me
some straight answers,
or you get yourself
another lawyer.
i don't have time
to listen to some
jive-ass put me on.
okay.
i-it wasn't my idea,
but i-i did know
what was comin' down.
see, my and
my cousin royce--
royce shavers--
s-see, he figures that
since i am the way i am--
[ chuckles ]
mr. kirkland, i can look
real fine sometimes, you know ?
yeah, i'm sure
you can, ralph.
w-well, royce figures
that we can be a couple.
you know, like a man
and a woman couple.
'cause a cab driver
will pick up a couple
a whole lot faster...
than they will
two nigger men.
so, uh--
we got into
this cab over on
garrison boulevard,
and we asked him
to take us down
to the harbor.
you know, like-like
we was tourists.
hey, man, i--
i can't go to jail, man.
i just can't do it.
i can't go
to that place.
please, mr. kirkland,
you've got to help me.
please.
please.
okay.  okay,
i'll help you out.
please.
just don't lie
to me, that's all.
[ pen scratching ]
okay ?
yes, sir.
thank you.
don't lie to me.
okay ?
yes, sir.
thank you.
okay.
[ woman giggling ]
[ man muttering,
key turning lock ]
[ laughing continues ]
[ sighs ]
thanks for bringing
me home, gail.
oh, god.
well !
you really take renting
an unfurnished apartment
literally, don't you ?
arthur, you know it doesn't
have to stay this way.
what happened ?
did your wife take you
in the divorce settlement ?
she had
a better lawyer.
oh.
what about your kids ?
get to see them much ?
well, they're in
california, you know.
phone calls, holidays--
put the food out.
i'll get the plates.
i guess i was lucky.
we never had any kids.
how long were you married ?
three years.
ooh.
were you in love ?
nah.  i was
in love with the law.
you know what i mean ?
got a serving spoon ?
serving spoon.
thank you.
so, uh,
you eat out a lot ?
yeah, you ?
yeah.
the committee works
just about every night.
how did you feel
when you walked out on
the committee this morning ?
[ grunts ]
did you feel all those
daggers in your back ?
that's a very
dangerous group, you know ?
[ sighs ]
oh, jesus.
here we go, here we go.
arthur, why ?
why do you feel
it's dangerous ?
because you're conning
the public into thinking
you're doing something.
and you're not.
yeah.  but we are
doing something.
no, you're not.
we are protecting the public
from a lot of corrupt lawyers,
is what we're doing.
you're skimming the surface.
you're not going after
real power.
[ whistles ]
wow, that's scary.
what real power, arthur ?
you don't know ?
no, why don't
you tell me ?
well, now we know
they are definitely safe.
what makes you think
you know so goddamn much ?
i don't know so much.
no, no.  tell me.
what makes you the great
voice of authority ?
[ scoffs ]
i don't pretend to be
a voice of authority.
i don't think you know
what you're doing,
that's all.
oh, i see.
yeah, yeah.
this is nice,
don't you think ?
no, i don't find this
particularly nice.
arthur, i'm, uh--
i'm angry again.
- you know ?
i don't like being angry.
- it's not very pleasant.
i don't understand how
you can criticize me
for what i do.
i'm not criticizing you,
gail.  you're taking it
too personally.
arthur, the committee
is doingsomethingabout
what's going on.
we are not sitting
in jail at nights because
of contempt of court.
do you know what
that's about ?
yeah.
yeah ?
you threw a punch
at judge fleming.
uh-huh.
you know why ?
i have no idea.
tell me.
i got a client
who's in jail...
because of
a faulty taillight,
and i can't get him out.
what do you mean,
you can't get him out ?
you want to hear...
a story about our
wonderful judicial system ?
hmm ?
sure.
there's a guy named
jeff mccullaugh, and he's goin'
down the highway one night.
and the cops stop him
because his taillight
isn't working.
they pull him over
to the side,
run a make on him.
computer kicks back that
there's a jeff