Original subtitles

Helen, don't hate me. What?

Liz Fernal just got hit with appendicitis.

- She's got a manslaughter-- hit-and-run. - Oh, no, you don't.

We've already bought six continuances.

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

When? Tomorrow.

- Virgil-- - Look, the file is paper-thin.

I'm not starting a murder trial with less than 10 hours' notice.

Two witnesses. And who takes the heat with the N.G.?

Me. There's no heat on this. I promise.

The victim's a John Doe. He's a homeless guy.

It doesn't matter if we lose, but we can't just dismiss.

The defendant is wealthy. It would look bad.

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

- No. - Helen.

I didn't ask.

[ Buzzer Buzzes ]

Okay, Raymond. Tomorrow we go.

I took one last flier with the D.A. He'll give us voluntary.

Four years-- it's not bad.

That's manslaughter? Yeah.

And you think that's good?

Well, murder two you get life. Manslaughter, you could be out in four.

So we should take it?

Look, here's my problem.

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

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

If I do that, that means all your priors come in,

which include two assaults, plus three drug convictions.

If a jury hears all that, I don't like our chances, so--

So you think I should take it?

[ Sighs ] Tell me again. When you hit him, what?

He was jumpin' in.

A'ight, it's part of the initiation.

I didn't mean for nothin' bad to happen, man. He's my friend.

Look me in the eye.

It was an accident?

I swear.

Look me deeper in the eye.

Okay, let's try it.

[ Line Ringing ]

[ Cell Door Opens, Closes ]

[ Sirens Wailing ]

Right-Right out of nowhere, I seen it happen.

It was-- He was walkin' on the side of the street.

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

Not in the middle, but on the side.

On a highway they'd call that a shoulder, but it was a regular street.

It w-- It wasn't a highway.

I seen him walkin' there, and this car's comin' along and it was--

The car, uh, um, was comin' along and then boom!

Boom! It's like flat as a pancake and--

All right, Bob. Would you excuse us for a minute?

'Cause he's walkin' on the-- on-on the side of the street...

and, uh, boom.

[ Man ] Just wait outside for me, okay? I'll be out in a minute.

- That's my eyewitness? - Sorry.

Oh, I-I gotta plead this one out.

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

The suspect fled the scene, Helen.

Ah, why me?

Straight not guilty on the elements? There were witnesses.

There was no specific intent to kill. So go manslaughter.

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

[ Ellenor ] Look, he beat a kid to death.

It was an initiation. There was no intent to kill.

- Okay, Rebecca's lunch is Wednesday. Everybody's in? - You don't have to.

What do you mean, we don't have to? This is like the highest dog-lover honor, isn't it?

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

- Not a big deal. You saved two shelters. - Hey, we're all gonna be there.

Great. I'm late for a settlement. Anything else?

One other thing actually.

[ Sighs ]

I'd like some equity in this firm.

Excuse me?

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

I've been getting feelers from headhunters.

I-I really don't want to leave. I like it here.

But I want some equity.

What, like partner?

Not equal, but, yes.

The issue aside, don't you think that's something you should have addressed one-on-one?

There's no one-on-one in this firm. Everything comes out, so I wanted to be up front.

And exactly how am I suppose to react? Bobby.

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

I make about a third of what I'm worth, and it's not like I'm trading salary for prestige.

This place doesn't leave you with much of a pedigree.

Oh, I am so sick of you complaining.

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

You want to go? I want to stay.

And I'm willing to make less, but I-I won't be an idiot.

[ Woman ] Mr. Young?

I'm Raymond's mother. Hello.

You don't know my boy. You probably don't like him.

Are you gonna save him?

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

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

He still had a pulse, but he was unconscious.

He died en route to the hospital.

Did you question Mr. Burnette? Yes.

What, if anything, did he tell you?

He said he'd been in a fight.

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

How long have you been connected with the gang unit?

Going on 15 years.

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

With regard to this city, yes, I would.

Have you ever heard the term "jumping in"?

Yes.

Would you explain it for us, Detective Horne? It's a gang initiation ritual.

Different gangs do it differently. This one used playing cards.

Playing cards? Yes.

The prospective gang member picks a card.

The number of the card will decide how many existing gang members he has to walk through,

allowing himself to be punched by.

And to your knowledge, the victim drew a card?

He drew the ace of spades.

- And did that hold any special significance? - Yes.

In this particular gang, drawing the ace meant...

the one being initiated had to go against the gang member considered to be the toughest.

- And do you know who that member would be? - He was the defendant.

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

- Yes. - And to your knowledge, it was in that fight...

that Mr. Johnson suffered the injury which caused his death?

That's correct. And, Detective,

when you detained my client and talked to him,

could you describe his demeanor?

- He was crying. - Thank you.

- It was an ambush, Lindsay. - Why?

To just spring it at the staff meeting like that?

- Eugene told me that you know. - Know what?

That Bobby and I used to sleep together.

There. It's been said.

Now, suppose I went to Bobby privately and made my request. Suppose he granted it.

Then suppose it got out he used to suck my elbows through the night. There'd be a mutiny.

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

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

[ Door Closes ]

- [ Squealing ] - What? What's wrong?

- A rat! There was a rat! - Where?

- There he goes! - [ Screams ] Oh, my God!

- Oh, my God! Where'd it go? - It's right there!

- Where'd it go? - There it is! There it is!

- Oh, my God! Oh, my God! - Get it!

- No, you get it! - Rebecca!

- I'm not gettin' it! - Oh, he's comin' back!

[ Screaming ] Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

It was one of them big Mercedes. Tinted windows.

[ Sighs ] We see a car like that come around that time of night,

we-we think they're trollin' for pretty-smellin' hookers.

- Yes. Uh-- - Itty-bitty little hooker girls. [ Snorts ]

What they do, see-- What they do is they climb into the back-- big backseat.

You know, the car starts shaking all so, like-- like-- [ Grunts ]

Itty-bitty little hooker girls. Mr. Show,

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

Some of them girls are really men, you know. Nobody ever finds that out, 'cause, see--

- Mr. Show-- - the Johns, they just lookin' for a quick slurpy.

Mr. Show, just the accident.

Could you describe it, please?

I seen a guy walkin' near the side of the road.

A-- [ Clears Throat ] big-big car, Mercedes, comes along--

boom-- hits him.

[ Helen ] How far away were you? Ten feet.

Boom! Then it just speeds off.

It just never stopped-- just sped away.

Did you get the license plate number of this car? "T.D." Just "T.D."

That's the first letters. It's like "touchdown."

- Had you ever seen the victim before? - No.

He's a homeless man.

Just a big, big bum. This--

Bigger bum than me.

Were you drinking that night, Mr. Show?

Yes, I was. But I saw what I saw.

[ Sniffs ] That car hit him. It never stopped.

- Objection. Nonresponsive. - Sustained.

- Just answer the question asked, sir. - We both saw it.

Both? Somebody else was with you?

Yeah, so there you go.

Well, who else witnessed this accident?

- Mr. Penis. - I'm sorry? Mr. Who?

Mr. Penis.

His big pink eye was lookin' right at it. Saw the whole damn thing--

Ah. So both of you saw it.

Me and a cyclops. Boom! It--

Boom.

How long we gonna stay like this? Till she gets it.

- I'm not getting it. - Well, you speak his language, Lindsay, fellow rat.

- What I did was good for the firm, Rebecca. - Oh, please.

[ Door Opens ]

- There is a rat running around. - In here?

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

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

[ Sighs ] All right.

- Where is it? - We think it's under my desk.

[ Sighs ]

- [ Screams ] - [ Screaming ]

There it is! There it is!

- Where? - He's the size of a beaver!

[ Screaming ]

- You have a gun? - It's a starter pistol.

- What are you gonna do, race him? - No, I'm gonna scare it.

- That's not gonna scare it. - Well, then you do something, bighead!

It's normal size!

You began to date to keep your son out of a gang?

I thought if I could bring some male leadership into his life--

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

One he was in.

They call themselves "The Bangers."

- Your son had a relationship with the defendant? - Going back five years...

to when he was 11, when he started selling drugs for him.

Charlie started selling drugs for the defendant?

- Yes. - When he was 11 years old?

Yes.

Did you know about this at the time? Yes.

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

wanted to be like him.

Instead he was killed by him.

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

- He didn't have a father, did he? - No.

And you work at a gas station as an attendant,

and, uh, your hours are from 3:00 p.m. to midnight?

Yes.

Mrs. Johnson,

how often did you see Charles during any given week?

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

[ Eugene ] I understand that.

Mrs. Johnson, was there anybody who looked out for your son?

Well, if you call gettin' him to sell drugs looking out for him.

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

Most. Most?

[ Eugene ] And you testified that your son looked up to my client.

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

I'd ask that you please respond to my question, ma'am.

I will answer your question, sir.

Did I often appreciate him lookin' out for my boy?

Yes.

And I know they was friends.

But he got him involved in drugs, he got him into gang business,

and with his own hands, he killed him.

So don't you dare be sayin' I should be sittin' here...

lookin' at him grateful.

Well, yeah, I'm putting up the detective. I should only do about 10 minutes though.

I just need-- Wash your windows, ma'am?

Well, we should rest by the end of the day. [ Squeaking ]

Okay. Bye.

[ Beeps ]

[ Squeaking Continues ] Great.

Look, somebody's gotta get down and flush it out.

Why, you gonna blow its ears out with that?

Rebecca, I'm an animal rights activist too, and there's a waiver on rats, okay?

We're gonna have to flush it again.

Well, then get down there and be a man. [ Door Opens ]

- Well, hey, Bobby. How's it goin'? - How's it goin'?

Oh! There it is! There it is!

[ Screams ]

What in God's name? I think I got him.

- [ Bobby ] Got who? What? - This law firm has rats. What a surprise.

- Oh, you know what, Lindsay-- - Uh, where is it?

It's in the corner. Right there.

Nothing's movin'. Uh, I think I got him.

- [ Screams ] - [ Screams ]

[ Rat Squishing ] [ Grunting ]

Yes!

That is one dead rat.

I just don't like the feel of it.

Uh, I thought we had a shot, but now my gut says take the manslaughter.

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

Mrs. Burnette, he died from gettin' punched in the head.

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

But now I say let's take the manslaughter.

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

With his priors, you're lookin' at six.

I'd be hoping for four.

What do you mean, no? I want him for murder two.

Oh, come on, Curtis. Yesterday you offered manslaughter.

That was yesterday. So what's changed?

What's changed is I was lookin' at that boy's mother on the stand and I just got sick of it.

I am sick of hearing "didn't mean it" from the gangs.

It's time they started takin' resp-- Come on, Curtis.

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

Which was? Which was these kids got nowhere else to turn but gangs.

There's nobody there for them but gangs.

You don't think there's truth in that? That is not an excuse.

Now, look, I was raised by a single parent.

I lived in those neighborhoods, and I got out, Eugene. Kids do make other choices.

So you got out. I'm happy for you. That doesn't mean my guy should get murder two.

A kid is dead because of your guy. Try the case, Curtis.

I am trying my case.

Now you try yours.

I should just tell her to walk. We can't let her walk.

Rebecca, I'm not about to let her extort me.

- You say "me" as if you're the only one involved. - This is my firm.

Listen to me. This firm is not just you and me anymore.

- There's Eugene, Jimmy-- - They're not behind what she's doing.

They don't know the numbers. If they did, they might give her some equity.

If I do, what's to stop Eugene from wanting a piece? Then Ellenor--

Maybe it's time for you to deal with that.

- I don't have to. - Oh, yes, you do!

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

Committing to a promise made by you to build this place into something.

I won't have a gun put to my head.

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

[ Door Opens ]

S-Scuse me.

Mr. Show.

I know I got kinda digressed up there on the stand. I'm sorry.

I-I got-- I got-- I got nervous and I--

I was just thinkin' if you put me up there again, I could be more vivid.

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

'Cause I-I left some things out. See-- [ Clears Throat ]

He just peeled away, and, uh, a big screech, and, uh--

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

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

I don't think I'm gonna recall you.

Oh. Well, okay then.

If you need me then you know where I am.

Okay.

And I-I-I think you're a nice lady too.

I'd, um, be remiss if I weren't to say that.

Thank you. Who was that?

Homeless guy wanting to collect another witness fee.

My stupid hit-and-run case.

I'm gonna miss Rebecca's luncheon.

Oh, God, I need you there. I won't have anybody to talk to.

- It didn't go well? - Oh, no.

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

Well, like I said, Charlie drew the ace.

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

And that was you? I didn't say that, but, uh--

It was kind of like a vote? Yeah.

But, Raymond, Charlie Johnson was your boy, your friend.

- You're the one who invited him in, yes? - Yeah.

Come on. Couldn't you take it a little easy on him?

I mean, he wasn't allowed to fight back. This is your friend.

Look, I did take it a little easy. But I couldn't just--

- Couldn't what? - I had to hit him some.

If I didn't, they wouldn't have let him in.

It had to be a real initiation, man.

So you did hit him pretty hard?

I was mostly jabbin'.

[ Man ] Come on! Hit him! But like I said, he couldn't hit back.

It had to go for 60 seconds.

Look, I was punchin' him mainly on the shoulders and in the back,

'cause I knew that wouldn't do much.

But I had to hit him in the head some.

- And then-- - Then what?

I was swingin' a right to his head, and he kind of swerved.

[ Groans ] I hit him right in the throat.

[ Gasping ] And he grabbed himself, man, and he went down.

And I could tell he couldn't breathe, so-so I stopped it.

I tried to help him.

I thought maybe-maybe he-- he swallowed his tongue, man.

I-- I put my fingers in his mouth,

but he couldn't get air.

He couldn't get air.

And then he was-- he was twitchin' on the ground, man.

He couldn't get air.

And then the paramedics came, and they said somethin' about his windpipe--

that I crushed somethin' in his throat.

And then they took him away.

He was dead.

He was... dead.

You hit him hard, didn't you, Raymond?

If I hadn't, he wouldn't have been let into the gang.

Ah, the gang that you talked him into joining.

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

- Objection. - Sustained.

- Who is this, Raymond? - Objection.

[ Sighs ] Overruled.

- Who is this? - Charlie.

That's Charlie after you killed him, isn't it?

- Objection! He's grandstanding! - You don't want the jury to see the victim?

Hey! The objection is overruled.

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

I'll ask you again, sir.

How did he get these bruises on his face?

I had to hit him some.

You had to hit him some.

It isn't just about money. Then what is it?

It's about some direction.

It's about the firm having-- How many times are we gonna play this record?

"The firm needs direction." Do you want to let me talk or not?

Bobby, let her speak.

The economy is way up.

The business of law is way up in Boston.

We are good lawyers. And this place is still scratching.

Why? Management. It doesn't have any. You think you can do it better?

- Do I think I could-- I think hecould do it better. - Don't start comin' at me.

[ Chattering, Arguing ]

- For God's sake-- - Go shoot a rat, Ellenor!

[ Chattering, Arguing ]

All right!

Look, may I say something? Then I'll shut up.

I'll make it quick. Go ahead.

Are you two, like, sleeping together?

- Nice, Rebecca. - I didn't tell!

[ Chattering, Arguing ]

That's really great, Lindsay.

You know, next time why don't you sleep with the whole firm?

Sleep with the boss!

[ Chattering, Arguing ]

[ Ellenor ] Great. Sleep with the boss. Try and negotiate that.

[ Lindsay ] It's not about that. Oh, yeah, it is.

He jumped out. I thought I hit him. I heard a thump.

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

So I drove off.

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

Oh, I did stop. I looked around.

- You didn't get out of your car. - No, I didn't.

Why not? I suppose I was afraid to.

I was in a very bad area driving a Mercedes.

- I didn't really wanna get out. - But you struck a man.

Yes, but I thought he'd run off. Plus, I wasn't sure it wasn't staged.

- Staged? - I thought he made it seem like I hit him...

so I would stop, get out-- only to be mugged.

Like I said, I was in an awful neighborhood. I was afraid.

Don't you think you should've at least checked?

You hear a thump. You think you hit somebody.

I did check. I looked around.

You stayed in your car.

If a man were prone on the ground,

how will you see him from in your car, especially at night?

In retrospect, I-I probably should have gotten out.

But like I said, I was afraid.

But you didn't even call the police.

Well, I probably should have.

- Why didn't you? - Because I thought it was just a robbery attempt,

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

So you didn't even call them. You had a car phone?

Look, I was scared. I didn't think I hurt anybody.

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

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

Well, I-- I was going to.

You were going to.

It's okay to punch people in the head...

so long as we call it "initiation."

Now, some gangs require that you go out and cap somebody...

before you get into the club.

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

For all his remorse, ladies and gentlemen,

there sits a gang member, three times convicted on drug offenses,

twice on prior assaults.

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

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

What are we supposed to do here?

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

The gangs are the only community they know.

Their fathers leave, their mothers work.

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

to initiate,

to fire a random shot on a drive-by.

These are poor, unfortunate victims.

I don't buy it.

You want to work on community outreach programs? Great. Where can I sign up to help?

But first--

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

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

Don't tell me you had a lousy homelife. Don't tell me your dad was a drunk.

If you sell drugs, if you recruit people into gangs,

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

You go... to jail.

I have a 10-year-old boy.

My greatest fear is that somebody like him...

might come along and convince my son,

"Hey, you're nothin' without the colors."

I hate gangs as much as he does.

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

All this trial is about--

All this trial is about...

is whether this man intended to kill Charles Johnson,

or was he so reckless that he should have known he put the victim at extreme risk.

He didn't. You heard the doctors-- crushed windpipe.

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

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

He wasn't even trying to hurt him. You know that and so does the prosecution.

That's why when he got up here, he didn't go after Raymond Burnette...

as much as he went after the gangs.

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

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

This is about one death, one defendant and his intent.

And if you don't find that intent, you cannot punish him just because he's in a gang.

Who or what he is, that is not on trial here.

If it were, I might say convict. For the sake of my son, I'd pray that you would.

But this trial is about the act.

And this act was an accident.

[ Sniffs ]

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

Hmm?

Hi. Hello.

Rebecca, I was hoping I'd catch you.

Shirley, what's up? Well--

Oh, uh, Lindsay Dole. This is Shirley Yelon of Save Our Animals Association.

- Nice to meet you. - It's a pleasure.

You're not gonna believe this.

Marcy Kealing works dispatch at Precinct 12.

You know, she's on our board of governors. Oh, I don't know her.

She certainly knows you since you're about to be one of our honorees.

Um, she says evidently you killed a rat.

- Yeah, in the office here. - Uh--

- What? - Oh, it's just the politics.

The last thing we need running in the papers-- one of our honorees is a rat killer.

I am not a rat killer.

I know. It's just the media. It's the kind of thing they get all creamy over.

So what are you saying, Shirley?

Nothing. N-Nothing. It doesn't mean a thing.

I-- I just wanted a response in case somebody asks me.

Don't worry about it. Okay.

Well, um, I'll, uh-- I'll see you at the luncheon.

Wait. I'll walk you out.

- Good night. - Good night.

[ Door Closes ]

[ Door Opens ]

Hi.

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

instead of taking it up with me privately.

I don't buy it.

There's no excuse for you not coming to me one-on-one.

Bobby, I was afraid of what I might say to you one-on-one.

What's that suppose to mean?

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

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

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

I mean, look at you-- Fancy suits in a rat-infested office.

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

and it hurts everybody here.

[ Sighs ] One-on-one I was afraid I might say that.

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

Because my best friends work here.

I don't want to leave.

And I'm in love with you.

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

I-- I don't even think I want it.

But I don't know. I mean, maybe-- [ Sighs ]

as a result of my loving you, I also see you.

And I know with you in charge-- and only you in charge--

this firm is maxed out.

And you might be too.

[ Door Opens ]

Oh, Eugene. Lookin' good.

What, did you change dry cleaners? Funny.

Rebecca's award ceremony. My jury's still out, so--

Tell her congratulations for me. I'd like to go if I didn't have this stupid hit-and-run case.

I'll tell her. Okay.

Helen, sorry I'm late. Oh, that's okay. We haven't even started yet.

Guess who took a knife in the throat last night. Who?

Your star witness, Show.

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

They both wanted to sleep on the same heating vent.

He lost.

Is he dead? Yeah.

Helen, we've been called.

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

This is a really good thing, saving dog shelters.

It's nice that they honor you for this.

You know, the Jewish people believe one of the greatest things is kindness to animals.

- I'm not Jewish though. - You look Jewish.

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

- And mine's normal size. - [ Sighs ]

Rebecca, could I steal you a second?

Mmm, sure. Thanks.

Let's not spoil this for Beck, huh?

Whatever our problems.

You know, in my family when things got tense, we used to butter each other's bread.

Let's try it.

Don't touch my bun.

[ Pager Beeping ] [ Sighs ] Excuse me.

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

But the board wants to talk about the incident after.

I wouldn't even give it another thought. Then why are you telling me?

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

I want you to be prepared.

He didn't know he'd hurt anybody. You heard him.

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

It could have been a staged thing--

an attempt to rob Mr. Feldman.

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

Maybe he was some crazy nut.

Maybe he was already hurt when he jumped out.

There are so many unanswered questions here.

What do we know? This is a good man--

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

When I get up to do my closing arguments,

I often look over to the gallery at the victim or the victim's family...

to remind myself what I'm fighting for.

But there's no family out there today.

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

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

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

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

Why should he?

If a man dies in the forest and nobody hears him cry,

then he doesn't make a sound, does he?

The other day I was stopped at a traffic light...

and some bum came up asking to wash my windshield.

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

'cause I didn't look at him.

I just looked straight ahead.

Stopped at a traffic light or walking down the street,

I never look at 'em.

Do you?

It's easier not to, huh?

But, uh,

maybe when you run one of these bums over,

you should stop the car,

get out of the car,

take a look.

Mr. Feldman knew he hit somebody. That we all know.

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

Is there any intrinsic value to human life?

Or does he have to be somebody?

I don't know.

It's your call.

Madam Foreperson, the jury has reached a unanimous verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant please rise.

What say you?

Commonwealth versus Raymond Burnette...

on the charge of murder in the second degree,

we find the defendant, Raymond Burnette, not guilty.

[ Judge Camp ] The defendant is free to go.

The jury is dismissed with the thanks of the court.

[ Gavel Raps ]

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

You know you did that, man. [ Chuckles ]

[ Machinery Clanks ]

You asked me before if I was gonna save your son.

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

that's up to the two of you.

You don't know how to say thanks?

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

[ Machinery Whirs ]

For her perseverance in preserving both the Roxbury Animal Shelter...

and her fund-raising efforts to help build the Jamaica Plain Shelter,

it is my great pleasure to present the 1998 Basset Hound Award...

to Ms. Rebecca Washington.

Thank you so much.

Uh, I-I was so honored to come here today--

especially to be honored for doing something I love.

I so love dogs. [ Chuckles ] But, um,

I-I-I have to be honest in saying that, uh, I'm-I'm a little thrown.

Uh-- [ Clears Throat ] [ Microphone Feedback ]

Okay. Two days ago, I-I-I killed a rat in my office.

And I guess there are some people in the association...

who are considering taking the trophy back from me because of that.

So, um, I'm-I'm just gonna say this.

[ Chuckles ] I hate rats.

Love dogs. But rats, they're filthy,

disgusting, scummy little things.

And they may be one of God's creatures,

but they certainly don't represent his best work.

And if one tries to run up my leg,

I will not apologize for stomping it to death.

Rats, they-they-- they're ugly.

They got mashed-up faces, and they carry germs and rabies.

And come on. Let's all fess up.

You'd all poison them if they were runnin' around your house.

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

And then the scummy little rat squeaks out in pain,

and the rest of the rats know better than to come in the area.

You-You ever seen a drowned one in a pool? It's nasty.

So, I-- I ain't savin' no rat.

And if this costs me this award, then so be it.

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

to bash in one little rat head.

Otherwise, I thank you.

[ Clangs ]

I got it. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you.

Not guilty? Yeah. You too?

Yeah. See ya.

Hey. Hey.

How'd the luncheon go?

Had to leave. My jury came back.

Good?

I don't think you'd like it.

I'm still all dressed up. Get a drink or somethin'?

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

It's cold out there.

Tell me about it.

[ Sighs ] Rebecca okay?

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

- And-- And that, uh-- - She hates rats.

Yeah. [ Chuckles ]

Listen, are you lashing out because of... us?

Or-Or do you really believe that--

Both.

I'm sure part of my frustration's got nothin' to do with the practice.

But part of it does.

I know what you want this place to be.

And I think I can help you--

- [ Sighs ] - What?

- Nothing. - What?

I'm right here, Bobby.

I'm standing right here.

Uh--

I'll, uh--

I'll think this office stuff through.

Okay.

That'd be good.

[ Woman ] You stinker!