Original subtitles

Previously on The Practice.

I'm not crazy about helping the guy who killed my sister.

All we're asking is that you talk about the internet thing.

Boyfriend lives alone, brother, big house. Why not plan B them? It might be

worth a try. Give them a soft plan B. Plan B, soft for both.

Did you murder your sister in frame, George Vogel? I'm watching!

Did you follow her to the bar, then go to the motel? That's sick!

You asked us to trust you.

You just stole my son's innocence.

I represent Steve Robin and his dad.

We're suing you. What?

Steve Robin?

Yeah, brother of the victim in your Vogelman trial.

Eugene accused him of being the killer. I can paint a pretty disgusting picture

of you guys in front of a jury.

Team plan B?

You take us to court and I promise you we will be screaming he is the killer

over again. And in the court of public opinion, he will be the killer.

Now get your ass out of this office and go tell your clients that truth is a

complete defense to defamation.

These are your scare tactics.

Eugene, Tommy Silva agreed to depose you here.

Probably so he doesn't have to spring for the coffee this skimp.

I ordered a cake for Rebecca's swearing -in party. Oh, I'm sure she'll be very

surprised. Oh, very.

She asked for chocolate.

I can't be worrying about cakes now. Have you finished with the pleadings

folder? In your bag.

Are you sure you don't want somebody in a second chair?

No, it was just a burglar I can handle. Well, who's covering the depot?

Me. But we really should be getting outside counsel.

We will if it goes to trial, but for discovery... Well, for a client, that's

what they say.

Thank you, Lucy.

This will be a short deposition, trust me.

It's not like I'm going to answer anything.

Yeah, well, what if Silva goes for obstruction of justice? It's really in

days.

We can go right into my office.

Hi, Lucy Hatcher.

Evelyn Mayfield.

I take it you've met Jimmy. I can introduce you to the others later.

The baby shaker, right?

Client, Lucy.

Client. Right.

The baby shaker.

Client.

Good handshake.

Strong wrists.

The results of the psychiatric exam are supposed to be in this afternoon.

And assuming she checks out, they'll let her go.

Oh, no.

I passed the polygraph.

Lie detectors aren't foolproof as far as they're concerned. We discussed this.

Plus, dead baby, they are not about to just let you go.

Well, how about they arrest the one who did it?

I mean, would they ever consider that?

I'll know more by the end of the day. For now... Remain calm. Yes, I know.

They accused me of killing an 11 -month -old child. But I should take it in

stride. I should just stay calm.

Their case is weak.

The fact that they gave you bail, they know their case is weak.

Let's just ride this out.

And yes, stay calm.

I was walking towards the side entrance.

when I saw a man exiting the warehouse with an armful of laser disc players.

About how far apart were you at the time?

About seven or eight yards.

And what happened next?

I called out for him to stop. He dropped what he was carrying and ran towards

the alley.

We're instructed not to put our lives on the line to protect property, so he got

away. How is the lighting in this area?

There's a light above the door. I got a very good look at him.

Do you see this man today?

He's the defendant.

How many laser disc players was the burglar carrying?

Four. Still in boxes? Yes, ma 'am. So his face was covered when you saw him.

Four boxes, each about ten inches high, must have at least partially covered his

face. But then he dropped him when he ran.

He ran toward you?

No, away. But there was a moment before he ran. I caught a look.

A moment?

Seconds. Seconds? More than ten seconds?

No. More than five?

It was like two or three seconds.

Two or three seconds. But I got a very good look.

There's no questions before you, ma 'am. Move to strike.

Did you have any conversations with Steve Robin prior to his testimony in

Vogelman murder trial?

Yes. Did you discuss what questions you would probably ask him?

Yes. Did you tell him that you planned to accuse him in court as the one who

killed his sister? Work product. Don't answer.

At the time you were having these discussions with Steve Robin, did you

accuse him of killing his sister?

Work product.

All objections have been waived. Not on privilege. We've got it on record. All

objections except to the form of the question. Of course we're not going to

reveal internal... We can get a court order. Fine.

Do it.

But for now, I just move on.

Are you familiar with the term plan B?

Work product.

I'm just asking if he's familiar with the term. And I answered.

Work product.

Move on.

When you accused Steve Robin in open court of possibly being the one who

his sister, what facts did you rely on?

Work product.

This the way we're going to play it?

Sorry, off the record.

You're suing us.

You expect us to play nice?

Did she do it?

Lucy. Because I saw it on court TV.

And they did this reenactment. And she just shook and shook and shook. Lucy.

Come on, Bobby.

Throw me a crumb.

Did she do it?

She didn't.

Because I saw it on court TV.

She just shook and shook.

Lucy.

You should know what people are saying.

We did okay, but it's close.

I think you gotta testify.

But you said if I take the stand, the DA can bring up my record.

Yeah, he can.

Well... If they find out I got two priors, won't they think I did this one?

They might, but I don't see much choice.

Okay. How is it we can't find one witness that saw you at the bar that

It was crowded, and I'd only been there that one time. Who's gonna remember?

Without a witness, it's like you don't have an alibi.

What?

Russell, now is not the time to be hiding things.

A buddy of mine was with me at the bar that night.

But... But what?

He's got a record. He don't want to get involved.

Russell, you are looking at a conviction here. Third time, it'll mean jail.

If he really is a buddy, he's got to come forward.

How do you find out we called Plan B? It's not exactly a trade secret. We're

kind of famous for it. He's going for a court order? Lindsay basically answered

work product to every question.

It was work product.

We'll be armed with the research because Pap hates discovery motions.

We'll be ready. Look, look, look.

Mayfield could begin this month.

Sources say that they're far apart from any deal. You remember Miss Mayfield is

charged with shaking to death an 11 -month -old child that was entrusted to

care. Turning to the... What's the deal on her?

I think she's innocent.

Oh, come on. All this church stuff she's into?

Nobody could be that Christian without being a little vicious.

Do you ever say anything thoughtful?

Look, all I'm saying is she had very strong wrists for a babysitter. Whether

that passes for thoughtful, you be the judge.

So you guys were together the whole night?

Yeah. And a bar called Little Freddy's from 11 till closing?

Yeah, that's right.

I'm a little curious why you didn't come forward before.

I mean, this is your best friend we're talking about. Now, I understand you

a record. Miss Washington, I got a decent job.

If it got out that... It was a sexual assault conviction

in 92, back in New York under another name.

What'd you do?

I said I raped a girl.

Anyway, let's just say I don't need that coming of light, you know?

Okay, I understand.

But Russell needs you.

This is your friend. He will go to prison.

Will they find out about my conviction?

It's a small case.

The odds are they aren't going to do a big background check on some burglary

trial.

But there is a chance, yeah.

Leave it in about 20 minutes.

Need anything else?

No. Okay.

Night.

Rebecca. Huh?

Oh, um, night.

Eugene, Bobby, I think I may have a problem. What?

My client, I mean, my trial, you know, the burglary, Russell Thurm? Yeah.

I think he's a serial killer.

Really? Excuse me? I can't be sure, but I mean, I think.

What's going on?

Rebecca's client's a murderer.

Close the door.

I think he's one of the harbor stranglers everybody's talking about.

Who? My client.

I just got finished meeting with his alibi witness.

I told Russell that we needed a witness.

And he told me that he was in a bar with this other guy, Ronzoni, who I just met

with. Slow down.

Okay. This Ronzoni.

I think he's the other serial killer. I saw his arm.

What did he tell you?

Well, he didn't tell me anything. What do you think he's going to tell you?

Don't go around admitting that you're a serial killer. I mean, he's not some

serial confessor. Rebecca, slow down.

Okay. Okay.

Ronzoni. Has a tattoo.

Dice.

Right there.

It's in all the papers.

One of the harbor stranglers has a dice tattoo on his arm. Yeah, that's true.

I've heard that. And he also has a sexual assault conviction.

He raped a girl. That doesn't mean... No, no.

August 14th, Russell and Ranzoni are at a bar on Franklin until 2 in the

morning. Michelle Cummings, the prostitute, was killed that night. Now,

it up.

She was last seen around 2 on the corner of 18th and Franklin, which is just

three blocks from their bar. Now, I've got a rapist with a tattoo near the

of the crime. You're going to tell me that doesn't add up? I mean, now we know

he didn't knock off a video store. He was busy killing somebody.

So, do we call the police?

Well... They're serial killers. Hold on. Unless someone is in immediate

danger... Who?

Any young girl that's who. I don't think you can reasonably believe someone's in

danger unless you first know that these are the serial killers. And just on a

tattoo... Even if they are, who's to say they're going to do it again?

Of course they're going to do it again. They're serial killers. That's why

they're called serial killers. They keep doing it.

What do you think?

Well, if you knew these were the guys, that'd be one thing, maybe, but... Why

don't we just turn in Ranzoni? He's not my client.

You'll end up implicating Russell.

Did you read what they did to those girls?

I'm not sure we can do anything yet. Bobby, how can we not do anything?

All you got is a belief that your client and his alibi witness are bad guys.

So I do nothing.

You defend your client.

Asking them what they believe that the time is not invading work product. Of

course it is. When our beliefs are based on internal discussions made between

each other. Take a look at the transcript of the deposition, Judge.

wouldn't answer anything.

They also asserted work product to almost every request we made for

production. Documents that were generated in preparation... That's not

fly, Miss Dole.

You're not going to sweep everything under work product.

All this stuff falls under our strategy in defending... Yeah, and it's your

strategy that you're being sued for.

You can't pierce work product. If you could, then... Look, this is a simple

cause of action.

He's saying that you didn't have a good faith belief for pointing your finger at

the brother. He's entitled to explore that. It isn't that simple. If you

allow... I'm making it that simple.

Now, you answer all of these questions truthfully, completely, or I'll enter a

judgment for the plaintiff right now.

I'd appeal it right now. Get it certified to SJC. And if we lose, then

right back before this guy who will be even more angry than he already is. You

weren't afraid of pissing off Judge Hiller in the Pearson trial? That was

the verdict, Eleanor. This guy's the trial judge. We can't be answering

questions about the judge who's biased against us. We're dead.

Table it.

Hey, guys.

Look, I know this sounds self -serving, but like I'm trying to have it both

ways. Truth is, I really don't like suing other lawyers.

Especially a small firm. I feel like we're from the same club.

That aside, I am suing you, and you guys face some serious exposure.

Not just money -wise, but public relations, too.

Be smart.

Settle this.

I won't push for anything beyond your policy limit.

You know I'm right.

Let's not be silly.

You've given it a lot of thought. Oh, isn't this just a little too incestuous?

I've slept with Bobby Donald. My roommate is Lindsay Dole. And you've

against him before, sir. Yes, which has never proven to be a very good idea.

I know it's asking a lot, but there's a lot of heat here. Dead babies make good

coffee. Do you know how much of a personal life I have?

Lindsay's my best friend. Bobby's a friend, too. They just sandbagged you in

open court. That was Eleanor Frutt.

Helen.

You better than anybody know this firm. You're the only DA we have that seems to

be able to beat them.

We need you.

I tendered his name as soon as I became aware of him. It's unfair surprise, Your

Honor. There's no real surprise, Your Honor. This witness corroborates my

client's alibi. The defendant obviously feels he's losing, so he found someone

to lie for him. I don't understand why, if this is your client's friend, you

didn't know about him any sooner.

Your Honor, as soon as I became aware of this witness, as soon as I had the

opportunity to talk with him, I tendered his name.

I'll cut you a little slack this time. I'll grant a continuance until 9 o

tomorrow so you can prepare for the witness.

The report was not right.

What do you mean?

The psychiatrist thinks you could be in denial.

What? He makes room for the possibility that you don't even have a memory of it.

That's why you passed a polygraph.

You're saying that I committed a murder, but I don't have a memory of it?

It was a court -ordered report.

It can't be introduced, so I'm not even worried about it.

But it doesn't encourage the DA to let you go either.

Speaking of which, we just got a little more bad news there, too.

Helen Gamble will be prosecuting.

Who's Helen Gamble? One of their best on homicides.

She and I also used to be involved.

She lives with another lawyer at my firm. She knows us all very well. I

that's why she's been put on.

But it's not all bad.

I know her style, too.

You've tried cases against her before?

Several times.

Who usually wins?

It comes down more to the facts than the lawyers.

So she usually wins?

Their case is very circumstantial and...

That since you were the last one with the baby... The father did it.

People have seen him be abusive.

But Kevin was with you when he stopped breathing.

It may not be proof you did it, but it sure as hell gets reasonable doubt to

father.

That's why they're prosecuting me, isn't it?

The public wants a conviction, and I'm the only one they can get.

I want you to talk to everybody, anybody who knows her. Our whole defense might

be it's not in her character.

Okay. Eleanor, I'd like you to go for the medicals, see if anything's

unanswered, pre -existing conditions.

The cause of death isn't in question, Bobby. The autopsy was... I don't want

assume that. If the autopsy is accurate, fine, but let's not be giving them the

benefit of the doubt.

Is it just me, or is this a perfect plan B?

We've got an abusive father, and we're just running scared because we got sued.

Nobody's running scared. We'll go after the father if we have to.

What's the deal on the other?

Eugene's depot resumes tomorrow.

Two o 'clock.

May I make a very unpopular suggestion?

Forget it.

If we were representing another firm being sued for this, we would absolutely

recommending settlement.

It's not another firm. It's us.

Our policy limit is 1 .5. Suppose the jury slaps us with a $3 million

It's not just everything in this office we lose. We're named personally.

They'll take our cars, our refrigerators. If we settle this, it's

of liability that will be headlines in every legal publication.

That's not true. It is true, Lindsay. And on principle, how do we cave? Forget

principle. I'm talking about surviving. Which we won't do without principle.

Now, the practice of law may only amount to a conference table to you. With me,

it's more. All right. Who are you kidding?

You stood up in open court and accused a brother of killing his sister. You're

going to claim the high road? We all agreed to plan B to God. A soft plan B.

went for the throat.

Now we're getting sued.

You not only owe an apology to that kid, you owe one to the rest of us here.

Will you put at risk? Hey, Lindsay, you're the one who first told us to go

the brother. Not like that I didn't.

I said raise the question.

A jury is going to kill us. All right, that'll do.

At a minimum, Lindsay may be right about outside counsel.

I'm going to look to bring somebody else in.

Should I send it back?

I mean, it's supposed to be chocolate.

This is German chocolate.

Puke. Will she care?

Jimmy, it's got coconut bits.

It's just a cake, Lucy. How often does a person get sworn in to be a lawyer?

You know, this is a big thing, Jimmy.

You don't celebrate big things with... German puke coconut bit chocolate.

Cereal killer.

I'm on break.

Can I help you?

Uh, yeah, I'm looking for a Rebecca Washington.

Mr. Ronzoni. Yeah.

Uh, look, I'm having some second thoughts about this. Can I do this,

affidavit or, uh... I don't think you can.

Suppose they dig up my record.

You have already done your time for that. They can't do anything.

Look, I will just ask you a few questions. Keep it short.

What questions exactly?

Do you recall where you were on August 14th at 1 .30 in the morning?

Uh, yeah. I was at Little Freddy's, a bar on Franklin near the corner of 15th.

Did anyone accompany you to the bar that night?

Yes. Russell Thurm.

We arrived together around 11 and left together about 2.

From 11 till 2, were you ever apart from Mr. Thurm?

Other than a couple minutes for a bathroom run, no.

Well, how can you be sure that it was August 14th that you were together?

Well, I have a credit card receipt.

Is this the receipt you are referring to?

Yeah. Mark and identify, Your Honor.

Mark, Exhibit 7. Could you please read the highlighted portion?

Little Freddy's.

$31 .78, Peter T. Ronzoni, August 14th, 1998, 1 .57 a .m.

Thank you.

Russell Thurm's name appears nowhere on this receipt, does it?

Well, why would his name be on my receipt?

So all the receipt proves is that you were in the bar that night, doesn't it?

Objection. Sustained.

Do you consider Russell Thurm a friend?

Yeah. A good friend?

I guess.

You don't want to see your good friend go to jail, do you?

No.

Stayed in that bar until two, huh? Yes.

Didn't leave before closing.

Right.

Right.

I really appreciate you talking to me.

You know, Mr. Berluti, my entire congregation would have been here if you

asked them.

You don't think Evelyn could have done this. It's beyond any possibility.

I won't throw around the saint word, but Evelyn Mayfield is not only a

gentlewoman, she's one of the most loving.

She's probably babysat the children of over half the congregation.

Nobody has ever complained that she had a temper or, you know, used corporal

punishment? No.

Mr. Berluti, they're still calling her to babysit.

Now, I may not be the world's best judge of character, but they've got the wrong

person.

You know the father of the victim.

I do. He's in the congregation.

You think he could have done this?

I really don't feel comfortable commenting on that.

He saw that he was basically unaccounted for at the time of the crime.

That raised suspicion.

Did you have any evidence of Steve Robin having a history of violence?

No, but that doesn't mean... The answer to the question was no.

Doesn't mean what?

The answer was no.

Are you familiar with the term plan B?

This is word product.

If we go back before the judge... I don't want to be giving this away. Just

the answer we discussed.

Yes, I'm familiar with the term.

Could you define it, please?

Sometimes when we have clients who we feel did not commit the crime with which

he or she is charged...

Instead of simply aiming to establish reasonable doubt, which we would

plan A, we endeavored to raise the possibility of perhaps another suspect

had motive and opportunity to commit the crime.

We call that plan B.

You point the finger at somebody else.

Yes.

And in the Vogelman trial, you pointed the finger at Steve Robin. We raised the

question as to his motive and opportunity.

It went okay. I think we have a good shot.

What happens next?

Closing argument, then we wait for the verdict.

Well, I'm not going to be here for any of that, Bryce.

No.

Hello?

What?

I taped as much as I could.

Shaw is believed to be the 10th victim of the now infamous Harbor Stranglers.

15, she would also be the youngest victim of these grisly killers.

Though police are releasing few details at this hour, we do know this.

Her naked body was found by a homeless man on Tuesday.

At this hour, it appears Ms. Shaw was abducted while walking home from a

friend's house.

It doesn't change anything, Beck.

It doesn't change anything, Bobby. They just killed somebody else. You don't

know it was them.

You don't know they're the killers. You don't know they're going to hurt

somebody else. You have no legal right to do anything.

Legal? What about moral right? That oath you're about to take tomorrow has

nothing to do with moral right. Both of these spoken just like a true defense

attorney. But you are on this case.

is the worst part of the job, Rebecca.

But it does go with the job.

I know you know because you've seen me and Eugene and everybody here agonize

over this same kind of situation.

The reason you're so frustrated is... is because you know

you don't have a choice.

My feeling is she's very much the wonderful person they claim. A wonderful

person who shook a baby to death. Well, that's why I think denial is possible.

It would be unconscionable to hurt a child, inconceivable to her that she

hurt him.

So if she snapped, she may have blocked it out.

I'm hearing too many ifs. I'm not walking into court with if.

Did she do this or not?

I'm not saying she did it. You're saying she did.

What's going on? Did you not find she was in denial?

You asked me to evaluate this person to determine if she was psychologically

capable. We asked you, in your professional opinion, if she committed

Well, that's ridiculous to ask me that. I don't know the facts. All right, all

right, hold on.

If you don't think she did it, how the hell do you find her to be in denial?

Look, Miss Gamble, I don't need... All right, Doctor, just tell us.

I found a pattern of denial with her.

When she's pushed, she retreats into God and her religion. There were certain

memory lapses she couldn't account for, but I don't think she was lying.

I'm very confused here.

The baby died in her custody. There are things she didn't remember. My suspicion

is her memory is blocked.

And she's the one blocking it.

I want to offer manslaughter.

Go ahead.

Come in.

Ms. Washington?

I'd like to withdraw from the case.

On what grounds?

Irreconcilable differences.

You're going to have to do better.

Hypothetically, let's just say a lawyer has reason to believe his client is a

serial killer.

Would that be legal cause?

Is your client asking you to commit a crime or fraud?

No. Your request to withdraw is denied.

Hypothetically, what if he's about to commit a crime?

You have knowledge of that?

Well, not specific knowledge, but common sense. Common sense?

You realize you violated your ethical obligations coming in here with this?

You asked whether I had legal cause. I just posed a hypothetical. Counsel, I'm

going to give you the benefit of intelligence and assume that you knew

you walked in here that you didn't have cause.

Look, if a client doesn't pay, that... That's legal cause to withdraw. I

something a little more fierce like rape or murder might qualify too. Yes, and

you figured if you couched it as a hypothetical, you could make an end run

around the legal ethics and that maybe I would pass on the information to the

police. You were wrong.

Suppose he kills somebody else. Counsel.

Did you come in here for me to make it easier for you?

I will.

Go and prepare your closing.

And if I have the slightest suspicion that you are not vigorously defending

client, I will, I promise you, turn you over to the board of bar overseers. I

will report that you passed on information prejudicing your client,

tried to bias me against him, and that you threw the case.

And you won't even make it to tomorrow's ceremony.

Man slaughter best we can do. She didn't do it, Helen.

Coroner's telling me she did.

It was the father. Oh, come on, Bobby. Don't you think we'd like it to be the

father? History of abuse, tendency towards violence.

He was the obvious suspect.

But the doctors tell us the death was immediate.

Evelyn Mayfield was the only one there.

Is it true her church is paying her legal fees?

Yeah.

Helen, friend to friend.

Oh, yeah, let's trade on that truck thing I've got going with your office.

I think she's innocent.

Bobby, you always do.

And you always think they're guilty.

Well, that's probably why we didn't work out.

I'll give you manslaughter.

Miss Washington?

Miss Washington?

This may seem like just a simple burglary case, but there's much more at

I promise you that.

It's the integrity of our criminal justice system.

That system is designed to preserve people's rights.

We go to great lengths to do that.

One right is that someone can't be found guilty without proof.

beyond a reasonable doubt.

What do we have here?

A nighttime ID, boxes covering the burglar's face, the security guard

momentary glimpse.

That is their entire case.

Not a big part, not most, but their entire case.

A few seconds.

As the suspect was running away in the opposite direction with boxes blocking

his face beyond a reasonable doubt?

Add to that, my client has an alibi.

Mr. Ronzoni placed him at a bar at the exact time of the crime.

Yes, they're friends.

But he had a credit card receipt, didn't he?

The DA...

is going to try to get you to believe the security guard more than my client's

alibi witness.

Even if you do, that is not enough to convict.

Remember, your verdict here isn't one of those news magazine polls where you

dial a 900 number and give your opinion.

You're here to uphold an oath.

An oath that's the very essence of our jury system.

We don't take away a man's freedom unless the state satisfies a burden of

They didn't they didn't even come close

I

Don't know about you, but I always find a little suspicious when

defense lawyers start waxing about oaths and Integrity of systems and burdens of

proof, they usually mean they're short on facts.

Our system isn't to turn criminals loose.

Integrity isn't relying on the credit card receipt of a suspect's buddy who

makes an 11th hour appearance.

Your oath here was to serve justice.

We have an eyewitness, an eyewitness who saw that man with the laser disc

players.

Come on.

I agree that there is more at stake here than a simple burglary.

I also agree that there's some integrity on the line.

Yours.

Sorry.

How'd she do? I think pretty well.

Okay, I've consulted three lawyers, all guys I trust, all three.

Say settle.

What?

People in this case, let's call them jurors, aren't crazy about lawyers to

with. It's not likely they'll be too sympathetic to qualified immunity

arguments. Add to that the facts, pinning the victim's one brother. Add to

Tommy Silva, Joe Red Sox fan who juries love.

The consensus is for us to cut our losses and to get out. What we did in

courtroom is protected.

And I'm not running from Tommy Silva. We've beaten bigger guys than him. We've

never been people who run scared.

I won't bend over for this.

I want to fight. So do I.

I say settle.

Jimmy?

I say fight.

Of course, I'm not a partner. I'm not at risk like everybody else, including

Rebecca, who's not even sworn in yet.

I'm just an associate.

I keep going back to what if we lose.

It's not just a case.

I don't think... And it's not just a conference table.

This could be our whole practice.

Then we start over.

Whatever we do.

It can't be a decision out of ego.

I want to fight. We have to fight it.

Okay.

Jimmy, you're first chair. What? What? What?

Sylvia Stiles, I'm just a regular guy. Jimmy's our best guy to counter that.

He's regular, too. Yeah, well, if that's... Look, no offense, Jimmy, but

our best at our best. Shouldn't you be doing it? I mean, he's good. I mean,

you're great.

But we need our... Best.

Jimmy will first chair.

I'll second.

Anything else?

Okay, back to work.

Mommy, Evelyn Mayfield's here with her husband.

Who died?

How long we gotta wait?

Well, they'll only go for another hour, then suspend till tomorrow.

You guys got plans or something?

They've offered manslaughter.

It's something that we should consider.

Surely you're not suggesting she plead guilty.

What I'm suggesting is they have a medical case indicating that the child

almost immediately.

That will be tough for us to explain.

And there's a risk of a murder to conviction. That's 20 years, maybe more.

Manslaughter, good behavior, you could be out in three.

But I didn't do this.

I know this doesn't sound great, but whether you did it or not doesn't really

matter.

Does it matter?

Of course it matters on one level.

In terms of deciding how to proceed here, what I have to weigh is the

prosecution's chances of convicting you.

Your innocence is almost... almost irrelevant there.

As I said, they have a circumstantial case, but in my opinion...

A motion will be against you.

I'm not crazy about rolling the dice.

Not with 20 years.

I didn't shake that baby.

And I'm sitting with one of the best criminal lawyers in the city and he's

telling me to plead guilty.

I'm telling you, you could be looking at guilty.

That baby came to me crying.

After about ten minutes, I was finally able to console him.

I rocked him until he fell asleep.

I put him in his crib.

I came back in about 15 minutes, and he was dead.

If I'm convicted of killing him, then so be it.

But I didn't kill him.

I know it.

And God knows it.

And I suspect that that child's father knows it.

And I will not say that I did do it just to get less jail time.

Okay.

Then we go to trial.

Will the defendant please rise?

Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

In the matter of Commonwealth v.

Russell Thurm, on the charge of breaking and entering at night, we find the

defendant, Russell Thurm, not guilty.

The jury is dismissed with the thanks of the court. We're adjourned.

Yeah. Not guilty.

Really? She's on her way to the ceremony now, which, by the way, we better get a

move on. Jimmy, Bobby, let's go.

Hey, we've got time.

It's Washington, W.

They'll be calling her at the end. Yeah, we should be there at the beginning.

Let's go.

Hey, Jimmy, you got a sec?

I didn't mean to put you down.

It's just that this case is so much on the line.

Please don't misunderstand me.

I understand you perfect.

Can you believe she's about to be sworn in?

Hey, you think I should go to law school?

No.

China rain, I like that. Helen wears that.

I'm not wearing China rain.

I wear Slovakian snow.

We hugged alone.

Please rise.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me.

I, your name, solemnly swear that I will do no falsehood.

Aye. Rebecca Washington, solemnly swear that I will do no fault to...

Nor consent to the doing of any in court.

Nor consent to the doing of any in court.

I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any false, groundless, or

unlawful suit.

I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any false,

groundless...

I will conduct myself in the office of an attorney within the courts,

according to the

best of my knowledge and discretion, and

with all fidelity, as well to the courts as my clients.

As well, of course, as my clients.

So help me God.

So help me God.

Congratulations.

You're all officially members of the bar.