The Good Fight 1x2

1. Bitch. Fucking bitch.

2. I know where you live. I know where your family...

3. This is for Maia Rindell.

4. I'm gonna rape you and your dyke girl...

5. Hi. Good morning. And fuck you.

6. You stole my money. I just want you to hurt like I do.

7. Hi, it's my first day here,

8. and I'm not too sure where to—

9. Maia Rindell? - Yes?

10. - You okay? - Yes! Just, um...

11. Hi.

12. Julius Cain. I'm the managing partner here.

13. Let me show you to your desk.

14. We have 55 associates and 40 work stations,

15. so we employ a hot desk system.

16. Occupy any empty chair in the communal area

17. but keep your laptop with you because you might be returning

18. to a different space when you come back.

19. Go ahead.

20. Good. At ten o'clock, I'm gonna need you at the SWSMU offices,

21. so meet me at reception in 20 minutes.

22. - The what? - SWSMU.

23. One of our union contracts.

24. Once a month, we offer their members pro bono service as part of our retainer.

25. Twenty minutes.

26. Did you hear that, Diane?

27. I— Yes. I just can't believe it.

28. They're withholding my capital contribution?

29. They said they have to review your tenure.

30. What tenure?

31. I was a name partner. I created that firm.

32. - It's my money. - I'm sorry, Diane.

33. Do I have any reserves?

34. If you sell your apartment.

35. I can't do that.

36. Well, you can always talk to your new partners

37. and see if they'll offer you a loan.

38. We tried to call you at home.

39. - Because? - We're moving you down the hall.

40. There's a new partner.

41. - We have to make room. - Diane?

42. Yep.

43. See, it's not so bad.

44. Home sweet home.

45. Oh, and I'm gonna need you

46. at the SWSMU this morning.

47. Why? I did it last month.

48. Yes, and you were so good at it, too.

49. Good morning.

50. Sharise.

51. Come on, come get this. Come get this. Come get this.

52. - Oh!

53. - How that college search coming? - All-consuming. Twins, you know.

54. Yeah, I hear you.

55. - Any word on the Kendall offer? - They called this morning.

56. - Who? David Lee? - Yes, sir.

57. We're getting our six mill.

58. - Diane here yet? - Yeah, she's in with Barbara.

59. She is, huh?

60. I heard you speak at an ABA conference a few years ago.

61. Oh, yes. On racial hiring?

62. That's right.

63. Oh, well, I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much.

64. Not too much.

65. Diane Lockhart.

66. I feel like we acquired our very own Jimmy Butler right here.

67. Adrian, how are you? - Good, good.

68. A little gift for you. Spring Arbor Lake Wine,

69. my very own label, 2006. Mwah.

70. You have a winery?

71. Nah, just a row of vines, that's all. Sit, sit.

72. So how's everything going with you two? Barbara give you the rundown?

73. - She did. - Are you two playing nice?

74. - We are, Adrian. - Good.

75. Oh, by the way, just a housekeeping matter,

76. but we'll need your capital contribution by next week.

77. Oh, yes, of course.

78. Um, just so you know,

79. my old firm is being a bit intransigent.

80. Yeah, David Lee. Wonderful guy.

81. So, if you don't mind being a bit patient.

82. Of course.

83. But listen, I'll need you in the 11 a.m. meeting

84. to pitch cases to our litigation financiers.

85. - Right. Well, good. I'll see you there. - You will.

86. Diane.

87. - Welcome. - Thank you.

88. Hmm.

89. - And how patient are we to be? - Let's give her two weeks.

90. Hello? Just plugging in your computer.

91. - Are you from Lockhart, Deckler? - Lee, Lyman, Deckler, Gussman, Gilbert—

92. Well, that didn't take them very long.

93. - I know. Bunch of assholes. - Marissa?

94. Yeah, hey. Want me to set up anything else?

95. - No, I can do it. - No, let me.

96. If I get back too quick, they'll just send me out on another errand.

97. Here, I'll hang these.

98. When Alicia hired me, I was supposed to be involved in cases and everything,

99. but it's been all moving boxes since she left.

100. Still want this?

101. Definitely.

102. And, uh, where do you want these?

103. - What are those? - African masks.

104. - Well, I can see that. Where are they from? - Your office.

105. No.

106. David Lee. Very funny.

107. By the way, I know you still need an assistant, Diane.

108. - Hello. - This is Marissa, from my old firm.

109. Hi. Just dropping stuff off.

110. Well, I have a few people coming in today for possible assistants.

111. I'll send them by.

112. Thank you.

113. Okay, I don't want to sound self-serving here,

114. but I think it's a smart move for you to hire me.

115. Oh, good to know.

116. - Thank you. - No, seriously. You need an assistant.

117. I can do whatever you want around here and I'm not that expensive.

118. What are you paying?

119. Why don't you just leave your resume, Marissa?

120. I don't have one. I'm much better in person, anyway.

121. Look, just hire me for one day, just until you get someone better.

122. And I promise you won't get someone better.

123. You limit your pro bono consultations to 20 minutes each.

124. If their legal issues require more time, go to Lucca.

125. She will sign off on more time.

126. Remember, you're only here to offer legal advice, not legal work.

127. Don't get tied down.

128. Move people on into other legal resources when you can—

129. Prairie State or Legal Assistance.

130. You're the "door close" button in the elevator.

131. Comforting, but not necessarily effective.

132. Here we go.

133. Okay, members, listen up, listen up!

134. Remember, these lawyers are here as union advocates,

135. so please limit your questions to workplace matters.

136. Only workplace matters.

137. Okay, who is here on their work break? Please raise your hand.

138. Oh, come on.

139. Donny, I know it's your day off. Get your hand down.

140. Only people on their lunch break.

141. Come on, you're only screwing over your union brother and sister.

142. Good. Those on lunch break, come on up to the stage.

143. Line up for each desk. Let's go.

144. You're seriously telling me I have to go to someone else on my lunch break?

145. The thing is, ma'am, we're not really here to help with family law issues.

146. - But I can refer you to— - He's not paying child support.

147. How am I supposed to make ends meet if he won't pay child support?

148. I know, I'm sorry. It's just—

149. - Well, I'm not really supposed to help with— - Then why are you here?

150. If you can't help, why are you here?

151. I need help. - Hello.

152. Oh, come on.

153. - I'm gonna help you out here. - Thank you.

154. - Sir, would you like to come to my desk? - No, I'm good here.

155. I'm a third-year associate. She just passed the bar.

156. That's okay. I'm sticking.

157. Next?

158. I-I just can't survive on $400 a week.

159. I can't pay for my rent. I can't pay for my ex-wife.

160. And they're not adjusting it for after taxes.

161. They're just taking it right off the top.

162. I'm sorry, I don't understand.

163. - You're... you're being paid $400 a week?

164. Yeah. Wait, no.

165. And my rent is twice that. Okay? Do you need to get that?

166. No. No. It does that.

167. Yeah, mine, too.

168. You know, I used to get some good news, but now I feel like it's all bad.

169. I don't even feel like answering it nowadays.

170. So, um...

171. I'm sorry, I'm not too sure how they were able to lower your salary.

172. Not lower.

173. Garnish. They're saying that I stole 400 running shoes.

174. What? 400 running shoes?

175. Yeah. And they say that's $70,000, but that's retail

176. and they don't pay retail, they just pay wholesale, so it should be half that.

177. Wait, I'm sorry. Could you start again?

178. - Okay. BMI. - Mm-hm.

179. - My store says that I stole 400 running shoes. - And did you?

180. No, I've never stolen anything in my entire life.

181. But they're garnishing my wages for the retail amount

182. and it should be the wholesale amount.

183. That's double what I should pay.

184. But if you didn't steal anything,

185. why are you letting them garnish your wages at all?

186. Because I signed a confession.

187. I don't understand. Why did he confess?

188. They pressured him to. They threatened to fire him if he didn't.

189. He just wants them to charge him the wholesale amount and not the retail amount.

190. And he wants to go to arbitration for that?

191. Well, his contract requires that he go to arbitration.

192. But he wants me to represent him.

193. I just need you to sign me off on two more hours work.

194. You know this is just pro bono?

195. - Right? It's a goodwill gesture. We're not here to right a wrong. - No, I know,

196. but it's only two hours work. I want to do it.

197. - When's the arbitration? - This afternoon.

198. Okay. Good luck.

199. Everything good with you?

200. Yeah.

201. Yeah, for the first time in a while, yes.

202. It's good when you can focus on someone else's problem.

203. First place I've been I wasn't recognized.

204. This is our highest priority case.

205. It's a hanging in a jail cell. Holly Orlin.

206. You'll find a Chicago Tribune article on top there.

207. This is the worst Cook County jail abuse

208. I have seen in years.

209. So we're suing for 12 million but we do expect settlement before trial.

210. - Any videotape? - No.

211. But we have a very sympathetic family and a grieving widower.

212. So all we need of your financing is 300,000.

213. No. Thanks, though.

214. Our algorithm is going cool on police suits.

215. - You sure about that? - Mm-hm. What else?

216. Well, I think that, uh, Diane, our newest partner,

217. she just joined us from Lockhart, Deckler and Gussman,

218. can speak to a new case.

219. Uh, we've been looking into parole abuses.

220. Some parolees have been rejected for punitive reasons.

221. Hmm.

222. I think my partner worries there's no money there.

223. That depends on how vulnerable the State feels.

224. No. It depends on the trend.

225. The trend is against you.

226. Look, now we understand you have your little algebraic spells,

227. but we understand the system.

228. And you'll get ten percent of our earnings.

229. Why don't you let us help you make some money?

230. What else have you got?

231. Malpractice?

232. - It's a malpractice suit.

233. - Excuse me. Yeah.

234. - Second page. - What's wrong?

235. Someone here to see you. Lenore Rindell.

236. - Where? - In your office. You want me to get rid of her?

237. What do you need, Lenore?

238. - I came to see Maia. - She's out.

239. She's not talking to me, she's not answering my calls.

240. My guess is her lawyer told her not to.

241. Can you talk to her, Diane? Please.

242. No.

243. - Why? - I don't know what bubble you're living in, Lenore,

244. but you do see my office here?

245. You do see that I am not retired, that I am still working.

246. This wasn't us. This was Jax. This is his Ponzi scheme, not ours.

247. You want to have an honest conversation here, then let's have it.

248. I came to you last week and asked for my money back

249. so that I could buy my dream house and what did you say?

250. - We didn't— - No, I want to hear you say it. What did you say?

251. - This wasn't us. - You said, "Keep it in your account and borrow on it."

252. I could've had my money back. I—

253. I think it's a good idea that you go.

254. Diane, look at me.

255. I'm innocent. Henry's innocent.

256. You are a defense lawyer.

257. Why can't you extend us the same courtesy

258. you do your other clients?

259. We are wrongly accused.

260. Just because the Feds say it, doesn't make it true.

261. I'll tell Maia that you dropped by.

262. I know I shouldn't ask this, but Henry needs your help.

263. He's in jail and no one will visit him.

264. His lawyer's advising him to plead guilty, but I don't think he should.

265. He's your oldest friend, Diane.

266. Will you talk to him?

267. So it's like a trial?

268. Yes. Just answer honestly. That's all you have to do.

269. - And if I lose? - Well, there's no appeal.

270. So if you lose, you lose.

271. Frank Gwinn.

272. Here.

273. - Go ahead. You're the lawyer? - Yes, from Reddick, Boseman and Kolstad.

274. Good, I'm the arbiter.

275. Let's hear it.

276. And this is Benji Diyardian from BMI's loss-prevention department.

277. He questioned me.

278. Let's hear it. - I...

279. Good afternoon.

280. Frank's employer, BMI, a sporting goods store

281. with 12 billion in assets and franchises throughout the country—

282. Yeah, I don't need that.

283. Right. Um...

284. They have accused my client

285. of stealing 400 running shoes from their back-stock.

286. - Four hundred and seventeen. - Objection.

287. Okay, um...

288. - And he didn't do it, right? - That is correct, sir.

289. - He did not do it.

290. - What do you need, ma'am? - I'm here as an observer for the union.

291. - Why? - We just want to make sure everything's fair.

292. Okay. Keep going, miss.

293. My client did not steal any shoes.

294. He has no record and yet the company, BMI,

295. have chosen to garnish his salary by almost 40 percent.

296. We didn't garnish anything, he confessed.

297. No, excuse me, sir, you'll have your chance. Um...

298. This is a massive

299. $12-billion company

300. - stealing half my client's pay. Stealing, really?

301. We have his confession on the record.

302. No, he was forced to confess. He was told, if he did not confess—

303. He was not told anything.

304. If he did not confess, then he would be fired.

305. - Frank, how long did this man question you? - Seven hours.

306. Without break. He was told he could not leave the room.

307. Only because he's an employee and he was on the clock.

308. Let me see the confession.

309. - Would the union rep like to see it, too? - I would, thank you.

310. Mr. Arbiter, as you read that, please remember

311. that he was forced to sign that confession.

312. I never forced anyone. This is the Friedman Method.

313. - I never diverged once from it at all. - The what?

314. The Friedman Method.

315. It's a process of questioning I was trained and certified in.

316. Sir.

317. - Is this your signature? - Yes.

318. Then in exercise of powers conferred under Clause 25

319. of the agreement entered into between the parties,

320. judgment is made in favor of the respondent.

321. - Wait, what? What, that's it? - Thank you, I'll see the next arbitration.

322. - But he didn't do it. - I'll see the next arbitration.

323. False imprisonment.

324. Mr. Arbiter, we ask

325. that the arbitration be reopened

326. based on the matter of false imprisonment.

327. - Oh, come on. - My client was held against his will

328. for seven hours

329. in direct contravention of...

330. everything.

331. The issue of false imprisonment is irrelevant.

332. Judgment is again made in favor of the respondent.

333. - That's not your decision to make, sir. - Excuse me?

334. The arbitration agreement with Ms. Rindell's client

335. does not cover tort claims.

336. And false imprisonment is a tort claim.

337. Then we are stalemated.

338. - No, we're not. - And why is that?

339. Because we'll see you in court.

340. Henry.

341. How are you?

342. Rupert tells me I should accept a guilty plea.

343. Twenty years.

344. What do you think?

345. - I think this is bad, Hank.

346. Yeah, you and I, Diane, we always told each other the truth.

347. No matter where, in college, after, before Lenore.

348. And I'm telling you the truth now.

349. I did not do this.

350. Hank, what am I supposed to do with that?

351. I am bankrupted, completely.

352. Two months ago, I hired a forensics accountant

353. to look into Jax's trades.

354. There was $83 million missing.

355. The accountant found Jax had moved the money into his private account.

356. I tried to confront him but before I could,

357. Jax went to the Feds to turn me in.

358. You should be telling this to your lawyer, not to me.

359. I did but Rupert said it doesn't matter. There are too many bad facts.

360. Okay.

361. Let me look into another lawyer.

362. - Why not you? - No.

363. You need someone objective.

364. How's Maia?

365. - She's doing well. - Good.

366. She's on a case.

367. She's gonna blow us all away.

368. - Did she see her mom? - No.

369. I think it's best that she stay away

370. until all this gets straightened out.

371. But that could be years.

372. I know.

373. Lenore didn't tell you?

374. Tell me what?

375. She doesn't have years.

376. Her breast cancer, it's back. Spread to her lymph nodes.

377. Maybe I should go see her.

378. I'd talk to your lawyer first.

379. You don't think I should go see her?

380. No, it's just...

381. I think you should be careful.

382. You misunderstood my intent or she ignored it,

383. but we just don't have time for this.

384. And we raise expectations for what our firm can do.

385. Ah, Lucca.

386. It seems we picked up a new case this morning.

387. I told you we didn't want to get tangled up in small-ball litigation.

388. This is not small-ball.

389. - BMI has $12 billion in assets— Yes,

390. and there won't be any punitive damages here.

391. - But we don't know that. - We do know that.

392. This is one union member, and we're about to put in 40 billable hours

393. to get him what, $20,000 in back pay?

394. Is this about you losing your office to a partner?

395. No.

396. This is about a good case.

397. - Hey, do you know what the Friedman Method is? The Friedman Method?

398. Yeah, it's a way to interrogate a suspect. Why?

399. It's a case I'm on.

400. - How do I find out more about it? - Easily. They have seminars.

401. Just look them up online.

402. You pay the money, and you too can learn how to be a cop.

403. Good to know. Oh, okay.

404. - I gotta go. Bye.

405. We're being shut down.

406. - What? - They're worried the case is too small.

407. You're kidding.

408. I was just about to sign up for a Friedman seminar to find out more.

409. You know what? Do it anyway. It's on our time.

410. Why not?

411. Okay.

412. People lie.

413. And when people lie, they want to confess. It's human nature.

414. Your job, you and you and you,

415. is to enable that process.

416. You are a crucial step to their cleansing.

417. What you will learn over the next four sessions

418. is the Friedman Method.

419. A way to determine guilt

420. and obtain a confession.

421. One of these four people is lying.

422. They all deny taking money from a cash register, but one of them did.

423. The first step in the Friedman Method is ascertain guilt.

424. Find out who is lying.

425. Look, I didn't do it.

426. - I wasn't even there. That's the truth. Pretty convincing, huh?

427. But ignore the words. They're irrelevant.

428. Everybody swears they're innocent,

429. but no one can hide their face.

430. No one can hide their expressions.

431. The most important thing is to get the suspect to look right at you

432. and repeat the statement over and over.

433. Let's watch it again. I'm going to slow down the image.

434. Look, I didn't do it. I wasn't even there.

435. - That's the truth. - There.

436. Right there. See? Under his lip?

437. The risorius muscle. It's part of the expression of fear.

438. When we are experiencing anxiety,

439. the risorius muscle will become tense.

440. Look for it.

441. - I wasn't even there. That's the truth. - See?

442. Clenched muscle.

443. Good. Another telltale sign of anxiety, the forehead.

444. When there is a burst of anxiety, these muscles will tighten up,

445. the eyebrows will rise upward, only for a second. See?

446. The liar wants to force his expressions to look relaxed,

447. in control.

448. Therefore, the expression you're looking for

449. is fleeting, momentary.

450. Do you think that's true, the way to discover a liar?

451. - No, it's bad psychology. - How do you mean?

452. "Ignore the words"? Seriously?

453. How does someone prove their innocence

454. without explaining why they're innocent?

455. And he says it's all about detecting anxiety. Well...

456. I don't care how innocent you are,

457. if a cop calls you in for questioning, you're gonna be anxious.

458. So, what does anxiety prove?

459. What if there is no cop? What if there is no reason to be anxious?

460. I don't know. Everybody's different.

461. Everybody's got their "tell." I don't—

462. What?

463. This isn't a small thing. This is a massive class action.

464. Every multi-billion dollar nationwide retailer

465. is sending middle management to these seminars.

466. East Wing Running Shoes, Widespread Tech, B&X—

467. I thought these seminars were about training cops?

468. That's how they were intended,

469. but retail stores are using the same techniques against their own employees,

470. and it's just as likely to result in a false positive.

471. - Barbara, what do you think? - It's good.

472. Go certify a class.

473. We should put Bobby on it with her. It's a big thing now.

474. - Who's on it with her right now? - The new associate, Maia.

475. I'd keep her on it. Maia's good.

476. And she's motivated.

477. - That Rindell kid? Yes.

478. Sure. Everybody hates her.

479. Great way to mold a fighter. All right.

480. There may not even be a job here. I just want to warn you.

481. Uh, you're here for the assistant position?

482. Come on in, Daniela?

483. Have a seat.

484. This is still your case, Frank, but it's also now a class action.

485. So I don't pay anything?

486. Right, and it's more likely that you'll get a larger settlement

487. because these big companies will want to avoid the embarrassment.

488. Is this gonna move quickly now? Because I'm having trouble paying rent.

489. Um, we think the companies will try to win this motion to dismiss.

490. And if not, they'll negotiate a settlement.

491. - All right, do I have to sign something? Yes.

492. And, actually, you can help us, Frank.

493. We're looking for other workers

494. who have had their wages garnished just like you.

495. - So, if you— - What is this case again?

496. We're gathering a class of retail workers

497. who were wrongly accused of stealing from their stores.

498. Okay, got it.

499. So, are you coming back to work? Everybody misses you.

500. No, I got another job.

501. In fact, can you help me out with it? You know everybody around here.

502. Is there anybody in the mall who had their wages cut?

503. We're bringing a lawsuit against all these big asshole companies

504. and I know you know all the people here and how they complain.

505. So, is anybody bitching about their paychecks?

506. It's about people being forced to confess

507. that they stole clothing or shoes or computers.

508. So, if you hear anything from anybody, here's my card.

509. Tell them to call me.

510. What the hell are you doing, Barbara?

511. What am I doing? I'm having a sandwich.

512. You're dragging my members into a class action.

513. If this is about the salary garnishing, we're not drag—

514. You're pissing off management!

515. We're on the eve of a contract negotiation

516. and you're pissing off management.

517. It was a union-member complaint.

518. - We are merely— - No, no, no.

519. You convinced him to pursue a class action

520. because you wanted the money.

521. You came into our offices and asked for our help

522. to collect a class...

523. Those two did.

524. - Your contract is with us. - Yes, and you employed us to help your members and—

525. As a gesture, merely.

526. Maybe your members would like to know that.

527. Seriously?

528. That's how little our contract means to you?

529. - You're threatening me? - God, if that's considered a threat, friend,

530. I would love to live in your world.

531. We won't pay a cent for this class action and we won't help in any way.

532. So drop it.

533. What are you gonna do?

534. We're gonna find another benefactor.

535. So, what do you have?

536. A new suit. Very last-minute.

537. Class action against 12 nationwide retailers.

538. - I'll need financing on, say, 140— - How many in the class?

539. We're gathering that as we speak, but we think 20, maybe more.

540. Sympathetic, working-class families, all retail workers.

541. - Who's the test case? - Top of page three.

542. Frank Gwinn, 32 years old.

543. Divorced father.

544. Good witness. College-educated.

545. Worked at BMI selling shoes.

546. No litigation in his background and no priors.

547. - He's delinquent on a loan. - It's a student loan.

548. - Twenty-twelve. He's making payments again. - Your proposal?

549. You finance 600 billable hours

550. for an initial payment of $300,000.

551. You'll have two exit ramps. One, after the motion to dismiss.

552. Two, six months into trial, if we even go that long.

553. You share 40 percent of the award

554. up to $8 million.

555. No.

556. Why? You can't get better.

557. Your motion to dismiss is in front of Judge Kevin Drago?

558. - We've won in front of him before. - Our algorithm doesn't like him.

559. Not for this case.

560. Your algorithm's not taking into account that I'm a fucking good lawyer.

561. Don't swear, okay?

562. It bugs out Jer.

563. I'm sorry.

564. - Does your algorithm even like this case? It does.

565. Good optics, good potential payout. It's just this judge.

566. It's okay, I will get you a new judge.

567. - How you gonna do that? - I'm a good lawyer.

568. We're going to court.

569. Fuck the union, we will finance this thing ourselves.

570. You, I want you in court.

571. - What is your name again? - Maia.

572. Maia. Great. Second chair.

573. I— Well, thank you, sir.

574. - Unfortunately, we've run into a snag, Adrian. - What?

575. With the class.

576. Without the union's help, we're having trouble locating employees

577. - with garnished wages. - Check crime reports.

578. Any business missing back-stock they'd report it, right?

579. No. They tried that.

580. Let's post fliers. Let's check Reddit. Let's get creative.

581. I've told our financial partners

582. that we would have 20 members in the class, so let's get to it, all right?

583. Here's 23 employees who were accused of theft by their employer

584. and had their wages garnished.

585. And I have feelers out to a dozen more.

586. And there are two more people here to be interviewed.

587. Who is that?

588. My new assistant.

589. You want me to recuse myself?

590. Yes, Your Honor. Regretfully.

591. - You don't like me, counselor? - No, I love you.

592. At our firm, we speak very highly of you all the time, Your Honor.

593. But unfortunately, in this instance, there is a conflict of interest.

594. We're good here, Your Honor. No problem.

595. Isn't this just a motion to dismiss?

596. I'm not sure how I can be conflicted out.

597. I've shopped at BMI, but that's about it. And you, sir?

598. - Do I know you? - No, Your Honor.

599. Nice try, Mr. Boseman,

600. but I reject your motion to recuse me.

601. We can start with your first witness.

602. - Actually, Your Honor, there's one more thing. - You're trying my patience, sir.

603. You recently lost over a million dollars in an investment.

604. - Am I correct? - That's none of your business.

605. And that loss has nothing to do with the matter here.

606. - Now sit down. - But unfortunately, our second chair here...

607. Maia, would you stand up and state your full name, please?

608. Maia Rindell.

609. As you can see, Your Honor, since you've lost most of your savings

610. to the Rindell Ponzi scheme,

611. you cannot fairly judge this case.

612. So, here we all are on this lovely Wednesday afternoon.

613. And unfortunately,

614. I have misplaced my prescription glasses.

615. So I will try to make do with these prescription sunglasses,

616. if you don't mind me looking a little bit like a movie star.

617. - Very becoming, Your Honor. - Well, I wouldn't go that far.

618. Coming from L.A., I'm used to it.

619. Los Angeles. How is your drought?

620. Uh, improving.

621. Good. I love the way your state emphasizes green energy.

622. Yes, I have a Tesla myself.

623. It's such a wonderful car.

624. Your Honor, the motion to dismiss...?

625. Yes, thank you, Lucca.

626. The simple fact is the plaintiff is attempting to use

627. the theft of 400 running shoes from my client's—

628. Not the theft. There is no theft here.

629. If I could finish? Thank you.

630. To sue 15 respected companies.

631. In other words, this is a Trojan horse—

632. Actually, the metaphor I would use, Your Honor,

633. - is "reverse Robin Hood." - Seriously?

634. - Well, this is getting heated. My client makes $40,000 a year.

635. Ms. Stevens' client makes 13 billion.

636. And yet every payday, they take 40 percent of his take-home pay.

637. Okay, well, battle lines drawn.

638. Ms. Stevens, your first witness.

639. We had a lot of theft from the storeroom, almost $600,000 this year.

640. So I was asked to question the employees.

641. And why did you zero in on the plaintiff?

642. He showed signs of deception per the Friedman Method.

643. This is a method utilized by the police to question suspects?

644. - Yes. - And the plaintiff signed this confession?

645. Yes.

646. He told us exactly how he slipped the crates into his car,

647. took them down to Maxwell Street Market and sold them to a vendor for $10,000.

648. Thank you, Mr. Diyardian. - He gave me that information.

649. Nothing more here, Your Honor.

650. Mike, could you angle that screen some more?

651. These sunglasses are polarized.

652. Yeah, keep coming, keep coming. Keep coming, keep coming. Oh, well.

653. Continue, please.

654. Uh, just a few questions, Benji.

655. Why didn't you tell the police about the theft?

656. - Excuse me? - Well, if it were me and I had $70,000 stolen,

657. I would go to the police.

658. Well, the company would rather settle these things internally.

659. And I'd rather you call me "Mr. Diyardian."

660. Oh! My apologies.

661. And Mr. Gwinn stole this $70,000,

662. according to your interrogation?

663. - My interview. - Right, your interview.

664. To your mind, Frank Gwinn is a thief, right?

665. - Well, he stole, yes. - Then why didn't the company fire him?

666. Your Honor, I think it's a little odd

667. that BMI is being censured

668. for doing the humanitarian thing.

669. Oh, I don't think plaintiff is censuring them.

670. I think she just finds it odd

671. that they kept the thief on staff, as do I.

672. Well, the company just wanted an opportunity to claw back its losses,

673. - didn't it? - Right, it did.

674. So the company wanted to keep Frank employed

675. so they could take from his paycheck?

676. - Is that right? - Well, that's not how I'd put it.

677. How would you put it, Benji? Please take your time.

678. You're suggesting bad motives here.

679. But BMI thinks all its employees should be allowed to make things right.

680. And so even though Frank supposedly stole $70,000,

681. he was still allowed to work alone and unsupervised in the backroom?

682. Objection. Asked and answered.

683. Actually, no, I'd like to hear the answer.

684. We trust our employees.

685. - And that's why you questioned him for seven hours? - Objection. Argumentative.

686. I'll rephrase. How many hours did you question my client?

687. - I don't know. I didn't keep track. Uh, well...

688. It says seven hours here.

689. Oh, hello, Lucca. Good to see you're still at it.

690. And it's, um...

691. - Mai— I'm sorry, Mia. - Maia.

692. Maia, thank you. Hi.

693. - Hi. - I'm Andrea.

694. I'm so terribly sorry about your family.

695. Must be hard on you.

696. - It's manageable. - Manageable. Good.

697. Women are taking over the world piece by piece.

698. I'm wondering if you and I could talk sometime, Lucca.

699. We can talk right now.

700. Well, I just hate doing it here

701. in a public place, but...

702. So, what's the offer?

703. Offer?

704. No, I— I just wanted to know where you got your hair cut.

705. I just— I love the bangs so much.

706. A friend of mine. She cuts hair out of her apartment.

707. - Really? Could you maybe get me her number? - Sure.

708. Thank you.

709. Gosh. I love this, by the way.

710. - It would look great on you. Do you want to buy it? No.

711. I'd sooner buy the smile off the Mona Lisa.

712. See you tomorrow. Bye, Mia.

713. It was just was a scare. Dr. Trotter found another lump.

714. But he thinks it's nothing.

715. - Good. - Is that why you called?

716. Oh, yes, I mean, I was told the cancer had spread to your lymph nodes.

717. Well, that's the fear.

718. It's good to see you, Maia.

719. You look older.

720. Look at me, Mom.

721. - Why? - I just want to ask you a few questions.

722. Oh, Maia, I've spent the last two weeks answering more questions

723. than I have in my whole life.

724. Yes, and I am your daughter. And I just want to ask you a few more.

725. Look at me.

726. Okay, I'm looking at you.

727. Was there really a cancer scare?

728. Yes, baby.

729. There was a cancer scare.

730. And you're not lying to me?

731. I'm your mother.

732. - Is Dad guilty? - You know he's not.

733. Are you guilty?

734. No, Maia, I'm not guilty.

735. Uncle Jax is guilty.

736. You just need to trust me, baby. We're family.

737. I don't know if she's lying or not.

738. About the cancer?

739. No, about the fund.

740. Do you think your dad did it?

741. I don't know.

742. We were always the boring family.

743. I mean, all my friends, their...

744. their parents were divorcing

745. or having affairs and...

746. I used to lie about Mom and Dad fighting

747. so that I wouldn't seem so weird.

748. And now...

749. it's like we're paying for all those years of happiness.

750. That's your parents.

751. Doesn't have to be you.

752. You can be as happy as you want.

753. And we're back.

754. Now, here's the thing, young man. No, you can all sit down.

755. I have a question for you. What is "supination"?

756. I was buying running shoes yesterday and they told me my feet supinate?

757. Yeah, supination is when your feet roll outward when you run.

758. - And that's a bad thing? - Yes, it can be a bad thing.

759. - But that's why you need shoes with a firmer outer sole. - Shoes like these?

760. Your Honor, we do have a witness, but if you're feeling biased

761. towards the plaintiff, we ask that we be heard on a recusal.

762. No, no. No, counselor. I'm just getting some advice. My apologies.

763. I will work hard toward neither supinating nor pronating

764. toward one side or the other.

765. Your next witness.

766. The interviewer merely tries to ease the way for a liar

767. to admit the truth, that's all.

768. So you tend to minimize the crime? - Yes.

769. According to Mr. Diyardian's own testimony,

770. he made it clear to the suspect that the theft was not a big matter.

771. They just wanted to solve it.

772. In fact, he could understand why someone would be tempted. He was even tempted.

773. And the plaintiff has suggested that Mr. Diyardian handed all the details

774. of the flea market sale to Mr. Gwinn?

775. Yes, but that's just part of our method.

776. Making it clear to the suspect that you know all the particulars of his crime

777. helps him feel there is no way to avoid detection.

778. And this is the same method used by police to catch criminals?

779. Yes, definitely. It is tried and tested.

780. All done here, Your Honor.

781. Do you want to do it?

782. - Well, if you don't want to. - No. No, I want to.

783. Mr. Le Frenais.

784. "Le" Frenais.

785. "Le" Frenais.

786. Is it part of your method

787. that you can lie to the suspect?

788. Sorry, counselor. Could you speak up?

789. I think that Lisa is having problems hearing you.

790. Yes. Of course.

791. Is it part of your Friedman Method, sir,

792. that you can lie to the suspect being questioned?

793. Much better, thank you.

794. It's not part of my method.

795. It's part of the Supreme Court decision, Frazier v. Cupp.

796. Police officers can lie to suspects.

797. And so in step number five of your method,

798. the interviewer is to "present evidence of culpability"

799. to the suspect, whether it's true or not?

800. Well, it's better if the evidence is true, of course.

801. - But it doesn't have to be? - No.

802. So when Benji presented Frank

803. with a DVD recording of him

804. stealing the $70,000 in running shoes,

805. a DVD that was completely blank,

806. by the way—

807. That was A-Okay with you?

808. Yes, if it helps find a crook,

809. yes.

810. But doesn't your method result in false confessions?

811. Very few.

812. In fact, hasn't your method been banned by police

813. in Canada and England?

814. I wouldn't call it "banned." They've chosen not to use it.

815. Because it resulted in too many false confessions?

816. - I don't think that's fair. - But is it true, sir?

817. I'll leave that analysis to others.

818. "Analysis." Well...

819. "The Friedman Method is a banned

820. coercive technique of interrogation

821. that results in too many false confessions.

822. It is therefore banned

823. within our jurisdiction."

824. - Do you mean analysis like that? - Who wrote that?

825. Melissa Starr. London Metropolitan Police. Scotland Yard.

826. Okay.

827. Uh... Anything further?

828. Nothing here, Your Honor.

829. Thank you.

830. Hi, this is Diane Lockhart's office and I'm her assistant, Marissa.

831. How may I help you?

832. It's Dr. Ainsworth at Harbor Hospital.

833. - Do you want to call him back? - Please.

834. Diane. You didn't like any of the applicants?

835. Oh, for the assistant's job?

836. No, I did.

837. It's just that I know Marissa and she's on the ball. She's good.

838. You'll see.

839. Okay. This is our offer.

840. Five hundred thousand to Frank Gwinn. No class action.

841. If the firm pursues a class action,

842. our offer goes away and Frank gets nothing.

843. Lot of money for a guy pulling in 40 grand a year.

844. Mm-hm.

845. What do you think of that, Maia?

846. I think we'll have to get back to you.

847. Okay.

848. In the next two hours, or we go back to court and destroy you.

849. - Ms. Stevens. - Yeah?

850. I have an answer for you now.

851. Oh, great.

852. My hair stylist's number.

853. Well?

854. We got a decision to make.

855. No. It's not enough money for us to take.

856. It's not your decision. It's the client's.

857. No. It's a decision for the whole class, all 24 clients.

858. The algorithm says we stay in.

859. This is crazy. You can't have them decide what we do.

860. - They're paying the bills, Lucca. - Yes, but Frank needs the money.

861. If we pass on this, he could get nothing.

862. Or he could get a whole lot more.

863. Let's just wait and see.

864. I just have one last question for you, Frank.

865. Why did you confess?

866. If you didn't do it, then why would you confess?

867. He made it seem like it was the only way out. He had a DVD of me doing it.

868. And if you knew there was nothing on that DVD,

869. then why would you confess?

870. I felt helpless. I was exhausted.

871. He had me convinced that I just repressed the memory.

872. He said he had a witness who swore that I was down at a flea market,

873. - selling the shoes. - Were you?

874. No. But he said he was gonna give all this to the cops

875. if I didn't come clean to the company.

876. - "Come clean," meaning? Sign this statement that he wrote up.

877. - And so you signed it? - Yes. He said that I could keep my job.

878. He said that the questioning would be over.

879. He said that I would still be on management track.

880. Did you know that Benji gets a bonus

881. for every employee he gets to confess?

882. Objection. No foundation.

883. Uh. That is definitely sustained.

884. Okay, I think I'm ready to rule on this motion.

885. - Your Honor, I'd like to cross-examine. - This is not a full trial.

886. This is merely a motion to dismiss.

887. Yeah, I know, but this information just came into our hands.

888. We were hoping to use it at trial,

889. but we think we can save the court a lot of time and money

890. if we could ask it now.

891. - I am enticed. Thank you, Your Honor.

892. Mr. Gwinn, where did you work before BMI?

893. Various places. I worked as a temp.

894. And was one these places Tolleson Accounting?

895. - Yes. - You had a clerical job there?

896. Uh-huh.

897. Uh-huh?

898. I'll take that as a yes. And were you asked to leave?

899. - I didn't do it. - Yeah. I think you know what's coming, Frank.

900. There was a petty cash situation,

901. several hundred dollars?

902. - And were you accused of taking it? - I told them I didn't take it.

903. But you agreed to leave if they didn't call the cops?

904. Objection, there is no record of this.

905. Our investigators questioned this business.

906. Yes, because the manager at the time

907. talked only to our investigator

908. and signed this affidavit.

909. I didn't do it. - In it, he swears that Frank took the money,

910. then when he was caught, promised to return it if they kept the theft secret.

911. That's a lie. That's a complete and total lie.

912. Okay. That is information I will take into consideration.

913. - Does the defendant have any more questions? - Nothing more, Your Honor.

914. Unless the plaintiff has anything more, I will rule on this motion.

915. I hate losing.

916. It was a good effort.

917. Does this impact the class?

918. Yes, unfortunately.

919. The litigation financiers dropped out.

920. I thought he was telling the truth.

921. Well, maybe he was, about the running shoes.

922. You know, people can lie and still be telling the truth.

923. Nobody's a hundred percent of any one thing.

924. My mom lied about her cancer.

925. It was a scare. It wasn't real.

926. She just wanted to see me.

927. She's lonely.

928. People get desperate when they're lonely.

929. You should go see her.

930. Mom?

931. Mom?

932. Maia, what are you doing?

933. I wanted to see how you were.

934. Good. I was just going to bed.

935. What's wrong?

936. Why don't we have breakfast tomorrow?

937. Whose car is that outside?

938. Just the painters were here yesterday. They left one.

939. Where's the tea, Lenore?

940. It's not a good time.

941. Hi, Uncle Jax.