Caray, Caray!

• Leonardo and Roberto succeeded in getting injunctions pending appeal on the three rapists who escaped justice. They thanked Sonia who told them that this was exactly what happened when they appealed Carlos Ibarra's case. She considered him guilty; Leonardo reminded her that he was released due to lack of hard evidence. They told her that they are coming up with a new suspect list, which includes Tatiana. She was a bit incredulous at this as Tatiana had been a prosecution witness, but they met her halfway by suggesting that they get Carlos to surrender his passport until the case is concluded. She was satisfied with this and said she would issue the appropriate orders.
  
• Leticia's case against the Fragrancias Masculina Francia (Mexican division) began. In her opening statement she said that her client was bringing charges of false advertising against them. She asserted that his use of the product failed to bring the promised results leading to severe damage to his self-esteem. She was looking for punitive damages. The judge asked for proof. She answered that the commercials promised that all he would have to do was wear their product and he would get more women than he could handle, which was far from what actually happened. The company's lawyer stated that their advertising presented an image of freshness. There was no claim of pheromones in the product and there was no claim that by using their product the customer could achieve success with women. It was all visually implied and could be interpreted in many different ways by different prospective consumers. Leticia presented as evidence the psychologist's report of her client's depression at the failure of the product to deliver.
  
• One has to wonder why Leticia did not show the commercials in court. Was she perhaps as creeped out by this client as Olivia was?
  
• The other lawyers went into Alonso's office for a status meeting on the appeal. Leonardo reported what happened at the courthouse, Olivia reported that they had looked back about two months and found nothing, noting that Leticia was not participating due to being in court. Benjamín said he was looking into Marrufo's bank records and would have the report within a few days. Gustavo and Victoria reported looking into financial assets owned by the families and found that Francisco's family owned a luxury hotel in Cancún, Manuel's family owned a consttruction company, and Octavio's family owned a restaurant chain. They were looking for any suspicious movement of cash. Alejandra mentioned talking with Alexa's psychologist. Alonso mentioned that Jaime would also be helping. Benjamín offered his help due to non-workload.
  
• Leticia stated that her client had paid out 1500 pesos for a zero result and was therefore demanding 1 million pesos in compensation. Opposing counsel looked highly amused as he rhetorically asked how anyone could quantify damages in such a case., Leticia brought up that Sr. Durán had required psychiatric treatment due to the product's false promises. Opposing counsel considered this a ridiculous demand. He pointed out that their ad campaign was about brand image and they could not be held liable in the same manner as companies who promise miracles. The ads merely imply that use of the fragrance provided confidence that the user feels clean. The judge told them to save these things for closing arguments.
  Leticia brought up that this incurred psychiatry bills for her client. Opposing counsel said that their company had never deceived its customers. They did not consider themselves responsible for how consumers interpreted their ads. The judge declared a recess so she could review the evidence and come to a decision. Leticia whispered to Durán that she was sure they would win.
  
• It isn't rocket science to note that even Clive Christian eaux de toilette would do nothing to help this client.
  
• Juan brought the LUDs on Patricia's cell phone to Roberto. On the day of her death she received several calls from the same originating number. Roberto looked over the report and noted that the first one was early, during the bachelor party and others later, including in the wee hours of the morning after. He called the telephone company to enquire about the identity of the number's owner.
  
• The judge returned to the courtroom. She spoke of corporate responsibility regarding false promises regarding goods and services and their effect on a customer. However, she said that any laws about this did not apply in this case. She awarded the plaintiff a refund on what he had spent and no more. Corporate counsel thanked her and court was adjourned. The court clerk announced that the proceedings had been recorded.
  
• Of course, Durán felt deceived by Leticia.
  
• Roberto gave the cell number to the phone company employee and was told that it belonged to Pedro Chávez, their new prime suspect.
  
• Durán followed Leticia out of the courtroom, going on about “You said we were going to win” and he said that this made him feel like a fool. She tried to get him to calm down. She told him that they could appeal the decision and he said he would want a different lawyer for that. She tried to explain that she had done her job but he would not be convinced. He then took out bills equalling the 10% commission and threw them on the floor near her feet. She called him a cad as he walked out. She then kicked the 150 pesos away and walked out through the opposite exit.
  
• Roberto and Juan started reconstructing the activity around the phone call. Carlos had said that he overheard an argument when Patricia had stepped out of the room and that she had been very nervous when she returned. They needed to get on the internet and find out whatever they could about Pedro Chavez and find a photo. If they could spot him in the hotel's security videos that would be progress. Roberto felt for the first time that they were close to the truth.
  
• Gustavo discovered on the internet that Francisco's father's latest hotel was being built in a protected area. This could not happen honestly. Victoria was sure that a lot of money had to have changed hands to make that possible. Victoria had discovered that Manuel's parents had opened a lot of restaurants. They felt they were onto something. Gustavo suggested they give it another half hour because he wanted to see his son. Victoria told him to just go ahead and she would take care of it.
  
• Juan showed Fernanda and her laptop into the office and she began searching.
  
• Leticia entered Alonso's office to tell him she had lost the case. He told her he was sorry that happened. She wanted his help for an appeal, but he said he was busy and that it was not worth it. She had to learn how to win and how to lose. She accused him of being unfair He was helping Roberto and Leonardo and why not her? He pointed out that the Marrufo case was about corruption; she tried to insist that her case was also. He reminded her that he had warned her that trying this case would be a risk. There are cases that can't be won. She accused him of setting her up for failure, which he denied. This was part of the experience of being a lawyer, that's all.
  
• Obviously Leticia was absent the day that lesson was taught.
  
• Alejandra and Ricardo talked about Alexa's visit to a psychologist, who said that her reaction to this was completely normal. Further, that she needed to continue therapy. The best news was that she had agreed to. Now they had to move onward to help Alonso.
  
• Fernanda was unable to find anything on Pedro Chavez del Olmo.
  
• Leticia entered Benjamín's office and had a tantrum. He was part of the target because he had also once tried to talk her out of this case. He eventually got her to calm down as he told her he was working on something that would get them him a lot of money.
  
• Roberto said he had a new idea Fernanda could help them with. Juan seemed to know what is was as they left.
  
• A young couple looked as though they were preparing to elope. She was afraid and he told her she should not be; he loved her and wanted to take care of her for the rest of his life. She feared leaving her family, friends, and school. He wanted them to get away from everything. They had matching tattoos on their inner wrists. Several more te amos and kisses.
  
• Victoria and Olivia entered Alejandra's office to talk about the progress of the foundation. Olivia asked when they were going to speak to Carlos and the truth was that this was an excuse to see Alan. During this otherwise unnecessary conversation Alejandra told them that she and Ricardo were back together.
  
• Gustavo went to Isabel's house. Once again he was to stay in the guest room, but Isabel made it clear that this was not to be indicative of a reconciliation in their future.
  
• Benjamín went to see Carlos about moving the money. Carlos was putting him to the test by handing him a stack of bills three inches thick.
  
• Gustavo started cooking while talking to Luis about school and his acceptance on the fútból team. He spilled what looked like pancake batter and this looked intended to get Isabel's attention.
  
• Benjamín pocketed the money while Carlos began asking him questions about the appeal. Benjamín violated the confidentiality of the firm by telling him about the case, the appeal, and the action against Marrufo. Also that Jaime Ponce was involved and that had connexions in very high places. Carlos told him that if Marrufo took money he was unlikely to have it in his own bank account, that he was likely to put it in the account of someone he trusted.
  
• The young man was lying on the floor. Near him was something that looked like clothesline. The girl who earlier was preparing to elope clutched her throat and fell to the floor as her cell phone began ringing. Her throat had been cut.
  
• Benjamín thanked Carlos for his advice. Carlos told him that if Vega & Associates didn't suit him he was to come over to his firm. The evening's business concluded, Benjamín told him that as soon as he had everything set up they would really begin. He admired the gold item in Carlos' hand; Carlos gifted it to him.
  
• Ricardo arrived at Elena's apartment only to be told that the children had gone to bed. She had prepared dinner for him and started giving him a back massage after he told her that they were working all hours on the appeal. She started talking Wife and he said he wanted to check up on the children. She stayed at the table, thinking about her strategy and how it did not appear to be effective.
  Ricardo went into Natalia's room. Right on cue from a mother whose manipulations she couldn't analyze she talked about how much she missed him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The girl's mother entered and found her on the floor. The boy was dead, but the girl was still alive despite the blood loss. The mother called for an ambulance, then knelt over her son and cried.
  
• Gustavo got up in the middle of the night and was heating milk in the kitchen. Isabel came down and for a few moments it was as though they had never divorced. Isabel said that this was not easy for her either. However, he was unable for yet another time to persuade her to give him another chance. She told him that if he didn't he could no longer come back to the house.
  
• The next morning Alejandra got ready for work and was talking to her mother when the news story appeared on television about the two teens. Journalists had descended on the house but were unable to get the mother to talk.
  
• The tabloid press is always greedy for a headline, a teaser leading to the nightly news, and the grief of their subjects in graphic detail. They have yet to prove that there is a return on this sort of investment.
  
• Nicolás tried to get the orderly to help him arrange an intimate dinner for two. He was reluctant, but Nicolas wore him down.
  
• Ricardo was reading the news story about the two tragic teens when Alejandra arrived. He invited her to join him and the kids the next time he saw them. She was pleased but wondered whether this wasn't too soon. He didn't think so, thinking that all would go very well.
  
  Gordon Gekko once said that “Greed is good.” These are the words of a sociopath. Leticia thought she could take a $75-dollar expenditure and turn it into a $50,000-dollar windfall to win the promotion she lusts for. Benjamín still thinks he can get away with laundering money whose origins are founded on crime, while Carlos has been seduced by what he thinks is easy money. Two of these situations are leading into corruption, perhaps in higher places than we realize, and the tabloid press is salivating over the guarantee of a scandal. Until next we meet Behind Mansion Walls, I'm Christopher Mason.

Labels: ley

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