Thu, May 4, 2006
Jack Roper, with Joe Stevens as his junior, defends 15 year old Katie Lewis who is charged with arson. She is accused of purposely setting her father's house on fire after he had her boyfriend charged when he caught them in bed together. Laurence Scammel and his daughter Laura are acting for the prosecution. Katie is not very cooperative and refuses to provide instructions to her solicitor or the barristers. Jack believes she is protecting someone. Charlie Darling and Annie Quick defend Harry Jennings and Tina Bennett who are accused of defrauding prospective investors of £40,000. The purchasers thought they were buying a flat, not shares in a property company. Charlie's tactics in the case don't sit well with Annie, however.
Wed, Feb 28, 2007
Although Jack Roper's legal problems are behind him, the firm has seen a drop in legal briefs so everyone is reminded to be on their best behavior. Jack takes on the case of Jimmy McGregor, a violent criminal who has been charged with possession of heroin. When he learns that McGregor is forcing his wife to provide him with an alibi, Jack takes control of the situation but with surprising results. Annie Quick and Laura Scammel find themselves each defending one half of a married couple when the husband wants to make a £40,000 donation to a charity as instructed by an angel and his wife wants to stop him. Charlie and Annie continue to dance around their affair and Charlie tries desperately to get his wife not to attend a chambers dinner.
Mon, Mar 26, 2007
When Al Ware doesn't show up for work, Jack decides to stop by his flat to see what the problem might be. What he finds is Al's partner Steve dead on the floor. Al's story is that after he and his partner had a fight the night before, he went out by himself for a drink and then went straight to bed on his return home without checking to see if Steve was in. Jack is of the view that once Al admits to the fight, Al will be charged with murder so they concocts a story for the police. Annie and Charlie defend a young man who is charged with raping a teenage at a party. Two other youths were allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges but the prosecution is determined to get a conviction. He maintains his innocence but the barristers feel he's not telling them the whole story.
Wed, Jun 21, 2006
Jack Roper, with Laura Scammel as his junior, takes on the case of Salina Morris who is accused of perverting the course of justice by withholding evidence in a case where her husband Alan killed a young boy, Luke Peters. When the prosecution adds murder to the charge sheet, the defense feel they are just out to get a conviction now that her husband has committed suicide. Salina is reluctant to testify but Jack steps over the line when he coaches her on her testimony, leading the police to arrest him. Charlie and Annie represent a gay man who is trying to maintain joint custody of his daughter in light of his wife's claim that his lifestyle is unsuitable to raising a young girl. Charlie and Annie decide that their fling was a mistake but then have second thoughts.
Wed, Apr 4, 2007
Jack Roper takes on the case of a homeowner, Andrew Turner, who killed an intruder who broke into his house. He has been charged with a hate crime as the intruder was Asian and the prosecution maintains it was a factor in the level of violence. Turner is believed to have been a member of a local group called Clean Up the Streets who swore he would kill any intruder who broke into his home. The defense thinks Turner was set up. Laurence Scammel is appalled that the CPS is pursuing the case and the stress takes its toll. Charlie and Annie find themselves on opposite sides of a case of someone who is suing for compensation after being attacked by a vicious dog. Having overheard a conversation between Al and Jack, Laura Scammell is now aware that Jack and her mother once slept together.
Thu, May 11, 2006
A cancer patient tries to sue the landfill company he used to work for and Jack and Annie represent him. Laura joins her father to defend the case, but she realizes that not everyone has been telling the truth. Joe represents a woman accused of shoplifting. He gets more than he bargained for when he falls foul of her charms.
Thu, Jun 1, 2006
Charlie and Jack represent two police officers who are accused of torturing a terrorist suspect in custody. It is a highly emotive case as this incident has put the reputation of the police on the line. Joe has his own demons to overcome when he represents a patient seeking release from a psychiatric unit. However, his expert witness has a few surprises of his own.
Thu, May 18, 2006
Annie and Jack defend a man accused of murdering his wife, but there are problems when Laurence, the prosecutor, discovers foul play. Charlie is on the case of the suspected killers' sister, who battles her brother's in-laws for the custody of his child. A nurse's employers believe that a nurse lied to them about her qualifications. Joe is defending the nurse.
Wed, Feb 21, 2007
Charged with perverting the course of justice for coaching a client in her testimony, Jack Roper also finds himself before a panel of his peers reviewing his professional conduct. Initially, he doesn't want to involve any colleagues and plan on defending himself. For the misconduct hearing, he gets some help from an unexpected quarter. Charlie and Joe find themselves defending Bethany Taylor, who works as a so-called sub-agent selling information on the availability of pro footballers to other clubs. She is accused of stealing £2000 from a now sacked team manager. Jack finds himself being stalked by someone unknown, but it is another members of the firm that is attacked.
Wed, Mar 7, 2007
Jack Roper represents one of two 14-year old girls charged with murdering a schoolmate. The prosecution has an eyewitness and little other evidence but Jack finds the girls to be most uncooperative. When one of the girls decides to change her statement and accuse the other of the murder, Jack has to re-assess his defense strategy. Charlie represents a high-class hooker who is suing a medical clinic for malpractice when her cosmetic surgery is botched. Problem is she was paying for her surgery in kind and the insurers may not bear any liability. Laura and Joe work together on a drunk driving case and Joe confides in her that her father is considering offering him a job. Laura warns him that her manipulative father may just be using him to get back at Jack.