Bull (2016) s04e05 Episode Script

1 (SOFT BANG ON WALL) Hi.
My name is Jessica Lee, and I am was an entertainer at the Maverick Men's Club just off the West Side Highway.
Three weeks ago, at around 12:30, Nathan Alexander, the big real estate guy, paid me $100 to go into the Champagne Room with him.
Now, when you go into the Champagne Room at a place like the Maverick, you're guaranteeing your customer three fully-nude lap dances.
Three songs.
There's not supposed to be any touching, but there almost always is.
And I have never done it myself, but the other girls tell me that you can negotiate to do other things in there.
It's a private room.
There are no cameras.
Anyway (SIGHS HEAVILY) We're in there, and I'm completely naked.
And he's got on a suit, like you would expect.
I'm into the second song, and I'm doing what I guess you would call the "lap" part of the dance.
And I look down, and I notice that his fly (GASPS) Sorry.
Didn't mean to frighten you.
So it looks like Marissa's not coming in today.
Something personal going on.
And I'm gonna be out of the office running down some things on an upcoming case, so, Marissa told me to tell you, uh, that she's counting on you.
Okay, so, what is it she needs me to do? Well, uh, nobody's in court today, so, it's really just about Bull.
If he needs something, do your best to help him out.
Now I just texted you a temporary password that's gonna get you into Marissa's files and Bull's schedule.
Beyond that, you're on your own.
JESSICA: Finally he gets off me.
He just leaves the room.
Anyway (SIGHS) I told the manager what happened, and he asked me if I knew who that guy was.
And, um, he told me that that guy is about a thousand times more important than I am.
Then he told me that they were overbooked for the next couple of weeks, that I shouldn't even bother coming in.
BULL: Marissa?! Oh.
Well, the keeper of the calendar is here.
Uh, Thursday at 3:00 p.
m.
I have an ultrasound? Bet you didn't even know I was expecting.
I'm shocked and amazed.
I'll go find my little pass code and get back to you shortly.
Thank you.
Three days later, she realizes she really needs to go to the police.
- Taylor? - But they tell her there's no evidence, so there's no case.
That the D.
A.
isn't going to court unless he can win, and without evidence And he's definitely not going to court to take on someone as well-connected as Nathan Alexander unless the case is rock-solid.
Yeah, he's right.
I don't think so.
I don't think there's anything right about it.
Look at it from the district attorney's point of view.
The woman is a stripper.
She takes her clothes off for a living.
She entices for a living.
And what's the net-net? A man was enticed.
Now, I'm not saying I agree with it, but it's tough to make that case in front of a jury.
That stripper's a woman.
A human being.
Someone violated the law.
Someone violated her.
She says, but can't prove.
Anyway she posted this video because she needs help.
A lawyer and some publicity to maybe force the D.
A.
's hand.
And it made me think about your law clinic at school.
(SIGHS) You've already got something.
You're busy, aren't you? Yeah.
Oh, wow.
Like a right-to-life thing? Kind of.
It's a lot of things.
My point is, my calendar's really full.
Right.
Calendar.
(GASPS) Calendar.
Oh, no.
Bull? Bull, sorry it took me so long.
You are all clear for Thursday.
I'll put it down for 3:00 p.
m.
Knock, knock, knock.
(SNIFFLES) Can I ask you a question that would definitely fall into the category of "none of my business"? Why do you guys have a meeting with Nathan Alexander on the books? I'm just curious.
Read about him in the paper, see his picture lots of places.
Yeah, he does take a good picture, doesn't he? Honestly, I have no idea.
We don't do real estate law.
He must have approached Bull privately.
Why? You want me to get you invited to the meeting? Nope, not necessary.
Thanks.
Can I ask you another question? A legal question? Hmm.
I'm gonna have to start billing you, Taylor.
If you meet with a client, a prospective client, and they have a case, do you ever meet with the other side the person they're suing, or the person they're accusing of something to see which side of the case you want to represent? Nope.
Doesn't work that way.
Once you meet with one side of the legal dispute, you're forbidden from meeting with the other side.
Part of the code of conduct.
Always has been.
Forbidden, huh? Long as I've been doing it.
So it's kind of whoever gets there first.
Yeah, you could say that.
Aha.
Jessica? I'm Taylor.
We spoke on the phone? From Homeland Security? Well, not anymore.
I, uh sorry if I wasn't clear on the phone.
I-I work at a legal firm now.
Well, whatever.
I'm just blown away that you want to help me.
And I do.
I want to help you.
The thing is, the lawyer I arranged to meet us isn't here yet, so I'm gonna bring you inside, get you seated, and then, um, wait out here for him.
Are you okay with that? Uh, sure.
BENNY: Taylor? Hey.
Sorry.
I didn't get a chance to go home and change.
Not to worry.
- She's a very, very casual girl.
- Ah.
I just I don't know.
I thought you two might hit it off.
And like I told you, she's having some legal problems.
Probably gonna ask you a ton of questions.
Great icebreaker.
(LAUGHS) All right.
BENNY: Taylor, Taylor, Taylor.
Is that her? That's her.
BENNY: Boy.
She looks awfully young.
- So do you.
- (SUCKS IN THROUGH TEETH) Ah.
(LAUGHS) Taylor, I know you mean well, but I'm thinking that maybe this isn't such a good idea.
Well, how will we know if you don't try? Come on, Benny.
Just sit down.
She's not gonna bite.
She's gonna ask you about the law and court and this situation she got herself into.
What kind of situation? I have no idea.
But if we just stand here, we'll never find out.
Do it for me.
(CLICKS TONGUE) All right, I'm in.
Let's eat.
Jessica.
Meet my friend Benny.
Benny, this is Jessica.
Jessica, so lovely to meet you.
Hi.
So, Taylor tells me that you are having some legal issues.
What's going on? Are you staring at a court date? No.
I wish.
But I'd like to be.
I'd like to go to court.
I'd like to get some justice.
Well, let's see if we can't help you.
Let's start from the beginning.
Want to tell me what happened? I was raped.
Okay.
No.
I mean, um no, it's not okay.
I mean, uh wow.
Uh oh, my goodness.
I'm-I'm so sorry.
Do you have any idea who did this to you? Oh, yeah.
I know exactly who did this to me.
He's kind of famous.
Anybody I'd know? Maybe.
You know Nathan Alexander? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've-I've I've definitely heard that name.
Um So lovely to meet you, Jessica.
May I please speak to you outside? I'm confused.
Is he coming back? Just give me one second.
(DISTANT SIREN WAILS) Benny! You know what you just did? Followed you out here? You just made it impossible for me to meet with Nathan Alexander tomorrow.
Well, only if he's coming in to talk about how he's worried he might be accused of raping a dancer he met at a gentlemen's club.
A dancer at a gentlemen's club? Benny, she's really desperate.
(LAUGHS) You you did this on purpose.
What do you think's gonna happen next, Taylor? Huh? What do you think Bull's gonna say? Well, I'm hoping, when he and you actually hear Jessica's story, you'll want to help her.
Help her? Help?! Forget about her! I'm talking about you! You're gonna be looking for a job tomorrow.
You get that, don't you? I'm sorry, Benny.
I'm really sorry, but No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
No.
There-there is no "but.
" There is no "but.
" (EXHALES LOUDLY) Nathan Alexander was a major guy, and you just shut us out of doing business with him.
And last I checked, your name is not even on the door.
Who the hell do you think you are, pulling a stunt like this? Now, I've asked Marissa to sit in to protect me from myself if she deems that necessary.
But honestly, I cannot conjure a world where I do not let you go for cause.
I understand.
And lest you think I'm overreacting, I called Mr.
Alexander's general counsel this morning, and I asked him, "Does this meeting have anything to do with a gentlemen's club?" And he, of course, laughed and said, "Absolutely not.
" And five minutes later, someone from his office called and canceled the meeting! Well, actually, I think that kind of proves my point.
Excuse me, Taylor.
I am not here to hear your point.
You are here to hear my point.
You cost me money.
You cost me a valuable business relationship.
(SIGHS) And I'm not sensing a tremendous amount of contrition on your part.
I disagree, Bull.
I think that Taylor is very The woman I'm trying to help was raped.
This man you were planning to meet with today, this man you want to have a valuable business relationship with had sex with her without her consent.
Again, I understand that, but that is not the point.
There is no other point.
He did a horrible thing.
And there's no reason to think he hasn't done it before, and there's no reason to think he won't do it again.
But because he's rich What does that have to do with anything? Oh, my God.
That has everything to do with everything.
Because he's rich, if this ever does go to court, he'll pay to have someone like you minimize it and obfuscate the facts and pack the jury with a bunch of people who want to be him and want to have what he has and therefore would never, ever vote against him or the person they think they might be if they ever won the lotto or the Powerball or the Irish Sweepstakes.
Is this the argument that's supposed to convince me not to fire her? Lest we forget, these are allegations you are talking about, not provable facts.
- Really? - Mm.
Then why'd he offer her a million dollars this morning to sign an NDA? MARISSA: Uh, did she take it? No.
She wants to go to court! (EXHALES) This is just a really bad dude.
If we don't try to stop him, who will? BULL: The simple truth is there are things we control and things we don't.
Your case against Mr.
Alexander is not, for the conceivable future, heading to court.
It just isn't, and there's nothing we can do about it.
The D.
A.
's office is convinced there's no there there.
A complete lack of evidence and witnesses.
No one saw anything.
No one heard anything.
I don't know what to tell you.
MARISSA: Well, couldn't we maybe file in civil court? Assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Something like that.
(EXHALES) I don't understand.
It would be a civil trial.
You'd be suing him for money, not threatening to send him to jail.
TAYLOR: And the burden of proof is lower.
You'd only have to convince five out of six jurors - instead of 12.
- BULL: Hold the phone.
Before everyone gets carried away, we still don't have any real evidence.
Whether it's in criminal court or civil court, it is still just a "he said, she said" situation, and I honestly don't think there is enough here to go forward.
DANNY: Well, not to cast any aspersions on the NYPD detectives that have already looked into this, but would anyone mind if I did a little investigating? I mean, just because no one's found any evidence yet doesn't mean there isn't any evidence to be found.
(CHURCH BELL TOLLING) MAN: Can I help you? You looking for a restroom? Do I look like I'm looking for a restroom? (CHUCKLES) My mistake.
You'd be amazed at the number of people who come in God's house looking for a restroom.
- Huh.
- Well, what can I point you towards? Oh, I was hoping I could make an appointment to speak to someone.
Home stuff.
Family stuff.
You belong to the parish? No.
I do not.
I don't think I've stepped inside a church for anything other than a wedding or a baptism since the turn of the century.
And what's going on at home? At least give me an idea so I can figure out who you ought to talk to.
It's kind of private.
It's my daughter.
She is bound and determined to do something.
Something that I know to be wrong.
It's just the wrongest thing in the world.
But she says she wants me with her.
Says she needs me with her.
And I don't want her to do this thing that she's going to do, but I also I don't want to let her down.
And the truth is is that she's gonna do it with or without me.
She's an adult now.
I just I don't know whether to be a good father or a good person.
Very God-like problem.
How do you mean? Relationship between a parent and a child, the relationship between God and every single human being is not that different.
God stays with you whether you're doing something good or bad.
Tries to let you know in every way possible that you're not doing the right thing.
But more important than that, he wants you to know that no matter what, he's still with you.
Same thing for a parent, don't you think? Yeah.
I hear you.
So, let's, uh see who we might set you up with.
Actually, I'm good.
You sure? I'm very sure.
Thank you, Pastor.
Uh, son? Huh.
So it's true.
What Marissa texted me was true.
We're going to court.
There's no talking you out of this.
Huh.
I-I leave the office for five hours, and not only do you not fire Taylor but you reward her reckless behavior by taking this case.
Okay, so you want me to fire Taylor? Of course not.
But I don't relish the idea of devoting weeks to a "he said, she said" case where the "he" is a very powerful and accomplished member of our community and the "she" is Not? I don't know what to tell you.
I was sitting over there, and I was trying to convince everybody how foolhardy this would all be, that we were on the wrong side of it, that I had been doing this long enough that I knew how it was gonna go.
You can't fight the kind of entrenched power a guy like Nathan Alexander represents.
And I'm hearing myself talk, and I'm thinking, "When did you become so old and cynical and afraid?" And I'm thinking about my kid, about your niece or nephew and if something horrible ever happened to them that they would come to someone like me.
(INHALES) And somewhere in there, I had Marissa call over to the courthouse, and you know the rest.
All right.
Well see you in the morning.
See you in the morning.
JUDGE: Have you or anyone you know ever been the victim of sexual assault? If so, if that experience will impact your ability to be impartial in this case, please raise your hand.
All right, then.
I'll speak to those jurors individually at sidebar regarding their ability to serve on this jury.
(EXHALES) We got our work cut out for us.
Where did all the girls go? DANNY: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Ms.
Alexander.
You can call me Beth.
You're here about Nathan, aren't you? I grew up riding.
Horses.
And I always wanted one of my own.
And when Nathan and I got married, he bought me the most beautiful black quarter horse.
(CHUCKLES) She was everything to me.
Then one day, barely four and a half years later, he wanted a divorce.
He offered me half his fortune, this apartment, half the stock portfolio, no questions asked.
(SCOFFS) When it came to that horse He fought me with everything he had.
'Cause he knew that's what I really loved.
So you can ask me anything.
I'm bulletproof.
He got my horse.
Do you know what your ex-husband is accused of? I read about it.
Some men You can't give them anything.
It only feels good to them if they take it.
Are you aware of him taking anything from any other woman? He hired this nice young woman to walk our dog.
This pretty college girl.
The way she would look at Nathan when she would come over, I just I knew something was going on or that she wanted something to go on.
Then one day, about six months before we divorced, she just quit.
Nathan said she was moving back to wherever to look after her sick mother, but the look on her face when she came by to pick up her last check was Do you remember her name? BENNY: And the night that Mr.
Alexander approached you he gave you $25? He gave me $100 and told me to keep the change.
BENNY: So what did you do? JESSICA: I smiled, and I said, "For that much, you could have gone into one of the VIP rooms.
" And how did he respond? He said, "That's a great idea.
" And he took my hand, and he led me to the Champagne Room.
BENNY: And did you know who he was? I knew he was a big shot.
The girls would get all giddy every time he would come in.
So I knew he was a big tipper, but it's not like I knew his name.
Mm-hmm.
So he took you to the Champagne Room.
Can you tell us exactly what happened? He raped me! (GALLERY MURMURING) JESSICA: I was in the middle of the second song when I looked down, and I realized he'd unzipped his fly and undid his belt.
I kept dancing over him, pretending not to notice.
Then he put his hands around my waist and pulled me in towards him.
Did you scream? Yeah.
But the music was really loud.
There's a panic button on the wall, but he was holding me, so I couldn't get to it.
I kept hitting him, hitting him, but he seemed to like that.
Then he jumped up out of his chair.
He turned me over.
And the next thing, we were on the floor, and I couldn't see anything.
I had my eyes closed anyway.
Any idea how long it lasted? It seemed like it lasted forever.
JESSICA (CRYING): Yeah.
(JESSICA SIGHS) One last question.
You didn't call the police immediately after.
Can I ask why? I don't know.
I guess that because he's a somebody, and I'm a a nobody.
I didn't think anybody would believe me.
BENNY: Thank you, Ms.
Lee.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Any movement on our end? It's still a sea of red over here.
(SIGHS) You all right? Need a minute? I'm all right.
So you mentioned that your erotic encounter with my client - seemed to go on - It wasn't an erotic encounter.
Forgive me.
- Your encounter.
- The attack! Your Honor, may I finish asking my question? JUDGE: The witness will refrain from speaking until counsel has finished asking the question.
Again, you testified that this encounter seemed to last forever.
That notwithstanding, do you remember approximately what time my client left the Champagne Room? (SNIFFLES) Uh, around 12:30.
You sure about that? We went into the Champagne Room ten minutes after 12:00.
It was three lap dances, three songs.
It's five or six minutes a song.
That's about 12:25 or so.
Excellent.
12:25, 12:30.
(QUIETLY): All right.
Here's where I get confused.
If you were so upset over this alleged assault, why does security camera footage from the bar show you having a drink with my client at 1:55 a.
m.
? It's barely an hour and a half after you claim he violently raped you.
Really? Do you have a photo of that? That's impossible.
I would never do that.
Isn't this you? Isn't this Mr.
Alexander? (GALLERY MURMURING) Yes, but maybe that's from another night.
Isn't this date the night in question? And can you see that this is indicating that this frame of video was captured at 1:55 in the morning? JESSICA: Yes, I can see what's in the photo, but that doesn't mean that that happened.
I'd like to enter this still photograph taken from security video recorded the night of the incident as defense exhibit "A.
" - So entered.
- That doesn't mean that that happened.
That photo was probably doctored.
- That - (GALLERY MURMURING) that doesn't mean that that happened.
He probably paid somebody.
- (GAVEL BANGS) - Order! Order! Order! Just because that there is a photo, - it doesn't mean that that happened.
- Order! Again, we need you to refrain from speaking until asked a question.
Your Honor, these photographs are accurate and real, and the security company which monitors the establishment where Ms.
Lee claims this incident took place will testify to their veracity.
So my question to you, Ms.
Lee, is is it your normal practice to have drinks with the men you claimed to have attacked you a mere 90 minutes later? - Your Honor! - (GALLERY CLAMORING) Never mind.
I withdraw the question.
Nothing further for this witness.
Well, listen, I need him to take the stand.
We don't have time to prep him.
I'll prep Benny.
If we ask the right questions, we should get the right answers.
Thank you.
I think we're gonna be okay.
(CLEARS THROAT) COURT OFFICER: All rise! The Honorable Judge McPherson presiding.
BENNY: Thank you for joining us last minute, Dr.
Benson.
Now you just shared with the jury your many degrees and your academic accomplishments.
But as someone who specializes in psychological trauma, if I tell you that a woman is raped, but 90 minutes later she is seen having a drink with the very man who attacked her, what would your reaction be? Well, without knowing anything, without having met the principals or read the histories or looked at the forensics, uh, I would venture a guess and say it must have been a particularly brutal violation.
(GALLERY MURMURING) YARROW: Objection.
This last-minute, supposed expert witness is offering up conjecture and speculation as testimony.
JUDGE: Objection sustained.
The jury will disregard that answer.
Ask another question, Counselor.
Yes, Your Honor.
Dr.
Benson, putting aside what you think might have happened, is it unusual for victims of rape to continue to associate with their attacker in the hours following the attack? Well, let me put it this way.
While you wouldn't call it common, it happens more often than you'd suspect.
And there's a scientific explanation for it.
After brutal trauma, the victim's brain often defaults into a kind of survival mode.
The mind focuses on one thing and one thing only getting through the night without further incident or harm.
So you make friends with your enemy.
Now, what if I told you that the victim has no recollection of continuing to associate with her attacker in the hours following the rape? Would, would that shock you? Not really.
I mean, the combination of trauma and adrenaline creates a condition where the victim becomes hyper-focused.
Uh, they retain details of the trauma itself in an especially vivid way, but the events surrounding it don't get coded into the memory, because the victim is being controlled by the amygdala, the survival center of the mind.
It's working like hell to normalize something that's not normal.
So the memory, for all intents and purposes, gets turned off.
And if I were to tell you that the victim took three days to report what happened to her to the police? Yeah, again, pretty standard stuff.
I mean but trust me.
For those 72 hours, the victim is fighting with him or herself over whether what they think happened really happened.
And to be clear, if it hadn't really happened, they wouldn't have been fighting with themselves.
Thank you.
No further questions.
- (BEEP) - Oh, my God, Marissa! (GASPS) We got a green one! MARISSA AND TAYLOR: We got a green one! (WHISPERING): Will you two keep it down, please? YARROW: Dr.
Benson, do you know Jessica Lee? Not really.
I think that's her there.
Have you ever met Jessica Lee? No.
Do you know my client? I know of him.
We've never met.
So, then, do you have any proof that this so-called trauma actually even occurred? It seems to me that, in this case, the only window we have into what might have happened that night is a security photo of the principals sharing a drink shortly after this trauma supposedly occurred.
- Well, as I explained - Oh, I'm sorry.
I must have missed it.
Did your explanation suggest that, because they were having a drink, she must have been raped? Of course not.
So, then, what does your testimony prove? (GALLERY MURMURING) We lost our green.
(SIGHS) (DOOR OPENS) Hi.
Can I help you? DANNY: Yeah, I'm actually looking for the owner.
Tara Atkins? Tara? Hi.
I'm Danny James.
I'm an investigator working for Jessica Lee? Perhaps you've read about her? She's suing Nathan Alexander.
What does that have to do with me? Well, I know that you worked for Nathan and his then-wife briefly, and that it ended abruptly.
I just wanted to ask you about that.
I honestly don't have anything to say.
This is my place of business.
I'd appreciate it if you'd go now.
Was it him? Did Nathan attack you? Don't make me call the police.
Did he pay you to keep quiet? Is that where you got the start-up money to open this store? I wish I could help you, but there's nothing I can do.
I really need you to leave.
If it's the NDA that's inhibiting you, I work with a team of really great lawyers, and I'm sure they can figure out a way around it.
If you change your mind.
YARROW: Mr.
Alexander, do you deny being at the Maverick Club on the night in question? I do not.
Do you deny that you and Ms.
Lee engaged in intimate behavior at some point past midnight in what's referred to as the Champagne Room? I do not.
Did you rape Ms.
Lee? No.
Not that I'm aware of.
My sense was that everyone involved was having a very nice time.
YARROW: Mr.
Alexander, what's a guy like you doing in a strip club? Looking at naked women mostly.
Look, you probably won't like this answer, but I'm very fond of women.
And at the risk of sounding like some kind of Neanderthal, being able to spend time around a woman who is undressed, that's a pretty terrific way to end one's day.
Now, I know that, for a lot of men, that happens within the context of a relationship marriage, boyfriend, girlfriend and I've tried that, but it takes time and it takes energy.
And I'm sort of a well-known figure in this city, so it also means I need to have my guard up because not every woman I meet is solely interested in getting to know me better.
So, for me, a gentlemen's club, on a transactional level, they make great sense.
I pay my money.
I meet some nice women, and if I never see them again or they never see me again, neither one of us is surprised or disappointed.
He has them in the palm of his hand.
No one is shocked.
No one's surprised.
They're too busy admiring his imitation of honesty.
Why did you ask Ms.
Lee to go to the Champagne Room? I didn't.
She suggested it.
And it's your testimony that everything that happened in that room was consensual? That was certainly my impression.
I think she knew who I was.
(SCOFFS) How horrible could it have been? I mean, I didn't run away and neither did she.
We had drinks together later that night.
Is there anything you want to say? Anything you want to apologize for? No.
This has been enormously embarrassing and painful for me.
In my work, I ask people to trust me.
Ever since Ms.
Lee's assertions were made public, it's become much harder to do.
No.
I have nothing to apologize for.
YARROW: No further questions.
JUDGE: All right, let's break here for today.
We'll pick this up tomorrow with the plaintiff's cross.
This court is adjourned.
BULL: It is the "he said, she said" case I always feared it would be.
Unfortunately, the "he" is a very convincing fellow, even though I'm certain he's lying through his teeth.
DANNY: Funny.
Based on the women I've been talking to, it should be a "he said, they said" case.
What do you mean? Are you suggesting there are others? 'Cause that would change everything.
DANNY: Tara Atkins, Janell Thompson, Emily Webber, Amelia Lopez, Tracy Walker.
The list goes on.
All women I strongly suspect were raped by Nathan Alexander.
Well, let's get 'em in here, and-and Benny can put 'em on the stand.
They won't testify.
They've all been paid off and signed nondisclosure agreements.
He gives them $2 million and threatens to sue them for twice that if they ever breathe a word.
It's so unfair.
How do you fight against someone who has all the money in the world? DANNY: Well if it makes you feel any better, he doesn't have all the money in the world 'cause he gave half to his ex-wife.
And did he make her sign an NDA? It was a divorce.
A divorce he wanted.
And how does she feel about her ex? Why do you ask? JUDGE: Mr.
Colón, are you ready to commence cross-examination of Mr.
Alexander? BENNY: Yes, I am, Your Honor.
Mr.
Alexander, I really just have one question for you.
Now, you testified under oath yesterday that you did not rape my client.
- That's correct.
- Okay.
So here's my question: have you ever raped anyone? (GALLERY MURMURING) I'm sorry, I didn't hear your answer.
No.
Of course not.
I've never raped anyone.
Ah.
Well, then I have no more questions for this witness.
I would, however, like to call a rebuttal witness at this time.
With your court's permission, the plaintiff would like to call Ms.
Tara Atkins to the stand.
YARROW: Objection, Your Honor.
The defense was not made aware of this witness.
This is the first we're hearing about it.
BENNY: My apologies, Your Honor.
We're calling this witness to refute Mr.
Alexander's claim just now that, and I quote, "I have never raped anyone.
" Ms.
Atkins is prepared to speak on that claim.
That seems reasonable and relevant to me.
The witness may testify.
Your Honor, the defense would like to request a short recess, so we may prepare for this witness.
JUDGE: That seems reasonable as well.
Let's take a half hour break and resume trial at that time.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) YARROW: Ms.
Atkins? Tara Atkins? Come in.
I've asked my legal team to sit in.
You don't have a problem with that, do you? Of course not.
(SIGHS) Just to be clear, in exchange for the $2 million my client provided you, you signed a nondisclosure agreement.
If you testify to the events which I suspect you'll be asked about on the stand, you'll be violating that agreement and it will cost you $4 million.
$4 million I'm reasonably sure you don't have.
Yes, I'm well aware of that.
I want to be certain that you understand how serious this is.
You signed a legal document.
My client is prepared to garnish your wages for the rest of your life if you violate it.
Well, not if I pay up front, right? You're prepared to pay Mr.
Alexander $4 million right now? Not that it's any of your business, but a wealthy benefactor has stepped forward and is willing to finance this transaction for Ms.
Atkins.
Really? Might I ask who? Well, I suppose it won't do any harm.
The benefactor is Beth Alexander, your client's ex-wife.
And she asked me to ask you if you wouldn't mind forwarding a message to Nathan.
She wanted him to know she really loved that horse.
We, the jury, find the defendant, Nathan Alexander liable for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In addition, we, the jury, award compensatory damages of $1 million to the plaintiff.
And, in addition, we, the jury, also award punitive damages of $25 million to the plaintiff.
JUDGE: This court thanks you for your service.
- Court is adjourned.
- (GAVEL BANGS) Thank you, Dr.
Bull.
I honestly don't know what to say.
(CHUCKLES) I know this really wasn't about the money for you, but trust me, with a verdict like that, the D.
A.
's gonna want to reopen this case.
And I'd be honored to be there with you when it happens.
(CRYING): I wouldn't have it any other way.
You know, there is a line of women over there who want to tell you how proud they are of you.
I think I owe everything to you.
Don't be ridiculous.
- We girls have to stick together.
- Yes.
Thank you so much.
Mmm.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Anna? It's me, it's-it's your dad.
I've been calling and texting for the last three days.
I called the phone company this afternoon to find out that you blocked me.
Anna, I I just want to talk to you.
If you're in there, would you open the door, please? I love you, kiddo.