Ellenor asks for a second. She leans over the desk and whisper-threatens, "What are you doing?" He whisper-asserts back, "I want to go to trial now, with or without you." She whisper-snarls back, "Ray, you may be nuts but you aren't crazy." He whisper-says back, "Which means my wish should be respected." She whisper-shouts, "You will be convicted." Blah no he won't, blah she turns around, blah he wants to represent himself blah. The judge orders Ellenor to assist Ray; she tries to put up a fuss. Judge Mantz insists that while the law might say Ray can act pro se, that doesn't mean that he'll let Ray go into a trial unprotected. Ellenor: "Let him get somebody else." No. He's got her. He's going to keep her. The judge warns Ray that defending himself is a "very serious step." Does he want to take it? Ray insists he does. He's been through enough trials to understand how they work, and he's sure that he can do it, with Ellenor's help. Ellenor: "I object to being forced to help a man convict himself." Only didn't she want him to plead, and wouldn't he end up convicting himself that way anyway? Blah. The judge notes her objection, makes some snarky comment about how Ellenor really objects to the fact that the client wants to make a different decision than she does, and tells them all he'll see them at eleven o'clock. Whew. Aren't we all on the edges of our seats waiting to see how this one is going to turn out?

Suffering County Courthouse Where Ray Takes Charge Of His Pain. Outside the client room, Ellenor has called Lucy forth to do her good non-work-related deed of the day. Lucy says incredulously, "So he's defending himself?" Ellenor insists that it really wasn't her idea. The receptionist hands Ellenor a garment bag. Then Lucy continues, "And you still have to be there?" Yes. Apparently, Ray wants copies of the local rules, a textbook on criminal procedures, and the evidence code. Because he'll have so much time to go over this material before the trial starts in two hours. Lucy still can't get over the fact that Ray's defending himself: "So you're second chair to him?" Lucy. Hurry. Ellenor turns around and walks back toward the client room.

Inside, she slams the garment bag down on the table. Only she and Ray are in mid-conversation. My guess is that he's told Ellenor that he doesn't want to wear the suit, because she's already saying, "If you don't wear it you will look guilty." The one in the orange jumper insists that the jury will know where Ray was living simply by the fact that he killed his cellmate. He thinks the suit will make him look like a phony. She shakes her head. He wants to talk about the trial. Ray sits down: "That judge seems like a liberal." Yes, he is, particularly at sentencing, which is why Ray should plead this case down. Ray asks a strategic question: "If I waive the jury and have him decide it, would he acquit me?" No. She admits that Ray's better off with the jury. Ray: "You still say that frame-up and self-defense are out?" Yes. "What other defenses do we have?" Ellenor screams that he can't just make something up. He reminds Ellenor that, as his advisor, she does have to tell him what his options are. "Alibi." Pause. "Which won't work because you were locked in a cell with the victim." Pause. "Insanity." Pause. "Which the prison shrink says you're not." Pause. "Necessity." Pause. "Not applicable on these facts. Jury nullification." Ray interrupts her rapid-fire school of defense for a second; he wants to run around "necessity" for a minute. What is that defense? Ellenor tries to tell him that it wouldn't work in this case, but Ray gets really, really mad. He bashes his fists on the table. In fact, he bashes them so hard that Ellenor jumps back. He screams, "Just tell me what it is!" She pauses. "You killed him because somebody forced you to." The Harmony Of Hideous Incarcerations wants to give Ellenor a lesson in prison life. Blah do you know how you survive in prison, blah you grab opportunities, blah get me some cases on necessity blah.