Original subtitles

Previously on In Contempt.

Franklin! It's me, Gwen!

Miss Campbell, you're not taking advantage, are you? I'll take advantage

of everyone, Your Honor. I'm Vanessa Hastings. I'm new.

I gotta share my office with a rookie? This is a joke! I expect it from a prick

like Hammond, but not from you! You are supposed to care!

Miss Sullivan, you are in contempt.

What's wrong with passion?

Here's to the win!

Can't wait to do it again!

I got trial.

I'm in arrangements.

I'm no number again. Must be Amex or Blumendales or Shopop. Thank you. I'm

just saying. I get buying one purse but eight. Free shipping.

Ladies.

Oh, my Lord.

You slept with him last night. Jesus, he said one word. How did you know? How did

I not know? It's almost 8 o'clock. You haven't sworn at anyone. You were

playing happy Mary J. Blige this morning. It's a good day. And you got

that I just got some glow on your face.

I was drunk. You weren't that drunk.

God, what is it with you two?

Oh, I do not know except for the sex, which is mind-bending. But you know

what? It doesn't matter. He drives me crazy, so I am done. I've moved on. I

even posted new Tinder pics.

Oh, please.

Watching you date is like watching Goldilocks.

He's taller than my law professor.

He's shorter than my law professor.

Bennett. Honey, I know his name is Bennett. The point is you've got to stop

comparing everyone to him. No.

There.

Bennett.

That's the hot law professor?

I would show up for his office hours.

You know, I've been trying to catch up with you for a minute, but you're too

important to answer your phone now. Listen, in my world, no-call ID is

either bill collector, my drunk mother, or somebody wanting to know why I

couldn't get their kid off on their robbery charge.

My fault. Well, my publicist thought I should have a secure number. Your

publicist? Look at you. Somebody went and got brand new.

How long you in town?

Well, I'm back now. I brought her home. Really?

Mm-hmm. Let me guess, within walking distance of Red Rooster? A brownstone up

in Hamilton Heights. Like that.

Okay, you've come a long way from teaching me the difference between

battery and assault.

Hello?

Hey, can I call you back?

Okay, bye.

Sorry, people waiting. No, it's okay.

Listen, I'm running late, but there's something I want to tell you.

How about dinner?

I'd love to, but I got this 14-year-old kid who's being tried as an adult on a

murder charge today.

Really love you still fighting power.

That's me. I've been vigilant.

There's nothing compared to you. I mean, you win a National Book Awards. You got

a movie deal going.

You're just a celebrity.

Hey, hey, hey. Stop it. You're a badass. Just own it and be proud.

Thank you. Come on.

Dinner?

Nice glass of red.

Have I ever said no to a nice glass of red?

All right.

Well, I'll call you with the details.

Pick up your phone this time. I will pick up my phone.

You thinking what I'm thinking?

You have broad shoulders.

That's not what I'm thinking, but yeah, wide grip pull downs. I do five sets.

Take off your jacket and your shirt.

You want some more Big Charlie in your life, huh? You got it.

Now your pants.

I like it when you have control like this, girl.

No, we're not doing that anymore.

I'm serious this time.

I mean it. You meant it last time and the time before that.

Yeah, thank you for these.

Wait, what?

Gwen!

What?

Have you seen Gwen?

Just went that way, Tom.

Vanessa will shadow you then. Come in.

Guide you through the wonderful world of arraignments.

Is there anything normal about this place?

Casual Thursday.

Willie doesn't belong in adult court. He's only 14. I know, but he did shoot a

veteran. Can't you talk to the judge?

She is sympathetic, but the prosecutor has the consent to moving the case to

juvenile court, and he never wants to appear soft on crime.

But I do have a plan to try and convince him. We'll talk about it later. I'm

going to need your help.

The reality, Ms. Walker, is that Willie was carrying a loaded gun on a city bus.

That was for protection.

That gang was trying to kill him. I know, but we're going to have to admit

that he had the gun, so even if we get off on the murder charge...

How long will they put him away for?

Depends on which court the case ends up in.

Willie, I'm going to need you to put this on.

I just bought him the suit he's wearing. Yours looks too big.

Exactly. Give me your watch.

That's my father's watch. I think it looks good on him. I don't want him to

look good, Ms. Walker. I want him to look like the child he is. He's facing

life in adult court.

Well, I can get parole, though, right, 121?

There's no parole, Willie.

Life is life in adult court.

Here, take this.

What is this for?

For when you get bored.

Six months of social work, Judge. Report after report after report. This is a

good kid.

A kid who made the mistake of falling in with the gang. I'm just saying, in

juvenile court, at least there's a chance for rehabilitation.

I've read your motion, Ms. Sullivan, and I find it persuasive.

But, you know, I don't have any power here.

Mr. Deshaies. The people haven't changed their position.

Your Honor, we could have a hearing. If you'd indulge us, Mr. Deshaies could

cross-examine and make the decision.

How's my day look, Meg?

Your Honor, this is ridiculous.

Oh, come on, Mr.

Deshaies. What could it hurt?

A 14-year-old's prefrontal cortex simply isn't fully developed enough to discern

higher order right from wrong. Would that include lack of impulse control?

Absolutely. Adolescents lack mature judgment and are highly influenced by

their peers.

Can I help you? Perkins Boys School?

Law and Justice class. We're doing a report about crime and punishment.

If they act up, let them. Hi, boys.

Just a happy coincidence.

So it's actually possible for kids to do things, even violent things, with no

adult appreciation of what they're doing?

Without question. That's settled science.

So is it possible that kids who have done violent things can develop into

mature, conscientious adults, that they can be rehabilitated?

It's not merely possible. It's commonplace.

Kids change.

In fact, Willie's been getting A's and B's while in custody where there are no

gangs trying to kill him.

Thank you, Doctor.

If I told you that my five-year-old nephew knows that lying is wrong, would

you dispute that?

No. And most children know, like these boys do now, that if they do something

bad, they will get in trouble. They could appreciate the notion of

consequences.

Appreciating basic concepts and engaging in genuine moral reasoning are not the

same thing. So even if a child knows...

right from wrong and can appreciate consequences, you still don't think they

should be held accountable for something like this?

Seriously, in front of the children?

Oh, please. All right, given the disturbing nature of the upcoming

testimony, I'm clearing the courtroom of all observers under the age of 16.

That's a good idea, Your Honor. Clearly, 14-year-old children do not have the

capacity that adults do to process this kind of brutality, and we shouldn't

treat them as if they did.

You're not actually trying to convince me with that little side show, are you?

Wow, Willie.

Good morning, sunshine.

I gotta deal with this rookie today, but if I make it to part F, could you call

my case this first? My day's insane.

I don't know.

Is there any way you could return my calls?

My COs. Butter them up.

They can move your cases to the top of the signing sheet. Assistant DAs, learn

who you can work and who's out for blood. Always stay away from DeShane.

Judges, learn what pisses him off. And if you need anything from Judge Foley,

make sure you get to her before her 3 o'clock martini lunch. And Judge Miller,

after his.

You're gonna do great.

Willie's father passed away when he was five, so he didn't much know him, which

was a blessing. He was a violent man.

Beat Willie, burned him with cigarette butts.

What about Willie's mother?

My daughter, Anita.

Drugs.

She left Willie home once for four days when he was six.

I couldn't save her, but I could take Willie in.

Love him.

What's Willie's life like with you, Mrs. Walker?

I did the best I could, but I have two part-time jobs as a nurse's aide. I work

7 a.m. to 10 p.m. So Willie raised himself.

I tried.

I was never home.

Is it true that Willie needed a police escort to go to school?

They made one of those, uh, we call it safe corridors for the kids on account

of the gangs trying to recruit them.

Yet he did join a gang, the 110th Street Posse.

Those gangs, they make themselves seem like family.

With me working so much, he is a good boy, but they snatched him out of my

hands.

Willie is 14.

He won't survive one week in an adult prison. Your Honor, please, you have to

listen to me. He is good. I'll need you to confine yourself to the questions,

Miss Walker.

Nothing further.

You love your grandson.

Kept a close eye on him.

I tried.

Did everything you could to raise him right? Yes, sir.

Chores, church, respect.

Tried to instill good values.

Taught him right from wrong.

Mr. Deshaies, you grew up in Crown Heights, didn't you?

Excuse me? Your mother was a schoolteacher and your father drove a

bus.

Ms. Walker, I asked the questions.

There's no jury here, Mr. Deshaies, just you and the boy's grandmother. I think

it's fair to give her a chance to convince you.

Miss Walker, I'm not on trial for being a gang member or shooting an innocent

man. Well, young man, if you had been burned with cigarettes and left for

days by a mother out of her mind on heroin, found starving and wet and

shaken in a closet, maybe you would have joined a gang.

And you would be on trial.

I don't think so. You so sure about that?

Your grandson had choices, Ms. Walker.

He has to answer for those choices.

He is a child.

I know people want to look at black boys and see them like that men.

They don't get the benefit that those white boys that were in here get. Grace,

it has nothing to do with it. You said you have a nephew.

If he didn't have the family you have, if he had done something terrible, Would

you just lock him up forever and throw away the key?

Would you just give up on him?

Please. He is just a boy.

I'm sorry, Ms. Walker.

I have another family to answer to.

Your grandson acted like an adult when he killed Private Sanchez.

He's going to have to answer his own.

Willie Willie You guys mind

Where are

your shoes

Okay, we have to try to

convince the jury that you acted in self-defense when you fired that gun how

do we do that Well, you said you carried the gun that day because Thrill to Kill

threatened you on social media.

Where'd you see it? I didn't see it, but my boys were telling me about it. Okay,

I need those pages. Otherwise, we cannot prove a prior threat.

Now tell me again, what happened on the day of the shooting?

So I got shot at on the street. Then I ran on the bus, and them fools came

after me. Why did you have a gun?

Because you can't be lacking in these streets. No!

Only to protect myself.

Repeat that until you say it in your sleep.

What happened next?

So I got on a 37 bus in the back.

Them same three fools stopped the bus and tried to hold the door open. Then

one of them came after me. So I had to do what I had to do. I let out the first

shot. Pop, pop.

Glasses flying. People was running everywhere. Willie!

If you talk like that on the stand, you will be in prison until you die. Do you

understand me?

Now, we got a bunch of problems.

You know, the police, they found some of the Thrill to Kill guys, but none of

them had weapons. Without weapons, we have no claim of self-defense.

Guess what else? The prosecution, they got this photo of you.

Smartass, holding a gun like you're an OG.

Even worse, you shot an innocent bystander, a 25-year-old Iraq war

veteran.

Today's problem is you.

You act like it was a first-person shooter game. You sound like you've done

hard time. That shit is not gonna work for you.

He smiled at me. Who smiled at you? The soldier, the one that died on the bus.

He smiled at me. People never do that.

I should have just smiled back.

Tell me what happened to your shoes. The truth.

The big guys, they took them from me.

That right there.

Willie, I need this version of you every day in court.

This is the version of Willie that might keep you out of prison, okay?

I'm asking you to preclude it. It's irrelevant and more prejudicial than

probative. It proves the defendant's gang membership and goes to show state

of mind. It's a pose. Let's face it, the only reason why the prosecution wants

the photo in is to paint my client as a scary black boy. When the news media

wanted to paint Trayvon Martin as a bad kid, they posted this picture instead of

this picture.

Mr. Deshaies trying to do the same thing with the gun photo. He's trying to paint

a portrait of a scary black boy.

But my client was scared too.

Look, I have a subpoena for the social media pages of the three thrill-to-kill

members who threatened Willie. If Mr. Deshaies gets to put his photos in, I

should be able to put theirs in, too.

You want to make this a trial about scary black boys, Judge? Let's go.

The subpoena's denied, and the gun photo is out.

Moving on.

Everybody's lying.

And don't expect the truth until they trust you. Remember, you're the lawyer,

so be confident and authoritative. Confident and authoritative. Manage

their expectations.

If you say three days of community service and they get four, they're going

to be pissed. But if you say they're going to be in jail for a month and then

they get those same four days, they'll think you're a champ.

Lie to them about what they're going to get. Not lie.

Manage. Under promise, over deliver.

You're going to do great.

Peters!

Mr.

Peters.

I'm the attorney that's been assigned to you today.

It says here that you were caught in possession of burglar tools.

Lockpick?

Is that what happened?

And I don't lockpick.

Okay. You really want to go with that?

Look, I get it. You don't trust her. And you think because she's a peaty, she

sucks. But the reason that we're doing this job, we want to be private

attorneys and make some money, which means we need to build good reputations.

And we do that by winning cases.

So if we think your case is a loser, we'll tell you to plea. But if we think

you can win or beat them on a technicality, we'll fight.

You good with that?

Hell yeah, I'm good with that. So what happened?

So I had the lock picked.

But the cops were sweeping the block. They searched me before they even asked

me my name.

OK, then. We'll do a motion to suppress.

All that stuff about wanting to be a private attorney?

Total bullshit.

I don't care how you do it, but you gotta find a way to get your clients to

trust you.

Especially you. You look and act just like a prosecutor.

I know you have a booty call.

Excuse me?

I know you're getting something.

What I don't know is why you haven't told your sister who it is. And what

makes you think that?

Oh, girl, bye.

You accused me of having an I got some glow. You look like you swallowed the

whole damn sun. Okay, yes.

I got some. I knew it. I gave some, actually.

Give me seven questions.

Uh-uh. We're due in court.

You get three.

He works downtown.

That's a statement, not a yes or no.

Okay, fine.

Is he blue collar?

No. Have I met him?

Yes. Really?

Okay.

I got it. Mitchell Berkowitz from Part 60.

Gwen, it's not B.O. Berkowitz.

He's cute.

No, he's not cute.

And speaking of sex, what is the deal with you and Bennett? And Charlie, who

actually likes you, by the way.

Charlie doesn't like anyone but himself. He can never be serious. It is

exhausting. And there's no comparison between him and Bennett.

Okay, well, where is Mr. Groan taking you to dinner tonight?

Cap-a-roo. To Cap-a-roo. Yes, but it's not a date. It's just dinner. No friend

of mine is taking me to Cap-a-roo. I heard the judge denied your subpoena.

How are you going to prove prior threat to Willie?

Pinkton was never going to give me that subpoena. I gave up something I was

never going to get in order to keep Willie's picture out of evidence.

Besides, your girl always has a plan B. What's plan B?

I am glad you asked. I need you to take off your bra.

We are going to create a fake page using you, Cardi B, as bait. This should be

good. Now, if any of the Thrill to Kill members friend you, then we have access

to their posts and messages.

Yeah, that's going to be a no. I don't intermingle with gangs, ever.

You going to give up the bra, sweetie?

Or am I going to have to take it?

Come on.

Do it for justice.

For justice.

Did I read it?

Oh, my God, the snort.

I forgot all about the snort. So did I. I haven't laughed this hard in so long.

Okay, tell me about your book.

Well, it's another crime now. Set in Brooklyn, a panorama, one sitting,

breaking down, one selling.

Because another unarmed young black man was gunned down by the police?

Yeah, something like that.

But I want to talk about my book. I want to talk about you.

How are you, Blaine? For real?

Well, I have an unconstitutionally high caseload. Not a day goes by somebody

doesn't ask, how can you represent criminals?

And my clients are presumed guilty until proven innocent.

Yeah, but you love it. Damn straight.

Look at you. Here I am writing about Philando Castile and Tamir Rice. But

you, you're doing something about it. Respect.

Thanks. Must be exhausting.

I do crave eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

No, I mean mentally.

You spend all day fighting for other people.

You got anybody taking care of you?

I got Tracy.

That's not the same thing.

You know, assuming that I get the okay, I plan on embedding myself in the

Defenders Association to research my book, which means you're going to have

to deal with me for a little while.

They'll continue to make you laugh until you snort.

That sounds great.

So here's to old friends reconnecting.

I'll drink to that.

The electric bill is due tomorrow.

I got you.

They're serious about shutting us off this time.

Okay.

So, start spilling the sweet tea.

Have us a date.

Here's a tall glass of yes, please.

He's too good to be true. I have never heard you talk that way about a guy.

I can't stop thinking about him. Bennett is a real man. He's not a scrub. He's

not a boy.

He's not a game.

He speaks to my spirit.

He asks me provocative questions and makes me stop and think. I didn't want

it to end.

So did y'all crazy kids kiss, confess your love, and get matching tattoos?

Hell no. That's some white girl shit.

Desperation is not a good look. No offense.

Honey, there's a difference between desperate and honest. Just tell the man

how you feel.

He's a celebrity.

And he used to be my law professor. It would never work.

Enough with the nevers. Just tell him how you feel.

Oh, my God. I would rather die. Before you do that, electric bill.

Robbery. Robbery. Come on.

Robbery. You can take my burglary. Forget it. I hate burglars. They're

sneaky. These robbers have the balls to hold a gun to your face.

Okay. How about a petty larceny? I just had one, darling.

Drug sale.

Possession. Drug sale. Medicine.

Oh, right.

Hello.

Then I get your assault, too. You can have my CPW, too. Deal.

Thank you.

When we arrived on scene, the bus was empty.

There were people lying in the street bleeding.

Several of the passengers had been struck by flying glass.

A male was deceased.

A veteran just come back from overseas.

And after you arrested the defendant, did he make a statement?

He stated...

I heard Trigger Fiend and his set was coming for me. They shot at me, so I

shot back.

Did you vouch for any evidence?

The defendant had a .32 caliber revolver in his waistband.

Mr. Walker claims that he was shot at first on the street, at that location

where shell casings were covered. We had reports of shots fired on the street.

No casings were found.

A revolver would not eject casings, so it made me think that whoever fired the

shots had a revolver. Objection. Sustained.

No further questions.

If Thrill to Kill had revolvers, it would be entirely possible that they

shot first, right? We know that the defendant had a revolver.

We know there were no casings found. So whoever shot had a revolver.

But a revolver is a very common weapon, right?

Yes. Thank you.

Nothing further.

My eyes must be playing tricks on me.

I thought I'd find a case that plays to my strengths. And what are those

exactly? Rookies over here trying to cherry pick.

But you and Tracy did it. There's a difference between horse trading and

cherry picking. Horse trading is collaborative.

Cherry picking is the horse kind of selfish.

But I just want a chance to defend the innocent.

When you see one of those float by here, you let me know, okay? Here's an

indecent exposure to keep you busy.

Spoiler alert, he did it.

We were coming back from seeing Miguel's brother's new baby daughter, and we got

on the 37 bus.

And what happened?

At first there was yelling.

A bunch of boys stopped the bus.

One of them was holding the door open, and another one got on.

I looked behind me, and I saw him pull out a gun.

What did you do?

I screamed.

Miguel was sitting next to me.

I grabbed his arm, and I could feel he was all tensed up.

He was in go mode from his training.

He stood up.

And I heard a loud pop.

Something soft hit me on the right side of my face.

It was... It was part of his head.

His head.

There was blood everywhere.

I grabbed him in my arms, but there was nothing I could do.

I have nothing further.

No questions, Your Honor.

Jane, walk it home.

I'll be fine.

Ah, no.

Bye. Love you.

Love you guys.

See you soon.

Oh, hey, Vanessa.

And Vanessa's driver.

Your entourage.

This is Tracy, the one I told you about. This is Kevin and Catherine, my parents.

Well, it is a... Pleasure to meet you both.

They've got to go.

Parents, well... Any chance you'll keep this to yourself?

What do you think?

Got a message here.

A clear sign.

That I'm too loud for pantomime.

I don't want to testify.

We have no choice. You saw the jury's reaction to the widow's testimony.

The prosecution now has emotion and patriotism on their side.

But what do we have?

You.

Let them know you, Willie. Let them know your story.

Just drop the Banger Act.

But what about that Deshae guy, though?

He's gonna go after you, but that's okay, because I get to come back and fix

whatever he tried to break.

That's called a redirect.

I'm gonna be with you every step of the way.

You can do this.

Willie, when the other boys got on the bus, what did you think?

I knew they were going to kill me. How sure were you that they were coming to

kill you? It was all over the net. My friends were telling me about it.

They were coming for me.

Then they shot at me on the street. Were you scared? Is that why you shot your

gun on the bus?

Yeah, I had to.

You thought you were going to die.

Yeah.

I didn't want to die.

I'm sorry about your husband.

I didn't mean for anyone to die.

I just wanted to protect myself.

No further questions.

You had a loaded gun on you that day because you knew the guys on the bus

were from a rival gang and were trying to kill you.

Yes. And that's what rival gang members do, right? They try to kill each other.

I never tried to kill anybody.

But you're in a war.

I guess... In a way, you're a warrior.

I mean, being in a gang war is almost like being in combat, right?

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

I have nothing further.

The people rest.

Ms. Sullivan.

What?

Just one moment, Judge.

It worked. What?

Trigger Fiend accepted my friend request.

Let me see that.

Thank you, Cardi V.

Okay, I need you to testify.

What?

When?

Did you recently create a social media account?

Yes. And what did you do with this account?

I friended Trigger Fiend from the Thrill to Kill gang.

He friended me back, and so did Lil Trigger, Young Trigger, Big Trigger,

Trigger the Enigma, and... Okay, did you have access to Trigger Fiend's full

page? Yes, and a week prior to the shooting, he was making constant threats

towards Willie. Could you read some samples?

Let me catch him in the street. Oh, God, I'm gonna clap his little punk ass.

And on the day of the shooting, I almost got him, but the boy skated like a

bitch.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

I understand you jumped a turnstile, Mr. Dolinsky.

I lost my flare gun.

It's stupid.

Well, you don't have a record, so they'll probably just give you an ACD.

That's an adjournment, and they'll dismiss it when you do a day of

community service or you pay a fine.

That's it.

Your Honor, the people request that the court instruct the jury on combat by

agreement. Wait, what?

Are you kidding?

Are we teleporting back to 1789 here? If the court finds that the defendant's

gang and another gang had an ongoing understanding that every time they see

each other, violence would ensue, then the gunfire on the bus was a consensual

fight, much like a duel or a boxing match.

Under the common law, a claim of self-defense is therefore void.

Judge, this is insane. That definition is so specific the jury would have no

other choice but to convict my client.

It's an original argument, Mr. Deshaies, but I will not instruct the jury that

way. However, I will allow you to argue the concept in your summation.

Let the jury decide whether self-defense should apply.

But, Judge, even... We're adjourned.

Sorry. Bad hot dog.

Oh, wait. Hey, ma'am.

Hi. I need to talk to you something. It's part of my process. Would you just

stand there and listen for me? So in my case, I proved the existence of threats,

but then they said gang war, so no self-defense. So I'm screwed, right?

Exactly. I need to humanize him. You guys can listen in, too. It's going to

help me. I need to humanize him. Explain to these jurors why a kid joins a gang.

It's because he doesn't have a dad.

And there's no one there to explain why not having a dad matters.

Yes. Yes. I need an expert. No.

No, not a gang expert.

Exactly, a gang expert. Thank you. You too. It takes a village.

So her parents are white-white? They're not like Amber Rose, Steph Curry, light

-skinned, vanilla latte, blah?

Sugar. They're as white as sugar.

Your Honor, this is a simple fair evasion. It's a first offense.

Actually, Your Honor, the people would like to dismiss the charges.

Really?

There's a warrant.

Page four of the rap sheet.

Wait, what?

You had a first-degree assault conviction 15 years ago? No, I didn't.

Look, this is based on your fingerprints.

You tell me this 100% isn't you and we'll fight it. Yes, yes, I had a case.

You skipped out on the trial.

You're still sentenced to 10 years.

I freaked out. I thought he was going to come and get me, but he never did.

What does this mean?

It means he's going to prison.

Now.

Sonia, my wife, she doesn't know. Isn't there something we can do?

Your Honor, we request that a reasonable bail be set while we investigate the

circumstances of his sentencing and absentia.

Mr. Dolinsky has been an upstanding citizen for over 15 years.

Forget it, Mr. Riggs. He jumped bail 15 years ago. I'm not giving him the

opportunity to do it again.

I am executing sentence.

What? Wait.

Come on. What's happening? My wife.

Excuse me. Just wait. Talk to my wife. Wait.

Please. What's happening?

Mr. Lenski, let's talk outside.

No, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. Okay, then stay here.

Sit down. Let's talk. Sit down, please.

Your Honor, this testimony would be completely irrelevant.

It's like legal dinner theater.

How do you know this so-called expert?

He's a former client, and he's currently serving a life sentence on a federal

WICO case. He's not even an expert. Oh, for God's sakes, Mr. Deshaies, I'm

letting you... Are you combat by agreement? But, Your Honor, I mean...

Dinner theater can be entertaining.

It's simple.

If you're not with 110, you're the enemy.

And 110 is 110th Street Posse? That's right.

Could you tell me what OG means?

Original gangster.

It's me.

It's my peoples.

Teach them shorties right from wrong, you know?

And what do they get out of it?

Community protection. It's a family.

So what if someone like Willie were to just say no?

Nobody says no to me.

Not in my neighborhood.

If we pack a shorty, join our set.

You either say yes or you run for your life.

So there's really no choice?

Y'all got choices.

You join us, Ed, or you join the other. But if you do that, you're off the

count.

Off the count, meaning?

I'm off to death.

Nothing further.

It'd be nice if we got to choose the world we were raised in, but we don't.

So some children are brought up in a world of abuse, pain, and brutality.

That's the world where Willie was raised.

Yes, he joined a gang. Yes, he carried a gun. Yes, he fired that gun as a matter

of personal survival.

You recall the testimony.

Those gang members shot at him, and then they hijacked a city bus like ninjas.

They were going to kill this boy.

This child.

To some of you, he may look like a man. He is not a man. He is a child just like

your own.

He is 14 years old.

And a gang called Thrill to Kill was going to kill this child.

And when it's them or you, gang or no gang, that is called self-defense.

And it is because Willie acted in self-defense that you cannot convict him

of murder.

Lack of opportunity and lack of hope are not William Walker's fault.

But what is his fault? What makes Mr. Walker an unrepentant gangbanger and

murderer is his utter lack of personal responsibility.

His chosen path, gang warfare.

He was a willing soldier in that war.

But there was a real soldier who fought in a real war.

The innocent bystander the defendant shot and killed.

Private First Class Miguel Sanchez.

Home all the four months and taken away from his young wife and their two-year

-old daughter Let us be clear Once this man started carrying a loaded gun

he forfeited his right to the legal claim of self-defense It is called

combat by mutual agreement When you agree to a duel you do not get to say he

shot at me first Tom you have a minute

I don't think this is the right place for me.

I went to arraignments with Charlie and the clients. I'm not good with them.

And then there's something called horse trading, but it's different than cherry

picking. And then one of the clients got dragged to prison in front of his wife.

This whole world, I don't know.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this.

Listen, the truth, he might be really bad if he left right now.

McNamara's out on disability.

Martinez is about to go on maternity leave. And I'm pretty sure Gilbert is

not long for this world. I mean, frankly.

What we need is a warm body with a pulse and a J.D. degree, okay?

You know a band at Thompson's?

Oh, my God, yes.

It's gonna be hanging around there for a while.

He's one of Chance the Rapper's favorite authors.

Don't quit yet.

Supreme Court, New York County, in the case of the people versus William James

Walker, on the charge of murder in the second degree, we, the jury, find the

defendant not guilty.

On the second count, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, we,

the jury, find the defendant guilty.

Your Honor, in light of the verdict, we would request that this matter be

transferred to juvenile court for sentencing.

Granted.

What does that mean?

It means he'll be sentenced in family court for the gun possession. It means

that we won.

Thank you, Miss Sullivan.

Thank you so much, Miss Sullivan. You were doing God's work, Miss Sullivan.

You are blessed.

No, I don't want no kamikaze love.

Hey, isn't it Tom's birthday?

I thought he was a tourist.

It was most definitely, yes.

Surprise! Happy birthday to you. Thank you so much. My birthday is next week.

I always screw it up. It's a little sad.

Some of you may recognize our guests.

The writer Bennett Thompson.

And will be shadowing us for the next few weeks for his latest project.

So try to be in your best behavior.

They're all yours.

God help you.

Welcome. What you drinking?

Sing them all.

Is that the right answer?

I can't tell if they're polishing each other's knobs or sniffing each other's

asses. I can't.

Thanks, I want people to get that visual out of my head.

Hey, you.

Be a lamb, go fill the jukebox.

No boy bands or Bieber.

I can't tell if he's into me.

My mama used to say, a friend will shoot you a warm glance as if to say, good to

see ya.

But a double take with a smile?

Sounds like warm biscuits and gravy, honey.

Hey! Hey, make sure you play some Blake Shelton!

Next time on Incontent. Are you out of your mind? You all remember Bennett

Thompson? He is going to shadow Gwen's case.

I have to protect the process. Even if it means convicting an innocent man.

Does anyone care about the law around here? Call it a performance review.

She'll do great. Not her. You.

We're losing.

It's not your fault.

We need a rabbit.

We sure do.