Wednesday, June 20, 2007, Episode #5085

Bridget is impressed by her mom's admission.

Brooke stops by the beach house looking for Rick, but Bridget tells her that Rick's not there. Bridget sees how distraught her mom is and asks if she's OK. Brooke explains that she was on the phone talking to her mother for hours last night. After that talk, she sees how she's not in control of herself, because she's constantly reacting to what happens around her. She cites as examples the way she rushed to be with Nick after Ridge hit Rick and the way she tried even harder to be with Nick once Nick turned her down. Bridget candidly asks her mother if she's ever thought why she ping-pongs back and forth between men. Brooke replies that she used to blame it on her father abandoning her, but she sees now that she's to blame for any choices she makes. Now that she recognizes that, she has to make a change in her life. She's just sorry it took Ridge going through this mess to open her eyes. Bridget is impressed by her mom's intent to own up to her own mistakes. Brooke laments that she and Ridge share an incredible history and a son, but now she and R.J. might both lose Ridge forever.

Phoebe tries to help Rick remember.

In Ridge's office. Rick tells Phoebe how sorry he is about everything she's going through because of her dad. Phoebe fears that she might lose her father. Rick states that he can't testify to something he didn't do, but Phoebe points out that he could have done it and blocked it out, so she urges him to try and remember for her father's sake. Rick points out that he could go to jail if he gets caught in a lie. He gazes intently at Phoebe as he tells her that he would do anything to take away her pain, so it truly breaks his heart that he can't do this for her. Phoebe says she has to go, as the trial is about to start. Rick tells Phoebe that he's sorry, but she just bids him goodbye.

Christine asks the judge to let her submit Shane's cell phone into evidence.

At the courthouse, Taylor avoids a mob of reporters and joins Christine and Stephanie. Christine wants to go over Taylor's testimony; she explains that she filed for a continuance, but she may not get it, so she wants to be ready. Taylor doesn't see the D.A. doing Ridge any favors, and Stephanie agrees. Christine explains that she's already planning an appeal if the judge refuses her motion, but Stephanie doesn't like the way that sounds. Stephanie then tells Eric, Thorne and Felicia about Christine's request for a continuance to provide for more prep time. They all hope everything goes well. They then all take their seats in the gallery and hope things work out. The bailiff calls the court to order. After Judge Owens enters and takes his seat at the bench, Christine asks about her motion for a continuance, since she's been on this case less than a week and needs time to prepare. Assistant District Attorney Tartaro scoffs at Christine's case focusing on an "alleged botched suicide," so Christine explains how she needs time to find proof that Shane wanted to kill himself and presents the judge with Shane's cell phone. Tartaro balks at the phone suddenly appearing, but Christine explains that it was just found last night at Forrester Originals, and it has a message from Shane that Chris wants to pursue.

Assistant District Attorney Tartaro balks at Christine's motions.

Despite Tartaro's objections, Chris reads the note from Shane to Phoebe that she and Taylor found on the phone. Tartaro states that Shane could have been saying goodbye because he was leaving town, and the judge agrees, so he won't allow the note to be admitted as evidence. Which is why she needs the continuance to find evidence, Christine argues. After confirming with Ridge that his family spent days interviewing attorneys before hiring one for his defense, the judge rules that Ridge had time to build a defense but took his time, so he denies the motion for a continuance. Chris then has one more motion she wants to make before the prospective jurors are brought in. She points out that Ridge is the only witness to the crime, but he fears testifying because of his prior firearm conviction, so she asks the judge to bar the ADA from using Ridge's prior conviction against him on the stand. On what grounds? Tartaro asks. On the grounds that he didn't shoot Grant Chambers and only claimed to have done so to protect the real shooter, a minor. Tartaro again balks at Christine's motion, accusing Chris of acting like she's in Vegas and trying to make Ridge's record disappear. Stephanie speaks up that her son did not shoot Grant, but the judge orders Christine to keep Stephanie quiet if La Forrester wants to avoid a contempt of court citation.

Taylor takes the stand.

Christine apologizes for the outburst but agrees that Stephanie is right, which is why Christine wants to call Taylor as an expert witness. Tartaro tells her to save it for the jury, but the judge agrees to give Christine some leeway and lets Taylor take the stand. As Christine starts to ask Taylor questions about Rick's mental state when Grant Chambers was shot, Tartaro argues that Taylor never treated Rick, but the judge allows the question to stand. Taylor states that in her opinion, Rick repressed the memory of shooting Grant and is now in denial about ever having committed the crime. Tartaro then gets to cross-examine Taylor and suggests that Taylor's testimony is based on multiple cases of hearsay. When Christine objects, Tartaro asks Taylor if she was there when Grant was shot, and if she knows for sure where Rick was that day. Taylor admits she wasn't there, and she didn't know exactly where Rick was at the time of the shooting. Tartaro then points out that both Ridge and Grant admitted that Ridge was the shooter in court and balks at the defense's theory that Ridge only confessed to protect Rick. Taylor says Ridge wouldn't lie about something like that, but Tartaro points out the lies Ridge told in the McGrath case to show him as a liar. Tartaro then asks Taylor if anyone else either saw Rick shoot Grant or heard Rick admit he did it. When Taylor doesn't think so, Tartaro thinks she's made her point. The judge agrees and rules that he will not void Ridge's prior conviction.

Brooke asks Rick to help Ridge for Phoebe's sake.

Brooke shows up at Forrester Originals and pleads with Rick to remember that he shot Grant. She tells Rick that Ridge made a sacrifice for him years ago and pleads with him not to let Ridge risk his freedom again, but Rick tells her that he can't remember shooting Grant, no matter how hard he's tried. Brooke asks him to do it for Phoebe; "Don't let that poor girl lose her father," she pleads. Alone in the office, Rick keeps thinking about his mother's and Phoebe's pleas for him to remember. He repeats to himself several times, "I shot Grant Chambers."

Felicia and Thorne worry about their brother.

Brooke arrives in court during a brief recess. While Eric, Stephanie, Felicia and Thorne worry about how bad things look for Ridge, Brooke comments that she's tried to get Rick to remember, to no avail. Phoebe thinks Rick wants to remember; Ridge agrees, suggesting that Rick wants to remember just to prove them all wrong. Taylor points out that pressuring Rick won't help and in fact might even hurt Rick.