EPI-LOG ARTICLE on Beauty and the Beast
review by Nina Johnson. Click here for contents.

Episode 39 (Season 2, Episode 17)

Trial

Trial  (airdate: April 21, 1989).  Catherine is at home looking through some photos for a case.  The photos are of a little boy who has been abused.  Catherine answers Vincent's knock on her balcony door.  He has come to see why she is so sad.  She shows him the photos.  The boy was killed by his father.  Catherine and Joe question the mother, Molly Nolen, the next day.  She is reluctant to say anything against her husband.  Catherine and Joe talk about the case afterwards.  The husband is Richard Nolen, a wealthy businessman.  They both doubt whether there is enough evidence to convict him as he has an alibi.  They take the case before the Grand Jury and receive an indictment.  At the office they learn that Nolen's lawyer is the ruthless Virginia Sheets.  The D.A. comes into the office and announces that Catherine will prosecute the case.  Joe is furious as is Catherine.  But she realizes that they plan to use here as a sympathy vote because she was attacked.  At the trial Catherine calls the coroner as a witness.  He testifies that they way the boy was killed suggests only a man would have enough strength to do it.  In cross-examination, Sheets badgers the coroner until he admits that a strong woman could have done the damage also.  The first police officer who arrived is called next.  He testifies that the wife's stories of her husbands whereabouts seemed coached.  Catherine talks with Molly during a break and tries to convince her to testify.  Catherine calls her to the stand the next day.  The woman admits she lied to the police but quickly clams up when her husband glances at her.  Catherine is unable to get her to say any more.  A motion is made to dismiss the case for lack of evidence but Catherine gets a 24 hour continuance.  Catherine works at the office late that night.  Joe comes by with coffee and sandwiches to talk about the case.  She shows him a file and he demands that she use it.  But she is unsure of whether the judge will let her.  The next day, Molly's step-daughter, Amy is put on the stand.  She is her father's alibi.  They were having dinner that night.  Catherine asks Amy if she knew her father had abused her mother and brother before.  Amy denies it and Catherine uses Andy's medical history as proof of suspicious injuries.  Finally, Catherine begins to question Amy about her numerous suspicious injuries.  After citing many "accidents" of Amy's Amy finally admits that her father had hurt her.  But she maintains her story about having dinner with him.  Virginia tries to get the jury to have pity on her client who was a victim of child abuse himself.  Catherine argues that Amy and Molly love Richard so much that they won't hurt him because they love him.  But Richard is unable to love and asks them to put a stop to his violence and abuse.  The next day Catherine receives a guilty verdict of second degree in Nolen's case.  Catherine meets Vincent in the Whispering Gallery to tell him she won. Even though they were victorious, Vincent is still sad that people who are supposed to protect and nurture children can also hurt them.  Catherine agrees and explains that everyone is responsible for touching the lives of people they see with love.

Guest Cast: Jayne Atkinson as Molly Nolen, Michael Holden as Officer Henry Ohlberg, Amy Lynne as Amy Nolen, Scott Marlowe as Richard Nolen, Rosemary Dunsmore as Virginia Sheets, Fritz Bonner as Bob Rand, Byron Morrow as Judge Swenson, John Idakitis as the uniformed cop, Ed White as the Jury foreman, Joe Barnaba as the coroner, Dale Swann as Peter Rundler, Gerald Berns and Larry Hirschhorn as the reporters, Edwina Moore.

Writers: P. K. Simonds Jr., Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa

Director: Victor Lobl