Mind Your Manners! - The Law Firm, Episode 2by Kay Sesay
This week's Law Firm has two teams dealing with two cases each. Mr. Black picks Michael and Barrett as the two attorneys he felt "stood out" last week to decide who is on each team. Regina and Deep are the last two standing against the wall, just like in school. Deep is happy that Michael didn't pick him to be on his team and he joins Anika, Elizabeth, Olivier and Barrett. Regina joins Michael's team consisting of Keith, Aileen, and Chris.
This week's cases are:
Graves vs. Hicks Brad Graves is suing Ron Hicks for damages caused by a wanted terrorist poster Mr. Hicks created as a practical joke and hung in the store he owns. Mr. Graves is not amused!
Belladonna vs. Rosilli Sabrina Belladonna who is a dominatrix asked Jason Rosilli to create a web site for her and after a disagreement he closed the web site and consequently she lost customers, so she's suing Jason for damages. Olivier jokes (at least I think he is, as he has this huge Cheshire cat grin on his face) that he'll take the dominatrix case as he has experience, and Ron Black cracks right back by saying "somehow I'm not surprised at that."
It's now 48 hours before trial. Brad's legal eagles study the poster in question; the poster reads: "Have you seen this man, suspected leader of the outlaw organization Extreme Activist Terrorist Militia of Enta?" The acronyms read E.A.T M.E.
Just picture this; attached to the poster is a picture of dude with a big smile on his face, holding a beer while standing in a corn field. Keith feels the defense have a stronger case. Deep feels the whole poster idea was intended as a joke that went too far, and passionately wants to be on the defense for this case. Barrett decides that Deep, Elizabeth and Anika will be doing the poster case, and she and Olivier will do the arbitration.
Olivier is just tickled at the fact that Regina is on the other side of the dominatrix case, and once Deep finds out that that Michael is on the other side of the poster case he wants to show Michael that "he's not as good as he thinks he is."
With 26 hours left before trial the teams head out to meet their potential clients. Deep, Elizabeth, and Anika talk with Ron to find out how the poster came about, and he explains that one of his customers had made a comment about Brad looking like a red-neck terrorist so that's how he got the idea and figured it would blow over in a few days, and if Brad was offended he would've apologized.
Brad explains to his legal team how he felt after seeing the poster, but never went back into town after seeing it. His reason for wanting money is to show Ron that he didn't find it funny. The attorneys for the plaintiff show some concern as they didn't feel he'd be the type of guy to be offended by poster.
Meanwhile, Chris and Regina meet with Jason who seems to be somewhat agitated as he shows them the website he had created for Sabrina. Barrett and Olivier visit Sabrina's dungeon and she presents herself very well. After giving the attorneys a tour of the dungeon she explains that Jason closed the website while she was out of town and that he had no rights to her business, as it was a work for hire situation.
For some reason Anika starts talking about taking the case in the direction that Brad was indeed a dangerous man and is not pleased at all at Deep's rebuttal of the idea.
The plaintiff worries when they talk to Brad's aunt as she is a witness for the defense, and does not have anything nice to say to say about her nephew.
Trial Day
Brad Graves takes the stand and reads the information on the poster after being asked to do so by Aileen, and talks about the fact that 9/11 was not too long ago, and nobody wants to be accused of being a terrorist. Anika starts the cross examination and uses questions based on her shut down idea, by trying to make Brad look like a dangerous person.
The plaintiff Sabrina Belladonna explains her website to the judge, who seems a little too interested in what exactly was on the website, and asked for a copy of the site, as he had no experience with something like that and would like to take a look at it! (nervous chuckle)
Now considering that this was supposed to be a joke Elizabeth was very serious while examining Ron Hicks, and really didn't help to bring across the fact that Mr. Hicks indeed did feel bad about the poster. Aileen delivered an excellent cross examination that left no room for air.
Brad's Aunt Rebecca takes the stand and Deep starts to examine and is hit by objections that are sustained several times until Deep finally gives up on the questioning.
Jason Rosilli is being crossed by Olivier and when asked if he knows Sabrina Belladonna he replies by saying he doesn't know her, that he knows a "real person that is not a fantasy, that is not a creation that I have direct dealings with." When Olivier asks Jason if that was the lady that was just sitting before him he says, "I'm not sure if she was sitting in this chair but they look the same." Where do they find these clients, they may be difficult for the lawyers but they sure do give me a good laugh!
Michael chose to use a personal experience that happened a few months after 9/11 in his closing statement, which aided in making his statement a powerful one, that really make you think twice about the kind of things that we use as jokes.
The judge in the dominatrix case feels that the terms were too indefinite to enforce, and judged in favor of the defendant much to the disgust of Olivier. He explodes (with more profanity), and walks out of the room. Regina of course is ecstatic, for two reasons I think, one of course because Michael and herself had won, and two because she beat Olivier.
The judge hearing the poster case did not find the poster funny at all and ruled in favor of the plaintiff ordering the defendant to pay $5000.00 in damages in addition to $2000.00 in punitive damages that would be overturned if there was an in court apology, which there was.
The Verdict
Mr. Black immediately tells Olivier that he did not approve of his behavior in front of the judge, and asks Regina what she would do ... uummmm fire him?
Mr. Black continues to discuss how he would have handled the cases before he gives his verdicts.
"The verdict is in and Anika you're out." Anika feels that she was not the only person responsible for losing the case. So why on earth did you change the questioning strategy?
"The verdict is in and Elizabeth you're out" Elizabeth feels that the pressure affected her performance. This is obviously is not the kind of working conditions the attorneys are used to and some are handling the pressure a lot better than others.
Mr. Black reinforces to his disapproval to Olivier and talks about how the actions of one reflect upon the others and The Law Firm (I totally agree). Mr. Black warns Olivier that he shouldn't think because he was still in the game that it meant that the incident was forgotten and to basically watch his step as he is "hanging on by a thread." The next outburst like that we'll be saying "bye bye" to Olivier.
If you have any questions, or comments about the show or my recap feel free to drop me a line at kay@realityshack.com
|
|