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| "Ceossfire" - Transcript Done by Ryana |
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Crossfire
Written by: Jill Goldsmith and Alfonso H. Moreno and David E. Kelley
Directed by: Dennis Smith
-------------------- Disclaimer --------------------
I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the
television show 'The Practice'. They were created by David E. Kelley and
belong to him and David E. Kelley Productions.
This is not a novelisation or a script. It is a straightforward and dry
transcript of the episode 'Crossfire'. It also includes descriptions of
the settings and camera movements where I felt they were needed. I am not
making any money or any other benefit off this, it is purely for fun.
I made every effort to accurately transcribe the dialogue from this
episode. If you notice anything that has been transcribed incorrectly,
please email me, and I will post an update.
This transcript was written by Ryana.
-------------------- Prologue --------------------
Eugene’s office.
Eugene: (distressed) She’s trying to cut off custody.
Bobby: Now, Eugene, we could be in for a real fight here.
Eugene: I know
Bobby: She hired Solomon Taggert. (Eugene sighs) Where she got the money
to do that I don’t know. What I do know is this guy doesn’t fool around.
(pause) If I have to get ugly, you have to let me.
Eugene: I don’t want your tearing her up, Bobby. At the end of the day
she’s still my son’s mother.
Bobby: And at the end of the day we want you to still be his father.
The door to the office opens and Kendall walks in.
Kendall: Dad?
Eugene: Kendall, what are you doing here?
Kendall: I just came. I took the T.
Eugene: Your mother know?
Kendall: No. (Eugene rolls his eyes. Bobby leaves Eugene’s office) What’s
going on? I had to meet with those doctors and stuff. Why is nobody
telling me what’s going on?
Eugene: Your, uh, mother thinks your getting involved with drugs had
something to do with my influence. And, uh, she thinks it would be best if
you didn’t spend time with me.
Kendall: Ever?
Eugene: Just for a while.
Kendall: But you’re my dad.
Eugene: It isn’t about that. It’s - (pause) She’s doing what she thinks is
best. She loves you just like I do. We just disagree on what’s best.
Kendall: And she’s asking some judge to stop you from being with me?
Eugene: Something like that, yeah. (Eugene pats Kendall on the head)
-------------------- Opening Credits --------------------
The office the next morning.
Eugene: C’mon, we’re gonna be late!
Ellenor: We’ve got plenty of time, Eugene.
Bobby: Who’s up first?
Ellenor: The guardian (unintelligible), Tania Morrison. She takes a strong
position.
Lindsay: Who’s the judge?
Bobby: Bender.
Eugene: Come on!
The hall at the courthouse. Helen leaves the elevator.
Mr Hayes: (from behind) Miss Gamble?
Helen: (stopping and turning) Hi.
Mr Hayes: Hi.
Helen: Uh, listen. Unfortunately we weren’t able to reach a plea. So, we
go to trial.
Lynette: Okay.
Helen: I’ll be putting you on first. But, remember we talked about his
attorney. Listen, I’ll do what I can to protect you, but the main thing is
you have to keep your composure.
Lynette: Okay.
Mr Hayes: You won’t let her get brutalised up there?
Helen: This attorney’s tough. He’s known for trying anything.
Mr Hayes: She’s gonna be attacked, isn’t she?
Helen: Well, defendants get the right to confront their accusers, Mr
Hayes, and this one will.
Another courtroom.
Morrison: Kendall has an above average IQ, but he appears to be lacking
some moral responsibility with regards to his behaviour.
Taggert: What do you mean, doctor?
Morrison: With the drug arrest, he focuses on the illegal search rather
than his own bad act, and in lying to his parents about it afterward, he
focuses on how the denial skirted the truth -
Bender: C’mon, doctor. Growing up my children threw every excuse in the
book at me. Isn’t that just part of being a kid?
Morrison: A normal kid understands when he’s done something wrong, and
uses the excuse as a way to escape punishment. With Kendall, it’s almost
as if he believes the excuse nullifies the bad act. And therein lies the
problem.
Taggert: To what do you attribute Kendall’s behaviour?
Morrison: There could be a lot of factors. But I do believe a significant
one derives from contact with his father.
Taggert: He’s a bad role model?
Morrison: I’m not saying that. Likely he’s a great role model. I’m saying
that contact with him is having a negative effect.
Taggert: A good model with a bad influence?
Morrison: Mr Young is a criminal defence attorney. I certainly don’t have
all the answers, but I know that Kendall is somehow processing right and
wrong through his father’s eyes, and it’s resulting in a blurring of the
lines for him.
Bobby: How many hours total did you spend with Kendall?
Morrison: About six and a half hours.
Bobby: And in six and a half hours you find that Eugene Young is a bad
influence on his son.
Morrison: Yes.
Bobby: Because he’s a criminal defence attorney?
Morrison: Because of the emotional and behavioural impact he’s had on his
son.
Bobby: Because he’s a criminal defence attorney.
Morrison: Mr Young faces tough moral choices. Maybe he has a handle on it,
maybe he doesn’t -
Bobby: When you’re saying that Mr Young faces tough moral choices you have
evidence of Mr Young acting amorally?
Morrison: Well, I think defending someone accused of murder is perhaps -
Bobby: It’s immoral for a criminal defence attorney to defend murder
defendants?
Morrison: I’m talking about how it impacts on a child.
Bobby: It’s your opinion that children can’t process -
Taggert: He’s not letting the witness finish.
Bender: I agree. Let her complete her response, Mr Donnell.
Morrison: Of course, every defendant deserves representation. Most eleven
year olds can appreciate this. I’m speaking as to what’s going on with
Kendall.
Bobby: Thank you, doctor, but how -
Morrison: I still haven’t finished. By defending these people, the drug
dealers, the people that use drugs, Kendall sees an implied endorsement.
Dad says these people are okay. Dad says what these people did wasn’t so
bad. Dad said it’s the police who were at fault. These are the things this
kid is processing. It’s not coming from his mother.
The conference room.
Dr Plath (sp?): Thank you for taking the time.
Rebecca: Sure. I’m going to have Lucy take notes if you don’t mind.
Plath: Sure. Well, as I said on the phone, I’m a practising child
psychologist and I was recently discharged from my job, for grounds I
believe to be illegal.
Rebecca: And what were the grounds?
Plath: I developed a condition in my eyes which they sited as cause.
Rebecca: What kind of condition?
Plath: It effects the muscles and, well, (removes his dark sunglasses) as
you can see I’m rather cross-eyed. (there’s a pause as Rebecca and Lucy
look at him while trying not to look like they’re looking at him) Can you
tell?
Lucy: Well, since you mention it...
Rebecca: And this is why they fired you?
Plath: Yes. It’s a bi-lateral nerve palsy. I got it from a head trauma. Ms
Washington, it does not render me disabled. I have been and continue to be
an excellent psychologist. I’m very good at what I do.
A courtroom.
Lynette: I spent most of the afternoon walking around window shopping, and
then I walked to my car.
Helen: And what happened?
Lynette: As I started to pull out that man jumped in the passenger side.
Helen: What did you do?
Lynette: I tried to jump out my side, but he grabbed my wrists so I
couldn’t get out.
Helen: What happened then?
Lynette: He pulled a knife out of his jacket and pressed it against my
neck really hard.
Helen: Tell me, what was going through your mind?
Lynette: Fear. I was thinking if he just wanted the car he’d’ve let me
jump out. I thought he was going to hurt me.
Helen: What happened next?
Lynette: I started talking.
Helen: You started talking?
Lynette: Yes. I started telling him about myself. I though that maybe if
he knew something about me he wouldn’t want to kill me.
Helen: Why would you think that?
Lynette: I’ve read that one strategy with an attacker is try to humanise
yourself with them so they won’t kill you.
Helen: And it worked?
Lynette: Yeah, I guess so, because he told me to get out, which I did, and
he drove away.
Mr Dawson, the defence lawyer, stands and begins his cross-examination.
Dawson: Any bruises on your wrist or your neck?
Lynette: I don’t think so.
Dawson: You never went to a hospital.
Lynette: No.
Dawson: Can anybody account for your whereabouts that afternoon when you
say you were window shopping?
Lynette: Not that I know of. I was by myself.
Dawson: Did you also kiss Randy Strunk (sp?)?
Lynette: (leaning forward, shocked) Excuse me?
Dawson: (walking towards the witness stand almost casually) The truth is,
you met Randy, you had consensual sex with him and then you loaned him
your car. Isn’t that what happened?
Helen: Objection.
Lynette: Are you crazy?
Dawson: You would never sleep with someone you’d just met?
Helen: Objection.
Dawson: Fair question.
Helen: Sidebar, your honour.
The judge beckons Helen and Mr Dawson forward and they approach the bench.
Dawson: She’s been known to pick up men and not just with her car.
Helen: Oh, you gotta be kidding me...
Dawson: She’s the social girl. I’m just showing that...
Helen: That is completely irrelevant. Even if it were true, a victim’s
sexual history is inadmissible. Rape shield.
Dawson: This is not a rape. Rape shield doesn’t apply. And I am entitled
to cross-examine my client’s accuser.
Judge: I won’t let you go there, Mr Dawson.
Dawson: You don’t know this woman, judge, she’s a real...
Judge: Problem is, counsel, I know you. You’re not going there.
Dawson looks hugely disgruntled. Helen throws a slightly triumphant look
at him over her shoulder as she returns to her seat and Dawson rolls his
eyes.
Another courtroom. Sharon is giving her testimony.
Sharon: He’s a good man, and in my opinion, a very good father.
Taggert: (glancing over his shoulder at Eugene) Well, then why are we
here?
Sharon: Because of the world he lives in. My ex-husband fights for bad
people. (camera cuts to Eugene, fidgeting in his chair in disbelief) My
son attributes some idealism to this world. The influence scares me. He’s
begun to deal drugs. With a sense of pride, even. A pride that he gets
from his dad.
Eugene: (quietly in Bobby’s ear) Object to that. (Bobby puts up a hand to
tell him to be patient. Eugene sits back in disbelief and looks at Ellenor,
sees the same reaction there, gives up and looks back at Sharon)
Sharon: It would be one thing if he came home wanting to defend criminals,
but to identify with them as role models? This is beginning to happen.
Taggert: Have you talked to your ex-husband about this?
Sharon: My ex-husband breathes this world. That’s what led to us splitting
up. He’s inside it. He defends these people on a mission. It was more
important to him than being a husband, more important to him than being a
father.
Eugene: (standing) Objection! That isn’t true, Sharon!
Bender: Mr Young...
Eugene: You know that isn’t true!
Bender: (banging his gavel) Mr Young. Take your seat. (Eugene doesn’t)
Sharon: I know you love him. But you don’t see what you’re doing to him.
Bender: Ms Young, please do not address your ex-husband. (Eugene sits)
A room at the courthouse. Eugene bursts through the door and flings his
coat down on the table.
Eugene: That was a lie!
Bobby: It doesn’t matter.
Eugene: You just sat there!
Bobby: Eugene...
Eugene: You just let her go on with that!
Bobby: I get my chance on cross...
Eugene: (yelling and pointing at the floor to emphasise his point) You
should’ve shut her down!
Bobby: Eugene. You know she gets to tell her side. You know I had to let
her.
Eugene: She knows my values. She knows I don’t honour the people I defend
and she knows Kendall knows that.
Bobby: Taggert probably told her to come on strong. Like I said, these
kinds of fights we don’t win by holding back. Eugene. Look at me. (Eugene
looks up) Now it’s my turn. I don’t wanna hold back. Anything you got her
that I can use, now is the time to tell me. (Eugene looks away) I’m
friends with Sharon, I don’t wanna go after her, but if you want your son
back.... I have no real choice. (pause) And you have to help me. (Eugene
looks at him, and then looks away, obviously battling torn loyalties)
-------------------- Commercial --------------------
The elevator at the courthouse. Camera starts at Ellenor’s face, then
pulls back to show Eugene and Bobby. The elevator stops, the doors open
and a group of people enter, among them are Sharon and Taggert. Bobby,
Ellenor and Eugene look at each other, and then Eugene stares at Sharon’s
back. She seems to sense that she’s being watched and she peeks out the
corners of her eyes, and then turns around. Eugene continues to stare at
her. The elevator stops and Sharon looks away, and then walks out.
Eugene’s eyes follow her all the way, and then they all leave and walk out
into the hall.
Sharon: (putting her hand out to stop Bobby) Bobby...
Taggert: Sharon...
Sharon: It’s okay. (to Bobby) A second? (they move away a bit, and Sharon
looks down the hall at Eugene) Does he know why I’m doing this?
Bobby: He understands the reason you gave him, yes. Does he understand?
(Sharon looks away)
Sharon: Do you?
Bobby: I understand you think you’re doing what’s best. (there’s a pause)
I’ll see you in there. (he walks off, leaving her thinking in the hallway)
Another courtroom, where Mr Dawson is continuing Lynette’s
cross-examination
Dawson: How long was it, from the time Randy allegedly got in the car
until the time you got out?
Lynette: It seemed like forever, but it was probably no more than a couple
minutes.
Dawson: So, you only had a couple of minutes to reveal the personal
details that you hoped would spare your life.
Lynette: Yes.
Dawson: And the details that you chose to reveal were of course, the ones
that you thought would generate the most sympathy.
Lynette: I guess so, yes.
Dawson: You told him you had a settlement coming from a car accident. That
you broke up with your last boyfriend because you discovered he was seeing
one of your friends. That you had allergies.
Lynette: I probably did.
Dawson: Your favourite movie is Braveheart. And you told him you lost your
virginity in a car. You tell him that?
Lynette: I honestly don’t remember everything I said. I was scared. I was
just rambling on.
Dawson: Are those things true? (Lynette doesn’t answer) If you’re not
sure, we can always verify them with your insurance company, your friends
and your doctor.
Lynette: A lot of it is true. I was trying to talk to him about my life,
make him feel like he knew me. (she shakes her head and breaks off)
The office. Jimmy is sitting at his desk, watching Rebecca talk to Dr
Plath
Rebecca: What I did was fax a demand letter, plus a draft of motion for
injunctive relief, which we can bring before a judge at any time. It did
succeed in getting their attention.
Plath: Which means...
Rebecca: Dr Fairby, your boss and his lawyers are coming for a meeting. I
suspect that they could be offering to modify your settlement.
Plath: Well, that isn’t what I - (pause and he glances at Lucy) I really
want my job back.
Rebecca: (nodding) Okay then, I’ll take a shot.
Plath: Thank you, Ms Washington. (Rebecca shows him to the door. Jimmy
leans over his desk to look at him again.
Rebecca: I’ll call you right after the meeting. (She closes the door,
smiling at him. Then the smile falls off her face and she walks back to
Jimmy’s desk) I saw you snickering.
Jimmy: I wasn’t laughing, I....
Rebecca: It’s a palsy, Jimmy. Real funny.
She walks back to her desk, and Jimmy looks at Lucy, who raises her
eyebrows and turns back to her work.
A courtroom, where Bobby is cross-examining Sharon.
Bobby: You’re the one with the primary physical custody right now, aren’t
you, Sharon?
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: (standing and walking over to her) You’re the one spending the most
time with Kendall. Possibly you share some blame for his problems, or is
that just impossible?
Sharon: I lived with Eugene for nine years. I know where the blame goes.
Plan B, I know that too.
Bobby: Plan B? What’s that got to do with Eugene’s parenting?
Sharon: It’s got to do with Kendall always bragging that his dad can get
anybody off.
Bobby: He’s a bad parent by the way he defends his clients?
Sharon: He’s a bad influence when it comes to teaching him accountability.
Bobby: What about you as a primary caretaker, refusing to accept any
responsibility? What message on accountability does that send?
Sharon: I’m accepting responsibility to set my son’s life back on course.
I’m taking the steps necessary to see that he’s raised with the right
values.
Bobby: So, your concern in all this is that Kendall learn the right
values.
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: And you don’t think that Eugene is teaching those values to
Kendall?
Sharon: No. I don’t.
Bobby: And values, that’s the one of the reasons you got divorced. Your
difference of opinion on values. (the light dawns on Sharon and she looks
at Eugene accusingly) You had an affair, didn’t you, Sharon?
Sharon: That was four years ago...
Bobby: How long did that affair last?
Taggert: (standing) Objection, your honour. What relevance is an event
that happened...
Bobby: Excuse me, but this witness is saying that my client’s character is
deficient, and that his son gleaned these deficiencies. I should be
allowed to question the petitioner on her character.
Bender: I’ll allow it. Answer the question.
Sharon: The affair lasted about two months.
Bobby: And during the affair, on more than a few occasions, you told
Eugene that you were having dinner with a girlfriend or that you were
working late, when in fact you were seeing this man, isn’t that right?
Sharon: It was wrong, I know that. But...
Bobby: You lied to him.
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: And did Kendall know you were lying to his father? What kind of
influence...
Sharon: Kendall never found out about either the affair or...
Bobby: So, your son still doesn’t know the truth. The deception lives on.
Taggert: Objection.
Bobby: Withdrawn. The man you were seeing was married, right?
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: What kind of values does that teach your son, Sharon? What kind of
values does he get from a mother’s infidelity and adultery...
Taggert: Objection.
Bender: Sustained. Move on.
Bobby: You complain about Eugene’s job. You ever once ask him to quit his
job?
Sharon: I knew he never would -
Bobby: The question was did you ever ask him to quit, yes or no?
Sharon: No, that doesn’t mean -
Bobby: Ever urge him to demand to be made partner? That ever happen?
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: So this world he lives in, which you so object to, you wanted him
to become a partner in it. (pause) You get alimony, don’t you, Sharon?
Sharon: Yes.
Bobby: You make money off this world, you urge him to go for partner and
now you cite this world as ground for parental unfitness. Is hypocrisy a
value you pass on to Kendall?
Taggert: Objection.
Bender: Overruled.
Bobby: Best interest of the child, Sharon. Does that include infidelity,
lying, hypocrisy -
Taggert: Objection.
Bender: Mr Donnell...
Bobby: After you drew this conclusion that Eugene’s job wasn’t good for
Kendall, did you go to Eugene and say ‘hey, what do we do about this?’ or
did you just move for full custody?
Sharon: He’s not going to change.
Bobby: You just filed for full custody without so much as a conversation,
didn’t you, Sharon? Don’t you think it could be in Kendall’s interest to
work things out with his dad before ripping him away -
Taggert: (standing) He’s badgering her.
Bobby: Didn’t Eugene deserve that much? A conversation?
Taggert: Your honour...
Bobby: Didn’t Kendall deserve that much?
Sharon: (loudly) He’s not going to change! (she looks on the verge of
tears. Eugene looks slightly ashamed)
A room at the courthouse. Bobby, Eugene and Ellenor are around the table,
not looking at each other.
-------------------- Commercial --------------------
The conference room.
Dr Fairby: I agree, he’s an excellent child psychologist, but if he can’t
connect with patients...
Rebecca: What evidence do you have that he can’t?
Fairby: Look -
Rebecca: Have his patients left him since he established this condition?
Fairby: Some have -
Rebecca: But most haven’t.
Fairby: The problem is, I need doctors who can help build our clinic. He’s
unable to bring in new business.
Rebecca: You effectively discharged him for a medical condition.
Fairby’s lawyer: No. The discharge was predicated on the inability to
perform the functions of the job.
Rebecca: What if he wears dark glasses?
Fairby: How would you feel about a therapist where you can’t even see his
eyes?
Rebecca: I’d deal with it.
Fairby: Look, part of the job is cultivating new clientele. He is unable
to do this. Look, I like the guy. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to.
Rebecca sighs.
The courtroom. Randy is giving his testimony.
Randy: I’d seen Lynette Hayes around. And, uh, I’d always wanted to meet
her. I saw her walking across the street looking into some store window.
Dawson: What did you do?
Randy: I thought ‘what the hell’. So I crossed over and I went to say
hello.
Dawson: And what happened?
Randy: I put a light hit on her, she seemed receptive, so we just started
talking.
Dawson: How long were the two of you talking out there on the street?
Randy: Few minutes. Then we started walking. We got to where she was
parked and then we were just leaning against her car, talking some more.
(Lynette shakes her head in the gallery)
Dawson: Did the two of you get inside the car?
Randy: Yeah. We were getting kinda cold standing outside. She asked me did
I wanna get in.
Dawson: What happened once the two of you were in the car?
Randy: She ran the heater for a while and we listened to some music. Then
we fooled around.
Time shifts and Helen is now questioning him.
Helen: So after just meeting you, she finds you so irresistible that she
just had to have you.
Randy: I guess so.
Helen: Then you made such a favourable impression she just gave you her
car?
Randy: No, she loaned it to me. I had lost track of time and I was really
late for a job interview that I had across town. The job was really
important to me and it was too late for me to catch a bus.
Helen: So, instead of offering to just drive you herself, she just gave
her car to a complete stranger?
Randy: Well, we weren’t total strangers at that point. Anyway, she had
some things that she needed to get done, and so I was supposed to meet her
back there at that street at five o’clock.
Helen: But you decided to keep the car instead.
Randy: I got lost trying to find the warehouse across town where I was
supposed to meet with this guy in shipping and receiving. Anyway, by the
time I got back, she was gone.
Helen: So you figured free car.
Randy: No. I didn’t have her phone number or her last name. I was
searching for registration when the police arrested me. That’s the truth.
The office, it’s late. Eugene is staring out the window. Bobby comes up
behind him.
Bobby: Still love me?
Eugene: She started it. I know that.
Bobby: And she’s not finished, Eugene. Tomorrow morning, you’re on that
stand. They’ll be coming after you.
Eugene: Yeah.
Bobby: You can’t lose control. You can’t seem erratic or volatile. You
have to remain calm in that chair.
Eugene: It’s a little easier said than done.
Bobby: You’ll do it because of the stakes. You’ll do it.
Eugene: I can’t figure out how this happened. Custody battles, divorce. I
know it can turn into a runaway hate, but Sharon and me, we get along. We
still love each other. I know we both love Kendall. How’d this happen?
-------------------- Commercial --------------------
Helen’s office.
Mr Hayes: What’s wrong?
Helen: Well, I guess my radar.
Mrs Hayes: What’s going on?
Helen: Lynette, I could be way off, but I get a gut feeling with
witnesses, and after listening to Randy Strunk’s testimony, it had a
believable ring to it.
Lynette: You’re not serious.
Helen: There’s just a couple of things that don’t exactly make sense. I
mean, after he took the car, he then returned to the same area. He didn’t
change the plates, he acted like an innocent person...
Lynette: Why would I say he just stole my car?
Helen: Is it possible that you just thought that when he didn’t come back
soon enough?
Lynette: No. He car-jacked me.
Helen: Mr and Mrs Hayes, can you just excuse us for a second?
Mr Hayes: No. What’s this about?
Helen: I need to speak with your daughter in private. Please. (they leave.
Helen sits next to Lynette) Lynette. If you are making this up, a man
could be facing jail.
Lynette: I’m not making this up.
Helen: He car-jacked you.
Lynette: Yes.
Helen: Look, I know it was your father that reported this to the police.
Are you just sticking to the story you gave him?
Lynette: No. It’s the truth.
Another courtroom. Ellenor is questioning Eugene.
Eugene: If anything, Kendall needs to spend more time with me, not less.
Ellenor: How did Kendall get those drugs?
Eugene: He got them from someone who works for a former client of mine. It
was an unfortunate coincidence.
Ellenor: Did you ever introduce Kendall to this former client of yours?
Eugene: Of course not.
Ellenor: Have you in any way conveyed to Kendall that was okay to take or
sell drugs?
Eugene: No.
Ellenor: Why do you think your ex-wife blames you for Kendall’s problems?
Eugene: Sharon has always had ideological problems with my job. I think
that when this happened it hit a lot of nerves and fears. I also think she
blames the break up of our marriage on my job. She’s reliving a lot of
that anger, I guess.
Ellenor: Can you understand that?
Eugene: I can understand her fear. When it happened I was afraid too. But
I also got angry. But I don’t understand her punishing me. And I certainly
don’t understand her punishing Kendall. And that’s what you’re doing,
Sharon. (there’s a pause)
Taggert: Your son got arrested for possessing drugs. Drugs that he bought
off of one of your clients.
Eugene: That was a coincidence, as I said.
Taggert: Your lawyer, (indicating Ellenor) Ms Frutt. She was recently
arrested on drug charges herself, wasn’t she? (Ellenor rolls her eyes)
Eugene: Those charges were dismissed, she was set up by the police.
Taggert: That’s exactly what Kendall said when you asked him how the drugs
ended up in his locker, isn’t it?
Eugene: Except in Ellenor’s case, it was true.
Taggert: A client dropped a bag of what was thought to be drugs on Ms
Frutt’s desk.
Eugene: That’s right.
Taggert: And when asked who the drugs belonged to, Ms Frutt responded ‘I
don’t know’, didn’t she?
Eugene: Yes.
Taggert: But she knew where the drugs came from, didn’t she?
Eugene: As lawyers, we have a duty not to betray our client’s -
Taggert: So, Ms Frutt did the right thing by lying?
Eugene: In that context, it wasn’t lying.
Taggert: It was telling the truth?
Eugene: No.
Taggert: Which was it?
Eugene: It was protecting our client, which as you well know we have an
ethical obligation to do.
Taggert: Yes. Did you sit down and explain that to your son, Mr Young?
Eugene: Kendall knows about our duties. We have these talks -
Taggert: I’m not talking in general. I’m referring to that specific
occasion after he witnessed Ellenor Frutt lying to the police. Did you sit
down and explain the situation to him?
Eugene: Not that time, no.
Taggert: Can you honestly say that you have taught Kendall right from
wrong, truth from lie?
Eugene: (heatedly) I have never ever encouraged my son to break the law or
to lie.
Taggert picks up a remote control and flicks on the television. It is the
video obtained from the Nanny-cam in the last episode, ‘Target Practice’,
where Kendall and another boy, Michael, are sitting in Michael’s living
room discussing drug selling.
Kendall: (on tape) My dad says that if you ever get caught, never admit to
anything. Not even to your lawyer, because they’ll be stuck with whatever
you tell ‘em.
Taggert pauses a moment to let that sink in, and then flicks off the
television. Eugene takes a deep breath.
Eugene: (quietly) I never told him that.
Taggert: Is that the truth, or a justifiable lie?
Ellenor: (standing) Objection. (Bender waves for her to sit back down)
Eugene: Kendall knows what I do for a living, Mr Taggert.
Taggert: Yes, in fact he spends a lot of time at your office, doesn’t he?
Eugene: Until this happened.
Taggert: He was right there when the police charged in with their guns,
arresting Ellenor Frutt. He was even in the line of fire, wasn’t he?
Eugene: You know that was a common occurrence.
Taggert: On average, how many waking hours a week do you spend with your
son outside the office?
Eugene: I work a lot of hours. And that’s why he’s with me at work.
Taggert: And that’s his exposure to you, isn’t it? Eugene Young, the
lawyer.
Eugene: And father. And father!
Taggert: Father at work. (Eugene throws a look at Bobby, who raises his
hand as if to say ‘don’t worry, it’s okay’) (there’s a pause) Reference
was made earlier to Plan B. What is that?
Eugene: It’s a defence strategy.
Taggert: More specifically it means accusing someone in open court of
committing the crime.
Eugene: Basically.
Taggert: According to recent court transcripts, you accused a brother of
beheading his sister even though you didn’t believe he was really involved
in the death. Correct?
Eugene: Yes.
Taggert: Ever sit down and talk to Kendall about why you do these things
in court?
Eugene: Yes. I have.
Taggert: Ever been booked on assault, Mr Young?
Eugene: Once. The charge was dropped.
Taggert: You got mad at one of your clients who sodomized two young boys.
You beat him up in open court, right?
Bobby: (standing) Objection. This has no relevance.
Taggert: (turning and pointing at Bobby) Everything is fair game. You made
that clear.
Bender: All right. I’ll give you a little latitude, Mr Taggert. (Bobby
sits down and Taggert turns back to Eugene)
Taggert: When this case was filed you were under court order not to
discuss the merits of it with your son, Kendall. Is that right, sir?
Eugene: Yes.
Taggert: You talk to him about it two nights ago?
Eugene: He was confused as to what was going on.
Taggert: (pointing at Sharon) You basically tell him that his mother was
wrong?
Eugene: I told him we disagreed as to what was best.
Taggert: Well, would it surprise you that he went home with the idea that
you thought she was wrong? (Eugene rolls his eyes) The night before the
hearing you violate a court order, position your son on your version of
the merits. (Taggert pauses) Are these the good footsteps for a son to
step in? (the camera gives a close of Eugene and then Sharon, both looking
uncomfortable)
Cut to another courtroom. Rebecca is arguing Dr Plath’s case before Judge
Philip Swackheim.
Rebecca: He’s being fired for a medical condition. That’s contrary to law.
Defence Counsel: He’s being terminated for an inability to perform the
functions of -
Rebecca: Appearance is not a function. He has six-nerve palsy brought on
by a head trauma. And there’s no -
Swackheim: Well, I don’t know much about psychology, counsel. But I do
suspect that if I were to go see a therapist to unearth my troubles, it
wouldn’t help to have him look back at me cross-eyed.
Rebecca: And that is bigotry. So, he looks different. In time -
Swackheim: Would you step up here a minute Mr Plath. Dr Plath? (Dr Plath
moves to join Rebecca) I’m looking to get an idea. Um, my mother-in-law’s
got, uh, delirium. Tell us what that is.
Plath: Delirium is basically a disturbance of consciousness. It can affect
cognition, often manifested by reduced clarity of awareness of the
environment. It can cause focus problems. Attention deficit problems are
common. The person is frequently easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli.
And it’s often difficult to engage in long sustained periods of
conversation. There’s also disorientation as to time -
Swackheim: I’m sorry. I’m upholding the discharge.
Rebecca: Your honour...
Swackheim: Ms Washington, this may not seem fair, but it’s tough to take
him seriously.
Rebecca: You can’t penalise him for something he can’t control!
Swackheim: Nor should I penalise them (indicating Dr Fairby). Dr Plath,
you may be an excellent doctor, but medicine is business these days. And
under the adage you only get one change to make a first impression, I have
to sympathise with the defendant as well.
Rebecca: This isn’t fair.
Swackheim: And your problem, young lady, is that you think justice is
fair, mmm mmm.
Cut to the chambers of the judge on Helen’s case.
Judge: I’m not a big fan of ex-party. What’s the mystery?
Helen: I’m not sure if I have good faith belief in the defendant’s guilt
anymore.
Judge: Why?
Helen: I guess it comes down to creditability. My gut tells me she fed her
father the story, he insisted on the arrest and she’s cornered.
Judge: What have you got to support this?
Helen: Just listening to their testimony. I think I believe him.
Judge: So what? You’re not the jury.
Helen: Still, if a DA doesn’t have a good faith belief -
Judge: It may affect your bringing the charges, but your weighing the
testimony... Come on.
Helen: What if I brought a motion to dismiss?
Judge: Forget it. And don’t tank your closing, either. Defence attorneys
aren’t the only ones with obligations in that room.
The hall in the courthouse. Sharon is sitting alone on a bench. Eugene
sits down beside her.
Eugene: Why’d you do this, Sharon?
Sharon: Here you go. Disobeying another court order. We’re not supposed to
talk about this outside -
Eugene: Why’d you do this?
Sharon: (after a pause) I know you love him. But I also know I’m losing
him. If it were to you, I’d deal with it. But I’m losing him to
something... He’s a good kid becoming a bad kid. You don’t see that.
Either because you don’t want to, or you can’t. (Eugene looks down, and
then up again)
Eugene: Do you really think he’s better (there’s a pause) cut off from me?
Sharon: Yes. (Eugene looks stunned, and leans back against the bench.)
-------------------- Commercial --------------------
The courtroom.
Taggert: This isn’t about who’s a better person. Or who loves Kendall
more. It’s what’s in the boy’s best interest. We’ve listened to the
guardian, (unintelligible), somebody who is neutral, linking Kendall’s
problems to his contact with his father. A boy losing an ability to
distinguish right from wrong. We all saw that tape. An eleven year old boy
versed on the how-to’s of drug dealing. Who in this room wasn’t horrified?
Eugene Young was sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress
when in open court he accused a brother of killing his own sister. An
allegation he admittedly didn’t really believe. And in defence of Eugene
Young, his colleague, Jimmy Berluti, described him as being in extreme
denial. A man struggling to survive what he does for a living. That
struggle is affecting Kendall. We’re not asking for punishment or that it
be permanent, but for know we have to listen to Dr Morrison and appoint
Sharon Young as full custodian. In the end, it’s not about a mother and a
father, it’s about the welfare of an eleven year old boy, who clearly
needs help. (he sits and Bobby stands up)
Bobby: We see young kids in this room every day arrested for drugs. We
don’t take them away from their parents, just the opposite. The courts
usually plead for the parents to step in. That’s exactly what Eugene Young
would like to do. This is a huge overreaction to a bad event. There is
nothing, absolutely nothing to even suggest any parental unfitness. Mr
Taggert quoted Jimmy Berluti’s closing argument as evidence. Well, he left
out the part of the summation where Mr Berluti referred to Eugene Young as
deeply honourable, dignified, a hero. I second that. So do you, Sharon.
There is nobody, nobody who has walked through these doors with more
honour, more dignity and morality than the man sitting over there. (he
sits down again)
The hall at the courthouse. Helen and the Hayes’ are walking to the
courtroom.
Helen: (stopping at the door and turning to Lynette) If you recant I
promise there will be no perjury charges.
Lynette: Why are you doing this?
Helen: Lynette, I’m just saying that if you did make this up -
Lynette: It’s bad enough that the defence attorney attacks me, now the DA
goes after me too? (beginning to cry) He car-jacked me. He did.
Inside the courtroom.
Helen: Randy Strunck, he’s gotta be the luckiest man in the world. He
meets a very attractive woman who, and even though she’s a complete
stranger, just can’t help herself and agrees to fool around with him in
her car. Then, she generously gifts him with her car. (she pauses) That
happens every day, doesn’t it? (another pause) Randy isn’t lucky, ladies
and gentlemen. He’s just careful. He chose his victim. He chose the time.
He chose a location where there would be no eyewitnesses. Randy chose
every single detail of the attack to work to his advantage. And after he
got caught he, along with his attorney, chose the strategy of putting the
victim on trial. He said she said, it was reasonable doubt. Go ahead. Put
him back out there. Just don’t forget to lock your car doors.
Time shifts to Dawson’s closing.
Dawson: My definition of the luckiest man in the world wouldn’t be an
innocent man convicted for a crime he didn’t do. Here’s a flash. Sometimes
the defendant actually is the victim of false charges. Maybe she thought
he stood her up. Or duped her. Or maybe he wasn’t really coming back with
her car. I don’t know what was in her mind when she told her father what
happened. But she wasn’t car-jacked. No bruises, no physical signs of
anything violent. She wasn’t car-jacked. This case reminds me of a
question we used to have on tests in school when I was growing up. Orange,
apple, pear, hammer. Which one doesn’t fit? Here, according to Lynette
Hayes, we have an attacker, with a knife, who took her car. Who also
happens to know about her past relationship with an ex-boyfriend, among
other things. These are the things you tell someone you have a personal
relationship with, however brief. Not an attacker. Something doesn’t fit.
The conference room. Rebecca is working when Dr Plath comes in and she
stands up.
Rebecca: (in answer to his shrug) I’m sorry.
Plath: You tried. Should I appeal?
Rebecca: (sighing) Sit. (they sit) We could appeal, but I don’t think we’d
win. You’re not in what we call a suspect class and there’s no special
protection for people with -
Plath: Funny faces. (pause) So, you’re not recommending that we keep going
with this case?
Rebecca: No.
Plath: Well, thank you for your time, Ms Washington. (they stand)
Rebecca: I wish I could’ve been more help.
Plath: Well, I appreciate your not laughing, anyway. Good day.
Rebecca: Goodbye, Mr Plath.
Judge Bender’s chambers.
Bender: Between all the back and forth, the one piece of evidence that
stands out most is that you didn’t try. The boy was arrested, the court
papers were filed... The fact that you didn’t first try, Ms Young, tells
me that you were leading with fear and anger, and not necessarily
Kendall’s interests.
Sharon: That isn’t true.
Bender: Well, I’m not satisfied that you’ve exhausted every possible
remedy. Taking away a boy’s father, that’s severe enough not to be the
first course of action. So, I’m ordering you both to try again. If you
fail, try again. Then, maybe come to me. Mr Young, I am tempted to
restrain your son from coming to your office, but I’m not there yet. We
seem to have two intelligent and loving parents here, so let’s put some of
that intelligence and love to work. For God’s sake, this is not about you.
This is about your son. the petition to modify custody is denied.
(everyone looks at each other)
The courtroom for Helen’s verdict.
Judge: (taking the verdict and looking it over) Will the defendant please
rise? (Randy and his lawyer stand) Madame Foreperson, the jury has reached
a verdict?
Foreperson: (standing) We have, your honour. Commonwealth versus Randy
Strunck, on the charge of assault and confinement for the purpose of
stealing a motor vehicle while armed, we find the defendant, Randy Strunck,
guilty. (Randy looks horrified.)
Judge: The jury is dismissed with the thanks of the court. We’re adjourned
(bangs gavel)
Mr Hayes: Good job. Thank you.
Lynette: Thank you.
Helen looks very unhappy. Lynette smiles at her awkwardly, but as they
lead Randy out, she looks slightly uncomfortable. The camera closes up on
Helen’s face, she looks uncertain.
The city, it’s night. Eugene is walking down a snowy street and stops at
Sharon’s house and knocks on the door. She opens it.
Eugene: He ready?
Sharon: Not quite.
Eugene: I’ll wait. (Sharon reluctantly opens the door so he can come in)
Kendall: Hey, Dad!
Eugene: Hey. (he sits down)
Sharon: Just be a couple minutes. (she goes to sit back at the table with
Kendall) Okay, almost done. How many tablespoons of water does it take to
fill a gallon container three quarters full?
Kendall: Who’d use a tablespoon to fill a gallons container?
Sharon: Someone with too much time on their hands. (Eugene smiles at this)
How many tablespoons equal an ounce?
Kendall: Two.
Sharon: Okay. Figure it out.
Eugene almost sadly looks around at all the photos of Kendall, at all
different ages, scattered around the room.
Kendall: One hundred and ninety-two.
Sharon: Good. Last one. (they continue on this track, as Eugene continues
to look around the room, a look of sadness/regret on his face.)
-------------------- End --------------------
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