Original subtitles

Go for your variants. I could care. You're in a single -family class zone

bordered by a school district.

I'm really worried they're going to grant you a variant to put up a

No, I won't talk to their families. Going into a tunnel...

Oh,

my God.

Oh my God.

Knock Around Guy in theaters this Friday.

You've got to calm down, Alan. I can't even understand you. Don't tell me to

calm down. I hit him head on. He could be dead. He's lying in the street.

Have you called the police?

Yes, I called the police. What if I killed him? He's lying in the street.

have just got to calm down, Alan. Not telling me to calm down! Look, calm

Now, is there somebody with the guy you hit?

Yeah, there's a crowd around him. He just darted out in front of me and...

He seems to be moving now.

All right, all right.

Hello, Alan.

I've been drinking, but I'm not drunk.

God, I've got an open bottle of bourbon in my car. Should I throw it out?

Alan, I can't advise you to do that. So what do I do? I mean, if he dies, I'll

go to prison. I'm not drunk, I swear.

All right, how much have you had?

Uh, I don't know, maybe a third of a bottle.

Maybe I should just drive off.

No, no, you cannot drive off. They will get you for leaving the scene. So tell

me what to do.

You have a bottle of bourbon right there?

Yes, it's right here. I've got to get rid of it. All right, start drinking it.

What? To calm your nerves, start drinking it and drink it out in the

will be right there.

Eleanor, what?

Drink the bourbon, Alan, now.

I can get up. No, I wouldn't. I'd wait for the ambulance.

I think I'm okay. I rolled with it.

Sounded nasty.

I didn't kill her. He did. Tell us in your own words what happened that night.

After talking a while at the library, we all went back to the dorm.

You, your roommate, and Brittany Foster.

Yes. So what did the three of you do then?

We just hung out a little, thought about seeing a film, and

that's when things... Kevin and Brittany

started kissing a little.

And then they went into his room.

What did you do, Joel?

I felt a little uncomfortable.

I mean, she was 15 or so.

Tell us what happened next.

I could hear her.

It was like there were some muted screams.

I had a bad feeling, so I went in there.

And what did you see?

I saw him pushing her to the floor.

Trying to get her clothes off.

He screamed at me to get out.

And what did you do?

I left.

Joel, why didn't you stop him?

I don't know.

I guess I was a little scared.

Why not call the police?

He was my roommate.

I think I wanted to believe that nothing was really going to happen, but...

And I was afraid of him.

So you just went for a walk?

Yes. And when you got back, you found her dead?

Yes. You saw him molesting her. You were afraid something bad was going to

happen, so you just went for a walk.

Asked and answered?

Anybody see you on this walk?

I don't think so.

Where was Kevin when you got back?

Gone. He came back a few seconds after me.

He pretended he didn't do it.

That's when I called the police. That's when you both decided to call the police

and have... No, no. He killed her.

I called the police.

How long did you wait for Kevin to get home before you called the police?

I don't know. Not long.

You were looking for his permission to call or you just didn't know the number?

Objection. Withdrawn.

Why did you bother to wait at all? Why didn't you just call the police?

I was in shock at first.

And then he came in.

You strangled her and decided to frame Kevin. Isn't that what happened, Joe? I

didn't do it.

You decided to take his story, make it your own. Objection!

Objection! Abstain.

The jury will disregard all of that.

I was crossing the street. I may have darted out a little. I thought I saw a

girl I knew.

I heard a screeching sound, and the next thing I knew, I was... He was rolling

up my hood and then over, and I thought, God, I thought he was dead.

How much have you had to drink, sir?

This much, I guess.

I needed to calm myself.

I wasn't drinking before the accident. I just needed to calm myself.

You just need to calm yourself.

I swear.

Anything else?

Alan? Oh, thank you for coming. Hi, I'm Eleanor's friend. He just ran out in

front of me. Okay, I know. I'm his attorney. Can I be of any help? Eleanor?

Bobby, what are you doing here?

I'm the guy who got hit.

What? Are you okay?

Well, my back's a little stiff, but... What are you doing here?

I'm the lawyer. This is Alan Gam, Bobby Donald.

He's your client, the guy who hit me?

Yeah. Small world, huh?

Are you sure that you're okay?

Is she drunk?

No. No, he drank after the accident. He's just calming his nerves.

Exactly what he told me.

Almost the same words.

Well, that's because we spoke on the phone.

I'd like to give him a breath of life.

Absolutely. We will cooperate in any way we can.

Bobby? Yeah, okay. He's fine.

He's okay.

He, uh... The guy Eleanor's client hit was Bobby?

Yeah, he rolled right over the car.

And he's okay?

Well, he said he was. I mean, he's not even going to the hospital, so he must

okay. You're right. Are you expecting something?

What? In the mail. What? I checked the mail. This is what I do. You're rifling

through it. I'm not rifling through it. Why are you being so snoopy?

Snoopy? Yes, snoopy. I can't even sort the mail without you. You're looking for

questions. You're looking for questions.

It's just mail. Why don't you go redecorate a room or something?

What's going on?

Nothing. Why is everybody being so nosy?

Bobby gets hit by a damn car. Everybody's interested in how I sort

know, that's just really great. You really got your priorities straight,

you, Jimmy?

Was I out of line?

The jury looked like they were believing him. We knew he'd be good, Kevin.

Which means I got to put you up.

I don't believe this.

He killed her.

He just got up there and told my story.

The problem is he has no record.

You've got an old burglary, so... He was 17.

Listen up.

Everybody. Joel has no record.

You do.

Joel comes from a wealthy family.

You don't.

Joel has put up shrinks to say that he couldn't have done this. You can't

to buy any experts.

Joel got to testify first.

True or not, if you get up there and tell the same story, it's not going to

as well.

Kevin passed the polygraph. Joel didn't.

Polygraphs aren't admissible. We can't use that.

What's going on here, Mr. Young?

I'm saying if there's a deal to be made, we might want to think about it.

But it's going to involve some sort of guilty plea.

No.

I'm not pleading guilty to anything.

He killed her.

He did it.

I'm fine. I am. You should at least get checked out.

Want me to do it?

Good. Come see the new conference room. It's officially finished.

I will. Right now I got some stuff to do.

Bobby, we've been under construction over two months. You haven't so much as

poked your head in. You barely go near the library, for that matter. I trust

you. It isn't that.

Aren't you curious?

I've seen it.

Come see it now.

I will, Lindsay. Right now, I have some things to do.

Blow one more time.

Nobody light a match.

Excuse me?

One, two.

He's flammable.

You've got to get me out of here.

Don't worry about it, Alan. Excuse me, one minute. It was your idea that I

more. Alan, you have to trust me. Don't worry about it. All right, let's go.

Eleanor. I'm going to work it out, Alan.

I'm going to work it out.

How are we doing?

I don't know. They're both accusing each other. We may not get either.

Helen, this is a front -page homicide. I know.

Fifteen -year -old girl. You don't have to tell me. I look at her picture every

day, but I can't prove that they did it together. And without that...

Are you telling me... Helen...

These kids cannot walk.

Do what you have to do to at least get one of them.

You won't even make PC, Jimmy. You ran a guy down broad daylight drunk.

He got drunk after the accident.

Well, you can't prove otherwise.

Come on. There's no injury. Why are we even wasting our time here? Point one

-two.

We'll give you dry reckless.

You can take his driver's license for 90 days, and you can fine him $1 ,000 if

you want.

Jimmy, it was Bobby Donald that he hit. Do you think I'd want him to walk? Yes,

you would, because you're his lawyer.

You could have run down your own mother.

Jimmy, please.

I need this one.

Dry reckless, handed license, 90 days.

Thank God.

Looks great. Great job, Lindsay.

Wait, you barely looked.

I looked.

Wait, I worked hard on this. And you did a beautiful job. Don't shine me on.

It's a conference room, Lindsay. What do you want from me?

I mean, you did a beautiful job. You want me to call Architectural Digest?

Nothing's going on.

You obviously have some problem with this expansion.

If I do, it's my problem, not yours.

What am I missing here? Look, my father works in a big fancy law firm. I'm just

not thrilled about becoming that.

We are not becoming a big fancy law firm. And I thought you loved your

do. I just... Just what?

I don't know.

You do know.

I just promised myself I wouldn't end up at some blue -chip law firm and become

the fat cat lawyer.

It's just a conference room.

I know.

I don't get you, Bobby. On the one hand, you seem to be saying you love your

dad, and yet you also seem to be saying that you don't want to turn out like

him. I'm not saying that, Lindsay.

You did a great job on the expansion, okay?

We don't need to keep talking about it.

Fine.

Bobby. He'll live.

The other kid did it, Helen. You know it. I don't know it. He passed a

polygraph. The other kid. Inadmissible.

In court, maybe, but... Eugene.

You're trying a kid for murder. A kid you know didn't commit murder. Stop

telling me what I know. This isn't right. And don't give me the morality

either. At best, your boy saw a 15 -year -old girl getting mauled and went for a

walk. At worst, he killed her. Either case, I have no problem putting him

This could backfire. You could lose them both.

I'll give you conspiracy. If he agrees to testify, they were in on it together.

They weren't in on it together.

Conspiracy, yes or no?

No.

Try reckless.

Police can't prove he drank before.

At no time?

Bobby, I don't like being a rat, but Eleanor told the guy to drink.

What? He called her after he hit you, told Eleanor he was drinking. She told

to drink there in the open so they could argue he got drunk after.

Eleanor told him to drink? She didn't know you were the victim at the time.

What's wrong?

Please inform me. What?

She passed the bar.

What?

How could you even take the bar?

I've been going to night school.

Law school at night?

For the last five years.

What? Why didn't you tell us?

I don't know. I guess I was afraid if I failed. I just didn't want to tell

anybody.

Pass first try.

Five years you've been going to school?

Rebecca, you're a lawyer.

Come here, you.

What's going on?

Eleanor, in my office.

Did you tell your client to drink after the accident?

Bobby. Yes.

Or no, Eleanor?

Yes. That's the equivalent of tampering with evidence. Look, hold on. Then you

could get disbarred. Bobby. It's no different than telling a shooter where

hide the gun.

I panicked.

Everything happened so fast. I know. I know. It was stupid. Not stupid,

Criminal.

Look, you want to risk your career? That's one thing. But doing it in front

Jimmy and Lindsay, you expose them as well. They have a legal duty to report

you.

And so do I.

I wasn't thinking.

I hope that's true.

These kids shouldn't be tried together.

One murder, one trial. There is such a thing as judicial economy.

There is such a thing as fairness, Your Honor. Is that why we're in here?

The fairness jingle?

Consider the bell rung.

I object to your being snide about it, Judge.

We got two co -defendants claiming the same story. One went for a walk, the

other killed that girl. Her client got to tell the story first.

Which you can argue to the jury.

This should have been severed from the beginning. You made that argument,

lost. You can take it up on appeal.

I suggest you concentrate on the battles you can win.

This is politic.

Public wants to lynch somebody and you're afraid of you. Eugene! You know

Peters. I offered you a deal. You're free to take it. Hey, you know better.

case should have been kicked from the beginning. You are one remark away from

jail cell, counsel.

She's trying to coerce a conspiracy confession from my client because it's

only way she can convict her client. That's your theory, not mine.

Right.

We'll be back in a couple hours.

Tuesday's the last day to a certain insanity. We're going for that in the

and trial.

How about the research on self -defense? Jimmy's still working on it. Okay.

She's having a tough time.

Does she need to be in the room every day?

I won't kid you, Mr. Foster. We have a tough case.

A motion is going to count.

The defendant's parents have been in that room every day.

I think the victim's parents should be there, too. We talked about this.

I know.

We've made it this far. It'll only be a couple more days.

You have to get these boys in the scramble.

They walk free after. They won't.

I promise.

They won't.

Before you get up there, you've got to be clear about something.

The jury doesn't like you, Kevin, and you're not going to change that.

Fifteen -year -old girl leaving her there, knowing she's in trouble. The

isn't to get them to like you.

So don't start defending yourself like you're some good, misunderstood kid,

okay?

Yeah, okay.

Now, this is important.

Once you get up there and say it's all him, it's done.

You can't later say that the both of you were in on it. Well, I wasn't in on it!

I understand.

But on conspiracy, you get 20.

Good behavior, you'd be out in 10. Murder one, life.

Once you testify, there's no going back.

Are you advising me to lie?

No.

I can't do that. Then why are we talking about it? I can't believe you're

suggesting an innocent person pleads guilty. The son isn't innocent, Mr.

Now, he may not have killed her, but him walking away...

Let's not call him innocent.

Time off?

Just a few weeks.

Or maybe longer.

Eleanor. What I did, Bobby, it would have been bad enough had I thought about

first.

But I did it on reflex.

I did it on instinct. I mean, how do we beat it? How can we fool him? I know.

Why don't you just drink out in the open?

It was as easy as a knee jerk.

You want to know what else was spinning through my head?

Too bad the guy's still breathing.

A judgment on wrongful death is really minimal compared to pain and suffering,

so liability -wise, it's a pity he's still alive.

I think I need some time away.

We're scaling back on the criminal cases, Eleanor.

We're becoming more... Bobby, new furniture and paint jobs aside, we're

going to remake ourselves.

I can't give you time off. Not now. We have too much going on.

Can you wait just a little?

Yeah.

You want to know what the worst part is?

If you hadn't been the guy who got hit, I might be feeling really proud of

myself just about now.

But, Keith...

My own case.

Stolen bike.

One day trial.

A couple of weeks from now. No big deal. Well, can I do it? I mean, I haven't

been sworn in yet. Will they let me? Oh, you don't have to be officially sworn

in, Becky. It's just a stolen bicycle.

First offense. Stolen.

Can they make intent? I mean, have you talked to the client yet? It could have

been a mistake.

I mean, did the bike look like his own or direct?

There could have been exigent circumstances.

Is he a minor?

We might be able to make out undue influence. Have you interviewed the

officers? Oh, Becky. And I'm in that bike. I mean, what about that? I mean,

there any chain of custody issues? I mean, how can we possibly be ready to go

two weeks? We have two weeks.

This could be ugly.

He just reversed it.

He stayed and I left.

To go for a walk?

Yes.

If you thought she could be put in danger, Kevin, how could you just leave?

I was afraid.

Of what?

Of him.

A little.

You know, I am ashamed that I left, but like I told the police, I think I just

really wanted to pretend that nothing bad was going to happen.

And I walked out that door.

She was found in your room, Kevin. But Joel brought her there.

You both brought her back in there, didn't you? No, no, he did.

And he killed her.

The burglary in 1994.

You do it yourself, or was there anybody else with you?

Myself. You committed the crime on your own initiative.

Objection. Overruled.

Did anybody see you on this walk you took?

No. I'm sorry. It's just a little too convenient. Like the perfect crime, they

both blame each other. Jury doesn't know who's telling the truth. Perfect.

Except, Helen, you do know who's telling the truth.

That polygraph. They're not foolproof.

They're close enough.

Do you think they both did it?

Maybe it's easier to believe a kid could kill than to see somebody about to be

killed and...

Just walk away.

You could have gone for murder, too.

Walking away, you could have argued reckless disregard. I never would have

that, and you know it as well as I do.

Look, if you're trying somebody for murder and you don't have a good faith

belief he committed that murder... Look, Eugene already gave me this speech. Are

you here as my friend or as co -counsel?

I don't think you should have a blow -up poster of the victim in your office.

That's from a friend.

Bobby. Bobby.

Hey, Mr. Kilburn.

I haven't seen you in a while.

Been busy.

I know. I keep track.

Is my dad around?

I think he's in the little boy's room.

Good to see you.

You're looking well.

Thanks.

Dad?

You in here?

Bobby, is that you?

Slacking off in there?

Yeah, you know it.

Oh, well.

What do I owe this?

I was in a building.

How you doing?

The same.

You canceling Sunday?

No, I'm not canceling Sunday. Do I ever miss?

You stopping by like this, you must...

You met somebody.

As if I'd tell you.

As if you'd admit it to yourself.

No, I was in the building and... Hey, listen. We just finished our expansion

the office and I was wondering if you'd like to come see it.

I'd love to.

It's done?

Finished.

Today's tough.

But tomorrow... Yeah.

Great. I'll, uh... I'll call you before I come over.

Perfect.

Bingo, bingo, bingo.

What? I just pulled an old cop's transcript from the arresting officer.

bicycle case? He was asked to leave tough when he was suspected of

from a term paper. I can use it to impeach.

Rebecca. Lindsay.

If he'd steal a term paper, maybe he'd fudge an incident report.

They caught the kid sitting on the bike.

Yes, so says the plagiarist. And the other cop.

Well, who's he going to believe, some kid or his own partner?

All I have to do is show reasonable doubt.

Oh, God.

What, oh, God?

Nothing.

You know, you haven't even said congratulations to me.

Do you have a problem with me being a lawyer, Eleanor?

No.

Thanks for all your support.

Congratulations, Rebecca.

You're a member of the club.

You just earned the privilege to distort and manipulate the most noble of all

judicial systems.

The privilege of delivering opening statements, promising evidence and

you know you don't really have.

And you're going to get to warn all your clients against telling the truth, so

you'll be able to put them on the stand later to commit their perjury without

really exposing yourself in the process.

Oh, and you'll get to beat up on a bunch of rape victims that probably will

cause hearings, scaring them off from testifying at trial.

and you'll get to buy lots of little presents for all the clerks. So they

schedule all of your trials on Fridays when the judges are in great moods just

before they hit the road to Cape Cod.

But best of all, you're going to have the joy of securing the freedom of all

your guilty clients, and you'll never have to see them again until they murder

or rape the next person, but that usually takes about two to three weeks.

congratulations, Rebecca.

You're a lawyer.

You don't really believe that.

I don't know what I believe anymore.

We don't plan on keeping it or nothing.

We're just going to ride it around for a while.

You had no idea who the bike belonged to?

No.

Didn't plan on keeping it, just want to ride it around?

You stole it. I'm a mother. Be glad of that. You think you're going to walk

court and talk that soft little victim voice thing and then get set free?

It doesn't work like that.

Nobody gives a damn if a thief sounds sweet.

Now listen to me.

I have to be able to tell the judge that you're a good kid, that you feel bad

for what you did.

Do you feel bad?

Yeah.

Not bad enough you don't. Now, I'll work on that.

You go home and start thinking of a way you can pay off on the damage you did.

That bike needs a new tire.

Mow a lawn, clean somebody's garage, earn the money.

You screw up one more time and you get another lawyer. Do you know what I'm

saying? Yes.

Look people in the eye when you talk to them.

Yes. All right. Go on.

How about that?

Well, different lawyers have different styles.

Beyond reasonable doubt, they don't come close.

One of these boys...

did it on that much we can probably agree but which one not joel carlington

it was kevin's room wasn't it joel was taking a walk like he told you

i don't know whether that sounded good to you but it certainly did to kevin

because he made it his story and the prosecution come on they don't know who

where do they which is exactly why they had to try these boys together They

don't know which one was where.

And she's banking on one simple thing.

You would rather punish them both than to see whoever did it go free.

Here's Ms. Gamble's thinking.

If these boys get separate trials, it's likely both juries will find reasonable

doubt, thinking that the evidence must be there on the other guy.

And then you have two quick acquittals. But a combined trial, she's boxed you

in. Evidence is the same for both defendants. Either they both go to

Or they both go free.

And nobody, nobody wants to see them both go free.

Beautiful, innocent girl.

We've been looking at her picture.

Their argument is somebody's got to pay. And the only way to be sure to get the

guilty guy is to lock them both up. Because we don't know which one did it.

Somebody's got to pay.

Evidence shows they both brought her back to that room.

They both claim they went on a walk.

And, well, gee, that sets up reasonable doubt, doesn't it?

You say I did it. I'll say you did it. The jury will never know who.

We've got reasonable doubt.

Two kids telling the exact same story. The exact same denial.

That's what you call good planning.

Aren't they smart?

Smart college kids.

So she's going to work here as a lawyer now? I guess. She'll still do office

work while she builds a practice, but eventually we'll have to hire a new

secretary. I bet her name goes up on the door now.

One more name on the door that doesn't stop with B.

Relax, Jimmy.

Oh.

You built this from the ground.

Well, I had lots of help, Dad.

I'm proud of you.

I wish some of the lawyers at Sullivan could see this.

Dad.

You have to ask me that?

Well, we never talk too much about my cases and some of the people I

I don't know. I guess I've never been sure that you...

Son, there isn't a day that I

don't say to myself, look at him.

You know, it's funny.

Well, I just wondered if you were proud of me.

What?

I mop floors.

And it's the first time in, what, seven or eight years that you've invited me

over here.

This is the first time I've been excited for you to see it.

You don't think I'm...

Proud of you, son.

You don't think I'm proud of you?

Hey, you, um... You haven't seen the library yet.

Show me the library, then.

Bobby, hey.

Lindsay.

This is my dad, Stephen Donald.

Lindsay Doll.

Pleasure. I've heard so much about you.

And I've heard so much about you, too.

Come on. Don't have all day.

Like I do, huh?

Madam foreperson, the jury has reached a unanimous verdict.

We have, Your Honor.

The defendants will please rise.

What say you?

Commonwealth v.

Joel Carlington on the charge of murder in the first degree.

We find the defendant not guilty.

On the charge of murder in the second degree, we find the defendant...

Not guilty.

Commonwealth versus Kevin Peete on the charge of murder in the first degree.

We find the defendant, Kevin Peete, guilty as charged.

So say you all.

We do.

Members of the jury, this completes your service.

The bailiff will take Mr. Peete into custody.

We're adjourned.

Why is it me?

What now, Alan?

You get your conviction with the wrong guy.

Or no?

Do you believe it?

What you said to Rebecca?

I don't know, Bobby.

I think I've always known that we have to step over lines.

I'm not even sure those lines are anymore.

There's nobody I know more morally.

I don't feel that way.

Not for a long time.

Well, that's my failure.

You know, my dad was here earlier, and we stood in the conference room

whether or not when I got hit by that car lying on the

road, that life -flashing stuff, it happened.

what my flash was a waste I

had no kids no family except my dad who I never

I can't remember the last time I told him I loved him

and all of you who I never

with you Eleanor I'm sorry you don't know that

it's not too late you know

to tell your father that you

It was overdue.

Bobby? I'd like some privacy, Lindsay.

Fine, I won't let anybody else in.

Things make a little more sense to me now.

As a little kid, I'd run around those offices.

Wanting to be them.

Wanting to dress like them. Go to court.

Argue cases.

Be important.

And at the same time, I hated them.

Why?

Well, the way they treated him.

Actually, the way they didn't treat him.

He was just a janitor.

He was never really in the room when he was in the room.

Like you say, Bobby, we will never be them.

Thanks for saying that you heard all about her.

I feel so ashamed that you have.

Mr. Young?

Yes. Joseph Strand, I was on the jury.

Oh.

Yes.

Do you mind my asking how?

We couldn't know who did it.

Maybe they both did.

Then why did you convict Kevin Peete?

In your closing argument, you talked about why the district attorney wanted a

joint trial and so forth. You said a lot of stuff.

Except you never said your client was innocent.

We picked up on that in deliberation.

Then, suddenly, there was a swell.

That was... You convicted a man on that?

Because in my closing... Well...

You were right about one thing.

Somebody's got to pay.