L.A. Law (TV Series)

Where There's a Will (1993)

Lisa Zane: Melina Paros

Photos 

Quotes 

• Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Oh, for heaven's sakes. What's wrong with Benny? No bagels, no bear claws.

  Arnie Becker : Blames L.A.'s finest, who have us surrounded.

  Gwen Taylor : Being under surveillance is no picnic, Arnie, but I'm trying to go about my daily routine, so... let's get on with business.

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Couldn't put it better myself. First up, everybody's favorite innocent convict: People vs. Osgood.

  Leland McKenzie : Well, the bad news is Philip Tice who confessed to the Holiday murder recently died. On the upside, I have secured an address on the missing witness. Daniel and I plan on paying him a visit.

  Daniel Morales : Assuming the address is current.

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Let's hope so, because this could be for Frank Osgood's last chance. Next, People vs. D'Arcy.

  Melina Paros : Anton D'Arcy is a longtime family friend. The grand jury indicted him for arranging his father's murder. I believe he's being framed.

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : What do you know the grand jury doesn't?

  Melina Paros : Come on, Douglas, the grand jury would indict a bologna sandwich if the D.A. wanted it.

  Leland McKenzie : Doesn't the D.A. have a confession?

  Melina Paros : Not from our client. The police have another suspect in custody who's been offered a deal. Now he's pointing the finger at Anton to save himself.

  Jonathan Rollins : Because the trial's been expedited, I've been helping Melina. And I'll step in as needed.

  [Leland gives cheers to Jonathan while drinking his glass of orange juice] 

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Keep us posted.

• Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Bancroft vs. Bennett.

  Ann Kelsey : Camille Bancroft, a Shakespeare professor at Stanford is suing her colleague Simon Bennett for unfair competition.

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : Over Shakespeare?

  Ann Kelsey : Simon Bennett and Camille Bancroft have taught together for years. Not long ago, he published his own book based on their teaching methods.

  Stuart Markowitz : It's a great book: "Shakespeare in Love". Won the Bollingen prize.

  Ann Kelsey : Right, deposition start today, and I was hoping to reach a settlement, but Simon and Camille are like stubborn children. They always have been.

  Leland McKenzie : Do you know them?

  Ann Kelsey : My first year at Stanford, I majored in drama. Over time, I kept in touch with Camille.

  Arnie Becker : Shakespeare's so depressing. I mean, the lovers are always doomed.

  Gwen Taylor : Or dead.

  Melina Paros : That's why they call them tragedies.

  Douglas Brackman, Jr. : All's well that ends well.

  [Douglas closed his pocket watch that the time is up. The law meeting is adjourned] 

• Peter Swilling : It was the 3rd weekend in November. A reunion at USC. D'Arcy's 10th, my 25th. I met Anton D'Arcy in a bar.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : How long were you there?

  Peter Swilling : 'Til closing. We must have talked 7 hours. He kept buying. I kept drinking.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : What did you discuss?

  Peter Swilling : You name it, life, ambition, family. Our disappointments. I'd just lost my job. D'Arcy seemed sympathetic.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : What was Mr. D'Arcy's disappointment?

  Melina Paros : Objection, hearsay.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : These are admissions, Your Honor.

  Judge Debra Ellis : Overruled. Witness will answer.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : What was troubling Mr. D'Arcy that night?

  Peter Swilling : Working for his father, primarily. D'Arcy said his father was a control freak and wouldn't give him any real responsibility.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Were you sympathetic?

  Peter Swilling : Sure, but I'd just been fired. I told him I'd switch places with him any day. That's when he made his proposal.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : And what proposal was that?

  Peter Swilling : D'Arcy said he could solve both our problems if I killed his father. That way, he would inherit the business, and I would come in as a partner.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : And you agreed?

  Peter Swilling : Not at first, I thought he was joking. But he kept on talking about what a bastard his father was and what a great team we'd make. About how this was the perfect crime, no one would ever suspect. Eventually, I said yes.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : On the night of December 14th at approximately 10:00 P.M., what did you do?

  Peter Swilling : I drove my car to D'Arcy's house and parked out front. I rang the bell and when Burdick D'Arcy answered the door, I shot him.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Then what?

  Peter Swilling : I took off. I didn't even see that kid walking his dog. But he saw me.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Your witness.

• Melina Paros : Mr. Swilling, since your USC reunion, have you seen Mr. D'Arcy, even spoken to him on the phone?

  Peter Swilling : No, never. We agreed not to. He just picked the date of the murder, and told me his father's address.

  Melina Paros : Have you received any money, anything of value from Mr. D'Arcy?

  Peter Swilling : Just a few drinks. And his word.

  Melina Paros : The word of a man you never met before.

  Peter Swilling : That's right.

  Melina Paros : A man who claim after a few drinks persuaded you to murder someone you didn't even know.

  Peter Swilling : I was broke. It isn't easy finding employment my age. Seemed like as good a solution as any.

  Melina Paros : Well, Mr. Swilling, are you still unemployed? How about a drink after court? I've got a couple enemies I'd love for you to knock off.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Objection.

  Judge Debra Ellis : Miss Paros, restrain yourself. Either ask your next question, or sit down.

  Melina Paros : Mr. Swilling, in exchange for this story...

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Objection, this is sworn testimony, not some story.

  Melina Paros : I'll rephrase. In exchange for your testimony, what deal have you made with the D.A.?

  Peter Swilling : I plead guilty to second degree murder in exchange for testimony. My cooperation will be brought to the attention of the sentencing judge.

  Melina Paros : Oh, I see, so you hand over my client's scalp, and you go to the minimum security reservation.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Objection.

  Melina Paros : Nothing more.

  [Miss Paros heads back to her seat with her client Anton D'Arcy] 

• Jonathan Rollins : Rocky start, huh?

  Melina Paros : Swilling held his own on the cross. Thought I could nail him. Anton, you remember Jonathan.

  [Anton recognized Jonathan] 

  Anton D'Arcy : Oh, yeah, hi.

  Melina Paros : He's gonna help us rethink our attack.

  Jonathan Rollins : Same old problem?

  Melina Paros : Motive. We have to find a logical explanation why someone decides to kill a total stranger.

  Jonathan Rollins : And the idea was a botched robbery?

  Melina Paros : Swilling didn't take anything. He left a wallet full of money, Rolex, jury's not gonna buy that.

  Jonathan Rollins : Anton, in your conversation with Swilling, can you think of anything he might have taken offense to?

  Anton D'Arcy : Uh, no, it was just a usual amicable barroom BS. I spouted off about my father, 3 weeks later, he's dead.

  Jonathan Rollins : Maybe Swilling's nuts.

  Melina Paros : D.A. is ahead of us. Police psychiatrist examined Swilling, says he's weird but sane. My guy said the same thing.

  Jonathan Rollins : So we find another expert.

  Melina Paros : [sighs]  All right, see who you can find.

  Jonathan Rollins : All right.

  Melina Paros : If we can get medical testimony that says Swilling's unbalanced, we have reasonable doubt.

  Jonathan Rollins : I'll get on the phone.

  Melina Paros : Thanks.

• Melina Paros : Are you okay?

  Anton D'Arcy : Yeah, I guess. You know, in a way, this whole thing is really my fault. I mean, if I hadn't been ragging on my father...

  Melina Paros : You two have been having a pretty rough time of it?

  Anton D'Arcy : We've been at each other's throats since the time I was 12. You know that. But I didn't kill him. I mean, if that's what you're thinking.

  Bailiff #1 : Miss Paros? Judge is coming out.

  Melina Paros : Thank you. Anton, for what it's worth, I believe you. Come on.

  [Anton D'Arcy has to go back in the courtroom with Miss Paros] 

• Melina Paros : Mr. Bannion, have you discussed this trust with my client?

  Williard Bannion : No.

  Melina Paros : Do you know if Burdick D'Arcy told his son about his trust?

  Williard Bannion : I have no idea.

  Melina Paros : So you don't know if Anton even knew about it?

  Williard Bannion : I mailed a draft of the documents to Burdick's office where Anton works as well. I can only presume...

  Melina Paros : Let the jury do the presuming. Do you know for a fact if Anton knew about this trust?

  Williard Bannion : No.

  Melina Paros : Thank you.

• Melina Paros : Since the night I bailed you out, we must have had 100 conversations. You didn't tell me anything about my gambling debts! And I've got to find out about it from a prosecution witness?

  Anton D'Arcy : If I thought it was significant, I would've said something about it.

  Melina Paros : It makes you look like dirt.

  Anton D'Arcy : Come on, you know how my father felt about me. You knew about the trust.

  Melina Paros : I didn't know about this.

  Anton D'Arcy : I didn't want you to know. Look at me, Melina. I'm 30 years old. I mean, you have known idea what it's like not to be a success. You of all people.

  Melina Paros : When you were 12 years old, you started that fire in your father's garage, I was the only one you told.

  Anton D'Arcy : Yeah, and when father asked you if you knew anything about it, you said no.

  Melina Paros : Did you have him killed, Anton?

  Anton D'Arcy : No. God, no. Come on, Melina, if you don't believe me, what's the jury going to think?

  Melina Paros : Is there anything else I should know?

  Anton D'Arcy : No. Nothing.

• [Anton D'Arcy waiting. Jonathan Rollins has arrived] 

  Melina Paros : What did you find out?

  Jonathan Rollins : Hey. Well, I went down to Del Mar where Swilling worked and nosed around. Found out why he was fired. He was forced out by a supervisor, guy named Larry Torica in order to make room for a younger man.

  Melina Paros : So?

  Jonathan Rollins : So Torica was shot by an unknown assailant outside Pandora's night club on December 11th.

  Anton D'Arcy : That's 3 days before my father.

  Jonathan Rollins : Yeah, but Swilling didn't kill Torica. Del Mar cops already checked it out. His alibi's air tight.

  Melina Paros : Are you sure?

  Jonathan Rollins : Oh, yeah. But a witness described our client here to a T.

  Anton D'Arcy : There must be about a 1,000 people who look like me.

  Jonathan Rollins : Yeah, but a 1,000 people didn't valet park outside of Pandora's that night. They wrote down your plate number, Anton.

  Melina Paros : You switched victims with Swilling.

  Anton D'Arcy : You've been watching too much Hitchcock.

  Melina Paros : You switched the victims so that neither of you would appear to have a motive. Makes it impossible to investigate.

  Anton D'Arcy : If that's true, why didn't Swilling just tell that to the D.A.?

  Jonathan Rollins : Because he couldn't, he'd be admitting to two homicides, and risk the death penalty.

  Anton D'Arcy : Look, what I may or may not have done is really my business.

  Jonathan Rollins : I don't think so.

  Anton D'Arcy : This discussion is privileged. And your investigation, such as it is, goes nowhere.

  Melina Paros : I'm withdrawing from this case.

  Anton D'Arcy : Why, because you think I might be guilty? A parking stub is hardly proof of murder, Melina, and in any case, it isn't really your job to judge me. I've got a shot at acquittal here. You screw it up and I'll have your license.

  Melina Paros : You little son of a bitch.

  Anton D'Arcy : Hey, you were the one who always bragged about becoming a lawyer when we were growing up. Defend me, Melina. That's your job now.

  [Melina will find out and she'll be leaving back to the courtroom along with Jonathan. Anton will wait] 

• [Giving waves for closing] 

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Burdick D'Arcy was about to handcuff his spendthrift son. But Anton D'Arcy found out about it, and didn't like it. What to do? Anton couldn't kill his father himself. No, better to find someone else and have an alibi. Peter Swilling was unemployed and greedy. And ideal dupe. For a mere promise of financial security, he killed a man. And got caught. At least he had the decency to come clean. Now a so-called expert psychiatrist suggests that Mr. Swilling was nuts, but as I suggested, the motive was greed. Old-fashioned greed, ladies and gentlemen. And now it's time for Mr. D'Arcy to pay.

  [And now Miss Paros] 

  Melina Paros : It's not my job to convince you of anything. That's his job. My job in this case is to remind you what's missing. To point out that when you're in that jury room debating Peter Swilling's bizarre story, wondering how it is possible that a man without so much as a jaywalking ticket could agree to murder a total stranger, you are putting into action the key concept of our system of justice: reasonable doubt. It's a concept that protects you and me and Anton D'Arcy. Blackstone said it is better that 500 guilty men go free than one innocent man be convicted. If you are not convinced beyond reasonable doubt in your hearts, you must let this man go.

  [Miss Paros heads back to her seat] 

• Melina Paros : Dr. Kaiser, have you examined Mr. Swilling and his psychiatric records?

  Dr. Kaiser : Yes. In my opinion, Mr. Swilling suffers from borderline dependent personality disorder.

  Melina Paros : And what are the symptoms of that disorder?

  Dr. Kaiser : Unstable personal relationships and impulsive behavior combined with a desire for social acceptance.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Objection, Your Honor. He's just described half of Los Angeles.

  Judge Debra Ellis : Sit down, Mr. Scott. You'll have your turn.

  Melina Paros : Continue, Doctor.

  Dr. Kaiser : Well, a man like Mr. Swilling could exist for many, many years without any noticeable incident and then... then a crisis occurs.

  Melina Paros : Could losing one's job qualify as such a crisis?

  Dr. Kaiser : Certainly.

  Melina Paros : What could happen to a person with Mr. Swilling's personality disorder?

  Dr. Kaiser : A micropsychotic episode could be triggered and the subject could become delusional.

  Melina Paros : Could Mr. Swilling's delusional propensity have caused him to believe Anton D'Arcy was asking him to murder his father when in fact no such overture occurred?

  Dr. Kaiser : In my opinion, that is exactly what happened.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Thank you

• D.A. Prentiss Scott : Dr. Kaiser, for a man of 50 to suddenly commit murder, wouldn't you expect to find some history of violence?

  Dr. Kaiser : Yes.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Do you know of a single incident in Mr. Swilling's past?

  Dr. Kaiser : No, but...

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : So, a man with no violent history suddenly commits pre-meditated murder in order to please a complete stranger.

  Dr. Kaiser : Is that what you're saying? It's not that simple.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Yes, or no, Doctor.

  Dr. Kaiser : Essentially.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : You're asking this court to believe that this killing was due to a micro-psychotic episode rather than a simple murder for hire?

  Dr. Kaiser : Oh, it's possible.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Where did you get your degree, Doctor? Disneyland?

  Melina Paros : Objection.

  D.A. Prentiss Scott : Withdrawn. I'm done with the doctor.

• [Judge Ellis reads the verdict. And hands over back to the Bailiff and return it to the juror] 

  Judge Debra Ellis : Is your verdict unanimous?

  Foreperson : It is, Your Honor.

  Judge Debra Ellis : What say you?

  Foreperson : In the matter of the people of the State of California vs. Anton D'Arcy, we the jury find the defendant not guilty.

  Judge Debra Ellis : Members of the jury, thank you for your time. Mr. D'Arcy, you're free to go. Court's adjourned.

  [D.A. Prentiss Scott is leaving. Anton has something he want to say to Melina] 

  Anton D'Arcy : Congratulations, Counselor.

  Melina Paros : Keep away from me.

  Anton D'Arcy : What? What?

  Melina Paros : I was this close to turning you in.

  Anton D'Arcy : Well, yeah, but you didn't. Hey. Hey, come on. Come on. Is this any way to treat an old friend? I mean what are people gonna think--

  [Melina is through] 

  Melina Paros : Go to hell.

  [the Attorneys Miss Paros and Mr. Rollins are leaving. The three reporters are going to question a freeman Anton D'Arcy.] 

  Reporter : Mr. D'Arcy? We'd like to know why...