The Practice (1997–2004): Season 8, Episode 2 - The Chosen - full transcript
SHORE: Previously on
"The Practice."
FRUTT: To the world
and to the potential jury pool,
you are the man
who murdered
his pregnant wife
and unborn son.
I need you
to start demonstrating
the zeal that comes
with defending
an innocent man.
Daddy!
Hey, baby!
Your client murdered
my sister, Ms. Frutt.
I won't be cooperating much
with his defense.
Do you think your mom
killed herself?
I know my dad
didn't kill her.
He loved her.
So, I think she must have
committed suicide.
FRUTT: Alan, what's up?
Something came up
at Caruthers.
I left.
Now I'm looking
for new employment.
What exactly came up
at Caruthers, Alan?
I embezzled, allegedly.
Alan...
I'm going through
an enormous
character growth.
Just the same.
And I need a break.
WILSON: This agreement
that you had me type up
tantamount
to insurance fraud.
Is that wrong?
SHORE: Why are we whispering?
CARLISLE: She has a headache.
She?
God.
She gets headaches?
And cramps.
Explains a lot,
don't you think?
Sheila...
Alan...
Sheila...
Alan...
I want you to allow me
to settle this case.
No.
Sheila...
Alan...
Assuming you do hear
God's thoughts,
persuading a jury
of that reality...
will be difficult for me.
I win my cases.
I had the highest
winning percentage
of any litigator
in my firm.
They had no right
to fire me.
Sometimes
we need to forgive those
who trespass against us.
Not.
(music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
REPORTER: Are you rolling?
We're on day three
of Bradley Stanfield's
double murder trial.
It's not known when the
prosecution is going to rest.
Sources say--
hey! Damn it.
HYANG: Cause of death,
cyanide poisoning.
And the cyanide entered
Mrs. Stanfield's system
how, Doctor?
Ingestion,
traces found in coffee.
CAMPBELL: Doctor, you're aware
that a suicide note was found.
Ridiculous.
I'm sorry?
Cyanide poisoning,
violent death.
Nobody commits suicide
that way.
Doctor,
did the cyanide come
in liquid or solid form?
Powder.
Powder?
So, one way for it
to have gotten into the coffee
would be for somebody to simply
pour it into her cup,
right, Doctor?
Yes.
And another way,
somebody could have put it
into the coffee grounds.
Isn't that correct, Doctor?
Could happen.
FRUTT: So the poison could have
been put into the coffee
long before,
perhaps days before,
it was bought and consumed
by the victim.
Isn't that right, Doctor?
Could happen.
Doctor,
what can you tell me
about Molly Stanfield's
personality?
Nothing.
Not a psychologist.
Well, Doctor,
suicide goes very much
to the psychology
of the victim.
You're up here trying
to rule out suicide,
and you know nothing
about Molly Stanfield.
You can't rule out suicide,
can you, doctor?
The cause of action
is wrongful termination
under the State's
Employment Practices Act.
We already filed
with the M. C. A. D. to no avail.
When were you fired?
June.
We have a settlement conference
scheduled for 11:00.
Failing settlement--
Excuse me. Could I just
stop you for a sec?
Surely.
Jimmy, I don't mind
you looking at me.
In fact,
I'm even flattered.
But would you mind
keeping each stare
to eight seconds
total in duration?
Anything
longer than that
is just an invasion
of my privacy.
Eight seconds
or less, Jimmy.
Okay?
Sure.
SHORE:
Now, if we don't settle,
I'd like to have you
second-chair the trial.
Your plain folk style
could be an asset.
A lot of jurors today
relate to the
phonetically-challenged.
Excuse me?
I mean that
as a compliment, Jimmy.
You're the everyman.
I'm not a simple person.
I'm very deep.
Yes.
And what
I'd be looking for
is for you to go
to your depths
and say to the jury,
"Not fair."
Can you do that?
One,
two,
three...
A drug overdose is one thing,
but cyanide?
Why not? It's quick.
And violent.
There are headaches,
vomiting,
possible suffocation.
It's an ugly death.
It's not possible Molly
Stanfield wanted to die ugly?
HENKE: I suppose it's possible,
but as I said,
I've never seen it.
Also, the note,
when people leave notes,
typically
it's to provide explanation
or to say goodbye.
Here we have
"I do not choose to live,"
typed, unsigned.
You think the note
was a fake?
Yes.
Scripted by somebody
who wanted us to think
it was a suicide.
Sounds like whoever did this
was pretty sloppy.
Certainly unconvincing.
Or maybe very clever.
Maybe the victim made it
look like a phony suicide,
hoping the police
would suspect
her husband of murder.
I beg your pardon?
STRINGER:
This marriage was marked
by a lot of anger, doctor,
if not hatred.
Isn't it possible
Molly Stanfield
decided to check out
and take her husband
down in the process?
Is that what you think
happened?
Or somebody else
killed her,
knowing the police
always look to the spouse.
Can you positively
rule that out,
that somebody else
killed her?
Let me put it this way.
Who besides my client
did you investigate?
You can't be willing
to take this to trial.
Oh, but we can.
She was terminated
for a disability.
That's against the law.
GINSBERG: She was terminated
for not being able to fulfill
the function
of the job.
One such function
being client relations.
She claims God talks to her,
for God's sake.
She claims bald men
access her thoughts.
You seem upset.
GINSBERG: I am upset.
We're wasting
valuable time here.
How can you be willing to go
forward with this?
She will be
publicly revealed
as a loon,
which you are, Sheila.
SHORE: May I speak
off the record?
As recently
as five months ago,
you, Mr. Lambert,
and my client
had rather vigorous
sexual relations.
Do you recall that,
Mr. Lambert?
Do you, Sheila?
Vividly.
What is this,
an extortion attempt?
Oh, extortion
is a very bad thing.
I would never.
However--
Mmm.
One of my
favorite words--
"however."
Don't you like that word?
Love it.
However,
I would have to introduce
this carnal episode
as an admission
on Mr. Lambert's part,
that he considered
my client to be both
competent and sane.
How do you figure that?
Well, Mr. Ginsberg,
certainly if he had relations
with a person who,
to his mind,
lacked capacity to consent
to said relations--
what's the word
I'm looking for now?
Heavens?
Rape.
In Massachusetts,
having sex
with the incompetent--
was it "heavens?"
Rape.
Right.
GINSBERG: You're now using
the threat of a criminal trial
to advance a civil claim,
Mr. Shore.
That's grounds
for disbarment.
I don't believe
I did that.
But why don't you go
report me,
see how it all unfolds?
$2.6 million, gentlemen,
that's your out.
SHEPARD:
I wanna see my niece.
When the meeting is over,
they will come out.
I am that child's
guardian.
Actually, her father
is still the legal guardian,
and it's my understanding
you want him convicted.
If you interfere
with our defense,
what you'll be doing
is giving him grounds
for a new trial.
I don't think
you want that.
Now, please.
Sit over there and wait
while I check
on your niece.
(sighs)
All right.
First, this Shore guy
is totally corrupt.
Second,
the client is nuts.
She thinks God
talks to her.
Excuse me?
She also thinks bald men
access her thoughts.
And if you stare at her
more than eight seconds,
you invade her privacy.
And Shore, he just tried
extorting the lawyer.
He's a crook.
(door opens)
SHEPARD: Come on, honey.
Christine.
Listen, I know
you're not sympathetic
to our case here.
You're using
a 10-year-old girl
as a trial prop.
How could anyone
be sympathetic to that?
If you try to interfere
with Emma's involvement,
we will assert our rights
against you.
Come on, honey.
Come on.
You're calling
the daughter?
I don't know.
All she has to say
is that her mother
seemed sad.
We're thinking about
accusing Christine.
Her? The sister?
She has no alibi.
They didn't get along.
Basically,
we've got nothing else.
Ellenor!
I think I can sell it.
Are you out of your mind?
It's called plan "B."
We use it on occasion
when plan "A" is sure to fail.
What about
Emma's testimony?
She'll support suicide.
None of us feel
Emma will help us.
In fact, we think trying
to exploit her further
could even hurt.
Well, my testimony--
And we don't think
you should testify either.
There's too much
to impeach you with.
Right now,
your domestic assault
isn't in evidence.
If you testify, Bradley,
it comes into play.
What is our defense?
Reasonable doubt.
All we need to show
is that it's possible
somebody else did it,
including, possibly,
your sister-in-law.
We know it's desperate.
We're not kidding
ourselves.
But it's something,
Bradley.
We do not commit blackmail
in this firm.
We do not resort
to extortion
or any other
criminal offenses
to settle our claims.
Eugene,
I give you my word.
I would never get caught.
I will report you
to the bar myself.
Jimmy, I brought you in
on this case
because I sensed
a connection between us.
You brought me in
because you think
I'm simple.
"Simple"
would be speaking directly
with the person
you have issues with, Jimmy.
Going behind my back,
that makes you complicated.
You're no longer invited
to play on my team, Jimmy.
SHEPARD: My sister
was a devout Catholic.
Suicide is considered
against God.
She also was not a woman
to indulge in self-pity.
Nothing kept that woman down,
no matter what the setback.
Could she have privately
been unhappy?
No.
If anything,
she seemed happier lately.
She was in love.
In love with?
She had a boyfriend.
I didn't approve,
but I was at least hopeful
that it would get her
out of her involvement
with him.
Him?
You observed your sister
with him?
SHEPARD: Yes.
It was increasingly
more and more angry
to the point that I felt
that it was extremely unhealthy
for Emma.
Clearly, it turned out to be
unhealthy for Molly, as well.
You said
she was a devout Catholic.
Are you?
Yes, I am.
Is it possible,
knowing how opposed
you were to suicide,
that your sister
concealed her plans
to take her life?
This was not a suicide,
and I am finding this repulsive.
You seem angry.
I am.
You and your sister
often got angry
with each other, didn't you?
We had our differences,
primarily over the war zone
they subjected Emma to.
FRUTT: Just out of curiosity.
Where were you
the day your sister died?
I beg your pardon?
FRUTT: I don't mean to be rude,
but if my client
should be convicted
of this murder,
he'd be disqualified
from inheriting,
and you'd get more of your
sister's money, wouldn't you?
Are you suggesting
I killed my sister?
FRUTT: I am just suggesting
that you had keys to her house,
that you knew
her coffee-drinking patterns.
Did the police
ever investigate you?
No, they did not.
A year ago, you tried
to get custody of Emma,
because you considered
your sister
to be an unfit parent.
SHEPARD: I considered them
both unfit,
because of the way
they fought continually
in front of Emma.
You love Emma very much.
SHEPARD: Like a daughter.
Yes, I do.
FRUTT: And if your sister dies
and your brother-in-law
gets convicted of this crime,
you would get custody of Emma,
wouldn't you, Christine?
Everything would work out.
You are disgusting.
(clears throat)
One dollar?
Yes, Mr. Shore,
that is our offer,
one dollar.
And it's final.
We were offended
by your little extortion
attempt yesterday.
And we're perfectly willing
to go to trial on Thursday,
and when we do,
it's gonna get out
that your client is insane.
Her peers are going to learn
that she is deeply,
deeply deluded,
and she will likely
be unemployable forever.
So go ahead, Mr. Shore.
Advise your client
to move forward
with this claim.
Counsel her that it is
in her best interest
to do so.
And you,
why don't you
just talk it over with God?
Let me tell you something.
Mr. Ginsberg,
what you've done,
unwittingly or not,
is turn the matter,
personal.
When a case
becomes personal to me,
Mr. Ginsberg,
my priorities shift.
My goal becomes not so much
to vindicate,
but rather to avenge.
My mission now
is to get you.
(music playing)
The meeting is over.
You may go.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will possess the land.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for justice,
for they will get their fill.
Rest?
What about my testimony?
We agreed
you shouldn't testify since--
I never agreed.
You agreed.
If you take the stand,
your domestic assault
comes into evidence.
And if I don't go up there,
we have no defense.
FRUTT: Our case
is reasonable doubt.
It's burden of proof.
We've already established
the possibility of suicide.
We've established
the possibility
of somebody else killing her.
That's the best
we can do here.
No, it isn't.
If you take the stand,
you are guaranteed a guilty--
You listen to me.
From my perspective,
I've already bought
the guilty verdict.
I do not want to rest.
If you get--
BRAD: I'm talking.
Like you said from the start,
everyone thinks I'm guilty.
I'm the sick bastard
who killed his pregnant wife
and unborn child.
Well, people need to hear
from me now.
My daughter needs
to hear from me.
Then do it behind
closed doors.
I will do it in that room.
I have made a life
out of being liked, Ellenor.
Look at my face.
Every job I've gotten,
every woman--
it's 'cause I'm trustworthy.
I'm sympathetic.
I make a favorable impression.
STRINGER: Brad,
I agree with Ellenor.
You testifying
would not be a good idea.
I will take that stand,
and I will make
a favorable impression.
I will tell my story,
and they will cry for me.
You understand me?
We understand you perfectly.
I'm actually really excited
about the trial.
There's no greater rush
of adrenaline.
And I'm looking forward
to working together again,
you and me, too.
I thought we gelled perfectly
at that first settlement
conference.
You know,
our rhythms were together.
It was kind of like sex.
What do you think about me
presenting the open?
There's no better way
of showing off my skills
as a litigator.
Did you get a message
just then...
from God?
As a matter of fact,
I did.
Why?
I was just wondering.
So, what do you think
about me opening?
I think it sounds good.
Okay.
SHORE: Listen, I need to meet
with your doctors tomorrow.
Why?
To prepare their testimony.
Why would we be calling doctors?
We're basing our claim
on disability law.
So, I'll need to present
evidence of--
My disability?
I have none, Alan.
When I try cases, Sheila,
I don't like surprises.
Therefore, I would like to meet
with your doctors.
Well, I'll give you
all the surprises right now.
I have no doctors.
You're not being treated
by anybody?
CARLISLE: Why should I be?
Because God speaks to me?
That doesn't make me ill,
and it doesn't make me
any less of a lawyer.
I thought I'd have meat.
I'm on the Atkins diet,
so let's bring on the protein.
SARAH (OVER TV):
In what certainly promises
to be the most dramatic moment
of the trial,
Brad Stanfield will sit
in the witness chair
and presumably deny
that he killed
his pregnant wife, Molly,
and their unborn son, Michael.
(knock on door)
SHORE: You called, Eugene?
Yes.
I wanted to meet our new client.
Ah.
Sheila? Oh.
Sheila Carlisle, Eugene Young.
Why is she hiding behind you?
You're bald, Eugene.
You can access her thoughts.
May I have a word with you,
please, Alan?
Certainly. Sheila?
CARLISLE: Uh-hmm.
Are you serious
about trying this case?
Quite.
The woman thinks
God speaks to her?
She does.
YOUNG: As senior partner,
I'm directing you
to either settle
or enter your withdrawal.
This firm cannot
and will not proceed to court
with that cause of action.
May I respond?
Please.
The client merely thinks
you can access her thoughts
because of your baldness,
Eugene,
but if I'm not mistaken,
you're not bald.
You shave your head.
If I may?
Just as I thought,
nubs.
It's all a big misunderstanding.
I'll let her know.
You do not amuse me.
I sense that.
It wasn't a perfect marriage.
I had an affair once.
Turns out she was having one.
FRUTT: But, still,
you didn't want a divorce.
BRAD: No.
We had a daughter.
For both Molly and me,
Emma was everything.
And...
And what, Brad?
And despite our battles,
my love for Molly
was as strong as ever.
I resisted the divorce
simply 'cause I couldn't imagine
life without her.
That may make me weak, but...
it's the truth.
Did you kill your wife,
Bradley?
No, I didn't.
She was pregnant with my son,
a son I had dreamed of.
The idea that I could take
a life--
any life--
but...
to accuse me
of killing Molly
or Michael?
FRUTT: You heard it mentioned
that your sister-in-law,
Christine,
might have had both motive
and opportunity.
I can't believe Christine
could be capable of this.
She and Molly had battles,
and I know
she wanted custody of Emma,
but this was her own sister.
Did Molly have
any other enemies?
I mean, obviously,
she had secrets.
I didn't know
about the affair,
but...
no enemies that I knew of.
FRUTT: Brad,
you have to understand
why you're a suspect.
You have a troubled marriage,
your wife wants to leave you,
and she's suddenly found
poisoned to death
in your home
with no signs of anybody else
being there but you.
I would never be capable
of taking a human life.
I could never hurt the woman
that I love more than life.
You could never hurt her.
A year ago, the police
were called to your house once
because you hit her.
Once, during an argument,
I lashed out.
I'm ashamed of that.
You're ashamed.
And when the police
questioned you
after finding her dead,
you didn't tell them
of your affair,
did you?
No. I was--
Ashamed?
Objection.
CAMPBELL: The police asked
if you and your wife
had any domestic problems.
You answered, "No."
That was a lie,
wasn't it, Mr. Stanfield?
I didn't imagine
that I was a suspect
at the time
of that question.
I thought my marriage
was a private matter.
I see.
You also told the police
that you tried
to revive your wife.
Yes, after I found her, I...
performed chest compressions,
mouth-to-mouth.
CAMPBELL: Yes, you said
you tried to breathe air
into her lungs.
And yet we found no traces
of your saliva on her mouth.
In fact,
there was no smudging
even of her lipstick,
Mr. Stanfield.
Did you not touch her lips
as you performed mouth-to-mouth?
I thought I did.
You thought you did?
The night before Molly's death,
neighbors heard you
and your wife
screaming at each other
from inside your home.
What was the fight about,
Mr. Stanfield?
We argued a lot
in our marriage.
I said so.
That particular argument,
she complained
that I worked too much,
that I was an absentee husband.
That's what the fight was about?
Yes.
One neighbor, Martin Reed,
who is seated right there
he heard you screaming
at your wife,
"Do you love him?"
Did she love who,
Mr. Stanfield?
I do not recall saying that.
You stated to the police
and testified again today
that you didn't learn
of your wife's affair
until after her death,
and yet the night before,
you were heard screaming,
"Do you love him?"
As I said before,
I don't remember saying that.
I knew nothing about her affair.
WILSON: (sighs) Not good.
How bad?
All six voted guilty,
unequivocally.
What are you talking about?
FRUTT: I hired a focus group
to monitor the trial.
They found your testimony
unconvincing,
and unanimously rejected it.
FRUTT: All right, look,
I would like to explore
murder two.
Absolutely not.
Brad--
BRAD: That is a life sentence,
Ellenor.
With a possibility
of parole.
I don't know what to tell you.
We are going to lose here.
We are dead.
EMMA: Daddy, let me tell.
BRAD: Emma, please be quiet.
Daddy, you said you--
Emma?
Tell what?
Nothing. Could--
can I have a moment alone
with my daughter, please?
(music playing)
Hey.
Hey.
I'm working on my opening.
You wanna hear it?
In a second.
I need you
to listen to me, Sheila.
Yeah?
The reason I so readily
took this case,
aside from my...
tremendous affection for you,
is because I know,
your eccentricities
notwithstanding,
you've always been a fierce
and brilliant litigator,
and I have never,
ever known you
to be off on the law.
But I'm concerned, Sheila,
because now...
you are off on the law.
How so?
The basis of our claim
lies in employment
discrimination--
Massachusetts General Laws,
chapter 151.
You drafted the complaint,
Sheila.
We must, as a matter of law,
make a showing
that you're handicapped
within the meaning
of the statute.
We will need a doctor to testify
that you have a mental illness,
because you do.
And if we cannot make a showing
that you are mentally ill,
we cannot win this lawsuit.
What are your thoughts?
Talk to me.
Please don't abandon me, Alan.
I won't.
(clears throat)
I was initially diagnosed
with schizophrenia.
I had excellent
pre-morbid functioning.
I was later re-diagnosed
with a non-bizarre
delusional disorder--
delusional
and not schizophrenic,
because the voices
were within my head
and not from external sources.
I was treated
with antipsychotic medication.
The voices remitted.
I went off the medication,
and...
she came back.
There you have it.
I'll make the doctors
available to you,
though I haven't been treated
in over two months.
I'll let you get back
to your opening.
Alan...
I need you
to win this case for me.
Can you win it for me, please?
Done.
FRUTT: We know you love
your dad very much,
and he loves you.
We're his lawyers,
and all of his secrets
are safe with us.
Are you the person
who poisoned your mother?
I told you I don't really
wanna talk about it right now.
Emma...
I don't think
you really want your dad
to live the rest of his life
in prison.
FRUTT: There may be a way
for us to help him
and to protect you
at the same time,
but we need to know
the truth, Emma.
Did you poison your mother?
(crying)
Can you tell us why?
She was ruining everything.
She's lying to protect me.
I don't think so.
Where is she?
She's with Tara.
Listen--
I killed Molly.
All right?
Look, Emma's just trying
to protect me.
Leave it at that.
Oh, so, now you're suddenly
saying that you did it?
You've been protecting
your daughter.
This doesn't help her.
She's 10.
She'll be destroyed--
BRAD: She'll most definitely
be destroyed
if she's locked up.
That doesn't have to happen.
There's probably
an insanity defense.
She's 10.
Plus, for God's sake,
if she's ever to have any chance
of psychological
or emotional health,
she's gonna need you
on the outside.
You accepting guilt
for her crime--
I accept guilt
because I'm at fault, Ellenor.
She was raised
in an environment of hatred.
Her mom and I fought.
Emma...
whatever caused her to do this,
I absolutely accept fault.
Let us try to work this out.
Just make the deal
on murder two.
I'll take it.
We're not allowed to do that.
As Emma's legal guardian,
I am directing you to hire
independent counsel for her.
That you have to do.
She's a gifted attorney,
and I mean gifted.
She has the highest
winning percentage
of all our litigators.
But God speaks to her.
She claims bald men
access her thoughts.
As much as we adore
Sheila Carlisle,
and we do,
she's ill,
and her delusions simply...
shake...
client confidence in our firm.
Now, you'll hear lots
of evidence during this trial
from many people
documenting her illness,
and you'll understand
our position.
But you'll truly come
to appreciate it,
I'm afraid,
once you hear from Sheila.
Imagine being considered insane
for endeavoring
to communicate with God.
I've been so ostracized
by my firm these days,
God was the only one
who talked to me.
You talk to her, Margaret,
every night,
and though you think
She's a He,
that's okay.
And, Ward, I know
you don't believe in her,
but when your wife
survived cancer,
you were heard to mutter,
"Thank God."
GINSBERG:
What is going on here?
I'm giving my opening remarks,
and I'd appreciate
being allowed to finish.
And this is fraud.
Objection!
Agnostic, Mitchell?
Shame.
Ms. Carlisle, Chambers, now.
Just as well.
Shirley has to pee.
GINSBERG: Obviously,
she managed to find
personal data on the jurors.
This is unethical.
Where did you get
this information, counsel?
God.
SPINDLE: I'm not fooling around,
Ms. Carlisle.
If you have access
to the clerk's office--
if you gained access
to the files--
GINSBERG: This is probably why
she relates so well to juries.
She gets inside information,
which she--
You're absolutely right,
Albert.
If you'd like a mistrial,
fine.
We can do this
over and over again.
My source
will always be there.
SPINDLE: All right.
Regardless of where
you get your information,
it is improper for you
to have personal contact
with jurors.
I haven't.
SPINDLE: Yes, you have.
The fact that you had it
in open court
doesn't change things.
This is a mistrial.
She told me
that you'd do that,
but I wouldn't listen.
Mr. Ginsberg...
given you don't know her source
and that she might be
more subtle the next go-round,
I seriously suggest
you think about settling this.
Your wife would be happy.
You could take
that trip to Mexico.
They're in a rut.
The cyanide came
from her mother's photo lab.
Evidently, it's used
in developing pictures.
STRINGER: It explains
the simple suicide note
written by a 10-year-old.
I need to talk to her.
I can't allow that.
Look, you're gonna have
to help me out a little here.
Otherwise--
I've been assigned
to help the girl,
not you.
Trust me, she's not talking.
And if I were to subpoena her?
She'll plead the Fifth,
unless, of course,
you'd like to grant
total immunity.
CAMPBELL: Well,
if I can't speak to her,
I have no new evidence,
and therefore, I--
FRUTT: Actually, you do.
Jamie and I are witnesses,
as is Tara Wilson,
our assistant.
We heard the girl confess.
And I'm to take your word?
You represent the guy.
No, actually, we would have
to recuse ourselves now
because we've become witnesses.
Look...
I pull a lot of stunts.
In this trial alone,
pointing the finger
at the sister,
it was a tactic,
a part of the game.
But...
as an officer of the court,
I am here before you now,
as is Jamie, telling you
this was not a stunt.
(knock on door)
(door opens)
Thank you for coming in.
I understand
you've had opportunity
to talk to your niece.
Ms. Shepard, I need you
to be a friend of the court,
and I--
Hold on a second.
WEST: Ms. Singleton,
you represent the girl,
not the aunt.
That's her--
This is improper, Your Honor.
Well, that's my call,
not yours,
and I'll thank you to be quiet.
Ms. Shepard...
none of us...
wants the wrong person
convicted here.
Did your niece
indicate to you
that she poisoned your sister?
I asked you a question.
I would like you to answer.
SHEPARD: I am not going
to incriminate my niece.
But I'll say...
it appears Mr. Stanfield
did not commit the crime.
Members of the jury,
new information
has come to light.
As a result of this
new information,
the District Attorney
feels he is duty-bound
to withdraw the complaint.
The charges against
Bradley Stanfield
are therefore dismissed.
WEST:
The defendant is free to go.
The minor, Emma Stanfield
will be taken into custody,
and we are adjourned.
MAN: Mr. Stanfield.
Try and be brave, sweetheart.
I will, daddy, I will.
(indistinct chatter)
They're not taking you back.
What?
They can't be forced
to employ you, Sheila.
You know that.
Well then let's not settle.
Five is not enough.
You don't need them.
Being alone
is not good for me, Alan.
I need voices
on the outside to balance--
being alone
is not good for me.
Let's not settle.
Nobody's gonna hire you,
except maybe me.
You?
Here?
Why not?
Do you even have the authority
to hire people?
No.
I'll figure it out.
You're a good friend, Alan.
How did you learn
the identities and backgrounds
of all those jurors?
(chuckles)
FRUTT: Brad?
You got a second?
Sure.
Emma's lawyer,
is she qualified?
FRUTT: Well, she was assigned
by the courts.
Her reputation is good.
Can you take over?
Oh, I suppose, but--
Good.
I wanna move quickly.
I don't want her
to be locked up.
She's going to be locked up.
She committed murder.
There's nothing--
Actually, she didn't, Jamie.
She just said she did.
All right, look,
I'm embarrassed to say
I haven't been truthful
with you.
I killed Molly.
I maintained otherwise
for obvious reasons.
I didn't wanna spend my life
in jail.
As the case went south,
Emma and I
devised a backup plan--
plan "B" of our own,
I guess you'd call it.
It involved manipulating you,
getting you to think
that she did it
in the hope that maybe
you'd find a way
to right an apparent
travesty of justice,
which you did,
and I'm grateful.
Now we need to help her.
Assuming double jeopardy
will prevent me
from being retried,
one strategy might be
for me to come forward now
and admit my guilt.
Is that right?
Do I assume correctly,
Ellenor?
You killed your wife?
Yes...
and I'm not proud
of using my daughter
to secure my freedom.
Actually, you two gave me
that idea.
Anyway, the mission now
is to fix things
and get her out,
so we all need to get on board.
Again, I totally apologize
for manipulating you.
I thought that was the only way.
When can we proceed?
Brad...
you're gonna have
to give us a little time
to absorb all of this.
But let's not waste
any time, okay?
An innocent 10-year-old girl
is in jail.
We need to help her.
Whatever we choose to do,
by the way,
it cannot involve me
going to jail.
That is not an option.
Okay.
Thank you.
I think I could be sick.
We need to figure out a way
to take him down.
How?
There's double jeopardy,
privilege.
FRUTT: Jamie...
he just used us as puppets
to defraud the court.
We need to take him down.
(sighs)
(music playing)
WOMAN: You stinker!
(music playing)
"The Practice."
FRUTT: To the world
and to the potential jury pool,
you are the man
who murdered
his pregnant wife
and unborn son.
I need you
to start demonstrating
the zeal that comes
with defending
an innocent man.
Daddy!
Hey, baby!
Your client murdered
my sister, Ms. Frutt.
I won't be cooperating much
with his defense.
Do you think your mom
killed herself?
I know my dad
didn't kill her.
He loved her.
So, I think she must have
committed suicide.
FRUTT: Alan, what's up?
Something came up
at Caruthers.
I left.
Now I'm looking
for new employment.
What exactly came up
at Caruthers, Alan?
I embezzled, allegedly.
Alan...
I'm going through
an enormous
character growth.
Just the same.
And I need a break.
WILSON: This agreement
that you had me type up
tantamount
to insurance fraud.
Is that wrong?
SHORE: Why are we whispering?
CARLISLE: She has a headache.
She?
God.
She gets headaches?
And cramps.
Explains a lot,
don't you think?
Sheila...
Alan...
Sheila...
Alan...
I want you to allow me
to settle this case.
No.
Sheila...
Alan...
Assuming you do hear
God's thoughts,
persuading a jury
of that reality...
will be difficult for me.
I win my cases.
I had the highest
winning percentage
of any litigator
in my firm.
They had no right
to fire me.
Sometimes
we need to forgive those
who trespass against us.
Not.
(music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
REPORTER: Are you rolling?
We're on day three
of Bradley Stanfield's
double murder trial.
It's not known when the
prosecution is going to rest.
Sources say--
hey! Damn it.
HYANG: Cause of death,
cyanide poisoning.
And the cyanide entered
Mrs. Stanfield's system
how, Doctor?
Ingestion,
traces found in coffee.
CAMPBELL: Doctor, you're aware
that a suicide note was found.
Ridiculous.
I'm sorry?
Cyanide poisoning,
violent death.
Nobody commits suicide
that way.
Doctor,
did the cyanide come
in liquid or solid form?
Powder.
Powder?
So, one way for it
to have gotten into the coffee
would be for somebody to simply
pour it into her cup,
right, Doctor?
Yes.
And another way,
somebody could have put it
into the coffee grounds.
Isn't that correct, Doctor?
Could happen.
FRUTT: So the poison could have
been put into the coffee
long before,
perhaps days before,
it was bought and consumed
by the victim.
Isn't that right, Doctor?
Could happen.
Doctor,
what can you tell me
about Molly Stanfield's
personality?
Nothing.
Not a psychologist.
Well, Doctor,
suicide goes very much
to the psychology
of the victim.
You're up here trying
to rule out suicide,
and you know nothing
about Molly Stanfield.
You can't rule out suicide,
can you, doctor?
The cause of action
is wrongful termination
under the State's
Employment Practices Act.
We already filed
with the M. C. A. D. to no avail.
When were you fired?
June.
We have a settlement conference
scheduled for 11:00.
Failing settlement--
Excuse me. Could I just
stop you for a sec?
Surely.
Jimmy, I don't mind
you looking at me.
In fact,
I'm even flattered.
But would you mind
keeping each stare
to eight seconds
total in duration?
Anything
longer than that
is just an invasion
of my privacy.
Eight seconds
or less, Jimmy.
Okay?
Sure.
SHORE:
Now, if we don't settle,
I'd like to have you
second-chair the trial.
Your plain folk style
could be an asset.
A lot of jurors today
relate to the
phonetically-challenged.
Excuse me?
I mean that
as a compliment, Jimmy.
You're the everyman.
I'm not a simple person.
I'm very deep.
Yes.
And what
I'd be looking for
is for you to go
to your depths
and say to the jury,
"Not fair."
Can you do that?
One,
two,
three...
A drug overdose is one thing,
but cyanide?
Why not? It's quick.
And violent.
There are headaches,
vomiting,
possible suffocation.
It's an ugly death.
It's not possible Molly
Stanfield wanted to die ugly?
HENKE: I suppose it's possible,
but as I said,
I've never seen it.
Also, the note,
when people leave notes,
typically
it's to provide explanation
or to say goodbye.
Here we have
"I do not choose to live,"
typed, unsigned.
You think the note
was a fake?
Yes.
Scripted by somebody
who wanted us to think
it was a suicide.
Sounds like whoever did this
was pretty sloppy.
Certainly unconvincing.
Or maybe very clever.
Maybe the victim made it
look like a phony suicide,
hoping the police
would suspect
her husband of murder.
I beg your pardon?
STRINGER:
This marriage was marked
by a lot of anger, doctor,
if not hatred.
Isn't it possible
Molly Stanfield
decided to check out
and take her husband
down in the process?
Is that what you think
happened?
Or somebody else
killed her,
knowing the police
always look to the spouse.
Can you positively
rule that out,
that somebody else
killed her?
Let me put it this way.
Who besides my client
did you investigate?
You can't be willing
to take this to trial.
Oh, but we can.
She was terminated
for a disability.
That's against the law.
GINSBERG: She was terminated
for not being able to fulfill
the function
of the job.
One such function
being client relations.
She claims God talks to her,
for God's sake.
She claims bald men
access her thoughts.
You seem upset.
GINSBERG: I am upset.
We're wasting
valuable time here.
How can you be willing to go
forward with this?
She will be
publicly revealed
as a loon,
which you are, Sheila.
SHORE: May I speak
off the record?
As recently
as five months ago,
you, Mr. Lambert,
and my client
had rather vigorous
sexual relations.
Do you recall that,
Mr. Lambert?
Do you, Sheila?
Vividly.
What is this,
an extortion attempt?
Oh, extortion
is a very bad thing.
I would never.
However--
Mmm.
One of my
favorite words--
"however."
Don't you like that word?
Love it.
However,
I would have to introduce
this carnal episode
as an admission
on Mr. Lambert's part,
that he considered
my client to be both
competent and sane.
How do you figure that?
Well, Mr. Ginsberg,
certainly if he had relations
with a person who,
to his mind,
lacked capacity to consent
to said relations--
what's the word
I'm looking for now?
Heavens?
Rape.
In Massachusetts,
having sex
with the incompetent--
was it "heavens?"
Rape.
Right.
GINSBERG: You're now using
the threat of a criminal trial
to advance a civil claim,
Mr. Shore.
That's grounds
for disbarment.
I don't believe
I did that.
But why don't you go
report me,
see how it all unfolds?
$2.6 million, gentlemen,
that's your out.
SHEPARD:
I wanna see my niece.
When the meeting is over,
they will come out.
I am that child's
guardian.
Actually, her father
is still the legal guardian,
and it's my understanding
you want him convicted.
If you interfere
with our defense,
what you'll be doing
is giving him grounds
for a new trial.
I don't think
you want that.
Now, please.
Sit over there and wait
while I check
on your niece.
(sighs)
All right.
First, this Shore guy
is totally corrupt.
Second,
the client is nuts.
She thinks God
talks to her.
Excuse me?
She also thinks bald men
access her thoughts.
And if you stare at her
more than eight seconds,
you invade her privacy.
And Shore, he just tried
extorting the lawyer.
He's a crook.
(door opens)
SHEPARD: Come on, honey.
Christine.
Listen, I know
you're not sympathetic
to our case here.
You're using
a 10-year-old girl
as a trial prop.
How could anyone
be sympathetic to that?
If you try to interfere
with Emma's involvement,
we will assert our rights
against you.
Come on, honey.
Come on.
You're calling
the daughter?
I don't know.
All she has to say
is that her mother
seemed sad.
We're thinking about
accusing Christine.
Her? The sister?
She has no alibi.
They didn't get along.
Basically,
we've got nothing else.
Ellenor!
I think I can sell it.
Are you out of your mind?
It's called plan "B."
We use it on occasion
when plan "A" is sure to fail.
What about
Emma's testimony?
She'll support suicide.
None of us feel
Emma will help us.
In fact, we think trying
to exploit her further
could even hurt.
Well, my testimony--
And we don't think
you should testify either.
There's too much
to impeach you with.
Right now,
your domestic assault
isn't in evidence.
If you testify, Bradley,
it comes into play.
What is our defense?
Reasonable doubt.
All we need to show
is that it's possible
somebody else did it,
including, possibly,
your sister-in-law.
We know it's desperate.
We're not kidding
ourselves.
But it's something,
Bradley.
We do not commit blackmail
in this firm.
We do not resort
to extortion
or any other
criminal offenses
to settle our claims.
Eugene,
I give you my word.
I would never get caught.
I will report you
to the bar myself.
Jimmy, I brought you in
on this case
because I sensed
a connection between us.
You brought me in
because you think
I'm simple.
"Simple"
would be speaking directly
with the person
you have issues with, Jimmy.
Going behind my back,
that makes you complicated.
You're no longer invited
to play on my team, Jimmy.
SHEPARD: My sister
was a devout Catholic.
Suicide is considered
against God.
She also was not a woman
to indulge in self-pity.
Nothing kept that woman down,
no matter what the setback.
Could she have privately
been unhappy?
No.
If anything,
she seemed happier lately.
She was in love.
In love with?
She had a boyfriend.
I didn't approve,
but I was at least hopeful
that it would get her
out of her involvement
with him.
Him?
You observed your sister
with him?
SHEPARD: Yes.
It was increasingly
more and more angry
to the point that I felt
that it was extremely unhealthy
for Emma.
Clearly, it turned out to be
unhealthy for Molly, as well.
You said
she was a devout Catholic.
Are you?
Yes, I am.
Is it possible,
knowing how opposed
you were to suicide,
that your sister
concealed her plans
to take her life?
This was not a suicide,
and I am finding this repulsive.
You seem angry.
I am.
You and your sister
often got angry
with each other, didn't you?
We had our differences,
primarily over the war zone
they subjected Emma to.
FRUTT: Just out of curiosity.
Where were you
the day your sister died?
I beg your pardon?
FRUTT: I don't mean to be rude,
but if my client
should be convicted
of this murder,
he'd be disqualified
from inheriting,
and you'd get more of your
sister's money, wouldn't you?
Are you suggesting
I killed my sister?
FRUTT: I am just suggesting
that you had keys to her house,
that you knew
her coffee-drinking patterns.
Did the police
ever investigate you?
No, they did not.
A year ago, you tried
to get custody of Emma,
because you considered
your sister
to be an unfit parent.
SHEPARD: I considered them
both unfit,
because of the way
they fought continually
in front of Emma.
You love Emma very much.
SHEPARD: Like a daughter.
Yes, I do.
FRUTT: And if your sister dies
and your brother-in-law
gets convicted of this crime,
you would get custody of Emma,
wouldn't you, Christine?
Everything would work out.
You are disgusting.
(clears throat)
One dollar?
Yes, Mr. Shore,
that is our offer,
one dollar.
And it's final.
We were offended
by your little extortion
attempt yesterday.
And we're perfectly willing
to go to trial on Thursday,
and when we do,
it's gonna get out
that your client is insane.
Her peers are going to learn
that she is deeply,
deeply deluded,
and she will likely
be unemployable forever.
So go ahead, Mr. Shore.
Advise your client
to move forward
with this claim.
Counsel her that it is
in her best interest
to do so.
And you,
why don't you
just talk it over with God?
Let me tell you something.
Mr. Ginsberg,
what you've done,
unwittingly or not,
is turn the matter,
personal.
When a case
becomes personal to me,
Mr. Ginsberg,
my priorities shift.
My goal becomes not so much
to vindicate,
but rather to avenge.
My mission now
is to get you.
(music playing)
The meeting is over.
You may go.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will possess the land.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for justice,
for they will get their fill.
Rest?
What about my testimony?
We agreed
you shouldn't testify since--
I never agreed.
You agreed.
If you take the stand,
your domestic assault
comes into evidence.
And if I don't go up there,
we have no defense.
FRUTT: Our case
is reasonable doubt.
It's burden of proof.
We've already established
the possibility of suicide.
We've established
the possibility
of somebody else killing her.
That's the best
we can do here.
No, it isn't.
If you take the stand,
you are guaranteed a guilty--
You listen to me.
From my perspective,
I've already bought
the guilty verdict.
I do not want to rest.
If you get--
BRAD: I'm talking.
Like you said from the start,
everyone thinks I'm guilty.
I'm the sick bastard
who killed his pregnant wife
and unborn child.
Well, people need to hear
from me now.
My daughter needs
to hear from me.
Then do it behind
closed doors.
I will do it in that room.
I have made a life
out of being liked, Ellenor.
Look at my face.
Every job I've gotten,
every woman--
it's 'cause I'm trustworthy.
I'm sympathetic.
I make a favorable impression.
STRINGER: Brad,
I agree with Ellenor.
You testifying
would not be a good idea.
I will take that stand,
and I will make
a favorable impression.
I will tell my story,
and they will cry for me.
You understand me?
We understand you perfectly.
I'm actually really excited
about the trial.
There's no greater rush
of adrenaline.
And I'm looking forward
to working together again,
you and me, too.
I thought we gelled perfectly
at that first settlement
conference.
You know,
our rhythms were together.
It was kind of like sex.
What do you think about me
presenting the open?
There's no better way
of showing off my skills
as a litigator.
Did you get a message
just then...
from God?
As a matter of fact,
I did.
Why?
I was just wondering.
So, what do you think
about me opening?
I think it sounds good.
Okay.
SHORE: Listen, I need to meet
with your doctors tomorrow.
Why?
To prepare their testimony.
Why would we be calling doctors?
We're basing our claim
on disability law.
So, I'll need to present
evidence of--
My disability?
I have none, Alan.
When I try cases, Sheila,
I don't like surprises.
Therefore, I would like to meet
with your doctors.
Well, I'll give you
all the surprises right now.
I have no doctors.
You're not being treated
by anybody?
CARLISLE: Why should I be?
Because God speaks to me?
That doesn't make me ill,
and it doesn't make me
any less of a lawyer.
I thought I'd have meat.
I'm on the Atkins diet,
so let's bring on the protein.
SARAH (OVER TV):
In what certainly promises
to be the most dramatic moment
of the trial,
Brad Stanfield will sit
in the witness chair
and presumably deny
that he killed
his pregnant wife, Molly,
and their unborn son, Michael.
(knock on door)
SHORE: You called, Eugene?
Yes.
I wanted to meet our new client.
Ah.
Sheila? Oh.
Sheila Carlisle, Eugene Young.
Why is she hiding behind you?
You're bald, Eugene.
You can access her thoughts.
May I have a word with you,
please, Alan?
Certainly. Sheila?
CARLISLE: Uh-hmm.
Are you serious
about trying this case?
Quite.
The woman thinks
God speaks to her?
She does.
YOUNG: As senior partner,
I'm directing you
to either settle
or enter your withdrawal.
This firm cannot
and will not proceed to court
with that cause of action.
May I respond?
Please.
The client merely thinks
you can access her thoughts
because of your baldness,
Eugene,
but if I'm not mistaken,
you're not bald.
You shave your head.
If I may?
Just as I thought,
nubs.
It's all a big misunderstanding.
I'll let her know.
You do not amuse me.
I sense that.
It wasn't a perfect marriage.
I had an affair once.
Turns out she was having one.
FRUTT: But, still,
you didn't want a divorce.
BRAD: No.
We had a daughter.
For both Molly and me,
Emma was everything.
And...
And what, Brad?
And despite our battles,
my love for Molly
was as strong as ever.
I resisted the divorce
simply 'cause I couldn't imagine
life without her.
That may make me weak, but...
it's the truth.
Did you kill your wife,
Bradley?
No, I didn't.
She was pregnant with my son,
a son I had dreamed of.
The idea that I could take
a life--
any life--
but...
to accuse me
of killing Molly
or Michael?
FRUTT: You heard it mentioned
that your sister-in-law,
Christine,
might have had both motive
and opportunity.
I can't believe Christine
could be capable of this.
She and Molly had battles,
and I know
she wanted custody of Emma,
but this was her own sister.
Did Molly have
any other enemies?
I mean, obviously,
she had secrets.
I didn't know
about the affair,
but...
no enemies that I knew of.
FRUTT: Brad,
you have to understand
why you're a suspect.
You have a troubled marriage,
your wife wants to leave you,
and she's suddenly found
poisoned to death
in your home
with no signs of anybody else
being there but you.
I would never be capable
of taking a human life.
I could never hurt the woman
that I love more than life.
You could never hurt her.
A year ago, the police
were called to your house once
because you hit her.
Once, during an argument,
I lashed out.
I'm ashamed of that.
You're ashamed.
And when the police
questioned you
after finding her dead,
you didn't tell them
of your affair,
did you?
No. I was--
Ashamed?
Objection.
CAMPBELL: The police asked
if you and your wife
had any domestic problems.
You answered, "No."
That was a lie,
wasn't it, Mr. Stanfield?
I didn't imagine
that I was a suspect
at the time
of that question.
I thought my marriage
was a private matter.
I see.
You also told the police
that you tried
to revive your wife.
Yes, after I found her, I...
performed chest compressions,
mouth-to-mouth.
CAMPBELL: Yes, you said
you tried to breathe air
into her lungs.
And yet we found no traces
of your saliva on her mouth.
In fact,
there was no smudging
even of her lipstick,
Mr. Stanfield.
Did you not touch her lips
as you performed mouth-to-mouth?
I thought I did.
You thought you did?
The night before Molly's death,
neighbors heard you
and your wife
screaming at each other
from inside your home.
What was the fight about,
Mr. Stanfield?
We argued a lot
in our marriage.
I said so.
That particular argument,
she complained
that I worked too much,
that I was an absentee husband.
That's what the fight was about?
Yes.
One neighbor, Martin Reed,
who is seated right there
he heard you screaming
at your wife,
"Do you love him?"
Did she love who,
Mr. Stanfield?
I do not recall saying that.
You stated to the police
and testified again today
that you didn't learn
of your wife's affair
until after her death,
and yet the night before,
you were heard screaming,
"Do you love him?"
As I said before,
I don't remember saying that.
I knew nothing about her affair.
WILSON: (sighs) Not good.
How bad?
All six voted guilty,
unequivocally.
What are you talking about?
FRUTT: I hired a focus group
to monitor the trial.
They found your testimony
unconvincing,
and unanimously rejected it.
FRUTT: All right, look,
I would like to explore
murder two.
Absolutely not.
Brad--
BRAD: That is a life sentence,
Ellenor.
With a possibility
of parole.
I don't know what to tell you.
We are going to lose here.
We are dead.
EMMA: Daddy, let me tell.
BRAD: Emma, please be quiet.
Daddy, you said you--
Emma?
Tell what?
Nothing. Could--
can I have a moment alone
with my daughter, please?
(music playing)
Hey.
Hey.
I'm working on my opening.
You wanna hear it?
In a second.
I need you
to listen to me, Sheila.
Yeah?
The reason I so readily
took this case,
aside from my...
tremendous affection for you,
is because I know,
your eccentricities
notwithstanding,
you've always been a fierce
and brilliant litigator,
and I have never,
ever known you
to be off on the law.
But I'm concerned, Sheila,
because now...
you are off on the law.
How so?
The basis of our claim
lies in employment
discrimination--
Massachusetts General Laws,
chapter 151.
You drafted the complaint,
Sheila.
We must, as a matter of law,
make a showing
that you're handicapped
within the meaning
of the statute.
We will need a doctor to testify
that you have a mental illness,
because you do.
And if we cannot make a showing
that you are mentally ill,
we cannot win this lawsuit.
What are your thoughts?
Talk to me.
Please don't abandon me, Alan.
I won't.
(clears throat)
I was initially diagnosed
with schizophrenia.
I had excellent
pre-morbid functioning.
I was later re-diagnosed
with a non-bizarre
delusional disorder--
delusional
and not schizophrenic,
because the voices
were within my head
and not from external sources.
I was treated
with antipsychotic medication.
The voices remitted.
I went off the medication,
and...
she came back.
There you have it.
I'll make the doctors
available to you,
though I haven't been treated
in over two months.
I'll let you get back
to your opening.
Alan...
I need you
to win this case for me.
Can you win it for me, please?
Done.
FRUTT: We know you love
your dad very much,
and he loves you.
We're his lawyers,
and all of his secrets
are safe with us.
Are you the person
who poisoned your mother?
I told you I don't really
wanna talk about it right now.
Emma...
I don't think
you really want your dad
to live the rest of his life
in prison.
FRUTT: There may be a way
for us to help him
and to protect you
at the same time,
but we need to know
the truth, Emma.
Did you poison your mother?
(crying)
Can you tell us why?
She was ruining everything.
She's lying to protect me.
I don't think so.
Where is she?
She's with Tara.
Listen--
I killed Molly.
All right?
Look, Emma's just trying
to protect me.
Leave it at that.
Oh, so, now you're suddenly
saying that you did it?
You've been protecting
your daughter.
This doesn't help her.
She's 10.
She'll be destroyed--
BRAD: She'll most definitely
be destroyed
if she's locked up.
That doesn't have to happen.
There's probably
an insanity defense.
She's 10.
Plus, for God's sake,
if she's ever to have any chance
of psychological
or emotional health,
she's gonna need you
on the outside.
You accepting guilt
for her crime--
I accept guilt
because I'm at fault, Ellenor.
She was raised
in an environment of hatred.
Her mom and I fought.
Emma...
whatever caused her to do this,
I absolutely accept fault.
Let us try to work this out.
Just make the deal
on murder two.
I'll take it.
We're not allowed to do that.
As Emma's legal guardian,
I am directing you to hire
independent counsel for her.
That you have to do.
She's a gifted attorney,
and I mean gifted.
She has the highest
winning percentage
of all our litigators.
But God speaks to her.
She claims bald men
access her thoughts.
As much as we adore
Sheila Carlisle,
and we do,
she's ill,
and her delusions simply...
shake...
client confidence in our firm.
Now, you'll hear lots
of evidence during this trial
from many people
documenting her illness,
and you'll understand
our position.
But you'll truly come
to appreciate it,
I'm afraid,
once you hear from Sheila.
Imagine being considered insane
for endeavoring
to communicate with God.
I've been so ostracized
by my firm these days,
God was the only one
who talked to me.
You talk to her, Margaret,
every night,
and though you think
She's a He,
that's okay.
And, Ward, I know
you don't believe in her,
but when your wife
survived cancer,
you were heard to mutter,
"Thank God."
GINSBERG:
What is going on here?
I'm giving my opening remarks,
and I'd appreciate
being allowed to finish.
And this is fraud.
Objection!
Agnostic, Mitchell?
Shame.
Ms. Carlisle, Chambers, now.
Just as well.
Shirley has to pee.
GINSBERG: Obviously,
she managed to find
personal data on the jurors.
This is unethical.
Where did you get
this information, counsel?
God.
SPINDLE: I'm not fooling around,
Ms. Carlisle.
If you have access
to the clerk's office--
if you gained access
to the files--
GINSBERG: This is probably why
she relates so well to juries.
She gets inside information,
which she--
You're absolutely right,
Albert.
If you'd like a mistrial,
fine.
We can do this
over and over again.
My source
will always be there.
SPINDLE: All right.
Regardless of where
you get your information,
it is improper for you
to have personal contact
with jurors.
I haven't.
SPINDLE: Yes, you have.
The fact that you had it
in open court
doesn't change things.
This is a mistrial.
She told me
that you'd do that,
but I wouldn't listen.
Mr. Ginsberg...
given you don't know her source
and that she might be
more subtle the next go-round,
I seriously suggest
you think about settling this.
Your wife would be happy.
You could take
that trip to Mexico.
They're in a rut.
The cyanide came
from her mother's photo lab.
Evidently, it's used
in developing pictures.
STRINGER: It explains
the simple suicide note
written by a 10-year-old.
I need to talk to her.
I can't allow that.
Look, you're gonna have
to help me out a little here.
Otherwise--
I've been assigned
to help the girl,
not you.
Trust me, she's not talking.
And if I were to subpoena her?
She'll plead the Fifth,
unless, of course,
you'd like to grant
total immunity.
CAMPBELL: Well,
if I can't speak to her,
I have no new evidence,
and therefore, I--
FRUTT: Actually, you do.
Jamie and I are witnesses,
as is Tara Wilson,
our assistant.
We heard the girl confess.
And I'm to take your word?
You represent the guy.
No, actually, we would have
to recuse ourselves now
because we've become witnesses.
Look...
I pull a lot of stunts.
In this trial alone,
pointing the finger
at the sister,
it was a tactic,
a part of the game.
But...
as an officer of the court,
I am here before you now,
as is Jamie, telling you
this was not a stunt.
(knock on door)
(door opens)
Thank you for coming in.
I understand
you've had opportunity
to talk to your niece.
Ms. Shepard, I need you
to be a friend of the court,
and I--
Hold on a second.
WEST: Ms. Singleton,
you represent the girl,
not the aunt.
That's her--
This is improper, Your Honor.
Well, that's my call,
not yours,
and I'll thank you to be quiet.
Ms. Shepard...
none of us...
wants the wrong person
convicted here.
Did your niece
indicate to you
that she poisoned your sister?
I asked you a question.
I would like you to answer.
SHEPARD: I am not going
to incriminate my niece.
But I'll say...
it appears Mr. Stanfield
did not commit the crime.
Members of the jury,
new information
has come to light.
As a result of this
new information,
the District Attorney
feels he is duty-bound
to withdraw the complaint.
The charges against
Bradley Stanfield
are therefore dismissed.
WEST:
The defendant is free to go.
The minor, Emma Stanfield
will be taken into custody,
and we are adjourned.
MAN: Mr. Stanfield.
Try and be brave, sweetheart.
I will, daddy, I will.
(indistinct chatter)
They're not taking you back.
What?
They can't be forced
to employ you, Sheila.
You know that.
Well then let's not settle.
Five is not enough.
You don't need them.
Being alone
is not good for me, Alan.
I need voices
on the outside to balance--
being alone
is not good for me.
Let's not settle.
Nobody's gonna hire you,
except maybe me.
You?
Here?
Why not?
Do you even have the authority
to hire people?
No.
I'll figure it out.
You're a good friend, Alan.
How did you learn
the identities and backgrounds
of all those jurors?
(chuckles)
FRUTT: Brad?
You got a second?
Sure.
Emma's lawyer,
is she qualified?
FRUTT: Well, she was assigned
by the courts.
Her reputation is good.
Can you take over?
Oh, I suppose, but--
Good.
I wanna move quickly.
I don't want her
to be locked up.
She's going to be locked up.
She committed murder.
There's nothing--
Actually, she didn't, Jamie.
She just said she did.
All right, look,
I'm embarrassed to say
I haven't been truthful
with you.
I killed Molly.
I maintained otherwise
for obvious reasons.
I didn't wanna spend my life
in jail.
As the case went south,
Emma and I
devised a backup plan--
plan "B" of our own,
I guess you'd call it.
It involved manipulating you,
getting you to think
that she did it
in the hope that maybe
you'd find a way
to right an apparent
travesty of justice,
which you did,
and I'm grateful.
Now we need to help her.
Assuming double jeopardy
will prevent me
from being retried,
one strategy might be
for me to come forward now
and admit my guilt.
Is that right?
Do I assume correctly,
Ellenor?
You killed your wife?
Yes...
and I'm not proud
of using my daughter
to secure my freedom.
Actually, you two gave me
that idea.
Anyway, the mission now
is to fix things
and get her out,
so we all need to get on board.
Again, I totally apologize
for manipulating you.
I thought that was the only way.
When can we proceed?
Brad...
you're gonna have
to give us a little time
to absorb all of this.
But let's not waste
any time, okay?
An innocent 10-year-old girl
is in jail.
We need to help her.
Whatever we choose to do,
by the way,
it cannot involve me
going to jail.
That is not an option.
Okay.
Thank you.
I think I could be sick.
We need to figure out a way
to take him down.
How?
There's double jeopardy,
privilege.
FRUTT: Jamie...
he just used us as puppets
to defraud the court.
We need to take him down.
(sighs)
(music playing)
WOMAN: You stinker!
(music playing)