'The Good Wife': Good Law? -- Season 7, Episode 4
Alicia's bond court battles continue, but she may have found an exit strategy. And the fight for Peter's presidential campaign continues, but Ruth might be one step closer to beating Eli.
The sparks were flying in the courtroom and between Alicia and the sexiest investigator alive. Here's what you need to know from last night's episode, entitled "Taxed."
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Episode Recap (Spoiler Alert)
Once again, Alicia's attempts to do the right thing by her bond court clients lands her on the wrong side of Judge Schakowsky and her fellow bar attorneys. (As Lucca so astutely pointed out to her, "You care too much.")
And Lockhart, Agos & Lee's physician assisted suicide case creates a contrast between Diane arguing the case even though it goes against her personal beliefs and Alicia who refuses to lobby Peter on the issue.
Legal Roots
Alicia unwittingly snags a black client who was falsely accused of shoplifting after another bar attorney tries to force her into accepting a guilty plea. She learns that the store is guilty of racially profiling shoppers, a practice that is sadly all too common.
Legal Fiction
"I'll take the plea." That was Alicia's client, after she initially refused to plead guilty and after she learned her mother really did steal the sweater she is accused of stealing. The only catch is that most plea offers are contingent on the defendant accepting at the time they are offered. Plea bargaining is designed to reduce the burden on courts and prosecutors -- the entire point is to avoid trials and even pre-trial motions like the one in which Alicia and her client were involved -- so it's unlikely the same offer would be on the table after Alicia's client refused it.
Legal Babble
Preliminary Hearing: a preliminary hearing is a sort of "trial before the trial" wherein the judge decides if there is enough evidence to force a criminal defendant to stand trial. In this case, Judge Schakowsky's unhappiness with Alicia's cases clogging up his court made him predisposed to rule against her.
Legal Verdict
Lawyers argue on behalf of their clients, and not necessary always on behalf of their own beliefs, so facing a dilemma like the one Diane faced is fairly common for attorneys. Although she'll probably be facing another dilemma soon enough -- it looks like we were right about Alicia and Lucca teaming up as Alicia seemed to invite Lucca to join her firm at the end of the episode.
And as things are heating up between Alicia and investigator Jason Crouse, we can't wait for next week's episode.
What did you think of this week's episode of "The Good Wife"? Is the show guilty of making any legal mistakes? Check back here for more legal recaps of "The Good Wife," and send us a tweet at @FindLawConsumer with the hashtag #TheGoodWife.
Related Resources:
- Pretrial Hearings and Motions (FindLaw)
- Plea Bargaining: Areas of Negotiation (FindLaw)
- California Governor Signs Assisted Suicide Bill (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Barneys Settles 'Shop and Frisk' Complaints for $525K (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)