All language subtitles for The.Practice.S04E14.Checkmates.HULU.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-AJP69_track3_[eng]

(siren blows)

(door opens)

(door closes)

They're not dismissing.

Well, what about doing
that motion for discovery?

Darryl, we've already --

'Cause they need to discover
that I didn't do this.

The motion for discovery
just asks

for state's evidence,
which we've already done.

What we're talking about now,
Darryl, is the trial.

Oh. Then we need
to do that, right?

'Cause as long
as I'm in here,

well, then my grandmother's
all alone.

She's too sick
to come to court as it is.

I still think our best hope

may be
with mental health issues.

With a borderline I. Q.

and your background
of physical abuse --

I told you before, I don't
want to go to a mental hospital.

I want to go home.

I understand
what you're saying,

I really do,
but if we lose at trial,

you won't get
to go home, either.

But we can't lose
'cause I didn't kill the kid.

Well, unfortunately, it
doesn't always work that way.

But I can tell them
I didn't do it.

Yeah.

Well, I think the prosecution

might ask for more than that.

(door opens)

Forget it.

Richard, he is 17
going on 12.

You had your evaluations.
The kid can stand trial.

Come on, I know
there's a big humanitarian

trapped inside
that little Nazi body.

Oh, yes,
make "little" jokes.

That's very big
of you, Ellenor.

Look, richard, I know you and I
have had our differences.

Ask Brian Tabbitt's parents
what they'd like to work out.

Your client killed their
8-year-old son for sport.

Darryl Hutchins
has the I. Q. --

I am not making any deals.
I'm sorry.

Midget.

(music playing)

Anything?

Nothing.

Was your father beating you?
Because if he was,

we could be talking
self-defense.

Is that what happened?

Your neighbors heard
you and your father

arguing last night.

Someone saw you
running from the house.

If you panicked,
that's totally understandable.

Wendy, look at me.

Look at me.

Let me help you.

You tell me
it was self-defense,

and that's what I write down.

Can I write that down?

I wasn't in the house.

She's not going to talk.
Where's the boyfriend?

Next room.

(door opens)

Listen to me.
If she goes down for murder,

you could be an accessory
before the fact.

That's life in prison.
You ready for that?

That fact that this
just happened last night

could be a big break for you.

Maybe you didn't know
what happened when she called.

Maybe she didn't tell you
till later.

You come forward now, you won't
look like an accessory at all.

I'm not going to talk.

Look, Scott, I could
be your friend here or not.

My dad's a police officer.

I know my rights,
and I want a lawyer.

Who's your dad?

Detective Frank Lopes.

So get me a lawyer.

(door opens)

You heard?

He's Frank's kid?

Any ideas?

Well, we should probably
call Frank.

I think we owe him that.

This will kill him.

I am not commenting
on the facts of the case.

I am merely stating my opinion
that the commonwealth

is turning into a police state.

Darryl Hutchins doesn't have
the mental capacity

to defend himself,

and yet they
push forward anyway.

Why? because Richard Bay
can smell a conviction

going after
the mentally challenged,

and stockpiling convictions

is how assistant
district attorneys

lay pipeline for their
future political careers.

If you think I'll tolerate
any of the nonsense

that went on
in that last trial --

I'm not entitled
to freedom of speech?

That wasn't
about free speech.

That was intended
for the jury.
It was not.

Both of you --
Oh, give me a break,
Ellenor.

They're not sequestered.
She's hoping one or two of them

will catch that little
sound bite on the news.

Look, I am this close
to ordering

that you two never be allowed
in the same courtroom again.

Mr.Bay, take something, please.

Miss Frutt, consider yourself
gagged.

No more talking
take somto the press.

That's all.

(door closes)

You try to agitate me,
Ellenor.

Why can't you
just admit it?

This is a case
we should plead out,

but you
personalize everything

because you need
to beat me, so --

Your client
committed a murder.

D.A.s should take that
personally.

Oh, go away.

Can I ask you
something, Ellenor?

Your guy
picked up a board

and clubbed
an 8-year-old to death.

Does that even bother you?

Or-Or what if you win and put
the 17 going on 12 killer
back out there.

That thought didn't
even give you a twinge?

First of all,
he said he didn't do it.

Oh, well, I didn't know that.
Let's dismiss, then.

Ms. Frutt?
My name's Eddie Chessler.

I'm kind of a friend
of Darryl's.

And?

What can I do for you?

Darryl didn't
kill that kid.

Can we, like,
go someplace, talk?

What's going on?

A man by the name
of Brendon Lowhurst

was found dead
this morning.

What? My son goes out
with his daughter.

We know. He was found

at the bottom of the stairs
with a broken neck.

We think maybe
his daughter pushed him.

Or your son, Frank.

He was seen
fleeing the house.

My son?

What are you nuts?

They're both here
and they're not talking.

Scott's requested a lawyer.

Where is he?

He's in room 3.

I want to talk
to him alone.

No windows.

You have my word.

This kid Kenny --
Kenny Sutton --

he lives
in the neighborhood,

and he's trouble.

I think he killed the boy.

Why?

I was on my way over
to meet him at that old house.

We kind of use it
as a place to hang

since no one
lives there anymore.

I heard a scream from outside
as I was on my way up.

Then I seen Darryl come up,
he goes in.

Then I seen Kenny come out.

I think Kenny killed that boy
before Darryl went in.

Why didn't you tell this
to the police?

'Cause I got to live
in that neighborhood.

You ever spent any time
in Charlestown?

There's a code.

Well, why come forward now?

Well, I guess because I also
got to live with myself.

Are you prepared
to testify to this?

If I have to.

Eddie, you wouldn't
happen to have a grudge

against this Kenny Sutton kid,
would you?

Hey, I'm just telling you
what happened.

All right?

Now, do you want my help
or not?

He has something
he wants to say.

Okay.

We've known each other
a long time, Helen.

I'll do what I can, Frank.

She was crying
when she called.

I asked her
what was wrong,

but she just said,
"he did it again."

I figured he must have
hit her again.

Her father hit her?
Yes.

And this has
happened before?

A few times. I even
told my dad about it.

She tell you
what the fight was about?

It was always about
how she talked back.

He was an ass.

Did she push him
down the stairs?

No. She wasn't even there
when he fell.

She was calling me
from her cell phone.

You know for a fact
she wasn't even there?

Yes.

How do you know?

Because when I went there...

I went alone.

You saw Mr. Lowhurst?

I took my dad's gun
and went to his house.

Okay, and what happened then?

I went upstairs
looking for him.

How'd you get in?
I walked in.

The door wasn't locked.

Then what happened?

He wasn't in his bedroom,

so I went back
into the hallway

just as he's coming out
of the bathroom.

What'd you do?

I pointed the gun at him
and told him

if he ever laid a hand
on Wendy again,

I'd kill him.

I just wanted to scare him,

but he backed up
and fell down the stairs.

At first I thought

he was knocked out,

but then I could tell
he was dead.

I got scared
and ran out.

I swear, Ms. Gamble,

I never, ever
wanted to hurt him.

I just wanted to scare him.

(sobbing)

I can either go to the D. A.,
turn over the new evidence,

ask them to reopen
the investigation --

Richard Bay.

Exactly.
He won't do anything.

You have to add him
to your witness list.

I'm doing that. My question
is do I come clean

with what I've got or do I
just play the card at trial?

Spring it at trial.
Wait a second.

If they investigate and this
guy's story checks out,

you might avoid a trial.

Doesn't sound like he totally
blows the prosecution's case,

and if the trial goes forward,

the less prepared
Richard Bay is --

Unfair surprise.

No, it isn't. The witness
is on the list.

Are you telling them
what the witness will say?

No, just that he was
in the area,

and that he went
into the house

with this Kenny person.

Nothing about hearing screams.
I don't have to tip that.

Unfair surprise.

It is not.
It isn't.

Look, put him
on the witness list.

Let him give his testimony.

Let that be that.

No way do you tip off
Richard Bay.

(door opens)

Bobby, there's a detective
here to see you.

Bobby.

Frank, what's up?

It isn't good.
Can I talk to you?

Sure.
Thanks.

Hey, Eugene,
could you sit in?

Sure.

You let him talk?

He's not a criminal.

I understand, Frank,

but he's facing
criminal charges.

Bobby, I know the way
police think, okay?

You don't talk,
you're a suspect, automatic.

Well, it seems he is anyway.
They going to arraign him?

I don't know on what.
Helen Gamble promised me --

Helen Gamble's the D. A.?

Yeah. She said she might
have to withdraw,

since, you know,
if she's going to help me,

I guess she'd have to.

Frank, she might want
to help you,

but this is a homicide.

It is not going
to slip by quietly,

and D. A. s rarely cut favors
on murder cases.

Trust me on that.

Bobby,
Helen Gamble's here.

(horn blows)

I just found out
about the witness this morning.

Oh, right.

You were there when he
walked up to me, Richard.

What is your offer
of proof?

He was in the area.
He may be no good

to me at all, who knows,
but I'm desperate, okay?

My client doesn't have enough

of an I. Q. to contribute
to his own defense.

Here we go again.
He knows that...

and I should be allowed
to add one lousy witness.

Your Honor,
if I may respond.

No, you may not.
The witness is allowed.

Let's go into court
and get this over with.

It's not
an official objection,

but I think you favor her.

We're charging him
with second-degree murder.

What did you say?

Unfortunately, they're
all over this upstairs.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Slow down, Helen.

Second-degree? That's life.

With the possibility
of parole.

You heard it. It was
an accident, for god's sakes.

He's going to go to prison
because of what -- politics?

It isn't politics, Frank.

Helen, you and I
go back pretty good

You look me in the eye

you said you'd do
what you could, and now --

And I am. Frank, when you
brought us in there

for his statement, I thought
he was an accessory at best.

It was an accident. Guy falls
down a flight of stairs,

you bring murder charges?
How is that anything --

He fired the gun.

What?

The gun had been discharged.

We did a trace metal
on Scott. He fired it.

He then dug the bullet
out of the wall

to avoid us finding it.

I'd like to help,

but we've got an armed assault
in a dwelling.

We've got enough
to make first-degree,

in which case
there's no chance of parole.

Murder two's a break,
believe it or not.

I'm sorry.

The victim died
of blunt-force trauma
to the head.

Were you able to determine
the cause of the trauma?

Yes. Wood fragments
were recovered

from the boy's skull,

indicating he had been beaten
with a wooden object.

Did you subsequently determine
the source of those fragments?

They came from a plank

removed from the flooring
of the house

and later recovered
by the officers

in the alley
behind the crime scene.

This would be
the piece of wood?

Yes, and further analysis
found it to be covered

with blood
matching the victim's.

And you tested for prints?

Yes, I performed
a fingerprint analysis

of the latent prints lifted
off that same piece of wood.

And what did
your analysis reveal?

Comparison revealed
those prints

to match the fingerprints
of the defendant.

But it's possible that Darryl
picked up that board

after it had been used
by another person

to murder the victim.

Your client's prints
were the only prints

recovered from the board.

Which would be the case

if the actual perpetrator
wore gloves

or if he wiped
his prints off prior

to my client
handling the board.

True.

I didn't shoot at him,

just to the side
to scare him.

For god's sakes,
why didn't you tell me?

I was afraid
of how it would look.

You aimed the gun --

I shot 6 feet wide of him,
dad, at 4 feet away.

There's no way --
But you lied!

Okay? You lied to me,
you lied to them,

and any chance
of cooperation -- god!

All right, all right.

Yelling's not going
to solve anything.

We need to think.

I didn't shoot at him,

and I didn't push him.

It was an accident.

Well, now what?

He's being arraigned
tomorrow.

After that, we dig in.

He's going to go trial
for murder.

I don't believe this.

There may be
another way to go.

What?

I don't want
to speak too soon.

I-I need to do
a little research,

but we may have an out.

(doors open)

What are you thinking?

Their case
is that confession,

after he asked
for his lawyer.

He confessed to his father.

Who's a cop.

But he didn't confess
to him as a cop.

He was talking to his dad.

That'll be Helen's argument.
Doesn't have to be ours.

He was always
afraid of him.

Your son was afraid...

Of him -- the defendant.

Did he say why?

Not really.

Brian would just say
that he was a little off.

(table slammed)

Mr. Hutchins.

I'm not off!

Darryl.

Mr. Tabbitt, did you
regard your son's fears

to be serious?

Not enough.

I just wish I had
done something --

Gone to his grandmother,
checked him out.

Objection.

How could someone
so clearly disturbed

be on the street,
unsupervised?

How does that work?

Objection.
Sustained. Mr. Bay.

That's all I have.

(gasps)

Brian's fears --

were they caused by Darryl
ever doing anything to your son?

Not that I'm aware of.

It was mainly
Brian got scared

because he perceived Darryl
as being a little off?

Yes.

Thank you. And, sir?

I'm very sorry
for your loss.

So we're winning, right?

It seems like
we're winning.

I wouldn't say that,
Darryl.

I think we are.
You did great, Ellenor.

Darryl, look, um,

I need to talk to you
a little bit more

about this Kenny fellow.

He's cool.

Yes. Are you sure --

absolutely sure that when
you went into the house,

you didn't see Kenny
do anything?

I'm sure.
He was just leaving.

Okay. Eddie Chessler.

Yeah, he's my friend.

Yes, I know that.
Eddie seems to think

that you might be
protecting Kenny

because, well,
you think he's cool.

If you are, Darryl,

that wouldn't be
smart here.

You already told me that.

But I'm not sure
you totally understand it.

If you saw this Kenny kid

do something
to that little boy...

I didn't, I promise.

You think I'm stupid,
don't you?

No, Darryl,
I don't think that.

Yes, you do.

Look, I have to go
meet Eddie

'cause he's up next,

so I want you
to get some rest,

and I'll see you
tomorrow, okay?

Yeah.

Okay.

Ellenor?

Yeah?

I think we're winning.

(door opens)

Okay, tomorrow morning
you're up first.

Are you ready?

Ready. I should just stick
with the same story

I told you, right?

Which is the truth,
right?

You heard the boy scream
before Darryl went in,

and then you saw
that Kenny kid come out?

Got it.

Never mind "got it." Is that
what happened or not?

Look, I can only
put you on the stand

if what you testified to
is the truth.

So what if I just
tell you it's the truth?

You don't know
otherwise for a fact,

and you got no case
without me.

This isn't a game, Eddie.

The rest of Darryl's life
is on the line here.

Which is why I'm here.

What happened? Tell me.

It all happened,
Ms. Frutt.

Darryl went in the house,
Kenny went in the house,

the boy screamed.

I just changed
the order of things.

Just put me up there.

You are not taking the stand.
Go. Just get lost.

What about Darryl?

You have not
helped Darryl, Eddie.

Now get out of here.
You're not testifying.

So, what are you
going to do?

What can I do? I'll have
to put Darryl on the stand.

Darryl?

Have you got
a better idea?

No, but...he has the I. Q.
of a 12-year-old.

You're going to pit him
against Richard Bay?

Even match.

I have no choice.

They've placed him
at the scene.

His prints are
all over the weapon.

If he doesn't get up and tell
his story, he goes away.

Well, you can't still put
Eddie back on the stand?

Knowing he's going to lie?
No, we can't do that, Lucy.

I'm open for suggestions.
Anybody?

Good luck.

Case number 42643,
Commonwealth vs Scott Lopes.

Bobby Donnell for
the defendant, Your Honor.

Waive reading, ask for
personal recognizance.

Murder two.

No flight risk.
This was accidental --

Murder two,
the commonwealth opposes bail.

Bail is denied.

The defense moves to suppress
my client's confession.

Sixth amendment grounds --

he asked for his lawyer
and was denied.

The confession was made
to his own father --

My client's father
is a police officer

who went in to interrogate,
and since Scott Lopes

is his son --

You got to be kidding.

He asked for a lawyer.
They sent in a police officer.

Bobby, even for you...

Helen, even for you...

All right,
what's going on?

It's exactly what I said.

Detective Lopes entered
that room as a father,

not a police officer.
There's no state action here.

And I disagree.

Mr. Donnell, you're suggesting
that detective Lopes

assumed the role
of a police officer

when talking
to his own son.

I request a short evidentiary
hearing, Your Honor.

I'd like to call detective
Michael McGuire to the stand.

What are you trying
to scam now?

I object to that,
but as long as

we're throwing words
like "scam" around...

We're not. The detective
will take the stand at 11:00.

You're joking.

Next case.

Well, I walked up
to the house because

that's where
a lot of us go, you know?

Why's that?

Because there's never
any grownups there.

And when you went
to the house

on this day, Darryl,
what did you see?

I saw my friend Kenny Sutton.
He lives around there.

And was he doing anything?

Just smoking a cigarette,
and then he left.

What happened then?

Then I was going to leave
because no one was there,

but I had to use
the bathroom.

But when I went over
by the stairs,

that's when I saw him.

Who?

Brian Tabbitt.

He was dead.

There was blood everywhere.

And what did you do?

Well, I poked him
a little at first

to see if he was
still alive, but he wasn't.

There was this big piece
of wood on his head,

and I lifted it off.

Was it this piece
of wood here?

Yes, I think that's it.

Darryl, you go to
a special school, am I right?

I'm not stupid.

No, no, you're not.
You go to a special school

because you're
behind the other kids.

Right.

But you do understand,

sitting in this chair
under oath,

it's important
that you tell the truth?

Yes.

Are you telling
the truth now?

Yes, I am.
I didn't kill that boy.

I found him like that.

But you didn't report it
to the police.

I told other people.

Yes, you seem to go around
celebrating it.

Objection -- foundation.

Sustained.

Why didn't you tell
the police?

I told everybody I saw.

If I had seen a policeman,
I would have told him, too.

Ever have any arguments
with Brian Tabbitt, Darryl?

Once in a while.

Was he your friend?

Not really.
He was only 8.

Did he and some of the other
young kids tease you?

Sometimes.

Did he call you a retard?

Sometimes,
but I'm not a retard.

Did you ever tell him
he'd be sorry one day

for calling you a retard?

But I didn't kill him.

Did you hit him?
No.

Did he call you a retard

when you walked
in that house that day?

No, he was already dead.

Nothing further.

Mr. Hutchins, you may go back
to your table now.

Ms. Frutt?

The defense rests,
Your Honor.

Mr. Bay.

One rebuttal witness,
Your Honor.

The commonwealth calls
Eddie Chessler.

Sidebar.

He's properly listed
as a witness.

This is a liar
looking for attention.

How do you know?

Because he was going to lie
to help Darryl.

And As soon as I found out
his story was a fabrication,

I properly excused him
as a witness.

And now he's looking for
his 15 minutes of fame with you.

He didn't come to me,
Ellenor. I went to him.

I saw your little disagreement
in the corridor.

I figured whatever he had
to say didn't help you.

I thought it would help me,
and I was right.

This witness is unreliable.

His testimony could be
prejudicial.

So cross him
on what he told you.

Was anyone else present
for your conversation?

No.

Well, then shame on you.

Never interview a witness
alone. This is what you get.

Thank you, Your Honor.
I was so hoping for a lesson.

I can't prevent him
from testifying.

You are free
to cross-examine.

Let's go.

And at that point,
he asked to see his lawyer.

And then what happened?

We stopped
the interrogation.

Then, since his father was
a colleague, out of courtesy,

we gave him a call.

And then?

His father came down,
went in, and talked to his son.

Then, when Frank emerged,

he said that his son
was ready to make a statement.

Detective, did Scott Lopes
ask to see his father?

Actually, no. He just
asked to see his lawyer.

Whose idea was it
to call detective Lopes?
Helen Gamble's.

Your Honor, at this point,
I'd like to call Helen Gamble.

I'm the prosecuting D. A.

This is just
an evidentiary hearing.

So what? I'm the D. A.
of record. I can't be --

Then maybe you shouldn't be.

What the hell
are you up to now?

Your Honor?

Ms. Gamble,
please take the stand.

And as I was walking,

I was maybe 30 yards
away from the house.

I saw Darryl.

The defendant?

Yes.

And can you tell the court

what you observed next,
Mr. Chessler?

Uh, excuse me.
Before you do,

we should establish
you're here under subpoena,

aren't you, Mr. Chessler?

Yes.

You're in fact a friend
of the defendant, are you not?

I like the guy, yeah.
He's a good kid.

In fact, you were prepared
to lie to help him, weren't you?

I wanted to help him.
I admit that.

You don't have any motive
to hurt him?

No, I don't.

Okay. Continue.

Could you tell us
what happened next?

Well, I seen Darryl
moving towards the house.

Then all of a sudden,
I heard this awful screaming

coming from inside
the house.

You heard the scream
after Darryl went in?

No, no, before he went in.

Darryl was still outside.

He went in after I heard
the screaming.

Mr. Chessler, did you not
tell me earlier

you heard the screaming

after Darryl Hutchins
entered the dwelling?

Yes, I told you that,
but that's not what happened.

The screaming came
before Darryl went in.

Mr. Chessler, why did you
tell Mr. Bay otherwise?

'cause I knew he wouldn't
put me up here

if I was going to tell
the truth.

Objection!
Move to strike!

And I thought the truth
had to come out,

however I could get
to say it.

I've been tricked!

This is a sneaky, sleazy,
disgusting trick.

I'm just saying
what really happened.

Anything else, Mr. Bay?

No.

Ms. Frutt?

Uh, nothing, Your Honor.

The witness may step down.

Mr. Bay, anything else?

Mr. Bay?

We are adjourned
until after lunch,

and then we will hear
closing arguments.

That went well, right?

That went very well.

It was a courtesy.

I've known Frank Lopes
for nine years.

Yes, he is.
He's a friend?

Known him
to be an honest cop?

Very.

Straight shooter?

He shoots straighter
than his son, I guess.

And if his son told him
the truth,

knowing Frank Lopes
the way you do,

what did you think he would
do with the information?

I didn't think about it.
You didn't think about it?

No, I didn't, counsel.

I was just letting
a father visit his son.

Well, you didn't let
the father visit the son

before the police
questioned him.

Only after the boy
asked for his lawyer,

only after you didn't
get anywhere,

then you called
for the dad.

You sent for the father
to get a confession

you couldn't get,
didn't you?
No, I did not.

You're under oath, Helen.
I know my oath, Eugene.

It is your testimony

that when you called
for Scott Lopes' father,

you did not do it
for the purpose

of facilitating
a confession.

That's my testimony.

'Cause you would never
take advantage

of a friend that way,
would you, Helen?

That seems argumentative.

Am I allowed to object
from the chair, Your Honor?

The objection is sustained.
Ask questions, counsel.

Here's a question.

As a friend, why didn't
you have a lawyer present

before getting a statement
from Scott Lopes?

Wouldn't a friend say,

"hey, you might want
to wait for a lawyer"?

Objection -- speculation.

Truth is the Lopeses felt
they were getting legal help,

didn't they, Helen,
from a friend?

Objection --
argumentative.

Tough having to be both
witness and D. A. Here, isn't it?

Tough playing a dual
role, huh, Helen?

Objection -- badgering.

But you weren't playing
a dual role the other day.

You were just a D. A. You sent
that man to get on a mission --

Objection -- badgering!

Are you going to rule
or not?

Move along, Mr. young.

I think I'm done,
Your Honor.

I don't have
any questions at all.

Not anymore.

I don't question
that Frank Lopes

went into that room
as a father, not as a cop.

Then what's the issue?

The issue is
he was used unwittingly

by the district attorney.

She called him
to get a confession.

Regardless what was
in Frank Lopes' mind,

Helen Gamble's thinking
was, "let's use the father

to get the information,"
knowing the father,

a good, straight cop,
would turn it over.

So you're a mind reader now.

Well, Ms. Gamble,
if professional courtesy
was the goal,

why did you
not call the father

before you hit the wall
with the police interrogation?

The police interrogation had
started before I got there.

Scott Lopes
asked for his lawyer.

By law, all questioning
must stop.

And all questioning
did stop.

It was his father,

and on cases where the father
is also a cop,

the courts look to the totality
of circumstances

to determine, "was the statement
given voluntarily?"

Here, it was,
and everyone knows it.

You want to call me
as a witness?

I know what he told you.
You can verify

that his testimony
was a total fabrication.

Are you on drugs?

As a matter of fact,
I am.

I've been pounding aspirin
for three hours.

Mr. Bay.

Your Honor, Eddie Chessler
just proffered false testimony.

She knows it.

You can't call me
to testify

against the interests
of my client.

I believe I can
in the interests of justice.

You can excuse yourself.
He can --

Oh, come on.

Look, what happened here?

I have to admit,
this all seems very strange.

The guy flipped on me,
then he flipped on Richard --

anything to get
into the witness chair.

You didn't
orchestrate this, did you?

I'm sorry?

Oh, how ingenious.

Get the prosecution
to call him.

That way, his testimony
becomes a total bombshell.

Hey, I am the one
who excused his testimony

when I knew
he was going to lie.

Which goes totally
against your character.

Oh, I should've known
something was up

the minute you started
acting ethically.

Have another aspirin.

Your Honor, she has information.
She's a witness.

I'm sorry, Mr. Bay.
I'm not going to allow

the prosecution to call
defense counsel

to impeach
a state's witness.

You got a bad bounce.

You'll just have
to deal with it.

What a gyp!

Excuse me?

This is a total gyp.

Oh, that argument

you'll definitely want
to save for appeal.

For now, let's go.

No eyewitnesses.

Their entire case
is fingerprints,

and you heard
Darryl Hutchins tell you

how those fingerprints
got there.

He picked up
the piece of wood.

Stupid thing to do?
Of course.

But Darryl is a little slower
than the rest of us,

and he just happened
to walk into that house

at the wrong time.

And you heard
Eddie Chessler's testimony.

He said he heard the scream

before Darryl went
into that building --

before he went in.

And what about
this Kenny Sutton?

Why wasn't he called?

Why wasn't he put on the stand
to say that Brian Tabbitt

was still alive
when he left the building?

There is reasonable doubt
everywhere you turn on this one.

Eddie Chessler is a liar
who tricked his way

onto the stand
in order to help a friend.

The defense couldn't call him

since they knew him
to be a liar.

Objection.

JUDGE KITTLESON:
Sustained.

You know, it's easy
to fall into the trap

of looking at trials
with a scorecard --

who built up the most points,

who won the day, who lost --

like it's a game.

As I stood here
in this room yesterday,

egg all over my face,

I'm sure I looked every bit
the loser I felt I was.

Imagine my embarrassment,

being surprised
by my own witness.

But this isn't a game,
ladies and gentlemen.

You don't go back
to that room

and decide who racked up
the most points.

The question is,
who killed Brian Tabbitt?

Other than the untruthful
testimony of Eddie Chessler,

the evidence -- all of it --
points to Darryl Hutchins.

He threatened the boy.
He was alone with him
in a house.

When Mr. Hutchins left,
Brian Tabbitt was dead,

with the defendant's
fingerprints

all over the weapon.

For once, let's not
look at this as a game.

Let's hold a killer
responsible.

We've had parents
extract confessions before

and the test has always been was
the parent acting as a parent,

or, rather, as an agent
of the state

when speaking with his or her
arrested child?

Nobody here
seems to be doubting

detective Lopes
went into that room as a father,

not as a police officer,

but to me, the question
doesn't end there.

Anything designed to elicit
an incriminating response

by definition
is an interrogation.

Therefore, Ms. Gamble,

if you sent the father
into that room

as part of a design
to collect information,

the court holds that
to be an interrogation,

even if the father was
an unwitting participant.

The question here is
what was in your mind?

Only you know.

The court, however,
is allowed to take note

of your competitive reputation.

The court also takes note

that detective Lopes never
would have entered that room

unless you sent for him,
and since you sent for him

after you struck out
with the police interrogation,

and since the defendant

had invoked his right
to counsel,

I smell a foul ball.

The confession is suppressed.
The gun and the bullet

are deemed fruits
of the poisonous tree

and are similarly suppressed.
In the absence of this evidence,

I find no cause to hold
the defendant,

and he is therefore
free to go.

Adjourned. [ bangs gavel ]

Thank you.

Thank you. I have to admit,
I hate what you guys do,

but I love it today.

Would Your Honor have
a big long stick handy,

preferably barbed?

I'm sorry?

I'd like to bend over
and have it run up my ass

to complete the experience
of appearing before you.

I'll let that go,
counsel...once.

I won't let it go,
Helen.

You sent me in there
to do your work

with my own son.

Come on, Frank. Come on.

I think we did really good,
don't you, Ellenor?

We'll know in a second,
Darryl.

And if we win, I get to go home
to my grandma, right?

That's right.

Members of the jury
have you reached a verdict?

We have.

Will the defendant
please rise.

What say you?

On the charge of murder
in the first degree,

we find the defendant
Darryl Hutchins

not guilty.

On the charge of murder
in second degree,

we find the defendant
Darryl Hutchins

not guilty.

Unbelievable.

JUDGE KITTLESON:
The defendant is free to go.

Members of the jury,
you are dismissed

with the court's thanks.

We are adjourned.

You did it, Ellenor.
You did it.

I think you can thank
your friend Eddie.

He helped, too.

It was my idea,
you know.

I'm sorry?

I knew if he testified
for me,

the jury would only,
like, half believe him,

but if he was
a prosecution witness...

You told him to do that?

I told you
I wasn't stupid.

I told you
I wasn't a retard.

No, you're not, Darryl.

Well, I'm going to go
see my grandmother,

'cause I know
she misses me.

(indistinct chatter)

I want to quit.

You can't quit.

I need you to talk me
out of quitting.

Why is it getting so hard

to get convictions
these days?

Because people are becoming
more distrustful of the police,

and D. A. s --
we don't have

the presumption
of integrity anymore.

But why?
I don't understand.

Tell me. Did you send
the father in there

for the purpose of getting
the kid's confession?

Yes.

So? If he were innocent,

there'd be no confession
to be had.

Can I have your pickle?

I need it, Richard.

Give it to me.

What?

The speech --
why we do what we do.

Oh, I am not really
in the mood after the --

Oh, please, Richard,
I need it.

Please give it to me,
and don't just phone it in.

Helen.

Please. Can't you see
how demoralized I am?

Okay.

There are heroes
in this world.

They're called
district attorneys.

They don't get
to have clients,

people who smile at them
at the end of the trial,

who look them in the eye
and say, "thank you."

Nobody's there to appreciate
the district attorney

because we work for the state,

and our gratitude
comes only from knowing

there's a tide out there --

a tide the size of a tsunami

coming out
of a bottomless cesspool,

a tide called crime,
which, if left unchecked,

will rob every American
of his freedom,

a tide which strips
individuals of the privilege

of being able to walk
down a dark street

or to take $20
out of an atm machine

without fear of being mugged.

All Congress does is talk,

but it's the district attorney
who grabs his sword,

who digs into the trenches
and fights the fight,

who dogs justice day after day
after day without thanks,

without so much
as a simple pat on the back,

but we do it. We do it.

We do it because
we are the crusaders,

the last frontier
of American justice,

knowing that if a man
cannot feel safe,

he can never, never
feel free.

Thank you.

What about your other pickle?

(music playing)

You stinker!