The Practice (1997–2004): Season 3, Episode 20 - Home Invasions - full transcript

LINDSAY: Previously on
"The Practice"...

- You want to hire me
to defend you

in a sexual harassment case?

Don't you think
that's a little strange?

- Why?
You're an excellent attorney.

- Who you've had
erotic dreams about.

- Oh, please.
If I had a dime

for every erotic dream
I'd ever had, forget it.

- Is it possible that you
weren't that great a clerk?

- Well, I don't think
she had the opportunity

to really know whether I was
a good clerk or not.



- And why is that?

- The only thing that transpired
and her chambers was sex.

We probably made love

two to three times a day,
sometimes four.

- Listen, maybe you want to get
a glass of champagne later?

Toast our victory.

- Sure.
- Tell me, Jimmy,

do you typically toast victory
with all of your clients?

Or did all that sex
talk make you curious?

- We don't want this one.
- Why?

- The victim is a nun,
stabbed 30 times--

- Oh, come on,
you love these cases.

- Plus, the district
attorney is my roommate.

That's grounds for
disqualification, right there.



- Ms. Gamble, you are going
to put this man in jail,

aren't you?

- Yes, I'm definitely
gonna do that.

- We got a shot
at getting this case kicked.

- Excuse me?
- Fourth amendment.

Could be a bogus search.

- The search
of the closet was illegal.

The contents are inadmissible.
He is free to go.

[murmuring]

[soft music]

♪ ♪

- Bobby come in yet?
- No, not yet.

What's wrong, Jimmy?

- Nothing.

[door opens]

- Bobby, can I see you
a second?

- Now?
- Now.

- What's wrong?

- I was on the Internet,
last night.

You know,
just killing time.

Privacy of my own home.

I don't know
what I was thinking.

- Jimmy.

- I clicked onto a web page.

It was about hidden cameras.

I figured, what the heck.

- What, you saw
some girly pictures?

- Videos--
and not just any girly videos.

Lucy was in one of them.

- Lucy?

[whispers]
Our Lucy?

- Yeah.
- You're sure?

- I downloaded it to show you.

[computer whirrs]

It's kind of like psycho.

No,
nobody gets hurt or nothing.

Think she knows about this?

- That's not Lucy.

I mean, that's Lucy

but she--she wouldn't, um--

Turn it off.

- There's more.
- Jimmy.

- What should I do?
- You got to tell her.

- Maybe you should tell her.

[door opens]

What?
- What?

- Just bringing in the mail.

- Oh, you can just, uh,
put it on the desk.

- Yeah, right on the desk.
The desk is good.

- Okay?

What's wrong?
both: Nothing.

- The desk is fine.

- I'll take the mail.

- Okay.

[door closes]

- I don't think I could ever
look at her the same again.

- I know I can't.

[sighs]

[upbeat dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- I already testified once.

- That was at the prelim.
I explained this, Gary.

- You can't just
go with the other witnesses?

- You're the only eyewitness.

- [sighs]
Okay.

- You want to go over it again?
- No, I-I got it.

I'm okay.

- Gary,
I know this is hard.

- You know?

You ever see your mother
get shot, Miss Gamble?

- I'll try to keep it short.

- Does my father
have to be there?

- Gary,
he's the defendant.

♪ ♪

- So,
you didn't know about this?

I didn't think so.

[door opens]

- Hey, what's going on?

- Lindsay,
could you excuse us for a sec?

- Sure.

- How could this happen?

- You never made any videos?

- No.

- And you don't have
any roommates?

Okay.

Let's go check out
your apartment.

- When I arrived at the scene,
I found the defendant,

Gordon Armbrust,
seated on the living room sofa

with his head in his hands.

- What else did you see,
Detective?

- The victim,
Charlotte Armbrust.

She was lying on the floor.

- Her condition?

- She'd been shot once
in the chest at close range,

as was indicated
by the powder residue

around the entry wound.

- Was she alive,
at that time?

- The paramedics
were unable to revive her

and she was pronounced dead
at the scene.

- Detective, were you able
to recover a weapon?

- Yes, from the floor
of the same room,

several feet away
from Mrs. Armbrust.

I've recovered
the .38 Special revolver,

registered to the defendant.

Gun residue test revealed
that he had fired the weapon.

- And in the course
of your investigation,

did you determine if anyone
had witnessed the shooting?

- Yes, the victim's son,
Gary Armbrust,

had been present and gave
a full account of events.

- What did you do,
at that time?

- I placed the defendant
under arrest for murder.

His shirt
was splattered with blood

and that was sent
to the crime lab

for testing and analysis,
along with the gun.

- So, you spoke to
and had an opportunity

to observe Gary Armbrust
at the scene?

- Yes.
- And according to your report,

you observed his eyes to be
bloodshot and his speech

to be slightly slurred.

- He'd just witnessed
his mother's murder.

He had been crying
and was extremely upset.

- These symptoms
are also consistent with someone

under the influence
of drugs, correct?

- Sometimes, yes,
but he didn't appear to me

to be under the influence
of anything other than grief.

- He was never drug tested?
- No.

- And Gary Armbrust's account
of these events

played an instrumental role
in your decision

to arrest his father
for murder?

- Yes.

♪ ♪

[clanging]

BOBBY:
Here it is.

There's a VCR up here too.

Must be on
some kind of timer.

We should just leave it
as is and show the police.

We'll check out the rest
of the apartment.

In the meantime,

is there another place
that you can stay?

Lucy?
- What?

- Is there someone else
that you can stay?

- Yeah, with my dad.

- And you have no idea
who could be doing this?

- [sighs] No.
- [sighs] Okay, look,

I know you don't want
anybody else to find out

but I'd like to bring in
Eugene and Lindsay.

- No.
- Lucy.

- I don't want
them all to know, Bobby.

- It'll stay within the firm.

Lindsay's pretty up
to speed on computers

and I'll need Eugene
to knock on some doors.

Let us help you.

- Charlotte was
my closest friend.

I knew he was gonna do something
like this.

- Why do you say that,
Mrs. Roenisch?

- Their marriage
was falling apart.

She was planning
to leave Gordon

and his ego
couldn't take it

- Objection.
- Sustained.

- Did you ever
hear the defendant threaten her?

- Yes.

About a week before her death

I stopped by their house
to pick Charlotte up

for a yoga class.

She hated that class
because she didn't think

it was really exercise.

- I know this is difficult,
Mrs. Roenisch,

but we need to know
about the threat.

- I'm sorry.

Yes, well,
when I got there,

no one answered the door.

So I opened it a little...

to call for Charlotte
because I knew

she was expecting me.

- What did you see
at that time?

- Gordon was holding
Charlotte's arm.

She was trying to pull away

and he said
that if she left him

she wouldn't even
live long enough to regret it.

[murmuring]

- More accurately,
Gordon said

that he didn't
want her to leave him

and their son,
whom he believed

had a drug problem
and needed both parents.

- Well, yes, that's true
but it was still a threat.

- And you were so concerned
the threat you overheard

might be real that you
immediately contacted

the police?
- No.

That was my mistake.

[murmuring]

- Ms. Gamble.
- Hi, Gary, how you doing?

- Uh, I guess I'm okay.

I need to talk
to you about my testimony.

- Well, you want to come back
to my office

and we can run
through the questions again?

- No, no, that's all right.

It's just that--

- What is it?

- Look, I don't really
know how to say this

but part of what I told you
isn't true.

- Which part?

- The part about my father
murdering my mother.

I lied.

♪ ♪

- It was an accident.

- Then why did you tell
the police it was murder?

- I don't know.
I was angry.

- You need to do
better than that.

- My father
and I were in this fight.

He was so paranoid,
thinking I was using drugs.

I finally got fed up.

- Your father's fingerprints
are all night gun, not yours.

- I had flipped out.

I guess he thought I was
gonna attack him or something,

because he went
and grabbed the gun

he kept in the end table.

- Your own father
pulled a gun on you?

- Yeah.

And then, I charged him

and that's
when the gun went off.

- If that's the truth,
why would you have even

accused him
in the first place?

- I-I guess I
was kind of in shock.

And I thought
that if he went away for this

then maybe he'd finally
be out of my life.

- You really expect me
to believe this?

- I know it sounds crazy

but that was what was
going through my head.

- Yes, and why would you wait
till now to change your story?

- I just couldn't
go through with it.

And this is not a story,
this is the truth.

I was there, you weren't.

- But I was
at the preliminary hearing

where you testified that
your father shot your mother.

- And that wasn't the truth.

- [sighs]

Have you talked
to your dad recently?

- No.
- Look, I understand

you might not want
to send your dad to prison--

- But he didn't do it,
I did.

- You don't have
to watch it, Lindsay.

- No, I'm just trying
to find out how many websites

it's been uploaded on to.

- Wait, you mean that
there's more--

- I'm afraid
that you're pretty popular.

- How many times
did you watch it, Jimmy?

- Not too many.

[door opens]

- Helen,
are we on for lunch?

- No, I actually came

to sort of hire a lawyer.

Ellenor.

Basically, he's recanting now
to save his dad.

Which, since
he could now face perjury,

makes me think
he needs his own lawyer.

- And the reason
you want it to be me?

- I want you to scare him.

Make him realize
how serious perjury is.

- Well, Helen,
if I represent this kid

I'd be working for him,
not you.

- I realize that.

I just want him to hear
the legal consequences

of recanting
from a defense attorney.

His best interests
are also mine.

- And you don't think
he's telling the truth now?

- No way.
His story has been

completely consistent
up until now.

His statement the police
and the preliminary testimony

corroborate
the physical evidence.

This case is tight.

Will you, at least,
talk to him?

- Locks have not
been tampered with,

no sign of break-ins
with the windows.

- What about from above
the shower where the VCR was?

- A secured crawl space.

This was done
by somebody with access.

You had any parties, Lucy?
Friends over?

- I have friends
over sometimes but I--

- What about that Boston
Celtic guy, basketball players,

what's his name, Hot Rod?
- Rodman?

- What about Frank?

- None of my friends
would've planted a camera.

[door opens]

- New case.
No money.

- It's a favor.
Commonwealth thanks you.

- Oh, my God!
- Now what?

- It isn't you.

It's Jimmy.
- What?

- I just tapped
into the Boston Buff website

to see if you were listed
but, damn, I lost it.

- Uh, what's Boston Buff?

- The Boston Buff society,
court buffs.

They're basically retired people
who follow trials

and they rank lawyers.
Here it is.

Seems like
they went to gossip now.

"Attorney James Berluti

has been making
a little chamber music

with Judge Roberta Kittleson."

- What?
That's ridiculous.

[stammers]
That's trick photography!

- Jimmy, in my office.

- Her own witness
is now backing my client's story

and Ms. Gamble's the only one
saying that he's guilty.

- He's changing his story
out of some

warped sense of loyalty
to his father.

- Helen, he was your whole case
and, now, you've lost him.

- Do you have
any additional witnesses?

- I don't need any.
Gary Armbrust's testimony

is coming in
just like it did at the prelim.

- Wait a minute,
what am I missing here?

- If he takes the stand
and changes his story

I will charge him
with perjury.

- That is extortion!
- No, it's called leverage

to protect against
witness manipulation.

- The only one manipulating
here is you.

- Look, you can cross the kid
however you want,

but she can
certainly call him.

- What if I just
plead the fifth?

- Well, you can do that, but
it really won't help your dad.

If you plead
the Fifth Amendment,

it basically means
your testimony is unavailable.

Which means the D.A.
can then introduce

your testimony
from the prelim.

- And you're saying
that if I change my story

she could put me in jail?

- It's a very real
possibility, yes.

- What do you think
I should do?

- Well, I would normally
advise you to tell the truth,

but if the truth
is something different

than what you said
at the prelim,

telling the truth would expose
you to perjury charges.

[pensive music]

- He's my dad.

He just got angry, you know?
It's--

- Gary,
if he's a murderer,

me, I'd ditch the sentiment
and save myself.

♪ ♪

- He's my dad.

♪ ♪

- You're sleeping with her!

- It's my own private life.
- Not anymore.

It's on the Internet.
Jimmy, she's a client.

- Was a client.
It started after her case--

- She's also a wacko,
did you know that?

- She's not a wacko.

- Jimmy, she is.
- She's a great judge.

One affair with the clerk
doesn't make her--

- She pulled me into chambers
and told me

she was having
erotic dreams about me.

- What?
- Yes.

While I was in trial with her,
she calls me into his chambers

and says she's having
sexual fantasies about me.

Then,
she hit on me.

Jimmy,
she has OCD.

Oral compulsive disorder.

- Look, I don't know
what happened with you,

but me and her,
we're consenting adults.

We can--
we're consenting adults!

[door opens]

- More?
[door slams]

- She's been through
half the Massachusetts bar.

- Hey.

- Isn't she a little--
what's the word?

- Old?
- Yeah, old.

Isn't she a little old
for you?

[door slams]

He didn't even
take his coat.

- If called, he will testify
that it was an accident.

- He understands I'm gonna
have him arrested for perjury?

- He understands.
Timely recantation.

it's possible
he can beat perjury.

- You tell him that?

- Helen, he's my client.
I'm sorry.

- Ellenor, you tell him
he's afraid of the wrong person.

He's afraid of his father.

He should be afraid
of me cause he'll do time.

- Helen.
- I won't let him do this.

- Hey, easy.
- I'm calling him, Eleanor.

I'm putting him up there.

- Any new developments?
- [groans]

I'll give you
voluntary manslaughter.

- You should be dismissing.

- I've got threats,
fingerprints,

residue, trace metal--

- Yeah, but if the boy's
saying accident--

- How do you know
what he'll say?

Have you been tampering
with the witness, Arnold?

- Well, I'm assuming
he's not gonna say

self-inflicted, Helen.
What else does that leave?

- Voluntary manslaughter,
take it or leave it.

- Leave it.

- Don't you dare just barge
in on me like this!

- Just tell me,
yes or no?

- To which question?
Did I have a dream about Bobby?

Yes. So what?

- What about the other--

how many lawyers
have you been with?

- That is certainly none
of your business.

You want to tell me
how many women you've been with?

- You heard of
the Boston Court Buffs?

- Of course,
I've heard of them.

They fill
half the room sometimes.

- Well, they've got a website
with a program.

It talks about you and me.

It's got a picture
of you and me on the elevator.

It also has head shots
of other lawyers

you've been with,
they say, sexually.

- What do you mean
it's got a picture?

- There must be some security
camera on the elevator.

How they got access,
who knows, but--

- There's a picture
of you and me?

- Kissing, and there's pictures
of other lawyers,

just head shots, but it says
you've been with them.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- This is on the Internet?

- Yeah.

- What else does it say?
- I don't know.

I didn't really want to look.
I came right over here.

♪ ♪

- Got a picture
of you and me kissing?

- From the elevator.

- Well, it's--how do I find
this web site?

- I don't know.
Lindsay found it.

- What's her number?

- She's probably home by now.

- What's her number?

♪ ♪

- I'm not online here,
Jimmy.

Can I tell her tomorrow?

I--I don't know.
I had to find it.

Look, I'll give it
to her first thing, okay?

[sighs]
He told Judge Kittleson.

- Big mistake.

- Meanwhile,
in the Armbrust murder trial

rumors that the chief
prosecutorial witness

is changing his story.

If true, the prosecution
may be in trouble.

- Great.
Just great.

- You recall,
Gary Armbrust was the one

who identified his own father
as the killer.

Now, it seems he's prepared
to testify it was an accident.

- Oh, God!
Look at what they've done!

How could they do that to me?

- All right, relax.
- Relax? You relax!

I'm about to lose a murderer
and now, they've got me looking

like Leona Helmsley
meets the Wicked Witch!

I'm not gonna lose this!
I'm not losing this!

- [sighs]

[door slams]

- Oh, no. Not again.

- I'm screwed.
If I call him I'm dead.

If I don't--

- What are you going to do?

Do you know?

- Ms. Gamble,
call your next witness.

[man coughs]

Ms. Gamble?

- The Commonwealth
calls Gary Armbrust.

[murmuring]

- Members of the jury,
the witness

will be accompanied
by his own attorney

for the purposes
of his testimony.

You are consider only what
the witness offers as evidence

and you are to draw
no conclusions whatsoever

by the fact that
he has a lawyer with him.

- You swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

- I do.
- Be seated.

- Could you please state
your name, for the record?

- Gary Armbrust.

- Gary,
the oath you just took,

you understand the meaning
of it, do you not?

- I do.

- You understand
that you testify today

under the pains and penalties
of perjury do you--

- Objection!

She's trying
to intimidate this witness.

- I'm merely making sure
the witness

understands his obligation
to tell the truth.

- Well, given that
the witness has a lawyer

sitting with him,
I think we're safe, Ms. Gamble.

- Your own father
is the defendant,

is that correct?
- Yes.

- And it was your mother
who was shot and killed,

also correct?
- Yes.

- Were you present
when your mother was shot?

- Yes, I was.

- And you observed your father
shoot your mother

as you were standing in
the doorway of the living room?

- That's not how it happened.

- Ask permission
to treat the witness as hostile.

ELLENOR AND ARNOLD:
Objection!

- Overruled.

HELEN:
Gary, do you recall testifying

at the preliminary hearing
for this case?

- Yes, I do.

- And you swore
to tell the truth?

- Yes.

- And at that time,
do you recall

being asked
at the following question

and giving the answer?
Page four.

Question,
"What did you observe?"

Answer, "I heard my father
screaming and my mother.

"I went to
the living room door

and that's when I saw him
shoot her in the chest."

- That's what I said
but it wasn't--

- You've answered the question,
thank you.

- But it wasn't true.
- Move to strike, nonresponsive.

[murmuring]

- If it wasn't true,
what really happened?

- I was angry.
My father pulled the gun on me.

Then, I basically attacked him.
- You attacked him?

- We didn't have
the greatest relationship.

I just kind of--

it was during the struggle
with me that the gun went off.

- Well, why did you testify
at the preliminary hearing

that your father
killed your mother?

- Part of it was
I was just covering my own ass

for provoking my father
to get the gun,

in the first place.

- But if it was
really an accident,

why didn't you just
tell the truth?

- I was just
so furious at him.

I wasn't thinking clearly.

Look, I'm sorry
about all of this.

I really am.

And if you want
to put me in jail,

I can't stop you,

but it really was an accident.

You have to believe me.

[somber music]

♪ ♪

- Only one with
a master key is the super.

A guy by the name
of Larry Conley.

You know him?

- Oh, my God.
- What?

- Well, he always,
kind of, looks at me funny

and a few weeks ago--

- A few weeks ago, what?

- He said that there was a leak

in the downstairs apartment

and he needed
to check my bathroom.

It's got to be him.

- Lindsay, call the police.
Get a warrant.

See if we can search
this guy's--

- Whoa, whoa, whoa,
a warrant for what?

- To search this guy's place.
- Bobby, it's not so easy.

He hasn't necessarily
committed a crime.

- Wait, what do you mean
he hasn't committed a crime?

- There was no sound
on the video.

- So?

- The law prohibits intercepting
audio communication,

but silent videotaping
isn't a crime.

- You've got to be kidding.
- What?

- This guy planted a camera
in my bathroom.

That's not a crime?
- No.

- All right, well,
what about trespass?

- The super,
with a master key?

And you said he asked permission
to go into your bathroom.

- This guy planted a camera
in my home.

- I'm just saying,
it isn't as easy as it looks.

- There's got to be some way
to nail him.

- So, this is what people
think of me?

- It's just a stupid website.

- This goes
into people's homes.

Lawyers who appear before me,
they've probably all seen this.

- Yeah, I'm sure some have,
not all.

Look, nobody
believes this stuff.

- You believed it.

That's why you came
running down here so angrily.

You believed it.

- Well, is it...

all true?
- [sighs]

Some of it is, yes.

I have been
with some of these men.

How could--

[dramatic music]

This is my private life!

- Welcome to
the information age, Judge.

- This is evil.

It's evil.

- I was fighting with her.

- Your wife?
- Yes.

And I was in an enraged state.
I don't deny that.

Then Gary came charging in
and he was enraged.

In fact,
he looked on something.

That's why I got the gun.

- You pulled a gun
on your own son?

- No.

I was afraid
and I grabbed the gun.

In case, I needed one.

- And then what happened?

- He and I started yelling
at each other.

Then, he lunged at me.

He tried to wrestle me
to the ground.

That's when the gun
went off...

and it hit Charlotte.

- Gary attacked to you?

- Like I said,
I think he was on something.

- Why was there
only blood on you?

- Gary was on
the other side of me.

I was between him and his mother
and I'm larger than he is.

So, I guess I blocked him.
- Your larger, yet,

you felt physically threatened
by your son?

- I thought he was
under the influence of drugs

and I didn't know
what he might do.

- So, it was self-defense?

- No, it was an accident.

- Well, you say you pulled
the gun because you were afraid.

- Yes, I was afraid.

I was afraid
that he might hurt me.

So, I grabbed the gun.

- Afraid he'd physically
assault you?

- He did assault me.

That's when the struggle
took place and the gun went off.

- And it was an accident?
ARNOLD: Asked and answered.

- Did you tailor your story
to fit your son's testimony?

ARNOLD: Objection.
- No, I did not.

- Your wife leave a will?

- Yes.
- Who inherits?

- I guess, I do,
as well as my son.

- Wow, accident,
you both make out!

What, you both plan
this little witness

for the prosecution stunt?

- Objection.
JUDGE: Sustained!

- You both conspire to kill her,
setting him up as our witness?

- Objection!
- Sustained!

[murmuring]

- I've got it.
- What?

- You pay
your own utilities, right?

- Yeah.
- Theft of the electricity.

He plugged his equipment
into your outlet.

There's some case law,
theft of electricity.

- That feels like a stretch.
- It'll buy us a warrant.

Get Eugene.

- Mr. Lawrence Conley?
- Yeah.

- You're under arrest.
- For what?

- Theft of electricity
and trespass.

- What?
- We have a search warrant.

- Wait--what the hell
is going on here?

- Read him his rights.

- What are you looking for,
stolen electricity?

OFFICER: You have the right
to remain silent.

- Bobby.

OFFICER: Anything you say
can and will be used

against you in a court of law.

You have the right
to seek an attorney,

and have an attorney present
during questioning.

If you so desire--

[dramatic music]

- Uh, do me a favor Mac.

Will you have your guys
search the bedroom?

- Bedroom, now.

♪ ♪

- Now, can you look away?

- Five seconds,
don't hurt him.

- She's a teenager
and a friend of mine,

you sick bastard.
DETECTIVE MCGUIRE: Okay, Bobby.

I said, okay, Bobby.

- [gasping]

They were security tapes.

- [grunts]

- We'll take it from here.
- [panting]

♪ ♪

- Basically,
I've got two choices:

I can argue believe
his testimony at the prelim,

but that got reasonable doubt,

or I can argue some witness
for the prosecution theory,

which who knows?
It could be that.

Things have certainly
worked out for them.

- Witness for the prosecution?

- We relied on the son, Mark,

he changes his testimony
at trial,

instant reasonable doubt.
- With the threat of perjury?

- Oh,
he won't do much for that.

We both know that so does he.

If the recanting is ruled timely
he could get off altogether,

which his lawyer told him.

[sighs]

I've lost another murderer.

I can't believe this.

First, I lose a guy
who dices up a nun.

Now--
- Can you recall forensics,

prove it couldn't have happened
the way they're saying?

- I can't prove it,
not beyond a reasonable doubt.

I can't believe this.
- Yeah, well,

I wouldn't go
witness for the prosecution,

it's too desperate
and I think it's too late.

Just give it your best shot.

- Hm.

There's got to be a way.

I'm gonna find a way.

- A hundred tapes?

- He had other cameras
planted in other places.

- So, he has videos of me...
doing everything?

- I've arranged
to have them destroyed.

- But they could've already
been uploaded on websites?

- Yes.

- Will he go to jail?
- He's being arraigned today.

I told Jimmy to cover it,
but, Lucy,

the law--
stealing electricity,

maybe trespass, he--
he won't do any time.

[somber music]

- Hey.

- What if my father--

- You said
he doesn't own a computer.

- Yeah, but what
if somebody makes a tape

off of the computer and--

- Look, you did nothing wrong.

♪ ♪

- Well, can I sue him?

- Well, we could

but he's--he's--he's pretty
judgment proof.

He did lose his job.

I mean,
that's--that's something.

♪ ♪

- Okay.
[sniffles]

Um,
I should get back to work.

- Uh, you want to take
the day off?

- And do what, go home?

Nah, I'm fine.

Yeah, I've got a lot
of work to do.

I'm totally fine.

- Lucy, the reason
you feel so violated

is because you have been.

And this is no time
to play tough.

Look at me.

Maybe this isn't the equivalent
to rape,

but that man
took your privacy from you

and it's not nothing.

It wouldn't be a bad idea
to get some counseling.

- Okay.

- And it wouldn't be
a bad idea

to lean on people here
a little.

- It's just that I feel like--
[crying]

- I know.

I know.

- Two different versions
from the same witness.

How can you know
which one is true?

The state will probably stand up
here, in a few minutes,

and try to convince you
that Gary Armbrust

suddenly felt bad.

Didn't want to see
his father convicted.

Decided to change his story.

Now,
you've heard Ms. Gamble

toss out witness
for the prosecution,

they did it together
for the insurance.

Now, that theory came
at the 11th hour, didn't it?

Why?

Desperation.

Because the only eyewitness
told you it was an accident.

Told you
he attacked the defendant,

causing the gun to go off.

Do I really need to be
standing up here

arguing reasonable doubt?

The state wants you to believe
Gary Armbrust is truthful

when he says one thing,
but he has no credibility

when he's saying another.

But you can't
have it both ways.

[murmuring]

- Yes,
we have two versions now,

from one witness.

It's up to you to weigh
the credibility

and circumstances of each.

You're free to discredit
recantation and find

that the truth
lies in his original accusation

and I'll tell you
why you should.

Gary told the officers
at the scene

that his father
murdered his mother.

He said
that they had a bitter argument.

She threatened to leave him

and they shot her
point blank in the chest.

Now, Gary testified
to the same facts,

under oath,
at the preliminary hearing,

not one inconsistency
in any of the details.

Every last bit of his account

was consistent with every piece
of physical evidence.

Then suddenly,
just as the trial begins,

he has a change of heart

and I guess
we can understand.

He's already lost his mother,

he doesn't want
to lose his father, does he?

And, well...

maybe he's found a way
to even forgive his dad.

But we can't.

A woman is dead.

Charlotte Armbrust
deserves to have us

stand up for the truth,

even if her son no longer can.

Charlotte doesn't have
a voice anymore.

You do.

We all know what happened.

Prints only belonging
to the defendant,

blood spattered only
on the defendant,

we have the threats.

That man committed murder.

And his son,

well, he suddenly decided
he wants him

to get away with it.

Do you?

- 32623,
Commonwealth versus Conley.

Trespass,
theft of electricity.

- Robert Olson
for the defendant.

- Theft of electricity,

are they prosecuting
that these days?

- Your Honor, the defendant
is a superintendent

at an apartment complex.

He installed cameras
to tape one of the dwellers.

Then, he uploaded her naked
images on the Internet.

Theft of electricity--
- Hold on a second.

Well, well, well,
Mr. Conley,

did you get the wrong judge.

OLESON: We'll waive reading,
Your Honor.

- Why don't you wave good-bye,
while you're at it?

Did you have fun invading
a young woman's privacy?

- Excuse me, Your Honor?

- Council,
you speak when I ask you to.

Uploading her naked images
on the Internet.

Funny, I just discovered things
about me on the Internet.

Maybe there's stuff
about all of us, who knows?

Take off your pants.
OLSEN: Your Honor!

- Bailiff, would you please take
Mr. Olsen into custody.

He is in contempt.
- What?

- You want another chance?
Then shut your mouth!

Mr. Conley,
drop your pants, right now

or I will add contempt
to your charges

and you will go straight
to a jail cell!

I am going to count to three!

One, two--

[murmuring]

[gallery gasps]

[murmuring]

No underwear.
Figures.

And nothing much
else, I might add.

[laughter]

- Do you feel violated,
Mr. Conley?

Exposed?

How does it feel?

Would you turn around
and face the gallery?

Show them
what you haven't got.

- Your Honor,
even I have to say,

this is a little bit
irregular.

- Tough!

Turn around, Mr. Conley.

[murmuring]

[women exclaiming]

Take Mr. Conley.
Put him in jail.

We had can arraign him
again tomorrow.

Would you call the next
case, please?

Leave your pants,
right there...

at your ankles!

[murmuring]

- Case number 32624,
Commonwealth versus Waterman,

criminal violation,
illegal disposal of toxic waste.

- That was different.

- Imagine his luck,

getting me for a judge,
of all days.

- Are you okay?

- I am so--

you know, I am no prude.

I would have no problems
taking the bench naked,

so long as it were my choice,
but to be--

- Well, hopefully the laws
on Internet stuff

will start to change.

Maybe the test
case will come before you.

- [sighs]

It did bother you,
reading all of that stuff

didn't it, Jimmy?

- Yeah, but, you know,
it's my mother's influence.

In the back of my mind,
I guess I was still

hoping you were virgin.

- Yes.
We know you thought that.

- [chuckles]

- Thank you.

- For what?

- For being there.

It helped.

- Well, whatever I could do.

- Will the defendant
please, rise?

Mr. Foreman,
has the jury reached a verdict?

- We have, Your Honor.
- What say you?

- Commonwealth versus
Gordon Armbrust,

on the count of murder
in the second-degree,

we find the defendant,
Gordon Armbrust,

not guilty.

[murmuring]

JUDGE:
The defendant is free to go.

Jury is dismissed
with the thanks of the court.

We are adjourned.
[gavel bangs]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Congratulations.

♪ ♪

- Gary Armbrust,

you're under the arrest
for the murder

of Charlotte Armbrust.
- What?

- You have the right
to remain silent--

- We know his rights.
What's going on here?

- Take him away.
- Helen?

- By his own testimony,
as well as his father's,

the gun went off
when he attacked his father.

Felony assault,
accidental shooting or not,

felony murder rule applies.
- What is she talking about?

- You're looking at an automatic
life sentence, Gary.

That's what
I'm talking about.

- Helen, come on.
- I told you, Ellenor,

I told you he should be more
afraid of me than his father!

- This is an over reaction--
- Life sentence, Gary!

Go celebrate, Dad.

- Is this true?

Can I get life?

Tell me!

- Don't say anything to anybody.

I'll be right back
to talk to you.

- What the hell is going on?

♪ ♪

[pensive music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat dramatic music]

♪ ♪