The Company You Keep Page #2

Who's Jim Grant?

- He's a lawyer, man.

Lawyer? Sharon's?

- Nah, he wouldn't take the case.

Look, kid...

Sharon called me wanting to turn herself in...

- Turn herself in?

Nope, I'm not saying anything else.

Everything here is off the record.

Ah, see... it doesn't work that way. You gotta say

"off the record" before we have the conversation.

Who says?

- Those are the rules.

There's rules for what you people do, huh?

So, what did she say?

- She said that I did great

and that she was very impressed.

What'd I tell you?

Yeah?

- Hi... uh, is this Mr. Grant?

This is Ben Shepherd from the Albany Sun-Times?

- Oh... yes.

Just wondering if you care to comment

on the Sharon Solarz arrest?

- What?

- The Sharon Solarz arrest, you declined to take her case...

Yeah, you know... I'm just sitting down to dinner right now.

I gotta call you back, okay?

Uh, sir... I ju...

As the turbulent decade drew to a close

the Students for a Democratic Society,

the leading student group

opposed to the war in Vietnam,

had its power usurped by a more militant faction,

known as the Weather Underground Organization.

Frustrated with years

of non-violent protests

that had failed to end the war,

the so-called "Weathermen" decided the best

way to stop America's involvement in Vietnam

was to bring the war home.

The Weathermen radicalized the anti-war movement,

and carried out a series of bombings

against government institutions including

bombing the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol,

and the State Department.

No group has been more successful

in carrying out attacks on U.S. soil.

What's wrong?

- Nothin'.

You look weird.

- I'm fine, honey.

You're lying.

- I'm not lying...

You are lying, because you're smiling.

I'm not smiling.

- "I'm not smiling."

Well maybe I'm happy?

Here. Come on, eat.

And then get ready.

Hey!

- Hey.

- You Jim Grant, by chance?

- Not by chance.

Would you follow up on those

counter-signatures from Roger?

Yep.

I'm Ben Shepherd, Albany Sun-Times, we spoke on the phone.

I just figured I'd come by and say hi...

I don't really have anything to say...

Oh, and Susan, would you pull out the Rochester files for...?

You don't know what I'm gonna ask you yet.

- ..the report for my deposition? Do what?

I said you don't know what I'm gonna ask you yet.

Well, you're a reporter.

Well, I could just put "Refused

to answer any questions."

What?

- I'm just doing a little background, sir.

Okay.

- Thank you! (Thank you.)

No, no... we're off the record here.

Which part?

- All of it...

whatever it is we're gonna be talking about here,

otherwise, you can leave now.

No, that's fine.

It's not important.

So, did Sharon Solarz contact you

prior to her arrest?

Does it matter?

Since you already printed that she did?

Actually, what was printed was that she may have approached

a public-interest lawyer who declined to take the case.

But your name was never mentioned.

There are 25 lawyers in the area.

Nine do criminal,

six do accidents,

five do deeds, and four do closings...

and then there's me.

I wasn't insinuating...

- The hell with accuracy, huh?

Be vague, be accusatory, and whatever sticks? Is that how it works?

- Nothing I wrote was false.

You made it seem like I was

harboring a known fugitive.

We can issue a correction.

- Sharon Solarz... did not contact me,

and I have no involvement in her case.

Really?

- Really.

Do you know she's now being represented

by a Margaret Hart in Philadelphia?

Right.

- Ms. Hart was a classmate of yours in law school?

Mm-hmm.

Lawyers know each other,

that's news?

Yeah, but you did refer Ms. Hart

as counsel, didn't you?

Says who?

- Ms. Hart herself, this morning.

Maggie Hart is one of the best

defense lawyers in the country.

But why pass this off? I mean,

that's what doesn't make sense to me.

Cases like this don't come around very often,

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that.

'Cause Sharon Solarz deserves a

better defense than I can provide.

Deserves? That's

an interesting word choice.

You know, it may seem untrue to you,

but we do live in a free country

and people are entitled to

a decent defense.

Now look, I got work to do.

You've handled First Amendment cases,

labor cases, you worked

hand-in-glove with the ACLU...

I mean, this is right in

your wheelhouse, isn't it?

Is this what you came here to talk about?

- I'm not sure yet.

Well, that pretty well sums up why journalism

is dead. Now, do you mind?

Why did Billy Cusimano come to you?

- I don't know.

Well, how well do you

know Billy Cusimano?

- I don't, really.

I mean... you do, really.

You represented him a few years back,

on a drug case, you got him off.

- I represent a lot of people, Jesus...

Mist... Look, I'm not trying to offend you, Mr. Grant, I'm...

Oh, I'm not offended. You're

pretty much exactly what I expected.

Susan, I'll call you from the car.

Sir...

Mr. Grant... look, I'm just trying to put the pieces together.

- Hey. Look, look... Listen...

I didn't take the case because I'm a

single parent with a private practice

and too much on my plate, alright?

If I could have helped, I would've.

Because you are sympathetic to their cause?

You agree with her tactics?

You know, clearly you have

some kind of an agenda here,

I don't have time for this bullshit.

- I don't, actually...

I don't care much for either side.

So, what? That makes you fair and balanced?

You know... it's a funny thing. Thirty years ago, a smart guy

like you probably would've been involved with the movement yourself.

I hope you get what you're

looking for, kid. Take care.

Thank you

Hold one sec'... hang on.

Thank you for doing this.

- No worries, mate. I got you.

Thank you.

Hey, guys!

Sorry I'm late.

- Not a problem, we're having fun.

You do your homework?

- Of course.

Ah, good...

Thank you.

I'm the one who did it.

- Oh, ooh... well, thank you.

She's getting better every day.

- Yeah...

Hey.

I'm sorry, can you walk me through that research, please?

- Yeah.

Thank you.

It's... uh, all basic stuff,

He was, uh, born in Bakersfield, California...

attended Iowa State University,

University of Virginia Law...

uh, met his wife while working at the... Planet... Earth...

Earth First Foundation?

- Yeah...

and came up here,

started his own practice.

This his wife?

What happened to her?

Car accident. 48-years-old.

Wow... that's horrible.

Yeah, you meet a younger woman, you have a kid...

she's not supposed to die on ya'...

supposed to meet a car salesman

and move to Vegas, like mine did.

Anything else?

- Umm... house is paid for,

he's obviously a responsible single parent...

pillar of society, do-gooder...

lot of pro bono work...

Right. So basically, nothing I can

turn into a story. Great.

Hello, Dan?

I can not believe you're calling me!

I know.

- This is a goddamn nightmare...

Dan...

- I don't want anything to do with this.

Dan, you're my brother.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes