All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S07E19.Vindaloo.in.the.Villows.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

- Ben, give me another
hit, would you?

Yeah.

- So tonight's the
big night, huh?

You ready?

I guess so.

You guess so?

Ben, you guess so is
not the right attitude.

You remember what
we talked about?

You can't be
tentative, all right?

He who hesitates is lost.

You snooze, you lose.

You sleep, you weep.

You follow me?

[groans]

If you want this woman,
you have to go after her,

and you have to go
after her strong.

What if she doesn't like me?

- She said she'd go out
with you, didn't she?

- Yeah.
- What more do you want?

- You think sh-- she just likes
me because she's retarded?

- She likes you, Ben, because
you're a likeable guy.

- Uh-huh.

- Let me tell you
something, Ben.

Women are different from men.

Women know what they want
and what they don't want.

And one thing for sure they
don't want is weakness.

And they can smell weakness
the way a shark smells blood.

You deal from
strength, and they're

yours to do with as you will.

How are you today?

- Do you mind not
smoking in here?

Absolutely not.

Tell me something,
you like Italian food?

Ben and I were just discussing
our plans for this evening.

We thought you might be
interested in a little dinner,

some wine, a little
veal scallopini.

I don't eat veal.

- A little linguine
with white clam sauce.

A little steak pizzaiola.

Or in the alternative, we can
dispense with the

restaurant altogether.

I can bring my Jerry Vale
records over to your house,

and we can send out for Chinese.

Look at that.

I can't get a rise out of
this one no matter what I do.

Come on.

I'll see you tonight, Ben.

Last chance.

No?

OK.

[theme music]

[upbeat music]

Rawner versus Jayaraman,
Poondar, and Chandra.

What on Earth is this?

It's mine, Douglas.

We represent three men who work
at an Indian restaurant, who

are being sued by a couple
who claim to have been beaten

by them while dining there.

- How are we so fortunate as to
have this one fall in our laps?

- Stuart made the
mistake of telling

the owner of the restaurant
that we were attorneys.

It's a great restaurant.

- Is this one on
the cuff, Stuart?

Absolutely not.

Ali Jayaraman is
a paying customer.

I happen to like Indian food.

Sheila prevailed on me one
night to give it a try.

- I found it to be rather good.
- We'll take you to Ali's place.

You'll love it.

Lake versus Seaverson.

- Lucille Lake is the
direct descendant of a slave

named Dandridge Bright.

Dandridge Bright was a painter.

20 of the paintings that he
made while he was a slave

are now in the possession
of Mr. and Mrs. Seaverson,

Mr. Seaverson being the direct
descendant of the slave owner.

And Mrs. Lake would
like her paintings

returned to her family.

She's suing over this now?

How do you get past
statute of limitations?

- The value of the
collection was only

made known to her recently.

I also intend to argue that
title in the paintings never

vested with the Seaverson
family because Dandridge

Bright was their slave.

- This is a case
you're entertaining

some chance of winning?

Yes, it is.

- It's also a case that could
lead to lots of other cases.

If we're even slightly
successful, if we come away

with anything, this could
lead to an explosion

of subsequent litigation.

- And we in all likelihood
would be the first place

that these plaintiffs come.

Oh, I think you're dreaming.

I think no matter
what platitudes

people mouth regarding slavery,
nobody gives anything back.

- We're looking to break
new ground, Jonathan.

I think it's a
risk worth taking.

- And also, it's not as though
we've got anything to lose.

What about the client?

- We're handling this
on a contingency basis.

She's really got
nothing to lose.

- And that makes it OK for
her to go along thinking

she's actually got a chance?

I think she has a chance.

If I didn't think so, I
wouldn't be representing her.

[sighs]

- Let me make this
as clear as I can.

I've got a medical malpractice
and a wrongful death

both scheduled for trial.

The last thing I need on my
calendar is a food fight.

- The defense
agrees, Your Honor.

We're ready to settle.

- I'm prepared to write
a check this instant.

And in the spirit
of reconciliation,

I will also provide to the
plaintiff, mister and missus,

complimentary meals at my
restaurant for one month,

tax included.

- First of all, my
clients have no interest

in eating at Mr. Jayaraman's
restaurant ever again.

Secondly, he's only
offering $1,200.

You have a figure in mind?

$250,000.

For spilling food?

There was no spilling.

The waiter and
busboy attacked us.

- Please, sir, it was but
a tragic misunderstanding.

- He hit Warren with
the lamb vindaloo

while the other one
pelted us with chutney.

These are vicious lies.

The man and woman
were the aggressors.

They are responsible
for the violence.

- What Rupesh means
is we must put blame

aside and seek accommodation.

- Your Honor, the
Rawners have no medicals.

Their losses are nowhere
near six figures.

- Because of the associations
with that night of terror,

an entire subcontinent
of gastronomia

has been poisoned
for both of us.

For us, it is a loss you
cannot put a price on.

Try, Mr. Rawner.

I'm sorry you can't enjoy
Indian food anymore,

but I suggest you lower
your sights and settle.

And I suggest you make it
well south of $250,000.

- Your Honor, I'm not going
to allow my clients to enter

settlement negotiations
until I've had a chance

to depose the defendants.

- I am not extending discovery
beyond this week, counselor.

Either finish by then,
or I'll invite a motion

to dismiss with prejudice.

Got it?

My god, I like this woman.

- Not as an admission
of fraud or guilt,

but as a gesture of
goodwill, the Seaversons

would like to offer you 50%
of the royalties from the book

that they have just written
about Dandridge Bright.

They would also like
Mrs. Lake to write

a foreword to the book.

- What kind of numbers are we
talking about, Mr. Richards?

- If this book sells
to colleges as a text,

your client could
make up to $30,000.

- And if it doesn't
sell to colleges?

- Publisher estimates
$10,000 to $15,000.

No.

No?

That's it?

- Mama, I think we
should discuss this.

- We're not rich
people, Mrs. Lake.

We don't plan to
sell the paintings.

What we want to do is
continue lending them

to museums, giving
everyone a chance to look

at this great artist's work.

- It still comes
down to you deciding

what to do with my
great-grandfather's paintings.

- Could I have a moment
with my mother, please?

I don't need a moment.

The answer is no.

- Mrs. Lake, if you win and
sell the collection in pieces

or, God forbid, sell
it to a foreign buyer,

you've lost an invaluable piece
of American art and heritage.

- Mrs. Seaverson,
I see the results

of the heritage of
slavery and oppression

every time I open my eyes.

My daughter's little girl is
smart enough to be a doctor,

but nobody she's ever
known has ever been that.

We don't have enough money to
send her to medical school.

So you know what her
highest aspirations are?

To have a nice car and
to keep from getting

pregnant until she's 18.

My grandson doesn't
believe he'll live past 20,

so he doesn't even bother
to think about the future.

I want my grandchildren
to have at least

a chance at the kind of life
your children take for granted.

And if selling a few of my
great grandfather's paintings

will help me to do that,
I think he'd say go to it.

[accordion playing]

[singing in italian]

Santa Lucia.

[applause]

Bravo.

- Are we having a
great time, huh?

Is this place great or what?

And look what else we got here.

Italian good-luck cookies.

What are you doing?

What am I doing?

Wait and see.

Ah?

The higher it floats,
the better the luck.

[gasps]

Not bad, huh?

[chuckles] So Rosalie,
you having a good time?

Yeah.

- Mm-hmm.

They make a good marinara
sauce here, you know?

Not too heavy.

[smacks lips, sighs]

Hey, I got to hold up
the conversational all

by myself here?

What's the story?

Usually I can't
get him to shut up,

but here he's got a beautiful
woman sitting next to him.

He's speechless.

- Um, doesn't Dominic
have a beautiful voice?

Yeah.

Gotta love this girl.

She never says no.

[chuckles]

Hi, Mama.

Hello, Rosalie.

I hope I'm not too early picking
you up, but you did say 8:30.

- Mm-hmm.

This is my mother.

This is Dominic.

Pleased to meet you.

[laughs]

And this is Benny.

Hello, Benny.

Hello.

So are you ready to go home?

Ah, what's the rush?

Come on.
Sit down.

- Well--
- Take a load off.

- No, I don't-- no, really--
- Have a cup of coffee.

[snaps]

- Would you like to
stay a little longer?

Dominic just sang a song.

Really?

- They were playing
"Santa Lucia."

I couldn't resist.

Ah.

- And-- and he knows
all sorts of tricks too.

- Show her the one
with your hands.

- I'm not sure
which one you mean.

- You know, retarded
three-card monte.

- Ah, I'm not sure that's
really such a good one, Ben.

There's other games
that are a lot funnier.

- I'd really like
to see that one.

Sure.

Um, put your hand on the table.

Like that, yeah.

Now, I put my hands
like this, and then--

now, which hand is yours?

I don't know.

[laughter]

- That's why they call it
retarded three-card monte.

- OK, so hey, Fran,
can I interest you

in a little spumoni?

- I really don't find
games like that amusing.

- Oh, we were just having
a little fun, you know?

- I think you were just
having a little fun

at someone else's expense.

Hey, come on, Fran.

Let's not ruin a
nice evening here.

- Rosalie, I think it's
time for us to go home.

Benny, very nice meeting you.

- Dr. Haverford, as
an historian, what

is your area of speciality?

- African-American life
in the antebellum South.

- Are you familiar with the
work of Dandridge Bright?

- Yes, I've done considerable
research and published a number

of articles on Mr.
Bright and his works,

as well as other
African-American

slave artisans and artists.

- What makes these 20 paintings
of Mr. Bright's so valuable?

- They represent a very
rare look at plantation life

from the point of
view of a slave.

Beyond that, examples of arts
and crafts of this quality,

or any quality for that
matter, done by slaves

are almost nonexistent.

What they did was not
generally recognized as art,

and very little was preserved.

- What were your sources
in researching Mr. Bright?

- The overseer's book from
the Seaverson plantation

as well as a detailed journal
kept by Dr. Philip Seaverson.

Who was Dr. Philip Seaverson?

- He was Dandridge
Bright's owner

and the great-great-grandfather
of the gentleman

sitting over there.

- What was Dandridge
Bright's job as a slave

on the Seaverson plantation?

- Initially, he
was a stable boy.

As he got older and
the Seaverson children

took a fancy to
him, he was moved

into the house as a butler
and babysitter of sorts.

- Is that when he
started painting?

- To the best of
our knowledge, yes.

- Dr. Haverford, in
your expert opinion,

did Dandridge Bright freely give
his paintings to Dr. Seaverson?

No.

A slave had no property.

He was property,
just like livestock.

It would be
impossible for a slave

to make a gift of something
that his master already owned.

Thank you, Dr. Haverford.

- Dr. Haverford, is
there any indication

in Philip Seaverson's
journals that he

forcibly took those
paintings from Mr. Bright?

No.

- Well, in your opinion, is
it impossible for a slave

of his own free will
to make the gesture

of giving a gift to his master?

- In my opinion, a slave by
definition has no free will.

- Dr. Haverford, in the
interests of serving justice

here, I have to ask you this.

Do you think, as an
African American yourself,

that it is possible for you
to render an unbiased opinion

on this subject?

- I was unaware, Mr. Richards,
that the condemnation

of human slavery was a bias.

- I have no further questions
for Mrs. Lake's witness.

[courtroom murmuring]

- Mr. Rawner, in looking over
the order slip for the meal

that night, I noticed
that there's a dish

I couldn't find on the menu.

- He means the
chicken "karihay."

It is karahi.

If the woman cannot pronounce
the Hindi properly, perhaps

she should stick to English.

- Please, forgive my
cousin's playful chiding.

Actually, the missus'
dialect is quite good.

Most authentic.

- We asked the chef to prepare
the "karihay" because we

desired a dish from the Punjab.

- And how did you
find the karahi?

- The chicken was
overwhelmed with fenugreek.

And with no cayenne to stand up
to it, the dish was unbalanced.

So you sent it back?

Yes, it was inedible.

- Sounds like you're
a hard man to please.

Is that a question?

- Mr. Rawner, let's
turn to the events

that immediately precipitated
the alleged assault.

How would you describe it?

- Our waiter, that dangerous
looking one they call Rupesh,

brought out a serving
of lamb vindaloo.

I took one bite, and I was
overwhelmed with nausea.

Too hot for you?

No.

He could not eat it.

I could not help
myself but laugh.

In my village, small girls can
eat vindaloo twice as spicy.

That's why he attacked me.

It was you who attacked.

When I told him to
take back the vindaloo,

he got this strange
look in his eye

and started mumbling in Hindu.

The next thing I knew,
the plate of vindaloo

came crashing down on my head.

And what did you do?

- Well, I was fighting
for my life and for Lois.

- So you admit that
you hit them back?

He had to.

It was self-defense.

Oh, not so.

- Mr. Rawner, isn't it
possible this entire melee

resulted because you overreacted
to having food spilled on you?

No.

It was an attack--

a brutal, vicious attack.

- Lies!
All lies!

- A simple mistake, sir.
A tragic blunder.

Don't say anything.

[all talking at once]

Hi, Benny.

Hi.

This is where you work.

Yeah.

- I'm-- I'm making copies.

Mm.

I had fun last night.

I did too.

Good.

Good.

[laughs]

Dominic wasn't mad
at my mom, was he?

I don't think so.

- I hope not 'cause she said
she was glad to meet you.

She said she was especially
glad to meet Dominic.

[laughter]

She has to meet everyone now.

Anyone I'm with,
she has to meet--

Oh.

- --ever since this
thing happened.

What thing?

- This thing that
happened with this guy.

Well, he goes to rec
center sometimes,

and this thing happened.

What happened, Rosalie?

- Well, this guy came
into the locker rooms

while I was changing
into my bathing suit,

and he did some
things to me that--

he did some things that
were not very nice.

What kind of things?

You know.

Sex?

- Uh-huh.

- Did-- did you tell the police?

No.

- Oh, Rosalie, you got to
tell somebody about this.

I did.

I told my mom, and I told you.

- No, you-- you got
to tell somebody

that can do something about it,
somebody like my friend Tommy.

What can he do?

- He works in the District
Attorney's Office.

He can make sure that
man goes to jail.

- I don't--

I don't want to talk to anybody.

It'll be OK.

I'll go with ya.

- Mrs. Lake, how much do
you know about your family?

- We can trace our family
history back five generations,

when my great-great-grandfather,
Moses Bright,

was brought to South
Carolina from the Niger Delta

in Africa by slave traders.

Dandridge was born in 1843
and sold to the Seaversons,

away from his own
family, in 1855.

- Were you close with your
great-grandfather, Mrs. Lake?

- I didn't get to
know him very long.

When his wife died in
1925, he just disappeared,

and nobody could find him
until he showed up on my aunt's

doorstep in Cleveland in 1935.

Apparently, he had been
living on the streets.

He didn't like to
talk about it much.

And then three years
later, he died.

- When did you discover
that your great-grandfather

was a recognized artist?

About six months ago.

- How did you make
that discovery?

- I got this call from
an art dealer in Chicago,

and he said that he had recently
seen the Seaverson collection.

Why was he calling you?

- He said that he had traced the
family tree of Dandridge Bright

in hopes of finding
some descendants who

might have paintings that
they were willing to sell.

- What did you do
then, Mrs. Lake?

I called the Seaversons.

How did they respond to you?

- Well, at first, they treated
me like I was visiting royalty.

They invited me out to
their house in Pasadena

to look at the paintings.

They even came to Nickerson
Gardens and picked me up.

And what happened?

- They said they
were ashamed that

their great-great-grandfather
had owned the slaves,

and they hoped they
were making some amends

by allowing the
paintings to be seen

and appreciated by the public.

What did you say?

- I said if they really
wanted to make amends,

they would give
the paintings back

to Dandridge Bright's family.

They thought I was joking
till I got a lawyer.

Then they stopped
returning my calls.

Thank you, Mrs. Lake.

I have no further questions.

[courtroom murmuring]

- Mrs. Lake, is
it your testimony

that you did not know that
your great-grandfather

was an artist?

- I knew he liked to paint,
but I didn't know how

much his paintings were worth.

- So prior to contacting
the Seaversons,

you never made any attempt to
locate any of his paintings?

That's right.

- This is a newspaper
account of a family reunion

at your aunt's home in 1937.

Would you please look at
the accompanying photograph

and tell us whether or not that
is, in fact, your aunt's house?

Yes.

- And is the man
in the photograph

your great-grandfather,
Dandridge Bright?

Yes.

- Would you please
describe for the court what

Mr. Bright is standing next to?

- He's standing next
to his painting.

- What became of those
paintings, Mrs. Lake?

Objection.

Dandridge Bright's
total output is not

in dispute here, Your Honor.

What is in dispute are the
20 paintings currently held

by Chet and Janet Seaverson.

- It goes to the question
of reasonable discovery.

I'll allow it.

- Do you know what happened
to those paintings, Mrs. Lake?

- My aunt did not
have a big house

in Pasadena, Mr. Richards.

- Please, Mrs. Lake,
just answer the question.

- When my grandfather died,
the only way my aunt could make

ends meet was to rent his room.

She didn't have any place
to put his paintings.

- What became of the
paintings of Dandridge Bright

that your family owned?

My aunt threw them away.

Thank you.

[courtroom murmuring]

[synth jazz music]

- I've loved these
paintings since I was a kid.

Why is that, Mr. Seaverson?

- Because I couldn't believe
that someone who had lived

as a slave could still view
life in such a-- a luminous

and a vibrant way.

- When did you discover that
the paintings were valuable?

- Well, initially, they
weren't very valuable.

They became valuable when I
started taking the collection

to-- to art critics
and galleries

and pushing for
exhibitions and reviews.

And why did you do that?

- Because we believed we had
an incredibly important piece

of American artistic
history that

belonged in the
public domain, not

in our living room in Pasadena.

- Did you know that Mr. Bright
had any living relatives?

Not until Mrs. Lake called us.

- Did you ever do anything
to conceal the existence

of these paintings from them?

- The-- the collection had been
on exhibit in museums across

the country almost continually
for the past 10 years,

including four months
in Los Angeles, and Mrs.

Lake could have easily
walked into that

exhibit as anyone else.

Thank you.

- This collection
has been appraised

at half a million dollars.

Is that correct, Mr. Seaverson?

- Yes, but that's
really irrelevant

since I don't plan to sell it.

- Well, you don't have to sell
it to reap the benefits of it,

though, do you?

I am not sure what you mean.

- Your connection
to these paintings

has helped you get
a seat on the board

of directors of the
American Folk Art Museum.

Isn't that so?

- Well, yes, but
my, uh-- my work

there is completely voluntary.

I receive no
compensation for that.

- What about the numerous
lectures you've given

at museums across the country?

What about the book you're
about to publish on the work

of Dandridge Bright?

- The remuneration
from those things

does nothing more than offset
the cost of my participation.

- But it has given you a high
profile in the art world,

has it not?

- Ms. Paros, an artist,
especially a folk artist

like Dandridge Bright, does
not get to be well known

unless somebody
makes it his business

to show his works to the world.

I am that person, and I've
done so because I believe

that Dandridge Bright was an
extraordinary talent whose work

could benefit a lot of people.

- Do you believe
that one man should

benefit from the forced
labor of another man?

No.

- Well, if you don't
believe that, Mr. Seaverson,

and if your only
intention in all of this

is to bring Dandridge
Bright's art to the people,

why don't you sell these
paintings to a museum

and give the proceeds
to the descendants

of Dandridge Bright?

- We shouldn't have to
sell these paintings.

My family preserved them
for five generations.

I have tended this collection.

I have promoted it!

And I am entitled to keep it!

- And the fact that it
came to you through slavery

has no importance here?

Objection.

Badgering, Your Honor.

I didn't own slaves.

Why should I have to pay
for a crime I didn't commit?

- Why should you get
a benefit from it?

Objection, Your Honor.

Withdrawn.

I have no more questions.

[courtroom audience wincing]

You did good.

- You claim you lost
control of the tray.

- Yes, it bobbled,
and the vindaloo

toppled onto the customers
quite accidentally.

And before I could
apologize, the mister

grabs me by the throat
and begins to squeeze

- the breath out of my body.
- Oh, please.

I thought I was a dead man.

Had my cousins not
intervened, who

knows what he would have done.

Exactly.

- Ali, let's just
get through this.

- Mr. Poondar, how long
have you been a waiter?

Five years.

- Is it your life's
ambition to be a waiter?

No.

I'm an engineer with a PhD
from Bombay Polytechnic.

- It must be difficult for an
educated man such as yourself

to take orders all day.

- When the customers are
well mannered and respectful,

I am content.

- I imagine the Rawners
posed quite a challenge given

their demanding personalities.

- Oh, they were
most discourteous,

always bossing and yelling.

I attribute this
to low breeding.

- Is it true they sent back
two dishes prior to sending

- back the vindaloo?
- Yes.

- We should have sent
back the whole meal.

- And each time,
did the cook then

have to prepare an entirely
new dish from scratch?

From scratch, yes.

How long did this go on?

More than two hours.

Two hours?

The Rawners didn't even
arrive at the restaurant

until after 11:00.

Are you telling me they kept
you running back and forth

to the kitchen till 1:00 AM?

- And then they took
one bite of the vindaloo

and sent it back too.

They were impossible.

- Didn't you just
want to kill them?

- Yes, I wanted to kill them!
- Ease off.

There's no jury here.

- So you took the
vindaloo, and you smashed

- it over Mr. Rawner's head.
- Yes.

Don't answer that.

- I smashed that fool
over the head with it.

- And you took the chutney, and
you threw it at Mrs. Rawner,

- didn't you?
- Yes, I threw it!

Don't answer it!

- And your cousin beat
them, too, didn't he?

- Yes!
- Recess!

We both beat them.

We hated them!

We beat them because they
deserved to be beaten!

And if they ever sit at my table
again, I shall beat them again.

Oh, Rupesh, Rupesh, Rupesh.

[whimpers]

- Rosalie, this
happened six weeks ago?

- You said you
remembered because it

was right after your birthday.

Yeah.

OK.

Now, this man, Clark
Sims, you knew him?

- He came to the rec
center sometimes.

- Can you remember what
happened after he followed

you into the locker room?

- He told me he
wanted to talk to me.

Was anyone else around?

No.

It was late.

Tell me what happened next.

- He told me that he--

he liked me.

And then he asked
me if I liked him.

And he asked me if I--

if I wanted him to be my friend.

And did you answer him?

It's OK to tell Tommy.

I said yes.

- And tell me what
happened next.

- He touched my hair, and then
he pushed me down on the bench.

And, um-- and he laid
down on top of me.

And I tried to get up,
but he was too big.

And then he-- he pul--

he pulled down my
swimsuit bottoms.

- Rosalie, did he have
any kind of a weapon?

Um, no.

- Did he hit you or
threaten you with violence?

No.

Did you tell him no?

I told him I had to go home.

I told him I wanted to go.

I did.

- Rosalie, I'm going
to ask you a question,

but I want you to think real
hard before you answer it, OK?

Did you tell this
man that you didn't

want to have sex with him?

Yes.

OK.

If that's what happened, I think
we have a case against him.

But I want to be
sure you understand

this isn't going to be easy.

You're going to have to talk to
a lot of people you don't know.

You're going to have to
answer a lot of questions

about a lot of different things.

I'll help her.

OK.

Rosalie, are you sure this
is what you want to do?

This is what I want to do.

OK, then.

- The body of our country
bears many scars from

a violent and tragic history.

But if we hold
our contemporaries

responsible for wounds inflicted
by our remote ancestors,

we risk descending into chaos.

Should we tear up the railroads
because the tracks were laid

by exploited Chinese laborers?

Should we dismantle our cotton
and rice and tobacco industries

because they were built on
the back of Black slaves?

Should we turn back our
clothing because somewhere

in our history, a child was
forced to work 12 or 14 hours

a day at a sewing machine?

Or should we lay these
tragedies to rest and move on?

There is no one
in this courtroom

who is making an argument
in favor of slavery.

You are not here to pass
judgment on slavery.

What you are here to determine
is whether or not to penalize

a man for something that his
great-great-grandfather did,

not his father, nor
his grandfather,

nor even his great-grandfather,
but his father's father's

father's father.

This man has done nothing wrong.

The events of another century
do not give us the right

to take away that which is his.

[courtroom murmuring]

"That which is his."

That which he inherited.

That which was in his family.

That which is his.

Though the defense counsel would
disagree, I maintain that it is

entirely acceptable for
you to ask yourselves,

how did it get to be his?

Chet Seaverson has directly
and personally benefited

from the work of a slave.

He has built a reputation
in the art world

and increased his net worth
by half a million dollars

based on 20 paintings that
his great-great-grandfather

acquired without the
consent of the artist.

He stole them.

I mean, that's not what
it was called at the time,

but that's what
it was, stealing.

And to say that Dandridge
Bright gave his paintings

to the Seaversons is
to imply that he had

a choice about keeping them.

He was a slave.

He had no choice, not
about keeping his freedom

and not about keeping
his family and not

about keeping his paintings.

I think if Dandridge
Bright came before you

and asked to have returned
to him that which he lost

as a result of his
enslavement, the answer

would be very simple.

You'd give him
what he asked for.

He wasn't allowed to
make demands then,

and he can't be here now, but
his direct descendant is here.

Tell her what you can
no longer tell him.

- That was a fine
speech, Miss Paros.

Oh, thank you.

- I thought my mother was
crazy bringing this lawsuit.

Now, I think we
actually might win.

- So you thought
I was crazy, huh?

- He admitted to the battery
during the deposition,

Your Honor.

We see no reason why
we should be the ones

to back down from our position.

- Because your clients don't
have a quarter of a million

in damages, and my clients don't
have a quarter of a million,

period.
And they have no insurance.

The best they can
scrape up is $10,000.

Garnish their wages.

No, please, Your Excellency.

- Mr. Gaffney, if
you and your clients

are foolish enough
to proceed to trial,

I foresee a strong chance
you'll wind up with nothing.

On the other hand,
the court would

look favorably on an agreement
that achieves the following.

The Rawners get 10,000
in compensatory damages

broken up over two years.

And punitives?

No punitives.

- Mr. Poondar will enter
a psychological counseling

program to help him control
his dangerous temper.

Finally, for the next six months
while he undergoes treatment,

Mr. Poondar should be
kept away from customers.

In the wrong circumstances,
a loaded vindaloo

could be a deadly weapon.

I don't want to
take any chances.

- I can put Rupesh
in the kitchen.

Pete?

Done.

- And Mr. Jayaraman, keep an
eye on the little guy too.

I'm not so sure about him.

- Oh, I certainly
will, Your Excellency.

And I want you to know you are
cordially invited to come down

to my restaurant free of charge
and enjoy a full course meal

for you and a dining companion.

No thanks.

I've got a peptic
ulcer to take care of.

- My sympathies,
Your Excellency.

Goodbye, Mr. Jayaraman.

Goodbye, Your Excellency.

Tommy Mulaney?

Yeah, can I help you?

Fran Hendrickson.

Rosalie's mother.

Oh, of course.

Please, come on.

Thank you.

Your daughter is very brave.

Going through a rape trial under
any circumstances is an ordeal.

I don't need to tell
you how much she's going

to need your full support.

- That's what I want
to talk to you about.

Of course.

- Rosalie told me
what you discussed,

what she's going
to have to testify

to on the witness stand.

- She's just going to
have to tell the truth.

- I'm not worried about
what she's going to do.

I'm worried about what
you're going to do.

What do you mean?

- Is the fact that Rosalie is
developmentally disabled going

to factor into your case?

- Yeah, the fact that
Rosalie's retarded

goes directly to the
issue of consent.

- So you're going to say that
she wasn't capable of consent?

- I'm going to say that in
this particular instance,

she was not capable
of consent, yes.

- So you're going to
put my daughter in front

of a courtroom
as, um, exhibit A,

as the perfect example of
how the mentally retarded

are not responsible
for their actions?

- I am going to do my best to
see that the creep who raped

your daughter gets convicted.

- No matter how much you might
damage Rosalie's self-esteem

in the process.

Mr. Mulaney, ever since
Rosalie was a little baby,

I devoted myself to treating
her like any other child.

I encouraged her independence.

I insisted that she be
treated like a human being.

And she has grown into a
beautiful, capable woman.

I won't let you put
her on the stand

and destroy that
self-confidence all for the sake

of obtaining a conviction.

Your daughter was raped.

She has the right to see her
attacker brought to justice.

Tell me something.

If Rosalie wasn't
retarded, would you

still be prosecuting this case?

No, I would not.

Why wouldn't you?

- She didn't file
a police report.

She didn't seek
medical attention.

There's no physical evidence,
and there are no witnesses.

Besides, it's a month and
a half after the fact.

- I've agonized
over what happened

to my daughter that day, and
I want very much for the man

who hurt her to suffer.

But presenting my daughter
not as a woman who was raped,

but as a helpless retarded
girl who is incapable of making

her own decisions,
I believe you will

be doing her far more damage,
and I won't let you do that.

I want to withdraw
the complaint.

- That decision has
to come from Rosalie.

- You'll hear from my daughter
by the end of the day.

[tense music]

- It's good that
we're doing this.

It is good.

I'm ready to open myself
up to different kinds

of restaurants, different kinds
of ethnic eating experiences.

- There are so many different
ethnic groups in this city.

I think we should take
advantage of them all.

Absolutely.

Welcome, honored friends.

- Hi, Ali.
These are friends of ours.

This is Douglas and
Sheila Brackman.

- We're honored to
have you here with us.

May I take your order, or would
you like a little bit

more time?

No, I think we're ready.

- I'll have the aloo chaat to
start and my usual saag paneer.

I always get the same thing.

Madame?

Oh, let someone else go first.

Yeah.

I'll have the tandoori
chicken, and I'll

have my own saag paneer
since I know my wife

won't give me any of hers.

Another saag.

- Ali, what is the
difference between the saag

paneer and the matar paneer?

Saag paneer is with spinach.

Matar paneer is with green peas.

Would you excuse
me for a moment?

I have to take care
of some people.

Uh, Rupesh will take
the rest of your order.

- What is the difference between
the dal "mahani" and the

dal "goshed?"

- Uh, the dal gosht
is with the lamb.

- And the dal
"mahani" is with what?

Dal makhani, sir.

Lentils.

Only lentils.

- The "murg "muse-illam,"
what is that?

Murgh musallam.

It's chicken served
over minced meat.

Oh, so it's chicken and meat?

I think I'm better
off with just chicken.

- Why don't you try
the chicken curry?

I'm not too big on curry.

How about chicken korma?

What is chicken korma?

It's a cream sauce.

You don't want cream.

You're right.

How about tandoori chicken?

That sounds good.

That sounds good.

- Ooh, what is "beegan bah-tha?"

- Douglas, why don't you
just order something?

Let him ask, Stuart.

How else is he going to learn?

- What is "beegan bah-tha?"

What is navratan korma?

And what is the difference
between parantha,

poppadoms, kulcha, and naan?

Rupesh, no!

[yelps]

[gasps]

- Has the jury
reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

- In the matter of
Lake versus Seaverson,

we find for the plaintiff and
award in the sum of $500,000.

Yes.

- Your Honor, move
for a judgment

notwithstanding the verdict.

- Your Honor, there
are no grounds

to overturn this verdict.

Sit down, counselors.

I'm prepared to do this
on the court's own motion.

What's going on?

I'm not sure yet.

- Having reviewed
all the testimony

and considered the arguments
put forth in this courtroom,

I find that this case
turns on questions of law

rather than questions of fact.

At the time Dandridge Bright
produced the work in question,

he belonged to Philip Seaverson.

As reprehensible as
we may find that now,

this collection of paintings
came into the Seaverson family

through legal means.

Whether we like
it or not, slavery

was a perfectly
legal institution

prior to the passage
of the 13th Amendment.

That Amendment
abolished slavery,

but it said nothing, absolutely
nothing, about transactions

between slave and master.

Given that, there is no
basis for interfering

with present-day
property rights.

To do so, in my opinion, would
be tantamount to a taking

and would itself be
constitutionally prohibited.

I also find the
statute of limitations

not to have been told.

Accordingly, plaintiff's action
is barred as a matter of law.

Jury verdict is set aside.

Judgment is hereby
entered for the defendant.

This case is dismissed.

Damn!

How could I be so foolish?

How could I look for justice
from a system designed

by old white men to
protect what they've got

and keep us begging at the door!

- Miss Palmer--
- How could I even consider--

- --this is neither the
time, nor the place!

- --that you would leave
anything to chance,

that you would relinquish
control of your safe little

world to 12 people
who might, just

maybe shake things up a bit!

Oh, baby, wait.

- Oh, Mama!
- Wait, baby, wait.

It's a mockery!

Wait, wait, wait.

Wait a minute.

Wait.

Aw.

- All right, we knew it
would be a long shot.

- Well, I managed
to forget all that.

I managed to fool myself
into thinking that we were

actually being listened to!

- If you want me to, I
can take it up on appeal.

What would our chances be?

Not great.

- Miss Paros, we appreciate
all the hard work you put in,

and we thank you.

- I'm willing to
keep going with this.

- If my daughter wants to
pursue it, she's free to do so.

But for me, once is enough.

Mama.

[somber music]

Rosalie, hi.

I'm not going to do it, Benny.

Do what?

- I'm not going to
talk to Tommy anymore.

I'm not going to court.

- My mom says that Tommy's going
to say that I can't make up

my own mind because
I'm retarded,

and my mom says that
that is not true.

What do you say?

- I say I'm going
to listen to my mom.

OK.

- So-- so you're not mad at me?

No.

[laughs]

I like you, Benny.

You do?

Yeah, I really do.

I like you too.

Come here.

Come here.

Do you want me to
[indistinct whispering]??

Want me to?

No!

Why?

Because.

Because why?

Because it's wrong!

Sex is wrong.

- Well, it's w-- wrong if
you don't love the person

you're doing it with.

[somber music]

I'm sorry.

- Oh, it's-- it's OK.

I guess you want me to go.

No.

I want you to stay.

[cries]

It's OK.

It's OK.

[theme music]