

And you won't help me.

because of some footnote

in a standard rider in your contract.

I hope you can live with that, Mr. Cashman.

'Cause I can't.

I can't.

When you said dinner,

I thought you meant pasta at Georgio's.

Well, if this isn't okay, we can go someplace else.

Nikki's, Players, Trumps. wherever you want.

No, this is fine.

Good.

I want you to be happy, Rox.

All right, let's cut to it. What do you want?

Want?

You're spending a fortune here,

it must be something pretty important,

so why don't you just tell me what it is,

and get it out of the way.

It isn't that simple, I can't just blurt it out.

Haven't you learned anything in therapy, Arnie?

You're supposed to face things honestly,

not try to weasel around them.

Damn it, Rox, this is tough.

I'm sorry.

I made a major breakthrough with Dr. Birch.

We're talking about all the choices I make

and why I make them.

We started talking about all the women in my life,

all the beautiful sensual women and

why they've abandoned me

and he asked me if there was ever a woman who didn't.

If there was ever one who was there for me,

even at my worst, one who loved me for myself.

And I realized there was.

Corrine.

You, Rox.

Dr. Birch made me see it.

You're the woman I should be with.

I beg your pardon?

Our time has come.

We can't continue to represent Jeanette Walker.

It's insane.

Why?

Come on, Jack, we just stood up in open court

and accused her of being the k*ller.

Are we going to stand up in court again

and say that she's innocent?

First off, she is innocent. Second...

Now wait a second, what is Jeanette

saying to the police here?

The same thing, that Corey k*lled Suzanne in self defense.

Well, then we can't represent her.

We know that's a lie.

We can't suborn perjury.


-Can I say something?
-What?

If the real truth ever gets out here,

this firm can take some heat.

Why?

It's possible the kid knew he had

a surefire self defense theory

when he decided to whack Suzanne.

How could he know this?

'Cause you, Anne Kelsey, told him,

"Suzanne Hamil was a dangerous thr*at."

You went on record with the police saying Suzanne Hamil might do harm.


-So?
-So...

Anne Kelsey was revealing attorney
-client privileges

when she talked about threats and pouring the foundation

for self
-defense in the process.

May have helped get out client k*lled.

That gets out, we are in big trouble.


-He's right.
-Oh, come on, Jack.

I'm telling you, right now,

the best thing we can do to help Jeanette, the kid,

and us is to stop this train right now.

What are you suggesting?

That we represent Jeanette at the prelim,

and that we put up one hell of a fight.

Get this thing kicked on Corey's self
-defense.

If we shut this thing down now, questions don't get asked.

Nobody knows you screwed up.


-He, she didn't screw up.
-I think Tommy may be right.

We should put this whole thing to bed right now.

All right, hold on.

You think you can win this?

Yeah.


-Then do it.
-Leland!

We don't have many strong options, Anne.

So we're going to bury the truth,

not to mention two murders

'cause that's the best way for us to cover our ass?

Do it.

[knocking]

I've been thinking about your proposition last night.

It wasn't a proposition.

I realize you go through some pretty weird periods in therapy,

but you and me, Arnie,

that's completely off the wall.

In the first place, you're not a well man.

In the second place,

I've been in love with you,

and I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

In the third place,

not one shred of evidence exists

that we're even attracted to each other.

Roxanne...

If you have to go through phases

in order to be cured, fine, I can be supportive.

But sex is not in this picture, Arnie.

And if the subject ever arouses...

Arises again,

I may have to talk to Douglas about harassment.

Mr. Cashman, if he doesn't get that drug,

Mark Gilliam will assuredly die.

My heart goes out to him.

But we have a duty not to cover experimental dr*gs.

We're in the business of protecting everybody's medical needs.

If we start funding experimental treatment of AIDS patients,

paying for every blind alley,

there'll be no money left.

Not only for AIDS, but for any disease.

Including the ones that can be cured.

So when this man comes to you

and asks for his only chance at a miracle,

you tell him no?

I'm sorry, Mr. Gilliam.

We would love to enable all our subscribers

to grasp at any...

We can't.

We just can't.

Thank you, Mr. Cashman. That's all I have.

Isn't it true, sir, that many insurance companies

including yours, have paid for Class C experimental cancer dr*gs?

You're talking about very specific exceptions.

Which are politically safer to make?

Don't tell me AIDS isn't politically protected, counselor.

This state passed a law saying we can't pre
-test

applicants for the HIV virus.

Now we can pre
-screen for cancer, diabetes,

but we can't give a simple blood test to check for HIV.

That's political.

Yeah, but you found ways to dance around

that blood test law, haven't you?

You exclude applicants based on demographic data

which suggests a gay profile.

We are being asked to assume risks, counselor
-
-

If you get a single male in certain professions,

like a florist or an interior designer or a hair dresser,

you deny coverage, isn't that right?

This is totally irrelevant.

It is not irrelevant, this company discriminates

against gays, it discriminates against AIDS.

It is discriminating today.


-Move to strike that speech.
-That's an outright lie.

We cover AIDS patients. We paid for his AZT.

We just won't pay for unproven dr*gs.

I have four clinical studies here

which show that DDC might be effective.

And those same clinical studies

show that it might not be.

But why not give Mr. Gilliam

the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Cashman?

Your subscriber is dying here.

Why not give him the benefit of the doubt?

It's fiscal responsibility, counselor.

We have to make choices.

Do you flip a coin, or do you

just decide to eliminate everybody with AIDS?


-Objection!
-We eliminate people

we can't save, you understand?

It doesn't matter how much money we spend on him,

he is still gonna die!

Thanks.

Thank you for coming.

I just...

I just couldn't leave things the way they were after...

It wasn't a surprise, Mr. McKenzie.

In fact, I expected to be cut out completely.

You and Rosalind, you never made up.

We tried.

But she was never really comfortable around me or my kids.

We were all just going through the motions.

So we stopped.

Well, still her death must have been a shock,

There was really no need for this meeting, Mr. McKenzie.

I'm not going to contest the will,

so you don't have to worry.

That's not it. No.

No, when your mother made out that will,

she was assuming

I had feelings for her which I didn't have.

I feel as though her money came to me by fraud.

And I wanted to talk to you about the possibility

of a more equitable distribution.

I don't want it.

I beg your pardon?

The only thing I ever really wanted

from my mother was a little time.

When I was nine years old,

I had my first ballet recital.

She had a client,

and the client had a party

that night that was more important.

That is my sole memory of my mother, Mr. McKenzie.

It comes in a thousand shapes and sizes,

but it's always the same.

She was never there.

She may have wanted to be, very much.

Yeah.

Look, I am just as much to blame.

I bailed out on the relationship, too.

Now we're even.

You made her happy.

That was more than...

Well, we couldn't do that for each other.

There was no sign of a forced entry.

If they were really afraid of this woman,

why wasn't that front door locked?

So you think the victim was let in?

Well, it couldn't have happened the way they said.

There was no sign of a struggle.

The victim's clothing wasn't even torn.

Now, she was sh*t from a range of four to six feet.

This is not a g*n that went off during a physical encounter.

Anything else, detective?

Yes, the message units show

that Suzanne Hamil received a phone call from that house

an hour before she was m*rder*d,

suggesting to us that the victim was set up.

Thank you, Detective French.

A lot of opinions.

Do you have any evidence to trace the g*n

to Jeanette Walker?

g*ns are hard to trace.

Any evidence of g*nsh*t residue

on Jeanette's hands?

We know the boy fired the g*n.

We contend that she orchestrated it.

Can you offer any facts to back up

this conspiracy theory?

We will.

You will?

I have nothing further for this witness, Judge.

I'd like to put my own witness on the stand.

: tomorrow.

[reporters clamoring]

The whole thing is a joke.

They couldn't make a case on Suzanne.

Now they're coming after Jeanette.

They lose here, look out.

The could be arresting some of you.

Why did Jeanette
-
-

We've got nothing to say right now.

No comment, please.

So what happens now, do I testify?

Oh, no. See we can't put you up there.


-Why not?
-'Cause you're going to say

that your son k*lled her in self defense,

which we know is a lie.

We can't put you up knowing you're going to lie.

No, we have broken enough rules to last us a while.

You're the one who's testifying.

Me? I'm not gonna lie.

Don't have to.

You just say you heard Suzanne make the thr*at,

which is true.

You say you thought she might do harm to the boy,

which is true.

You say the victim was a nutcase who they had

every reason to be afraid of, which is true.

And I'd be contributing to a self
-defense theory

which I know isn't true.

Anne, there's no rule against giving a wrong impression

so long as you tell the truth.

Why can't we just go with what really happened,

argue insanity for Corey?

No, they'll lock him up!

Jeanette
-
-

I've got to get him help, for God's sakes.

I can't let him get stuck in a youth authority

until he's old enough to go to jail.

If we can get him off on self
-defense,

then that's what I want to do.

What happens if we lose in this prelim?

You'll be on trial for m*rder.


-I don't care, better that
-
-
-I care!

If he goes to jail, his life will be over.

You yourself said we have a better chance with self
-defense than insanity,

so that's what I want to go with.

I'm not letting him go to jail, I won't risk it.

Anne, if you're strong up there,

we can get this kicked right now.

Their case stinks.

If you nail it, we're home free

All of us.

♪♪

Okay.

No consent to coverage.

But we'll pay you .

Lumped and sealed.

That'll pay for the DDC treatment.

No. I was the judgment.


-Mark...
-No.

Victor, they're just looking to send me away quietly.

I want an admission of policy coverage.

That's not going to happen.

Then I guess the trial goes on.

Look, I'm trying to help you here.

No, you're just looking to help yourself.

All you care about is being a martyr!

And all you care about is making money, Mr. Cashman.


-Frank, come on.
-That isn't true.

Yes, it is true, that's what the insurance industry is about.

Profit.

Every time there's a public push

for a national heath care system,

the insurance industry bands together

and lobbies congress against it.

Arguing that the private sector should bear

the full responsibility for the nation's health.


-Look, My. Gilliam.
-No, you look.

Five years ago I was a healthy, well
-paid lawyer

and you were on my doorstep.

Now I'm ill, Mr. Cashman, I'm broke.

And where the hell are you?

We're right here, making you an offer.

Yeah, your offer's rejected.

Mark...

[clattering, banging]

We have to talk.

We have talked, Arnie. There's nothing more to say.

I was being totally honest with you, and you know it.

That's what scares you.

What's really going on is

you're afraid to face your own feelings.

That's ridiculous.

You hid them, just like I had.

We worked side by side all these years

and never realized what was keeping us together.

We are not together.

What I'm saying is maybe we should be.

Look, I'm just as scared as you are, Rox.

I'm terrified.

But this is too important to let that get in the way.

What's too important?

You are.

We are.

Did you mean what you said yesterday?

About not being attracted to me?

I don't know.

Are you attracted to me?

I don't know.

Maybe...

We should see.

Did you feel anything?

I'm not sure.

Did you?

I'm sweating.

Let's try another one.

And Susan Hamil told you this in the witness room?

Just before the verdict came in.

She talked about how Corey should be with her,

that it was some kind of destiny.

And what did you take that to mean?

It struck me as an extension of her obsessions.

Did you tell anybody this?

Yes, I told Jeanette Walker and I told the police.

Well, your revealing that, it was a violation of

attorney
-client privilege.

An attorney is permitted to reveal a client confidence

to prevent imminent physical harm.

And you believe Susan Hamil, your own client,

was about to commit serious physical harm

against Jeanette Walker or her son?

I felt that there was a danger, yes.

And Miss Kelsey, knowing your client the way you did,

and I won't ask you to reveal any privileged information,

but knowing her the way you did,

did you consider her capable of deadly physical v*olence?

Absolutely.

Thank you. Nothing further.

Ms. Kelsey.

In addition to being an objective witness

in today's proceedings, you are also now an attorney

for Jeanette and Corey Walker, isn't that right?

There's no conflict since truthful testimony

serves my client.

And you would never mislead a court

with false statements, would you?

No, I wouldn't.

Well, then when you stood up in the Suzanne Hamil trial

and said that Jeanette Walker

was the person that m*rder*d her husband,

were you being truthful?

Objection. That has no relevance here.

I want to know if that's the truth,

or if this witness will say things she doesn't believe to be true.

I was an advocate in the Suzanne Hamil trial.

Are you saying as an advocate you would make statements

you knew to be false?

I'm saying that as a lawyer, my obligation was to do

whatever I legally could to get my client off.

As a witness, my obligation is to the truth.

And here today as you sit as both a lawyer

and a witness, which obligation are you fulfilling?

I'm fulfilling both, Miss Clemons.

I can get them up to . That'll...

It's not about the money, Victor, no.

I think you should get off the horse, Mark.

There's a bigger picture at stake here.

Yeah, I think you see all those people sitting in that courtroom

and you're feeling a responsibility that nobody's expecting you to bare.

The drug is a longshot, my friend.

Like they say, there's

no real evidence that it will do anything.

I might prolong your life.

There is evidence to support that.

[chuckles]

I'm surprised at you, counselor.

A good lawyer makes judgments about what his lawsuit

can or cannot achieve.

This case, it can accomplish autonomy for AIDS patients.

What it cannot do is cure me.

A good lawyer has to take into account

the probable consequences of his cause of action.

Come on, Mark!

And make decisions based on probability.

You know that.

Last year, you stood in that courtroom

and you said, "To a dying man, three months is a lifetime."

This drug, it could give you a week,

it could give you a month, maybe it could give you a year.

Come on!

Let me take that offer, okay?

The client does not authorize you to accept.

You're being crazy here.

The client does not authorize you to accept it.

Now you wanted to be my lawyer, fine.

Be my lawyer.

But you do what I tell you, Victor.

You do what I tell you.


-[thumping]
-I'm not sure I understand this.

I defected to Michael's firm,

and instead of retaliation, you make me a partner.

And now you're offering to waive my capital contribution?

I've thought a lot about what happened with Michael.

I could've cared more for the people here

and maybe less for the firm.

It's true with Michael, it's definitely true with you.

It wasn't all your fault.

Now, now, I have to accept the part that was.

Not letting people know you care.

And time can go by and you
-
-

[shouting]

What the...

Arnold!

What in God's name?

I was working with the electricians.

Um, me too.

I took off my pants because I...

I was crawling around and I didn't want to soil them.

Me, too.

What the hell happened?

Nothing. Nothing happened, Douglas.

Nothing happened.

We were... we were helping the electricians.

Oh, no! You've broken Ros!

[gasps]

I don't mind telling you, Miss Clemons,

I've got serious doubts here about your ability

to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

There's nothing tying the g*n to the defendant.

There's nothing to support the alleged conspiracy

between the boy and his mother.

I don't much like wasting taxpayers money

on foregone conclusions.

But, I cannot deny that probably cause does at least exist.

I have no choice, therefore but to order the defendant

to be bound over for trial.

Your Honor, request to be heard in chambers.


-What's going on?
-Oh, God. Anne!

I need to be heard in Chambers, now.


-Anne.
-Please, Your Honor.

What's this about?


-Corey Walker sh*t Suzanne.
-Anne.

Not in self defense, it was pre
-meditated.

Anne, stop this.

He also sh*t his father.

For God's sakes, how can you do this?


-I'm sorry, Jeanette, I can't.
-Please.


-Hold on.
-I went there that night.

The boy told me what happened.

This is attorney
-client privilege.


-You can't
-
-
-Quiet, please.

The boy told you after you agreed to be their lawyer?

Yes.


-Oh, boy.
-I don't care anymore, you hear me?

I don't care about privilege.

You're about to go on trial for something you didn't do.

A year old boy k*lled two people.

He should be getting psychiatric help and he's not.


-Counsel...
-No, Your Honor.

I have stopped playing by the rules.

If the rules can result in this, then I want out.

Disbar me, do whatever you have to do,

I am not staying quiet any longer.

Your Honor, if I could
-
-

No, I'm taking over now, Mr. Mullaney.

Let me do the talking.

In the interest of justice, I'm dismissing the claim

against Jeanette Walker.

Miss Clemons, you can bring the boy up on charges if you want.

But I'm telling you right now,

Miss Kelsey's inside information is totally excluded

by attorney
-client privilege.

Given that you have no real evidence,

I strongly suggest that you work something out.

Now, Miss Kelsey...

I'm reporting your actions to the state bar.

As of now, you're their problem, not mine.

You be there, :, tomorrow morning.

Excuse me.

Excuse me?

I was told attorney Victor Sifuentes came in here.

Yeah, he's in the back in Judge Armand's chambers.

Do you know what for?

No, seemed a little on the QT.

I think he's settling some case or something.

It's not one of Armand's, though.

I'd know, I'm his clerk.

Thank you.

What the hell is going on here, Victor?

What is going on here?

We're getting married, Mark, what are you doing here?

Oh, my.

I'm sorry, I thought...

I'm sorry.

God.

I just had sudden visions of a gorilla suit.

Forgive me, forgive me. I'm very sorry.

No, no, as long as you're here,

we could use a witness.

Come in, Counsel.

Come on, stand on the bride's side.

I hate to be rude but I've got a pre
-trial

scheduled in seven minutes.


-Oh.
-Okay, go ahead.

You left off with "I Victor take thee Grace".

Oh, yes.

I Victor, take thee, Grace...

I Victor, take
-
-

Take thee, Grace.

To be my lawfully wedded wife.

To be my lawfully wedded wife.

I, Grace, take thee, Victor...

I, Grace, take thee, Victor...

To be my lawfully wedded husband.

To be my lawfully wedded husband.

Are you sure?

Very, very sure.

Well, she has this habit about changing her mind about things.

Objection, move to strike.

She's not going to change her mind about this.

Well, even if you do, it's too late.

By the powers vested in me as the judge,

I herefore declare you to be husband and wife.

Life sentence, no parole.

Well, kiss her.

May God bless your lives with happiness and love

forever and ever and ever after.

Amen.

Insurance companies pay for experimental cancer treatments

all the time, because cancer threatens good people.

But AIDS, look who it's k*lling.

Drug users, prostitutes.

Gay men, that's their disease.

Why should we spend all our money trying to save them?

Your Honor, by the end of the decade,

over million people are going to have the AIDS virus,

and the leading cause of it

will probably be sexual transmission

between heterosexuals.

Like it or not, it's our disease.

And it's k*lling very good people.

Yesterday, Your Honor, I, uh...

got married,

I am going to be a father in about seven months,

and I have all of these hopes,

and fears.

All of us, we have to be afraid of getting ill.

Because we live in a country that trusts a private industry

to care for its sick, and that industry

cares only about making money.

When one of its subscribers fall ill,

even deathly ill, they don't call doctors.

They call lawyers to search the contracts for exclusions.

Today, Mark Gilliam is dying.

There's a drug out there that could help him.

Might not, but all of his doctors say it's his best chance.

The defendant says bad business sense to try.

To try.

So now he comes here to you.

They all have families.

Sitting out there are brothers, sisters, children, parents.

These are human beings,

and we're just letting them die.

Fiscal common sense.

Free enterprise.

Let 'em die.

We'd save everybody if we could.

But insurance companies like any business,

and yes, it is a business,

have a limited amount of resources.

And like any business, they have to look for some return

on their expenditures.

They can't save Mr. Gilliam.

No matter how much they spend.

They could try, of course.

They could exhaust all their funds

trying to get this person well.

And then they'd have nothing left.

When the patient in need of a transplant asks for a new heart,

he won't get it.

The woman with the brain tumor, sorry.

All these lives that could be saved won't be

because the insurance company depleted all its assets

trying to prolong the lives of those who can't be cured.

Tough choices, Your Honor.

Insurance companies have to make extremely tough choices.

In order to protect all of us,

they have to tell some people no.

That's little consolation for Mark Gilliam.

I know.

You could have landed in a client's lap, for God's sakes.

It was irresponsible, it was stupid.

Leland, we were temporarily insane.

I realize you've been under a lot of stress, Arnold,

but that kind of behavior, in the ceiling,

was not the way to relieve it.

And as for you...

I thought you know better.


-We're sorry.
-You're sorry?

You come crashing down on Rosalind's head,

crushing it, and you're sorry?

I am so ashamed.

Rox, it was all my fault.

You did it, Arnie.

You played me like a violin.

You got exactly what you wanted, and I let you.

What? Oh...

You think the ceiling is all I was after?

Oh, now comes the part where you tell me

it was too traumatic,

or it felt like being with your sister,

or you're just not ready for a relationship yet.

I'm not gonna say that.

Oh, good. I at least deserve something original.

Okay, how about this:

I know this is a terrible way

to start things off between us

but I'm still willing to try if you are.

Excuse me?

You're a bright, attractive woman

who I'd like to go out with

if you'd like to go out with me.

That's completely crazy.

I know, but I really want this.

Maybe we could just... try it for a while

and see.

That's all I ask.

You're not gonna get a conviction and you know it.

Two premeditated's, Tommy.

You can't prove it,

attorney
-client privilege stops you from
-
-

I can get independent evidence.

But you don't got any yet.

And even if you scratch something up,

we'll just go with incapacity.

The kid saw his father with a woman not his mother

and he flipped.

I can get him committed. I can get him off the streets.

Come on.

You know me.

Sweetheart, I'm not gonna
-
-

You can skip the spousal intimacy, I won't bite.

Fair enough.

From lawyer to lawyer,

we both know you got an impossible case here.

We know this.

So let's just do something to leave the situation

a little better off than when we found it.

I can certainly understand

any insurance company's unwillingness to fund

experimental radical treatment,

especially where proven medical options are available.

But when there is only one option

and the doctors are recommending that option,

how can you even consider denying coverage

based on the exclusionary language

in the fine print of a contract?

Your Honor, the option you're talking about

hasn't been approved by the FDA. It's
-
-

I don't give a damn about the FDA.

They're not even doctors.

The FDA is a government agency.

People die waiting for government agencies to take action.

He paid you a premium, you promised to cover him

if he got sick,

no matter what disease he got sick with.

That's the spirit of this contract.

Mr. Cashman, I am holding you to it.

Judgment for plaintiff. That's all.

Wow.

I never thought it could happen,

Me neither.

Congratulations. You stuck it out and you won.

Thank you, Victor.

You really...

Thanks.

Fine.

How's it going?

Good, good, I think it went fine.

I think we'll get off with just a slap.

He's back there deciding.

Oh, I just came from Zoe's.

We plead Corey out on two counts of voluntary juvie.

So he'll be going to security camp with psychiatric help.

Thank God for that, huh?

All rise.

All right, you may be seated.

Miss Kelsey, I'm impressed with your unflinching sense of morality,

the breaching of the privilege with Susanne Hamil was admittedly arguable.

But with Jeanette Walker, it was inexcusable.

While I'm aware that our legal code of ethics

sometimes runs in the face of human decency,

lawyers can never be allowed to run in the face of that code.

Given the severity of your violations,

it is my decision that you hereby

be suspended from the practice of law

for a period of three months.

Three months, are you nuts?


-Stuart.
-Who are you?

Stuart Markowitz, I'm her husband.

As well as a member of the bar.

I'll ask you to take your seat.

She did the moral thing for God's sake.


-Stuart...
-Counsel...

You just suspended her for three months for having a conscience.

You insult our entire profession.

You can keep your wife company for the first week.

You're suspended for seven days.

Objection!

You can't suspend me for that.

I just did.

You self
-righteous fat
-ass Rotarian windbag.

You hit a month at fat
-ass.

Windbag brought you to five weeks.

You want to keep going?

No, Your Honor, five weeks is a nice round number.

We will stop there.

Let's all just have a lovely day.

Thank you.

Have you decided where you're going on your honeymoon?


-Bermuda.
-Cabot San Lucas.


-Bermuda.
-Cabot.

What?

We figured it out.

We just don't agree on it.

Luckily, we're in no rush.

Well, there is time.

Yeah.

So, what do they say about DDC, the doctors?

Oh, some of them are very optimistic.

That's good, right?

Listen to those.

Some are very optimistic.

You know, I always thought I'd be living

right up until I was dead.

But that's not how it is with AIDS.

In the end, you're dying.

You, uh...

Ah, almost forgot.

Little present for the happy couple.

Oh.

Come on, Mark, you shouldn't have done that.

Yes, he should.

Are you kidding? After you went to such lengths

to invite me to your wedding?

You know something,

I'm really glad it was you who was there.

Me, too.

Yeah.

Well... I gotta get home.

Gotta get on those dr*gs, you know?

Damned insurance company,

they're gonna probably make me fill out a zillion forms.

I'll keep in touch.

You better.

♪♪ [theme]