Jerry Fires the Scientologist

Episode: 3x05 [Whose God Is It Anyway?]
Client: Jerry Espenson
Case: The client was sued for wrongful termination by Douglas Karnes, a former employee at his law firm.
CP&S Representation: Alan Shore
Opposing Counsel: Sally Heep
Presiding: Judge Willard Reese
Result: The jury found in favor of the defendant.
Notes:

• Jerry had fired Mr. Karnes from his law firm because he talked openly about his religious beliefs - scientology - at work, and he had lost credibility with his clients.
• The lawsuit claimed that Mr. Karnes was being discriminated against because of his religion.
• Alan's closing: "Ugh, please. It’s a dumb freedom. An employee’s behavior reflects on their employer, for God’s sake. In this case, we’re talking about a law firm, a business in which clients look for good judgment, sound and sane counsel. This guy’s running around saying man evolved from a big clam after galactic warlords invaded our volcanoes. He’s a nutjob. And I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired of this freedom of religion thing. When did religion get such a good name, anyway? Be it the Crusades, the Reformation genocides, the “troubles” in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, mass slaughters supposedly in the name of Allah, and then, of course, the obligatory reciprocal retribution. Hundreds of millions of people have died in religious conflicts. Hitler did his business in the name of his Creator. 9/11 was an act of religious extremism. It’s our greatest threat today—a Holy Jihad. If we’re not ready to strip religion of its sacred cow status, how ‘bout we at least scale back a little on the constitutional dogma exalting it as all get-out?"

Sally Heep: Your Honor, I would love to know what this has to do with my client being fired? "Your client was fired because he entered into an at-will employment contract, he acted like a complete loon, and he now tries to cloak himself in a constitutional amendment that is as overplayed as it is misapplied.
"Everybody should get to believe in God. Pray to his God, worship his God—of course. But to impose him on others, to victimize others in His Name, the Founding Fathers of this country set out to prevent persecution, not to license it. And for Jerry Espenson, struggling with his law practice to make ends meet, don’t tell me he’s not victimized when one of his lawyers bounces around, telling clients and other attorneys that, according to his most recent electro-psycho-meter reading, he’s getting closer to immortality, at which point he’ll be able to leave his body and talk to zebras. At a certain point, we have to say, “Enough with this freedom of religion crap. Yuck. Yuck, yuck.” Yes, I know. I’ll get letters."

(many thanks to Sheri at boston-legal.org for the transcription work)