Harry's Law (2011) s02e13 Episode Script

You can see the place pretty much looks the same.
Couple of upgrades here and there, some new artwork and so forth.
Your attorney used to be a valued member of our firm.
It was a shame to see her go.
They fired me.
Can I get either of you some water? Harry? That's the third time you've offered me water, Sam.
I'm more interested in your number.
My number? Yeah, you said you were prepared to settle; what's the number? Well, I think you'll both be very pleased.
Sit, sit.
Let me walk you through the details.
Well, this wasn't easy.
But I have indeed moved our client off the dime.
They are prepared to extend an offer of settlement in the amount of $123,000.
For a dead wife? - It's a fair offer.
- No, it isn't, Sam.
It's not even close to being fair.
In fact, I'd say it's disgustingly unfair.
Your client's product killed this man's wife.
Harry, you don't want to go to trial on this.
Oh, but I do.
You said we'd be happy with this offer.
I'm anything but happy, Sam.
In fact, I'm pretty pissed off.
Come on, Earl.
Harry, I like you, I really do.
Always have.
But your client's wife was guilty of contributory negligence.
She smoked for 35 years.
And also and this is important where my client once feared the negative publicity of a lawsuit, now we don't.
Why? Nobody cares.
The tobacco industry has been sued so many times, it isn't news, not even a blip.
What's more, we tend to win these cases.
And even when we don't, plaintiffs ultimately still settle to avoid the lengthy appeals.
And, Harry, get this.
They settle on the dime.
Imagine that.
So go.
March yourself all proud off to court, "announce to the judge ready for trial," and let's you and I have a party.
Earl.
Got a little theme song? Like Rocky? A little rah-rah number you like to play in your head as you strut off to fight the windmills.
Play your little rah-rah song, Harry! Maybe it'll give your saggy-ass step a bounce! Harry's Law 2x13 - After The Lovin' Original air date March 11, 2012 You should've seen him so smug.
It's a good thing I didn't have my gun with me.
- I think you should settle.
- For $123,000?! You could probably bump it up to one and a half.
A woman died here, Adam.
Understood, but she smoked different brands of cigarettes, liability isn't a given, and she did assume the risk.
She was addicted! Okay.
Okay, finish your thought.
I'm sensing there's more here.
A lot of people quit, including the ones who are addicted.
This is a tough case to win, particularly by somebody who's a little blinded by wrath, which you are, because you hate both the lawyer and the firm you're going up against.
The wrath I'm feeling at the moment is toward you.
Harry, this firm kicked you to the curb.
You devoted your entire life to making them money, and then, as soon as they deemed you expendable, they tossed you overboard.
You've pined for the day when you could get even.
You look at this case as that chance.
I'm not settling a wrongful death against a cigarette manufacturer for $123,000.
Not going to happen.
What's up? This woman, she Hey, Tommy.
Amanda! Hey.
What brings you? Well, you know, these shoes you gave me for Valentine's Day they are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but they're not really me.
So do you mind if I exchange them? Of course not.
I want you to be happy, baby.
You're so sweet.
You know, it turns out that these shoes, they're not real Sophie, either.
You remember Sophie Barnes, don't you, Tommy? The same shoes, Tommy? Really? Okay, there's a perfectly good explanation for this.
And if you give me a second, I'll, uh come up with it.
This is what he does before he leaves.
He sings Shelby a song, which is okay.
A lot of dads sing to their kids, but okay, watch right here, how he looks at me.
He sings to you? Not to me, Cassie.
At me.
See that? It's meant to scare me.
Look at his face, for God's sake.
The marriage itself was volatile.
In the end, there was physical abuse.
So the idea that There was never any allegation of physical abuse, either in the pleadings or subsequently.
That's because this is a no-fault state and both parties wanted to keep it civil for the sake of their daughter.
Does this man not have visitation rights? Yes, he does, but now he's taking advantage of those rights to get back at my client, or maybe with her.
This is simply not true.
Counsel, we don't punish people for singing to their kids.
Your Honor, look at his face.
Can you deny it's a little frightening? Turn it off, please.
Ms.
Higgins, has your ex-husband directly threatened you or hit you? Well, he did hit me when we were married.
My client denies that.
Please.
I'm talking to her now.
Your Honor, I know this man.
I was married to him for 11 years.
That look on his face And I can show you other songs, too.
His behavior has gotten increasingly strange, and I'm getting very afraid of him.
Is your daughter afraid? She hasn't said so, but I think she is.
Mr.
Higgins, what's going on? Your Honor, the songs I sing are favorites of my daughter.
I sometimes look in the direction of my wife in the spirit of inclusiveness.
I apologize if my efforts were misconstrued as threats.
Motion for an order of protection is denied.
Your Honor, how long do we have to wait? - Does she have to get hurt? - Come on, Counsel.
Come back to me with a black eye or a cut lip, anything, but I don't hand out restraining orders based on bad karaoke.
Next case.
Give me a second.
How well do you know your client? Not terribly well, but he does strike me as a gentle man.
How about you? How well do you know yours? Well enough to know that she's genuinely afraid.
Look, Cassie, my guy has no criminal record, and frankly I do find him credible.
He might be a little strange, but that's not really a crime.
She's gonna sue you? Sex under false pretenses.
Oh, please.
What pretenses? You led her to believe she was the only one? That's funny.
Hi.
How are you doing? Will you represent me? Tommy, she's not going to sue you.
She is, Ollie.
Amanda's a lawyer, - and she happens to be a good one.
- Okay, let me ask you this.
Why did you buy them shoes from the same place? 'Cause I can get them at cost here.
I was buying in bulk.
Saved me a fortune.
Tommy, never ever give your girlfriends an opportunity to run into each other, ever.
Shoes they're always, like, exchanging them and Hi.
How you doing? I don't understand.
He's already deposed me three times.
That's what they do, Earl.
Try to drag it out and just wear out the plaintiffs till they give up.
How long before we actually get to trial? I'm hoping early next year.
Do you think otherwise? Well, they've scheduled a ton of depos from experts, some for your own family members.
It would be optimistic to think we could finish all the discovery within a year.
My opinion.
Do you have an opinion as to whether I should accept their offer? Well let's say you get a verdict for half a million.
Could be more, could be less, could be nothing.
But let's say 500 is the number.
By the time we actually go to trial and they exhaust all appeals and actually cut you a check, the present-day value of that five could be less than what they're offering today.
I'm assuming you could use that money.
Not to mention there's something to be said for getting on with your life.
My opinion.
What Adam is saying is accurate.
But what you told me the day you hired me was that you wanted to make the tobacco company pay and suffer even a fraction of the pain they caused you.
If you settle this for $123,000, they smile, maybe even laugh.
Just in the time we've been talking, they've made five million dollars.
They make $200 million a day, Earl.
A day.
How much suffering do you think you're gonna inflict with your $100,000 settlement? As for getting on with your life, your anger is just gonna continue to eat away at you.
Don't underestimate the redemptive powers of getting even, Earl.
Just to be able to look into the eyes of those who hurt you and say, "gotcha.
" There's joy in that.
In my opinion.
We'll keep going.
Go for it.
If you ever undermine me in front of a client like that again, you will be fired.
Have you got that? What's going on? I got up this morning around 7:00, went to the bathroom looked up, and saw this.
He must have come in in the middle of the night.
When did you go to bed? I don't know.
11:00, maybe.
And you're sure it wasn't there then? Positive.
I brushed my teeth, I put on my cream it was not there.
And you have a security system? Yes, but he would know the code to disarm it.
You didn't hear anything? - No.
- What about Shelby? I didn't ask her.
I didn't want her to freak out.
But she would've told me, she's a scaredy-cat at night.
Where the hell is Sam? Earl's in there waiting.
He's only 20 minutes late.
Yeah, Sam Berman is never late, he's anal about it.
Let's call his office.
Can't believe it.
She actually did it.
She already filed a complaint.
- Sex by False Pretenses.
- You gotta be kidding me.
- Unbelievable.
- All right, let's depose her, haul her in here, send the message "this isn't going to fly.
" Wouldn't it make more sense to just move for dismissal? Tommy, you want to air this out in a courtroom? I think not.
Chunhua, do me a favor? Mark up a depo for the plaintiff in this complaint, get her to delay the seven-day notice, we'll schedule it tomorrow.
I'm not your assistant.
Get somebody else to do it.
Excuse me? I'm not your assistant.
And don't ever talk to me.
Sorry I'm late, Harry.
Little unexpected emergency.
What happened? Oh, I was working on my boat I like to build boats, it's a hobby the nail-gun misfired and it's fine, nothing I can't take care of.
- Your client here? Shall we get started? - What do you mean, get started? You have a nail in your head.
Why don't you go to the hospital? I plan to, but I know you.
If I canceled last-second, you'd be rushing into court accusing me of stalling, moving for costs, and so forth, - so let's just get it done.
- Sam, as much as I dislike you, I would've cut you a little slack on this one.
You have a nail in your head.
Adam, take him to the hospital.
Yeah, I'd rather get the deposition done, and then go, if you don't mind.
Try to understand.
We're not going forward with the deposition.
You've got a nail in your head.
You're going to the hospital, now.
Does your client have a response to this? He says he didn't do it.
No break-in.
The alarm didn't go off.
And are we sure this wasn't staged? - You serious? - Look it's possible Mrs.
Higgins is laying pipe here in order to win full custody of their daughter.
Establish the husband as either dangerous or crazy Mr.
Kildare, let's cut the lawyering.
We have a potentially dangerous situation here, - with a child involved.
- I agree, but I'm simply not sure it's the husband who presents that danger.
My gut tells me James Higgins is telling the truth.
Okay, you leave me no choice.
I'll have Child Services meet with them both.
What? He comes into my home at night and does that, and I have to meet with Child Services? It's just the judge doesn't know who to believe.
What the hell is wrong with you? You come in at night? How psychotic are you, James? Gee, Chloe, you seem to be a bit beside yourself.
I'm beginning to worry.
Okay, I don't want your client communicating with mine, okay? Does that mean I don't get to say hello when I come to visit my daughter? Hayden.
I think we should suspend visitation until this is all worked out.
I can certainly suggest that, but I suspect he'll then ask that Shelby be removed from the home till this is resolved.
Would your client go for that? - You're not fooling anybody, Chloe.
- All right, James.
Most people who are truly scared, they go out and they buy themselves a big dog.
You come into my home again, - and I will shoot you.
- Chloe! Gee.
That remark sounded like a real winner.
Let's go.
Okay, thank you.
Okay.
Unbelievably, he's neurologically intact.
No bleeding in the brain, all his blood vessels were missed.
Why is it the schmucks get all the miracles? He's in surgery now, they expect to take out the nail and with no complications, they'll likely release him tomorrow.
All right.
Let Earl know we may be on hold a bit.
Need something? Little advice? Let's go in your office.
What's going on in there? You do not want to know.
I believe strongly in monogamy, which your client knew full well.
I stated very clearly my belief in sexual exclusivity.
He represented to me not only was he not intimate with anybody else, but that since his wife had died, he had been and remained impotent.
He told you he was impotent? Yes.
He even went so far as to suggest that if my interest in him was sexual, I probably should look elsewhere.
But that if I wanted emotional intimacy, fidelity, true partnership well, then It was very moving.
Okay.
So Well, so then, one night we're lying in bed, just cuddling and all of a sudden, I hear a soft gasp.
He had He told me that my love had and I quote "awakened the sleeping giant.
" And? And I was very touched.
What woman wouldn't be? He made me think that well, that I was different.
So what happened? He suggested that we again, I quote "take his born-again penis out for a test drive.
" Which Cut to five months later.
I'm in a shoe store the other day, and I run into an old friend who is returning a pair of shoes that she received for Valentine's Day, a pair exactly like mine, what do you know? She's worried about hurting her lover's feelings because he's so sensitive.
And then she shares that he was impotent before he met her.
He couldn't even offer up an original lie.
He gave us both the identical pair of shoes.
He even gave us both the same nickname.
You @&*.
What was the nickname he gave you, if I may ask? Spinach.
I'm sorry.
He called you "Spinach"? And why, may I ask, did he call you that? He said it was because again, quoting "of the effect that I had on his Popeye.
" He evidently fooled Child Services.
The social worker said that she found him to be a loving, caring father.
She even said his demeanor seemed tender.
And are we sure he's not all those things? I saw him torture her in that court corridor, Harry.
He was word-specific, I saw his face, I heard his tone.
Can she afford security? Not in perpetuity.
Well, I'd at least get her to change the keypad code.
What about the daughter, have you talked to her? The daughter? Cassie.
Kids know everything.
Whatever's going on in that house, trust me, the daughter knows.
So you actually faked impotence to get laid? - Leave me alone.
- I'm not going to leave you alone.
You never told a little white lie to get your end wet? Okay.
Faking an emotion is one thing, claiming a medical disability? That's another.
You want to lie to her? Tell her she's got beautiful eyes, call her your soul mate, but saying you're impotent Why don't you broadcast it a little louder? Hi.
- Uh can I talk to you for a sec? - Let me think.
No.
Okay, listen.
I know you overheard Tommy and I yesterday and maybe just now.
Did I lead you to believe that I was dishonest with you, or Ollie, we had a nice evening together.
Let's just leave it at that.
Okay.
Fine, but I do hope you know that the emotions I felt for you that night were real.
You got a problem? I think I do, yes.
What's between you and Chunhua? That's a personal question.
Were you and she? I asked you a question.
He's coming in now? Evidently he was released from the hospital last night, I guess he's fine.
How could he be fine? He had a big nail in his head.
Is he actually expecting a deposition to take place? That I don't know.
I really appreciate you talking to me.
Mother said I had to.
Well, I'll try to make this painless.
Though I suppose, under the circumstances Let's just start with the other night.
Did you hear or see your dad come in? No.
And has he ever just shown up before, at night? I mean, since your parents have been apart? Has he? One time I woke up and he was standing there.
But that was just once.
I think he misses me a lot.
I can certainly understand that.
Hey, Shelby, can I ask you does your dad frighten you? Sometimes.
But I mainly get scared 'cause my mother's scared of him.
And why does she get scared of him, do you think? He's gotten he get I think missing us has been really hard on him.
You ever think he might hurt you or your mom? Not me.
You know, my boss is a really smart lady.
She says, "kids kind of know everything.
" If you got a say in this, what do you think would be best? It would probably be best if he would just go away.
Harry, my friend.
Sam.
Everything come out okay? Splendid.
I'm fine.
I'm sorry about all the to-do.
I think I should just stick to the plain old-fashioned hammer from now on.
I apologize again.
I'm a bit embarrassed.
- It's okay.
- Look, Harry, nothing like a near brush with death to make one smell the roses, isn't that what they say? Or take a big dump.
You're a character.
Anyway, not everything is about winning, my friend, it really isn't.
- Okay.
- Obviously, your client's wife was killed by cigarettes.
She died of lung cancer, for God's sake.
I want to be fair.
Honestly, what do you think is fair here? - Is this some kind of trick? - Not a trick.
My client is responsible for the tragedy.
They should be held accountable.
What are you looking for? Well, how about your client close up shop and not sell any more cigarettes? Short of that? Okay.
Three million dollars.
That's a little high.
But I think I can sell it.
Okay.
But my client doesn't like round numbers, so let's go - either $2.
9 or $3.
1.
- Okay.
Uh, let's say, uh, $3.
1.
Up front.
Better to structure it some half now, half in six months.
And you think your client will sign off on this? I've been representing them for 17 years.
Yes, they'll follow my recommendation.
Good, then, we can close the books on this nonsense.
I'm sorry I was such a bother.
Be in touch.
Oh, I'm off! A pleasure as always! Sir, have a great day.
Get the documents drafted before he comes to his senses.
- Harry - Just do it.
Oh, damn it.
I should've said five million.
It's a simple question.
How many other women were you sexually intimate with during the course of your relationship with me? It's irrelevant.
- And why aren't you objecting to this? - It is not irrelevant.
Besides the fact that we waived all objections until trial, except for the form of the question.
So let me ask you again, how many other women? Three, four.
Which is it, three or four? - Four.
- And how many of those women did you tell you were impotent? Three, four.
And how many thought that they had healed you? I really can't know what they thought.
Wow.
Amanda, look, all men want to have sex.
- Tommy.
- No, I want to say this.
I don't care what you want to say.
I'm your lawyer, and I advise I'm a client, which means it's my call.
Yeah, just add a few zeros every time you open your big fat mouth.
Men, all men, want to get laid, even the gay ones.
It's how we're wired.
And here's a rule of thumb you can live by: the bigger the guy's ego, the bigger his Okay! the bigger his need to get laid, to seek affirmation emotional, sexual, egotistical You've been in my office, my house.
These are both shrined to me.
You know my ego, you know my deep-seated need for approval.
You think that this is an excuse for any kind of fundamental decency? The things we talked about, the intimate secrets of our lives.
How can a man of any conscience?! These are not questions she's asking, these are statements.
That goes to form.
Why the hell aren't you objecting? Here's a question.
What are you? Who are you, that you could be so? I loved you, for God's sake.
I still Mr.
Jefferson, please answer my question.
What are you? What am I? I'm alone.
That's what I always am.
No matter how many times I try, I end up Three marriages all failed for the same reason, not my infidelity, not theirs, not All of them said the same thing.
The problem was they got to know me.
Women leave me, Amanda.
And you would've left me.
I'm a novelty act, I get it.
So now I hedge my bets.
No more eggs in one basket, I keep at least one coming in while the other goes.
You went to my daughter?! You went to my little girl?! Mr.
Higgins, I'm gonna ask you to stand a little less close.
- You went to my daughter! - Hey! - I'm talking to her! - Let go of her! You have no right to question a child and try to turn her against her father! - I didn't do that.
- Yes, you did! - What's going on here? - I got this.
- Who is this? - I got it.
You listen to me, Mr.
Higgins.
What I did was talk to Shelby, the same way that Child Services did.
Child Services doesn't have an agenda! You did! You did! Just like Chloe made a mistake, you've made a big mistake.
I tell you what, Ms.
Reynolds, since you get to make house calls, how about I get the same courtesy? Why don't you tell me where you live? - All right! - I got it, Ollie.
You want to come to my house, Mr.
Higgins? Please do.
In fact, that might solve everything.
I'm a well-connected ex-D.
A.
I've got friends that would prosecute you just for the fun of it.
Add to that, my current clients, they're mostly criminals, a lot of them well-versed in some ugly business.
All I'd have to do is wink twice, and they'd be sweeping you up from every corner of this town.
So you come to my house, Mr.
Higgins, you do that.
You do that.
I don't think so, sport.
Not sure you defused things there, guys.
The documents ready? They are, but But what? Harry, this isn't right.
Oh, please.
Clearly, something has happened to the man.
I've read that brain trauma has an effect He's competent, that's all that matters.
We cannot take advantage of a lawyer who we know to be mentally infirm.
We have an ethical We don't know him to be infirm.
Has he had a change of heart? Maybe so.
That's great.
Now get him the hell over here before his heart changes back.
This is not just a change of heart, and you know it.
If you're determined to be a gigantic pain in the ass, then fine, but why does it always have to be mine? You're really okay with this, really? Of course I'm okay with this.
Sam Berman represents the most insidious industry known to mankind.
- The man is not well.
- He's well enough.
- I'm sorry, but I have a big problem with - Okay, you know what? You're off the case, Adam.
You're done.
Beat it.
Get out.
And you're dangerously close to being out of a job.
Now get your ass out of my office so that I can get back to work for my client.
Good news.
Amanda dropped the suit.
Great.
Thanks.
Good work, Ollie.
You don't seem too happy.
I am.
It's just a lot on my plate, that's all.
Thanks again.
Listen, I'm nobody to be talking to anybody about love, but I do believe in it.
And when I have found it, which is rare, wow, you know? There's nothing better.
Tommy, if you want to find it again, you got to put yourself out there.
Just risk it.
This rotating girls and hedging your bets, that's a recipe for loneliness.
That all? It seems to me you still have feelings for her.
It's pretty clear she does for you.
Maybe it doesn't have to be over.
Is that all? Yep.
This better be good.
I did not influence the daughter.
- I simply talked to her.
- For what purpose? Well, for one, to find out if she was afraid of her father.
Did you suggest that she should be? Hayden, you know me.
According to Mr.
Higgins's affidavit, you said that you might solicit a few of your D.
A.
friends to prosecute him "for fun.
" Failing that, you might engage a few of your criminal clients to dismantle him into small pieces.
Mr.
Higgins charged into my office threatening me, implying that he might come to my house.
I simply let him know it wouldn't be a good idea.
And your method of dissuasion involved threatening his life? Judge, if you would have been there I witnessed firsthand the kind of rage that he's capable of.
I was scared.
That's why I I think you should recuse yourself, Ms.
Reynolds.
What?! Why? Because when a lawyer engages in tit for tat, "you-kill-me-I'll-kill you" tactics, it's probably time for her to get out.
This is not fair.
He charged into my office.
Yes, and clients during custody battles are expected to act out.
The attorneys are not.
I have to get a new lawyer? Are you serious? Chloe, I am so sorry.
I have some recommendations, - attorneys that I think - I can't believe this.
Chloe, I can still counsel you from the side.
I will not abandon you.
I can't believe this.
Mom? What's happened? Oh, just some legal wrangling stuff, sweetie.
It's okay.
Can you give Cassie and me a minute? It's fine, honey.
Okay, first things first, keeping you guys safe.
What about going out of town? You said that you had family in Chicago.
Shelby's in school.
I have a job.
We can't just I'm getting the system code redone.
Maybe I can have a neighbor stay with us for a few days.
Okay, then, there's that one.
And here's this one.
And I believe we are done.
Okey-doke.
And here is a bank check made out to your firm, Harry, in the amount of one-point-five-five, the balance due in six months.
Okay.
Very good.
Mr.
Connolly, I apologize for all the mishegoss.
And again, my deepest sympathies for the loss of your beloved wife.
Thank you.
Go with God, sir.
And, Harry, I'm happy we worked this out, my dear.
Mmm.
I'll get this deposited ASAP and cut you your check by the end of business tomorrow.
Harry I don't know what to say.
Frankly, neither do I.
Legal arguments are nice, but a nail gun is better.
Thank you so, so much.
Good luck, Earl.
Thanks.
Congratulations.
What do you mean, there's a meeting? They're all in there, waiting for you.
What the hell is this? Who called this meeting? You didn't call it? I did.
You did? And on whose authority do you call meetings, if I may ask? Yours.
You delegated administrative matters to me.
This is administrative.
We need to formulate our firm's mission statement.
- Law firms have - Our mission is to make money.
- Meeting adjourned.
- To make money ethically, or anything goes? We just preyed upon and when I say "we," I mean Harry a man suffering from a brain injury - to extract a settlement that never - You're out of line.
- I don't think so.
- It seems you've forgotten once again, Adam, who runs this firm.
And it seems so have you, unless by "running the firm," you mean into the ground.
Why am I here? I realize the tobacco industry probably deserves all the bad things that could possibly happen to them - Okay, you've made this argument - I'm not done, damn it! What you just did with Sam Berman risks all our careers.
Not just yours, but mine, Ollie's, Cassie's, possibly Tommy's.
I realize cheating is the new fad, but when I see you you, Harry Korn a hero to every one of us you may not want to be admired, to be emulated, but you are just the same, by me, her, him and him, and when you cheat when you steal, you cheat us.
You rob us of perhaps our most cherished commodity, which is our respect for you and our pride in working for you.
I think what's going on here is that Ollie slept with your girlfriend.
Um you're right.
A firm needs its moral core.
As does its senior partner.
You have my promise I'll be back to my moral ways as soon as I get that three million dollars from the cigarette company.
So, you're taking the money.
Every last dime.
And not just because Earl needs the money.
But it feels good to stick it to your old firm.
You got it.
You're something, Adam.
You really are.
So you're not fired, at least for now, anyway.
- Is he okay? - He'll live.
Hey.
Hey.
I so miss the impotent you.
Hmm.
Hello? Yes, this is her.
What? Excuse me? - I'm her lawyer.
- Careful going in not to contaminate the sc Excuse me.
She rigged it to go off when the door opened.
This woman is represented.
I was sleeping, I heard - the gun go off.
- Where's Shelby? She's in her room.
She's okay.
- Oh, God, Chloe.
- Cassie, I put a sign right on the door, it said trespassers would be shot.
He couldn't have missed it.
Okay, what did you tell the police? Basically just that.
But, Cassie What? I rigged it, but I didn't load it.
What are you talking about? I didn't load it.
I wanted to test it tomorrow some to make sure it couldn't accidentally In fact, I double-checked it to make sure it wasn't loaded.
Well, if you didn't load it, then who did? Honey? What are you doing? Just watching the video.
Watching Daddy.
Shelby, are you okay? Yep.
All good.