A Victim of Circumstance

Rodney Rathbone sneaks onto the roof of Whit's End to set a water-balloon trap - and crashes through the new skylight, breaking his arm. Jason and Jack help him instead of pressing charges, but slick attorney Howard J. Weizel convinces the Rathbones that Rodney is a victim who can win a fortune, and soon Whit's End is being sued for negligence. Worse, the family lawyer says Rodney might actually win. Hoping to change Weizel's mind, Jason and Jack show him a future in the Room of Consequence where his own rejected clients turn around and sue him... but he walks out and files a second lawsuit against them instead. At trial, Jack argues that rights can't be separated from responsibility, and the jury agrees - finding Whit's End liable but awarding Rodney just one dollar, which Weizel pockets as he abandons the case. Whit's End is saved from ruin, though a new "keep off the roof" sign shows it has lost a little of its innocence.

Found on Twists and Turns Album 23 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0300 Preacher's Kid When her father becomes the church's interim pastor, teenager Donna Barclay struggles under the congregation's watchful eyes - until one forbidden night out with friends puts everything her family has to the test.

0301 The Good, the Bad, and the Butch When his estranged childhood best friend suddenly wants to reconnect, Sam must decide whether the friendship is real or a setup by the gang his friend now runs with.

0302 Share & Share Alike When Kids Radio's first Share-a-thon puts a homeless shelter's big bonus on the line, the Whit's End team spins stories of sharing - while the toughest lesson may land closest to home.

0303 All the Difference in the World Danny discovers that being the only kid with rules might matter more than he ever imagined.

0304 St. Paul: The Man from Tarsus A test run of the upgraded Imagination Station drops two very different Odyssey kids into first-century Jerusalem, where one befriends the early church and the other falls in with its fiercest persecutor.

0305 St. Paul: Set Apart by God A blinded persecutor waits in Damascus, and the one man sent to help him is a follower of the very faith he came to destroy.

0306 A Victim of Circumstance A prank gone wrong lands Whit's End in court when an opportunistic lawyer convinces the Rathbones that Rodney is the real victim.

0307 Poetry in Slow Motion A struggling student who can't make sense of his class's poetry unit will try almost anything to avoid admitting he needs help.

0308 Subject Yourself While young Lawrence chafes under his orthodontist's strict rules, his mother must decide whether to challenge a flawed new school curriculum - even if it costs her career.

1 of 3 0309 The Perfect Witness When a bookstore robbery goes wrong, the thieves take a blind girl as the "perfect" hostage - never suspecting how much a witness can learn without seeing.

2 of 3 0310 The Perfect Witness A detective must piece together a blindfolded witness's memories of sounds and smells before the kidnappers' trail - and their hideout - disappears forever.

3 of 3 0311 The Perfect Witness A blind girl's remarkable memory for sounds and details may be the key to unraveling a bookstore robbery that's far more than it appears.

0312 Rewards in Full A citywide charity drive and a school safety campaign test what happens when the credit for good work lands on the wrong people.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 10 more roles

10 supporting roles

Judge Dave Arnold Bailiff Phil Lollar Jury Foreman Bob Smithouser Howard J. Weizel Steve Bridges Suitor #1 Steve Bridges Suitor #2 Steve Bridges Suitor #3 Lynn Luttrell Fenimore Cooper Robert Spina Bailey F. Lee Dave Arnold Trent Mackey Robert Spina

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Phil Lollar Writer · Director Mark Drury Sound Designer · Producer Paul McCusker Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

While Jason Whittaker and Jack Allen are closing Whit's End, the new skylight suddenly crashes down upon them. Rodney Rathbone has fallen through it from the roof, breaking his arm and suffering a mild concussion. At the hospital, Rodney admits that he climbed up the trellis to set a water-balloon trap. Bart scolds his son for doing something so foolish, and both he and Rodney thank Jason and Jack for helping instead of pressing charges.

Then attorney Howard J. Weizel overhears how the accident happened. He convinces the Rathbones that Rodney is a victim who can win a fortune from Whit's End. Soon he serves Jason with a lawsuit alleging willful negligence, emotional distress, and defamation of character. Bart ignores his own earlier admission that Rodney caused the accident, and Weizel refuses to let his client speak whenever the truth might hurt their case.

Jason consults his father's lawyer, Fenimore Cooper. To Jason's amazement, Cooper says Rodney has a solid legal case. Whit's End is open to the public, the roof was easily reached, and no sign or obstacle told children to stay off it. A court might consider the roof an attractive nuisance and treat Rodney as a young victim instead of holding him responsible. Cooper recommends settling, but Jason and Jack hate the thought of rewarding Rodney's behavior.

They invite Weizel into the Room of Consequence to show him one possible result of winning. In the imagined future, Weizel's courtroom victory makes him the most famous lawyer in Odyssey. People crowd around him with increasingly ridiculous claims. When he cannot represent them all, the rejected clients decide to sue him. They repeat his own argument that there are no frivolous lawsuits, and Weizel cries that their cases are absurd. Returning to reality, he understands how painful such treatment can be - but learns nothing. Instead of dropping Rodney's case, he announces a second lawsuit against Jason and Jack for putting him through the experience.

The first case goes to trial. Weizel argues that an organization serving children must be held responsible for failing to protect them. Jack closes the defense by saying that rights cannot be separated from responsibility. People who blame every bad choice on their circumstances turn themselves into victims and weaken the whole community.

The jury finds Jason and Whit's End legally responsible, but awards Rodney only one dollar in damages. Weizel threatens to appeal until the judge warns that a higher court may discipline attorneys who pursue frivolous cases. He promptly abandons the Rathbones and takes Rodney's dollar as a payment toward his fee. Rodney and Bart are left protesting that their lawyer should sue again.

Jason and Jack are relieved that the punishment is so small, yet Jack realizes they have not escaped without loss. Whit's End must now operate far more cautiously, beginning with a sign telling people to keep off the roof. The verdict has protected the center from financial ruin, but the lawsuit has cost it some of its innocence.