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.