The Good Wife s01e07 Episode Script

It's nothing.
What do you mean, it's nothing? Look at them.
I am looking at them.
It's a financial meeting.
That's how they look in a financial meeting.
No, that's how they look when they're cutting jobs.
Come on, law firms aren't recession-proof the way they used to be.
Would you stop scaring yourself? They said billable hours are up this year.
They said we're fine.
And tax litigation? We have six full-time.
All right, let's cut four and hold on to two.
Which four? Bayer? - His wife is pregnant.
- He doesn't have seniority.
See if he'll do part-time.
And the junior associates? Let's put a pin in that.
- We don't have many pins left.
- Diane.
- Better late than never.
- What, Stern? The great man makes an appearance.
Jonas, how are you? We need to run some names by you for layoffs.
Where are you? It sounds loud.
Alicia, do you have a second? Sure.
- It's not like law school, is it? - It's better.
I always felt unsure in law school.
Really? Could have fooled me.
I did fool you.
So I have a favor to ask you.
You never met M.
Stern.
No, he's been away.
Right.
Barly and Barir Reef.
Anyway he has a daughter, Anna, from his first marriage.
She's being sued.
I don't all the details, but I'm sure they're ugly.
Last time, we got her out of a drug possession.
The time before that, she drove a car through a department store window.
You don't need to take notes on this.
Anna's a real party girl.
Her new husband hired some no-name lawyer, and M.
Stern wants someone from our firm to cocounsel with him.
With this other lawyer? Just make sure he doesn't screw up.
Second chair him.
She's meeting with the lawyer in 2 hours, so take Kalinda and get a lay of the land, okay? Alicia.
We're going through a lot of changes around here.
There's only three votes that really matter.
Mine, Diane's, and M.
Stern's.
This is a good way to impress M.
Stern.
Thanks.
You're not kidding.
Yeah, they were just on our doorstep.
Someone rang the doorbell and ran.
- Why? - I don't know, I think to scare my mom.
- Is that - What, crack? Yeah, but it's photoshopped.
My dad's not even in the picture.
Why do all the cool things happen to you? That's not the hooker from the sex tape? No, it's somebody else.
If I could find her, I could figure out who took the pictures and who did this.
Here.
What's the password for the parental controls? I don't have parental controls.
- My mom trusts me.
- You're kidding.
This is so great.
- What are you doing? - 39,000 matches.
- That's crazy.
- That's a start.
You must be 18 years or older to access Sweet Aren't you glad you have a friend like me to help you with a tough chore like this? No.
No.
Hot but no.
Next site.
- This is going to take forever.
- Yeah.
Damn, maybe you should go do your algebra homework or something.
- Stern's daughter lives here? - Maybe we have the wrong address.
Or maybe there's a methadone clinic near here.
Excuse me.
Are you looking for me? Actually, we're - Are you? - I'm Anna, Jonas Stern's daughter.
I'm so sorry.
Don't worry, I get that a lot.
This is me now.
I was in rehab out in Westchester, and there was this volunteer there, a Yeshiva student, and he had this amazing LP collection.
And so you went Orthodox? They were good Lps.
No, Isaac was talking about passion and music and the Torah, and I just I fell in love.
That's the problem with love You can't make it do what you want.
So What happened? Well, a lady tripped in front of our house and she's suing us.
We have homeowner's insurance, but it only covers the $20,000 in compensatory damages, not the punitive.
How much is the punitive? $1.
2 million.
She's suing you for $1.
2 million? Yes.
It'll take everything we own and our future.
Just when you think you find your place in life, here comes this.
Sorry, I can't do this during the Sabbath.
It's work.
And what about your dad Can he help? We don't want it.
We're not in touch with him.
Yeah.
Last year she was club-hopping with Tara Reid.
You know what she'll be doing next year? Club-hopping with Tara Reid.
Does anyone ever surprise you? No.
Even me? Especially you.
Sorry, Anna probably told you, we've already hired a lawyer.
He did work for my brother on a foreclosure, and he's very good, but thank you.
Isaac, could you just tell us what happened? - Are you Jewish? - Is that important? To understand what happened, yes.
It's important to be Jewish to understand a slip and fall? This slip and fall, yes.
- I'm sorry you came all this way, Ms.
? - Florrick.
You're? Your husband was a great man, Ms.
Florrick.
A very great man.
The hate crimes on 58th he put the skinheads away.
He took us seriously.
How's he doing? He's in prison.
Yes, I'm sorry.
A righteous man quickly finds the world aligned against him.
Thank you, Isaac.
It's an eruv wire.
- A what? - An eruv wire.
Well, you know the Sabbath is a holy day of rest.
An exception is made for minor work like carrying a baby or groceries in a community's courtyard.
But there are no courtyards these days so the eruv wire creates a symbolic courtyard for the whole neighborhood.
And this eruv wire fell? Yes, from there.
Isn't it the responsibility of the community? - No, it's on our property.
- So someone tripped over this wire and now she's suing you for $1.
2 million.
- I feel like I'm missing something.
- Willful and wanton conduct.
Ryan, there you are.
This is the other lawyer Anna mentioned.
We were just discussing the suit.
Our firm feels that it could offer you some assistance.
Odd, I didn't know I needed some assistance.
M.
And M.
s.
Loeb, could you give us a moment to talk? Yes, yes, please.
Ryan, if you could make this work, we'd prefer that.
And Ms.
Florrick, next time you see your husband, please tell him how much he is appreciated.
So I do the depositions, the pretrial motions, prep for next week's trial, and here comes the 600-pound gorilla.
Yep, that's me, 600 pounds.
- Did you read the brief? - Nope.
- Talk to the plaintiff? - Nope.
Came on this case two hours ago.
Our firm is doing it as a favor to M.
s.
Loeb.
Why willful and? I was put on this case.
It's not my choice and I really don't care if it's your choice.
You call it a 600-pound gorilla or whatever you want, but now I'm your second chair.
They saw the eruv wire was down, they knew it could trip somebody up, and they didn't try to repair it.
That's why it's willful and wanton conduct and subject to high punitive damages.
They admitted to that? In their depositions.
And why would they admit to that? The wire fell on the Sabbath.
They couldn't do anything.
It's the perfect legal trap.
They're liable because their religion wouldn't let them act.
- And your defense? - My defense is to suggest that you go tell your boss you're meeting regularly with me and I'm doing a great job and let me win this case.
That's not going to happen, M.
Alprin.
- We're in this together.
- Can't hear you.
You were maintaining that injured so badly as to require a large judgment? I'm maintaining that I have pain every single day.
I I tried to ignore it.
I tryed to pick up my little girl, but I can't.
It keeps me from pushing her on a swing.
It keeps me from playing with her on the floor.
And this grocery store was a half mile from your home.
Why did you pass up five closer grocery stores to go to this one? My daughter needs gluten-free foods and this grocery store the kosher grocery store had more options.
Good answer.
Great answer.
Anything to undercut the injury testimony? I'm still checking.
I mean, as far as I can tell, nobody witnessed her fall, but I'm checking with first responders.
Any word from your cocounsel? No, our friend Mr.
Alprin doesn't pick up his phone.
- This one's a tough one.
- The jury's gonna love her.
And you're dealing with sympathy issues.
- Is that a euphemism for something? - Anti-Semitism.
- We'll deal with that in voir dire.
- Wonder what those questions will sound like "Do you dislike Jews?" - You're a bundle of fun today.
- You're kidding me! Layoffs.
# She waits, hesitates # # Slips away and sneaks out in the dawn # # He wakes, never fakes # # Holds onto a dream until it's gone # # She never says # # to be wary # # She never says, she don't believe, couldn't you see? # # "I never saw a woman quite like me," she said # Hi, I'm Katarina.
And I am so excited to chat with you.
You must be 18 or older to chat and please have your credit card ready.
And as if life wasn't full enough.
Mr.
Alprin So, I asked for a continuance until Monday morning because Vice cops like to sleep in, so don't fail to show up in court, okay? If you don't show up, you're going to have to take a plea.
Alprin & Associates.
I thought you were taking away his keys, Mrs.
Frazzi.
Okay, the arraignment won't be until 3:00.
I'll see you there.
Okay, you let me know when you can talk.
Just sit here and wait.
So Mrs.
Florrick.
Mrs.
Peter Florrick.
Right here in my office.
- Yep.
- Dressing up as a peasant and walking amongst the serfs.
That's me.
So this is what idealism looks like.
I liked your husband.
He was better than this current state's attorney.
Easier on Duis and drug cases.
So, here's your problem.
You've got a client who admitted to liability, - and a sympathetic plaintiff.
- You saw the depositions? Got them from the plaintiff's attorney.
You wouldn't answer your phone.
The only play I see is you attack the medical evidence, and try to reduce the punitive amount.
What do you think of the First Amendment? - I like it.
- Isaac and Anna's religion requires they not act on the fallen eruv wire, because it's the Sabbath.
Therefore they can't be held liable for not acting.
You want to use the First Amendment to attack a slip and fall? They believed God would judge them if they acted, so they couldn't act.
- And what about OSHA v.
Smith? - OSHA v.
Smith can kiss my ass.
Liability is outweighed by the Loebs' right to exercise their religion.
Up to what point? If they saw someone dying outside Well, yes, when that happens, I will call on you, Mrs.
Florrick.
But you're creating a loophole in liability law.
No.
The Constitution is.
How long were you married? - 15 years, and don't do that.
- What? Throw a personal question into the middle of an intellectual argument.
It gets more honest answers.
Judges in civil courts crave two things: novelty and getting out of civil court.
The First Amendment is novel.
We'd have to put a First Amendment scholar on the stand.
I was about to make calls.
Give me half.
How can you work there? How can I work where? What are we talking about now? - Stern, Lockhart & Gardner.
- Oh, right.
The big bad corporate overlords.
Much better to work in a storefront, fighting for Duis and prostitutes.
Two years ago, I had a case of lead poisoning in toys.
Benny Brauer.
Eight months old.
Fell into a coma after sucking on a crib mobile.
The insurance company offered to settle until your firm got involved.
Isn't the point of representing clients to help them win? Meet me in open court, I'll beat you every time.
That's not what your firm did.
You buried us in paper, continuances, trial motions waiting for Benny Brauer to die.
A week later, I heard your chief litigator had a name for it.
"Litigating the margins.
" Delaying the reward to exhaust the opposition and therefore reduce the payout.
We do pro bonos.
We do death row cases.
You can't tarnish an entire firm - based on one case.
- Sure you can.
Especially when one of the partners was the chief litigator.
Will Gardner.
Just give me one second, all right? Alicia.
Stern called for an update on his daughter's case, he sent you something.
Me? Well, whoever we put on the case.
He's in Bora-Bora.
Thanks.
How's it going? Good.
We're going for a First Amendment defense.
On a slip and fall? Religious freedom trumps liability.
Smart.
Maybe I'll sneak into court, see how it's going.
How's the cochair? He's interesting.
Interesting is good.
- He was saying some things.
- Yeah? What? Nothing.
Another time.
Look, here's my take on it.
We're too low on the totem pole to get fired because we don't cost enough.
The problem is these older people.
I don't mean that in a generational sense.
I just mean, you know, the ones who have been here longer.
Thanks.
They're not hungry enough, you know? They cost too much.
Cary, have you ever heard of a case here defending a toy company against lead poisoning? No.
- Why, should we be on it? - No, no, it was two years ago.
The kid died when we didn't settle.
Two years ago? Why are we talking about something happened two years ago? Hey.
How's homework going? Done.
- What've you been up to? - Nothing.
Homework.
Grandma left her wallet again.
Can you put it by the door so she doesn't forget it next time? Sure.
Shoymer is a purely volunteer policing force for the Hasidim.
Mostly we deal with hate crimes.
And you were the first responders on the scene? Yeah, right here.
Lady was on her back, screaming.
- On her back? But she fell forward.
- Yeah, and then she rolled on her back.
There was a lot of broken glass in her groceries.
That camera seems to have a direct view.
It was put in before the lady fell, but wasn't hooked up till after.
It's unlucky, yeah? Just happened like that.
You know with all the hate crimes around here, we have almost every square yard of this block covered by cameras.
Can I ask a favor, Ezra? Could you stand here for a minute where down fell? Sure.
Okay, hold up, hold up.
So, Mr.
Alprin, let me get this straight.
You intend to argue a slip and fall as a First Amendment issue? - Yes, Your Honor.
- This is ridiculous, Your Honor.
They can't even keep a straight face.
In Kolatch V.
Harper, the Constitution can't be segregated from peripheral areas of law.
Kolatch V.
Harper? You can't just bring up some two-bit case from 1983 as a citing.
That was actually a one-bit case.
It was my first one as a litigator.
And as I remember it, I lost that case.
Yes, sir, but it was still a good argument.
Your Honor, shouldn't a jury be allowed to decide? Yes, that's what I argued then.
Your Honor, this is about liability.
This is not about the Constitution.
Counselor, everything's about the Constitution.
Life rarely gives you a chance to reverse a past regret.
So, what the hell? Let's our jury decide.
Step back.
Oh, and, Mr.
Abbott, you may call your first witness.
So, when you installed the wire a year ago, you warned the Loebs about maintenance? Yes, I did.
I always recommend that I be called once a month to maintain and inspect.
And how often did the Loebs phone you after you installed it? Zero.
Thank you, Mr.
Knox.
No more questions, Your Honor.
Mr.
Alprin? Good morning, Mr.
Knox.
Good morning.
Every time a customer phones you for maintenance, you make money, no? That's not why I ask them to.
You ask customers to phone you once a month not because your work is shoddy? Because that'd mean you'd liable in this case if your work was shoddy.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
When was the last time you were sued for shoddy workmanship, Mr.
Knox? I've never been sued.
And have you ever been served? I guess I might have.
Isn't it true that the plaintiff tried to sue you - for the shoddy - Objection.
And it was until you agreed with a proverbial gun to your head to testify for the plaintiff - Your Honor, objection! - Mr.
Abbott, the question hasn't been asked yet.
Wasn't it only when you agreed to testify against the Loebs that the lovely Mr.
Abbott over here agreed to drop the lawsuit against you? - Go ahead, you can object now.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Overruled.
- You're making this sound bad.
Help me make it sound good.
You did shoddy construction, connecting the eruv wire, you got sued, and then you tried to blame the customer for - Objection! - Help me make that sound good.
Your Honor, objection.
Withdrawn.
Your witness.
Nice cross.
Thanks.
Where did you go to school? - So we're getting intimate now? - Yes, school talk.
Very personal.
Samford University.
Stanford, really? No, Samford.
Cumberland.
Ranked in the top I make up in passion what I lack in law books.
You're good.
So, you can't use any machinery during the Sabbath, because God would disapprove? Yes.
So that's why you couldn't call about the eruv wire being down, because that would be operating machinery? Yes.
Okay.
I think I get it.
- What's he got? - Mrs.
Loeb, this is a record of your cell phone bill.
If you could look at the underlined item there.
There's a phone call you made at 9:33 p.
m.
On what day? Would you read that? September fourth? Yes, what day was that? What day of the week? Mrs.
Loeb.
Friday.
That would be the Sabbath? You made a phone call on the Sabbath? I I'm Yes.
And this was a call to? To my father.
We've been estranged, and I And you called at night on your cell, so your husband wouldn't find out about it.
Is that right? Yes.
I'm sorry.
You did the same thing on August 7, and July 17, and June 19.
Is this correct? Other Fridays? So, Mrs.
Loeb, you could have called about the eruv wire being down, but you chose not to thus, making you liable.
No further questions.
I understand it.
I understand her wanting to phone her father.
It's a betrayal.
It's a weakness.
Was what happened with your husband, a weakness? - That's different.
- How is it different? She didn't cheat on you.
She lied to me.
She betrayed everything.
But it wasn't selfish.
Have you forgiven your husband? Then how can you tell me to forgive? Hey, I'll get back to you.
They want to talk settlement.
They know we've lost our First Amendment argument, now they want to pick our pockets.
We don't have a lot of options.
And you're really 18? Yes.
And what do you look like, Zach? Can I ask you a question? You can ask me anything you want.
I think I have a picture of you.
It's of you and a man in it looks like a hotel room.
What am I wearing? A black bra.
But you sound so sexy.
No, I don't.
Yes, you do.
Your voice is so It makes me want to do things.
Katarina, listen, I'm paying you so I can ask you something serious.
Somebody took photos of you in a hotel room, and you're using drugs.
And I need to know who took the pictures.
Kid, look, I'm not Katarina.
- Ryan Alprin? - I saw him in court.
I like him.
It's like we were, out of a law school hungry.
- Is he with some firm? - No.
He's coming here, actually, for that settlement conference.
Aren't we laying people off? Yeah, but we need some new blood.
Litigators who can do the job of two, you know? - You've met him before.
- Who? Ryan Alprin.
That case involving lead poisoning in toys? Oh, right, from two years ago.
- He was on the other side.
- The losing side.
So, what, he holds a grudge? Thinks we buried him.
I'm sure we did.
That's how you kill shallow pockets.
- Litigating for the margins? - Representing your client.
If he was with a bigger firm, might have deeper pockets.
Let's talk to him, see if he's interested.
Okay.
I better go.
A lot of glass here.
Yes, every time we sell a piece of our soul, we buy glass.
- Who's that? - My competition.
Nice coconut.
- Thanks.
- Can I have it? What's our fallback position? Like you said before undercut the extent of injuries and try to reduce the award.
We're still vulnerable on punitive.
I've gone over the numbers.
We can settle for double compensatory.
Why didn't you divorce him? Because I didn't want to.
Double compensatory handles the victim's medical, and a bit more.
- That's not an answer.
- It's the only answer you're getting.
No one asks you? Ryan, I'm your cocounsel.
I know you think you've got this cute little spontaneous thing going This is my take on it.
You're a rule-follower.
The way you dress, the way you act.
But a part of you wants freedom.
Rule-breaking.
- Look at who you married, look at - Ryan, seriously, stop.
You like people who scare you.
The Loeb house, deli, parking lot, park.
There are video cameras here, here, here and here.
This is what they shot.
Now, there's a three-foot clearance between the victim's head and this view.
A two-foot clearance between her feet and this view.
That is either the strangest coincidence in the world Or a scam.
But she had to know exactly what the cameras saw to avoid being taped.
This view at the deli was obvious, because the cash register was right next to the security screen.
But these cameras, the park cameras, their screens aren't on-site.
The only way she could see them was at the security company.
You think the victim has a connection there? We'll settle for one million.
That's unlikely.
I've shown how much the homeowners policy will pay.
That's our zone.
No, our zone is what Jonas Stern can pay.
Oh, so that's what this is about? You're targeting Mr.
Stern.
We're aware of Mr.
Stern.
Then you're aware that Mr.
Stern is not stepping in on this.
We're in Mr.
Stern's office, and you work for Mr.
Stern, but he's not stepping in on this? Okay.
This was fun.
I have 63 security linkups Households, businesses, loading docks.
We DVR everything up to about six months.
Do all the employees have access to all these screens? Well, actually, it's just the three of us.
What are you looking for? Just covering my bases.
There was a surveillance camera put in right where this trip and fall happened, right? Right, but it wasn't linked up until the next week.
In fact, we rushed it due to that fall.
There.
Oh, yeah.
Why rushed? Well, it's kind of dark there at night.
So someone goes there with a cherry picker to put a camera up? - That's right.
- And who does that? I do.
I think we've got our man.
We've got phone records, we've got credit card bills.
Hank was within reach of the eruv wire days before it fell.
This could work.
- You want to do cross? - No, you should.
Get him to deny connection, and then go for impeachment.
I like working with you.
Yep.
No, I really do.
What? You shouldn't do this.
- Do what? - Talk this way.
Because you're married? For a start.
Your husband cheated on you.
And so what? What does that mean? What do you want? Ryan, I've got two teenage kids and a to-do list you wouldn't believe.
You're not convincing me.
Just do the work, okay? Please? The Loebs are counting on us.
Don't make this more difficult.
We're doing this wrong.
Probably.
I can't fire another person.
I can't look another one in the eye and say, "You're going to land somewhere," when I know they're not.
What do you propose? You have a lifeboat that holds 15 people or one person who do you put in it? Is one a priest and one a rabbi? Stern costs just as much as 15 litigators, Diane.
You want to make a move against Stern? I want to save 15 jobs.
Stern brought us together.
We're only a firm because of him.
The wedding is over, the minister can go home.
He costs us.
He's not what he used to be.
He doesn't bring in any clients.
You know, this would be a whole lot less galling if you were just honest.
There are three votes on this board, and you want to get rid of the one that sides with me.
- This is a power play, pure and simple.
- Get off it, Diane.
Nothing here is pure, and nothing here is simple.
This is.
It's going to be hard.
I know.
I'm sorry.
I can see, even with the small things, he doesn't trust me.
It's like with my dad after rehab the first time.
He looked at me differently.
Like I was a time bomb.
I'm sure he wants it to work.
He does.
You can't just throw a marriage away, can you? You good? Mr.
Alprin, are you ready? Yes, Your Honor.
So, you are the owner and operator of Megalith Security.
Is that right, sir? - Yes, it is.
- And how do you know the plaintiff? Well, I don't know her.
You're under oath, and you're saying you don't know her? Yes, I am.
Fair enough.
Sir What's this? It's a phone bill.
It's your phone bill, correct? And this number here you see that? That number belongs to the plaintiff.
So, was that a wrong number, sir? Probably.
I don't know.
And here on this page, did you phone that wrong number three more times? I don't know.
And this phone call was eight minutes long.
Is that typically how long you talk to a wrong number? Well, I would contest that bill.
And this call of five minutes, and this one of 23 minutes would you contest that, as well? I would.
Now, this surveillance camera that you installed near the Eruv wire in the week before the accident, you were in a cherry picker bucket, right? - Up there installing the camera? - Yes.
And that would have put you right in the exact place where the Eruv wire attached to the Loeb house? No, not not right there.
Five feet away? I don't know.
- I didn't measure it.
- Well, we did.
So, you were in a position to weaken the eruv wire - so that it could fall.
- Objection! Kalinda, I'm in the middle of trial.
- Can't this wait? - No, it can't.
Look, Will was having me look - into your cocounsel.
- What? He was thinking of hiring him.
It's a standard operating procedure.
- Okay.
- I'm on with a friend from the bar association.
They can't find his bar number.
What? Why? Because he's not a lawyer.
Ryan Alprin went to law school, but failed his bar exam and never took it a second time.
They can't find his bar association number.
How is that even possible? The system is based on trust more than we think.
But he's up there right now cross-examining.
- Yeah, I'm still here.
- He's winning this case.
This is not just about the case.
He'll be arrested this is a state crime and you could be disbarred if you don't take this to the judge.
If I know he's not a lawyer.
Which you'll know in two minutes.
Once the jury starts deliberating, the verdict stands.
- Yeah, but we need to - Okay.
We're winning this case.
The Loebs need us to win this case.
I'm not going to let Ryan I need you to take a walk around the block.
What?! I need you to take a walk around the block now, and we'll talk later.
Wait.
I want to be clear.
You want me not to be here when I get this information? We are minutes away from sending this to a jury, so go for a walk.
So, you're saying, sir, you're not connected to the plaintiff, and yet you had access to the eruv wire just days before it fell, you control the placement and view of your surveillance cameras, and you phoned the plaintiff three times in the week before the accident? - I don't know about any of this.
- So, the documentation is lying? All these phone records, all these bills - Stop.
- What? - You're resting the defense right now.
- I'm not I know you're not a lawyer.
And I'm not going to let you endanger this case.
Mr.
Alprin? The defense rests, Your Honor.
This is what you're going to do.
After jury instructions, you turn yourself in, or I'm going to the judge.
- This is all a mistake.
- Don't.
I mean it.
I'm sorry.
No, this isn't one of those "sorry" things.
You turn yourself in, or I will.
All rise.
Madam Foreperson, have you reached a verdict? - Yes, we have, Your Honor.
- How do you find? We find for the defense.
Thank you, jurors, for your services.
You are dismissed.
Yeah? Just quickly.
This lawyer, Ryan I think I made a mistake.
What do you mean? I mean I don't think he's right for us.
Okay.
I got it.
Thanks.
Hey, it's me.
Look, the law is the only thing I'm good at.
It's the only thing I've ever been good at.
I made a mistake, and I'm going to fix it.
I just Alicia I wanted to say to you Zach, who were you talking to last night? - No one.
- Jackie picked up the extension, Zach.
She said you were on the phone with someone.
Who was it? Look at me.
Who was it? You wouldn't understand.
I may or I may not, but you're going to tell me anyway.
I phoned a sex line.
I was curious.
I won't do it again.
- I said I'm not going to do it again.
- I know.
I can't stop what goes on out there, but in here, we tell each other the truth.
- That is the truth.
- You're sure? There's nothing else you want to tell me? No.
Why?