The Practice

Happily Ever After (323)

written by David E. Kelley


Part V.
Trees in the Forest
State of Mind
Love and Honor
Lawyers, Reporters and Cockroaches
End Games
Target Practice
Crossfire
Closet Justice
Home Invasions
Infected
Happily Ever After
MIKE: Helen...

HELEN: She said 'nun'!

MIKE: Look, we don't know-

HELEN: Lindsay freed the nun killer, now she gets stabbed by a nun. I'm gonna play a hunch and say it was someone who works in that church. Get every one of them in here for questioning.

MIKE: We can question them there.

HELEN: I want them here; I want it in our conrtrol, I want them sequestered from eachother.

MIKE: If we bring them here it's custodial. Do you want to be reading Miranda to fifty nuns?

HELEN: Yes. Go get them.


BOBBY: Why are you doing this here?

HELEN: I convinced them to do it all at once, and there's no room in the police station.

LAWYER: If this isn't a major civil rights violation -

HELEN: Oh, go kill yourself.

BOBBY: Helen...

HELEN: This isn't custodial counsel, any one of them is free to leave.

LAWYER: In which case you told them they'd become suspects.

HELEN: Which just means more business for lawyers like you. You should be thanking me, you scumsucking-

BOBBY: Helen...

MIKE: Helen... this is Father O'Brien from the archdieces.

HELEN: Hello, did you come to rescue one of your nuns before I can throw her in prison?

BOBBY: Helen!

HELEN: You can go to hell.

BOBBY: Helen, that's the archdiesis!

HELEN: I don't care. One of his nuns stabbed Lindsay.


BOBBY: Don't talk to me...

PATRICK:: I will talk to you. You sat beside your mother and held her hand. It didn't work for her-

BOBBY: I didn't ask you to come and help me through this.

PATRICK:: No, that's right, you go through everything alone!

BOBBY: Why don't you go find someone who needs your help!

PATRICK:: You really love her, don't you.

BOBBY: Why would I ever tell you? You'd just send it on up to God and he'd kill her.

PATRICK:: You believe God kills the people you love? That's your theory?

BOBBY: That's my history.


BOBBY: Once he asks for his lawyer-

HILLER: Your client is a career criminal. One could argue he knows how this works! You're saying he lacks the right to change his mind and waive cousel?

BOBBY: Yes. Once a suspect asks for his lawyer-

SIMMONS: You sound like a broken record.

BOBBY: The law is a broken record, don't you get that, you idiot?

Simmons: Hey!

HILLER: Bobby...

BOBBY: The law says that once he says "I need a lawyer" or "I want a lawyer" or "I *think* I want a lawyer", that's it as far as the police goes. They don't even get to say, Hi, how's it going.

HILLER: Why, if he-

BOBBY: Because we don't trust the police not to interrogate and we don't trust these suspects to know what the hell is going on... they're stupid! We don't give them the right to waive counsel because they're so stupid they would! They're scum with third grade educations! They kill people, and laugh, and the courts are here to protect them at all costs!

HILLER: Counsel...!

BOBBY: We don't care about the victims! They're dead already! We come in here worrying about the constitution and the rights of these brain dead peices of crap, because they're what the system is all about!

HILLER: All right, Bobby!

BOBBY: Now you may not like that. But that's the way it works. We need to protect these asses! And his sixth amendment rights were violated here! So as a matter of federal law, we need to go put him back out there so he can go shoot somebody else! Which is what you're gonna do, right? You've gotta go out and kill somebody because you're running behind schedule!

EUGENE: Bobby!

BOBBY: No! We need to protect the bill of rights! We need to protect the bill of rights!

HILLER: That's enough, Bobby.


HILLER: It seems silly... a suspect can't change his mind. Here, the defendant was given his rights. He wasn't coerced or beaten...he decides to cooperate. But the law says, too bad; once he asks for his lawyer, the police can't even ask him what he wants for dinner. And, without a confession, this man walks...because they've got nothing else. A month ago, I was faced with putting a nun killer back on the streets because of a bad search. Though I recognized the absurdity of the application of the fourth amendment in that case... I was the good judge. I followed the law. And I set the man free. And two nights ago... the lawyer who championed both him and the fourth amendment... It seems... he stabbed her. The way we keep putting them back out there... It takes a brave judge to look beyond the horror at hand and cling to the principles of our constitution... principles we proudly live by... in this room. Well, I- I'm afraid I'm not that brave any longer. If you see the streets again, Mr. Watson, it'll be through the appeals court; you won't get there by my gavel. The motion to suppress is denied. The defendant will stand trial. Adjourned.


HELEN: Father.

PATRICK:: Kiss my ass.

HELEN: Excuse me?

PATRICK:: I read in the paper your little quotes... what you said to the archdiesis.

HELEN: Oh, Father, I was acting out, I thought a nun had... Well, she's my best friend, my roommate! I- Look, I'm Catholic!

PATRICK:: With Catholics like you, who needs Protestants!

HELEN: Oh, now there's a sound bite for tolerance.

BOBBY: Helen...

HELEN: Maybe you can kiss my-

BOBBY: Helen!


BOBBY: Listen, Helen, I've been waiting... all day to be alone with her...

HELEN: What, are you asking me to leave?

BOBBY: Yes.

HELEN: Well, I won't.

BOBBY: Helen...

HELEN: Oh, come on! I've hardly had any time with her. And it's not like you could do anything... she's got tubes all over her.

BOBBY: I want to talk to her!

HELEN: Well then talk to her. There's nothing you can't say to her in front of me, after all we've been through--

BOBBY: There are some things!

HELEN: Well, I'm not leaving. Say what you gotta to say, make it quick, I'll cover my ears.

BOBBY: Um, ok... Marry me.

HELEN: What?!

BOBBY: Do you mind?

HELEN: Sorry.

LINDSAY: Marry you?

BOBBY: The past two days... I've realized that I can't live without you. And I don't want to.

LINDSAY: Well-- don't you think marriage isn't something you should decide in the heat of a crisis?

BOBBY: If there's anything this crisis has taught me, it's that I want to grow old with you. I love you. I want to be your husband... and I want you to be my wife.

LINDSAY: I-- I don't know what to say...

HELEN: Just say yes!

BOBBY: Quiet!

HELEN: Sorry...

BOBBY: Do you want some time to think about it?

LINDSAY: Yeah, I-- I think I should...

BOBBY: Okay.

LINDSAY: I thought about it. Yes.

BOBBY: Really?

LINDSAY: Really.

HELEN: Really?! Oh, god...

LINDSAY: Bobby-- Bobby.... that's not how it works--

BOBBY: Please can you leave now?

HELEN: Not a chance!

LINDSAY: Just ignore her, Bobby.

BOBBY: Oh, I forgot--

LINDSAY: Oh, Bobby...

HELEN: It's so big! Sorry...




transcribed by Jenna

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