Original subtitles

Helen, don't hate me.

What? Liz Frenal just got hit with appendicitis.

She's gonna manslaughter. Oh, no you don't. We've already bought six

continuances. The judge said if we're not ready, he dismisses. When?

Tomorrow.

Virgil. The file is paper thin. I'm not starting a murder trial with less than

ten hours notice. Two witnesses. And who takes the heat with the N .J.? Me.

There's no heat on this, I promise. The victim's a John Doe. He's a homeless

guy. Doesn't matter if we lose, but we can't just dismiss.

The defendant is wealthy. He would look bad.

Just put on a case. It's a two -day trial.

I took one last flyer with the DA.

He'll give us voluntary.

Four years, it's not bad.

That's manslaughter.

Yeah.

And you think that's good?

Well, murder, too, you get life.

Manslaughter, you could be out in four.

So we should take it?

Look, here's my problem.

You say you didn't mean to kill him, which may be so.

But in order to get your story in, I got to put you on the stand.

If I do that, that means that all your priors come in, which include two

assaults plus three drug convictions. If a jury hears all that, I don't like our

chances. So you think I should take it?

Tell me again, when you hit him, what?

He was jumping in.

I had a party initiation.

I didn't mean for nothing bad to happen, man. He's my friend.

Look me in the eye.

It was an accident.

I swear.

Look me deeper in the eye.

Okay.

Let's try it.

Right out of nowhere, I seen it happen.

It was, he was walking on the side of the street.

Not on the sidewalk, on the side in the street.

Not in the middle, but on the side.

On the highway, they caught out of shoulder, but it was a regular street.

wasn't a highway.

I seen him walking there, and his car's coming along.

The car was coming along.

And then... Boom.

Boom. It's like blood as a pancake.

All right, Pop.

Would you excuse us for a minute?

Because he's walking on the side of the street.

Boom. Wait outside.

I'll be out in a minute.

That's my witness?

Sorry.

Oh, I got to plead this one out.

I thought your office said no. Well, I'll try to get involuntary.

The suspect fled the scene, Helen.

Why me?

Straight not guilty on the elements?

There were witnesses.

There was no specific intent to kill.

Go manslaughter. They'll easily make reckless homicide. I think we got a

He beat a kid to death. It was an initiation.

There was no intent to kill.

Okay, Rebecca's lunch is Wednesday.

Everybody's in? You don't have to.

What do you mean we don't have to? This is like the highest door lever on her,

isn't it? It's animal rights, and it's not a big deal.

Not a big deal. You save two shelters. Hey, we are all going to be there.

Late for a settlement. Anything else? One other thing.

I could.

I'd like some equity in this firm.

Excuse me?

If you run the numbers, I've probably generated half our revenue.

I've been getting feelers from headhunters.

I really don't want to leave.

I like it here.

But I want some equity.

What, like partner?

Not equal.

But yes.

The issue is size. Don't you think that's something you should have

one -on -one? There's no one -on -one in this firm. Everything comes out, so I

wanted to be up front.

Exactly. How am I supposed to react?

Bobby. That was an ultimatum, Lindsay. I don't handle ultimatums well.

I make about a third of what I'm worth. And it's not like I'm trading in salary

for prestige. This place doesn't leave you with much of a pedigree. Oh, I am so

sick of you complaining.

I didn't make a complaint in there. I made a demand.

There's a difference.

You want to go?

I want to stay.

And I'm willing to make less.

But I won't be an idiot.

Mr. Young?

I'm Raymond's mother.

Hello? You don't know my boy.

You probably don't like him.

Are you going to save him?

I'm going to try to keep him out of jail.

When you arrived on the scene, was Mr. Johnson still alive?

He still had a pulse, but he was unconscious.

He died en route to the hospital.

Did you question Mr. Burnett?

Yes. What, if anything, did he tell you?

He said he'd been in a fight.

He'd hit the victim, but he never meant to kill him.

How long have you been connected with the gang unit?

Going on 15 years.

Would you say that that makes you an expert on street gangs?

With regard to this city?

Yes, I would.

Have you ever heard the term Jumping in?

Yes. Would you explain it for us, Detective Hall?

It's a gang initiation ritual. Different gangs do it differently.

This one used playing cards.

Playing cards?

Yes.

The prospective gang member picks a card. The number of the card will decide

many existing gang members he has to walk through, allowing himself to be

punched by.

And to your knowledge, the victim drew a card?

He drew the ace of spades.

And did that hold any special significance?

Yes.

In this particular gang, drawing the ace meant the one being initiated had to go

against the gang member considered to be the toughest.

And do you know who that member would be?

He was the defendant.

So, by drawing the ace, the victim, Mr. Charles Johnson, had to fight the

defendant? Yes.

And to your knowledge, it was in that fight that Mr. Johnson suffered the

which caused his death?

That's correct.

And detective, when you detained my client and talked to him,

Could you describe his demeanor?

He was crying.

Thank you.

It wasn't an ambush, Lindsay.

Why? Did you just bring it at a staff meeting like that?

Eugene told me that you know.

Know what?

That Bobby and I used to sleep together.

There, it's been said. Now, suppose I went to Bobby privately and made my

request. Suppose he granted it.

And then suppose it got out that he used to suck my elbows through the night. I

mean, there'd be a mutiny.

This way, out in the open, Bobby doesn't get accused of special favors, does he?

It's better for everybody I did it this way.

It was one of them big Mercedes tinted windows.

We see a car like that come around that time of night, we think they're trolling

for pretty smelling hookers.

Yes. Any bit of little hooker girls.

What they do is they climb into the big back seat and the car starts shaking

also. Any bit of little hooker girls.

Mr. Show.

I'd like to just stay focused on the actual events of that night. Some of

girls are really men.

Mr. Show, just the accident.

Could you describe it, please?

I seen a guy walking near the side of the road.

Big car, Mercedes comes along, hits him.

How far away were you?

Ten feet.

Then it just speeds off. It just never stopped. Just sped away.

Did you get the license plate number of this car? TD. Just TD as the first

letters. It's like touchdown.

Had you ever seen the victim before?

No.

He's a homeless man.

Just a big, big bum.

Bigger bum than me.

Were you drinking that night, Mr. Show? Yes, I was.

But I saw what I saw.

That car hit him. I never stopped.

Objection. Non -responsive.

Sustained. Just... Ask the question, ask her.

We both saw it.

Both?

Somebody else was with you?

Yeah, so there you go.

Well, who else witnessed this accident?

Mr. Penis.

His big pink guy was looking right at us, saw the whole damn thing.

Ah, so both of you saw it.

Me and a cyclops.

Boom!

There is a rat running around.

In here?

No, in Washington. That's why we're all up on our desks, big head.

Don't you be rude with me, Rebecca. Just get the rat.

All right.

Where is it?

We think it's under my desk.

You have a gun? It's a starter pistol. What are you going to do, race him? No,

I'm going to scare him. That's not going to scare him. Well, then you do

something, big head! It's normal size!

What gang was your son trying to join, Mrs. Johnson?

One he was in.

They called themselves the Bankers.

So your son had a relationship with the defendant?

Going back five years, to when he was 11, when he started selling drugs for

Charlie started selling drugs?

For the defendant?

Yes.

When he was 11 years old?

Yes. Did you know about this at the time?

Yes.

I did everything I could, but... Charlie looked up to him.

Wanted to be like him.

That he was killed by him.

You talked about trying to steer your son away from gangs.

He didn't have a father, did he?

No. And you work at a gas station as an attendant, and your hours are

from 3 p .m. to midnight.

Yes.

Mrs. Johnson, how often did you see Charles during any given week?

I know that I couldn't be there for him as much as I wanted.

I understand that. Mrs. Johnson.

Was there anybody who looked out for your son? If you call getting him to

drugs, looking out for him.

On the Columbus block where you live, what percentage of boys ended up joining

gangs? Most.

Most. And you testified that your son looked up to my client. In fact, you

thought that my client helped keep your son alive, didn't you?

Did I often appreciate him looking out for my boy? Yes.

And I know they was friends.

But he got him involved in drugs. He got him into gang business. And with his

own hands, he killed him. So don't you dare be saying I should be sitting here

looking at him.

Yeah, I'm putting up the detective. I should only do about ten minutes,

Watch your windows, ma 'am!

Well, we should rest by the end of the day.

Okay.

Bye.

Great.

Hey, Bobby.

How's it going?

How's it going?

What in God's name? I think I got him. Got who? What? This law firm has rats.

What a surprise.

Oh, you know what, Lindsay? Where is it? It's in the corner, right there.

Nothing's moving.

I think I got him.

That is one dead rat.

I just don't like the feel of it. I thought we had a shot, but now my gut

take the manslaughter.

But even the doctors say it was a fluke the way the boy died.

Mrs. Burnett, he died from getting punched in the head.

Now, if Raymond didn't have a record, I'd say let's roll the dice.

But now I say let's take the manslaughter.

How long will you have to go to jail for that?

With his prize, you're looking at six.

I'd be hoping for four.

What do you mean, no?

I want him for murder, too. Oh, come on, Curtis. Yesterday you offered

manslaughter. That was yesterday.

So, what's changed?

What's changed is I was looking at that boy's murder on the stand and I just got

sick of it. I am sick of hearing, didn't mean it from the gangs. Come on,

Curtis. I took offense at you. I didn't like what I heard from you.

Which was?

Which was, these kids got nowhere else to turn but gangs. There's nobody there

for them but gangs. Oh, you don't think there's some truth in that? There's not

an excuse.

Now, look.

I was raised by a single parent. I lived in those neighborhoods, and I got out,

Eugene. Kids do make other choices. So you got out. I'm happy for you. That

doesn't mean that my guy should get murdered, too. A kid is dead because of

guy. Try the case, Curtis. I am trying my case.

Now, you try yours.

You guys should just tell her to walk.

We can't let her walk.

Rebecca, I'm not about to let her extort me. You say means if you're the only

one at fault. This is my firm. Listen to me. This firm is not just you and me

anymore. There's Eugene, Jimmy. They're not behind what she's doing. They don't

know the numbers. If they did, they might say give us some equity.

And if I do, what's to stop Eugene from wanting a piece and then Alan? Maybe

it's time for you to deal with that.

I don't have to. I guess you do.

Bobby, this is a... firm now. You have people committing to it, committing to a

promise made by you to build this place into something. I won't have a gun put

to my head.

You know what? Sometimes I think you like putting a gun to your own head.

Excuse me.

Mr. Shaw.

I know I got kind of digressed up there on the stand.

I got nervous, and I was thinking if you put me up there again, I could be more

vivid.

Well, I think we accomplished what we needed to accomplish, but thank you. I

left some things out.

He just peeled away, and it's a big screech.

For a fact, I could describe that. Now, I wouldn't have to mention Mr. Pinky.

Mr. Shaw, I know you'd like to testify again and collect another witness fee,

but...

I don't think I'm going to recall you.

Oh, well, okay, then.

If you need me, then you know where I am.

Okay.

And I think you're a nice lady, too. I'd just be remiss if I wanted to say that.

Thank you.

Who was that?

Homeless guy wanting to collect another witness today.

That stupid hit -and -run case.

I'm gonna miss Rebecca's luncheon. Oh, God, I need you there. I won't have

anybody to talk to.

It didn't go well.

Oh, no.

We need for you to describe how this happened, Raymond.

Well, like I said, Charlie drew the ace.

And the ace means that he had to go with the toughest guy for 60 seconds.

And that was you?

I didn't say that, but, uh... It was kind of like a vote.

Yeah. But, Raymond...

Charlie Johnson was your boy, your friend. You're the one who invited him

yes? Yeah.

Oh, come on. Can you take it a little easy on him? I mean, he wasn't allowed

fight back. This is your friend.

I had to hit him some.

If I didn't, they wouldn't have let him in. It had to be a real initiation, man.

So you did hit him pretty hard.

I was mostly jabbing.

But like I said, he couldn't hit back.

It had to go for 60 seconds.

Look, I was punching him mainly on the shoulders and in the back. Because I

that wouldn't do much.

But I had to hit him in the head some.

And then... Then what?

I was swinging a right to his head and he kind of swerved.

And I hit him right in the throat.

And he grabbed himself and he went down.

And I could tell he couldn't breathe, so I stopped and I tried to help him.

I thought maybe he swallowed his tongue, man. I put my fingers in his mouth,

but he couldn't get air.

He couldn't get air.

And then he was twitching on the ground, man.

He couldn't get air.

And then the paramedics came and they said something about his windpipe. Did I

crush something in his throat?

They took him away.

He was dead.

Dead.

You hit him hard, didn't you, Raymond? If I hadn't, he wouldn't have been let

into the gang. Ah, the gang that you talked him into joining.

The gang you got him to sell drugs for when he was 11 years old.

Objection.

Sustained.

Who is this, Raymond?

Objection.

Overruled. Who is this?

Charlie.

That's Charlie.

After you killed him, isn't it?

What's the matter? You don't want the jury to see the victim? Hey!

The objection is overruled.

How'd he get these bruises on his face, Raymond?

I had to hit him some.

You had to hit him some.

It isn't just about money.

Then what?

Is it?

It's about some direction.

How many times are we going to play this record? The firm needs direction. Do

you want to let me talk or not?

Bobby, let her speak.

The economy is way up. The business of law is way up in Boston. We are good

lawyers. And this place is still scratching. Why?

Management. It doesn't have any.

And you think you can do it better? Do I think I can do it better? I think he

can do it better.

Look,

may I say something? Then I'll shut up. I'll make it quick.

Go ahead.

Are you two, like, sleeping together?

Nice, Rebecca.

I didn't tell you.

He jumped out.

I thought I hit him. I heard a thump.

But I looked around and I didn't see anything.

So I drove off.

Well, Mr. Feldman, why didn't you stop?

Well, I did stop.

I looked around.

You didn't get out of your car?

No, I didn't. Why not?

Suppose I was afraid to. I was in a very bad area driving a Mercedes.

I didn't really want to get out.

But you struck a man.

Yes, but I thought he'd run off.

Plus, I wasn't sure it wasn't staged.

Staged? I thought he made it seem like I hit him, so I would stop, get out, only

to be mugged. Like I said, I was in a... Awful neighborhood. I was afraid.

Don't you think you should have at least checked? You hear a thump.

You think you hit somebody. I did check. I looked around. You stayed in your

car.

If a man were prone on the ground, how would you see him from in your car?

Especially at night.

In retrospect, I probably should have gotten out.

But like I said, I was afraid.

But you didn't even call the police.

Well, I probably should have.

Why didn't you?

Because I thought it was just a robbery attempt.

And since I hadn't been victimized, I didn't figure the police to do anything.

So you didn't even call them.

You had a car phone.

Look, I was scared.

I didn't think I heard anybody.

And the only thing going through my mind was, get the hell out of there.

Why didn't you notify the insurance company? Your car was damaged.

I was going to.

You were going to.

It's okay to punch people in the head so long as we call it initiation.

Some gangs require that you go out and cap somebody before you get into the

club.

I don't know about you, but I've had enough.

For all his remorse, ladies and gentlemen, there sits a gang member

convicted on drug offenses, twice on prior assaults.

And this is the man who lured the victim into drugs, into gang life.

And this is the man who killed the victim with his fists.

What are we supposed to do here?

Have a group cry for these poor kids disenfranchised by society?

Gangs are the only community they know.

Their fathers leave, their mothers work.

Society just isn't there for them, so it's okay to punch.

To initiate.

To fire a random shot on a drive -by. These are poor, unfortunate victims.

I don't buy it.

You want to work on community outreach programs?

Great. Where can I sign up to help? But first,

first, ladies and gentlemen, we must attack gang violence head on.

If you kill, you go to jail, damn it.

Don't tell me you had a lousy home life. Don't tell me your dad was a drunk. If

you sell drugs, If you recruit people into gangs, if you kill, you go to jail,

damn it.

You go to jail.

I

have

a 10 -year -old boy.

My greatest fear is that somebody like him might come along and convince my

hey, you're nothing without the colors.

I hate gangs as much as he does.

But this trial isn't about putting an end to gangs or gang violence. All this

trial is about, all this trial is about is whether this man intended to kill

Charles Johnson or was he so reckless that he should have known he put the

victim at extreme risk. He didn't. You heard the doctors.

Crushed windpipe.

Now, was it foreseeable that Raymond, with one punch, was going to kill his

friend? Of course not. Did he want to kill him? You know he didn't. He wasn't

even trying to hurt him. You know that, and so does the prosecution.

That's why when he got up here, he didn't go after Raymond Burnett as much

went after the gangs.

He said, let's stop these gangs. The gangs are the culprits. And maybe he's

right.

But this isn't a forum to cure the ills of society.

This is about one death, one defendant, and his intent. And if you don't find

that intent, you cannot punish him just because he's in a gang. Who or what he

is, that is not on trial here. If it were, I might say convict. For the sake

my son, I pray that you would.

But this trial is about the act.

And this act was an accident.

Let's not see the 12 of you go back there and turn into a gang.

Hmm?

Hi. Hello.

Rebecca, I was hoping I'd catch you. Shirley, what's up?

Well... Oh, um, Lindsay Doe, this is Shirley Yellen of Save Our Animals

Association. Nice to meet you. The pleasure.

You're not going to believe this.

Marcy Kelling works dispatch at Precinct 12.

You know, she's on our board of governors.

I don't know her. Well, she certainly knows you, since you're about to be one

our honorees.

She says, evidently, you killed a rat.

Yeah, in the office here.

What?

Oh, it's just the politics.

The last thing we need running in the paper is one of our honorees is a rat

killer.

I am not a rat killer. I know.

The media, you know, it's the kind of thing they get all creamy over.

So what do you think, Shirley?

Nothing.

Nothing. It doesn't mean a thing. I just wanted a response in case somebody

asked me. Don't worry about it.

Okay.

Well, I'll see you at the luncheon.

Wait, I'll walk you out.

Good night.

Good night.

Hi.

Rebecca told me your reason for springing this in front of everybody

taking it up with me privately.

I don't buy it.

There's no excuse for you not coming to me one -on -one. Bobby, I was afraid of

what I might say to you one -on -one.

What's that supposed to mean?

It means I might say that I think you're dysfunctional.

Your father's worked his whole life as a janitor in a big law firm. It made you

want to be a lawyer. It also made you hate them for the way that they treated

him. I mean, look at you.

Fancy suits in a rat -infested office?

As you try to get ahead, you fight yourself at the same time, and it hurts

everybody here.

One on one, I was afraid I might say that.

If that's the way you feel, why do you stay?

Because my best friends work here.

I don't want to leave.

And I'm in love with you.

I say that with no hope of you loving me back.

I don't even think I want it.

But I don't know. I mean, maybe as a result of my loving you, I also see you.

And I know with you in charge and only you in charge, this firm is maxed out.

And you might be too.

Looking good.

What did you change? Dry cleaners?

Funny. Rebecca's awards ceremony.

My jury's still out, so I... Tell her congratulations from me. I'd like to go

I didn't have this stupid hit -and -run case.

I'll tell her.

Okay.

Ellen, sorry I'm late.

Oh, that's okay. We haven't even started yet.

I guess I took a knife in the throat last night.

Who? The star witness show.

Mr. Cyclops got in some kind of beef with another homeless guy. They both

to sleep on the same heating vent.

He lost.

Is he dead?

Yeah. Ellen. Leland called.

I'm going to go try to steal a cup of coffee, okay?

This is a really good thing.

Saving dog shelters. It's nice that they honor you for this.

You know, the Jewish people believe one of the greatest things is the kindest

animals.

I'm not Jewish, though.

You look Jewish.

If you're insinuating that Jewish people have big heads, that's prejudice.

And mine's normal size.

Rebecca, could I steal you a second? Sure.

Let's not spoil this for Beck, huh?

Whatever our problems.

Excuse me.

You have got to be kidding me. You are still getting the award, I assure you.

But the board wants to talk about the incident after.

I wouldn't even give it another thought.

Then why are you telling me?

Because some of our more zealous members might make a fuss.

I want you to be prepared.

He didn't know he'd hurt anybody.

You hurt him.

And who among us wouldn't have been afraid to get out of the car in that

neighborhood?

Could have been a stage thing.

An attempt to rob Mr. Feldman.

We don't know who this John Doe was, what was in his mind, what he was up to.

Maybe he was some crazy nut.

Maybe he was already hurt when he jumped out.

There are so many unanswered questions here.

What do we know?

He was a good man.

A very good man who didn't know he'd hurt anybody.

When I get up to do my closing arguments, I often look over to the

the victim or the victim's family to remind myself what I'm fighting for.

But there's no family out there today.

We don't even have a victim in all of this when you think about it.

Somebody jumped out of the darkness and now he no longer exists.

But nobody knew he existed anyway, so what was really lost?

Of course Mr. Feldman wasn't going to get out of his car and check. Why should

he?

If a man dies in the forest and nobody hears him cry, then he doesn't make a

sound, does he?

The other day I was stopped at a traffic light and some bum came up asking to

wash my windshield.

I couldn't even tell you what he looked like.

Because I didn't look at him.

I just looked straight ahead.

Stopped at a traffic light or walking down the street.

I never look at him.

It's easier not to, huh?

But, uh... Maybe when you run one of these bums over,

you should stop the car.

Get out of the car.

Take a look.

Mr. Feldman knew he hit somebody, that we all know.

I guess the only question for you to go back and decide...

Is there any intrinsic value to human life?

Or does he have to be somebody?

I don't know.

It's your call.

Dream at a great price.

And she sleeps like a baby.

Charming.

Madam foreperson, the jury has reached a unanimous verdict.

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant please rise?

What say you?

Commonwealth versus Raymond Burnett on the charge of murder in the second

degree. We find the defendant, Raymond Burnett, not guilty.

The defendant is free to go.

The jury is dismissed, but thanks to the court.

I don't know how to say thanks, man.

You did that, man.

You asked me before if I was going to save his son.

I told you I'd try to keep him out of jail. I did. Now, whether or not he's

saved, that's up to the two of you.

You don't know how to say thanks.

For now, every time you see a 10 -year -old kid, you pretend he's mine.

Well, her person... in preserving both the Roxbury Animal Shelter and her

fundraising efforts to help build the Jamaica Plain Shelter. It is my great

pleasure to present the 1998 Basset Hound Award to Miss Rebecca Washington.

Thank you so much.

I'm so honored to come here today, especially to be honored for doing

I love.

I so love dogs.

But I have to be honest in saying that I'm a little thrown.

Okay. Two days ago, I killed a rat in my office, and I guess there are some

people in the association who are considering taking the trophy back from

Because of that.

So I'm just going to say this.

I hate rats.

Love dogs, but rats, they're filthy, disgusting, scummy little things. And

may be one of God's creatures, but they certainly don't represent his best work.

And if one tries to run up my leg, I will not apologize for stomping it to

death. Come on.

Let's all fess up. You'd all poison them if they were running around your house.

Now, part of me likes those spring traps because they make them suffer.

And then the gummy little rat squeaks out in pain and the rest of the rat know

better than to come in the area.

You ever seen a drowned one in a pool?

It's nasty.

So I ain't saving no rat. And if this cost me this award, then so be it.

I just hope I get to hold on to this long enough so I can use it to bash in

little rat head.

Otherwise, I thank you.

Thank you.

Not guilty?

Yeah. You too?

Yeah. Yeah.

How'd the luncheon go?

Had to leave.

My jury came back.

Good?

I don't think you'd like it.

I'm still all dressed up.

Get a drink or something?

Actually, I'd like to go for a walk.

Do you like walking?

It's cold out there.

Tell me about it.

Rebecca okay?

Yeah, I think she's just feeling the stress of everything.

And that, um... Jay hates rats.

Yeah.

Listen, are you lashing out because of us?

Or do you really believe that... Both.

I'm sure part of my frustration's got nothing to do with the practice.

But part of it does.

I know what you want this place to be.

And I think I can help you.

What?

Nothing. What?

I'm right here, Bobby.

I'm standing right here.

think this office stuff through.