Original subtitles

Previously on L .A. Law. The city is on the verge of a race riot, and the judge

on the case is a total victim of the hysteria. Judge Stone has served with

distinction for seven years.

You're the presiding superior court judge. You have to take responsibility

Okay.

I'll get you a new judge.

You have no business going forward.

No witness.

No physical or testimonial evidence.

Actually, Your Honor, we now do have a witness.

Excuse me. If I find out that you manufactured this witness in any way, or

you suborned perjury, I will make it my personal purpose in life to see you

disbarred. The eyewitness is lying.

The eyewitness was never there.

Drug dealers were there. They shot at this man, he fired back.

And yes, William Russ was accidentally killed. That's what happened.

We find in favor of the plaintiff and order the defendant to pay punitive

damages in the amount of $2 .1 million.

Listen, now that I'm not beating your brains out, would you consider having

dinner with me?

Dinner? Like a date?

Ah, see, that was too direct, wasn't it?

I'm always either too subtle or too direct.

Women never know what I mean, you know what I mean?

I'm not sure I know what I mean. I'm a little confused.

Pretty interesting, huh?

I was reading in my bedroom when all of a sudden I heard it.

First I thought, backfire.

But then I heard two more, and I knew it was gunshots.

And what did you do, Mrs. Ross?

I got up and went over to the window, and that's when I saw my son lying in

street. You knew immediately that it was him?

By his gold jacket.

And what did you do then?

I ran out to him. He had blood coming out his back.

And then I turned him over.

There was blood in his mouth, too.

His eyes were open, but he wasn't there.

Your son was dead?

Yes, ma 'am.

Mrs. Ross, did you see anyone else in the alley?

I saw that man.

Let the record reflect that the witness has indicated the defendant, Brian

Chisholm. What was he doing, Mrs. Russ?

He was standing there with his gun. And then he came over to us. But then he ran

away. He just ran away.

Thank you, ma 'am. I have nothing further.

How long did it take you to get to your son from the time you first heard the

shots?

15, 20 seconds.

It would be fair to say... As you were running toward him, the only place you

were looking, the only thing you saw at that time was your son, William. Isn't

that probably true?

Probably. So, Mrs. Russ, it could have been maybe 20 to 30 seconds between the

time you heard those shots and the time you looked around to see anything else

or anybody else. I don't know how many seconds it was.

No, no, no, of course not. You're concerned about William. But it could

been 20 to 30 seconds. What?

Well... Ma 'am, you're sitting in this courtroom suggesting my client was the

only other person in that alley. When, in fact, there was plenty of time. No,

I'm sitting in this courtroom because my boy is dead.

I'm sitting in this courtroom because he was shot in the back by that man.

Objection. Move to strike.

That's why I'm here, Mr. Rollins.

Can you tell us why you're here?

Mrs. Rust. He shot my boy. But it was an accident.

The bullet hole is in my boy's back. How can that be an accident?

People versus Chisholm.

Prosecution's supposed eyewitness takes the stand today. How's it going?

It's tough.

Anything we can do to help, you let us know.

Moving along, Totten tax audit. How's it coming, Stuart?

It's not.

I think I persuaded the IRS to call off dogs.

Wonderful. And how are you feeling?

Fine. Fine?

Fine. Well, I'm not so fine.

August Oberzon.

Oberzon Development is in my office right now, and he is very unhappy.

The king of the mini -malls?

Evidently, an outspoken student has been gathering up signatures trying to block

his zoning variants, and the movement's beginning to pick up steam.

Stuart, Douglas, I'd like you both at the meeting to see what we can come up

with. Okay. And last but not least, Lowens versus America's most

practical jokes. Couldn't settle. Looks like we're going to have to try it. Are

you kidding?

Don't you think this guy's taking this a little too seriously?

He had his toupee lifted off on national television.

How would you feel?

Can't relate, Doug.

How would you feel?

Oh, I think he has a case.

These television shows make money from embarrassing people. Why not share the

profits with the victims? All right. Are we done?

Done. Best of luck, Victor.

Thanks.

If I don't get that variance, I can't build a mall.

I am not going to be run into the ground by some little save -the -trees

activist. Offer the kid nuisance value.

$10 ,000.

Oh, great. What's to keep everyone else from lining up for their money?

Oh, come on.

You've got to do better than that. I am set to break ground next month. Why

don't we hit him with a slap suit?

Excuse me?

Well, a slap suit.

Strategic lawsuit against public participants, i .e., slap.

Basically, what you do is sue the protesters for harassment. You tie them

court and make them spend all their money on lawyers.

And the thing is, you do it publicly. And that intimidates other would -be

protesters. They don't dare speak out. I like you.

How soon can we file a complaint? By the end of tomorrow.

Well, I'm not sure we want to do it. Oh, it's perfect.

You add every count you can think of. We'll tie that little bastard up till

junior year.

Slapsuit.

Great job, Stuart.

Way to go.

Thank you.

Well, what did you think you were taping, Mr. Lowens? I thought I was

rebuttal to a news editorial. I'm a professor of Soviet history. They asked

my views on Perestroika. I thought the whole thing was legitimate.

And, sir, when did you first discover that your hair had left your head? When

saw it on television, along with 20 million other people.

And the defendants never told you that they were going to air this? Yes, but I

didn't know what had actually happened until I saw the tape. And, sir...

Could you tell the court, and I know this is difficult, but could you tell

court what it was like to see yourself become bald on national television?

I can't really describe it.

I was held up to ridicule.

My friends snicker at me. I even lost my job.

Because of this?

Yes. The dean told me he couldn't have a professor who the students didn't take

seriously.

He fired me.

And have you been able to find other employment since then, sir? After a

of months, I found another teaching job.

but at less pay and virtually no shot at tenure.

This thing has just devastated me.

Thank you, Mr. Lawrence.

I have nothing further.

You gave my clients a signed release authorizing them to air the tape, didn't

you? I didn't know my toupee had been dislodged when I signed the release.

Oh, come on, Mr. Lawrence. They yanked your rug off your head and you had no

idea? Objection to the term. Rug overruled.

I didn't feel the fishhooks in my hairpiece.

But when they lifted it off, how could you not feel that?

Yes, I did feel a draft.

But I put my hand up and everything felt okay. I thought some of the wires might

have moved it a little. Don't you glue it on? No, I use tape. But I didn't use

tape that day because I knew I was going to be under hot lights and heat

sometimes makes the tape gooey.

Plus, when I sweat, the thing smells.

I see. All right, look.

I don't know how far this joke went or how humiliating it was. I want to see

tape. Oh, my God.

So we'll set up some video monitors, take a look at it tomorrow, so we can

see for ourselves.

Your Honor, my client would request that the courtroom be sealed.

I think not. We'll all be able to take it. That's tomorrow, 2 o 'clock.

We're adjourned.

And you were walking in the next alley? Yes, and when I heard the shot, I ran

around the corner.

And what did you see?

I saw this kid running straight at me, and the cop was right behind him, maybe

30 feet.

You see that cop in this courtroom?

The defendant.

And what did you see next?

Well, the cop was screaming at the kid to stop or something, and when he

he shot her. He just shot her.

And what did you do?

I just stood there, like, in disbelief, and I just took off.

You didn't go to the boy's aid?

I was afraid I might get shot, too.

Mr. Bailey, you didn't come forward for almost two months.

I didn't think of doing good telling on the police. I was afraid they'd come

after me.

Well, why have you come forward?

Well, Mr. Holloway convinced me.

He said I had a responsibility in my community, and if I saw something, I

say what I saw, and that's what I'm doing now.

Thank you, sir.

I have nothing else.

Did Mr. Holloway tell you what it was you saw?

Objection. Overruled. Did he tell you what to say?

Would you like to confer with him before answering?

He didn't tell me what to say. I saw it. Mr. Holloway's your lawyer now, isn't

he? This has no relevance.

Sit down, Ms. Fusco.

Is Mr. Holloway your lawyer?

Yes. Yes. Now, Mr. Bailey, you said you just stood there as Officer Chisholm was

shooting at William Russ.

Yeah, that's right. Well, now, since you testified that the boy was coming right

at you, that means you were in the line of fire.

What, you just stood there?

Don't look at Mr. Holloway. You look at me.

You just stood there while he was shooting right at you. Well, it wasn't

at me. It was more like to the side.

Now, wait a minute.

Just a minute ago, you said under oath that he was coming right at you. Did you

lie? I made a mistake.

A mistake?

Okay. The night of the shooting, you told the police you saw nothing. Was

mistake, too?

I told you I was afraid to tell the police what I saw.

You afraid of your own mother?

What? According to your mother's statement, you never told her you saw

Come on, Jerome, two months go by. You don't tell a single friend. You don't

tell anybody. Are you afraid of your friends and relatives, too?

Why are you looking at him?

Objection. Overruled. Why didn't you tell anybody what you saw?

I don't know. Because you saw nothing.

Objection. Holloway got to you and you're here lying.

You're the one telling lies. Mr. Holloway, get yourself down now. Mr.

Rollins, don't badge the witness.

Now, do you have anything more?

No,

I don't think so.

Now we're down to hot dogs.

Well, yeah, but they're great with mustard, and they're cheap, too.

The problem is I'm not getting any better at figuring out the real you.

Who is this, a power lawyer or the kid on the roller coaster?

You know, the kind of person who's really great at career stuff but not too

at life stuff. Yeah, me.

No, no, me.

Oh, no, you seem to be pretty good at the life stuff. You seem to know how to

have fun.

Yeah, well, the truth is I've probably had more fun in the last four days than

I've had in the last four years.

Come on, you're supposed to say me, too.

Well, four years is long.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Two years.

Two years? Two years.

All right.

Me too.

What time you got?

4 .15. 4 .15. Okay. We need to go back to work right now, or we could ride the

dragon.

I vote for the dragon.

I think I like you.

I think I like you too.

Hi, Benny.

What's that?

It's a treadmill. Good exercise.

I can walk three miles a day and never leave my office.

Just because you had a heart attack?

Yeah, yeah, it's exercise for my heart. And for everything else, for that

matter. You should try it sometime.

Arnie says heart attacks can make you croak.

I'm not going to croak, Benny.

I just had a little tiny heart attack.

Stuart, Dennis Brayton, the tree activist, hired a lawyer to defend

slap suit.

Sole practitioner coming in this afternoon for a meeting. I want to get

of our lawyers as possible into that room.

I want to send the message that they are up against an army. Good. I'll be

there.

Why hasn't there been any white public outcry?

The reason there's no white public outcry?

Because it was just a black life that ended.

Cheaper market value, don't you know?

Maybe because some of us get bought so cheap. But not you, Consul. I'm sure

you're just leased with an option. Can I talk to you a minute? Had you better

clear this with Mr. Cusack first? No, you and me alone.

Or maybe you don't talk to people unless there's a microphone around.

I want to say this just once, for the record.

There has been nobody, no lawyer anyway, I've admired more than you, Mr.

Holloway. I can't tell you how many times over the years I've looked in the

mirror wanting to see some reflection, some hint of what I've always seen in

you.

But after watching you and listening to you for the last three weeks, I don't

think there's anybody I'm more sickened by.

Is this your closing summation?

You talk about the system. You talk about the process.

Then you stand in front of cameras and film crews and willingly pervert it. The

perversion is the system.

The system was going to free that man on involuntary manslaughter.

You don't know that it wasn't that. Nobody knows, because the system wasn't

going to ask the questions.

Now, you can get sick over me as much as you want to, but get more sick by the

fact that the system was going to let that man walk without even a trial.

I mean, the only reason you've seen witnesses, the only reason jurors are

weighing evidence right now is because of those cameras.

Because of those microphones and because of me. And if that kid had been white,

you wouldn't be here right now. Oh, man.

Where have you been?

If the kid had been white, I wouldn't have to be here.

But when that day comes, when society cries for black children with the same

passion that it does for whites, when the senseless death of an African

is just as unacceptable, then I'll stop.

I'll stop what the truth is, Mr. Rollins. That racism is going to outlive

What sickens me is to think that one day my dream will then rest in the hands of

black lawyers like you.

The unification of Germany has to be considered not simply urgent, but...

Do we have to fast forward?

No, it comes up pretty quickly as soon as he starts in on Gorbachev.

Let the record reflect that the sound effects were added by the defendant.

Move for a miscarriage.

Come on.

Shut it off.

Okay. The... Your Honor.

Your Honor, this is prejudicial. Come on. No, it's not.

It's not.

The fact that we laugh is not the issue. It's of no relevance. The jury should

give no consideration to my reaction. Nor should they give... Addiction!

It's a ten -minute recess.

We're adjourned.

Hi.

Hi. You ready?

We're not going out.

We're going to have lunch right here.

We are?

Yeah. You got my stomach on a roller coaster, so I'm going after yours with

Gai Pan.

Oh, boy, I don't know.

What's the matter? You don't like Chinese food?

Uh -uh. You're going to shut up and eat.

No, no, I'll eat.

It's just that I don't know how personally I should take all this.

What do you mean?

In the Amazon rainforest, if a blind lawyer...

takes the hunter into her lodge for lunch, that means that she just likes

a friend and will never feel waves of passion equal to a thousand waterfalls.

Napkin? Thank you.

So, I was just wondering how personally I should take this.

Egg roll.

Miss Lamb, Lela McKenzie. Hi.

This is Ann Kelsey. Hi. And Stuart Markowitz.

Hi. Wow.

I was only expecting one attorney.

Sit.

Ms. Lamb, as innocent as your client's protests may seem, they're generating a

backlash against our client, and that's not acceptable.

Uh -huh. This meeting is to inform you that Aubazon Development is filing today

a $1 million lawsuit against Mr. Braden for interference with economic

advantage, interference with contract, and defamation.

As always, an easy settlement is preferable.

Should your client persist in making public statements derogatory of our

client's plans to develop a shopping mall, then this firm intends to avail

itself of all its resources in protracted litigation.

Protracted?

Meaning paper wars, court appointments, make work, all the stuff that can bury a

solo practitioner.

Okay, look.

This is a slap suit, and I'm a little disappointed.

Bringing in four lawyers trying to scare me? That isn't very nice.

I bet at least one of you doesn't even know the facts of this case.

And it's probably you.

May I?

Excuse me.

See, if you'd done your homework, you'd have known you stood a much better

chance with a pretty boy.

And a flirt, to be exactly.

What's his name?

Becker.

Saw his video.

Anyway, ganging up on me was a mistake.

File your suit.

Will all of you be coming to court, or should I say some of my goodbyes now?

You're making a big mistake.

I'm young.

And what happened after the boy got out of the car?

He started to run away.

And then I got out of my unit and went after him. When I came around this

corner, I saw two black males engaged in what appeared to be a drug transaction.

And what did you do?

I didn't have time to do anything.

One of them just pulled a gun and shot at me. I dropped to my knee and returned

fire. Then what happened?

The two males ran down a side alley.

I got up and started to go after him.

And that's when I saw the boy.

The boy being William Russ?

Yeah.

He was... he was face down.

Did you know what had happened?

Uh, yeah.

I knew it had to have been one of my bullets. The other guy was shooting

me, so it had to have been my bullet.

What did you do?

I, uh...

I froze for a minute, and then the mother came out.

I ran to my unit and radioed for an ambulance.

Mr. Chisholm, why did you shoot back when William Russ was in your line of

I don't know.

I made a mistake.

I'm sorry.

I screwed up, but I didn't shoot your son on purpose.

I know you can never forgive me, but please know that that was an accident.

Please know that.

I have nothing further.

Do you have any explanation why nobody else ever saw these two black drug

dealers? No.

Any explanation as to why we could never find the bullets from the gun of the

guy who shot at you?

No. When you radioed for help, you said, suspect down, didn't you? I'm not sure.

Yeah, you did. Here's the transcript.

You didn't say bystander down. You said suspect down, suggesting that your

bullet hit the one you shot at. Objection argumentative. You didn't say

about drug dealers. You didn't say anything about tragic mistake.

You just said suspect down. Yeah, and then I said, then I said, send help,

an ambulance, over and over. I was panicked. The only thing I was thinking

was getting an ambulance for that kid. Yeah, the ambulances come faster if you

say citizen down.

Fastest if you say officer down. You said...

Suspect down. Move on, Miss Fusco.

Last year, you asked to be reassigned to a different partner, didn't you?

Yes. What was the problem with the officer Kenneth Sims?

Personality differences, mainly.

I see.

What was Mr. Sims' race?

Objection. Overruled. What was his race, Mr. Chisholm?

He was black. But that has nothing to do... Thank you.

Ever been investigated for police brutality, Mr. Chisholm? I was totally

that was... You were investigated for committing an unprovoked assault on a

teenage suspect.

Investigated and cleared?

Yes, by other police investigators.

What was the race of that suspect, Mr. Chisholm? Objection.

Overruled. What was the boy's race?

He was black, but that has nothing... Thank you.

I have nothing further.

Mr. Chisholm, you're dismissed.

Does the defense have anything more?

Where are we?

I don't know, Jonathan. She just did some damage.

You think I should put him up there?

You think you can take him? I think we should take the risk.

Then do it.

Your Honor, the defense calls Darren Holloway.

Objection. No foundation. No relevant. The defense admits this man is relevant

to this proceeding. He has no information. Overruled, Miss Fusco.

The defense wishes to call a witness.

The defense can call the witness.

Tomorrow, 10 a .m.

Mr. Holloway will take the stand.

How can Mr. Lowenzack surprise?

Didn't you get his permission?

He signed the release.

We were fully authorized to air it. He claims he didn't know what you'd done.

Well, we're certainly sorry about the misunderstanding.

But believe me, we would never put anything on our television show without

consent of all the participants.

And here we had it.

Thank you, Mrs. Egan. Nothing further.

You didn't bother to show my client the tape before airing it, did you? No, we

don't do that.

You don't do that.

And so my client had no reason to know that you'd also be putting in these

little sound effects that you do. Did he? Those are creative choices we make

post -production. Creative choices. You profit off of other people's misery,

don't you? Listen to the lawyer here who takes train wrecks on a contingency.

Objection. You don't ever profit off people's misery. We don't willingly

it. No, you're all here to make the world a better place.

Objection. All right, touchés all around. Go on.

Why? Why would you pull off a man's hairpiece and embarrass him like that?

Again, we thought he okayed it.

I mean, would you yank the fourth teeth from the mouth of a senior citizen?

Would you pull the prosthesis off an amputee? Of course not. That wouldn't be

funny. But it's funny to victimize this man.

The judge laughed.

And as executive producer of this top ten show, how much do you personally

Objection. Overruled.

How much?

I make $45 ,000 per episode.

You got paid $45 ,000 to have his hair go up like a rocket? Not just for that.

There were three other gags on the show.

The fat lady who tripped over the midget. The point is you got rich and

Lowens lost his job.

We're sorry about that.

We're sorry about that.

Nothing further.

Mr. Holloway, I'm curious.

The day after William Russ was killed, you went on record publicly calling it a

murder. What information could you have possibly had that fast that allowed you

to conclude this was a murder? A white man has a gun.

A black kid is running away.

The black kid ends up face down with a bullet in his back. That, to me, is

murder.

Quiet! Please!

So, the fact that Mr. Chisholm is white influenced your thinking?

Well, yes.

And what is that, sir, if not racism?

Well, if I'm a racist, Mr. Rollins, and you know, I suppose I am,

but it's by necessity to combat a much larger white racism built into the

framework not only of society in general, but specifically a judicial

which does not render fair treatment to black Americans.

Quiet! I don't want to warn you people again.

So the system is not fair? The only reason this criminal was even brought to

trial here was because I generated enough public pressure to stop the

attorney's office from blindly looking the other way, which otherwise it would

have done. You admitted that your presumption of my client's guilt was

influenced by the color of his skin.

If William Russ had been white, you would not have publicly come forward. If

had been white, you would not have staged that rally that produced Jerome

Bailey. Isn't that right? If the victim had been white, there would have been no

need for me to make noise.

Answer my question, Mr. Holloway. You're under oath.

If William Russ had been white, Darren Holloway would not be involved here

today. Isn't that what you told me, sir?

Isn't that what you told me, yes or no?

Yes or no?

Yes, I told you that.

And how can this trial be anything but a product of your bigotry?

I have no doubt that you heard him. The question is, will it count for anything?

Help! What the hell?

Help!

Hang on. Stop it.

Stop it.

Where's the button? Where's the stop button, Mike? Help me. Help me.

Oh, my God.

Okay. Okay. You okay?

You okay?

He said I could.

It's okay.

It's okay. Are you all right?

Oh, what happened?

It was just a little accident. Are you okay, Benny?

I've hurt myself.

It's just a scratch, Benny.

Let's go wash it off.

He said I couldn't. I'm sure he did, Benny.

It's okay.

Be okay, Benny.

Wow.

Oh, I'm going to this black tie thing tomorrow, and I had to try it on.

You like it?

Fantastic.

Thanks. The thing is, uh, with Jack Dollar?

Yeah.

You like this guy, huh?

Well, yeah.

You look great.

Thanks.

Miss Lamb.

Good, hi.

We weren't expecting you. Well, I was in the neighborhood.

Miss Lamb.

It's a complaint in federal court alleging civil rights violations, abuse

process, harassment, and punitive damages.

You have McFadden Arps as co -counsel? Yeah, Jay McFadden owed me. I got his

daughter a McDonough ticket.

Oh, plus which the civil rights claim provides for attorney fees, so they were

happy to jump in.

Protracted to them means more money.

So thick.

I think they put 12 lawyers on it.

Okay, well, you have it. Tell Alan I'm sorry I missed her.

This is awful.

Good going, Stuart.

Slap suit. Great idea. You liked it too, Douglas.

I never liked it. All right, that's enough.

Now look, we've got to make this thing go away and fast.

Set up a meeting. You know, we could add another claim.

No. Get that woman back here tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've got to figure a way to break this dog over his arm.

God.

If Jerome Bailey had seen what he said he saw, don't you think he would have

told his own mother or his best friend?

Come on. Jerome Bailey came forward two months later, only after being addressed

by that man, Darren Holloway, a self -admitted racist who, by his own

established that the only reason we're here today and the only reason Brian

Chisholm is on trial is because he's white and the victim is black.

The boy's mother admitted that it could have taken 30 seconds for her to look

around that alley after hearing the shots.

That's plenty of time for the drug dealers who shot at my client to run

There's been no evidence, ladies and gentlemen, other than Jerome Bailey, to

controvert Brian Chisholm's testimony that he was shot at that night. No

evidence other than a liar influenced by a racist.

And no motive.

No motive.

The prosecution is here before this court, not only without any physical

evidence or any real testimonial evidence, but they have no motive

They're asking you to believe that Officer Chisholm just suddenly turned

this psychotic killer.

Where is this coming from?

The prosecution has no case.

Yes, we have a tragedy here.

And yes, it was a horrible, horrible mistake.

But that's all it was.

A mistake.

For all the prejudice and the outrage and the hurricane of anger surrounding

this trial.

The facts will tell you that Brian Chisholm is innocent.

Thank you.

The facts.

Two witnesses swore under oath they saw no one else in the alley. Can the

defense offer any evidence of drug dealers?

Any evidence of bullets being fired?

No. So those two black men are not a factual part of this case.

Officer Brian Chisholm was the only other person seen in that alley.

Ballistics reveal it was Chisholm's bullet found inside the boy's body.

Those are the facts.

The question is whether you're going to let him go simply because he's white.

The question is whether we're going to let hate crimes continue to go

in our courts.

A white police officer shot and killed an unarmed boy.

You can do something about that.

Or I guess you can...

Choose not to.

Imagine, if you will, ladies and gentlemen, the humiliation, the shame

client must have felt that night as he sat there and watched his hair just go

to the sound of twin booster engines and then the way it sputtered before it

came crashing down.

My client was wronged, ladies and gentlemen.

They snatched it right off with a fish hook.

Your Honor?

Yes. I'd like to do my own closing.

It's his right, Mr. Spuente.

Go ahead, sir.

It's okay to laugh.

No, really, it's okay.

I know that by wearing a toupee, I set myself up for that.

But the issue here isn't whether my hairpiece is funny or that tape was

We all know it was.

This is about respect.

It's about people showing other people simple respect.

These shows, this one and that home video one, they reward individuals for

capturing the embarrassing misfortunes of others.

And people like me, occasionally we get caught in it.

But no matter how humorous it is or how clever, it's disrespect.

If you watch these shows, you know that the more embarrassing it is, the more it

hurts.

The funnier it is.

When you go back to the jury room and laugh at me, I hope you'll remember

And I hope you'll remember that all the giggles caused by these people in here

have been at my expense.

Thank you.

We're going to make it go away, Og. Don't worry. How?

We'll bring a motion to dismiss, starting with subject matter

Oh, for God's sakes, I'll be tied up in court for months. I'll lose the

financing.

I'm sorry, am I early?

No, come in, come in.

Miss Lamb.

Mr. Robeson. Hi.

Let's get rid of this.

I'll give your client ten grand to keep his mouth shut and to drop this

ridiculous federal claim.

Tim won't do it, and 65 will.

There is no way in this world's hell I will ever pay your client. No, no, no,

you don't pay. They do.

Excuse me? Okay, this is how it works.

Officially, we dismiss the complaint.

You pay Mr. Brayton nothing, then you hire me to represent your corporation.

Now, hold on a moment. Pardon me.

Since I'm all by myself, I will need help in servicing all your needs, so I

turn would have to refer your business out to a bigger firm. Say these guys.

that, I hit them with a referral fee of $65 ,000, 50 of which I paid a Mr.

Brayton. Yeah, but you can't do that.

Yes, I can.

And if you don't want to pay the 65 to keep his business, there's plenty of

other firms who would, including McFadden. Wait, wait, wait just a second

Are you telling me that this would all go away, they would still be my lawyers?

And I pay nothing?

Yeah, exactly.

But you can't do that. You keep saying this, but we can.

The only other thing I ask is that you give Dennis Brayton an audience.

Because all he really wants, besides the $50 ,000, is to be heard.

And you agree to provide him the pro bono legal services.

Done. What?

I said done.

But that kind of referral arrangement is unethical. No, no, no, not with

disclosure. Come on, you know better.

It's done.

It accomplishes everything I want, Leland.

I like you. Let's draw up the papers.

I love it when things work out.

In the matter of Lowen's birth as America's most embarrassing practical

we find in favor of the plaintiff an order of the defendant to pay damages in

the amount of $45 ,000.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

This matter is now adjourned.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Look, I'm sorry I sort of... It was unprofessional. I'm sorry I started to

laugh. You don't have to apologize, Victor.

It's permissible to laugh at bald people.

Maybe because society doesn't think it's so bad to be bald.

Maybe we're just insensitive to it because it's no big deal.

You think I'm being silly?

No, no. I think you sued these people because you felt your dignity was

assaulted.

But I also think...

Every time you put that on, you're saying you don't like yourself the way

are.

You wear an earring.

My wife likes her girdle.

We all do what we can to make us look better, make us feel better.

So why can't the bald guy indulge himself?

I like myself just fine, Victor.

I just like myself better with the hair.

Okay.

Okay.

Has the jury reached its verdict?

We have, Your Honor. What say you?

In the matter of People v.

Chisholm, criminal complaint number 8212, the jury finds the defendant

murder in the second degree.

Quiet! The trial is not over.

I want everybody quiet now.

I have something to say.

Sit down.

I think it's important for all of you to listen.

Last year I saw one of my courtrooms erupt in a riot. Mr. Rollins, you were

too. And it was also a case of white America trampling black America.

And the hatred rose up and took that room.

And I've seen that hatred in this room too.

And as a black man, I understand that hatred.

I grew up in a poor neighborhood. I've seen innocent black people shot dead by

white policemen. I've seen it.

And every day as I sit up here, I carry that baggage.

But first and foremost, I sit up here as a judge.

And as a judge, my job is not to affect race relations, but to affect justice

in this courtroom.

The only evidence that incriminated the defendant was the testimony of Jerome

Bailey.

A witness that I find as a matter of law is not credible.

I know I failed to instruct the jury to disregard his testimony, the reason

being I wanted to avoid an eruption here.

But if my choice is between another riot and an unjust verdict, I have to opt

for the riot.

I find as a matter of law that no reasonable jury could have reached this

verdict on the basis of the evidence presented.

I hereby set aside the jury's verdict.

The defendant is free to go.

We are adjourned.

You want to keep me in the dark all night or let me know what's going on?

Well, I guess I'll tell you.

I want to hire Mackenzie Brackman.

Excuse me?

Besides Oberzan, I have a lot of commercial litigation I can't keep up

Your trial lawyers have a good reputation.

I'd love to farm some of my stuff over.

You give me 40 % of the billing... I've got a better idea.

Why don't you come to work for me?

Excuse me?

Same deal. You take 40 % of the business you bring in.

We supply you with space, administrative support, the ability to quadruple your

work output.

Wait a minute.

You're offering me more than I came here asking for. What's in it for you?

The right to call you hours.

I loathe law firms.

Yeah, so do I.

I'd only work in a place that would allow me to be myself.

Mackenzie Brackman is that kind of place.

I'd have to think about it.

You are interested, isn't it?

Yeah. I'm interested.

I'm this way.

Okay. See you tomorrow.

Jonathan.

Great job.

Incredible job.

Thank you.

Go home. Get yourself some sleep. Don't let it go to your head.

Okay. Night, mate.

I guess this makes you the winner, huh?

I was expecting some shouting.

A noisy press conference, something.

Maybe I'm just tired.

Or maybe there's nothing to shout about.

You really handed it to me, didn't you?

Hmm? Understand.

You gave me what I needed.

Let's just say that I think justice was done here.

If you didn't believe Chisholm was guilty, why'd you go after him?

Yeah,

I thought I had explained that.

I didn't know for sure whether he was guilty or not guilty.

But I knew if we didn't put him on trial, we'd never find out.

Did you tell Jerome Bailey to lie?

Nope. I didn't totally believe him either, not after your cross

But that's when I knew it.

The D .A. had no case.

So what now? You'll just lay off, let it be? Lay off.

A couple of weeks from now, maybe sooner, another black man will be dead

white cop's gun, and I'll be there, making the same noise all over again,

sure questions get asked.

Maybe I'll meet you there.

That would be my pleasure.

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