- Ray Breecher: I was shocked. They're running a frog jumping contests. It's supposed to be a legitimate thing. I show up with my frog and they won't let him jump.
- Michael Roitman: What reason did they give for excluding you, sir?
- Ray Breecher: And they say it was too big. Now there's nothing about size in the rules and suddenly they go too big. The fix had a be in.
- Jonathan Rollins: Objection.
- Judge Walter Green: Sustained.
- Ray Breecher: I paid 1,300 bucks for this frog, plus travel.
- Michael Roitman: Plus travel?
- Ray Breecher: I had him flown in from Africa. There's a lot of paperwork to be done on that, I tell you.
- Michael Roitman: You also put him to, uh, rigorous training camp, did you not?
- Ray Breecher: And we did sprints, jumps, squats, big hops, little hops, and I even put him on his little wheel for aerobic conditioning.
- [Scoffs]
- Ray Breecher: I tell you, I push that frog.
- Michael Roitman: How much does this, uh, arbitrary disqualification cost you, sir?
- Ray Breecher: The winner gets 40,000, which would have been mine. You get an extra 10 grand for setting a record, which my frog could have done on one leg, easy.
- Michael Roitman: I have nothing further, sir.
- Jonathan Rollins: Are you real concerned with fairness, Mr. Breecher?
- Ray Breecher: What's a contest without fairness? Yeah.
- Jonathan Rollins: 4 years ago, you attempted to enter a tiny but long leaping run toad, didn't you?
- Ray Breecher: Well, I look like a frog. I was mistaken.
- Jonathan Rollins: And 2 years ago, you're winning entry tested positive for cocaine, did it not?
- Ray Breecher: I don't know how he got the drugs. Frog had a life.
- Jonathan Rollins: Mr. Breecher, your reptile has been known to... to eat small rats.
- Michael Roitman: Objection, Your Honor, it is not a reptile. It is an amphibian.
- Judge Walter Green: Sustained.
- Jonathan Rollins: How large is your amphibian, sir?
- Ray Breecher: It's big.
- Jonathan Rollins: Exactly, how big?
- Ray Breecher: How? With legs extended, I'd say he was about 3 ft. long.
- Judge Walter Green: 3 ft.?
- Ray Breecher: That's one big mother frog.
- [Ann, Stuart and Douglas having a coffee break before heading to court, Ann is speaking with Douglas and Stuart]
- Ann Kelsey: Did you see that? She's taking over. I told you, Stuart. I told you.
- [Stuart sighed]
- Stuart Markowitz: She just backed you up on your case, Ann. That's a good thing.
- Ann Kelsey: That wasn't backing me up, Stuart. That was a calculated manipulation.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: She bossed me up. Did you hear the way she bossed me?
- Stuart Markowitz: She wasn't bossing you, Douglas.
- Ann Kelsey: Support, support, support. That's all she ever gets from you.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: ''Move along''. Very bossy.
- Stuart Markowitz: She beat me in the election. I'm the one who's being sensitive here.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: I think we should organize a little private meeting, see how everyone feels.
- Ann Kelsey: Why don't we just take another vote?
- Stuart Markowitz: It got to be done by executive committee. Article 3, Section 7.
- Ann Kelsey: Support, support, support.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Not support, Ann. A rule.
- Leland McKenzie: Excuse me. What's going on?
- Stuart Markowitz: Uh, nothing. We're just talking.
- Leland McKenzie: Benny has a little problem, Stuart. Could you help him out?
- Stuart Markowitz: Sure.
- Leland McKenzie: Let's be grownups.
- [while Ann is preparing to head to court, Douglas will be heading back to his office, and Stuart will take care of that while helping the Law Messenger Benny]
- Abby Perkins: 2 grams. Simple procession. I could probably plead him out and get 6 months minimum security. Of course, if we go to trial and lose, we're talking a year easy.
- Arnie Becker: State prison?
- Abby Perkins: I doubt it, but it's their defense. It's possible.
- Abe Lassen: Take the plea.
- Abby Perkins: No. Just a minute. Don't forget the motion to dismiss. We have a real shot at getting it kicked.
- Arnie Becker: Right.
- Abe Lassen: In which case he just walks?
- Abby Perkins: Exactly.
- Abe Lassen: Take the plea. Let him do the 6 months.
- Abby Perkins: Excuse me?
- Abe Lassen: My son is a drug problem, Ms Perkins. Nothing we tried has ever worked - programs, clinics. This is the third time he's been arrested. Every time, he goes free. Every time, he goes back to drugs. Maybe jail is just the thing he needs.
- Abby Perkins: That may be, Mr. Lassen, but Joel is the client, at least technically. And it would have to be his decision.
- Abe Lassen: If Joel were capable of making tough decision, we wouldn't be standing here right now, would we? This... this is me son - my only son. If something drastic doesn't him shake him out of this, I'm gonna lose him.
- Abby Perkins: You're asking a defense attorney to deliberately put her client in jail when there's a chance of getting him off.
- Abe Lassen: That's the way you see it. The way I see it is I'm asking you to help me save his life.
- [Arnie will find out and Abby will do her best]
- Benny Stulwicz: The refrigerator guy came by...
- Stuart Markowitz: Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Come on in. Tell me about it.
- Benny Stulwicz: It started because I want a new refrigerator on a counter I'm getting married, and the one I have it doesn't get cold on the bottom part.
- Stuart Markowitz: Uh-huh.
- Benny Stulwicz: And the guy who came to fix it, says he can't fix it now. And he said it be cheaper to get a new one. So that's what I'm want to do. Because If I'm gonna married, I want to have a good refrigerator.
- Stuart Markowitz: I agree with that.
- Benny Stulwicz: But I don't have enough money in my emergency savings. I used it for Alice's ring. So I decided to sell my baseball card collection for money. So Jerry, he came and looked at my cards, and he said he wanted them.
- Stuart Markowitz: Who's Jerry?
- Benny Stulwicz: Uh, he likes my cards. Only I can't give him all my cards because I promised Frank Malzone to Ed.
- Stuart Markowitz: Who's that?
- Benny Stulwicz: Third base, Red Sox.
- Stuart Markowitz: No, that's uh, that's Frank Malzone. And who's Ed?
- Benny Stulwicz: He's my friend who likes my cards, except he doesn't want all of them. He just want some.
- Stuart Markowitz: Mm-hmm.
- Benny Stulwicz: And so I told Jerry that I couldn't give him Frank Malzone and some of the others, and he got real mad, and he send me this.
- Stuart Markowitz: It's a summons.
- Benny Stulwicz: What's that mean?
- Stuart Markowitz: It means he's suing you, Benny. Your friend Jerry's gonna taking you to court.
- Benny Stulwicz: Oh, God.
- Stuart Markowitz: No. Don't worry. I'll look into it. Okay? Don't worry.
- Benny Stulwicz: I just wanted a new refrigerator because of the bottom part.
- Stuart Markowitz: It doesn't get cold. I know.
- Gretchen Wynn: It wasn't that his frog would have won. I don't know it would've even budged. It was very obese.
- Jonathan Rollins: Why did you disqualify it?
- Gretchen Wynn: Because it was dangerous. He's trying to enter this giant African thing with teeth, and I had to be concerned for the other frogs.
- Michael Roitman: Come on, Your Honor.
- Judge Walter Green: Mr. Roitman.
- Gretchen Wynn: It's true. The people spend a lot of money on them. They're like pampered athletes. And if one of them gets eaten by his entrant, then we've got a lawsuit on our hands.
- Michael Roitman: Move to strike, Your Honor, there's no evidence that my client's frog eats it's competition.
- Judge Walter Green: Denied.
- Gretchen Wynn: I'm sorry, but the committee couldn't consider this a normal frog within the spirit of the rules. And we felt that disqualification was warranted.
- Jonathan Rollins: Thank you, Mrs. Wynn.
- Michael Roitman: Mrs. Wynn. Uh, Ms. Wynn. Are there, uh, rules guiding these competitions?
- Gretchen Wynn: There are.
- Michael Roitman: Do these rules limit the size of the entrance?
- Gretchen Wynn: Who would've thought they could get so big?
- Michael Roitman: Is it not true, Mrs. Wynn, that you disqualified my client's frog because you knew that would break the world's record? You didn't want to be on the hook for extra 10 grand?
- Gretchen Wynn: Not true. That frog was fat, and languid, and it probably wouldn't have budged.
- Ray Breecher: You lying cheat.
- Jonathan Rollins: Objection.
- Ray Breecher: It jumps huge!
- Judge Walter Green: Hey, Mr. Breecher.
- Gretchen Wynn: We also suspected steroids.
- Michael Roitman: Objection, Your Honor.
- Ray Breecher: Defamation of character, Judge.
- Judge Walter Green: That's enough. All right, I wanna see this thing. Can you bring it in here?
- Gretchen Wynn: In a truck, maybe.
- Judge Walter Green: Mrs. Wynn, I'm going to lose my patience.
- Michael Roitman: Uh, yes, Your Honor. We can have said frog here, uh, in the A.M.
- Judge Walter Green: Good. I want to see if it's really a frog. And I want to see if it jumps. Have it here at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
- [Judge Green puts his glasses back on, and warned Mr. Breecher, remember to stay clean and drug-free without steroids]
- Judge Walter Green: Drug-free. We're adjourned.
- [It's raining, the traffic of downtown Los Angeles]
- Joel Lassen: I can't have 6 months in jail.
- Abby Perkins: It might be get a good way to get drugs out of your system.
- Joel Lassen: What about this motion to dismissed? You said we can win that.
- Abby Perkins: And then what? You're back on the streets. You're getting high.
- Joel Lassen: You're suppose to be my lawyer here, not my social worker.
- Abby Perkins: I am your lawyer. And I'm also trying to thinking of what's best for you.
- Joel Lassen: This is coming from my father, isn't it? This what he wants, right?
- Abby Perkins: Your father is scared, Joel. He's scared that drugs are gonna ended up killing you.
- Joel Lassen: I can't spend 6 months in jail, Abby. I can't.
- Abby Perkins: Look, I've always been straight with you, okay? And I'm being straight with you now when I say that I think your father is right.
- Joel Lassen: And be straight with me, and one more thing, this motion to dismiss. You think you can win it?
- Abby Perkins: Yes.
- Joel Lassen: Then that's what I want you to do.
- Abby Perkins: He's the client. Not Abe. If he doesn't want to plead guilty - I can't be...
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Come on. Abby, he's a drug addict.
- Abby Perkins: He wasn't on drugs when he was here, Douglas, I have no reason to question his capacity to make this decisions.
- Arnie Becker: OK, Abby, technically, you're right. Joel is the client, you're... you're supposed to do what he says. Look if we do get this thing kicked, that kid go straight back to drugs. Hey, are you gonna feel good about that just because technically you're ethically correct? Let me tell you something else. If we get the case dismissed, we'll lose Abe Lassen as our client.
- Abby Perkins: I can't let that be a factor.
- Arnie Becker: Look, Abby, I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you here.
- [Arnie closed the door and have private at Douglas' office]
- Arnie Becker: If I lose Abe Lassen as a client, I lose a big chunk of my clout. The balance of power tilts even more heavily in Rosalind Shays' favor. She already has to be as client bases, she already been made Senior Partner. Losing Abe Lassen is going puts her one step closer to having unfettered control to do whatever the hell she wants.
- Abby Perkins: Why don't you take me off the case? Cut the plea yourself.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: If we did that, Joel would smell a rat, and get a new lawyer, and the results for here will be the same.
- Arnie Becker: You know the kid is better off doing the 6 months, Abby, you know it. All we're asking you to do is steer him in the direction would best help him give up drugs. Yes, I'm asking you to do it for Abe, yes, I'm asking you to do it for me, but I'm asking you to do it for Joel. Maybe his only chance, for God's sake.
- Abby Perkins: OK, I'll see if I can convince him.
- Arnie Becker: Thank you.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Thank you.
- [Abby will give it a shot and a try to help save her client Joel Lassen]
- Stuart Markowitz: Look, uh, he's willing to sell them to you, Mr. Svetka. He just wants to hold back a few back for Ed.
- Jerry Svetka: He's looking to hold back Heinie Manush, he's looking to hold back Gus Bell, he's looking to hold back a '62 Warren Spahn in near mint condition.
- Benny Stulwicz: I never said I'd sell them to you, Jerry.
- Jerry Svetka: Whether express or implied, binding representations were made which I placed reliance upon thereto.
- Stuart Markowitz: Are you an attorney?
- Jerry Svetka: Freelance Paralegal.
- Stuart Markowitz: Aha.
- Jerry Svetka: Well, you think that's gonna make it easy for you?
- Stuart Markowitz: Look, what are we talking about here, a couple hundred bucks?
- Jerry Svetka: Try 13,000, and it's an appreciating asset. He's got an important collection, Mr. Markowitz, I'm not about to watch it slip away. You'll see by the affidavits annexed hereto, but all parties have been served, a TRO's been issued, freezing any subsequent transfers and depositions have been scheduled.
- Stuart Markowitz: You got to be kidding.
- Jerry Svetka: I know my way around litigation, Mr. Markowitz. Maybe even better than your average tax attorney.
- Stuart Markowitz: Look, if you want to go to court, we'll go to court.
- Benny Stulwicz: Stuart!
- Jerry Svetka: Benny, I want those cards placed in escrow. Excuse me.
- Benny Stulwicz: Stuart, I don't want to go to court. You said we wouldn't have to.
- Stuart Markowitz: It's going to be fine, Benny. Don't worry. It's just going to be fine.
- [Knocking on the door is Leland to see Rosalind Shays, as the Office of Senior Partner]
- Leland McKenzie: How goes life at the top?
- Rosalind Shays: [Rosalind chuckling] As lonely as it's cracked up to be. I'm still a little terrified, Leland.
- Leland McKenzie: Aah. You've got nothing to worry about.
- Rosalind Shays: I'd be a little more self-assured if I'd gotten your vote.
- Leland McKenzie: And you won the election, Rosalind. Having done so, you get my full support. You need anything, you just ask.
- Rosalind Shays: [Rosalind appreciate it] Thank you. There is one thing you could do for me.
- Leland McKenzie: [Leland turned back to Rosalind] Name it.
- Rosalind Shays: Start wearing your hearing aids.
- Leland McKenzie: Excuse me?
- Rosalind Shays: I'm sorry. I know that, you wear them to court. And at home in your private life. I think you should wear them here.
- Leland McKenzie: But that's, uh, personal decision, Rosalind.
- Rosalind Shays: Leland, if a client representation is compromised because you didn't catch something or you misheard something. This firm could be subject to a malpractice suit.
- Leland McKenzie: Oh, but that's never happened, Rosalind, and I...
- Rosalind Shays: And it probably never will. But your hearing disability is known. And that makes the possibility of mishap foreseeable. And that leave us exposed to potential liability. Just as you had to look after this place when you were in charge, so now must I.
- Leland McKenzie: Okay, Rosalind. I'll wear 'em.
- [Then Leland can go and closed the door. And Rosalind will get back to work]
- Abe Lassen: Let's just see what the District Attorney offers. If it's reasonable...
- Joel Lassen: Let's cut the crap, dad, you want me to do times, so let's not pretend...
- Abe Lassen: I want you off drugs, Joel.
- Abby Perkins: Look, I don't even know what our options are yet. If we can get an offer for 6 months, Joel, we should probably...
- Joel Lassen: No! You're my lawyer, not his. You're supposed to be...
- Abe Lassen: We're all on the same sides.
- Joel Lassen: We are not on the same sides! You want me...
- [Abe grabbed and holding his son Joel]
- Abe Lassen: Will you listen to me?
- [Joel is arguing and refuses to listen to his father Abe]
- Abe Lassen: Will you listen to me? For God's sake, Joel, I'm your father, you're my son, I love you. But we got a problem here, we can't get seem to get by.
- Joel Lassen: Well, prison's not gonna do it, dad. Don't make me do this.
- Abe Lassen: It's the only thing left to try. 6 months is a good deal, probably the best we can do, ask your lawyer.
- Abby Perkins: Come on we better get in there.
- Abby Perkins: It's not like you're going to San Quentin, Joel.
- Joel Lassen: Jail is jail, they stick you in the cell.
- Abe Lassen: Listen to your lawyer. You don't plea, and you lose, and you could get 2 years in state prison. You want that?
- Joel Lassen: No, what I want is to be free.
- Abby Perkins: Look, I don't even know what our options are yet, okay? I've got to talk to the D.A. When the case is called, step up with me.
- Clerk: People vs. Steve Dollof. Disturbing the peace.
- Abby Perkins: [Abby Perkins heads to talk to the D.A. Jim Aoli] Jim, I got Joel Lassen.
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Yeah, that's me. Are we dealing?
- Abby Perkins: I'm looking for next to nothing. He got a rookie cop searching in the trunk on a moving violation. There's no way...
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Yeah, yeah. What was it? 2 grams?
- Abby Perkins: No intent. You want a guilty plea? Let him go with probation.
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
- Abby Perkins: What?
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Well, we do it today. We roll the dice for a dismissal motion and I'm going for jail time.
- Abby Perkins: Okay.
- D.A. Jim Aoli: 6 months?
- Abby Perkins: Done.
- [the box has caution and warning says in the box of a frog, "Handle with Care." When Mr. Breecher and his lawyer Michael Roitman helped open the box, Mr. Breecher brings out the frog named Richard with a little ace bandage in his left leg to get started. And they're ready to begin the demonstration. The frog croaking]
- Michael Roitman: As you can see, Your Honor, this is clearly a frog.
- Judge Walter Green: It's very big frog. What's that on it's leg?
- Ray Breecher: It's a little ace bandage, Your Honor. He pulled the hamstring during a workout yesterday.
- Gretchen Wynn: Show him the teeth.
- Judge Walter Green: All right. All right. I'm sure it is bigger than any of the contest commissioner's ever imagine. But, Mrs. Wynn, that is a frog.
- Michael Roitman: Thank you, Your Honor. May we expect the judgment?
- Judge Walter Green: Hold on, I don't see it doing much jumping. There's no evidence that it would definitely won the event.
- Ray Breecher: Oh, I'd like to demonstrate then, Your Honor.
- Michael Roitman: May I remind the court of the hamstring injury?
- Judge Walter Green: Just make it jump.
- [Judge Green will make himself smile happily and see the frog demonstration. And Judge Green will be proud of it]
- [the first day of a new incoming Senior Partner as the first woman to be in charge in the law offices meeting is Rosalind Shays since she was elected last week]
- Stuart Markowitz: Ann.
- Rosalind Shays: Douglas, I think everybody's here. Why don't you get started?
- [And every people seated. Douglas bring his coffee and opened his time on his pocket watch, beginning the meeting of today in the morning]
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Okay. People vs. Lassen.
- Abby Perkins: Joel Lassen's been busted for possession again. Arraignments tomorrow.
- Rosalind Shays: Why are we in this?
- Arnie Becker: Because he's Abe Lassen's son.
- Rosalind Shays: Say no more.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Breecher vs Wynn.
- Jonathan Rollins: That's mine. Our client packages county fairs. The main event of one of them is a frog-jumping contest. There was prize money involved, and one enterprising entrant, got himself something called an African Goliath frog.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: An African Goliath frog.
- Jonathan Rollins: Yeah. It was ruled ineligible hence the suit.
- Rosalind Shays: I understand that there's appeal in things novel and strange. I also understand that as an attorneys, we need to amuse ourselves. But quite frankly, what I can't countenance are the sort of indulgences that hurt us.
- Victor Sifuentes: How does this hurt us?
- Rosalind Shays: It costs us. It makes us look foolish. What I'm saying, Jonathan, is that I think you're to have to be more selective of the kinds of cases he take on.
- Leland McKenzie: Actually, he didn't take on the case, Rosalind. I did.
- [Rosalind is waiting. Move on the next quorum. Arnie looked quiet. Leland is waiting, too]
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: Moving along. Jackson vs. Haas.
- Ann Kelsey: That's mine. A young black boy was kicked to death by a skinhead. We're suing the skinhead's parents.
- Arnie Becker: Why?
- Ann Kelsey: Why? Because a kid doesn't become a racist thug in the vacuum.
- Douglas Brackman, Jr.: But suing the parents? To me, this utter litigiousness. It's... it's looking to the courts for a payday.
- Jonathan Rollins: It's looking to the courts to fight bigotry, like... like Brown vs. Board of Education. Was that utter litigiousness?
- Rosalind Shays: What was the age of the defendant's son at the time of killing, Ann?
- Ann Kelsey: He was 15, Rosalind.
- Rosalind Shays: I think that's young enough to infer parental liabilities. Good luck.
- [Stuart is next soon]
- Rosalind Shays: Move along, Douglas.
- [Douglas is waiting, Leland holding his address note book]
- Rosalind Shays: I said, why don't we move along?
- [Meeting is adjourned]
- Ray Breecher: Okay, Richard, inhale, and leap. Come on, boy. Inhale. I just had breakfast, Your Honor, so...
- Gretchen Wynn: Probably a donut.
- Michael Roitman: Objection, Your Honor. May I ask the defendant to cease the harassment during this demonstration?
- Judge Walter Green: What demonstration? It looks dead to me.
- Ray Breecher: He's gathering himself, Your Honor. He's not ready to jump. Look at his eyes.
- Judge Walter Green: Oh, for God's sake.
- Michael Roitman: Oh, no, I can see it.
- Jonathan Rollins: Hey, he's sticking him with a pin.
- Ray Breecher: Prodders are allowed.
- Judge Walter Green: Oh, just get on with it, would you?
- Gretchen Wynn: I told you, it doesn't jump.
- [Then watch Ray do the demonstration when he kick the frog and have Richard the frog jump higher to take off and landed on Judge Green]
- Judge Walter Green: Yaah!
- Michael Roitman: He's attacking the judge!
- Gretchen Wynn: Look at the teeth.
- Ray Breecher: [Frog croaked] I told you to sit! Stay! Stay right there!
- Gretchen Wynn: It's vicious. It's a vicious frog.
- Judge Walter Green: Get this thing now!
- Ray Breecher: [Ray got his pet frog Richard] I got him. I got him, Your Honor. Oh, uh, I think he pulled another muscle.
- Ray Breecher: Ask you've recuse yourself, Your Honor.
- Judge Walter Green: Forget it. I'm going to take this stupid thing under advisement. I want everybody back here at 2:00 tomorrow.
- [Richard the frog croaking]
- Judge Walter Green: Oh, for God's sake.
- [Judge Green heads back to his chambers and closed the door. Frog ribbit. The crowds are laughing. Jonathan felt dejected]
- Clerk: People vs. Joel Lassen.
- [Abby wants Joel to come to the Judge's bench]
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Jim Aoli for the People.
- [Joel Lassen is coming]
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Straight possession, Your Honor, I think we can make this thing going away right now.
- Judge Richard Bartke: How delightful.
- D.A. Jim Aoli: Defendant agrees to plead guilty, Joint recommendation for 6 months probation.
- Judge Richard Bartke: Defense he'll agrees?
- Abby Perkins: We do.
- Judge Richard Bartke: You got it. Guilty. 6 months probation. Mr. Lassen, check with probation officer, please. Next case.
- Clerk: People vs. Robert Brown.
- Joel Lassen: Probation. That's it, I can go?
- Abby Perkins: Yeah.
- Abe Lassen: Way the go, Counselor.
- Abby Perkins: Look, Mr. Lassen, I did what the D.A. was going to...
- Abe Lassen: I don't talk to you anymore. I talk to your boss. Come on, Joel.
- [Abe takes his son Joel and left the courtroom. And Abby will be leaving, too]
- Paul Zweibel: Now you only want seven cards in total.
- Jerry Svetka: The collection's meaningless to me without those cards.
- Stuart Markowitz: Hold on. Now which seven do you want?
- Paul Zweibel: Don't talk to my client here.
- Stuart Markowitz: I'm asking him a simple question.
- Ed Tobias: You told me I can have them, Benny.
- Jerry Svetka: There was an offer. And an acceptance, a valid contract.
- Stuart Markowitz: Now wait a minute. Backup. Now first of all, let me just say as delicately as possible, but, uh, that there are certain questions as to Benny's capacity to enter into an forcefully...
- Ed Tobias: He's trying to squirm out of it.
- Stuart Markowitz: I don't appreciate that.
- Paul Zweibel: You don't talk to my client.
- Jerry Svetka: I'm go for punies.
- Benny Stulwicz: Leave me alone, Jerry.
- Stuart Markowitz: ...Mr. Svetka.
- Ed Tobias: When you needed Elroy Face, I got you Elroy Face.
- Stuart Markowitz: Let's...
- Benny Stulwicz: I gave you Willie Mays.
- Paul Zweibel: [Continues arguing] Don't talk to him.
- Jerry Svetka: You're honoring a contract!
- Benny Stulwicz: You ought to me first.
- Stuart Markowitz: Hold it, guys. We're talking about baseball cards.
- Paul Zweibel: We're talking about promises my client relied upon to his daft-format. Now he could have made other acquisition.
- Stuart Markowitz: I don't believe this.
- Jerry Svetka: The trouble with your lawyer, Benny, is that he doesn't grasp nuance.
- Benny Stulwicz: I never said I'd sell them to you, Jerry.
- Jerry Svetka: You ever hold a '51 Mickey Mantle with four sharp corners and original gloss?
- Stuart Markowitz: You're nuts. These things come five to a pack with a stick of guts.
- Ed Tobias: That's one of the seven card.
- [Ed ripping Benny's baseball card]
- Stuart Markowitz: Give me...
- Paul Zweibel: That was a '54 Wally Moon.
- Benny Stulwicz: You ripped my card.
- Stuart Markowitz: He ripped it. Not me. You saw it.
- Jerry Svetka: I'm adding on a claim against you. That was gross negligence. On amending.
- Stuart Markowitz: I'll pin your ears back, you little squid.
- Benny Stulwicz: I'm leaving.
- Ed Tobias: The big guy's upset.
- Jerry Svetka: This isn't over, Benny.
- Benny Stulwicz: You said you'd fix things.
- [Benny takes his baseball cards collections, exiting the conference meeting room and leave. Stuart looking scared]
- Ann Kelsey: When did you move into the house, Mr. Jackson?
- Charles Jackson: April '87. I was made the Branch Manager at the bank. For the first time, our lives were actually able to own our own home.
- Ann Kelsey: How did you like the neighborhood?
- Charles Jackson: I liked it a lot. We were near a park. My son could walk to school. We loved it.
- Ann Kelsey: Would you describe for us what happened to you there, sir?
- Charles Jackson: One morning, I went out on my "white power" was painted on the sidewalk. I reported it to the police, painted it out, and got myself ready.
- Ann Kelsey: Ready for what?
- Charles Jackson: I grew up in the south. When people start talking about white power, it isn't just words.
- Ann Kelsey: It wasn't just words here in California either, wasn't it, sir?
- Charles Jackson: No... it wasn't.
- Ann Kelsey: What happened, Mr. Jackson?
- Charles Jackson: One afternoon, I got a call... at work from my son's school. They said Nathan had been involved in an incident. They said my son was dead.
- Ann Kelsey: Your Honor, I offer this time, the stipulation of the parties that the death of Nathan Jackson, age 14, was caused by the physical violence intentionally inflicted upon him by Keith Haas, the 15-year-old son of the defendants Jim and Pauline Haas.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: So stipulated.
- Ann Kelsey: It is further stipulated that Keith Haas was tried and convicted of Nathan Jackson's murder, for which crime he's presently incarcerated.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Again, so stipulated.
- Ann Kelsey: Mr. Jackson, would describe for the court the anguish caused to you and your wife by the loss of your son?
- Lawyer William Willis: Your Honor, the defense will also stipulate that the pain and suffering caused by this tragedy is extraordinary and immeasurable.
- Ann Kelsey: I'd like the witness to give his answer.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: The stipulation is noted. The witness can still give his response.
- Ann Kelsey: Mr. Jackson.
- Charles Jackson: I'm sorry. I - I - I know you said I had to talk about this, but I'm - I'm sorry.
- Ann Kelsey: That's OK, sir. I have nothing further, Your Honor.
- Lawyer William Willis: Have you ever met these people, Mr. Jackson?
- Charles Jackson: Yes, sir.
- Lawyer William Willis: When did you meet them?
- Charles Jackson: After that happened and then again at the trial.
- Lawyer William Willis: Did any reason to think they wrote "White Power" on the side walk?
- Charles Jackson: No, sir.
- Lawyer William Willis: Did they ever use a racial epithets in your presence?
- Charles Jackson: No, sir.
- Lawyer William Willis: Have any knowledge they knew that their son would commit violence against Nathan?
- Charles Jackson: His son grew up in their house. They knew he was a racist.
- Lawyer William Willis: But he didn't know he was about to commit violence, did they?
- Charles Jackson: That boy picked fights with six other Black people in the last 18 months. They knew.
- Lawyer William Willis: Move to strike.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Overruled.
- Charles Jackson: Where do you learn that kinda hatred to stomp a boy to death in a school playground?
- Lawyer William Willis: Their son did that, sir. How do you blame them?
- Charles Jackson: Because their son did that! The boy they raised grew up hating Blacks!
- Lawyer William Willis: Move to strike.
- Charles Jackson: The boy they raised murdered my son because he was Black.
- Lawyer William Willis: Your Honor!
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Mr. Jackson.
- Charles Jackson: How can I not blame you? How can I not blame you?
- [Mr. Haas look shocked. And Mrs. Haas look scared]
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Counselor?
- Lawyer William Willis: You don't deny killing Nathan Jackson, do you, Keith?
- Keith Haas: No, sir, I don't.
- Lawyer William Willis: Now, how would you do something like that?
- Keith Haas: I've started off as just a fight. I guess I lost control.
- Lawyer William Willis: Can you tell us what part your parents played?
- Keith Haas: They didn't play any part.
- Lawyer William Willis: What do you think they might have done it, if they had known you were going to do something like this?
- Ann Kelsey: Objection. Speculative.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Sustained.
- Lawyer William Willis: Let me try a different way. How did they react to this?
- Keith Haas: They were very unhappy about it.
- Lawyer William Willis: Now did you ever indicate your parents that you might attack somebody?
- Keith Haas: No. As I said I didn't know myself it was gonna happen. It just did.
- Lawyer William Willis: Nothing further.
- Ann Kelsey: You look a little different now than you used to, don't you, Keith?
- Keith Haas: I guess.
- Ann Kelsey: Is this a fair and accurate representation in the way you looked at the time that you kick Nathan Jackson to death?
- [Ann Kelsey show this photo of the late Nathan Jackson to Keith Haas]
- Keith Haas: Yes.
- Ann Kelsey: Ask that this photograph be admitted into evidence as Plaintiff's exhibit number one.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: So ordered.
- Ann Kelsey: Asked that the court instruct the witness to roll up his right sleeve.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Mr. Haas.
- [Keith roll up his right sleeve and has a tattoo of swastika in his right forearm]
- Ann Kelsey: Let the record reflect on the witness's right forearm is a tattoo of swastika.
- Ann Kelsey: Did you have that at the time of the murder?
- Keith Haas: I believe I did.
- Ann Kelsey: Did your parents know about it?
- Keith Haas: Yeah. They knew.
- Ann Kelsey: What did they say when you first came home with it?
- Keith Haas: I don't remember.
- Ann Kelsey: The reason that you attack Nathan Jackson from behind and kick him to death is because he had taken a walk with a white girl, is that right? Isn't that the reason that you gave for the attack, Keith?
- Keith Haas: Yes.
- Ann Kelsey: And you called her a race traitor for walking with a black boy, didn't you?
- Keith Haas: She was a race traitor.
- Ann Kelsey: Are your parents race traitors, Keith?
- Lawyer William Willis: Objection.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Overruled.
- Ann Kelsey: Are your parents race traitors, Keith?
- Keith Haas: No.
- Ann Kelsey: Do they feel the same way you do about blacks and Jews?
- Lawyer William Willis: Objection!
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Overruled.
- Ann Kelsey: How do they feel about blacks and Jews?
- Keith Haas: Ask them.
- Ann Kelsey: I'm asking you, son. You refer to black people as "niggers", did you hear that word at home?
- Keith Haas: I'll tell you this much, they weren't ashamed of being white. They didn't raise me to be ashamed of it either.
- Ann Kelsey: And you're thankful for that, aren't you?
- Keith Haas: I'm thankful. I was born with enough intelligence to know that White Christian people have been getting pushed around from every direction. We're tired of it. We're fighting back. When the time comes, this will be our country. This will be our courtroom, and we'll be the ones asking the questions.
- Ann Kelsey: I have nothing further, Your Honor.
- Jim Haas: I know that he liked to wear his hair short and I knew he joined that group. But kids go to stuff like this, I thought he'd grow out of it.
- Lawyer William Willis: Kids don't usually commit murder, sir.
- Jim Haas: I had no idea he could have ever do something like that.
- Lawyer William Willis: Well, what if you had, Mr. Haas? What if you had any inkling at all your son could attack somebody the way he went after Nathan Jackson?
- Jim Haas: I would have tried to stop him. I don't know what I want to succeed or not, but I sure as hell would've tried.
- Lawyer William Willis: I have no further questions.
- Ann Kelsey: Did you ever tell your son not to join the skinhead group?
- Ann Kelsey: He was a mixed-up kid, Ms. Kelsey. He never listen to me much.
- Ann Kelsey: Did you try?
- Jim Haas: As best I could.
- Ann Kelsey: As best you could? But wouldn't that group sometimes hold their meetings in your garage?
- Jim Haas: Well, they weren't meetings. A few don't come over. And Keith and them would hang out in the garage enough.
- Ann Kelsey: And you also let your son hang not see posters in his bedroom in your house. Isn't it possible, Mr. Haas, that your son has led to believe that you approve all this?
- Jim Haas: Nah, I never told him I approved.
- Ann Kelsey: Did you ever say, "take him down?" Did you ever say, "I don't want posters in my house that read, "Death to race mixing are niggers get out?"
- Jim Haas: Frankly, I'm a parent like everybody else. Praying to God every night just to hang on to my kid.
- Ann Kelsey: So you condone his bigotry?
- Jim Haas: I didn't condone anything. Maybe we tolerated some of that stuff more than we should have, because we didn't want him run out one day and never coming back.
- Ann Kelsey: Oh, I get it. What a relief it must be to know that after he finishes kicking blacks to death, he'll be home for supper.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Ms. Kelsey!
- Lawyer William Willis: Objection!
- Jim Haas: If I thought he was gonna do what he did. I would have broken his legs.
- [Ms. Kelsey returns to her seat. Mr. Haas addresses to Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Jackson the Plaintiffs]
- Jim Haas: Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, you gotta believe me when I tell you that I'm sorry.
- [the two lawyers Ann Kelsey and William Willis brings Charles Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, Jim Haas and Pauline Haas to the chambers of Judge Grace Van Owen]
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Okay, exactly where are we?
- Lawyer William Willis: We've offered 35,000, Your Honor, and they've rejected it.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: 35 may seem low, but according to the financial statements submitted the defendants are pretty judgment-proof. You could be chasing an empty bag.
- Ann Kelsey: They have a house, Your Honor.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Yes, they do. Valued at $92,000, carrying a mortgage of 41,000, leaving them with an equity of 51,000. It could take a long time to execute the attachment and the sale. You really want to go through all that for the extra 16?
- Charles Jackson: My son's life was worth more than $35,000, judge.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Of course it was, Mr. Jackson. But I'm sure your lawyer has told you this lawsuit is going to be very difficult for you to win. Suing parents for the crimes of their children is a pretty novel approach, Mr. Jackson.
- Charles Jackson: I know that. And Ms. Kelsey tells me that because of that, a lot people will be watching what happens here. That's what I'm after, Your Honor. I want people noticing this.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Can you tell me what that accomplishes?
- Charles Jackson: If I win, it says he should've done something. And they says that parents cannot raise their children to be racists, murderers, and then just unleash them on the world.
- Jim Haas: I'm just a working stiff, Mr. Jackson.
- Charles Jackson: I'm a working stiff, too.
- Jim Haas: That's right. Uh, the truth is... we're probably more alike than we are different.
- Charles Jackson: No, see, your son is not dead. Mine is. And I don't want him dying for nothing. Something's gonna come out of this.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Gentlemen, that's enough. You want to go forward?
- Ann Kelsey: Yes, we do.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Summations at 2:00, then.
- Ann Kelsey: Obviously, we can't start chasing parents every time a kid screws up. And I'm certainly not suggesting that the Haas' are criminals or asking that they be put in jail. Their son did this, not them. What I'm asking is that they take a little responsibility because the hatred that ultimately killed Nathan Jackson was born in their home. They shrug their shoulders, when their son came home with a swastika burned into his arm. They let him hang posters that read, "Death to the niggers." They sat back and did nothing while he repeatedly instigated fights with black children. The most malignant assumption we can make about these people is that they encourage their son's racism. The most benign, is that they ignored it and allowed to fester. Either way, it ended up killing Nathan Jackson. Either way, they have to take some responsiblity. Lawsuits are about allocating burdens, Ladies and gentlemen. We use lawsuits to place the burden on the manufacturers to make their products safer. We use lawsuits to place the burden on people to act in nonnegligent ways. Right now, today, let's put the burden on the parents - that they can't just close their eyes to bigotry in their own home. Because if we allow the parents to ignore the prejudices in their children, if we allow them to turn away from racism and just hope that it will go away, it will never go away. And more kids like Nathan Jackson are going to die.
- [Ann concluding her speech. William Willis was impress of Ms. Kelsey's stirring speech. Mr. Willis will make a closing statement, too]
- Lawyer William Willis: That was a stirring speech. It really was. It was so good. It could almost make you forget the law. Under the law, Ladies and gentlemen, you can't hold parents liable just because their child is a racist. Under the law, you can't punish parents for the sins of the children. You can only hold them liable if they knew this crime was going to happen and did nothing to prevent it. And there was no evidence whatsoever that my clients knew their son would attack Nathan Jackson. None. This is not a case about racism. It is about a murder, and the evidence is uncontroverted. My clients' only connection to this crime is that they were the parents of the killer. In Ms. Kelsey's World, that's enough to hold them liable, I guess. But in this world, under the laws of this country, it isn't. It just isn't.
- Abby Perkins: What was I suppose to do? The DA went for. I suppose to say...
- Abe Lassen: Because you pushed for it.
- Arnie Becker: Listen, Abe, this was a difficult call...
- Abe Lassen: Where the hell were you? You're supposed to be taking care of me.
- Arnie Becker: I thought Abby would.
- Abby Perkins: Thanks, Arnie.
- Arnie Becker: I - I agree with Abe. Jail time is what Joel needs.
- Rosalind Shays: [Opening the door] Sorry I'm late.
- Abe Lassen: Who the hell are you?
- Rosalind Shays: I'm Rosalind Shays, Mr. Lassen, I'm the new Senior Partner here. Douglas has explained to me what's happened.
- Abe Lassen: Good. Explain to me what you got to do about it.
- Rosalind Shays: Well, under the circumstances...
- Abe Lassen: I don't want any circumstances. I want her fired today.
- Rosalind Shays: Now, why would I do that?
- Abe Lassen: Why? Because she ignored my instructions, that's why.
- Rosalind Shays: Ms. Perkins was bound by an attorney's code of ethics, and she behaved appropriately. This firm stands behind her.
- Abe Lassen: [Pointing the finger at Mr. Becker and Mr. Brackman] These two don't seem to stand behind her.
- Rosalind Shays: As I said I'm the Senior Partner.
- Abe Lassen: I'll have somebody here to pick up my files. You just lost yourself a client, Senior Partner.
- [Abe Lassen walks out of that door, exit, and leave Arnie's office]
- Arnie Becker: I appreciate that, Rosalind. That was my client you just encouraged out the door.
- Rosalind Shays: How dare you hanging associate out like that, both of you! Abby have no choice but to do what she did, and for you not to support her here is reprehensible!
- Arnie Becker: [Yelling] Abe Lassen is good for about 500,000 a year!
- Rosalind Shays: There was no price tag on our ethics when Leland was in charge, and there isn't now.
- [Rosalind leaves and slams the door closed. Arnie and Douglas are in big trouble]
- Judge Grace Van Owen: If you find the defendants knew of their son Keith Haas' propensity to commit violence. Then you must consider whether they had opportunity to prevent this violence. And if your answer to this question is yes, you then must consider whether the defendants failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the violence from occurring. And if your answer to that question is also yes, you must then find for the plaintiff and award damages which you find to reasonably compensate the plaintiffs for the loss of their son. I must caution you, however. It is not enough that the defendants knew their son to be racist. It is not enough that they tolerated or even contributed to his racist beliefs. There is no legal obligation upon parents to shape the opinions of their children. You are to focus only on the propensity for the violence and the parents' opportunity to prevent this violence. This concludes my instructions. This court is hereby adjourned pending your deliberations. And good luck.
- [Back in the chambers of Judge Grace Van Owen, Ann has arguing with Judge Van Oven]
- Ann Kelsey: How could you possibly give a charge like that?
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Ann, this is ex parte, you know better than to come in...
- Ann Kelsey: And you better than to practically guarantee a defense verdict.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: I didn't do that.
- Ann Kelsey: That's exactly what you did.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: What I did, Ann, was to focus them on the issue at hand instead of a societal problem, you ask them to cure. I cannot send the jury back with the idea that they have an obligation to wipe out bigotry. The issue was the violence and the defendants' connection to the violence. And that's it.
- Ann Kelsey: The parents helped cultivate the racism in which...
- Judge Grace Van Owen: If that's all they're guilty of, then the defendants win here. Your speech was sensational, but it was way ahead of the law. If you want to run for office, I'll vote for you. But in my courtroom, I go by what's in the books.
- Ann Kelsey: Those instructions weren't in the books, Grace. Those instructions were tailor-made for a defense verdict.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: This is ex parte communication. It is inappropriate and my friendship for you aside, I will hold you in contempt.
- [Ann Kelsey heads out of the chambers. Judge Grace Van Owen will make a decision]
- Judge Walter Green: Be seated.
- [the plaintiff and the defendant seated]
- Judge Walter Green: First of all, let me thank all of you for entertaining demonstration.
- Ray Breecher: I decided to muzzle him, judge.
- Judge Walter Green: I don't care. Be glad I don't have him put to sleep. First of all, I find it under these very unusual circumstances, the creature did pose a safety risk.
- Michael Roitman: Your Honor, how can you be objective? It bit you.
- Judge Walter Green: Mr. Roitman, if you make one more objection or moved for a mistrial one more time, I shall order you to bathe with it.
- [That's great for Judge Walter Green with happy smile. Mr. Roitman take a seat and then listen]
- Judge Walter Green: The exclusion, however, was nevertheless illegal. The event was an invitational open to all frogs, and Mr. Breecher did in fact proffer a frog albeit a gigantic one. There's no evidence that the physical size was drug induced, and so the disqualification was therefore capricious. I find for the plaintiff and order the defendant to pay damages in the amount of $50,000. That's all.
- Benny Stulwicz: No, you, you have doubles of Luis Aparicio.
- Jerry Svetka: His rookie of the year card?
- Benny Stulwicz: Uh-huh.
- Ed Tobias: Okay. I'll give you that. You give me Johnny Podres and Gil Hodges.
- Stuart Markowitz: What's, uh, what's going on?
- Benny Stulwicz: We're having a meeting.
- Stuart Markowitz: Benny, I think I should be involved , especially it affects...
- Benny Stulwicz: No lawyers. I can fix this myself.
- Stuart Markowitz: Benny, we're talking about a considerable sale shares.
- Jerry Svetka: Here's the check. Put it in the escrow pending the completion of the transaction.
- Stuart Markowitz: It's for the full amount.
- Jerry Svetka: Hey, you're dealing with card collectors here. We're an honest group.
- Benny Stulwicz: Y-You have all the Dodgers pitchers.
- Ed Tobias: I still need Ralph Branca.
- Benny Stulwicz: Oh. You give him Ralph Branca. And you give Pee Wee Reese.
- Ed Tobias: Pee Wee Reese?
- Benny Stulwicz: It's a good trade.
- Jerry Svetka: Wait a minute. There's a gum stain on this one.
- Benny Stulwicz: Well, g-give him Norm Sherry, too.
- Ed Tobias: What?
- Benny Stulwicz: You still have his rookie card. That's better.
- Jerry Svetka: I don't know how you can do it, Ben. And how can you give up your cards?
- Benny Stulwicz: I'm getting married. Uh... now... yeah. You need Joe Pignatano, and he need Chuck Essegian.
- Joel Lassen: [Opening the door is Joel Lassen] Thanks a lot. Listen, I just had to come in and tell you, you're the greatest. And I thank you. And you won't regret it. I mean, I know you. The old man's upset, but everything's going to work out okay. Don't you worry. It'll all work out great.
- Abby Perkins: Are you on cocaine right now, Joel?
- Joel Lassen: No! I'm just up.
- Abby Perkins: You're lying.
- Joel Lassen: Listen, I'm gonna stop. I'm gonna stop my way.
- Abby Perkins: It's only one way to stop, and you need help to do it.
- Joel Lassen: No, I don't. I'm young, and I'm smart, and I'm too loose to break. What I'm trying to say, Abby, is that this boy comes out on top.
- [Joel bids good-bye]
- Rosalind Shays: I'll have those contracts ready for you by the end of the week.
- Daniel Siegfried: That'll be great.
- Leland McKenzie: Daniel?
- Daniel Siegfried: Leland. They got you working!
- Leland McKenzie: Well, we're under new management here. Rosalind tells me the prospectus is done.
- Daniel Siegfried: Oh, it's at the printers.
- Leland McKenzie: Great. It's good to see you, old friend.
- Daniel Siegfried: You, too, Leland.
- [Leland will take care]
- Daniel Siegfried: I never knew he wore a hearing aid.
- Rosalind Shays: Well, you're getting a little up, there you know.
- Daniel Siegfried: Is that why he stepped down?
- Rosalind Shays: He's still a valuable contributor, Daniel.
- Daniel Siegfried: I know, but - There's nothing for me to be concerned about, is there?
- Rosalind Shays: Of course not. You're in very good hands. I'm in complete charge here now.
- Daniel Siegfried: Good. Talk to you tomorrow.
- Rosalind Shays: Good.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: Has the jury reached a verdict?
- Foreperson: We have, Your Honor.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: What say you?
- Foreperson: In the matter of Jackson vs. Haas, we find for the plaintiffs and award the sum of $150,000.
- Judge Grace Van Owen: The jury is discharged with the thanks of the court. This matter is concluded. Court is now adjourned.
- [Congratulations to the plaintiffs Charles Jackson and his wife Mrs. Jackson. They hug each other. But the two defendants Jim Haas and his wife Pauline Haas has something they want to say to Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Jackson]
- Jim Haas: You can take my house, but that's all I got.
- Charles Jackson: I don't want your house, Mr. Haas. I got what I wanted.
- Jim Haas: Is there anything I can give you?
- Charles Jackson: No.
- Jim Haas: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
- Charles Jackson: I know you are.
- [Mr. Jackson and his wife Mrs. Jackson leaves and exit the courtroom. Ann Kelsey has glared at the skinhead's parents and she leaves. Jim Haas comfort his wife Pauline]