波士顿法律剧本BL01x10

1 Boston Legal Hired Guns Season 1, Episode 10 Airdate: December 19, 2004 Written by David E. Kelley © 2004 David E. Kelley Productions. All Rights Reserved Transcribed by Sheri for boston-legal.org [version updated June 19, 2006] The Annual Crane Poole & Schmidt Christmas Party Camera pans around the reception area to a man wearing a Santa hat picking up a drink from a bar set up in front of the signage; to Alan Shore, complete with a branch of mistletoe rigged to hang over his head, dancing with Tara Wilson; to Catherine Piper dancing with an older gentleman as: Denny Crane: singing with a 3-woman back-up group behind him “Bells will be ringing, their sad, sad blues. Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues! My baby’s gone. I have no friends, to wish me greetings once again. Choirs will be singing Silent Night. Christmas carols . . .” sees someone and leaves the group to finish without him Tara Wilson: So, do I get my kiss or not? Alan Shore: Tara, the way mistletoe works is the one standing under it is the one to receive. Tara Wilson: Well, I prefer to meet in the middle. Alan Shore: Well, I do enjoy your middle tremendously, but a kiss really is more traditional. They both lean a bit toward each other Ah, the anticipation is pure . . . Sally. Sally Heep: Hi. The last thing I want to do is come between all that collagen, but, Alan, we have a little problem, and, like it or not, you’re probably the best man to fix it. Ah, this is Carmen Flores. She works in housekeeping here. Her ex-husband kidnapped her two children. This is the third Christmas he’s done so. He brings them to Peru, when it’s Carmen who has legal custody of them for the holidays. Tara Wilson: Can’t you just go to the judge? Sally Heep: She did that last year. And it cost her a fortune. The judge held him in contempt for a day. He said it’s worth it to spend Christmas with his kids in Peru. H—his flight leaves tomorrow night. I—I thought maybe you could think of something. Tara Wilson: Didn’t you used to be a lawyer, Sally? Oh, I apologize. There go my lips again. Must be all that collagen. Alan Shore: Ladies? Tips his head forward so the mistletoe hangs between them Perhaps you tow should kiss in the name of Christmas. Sally Heep: gasps as Lori Colson falls into her Lori Colson: Oh, sorry, Sally. Incredible dress, by the way. Hate you. turns to Alan Shore Ah, Alan. Mistletoe. takes his face between both hands and kisses him hard. Mwah. smiles, then whispers Whatever. [credits] Courtroom Camera pans over rather graphic pictures of 2 gunshot murder victims—alive and dead. ADA John Shubert: She came home that evening at 9:30, catching an early flight to surprise her husband. But it was the defendant who was surprised. Susan May discovered her husband Ralph making love to a business associate, Marie Holcomb—and it was more than she could bear. The evidence will show that the defendant retrieved a handgun from the kitchen, returned to the bedroom and fired six shots—three into her husband, three into Marie Holcomb. This is the holiday season. You people should be home with your families right now. I apologize for that. Marie Holcomb’s mother and father fly here every December from the West Coast. This time, it’s to attend the trial of their daughter’s killer. Susan May destroyed a lot of happy plans with that gun. Brad Chase: Get in Christmas. Lori Colson: Sorry? Brad Chase: Christmas is ours and Susan’s. Don’t let him claim it. Lori Colson: I, too, would like to apologize for taking you away from your families during this holiday season. That’s Susan’s family seated over there. They would dearly love to be home with her. She would dearly love to be home with them. Imagine, if you can as you prepare for your Christmas, having a loved one murdered. 2 Add to that the horror that the police can’t figure out who did it. And then, if you can possibly fathom, imagine they decide to arrest you. That’s your defendant, ladies and gentlemen. A law-abiding, loving, faithful advertising executive—an innocent woman whose whole life was just suddenly and wrongly destroyed. That’s your defendant, and that’s what the evidence will show. Alan Shore’s Office Carmen Flores: I—I did report police twice. They say domestic. Alan Shore: He returned the children both times after Christmas? Carmen Flores: Yes. This why police say it is for court to decide. No one involved. Suddenly, Denny Crane enters. Alan Shore: Ah, Denny. This is Carmen Flores. She works here in housekeeping. Denny Crane: Excellent. Why do I care? Alan Shore: Perhaps you don’t. First off, let me say how incredible you were last night. The whole office is stil . . . stunned. Denny Crane: Thank you. Alan Shore: Now, on a topic far removed from you, and therefore much less entertaining, though of some import to Carmen, her children have been snatched by her ex-husband. Who do you know at the Boston Police Department? Denny Crane: I know everybody. Alan Shore: You hear that, Carmen? The man knows everybody. Carmen Flores smiles rather dubiously. Courtroom Detective Wayne Farley: Her story didn’t check out. It’s as simple as that. ADA John Shubert: That story she gave you was? Detective Wayne Farley: She came home, found them dead in bed. ADA John Shubert: Was there evidence of anyone other than the victims or the defendant being in the house that night? Detective Wayne Farley: None. ADA John Shubert: And, Detective, describe for the jury if you can, the defendant’s demeanor when you arrived at the scene that night. Detective Wayne Farley: She seemed pretty shook up. There was blood all over her. She claimed she got the blood on her when she went to her husband’s side to see if she could revive him. ADA John Shubert: And you don’t believe that? Lori Colson: I’m sorry. It seems the detective is more than willing to give testimony against my client. You don’t really need to lead him. Judge Phillips Stevens: Sustained. ADA John Shubert: Did you believe the defendant’s claim? Detective Wayne Farley: No. It was determined that she was standing approximately 5 feet away when she fired the gun. Lori Colson: I’m sorry. I hate to be a nuisance. But did I miss the point where you said she fired the gun? Judge Phillip Stevens: Sustained. ADA John Shubert: Detective, what, if anything led you to believe that the defendant fired the gun? Detective Wayne Farley: We did a trace metal test, which revealed she held the gun and her fingerprints were on the gun. ADA John Shubert: Hm. Anything else? Detective Wayne Farley: We know her driver dropped her off at 9:30 pm. She called the police at 11:07. She told us she discovered the bodies soon after she entered the house. If so, why did she wait an hour and a half to call the police? As I said, her story just didn’t add up. Brad Chase: Seems from your tone, Detective, you consider this, ah, kind of a no-brainer. Detective Wayne Farley: We applied all our mental faculties just the same and concluded your client committed the crime. Brad Chase: Oh, you concluded pretty quickly, I might add. You placed her under arrest the next day. By the way, was the spatter analysis done in a day? Detective Wayne Farley: No. That came in later. Brad Chase: I see. So when you placed Susan May under arrest, you were going on . . . 3 Detective Wayne Farley: Her fingerprints were on the gun, for starters. Brad Chase: It was her gun, was it not? Detective Wayne Farley: The fingerprints were fresh. Brad Chase: Got there, perhaps, when she picked the gun up after? Detective Wayne Farley: We also had motive, her evasive demeanor. Brad Chase: She called the police, did she not? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes, but she wasn’t truthful. Brad Chase: Wasn’t truthful when she said she didn’t shoot them? Detective Wayne Farley: That, and she obviously wasn’t truthful about calling the police immediately after finding the bodies. Brad Chase: You had her examined by a psychiatrist that night? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. Brad Chase: The psychiatrist said she was in shock? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. Brad Chase: Possible the shock of discovering her murdered husband caused the delay in calling the police? Detective Wayne Farley: I doubt that’s what happened. Brad Chase: This doubt is based on your psychiatric training. Detective Wayne Farley: It’s based on 30 years of experience as a homicide detective. Brad Chase: Thirty years as a homicide detective told you that the delay in calling the police could not have been caused by shock? picks up a large photograph mounted on a board Let’s turn back to the blood spatter evidence. This is the blouse my client was wearing that evening, is it not? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. Brad Chase: Lot of blood. That’s all spattering? Detective Wayne Farley: Most of that blood came from handling the bodies. Brad Chase: So where’s the spatter you spoke of, Detective? Detective Wayne Farley: There are two elongated markings on the left shoulder. Brad Chase: Right here? These tiny marks here? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. Brad Chase: She supposedly fired six shots. There’s only two tiny marks? Detective Wayne Farley: The other marks are likely covered up with the blood from when she handled the bodies. Brad Chase: Did you analyze these marks yourself, Detective? Detective Wayne Farley: I did. Brad Chase: Are you the person in the Boston Police Department who does this? Detective Wayne Farley: Well, there are others, obviously, but I started in the lab, so I’m trained as well. Brad Chase: Was there anyone else in the lab who analyzed this shirt? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. We have a junior member . . . Brad Chase: Junior member? It’s a high-profile case. It went to a junior member? Detective Wayne Farley: As I said, I analyzed the clothes with my 30 years . . . Brad Chase: Thirty years in the lab? Detective Wayne Farley: No. Brad Chase: How many years in the lab? Detective Wayne Farley: Five. Brad Chase: How ‘bout the junior member? How many years did he have? Detective Wayne Farley: I’m not sure Brad Chase: More than five? Detective Wayne Farley: I believe so. Brad Chase: Just out of curiosity, what was his finding? Detective Wayne Farley: Inconclusive. Brad Chase: He could not determine that my client fired a gun? Detective Wayne Farley: Nor could he rule it out. Brad Chase: He could not determine that my client fired a gun. Detective Wayne Farley: Correct. But I determined she did. Brad Chase: You trace-metalled my client. Did you test for powder residue on her hand? Detective Wayne Farley: Yes. She tested negative. Brad Chase: Gee, how could that be? 4 Detective Wayne Farley: We determined that she likely wore gloves when she fired the gun. Brad Chase: So she was careful to wear gloves when she shot them, then afterwards, she took the gloves off and handled the gun? Detective Wayne Farley: If she went into shock, as you say, she probably made a mistake. Murderers often do. Brad Chase: So for the purpose of explaining the delay in calling the police, you don’t buy shock. but to explain why she picked up the murder weapon barehanded after firing with gloves, you do buy shock; in fact, you seem to be selling it. ADA John Shubert: Objection. Brad Chase: Withdrawn. Did you find the gloves? Detective Wayne Farley: No. Brad Chase: You searched the entire house? I’m asking. I don’t want to presume. Detective Wayne Farley: We searched the house. We did not find the gloves. Brad Chase: Any evidence of her leaving the house after she came home that night? Detective Wayne Farley: No. Brad Chase: Any unsolved burglaries in this neighborhood in the last year? Detective Wayne Farley: A couple. Courthouse Conference Room Susan May: That went well, right? Lori Colson: Mm, hmm. It went extremely well. The problem, Susan, as we’ve explained—the burden of proof is really on us. Susan May: I still don’t understand that, as much as you keep saying it. Lori Colson: When you have the scorned wife being the only one there, her fresh fingerprints on the gun . . . Brad Chase: Trust me. We’ll argue burglar. But with no sing of a break-in . . . Susan May: So my chances are the same. Lori Colson: No. We did very well with the witness today. Our chances just got a little bit better. But if we just . . . we stick to the plan. We’d like you to meet with Dr. Waylon one more time. Susan May: Why? Lori Colson: In case we need to call him, we want to be ready. Susan May: I’m not really comfortable being treated like some patient. Brad Chase: Susan, you put your life in our hands, did you not? You need to let us do what we do. Susan May: Can I ask you something? I’m not sure why I want to ask this now, but, do you believe me? Lori Colson: I don’t know. I certainly want to believe you, but when I look at the evidence . . . Susan May: I at least appreciate your candor. Lori Colson: The question the jury’s going to be asking: if not you, then who? And we’ve got no answer for that. Courtroom Dr. Lee Chang: The fatal wounds for both victims were to the head. Death was instantaneous. ADA John Shubert: And, Doctor, were you able to determine the time of death? Dr. Lee Chang: Between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. Lori Colson: Doctor, did you examine the stomach contents of the victims? Dr. Lee Chang: Yes Lori Colson: What did you find? Dr. Lee Chang: They were both relatively full. Lori Colson: After eating, how long does food stay in the stomach before emptying into the small intestine? Dr. Lee Chang: Generally, one to two hours. Lori Colson: So if the victims finished dining by 7:30 as reported those stomachs should have been empty. Unless they were killed before 9:30, correct? Dr. Lee Chang: Or unless they ate again after leaving the restaurant. Lori Colson: Were there any signs, to your knowledge, that they’d eaten at home? Dirty dishes? Recent garbage? Dr. Lee Chang: To my knowledge, there was no evidence of that. Lori Colson: Thank you. 5 ADA John Shubert: But they could have stopped on their way home from the restaurant—had dessert or something? Dr. Lee Chang: Well, not a medical question, but yes, possible. Judge Phillip Stevens: You may step down, sir. Mr. Shubert? ADA John Shubert: The prosecution rests, your Honor. Judge Phillip Stevens: Miss Colson. Lori Colson: whispering to Brad Chase Let’s let them see some serious thinking going on. What’s your take on free agency? Brad Chase: It’s killing baseball. Lori Colson: Hockey? Brad Chase: No salary cap, no hockey. Lori Colson: Soccer Brad Chase: Nobody cares. Lori Colson: arises Your Honor, the defense calls Susan May. Conference Room at Crane Poole & Schmidt Officer Davis: It’s just that we regard it more as a domestic custody dispute. Her recourse would be with probate. Alan Shore: Well, there’s where we’re wrong, Denny. I thought if you were to physically and unlawfully grab somebody and haul them off to a foreign country, it would be a crime. Denny Crane: Well, I’ll be damned. Alan Shore: So, we’re wrong then. By the way, does one need to be related to the victim to escape charges? There’s this Junior Mint I’ve had my eye on. I thought I might borrow her for a long weekend. Perhaps the Bahamas. Officer Michaels: As we understand it, the father always brings the kids back. Alan Shore: That’s what I’d do. Be a joyride. Denny Crane: We’re wasting time here, and you two look like good men. Department’s full of good men. That’s why Denny Crane and this firm invest so much money in your annual ball. So, you’ll arrest the husband because, A—Denny Crane wants you to, and B . . . Alan Shore: I play poker with some reporters, one in particular who’d be curious as to why ethnic child snatchings don’t get your attention. And, C . . . Denny Crane: The children were kidnapped. And D . . . Alan Shore: You’re officially on notice. Officers Davis and Michaels exit. Alan Shore: You’re good when you get testy. Denny Crane: Came easy today. My balls hurt. Alan Shore: Let’s have that be the one and only time you tell me that. Courtroom Susan May: I was hurrying home because, well, I had been away for about a week and I was excited to see him. Lori Colson: And when you got home? Susan May: I pulled into the garage, went into the kitchen, called out his name. His car was there, so I was sure he was home. It was only about 9:30. I couldn’t imagine him being in bed. But . . . he was. Lori Colson: And not alone. Susan May: No. Lori Colson: What happened, Susan? Susan May: I started upstairs. I called out his name again. Still no response. Then I went to the bedroom, looked in, a—and I saw it. Lori Colson: Saw what? Susan May: At first, just blood. And then I saw one body, and then another. Lori Colson: What did you do? Susan May: I first screamed. I—I looked at my husband and . . . his eyes were open, and there was a hole in his temple. And I—I went to him to see if he was still breathing. Lori Colson: Was he? Susan May: No. 6 Lori Colson: What happened next? Susan May: I don’t know. Lori Colson: You don’t know? Susan May: sighs I remember talking to the police at some point. I remember—I—them taking Ralph away. But . . . Lori Colson: Do you remember calling the police? Susan May: No. Lori Colson: Do you remember touching the gun? Susan May: No. Lori Colson: Seeing the gun? Susan May: No. Lori Colson nods, returns to the defense table. ADA John Shubert: That’s a really convenient memory loss, don’t you think? You recall not doing it, finding the bodies dead. But as for your fingerprints on the murder weapon, why you gave the police false information after, delaying in calling the police . . . Gee . . . just can’t remember. Lori Colson: Objection. ADA John Shubert: What a perfect way to tell your story without really being subject to cross-examination. Was this amnesia your idea, or was it your attorneys’? Lori Colson & Brad Chase: arising; in unison Objection. Judge Phillip Stevens: Sustained. ADA John Shubert: Nothing further. Judge Phillip Stevens: The witness may step down. Brad: The defense calls Dr. Herbert Waylon. ADA John Shubert: Approach? Judge Phillip Stevens motions for all attorneys to approach the bench, which they do. ADA John Shubert: This witness is not on their list. Brad Chase: He’s on the rebuttal list. ADA John Shubert: What’s he being called to rebut? Brad Chase: You just accused my client of faking her memory loss. Judge Phillip Stevens: Short leash, counsel. Step back. Lori Colson: Dr. Herbert Waylon. quietly to Brad Chase Come here. Just get up and down. Brad Chase: Sorry? Lori Colson: You don’t need to ask the $64,000 Question. Brad Chase: Because? Lori Colson: He will; and then he can’t object to it. Courtroom Dr. Herbert Waylon: It’s basically a form of post-traumatic amnesia. She saw her husband murdered, and it triggered a blackout. Brad Chase: She blacked out for an hour. Dr. Herbert Waylon: In terms of memory. She wasn’t unconscious. She could’ve been sitting in a catatonic state. She possibly even watched television. Brad Chase: The prosecution thinks that her memory loss was . . . convenient. Dr. Herbert Waylon: Well, I personally examined this woman the day after the murders. She was suffering from dissociative amnesia then, as I believe she is now. Brad Chase: Thank you, Doctor. He’s your witness. walks to the defense table as ADA John Shubert arises