All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S08E02.Leap.of.Faith.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

Do you mind that I'm here?

No, you got to be here, right?

Sort of.

How often have you
been seeing Gail?

Once or twice a week.

- You saw her the
day she was killed?

Yeah.

- Had you had a fight
with her of any kind?

You're from New York?

Yeah.

- There's a lot of crazy
people in New York.

[scoffs]

It's like they're all
talking at the same time--

or arguing-- or
crying and praying.

Sandy.

- Seat opens up on the
subway, so I sit down.

And the lady next to me
was standing, starts crying

because she wanted to sit down.

Sandy, I need your help.

I need you to stop thinking
about crazy people in New York

and start thinking about the
crime you've been charged with.

Oh, I hate these patterns.

What patterns?

- Patterns on the
floor, the linoleum.

Keep dividing and subdividing.

There's lines, and there's
quadrants and hemispheres.

And it's not that restful
to have to look at that.

I prefer to have plain floors--

plain walls.

Although these walls
are pretty plain,

but there's too much going
on with those floors.

Did you kill anybody, Sandy?

- Now, what the hell will
you do if I said I did?

I'd be your lawyer.

The same thing I'd do
if you said you didn't.

Then what's the difference?

- It might affect the
way I try the case.

Yeah, but it shouldn't though.

You should try and get me
off no matter what, right?

If that's what you want.

That's what I want.

[theme music]

[music playing]

- Let me begin this morning
by welcoming our newest

associate, Ms. Jane Halliday.

- Here, here.
Welcome.

- How do you do?
- Hi.

- Hi.
- Daniel.

- I appreciate you giving me the
opportunity to work with you.

I do you hope I can
be of some service.

Also, I would like to
thank everyone in advance

for all of the help I'm
sure I will be asking for.

Ask and it shall be given you.

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall
be opened unto you.

- Matthew 7.
- Yes, indeed.

- Well, I don't know the
appropriate biblical passage

for new business,
but whatever it is,

this young lady is responsible
for bringing some with her.

Kerry versus the Department
of Veteran Affairs.

Ms. Halliday?

- David Kerry is a
veteran of the Gulf War.

Like hundreds of
others, he's come down

with a debilitating illness
as a result of exposure

to chemicals in Kuwait.

Yeah, I heard about that.

They have all kinds of
strange symptoms like hair

loss, immune system problems.

- Well, until
recently, VA doctors

routinely dismissed this
condition as psychosomatic.

- How did you come
to represent him?

- Well, he's a
member of my church.

Great.

Religious organizations,
I believe,

are a terrific and largely
untapped source of referrals.

With that, more of us were
trolling in those waters.

Next up, Bannister versus
the American Buying Network.

[chuckles]

That's mine.

We represent the buying network.

The plaintiff is
a guy who's suing

them for selling to his wife.

He claims she's got an
obsessive compulsive shopping

disorder that they took
undue advantage of.

You're kidding.

- Yet another
theory for avoiding

personal responsibility.

- Those channels do play
to people's compulsions.

Oh, come on, she's weak.

She's extravagant,
and she's weak.

Compulsions like this
are a sign of weakness.

- That wouldn't apply
to your desire to own

a $275,000 Bentley, would it?

No, it wouldn't.

- I'm expecting that if we're
successful in this matter, then

the American Buying Network
may tap us for a variety

of other services.

- Eli, what's happening
with your case?

- I'm preparing for
trial, interviewing

witnesses, going over police
reports, that kind of thing.

I do need to hire a
private investigator.

If you've used somebody
who you recommend, I'd--

Jinx Baldasseri.

You've used her?

- [distant yelling]
- Yes, I have.

- Look out!
Look out!

Look out!

Whoa!

I'll call an ambulance.

- How much is this one
going to cost us, Douglas?

- Not a dime.
- Are you sure?

- First of all, the contractor
is primarily liable.

Second of all, those stilts
are illegal in the state

of California.

Assumption of risk,
comparative negligence,

we got nothing to worry about.

Excuse me.

How many do you see, Dave?

[music playing]

- Mr. Bannister, how
long has your wife

been shopping with the
American Buying Network?

Since March of 1992.

- What kinds of items
did she purchase?

- Clothes, power tools,
kitchen appliances,

a radio transmitter, dog fence--
never mind that we don't have

a dog --stuffed animals
and dolls-- never mind that

we don't have any children.

- Uh, the stuffed animals
and dolls are collectibles.

Ms. Bannister, please.

- The ceramic ducks wearing
galoshes are also collectibles?

Yes, they are.

- Uh, folks, for the
purposes of this trial,

you two are on the same side.

I don't want to
hear any arguing.

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

- Mr. Bannister, is
your wife currently

under treatment for any
kind of mental disorder?

- She's under treatment for
obsessive compulsive shopping.

- Did you inform the American
Buying Network of that fact?

By registered mail.

How did they respond?

- They responded by continuing
to sell her anything

and everything she wanted.

- Mr. Bannister, what
has been the result?

- The result has been that
I'm facing bankruptcy.

I have no further questions.

- Mr. Bannister, let's talk
about those ceramic ducks.

Your wife has collected
ornamental birds for some time,

hasn't she?

- Birds, rabbits,
souvenir spoons.

She collects everything.

- But your wife
started collecting

before she started watching
the American Buying Network,

didn't she?

- In a limited capacity,
I suppose she did.

- $1,500's worth of glass
swans your wife bought

in 1989 at the Crystal
Palace Boutique,

is that a limited capacity?

- All I know is that since
they have been broadcasting,

a day doesn't go by
when a delivery truck

does not come to my house.

- You claim your wife suffers
from a shopping compulsion.

Is there anything about
your wife's voice that

would indicate this compulsion?

No.

- Anything at all that
would in your opinion

indicate to a phone operator
at the American Buying Network

that your wife was compulsive?

- Well, how about the fact
that she calls 50 times a day?

- So you're saying that based
on the frequency of your wife's

calls, an operator
should have been

able to diagnose her as
having a psychiatric disorder?

That's right.

- And furthermore,
based on the diagnosis,

they should have refused
to sell her anything?

That's right.

You don't have an
American Booze Network

selling to drunks,
an American Dope

Network selling to junkies.

By the same token, you should
not have an American Buying

Network selling to my wife.

- Mr. Kerry, when did you first
experience symptoms related

to your current condition?

During Operation Desert Storm.

My unit secured the Al
Wafra oilfields which

the Iraqis had set on fire.

And the smoke was so thick
that you could taste it.

And that week, I got a skin
rash, headaches, and I--

I coughed black
fluid from my lungs.

- And how was your health after
returning to the United States?

- I experienced fatigue, pain
in my joints and some hair loss,

as well as severe headaches
whenever I smelled anything

chemical, but I didn't
realize how bad off I

was until I failed my
annual physical performance

test that August.

- What happened
after you failed?

Uh, I was discharged.

- What, if any, medical
treatment did you

receive after your discharge?

- I went to the veterans
hospital maybe a dozen times

over a period of six
months, but the doctor

said they could never find
anything wrong with me.

Dr. Croyder asked me if I was
malingering right to my face.

In the end, he just wrote
me down as being depressed

and he gave me some pills.

- How has your illness
affected your life?

- Two years ago, my wife and
I had plans to buy a house

and start a family.

Today, I have-- no
job, no savings,

$100,000 in medical bills, my
wife divorce me, and my career

in the military is over.

- Why are you suing the
Department of Veterans Affairs?

- I served my country, and I
don't regret that for a second,

but the deal was if I
got hurt that the VA was

supposed to take care of me.

And instead, they-- they
just watched me fall apart.

I have nothing further.

- Mr. Kerry, according
to your hospital file,

you were seen by nine VA
specialists who conducted

no fewer than 23
diagnostic tests

on you, blood panels,
bone marrow biopsies,

EMGs, EKGs, CAT scans.

Is this your idea of doctors
just watching you fall apart?

- They never tested me
for chemical poisoning.

- Let me ask you
something, Mr. Kerry,

how do you explain the fact that
of the 120 men in your unit,

you're the only one
claiming to be permanently

harmed by oil fires?

- Maybe I breathed more smoke.
I don't know.

Look, there are hundreds
of guys from other units

who came back just
as sick as me.

- Nobody disputes that you
and other vets are sick,

but you're accusing VA
doctors of negligence.

Do you have any
reason for believing

that Dr. Croyder
and his staff were

less than diligent
in their attempts

to diagnose and treat you?

- Yes, I got hurt over there--

just as sure as if
I'd taken a bullet!

And Dr. Croyder, he told
me it was all in my head.

Mr. Kerry.

- I mean, he let me
get worse and worse

to where I'll never recover.

To me, that's being
less than diligent.

To me, he was just
being a government

bureaucrat when what he
should have been was a doctor!

I don't like what's happening.

- Rae, I entered a
plea of not guilty

because I think there's a
chance of getting him off.

- I hate to say this, but I
don't think that's necessarily

what's best for him.

What are you talking about?

Ed, face it.

For once in your life, look at
things the way they really are.

Our son is incapable of living
outside of an institution.

We have known that
since he was a teenager.

I don't accept that.

I know you don't accept it.

But whether you accept it
or not, it's the truth.

Eli, I want you to change
the plea to insanity.

I won't do that.

- What do you mean
you won't do that?

Just what I said.

You hired me to be
your son's attorney.

That doesn't make you my client.

That makes him my client.

And I'm going to do what's
in his best interests.

- Do you think it's in
his best interest for him

to be on the street?

- I think it's in
his best interest

to be in a controlled
therapeutic environment.

That doesn't mean
locking him up,

particularly when he's
innocent of the crime

with which he's been charged.

- Dr. Anson, as a specialist
in environmental medicine,

have you examined David Kerry?

Yes, I have.

Mr. Kerry is suffering
from chemical sensitivity

due to petroleum exposure.

I might also add
that I've personally

diagnosed 27 Gulf veterans
with the same condition.

- On what do you
base your diagnoses?

On chemical response tests.

Normally harmless
concentrations of petroleum

triggered violent
reactions in Mr. Kerry,

indicating a past exposure to
a damaging dose of chemicals.

- What treatment, if any,
exists for this condition?

- Patients are injected
with tiny amounts

of petroleum derivates to
rebuild their tolerance.

Now, if Mr. Kerry had received
such treatment early on,

I expect he would
have fully recovered.

- Doctor, in your opinion,
should a physician

who isn't trained in your
field, like Dr. Croyder,

be expected to know about
chemical sensitivity?

Generally, no.

But two years ago, when
the first vet showed up

with these symptoms, I
contacted Dr. Croyder to alert

him about chemical sensitivity.

I sent him case studies,
treatment protocols.

If he would have used
them, he could have saved

David Kerry untold suffering.

I have nothing further.

- Doctor, isn't it true that
the American Board of Medical

Specialists rejects
environmental medicine

as a specialty because they
find your methods inconclusive?

Yes.

Naturally, I disagree.

Naturally.

Now, these response tests you
spoke of, assuming they're

accurate, they
show that Mr. Kerry

is sensitive to
chemicals, correct?

- Yes, and such
sensitivity indicates

chemical poisoning in the past.

- But assuming
that's true, how do

you know that chemical
poisoning and not something else

is behind Mr. Kerry's fatigue,
joint pain, and weight loss?

- Our research shows
that those symptoms

are consistent with
chemical exposure.

- Are you aware that
there are other theories

that have been proposed for
what's wrong with these vets?

Some doctors say they have
a rare bacterial infection.

Others say the
culprit is a parasite

transmitted in the bite of
a Middle Eastern sand flea.

- I know that I have
been treating these vets

and getting results.

- After a year of
your treatments,

Mr. Kerry still appears
to be quite ill.

- That's because Dr.
Croyder has allowed

his condition to progress
to an irreversible stage.

That's one explanation.

Another is that your
diagnosis is wrong

and your treatment
is ineffective.

- Objection!
- That's all right.

I'm done with the doctor.

- What is your position
at the American

Buying Network, Mr. Atkins?

- Founder, president, chief
cook and bottle washer.

It's pretty much my baby.

- Could you describe for
us the kind of interaction

that would have likely taken
place between Philomena

Bannister and the
various operators

she would have
taken orders with?

- Generally, there would
have been an exchange

of pleasantries, then
we'd take her name,

address, daytime
telephone number,

and a major credit card.

She'd place an order.

And that would be that.

- Mr. Atkins, why
did the American

Buying Network continue to
sell to Philomena Bannister?

- It's not our role to
decide for our customers

how much they should spend
or what they should buy

or how often they
should shop any more

than it's the role
of Neiman Marcus

or Nordstrom's or Bob's Big Boy.

As long as Philomena Bannister
wants to be our customer,

it's not up to me
to say she can't be.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

- Mr. Atkins, do
you have any idea

how much Philomena Bannister
purchased from the American

Buying Network?

No, actually, I don't.

- Would it surprise you to learn
that she averaged over $1,500

a week in the past two years?

No.

- Would you say that
sounds a little excessive?

- I'm in no position to
say anything of the kind.

What's excessive for one
person is moderate for another.

- Does the fact that
these two people

face the prospect of the bank
foreclosing on their mortgage

suggest to you that their
case might not be moderate?

- Again, I don't
presume to tell someone

how to spend their money.

If a shelf full of figurines
or a strand of faux pearls

and matching earrings brings
joy and a sense of well-being

to someone's existence,
who am I to tell them they

shouldn't have those things?

- Tell me, Mr.
Atkins, do you have

any familiarity with
compulsive shopping disorder?

Not really, no.

- Well, let me put it this
way, did it ever occur to you

that Philomena Bannister
might not need any more

shelves of figurines or
strands of faux pearls

with matching earrings?

- If I thought that way,
I'd be out of business.

Spoken like a true visionary.

Objection.

Withdrawn.

Nothing further.

[chatter]

[knocking on door]

Eli?

Eli, this is Jinx Baldasseri.

How do you do?

Hi.

Can I get you something?

- A bottled water
would be great.

- Sure.
- Thanks for coming over.

- You're representing
that guy who's charged

with killing a social worker?

Right.

- From what my friends in
the DA's office tell me,

you've got your work
cut out for you.

That I do.

What can I do for you?

- I have reason to suspect that
the husband's not all he seems.

You think he killed his wife?

I don't know.

- Is this an exercise in
wishful thinking then?

- It's a little
bit more than that.

The husband's been seen
around town with a woman

he seems to know quite well.

I'm led to believe
their behavior

is on the libidinous side.

- I can put a tail on
him 24 hours a day.

I can find out
who the girlfriend

is and put a tail on her.

Sounds good.

- I charge $750
per eight-hour day.

Overtime and out of
pocket expenses are extra.

- You come very
highly recommended.

I'm sure you're worth
whatever you charge.

Excuse me, here's your water.

Thanks.

Sure.

I love your outfit.

Oh, thank you.

Really fabulous.

Thank you.

Is that a Todd Oldham vest?

- Actually, it's
a Comme de Garcon.

Oh, really?

Glass.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'll be right back.

- I'm sure people tell you all
the time how you don't look

like a private investigator.

Yes, they do.

Yeah, I figured they did.

- Is that something you
were planning on saying?

- Me?
No.

Good.

Why don't we start
going over the file?

Oh, right.

- Dr. Croyder, during
your examination

of David Kerry, what evidence of
physical illness did you find.

- Despite extensive
diagnostic testing,

I found no evidence of
anything physically wrong

with Mr. Kerry.

- And what did you
conclude was the cause

of Mr. Kerry's symptoms?

- At the time, I concluded the
cause was clinical depression.

Mr. Kerry's fatigue,
weight loss,

mood swings, and loss of
appetite fit the criteria.

I prescribed
medication accordingly.

- Do you recall
during this period

having a conversation with Dr.
Anson on chemical sensitivity?

- Yes, and I received
and read his materials.

- Did you consider treating Mr.
Kerry for chemical sensitivity?

No.

I found the theory
speculative and I

wasn't about to
experiment on my patients

with treatments whose efficacy
and safety was unproven.

- Dr. Croyder, is
there anything you

know now that might
cause you to revise

your diagnosis of Mr. Kerry?

- The truth is nobody knows
what's causing these symptoms.

But having seen more
cases of Gulf veterans

with these sort of
problems, we have a basis

for concluding that some sort
of physiological condition

does exist.

So I might very well
revise my diagnosis.

I have nothing further.

[chatter]

- Dr. Croyder, in
your mind, does

it indicate a prudent
standard of care

when a patient is allowed
to deteriorate to the point

where he can't walk unassisted?

- I watch Mr. Kerry decline with
great frustration and sympathy,

but I did everything
I could for him based

on accepted medical practice.

- Well, given that
accepted medical practice

had failed Mr.
Kerry, how could you

dismiss Dr. Anson's approach?

- I received my training at
Johns Hopkins, Ms. Halliday.

I was taught not to subject
my patients to the risks

of unproven treatments.

- You never told me
a treatment existed.

How could you know
and not tell me?

- Control your
client, Ms. Halliday.

- I mean, it should
have been up to me.

How could you know
and not even tell me?

David.

Dr. Croyder, the treatment
for chemical exposure

is virtually risk-free.

Didn't you owe it to David
Kerry to at least give it a try?

- We see hundreds of
veterans a day, Ms. Halliday.

We do not have the
time or the funds

to try every
non-conventional treatment

that comes down the pike.

- So to be
cost-effective, you gave

this man a handful
of happy pills

- and shoved him out the door?
- Objection.

Sustained.

- The fact that he laid down
his life for his country

- didn't matter?
- Objection!

Ms. Halliday.

- His country was
through with him

and you weren't about to expend
the time or money to treat him.

- Objection!
- Sustained.

- Is it possible, Doctor,
that had you tried

Dr. Anson's treatment
two years ago,

David Kerry would
be well by now?

Is it possible that had you
been of the mind to try,

you could have done
something to help David Kerry

when he asked you for help?

- I don't know the
answer to that question.

I have no others.

[chatter]

Thank you, Doctor.

[music playing]

If you go to war and
get hit by a bullet,

they give you a medal, and
everyone wants to see the scar.

But when you're hit with
a bolt of toxic chemicals,

they tell you it's
all in your head.

Like hundreds of other
Desert Storm veterans,

David Kerry came home
sick, only to face

skepticism and denial from those
charged with making him well.

It was Dr. Croyder's
job to do everything

in his power to relieve
David Kerry's suffering.

Not only did he fail to do
so, but by choosing to ignore

a promising therapy, heaped
enormous and needless amounts

of suffering onto his patient.

If not for Dr.
Croyder's inaction,

David Kerry would be able to
walk right now without using

a cane, he would be able
to climb a flight of stairs

without gasping for breath.

David Kerry deserved better.

All of the men and women who
risk their lives in service

of our country deserve better

Dr. Croyder got the
physician's credo mixed up.

Instead of first do no harm,
he heard first do nothing.

And by doing nothing,
he caused David

Kerry a great deal of
harm, harm from which

he will never recover.

[chatter]

- Standard of care,
that's the guideline

you look to when judging whether
a doctor acted negligently.

And Dr. Croyder
acted no differently

in caring for Mr. Kerry than
any responsible physician

would have.

The fact is nobody
could pin down

this disease two years ago,
and they can't pin it down now.

All we have are theories.

Against these odds, Dr.
Croyder and his staff

worked diligently
to try to find out

what was wrong with Mr. Kerry.

The fact that Dr. Croyder
had read some literature

about a non-traditional
method of treatment in no way

obliged him to
experiment with it,

especially when he had
such serious doubts

about its efficacy and safety.

Dr. Croyder is
not an incompetent

or a negligent physician.

He is a kind and caring
doctor who treated

his patients as best he could.

Hey, don't ignore me, man.

Hey, I'm a human being.

- How much subterfuge
should we be using here?

Excuse me.

- Can't you pretend
to be husband

and wife looking at paintings?

- You know, I could be
wrong, but somehow I

don't think this woman is
going to be all that interested

in our marital status.

So no subterfuge?

- Mm-mm.

You're Pamela Riesenfelt?

Yes, I am.

- We'd like to talk to
you about Jonah Burgee.

Who are you?

I'm a private investigator.

My name is Jinx Baldesseri.

This is Eli Levinson.

He's an attorney.

Hi.

- I really have nothing
to say about Jonah.

And if that's what you're
here to talk to me about,

I'd like to ask you to leave.

You don't want to talk to us?

- No, I don't want
to talk to you.

- If I get a subpoena
issued, you'll

have to testify in court.

If you talk to us, we may
find there's no reason

to put you through that.

- Look, I don't know
anything about Gail's death.

I'm sure you don't.

What I'm looking for is just a
little background information.

- What kind of
background information?

[sighs]

- What kind of shape
was Jonah's marriage in?

I don't know what that means.

- Was he planning on
getting a divorce?

I wouldn't know.

- How long had the two of
you been sleeping together

when his wife was murdered?

- I can't believe
you're asking me that.

- That 1993 Jaguar you're
driving is registered to him.

If you are trying to hide the
nature of your relationship,

you're not doing
a very good job.

This discussion is over.

I want you both to leave.

- This is a murder
trial, Ms. Riesenfelt.

There are no secrets anymore.

Come on.

Be seated.

- Your Honor, at this
time, defense would like

to call Philomena Bannister.

- Ms. Mitchell,
where's your client?

Your Honor, I apologize.

She said she'd be right back.

- (WHISPERING) Your Honor,
she's in your chambers.

She's what?

Are you kidding?

Mm.

I love the fit.

I love the color.

I love the material.

- And I'll bet you love
unicorns, don't you?

Yvonne, I love those unicorns.

- Excuse me, Your
Honor, case closed.

We got exhibit A right here.

- Your Honor, I want this
excluded from the proceedings.

I do not want the
jury told about this.

I'll just be one minute.

- Never mind telling the jury.
Just bring them in here.

Let them take a
look for themselves.

- There will be no mention
of this in front of the jury.

[honking]

There's the bargain signal.

This must be your lucky day,
Philomena, because right now--

- I want everyone back
in that courtroom.

I want to continue this
trial in an orderly fashion.

Now, get out of my chambers.

- Ms. Bannister, would
you tell the court

if you are currently in
therapy for treatment

of an obsessive
compulsive disorder?

Yes, I am.

- And it's a fact, is it
not, that when you talk

to your husband and your
therapist and others

about shopping via this
television channel,

you didn't just refer to
the merchandise you ordered?

- Oh, there's more to
it than the merchandise.

I acknowledge that.

- You referred to each
of on air hosts by name?

You referred to feeling a
sense of physical exhilaration

each time they announced
a price reduction

by tooting a bicycle horn.

- I know I'm a
compulsive shopper.

And I know that
some people might

find me ridiculous or pathetic.

But no matter what
my therapist says,

I don't shop because there's
something missing in my life

or because I'm secretly
angry with my husband.

I'm sorry, Howard.

I look at your face and I know
you're trying so hard to do

what you think is best for us.

I shop because I love to.

I love everything about it.

I love picking up the phone
and placing the order.

I love standing at my
window every morning

watching the truck
arrive right on schedule,

asking the delivery
man about his kids

while I sign for my package.

I love slicing open the packing
tape and opening the box

and seeing what I got new today.

I'm a housewife.

I've been married to the
same man for 20 years,

lived in the same house for 15.

The basics of my life don't
change very much from day

to day, and I don't expect
they ever will, but that's OK.

I'm not looking for
a lot of excitement.

So I call the American
Buying Network.

And I chat with the hosts.

And then I buy something,
maybe a piece of jewelry

or a blouse or even something
silly like a ceramic duck.

But at that moment--

I feel sustained--

I feel happy--

I have something new.

Please be seated.

- The clerk will
read the verdict.

- In the matter of Kerry versus
the United States of America,

the jury finds
for the defendant.

- Jury is dismissed with
the thanks of the court.

We are adjourned.

[gavel thuds]

I'm sorry, David.

- Well, we gave
it a shot, right?

We'll appeal.

Right.

- Come on, why don't you
let me give you a ride home?

No, I can get home by myself.

I think I'll just sit
here for a little while.

Sure?

Yeah.

OK.

I'd like to see Eli Levinson.

You are?

- Jonah Burgee.
- Do you have an appointment?

- No, I don't have
an appointment.

- [scoffs]
- What's with the attitude?

I just asked a question.

I don't have an appointment.

- Well, then how did
you get past reception?

I lied.

Oh.

Let me see if Eli's available.

- Yeah?
- Eli?

What?

- Yeah, there's a
Jonah Burgee here.

What does he want?

I have no idea.

Yeah.

Send him in.

OK.

Come right this way.

- What can I do for
you, Mr. Burgee?

- You can honor a
very simple request.

If you're interested
in me, you come to me.

Don't violate the
privacy of other people.

- Are you willing to
answer a few questions?

What is it that you
would like to know?

- How long have you been going
out with Pamela Riesenfelt?

- I don't know what
you mean by going out.

We've been friends
for a number of years.

- Were the two of
you having an affair

while your wife was alive?

- I assume that the
import of that question

is that if we were,
I killed my wife.

- I'm just trying
to get a picture

of who everyone is in all this.

[chuckles]

- You know, whenever I've
had dealings with lawyers,

I'm always struck by how
utterly amoral they are.

Really?

- You're willing
to go into court

and spread absolute falsehoods.

You're willing to impugn me.

You're willing to encroach on
the lives of innocent people,

not because you actually think
that I'm guilty of anything,

but as a way of manufacturing
doubt about whether or not

your client is guilty.

It's amazing you're totally
unconcerned with what

actually happened.

- I don't know what
actually happened.

OK.

I'm not going to answer
any more questions.

If I'm called to the
stand, I'll testify,

but I don't want to answer any
more questions voluntarily.

I find what you're
doing deeply offensive,

and I'm not going to
cooperate with you.

- I didn't really
expect that you would.

- By the way, someone told
me that you're a patient

of Max Binderman's.

What someone was that?

I don't know who it was.

They said that you had a major
breakdown a couple of years ago

and that you've been
under Max's care.

The reason I mention it
is that Max and I were

in graduate school together.

- I didn't realize you
were trained in psychology.

- One of my doctorates
is in psychology.

I just never practiced.

- Uh-huh.

- Anyway, say hi to Max for me--

when you talk to him.

- Compulsive shopping disorder,
it sounds like a joke.

I assure you, ladies and
gentlemen, to those facing

bankruptcy, it is no joke.

An addiction to shopping is
just like any other addiction.

It robs you of your free will,
and it takes over your life.

This particular addiction is
a little different, though.

This addiction is
actively encouraged

by a powerful
broadcast network that

lures in people like Philomena.

They get them and they
don't let them go.

Gerard Atkins claims he is not
familiar with this disorder.

The truth is he is all
too familiar with it.

He's made a fortune
exploiting it.

The American Buying
Network is designed

to extract every dime
they can from people

like Philomena Bannister.

They came into her home, they
pretended to be her friend,

and then they systematically
drove both her and her husband

to the brink of financial ruin.

We ask that damages be assessed
in the amount of half a million

dollars to make these two whole
and to tell this corporation

its behavior isn't justified by
the fact that it made the sale.

- Philomena Bannister
loves to shop.

We all heard her testimony.

Howard Bannister thinks
his wife shops too much.

Do I think she shops too much?

Uh, maybe I do.

But the truth is
whatever anybody thinks

about how much Philomena
Bannister shops,

it's none of anybody's business.

And if you doubt that,
ask yourselves this,

is it anybody's business
how much you shop?

Philomena Bannister is seeing
a therapist who says she has

shopping compulsion disorder.

Now, the fact is
there's no listing

for this disorder
in the American

Psychiatric Association's
Diagnostic Manual.

Howard Bannister
couldn't tell us

one identifying characteristic,
yet he expected the American

Buying Network to
take his word for it

and act in the capacity
of a surrogate parent

by refusing to sell to this
woman what she asked to buy.

Was the American Buying
Network negligent?

No.

No, the American Buying
Network is a business,

and they do make a
profit, but that does not

make them responsible
for the personal choices

of their customers.

It does not make it their
responsibility to decide

who can and cannot shop.

And frankly, ladies
and gentlemen, I'm glad

they don't have that power.

I'm glad that each
and every one of us

is free to make our own choices.

Because you see, the minute we
make someone else responsible,

we give our freedom away.

Hi.

Hi, Sandy.

Hi, ma.

- I got you some
reading material.

I didn't really know what
your current tastes are,

so I picked out
some stuff that I

liked, Larry McMurtry,
Jim Harrison,

some mysteries, magazines.

Dad, it's a little too much.

- Pick out what you like and
I'll bring the rest back.

No, it's all too much.

There's too much coming in.

I can't keep track of other
people's stories and plots

and characters and some
magazine article about something

different and--
and advertisements.

I can't keep track of all that.

OK.

- Is there something that
we need to discuss today?

- There are a couple of
things I wanted to ask you.

Come on, Ed, let's go.

Is it necessary that we go?

Sandy, do you mind if we stay?

Do what you want.

What do you want to ask me?

- Did you ever meet
Gail's husband?

No.

- He was never in the
office when you were there?

- I don't know
what he looks like.

- So you have no way of
knowing whether or not

he was in the office
when you were there?

Right.

OK.

Is that it?

- Sandy-- can you tell me
where you were in the morning

Gayle was killed?

Yeah, I was in my room.

- Can you think of
anybody who might

have seen you in your room?

No.

No one came by?

No.

Did you go out to eat?

OK.

Next week, we start
picking the jury.

Then we go to trial.

Right.

- You need clothes
for your trial.

Do you have clothes?

Yeah.

Back in your room?

Yeah.

We'll go get them.

- Wait, if I'm found guilty,
they won't keep me here, right?

- Don't be thinking
about being found guilty.

- Well, excuse me, I'm sorry,
but I am thinking about it.

And the question I
have is whether or not

they're going to keep me here
or move me someplace else.

- They'll move you
someplace else.

OK.

OK, are you done?

Let's go.

- So nobody smokes
around here, huh?

- No, I don't--

I don't think
anyone here smokes.

Oh.

- We had a temp who used to
blow reefer in the stairwell.

Other than that, I don't
think anybody smokes.

- So if I want to smoke, I
have to go up with the elevator

to the ladies room, huh?

- Yeah, unless you
want to risk incurring

the wrath of your coworkers.

- Damn, if there was a
nun pounding on the door,

I'd feel like I was right
back in high school.

Let me help you with that.

- Uh, you're Jane
Halliday, right?

Yes.

Uh, you have a call, line two.

Here.

Thank you.

Hello?

I'll be down in front
of the building.

What's wrong?

- My client's about to jump
off a freeway overpass.

Ooh!

[chatter]

[tires screeching]

How long has he been there?

About an hour.

We can't get close to
him, but maybe you could.

David!

David-- I'm coming over there.

It's all right.

I'm just-- I'm just
coming a little closer.

I'm just going to
sit right here.

OK?

- They made me beg
like one of those guys

with the signs that stands
by the freeway entrance.

- David, you never asked for
anything you didn't deserve.

- You know, when I
was 24 years old,

I was the youngest staff
sergeant at Fort Sill.

I was responsible for 40 men.

I led my men into battle and I
distinguished myself in combat.

- I've already filed
a notice of appeals.

I intend to pursue this.

I'll never be a soldier again.

I'll never get my
wife back again.

I'll never be able to
walk up a flight of stairs

without having to sit down!

- That's no reason
to end your life.

[chuckles]

- Are you going to give me some
article of religious faith?

Are you going to quote
me some scripture?

I can if you want me to.

Sure.

You tell me what the
Bible says I should do.

- The Bible says,
wait for the Lord,

be strong and wait for the Lord.

If God is for us, who
shall be against us?

Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ?

And that does it for you, huh?

Praying does it for me.

When I feel confused
or depressed, I pray.

I ask God to guide me.

I ask him to show me the way.

- Well, I asked God to
guide me, but I haven't

heard back from Him yet.

- You don't know any more than
I know what the future holds.

You could find things that make
you grateful for every year

of life you're given.

Is this God talking?

No, it's me talking.

David, I want you to take my
hand and come down from here.

I want you to take my hand.

- I just want to have
someone care about me.

Stay ready.

- You have someone
who cares about you.

You have me.

- Has the jury
reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

- In the matter of Bannister
versus the American Buying

Network, we find
for the defendant.

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

We are adjourned.

[chatter]

Don't think this is over.

I'll appeal.

- Mr. Bannister, Mrs. Bannister,
I'd like to discuss an idea

I had.
Is there someplace we can talk?

Sure.

What are you proposing?

We're proposing a job.

What?

- I was watching you
testify, Mrs. Bannister,

and I wasn't visualizing
you on the witness stand.

I was visualizing
you being broadcast

into 43 million homes.

What are you talking about?

- I'm talking about
offering you a position

at the American Buying Network
as an on-air product host.

Oh, no.

We have the technology.

What we don't want to lose is
the humanity, and that's you,

Mrs. Bannister.

That's me?

- I believe you embody
all the qualities that

will keep us grounded,
all the qualities

our customers can relate to.

I believe you are the American
Buying Network customer.

Really?

- We'd be willing to
negotiate a substantial salary

plus a signing bonus.

Plus, you forgive the debt?

Plus, we'll forgive the debt.

- And you agree not
to sell her anything?

Done.

- Gosh, I don't
know what to say.

Say yes.

- Now, wait a minute,
wait a minute,

I'm going to stop being a
lawyer here just for a second

and ask a question just
as someone who's watched

you throughout the trial.

Is it a good idea for
you to be surrounded

by this much temptation?

- Oh, Mr. Rollins, I'm
surrounded by temptation

every day of my life.

I'm in therapy.

I realize the effect
my extravagances

have had on my husband.

And I know that in order
for our marriage to survive,

I must learn to control them.

So if I succumb to
temptation, I will quit.

OK.

- But right now,
I'm going to go home

and figure out what to wear.

- Oh, we'll give you
a help with that.

We'll give you a
complete orientation

before we go on the air.

Wonderful!

- I believe that you and I
are going to have a lot of

fun together.

[knocking on door]

- I heard there was a
little excitement today.

- Well, I guess you
could call it that.

- And I'm glad to
hear he's all right.

He's alive.

I wouldn't say he's all right.

Let me get to the point.

I understand you intend to
move forward with an appeal.

I'd like to see if
we can avoid that.

What do you propose?

- $250,000, full
and final payment.

The only condition being
absolute confidentiality.

- Suicidal veterans make
for bad press, don't they?

- As do overly eager young
attorneys with a great deal

of time on their hands.

- Mr. Hygate, just so you
know, I'm not overly eager

and I don't have a lot
of time on my hands.

What I have is a client
whom I believe in.

I'm prepared to pursue his
case for as long as necessary

until he feels he's been
adequately compensated.

- And I think a quarter
of a million dollars

qualifies, wouldn't you?

I'll talk to my client.

I appreciate that.

We'd like this to be over.

- My God, this is
where he lives?

[distant yelling]

- Let's take what there
is to take and go.

It's like a cell.

- What I'd like to know is
how he was able to pay for it.

Cell or no cell, it costs money.

- I don't know how
he paid for it.

He wasn't working.

It's paid for through
the end of the month.

Where did he get the money?

- Should we at least
fold his things

so they don't get all wrinkled?

- I think we're best off just
buying him something to

wear, Ed.

- I know, but he should
hang his things up.

He's got a closet.

He's got hangers.

He should hang his things
up when he takes them

off so when he puts
them back on again,

they don't get all wrinkled.

Then he wouldn't
have to send them out

to be dry cleaned as much, and
they wouldn't look like hell

when he put them back on.

Hang them up!

You get into the habit.

When you take them
off, you hang them up.

- Stop talking about
him as though he's

well, as though he's normal.

He's not well!

He's not normal.

OK, assume he's not.

What should we do, Rae?

Should we just forget about him?

Should we write him
off and let him die?

Is that what you want to do?

- Folks, you can't
turn on each other.

- You know, sometimes I
get the feeling that she'd

just rather be done with him.

I get the feeling that it's
too much trouble, that you'd

rather not be bothered.

- The way he pays for this
room is that I send him money.

You do?

Yes.

- So you've known
where he's been.

- I send a money order
to a post office box.

I knew he was in LA.

That's all I knew.

- Why didn't you
say something, Rae?

Why didn't you tell me?

- Because I knew
you'd try to find him.

- What would have
been wrong with that?

Didn't you want to find him?

No!

No, I wanted him to have
a roof over his head.

I wanted him not to starve.

Beyond that, I stopped
wanting anything!

Oh, God, help me.

I never wanted to see him again.

[sobbing]

[theme music]