The Practice (1997–2004): Season 3, Episode 22 - Do Unto Others - full transcript

- Hello.
- Hey, Rabbi.

He's in his office,
you can go right in.

- Rabbi.

I just got off the phone
with the D.A.

They're going
to be putting the girl's

treating doctor up there.

That's good news.
- It is.

- It probably means there's
nothing conclusive he could say.

It brings it down to her word
against yours.

- I see.

Eugene, would you mind
meeting with my board?



- Your board?
- At the temple.

They are paying the legal fees
and--

- Why do they want to meet?

- They'd like an assessment
of the case.

They're no doubt
worried about damage control.

If the synagogue's
rabbi is convicted of rape,

I'm sure they'll want
to be prepared.

- How do you feel
about me meeting with them?

- I'm okay with it.
They've stuck by me, so--

How are you assessing the case?

- It's he said, she said, rabbi.

You two were the only witnesses.

You two and God.

[dramatic music]



♪ ♪

- The likelihood is,
the girl will testify

and then they'll rest.
I'll call you.

After that, we close.

This should be over
in a couple of days.

I have to warn you,

since this thing
is getting some publicity,

the room will probably be full.

You might want to convey
that to your congregation,

because if they really plan
to turn out to support you,

they better get there early.

- I can't testify, Mr. Young.

- Excuse me?

- The truth here,
it could be very damning.

- I thought you said
you were innocent.

- I am.
I didn't rape her.

But the sex--it may be--

it was a little forcible.

- Forcible?

- It was consensual, but--

- Forcible?

Why don't you tell me
exactly what happened?

- We had been having
a relationship

and it was ending,
at her urging.

It was the second time
she had come to my office

for the purpose
of breaking it off.

The first time
there were tears on both sides.

And anger.

We had an argument
which led, ultimately,

to a rather passionate
session of lovemaking,

followed by a mutual decision
to continue the relationship.

That was the first time.

This time, again,
she came to break it off,

again we argued.

And again,

we began to kiss, fondle.

At which point,
she reiterated it was wrong.

But, Mr. Young,
she was the kind of person

who liked sex more
when it was, well--

And it was my belief,
the purpose of these breakups,

it was to occasion my rage,

because it excited her.

The sex was
of a slightly forcible nature,

even though
I remain absolutely convinced

it was not only to her liking,

but exactly what she wanted.

- The jury
cannot hear that story.

- Tell me about it.
- So he's guilty.

Rabbi rapist.

- In his mind,
he thinks she consented.

- You know, there are thousands
and thousands

of model rabbis out there.

Why is it the ones
that come in here

are all criminals?

- Because we're criminal defense
attorneys, Ellenor.

- Look, you haven't lost,
Eugene.

Their case is only her word.

You cross her good,
you've got reasonable doubt.

- You want somebody
to second chair?

- No.
Girl's 23.

I don't want the jury to see
an army going against her.

But the strategy's changed
a little.

I could use some legwork.

Chase down some old boyfriends.

Jimmy?
- Whatever you need.

- Thank you for meeting with us.

- No problem.

- Obviously, this matter

is of significant concern
to the synagogue.

And let me preface my remarks
by representing--

- Enough with the preface.
The men works on an hourly.

We pay for your prefaces.

- Sam--
- Never mind.

We're all busy people here.

Say what you have to say.

He's so damn worried all
the time about being delicate.

Forgive me, rabbi.

- It's all right, Sam.

- Well, the fact of the matter
is, it is delicate.

It goes without saying.

The sordidness
of a trial

would be very unfortunate
for this synagogue.

We're anticipating a civil
suit as well.

Since the event
in question

took place
in the rabbi's office,

she's already hired an attorney
who's made overtures.

- The whole thing's a setup
for a civil suit.

The girl is a liar.

She's looking for money.

As much
as we object on principle,

we'll give it to her, so long
as it buys her silence.

On the criminal suit as well.

- You can't do that.

- Technically no, of course not.

But rape victims
change their minds

about testifying all the time.

- Why not just approach the girl
on your own?

- Because I would assume

that the threat
of cross-examination

at the criminal trial

would factor
into any negotiation.

You are the only one
who can make that threat.

- As well as make good on it.

- What you're asking me
to do is illegal.

- The legality
turns on the execution.

- Let's cut to it.

The man
is an enormously popular rabbi,

central to our fundraising.

We do not want that girl
telling her story

in a courtroom
or any other public venue.

We have a settlement fund.

- I can't bribe a witness
in a criminal prosecution.

- Don't be naive with me,
Mr. Young.

You know exactly what you can
do, you know what you can't.

You're the man's defense
attorney.

You have a duty
to explore every option.

- I don't like this one.
- Why?

Where's your concern?

If it lies with Rabbi Jacobs,

you'll do it because it may
spare him criminal prosecution.

If it lies with you,

again,

we are not asking you
to do anything

that you cannot find
a way to do legally.

If it lies with the girl, well,

if this goes to trial,

we all know what you'll be
doing to the girl.

Don't we, Mr. Young?

- Please.

I apologize for Stewart.

The skills needed
to be a board president

differ from those needed
to be a rabbi.

- You're the one
charged with rape.

- And you now
consider me guilty, don't you?

- I think
if you tell your story,

you'll get convicted.

Does the board know your story?
- No.

I told them it was consensual,
which I maintain it was.

I don't think
they need to know more.

Eugene,
you just said

if I testify,
I'll be convicted.

What if I don't testify?

- I don't like your chances.

- So, could you at least
meet with her civil attorney?

- I'm not comfortable
with this at all.

- Neither am I.

But, see,
a man's freedom

is on the line here.

His life, even.

This is a very beloved rabbi.

- I thought you couldn't
do this in rape cases.

Dig up old boyfriends
of the victim.

I thought there were laws

against putting
the victim on trial.

- We don't plan to do that.

- I'll tell you this.

Terri is not a liar.

She is not going
to make something like this up.

If she says she was raped,
then I believe she was.

- It's possible
there was a misunderstanding.

- A misunderstanding?

About a rape?

- We got some information.

Ms. Reynolds,
maybe

she liked sex
on the rougher side.

- Are you suggesting maybe
she wanted to be raped?

- No.

I'm suggesting rough sex.

He thought she'd like that.

Would it be possible
for him to think that?

- Can I help you?

- We're here
to see Eugene Young.

- Scott, hi.

- Hi, Eugene.

- This should be you
and me alone.

I don't really think
I should have contact with her.

- Okay.

- We can go
in the conference room.

Lucy.

- Sure.

- I'll just be a few minutes.

- Okay.

- Can I get you some coffee
or something?

- I'm fine, thank you.

- Thanks for coming in.

- I'm a little suspect
of the timing, Eugene.

A day before the criminal
trial gets underway?

- This is only
about the civil litigation.

Let's be clear on that.

- Okay.

- We're offering
$1.2 million sealed,

no admission of liability.

Conditioned on a complete
and total gag agreement.

If she ever tells her story
in any public forum,

the deal is off.

- What about her testimony
at the criminal trial?

- Look, I'm only talking
about the civil litigation--

- I understand.

But if she testifies
at the criminal trial,

her story would then get out.

- Right.

I hadn't thought of that.

The offer
would be revoked, I guess.

- You hadn't thought of that?

- Look, I'm not asking you
to advise your client

on the criminal trial,

but me and you, off the record,
doesn't leave the room?

- Go ahead.

- Young black woman
up against a respected rabbi.

No witnesses.
- Vaginal bruising.

- Inconclusive.
They're not even

calling the doctor up.

Plus, there's some evidence
she likes it a little rough.

- What?

- We talked
to some old boyfriends and--

- Rape shield, Eugene.

- Rape shield goes to putting
the victim's character on trial.

This goes to a how issue.

I think I can get
around rape shield and then--

- Eugene, this is absolutely--
- Scott, listen.

This is going to be one ugly,
mean trial,

where she could come out with
nothing more than a nightmare.

Now, there's more
than $1 million

on the table.

- If she suddenly changes
her mind about testifying,

they'll just subpoena her.

- Maybe.
Maybe not.

- Go talk to her.

- What's going on?

- They're in my office
discussing the offer.

- Which offer
could get you disbarred.

- I was careful
I didn't cross the line.

- Are you sure?
Because if

she suddenly tells a DA

she doesn't want to prosecute,

we can expect a SWAT team
to show up here.

- I walked the line.

- Your offer is rejected.
She was raped,

and she's not gonna
pretend otherwise,

even for $1 million.

Now, I'm going
to bring her through.

I don't want you speaking
to her.

- I wasn't planning to.

- So I guess the theory
she's trying to get some money,

that's shot?

- It can still be argued.

The jury won't know
anything about this offer.

Settlement discussions
are inadmissible.

- Can you still argue it
knowing it isn't true?

- We don't know anything,
Rebecca, it could be she

turned down $1 million

because she was looking
for $2 million.

We don't know anything.

- One boyfriend said she liked
to get a little physical.

He didn't use the word rough--

- What about the other
boyfriend?

There were two names.

- He threatened to call
the police if I didn't leave.

- Well, I got something, anyway.

I'm due at a pretrial.

- You sure
you don't want a backup?

- I'm fine.

- They're bringing
in a hired gun DA.

We've been up
against him before.

He's tough.

- Any good news?
- Well, actually, yes.

I just came from the pretrial
conference.

I told the judge
if they introduce any evidence

of vaginal bruising,

that we'd be offering evidence
of her sexual preferences.

They tried to get it excluded
on the rape shield.

The judge said he might hear it,

depending on our offer of proof.

Bottom line,

I don't think the DA
will go near the medicals.

It was inconclusive
to begin with.

That's good.

- Are we ready, Mr. Young?

- We're ready.

[reporters clamoring]

- You trying to bribe my sister?
- Get away from me.

- You trying to bribe
my sister, Counsel?

- Okay, let's go.
- You rape her and then

you buy her off?
That's what you think?

- Let's go.
- Get off me, man.

- We had first met
at a drug counseling center

where we both volunteered.

We became friends.

We'd get coffee
sometimes after work.

- And at some point
you became more than friends?

- Yes.

After a few months,
he asked me to go to a movie.

We talked about movies
a lot, so, one time,

he asked if I'd join him.

I said, half joking, you know,

"People will think
we're dating."

And then he asked,
actually he said,

that he would like that.

To date.
- And your response?

- I said, "Hello?

You're old enough to be
my father's minister."

More and more, I don't know.

I became infatuated.

At first, I thought,
just with his wisdom,

but then, with him.

And by six months,
we were dating.

- Was the relationship physical?
- Yes.

And it was passionate.

- But, at some point,
things changed.

- I met somebody.

Somebody my own age.

And I--

Well, I fell in love with him.

- Did you tell this
to Rabbi Jacobs?

- Yes.

I went to his office.

And, by this time,

I know he was very much
in love with me.

- Objection.
- Overruled.

- How did you know this?
- Well, he told me, many times.

Plus, he seemed
to be becoming more obsessive.

- Objection.
- Overruled.

- How did he seem more
obsessive?

- Well, he would want
to see me more and more often,

and he'd call
sometimes three times a day.

- Turning your attention

back to that night...
- Yes.

I went to his office
to tell him.

It had to be over.

He became enraged.

We started shouting
at one another.

- You were yelling as well?

- Oh, yes.

I had some issues.

But when I made it clear
I was really leaving,

he just grabbed me

and he said something
like, "Stop the game."

- Stop the game?

- He thought
that I was trying

to work him up
into some anger

because he thought
that I thought

it made him a better lover.

It was ridiculous.

- When you say he grabbed you--

- By the arms.

I said, "Let go of me,"
but he wouldn't.

He starts forcing his tongue
into my mouth.

I told him no.

Then,
he pushed me onto the ground

and he's pushing my dress
up--

- Were you trying to get away?

- Yes.

I'm telling him to get off.

Then,
he--he has me by the wrists,

and he's using his knees
to push my thighs apart.

And then, he was in me.

He was pushing himself
inside of me.

- Did you yell for help?

- I don't really remember.

All I remember thinking,

my God, this is one
of the kindest,

most gentle people
I've ever met.

And then, being raped by him.

The man was raping me.

[reporters clamoring]

- Okay, I got to pick
that testimony apart.

Where was she wrong?

- I don't believe she was.

I mean,
in her mind,

I assume that's what happened.

But she didn't scream,
Mr. Young,

she didn't say
get off me.

She said things like,
"This is wrong.

Don't do this."

- The difference
in your mind being?

- For much of our history,
in the throes of making love,

we would both say
things like this.

We shouldn't be doing this,
what are we doing?

We went to the head
versus heart conflict.

If you see it in a movie,
it's romantic even.

- Well, this is no movie,

and it's not
coming off romantic.

- I didn't rape her, Mr. Young.
It is possible

that she really
didn't want to make love

and that I was wrong,
but I--we talked after.

And when she was saying
it was wrong,

she was saying,
"We shouldn't have done that."

Not you; we.

And she didn't run out.

I can't believe
this is happening.

- Would you like to explore
a lesser charge?

Maybe we could plead
some kind of assault?

- I'm innocent, Mr. Young.

I'm innocent.

- So why not just
have him tell his story?

- "I thought
she really wanted it;

resisting was part of the game"?

He'd be convicted
before he gets out of the chair.

- So what are you going to do?

- I just have to go at her,
whack her credibility.

What?

- She told the truth.

You pretty much know
she told the truth,

and you're going
to get up tomorrow

and do everything you can
to make her look like a liar?

- I don't have much choice.

How about she's entitled
to her story?

He's entitled to his.

Let the jury decide.

- [laughs]

- Do you even see the perversity
of what you're about to do?

- Look, we're having dinner
for lunch.

If we're going to fight,

can we at least argue
about something new?

Why does it always have
to be about what I do?

- Do you take stock
of what you do?

- I don't get
to take stock of it,

not on a case-by-case basis.

I have a client
charged with a crime.

I take stock of the best way

to prevent his getting
convicted of that crime.

Here it's simple,

attack the credibility
of the eyewitness.

- A good man
would quit before doing

what you're about to do.

I'm sorry, it's true.

She's 23 years old.

She was raped by a rabbi.

- Could you
keep your voice down?

- Do you have any idea
how hard it must have been

to come forward?

Now, she's about
to be brutalized in a witness--

- I'm not going
to brutalize anybody.

- Of course you are.

If you think that's the best way

to prevent a conviction,
that's exactly what you do,

and I'm telling you,
a good man would quit first.

- I think it would be nice
to go to dinner.

We go out, and you start.

You start right back in again.

You come--I'm a defense
attorney, Sharon.

- The problem, Eugene,
is you keep saying you don't

have a choice,
you have a choice.

- And what's my choice:
quit my job?

And do what, do what?

And here's a flash,

I'm well respected
in that courtroom.

You know why?
Because I'm good.

A judge sees Eugene Young walk
into his court

and he knows
a good lawyer's in the room.

And I mean,
I may not get respect from you,

but I get it from them,
and I get it in that room.

- Is that why you asked me
out to dinner tonight?

To get my respect?

- I asked you out because--

Do you think these cases
are easy for me, Sharon?

Some times--some times are
harder than others to be alone.

That's--

Let's just eat.

- I remember the day
you graduated from law school.

The smile on your face,
the plans in your heart.

You remember that day, Eugene?

We danced all night.

When was the last time
you danced?

It's not just

that you don't
have the time anymore.

There's no dance in you anymore.

You're beginning
to rot a little inside.

Maybe they don't tell you
that at work,

maybe they don't see it,
but I see it.

I know the man
I fell so in love with.

I remember the
why you became a lawyer.

The plans in your heart.

- Can we please just eat?

- Sure.

- Mr. Young.

- Ms. Reynolds,
my name is Eugene Young.

I represent the defendant.

- Yes, I know who you are.

- A lot of people in this room.

Stakes are high, I guess.

A respected
rabbi is faced

with losing his freedom,
his whole life,

on the word of one witness, you.

So I need
to ask you some questions.

Are you a person of your word,
Ms. Reynolds?

- Yes.

- Do you consider yourself
an honorable person?

- Objection.
- That's an unfair question?

A defendant is allowed
to confront his accuser,

but the question as to whether

the accuser is honorable,
that's off-limits?

- Counsel is trying
to intimidate the witness.

- All right.
Mr. Bullock,

I'll give defense counsel
some latitude here.

Mr. Young, do not abuse it.

- The question was,

do you consider yourself
an honorable person?

- Yes, I do.

- Are you honest with people?

- I believe I am.

- In the 11 months
you were romantically involved

with my client,

you ever tell anybody?

- Did I ever tell anybody?

- Yes, your parents,
your brothers, best friend?

Did you ever tell anybody
you were seeing Rabbi Jacobs?

- No,
because if it ever came out,

it would have meant
his losing his synagogue.

- Did you ever
conceal it from anybody?

Ever say, like you were going
to the movies with friends,

and in actuality, you were going
to see my client?

Did you ever say anything
like that?

- I'm sure I did.

- That would be a lie,
wouldn't it, Ms. Reynolds?

- I wouldn't deny concealing
the affair, so did he.

- What about this young man
you say you fell in love with?

When you first began dating him,
did you tell him

that you were in a relationship
with somebody else?

- No, I didn't tell him.

- That's one
of the bigger lies, isn't it?

To be involved

with two different people
at the same time--

- Your Honor, if he's going
to go this far off, I think he--

- A witness,
by taking the stand,

puts her reputation
for truth in issue.

- I'm going to rein you in,
Mr. Young.

You made your point.

Ms. Reynolds,
you say you met my client

at a drug counseling program

in which you both were
volunteers.

Truth is,
you knew of him

before then, correct?

- Yes.
- In fact,

one of the reasons
you went there to volunteer

was because
Rabbi Jacobs was there

and you wanted to meet him.

- Yes, I don't deny that.

He's a pretty famous rabbi,

and I knew people who knew him,
and I wanted to meet him.

- Well, that isn't quite

the impression
you gave you the jury.

From your direct testimony,

it seemed like you happened
to meet him at a place

you both worked.

When the truth is
you went to this place,

motivated to meet him.

That's what really happened,
right?

- I suppose.

- Your Honor,
with this room being so crowded,

it's kind of hot.

With the court's permission,
I'd like to take off my jacket.

- Permission granted.

- Are you comfortable,
Ms. Reynolds?

- I'm fine.

- Because this may take a while.

- Hey.

How's it going?

- He's just getting started.
He's going to town,

Bobby, he's got that look
in his eye.

- Did you ever tell my client
you wanted to be wealthy?

- Doesn't everybody?
- Did you ever say to him

that you'd have to marry money,

since you had two years
junior college it was unlikely

that you'd ever have
the kind of career

that would make you rich,
did you say something like that?

- I certainly never said

that I would marry somebody
just for money.

- Did you say for you ever
to be rich,

that you would have
to marry into money?

- You're taking that
out of context.

- The question simply is,
did you say it?

- Yes, I may have said
that once, but--

- Thank you.
By the way,

this new boyfriend of yours--

- We're not together anymore.
- Thank you.

That wasn't my question.

Was he from a wealthy family?

- That wasn't the reason
I fell in love with him.

- I'll take that as a yes.
Wealthy family.

- I really have to object.

What does any of this have
to do with the rape?

- I'll get there if you let me.

- Speed it up.

- You wanted to marry my client,
didn't you, Ms. Reynolds?

- There was a time I did.

- And you were frustrated over
the whole intermarriage issue,

as you previously testified,

you two even fought about it,
isn't that right?

- Yes.
- And you said

while this alleged rape
was taking place,

you don't remember screaming.

Truth is, you didn't scream,
isn't that right?

- I don't remember screaming.

That was my testimony.

- Well, there were other people
working in the building,

none of whom heard you scream.

Wouldn't it be more probable
than not that you didn't scream,

wouldn't you agree?

- I suppose.

- And you said
that he had your hands pinned

with his hands.

How did he get himself
inside of you?

- He then
freed one of his hands to--

I guess, guide himself.

- So, you had a hand free.

- Well, he still had me kind
of pinned with his shoulder.

- His shoulder?
This is the first

I'm hearing of a shoulder.

Your police statement,
the statement to the doctor,

even your direct testimony,

you never made mention
of a shoulder.

- He had me pinned
using his hands,

then he released with one hand,

and pushed down
with his shoulder.

- How did he get your underwear
off?

- I wasn't wearing underwear.

- You weren't wearing underwear?

- Well, I had
to this rather thin knit dress

and the panty lines show and--

- You went there
to break up with him

but you didn't want
your panty line to show?

- Objection.
- Withdrawn.

After you finish having sexual
relations with my client--

- It was a rape.

It wasn't sexual relations.

- After it was over,
what did you do then?

- I went home.

- You didn't run
out of the room,

or did the two of you talk?

- We talked.

I told him
what he did was wrong.

That he raped me.

And then I left.

- So you didn't run
out of the building?

- No.

- And you went home?
- Yes.

- Did you call the police?
- Not at first.

Because I thought,
"Who's ever gonna believe me?

My word against his?"

- Why didn't you think your word
would count for anything,

Ms. Reynolds?

Is there something wrong
with your word?

- No, there isn't.

- Did you ever go to a doctor
for an examination?

- Yes.

- He find any bruising
on your wrists?

- No, but--
- He find any bruising

on your thighs,
where my client supposedly

pushed against you
with his knee?

- No.

I didn't have any bruises there.

- Did you leave any marks
on Rabbi Jacobs?

- Did I leave any marks?

- Well, you had a hand free,
did you scratch him,

or hit him, anything?

- No.

- You didn't do any
of those things?

- I just tried to push him off.

- Well, this wasn't a rape,
was it, Ms. Reynolds?

- Yes, it was.
- You were angry at my client

for refusing to consider
marrying you, weren't you?

- As I said,
we fought some, but--

- This is payback time,
isn't it, Ms. Reynolds?

- What?
- Objection.

- Have you hired
a civil attorney

to sue both the rabbi
and the temple?

- Objection.
- Goes to motive.

- I'll allow it.

- Is that your attorney
sitting right there,

Ms. Reynolds?
- Yes.

- He's representing you
in a lawsuit against the temple.

- You know this isn't
about money.

- Move to strike, nonresponsive.

- Sustained.

- Did you once date a man
named Michael Anderson?

- Yes.

- You ended that relationship?
- Yes.

- Was one of the reasons
his lack of career ambition?

- I told him that, yes, as in--

- Thank you,
you answered the question.

- There were a lot
of different reasons--

- You answered the question.

Is this a picture of you
in your high school yearbook?

- Yes.

- Could you read the caption
under "life goals"?

- "To be rich,

to be happy, to travel."

- Do you have a friend
by the name of Susan Levine?

- Yes.
- In fact,

you told her
about your relationship

with Rabbi Jacobs, didn't you?

- Oh, I did tell her
at the very beginning, I forgot.

It was under another context,

it was when we first
started seeing--

- So, you did tell somebody else
about it.

That previous statement,
under oath, that was a lie.

- It was a mistake.
- Got it.

I guess mistakes happen.

Is that the only mistake
so far in your testimony?

- Yes.

- Lucky I caught it, I guess.

I'm done for now.

- Ms. Reynolds,
when you went to the doctor,

did he find any bruising?

- Yes.
He found some vaginal bruising.

- Thank you.

- Did the doctor
find that bruising

to be conclusive
of nonconsensual intercourse?

- No.

- Thank you.

- Your Honor,
the Commonwealth

would like to call
one more witness

who is not on our list.

- Objection.

- Sheila Keenan.

Three years ago she was raped
by Rabbi Jacobs.

There was an out-of-court
settlement,

coupled with an agreement
for her to keep silent.

I would like
to call her to rehabilitate

Ms. Reynolds' testimony.

- Mr. Young.

Mr. Young.

- Uh...

- Your Honor, a prior bad acts
in a criminal case,

that's not even close
to being admissible.

- I will be offering
to show pattern--

- What pattern, two?

Even if two made a pattern--
- May I finish?

- We don't need
to hear you finish.

That witness
would be so prejudicial, she--

- I understand you don't like
this, but that does not mean--

- I don't like it either,
Mr. Bullock.

The only thing
we'd accomplish

by bringing in that witness
is a guaranteed appeal.

Even if you got a conviction,
it would just be overturned.

- Not necessarily.

If we limit the scope
of the questions, there's no--

- Sorry, no chance.

Is that it?

Good.

We close tomorrow afternoon.

- You weren't going
to tell me that little detail?

- Pursuant to the court
settlement,

she's not allowed
to speak to anybody.

- You were allowed to tell me.
You left that out.

- I didn't rape her, either.

Things just got out of control.

- How much did you pay
this Keenan woman?

- I'm not sure.

- You're not sure?

- The synagogue handled it.

- Next on the agenda is--

- I guess I am naive
after all, Mr. Lewis.

I didn't think
it was board business

to buy off rape victims.

How deep does that fund go,
Mr. Lewis?

- Now hold on--
- No, you hold on.

I'm sure
he's a good rabbi,

fills the seats,
generates a good cash flow,

you get to use
the best wood for your pews,

build the fanciest
temple in town,

and when he commits
a crime or two,

you can pay top dollar
to get him off,

but here's what you don't know--

- Mr. Young--
- Shh.

I'm talking now.

When it's me you hire,
you tell me the truth.

You tell me everything
you think I might want to know.

You hide facts for me, I quit.

You got that?

You understand me?

- Are you finished?

I'm an attorney, myself,
Mr. Young,

so please don't lecture me.

When you take on a case,
you take on a duty.

You have no rights,
Mr. Young.

The client has no obligation
to tell you everything.

What he decides
to tell you is his choice alone.

You take what he gives you,
and you make the best of it.

We gave you your hand,
Mr. Young,

you've played it very nicely.

And don't barge
in here threatening to quit,

because the judge
would never let you out.

- I could quit just the same
and take the contempt finding.

- It's not in your character
to quit.

You don't think
we bothered to check you out?

Now, please.

Attend to your closing argument.

From where I sit,

this whole trial
comes down to summations,

and I guarantee you

Gavin Bullock is working on his.

- You think you did good
in there, Counsel?

You think you did good in there?

- I asked you
to get away from me.

- I won't be staying
away from you.

Go in there
and give your closing now.

- You want to take a shot at me?
- Yeah.

I want to take it right now.
- Come on!

- Eugene, Eugene, Eugene.
- Interrogate me!

- For God's sake,
this isn't time

for you to lose your focus.

- What are you doing here?
- You got to go in there

and hit a home run,
if you don't--

- Are you checking up on me,
Jimmy?

- Yeah, Eugene, I am.

- You can tell Bobby I'm ready.

- Mr. Young.

- When this trial began,
I think a lot of people

wanted to believe Terri Reynolds
for two reasons.

First, it's become kind of
a pastime in this country

to watch people fall
from high places.

It's almost
as if it's a spectator sport

as far as the media goes,

and here, you have one
of the most respected rabbis

in New England.

A rabbi's rabbi, if you will.

For him to be accused of rape,

there's just something delicious
about that, isn't there?

Second, there's something
so seemingly

innocent about Terri Reynolds,
and good.

And good people
don't make up lies like this.

We all want to believe that.
I want to believe it.

She could be your daughter,
your sister.

She's just not going to make
something like this up.

Well,
I'm not going to stand up here

and tell you
I know Terri Reynolds.

I don't.

Neither does
the district attorney.

He doesn't know her.

Nor do any of you.

All you get to do here
is weigh her credibility.

And here's what the evidence
tells you about that,

and by evidence,
I mean her very own testimony.

She is a woman

who admittedly wants
to be wealthy,

going all the way
back to high school,

when she listed
as a life goal to be rich.

She's a woman
who wanted to marry my client,

testified she was
angry with him.

Well, one way
to punish him

and to get rich
at the same time, cry rape.

She's already got the civil
attorney in place.

A criminal conviction here,

that's money
in the bank, isn't it?

The evidence
on her truthfulness:

She's in love
with one man,

but doesn't tell him,
"By the way,

I'm seeing somebody else."

She testified
that she didn't tell anybody

about her relationship
with the Rabbi Jacobs, and then,

when confronted about the truth
about telling her friend,

she says, "Oh, yeah,
I forgot about that."

Is she truthful?
I don't know.

Like I said, I don't know her.

Neither do any of you.

What about the facts
of the case itself?

She's being raped;
she doesn't scream.

No screams, no bruises,

no calling the police,
no fleeing the scene:

does this sound
like a rape to you?

Would she make it up after,

as a scheme, just to get rich?

I don't know.

As I said, a part of us
wants to believe her,

but when we examine the facts,

can we?

I don't know.

I don't know her.

In fact,

if there's
one uncontroverted truth

that we can be certain of,

it's that none
of us here knows her.

That we know.

That,

and that she wants to be rich.

- It's not easy
being a rape victim these days.

Because the trial system,

it's no longer
about arriving at the truth.

Believe it or not,
that used to be the idea.

It's about winning and losing.

Now, I'm here to win,
I admit it,

and so is defense counsel.

Winning means that if
you don't have the facts,

you attack the one who does.

This is
why Mr. Young

has focused himself
on getting Terri Reynolds.

He can't offer any testimonial
or physical evidence

to dispute what she says,

so he'll just get her.

We're talking about a rape,
ladies and gentlemen,

and he's dredging up
her high school yearbook.

We're talking
about a man

physically forcing himself
inside a young woman,

and he's serving up
her career ambitions.

He has no defense.

He put on no defense.

He chose, instead,

to rape her again,
in this courtroom,

and he's asked you
to be a part of it.

Now, this has got to stop.

She was raped,
for God's sake.

He pinned her to the ground

and performed a vile act
of violence against her.

That is her testimony,
and it goes uncontradicted.

You listened to her.

Did she sound like a liar?

Did she seem like someone
who was only looking for money?

Defense counsel is right
about one thing.

We offer only her word.

But it's a good word,
ladies and gentlemen.

They put up nothing
to contradict it

because she was raped.

It happened.

How dare he put her on trial
in this room?

Maybe the time has come
to put some of these kinds

of defense tactics on trial.

- Three times he did it, three.

- I did no such thing.
- Oh, come on.

He says we can't offer
testimonial evidence,

he says the rapist gets
to sit quietly in his chair,

he says we put on no defense.
- You didn't.

- He was commenting
on the defendant not testifying,

which he isn't allowed to do.

- I am allowed
to say he put on--

- The defendant has the right--
- All right.

- It's grounds for a mistrial.
- You want a mistrial?

- I want a stronger instruction
than the one you gave.

- Come on.

I gave an instruction.

If I gave it any stronger,

I'd have been
hanging out a flag.

- Attacking me in your closing,
what the hell was that?

What the hell
gives you the right to claim

any moral superiority over me?

Who gave you that?
- What are you talking about?

- You know damn well
what I'm talking about.

- Counsel.

I think
you're overreacting here.

Maybe you should take a walk
around the building,

just to sort out what it is
that's got you this angry.

- I know what got me this angry.

He argued
that my client didn't testify.

- He came close to doing that.

I don't believe
he crossed the line.

I believe I protected you
with an instruction.

You made your objection
on the record,

you preserved it for appeal.

What else are you asking for?

[knock at door]

- Jury has a verdict.

- Will the defendant
please rise.

Madame Foreperson,

you've reached
a unanimous verdict?

- Yes, we have, Your Honor.

- What say you?

- In the matter
of the Commonwealth versus

Richard Jacobs,

on the charge
of aggravated rape,

we find the defendant,

Richard Jacobs, not guilty.

- Oh, dear God.

- Thank you, Mr. Young.

Thank you.

- Don't date, rabbi.

- [screams]

- What are you doing?
- I was coming for you!

Not him, not him!

For you!

- Get off me, man.
Get off me.

[reporters clamoring]

- Do you think that money
was a motivating factor for her?

- The jury reached its decision.

I'm satisfied justice--

- There's some speculation

that she was trying
to get pregnant.

Do you have an opinion on that?

- No.

- Mr. Young,
what about Rabbi Jacobs?

- Please--
- Get out of my way.

We have no comment.

The jury brought back a verdict.

Go ask them.

We have no comment.

[reporters clamoring]

- Thanks.

- Yeah.

Congratulations, I guess.

- What are you doing down here,
Sharon?

Trying to get custody again,
or something?

- I thought
you might want some company.

Dinner, maybe.

- Yeah.

That would be good.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪