One notable episode is the gay judge storyline in episode "The Accidental Jurist" from Season 3. That is the one where Michael Kuzak is representing Matthew Leonard (guest star Brian McNamara) who is suing the American Food Corporation after they voided his multimillion dollar advertising contract after Leonard publicly revealed his homosexuality and of his desire to live "out and proud". Since the sessions are demanded by the corporation to be held in private, Kuzak does anything he can to manipulate things so that they can get a respected retired superior court judge, Judge Lawrence O'Neil (guest star Donald Moffat), to oversee the case. Kuzak made a background check on Judge O'Neil and discovered that he is a closeted homosexual, and hopes to use that to his advantage.
In the secluded courtroom, Kuzak first puts Leonard on the stand where he explains him that he recently came out and wants to live out and proud, but that the corporation does not want him because he happens to be gay. During cross-examination, the corporation lawyer William Willis (guest star Alan Rosenberg, who would later appear as Eli Levingson on Season 8), asks Leonard why did he wait so long before coming out and did so only after he signed the contract. Leonard replies that he was afraid because of the public backlash, which makes Willis want to know why American Food shouldn't be afraid. The CEO of American Food is then put on the stand where in direct examination, he says that he does not want a homosexual to be their spokes-model because of the threats of violence and backlash from social and religious groups because homosexuality is not accepted in society (this is the year 1989). In cross-examination, Kuzak tries to get the CEO to admit that he is a homophobic as well as offer evidence that the contract does not offer anything about revealing one's sexual orientation a grounds for dismissal.
After hearing both sides, Judge O'Neil retires to deliberate and after some time, he rules in favor of the Corporation. He explains that because Leonard lied about his homosexuality in the past and because of him being currently shunned by everyone he knows because he is gay, which would make the corporation loose money, makes it not a valid contract. The CEO and Willis leave the courtroom (both of them gloating just a little too much). Kuzak apologizes to Leonard, feeling that his thinking of getting a gay judge to rule in favor of them had been off. Leonard goes off to be alone (maybe to cry about loosing the case), while Judge O'Neil calls Kuzak into his chambers for a private talk.
In private, Judge O'Neil tells a surprised Kuzak that he has known from the very beginning that Kuzak had him investigated and found out that he was gay in the mistaken hopes that a gay judge would rule for them. After some small talk, Kuzak then turns from being sentimental to devious once again when he threatens O'Neil and the threat is this: if Judge O'Neil doesn't set aside his verdict, Kuzak will appeal the case on the grounds of judicial bias... revealing that Judge O'Neil is a homosexual. O'Neil refuses to change his ruling despite knowing that he will be outed by Kuzak's appeal.
In the final scene, Kuzak meets in his office with Leonard where he explains the idea about appealing the verdict to get a new hearing, but to his surprise, Leonard turns him down and doesn't want to appeal. Leonard explains to Kuzak that America is a free country and as much as he (Leonard) has the right to go public about his homosexuality, Judge O'Neil has the right to keep his homosexuality private. Kuzak accepts this and sends Leonard on his way to a unknown future.
The text of the Kuzak-Judge O'Neil talk from that episode is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0624122/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu
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sadafj50
8 years ago
I loved that episode too
(and every other episode of LA LAW)
brilliant show
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