Original subtitles

Why do you keep defending this guy?

Because I like him.

Because he was my first client ever.

And because he's innocent.

I also have the time because I didn't get these bestest business.

Funny.

Uh, can I help you?

Dolores Kepler.

I'd like to hire an attorney.

The nastiest one you've got.

That would be Eleanor Frey, but she just left.

Um, what's this regarding?

Divorce. I really don't want a woman.

I want a...

Well, dick is an offensive word, but it's the only one I can think of. I know

exactly what you're saying, and Eleanor Fred's definitely what you're looking

for. Lucy.

Bobby. Hi, um, this is Dolores Kepler. This is Bobby Donald.

She's looking to hire an attorney.

I heard.

Hello.

Donald, you're the senior partner?

Yes. Yeah, but he's not nearly as tough.

Lucy, we're not exactly divorce attorneys here. I know, you're criminal.

what I'm looking for. Down and dirty street fighters.

My husband.

Well, let's just say I want him to hurt, and I'm willing to pay for it.

Danny? Hey, Bobby.

Got a sec?

Kind of important.

Uh, sure.

Mrs... Kepler.

Um... Uh, Jimmy, could you sit down with Mrs.

Kepler? Sure.

He doesn't look very mean to me.

You'd be surprised.

Danny?

Hi, James Berluti.

I'm in a little bit of a jam.

What's up? Attorney client?

Of course.

Long story short, a woman named Jenny Raines.

Girl, I should say. She's 16.

Teenage hooker charged with murder.

Murder? Don't you slum me in criminal law now? You'll know why in a second.

Jenny did not commit this crime.

I know this because one of my biggest corporate clients was with her at the

time. Playing checkers?

Exactly.

He's not willing to come forward.

Instead, he comes to me, hires me to defend her. Evidently, he feels bad for

her.

Cut to, I'm headed into trial today.

A lot of money in it.

Take a handoff?

For a trial starting today?

You'll get a continuance. Danny. I figure it's probably unethical for me to

represent the girl and my client anyway. Oh, just now you figured that out? The

case is circumstantial. I thought for sure it would go away.

And it didn't.

Like I said, I'm in a jam.

Bobby, for old time's sake, bail me out.

She needs a real criminal lawyer.

How do you agree to even represent her?

Because she'd been stuck with some rookie PD and my client wanted her taken

of. Taken care of would be getting her an independent lawyer who might track

your client out as a witness.

Look, she's better off with me than the PD.

But you're the best I know.

Who's sitting?

Nelson. Nelson? He's not going to give you a continuance?

If the DA agrees, he might.

Who's a DA?

Helen Gamble.

I told him to meet me over here at court.

All right, Lucy, if he does show up there, just tell him to get his ass down

here quick before the judge issues a warrant, okay?

Earl. Hey.

Eleanor. Uh -oh.

You've got that look.

What look? The look of a defense attorney who's missing a client.

Is he in no show again?

He inserted his little missile into every orifice on her body.

With me, he's a little flaccid piece of confetti. And suddenly, with his

secretary, he becomes Stonehenge. Could I stop you one second?

Yes. The thing about no -fault divorce, flame doesn't become an issue.

I want it to.

Mrs. Kepler, these things come down to financial statements. I want it to come

down to more.

Married 19 years. It has to come down to more.

And... By more, you mean... Pain. His.

He needs to hurt.

Your Honor, we'd be asking for a warrant. It's already 10 .30 and the

is not present. Ms. Front, any information on your client's

Well, Your Honor, if you could hold this case for just a few more minutes, I'm

sure Mr.

Sowers is on his way. He has to take two buses and it's possible... I think that

an hour and a half is long enough to wait.

even taking the pitfalls of public transportation into account.

Last call for Sowers.

Leonard Sowers.

Leonard?

I'm here.

He's here, Your Honor. He's been here all along.

Your motion is denied.

Your Honor, I just got this case.

I don't care. Mr. Rogers has had it for three months.

Mr. Rogers doesn't specialize in criminal law.

Well, he should have thought of that before now.

Your Honor, come on.

I'll give you the morning to get up to speed.

After lunch, we go.

Adjourned.

Grace. Sorry, Bobby.

You should probably meet with her.

What's going on, Leonard?

I'm not feeling too good. I need to get a continuum. Okay, well, that's not

going to happen. We talked about this. This is the third time your case has

set for trial. Ellie.

Oh, God.

I'm practically getting a contact high off your breath.

I needed to calm my nerves. Being a defendant is stressful.

Well, being your attorney is stressful.

And, you know, I asked you to tone down what you wear for trial.

The last thing we need is for a jury to think you look like a drug dealer.

I don't understand. They got Denny Staples for this. Why'd they got to keep

coming after me? Because you were in the apartment when the police raided it.

And just because a co -defendant pleads guilty doesn't mean they dismiss your

case. How many times do I have to explain that?

You sound like you're on their side.

I am on your side. I have been on your side for nine years, you big dope.

Leonard, listen to me.

With your priors, if we lose here, you are looking at 20 years.

Do you get that?

Because I really need you to get that.

Who am I talking to here?

We both heard the scream.

And when we looked out the window, that's when we saw him.

The victim.

And somebody running away.

The man I was with just left. He wanted to get out of the area before the police

came. And what did you tell him? I went down the street to check on the guy who

got stabbed.

And that's when the police came and arrested me, saying I did it. Okay,

Mr. Rogers has some conflicts of interest here. You know this.

Yes.

The man I was with was his client.

Yeah. And since Mr. Rogers has to look out for his client, he won't tell you to

reveal this man's name. He never told me his name. Just the same, we have to try

to find him.

Bobby. I'm sorry, Danny. I can't not tell her this.

The reason I came to you... Jenny, I'm going to talk to Mr. Rogers for a

and then I'll be back.

I told you what I told you in confidence. Are you nuts?

Of course she has to know this.

In a textbook world, yes. No, Danny, in this world.

She can't be protecting the identity of her alibi. She is up on murder.

Look at her from our side.

My client, he has no duty to come forward, no duty to help out getting her

lawyer, so why should he be punished for doing so?

Well, I doubt if he'll get charged for it. It's not the criminal charges.

He's a CEO, married, four kids, and by the way, she's underage. He would get

charged. Danny, the girl can't be counseled to conceal her alibi. I know

know this.

She didn't get his name anyway, so... You know his name.

Attorney -client privilege. I couldn't give it to you if I wanted to. So you're

willing to ignore the rules for one client but not for the other? That's not

fair.

Look, we can debate this all day. Bottom line, we both want to help out that

girl.

Let's do what we can.

Oh, no, you don't. You've never done a divorce case.

This will be a good experience.

Sounds like a Lujac. Every Lujac is so you can get experience.

Rebecca, you heard that woman.

She wants somebody nasty.

Now, do you think that helps weigh me?

How about we do it together?

Having you by my side, maybe it'll make me nastier.

I didn't mean how that came out.

Hey.

Hey, Kendall.

Is my dad here?

I think he's down posting a bond.

He should be back in a second.

Okay.

You burn, you know that?

Excuse me?

You like movies?

Get one.

Maybe want to go to the movies sometime?

With me?

You mean as friends?

Yeah.

Yeah, as friends.

Well, um, be sure.

Excellent.

Mrs. Kepler, this is Rebecca Washington.

She's going to do this case with me. Hi.

Hi.

Good.

She looks meaner.

Much.

Then we entered the residence pursuant to a search warrant.

And what did you discover?

Another subject, Denny Staples, was seated at the kitchen table.

On top of the table, right in front of that subject, was a large bag of a white

crystalline substance I believe to be cocaine.

Did you discover anything else in that kitchen area?

Yes. Also on the kitchen table, there was a beam scale and numerous empty mini

Ziploc baggies. These are items commonly used to package drugs for sale.

Anybody else present in the apartment at that time?

I found Mr.

Sowers, the defendant, lying down on a sofa in the living room. Did you notice

anything unusual about the defendant?

Yes.

Lying on his chest was a bag of cocaine.

packaged in the same plastic packaging material that was recovered from the

kitchen table.

And what did you do at that time?

I placed the defendant under arrest, and another officer placed Mr. Staples

under arrest in the kitchen.

We recovered the seized items, then they were inventoried by Officer Terrell.

The suspect narcotics were sent to the crime lab for testing and analysis,

proved positive for cocaine.

Officer Smetko, my client wasn't named in the search warrant you were

was he? No, he wasn't. In fact, the only person named in the warrant was Denny

Staples. That's right.

And who let you into the apartment that morning?

We entered forcibly.

You broke down the front door?

Correct. And how many officers were involved with that raid?

Eight altogether.

And did you announce your office when you entered?

Yes, we did.

So, the noise of the door being broken down...

Eight officers entering, and you're saying Leonard was just lying peacefully

the sofa, bag of drugs in full view.

He appeared to be passed out.

And did he wake up when you entered?

No. I had to shake him a little to wake him up.

So you don't know if he even knew the drugs were on his chest.

How could he not know?

Well, you didn't see Leonard place the bag on his chest, did you?

No, it was there when I entered. So isn't it possible that somebody placed

his chest after he fell asleep?

Anything's possible, but... You don't know who put it there, do you?

No.

I have no interest in hell.

But I'd sooner go there to rot before giving her a penny. Not a dime, not a

nickel, but a penny more than I have to.

Except if she agreed to stick it up her ass. In that case, I'd hold out a silver

dollar. Am I being too subtle? You see, this is what I lived with. All this

anger over being short.

fat and witless he directs towards me. All my misery I take out on you because

you inspire it. All right, but let's try to be constructive here. I didn't hire

you to be constructive. I hired you to get even. Could I interject for a

We are not talking about a lot of money here, and the division is pretty

statutory. I'm quite happy to give her what she's entitled to as long as she

spends that much in legal fees trying to get it. Mr.

Kepler, that remark could come back to cost you. Mr. Baluti, I can understand

how someone could represent murderers.

Rapists, they're human beings too.

Here's a tip.

She isn't. Deep down, she's as much of the pig as she looks like on the

I dream of a meat hook running up your rectum.

It's the only way I can sleep in full.

I'm not comfortable with this dialogue.

I know it had to be around 10 .30 because that's when I left the

which is maybe a mile from there.

Can you tell us what you saw?

Basically, two people arguing.

The guy looked kind of heated, and the woman was dressed like a prostitute.

As we turned the corner, we saw a woman running in the opposite direction, away

from the body.

What did you do then?

I let my partner out to tend to the victim.

I then continued my pursuit of the woman.

She ran down an alley. I got out and chased her on foot, and eventually I

up to her.

I then placed her under arrest.

Do you see that woman in this courtroom, officer?

I do, the defendant.

You never saw her do anything to the victim?

No, I didn't.

You just saw her run away?

Yes. And when you caught up to her, did she say anything?

She denied stabbing the man.

See any blood on her clothing?

No. Find a murder weapon?

No.

Thank you, officer.

You have to testify.

Why were you seen near the body?

Only you can answer that question. Okay.

Now, look, I'll tell you again. If we could just find this guy you were with.

Mr. Donald, even if I could find out who this guy is, I don't really want to

turn him in.

He's helped me by giving me lawyers, paying for them.

I'm not about to betray the guy.

Well, that's admirable, Jenny.

Are you ready to be convicted of murder?

Mr. Rogers thinks we'll win.

It's close enough to get nervous.

What about calling Rogers to the stand? Let him testify as to the whole

situation. What do you mean?

Rogers can testify his client was with the girl at the time of the murders, but

attorney -client privilege prevents him from saying who his client is. It would

be hearsay.

Declaration against interest.

The guy was with an underage hooker.

My advice is go to the judge now.

This is way too dicey, Bobby, even for you.

Anonymous hearsay?

Is it ethical to try that? Well, I don't know, but it seems that neither of them

is looking for anything material. They just want to be satisfied the other is

miserable. I'm not very good at play acting.

I couldn't convince my mother to let me stay home from school even when I had a

fever.

We can start with Dolores, then do James.

But it means kind of lying to our clients.

Mr. Berluti.

We're kind of lying to them anyway, pretending to be sympathetic.

They're awful people.

Well, it's just an idea. If you think that... No.

Let's do it.

What do you mean he asked you out?

He asked me to go to the movies with him.

What did you say?

Well, um, I meant to say no. You meant to say no? I did, yeah. But it just came

out sort of... Yes.

What? Well, he said, let's go as friends.

And he's a nice kid, and I thought... You gotta tell him no, Lucy.

I will.

Look, you better be there to talk to him afterwards, because if he's got this

big crush, he's gonna be hurt.

He's 11.

Me testify?

Just tell it like it is.

You think Nelson would go for it?

I don't know.

He'd ask for some offer of proof.

Are you willing to do it?

Well... I'd have to give him to my client.

But I think he'd go along.

Suppose Gamble then subpoenas my client list.

Starts an investigation.

Identity isn't privileged.

I think we can make an argument that in this case it should be.

That's what it'd be.

Let's first see how Jamie doesn't understand, all right? And then... 20

Yeah.

And I'd have to serve it?

Leonard, haven't you been listening to me?

Okay, look.

Tomorrow, Staples is going to testify. If he does, okay.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

We haven't lost yet. Come on.

I'm sorry.

All right, all right, come on. This is what we need.

You have to go home and sleep.

You have to get some rest. We don't want you falling asleep in court anymore.

Okay.

Clean and sober tomorrow, okay?

Can you do that, Leonard?

Yeah.

Okay.

Denny, I thought you were going to shave.

I'm a convicted drug dealer, Miss Fry.

You really think people are going to think less of me because I got a beard?

Well, they might think less of you if you look like Charles Manson. Look.

I owned up to the truth and pled guilty to this.

How can they be going after Leonard? Because they are. And you sticking up

him, the way you look, that could hurt us.

Denny, you promised that you would shave before they brought you over.

What size jacket do you wear?

Forty -two regular.

Pick up, Lucy.

For once in your life, do something useful and pick up.

We heard this awful scream.

By we, you mean?

The man I was with.

Client? Yes.

Do you know who this man is?

No, he was just some businessman.

And as soon as we looked out and saw... Well, this man was lying in the street,

and somebody was running off, and it was obviously a crime.

And my trick, this man, he just wanted to get out of the area before the police

came, and so he took off.

And what did you do, Jenny?

I went down the street to help the man.

He was bleeding.

I was about to put my hand on the wound to try and stop the bleeding, but then I

heard the police cars coming and I suddenly thought, this can't look good

me. They can help him, so then I took off.

But you were caught.

Yeah.

But I didn't stab him.

You can't threaten custody. He already has. We can.

Everything's subject to changed circumstances. We can refile any time.

What's changed?

My mood.

And the presumption goes to the mother. Wait a second.

Are you using the kids as leverage?

I'll use whatever I have to. You know why, Mrs. Pierce?

This isn't about fairness here. It's not about justice.

It's about money and hurt. Your client's going to give till he hurts.

Or I'll walk into court and call him unfit. He'll not only be short and fat

stupid, he'll be an unfit dad.

You ask him how ugly he wants this to be, because with me, there's no limits.

If I screw up a few innocent kids along the way, tough.

With him as their dad, they're probably screwed up already.

Sorry.

I had to get tough.

That's okay.

I brought my trimmers, too. The one I need in his hair.

Are these 42 regular?

I brought one long. They run different.

I want to pancake these shadows under your eyes.

It'll come right off.

I appreciate what you guys are doing for Lenny. Yeah, well, after all you did

for him. I'm here now, aren't I? Yes. Yes, you are.

And you're going to be handsome when I'm done with you.

I'll be out in seven, cupcake.

Like, seriously.

No, thank you.

This client was a businessman.

Yes.

Upon searching you and your apartment that night, the police found only $42 in

cash.

Do you work for $42?

He hadn't paid me yet.

Your clients don't pay you in advance?

He was about to pay me.

This businessman?

Yes. Could you describe what he looked like, this businessman?

He was kind of tall, brown hair.

How old?

I think around 40 or something.

What color eyes?

Um, I think blue.

When the police questioned you that first night, why didn't you tell them

this businessman?

Well, I didn't want to be arrested for prostitution.

So you lied to avoid arrest?

Yeah. You lie when you have to?

Objection. Sustained.

You say this businessman was 40 -ish with brown eyes?

Yes. See, actually, you said his hair was brown, his eyes were blue. What

were they? I'll give you two out of three.

Objection. Overruled.

What color were his eyes?

Blue. And you never heard from this businessman again?

No. When the police first apprehended you, you said you didn't stab him.

Yes. How do you know he was stabbed?

Well, he looked like he was stabbed.

You didn't see him get stabbed?

No. You didn't see a knife when you got to the body? No.

So in the heat of the moment, you just happened to guess correctly.

Objection. Withdrawn, that's all.

Didn't go well.

You seem to be hiding something.

You were a little hesitant, Jenny.

I was scared.

Look, you know I'm telling the truth.

Well, I don't think the jury does.

Danny, I want to put you up there.

We have to now.

You think the judge will allow it? If he doesn't, we move for a mistrial. You've

got to get on the stand and tell them about this client.

They'll fight it with hearsay, but we have to try. Without your testimony, I

don't like the chances.

I think I'll lose a meal ticket.

But okay.

Well,

I was just wondering about this movie we're supposed to go to.

Even though we say as friends, you...

Well, what exactly are...

You thinking?

I don't know.

Go to a movie, talk and stuff.

Not like boyfriend and girlfriend stuff, right?

Is that what you were thinking, Kendall?

No.

Hey, Kendall.

I think you're a really great kid.

I really do. I gotta go. Alright.

Now you gotta talk to him, Eugene.

The drugs were mine, not Leonard's. Did Leonard have any part in the packaging

or sale of the drugs?

No. Well, he uses from time to time, but he doesn't deal.

The single bag the police say they found on his chest, had he bought that from

you? No, no, no, no. He was asleep the entire time I was doing my business in

the kitchen.

And when he passed out, there were no drugs on his chest.

Doing business?

A few people stopped by. And where were these people when the police arrived?

They left about ten minutes before the cops came busting in.

Well, is it possible that Leonard could have had the bag of drugs on him the

whole time and you just didn't know about it? No, no. I saw him when he

out and it wasn't there.

If one of the other guys that came by earlier wanted to drop it on him, think

he's doing him a favor, maybe.

I don't know.

But if you weren't in the living room at the time, the other people walked

through, it's entirely possible.

That Mr. Sowers woke up long enough to ask somebody for the drugs.

I would have heard that.

The living room is right off the kitchen.

And these other people who stopped by, they were your customers?

Yes. You're testifying to all this out of the goodness of your heart.

I'm up here doing this because Leonard is innocent.

He doesn't sell drugs.

This is yet another Bobby Donald stunt.

It's not a stunt.

You want to call him as a witness?

Yes. If she needs time to prepare... He represents her.

I know it's out there, Helen, but... Out there? Look, the truth is being sealed

up inside attorney -client privilege.

Which never should have happened.

Mr. Rogers, for you to take this case as gross malpractice is grounds for

disbarment. Everything that was done here was done to help this girl get a

better defense. I don't care.

Look, at this point... And you're no better. You should have reported this.

I learned what I learned through privilege. Then you should have declined

step in.

Whatever mistakes have been made, we can't let them prejudice the defendant.

He should be able to testify.

Both of you look at me.

I like things clean and orderly. I don't like meth.

I hate meth.

You've made a big mess here.

After this trial is over, you might find yourselves in one of your very own.

The drugs were found right on him.

But he didn't know they were there, did he?

He was asleep.

And somebody else.

Just drop that cocaine on his chest.

And hey, we had his friend's word, too.

Another drug dealer serving time.

One pusher vouching for the other.

I love loyalty.

Who are we kidding?

For the record, nothing the state has put into evidence shows that Leonard

Sowers knowingly possessed drugs.

He was a guest in the home of Denny Staples, who told you those drugs were

and in fact, pled guilty for possessing them.

As for the bag that was lying on his chest, he testified that he did not know

how it got there, and the state never proved how it got there.

But hey, why believe this guy?

I suppose it's easy not to.

When his pager went off during trial,

Didn't we all think drug dealer?

And we see how he looks, half in the bag.

If he's on drugs, he'd probably sell them. And even if he doesn't, so what?

He's a druggie.

What's the big deal locking him up?

And you know what?

That's his lawyer and someone who cares about him.

And I do.

I've been thinking maybe prison's the best thing for him.

It'll help him go straight.

Because at the rate he's headed, he's going to end up dead.

He might be better off in jail.

Only problem, that's not how this works.

He should only be found guilty if he did the crime. And he didn't, and they

can't prove he did.

As a matter of law, the state...

did not make their burden, and that is all there is to it.

Ashley, that's not all there is to it.

The reason I do this job, there are people out there who don't catch many

breaks.

And the business of law is pretty much like any other.

You're going to get what you pay for.

And, well, a drug addict, he's not going to get all that much.

And that's too bad.

Especially when underneath the glassy eyes and the disheveled appearance,

there's a good man.

Especially when underneath all that visible wreckage, there's an innocent

I don't have any illusions about getting you to care about Leonard.

I only ask that when you go back into that room, please do not be distracted

from your job by the fact that you don't care.

It's not fair.

She deserves a lot more than... It's not gonna happen, and you know why.

Unfitness runs both ways. You don't think we'll go after her? Think again,

tubby. Hey, you listen. No, you.

The best interest of the kids is for this fight to be over. Your client knows

that. That's why she'll take this settlement, even if it means getting

money. You think you're going to just steamroll? Here's the deal, Mr.

Baluti. Call me when you sign off. Come on, James.

Gee, she seems so peaceful.

Yeah, well...

Wait an hour, then call.

Got it.

Well, what was that?

Well, we kind of faked these meetings.

Excuse me?

Both clients wanted satisfaction that they were getting beaten up, so we gave

to them for a cheaper price than if they got it for real.

Wait, wait a second.

You and this lawyer... Play acting. Well, you can't do that. Beck, the

settlement was statutory.

The amount was going to be fixed.

They were both looking for psychological victories.

They both got them. Jimmy, you're a lawyer, not a psychologist.

Well, sometimes we gotta be both.

You'll learn this.

Winning is good.

Making the client think he won?

Better.

He hired me to defend her, I guess, out of conscience.

Who is this man?

That I can't tell you. Can you explain why? He told me in an attorney -client

relationship that precludes me from divulging his identity.

Well, this is probably hard for the jury to grasp, and I'd like to ask some

questions that perhaps they might have.

You went forward to help this young woman because you believed you could

better defense than the public defender.

Yes. And yet you would agree the best possible defense that Jenny could get

would be for your other client to come forward and back up her alibi, right?

Yes, but that wasn't going to happen. Well, suppose the public defender hired

investigators and somehow tracked down his identity.

He could have subpoenaed him and made it happen, right?

Yes, but I guess I didn't consider that too likely.

Public defenders are overworked as it is. Excuse me, but the public defenders

know are not only pretty good, but they tend to try their best, especially for

murder trials.

Mr. Rogers, did you take this case because your clients feared being

down? I beg your pardon? Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?

Who better than the girl's lawyer could guarantee that this man doesn't get

found out? That's not what happened.

And I'll assume you're asking what you think could be a juror's question,

because I know you know that didn't happen. I do know.

Because I also have the benefit of knowing you personally.

If there's a more honorable lawyer, I haven't met him.

Objection. Assuming facts very much not in evidence.

Sustained. My problem, Danny. Knowing you as well as I do, I can't believe

you wouldn't fork over this guy's name.

Even if it means losing a meal ticket. I couldn't. Attorney -client privilege,

yes. But balanced against this woman being wrongly convicted of murder?

The Daniel Rogers I know would reveal the name of the alibi.