06x02 - TV Or Not TV

[bunniefuu]

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

I'm
-
- I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the baby.

I got your note. Thank you.

How is Victor?

Victor and I are separated.

Elsa Chandler is a m*rder*r.

She put a g*n in her purse,

she took it to her husband's office,

and she k*lled him with it.

Didn't she say that her husband had forced her

to come to his office that night,

and didn't she tell you exactly why she k*lled him?

She said he r*ped her, but not that night.

But didn't she tell you that he had r*ped her

as recently as that morning,

and physically abused her for years?

That he had b*rned her with cigarettes?

With straight self
-defense, you're takin' too much of a gamble.

Don't second guess me, Tommy, I know what I'm doing.

So do I, you're acting out, you got an awful lot of anger about the baby,

and you're lettin' it cloud your judgment.

Now, as your friend, I know it's gotta be killin' ya.

I will not consider renting space to Susan Bloom.

Her practice is phenomenal.

She represents half of Hollywood.

They call her Jaws, Douglas.


-You are a stubborn old fart!
-Get outta here!

Don't sputter at me, Leland, this is too important.

We can do each other a lot of good.

I would rather swim in nuclear waste.

Can you believe it? I am paying these yutzes golden overtime.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Now, these offices are really tacky,

but they have huge possibility.


-They're moving in?
-Regrettably, yes.

MAN: Battered women come from all social classes.

It's a myth that they're poor and uneducated.

Some studies have shown that there's a higher incidence of abuse

in places like Bel Air, Beverly Hills.

Why don't these women leave these relationships?

They think like victims of concentration camps.

When human beings are subjected to daily terror
-
-

to constant punishment
-
-

options like escape cease to exist.

They focus on avoiding the beatings,

and when that fails, to surviving them.

What if they try to get out?

They're even more likely to be att*cked by

the abusive partner.

Shelters, even police, can't seem to protect them.

Dr. Carr, is it probable that

Elsa Chandler's husband

would have continued to abuse her?

CARR: There's almost no doubt.

The v*olence would have become more frequent,

and more severe.

And in your opinion,

the night that he ordered her to his office,

was it reasonable for Elsa Chandler to believe

her husband would k*ll her?

Absolutely.

With that kind of long
-term abuse,

Mrs. Chandler's life was in danger

every time she was alone with him.

GRACE: Thank you, doctor, I have nothing further.

Doctor, aren't these studies anecdotal
-
-

Your honor, we reserve the right to recall this witness.

That won't be necessary, your honor.

What, we just forgot about insanity?

I told you, I'm dropping it.

Judge, I need a minute recess.

You said you were thinkin' about it.

I did.

Now, you're really gonna do this,

lose temporary insanity, hang your whole case on self
-defense,

and hope the jury believes her?

k*lling her husband was probably

the most rational thing Elsa Chandler ever did.

She doesn't belong in a psychiatric ward.

She sh*t him before he ever laid a hand on her.

Grace, you know the law as well as I do.

You gotta show immediate thr*at

or you don't make self
-defense.

This is how I am trying the case.

If you don't like it, you can get out!

Anything you say.

[door opens]

[door slams]

♪♪ [theme]

♪♪

Settle down, please, we have a full agenda.


-Where's Arnold?
-Uh, he's getting a sh*t for his allergies.


-Ouch.
-DOUGLAS: First, the Elsa Chandler trial.

Tomorrow, I have one witness to corroborate abuse,

then Chandler is up.

Tommy is no longer on the case.

Well, that'll enhance our image.

Uh, just move along, Douglas.

DOUGLAS: In re: James Riley.

Captain Riley was sh*t down over North Vietnam in .

He was officially listed as missing in action.

Three months ago, his wife d*ed

and left her entire estate to her husband.

She believed he's still alive?

And still a POW? Come on, it's been over years?

Amazing how anyone can still believe


-those men are coming home.
-How can you say that?

What about all those sightings after the w*r?

Anyway, Riley's youngest son, Mike,

is petitioning to have his father declared dead,

and he wants to divide the estate.

Our client, Sean Riley, is fighting it.

He wants to use the money to find his father.

Any chance for a settlement?

No. I've tried. The brothers are barely speaking.

Next up, there are questions about office assignments?

STUART: Just one question.

Why does Susan Bloom get Mike Kuzak's office

before it was offered to any of the partners?

You could have put in for it. You didn't.

And with the kind of rent she's paying,

we can't very well give her your office.

No, we can't do that.

DOUGLAS: I'm glad you understand. We're adjourned.

Tom. See you for a moment.

I'd like you to reconsider.

She'll never b*at the odds, Leland.

We both know that.

Well, the jury could nullify,

they could come in not guilty.

Sure. And when have you seen it happen?

I mean, in the real world,

the "Burning Bed" defense has to include insanity.

If Chandler was in her right mind, they won't acquit.

But you don't know that for sure.

Grace is damn good, Thomas, now, don't underestimate her.

Oh, she's the best, but she just lost her baby,

her marriage broke up.

Do you agree with her?

No, but it's a legitimate defense,

and it's her case.

She's an independent now. I can't dictate strategy.

If she wants to take this risk,

I can't stop her.

But everything I know says it's wrong.

I don't think I can back her.

It's up to you, of course,

I'm not gonna force you.

I'm only gonna tell you that right now

more than a second chair, Grace probably needs a friend.

MIKE: My father was a pilot

assigned to the th tactical fighter wing.

On May , , he was sh*t down over the Hoòa Binh Province.

He radioed the plane was on fire,

and he was going to eject.

Was he ever heard from again?

No, by the time the search and rescue team reached the area,

there was no sign of him.

The plane exploded on impact.

ATTORNEY: And at that time, the Air Force

classified your father as missing in action.

Yes, but in ',

my mother was notified that his classification had been changed to KIA,

k*lled in action.

And do you agree with that conclusion?

I've read the file over and over

trying to find something
-
-

anything
-
- that would let me believe that he's still alive,

but he's not. He's gone.

My father d*ed in that crash.

ATTORNEY: Thank you, Mr. Riley.

You have no memory of your father, do you, Mr. Riley?

Objection, your honor. Relevance?

His perception of his father's loss

is directly relevant, your honor.

I'll allow it.

Well, I was two years old when the plane crashed.

I remember a man who swung me over his head once,


-that's all.
-JONATHAN: Okay.

In , when POWs were returned to this country

in Operation Homecoming,

you were five years old.

Do you remember that day watching it on TV?

Yes.

Do you remember what your mother did during the broadcast

as each man got off the plane

and was reunited with his family?

She kept saying my dad's name over and over again.

"Jim. Come on, Jim. Please, Jimmy."

She knew he wasn't on any of the lists but she couldn't help it.

JONATHAN: And when he wasn't one of the men

that got off that plane,

she started to cry.

Then what did you do, Mr. Riley?

I threw a picture of my dad against the wall.

I was five years old, Mr. Rollins,

I blamed my father for making her cry,


-but I grew out of that.
-But over the years,

there were other family disagreements, weren't there?

She and Sean couldn't stop hoping.

JONATHAN: But they did have information that justified hope.

The United States government reviewed my father's case

and determined he was dead.

As part of a blanket ruling, a ruling that resulted in

all MIAs being declared dead,


-all of them.
-Your honor, is there a question here?

Get to the point, Mr. Rollins.

You stand to benefit from this proceeding, don't you?


-What do you mean?
-About to be married,

maybe have a family.

Inheriting $,, that's not a bad start.

Don't tell me about bad starts, Mr. Rollins.

I grew up watching my mother waste her life.

Waiting for the phone to ring.

Don't tell me about bad starts.

Hi. We haven't met. I'm Susan Bloom.

Oh, hi, Arnold Becker. Nice to meet you.

You're not what I expected.

Yeah? Well, I left my fangs and my death ray at home.

Makes a lousy first impression.


-Nice office.
-Oh, thank you,

I just, uh, redecorated.

Yeah, I hear you're hell on lava lamps.

[laughs]


-You mind if I smoke?
-Actually, I prefer
-
-

Thanks.

You know, something's come up

I think you might be interested in.

You know Steve Graham?

Yeah, a legal reporter, channel three.

Well, he's going on vacation,

station needs someone to cover for him for a couple weeks.

Now, the exec producer is a client of mine.

I told him I'd look around.

Well, I'm flattered but I'm no journalist.

You don't have to be.

They have reporters to do the research,

writers to write the copy.

All you have to do is read it.

Plus once a week, you take phone calls,

do a little improvisational legal advice.


-But I'm a divorce attorney.
-But you went to law school.

You know the difference between a crime and a tort.

This is only a temporary thing, right?

That's what they're saying.

But my hunch is, they're lookin' to dump it.

I could be wrong.

Look, sleep on it, let me know tomorrow.

They want to jump on this by week's end.

Nice to meet you.

W
-
- What's in this for you?

Favor for a client.

But why me? What are my qualifications?

Are you kidding?

Every woman between and

is simply gonna lose herself in those big blue eyes.

I still think you're wrong,

but I'm willing to compromise.

If Chandler still wants to play it your way,


-I'll back you up.
-I don't need any favors.

I'm not doin' any.

Fine. She'll be in tomorrow.

MAN: It is true, a blanket ruling of death was made,

but the Department of Defense continues to operate

under the assumption that some of those men might have survived.

ATTORNEY: What, exactly, is the government doing, colonel?

COLONEL: Our defense intelligence agency

has a special team deployed in Southeast Asia.

Every lead about missing Americans is pursued and tracked down.

And yet not one soldier has emerged as a result of all of these efforts.

You think maybe you're chasing rainbows, colonel?

Well, maybe we are,

but even if only one service man is still alive,

we owe it to him to get him out.

ATTORNEY: Then in your expert opinion,

is there any evidence here that would warrant

continued hope on the part of this family?

I hate giving up on any man, but in this case,

I see no evidence to support a claim that

Captain Riley is still alive.

ATTORNEY: Thank you, colonel.

Colonel, it's a matter of record that over the last years,

your agency received , reports

concerning Americans in Indochina,

some as recent as the last few weeks,


-correct?
-Yes.

Of those , reports, how many have been worthy of

further investigation by your agency?

Approximately are still under investigation.

JONATHAN: So, out of over , reports,

any one of which might lead to the rescue of their father,

you've determine that only are worthy of further action?

You know how many con artists are our there

peddling false hope to MIA families, counselor,

faking sightings for money, bogus photographs?

Now, most of this information is no better than rumor.

Is it true that in ,

after repeated petitionings from Mrs. Riley,

you finally permitted her to see

a partially declassified report of one of these rumors

which related to her husband's capture?

COLONEL: It did not relate to her husband.

Uh, the reported incident pertained to the capture of

another pilot, John Harwood,

whose remains have already been re
-patriated.

Major Harwood flew an F
- jet.

The witness stated he saw a pilot parachute from an F
-,

the plane James Riley flew.

The date indicated Harwood.

But the location of the observer was, in fact,

closer to Captain Riley's position than Major Harwood's.

The testimony was riddled with inconsistencies.

And in the face of inconsistencies,

isn't it your agency's policy to dismiss those sightings?


-COLONEL: Absolutely not.
-JONATHAN: Opening cases is counterproductive

You're more interested in closing them.

There were , MIAs in World w*r II,

, in Korea,

not a single one of those men came back.

We have a responsibility to the MIAs, yes,

but we also have a responsibility to their families.

We're not going to mislead them;

encourage them to wait for men who are not coming home.

And despite the evidence in your own files, colonel,

you insist that Captain James Riley is one of those men.

The so called evidence is not, in our judgment,

enough to support the belief that he's still alive.

Short of Captain Riley handing you the file himself, colonel,

I wonder what would make you believe it.

With self
-defense alone,

there is no compromise for the jury.

They have to acquit or find your guilty.

And if they convict, you could get the death penalty.

TOMMY: Now, if we give 'em a fall back,

not guilty by reason of insanity,

they'll probably take it.

You won't go to prison,

but the judge will have to commit you.

To a mental hospital?

Well, chances are, it wouldn't be for long.

But there are no guarantees.

Ralph used to tell me that I was crazy,

and, uh, for a long time I believed him.

I will never believe that again.

I want to go with self
-defense.

♪♪

[giggling]

Is lunch over?

ARNIE: Are you still hungry?

Douglas is gonna be wondering where I am.

Well, tell him you stopped by the Bonnie

for something quick and easy.

Let me out.

[sighs]

Not that we have to do this,

we both have perfectly good beds.

I always wanted a quickie with you.

So what are you gonna tell Susan Bloom?

ARNIE: God, I don't know.

I don't want to be a celebrity.

Hell, when I did the video, I wound up getting kidnapped.

I mean, who needs this service?

ROXANNE: There is that.

And it's probably not the image

the firm wants to project.

Being on the news is one thing,

but a phone in lawyer?

Leland would probably think it was undignified.

Douglas, on the other hand,

would probably jump at the chance.

Are you kidding? High profiles attract

high profile cases, Arnie.

If I took this job, Douglas would have my baby.


-Mm
-hm.
-And the people in the industry,

power junkies, narcissists,

what the hell do I have in common with people like that?

I can't imagine.

Nah, it's not for me.

I'm just not cut out for it. I'm a little too sensitive.

They eat guys like me for breakfast.

Speaking of eating,

do you think we could stop at the cafe downstairs

and grab a quick sandwich?

Yeah, sure.

I also want to stop at the newsstand,

I think they carry Variety.

Where did you serve in Vietnam?

MAN: I did three tours of duty in Saigon

with Army intelligence.

I monitored and analyzed enemy radio transmissions;

basically, eavesdropping.

JONATHAN: In that capacity, did you have access to

information about POWs?

Yeah, our equipment was very sophisticated.

If the VC radioed that they had a prisoner,

more than likely, we'd pick up on it.

We were able to track hundreds of our men this way.

Would a prisoner like James Riley

have had value to the North Vietnamese?

Absolutely. They wanted live prisoners,

especially men with technical training like pilots.

And after our troops pulled out in ,

what did you do?

Well, most of my civilian work in Saigon is still classified,

but I served on and off until

as the translator for the American team

discussing the return of the MIAs with the North Vietnamese.

Meetings that took place for two years

after President Nixon announced that

all POWs had been returned.

Right. It was no secret.

It was part of the Paris agreement.

Then it is your expert opinion that American POWs

were held in Vietnam after the release.

Like I said, I tracked several hundred POWs during the w*r.

They were alive when I left.

Not a single one of those men ever came home.

But Captain Riley wasn't among

the hundreds of men that you tracked.


-No.
-ATTORNEY: In spite of your sophisticated technology,

you have no knowledge whether or not


-he even survived the plane crash.
-No.

Mr. Bierly, you were asked to resign your civilian position

with Army intelligence, is that correct?

We had a difference of opinion.

ATTORNEY: You were asked to resign, yes or no?

Our government knew there were men left behind,


-I was told to shut up
-
-
-Yes or no, Mr. Bierly?


-And stay out of it.
-Answer the question, Mr. Bierly.

Yes, I was asked to resign.

In fact, for inadequate job performance.


-That's a load of crap.
-Is it, Mr. Bierly?

Since , you've lost four other positions,

due to poor work performance, poor attitude, and absenteeism.

Why don't we talk about the jobs I've held successfully?

Why don't we? For the last eight years,

most of your income has derived from your status

as an expert on POWs, hasn't it?

If this issue disappeared, so would you livelihood.

Not true.

You've made over $, alone in this year,

in speaking engagements, in magazine articles.

I don't make that much every year.

So this has been a good year in the MIA business,

is that it, Mr. Bierly?

I have no further questions.

[indistinct whispering]

Miss Novak, what was your relationship with Ralph Chandler?

We slept together. For a while.

GRACE: During his marriage?

Yes. From to .

Your honor, both parties stipulate that

Ralph Chandler's engagement calendars for those years

show appointments with Miss Novak

several times a week.

Miss Novak, during those times,

did Mr. Chandler ever exhibit abusive behavior towards you?

At first it was...

only verbal.

He liked to insult me.

It aroused him.

Then it got heavier.

One day, he went too far.

He started to slap me around.

It got pretty ugly.

Miss Novak, exactly what happened?

NOVAK: Let's just say it wasn't a game anymore.

He knocked me out cold.

When I came to,

both my eyes were swollen shut.

I was bruised all over,

and my shoulder was dislocated.

Did you ever see Mr. Chandler after that?

He tried to force me. He wouldn't back off.

I was so scared that I had to move,

and change my phone to a different number.

Thank you, ma'am.

Miss Novak,


-did you accept money from Ralph Chandler?
-Objection, relevance.

GRAPHIA: Goes to the witness' credibility.


-Overruled.
-GRAPHIA: Did you accept money from Ralph Chandler?


-I'm not a call girl.
-But you let him pay your rent for a year,

he bought you expensive clothes and jewelry.

Doesn't give him the right to use me as a punching bag, sir.

Well, in fact, there's no proof that

Ralph Chandler ever did anything to you.

You never sought treatment for your injuries,

you never told anyone.

We really only have your word that Ralph Chandler b*at you.


-It's the truth.
-GRAPHIA: Is it?

Or did you agree to testify

so that you could sell the film rights to your story?

Objection. That's totally without foundation.

No, it isn't. Miss Novak signed a contract last week

with Creative Talent, International,

for film and television representation.


-I'm an actress.
-She never said a word.

Oh, I agree. You're giving quite a performance right now,


-but that's not your profession.
-Objection!

This whole line of questioning is irrelevant.

It's on point, your honor.

It establishes the witness as a publicity seeker

with profit motive.


-I'll allow it.
-GRAPHIA: I repeat.

Are you trying to sell the story of your relationship with Ralph Chandler

to Hollywood?

Yes.

GRAPHIA: No more questions.

♪♪

There were four Americans at Qui Thien.

They were kept at their own place

away from the rest of us.

JONATHAN: You were also a prisoner there, Mr. Fang?

It was one of the camps that I was sent to for re
-education.

How did you know these four men were Americans?

The guards call them GI number ,

an insulting term for Americans.

Could you describe the appearance of these men?

FANG: They were very thin.

The uniforms were torn and dirty.

JONATHAN: And how were they treated?

Life in the camp is very harsh, Mr. Rollins,

but for Americans it was particularly cruel.

Some mornings, they were marched down to the yard,

and the guard made them stand there for many hours;

no talking, no shade, no sitting.

And did you ever have any direct contact with any of these men?

Several times. I brought them water.

One time, I saw on the earth next to a tall man

the letters R
-I
-L
-E
-Y.

The man has written them with his foot.

Then a guard moved closer,

and when I looked down again, the letters were gone.


-When did this happen?
-Five years ago in April, .

Was this the man you saw?

Yes.


-That's a lie!
-JUDGE: Mr. Riley.


-That's the man.
-The picture is years old.


-How could you possibly tell?
-Why don't you believe him?


-Both of you, this is enough.
-Would you tell him he's under oath here?


-Do you know what that means?
-Mr. Riley!


-He's telling the truth!
-JUDGE: Mr. Riley!

My mother sponsored his entire family,

she paid for them to come over here.


-What do you expect him to say?
-I will not tolerate this.

Counselors, you have minutes.

Don't bring your clients back into my courtroom

'til they're under control.

JONATHAN: All right, listen.

We'd like to make peace here.

My client wants to propose a settlement.

I don't know if the court will approve it,

but let's hear it.


-$,.
-And the rest goes to guys like Fang.


-Forget it, Sean.
-How do you do it?

How do you hear a story like that and not feel anything?

I gave up on the stories!


-[mouthing]
-After that commando with the phony dog tags,

you let Mom get taken in by that nut.

We have to move on, Sean.


-We have to forget.
-No!

He's my father, if it takes the rest of my life, Mike,

I'm going to find him.

Well, then, the judge can declare us all dead.

We d*ed that day he crashed in the jungle.

We've gone over this a million times.

ELSA: I know we rehearsed,

I know that we've gone over all of this,

but, um, I
-
- I can't do it.

I
-
- I just can't get up there.

Maybe there's a plea bargain or
-
-

Well, I am guilty.

I
-
- I'll just go to prison, I
-
-

We have no case without you.

The prosecutor has no reason to make a deal.

TOMMY: Lot of people get scared.

It goes away once you're up there.

I let my husband humiliate me,

I let him take away all of my dignity.

How can I explain that to those people?

You don't have to explain it.

You just have to tell 'em.

If you don't,

he hurts you all over again, even though he's dead.

I don't know if the words will come out of my mouth.

TOMMY: They will. You can do this.

We're gonna help ya.

Gotta trust us.

Madeline Riley spent years keeping a memory alive.

We're all moved by the loyalty she felt for James Riley.

She never stopped loving him.

But she never remarried, either.

She never even considered it.

Madeline Riley gave up her life for her husband.

And now Sean Riley wants to chase the same false hope.

Would James Riley have wanted this?

Or would he have wanted his family

to get on with their lives?

Your honor, there is no credible evidence

that James Riley is still alive.

There's only the testimony of one Vietnamese refugee,

who owes his family's relocation to Madeline Riley.

That's not proof.

That's a shred of hope that Sean Riley

has convinced himself is a fact.

But Mike Riley doesn't want to live on hope any longer.

He wants a life of his own.

In Vietnam, they say the spirits of the dead

can't rest until their bodies are given a proper burial.

Please give James Riley a proper burial here, your honor.

It's time to let his spirit rest.

Your honor, in ,

the US government told Madeline Riley that

her husband was needed to stop Communism in Vietnam,

and she believed them.

In , the government told her Jim had been sh*t down,

but that everything possible is being done

to secure his release, and she believed them.

In , when the government issued

its blanket death certificate for all MIAs,

she stopped believing them.

These are the facts.

A witness near where Captain Riley was sh*t down

saw a pilot parachute from the same kind of plane as his.

In , a Vietnamese prisoner

saw a man write the name Riley in the dirt,

and later identified him from a picture of James Riley.

In .

Your honor, there is credible evidence

that Captain Riley is still alive.

The government has abandoned him.

Please, don't force his family to do the same.

It would always start the same way, um,

something would make him angry,

he didn't like what I cooked,

the house wasn't clean enough.

He would start by yelling at me

and then he would slap me.

I would try to calm him down.

But I could always feel it coming.

He would, uh... lose control.

Last Christmas, things got so bad that

I thought, perhaps, he would let me leave,

and so... I asked him for a divorce.


-How did he respond?
-ELSA: He threw me out.

He said that he was going to teach me a lesson in survival.

I slept in the yard that night.

Did things get worse after that?

The beatings got worse, they became more frequent,

and, uh, he wouldn't let me go anyplace without him.

He cut me off from any contact.

It was, uh, like I was a prisoner.

Mrs. Chandler, can you tell us what happened

in the hours prior to your husband's death?

The night before, Ralph was drinking,

and he called me into his study,

and he told me to sit down.

He grabbed me by the throat,

and he put, um, a g*n to my head.

He told me to, uh, look at the clock.

He said that there was one b*llet in the g*n,

and six chambers,

and that he would pull the trigger

whenever the clock would strike the hour.

And then I would either die,

or I would live another minutes.

Did he pull the trigger?

Yes.

How many times?

Four times in four hours until he passed out.

And then he continued to abuse you the next morning, didn't he?

I woke up to...

pain sh**ting through my body.

It was like I was being torn apart.

What was he doing?

I know how hard this is.

But we need to know.

What was he doing?

He was sodomizing you, wasn't he?

Objection, leading the witness.

[clears throat] Sustained.

Elsa, what was he doing?

He was sodomizing me.

And when he left, I tried to get up,

the bed was covered with blood.

And when was the next time you heard from your husband?

That night at :, he called me from his office.

He ordered me to get over there right away,

and to bring him his g*n.

And what happened when you got to your husband's office?

He screamed at me that I was late.

He told me to give him the g*n.

So I took the g*n out of my purse,

and he stood up.

And then what happened?

I sh*t him.

I didn't mean to,

but he was going to k*ll me.

I know that he was going to k*ll me.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

How did you know, Mrs. Chandler?

How did you know he was going to k*ll you

at that moment?

Did he say so?

No.

Did he move toward you?

No, but he would have.


-But he never did.
-No.

Now, you claim that you were a prisoner for years,

but you never told a friend,

you never told a family member,

you never called the police.

Ralph told me he would k*ll me if I did.

Mrs. Chandler, you're still living in that prison, aren't you?

I don't know what you mean.

The $. million house your husband bought in .

Now, he's been dead almost a year,

but you still live there.


-Yes.
-Aren't the memories too painful?

Argumentative, your honor.

Sustained. Watch yourself, Mr. Graphia.

GRAPHIA: And what about your husband's money, Mrs. Chandler?

You gave $, to your lover, Steven Waring
-
-


-Objection.
-No, he was not my lover.


-Sustained.
-ELSA: We never slept together.

He was the only person who understood me.

Mrs. Chandler, if it really was that terrible,

why didn't you leave the night your husband locked you out?

Well, I couldn't, I was too ashamed.

You could have gone to a neighbor's house,

you could have called Steven Waring.

Now, why didn't you?

Why didn't you, Mrs. Chandler?

Can you understand?

He tore off my nightgown and threw me out.

I couldn't go anywhere.

I was naked.

MAN: Please be seated.

After reviewing the records of this trial

as well as the government files,

I've concluded that the evidence is sufficient

to overcome the presumption of death,

and to justify the conclusion that Captain Riley

may still be alive.

Therefore, Mr. Riley,

I'm refusing to declare your father dead.

In the matter of your mother's estate,

I have no choice.

I directed that a trust be established,

and that Sean Riley be named trustee.

He may use the money under court supervision

to look for your father.

My ruling notwithstanding,

it saddens me that the Vietnam w*r

continues to claim your family.

And I sincerely hope that

you can find a way to be brothers again.

This case is adjourned.


-Good luck to you.
-Thank you.

Thank you for everything.

WOMAN: I'm sorry, Michael.

Hey. If you change your mind, I could use your help.

I don't think so.

Mike. Mike, I never wanted to cut you off.

I'll talk to the judge, I'll try to give you something.

You still don't get it, do you?

It wasn't about the money.

It was never about the money.

You okay?

Elsa Chandler sh*t her husband.

No one disputes that.

She went to his office, pulled out a g*n,

and she sh*t him in cold blood.

She claims that it was self
-defense,

that she was a battered wife,

that she had been abused and degraded by

Ralph Chandler for years.

But strangely,

she told no one, ladies and gentlemen;

not a friend, not a family member, not the police.

The only person to corroborate her story

is Steven Waring,

the man she was seeing behind her husband's back;

the man to whom she gave $,.

Was Elsa Chandler abused by her husband?

I doubt it. But even if you think she was,

even if you believe Ralph Chandler deserved to die,

there is no law that justifies what Mrs. Chandler did.

There is no law that allows a wife to k*ll her husband

in revenge for past abuse,

or to protect herself from future abuse.

It's self
-defense if, and only if,

Elsa Chandler's life was in immediate danger that night.

And it wasn't, ladies and gentlemen.

Ralph Chandler was more than feet away from her

behind a desk.

He hadn't hit her, he hadn't even moved toward her,

but Elsa Chandler sh*t him anyway.

Now, she could have gone to the police.

She could have run away.

She could have called a friend.

But she didn't make any of those choices.

She chose to k*ll another human being.

The law says Elsa Chandler is guilty of m*rder.

Is there a difference between a man's perception

of immediate danger and a woman's?

Ralph Chandler first b*at his wife

on her th birthday.

She knew that he was particular about the way that she looked,

and she wanted to please him,

so she spent the whole day getting ready.

She picked out the perfect dress.

She decided to try a new hairstyle.

Ralph Chandler walked in that night

and called his wife a whore.

He ordered her never to change her appearance again

without his permission,

and then he hit her...

over and over...

until Elsa lost consciousness.

And she woke up in agony

to find that her husband had cut off all her hair.

For years, Elsa Chandler endured that kind of abuse.

She was trapped in an endless cycle of

v*olence and apologies.

Of terror and apologies.

Of r*pe.

And when these things happen in our society,

we want to turn away,

we want somehow to believe that it's the victim's fault.

Why didn't she leave? Why didn't she?

Why didn't she tell someone?

Elsa Chandler didn't

because she knew her husband would k*ll her if she did.

It wasn't just a thr*at.

He forced her to rehearse her own death.

Elsa knew what her husband planned that night.

He'd been promising to do it for years.

She was gonna die, he was going to finally k*ll her.

Yes, she did have a choice, ladies and gentlemen.

Rather than let her husband m*rder her,

Elsa Chandler chose to live.

She is not a criminal.

She is a human being who was tortured nearly to death,

and in that one moment found the will to survive.

Please, don't punish her for it.

♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

Let me freshen you, Arnie.


-Thirty seconds to floor.
-Hey, buddy.

Jake, listen, this ear piece thing,


-it's a little
-
-
-That's okay, you can take it out

when we go to tape, everybody does.

Listen, small change in plans.

We couldn't get clearance on Chris Farca's piece,

so we had to yank it and bump up the dating service feature.


-Excuse me?
-Look, I know it's short notice,

and nobody expects you to be letter perfect on a cold read, okay?

So you got copy in front of you,

you got the rest on a TelePrompTer.

Are we ready, Arnie? Ten seconds to floor.

Break a leg, babe. Settle down, people.

And three, two... one.

Dating services.

Sometimes it seems like there's more of them

than there are of single people in L.A.

They promise romance, but do they deliver?

For the story, sitting in for vacationing Steve Graham

is prominent Los Angeles attorney Arnold Becker.


-Arnie.
-Thanks, Julie.

[cheering]

ARNIE:What exactly are you buying

when you go to a dating service?

If the ads are to be believed,

you're buying happiness, romance,


-love.
-[mouthing]

That's how it was sold to Dianna Dorian,

a secretary from San Dimas.

She signed a contract, spent hours on end


-looking at video tapes
-
-
-[whispers] No, slow, slow.

Over a period of six months at New Horizons,

she selected over two dozen men

and got only three responses.

We're clear.

WOMAN:One was from a year old plumber,

another a guy who'd done time in San Quentin.

Number three didn't quite speak English,

I think he was from Mars.

[whispers] Arnie. Arnie.

You're on.

Oh, God, I hope his mother isn't watching.

JULIE:Arnie, why don't we open up the phones

and take some calls, shall we?

Right. We're going to the phones, I knew that.


-[chuckles]
-Okay.

first caller wants to know about insurance premiums.

Okay, our first caller wants to know about insurance pre
-
-

Hi, caller number one, you're on the air.

What
-
- What can I do for you?

MAN:I forgot to pay my car insurance premium for a month, uh,

I just didn't have the money.

Uh, it expired on September th,

and I had an accident on October rd.


-Uh, would I be covered?
-No. Thank you for calling.

[laughing]

Arnold Becker for News at Noon.

Julie, Michael.

[mouthing]

Food for thought.

Tell me, Arnie, is there any chance of

some lucky girl pulling your tape?

Uh, no. [clears throat]

Not, uh
-
-

Not unless she's into candlelight dinners,

long walks on the beach, and, uh... midnight swims.

Don't tell me that under that lawyerly suit,

you're really a romantic.

Well, if by that you mean I believe every woman has

one special light in her eye

that can only be seen by one special man,

then I'm guilty as charged.

No lo contendre,

lock me up and throw away the key.

Oh, good save, Arnie.

Yeah, good save.

JULIE: ...but first this message.

Be seated.

JUDGE: Has the jury reached its verdict?

We have, your honor.

JUDGE: Defendant will please rise.

In the matter of the People vs. Elsa Chandler,

on the charge of first degree m*rder,

we find the defendant not guilty.

[crowd exclaiming]

JUDGE: Members of the jury, thank you for your service.

We are now adjourned.

[indistinct chatter]


-MAN: Miss Van Owen
-
-
-It's all over.

I kept hoping for an earthquake.

There was this huge spotlight overhead,

and I thought, one good jolt,

and it's over.

Arnie, they switched copy on you at the last minute.

Now, anybody could have missed a couple of cues.

I felt like my mouth was filled with cotton.

I mean, the words, they just totally lost their meaning,

like I was reading Esperanto or something.

I don't even know what the hell I was saying.

Managed to do okay with Julie.

Oh, Rox, sh**t me now.


-Arnie.
-It was a reflex action.

I
-
- I just went on autopilot.

I
-
- I was coughing up blood, I had to do something.

Well... don't be so hard on yourself,

it was your first time.

You don't suppose my mother was watching, do you?


-[knocking]
-[door opens]

Arnie, Tony Burkman, a producer from KCYB.

Tell him I d*ed.

He knows. He was there.

You see what I have to put up with here?

Tony, hi. Listen, man, I am so
-
-

You did?

They did?

She did?

They got calls from almost women

asking if I was coming back.


-Who's she?
-Julie Rayburn,

she thinks I might have a huge TVQ.

I'm sure she does.

No. No, no, no, I'm here. Th
-
- This is terrific.

Listen, but what about, uh, Steven Graham?

Uh
-huh.

Well, I
-
-

No, I suppose I can make the time, but
-
-

How much money are we talking about?

[knocking]

Yeah.

I want to thank you.

Wasn't me. It was you.

I was lucky.

That, too.

[sighs]

You risked her life, Grace,

so you could have something to hold onto,

so that you could prove that you were a hell of a lawyer.

And you did it.

You won.

It's not enough.

I know.

♪♪ [theme]