From: Karen Highum <highum@u.washington.edu>


            IT'S ALAN'S PRELIMINARY HEARING DAY

  DINER

Buzz is dressed in a suit, ready to go to Alan's hearing.  He can't wait 
to see Alan go back to the pen.  Frank tells him that Alan has nine lives 
and will probably walk.  Eleni is surprised that Sid has agreed to 
defend Alan.

  SID'S APT.

Sid asks Gilly to pick the suit he should wear.  He thanks her for not 
letting her feelings about Alan affect their relationship.  She gets a 
phone call that confirms her suspicions.

  THE JOURNAL

Tangie tells Nick that Alan left right after he did last night.  Nick 
asks if Alan got to her.  She says she doesn't want to go to court.  Nick 
tells her she won't run.  She thinks he has too much faith in her.  Nick says 
that Alan is guilty and she knows it.  She is the only one who can go to 
court and say it.

  COURTROOM

A-M takes off the ring Alan gave him.  Lucy tells him it will be over in 
a couple of hours.  A-M, "If the judge believes me, then my father goes 
from a hearing to a trial to jail.  He can't take being locked up.  It 
could kill hiim.  How can I do it to my own father?"

  SPAULDING MANSION

Alan is looking in a mirror when he hears A-M, Tangie, Buzz, & Lucy 
accusing him, then he sees A-M, Cutter, and Tangie in the mirror.  He 
yells out NOOOOOOOOO and smashes the mirror.  Alex walks in and tells him 
to calm down.  He says that A-M and Tangie won't be strong witnesses, Sid 
will put them through the shredder.  They don't have a case.  Alex tells 
him that if by chance they do, she has prepared an envelope of cash, 
plane tickets, & documents so they could leave the country.  Alan doesn't 
believe that she'd leave Nick and her friends for him.  Alex says that 
Nick has washed his hands of her and she'll BUY new friends.  He doesn't 
think it will come to that, it'll be over today.  Sid will make sure of it.

  SID'S APT

Sid asks who was on the phone.  Gilly tells him that she has proof that 
Alan got her fired.  He defends Alan and leaves.

  COURTROOM

A-M tells Lucy that he's done alot of bad things in his life.  His father 
wrote him a letter to remind him.  Lucy says he's not like his father.  
A-M tells her about the staged murder to get Nick out as pres. of 
Spaulding and that he went along with it.  He tells her there is more and 
she should read the rest of the letter.

  THE JOURNAL

Tangie says Alan was so sincere, open, honest, "it was like being seduced 
again.  What a jerk I am!  If you hadn't come along...  I didn't trust 
him from the beginning, but I wanted to be with him.  I really thought 
that with me he would be different."  Nick used to think that love could 
change people, but not anymore.  Nick occasionally saw a good side of 
Alan, but that's not enough.  She knows she has to testify or she'll be 
as lost as he is.  

Holly comes in and tells Tangie she'll be ok.  In the last few months 
she's gained enormous respect for her.  Holly knows something about men 
who will do anything to get what they want.  Tangie tries to say that 
Roger isn't like that, but Holly tells her that he is, maybe not in 
Tangie's eyes.  He's every bit as ruthless as Alan, "and I loved him."  
Tangie asks how she broke it off.  Holly, "It took me 20 years."  She 
thinks Tangie will land on her feet.

  DINER

Buzz wants to close the diner so they all can "see justice done".  Eleni 
doesn't think they'll let the public in to the courtroom.  Buzz asks her 
how long she's been in the U.S.  She says 4 years, 4 1/2, 5, 4 years.  He 
tells her it's in the Constitution, she should read it sometime.  She 
throws a napkin at him.  Frank says Buzz must really want to see Alan go 
down.

  COURTROOM

Lucy, "Your father is so mean, he would stoop to anything to stop you 
from testifying.  He's playing you for a sucker.  He wants you to think 
you're just like him, so that way you won't be able to go through with 
it."  A-M says it's the truth, he did it.  That's what he hates.  He did 
it because it was something his father would have done.  Lucy tells him 
that Alan shouldn't get away with it today.

The D.A. arrives and wants to go over a few things with A-M.

  OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

Alan, Sid & Alex arrive and answer reporters' questions.  When Alan sees 
A-M he asks him not to do this to them, they still have a chance.  
"Remember you're a Spaulding, you can't turn your back on your own 
family.  It's who you are."  A-M responds by saying he'll do what Alan 
taught him and gives Alan the letter.  The DA tells Sid to keep Alan away 
from his witness.  Sid tells him to drop the charges, save the taxpayers' 
money.  Buzz asks A-M about Lucy.

Sid tells Alan that Gilly found out about the L.A. job, but he'll still 
be Alan lawyer.

  COURTROOM

Buzz talks to Alex about the fact that she loves her brother.  He feels 
sorry for her, but Alan is getting what's coming to him.  Alex says she 
is used to everyone taking potshots at them.  He says that she has a 
heart, but Alan has a stone for a heart.  She thinks the judge will rule 
there isn't enough grounds for a trial.  Buzz hopes Alan learns his 
lesson this time.  Alex doesn't need "sanctimonious sympathy from a fair 
weather friend".  

Alan asks Alex why Tangie isn't here.  Maybe she can't bear to testify 
against him.  Just then, Tangie, Nick & Holly arrive.  Tangie is escorted 
to a witness room.

Judge Helen Jordan arrives and the hearing starts.  The charges are read 
and Sid wants them to be dropped, but the judge denies the motion.

Cutter is the first witness.  He tells about the manhunt for Brent.  Sid 
objects a few times, that the rape was alleged (sustained), and that 
they only have Tangie's word that Brent held her at gunpoint 
(overruled).  Sid has no questions for him.

A-M is the next witness.  <Lots of noise from the crowd throughout his 
testimony.>  He tells about Brent's deathbed confession that Alan wanted 
to destroy A-M at Spaulding.  Sid objects-- it's supposition and rumor 
(sustained).  A-M says that Cassie was a witness to the confession and 
told him that Alan was going to give them money & new identities to leave 
town.  The D.A. asks if anyone else can corroborate this.  A-M says that 
his father can, he told A-M it was true.  Sid cross-examines A-M.  He 
asks if A-M's testimony is a product of his anger at his father.  There is 
no proof, just his word for it.  He says A-M is willing to say anything 
to discredit his father.  The D.A. & Sid exchange comments.  The judge 
telss them both to behave-- they are officers of the court.

Sid is told to confine it to questions, don't make statements.  He asks 
A-M why he wrote a check to Cassie Lawrence.  To buy her silence?  A-M 
gets upset.  The judge tells Sid to stand back, he's standing too close 
to the witness.  He's not allowing the witness to answer.  Sid says that 
A-M loathes his father.  Was he responsible for sending him to prison 
five years ago?  A-M says it's not a yes or no question.  Sid then asks 
if A-M resented the fact that his father always favored his older 
brother.  A-M yells YES! YES! YES it's true!

The judge calls a 15 minute recess.  A-M drops his ring on the table in 
front of Alan.  Alex tells Sid he did a wonderful job on A-M and that he 
shouldn't take any prisoners with Tangie. 

Holly tells Nick she's glad Tangie didn't see what happened to A-M.  Nick 
thinks she should have been there to see what she has coming.

  OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

Gilly asks Sid if he knew that Alan got her fired.  He admits he knew, but 
this case is very important to him.  She thought she was important to 
him.  She thinks he and Alan deserve each other.  He says everyone 
deserves a good defense.  Gilly, "And the guilty shall go free."  She 
doesn't want WSPR to miss the moment when the criminal in the story 
walks.  

  COURTROOM

Alan wonders why it had to come to this.  Alex says Sid was brilliant.  
Alan says it was at the cost of losing two people who love him.  Alex 
tells him that he has her.  Alan, "Sid destroyed A-M on the stand and 
will do the same to Tangie."  Alan walks out.

  WITNESS ROOM

Alan walks in and tells Tangie that she shouldn't testify because Sid 
savaged A-M on the stand.  She tells him that she'll call the guard.  
Alan asks why she's doing this, does she hate him?

  COURTROOM

The judge is ready to begin, but Alan isn't there, so Sid is sent to look 
for his client.  No one knows where he is.

  WITNESS ROOM 

Tangie tells Alan that whatever Sid dishes out, she can take.  Alan says 
she doesn't know that.  Tangie replies that if he doesn't leave, she'll 
tell them that he was trying to influence her testimony.  Alan tells her 
that there is still time to walk away because she doesn't know that 
something terribly destructive is going on in there.  He saw it in A-M 
eyes, the cost of turning on his own father.  Tangie, "You're telling me 
you care for your son?"  Alan knows he brought it on himself, he can't 
change the past.  He wants another chance, a new beginning.  Alan knows 
that she doesn't want to send him to prison.  She asks if he loves her.  
He says more than anything in the world.  She won't testify, but he has 
to do one thing for her.  

Tangie, "Show me how important our love is to you.  I 
will go the judge & tell him that I won't testify, if you confess.  
Confess to everyone.  You must tell everyone what you have done.  For 
once in your life take the responsibility for your actions.  If you do 
that, I will really believe that you love me and I will stand by you for 
the rest of your life.  I will love you for the rest of your life.  It's 
up to you."  Alan just looks at her.



 

