The Practice (TV Series)
Checkmates (2000)
Holland Taylor: Judge Roberta Kittleson
Quotes
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Ellenor Frutt : You want to call me as a witness?
A.D.A. Richard Bay : I know what he told you. You can vilify that his testimony was a total fabrication.
Ellenor Frutt : Are you on drugs?
A.D.A. Richard Bay : As a matter of fact, I am. I've been pounding aspirin for 3 hours.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Mr. Bay.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Your Honor, Eddie Chessler just proffered false testimony. She knows it.
Ellenor Frutt : You can't call me to testify against the interests of my client.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : I believe I can in the interest of justice. You can excuse yourself. He can...
Ellenor Frutt : Oh, come on.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Look, what happened here? I have to admit, this all seems very strange.
Ellenor Frutt : The guy flipped on me, then he flipped on Richard - anything to get into the witness chair.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : You didn't orchestrate this, did you?
Ellenor Frutt : I'm sorry?
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Oh, how ingenious. Get the prosecution to call him. That way, his testimony becomes a total bombshell.
Ellenor Frutt : Hey, I am the one who excused his testimony when I knew he was going to lie.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Which goes totally against your character. Oh, I should've known something was up the minute you started acting ethically.
Ellenor Frutt : Have another aspirin.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Your Honor, she has information. She's a witness.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : [Judge Kittleson declines] I'm sorry, Mr. Bay. I'm not going to allow the prosecution to call defense counsel to impeach a state's witness. You got a bad bounce. You'll just have to deal with it.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : What a gyp!
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Excuse me?
A.D.A. Richard Bay : This is a total gyp.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Oh, that argument you'll definitely want to save for appeal. For now, let's go.
[They march back into the courtroom]
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Judge Roberta Kittleson : If you think I'll tolerate any of the nonsense that went on in that last trial...
Ellenor Frutt : I'm not entitled to freedom of speech?
A.D.A. Richard Bay : That wasn't about free speech. That was intended for the jury.
Ellenor Frutt : It was not.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Oh, give me a break, Ellenor.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Both of you...
A.D.A. Richard Bay : They're not sequestered. She's hoping one or two of them will catch that little sound bite on the news.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Look, I am this close to ordering that you two never be allowed in the same courtroom again.
[to Mr. Bay]
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Mr. Bay, take something, please.
[And to Miss Frutt]
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Miss Frutt, consider yourself gagged. No more talking to the press.
[Anything else?]
Judge Roberta Kittleson : That's all.
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Ellenor Frutt : I just found put about the witness this morning.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Oh, right.
Ellenor Frutt : You were there when he walked up to me, Richard.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : What is your offer of proof?
Ellenor Frutt : He was in the area. He may be no good to me at all, who knows, but I'm desperate, okay? My client doesn't have enough of an I.Q. to contribute to his own defense.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Here we go again.
Ellenor Frutt : He knows that... and I should be allowed to add one lousy witness.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Your Honor, if I may respond.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : No, you may not. The witness is allowed. Let's go into court and get this over with.
[Ms. Frutt nodded. Mr. Bay will explain before he exits]
A.D.A. Richard Bay : It's not an official objection, but I think you favor her.
[They leave. And Judge Kittleson is writing her wordpad]
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Mr. Tabbitt : He was always afraid of him.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Your son was afraid...
Mr. Tabbitt : Of him -- the defendant.
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Did he say why?
Mr. Tabbitt : Not really. Brian would just say that he was a little off.
[Darryl slams the table. Judge Kittleson turns to Mr. Hutchins to control himself]
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Mr. Hutchins.
Darryl Hutchins : [Protesting] I'm not off!
Ellenor Frutt : [Whispering] Darryl.
[Continue]
A.D.A. Richard Bay : Mr. Tabbitt, did you regard your son's fears to be serious?
Mr. Tabbitt : Not enough. I just wish I had done something -- Gone to his grandmother, checked him out.
Ellenor Frutt : Objection.
Mr. Tabbitt : How could someone so clearly disturbed be on the street unsupervised? How does that work?
Ellenor Frutt : Objection.
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Sustained.
[Turns to Mr. Bay]
Judge Roberta Kittleson : Mr. Bay.
[Mr. Bay's time is up]
A.D.A. Richard Bay : That's all I have.
[Mr. Tabbitt gasps]