All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S07E18.Come.Rain.or.Come.Schein.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

- Well, well, if that
isn't an altocumulus

undulatus that I see.

Aaron.

- I'm referring to the
clouds currently visible

from your office window.

- Aaron, we have got to
discuss whether or not

you want to proceed to trial.

- Of course, I want
to proceed to trial.

I was defrauded by these people.

- There's a settlement
offer on the table.

- Ann, I want to be a
television weatherman.

I've devoted myself to
the study of meteorology.

I'm possessed of the expertise.

I had the job.

I want the job back.

- Understand though
that even if we prove

that the station dealt with you
in bad faith, all we can get

is money.

We can't compel
them to rehire you.

- If we win, and I have
every faith that we will,

it may be too expensive
for them not to rehire me.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I put Manny Hellman's file
in my briefcase by mistake.

I thought you might
want to look at it.

- You were expecting
precipitation?

Yeah.

They said so in the
11 o'clock news.

Stuart, thanks for the file.

- Did you happen to check
the barometric pressure?

No, actually I didn't.

The dew point?

No.

- Either of those indicators
would have told you

all you needed to know.

There was no lower
atmosphere depression.

The air mass currently over Los
Angeles is completely stable.

Where exactly was
the precipitation

going to come from?

I don't know.

I just listened to
the weather report.

- Aaron, we've really
got to get going.

- He just listened to
the weather report.

See, that's what most people do.

They just listen to
the weather report.

They don't analyze the data.

They don't corroborate the data
by an empirical examination

of atmospheric conditions.

They don't stick their
heads out the window--

- Aaron, we've got
to go to court.

- OK.
- Nice to meet you.

Yes, nice to have met you.

You know, it never fails.

You carry an umbrella
and it doesn't rain.

- You were expecting
precipitation?

Aaron, got to go.

OK.

[music playing]

Ross versus KTLW and Kelsey.

We represent Aaron Voss.

He's suing the
management of KTLW

for dismissing him as
their on-air weatherman.

- What was the cause of action?
- Fraud.

He claims that when
they hired him,

they said they wanted
a real weatherman.

Then they fired him and
brought in a stand-up comedian.

- No chance of settling
this one, is there?

- I brought him the
settlement offer.

He turned it down.

All right.

Aguilar versus Laraby.

- I've got a settlement
conference rescheduled.

If that doesn't do
it, we go to trial.

Wait a minute.

Why would we go to trial
over a $2,700 debt?

- That's how much
our client is owed.

Wait a minute.

Why are we even talking about
going to trial over $2,700?

- Because we can't impose
a settlement on a client,

Douglas.
What's he's supposed to do?

- Not take the case to
begin with, how about.

Or take the case, but let
him know from the onset

that you're not going to court
over an insignificant amount

of money.

- Did it ever occur to
you that it might not

be insignificant to our client?

- It's insignificant
in terms of how

much revenue it will generate.

Consider it pro bono, Douglas.

We've got the case.

Let it go at that.

- If it's all right, I'd
like to follow this one.

- You're welcome to.
- Great.

Anyone else?

I mean, I think we should try
and take as much of a loss

- on this case as possible.
- Yeah.

I'm certainly available
if you need me, Daniel.

Well I have an idea.

Why don't I just
write a personal check

for the full amount
and be done with it?

My client wouldn't take it.

That's why.

I see.

OK.

Move along, Douglas.

I need to say something else.

Every morning on my way to
work, I drive past a lumberyard.

I see all these Latino men
standing around, chomping

at the bit to go to work.

A while back, I wanted to
have my yard cleared out.

I hired this one guy
who I saw on that corner

every morning to do it.

I got to like him.

I got to trust him.

When he told me what
happened to him,

I offered to represent him.

$2,700 might seem
like nothing to us.

But to this man, it
means the difference

between being able to feed his
family and seeing them starve.

I intend to see to it that
he gets what he's owed.

Schein versus Schein.

That's mine.

Mitchell Schein is an agent
whose wife is divorcing him.

The only issue is money.

- That makes it simple,
Arnie, doesn't it?

Why would that make it simple?

- Community property,
split it down the middle.

- When they hire me,
Melina, it's never simple.

- And even if it were, he'd
never let them know that.

See?

That's what I call
smart lawyering.

OK.

We've prepared a cashier's
check for $1,350.

You owe me $2,700.

I don't owe you anything.

I'm willing to
pay you something.

- He's actually willing
to pay you quite a bit.

- Just to put this
thing to rest.

No.

- Does he understand
what's going on here?

He understands perfectly.

I'm not sure that he does.

Let me spell this out
for you, Mr. Aguilar.

I am an attorney.

Mr. Greenhut here
works in my law firm.

I pay him a salary, whether
he handles his case or not.

In other words, it doesn't cost
me a thing to litigate this.

You, on the other hand,
lose money every day

you spend sitting
in a courtroom.

- Not to mention the $1,350
you can have right now.

- I give you fair
price, my work.

That's all I want.

- Not much of a
business man, is he?

Maybe not.

On the other hand, maybe he just
doesn't like your condescending

tone of voice.

- I wasn't
condescending, counselor.

- First, you cheat him,
then you talk down to him?

You don't have a
whole lot of goodwill

to trade on in this
room, Mr. Laraby.

- I find you
offensive, Mr. Morales,

offensive and insulting.

And I don't believe
you're acting

in your client's best interest.

I'll see you in
court, my friend.

What do we do now?

Trial set for 2 o'clock.

You want to go get some lunch?

No, gracias.

I bring something from home.

- I see you 2 o'clock.
- Bueno.

OK.

What.

Nothing.

- I just think that there
was a deal to be made here.

If what?

I'd been a little
more respectful?

- Is it really necessary
to go on the attack?

The guy is a racist, Gwen.

- Is it really that he's racist?
Isn't it just that he's a jerk?

He's a racist.

- I'd like for you to
describe for us, if you will,

what took place during
your first meeting

with Mr. Rechtschaefer.

He asked me to do the weather.

And I said I would consider
the job if and only

if the station were
willing to commit itself

to approaching weather
forecasting with

some seriousness of purpose.

- Did he appear willing
to make that commitment?

Yes, he did.

- Would you tell the court
what you did as a result?

- I left the teaching
position at Cal State.

I designed an entire
array of graphics

to better explain meteorological
phenomena to a lay public.

And I told my family and
friends that I had finally

found the job that I
dreamed about having

since I was a little boy.

How did it go?

First week, it went very well.

There were a number of
interesting climatic events.

There was a low pressure
center in the Rockies.

There was a cluster of
thunderstorms over the Midwest,

and I reported on them.

And I reported on
the local area,

and I was 100% accurate
in my forecast.

- What happened on
the second week?

Everything changed.

I was given these ridiculous
new clothes to wear.

I was given different
colored eyeglasses.

I was given jokes to
tell during the weather

segment of the news.

And how did you respond?

I went along.

I tried to do my best.

I tried to maintain
as much dignity

as the new clothes
and the new glasses

and the new jokes would allow.

How was week number three?

- There was no
week number three.

I came in for work on
Monday and Mr. Rechtschaefer

told me that I had been replaced
by somebody named Kyle Thunder.

- What reason was
given, Mr. Voss?

- I was informed by
Mr. Rechtschaefer

that I didn't pop.

Thank you, Mr. Voss.

I have no further
questions, Your Honor.

- Did your contract with
the station call for you

to be put on the air
more than two weeks?

- My conversations
with Mel Rechtschaefer

called for more than that.

- Oh, are you saying
Mr. Rechtschaefer agreed

to jeopardize the commercial
viability of a major market

television station
in order to fulfill

a childhood fantasy of yours?

- Objection.
- Fantasy?

Sustained.

It was a fantasy.

Mr. Voss, you don't
look like a weatherman.

You don't sound
like a weatherman.

Objection.

- I am what a
weatherman looks like.

Mr. Voss.

- Not Kyle Thunder or Drizzle
McManus or Cloud Stevens.

Me, Aaron Voss.

Do you know what the weather is
going to be like on Thursday?

I do.

There is a low pressure
center forming off

the coast of Baja that's going
to create a major thunderstorm

by Friday morning.

- Your Honor, I would ask
that the witness's response

in its entirety be stricken.

So ordered.

The witness'
response is stricken.

The jury will disregard it.

Why.

- Because your
ability to forecast

the weather has nothing
whatever to do with this trial.

- Forgive me, Your Honor.
But why?

- Ms. Kelsey, please
advise your client

as to both the
issues of this trial

and the proper protocol
of this courtroom.

Yes, Your Honor.

- Does Mr. McCafferty, you
have any further questions

for this witness?

No, Your Honor.

- In that case, we'll
take our noon recess.

Court will reconvene at 2:00 PM.

OK.

- I see you brought
your umbrella.

Did Kyle Thunder tell
you it was going to rain?

Aaron.

- Mr. Aguilar, would you
tell us, please, where

you first met Andrew Laraby?

- The corner of Pico and
Sawtelle I'm looking for work.

He drive up and hire me.

What did he hire you to do?

- He asked me if I
could lay bricks.

I said, yes, I could do this.

He asked how much it
cost built a patio.

I say I can do for $2,000.

Did he accept that offer?

Yes.

Tell us what happened next.

I bought bricks.

I showed them to Miss Laraby.

She said they're OK.

I built the patio.

Were you paid?

No.

When she saw it
finished, Miss Laraby

said bricks I use too orange.

She say tear down what
I do and start over.

What did you say?

- I say you have
to pay for that.

- What price did you give
them for the additional work?

- Price of bricks,
need to pay helper,

time to tear down
patio, put in new one,

plus the $500 they owe me.

I give them price $3,200.

- And how did Miss
Laraby respond?

- She said they're
going to have a party.

She wants it done by
the end of the month.

- Did you finish it by
the end of the month?

Yes.

What happened at that point?

- Mr Laraby give me
$500 and six-pack beer.

I have nothing further.

- Had Mrs. Laraby seen
all the bricks at the time

you claim she approved them?

I have a pile.

She see ones on top.

So she hadn't seen them all?

- Why didn't she say she
needed to see them all?

- Wasn't it incumbent upon
you, as the brick mason,

to inform her that she
did need to see them all?

Weren't you the only
one in a position

to know that the
color wasn't uniform?

- Objection, assuming
facts not in evidence.

Sustained.

They were bricks, sir.

They looked like bricks.

- Isn't it the
case, Mr. Aguilar,

that you had this
woman over a barrel?

No.

- She wasn't privy to
the original agreement.

She wasn't happy with the work.

She was desperate that
the job be finished.

You decided to take advantage
of the situation, didn't you?

You figured you'd stick
them for more money.

- Objection, counsel
is badgering this man.

- I'm cross-examining
him, your honor.

That's all I'm doing.

- That's not all you're
doing, Mr. Greenhut.

You are badgering him, and I'm
instructing you to stop it.

Objection sustained.

- Mr Aguilar, you testified
that Mr. Laraby paid you

$500 when you finished the job.

Is this the check?

Yes.

- I ask that this be
received into evidence

and marked defense exhibit 1.

So ordered.

- Is that your
signature on the back?

Yes.

- What does the notation on
the front of the check read?

Full final payment.

- So in other words, by
accepting this check,

you agree that $500 was
all that you were owed?

- Sir, I take a check
because I need to make money.

I need to pay rent.

I need to buy food.

- Mr. Aguilar, did
Andrew Laraby ever

say that he would pay you
a dime more than the price

you initially agreed upon?

No.

I have no further questions.

- Yes, but I
understand you walked

away with all the marbles
in the McAnnally case.

We did very well in McAnnally.

- Oh, you've got a lawyer
that takes no prisoners,

you know that?

Why would you take prisoners?

You got to feed prisoners.

- You're no slouch
yourself, Horty.

You do remember the woman
with the oxygen tank.

- Well, let's not get
into that right now.

- She's cross-examining this
78-year-old woman with such

bad emphysema, she had an oxygen
tank next to the witness stand.

Well, by the time Horty
got done with her,

they took her out of the
courtroom on a stretcher.

She was concealing assets.

That she was.

- Hey, if physical infirmities
gave us a license to steal,

the richest people in the
world would all be cripples.

- I am very uncomfortable
with this discussion.

Can we get back to
our matter, please?

- Absolutely, the house
in Pacific Palisades.

- Sell it and
split the proceeds.

Beautiful.

The partnership
interest in the agency.

What's the matter, Horty?

There isn't enough
to divide up here?

You have to go after
the business too?

- I've got to go after
everything, Arnie.

If I didn't, you'd take
it as a sign of weakness.

- Oh, I'm going to have
a problem with this one,

you know that?

- Let's put the agency interests
aside for the time being.

- All right, let's
put it on the side.

The house in Martha's Vineyard.

- He owned it before
they got married.

- It was a shack before
they were married.

- When we moved in
together, you had

a cedar hope chest, that's it.

Now all of a sudden, you
want a piece of everything?

What have you been
doing, Alison?

Taking greed injections?

- I was married to you
for 12 years, Mitchell.

- Right, during which time,
I was the breadwinner.

- I know you were
the breadwinner.

I know you were
the world beater.

But I was the one who
was desperately unhappy,

and I think I should be
compensated for that.

- This is the Jonah
factor at work, isn't it?

- Since you brought up
the subject of Jonah,

there is one more
thing I need from you.

- Oh, yeah?
What's that?

A get.

What's a get?

- It's a document that
makes the divorce official

in the Jewish religion.

- What, are you reclaiming
your faith, Allison?

That's exactly what I'm doing.

Jonah is a spiritual man.

He's a devout Jew, and I
intend to share his devotion.

How nice.

- And what's this
get going to cost me?

- It's not going to
cost you anything.

You just have to come
with me to a rabbi

and participate in a ceremony.

- Ugh, what, is this going to
consume, like, an entire day?

- No, it's not going to
consume an entire day.

- Can I suggest that we
wrap this up for today,

and both of us go
back and figure what

we need in order to settle?

- All right, but I'm not
letting Alison sign anything

that doesn't
represent a full split

of all the marital property.

And all means all.

[door opens]

I'm so glad you're here.

Are you OK?

Call me tomorrow morning?

- Uh-huh.

Mitchell.

- I'm Mitchell,
Alison's husband.

You must be the Baal Shem Tov.

How do you do?

I'm curious.

I wonder what the Talmud
says about stealing

another man's wife.

Mitchell, don't do this.

- I met Alison long after
the two of you had separated.

- Hmm, we were still married
at the time, were we not?

She was still my
wife, was she not?

Yes, she was.

- Jonah, you don't
have to listen to this.

- I wonder what the big
man's going to say, huh?

Mitchell, come on.

- I don't know what the
big man's going to say.

I know that we all have
to answer for what we do.

That's right, my friend.

And he's not going to cut
you any slack because you're

wearing a yarmulke.

- Mr. Schein, if I
were in your position,

I'd feel everything that
you're feeling right now.

I know that my presence
here is hurtful to you.

I came because
Alison asked me to.

- And I'm not going
to apologize for that.

I need all the emotional
support I can get.

Can we go, folks?

It was nice to have met you.

- Mrs. Laraby, did Mr.
Aguilar show you the bricks

before he built the patio?

- Well, he showed me
some of the bricks.

He didn't show me
all of the bricks.

- Did you ask to see
all of the bricks?

Well, no, I didn't, but
only because I assumed

that Mr. Aguilar would be
as sensitive to uniformity

and color as I was.

I assumed that he was more
of an artisan than he was.

- What did you
say to Mr. Aguilar

when you saw the finished patio?

Well, I said, I was unhappy.

I said the color of the brick
was garish, that rather than

evoking the stately somewhat
worn quality such as you're

apt to see in Virginia
or Massachusetts,

that this called to mind
the worst, most povernous

sections of New Jersey.

I couldn't live with it.

I didn't care what it
entailed, I wanted it replaced.

You said that to Mr. Aguilar?

- Well, not exactly in
those words, obviously,

but I told him that I
wanted it done over.

- Did he tell you how
much that would cost?

Yes, he did.

- And did you agree
to pay that amount?

- Well, what I agreed
to was that I would

take it up with my husband.

That's all I agreed to.

- But you did tell him,
did you not, to start work?

- I asked him to get
started because I

needed to get it done.

- But by telling
him to get started,

weren't you tacitly agreeing
to the financial terms

Mr. Aguilar presented?

Well, not at all.

I told him that we'd be fair.

Were you fair?

I think we were.

- How long was he
working at your house?

- Six weeks, which, by the way
I endured without complaining.

You endured?

Yes, I endured.

It's not easy having workmen
at your house six days a week.

- Do you know how much
Mr. Aguilar's wages ended

up being for this job, ma'am?

- All I know is that we made
four payments of $500 each.

- Would it surprise you to
learn that after deducting

the cost of materials
and the helper,

he would be making
just under $26 a day?

For a 10-hour day, that
comes out to $2.60 an hour.

- Well, I never really thought
about what his hourly wage was.

I'm sure you didn't.

- God, I can't believe I'm
being put through this.

You know, Andrew,
it isn't worth it.

It just isn't worth it.

- What's your
occupation, Mr. Thunder?

- I'm the guy who tells
you whether or not

you can afford to let your
smile be your umbrella.

I'm the weatherman at KTLW.

And by the way, is today
a beautiful day or what?

- Would you tell the
court how you came

to be the weatherman on KTLW?

- I was appearing at
the Comedy Store right

here in West Hollywood.

And one night, Mel
Rechtschaefer approached me

and asked me to screen test.

When he saw the results,
he offered me the job.

And what was your response?

- My response was yes,
as indefinitely, as

in where do I sign?

- Were you able to
start immediately?

Actually no, no.

I was booked on a cruise ship
and we couldn't get out of it,

so we agreed that I would
start as soon as I got back.

- To the best of your knowledge,
who did Mr. Rechtschaefer

hire in the interim?

I guess he hired Mr. Voss.

- What did Mr.
Rechtschaefer indicate

to you were the requirements
for a weatherman?

- Timing, personality,
the right look,

you know, that certain ba-bing.

- Did you know anything
about meteorology?

- I know that if you see a guy
named Noah with a tape measure

and a skill saw, a pretty good
chance it's going to rain.

[laughter]

- This is the way he
does his weather report.

That's enough, Mr. Voss.

- Uh, Mr. Thunder, did
you have any science

background of any kind?

I have no science background.

- Did Mr Rechtschaefer ever
express any concern about that?

No, he didn't.

I told him I was a quick study.

I told him that I would
pick up the ins and outs

of forecasting as we went
along, and that seemed

to satisfy him just fine.

Have you managed to do that?

Mr. Voss.

- Been at it for a year, you
must have it down pat by now.

Mr. Voss, that's enough.

Wow, are we bitter.

- Tell us, was Kyle Thunder
your name at the time

that Mr Rechtschaefer
first approached you?

[scoffs] No.

What was your name?

Bobby Rappaport.

- So Kyle Thunder was, in
effect, a creation of Mr.

Rechtschaefer, wasn't he?

No, he wasn't.

Mr. Rechtschaefer and I
sat down together in a room

and came up with who
Kyle Thunder would be.

- When was it that the
two of you did that?

- Um, right before I
went on the cruise.

- In other words, before
Aaron Voss was ever approached

to do the weather, you
and Mel Rechtschaefer

had already worked out who
the weatherman would be?

- You know, I never wanted
to get dragged into this, OK?

I have nothing against Mr. Voss.

I bring my own brand of
high energy and happiness

to a world that's
woefully in need of both.

I make people laugh.

What is wrong with that?

- What's wrong is you're not
supposed to make people laugh.

Weather isn't funny.

Weather is serious.

- Mr. Voss, I'm going to hold
you in contempt if you can't

manage to control yourself.

- Your honor, I have
no further questions.

You may step down.

- Aaron, the sunny side
of the street, life

can be so sweet on the
sunny side of the street.

[chuckles]

It's never painless, Mitchell.

It's never painless.

I have to tell
you that, legally,

she can claim a piece
of his agency share

as a marital asset.

- Which doesn't mean I've
agreed to give it to her.

- It just means
we've got a problem.

A potential problem.

- Now, we could all tell her
what we think it's worth,

make her an offer.

Maybe she'll accept it.

- But the likelihood
is that she won't.

- In which case, she'll
want to examine our books

and make her own
appraisal of what

Mitchell's shares are worth.

Evan's been through this.

- Did your wife ever
ask to see the books?

Oh, yes, she did.

Fortunately, I had leverage.

What kind of leverage?

- I threatened to sue for
custody of the children.

Given that she'd just come
out of the Betty Ford Center,

she had a little
exposure on that flank.

Wow.

- We'll do our damnedest to
keep the agency out of it.

I just can't guarantee
that we'll be successful.

[clears throat]

Permit me to share an
anecdote with you, Mitchell.

Some years ago, there was
a very significant agency.

And at that agency, there was
a very significant young agent.

He was bringing in
lots of commissions.

He was attracting
a lot of attention.

He was showing every
indication of being

a major player in the industry.

Then he got divorced.

He allowed that to
intrude on his work.

He allowed his wife
access to areas

of the business that,
by their very nature,

require confidentiality.

Depositions were conducted.

Bank records were examined.

Clients felt compromised.

They felt ill used.

They felt the agent could have
handled it in a better way

than he did.

As a result, a great many
of the clients left them.

Momentum was lost.

Perception was lost.

That young agent
never became major,

and he's no longer young.

He is now working in
an office in Van Nuys.

And all the people that he
represents are below the line.

[chuckles mildly]

[exhales sharply]

Think about it.

[music playing]

- You did hire Aaron
Voss, did you not?

Yes, I did.

- What were you
thinking at the time?

I needed a weatherman.

And I thought going in a
somewhat offbeat direction

might actually work.

- Mr. Rechtschaefer,
would you tell us

why it is that you fired him?

- Because it became obvious
that I had made a mistake.

His physical appearance
wasn't right.

His delivery was stiff.

He lacked communication skills.

The fact that he
knows about weather

doesn't make him a weather man.

TV needs TV personalities,
and whatever else Aaron

Voss might be, he ain't that.

I made a mistake
when I hired him.

And as soon as I
recognized it as such,

I took steps to correct it.

I have nothing further.

- You said that Aaron Voss
lacked communication skills.

What exactly does that mean?

It's an intangible quality.

It's very hard to describe.

- Did you ever
encounter any difficulty

understanding him yourself?

- The issue isn't whether
or not he was coherent.

It's whether or not he
was right for my newscast.

I thought that going with
a weatherman who actually

understood what he
was talking about

would make an
interesting departure.

I was wrong.

- Come on, Mr.
Rechtschaefer, you

knew who you wanted
for your weatherman

before you ever even
approached Aaron Voss.

You wanted Kyle Thunder.

That's not true.

- You needed somebody to
fill the spot until Kyle

Thunder became available.

You found someone desperate for
the job, someone who could be

summarily dismissed
just as soon as it

- became convenient for you--
- Objection.

Sustained.

Plaintiff's counsel will
refrain from making speeches.

Look, I run a television show.

I got all kinds of people
wanting all kinds of things.

I got a 60-year-old guy with
a bad rug that wants to keep

doing the news till he's 90.

I got a secretary that wants to
be a producer, a producer who

wants to be a director,
a director who wants

to be Francis Ford Coppola.

And I, I want to
go to Palm Springs

and sit on my ass for
the next two years.

This guy wants to
be a weatherman.

I gave him a shot
That's more than anyone

else would have done.

- And now you can't
understand why

it is he's not grateful, right?

That's right.

- I have nothing further
for this witness.

[chatter]

- All right, here's
what we're offering--

half the sale of the proceeds
from the sale of the house

in Pacific Palisades,
half the savings,

half the stock portfolio.

She keeps her jewelry.

We value her share of
Martha's Vineyard at $100,000.

And?

And she gets a Jewish divorce.

- And what about her
share of the agency?

Off the table.

How is it off the table?

It just is.

It's something you don't get.

- All right, let me
get this straight,

on the house in Pacific
Palisades, the savings account,

and the stock, what
you're offering us

is what we're
entitled to by law.

On the house in Martha's
Vineyard, what you're offering

us is probably 20% of what
we're entitled to by law.

And on the agency share, what
you're offering us is nothing.

Now, why should we accept
an offer like that?

- Because we're agreeing
to a Jewish divorce.

- You're making that
part of this negotiation?

Yes, I am.

Does that offend you?

It offends me.

- The fact remains, no
one can force a husband

to give his wife a get.

And according to Jewish law,
she can't marry without one.

- That shouldn't enter into
this discussion, Arnie.

It's not a financial issue.

Leverage is leverage, my dear.

- Alison, at this point, I think
we should pack up our things

and leave.

No court in this state would
allow him to deny you a piece

of his interest in the agency.

- No court in the state is going
to grant her a Jewish divorce.

- I'm not going to let
him use that against her.

- I'm going to let him.
- Alison.

- I'm not going
to drag this out.

I love Jonah and I
want to marry him.

And however much I feel entitled
to the things we're asking for,

I'm not going to let
them stand in the way.

- Alison, this is a
colossally bad deal.

- You can't understand what I
see in him, can you, Mitchell?

- Well, I never quite
pictured you with a guy

that drives a Taurus.

But other than that, he
seems like a nice guy.

I accept your offer.

I expect to see you
in the rabbi's office

tomorrow morning at 10:00.

I'll be there.

- You should be
ashamed of yourself.

Well, it seems like
Robert Duvall said,

Arnie, I love the smell
of napalm in the morning.

- This case asks a
very simple question,

at what point do we hold
someone accountable for lying?

There can be little doubt
that Mel Rechtschaefer lied.

As a result, Aaron
Voss changed his life,

only to find himself
unemployed and humiliated

some scant two weeks later.

Now, if the defendant
hadn't lied, none of that

would have happened.

If he had told the
truth, he would

have said that he didn't want
a real weatherman for the job.

He would have said that he
wanted to stand-up comedian.

He would have said,
not only that he wanted

to stand-up comedian,
but that he'd already

taken steps toward getting one.

He would have told Mr. Voss
that the job would never be his,

that the best he could hope for
would be to fill in temporarily

until someone handsome and
funny, someone who popped

came along.

He would have told him
that, and then Aaron Voss

would have acted accordingly.

But he didn't do that.

As a result, Aaron
Voss was lied to.

He was used.

And in the end,
he was dismissed.

At what point do we hold
someone accountable for lying?

At the point that
someone else is hurt.

Accordingly, I ask
you to award Aaron

Voss the sum of $1 million.

[chatter]

- One thing I'm sure of after
sitting through this trial,

I wouldn't want Mel
Rechtschaefer's job.

I wouldn't want to have
to be in the position

to guarantee that every decision
I made was the right decision.

I wouldn't want to have to think
that, once I hired someone,

I was foreclosed
from firing them.

I wouldn't want to have
to factor into the way

that I did my job,
whether or not

someone would be sufficiently
disappointed to sue me.

Mel Rechtschaefer's
job is to be a news

director for a TV station.

LA is a very competitive market.

Everybody lives or
dies by ratings.

Part of what he does
is to experiment.

He tries things.

Sometimes they work,
sometimes they don't.

The fact that he
hired Aaron Voss

signifies that he was
willing to take a chance.

Now, in his best judgment,
it proved to be a mistake.

And that's a subjective call.

There are those of us
who would differ with it,

but no one can deny that
it was his call to make.

Mel Rechtschaefer was
well within his rights

to fire Aaron Voss.

There was no written
agreement to forbid it.

There was no guarantee in any
way that it wouldn't happen.

The fact that Aaron
Voss was disappointed

doesn't allow him to punish
my client for doing his job.

[chatter]

- Did you advise Mr.
Aguilar as to your wife's

involvement with the job?

- Yes, I did, and I was as clear
as I could be on the subject

of his getting her approval.

The fact that he didn't do that
was nobody's fault but his own.

- Did he ever indicate to
you that the monetary terms

of your agreement weren't
unacceptable to him?

No, he did not.

- Did you ever have a
discussion with him regarding

payment for additional work?

There was nothing to discuss.

I did exactly what
I said, I would do.

I paid him what I owed him.

I have nothing further.

- How is the patio you
ended up with, Mr. Laraby?

Is it satisfactory?

It's just fine.

You're happy with it?

Your friends come
over and sit on it?

You have dinner on
it once in a while?

- Well, as I said,
it's just fine.

- And according to
you, the fact that it

took six weeks to build
rather than two weeks should

have no bearing on the cost?

- It wasn't my fault
that it took six weeks.

- Is it common practice in the
building industry for a client

to examine each and every brick
prior to giving their approval?

- I don't know whether
it is or it isn't.

- You did know that
brick color was

an issue of enormous
importance to your wife though,

didn't you?

- Yes, I did, and I told
that to Mr. Aguilar.

- Did your wife ever
communicate to you how much Mr.

Aguilar expected to be paid?

- [scoffs] To be honest,
I really don't remember.

Now, if she said something about
somebody wanting more money,

it's entirely possible
that I didn't hear it.

She sometimes says that
I'm selectively deaf.

- [chuckles] And does
she ever say that

you're selectively dishonest?

No, she does not.

- In other words, you didn't
stiff Mr. Aguilar because he

stands on a street corner?

You stiffed him because
it's what you do.

Objection.

Larry, sit down.

I want to answer this question.

I go down to that street
corner for two reasons.

One is I've had my fill of
high-priced contractors.

And two, I want to put
people to work, your people.

I will not sit
here and be abused

by you because I do that.

And who exactly are my people?

- I am a fifth generation
Californian, Mr. Morales,

and my family has always gone
out of its way to help the poor

and the underprivileged.

I go down to Pico and Sawtelle,
and I hire Mexican workers.

I have them in my house.

I have them in my yard.

But there's one
thing I won't do,

I will not let them
take advantage of me.

- I have nothing further
for this witness.

[music playing]

You may step down, Mr.

Laraby [chatter]

- That guy is in there
writing the whole thing

with a quill pen.

- You know, I've been
thinking, we may be

missing a big opportunity here.

What do you mean?

- Well, we leaned on her
vis-a-vis the agency share,

she folded like a
deck chair so I would

participate in this ceremony.

Why are we not seeking to better
our end of the deal yet again?

- Mitchell, the deal
is already in place.

- The structure of
the deal is in place.

The specifics of
the deal remain,

I think, somewhat fluid.

What are you doing, Mitchell?

- I think we need to find out
just what a Jewish divorce is

worth to her.

- She's already agreed to
everything you've asked for.

- Which is exactly when the
real negotiating begins.

- Look, driving a hard
bargain is one thing.

Going back on your
word is something else.

Again, I've never
done it before.

I'm not going to do it now.

Hey, hey, hey, relax.

The meter's running.

All you got to do
is just sit there.

- Will the husband and wife who
seek to part please draw near?

Moshe Ben Avram,
[speaking hebrew]

The sofer has prepared get.

The witnesses have signed.

Moshe Ben Avram, do you give
this get of your own free will?

- Rabbi, rabbi, rabbi,
you know, I really don't.

You son of a bitch.

[chatter]

- What is it that burdens
you, Moshe Ben Avram?

It's a lot of things.

Like what?

- Like feeling abandoned
[speaking hebrew],,

like feeling
betrayed, like feeling

another man comes along,
you turn your back on me.

What is that?

You drove me away, Mitchell.

How?

By working too hard?

- Mitchell--

- Excuse me for providing
you with a beautiful home.

Excuse me for buying
you a Mercedes 500 SL.

Did you not want me to do that?

Sorry, I must have
been mistaken.

- What do you want, Mitchell?
- The house.

- The house?
- That's right.

- I can't believe
you want the house.

- Horty, I knew nothing
about this, I promise you.

- Withholding a get for
material gain is a shanda.

Do you know this?

It's a shanda?

I can live with
it being a shanda.

Permit me to tell you a story.

There were two brothers.

One day, a stranger
offered them food.

Before the younger
one could eat,

the older one took his food away
from him and ate both portions.

- Uh-huh.

- The story doesn't have
a happy ending, Moshe.

[speaking hebrew]

Rabbi.

- If you grab too much,
you'll wind up with nothing.

- Rabbi, with all due respect,
spare me the mumbo jumbo.

You work your side
of the street.

- I'll work mine.
- You want the house, Mitchell?

- Yes, sweetheart,
I want the house.

- You want the house?
You can have the house.

- [speaking hebrew],, you should
not be coerced like this.

- Mitchell doesn't care
about the almighty, rabbi.

I pity you, Mitchell.

If you want the house,
you can have it.

- Sounds to me
like we got a deal.

Come on, rabbi, let's do it.

- [sighs] Please remove all
jewelry from your hands,

and you'll repeat
after me, please.

This be your get.

This be your get.

And with it, be you divorced.

From this time forth.

- Mr. Aguilar's mistake in
all of this, your honor,

wasn't one of workmanship
or business acumen.

It was in assuming that
when Miss Laraby said

his compensation would be
fair, she meant paying him

a wage commensurate
with the additional work

she was asking him to do.

He didn't realize that
in the Larabys' world,

fairness is an adjustable
concept, that it fluctuates

based on a person's skin color,
his nationality, and his degree

of powerlessness.

He didn't realize he was
bargaining with people who

believe the haves
should have and the have

nots are lucky to get anything.

He didn't understand
that part of the deal

was he be passive
and accommodating,

grateful even that his
very presence was endured.

This is a case, your
honor, of quantum meruit.

When Miss Laraby asked Mr.
Aguilar to relay the patio,

his original contract with
Mr. Laraby became invalid.

Without a contract,
his compensation

should be based on the
value of his work, $2,700

for four extra weeks' labor.

That's why we're
here, your honor,

to ask you to tell
the Larabys to hold up

their end of the
bargain and be fair,

pay this man what they owe him.

- This is not a civil
rights case, your honor.

It is a contract
dispute, pure and simple.

Mr Aguilar was hired
to build a patio

to the Larabys' specifications
and satisfaction.

Mr. Aguilar said that he could
accomplish that in two weeks,

and the two parties
agreed to a price.

That it ultimately took Mr.
Aguilar three times longer

to complete the patio to
my client's satisfaction

is unfortunate for both parties.

It does not, however,
represent a breach of contract

on the part of my client.

Mrs. Laraby did not change
her mind about the patio.

She simply insisted that it
be done as originally agreed.

We ask this court to uphold the
basic tenets of contract law

and find for the defendants.

- The issues in this case
seem clear cut to me,

so I'm going to render
my decision now.

While I admire your passion and
sympathize with your concerns,

Mr. Morales, I believe
that Mr. Greenhut

is right in saying that,
legally, what we have here

is a simple contract dispute.

Notwithstanding the ethnic
prejudice of the defendant

and notwithstanding my revulsion
at hearing that expressed,

I find there was a pre-existing
contract between Mr. Aguilar

and Mr. Laraby and that Mrs.
Laraby's demands did nothing

to invalidate or change that.

Consequently, regardless
of my personal feelings

about Mr. Laraby's
conduct, legally,

I must find for the defendant.

Case dismissed.

Yes.

Congratulations.

He win?

I'm sorry.

He won't pay me for my work?

We got to go.

[speaking spanish]

- Has the jury
reached a verdict?

We have, your honor.

What say you?

- We find for the
plaintiff Aaron Voss.

We award compensatory
damages in the sum

of $100,000 and punitive
damages in the sum of $500,000.

- The jury is dismissed with
the thanks of the court.

We stand adjourned.

[chatter]

- Mr. Rechtschaefer.
- What do you want, Aaron?

- I have a proposition
to make to you,

and I want you to hear it.

- Aaron, why don't
you and I talk first

and then we can
schedule a conference?

I want to do this now, Anne.

What's the proposition?

- Keep Kyle as your
regular weatherman.

On rare occasions when climatic
conditions in Los Angeles

are extreme, bring me in.

What's extreme?

- The highest recorded
temperature in September

is 108 degrees.

If it goes to 109, I come in.

If rainfall exceeds more than
3/10 of an inch in an hour,

I come in.

If the barometric pressure drops
below 28 inches, I come in.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, in other words,

you want to play
to a full house?

You come in when the weather
leads the news, right?

- I come in when the full forces
of nature have been unleashed

and snappy patter is simply
inadequate to explain to people

exactly what's going on.

I hate that.

- I will forego the
judgment in its entirety

if you will put me
back on the air.

- Aaron, you're talking
about a lot of money.

- I don't care about
the money, Ann,

not if I get to be
a weatherman again.

- Let me be as
clear and succinct

about this as possible, Aaron.

Let me also save
us all the trouble

of scheduling another meeting.

There could be tornadoes
in downtown Los Angeles,

there could be complete darkness
in the middle of the afternoon,

and I still wouldn't put
you on the evening news.

Brandon, Kyle, let's go.

- Is Kyle Thunder going
to be able to expound

on the conditions we can expect
here in the next two days?

4 to 6 inches of rainfall,
massive flooding,

mudslides, homes washed away.

Is he going to have any
comprehension of the magnitude

of the storm that's coming?

What storm?

[thunder cracks]

[intriguing music]

That storm.

[knocking on door]

- Yeah?
- Daniel--

Yeah?

Francisco's here.

Oh, uh, bring him in.

Francisco.

Buenas tardes, Señor Morales.

- Como estas, bueno.
- Bien, bien.

- I have some
tremendous news for you.

Mrs. Laraby called me.

She felt badly about what
happened today in court.

Why?

Why does she feel bad?

She win.

- She must have discovered
she has a conscience.

She sent over your whole $2,700.

No.

Yeah.

- But she says she's not going
to tell her husband about it,

so don't say anything, OK?

- OK.
- OK.

- OK.
Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

[speaking spanish]

Gracias, Morales.

Gracias.

Thank you.

[thunder cracks]

So Mrs. Laraby felt badly?

Yeah, she did.

- You know, you didn't have
to give him the money, Daniel.

- Mrs. Laraby gave
him the money.

[thunder cracks]

- How did you get to be
such a good man, Morales?

What are you talking about?

What are you doing for dinner?

As a matter of fact, I'm free.

I'll pick you up at 7:00.

OK.

- Um, and, uh, since you're
out almost $3,000, I'm buying.

[thunder cracks]

[door closes]

This is ridiculous.

What the hell is
going on out there?

Wow.

- Arnie, I have
to tell you, this

is absolutely unconscionable.

- Hey, hey, hey, nobody
put a gun to her head.

She could have gone
without a Jewish divorce.

She could have taken
her chances invoking

the wrath of the Almighty.

Enough, Mitchell.

Don't make this any
worse than it is.

Well, what is it?

Am I not sufficiently humble?

Are we offended because
I've been heard to mock

the tenets of someone's faith?

Am I in trouble with
the man upstairs?

What?

[thunder cracks]

- Arnie, turn on
the news, Channel 3.

- Now with a live update
on some of the havoc

the storm is causing
here in the Southland,

our weatherman Kyle Thunder.

Hi, honey, I'm home.

What's for dinner?

Hey, not much if you
live here, folks.

Torrential rains have
swept through Los Angeles,

causing mucho tie-ups
on area freeways

and a major headache for
Mitchell and Alison Schein,

who's home at 1544
El Yunque drive

in the ultra ritzy
Pacific Palisades

was utterly destroyed
by mudslides.

Fortunately, theirs
was the only home

to have suffered major damage.

So far, the crews on the site
have recovered a cedar hope

chest, and that's about all.

[chuckles]

Kyle Thunder, KTLW News.

- Thank you, Kyle, and
for goodness sakes,

get in out of the rain.

The Southland is
also experiencing--

[music intensifies]

[theme music]

[audio logo]