Original subtitles

Twelve years ago, Jonathan Bruner shot my daughter and my grandson.

My daughter died.

My grandson lived.

He cannot see.

He can't hear. He can't speak.

He can't control his bodily functions.

Because this man shot away those parts of his brain.

There's no way I can express the depth of my remorse.

If I could undo what I did to you, if I could take your suffering on myself, if

I could right the wrong that I did you... Jonathan Bruner no

longer constitutes a... Excuse me, ma'am.

No longer constitutes a...

Jonathan Bruner

is asking for you to believe in his remorse.

in his sincere desire to atone for the horror he caused 12 years ago.

I've known Mr. Bruner for most of that 12-year period, and I can attest to the

fact that the change in him is genuine.

This man no longer constitutes a danger to society.

I'm not unmoved by Mr. Bruner's professions of transformation and

remorse, but they do nothing to mitigate the viciousness of his crimes.

The district attorney's office considers the risk to be too great. We request

that parole be denied.

You couldn't possibly believe this guy.

I just said he sounded sincere to me, that's all.

Sincere? They all sound sincere.

I'm gonna hide.

Oh, God.

She's in a hurry.

She drives like a maniac when she's not in a hurry.

Can I go back with you?

No. Please?

I want to stay here.

See what the parole board decides.

He's actually a hell of a good driver, you know.

No, I understand.

I know you would have tried to give me some advance notice if you could have.

I'll be back tonight.

Joseph Konecki will call you to make the arrangements.

Thank you, Dr. Curry.

Jonathan Bruner.

It's about as low as you can go, Counselor.

What are you gonna do for an encore?

Whoa.

You look terrible.

Putting felons back on the streets, hard work, eh, Meg?

Don't you have to get back to town?

Nope.

I'm gonna see if the board is stupid enough to parole your boy.

You sticking around?

Yes. Great.

We can stick around together.

Share our thoughts and feelings.

Of course the crime was horrible. It was vicious and despicable and... And

excusable. No one is excusing him. You are.

You've excused it from day one 12 years ago, Maggie, when you got the charges

reduced from murder one to, what was it, jaywalking? He was fried on drugs.

He doesn't even remember doing it. What? And so that makes it okay?

I was the first cop on the scene.

The woman was dead. Now, I say woman, but she was barely 21.

And the little boy was...

Two, maybe two and a half. You couldn't even tell it was a kid.

It just looked like a little puddle of blood on the floor that twitched every

now and again.

And Bruner, he was standing there with the gun in his hand, coming down off of

whatever he had started that day. And he had that smile.

And he asked me if they were dead.

It's your turn, Maggie.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

He has rehabilitated himself with no help whatsoever.

From the correctional system, God knows.

He has a contribution to make. He should be allowed to make it.

Boy, this guy must be something else if he can con you.

You're the toughest cookie I know. People can change.

Your eyes are closed.

I've had 14 complaints against me so far. I can breeze through this stuff in

my sleep.

Where the hell's the instructor?

Like my time's worth nothing?

I'm Tess Kaufman, your instructor for this seminar.

And this is Ben Douglas, my interpreter. I apologize for being late.

If you've finished with your relaxation exercises, why don't we move on and see

what happens when good lawyers do bad things.

Also, you'll report once a week to your parole officer.

You'll avoid all contact with known felons.

You may not possess a firearm.

Violation of these conditions will render you liable to revocation of

parole.

Uh, I'll take care of the paperwork. I'll see you when you get out. Thanks a

lot, Maggie. You're the best.

You're the one who turned around.

Congratulations.

What kind of woman are you?

Can't you comprehend the suffering that that man has caused us?

Mrs. Anderson, it's over.

I wish things would have turned out differently, but it's over.

Well, she had a point, you know bag It's hard for people like me and her to grasp

the mindset of people like you Okay

You knew this morning?

Mm-hmm.

The guard handed you a note when we were in the hearing room. That's when you

knew?

Mm-hmm.

Maggie, you and I spent most of the day together. Why didn't you tell me?

If I had known that your mother passed away this morning, I would have... Gone

easier on me.

Well, yeah.

Why should you have to adjust yourself to my needs?

I don't know.

Human kindness?

Miss Zombrow?

This is Mr. Cobb.

How you doing?

I'm so glad you have a loved one to turn to in your time of sorrow.

Thank you.

May I see my mother now?

If you'll come with me.

Thank you.

You want me to wait?

No, go home.

We'll see you next time.

No. No, I didn't stay.

I felt like I ought to, but she did tell me to go home, and I didn't know what to

do to help out.

We have to get back to court.

Oh, come on. Can't we do something else today?

I spent my whole life in court.

Ms. Kaufman.

Please, come in.

My wife and I want to know if we have any recourse.

Is there any way to undo what the parole board did?

Once Mr. Bruner's released, he's a free man.

You could try to bring suit against the parole board, but honestly, I don't

think you'll get very far.

About how much would that cost?

I'm not a civil attorney.

It was rhetorical, Miss Kaufman.

We ran through our savings six years ago.

Oh, and the state has been picking up Tommy's medical bills. But now they tell

us that there's no money left for that.

The only thing they have enough money for is to let murderers go free.

I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do. But this is the way the

system's set up.

The system.

So, I went to this ethics class you sent me to, and who's teaching it? Tess.

Tess Kaufman, my ex-wife.

It was the most humiliating moment I've ever experienced.

Are you sure?

You must have so many to choose from.

Where have you been?

I've been fending people off all day long.

For example?

Frank Gilbert, for example. He wants to talk to you about his son's appeal.

And Victor Tobias wants to see you PDQ.

About what?

Something about his bill.

If he can't read it, send him a new one. If he can read it, tell him to pay it.

You okay, Maggie?

Yes, I'm fine, Bruce.

Thank you for asking.

You look like hell.

You're too kind.

I spent the morning with the mortician.

What a word, mortician.

The afternoon going through my mother's papers, trying to figure out what to do

with her cats.

Your mother died?

I'm sorry, Maggie, I didn't know. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have... Do you

know anyone who wants five cats?

Nobody told me.

Why don't you just keep the cats? I don't like them. They don't like me.

Seems a poor basis for an ongoing relationship somehow.

Where are you going now?

Menard Prison.

Where's my car?

I don't know.

Don't talk with your hands full.

Thanks, Nick. I owe you one.

They didn't steal your Billy Joel tapes.

Car wasn't stolen.

It was toad.

Yeah, well, I'm sorry the impound garage is closed for the day.

I'll give you a ride to work tomorrow.

Pick you up. Eight o'clock.

Sharp. Okay?

Okay. Thanks.

Hi. Rose, did you know Maggie's mother died?

Yes.

Do you think I should go to the funeral? Or would it be better if I stayed to man

the office?

What do you think I should do?

Why don't you talk to her?

I tried.

My face froze.

The woman is an iceberg.

She's okay.

I guess. Well, I have learned some things from her, so it's not a total

loss.

Criminal law is really interesting, isn't it?

I mean, it's real flesh-and-blood stuff.

Not a bunch of worthless heirs fighting over some dead guy's money.

I hated estate law.

I'm almost relieved I lost my license, but I really want to work to get it back

so I can do criminal law.

I know I've got what it takes.

I'm sorry, did you want to say something?

Could you call when you want to come back?

Honey. Maggie, thanks for coming up. It's a little scary walking out of here

after all this time.

Good luck, Bruner.

Thanks, McMahon.

Is this everything?

Yeah.

Pathetic, isn't it?

What about all your books?

I gave them to Smitty.

Can we stop somewhere and get me a bacon cheeseburger?

Yeah, Maggie's okay.

She wasn't hit.

Bruner was the target.

Yes, he died instantly. It's an easier death than he deserved.

How can you arrest my wife?

How can you blame her for shooting that bastard? You push people to the edge,

and then you punish them for falling off. That's not right, damn it! Take it

easy.

I am sorry, Mr.

Anderson. Does your wife have an attorney yet?

Aunt Miss Kaufman?

That would be me.

She's not a danger to society.

Well, neither was Bruner, apparently.

You believed him?

If I could write the wrong I did?

Yak, yak, yak, yak, yak. I don't know.

It's moot now, isn't it?

I imagine any jury you could impanel would rather give Mrs. Anderson a medal

out of prison sentence.

Offer her low-term manslaughter.

Absolutely not, Ms. Kaufman. Absolutely not. I will not entertain the notion of

jail time for this poor woman who has already suffered beyond human endurance.

She did kill a man, Mr. Sizemore.

An unarmed man who presented no danger to her, no threat of harm. But he was

armed when he killed my daughter.

And he was dangerous when he shot my grandson.

Would you like to meet my grandson, Miss Goffman?

During the day, he sits in his wheelchair and drools.

At night, he lies in bed and drools.

For 12 years.

That's been his life.

It's all he'll ever have.

Tell me again how Jonathan Bruner did me no harm.

Ms. Kaufman, I cannot send this woman to jail without so much as a by-your-leave.

We'll take our chances with a jury.

Without the proper paperwork, there's no way that we can release your car today.

You've got to have all the proper paperwork that identifies your car as

being legally yours and owned by you. It's as simple as that. That's all we

can do to get it out of here today. What?

You've got to be kidding me. I couldn't get here any faster. You have my car.

I'm sorry, sir, but the computer is offline until tomorrow.

You'll have to come back then.

Just cut my heart out, why don't you?

Come back tomorrow.

Sorry I couldn't make it to your mother's funeral, Maggie.

Tuna casserole.

Pretty much the only thing I know how to make where it turns out where you can

actually eat it without getting sick.

Those are all tuna, aren't they?

Four tuna casseroles.

Is that a pathetic comment on my mother's life or mine?

I just left you an opening you could drive a truck through.

Maybe some other time, Zombro.

Sometime when it's not such a cheap shot.

You're a nice guy, Dickie.

That's it?

No punchline?

No zinger?

Maybe some other time.

Thanks.

I know you had a hard day. Can I get you something?

I've got plenty of tuna.

I wouldn't say no to a beer.

My mother was old.

She'd been sick for a while.

How long?

Six months.

You never said anything.

To whom?

You really so tough you don't need anybody?

Need? Oh.

Just the thought of it gives me hives.

Must get kind of lonely.

My mother needed my father.

The world's biggest son of a bitch.

She was the loneliest woman I've ever known.

Well, I think the need has to be mutual for it to work.

It's never mutual.

Not in the same way or at the same time.

There's always something off.

You have got kind of a bleak way of looking at life, Maggie.

I guess I do.

I've never been proven wrong.

I don't know where she came from. She was just suddenly there.

And she was holding a gun, pointing it at Mr. Bruner, and fired repeatedly.

I don't remember hearing the shots.

Every time I close my eyes, I can see the muzzle of the gun flash after flash

after flash.

It's probably the last thing that Christine Anderson's daughter saw when

Bruner shot her.

Stop it.

Reflex.

What did Mrs. Anderson do then?

If we demand retribution but refuse to allow expiation, who are we?

I'm sorry.

What was the question?

What did Mrs. Anderson do then?

She carefully laid down the gun and then she just stood there and waited until

the guards took her away.

And what did you do?

I checked to see if I could help Mr. Bruner.

But I couldn't.

He was dead.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Ms. Zombrow, would it be fair to assume that you're biased against a defendant?

Objection. The question is argumentative.

Overruled. Answer the question, Ms. Zombrow.

No, Mr. Sizemore.

I don't consider myself biased against your client.

But you did have quite an investment, Mr. Bruner, did you not? Both emotional

and professional.

I believe that Mr.

Bruner was a good candidate for parole.

And you're sorry he's dead?

Yes.

I'm sorry he's dead.

Yet you want us to believe that you harbor no animosity against this woman,

the woman you say killed him?

Objection. Ask and answer.

Mr. Sizemore?

Your Honor, I just want to be sure that I understand.

the witness's position.

And his comprehension finally dawned, Counselor?

Well, yes, sir, I believe it has.

Good. Then please move on.

Do you feel sorry for Ms. Anderson?

Your Honor.

Mr. Sizemore.

Your Honor, I'm just mighty, mighty curious as to whether this witness's big

-hearted compassion stops with Mr. Broner or whether it extends to Ms.

Anderson. The extent of the witness's compassion is irrelevant, Mr. Sizemore.

Oh.

I shoot.

Then I reckon that's all I need from Ms. Zombrow.

Redirect, Your Honor.

Just so we all understand, did you see the defendant shoot Jonathan

Bruner?

Yes. I saw the defendant shoot Jonathan Bruner. Thank you.

Witness may step down.

Do you have further witnesses, Ms. Kaufman? Yes, sir. One more.

In view of the advanced hour, I think we'll hold off until tomorrow.

Compassion? You have no compassion!

You're evil!

You're evil! You should be the one on trial here, not my wife!

You should be the one who has to pay!

You all right?

Everybody wants this stuff.

How's your shoulder?

It's okay.

Can I get you a beer?

Yeah, beer would be great.

Thanks.

So... How come you refuse to press charges against Victor Anderson?

Because I understand how he feels.

Yeah, well, I'm having a hard time understanding how you feel.

Whose side are you on?

Mine.

Then why did

you refuse to press charges against Victor Anderson?

You're not gonna help me out here, are you?

You'll excuse me if I'm not in the mood for frantic, personal revelation.

It's been kind of a dismal week.

I think I'm getting it, Maggie.

You're fine when people are mad at you.

You just can't cope with anybody being nice to you.

That's real sad.

Thanks for the beer.

I think I'll drink it some other time.

Maggie. What?

I don't know anything about you.

You've just seen me at my most unguarded.

Are you insatiable?

Ask me anything.

All right.

Are you an only child?

I have one brother.

Where is he?

Miami.

Last I heard.

You don't stay in touch?

I don't have to.

Whenever he needs something, usually money, he keeps in touch with me.

Are you trying to seduce me?

Again? Yes.

Are you insatiable?

I think that I am too old for you, counselor.

Or...

Possibly not.

The police took me down to the morgue to identify my daughter.

Victor was... devastated.

He couldn't... He just couldn't do it.

The fatal bullet...

Went in here.

Just under Lisa's left eye.

Have you ever seen what a hollow point bullet can do to a human face?

Did you kill Mr. Brunner?

Yes.

Did you intend to kill him?

I intended to make him pay for what he had done.

Now, excuse me, Miss Anderson, but don't you think that's what the law is for?

The law didn't answer the need, Mr. Sizemore.

This man would walk free when my

grandson is...

Is this man who shattered lives and hopes

and dreams would walk free?

The law gave us no relief, no redress, no justice.

The law gave us nothing.

If you're a lawyer with a district attorney's office, you should be aware

of the relevant ordinance.

And you should know better than to abandon a vehicle with a stuck horn.

Excuse me.

What is not clear to you about this concept?

She did not know that the horn was stuck because she is deaf. If she can't hear,

she shouldn't be driving at all. Oh, no, forget it. I am not translating that.

How much?

Oh.

Mr. Sizemore, are you ready with your closing argument?

Yes, sir, I reckon I am.

I'd like to talk to y'all about something called jury nullification.

In some states, not many yet, but some, it's a legal concept. It's actually

written into the law.

So if you'll bear with me just a minute, I'll explain it to you.

Your Honor.

Mr. Sizemore.

Would you and Ms. Kaufman join me at the bench, please?

It is your job, in summation, to present the facts of the case in as favorable a

light as you can.

It is my job to instruct the jury as to the law.

Well, yes, I understand that, but... There are no buts, Mr. Sizemore.

Well, all right, Your Honor.

Pretty soon the judge is going to be giving y'all instructions.

He's going to tell you that the prosecutor has to prove the charges

beyond a reasonable doubt.

If a reasonable doubt exists in your mind, you must acquit the defendant. On

the other hand, maybe you feel the prosecution has proven my client guilty.

But I want you to understand there's nothing.

under the law that says you have to convict this poor woman.

Counsel!

Apparently, I failed to make myself clear.

You will travel the prescribed pathway, or you will face a contempt

citation.

Well...

If you put it that way... Oh, I do, Mr. Sizemore.

I don't want y'all to think that I'm telling any of you to disregard what the

judge is gonna tell you. I'm not.

What I'm saying is that Judge Triandos, as fine a jurist as he is,

is not in charge here.

You are.

In other words, you can render any verdict you choose to, and no one, my

friends, no one on the face of this earth can overrule your decision.

Thank you.

Ms. Kaufman? Thank you, sir.

I don't think I need to dwell further on the facts of this case.

And I'm sure there's no one in this courtroom who doesn't understand how

Mrs. Anderson felt about Jonathan Bruner.

Mr. Bruner committed a horrible crime, and he paid the price that society

demanded of him.

Perhaps you think the price was inadequate.

Clearly, Mrs. Anderson thought so. She felt betrayed by the law.

She felt powerless to seek redress.

She felt angry.

But ladies and gentlemen, we cannot substitute the free play of emotion for

the rule of law.

Not if we wish to remain a society that tries to treat people justly. We can

temper justice with mercy, and I hope we always will.

But we cannot sanction the deliberate, unlawful killing.

of one human being by another.

Thank you.

I'm sorry about your mother.

I got the flowers you sent.

Thank you.

Do you have any sense what the jury will do?

You did a good job.

I hope you win.

I'm coming back to the office.

I have something I need to do.

You go ahead.

Catch up to you later.

Mr. Sizemore, I am holding you in contempt of court.

You will serve two days in county jail, and I recommend you use the time to

reflect on proper courtroom behavior.

Yes, Chris.

Okay, just sitting.

Hey.

Vicki.

You left in kind of a hurry.

Did I?

What time are you knocking off? I thought maybe we'd grab some dinner

tonight.

Look, you shouldn't feel as though you have to be gentlemanly about this.

Okay.

If you'll tell me what that means exactly.

You and I happen to be alone together at a vulnerable moment.

You don't have to pretend it meant anything more than that.

Maggie, um... Hey.

It was the vulnerability that was appealing.

You say appealing, I say appalling.

Is this a test?

Is this where I'm supposed to prove you didn't make a mistake?

May I use your phone?

Ben, it's me.

Okay, thanks.

Anderson jury's coming in.

Already?

Will the defendant please rise?

Will the foreman read the verdict?

We, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Christine

Anderson, not guilty.

I'm fine, Mr. St.

Mark. Well, that's mighty kind of you, Ms. Kaufman.

Sometimes I'm like a little dog on a bone.

Won't let up.

I figure it's a small price to have to pay.

I reckon I'll just get caught up on my meditating, which is something you have

to stay on top of, your meditating.

You're going to do any good at all.

It's important.

It's important because you just kind of have to empty your mind sometimes of all

the real horrible stuff gets crammed into it every day when you do this kind

of work for a living. Of course, there is another side to the thing.

My grandmama used to say that meditating was opening your mind up to the devil.

But you know, to tell you the truth, my grandmother had a little bit of a bee in

her bonnet when it came to the devil. Lord, that woman used to love to talk

about Satan.

I swear she could talk behind the egg off a rhinoceros when it came to praying

about old Beelzebub.

She used to sit down every afternoon to have a cup of tea with Jesus.

It's not a case that makes you feel good no matter which way it goes.

Good night.

Are you awake?

Yeah. Yeah, sorry.

Yeah, your mind just goes blank sometimes.

I just gave you an opening you could drive a truck through.

It's too easy.

You okay with the verdict?

Yeah, but would you change it if you could?

My car