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- okay.
4
00:00:32,423 --> 00:00:35,252
- I'm ready.
5
00:00:35,296 --> 00:00:37,211
- jacquiese, stand up.
6
00:00:37,254 --> 00:00:40,170
Jacquiese whelchel is not
guilty of false imprisonment,
7
00:00:40,214 --> 00:00:42,781
attempted false imprisonment,
8
00:00:42,825 --> 00:00:46,524
terroristic threats,
or battery.
9
00:00:46,568 --> 00:00:47,743
Sit down.
10
00:00:50,006 --> 00:00:51,834
The judge is gonna tell you
11
00:00:51,877 --> 00:00:55,316
that if the state fails
to prove their case,
12
00:00:55,359 --> 00:00:56,578
it is your duty;
13
00:00:56,621 --> 00:00:59,494
you must acquit.
14
00:01:00,756 --> 00:01:02,801
That's the beauty
of this system.
15
00:01:02,845 --> 00:01:07,545
It's set up to give people
the presumption of innocence,
16
00:01:07,589 --> 00:01:11,723
to give them an opportunity
to not just be heard
17
00:01:11,767 --> 00:01:14,030
but hold the state accountable.
18
00:01:14,074 --> 00:01:17,686
You want to take my liberty,
you got to do it right,
19
00:01:17,729 --> 00:01:19,731
and if you don't, acquit.
20
00:01:19,775 --> 00:01:23,996
The fifth amendment to
the united states constitution
21
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,521
guarantees it.
22
00:01:26,564 --> 00:01:29,524
As I've made my objections
throughout this trial,
23
00:01:29,567 --> 00:01:34,224
it's to make sure that this kid
gets a fair trial.
24
00:01:34,268 --> 00:01:37,271
It's not a big case,
is what they say.
25
00:01:37,314 --> 00:01:40,839
They are saying that they have--
they have the gall to say
26
00:01:40,883 --> 00:01:43,755
that this is not a big case.
27
00:01:43,799 --> 00:01:46,584
There are huge consequences.
28
00:01:46,628 --> 00:01:50,153
This boy will become
a convicted felon.
29
00:01:50,197 --> 00:01:51,981
That's the reality of it.
30
00:01:52,024 --> 00:01:55,724
That's what
this case represents.
31
00:01:55,767 --> 00:01:57,291
Thank you.
32
00:02:05,908 --> 00:02:07,170
♪
33
00:02:33,849 --> 00:02:35,329
- I'm scared man
- I know it
34
00:02:35,372 --> 00:02:37,505
- keep your head up. Don't look
down.
35
00:02:37,548 --> 00:02:39,115
- it's almost over
36
00:02:47,471 --> 00:02:50,387
- I've been advised that you've
reached a verdict in the case.
37
00:02:50,431 --> 00:02:51,997
- yes, ma'am.
38
00:02:52,041 --> 00:02:54,609
- madam clerk, if you'll please
publish the verdict.
39
00:02:54,652 --> 00:02:56,176
- yes, ma'am.
40
00:02:59,179 --> 00:03:01,224
In the superior court
of hall county,
41
00:03:01,268 --> 00:03:05,315
state of georgia versus
jacquiese m'shawn whelchel,
42
00:03:05,359 --> 00:03:08,840
we, the jury,
find the defendant not guilty
43
00:03:08,884 --> 00:03:12,279
this second day
of november 2011,
44
00:03:12,322 --> 00:03:15,456
count one, jury foreperson.
45
00:03:25,553 --> 00:03:27,729
- my goal is
to fill this wall up,
46
00:03:27,772 --> 00:03:29,252
and then once
I fill this wall up,
47
00:03:29,296 --> 00:03:30,384
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
48
00:03:32,473 --> 00:03:33,909
Hopefully, like,
my whole office
49
00:03:33,952 --> 00:03:35,954
will just be covered
in acquittals.
50
00:03:38,653 --> 00:03:40,655
I decided,
since the wins go on the wall,
51
00:03:40,698 --> 00:03:42,309
the losses have to go somewhere,
52
00:03:42,352 --> 00:03:43,919
and I'ma tattoo--
53
00:03:43,962 --> 00:03:45,747
uh, I don't have any tattoos,
54
00:03:45,790 --> 00:03:47,270
so I'm gonna get the last name
of every case I've lost
55
00:03:47,314 --> 00:03:49,185
tattooed on my back.
56
00:03:49,229 --> 00:03:51,274
Right now it's only five,
and hopefully it won't get--
57
00:03:51,318 --> 00:03:53,145
hopefully I won't fill
my back up.
58
00:03:53,189 --> 00:03:54,756
That's the goal.
59
00:03:54,799 --> 00:03:56,410
But since the wins
go on the wall,
60
00:03:56,453 --> 00:03:58,325
I decided the losses
have to go somewhere,
61
00:03:58,368 --> 00:03:59,674
and they'll go on my back,
62
00:03:59,717 --> 00:04:02,154
'cause they're gonna be
with me forever.
63
00:04:03,591 --> 00:04:06,289
- when you work
as a public defender,
64
00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:07,421
you say to somebody,
65
00:04:07,464 --> 00:04:09,161
"oh, I'm a public defender,"
66
00:04:09,205 --> 00:04:11,207
and then they're like,
"well, what does that mean?"
67
00:04:11,251 --> 00:04:13,470
"i defend people who are charged
with committing crimes,"
68
00:04:13,514 --> 00:04:14,776
and then they'll say,
69
00:04:14,819 --> 00:04:17,126
"how can you defend
those people?"
70
00:04:17,169 --> 00:04:19,911
I tell them the truth,
and the truth is,
71
00:04:19,955 --> 00:04:23,350
it's about the sanctity
of human liberty
72
00:04:23,393 --> 00:04:26,266
and the cost of it
if you want to take it.
73
00:04:40,541 --> 00:04:41,498
- hi.
74
00:04:41,542 --> 00:04:43,065
- I'm well.
How are you?
75
00:04:46,373 --> 00:04:49,027
Trying cases
is an adrenaline rush,
76
00:04:49,071 --> 00:04:50,812
and when you win,
there's a high.
77
00:04:50,855 --> 00:04:54,598
But that is not the average day
of a public defender.
78
00:05:18,143 --> 00:05:19,449
this is great!
79
00:05:21,408 --> 00:05:24,106
A client got approved
80
00:05:24,149 --> 00:05:26,500
for the pretrial
diversion program.
81
00:05:28,589 --> 00:05:30,678
I am so excited for him.
82
00:05:30,721 --> 00:05:32,375
Ah, if only we can get him out.
83
00:05:32,419 --> 00:05:35,552
If we can't get him out,
it's pointless
84
00:05:35,596 --> 00:05:37,380
if his mom can't buy him out.
85
00:05:39,426 --> 00:05:42,080
Hi, may I speak
with miss howard?
86
00:05:42,124 --> 00:05:43,430
Miss howard,
how are
87
00:05:43,473 --> 00:05:45,301
This is brandy alexander
88
00:05:45,345 --> 00:05:47,651
over at the public defender's
office in clayton county.
89
00:05:47,695 --> 00:05:51,307
I got a letter
from the d.a.'s office today
90
00:05:51,351 --> 00:05:53,875
indicating that they have
referred him
91
00:05:53,918 --> 00:05:55,572
to the pretrial
diversion program.
92
00:05:55,616 --> 00:05:57,052
Are you familiar
with that at all?
93
00:05:58,445 --> 00:06:02,274
It will allow him
to have his charges dismissed.
94
00:06:02,318 --> 00:06:05,234
Now, in order to get him in
the pretrial diversion program,
95
00:06:05,277 --> 00:06:07,410
he's gonna have
to get out of jail.
96
00:06:07,454 --> 00:06:10,718
You think you'll be able
to do that?
97
00:06:23,121 --> 00:06:27,212
I know it's a lot,
miss howard.
98
00:06:27,256 --> 00:06:28,518
I know.
99
00:06:28,562 --> 00:06:32,000
The average person
cannot come up with $3,000
100
00:06:32,043 --> 00:06:35,656
in a month
or in less than a month.
101
00:06:35,699 --> 00:06:38,180
Is there any amount
that you can afford?
102
00:06:45,492 --> 00:06:46,971
Okay.
103
00:06:47,015 --> 00:06:49,191
Your mom has 500.
How much do you have?
104
00:06:52,324 --> 00:06:54,109
You don't have anything.
105
00:06:56,067 --> 00:06:57,417
Is his--
106
00:07:06,513 --> 00:07:08,993
all right.
I'll talk to you soon.
107
00:07:09,037 --> 00:07:11,082
Bye-bye.
108
00:07:15,522 --> 00:07:23,181
♪
109
00:07:23,225 --> 00:07:25,923
He's gonna have to choose
between a trial and a plea.
110
00:07:43,463 --> 00:07:44,551
- being a public defender,
111
00:07:44,594 --> 00:07:46,596
you realize very quickly
112
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:47,771
the reality is,
113
00:07:47,815 --> 00:07:49,686
90% of the people
or 95% of the people
114
00:07:49,730 --> 00:07:50,948
who get charged
with something
115
00:07:50,992 --> 00:07:54,082
plead guilty
to something, right?
116
00:07:54,125 --> 00:07:57,738
Because the system is designed
to force them to plead guilty,
117
00:07:57,781 --> 00:08:00,871
and it punishes
their failure to comply.
118
00:08:02,090 --> 00:08:03,657
This is the way it really works.
119
00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:05,093
You go to jail.
120
00:08:05,136 --> 00:08:07,182
You're charged with an offense
121
00:08:07,225 --> 00:08:09,663
based upon what a police officer
thinks you did.
122
00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,014
They set a bond,
123
00:08:13,057 --> 00:08:15,669
and if you're poor
and you can't make the bond,
124
00:08:15,712 --> 00:08:17,627
you don't get out.
125
00:08:19,194 --> 00:08:20,543
so you sit
126
00:08:20,587 --> 00:08:22,153
and you sit
127
00:08:22,197 --> 00:08:23,546
and you sit.
128
00:08:23,590 --> 00:08:25,679
You may have lost your house.
129
00:08:25,722 --> 00:08:30,422
Your kids may be
needing sustenance.
130
00:08:30,466 --> 00:08:33,817
You may have been
taken out of high school--
131
00:08:33,861 --> 00:08:35,732
all the things that could happen
132
00:08:35,776 --> 00:08:40,128
if you were summarily plucked
from your life.
133
00:08:40,171 --> 00:08:45,089
You have so much tremendous
pressure to plead guilty.
134
00:08:45,133 --> 00:08:47,875
It's all about
lessening the penalty.
135
00:08:47,918 --> 00:08:50,051
That's what we do.
136
00:09:02,367 --> 00:09:05,980
- this is the kingdom.
137
00:09:06,023 --> 00:09:07,677
Um...
138
00:09:07,721 --> 00:09:09,331
These are crime scenes,
139
00:09:09,374 --> 00:09:12,682
aerial depictions
of burglaries and robberies
140
00:09:12,726 --> 00:09:13,944
that I've collected.
141
00:09:13,988 --> 00:09:16,556
This guy was charged with, like,
142
00:09:16,599 --> 00:09:19,515
38 counts of burglary,
143
00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,605
and it took--it took forever
to close the case,
144
00:09:22,649 --> 00:09:25,739
and I just kept
the blowups from it.
145
00:09:25,782 --> 00:09:27,654
There's really nothing
to see in the house.
146
00:09:27,697 --> 00:09:30,439
It's next door to the office.
147
00:09:30,482 --> 00:09:31,788
That's my favorite thing
about it.
148
00:09:31,832 --> 00:09:33,485
It's next door to the office.
149
00:09:35,662 --> 00:09:36,837
All I do is this.
150
00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,229
I don't do anything else.
151
00:09:38,273 --> 00:09:40,231
I don't have a wife and kids.
152
00:09:40,275 --> 00:09:42,320
I do this.
I do this for a living.
153
00:09:43,844 --> 00:09:45,149
You know,
in a given case,
154
00:09:45,193 --> 00:09:46,629
if I don't do
all I need to do,
155
00:09:46,673 --> 00:09:49,327
somebody's gonna become
a convicted felon,
156
00:09:49,371 --> 00:09:50,590
and they go to prison.
157
00:09:50,633 --> 00:09:53,636
They can't vote.
They can't get a job.
158
00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:57,814
Like, I think about that
every case.
159
00:10:11,741 --> 00:10:13,090
the job is just emergencies.
160
00:10:13,134 --> 00:10:16,659
Everybody's
in an emergency state.
161
00:10:16,703 --> 00:10:20,315
Everybody's in jail
162
00:10:20,358 --> 00:10:22,709
or charged
with child molestation
163
00:10:22,752 --> 00:10:24,580
or getting beat up
164
00:10:24,624 --> 00:10:26,060
or something crazy is going on.
165
00:10:26,103 --> 00:10:27,801
It's just--it's just chaos.
166
00:10:52,390 --> 00:10:56,177
- judge, this is
case number 2011cr252-c,
167
00:10:56,220 --> 00:10:59,484
the state of georgia
versus branden lee mullin.
168
00:11:01,008 --> 00:11:02,357
On the incident date,
169
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,490
the defendant was
with cody campbell,
170
00:11:05,534 --> 00:11:08,842
and they discussed
ordering a pizza.
171
00:11:08,885 --> 00:11:11,758
They did discuss
robbing the pizza man.
172
00:11:11,801 --> 00:11:13,847
Cody campbell made the call,
173
00:11:13,890 --> 00:11:17,241
and the car was approached
by mr. mullin,
174
00:11:17,285 --> 00:11:20,027
who put the knife
to mr. wrengle's throat
175
00:11:20,070 --> 00:11:25,380
and told him to freeze
and to give him the money.
176
00:11:25,423 --> 00:11:28,688
The investigation
progressed from there.
177
00:11:40,090 --> 00:11:42,092
- when I get a case,
178
00:11:42,136 --> 00:11:45,269
I'm more like an investigator
than a lawyer.
179
00:11:45,313 --> 00:11:48,490
I really consider myself
a lot more like matlock
180
00:11:48,533 --> 00:11:50,144
than f. lee bailey.
181
00:11:56,106 --> 00:11:57,847
- uh, just--just a statement.
182
00:11:57,891 --> 00:12:00,110
Yeah, slightly incriminating.
183
00:12:00,154 --> 00:12:02,765
You know, "i was there.
I saw this guy jump out.
184
00:12:02,809 --> 00:12:04,854
I didn't know
what was going on."
185
00:12:06,813 --> 00:12:07,770
- no. no.
186
00:12:07,814 --> 00:12:09,293
I believe
he just happened to be
187
00:12:09,337 --> 00:12:10,904
at the wrong place
at the wrong time
188
00:12:10,947 --> 00:12:13,036
hanging with
a bunch of dummies.
189
00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,560
But it ain't lookin' good.
190
00:12:17,388 --> 00:12:19,129
But, oh, man,
it'll break my heart
191
00:12:19,173 --> 00:12:20,740
if this kid gets convicted.
192
00:12:20,783 --> 00:12:23,786
Ten-year mandatory minimum,
day for day.
193
00:12:23,830 --> 00:12:25,483
- yeah, 19.
194
00:12:25,527 --> 00:12:28,356
- and our kid
is a cute little white guy.
195
00:12:28,399 --> 00:12:31,838
He's gonna have a rough time
at the big boy prison,
196
00:12:31,881 --> 00:12:35,406
'cause that's where they're
gonna send armed robbers.
197
00:12:35,450 --> 00:12:38,279
He's gonna have a rough time.
198
00:12:38,322 --> 00:12:40,672
He probably won't live
to see the ten years.
199
00:12:40,716 --> 00:12:41,804
If he does, when he gets out,
200
00:12:41,848 --> 00:12:43,545
I would hate to see him.
201
00:12:45,895 --> 00:12:47,897
For 96 bucks.
202
00:12:47,941 --> 00:12:50,247
All this shit over $96.
203
00:12:58,821 --> 00:13:06,742
♪
204
00:13:26,675 --> 00:13:28,808
- all rise.
205
00:13:35,771 --> 00:13:37,947
- mr. mardell,
you were charged with driving
206
00:13:37,991 --> 00:13:40,602
after being declared
an habitual violator.
207
00:13:40,645 --> 00:13:43,518
Upton, you were charged
with aggravated assault,
208
00:13:43,561 --> 00:13:45,955
with terroristic threats,
and battery.
209
00:13:45,999 --> 00:13:47,739
Mr. rawlings, you were charged
210
00:13:47,783 --> 00:13:49,872
with violation of the georgia
controlled substances act.
211
00:13:49,916 --> 00:13:53,006
This plea form has a written
statement that indicates
212
00:13:53,049 --> 00:13:54,703
that you wish to plead guilty.
213
00:13:54,746 --> 00:13:56,923
How do you wish to plead
to these charges?
214
00:13:56,966 --> 00:13:59,012
Not guilty or guilty?
- guilty.
215
00:13:59,055 --> 00:14:00,970
- how do you wish to plead
to these charges?
216
00:14:01,014 --> 00:14:03,059
Not guilty or guilty?
- guilty.
217
00:14:03,103 --> 00:14:04,365
- guilty.
218
00:14:04,408 --> 00:14:06,106
- so is there anything further
from the state?
219
00:14:06,149 --> 00:14:07,455
- no, your honor.
220
00:14:07,498 --> 00:14:08,935
- anything further
from the defense?
221
00:14:08,978 --> 00:14:11,024
- no, your honor.
And that's all I had.
222
00:14:11,067 --> 00:14:13,417
May I be excused?
- yes, ma'am.
223
00:14:20,903 --> 00:14:25,038
- these are the new clients
that you need to see.
224
00:14:25,081 --> 00:14:27,692
Here's the file
that I was just asking about.
225
00:14:27,736 --> 00:14:29,912
- oh.
226
00:14:29,956 --> 00:14:32,610
thanks. okay.
227
00:14:32,654 --> 00:14:34,917
- miss wright,
how are you doing?
228
00:14:34,961 --> 00:14:36,353
Um, I talked to the prosecutor.
229
00:14:36,397 --> 00:14:39,748
She'd be willing to go up
on the bond, $10,000,
230
00:14:39,791 --> 00:14:41,097
and then give him a curfew.
231
00:14:41,141 --> 00:14:43,230
But I want to make sure
that it's not gonna, like,
232
00:14:43,273 --> 00:14:46,537
increase your amount that you
have to pay every two weeks
233
00:14:46,581 --> 00:14:49,584
by more than $100.
234
00:14:49,627 --> 00:14:51,368
Okay.
235
00:14:51,412 --> 00:14:54,110
You're welcome.
I'll talk to you soon.
236
00:14:54,154 --> 00:14:56,591
She's behind
on all of her bills,
237
00:14:56,634 --> 00:14:58,810
and they're about
to take her car.
238
00:14:58,854 --> 00:15:01,074
This kid is in high school.
239
00:15:01,117 --> 00:15:02,989
He's so smart,
240
00:15:03,032 --> 00:15:05,948
so incredibly smart.
241
00:15:05,992 --> 00:15:08,646
That's him.
242
00:15:08,690 --> 00:15:09,691
He's 17.
243
00:15:09,734 --> 00:15:13,042
He was arrested
for armed robbery.
244
00:15:13,086 --> 00:15:15,915
This is--i can't even believe
that they arrested him for it.
245
00:15:15,958 --> 00:15:17,307
I really don't believe it.
246
00:15:17,351 --> 00:15:20,136
And it's a ten-year minimum
mandatory sentence.
247
00:15:22,051 --> 00:15:23,966
And win, lose, or draw,
248
00:15:24,010 --> 00:15:25,663
tears will fall,
249
00:15:25,707 --> 00:15:28,188
because this kid is--
250
00:15:28,231 --> 00:15:30,494
I don't think he's guilty.
251
00:15:30,538 --> 00:15:33,541
I don't.
I think he's innocent.
252
00:15:46,336 --> 00:15:48,991
- when they arrested me,
253
00:15:49,035 --> 00:15:50,340
I was scared.
254
00:15:50,384 --> 00:15:52,473
I didn't know what was going on.
255
00:15:54,910 --> 00:15:57,913
- why don't come on in
and help me get decorated?
256
00:15:57,957 --> 00:16:01,090
There's some meatloaf and
cabbages in the refrigerator.
257
00:16:08,793 --> 00:16:10,360
Throw that trash out.
258
00:16:13,973 --> 00:16:16,976
- it was december 9, 2010.
259
00:16:19,065 --> 00:16:21,937
Me and my family was sitting
in the living room watching tv,
260
00:16:21,981 --> 00:16:24,374
cooking, you know,
just a normal family night.
261
00:16:26,811 --> 00:16:28,552
All of a sudden,
we hear a big knock on the door.
262
00:16:28,596 --> 00:16:30,511
So my mom go to the door
and open up.
263
00:16:30,554 --> 00:16:32,643
They say
it's the college park police.
264
00:16:32,687 --> 00:16:35,559
- I unlocked the door,
twist the knob,
265
00:16:35,603 --> 00:16:39,041
and didn't even get a chance
to open the door all the way.
266
00:16:39,085 --> 00:16:40,651
As soon as it cracked--
267
00:16:40,695 --> 00:16:42,088
I guess they heard me
twist the knob--
268
00:16:42,131 --> 00:16:44,133
they just pushed the door in,
269
00:16:44,177 --> 00:16:45,830
pushed me back,
270
00:16:45,874 --> 00:16:48,703
they spinned me around,
pushed me on the floor,
271
00:16:48,746 --> 00:16:51,445
rushed in,
pushed my daughter on the floor.
272
00:16:51,488 --> 00:16:55,057
They all had guns and
flashlights to all our heads
273
00:16:55,101 --> 00:16:56,276
on the floor.
274
00:16:56,319 --> 00:16:58,408
They rushed in the living room,
275
00:16:58,452 --> 00:17:00,367
yanked my son off the sofa,
276
00:17:00,410 --> 00:17:01,411
throw him on the floor,
277
00:17:01,455 --> 00:17:03,065
put the handcuffs on him,
278
00:17:03,109 --> 00:17:04,849
and just took him outside.
279
00:17:04,893 --> 00:17:09,202
I cried.
280
00:17:09,245 --> 00:17:13,206
It's a unexplainable feeling,
situation,
281
00:17:13,249 --> 00:17:17,036
for someone to come in
to your home,
282
00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,429
whether it's been
the police or whomever,
283
00:17:19,473 --> 00:17:21,736
and take your child away.
284
00:17:23,390 --> 00:17:26,523
Demontes was a very good baby.
285
00:17:28,221 --> 00:17:30,614
This is when he became
kind of challenging.
286
00:17:30,658 --> 00:17:34,096
He would take his toys apart
and put 'em back together,
287
00:17:34,140 --> 00:17:37,012
and I bought him
one of those razor motorcycles.
288
00:17:37,056 --> 00:17:38,405
You would never believe it.
289
00:17:38,448 --> 00:17:41,060
He took that thing apart
and re-rigged it up
290
00:17:41,103 --> 00:17:43,323
to run faster.
291
00:17:43,366 --> 00:17:45,281
- when they arrested me,
I was 16.
292
00:17:45,325 --> 00:17:48,023
Then they--they held me
at a juvenile detention center
293
00:17:48,067 --> 00:17:49,590
until I turned 17,
294
00:17:49,633 --> 00:17:51,113
and then they took me
to the county,
295
00:17:51,157 --> 00:17:52,593
which is adult jail.
296
00:17:52,636 --> 00:17:54,986
I was scared,
but I knew I couldn't--
297
00:17:55,030 --> 00:17:56,510
I couldn't really
let it get to me,
298
00:17:56,553 --> 00:17:58,033
'cause I knew
I had to be strong,
299
00:17:58,077 --> 00:17:59,252
'cause at the time,
300
00:17:59,295 --> 00:18:00,383
I was gonna be there
to be there,
301
00:18:00,427 --> 00:18:02,516
so I couldn't really
stress myself.
302
00:18:02,559 --> 00:18:04,257
It'd make the situation worse.
303
00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:06,128
I already knew
I couldn't afford a lawyer,
304
00:18:06,172 --> 00:18:08,217
so I was expecting
a public defender.
305
00:18:08,261 --> 00:18:10,219
I was just praying
on a good one,
306
00:18:10,263 --> 00:18:12,308
and god answered my prayer.
307
00:18:12,352 --> 00:18:14,963
- armed robbery
is a maximum life penalty.
308
00:18:15,006 --> 00:18:16,791
A judge could sentence you
to life for it.
309
00:18:16,834 --> 00:18:19,010
You understand what that means?
- yeah.
310
00:18:19,054 --> 00:18:23,102
- it's hard to understand
a life sentence when you're 17.
311
00:18:23,145 --> 00:18:26,496
But those are things
that you have to think about.
312
00:18:28,846 --> 00:18:30,152
I know a man.
313
00:18:30,196 --> 00:18:32,546
He was sentenced
to life in prison
314
00:18:32,589 --> 00:18:35,331
for a crime
he did not commit.
315
00:18:35,375 --> 00:18:36,463
You have to think about that.
316
00:18:36,506 --> 00:18:38,160
I know that you're young,
317
00:18:38,204 --> 00:18:40,597
and it's easy to want to run
the streets with your friends
318
00:18:40,641 --> 00:18:41,859
and do what you see on tv
319
00:18:41,903 --> 00:18:44,558
and get tattoos
and so on and so forth.
320
00:18:44,601 --> 00:18:46,342
That's real cool,
and it's great,
321
00:18:46,386 --> 00:18:48,866
and it's wonderful
while you're 16, 17 years old.
322
00:18:48,910 --> 00:18:50,868
But when you're 25,
who's gonna hire you
323
00:18:50,912 --> 00:18:53,523
with tats on your neck
and all down your hand?
324
00:18:55,090 --> 00:18:56,222
That make sense?
- yeah.
325
00:19:02,402 --> 00:19:10,410
♪
326
00:19:38,264 --> 00:19:40,353
- so welcome back to birmingham.
327
00:19:46,054 --> 00:19:47,403
all right.
328
00:19:47,447 --> 00:19:50,319
I--i don't know
if everyone knows,
329
00:19:50,363 --> 00:19:53,366
but--but, um, just this month
330
00:19:53,409 --> 00:19:56,107
we had three more lawyers
leave their offices,
331
00:19:56,151 --> 00:19:59,633
three more s.p.d.t.c. lawyers
leave their offices.
332
00:19:59,676 --> 00:20:01,983
It's not a surprise, right?
333
00:20:02,026 --> 00:20:04,377
I mean, you guys are doing
the most difficult work
334
00:20:04,420 --> 00:20:06,422
in the most difficult places.
335
00:20:06,466 --> 00:20:08,207
But as I've talked
to some of you
336
00:20:08,250 --> 00:20:11,297
who haven't left but maybe
have been considering it,
337
00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:14,387
I know one issue
is certainly money.
338
00:20:14,430 --> 00:20:17,216
But another issue is
339
00:20:17,259 --> 00:20:19,435
that it's just too hard.
340
00:20:19,479 --> 00:20:22,482
"i feel defeated."
341
00:20:22,525 --> 00:20:25,615
I think that that's what
this community is about.
342
00:20:27,748 --> 00:20:30,881
- I closed
over 500 felonies last year,
343
00:20:30,925 --> 00:20:36,104
and I have 165 pending cases
right now that are all felonies,
344
00:20:36,147 --> 00:20:39,368
and i--i cannot be
an effective attorney
345
00:20:39,412 --> 00:20:40,848
at those numbers.
346
00:20:40,891 --> 00:20:43,546
- without this group,
I would've quit a long time ago,
347
00:20:43,590 --> 00:20:45,592
because, as you said,
it's a hard job,
348
00:20:45,635 --> 00:20:47,898
and when you've got nobody
that's helping you,
349
00:20:47,942 --> 00:20:50,640
and when you've got
everybody telling you,
350
00:20:50,684 --> 00:20:52,773
you know, "you work too much.
You should"--
351
00:20:52,816 --> 00:20:54,818
that are actually ordering me
out the door
352
00:20:54,862 --> 00:20:58,082
and ordering me not
to work the hours that I work.
353
00:20:58,126 --> 00:20:59,823
- the summer after I graduated,
354
00:20:59,867 --> 00:21:02,348
a young lady by the name
of alice stamps was like,
355
00:21:02,391 --> 00:21:03,827
"june, you've got to come work
356
00:21:03,871 --> 00:21:06,221
for the hinds county
public defender's office."
357
00:21:06,265 --> 00:21:07,396
I was like, "no.
358
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:08,571
"y'all got to pay me.
359
00:21:08,615 --> 00:21:10,312
"i got six figures
in educational debt.
360
00:21:10,356 --> 00:21:11,879
What are you say"--
361
00:21:11,922 --> 00:21:13,533
"june, all of that's
gonna work out, baby.
362
00:21:13,576 --> 00:21:15,230
Don't even trip on it."
363
00:21:17,232 --> 00:21:18,407
- there was a case.
364
00:21:18,451 --> 00:21:20,496
It was a sex case,
365
00:21:20,540 --> 00:21:24,500
and the client
was accused of, like,
366
00:21:24,544 --> 00:21:27,503
raping his 12-year-old daughter.
367
00:21:27,547 --> 00:21:29,113
So I go to talk to him,
368
00:21:29,157 --> 00:21:31,638
and I'm expecting him
to tell me
369
00:21:31,681 --> 00:21:34,075
why he didn't do it
and, you know,
370
00:21:34,118 --> 00:21:37,165
help me to establish
a defense for him,
371
00:21:37,208 --> 00:21:41,256
and he starts to tell me
372
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:44,215
how he raped his daughter,
373
00:21:44,259 --> 00:21:46,479
and he's proud of it.
374
00:21:46,522 --> 00:21:49,351
And I literally had to, like,
375
00:21:49,395 --> 00:21:51,353
stop myself from vomiting.
376
00:21:51,397 --> 00:21:54,574
Something clicked in me
that said,
377
00:21:54,617 --> 00:21:57,751
"some people
are just bad people.
378
00:21:57,794 --> 00:22:01,711
Some people just do
evil things."
379
00:22:01,755 --> 00:22:06,368
That, to me, is not what
a public defender should--
380
00:22:06,412 --> 00:22:08,370
like, I don't feel like
I should think those things
381
00:22:08,414 --> 00:22:12,548
about my clients.
382
00:22:12,592 --> 00:22:14,550
And I feel like I'm doing them
an injustice
383
00:22:14,594 --> 00:22:17,727
because I think those things
about a lot of them.
384
00:22:17,771 --> 00:22:20,382
And I feel like people
like travis
385
00:22:20,426 --> 00:22:23,298
who I respect
very, very highly--
386
00:22:23,342 --> 00:22:24,647
I look up to travis--
387
00:22:24,691 --> 00:22:27,171
and I feel like
I'm letting travis down
388
00:22:27,215 --> 00:22:30,784
in being this person
that I've become.
389
00:22:33,787 --> 00:22:35,397
Real talk.
You can't--
390
00:22:35,441 --> 00:22:39,401
you can't really look
for the same thing
391
00:22:39,445 --> 00:22:40,881
to motivate you
per client.
392
00:22:40,924 --> 00:22:42,883
Like, some people are just--
393
00:22:42,926 --> 00:22:46,539
everybody has--every case
has a redeeming quality to it--
394
00:22:46,582 --> 00:22:48,497
not every person necessarily.
395
00:22:48,541 --> 00:22:51,892
Don't necessarily focus on
the folks sometimes, you know?
396
00:22:51,935 --> 00:22:53,676
Like, it would make you
feel good to, like,
397
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,462
do right for people
when they right.
398
00:22:56,505 --> 00:23:00,030
But, shit, I want to do right
for people when they wrong too.
399
00:23:00,074 --> 00:23:04,731
- what I've seen from doing it
for 15, 16 years is,
400
00:23:04,774 --> 00:23:07,951
the ones who last at this,
401
00:23:07,995 --> 00:23:09,736
they do what travis
is talking about.
402
00:23:09,779 --> 00:23:12,608
Sometimes it's just good
to fight the system
403
00:23:12,652 --> 00:23:16,438
and just be a warrior
and just go to war,
404
00:23:16,482 --> 00:23:18,440
and they find that balance
405
00:23:18,484 --> 00:23:20,050
that helps them
get through the times
406
00:23:20,094 --> 00:23:22,444
when one of those
isn't working for 'em.
407
00:23:22,488 --> 00:23:25,404
- when you go back
to your offices,
408
00:23:25,447 --> 00:23:27,623
you will forget
what you feel like right now,
409
00:23:27,667 --> 00:23:28,842
and it's understandable,
410
00:23:28,885 --> 00:23:30,931
'cause you're going
back to hell.
411
00:23:30,974 --> 00:23:33,150
Some of you are
going to hell, right?
412
00:23:33,194 --> 00:23:35,457
And you're gonna feel like
you just can't make it,
413
00:23:35,501 --> 00:23:37,546
and work is too hard.
414
00:23:37,590 --> 00:23:40,593
You all know people who chose
415
00:23:40,636 --> 00:23:43,596
to go to firms
to make a lot of money.
416
00:23:43,639 --> 00:23:45,815
They're gonna drive cars
nicer than you,
417
00:23:45,859 --> 00:23:48,731
live in houses nicer than you.
418
00:23:48,775 --> 00:23:52,343
But they're not gonna
make a difference.
419
00:23:52,387 --> 00:23:54,302
Let me say this to you, though.
420
00:23:54,345 --> 00:23:56,913
This will be a battle
that will be won,
421
00:23:56,957 --> 00:23:59,481
and your children
will look back on this,
422
00:23:59,525 --> 00:24:03,616
this struggle to save people
from this injust, cruel,
423
00:24:03,659 --> 00:24:06,619
inhumane criminal justice
system,
424
00:24:06,662 --> 00:24:09,056
and you all will be
the foot soldiers.
425
00:24:09,099 --> 00:24:11,928
You will be the ones
who brought that about,
426
00:24:11,972 --> 00:24:13,626
because that
civil rights movement,
427
00:24:13,669 --> 00:24:15,715
it was young people
jumping on buses
428
00:24:15,758 --> 00:24:18,152
from the south
and from all over the country.
429
00:24:18,195 --> 00:24:22,330
And that's what this is,
and that's what you guys are.
430
00:24:27,553 --> 00:24:34,560
♪
431
00:24:34,603 --> 00:24:36,823
- we live, eat, breathe among
432
00:24:36,866 --> 00:24:41,784
alleged criminals,
ex-offenders every day.
433
00:24:43,917 --> 00:24:46,049
I'm not living in fear.
434
00:24:46,093 --> 00:24:48,312
I don't feel threatened
by my clients.
435
00:24:48,356 --> 00:24:50,619
It's an honor for me
to represent my clients.
436
00:24:51,577 --> 00:24:54,405
I have 150 clients,
437
00:24:54,449 --> 00:24:56,320
and they are all counting on me
438
00:24:56,364 --> 00:24:58,061
to be there for them.
439
00:24:59,889 --> 00:25:02,283
okay.
440
00:25:02,326 --> 00:25:04,720
We'll start with the--
with the not indicted.
441
00:25:04,764 --> 00:25:06,853
It's a boatload of these.
442
00:25:06,896 --> 00:25:10,247
These guys I've had to do
preliminary hearings for.
443
00:25:10,291 --> 00:25:14,513
These are some
of my indicted cases here.
444
00:25:14,556 --> 00:25:15,688
And these cases,
445
00:25:15,731 --> 00:25:17,167
these are from my guys
446
00:25:17,211 --> 00:25:20,693
who are in, um,
447
00:25:20,736 --> 00:25:21,781
like, drug court.
448
00:25:21,824 --> 00:25:23,086
But these are the three
449
00:25:23,130 --> 00:25:25,045
that I deal with
on a daily basis.
450
00:25:25,088 --> 00:25:28,570
Of course, now,
super hands-on cases
451
00:25:28,614 --> 00:25:31,878
are these and those.
452
00:25:38,537 --> 00:25:40,277
In my experience--
453
00:25:40,321 --> 00:25:44,151
take, for example,
statutory rape cases--
454
00:25:44,194 --> 00:25:46,414
my clients
just don't seem to know
455
00:25:46,457 --> 00:25:50,157
that consent is not
an essential element.
456
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:54,553
You have an 18-year-old
with a 14-year-old.
457
00:25:54,596 --> 00:25:58,992
You know, she looks
very much like a woman,
458
00:25:59,035 --> 00:26:03,736
um, and it may not cross
the young man's mind that,
459
00:26:03,779 --> 00:26:08,175
you know, she may be playin'
with dolls at home.
460
00:26:08,218 --> 00:26:10,177
Um, in those instances,
I'm like,
461
00:26:10,220 --> 00:26:14,790
"okay, he was just ignorant of,
you know, the law perhaps."
462
00:26:14,834 --> 00:26:18,751
But for those instances where
I've had a client who was drunk,
463
00:26:18,794 --> 00:26:22,319
and he got
his stepdaughter pregnant,
464
00:26:22,363 --> 00:26:24,626
I was just like,
465
00:26:24,670 --> 00:26:26,802
"that is complete insanity.
466
00:26:26,846 --> 00:26:28,674
That is complete
and utter insanity."
467
00:26:28,717 --> 00:26:31,633
But I have to do my job,
468
00:26:31,677 --> 00:26:34,244
and the state,
they need to do their job.
469
00:26:38,814 --> 00:26:46,735
♪
470
00:26:48,215 --> 00:26:51,435
- branden is
a typical 20-year-old.
471
00:26:51,479 --> 00:26:56,397
He can be endearing.
472
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,399
He can be infuriating.
473
00:26:58,442 --> 00:27:00,488
He can be hardheaded,
474
00:27:00,531 --> 00:27:02,621
very charismatic,
475
00:27:02,664 --> 00:27:04,361
and very sweet.
476
00:27:05,798 --> 00:27:08,583
We met this young guy who,
477
00:27:08,627 --> 00:27:09,715
at that point in time,
478
00:27:09,758 --> 00:27:13,153
was homeless, had no job,
479
00:27:13,196 --> 00:27:14,241
no family.
480
00:27:14,284 --> 00:27:16,243
I hired him to do some work
for me
481
00:27:16,286 --> 00:27:18,027
basically 'cause
I have a bad back,
482
00:27:18,071 --> 00:27:20,160
and as we got to know him
483
00:27:20,203 --> 00:27:22,728
over the course
of working with him,
484
00:27:22,771 --> 00:27:27,210
we decided to offer him
a place to live.
485
00:27:27,254 --> 00:27:29,212
- we developed a family unit.
486
00:27:29,256 --> 00:27:32,476
It's not by any stretch
of the imagination
487
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,478
ward and june cleaver,
488
00:27:34,522 --> 00:27:37,786
but for us, it works.
489
00:27:37,830 --> 00:27:39,614
- I mean,
my dads are pretty cool.
490
00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:41,660
I mean, they both love me.
491
00:27:41,703 --> 00:27:43,487
I mean, I really don't know
what I would've done
492
00:27:43,531 --> 00:27:46,752
without their help
with all this stuff.
493
00:27:46,795 --> 00:27:50,190
I never really thought
I would have anyone like that.
494
00:27:50,233 --> 00:27:53,584
My mom left me when I was 12.
495
00:27:53,628 --> 00:27:56,109
I haven't seen her since.
496
00:27:56,152 --> 00:27:58,459
I mean,
since I was 12 years old,
497
00:27:58,502 --> 00:28:02,506
I was pretty much in foster
homes and stuff like that,
498
00:28:02,550 --> 00:28:03,769
in group homes.
499
00:28:03,812 --> 00:28:05,858
This is, like,
the most stabile environment
500
00:28:05,901 --> 00:28:06,902
I've been in,
501
00:28:06,946 --> 00:28:08,121
living with them.
502
00:28:10,819 --> 00:28:12,299
I like travis a lot.
503
00:28:12,342 --> 00:28:16,085
Compared to any other lawyer,
like, he's different.
504
00:28:16,129 --> 00:28:18,827
You know,
he actually seems like he cares.
505
00:28:29,795 --> 00:28:30,752
- this is tough work.
506
00:28:30,796 --> 00:28:32,972
This is grueling work.
507
00:28:37,454 --> 00:28:42,764
You're dealing with people
who society has forgot about,
508
00:28:42,808 --> 00:28:44,984
society don't give a shit about.
509
00:28:46,812 --> 00:28:49,249
But that's something
that I can relate to.
510
00:28:52,948 --> 00:28:55,821
I was born in georgia.
511
00:28:55,864 --> 00:28:56,952
My mother was--
512
00:28:56,996 --> 00:29:01,652
had escaped from custody
here in georgia,
513
00:29:01,696 --> 00:29:05,787
and she took on an alias name
514
00:29:05,831 --> 00:29:08,311
in order to avoid detection,
515
00:29:08,355 --> 00:29:10,357
and her alias name--
the last name was williams.
516
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:14,274
That was--one of her aliases
was jackie williams.
517
00:29:14,317 --> 00:29:17,973
And so she gave birth to a child
under that alias name.
518
00:29:18,017 --> 00:29:18,974
And that child was me.
519
00:29:21,672 --> 00:29:24,371
She fled to florida,
520
00:29:24,414 --> 00:29:27,983
and she just dropped me off
with my grandmother
521
00:29:28,027 --> 00:29:31,639
and took off.
522
00:29:31,682 --> 00:29:33,946
And so I don't know
who my father is.
523
00:29:37,253 --> 00:29:45,174
♪
524
00:29:53,879 --> 00:29:56,011
- I collapsed in court
last week.
525
00:29:59,754 --> 00:30:01,103
My knees kind of gave out,
526
00:30:01,147 --> 00:30:03,410
and the prosecutor
had to catch me.
527
00:30:06,935 --> 00:30:08,110
I was so stressed.
528
00:30:08,154 --> 00:30:09,677
I was having anxiety attacks
529
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,027
and getting really upset.
530
00:30:12,071 --> 00:30:14,073
My hair was falling out.
531
00:30:14,116 --> 00:30:16,727
So the doctor suggested
that I take a week off.
532
00:30:19,382 --> 00:30:22,995
I had a client
charged with murder
533
00:30:23,038 --> 00:30:26,650
who apparently
was planning my murder.
534
00:30:29,262 --> 00:30:31,525
I had a couple
of other clients warn me
535
00:30:31,568 --> 00:30:34,136
that he had been bragging
in the jail
536
00:30:34,180 --> 00:30:39,228
that he was gonna end my life
if we lost at his trial,
537
00:30:39,272 --> 00:30:41,709
that he had a "plan"
538
00:30:41,752 --> 00:30:43,189
on how he was gonna do this
539
00:30:43,232 --> 00:30:45,234
and that he had nothing to lose
540
00:30:45,278 --> 00:30:47,323
because if he was convicted
of murder,
541
00:30:47,367 --> 00:30:49,630
you know, he was gonna get life
without parole.
542
00:30:49,673 --> 00:30:52,894
So from what I was told,
let's do it big.
543
00:30:52,938 --> 00:30:57,638
Take out a lawyer
in open court.
544
00:30:57,681 --> 00:31:00,510
Go down in history.
545
00:31:00,554 --> 00:31:05,820
I worked my ass off
for this client.
546
00:31:05,864 --> 00:31:08,040
I went to the jail
every time he called
547
00:31:08,083 --> 00:31:10,216
and said he needed somebody
to come and see him.
548
00:31:10,259 --> 00:31:12,044
He wanted to talk to me,
but I knew he didn't have
549
00:31:12,087 --> 00:31:15,047
anything to tell me
that was new or helpful.
550
00:31:15,090 --> 00:31:16,918
That he just wanted
to see somebody's face.
551
00:31:16,962 --> 00:31:19,921
That was me.
I was going out there.
552
00:31:19,965 --> 00:31:22,402
I was the person
staying up at night
553
00:31:22,445 --> 00:31:28,408
because I didn't know
what was gonna happen to him
554
00:31:28,451 --> 00:31:31,193
or if I was even good enough.
555
00:31:31,237 --> 00:31:34,370
That was me,
and you're planning my murder?
556
00:31:38,766 --> 00:31:39,941
It's a part of the job.
557
00:31:41,987 --> 00:31:44,728
that's what I'm told.
558
00:31:44,772 --> 00:31:46,078
I don't think it is.
559
00:31:46,121 --> 00:31:48,602
I don't think
it's part of the job.
560
00:31:57,132 --> 00:31:58,960
- yes.
561
00:32:04,052 --> 00:32:07,099
- I remember the speech
562
00:32:07,142 --> 00:32:10,058
at, like--i guess
it was maybe the last day
563
00:32:10,102 --> 00:32:13,105
where you said, "some of you
are going back to hell."
564
00:32:15,890 --> 00:32:17,283
because it's true.
565
00:32:17,326 --> 00:32:19,981
I'm serious.
It's so true. it's so--
566
00:32:20,025 --> 00:32:21,983
- what would it take
to have someone like you around
567
00:32:22,027 --> 00:32:23,811
in ten years?
568
00:32:23,854 --> 00:32:26,205
- you don't want somebody
like me around in ten years.
569
00:32:26,248 --> 00:32:28,990
- I'm just very jaded now.
570
00:32:29,034 --> 00:32:30,992
'cause now I'm like,
I can't save everybody,
571
00:32:31,036 --> 00:32:34,082
and then I see these clients
coming back and back and back,
572
00:32:34,126 --> 00:32:38,086
and I want to be able
to tell the story
573
00:32:38,130 --> 00:32:40,654
about the client
that was saved
574
00:32:40,697 --> 00:32:43,700
and how the police,
like, tricked him.
575
00:32:43,744 --> 00:32:48,009
But a lot of the cases
are not that.
576
00:32:48,053 --> 00:32:50,446
Most of 'em are not that.
577
00:32:50,490 --> 00:32:52,187
- but, brandy, you can't--
578
00:32:52,231 --> 00:32:56,626
I mean, if you define success
as victory in every case,
579
00:32:56,670 --> 00:32:58,715
right, where in fact
the evidence is overwhelming,
580
00:32:58,759 --> 00:33:00,979
it doesn't matter
where you practice.
581
00:33:01,022 --> 00:33:02,023
You're gonna feel defeated.
582
00:33:02,067 --> 00:33:05,113
The fact that you recognize
583
00:33:05,157 --> 00:33:07,855
that this is a job
that causes you
584
00:33:07,898 --> 00:33:12,033
to sort of lose your humanity
and your sensitivity,
585
00:33:12,077 --> 00:33:13,469
the fact that you recognize that
586
00:33:13,513 --> 00:33:15,645
means you still have the ability
587
00:33:15,689 --> 00:33:19,258
to sort of correct it
and push forward.
588
00:33:19,301 --> 00:33:21,477
Right, like, you come home,
and you're like--
589
00:33:21,521 --> 00:33:23,044
in the heat of the moment,
590
00:33:23,088 --> 00:33:24,437
"i am insensitive,"
591
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,265
and you come home,
and you feel badly about that.
592
00:33:26,308 --> 00:33:27,266
- I do.
I feel like--
593
00:33:27,309 --> 00:33:29,181
- which sets you apart.
594
00:33:29,224 --> 00:33:30,356
That sets you apart
595
00:33:30,399 --> 00:33:32,271
from so many people
who do this work.
596
00:33:32,314 --> 00:33:33,881
All right, that is why
we would want
597
00:33:33,924 --> 00:33:36,014
someone like you around
in ten years.
598
00:33:36,057 --> 00:33:37,885
But look, right?
599
00:33:37,928 --> 00:33:40,453
I mean, if you're trying
to rescue people from hell,
600
00:33:40,496 --> 00:33:42,150
you do have to go to hell
to do it, right?
601
00:33:42,194 --> 00:33:43,543
- yeah.
602
00:33:43,586 --> 00:33:46,502
- and if you don't,
you won't rescue anyone.
603
00:33:53,422 --> 00:33:55,076
- you're wearing your hat.
604
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:56,121
- yep.
605
00:33:56,164 --> 00:33:57,905
You know,
I wrote all the appeals
606
00:33:57,948 --> 00:34:00,560
that I wrote that I won,
I wrote wearing this hat.
607
00:34:00,603 --> 00:34:02,692
Not this hat,
but a marlins hat.
608
00:34:04,259 --> 00:34:06,087
- yeah.
609
00:34:06,131 --> 00:34:10,483
- rachel is a girl
I met a few months ago,
610
00:34:10,526 --> 00:34:14,095
and we've been dating
for most of that time period.
611
00:34:17,490 --> 00:34:19,187
- how much longer
are you gonna be?
612
00:34:19,231 --> 00:34:21,102
- just a few more minutes.
613
00:34:23,365 --> 00:34:27,239
Obviously, my work habits
614
00:34:27,282 --> 00:34:32,157
are not helpful
to a relationship.
615
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:36,204
So we're trying to come up with
certain rules for us to follow,
616
00:34:36,248 --> 00:34:38,076
a contract of sorts
617
00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:39,207
that I'm gonna draw up
618
00:34:39,251 --> 00:34:40,513
and we're both gonna sign.
619
00:34:40,556 --> 00:34:43,516
- do you want me
to really draw up a contract?
620
00:34:43,559 --> 00:34:45,300
- yeah, we really are
gonna draw one up.
621
00:34:45,344 --> 00:34:46,693
Maybe tonight.
622
00:34:46,736 --> 00:34:48,651
We need to actually
put this in writing,
623
00:34:48,695 --> 00:34:51,306
because I've got an issue
with the contract.
624
00:34:51,350 --> 00:34:52,351
- this is the thing.
625
00:34:52,394 --> 00:34:54,570
We have a contract
that on nights
626
00:34:54,614 --> 00:34:57,269
when I don't have my son,
627
00:34:57,312 --> 00:35:00,272
he's supposed
to leave the office when I do.
628
00:35:00,315 --> 00:35:03,101
And as you can see,
I'm off of work,
629
00:35:03,144 --> 00:35:05,538
and he's still going for it.
630
00:35:05,581 --> 00:35:07,279
- no, no, I'm down with that.
631
00:35:07,322 --> 00:35:08,454
I'm not saying I'm against that.
632
00:35:08,497 --> 00:35:09,890
- but you're just--
you just told me
633
00:35:09,933 --> 00:35:11,196
you needed to make
an amendment.
634
00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,546
- no, I mean--i do.
I do.
635
00:35:13,589 --> 00:35:15,243
And that's the real issue.
636
00:35:15,287 --> 00:35:17,332
I need to make an amendment.
637
00:35:17,376 --> 00:35:20,335
- I'm all ears.
638
00:35:22,946 --> 00:35:25,384
- why don't I just
come back later?
639
00:35:25,427 --> 00:35:28,387
Let me go home and get
some stuff done, and can i--
640
00:35:28,430 --> 00:35:30,215
I'll just come back later.
Is that good?
641
00:35:30,258 --> 00:35:32,260
- okay.
642
00:35:32,304 --> 00:35:33,479
- that works.
643
00:35:36,786 --> 00:35:44,707
♪
644
00:35:55,718 --> 00:35:58,808
- thank you, everyone,
for coming.
645
00:35:58,852 --> 00:36:00,506
I want to thank
646
00:36:00,549 --> 00:36:03,509
certainly
congressman lewis
647
00:36:03,552 --> 00:36:06,207
who organized freedom summer.
648
00:36:06,251 --> 00:36:08,209
I thought about a quote
that says,
649
00:36:08,253 --> 00:36:10,472
"our lives are not our own.
650
00:36:10,516 --> 00:36:13,867
They belong to those
who need us desperately."
651
00:36:13,910 --> 00:36:17,653
Congressman lewis,
you've lived that quote.
652
00:36:17,697 --> 00:36:20,787
- I'm delighted to be here.
653
00:36:20,830 --> 00:36:22,571
You know,
I got arrested a few times.
654
00:36:22,615 --> 00:36:25,400
I went to jail 40 time
655
00:36:25,444 --> 00:36:27,228
during the '60s.
656
00:36:27,272 --> 00:36:29,578
And it was lawyers,
657
00:36:29,622 --> 00:36:34,931
unbelievably courageous men
and women of the bar
658
00:36:34,975 --> 00:36:36,542
that came to my rescue.
659
00:36:37,891 --> 00:36:40,372
They defended us.
660
00:36:40,415 --> 00:36:43,026
They filed briefs.
661
00:36:43,070 --> 00:36:45,115
And if it hadn't been
for the lawyers
662
00:36:45,159 --> 00:36:46,813
during that period,
663
00:36:46,856 --> 00:36:50,643
I don't know where we will be
as a nation and as a people.
664
00:36:50,686 --> 00:36:54,951
So I want to thank
this wonderful organization
665
00:36:54,995 --> 00:36:56,866
for getting in the way,
666
00:36:56,910 --> 00:37:01,262
for defending those that have
been left out and left behind.
667
00:37:01,306 --> 00:37:03,090
Thank you.
668
00:37:06,311 --> 00:37:08,269
- life in clayton county--
669
00:37:08,313 --> 00:37:10,880
I dare not speak for all of the
public defenders in georgia--
670
00:37:10,924 --> 00:37:13,448
but life
in clayton county, georgia,
671
00:37:13,492 --> 00:37:14,797
is a different beast.
672
00:37:14,841 --> 00:37:17,539
The average bond
in clayton county
673
00:37:17,583 --> 00:37:19,280
on a theft by shoplifting
674
00:37:19,324 --> 00:37:21,064
is $40,000.
675
00:37:21,108 --> 00:37:23,023
- wow.
676
00:37:23,066 --> 00:37:26,766
- my clients
cannot afford that bond.
677
00:37:26,809 --> 00:37:30,117
So they sit
for four to eight months
678
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,162
waiting to be indicted.
679
00:37:32,206 --> 00:37:35,644
I've wanted to leave
so many times.
680
00:37:35,688 --> 00:37:37,864
I think I've lost count
at this point.
681
00:37:37,907 --> 00:37:40,562
And I know lots
of other people
682
00:37:40,606 --> 00:37:42,260
who have wanted to leave
as well.
683
00:37:42,303 --> 00:37:47,439
It's only s.p.d.t.c.,
684
00:37:47,482 --> 00:37:50,572
and particularly
jonathan rapping,
685
00:37:50,616 --> 00:37:53,009
that keep me here.
686
00:37:53,053 --> 00:37:55,403
So I hope
that I've given you all
687
00:37:55,447 --> 00:37:59,364
a small glimpse of my world
in clayton county.
688
00:37:59,407 --> 00:38:02,410
It is not fun at all.
689
00:38:02,454 --> 00:38:06,153
But it's a necessary evil.
690
00:38:06,196 --> 00:38:07,372
Thanks.
691
00:38:10,679 --> 00:38:13,378
speaking in front
of the congressman,
692
00:38:13,421 --> 00:38:15,162
that was really surreal.
693
00:38:15,205 --> 00:38:18,339
It won't hit me until, like,
two months from now.
694
00:38:18,383 --> 00:38:22,474
When I met him, he said,
"thank you for your service."
695
00:38:22,517 --> 00:38:24,693
I was like, "oh.
696
00:38:24,737 --> 00:38:28,175
"really, congressman john lewis?
697
00:38:28,218 --> 00:38:29,829
"you're thanking me?
698
00:38:29,872 --> 00:38:31,439
I feel special."
699
00:38:31,483 --> 00:38:33,354
I felt very special.
700
00:38:41,362 --> 00:38:44,234
- it's important, I think,
for the clients to see us,
701
00:38:44,278 --> 00:38:47,847
and kind of keep their morale up
and know that we have,
702
00:38:47,890 --> 00:38:50,240
you know,
their best interests at heart.
703
00:38:50,284 --> 00:38:53,853
I know in particular with me
how I interrelate
704
00:38:53,896 --> 00:38:55,202
with my clients.
705
00:38:55,245 --> 00:38:58,423
I see them as cousins
or brothers,
706
00:38:58,466 --> 00:39:02,383
some uncles,
707
00:39:02,427 --> 00:39:03,602
just because it--
708
00:39:03,645 --> 00:39:06,387
the face
of the black community is,
709
00:39:06,431 --> 00:39:07,693
so many of them are locked up,
710
00:39:07,736 --> 00:39:11,653
and of course,
I'm having to work against
711
00:39:11,697 --> 00:39:14,439
their initial impression
of public defenders
712
00:39:14,482 --> 00:39:17,093
because their first
public defender
713
00:39:17,137 --> 00:39:20,227
somewhat screwed them.
714
00:39:20,270 --> 00:39:22,229
Hi, miss lewis.
715
00:39:22,272 --> 00:39:23,448
Good.
716
00:39:23,491 --> 00:39:25,972
Maybe if you could
sit over here.
717
00:39:26,015 --> 00:39:27,190
How are you?
718
00:39:27,234 --> 00:39:28,583
- I'm doing fine.
- good. good. good.
719
00:39:28,627 --> 00:39:30,193
Good to see you.
- you too.
720
00:39:30,237 --> 00:39:32,021
- two days in a row.
It's freezing outside.
721
00:39:32,065 --> 00:39:35,416
- it really is.
722
00:39:35,460 --> 00:39:38,201
So you know why I'm here.
723
00:39:38,245 --> 00:39:39,507
I'm here to...
- yeah.
724
00:39:39,551 --> 00:39:40,769
- kind of get
a better understanding
725
00:39:40,813 --> 00:39:44,599
of what took place
when you were arrested.
726
00:39:44,643 --> 00:39:47,297
But let's kind of
727
00:39:47,341 --> 00:39:52,564
go through some of
your biographical information.
728
00:39:52,607 --> 00:39:55,044
What do you do?
- I'm a certified mechanic.
729
00:39:55,088 --> 00:39:56,568
- you're kidding me.
- no kidding.
730
00:39:56,611 --> 00:39:59,571
- okay. certified mechanic.
Wow.
731
00:39:59,614 --> 00:40:01,268
How long
have you been a mechanic?
732
00:40:01,311 --> 00:40:02,878
- about 15 years.
733
00:40:06,491 --> 00:40:09,885
- okay.
734
00:40:09,929 --> 00:40:12,801
So once you're released
and you go back to your norm,
735
00:40:12,845 --> 00:40:16,239
you'll go back
to working on cars and such?
736
00:40:16,283 --> 00:40:18,590
- I'ma try,
'cause since I've been in here,
737
00:40:18,633 --> 00:40:19,939
I've lost my house.
738
00:40:19,982 --> 00:40:22,681
They've broken in
and stole all my tools.
739
00:40:22,724 --> 00:40:24,204
- oh.
- so I'ma have to, like--
740
00:40:24,247 --> 00:40:26,641
- start from scratch.
- start from scratch.
741
00:40:26,685 --> 00:40:27,947
I'm have to--i'ma leave here
742
00:40:27,990 --> 00:40:30,340
and go into a shelter
and start from scratch.
743
00:40:30,384 --> 00:40:31,907
- okay.
744
00:40:31,951 --> 00:40:34,388
- but after my landlord
found out I was incarcerated,
745
00:40:34,432 --> 00:40:37,435
he filed eviction notices
against me.
746
00:40:38,914 --> 00:40:41,482
- my mom said she went
to go get it the other day,
747
00:40:41,526 --> 00:40:42,788
but he had the lock on the door,
748
00:40:42,831 --> 00:40:44,267
'cause I had court
749
00:40:44,311 --> 00:40:46,661
that he put an eviction notice
on my door,
750
00:40:46,705 --> 00:40:47,923
and I had court,
751
00:40:47,967 --> 00:40:49,795
and I told three guards here
752
00:40:49,838 --> 00:40:51,884
that I was supposed
to be in court.
753
00:40:51,927 --> 00:40:54,234
Okay, nobody took me to court.
754
00:40:54,277 --> 00:40:57,019
So the court, they ruled
in the landlord's favor.
755
00:40:57,063 --> 00:40:58,020
- wow.
756
00:40:58,064 --> 00:40:59,674
It's default judgment.
Mm-hmm.
757
00:40:59,718 --> 00:41:02,503
- yeah, so that caused me to be
really evicted from my house,
758
00:41:02,547 --> 00:41:04,723
but she said she called
the court to let 'em know
759
00:41:04,766 --> 00:41:07,682
that I was incarcerated.
760
00:41:07,726 --> 00:41:08,683
- mm-hmm.
761
00:41:08,727 --> 00:41:10,511
- but she said that
762
00:41:10,555 --> 00:41:12,731
they haven't really did
the eviction yet,
763
00:41:12,774 --> 00:41:14,646
so he just, like,
holding my stuff.
764
00:41:14,689 --> 00:41:15,777
- okay, wow.
765
00:41:15,821 --> 00:41:18,998
Thank you
for letting me know that.
766
00:41:19,041 --> 00:41:24,003
So you were convicted of cocaine
possession back in 2004.
767
00:41:24,046 --> 00:41:26,353
- yeah, I admitted to it.
Yes, I did.
768
00:41:26,396 --> 00:41:28,094
I really pled
to get out of jail,
769
00:41:28,137 --> 00:41:30,705
'cause I had never
been in jail before.
770
00:41:30,749 --> 00:41:34,535
It was just my public defender,
and me and her had problems.
771
00:41:34,579 --> 00:41:36,537
And she told me
when I took that plea--
772
00:41:36,581 --> 00:41:40,889
she told me that I wouldn't be
considered a convicted felon.
773
00:41:40,933 --> 00:41:42,630
I've been screwed around
the first time
774
00:41:42,674 --> 00:41:44,066
by a public defender,
775
00:41:44,110 --> 00:41:46,068
and when they told me
I had another one,
776
00:41:46,112 --> 00:41:48,636
I figured my life
was completely over.
777
00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,857
- your sentence
was two years suspended,
778
00:41:51,900 --> 00:41:54,120
two years on probation,
and you're right.
779
00:41:54,163 --> 00:41:55,991
Since you were
a first-time offender,
780
00:41:56,035 --> 00:41:58,428
you should've been eligible
for a nonadjudication.
781
00:41:58,472 --> 00:42:00,822
I'm not sure what happened,
and I apologize that--
782
00:42:00,866 --> 00:42:02,302
- I don't either.
783
00:42:02,345 --> 00:42:03,390
- that that took place.
784
00:42:03,433 --> 00:42:05,087
But it's not
the end of the world.
785
00:42:05,131 --> 00:42:06,480
It's not the end of the world.
786
00:42:06,524 --> 00:42:07,568
We can definitely fix it.
787
00:42:07,612 --> 00:42:08,874
- it's the end of my world,
788
00:42:08,917 --> 00:42:10,571
'cause that messed up
a lot of stuff for me.
789
00:42:10,615 --> 00:42:12,747
- but we can--we can come--
we can rebound from it.
790
00:42:12,791 --> 00:42:13,748
I'm sure we can.
791
00:42:13,792 --> 00:42:14,923
I'm gonna, you know,
792
00:42:14,967 --> 00:42:16,577
ask about
the different eyewitnesses.
793
00:42:16,621 --> 00:42:18,100
Where were they standing?
794
00:42:18,144 --> 00:42:19,667
Were any of them
under the influence?
795
00:42:19,711 --> 00:42:21,321
I mean,
'cause it could've been anything
796
00:42:21,364 --> 00:42:25,630
that clouded maybe their vision
or their vantage point,
797
00:42:25,673 --> 00:42:28,371
their perception
of what took place.
798
00:42:28,415 --> 00:42:29,677
All right?
799
00:42:29,721 --> 00:42:31,679
So I will see you on monday.
800
00:42:31,723 --> 00:42:33,072
Thank you so much.
- thank you.
801
00:42:33,115 --> 00:42:35,248
- you're welcome.
You're welcome.
802
00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:48,653
- branden's trial date
is coming up.
803
00:42:48,696 --> 00:42:53,919
So far, neither side has come up
with any conclusive evidence.
804
00:42:55,442 --> 00:42:57,966
The person who committed
the robbery was disguised,
805
00:42:58,010 --> 00:43:01,230
so the victim
can't accurately i.d. anyone.
806
00:43:04,059 --> 00:43:06,714
I was looking through
branden's file a few days ago,
807
00:43:06,758 --> 00:43:09,151
and that's when I remembered
the fingerprints.
808
00:43:12,459 --> 00:43:15,157
- the driver drives in.
809
00:43:15,201 --> 00:43:19,597
He's looking for essentially
810
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:21,729
that apartment, I believe.
811
00:43:21,773 --> 00:43:23,688
I believe he's looking
for that apartment.
812
00:43:23,731 --> 00:43:28,388
Somebody comes out
and puts a knife towards him.
813
00:43:28,431 --> 00:43:32,784
Now, what happened is,
the robber, no gloves,
814
00:43:32,827 --> 00:43:35,613
put his hand
certain places on the car.
815
00:43:37,179 --> 00:43:38,920
The state lifted prints
from the hood,
816
00:43:38,964 --> 00:43:40,443
but they never tested them.
817
00:43:41,749 --> 00:43:43,098
I wanted to test the prints,
818
00:43:43,142 --> 00:43:44,926
but unfortunately
we don't have the resources
819
00:43:44,970 --> 00:43:46,885
to make that happen.
820
00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:51,803
So I have to trick the d.a.
Into doing it.
821
00:43:51,846 --> 00:43:54,066
So I filed a motion in court
822
00:43:54,109 --> 00:43:56,416
saying that I wanted to ban
all fingerprint evidence
823
00:43:56,459 --> 00:43:58,113
from the trial.
824
00:43:58,157 --> 00:43:59,680
This made the d.a. think
that I was scared
825
00:43:59,724 --> 00:44:02,770
of the fingerprint evidence,
and they tested it.
826
00:44:02,814 --> 00:44:04,990
We got the results back,
827
00:44:05,033 --> 00:44:07,688
and they didn't match
branden or cody.
828
00:44:07,732 --> 00:44:11,823
This backs up what branden's
been saying the whole time.
829
00:44:11,866 --> 00:44:13,563
Neither of them
committed the crime,
830
00:44:13,607 --> 00:44:15,174
so we're going to trial.
831
00:44:17,655 --> 00:44:19,178
- branden mullin.
832
00:44:22,485 --> 00:44:24,923
- waiting for
the state's announcement.
833
00:44:24,966 --> 00:44:27,012
- um, I'm--i'm--
834
00:44:27,055 --> 00:44:29,449
I guess we'll be ready
subject to a plea.
835
00:44:29,492 --> 00:44:30,493
We're, um--
836
00:44:30,537 --> 00:44:32,713
- well, a plea
was a possibility,
837
00:44:32,757 --> 00:44:34,889
but that's not gonna happen.
838
00:44:34,933 --> 00:44:37,239
We're ready for trial.
839
00:44:37,283 --> 00:44:39,720
- all right.
840
00:44:39,764 --> 00:44:40,808
We'll mark it as ready.
841
00:44:40,852 --> 00:44:42,288
- and, sir,
just out of curiosity,
842
00:44:42,331 --> 00:44:44,986
where will that case be
on the trial calendar?
843
00:44:45,030 --> 00:44:46,814
- it looks like it's number two.
844
00:44:46,858 --> 00:44:50,513
- and so we would be number two
on the january 9th calendar?
845
00:44:50,557 --> 00:44:52,428
- number two
on the january 9th calendar,
846
00:44:52,472 --> 00:44:53,647
probably number one--
847
00:44:54,866 --> 00:44:56,084
Yes, sir.
848
00:45:02,438 --> 00:45:05,137
- okay, we're gonna go
over the evidence
849
00:45:05,180 --> 00:45:07,748
that the prosecutors have.
850
00:45:07,792 --> 00:45:11,796
Officer brennan says
that on december 3rd,
851
00:45:11,839 --> 00:45:13,406
he responded
to an armed robbery.
852
00:45:13,449 --> 00:45:16,757
A black in color
automatic handgun was used.
853
00:45:16,801 --> 00:45:20,979
They handed over
around $300 worth of cash.
854
00:45:21,022 --> 00:45:22,763
They said
that they know the person
855
00:45:22,807 --> 00:45:25,374
as being a frequent customer
in the pizza shop.
856
00:45:25,418 --> 00:45:28,421
"i, officer brennan,
initiated an arrest warrant.
857
00:45:28,464 --> 00:45:30,423
"upon officer searching
the room of the offender,
858
00:45:30,466 --> 00:45:32,468
"they found a yellow
in color cardboard box
859
00:45:32,512 --> 00:45:35,602
with 13 winchester .25
auto bullets."
860
00:45:35,645 --> 00:45:37,909
According to you, they are--
861
00:45:37,952 --> 00:45:39,780
they match a revolver, right?
862
00:45:39,824 --> 00:45:41,173
- yeah, a .22.
863
00:45:42,478 --> 00:45:43,871
- I mean, it can be.
864
00:45:43,915 --> 00:45:47,222
They got .22 automatic,
and they got .22 revolvers.
865
00:45:47,266 --> 00:45:48,049
- okay.
866
00:45:48,093 --> 00:45:49,572
So would bullets to a .22
867
00:45:49,616 --> 00:45:51,792
match the same bullets
to a 9
868
00:45:51,836 --> 00:45:52,967
- oh, not at all.
869
00:45:53,011 --> 00:45:54,273
.22 bullet like this small.
870
00:45:54,316 --> 00:45:56,710
9-millimeter, they medium-sized.
871
00:45:56,754 --> 00:45:58,886
- okay.
872
00:45:58,930 --> 00:46:00,235
All they have is testimony.
873
00:46:00,279 --> 00:46:03,499
They don't have
any fingerprints,
874
00:46:03,543 --> 00:46:07,199
any pictures, 'cause they
didn't have a camera in there.
875
00:46:07,242 --> 00:46:10,855
I wish I could say that we were
gonna go in and win this case.
876
00:46:10,898 --> 00:46:12,465
I just don't know,
877
00:46:12,508 --> 00:46:14,075
and that's
the god's honest truth.
878
00:46:14,119 --> 00:46:16,817
I can tell you that I will give
everything that I have
879
00:46:16,861 --> 00:46:18,819
to getting you
out of these charges.
880
00:46:18,863 --> 00:46:21,256
I've maintained that throughout
my representation of you.
881
00:46:21,300 --> 00:46:22,954
But at the end of the day,
882
00:46:22,997 --> 00:46:25,870
you just never, ever know
what a jury is gonna do.
883
00:46:25,913 --> 00:46:27,436
Ever.
884
00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,570
So--and the stakes
are really, really high,
885
00:46:30,613 --> 00:46:31,745
because if we lose,
886
00:46:31,789 --> 00:46:35,923
it's day for day
at least ten years,
887
00:46:35,967 --> 00:46:38,012
day for day,
888
00:46:38,056 --> 00:46:39,666
no parole.
889
00:46:39,709 --> 00:46:41,015
If you're found guilty,
890
00:46:41,059 --> 00:46:44,279
they're gonna take you
into custody that day.
891
00:46:44,323 --> 00:46:47,848
So even if we put sentencing off
until a later time,
892
00:46:47,892 --> 00:46:52,026
they're not gonna let you leave.
893
00:46:52,070 --> 00:46:53,811
Anything else?
894
00:46:53,854 --> 00:46:57,771
- do you have another copy
of the discovery packet?
895
00:46:57,815 --> 00:46:58,903
- yeah.
896
00:46:58,946 --> 00:47:00,295
- what'd you do
with the one I sent you?
897
00:47:00,339 --> 00:47:01,775
- I still got it,
but it got wet.
898
00:47:01,819 --> 00:47:02,863
I had got tea on it.
899
00:47:02,907 --> 00:47:04,343
- I'll make you a copy.
900
00:47:30,021 --> 00:47:33,894
- I don't know.
901
00:47:39,769 --> 00:47:41,467
I don't know either.
902
00:47:48,126 --> 00:47:49,997
You ain't got no questions?
903
00:47:52,565 --> 00:47:55,176
You got to have
some kind of questions.
904
00:48:06,144 --> 00:48:09,277
- I have huge student loan debt.
905
00:48:09,321 --> 00:48:11,627
After I pay
my student loans and my rent,
906
00:48:11,671 --> 00:48:17,677
I have probably $300 a month
to pay extra bills
907
00:48:17,720 --> 00:48:20,071
like gas and the car,
all that kind of stuff,
908
00:48:20,114 --> 00:48:22,769
groceries.
909
00:48:22,812 --> 00:48:24,205
But I don't see
how you can do this work
910
00:48:24,249 --> 00:48:25,728
for any period of time
911
00:48:25,772 --> 00:48:27,687
and not begin to love it.
912
00:48:27,730 --> 00:48:30,603
If you don't, then it'll just
drive you insane.
913
00:48:32,953 --> 00:48:35,825
Either you--either this
is your cause, or this ain't.
914
00:48:42,702 --> 00:48:44,008
- student loans.
915
00:48:46,488 --> 00:48:49,013
Bank of america telling me
that I overdrew.
916
00:48:50,884 --> 00:48:52,320
student loans.
917
00:48:52,364 --> 00:48:56,368
Seriously, most of these
are student loan bills.
918
00:49:00,589 --> 00:49:03,723
And that is why I'd prefer
not to look at them.
919
00:49:05,638 --> 00:49:06,856
It's depressing.
920
00:49:12,123 --> 00:49:16,954
this is all the money
I have in the world right now.
921
00:49:16,997 --> 00:49:19,086
My gas light is on.
922
00:49:19,130 --> 00:49:20,740
And so I'm getting $3 in gas,
923
00:49:20,783 --> 00:49:24,613
and hopefully that will
take me home
924
00:49:24,657 --> 00:49:29,531
and back to work
in the morning
925
00:49:29,575 --> 00:49:31,664
and then back home
in the afternoon,
926
00:49:31,707 --> 00:49:33,405
because I don't get paid
until friday.
927
00:49:37,887 --> 00:49:40,847
- money pressure
is like any other pressure.
928
00:49:40,890 --> 00:49:45,243
It takes something out of you
to deal with it,
929
00:49:45,286 --> 00:49:47,941
and this job takes
a lot out of you
930
00:49:47,985 --> 00:49:50,248
just to do the job.
931
00:49:50,291 --> 00:49:54,513
That can be a significant burden
on a person.
932
00:49:54,556 --> 00:49:58,082
But it's just something
you have to come to live with.
933
00:49:58,125 --> 00:50:00,606
It's something
you have to accept.
934
00:50:06,003 --> 00:50:07,830
- in the last year,
935
00:50:07,874 --> 00:50:11,530
three public defenders
left the office.
936
00:50:16,100 --> 00:50:18,798
It's rough financially.
937
00:50:18,841 --> 00:50:21,931
So it takes--it takes
a certain kind of person maybe
938
00:50:21,975 --> 00:50:24,282
to continue to, you know,
939
00:50:24,325 --> 00:50:28,721
work under the circumstances.
940
00:50:31,419 --> 00:50:33,117
- I'll probably leave here
about 2:00, so...
941
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:35,249
- yeah.
942
00:50:35,293 --> 00:50:36,250
- let's go upstairs.
943
00:50:36,294 --> 00:50:37,904
- all right.
944
00:50:40,733 --> 00:50:44,389
- I am gonna make you
some homemade alfredo sauce.
945
00:50:44,432 --> 00:50:46,478
- when I met travis,
946
00:50:46,521 --> 00:50:50,264
he told me he originally moved
to georgia to find his dad
947
00:50:50,308 --> 00:50:52,092
but hadn't found his dad yet,
948
00:50:52,136 --> 00:50:56,401
and then he finally got
the courage
949
00:50:56,444 --> 00:51:01,275
to ask his birth mother,
950
00:51:01,319 --> 00:51:05,192
you know, for a name and stuff.
951
00:51:05,236 --> 00:51:08,152
And now he's about to go
meet this guy.
952
00:51:26,518 --> 00:51:28,824
we're on our way to meet up
953
00:51:28,868 --> 00:51:31,349
with my biological--
954
00:51:31,392 --> 00:51:33,525
potentially
my biological father.
955
00:51:33,568 --> 00:51:35,744
Had a conversation
with him the other night,
956
00:51:35,788 --> 00:51:39,574
and he seems to think
that I'm his son.
957
00:51:39,618 --> 00:51:42,055
Said he always wanted a son.
958
00:51:42,099 --> 00:51:43,491
I never wanted a father.
959
00:51:43,535 --> 00:51:45,232
In fact, I don't want one now.
960
00:51:45,276 --> 00:51:49,149
I just want to close
this chapter in my life.
961
00:51:52,196 --> 00:52:00,117
♪
962
00:52:08,821 --> 00:52:11,824
Well, we sat down, and I hit him
with a few questions,
963
00:52:11,867 --> 00:52:13,521
just, you know,
"do you think I'm your son?
964
00:52:13,565 --> 00:52:16,176
"how do you know
my biological mother?
965
00:52:16,220 --> 00:52:18,178
What was y'all
relationship like?"
966
00:52:18,222 --> 00:52:20,180
You know, and he kind of
answered the question
967
00:52:20,224 --> 00:52:24,837
as to why he never tried
to make contact,
968
00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:28,319
that he had no way
to get in contact with her,
969
00:52:28,362 --> 00:52:30,190
which was true.
970
00:52:33,411 --> 00:52:35,326
Which was true.
971
00:52:37,415 --> 00:52:38,851
But I don't know.
972
00:52:38,894 --> 00:52:40,853
As a person that never takes no
for an answer,
973
00:52:40,896 --> 00:52:41,984
I was just--
974
00:52:42,028 --> 00:52:44,422
that wouldn't have been enough
for me.
975
00:52:58,958 --> 00:52:59,741
I don't know.
976
00:52:59,785 --> 00:53:02,222
I guess I was just hoping
977
00:53:02,266 --> 00:53:04,442
that somebody wanted me.
978
00:53:12,450 --> 00:53:14,191
- today is my 30th birthday.
979
00:53:17,933 --> 00:53:21,285
Whoo-hoo!
I'm so glad you made it!
980
00:53:23,374 --> 00:53:25,941
- my dad came up from florida.
981
00:53:25,985 --> 00:53:28,248
I've been in atlanta
for about 2 1/2 years,
982
00:53:28,292 --> 00:53:29,380
and he's never come.
983
00:53:29,423 --> 00:53:32,339
So it's amazing.
984
00:53:32,383 --> 00:53:33,601
Okay, that's good.
985
00:53:33,645 --> 00:53:36,343
Danielle, I need one
with me and my daddy.
986
00:53:36,387 --> 00:53:39,955
Okay, go.
987
00:53:39,999 --> 00:53:41,043
- turn it the long ways.
988
00:53:41,087 --> 00:53:42,567
You got to get
my figure, danielle.
989
00:53:42,610 --> 00:53:43,568
Come on.
990
00:53:46,266 --> 00:53:48,312
- all right, one, two, three.
991
00:53:52,533 --> 00:53:54,187
- at any point you get nervous,
992
00:53:54,231 --> 00:53:56,407
and you feel like you want
to hold on to something,
993
00:53:56,450 --> 00:53:58,017
grab your harness right here.
994
00:53:58,060 --> 00:53:59,061
- right here.
995
00:53:59,105 --> 00:54:00,846
- yeah,
just don't grab my hands.
996
00:54:00,889 --> 00:54:02,717
- okay. 'cause then
we can't pull the parachute.
997
00:54:02,761 --> 00:54:04,589
- 'cause--yeah,
then I can't open the parachute.
998
00:54:04,632 --> 00:54:06,591
- don't you worry.
I won't grab your hands.
999
00:54:08,506 --> 00:54:11,030
you gonna scream, daddy?
1000
00:54:11,073 --> 00:54:13,511
- yeah.
1001
00:54:13,554 --> 00:54:15,556
- now I'm nervous--
1002
00:54:15,600 --> 00:54:17,166
excited but nervous.
1003
00:54:17,210 --> 00:54:18,516
- oh, yeah.
1004
00:54:23,695 --> 00:54:26,263
My hope for my daughter
is to be happy.
1005
00:54:37,404 --> 00:54:38,971
I look up to her
1006
00:54:39,014 --> 00:54:43,149
because she believe
in helping people.
1007
00:54:46,370 --> 00:54:49,938
And when you got a person
that believe in helping people,
1008
00:54:49,982 --> 00:54:51,244
you cannot fail.
1009
00:54:51,288 --> 00:54:54,029
I don't care how much
you feel like you fail.
1010
00:55:03,952 --> 00:55:09,523
Failure is when
you stop dreaming.
1011
00:55:09,567 --> 00:55:11,743
She never stopped dreaming.
1012
00:55:35,984 --> 00:55:38,726
- I found out yesterday
that branden's friend cody,
1013
00:55:38,770 --> 00:55:40,902
the one he got arrested with,
1014
00:55:40,946 --> 00:55:44,123
has become a witness
for the prosecution.
1015
00:55:44,166 --> 00:55:47,996
He is gonna say that he
committed the crime with branden
1016
00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:50,738
in exchange
for a lesser prison sentence.
1017
00:55:52,218 --> 00:55:54,438
This is probably
the most damaging evidence
1018
00:55:54,481 --> 00:55:56,048
the state could have.
1019
00:55:57,441 --> 00:55:59,268
Even with
the fingerprint evidence,
1020
00:55:59,312 --> 00:56:02,663
it's gonna be hard to walk
branden out of that courtroom.
1021
00:56:11,585 --> 00:56:13,239
Me and the prosecutor
have agreed
1022
00:56:13,282 --> 00:56:17,635
that the charge of armed robbery
is gonna be dismissed.
1023
00:56:17,678 --> 00:56:20,420
Branden will plead
a robbery by intimidation
1024
00:56:20,464 --> 00:56:22,335
with a cap of five years,
1025
00:56:22,379 --> 00:56:25,382
so he can't get any more than
five years to serve in prison.
1026
00:56:26,861 --> 00:56:29,255
I think him pleading guilty
is the right decision
1027
00:56:29,298 --> 00:56:34,173
only because the risk is great.
1028
00:56:34,216 --> 00:56:36,131
You can get life in prison
for armed robbery
1029
00:56:36,175 --> 00:56:37,698
in the state of georgia.
1030
00:56:37,742 --> 00:56:40,222
We had a chance at prevailing,
1031
00:56:40,266 --> 00:56:43,487
but if the jury believes
that it was--believes cody,
1032
00:56:43,530 --> 00:56:47,578
we--our chance of winning
goes to zero.
1033
00:57:01,287 --> 00:57:03,942
- cody was like a brother,
you know?
1034
00:57:03,985 --> 00:57:07,424
I've known him
since I was ten years old.
1035
00:57:07,467 --> 00:57:09,469
Life's not fair.
1036
00:57:09,513 --> 00:57:13,168
I could either
take the chance
1037
00:57:13,212 --> 00:57:16,650
of going to trial
and losing
1038
00:57:16,694 --> 00:57:21,438
and having to serve
the whole time,
1039
00:57:21,481 --> 00:57:23,701
or I could take this deal
1040
00:57:23,744 --> 00:57:27,879
which is less time
and maybe still get, you know--
1041
00:57:27,922 --> 00:57:30,403
get out
and do what I got to do.
1042
00:57:44,069 --> 00:57:45,592
There's--there's nothing--
1043
00:57:45,636 --> 00:57:47,594
there's no way around it.
1044
00:57:47,638 --> 00:57:49,466
There's no running from it.
1045
00:57:49,509 --> 00:57:52,207
It's just something
you got to handle.
1046
00:57:52,251 --> 00:57:54,471
You got to--you just
got to take care of it.
1047
00:58:01,216 --> 00:58:04,132
- when you're a public defender
with clients, you know,
1048
00:58:04,176 --> 00:58:07,527
it's--it's--
it's a very close relationship.
1049
00:58:07,571 --> 00:58:08,876
It's you and this other person,
1050
00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:12,706
and you're having
a legalized war,
1051
00:58:12,750 --> 00:58:14,229
you know, with the state,
1052
00:58:14,273 --> 00:58:16,623
and you're, you know,
planning together,
1053
00:58:16,667 --> 00:58:17,972
and you're working together,
1054
00:58:18,016 --> 00:58:20,584
and you meet their family,
you know.
1055
00:58:20,627 --> 00:58:22,629
So losing a case
with a friend
1056
00:58:22,673 --> 00:58:26,285
and having that friend cuffed,
1057
00:58:26,328 --> 00:58:28,809
and you might've been able
to do something about it,
1058
00:58:28,853 --> 00:58:30,463
and maybe you didn't do it.
1059
00:58:30,507 --> 00:58:31,638
Maybe you missed something.
1060
00:58:31,682 --> 00:58:32,770
And those are the things
1061
00:58:32,813 --> 00:58:36,600
that keep rolling around
in your head,
1062
00:58:36,643 --> 00:58:37,905
really, forever.
1063
00:58:37,949 --> 00:58:39,559
That's what it's like.
1064
00:58:39,603 --> 00:58:41,126
It's awful.
1065
00:58:48,133 --> 00:58:51,049
- today is branden's plea day
and sentencing.
1066
00:58:51,092 --> 00:58:52,572
Even though
we aren't having a trial,
1067
00:58:52,616 --> 00:58:54,748
we're still going to be able
to make an argument
1068
00:58:54,792 --> 00:58:56,794
that branden
should get less time.
1069
00:58:59,710 --> 00:59:03,148
In this case, the amount
of time is very important.
1070
00:59:03,191 --> 00:59:06,717
If he gets two years,
which is what we're asking for,
1071
00:59:06,760 --> 00:59:08,980
he will likely go
to a medium security prison
1072
00:59:09,023 --> 00:59:11,765
or hopefully
a boot camp program.
1073
00:59:11,809 --> 00:59:13,941
If he gets five years,
1074
00:59:13,985 --> 00:59:16,857
he'll probably go
to a maximum security prison
1075
00:59:16,901 --> 00:59:21,427
where people get sexually
attacked and assaulted.
1076
00:59:21,470 --> 00:59:23,864
You know, it's anal rape prison.
It's the real deal.
1077
00:59:23,908 --> 00:59:25,692
It's not a game.
It's not a joke.
1078
00:59:28,956 --> 00:59:30,697
Branden,
how are you doing today, man?
1079
00:59:30,741 --> 00:59:31,916
- good.
1080
00:59:34,179 --> 00:59:36,747
- we have to go over
the plea petition
1081
00:59:36,790 --> 00:59:40,402
and all the rights
that you give up.
1082
00:59:40,446 --> 00:59:41,795
It's branden lee, right?
1083
00:59:41,839 --> 00:59:43,188
- yes, sir.
1084
00:59:45,886 --> 00:59:48,976
20?
1085
00:59:49,020 --> 00:59:50,630
How far did you go in school?
1086
00:59:50,674 --> 00:59:52,589
- um, sophomore.
1087
00:59:55,940 --> 00:59:57,681
- you've seen the discovery
and everything.
1088
00:59:57,724 --> 00:59:59,421
You understand what
you're charged with, correct?
1089
00:59:59,465 --> 01:00:00,771
- yes, sir.
1090
01:00:00,814 --> 01:00:01,815
- all right.
1091
01:00:01,859 --> 01:00:03,251
The sentence you'll get
1092
01:00:03,295 --> 01:00:04,688
is solely a matter
for the judge to decide,
1093
01:00:04,731 --> 01:00:05,993
especially in our situation.
1094
01:00:06,037 --> 01:00:08,605
Do you understand?
- yes.
1095
01:00:12,391 --> 01:00:16,656
- and did you commit
the acts as
1096
01:00:16,700 --> 01:00:20,181
- um, I mean,
I was there.
1097
01:00:21,705 --> 01:00:24,098
- so when the judge asks you--
the judge is gonna ask you,
1098
01:00:24,142 --> 01:00:26,666
"did you commit the offenses
as charged--
1099
01:00:26,710 --> 01:00:28,886
commit the offense as charged?"
1100
01:00:28,929 --> 01:00:31,671
And that'll be either yes or no.
1101
01:00:40,506 --> 01:00:42,726
it is something
I got to say yeah to, huh?
1102
01:00:42,769 --> 01:00:44,466
- it's not something
you have to say yeah to.
1103
01:00:44,510 --> 01:00:47,687
I can have us answer the plea
to say that
1104
01:00:47,731 --> 01:00:49,820
"although
I'm not admitting guilt,
1105
01:00:49,863 --> 01:00:52,083
"i do recognize
that the evidence is sufficient
1106
01:00:52,126 --> 01:00:54,172
to authorize a conviction."
1107
01:00:54,215 --> 01:00:55,347
- yes.
1108
01:00:55,390 --> 01:00:57,131
Something like that.
1109
01:01:01,832 --> 01:01:02,920
- all right.
1110
01:01:02,963 --> 01:01:03,877
Now, you give up
some important rights
1111
01:01:03,921 --> 01:01:04,835
when you plead guilty.
1112
01:01:04,878 --> 01:01:06,358
I'ma go over those rights.
1113
01:01:06,401 --> 01:01:07,838
If you don't understand
any of 'em,
1114
01:01:07,881 --> 01:01:09,274
just stop me
and I'll explain 'em.
1115
01:01:09,317 --> 01:01:10,971
You waive
your fourth amendment rights
1116
01:01:11,015 --> 01:01:12,843
against illegal
search and seizure.
1117
01:01:12,886 --> 01:01:14,453
By waiving those rights,
1118
01:01:14,496 --> 01:01:15,976
you can be searched
by law enforcement
1119
01:01:16,020 --> 01:01:18,152
or your probation officer
1120
01:01:18,196 --> 01:01:21,590
at any given time
for no reason at all.
1121
01:01:21,634 --> 01:01:23,201
You give up the right
to plead not guilty.
1122
01:01:23,244 --> 01:01:24,724
You give up the right
to have a trial.
1123
01:01:24,768 --> 01:01:27,901
You give up the right to make
the state prove your guilt
1124
01:01:27,945 --> 01:01:29,686
beyond a reasonable doubt,
1125
01:01:29,729 --> 01:01:32,340
and you give up the right
to appeal your conviction.
1126
01:01:32,384 --> 01:01:34,386
Your conviction
may negatively impact
1127
01:01:34,429 --> 01:01:37,519
your ability to obtain
or maintain a driver's license,
1128
01:01:37,563 --> 01:01:39,870
obtain or maintain employment,
vote,
1129
01:01:39,913 --> 01:01:41,741
and there may be
other consequences
1130
01:01:41,785 --> 01:01:43,351
which you cannot anticipate.
1131
01:01:43,395 --> 01:01:46,441
You understand those rights?
- mm-hmm.
1132
01:01:46,485 --> 01:01:48,530
- and do you still want
to plead guilty?
1133
01:01:51,969 --> 01:01:54,754
Yes?
- yes.
1134
01:01:54,798 --> 01:01:56,974
- all right, today is the...
1135
01:01:57,017 --> 01:02:00,412
9th day of april 2012.
1136
01:02:02,762 --> 01:02:04,111
Sign right here.
1137
01:02:12,816 --> 01:02:20,998
♪
1138
01:02:23,827 --> 01:02:25,959
- dick mecum running for
hall county commission chair.
1139
01:02:26,003 --> 01:02:27,787
Appreciate your vote.
1140
01:02:33,837 --> 01:02:35,229
- right down there.
1141
01:02:46,197 --> 01:02:48,765
- judge deal is doing
jury orientation right now.
1142
01:02:53,030 --> 01:02:54,901
Okay.
- um, cody is here.
1143
01:02:54,945 --> 01:02:57,425
Um, I was
- mm-hmm.
1144
01:03:40,860 --> 01:03:42,949
- no.
1145
01:03:42,993 --> 01:03:46,779
- judge, this is case number
2011cr252-c,
1146
01:03:46,823 --> 01:03:50,348
the state of georgia versus
branden lee mullin.
1147
01:03:50,391 --> 01:03:52,176
The defendant
is entering a plea
1148
01:03:52,219 --> 01:03:55,614
to the offense
of robbery by intimidation.
1149
01:03:56,876 --> 01:03:58,095
- all right, mr. williams,
1150
01:03:58,138 --> 01:03:59,574
any evidence
you wish to present?
1151
01:03:59,618 --> 01:04:01,881
Any comments you have
about the sentence?
1152
01:04:01,925 --> 01:04:02,926
- yes, sir.
1153
01:04:02,969 --> 01:04:04,318
What we would ask
for this court
1154
01:04:04,362 --> 01:04:05,798
to sentence mr. mullin to
1155
01:04:05,842 --> 01:04:07,104
is a ten-year sentence
1156
01:04:07,147 --> 01:04:09,367
with two years to serve
at the prison work camp.
1157
01:04:09,410 --> 01:04:14,067
Our contention at trial would be
that he was not the robber,
1158
01:04:14,111 --> 01:04:17,114
and there were several people
at the house--at least four.
1159
01:04:17,157 --> 01:04:19,159
The robber was disguised.
1160
01:04:19,203 --> 01:04:22,162
We contend that that person
was one of the other guys
1161
01:04:22,206 --> 01:04:23,772
that was at the house.
1162
01:04:23,816 --> 01:04:27,776
Also branden has taken this time
1163
01:04:27,820 --> 01:04:29,778
since this incident
1164
01:04:29,822 --> 01:04:32,259
to improve himself greatly.
1165
01:04:32,303 --> 01:04:36,916
Branden is lucky enough to have
encountered people lately
1166
01:04:36,960 --> 01:04:38,744
that care
a great deal about him,
1167
01:04:38,787 --> 01:04:40,615
that are interested
in his well-being
1168
01:04:40,659 --> 01:04:43,314
and have a vested interest
in his success.
1169
01:04:43,357 --> 01:04:46,970
That's not something
he's ever had before in life.
1170
01:04:47,013 --> 01:04:50,930
Branden has had
a tough go-around.
1171
01:04:50,974 --> 01:04:53,324
Branden has had people
1172
01:04:53,367 --> 01:04:56,936
that are supposed to care
the most about you not care.
1173
01:04:56,980 --> 01:04:59,243
Personally,
I can empathize with that,
1174
01:04:59,286 --> 01:05:04,378
and it hurts my heart
to understand that this kid,
1175
01:05:04,422 --> 01:05:08,382
this child, is potentially gonna
be thrown to the wolves.
1176
01:05:08,426 --> 01:05:14,127
And so we would just ask
the court for grace
1177
01:05:14,171 --> 01:05:16,042
in the sentence
that the court renders.
1178
01:05:24,050 --> 01:05:26,139
- all right.
1179
01:05:26,183 --> 01:05:28,141
Mr. mullin,
1180
01:05:28,185 --> 01:05:30,143
you got to understand
1181
01:05:30,187 --> 01:05:32,537
sort of where this all sits.
1182
01:05:32,580 --> 01:05:36,367
I have heard
about your history,
1183
01:05:36,410 --> 01:05:38,760
and I empathize with you
about that.
1184
01:05:38,804 --> 01:05:42,851
It sounds like you've had
a rough go of it here,
1185
01:05:42,895 --> 01:05:47,204
and perhaps points out some
of the failings of the system
1186
01:05:47,247 --> 01:05:50,337
regarding our children
1187
01:05:50,381 --> 01:05:54,037
that are in foster care
and that sort of thing.
1188
01:05:54,080 --> 01:05:57,344
But you also have to understand
1189
01:05:57,388 --> 01:06:00,391
that somewhere along the lines
1190
01:06:00,434 --> 01:06:03,611
when you start putting
other folks at risk,
1191
01:06:03,655 --> 01:06:08,573
then the scales
start to change,
1192
01:06:08,616 --> 01:06:11,924
and holding a knife
to someone's throat,
1193
01:06:11,968 --> 01:06:14,100
that just can't be tolerated
by our society.
1194
01:06:14,144 --> 01:06:15,797
Our society has to be protected
1195
01:06:15,841 --> 01:06:17,451
from folks who would do
those things.
1196
01:06:17,495 --> 01:06:19,845
And I do believe
that you have potential.
1197
01:06:19,888 --> 01:06:24,458
I mean, you appear to be
a smart kid, smart guy.
1198
01:06:24,502 --> 01:06:26,199
You got folks
that are supporting you,
1199
01:06:26,243 --> 01:06:30,421
and they have built trust in you
and given you opportunities,
1200
01:06:30,464 --> 01:06:33,990
and you've proved yourself
worthy of those opportunities.
1201
01:06:34,033 --> 01:06:35,252
So I hope you understand
1202
01:06:35,295 --> 01:06:39,169
this is not a condemnation
of you personally,
1203
01:06:39,212 --> 01:06:41,954
but it's a condemnation
of your actions.
1204
01:06:41,998 --> 01:06:48,004
It appears that the state has
given you a tremendous break,
1205
01:06:48,047 --> 01:06:50,919
because the mandatory minimum
sentence for armed robbery
1206
01:06:50,963 --> 01:06:52,269
is ten years in prison,
1207
01:06:52,312 --> 01:06:56,142
and the evidence would point
towards supporting
1208
01:06:56,186 --> 01:06:58,971
an armed robbery charge.
1209
01:06:59,015 --> 01:07:01,104
But they've reduced it
to robbery by intimidation
1210
01:07:01,147 --> 01:07:04,107
and essentially cut
the sentence in half,
1211
01:07:04,150 --> 01:07:07,545
and so the sentence
on count one
1212
01:07:07,588 --> 01:07:10,461
is gonna be ten years with
five years to serve in custody,
1213
01:07:10,504 --> 01:07:12,811
the remainder to be served
on probation.
1214
01:07:12,854 --> 01:07:16,119
But I'm gonna remand you
to custody this year.
1215
01:07:16,162 --> 01:07:17,990
- thank you.
1216
01:07:35,138 --> 01:07:36,269
- love you.
1217
01:07:43,102 --> 01:07:51,023
♪
1218
01:08:00,206 --> 01:08:02,121
- he is eligible for parole.
- yeah.
1219
01:08:02,165 --> 01:08:03,992
- that's not five years
to serve.
1220
01:08:04,036 --> 01:08:06,125
- it's--it's five years
to serve,
1221
01:08:06,169 --> 01:08:08,127
but he's parole eligible.
1222
01:08:08,171 --> 01:08:11,043
He is parole eligible.
1223
01:08:11,087 --> 01:08:13,698
- and the violent crime
that he's gonna serve,
1224
01:08:13,741 --> 01:08:14,829
how much of it?
1225
01:08:14,873 --> 01:08:16,875
- probably 65% to 90%.
1226
01:08:16,918 --> 01:08:18,050
Probably.
1227
01:08:29,279 --> 01:08:31,498
- the whole time
it never felt real to me.
1228
01:08:31,542 --> 01:08:33,065
I grew up with him.
1229
01:08:33,109 --> 01:08:34,806
He was my best friend.
You know what I mean?
1230
01:08:34,849 --> 01:08:36,286
Branden may not care
about anybody in the world,
1231
01:08:36,329 --> 01:08:39,245
but he loved me.
1232
01:08:39,289 --> 01:08:42,640
I still love him
with all my heart.
1233
01:08:44,207 --> 01:08:46,122
And I wanna just...
1234
01:08:46,165 --> 01:08:47,210
I can't.
1235
01:08:47,253 --> 01:08:49,037
- that's enough.
Come on.
1236
01:09:15,412 --> 01:09:18,284
- I got to do another
guilty plea in a few minutes.
1237
01:09:18,328 --> 01:09:19,981
Ain't no different
1238
01:09:20,025 --> 01:09:22,288
than what I see
every other day, so...
1239
01:09:25,030 --> 01:09:26,858
It all takes a toll on me.
1240
01:09:26,901 --> 01:09:28,294
It's not easy.
1241
01:09:30,078 --> 01:09:32,385
I'll never get used
to people going to prison.
1242
01:09:32,429 --> 01:09:34,126
I'll never get used to that.
1243
01:09:51,883 --> 01:09:56,931
- this case is different from
most others that I've tried,
1244
01:09:56,975 --> 01:10:00,848
because I don't have
any witness statements.
1245
01:10:00,892 --> 01:10:04,504
So I don't know what these
people are gonna testify to.
1246
01:10:04,548 --> 01:10:07,942
I have no idea,
because we're in georgia,
1247
01:10:07,986 --> 01:10:11,685
and I don't have the pleasure
of taking depositions,
1248
01:10:11,729 --> 01:10:13,557
because money is not at stake,
1249
01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:15,515
because somebody's liberty
is at stake.
1250
01:10:15,559 --> 01:10:16,777
So I don't get a deposition.
1251
01:10:21,347 --> 01:10:22,305
And because of that,
1252
01:10:22,348 --> 01:10:25,351
it's really kind of difficult
1253
01:10:25,395 --> 01:10:28,615
to come up with a solid defense,
1254
01:10:28,659 --> 01:10:31,314
'cause it--they could spin it.
1255
01:10:32,924 --> 01:10:36,275
Based on
what the police have said,
1256
01:10:36,319 --> 01:10:38,103
my defense is going to be that
1257
01:10:38,146 --> 01:10:41,541
the person that they identified
was not mr. wright.
1258
01:10:41,585 --> 01:10:43,543
It was just a mistake
in identity.
1259
01:10:45,241 --> 01:10:48,505
Young mr. wright had braces
at the time of this incident.
1260
01:10:48,548 --> 01:10:50,333
There is no mention
by the police
1261
01:10:50,376 --> 01:10:53,814
of the victims telling them
that the person had braces.
1262
01:10:53,858 --> 01:10:55,381
They say that they know
for a fact
1263
01:10:55,425 --> 01:10:56,991
that it was young mr. wright,
1264
01:10:57,035 --> 01:10:58,863
because they're familiar
with young mr. wright
1265
01:10:58,906 --> 01:11:01,735
because he frequents
the pizza parlor.
1266
01:11:01,779 --> 01:11:04,347
So they should know
that he was wearing braces,
1267
01:11:04,390 --> 01:11:07,350
and they should know
that he has tattoos
1268
01:11:07,393 --> 01:11:10,744
from here down
and from here down to his hands.
1269
01:11:10,788 --> 01:11:14,400
Like, he has tattoos
on his hands.
1270
01:11:14,444 --> 01:11:20,363
I'm hoping that those braces
are our savior.
1271
01:11:20,406 --> 01:11:21,886
I'm hoping.
1272
01:11:21,929 --> 01:11:24,062
I have his orthodontist
under subpoena,
1273
01:11:24,105 --> 01:11:26,847
and even though
he does not want to come,
1274
01:11:26,891 --> 01:11:28,327
so help me god,
1275
01:11:28,371 --> 01:11:30,416
I will drag him into court
kicking and screaming
1276
01:11:30,460 --> 01:11:32,723
in handcuffs
1277
01:11:32,766 --> 01:11:36,248
because he is our out
1278
01:11:36,292 --> 01:11:37,510
as far as I can tell.
1279
01:11:37,554 --> 01:11:39,425
Now, again,
they may flip it on me
1280
01:11:39,469 --> 01:11:42,341
and say that the person
had braces all of a sudden,
1281
01:11:42,385 --> 01:11:44,169
and then I'm kind of screwed.
1282
01:11:44,212 --> 01:11:46,954
I mean, I don't know what
I would argue at that point.
1283
01:11:46,998 --> 01:11:49,217
Hopefully,
they leave that out.
1284
01:11:55,398 --> 01:12:03,580
♪
1285
01:12:12,502 --> 01:12:13,720
- all right, you got your ball.
1286
01:12:13,764 --> 01:12:16,506
Bottled water is in the car.
1287
01:12:16,549 --> 01:12:18,769
Got your shin guards.
1288
01:12:24,557 --> 01:12:27,821
I left
the public defender office.
1289
01:12:27,865 --> 01:12:32,826
The main reason was the pay.
1290
01:12:32,870 --> 01:12:38,354
I was struggling to take care
of raha and myself.
1291
01:12:42,967 --> 01:12:44,316
All right.
1292
01:12:44,360 --> 01:12:46,449
Have a good game.
1293
01:12:53,543 --> 01:12:56,241
I can remember
writing a check for groceries
1294
01:12:56,284 --> 01:12:58,548
knowing that I didn't have
enough money
1295
01:12:58,591 --> 01:13:00,376
in my checking account.
1296
01:13:03,335 --> 01:13:06,425
More and more,
I was just disgusted.
1297
01:13:06,469 --> 01:13:09,515
How dare this system
1298
01:13:09,559 --> 01:13:13,563
treat public defenders
like this?
1299
01:13:13,606 --> 01:13:15,739
We matter this much,
1300
01:13:15,782 --> 01:13:17,741
that after I get paid
once a month,
1301
01:13:17,784 --> 01:13:20,396
I have $20 left to my name?
1302
01:13:23,224 --> 01:13:25,966
I am still in jackson.
1303
01:13:26,010 --> 01:13:29,579
I'm still doing, in my mind,
public defender work.
1304
01:13:29,622 --> 01:13:32,364
I still get
court-appointed cases.
1305
01:13:32,408 --> 01:13:36,499
I'm still representing
indigent clients.
1306
01:13:36,542 --> 01:13:41,504
So though I'm not in a full-time
public defender capacity,
1307
01:13:41,547 --> 01:13:44,507
I will forever be
a public defender,
1308
01:13:44,550 --> 01:13:46,639
and it's an honor.
1309
01:13:52,819 --> 01:13:55,735
- we always deal with people
1310
01:13:55,779 --> 01:13:57,650
in our profession
1311
01:13:57,694 --> 01:14:00,523
who like to bitch and moan about
1312
01:14:00,566 --> 01:14:02,568
how tough they had it
getting through law school
1313
01:14:02,612 --> 01:14:04,483
and this and that,
but they had it easy.
1314
01:14:04,527 --> 01:14:06,616
Things were handed to 'em.
1315
01:14:06,659 --> 01:14:08,574
Things were there for them.
1316
01:14:08,618 --> 01:14:09,836
Travis had none of that.
1317
01:14:09,880 --> 01:14:12,317
Travis came up hard.
1318
01:14:12,360 --> 01:14:14,145
Travis grew up without a father.
1319
01:14:14,188 --> 01:14:19,672
He grew up without a mother
that he could rely upon.
1320
01:14:19,716 --> 01:14:23,502
Nothing was handed
to this young man.
1321
01:14:23,546 --> 01:14:27,506
He struggled his entire life.
1322
01:14:27,550 --> 01:14:30,204
He's a fighter.
1323
01:14:30,248 --> 01:14:32,511
One of the highlights
of travis' career so far
1324
01:14:32,555 --> 01:14:35,166
has been the trial
of a man accused of
1325
01:14:35,209 --> 01:14:37,298
all sorts of felony obstruction
at the jail.
1326
01:14:37,342 --> 01:14:39,823
In that case,
what happened was,
1327
01:14:39,866 --> 01:14:42,434
the client ended up
being convicted
1328
01:14:42,478 --> 01:14:44,741
of a misdemeanor affray charge.
1329
01:14:44,784 --> 01:14:47,570
That's a win.
We all know that's a win.
1330
01:14:47,613 --> 01:14:49,267
But he didn't stop there.
1331
01:14:49,310 --> 01:14:53,489
Travis appealed
the misdemeanor affray charge
1332
01:14:53,532 --> 01:14:55,839
and reversed it on appeal
1333
01:14:55,882 --> 01:14:58,624
and walked his client scot-free.
1334
01:14:58,668 --> 01:15:01,497
That's a public defender,
folks.
1335
01:15:03,324 --> 01:15:09,505
So because you are
such a good example,
1336
01:15:09,548 --> 01:15:13,552
because you are such
an outstanding illustration
1337
01:15:13,596 --> 01:15:15,598
of what it means
to be a public defender,
1338
01:15:15,641 --> 01:15:17,904
we decided that,
travis williams,
1339
01:15:17,948 --> 01:15:19,558
you, this year, are
1340
01:15:19,602 --> 01:15:21,952
the assistant public defender
of the year.
1341
01:15:21,995 --> 01:15:23,475
Come up here and get your award.
1342
01:15:30,613 --> 01:15:32,266
- thank you, mr. dunn.
Thank you.
1343
01:15:36,619 --> 01:15:38,185
So much of our job goes unsung,
1344
01:15:38,229 --> 01:15:41,449
and to have any sort
of recognition
1345
01:15:41,493 --> 01:15:44,931
is a true honor.
1346
01:15:44,975 --> 01:15:48,239
Just this week, a young client
of mine went away to prison,
1347
01:15:48,282 --> 01:15:52,678
and so this award, in some ways,
is bittersweet.
1348
01:15:52,722 --> 01:15:54,462
Every day, my goal is to be
1349
01:15:54,506 --> 01:15:56,552
a better man
and a better public defender,
1350
01:15:56,595 --> 01:15:58,205
so thank you.
1351
01:16:12,785 --> 01:16:15,875
- the stakes are as high
as they could possibly be.
1352
01:16:15,919 --> 01:16:17,660
I mean, we have cases
that haunt us.
1353
01:16:17,703 --> 01:16:19,096
This case will haunt me.
1354
01:16:19,139 --> 01:16:21,751
If we--if we lose,
it'll haunt me.
1355
01:16:24,144 --> 01:16:26,886
He is a kid,
1356
01:16:26,930 --> 01:16:30,934
and he's facing a lot of time.
1357
01:16:30,977 --> 01:16:32,805
If he's found guilty,
1358
01:16:32,849 --> 01:16:35,460
it will break him.
1359
01:16:35,503 --> 01:16:39,377
Mentally and emotionally,
he'll be broken.
1360
01:16:44,687 --> 01:16:47,820
I can't fathom--
I cannot fathom
1361
01:16:47,864 --> 01:16:49,953
turning around to his mother
1362
01:16:49,996 --> 01:16:52,346
after a jury has said guilty,
1363
01:16:52,390 --> 01:16:56,002
and I've told her he's gonna get
ten years at least, at minimum.
1364
01:16:57,438 --> 01:16:59,353
She says he's done, like,
a complete 180.
1365
01:16:59,397 --> 01:17:00,180
He has a job.
1366
01:17:00,224 --> 01:17:02,443
He's working on his g.e.d.
1367
01:17:02,487 --> 01:17:06,056
Apparently he has
this girlfriend, so...
1368
01:17:06,099 --> 01:17:09,668
I think that
he's been scared straight,
1369
01:17:09,712 --> 01:17:13,019
assuming he gets
a not guilty verdict
1370
01:17:13,063 --> 01:17:15,108
and is allowed
to live his life.
1371
01:17:15,152 --> 01:17:17,633
And here's hoping
that that's the end result.
1372
01:17:17,676 --> 01:17:20,679
And we don't see
happily-ever-afters very much
1373
01:17:20,723 --> 01:17:22,159
in this profession,
1374
01:17:22,202 --> 01:17:25,118
but hopefully we get us
a happily-ever-after.
1375
01:17:32,386 --> 01:17:40,307
♪
1376
01:18:00,284 --> 01:18:01,807
- all rise.
1377
01:18:01,851 --> 01:18:03,983
The superior court of clayton
county is now in session,
1378
01:18:04,027 --> 01:18:05,898
the honorable matthew simmons
presiding.
1379
01:18:05,942 --> 01:18:07,726
- good morning.
Please be seated.
1380
01:18:11,164 --> 01:18:13,384
Let's bring the jury in.
1381
01:18:18,737 --> 01:18:21,087
All right, members
of the jury, good morning.
1382
01:18:21,131 --> 01:18:23,655
At this time,
we'll hear opening statements,
1383
01:18:23,699 --> 01:18:26,353
and, uh, miss owens,
the state may proceed.
1384
01:18:26,397 --> 01:18:27,790
- ladies and gentlemen,
you're here today
1385
01:18:27,833 --> 01:18:31,228
because on december 3, 2010,
1386
01:18:31,271 --> 01:18:34,797
this defendant decided to dress
1387
01:18:34,840 --> 01:18:36,886
in dark clothing,
1388
01:18:36,929 --> 01:18:39,889
enter into a pizza shop that
he'd visited many times before
1389
01:18:39,932 --> 01:18:41,717
with a gun--
the testimony will show
1390
01:18:41,760 --> 01:18:44,197
that it's an automatic weapon--
1391
01:18:44,241 --> 01:18:46,330
and took the money
out of the cash register.
1392
01:18:46,373 --> 01:18:50,073
We'll ask that you find
this man, demontes wright,
1393
01:18:50,116 --> 01:18:52,423
guilty of all the crimes
alleged in the indictment
1394
01:18:52,466 --> 01:18:54,381
which include
aggravated assault,
1395
01:18:54,425 --> 01:18:56,079
armed robbery,
and possession of a weapon
1396
01:18:56,122 --> 01:18:57,689
during the commission
of a crime.
1397
01:18:57,733 --> 01:18:58,951
Thank you.
1398
01:18:58,995 --> 01:19:01,954
- on december 3, 2010,
1399
01:19:01,998 --> 01:19:05,784
young mr. wright
was 16 years old.
1400
01:19:05,828 --> 01:19:09,483
16.
He was not a man.
1401
01:19:09,527 --> 01:19:11,790
He was a boy.
1402
01:19:11,834 --> 01:19:13,139
And on that day,
1403
01:19:13,183 --> 01:19:16,099
super crown pizza was robbed.
1404
01:19:16,142 --> 01:19:18,536
We don't disagree with that
at all.
1405
01:19:18,579 --> 01:19:22,758
It was not young mr. wright
that robbed that store.
1406
01:19:22,801 --> 01:19:25,761
Now, let me be very clear.
1407
01:19:25,804 --> 01:19:28,676
We don't have to prove
anything in this case.
1408
01:19:28,720 --> 01:19:30,809
We have no burden.
1409
01:19:30,853 --> 01:19:33,681
It's the prosecutor's burden.
1410
01:19:33,725 --> 01:19:35,553
They have to prove beyond
1411
01:19:35,596 --> 01:19:40,732
and to the exclusion
of every reasonable doubt
1412
01:19:40,776 --> 01:19:44,431
that that boy
1413
01:19:44,475 --> 01:19:46,869
committed the crimes
that they've charged him with.
1414
01:19:46,912 --> 01:19:48,740
It's a high burden.
1415
01:19:48,784 --> 01:19:51,221
Hold them to that burden.
1416
01:19:52,570 --> 01:19:55,138
- the state may call
its first witness.
1417
01:19:55,181 --> 01:19:58,141
- the state calls assim sadik.
1418
01:19:58,184 --> 01:20:01,622
Can you tell us
what exactly happened?
1419
01:20:10,327 --> 01:20:11,676
- "i was cooking in the back,
1420
01:20:11,719 --> 01:20:13,721
"and then I heard some noise,
1421
01:20:13,765 --> 01:20:14,940
"so I came in front.
1422
01:20:14,984 --> 01:20:17,029
"one man came,
1423
01:20:17,073 --> 01:20:19,162
and he was holding a gun."
1424
01:20:19,205 --> 01:20:21,947
- what was he doing
with the gun?
1425
01:20:24,689 --> 01:20:26,909
- "he was--he had pointed it
to my brother.
1426
01:20:26,952 --> 01:20:29,868
He asked for money."
1427
01:20:29,912 --> 01:20:31,870
- are you certain the person
that you saw that night
1428
01:20:31,914 --> 01:20:34,090
is the same person
you see here today?
1429
01:20:39,486 --> 01:20:40,574
- 100%.
1430
01:20:40,618 --> 01:20:41,837
- "yes, yes, 100%."
1431
01:20:41,880 --> 01:20:43,882
He is always around our store,
1432
01:20:43,926 --> 01:20:45,014
so we always see him.
1433
01:20:45,057 --> 01:20:47,451
- thank you.
No further questions.
1434
01:20:52,935 --> 01:20:54,501
- you said that young mr. wright
1435
01:20:54,545 --> 01:20:57,417
comes into your pizza parlor
regularly.
1436
01:21:01,247 --> 01:21:04,729
yes.
1437
01:21:04,772 --> 01:21:06,209
- we just see his face.
1438
01:21:06,252 --> 01:21:09,995
We don't see admitting in detail
what he has or not.
1439
01:21:10,039 --> 01:21:13,956
- okay.
Have you ever seen his arms?
1440
01:21:13,999 --> 01:21:16,523
take off the jacket.
1441
01:21:16,567 --> 01:21:21,485
- I don't look at people
in that detail.
1442
01:21:21,528 --> 01:21:25,054
- you don't look at--you don't
see details with people.
1443
01:21:25,097 --> 01:21:28,840
- it's rude to look at people
1444
01:21:28,884 --> 01:21:32,104
if we look at them
in detail like that.
1445
01:21:32,148 --> 01:21:34,802
- okay.
1446
01:21:34,846 --> 01:21:36,413
I'm sorry.
I wasn't sure I heard you.
1447
01:21:36,456 --> 01:21:38,067
So I'm just gonna
repeat it to make sure.
1448
01:21:38,110 --> 01:21:40,983
You said that it's rude
to look directly at people--
1449
01:21:41,026 --> 01:21:44,943
- it is rude to look at people
in detail like this.
1450
01:21:44,987 --> 01:21:46,423
- okay.
1451
01:21:46,466 --> 01:21:49,339
Having seen young mr. wright
so many times,
1452
01:21:49,382 --> 01:21:51,036
even though
you don't see detail,
1453
01:21:51,080 --> 01:21:54,170
can you say whether or not
at any time he wore braces?
1454
01:21:59,175 --> 01:22:01,090
- "no, I don't remember."
1455
01:22:01,133 --> 01:22:04,049
- no further questions,
your honor.
1456
01:22:04,093 --> 01:22:05,790
- the witness may step down.
1457
01:22:05,833 --> 01:22:09,054
Members of the jury,
we'll take morning recess now.
1458
01:22:09,098 --> 01:22:10,099
Take a 15-minute break,
1459
01:22:10,142 --> 01:22:12,492
then we'll resume.
1460
01:22:12,536 --> 01:22:15,104
- I just don't think
it's going very well,
1461
01:22:15,147 --> 01:22:16,366
'cause the--the problem is
1462
01:22:16,409 --> 01:22:18,368
that they were just so sure
that it was him
1463
01:22:18,411 --> 01:22:19,804
even though they're like,
1464
01:22:19,847 --> 01:22:21,980
"we don't pay attention
to detail,
1465
01:22:22,024 --> 01:22:23,982
"and we don't know
what he looked like,
1466
01:22:24,026 --> 01:22:25,636
"if he had the tooth,
1467
01:22:25,679 --> 01:22:27,377
'cause we don't pay attention
to that."
1468
01:22:27,420 --> 01:22:30,293
jesus, mary, and joseph.
1469
01:22:30,336 --> 01:22:33,122
I think it's a good thing
1470
01:22:33,165 --> 01:22:35,080
that they don't pay attention
to detail,
1471
01:22:35,124 --> 01:22:38,388
but we better pray
that your doctor's gonna say
1472
01:22:38,431 --> 01:22:39,737
that you had those tattoos.
1473
01:22:42,218 --> 01:22:44,568
and if he doesn't remember
1474
01:22:44,611 --> 01:22:46,222
whether or not you had 'em,
1475
01:22:46,265 --> 01:22:49,007
that's gonna hurt us,
1476
01:22:49,051 --> 01:22:52,924
because it'll be like, "oh,
the doctor doesn't remember.
1477
01:22:52,968 --> 01:22:56,928
"then they can't hold
the witnesses to any standard
1478
01:22:56,972 --> 01:22:58,669
if they don't remember."
1479
01:23:06,329 --> 01:23:08,026
Hey, where is your investigator?
1480
01:23:08,070 --> 01:23:09,985
She has her phone
going straight to voice mail,
1481
01:23:10,028 --> 01:23:13,031
and I'm in the middle of trial.
1482
01:23:13,075 --> 01:23:14,511
Can you please get ahold of her
1483
01:23:14,554 --> 01:23:17,818
and tell her I need the dentist
to send--to bring along
1484
01:23:17,862 --> 01:23:20,299
the picture
that he took of demontes wright
1485
01:23:20,343 --> 01:23:22,388
after he took his braces off?
1486
01:23:22,432 --> 01:23:25,217
I've got to run back into court.
1487
01:23:25,261 --> 01:23:29,569
- did you ever learn what type
of weapon was used in this case?
1488
01:23:29,613 --> 01:23:31,702
- yes, ma'am,
a semiautomatic weapon.
1489
01:23:31,745 --> 01:23:33,138
- okay.
1490
01:23:33,182 --> 01:23:36,837
Can you tell us what exactly
is located in that box?
1491
01:23:36,881 --> 01:23:42,843
- it's a .25 auto 50 grain
fmj winchester box.
1492
01:23:42,887 --> 01:23:47,109
There's currently 13 bullets
full metal jacket
1493
01:23:47,152 --> 01:23:49,154
inside the box.
1494
01:23:49,198 --> 01:23:50,590
- you found those bullets,
you say,
1495
01:23:50,634 --> 01:23:52,244
under young mr. wright's bed,
correct?
1496
01:23:52,288 --> 01:23:53,854
- that's correct.
1497
01:23:53,898 --> 01:23:55,291
- but you don't know
how they got there.
1498
01:23:55,334 --> 01:23:56,857
You don't know
who put 'em there.
1499
01:23:56,901 --> 01:23:57,858
- no, ma'am.
1500
01:23:57,902 --> 01:23:59,208
- all automatic weapons
1501
01:23:59,251 --> 01:24:01,688
don't take the same bullets,
do they?
1502
01:24:01,732 --> 01:24:02,776
- no, ma'am.
1503
01:24:02,820 --> 01:24:04,343
- so you can't say
if those bullets
1504
01:24:04,387 --> 01:24:06,693
go to the gun that was used
1505
01:24:06,737 --> 01:24:09,609
in the robbery
at crown plaza pizza?
1506
01:24:09,653 --> 01:24:12,134
- I do not have
an exact make and model
1507
01:24:12,177 --> 01:24:13,700
of the weapon that was used.
1508
01:24:13,744 --> 01:24:16,094
All I have
is a brief description.
1509
01:24:17,748 --> 01:24:19,097
- correct.
1510
01:24:19,141 --> 01:24:22,274
- okay, you indicated
that you didn't take
1511
01:24:22,318 --> 01:24:24,450
any fingerprints
in the store.
1512
01:24:24,494 --> 01:24:27,323
- at the time,
there was nothing touched
1513
01:24:27,366 --> 01:24:29,673
that the victims had told me.
1514
01:24:29,716 --> 01:24:33,024
And I assumed
that there was gloves used
1515
01:24:33,068 --> 01:24:34,286
at that time.
1516
01:24:34,330 --> 01:24:36,027
- you assumed
that there were gloves used.
1517
01:24:36,071 --> 01:24:38,247
So when you wrote in your report
that gloves were used,
1518
01:24:38,290 --> 01:24:39,987
that wasn't something
someone told you;
1519
01:24:40,031 --> 01:24:41,250
that was something you assumed.
1520
01:24:41,293 --> 01:24:42,947
- that there was
gloves used, yes.
1521
01:24:42,990 --> 01:24:44,035
- okay.
1522
01:24:44,079 --> 01:24:45,558
Do you often assume things
1523
01:24:45,602 --> 01:24:47,169
and put them
in your police report?
1524
01:24:47,212 --> 01:24:48,213
- no.
1525
01:24:48,257 --> 01:24:51,999
- so this was just
a onetime thing.
1526
01:24:52,043 --> 01:24:54,176
Do you usually put things
in your police report--
1527
01:24:54,219 --> 01:24:55,612
- no, ma'am.
1528
01:24:55,655 --> 01:24:57,657
- no further questions,
your honor.
1529
01:24:59,833 --> 01:25:01,792
- state actually rests
at this time.
1530
01:25:02,923 --> 01:25:04,664
- you may call
your next witness.
1531
01:25:04,708 --> 01:25:08,320
- the defense would call
dr. barry clower.
1532
01:25:08,364 --> 01:25:11,454
Are you familiar
with demontes wright?
1533
01:25:11,497 --> 01:25:13,195
- uh, yes, ma'am, I am.
1534
01:25:14,500 --> 01:25:17,677
- he was a patient of mine
for 3 1/2 years.
1535
01:25:17,721 --> 01:25:20,158
- I sure did.
1536
01:25:20,202 --> 01:25:22,204
- and can you tell me the exact
date that you did that?
1537
01:25:22,247 --> 01:25:26,295
- his treatment started
in may of 2007
1538
01:25:26,338 --> 01:25:30,429
and concluded
in december of 2010.
1539
01:25:30,473 --> 01:25:33,040
- when you put braces on people,
1540
01:25:33,084 --> 01:25:34,172
do you take a before picture?
1541
01:25:34,216 --> 01:25:35,478
- yes, ma'am.
1542
01:25:35,521 --> 01:25:37,306
- do you take pictures
of your patients
1543
01:25:37,349 --> 01:25:39,308
after you've removed
their braces?
1544
01:25:39,351 --> 01:25:40,657
- absolutely.
1545
01:25:40,700 --> 01:25:43,225
- is this the picture
that you took
1546
01:25:43,268 --> 01:25:44,748
prior to putting
the braces on?
1547
01:25:44,791 --> 01:25:46,532
- yes, ma'am, it sure is.
1548
01:25:46,576 --> 01:25:50,319
- and does young mr. wright
have a tattoo in that picture?
1549
01:25:50,362 --> 01:25:53,322
- uh, yes, ma'am,
both sides of his neck.
1550
01:25:53,365 --> 01:25:57,239
- and is this the picture
that you took after
1551
01:25:57,282 --> 01:26:00,503
you removed the braces
on december 6, 2010?
1552
01:26:00,546 --> 01:26:01,895
- yes, ma'am, it is.
1553
01:26:01,939 --> 01:26:03,549
- and does he have tattoos
in that picture?
1554
01:26:03,593 --> 01:26:05,203
- yes, ma'am.
- okay.
1555
01:26:05,247 --> 01:26:07,597
I have no further questions,
your honor.
1556
01:26:07,640 --> 01:26:09,251
- no questions from the state.
1557
01:26:09,294 --> 01:26:11,427
- all right, we'll hear closing
arguments at this time.
1558
01:26:11,470 --> 01:26:14,212
The state has the right
to open and conclude.
1559
01:26:14,256 --> 01:26:16,214
- thank you, your honor.
1560
01:26:16,258 --> 01:26:17,389
Ladies and gentlemen,
1561
01:26:17,433 --> 01:26:18,825
the defense
would like you to believe
1562
01:26:18,869 --> 01:26:20,262
this is more complicated
than it is.
1563
01:26:20,305 --> 01:26:22,133
This is an open-and-shut case.
1564
01:26:22,177 --> 01:26:25,397
Atif and assim knew who entered
into their store.
1565
01:26:25,441 --> 01:26:27,269
They know him.
1566
01:26:27,312 --> 01:26:28,748
It's this man,
demontes wright.
1567
01:26:28,792 --> 01:26:31,098
There was a lot of fuss about,
1568
01:26:31,142 --> 01:26:33,579
"oh, these guys don't remember
this, that, and the other."
1569
01:26:33,623 --> 01:26:35,842
Well, let's talk about
what they do remember.
1570
01:26:35,886 --> 01:26:39,063
They remember that this man
entered into their store,
1571
01:26:39,106 --> 01:26:42,501
that throughout
the whole entire incident,
1572
01:26:42,545 --> 01:26:48,028
this man had a automatic handgun
in their face,
1573
01:26:48,072 --> 01:26:50,509
terrifying them.
1574
01:26:50,553 --> 01:26:52,729
They sat here today
1575
01:26:52,772 --> 01:26:56,254
and said, a whole year later
and a new look,
1576
01:26:56,298 --> 01:26:58,604
"that man, demontes wright,
1577
01:26:58,648 --> 01:27:02,260
"is the one who entered my store
on december 3rd,
1578
01:27:02,304 --> 01:27:03,522
"stole money from me,
1579
01:27:03,566 --> 01:27:06,221
"put a gun to my head,
1580
01:27:06,264 --> 01:27:09,180
"and waved a gun at my brother
1581
01:27:09,224 --> 01:27:11,138
and took my money."
1582
01:27:11,182 --> 01:27:12,401
Ladies and gentlemen,
1583
01:27:12,444 --> 01:27:13,619
I submit to you
that we have in fact
1584
01:27:13,663 --> 01:27:16,448
proved our case
beyond a reasonable doubt,
1585
01:27:16,492 --> 01:27:19,930
and I ask you to find
this defendant,
1586
01:27:19,973 --> 01:27:22,019
demontes wright,
1587
01:27:22,062 --> 01:27:25,152
guilty of all the crimes
in the indictment:
1588
01:27:25,196 --> 01:27:26,502
two counts of armed robbery,
1589
01:27:26,545 --> 01:27:28,286
two counts
of aggravated assault,
1590
01:27:28,330 --> 01:27:29,853
and two counts
of possession of a weapon
1591
01:27:29,896 --> 01:27:31,289
during the commission
of a crime.
1592
01:27:31,333 --> 01:27:32,812
Thank you.
1593
01:27:34,858 --> 01:27:38,644
- I want you to think of
the criminal justice system
1594
01:27:38,688 --> 01:27:41,647
as a really long road, okay?
1595
01:27:41,691 --> 01:27:45,347
And at the beginning
of that road is a charge,
1596
01:27:45,390 --> 01:27:47,697
where they charge someone
with a crime.
1597
01:27:47,740 --> 01:27:52,179
At the end of that road
is a conviction.
1598
01:27:52,223 --> 01:27:56,271
Now, before the state can get
to the end of that road,
1599
01:27:56,314 --> 01:27:58,882
before the prosecutors can get
to that conviction,
1600
01:27:58,925 --> 01:28:02,538
they have a big brick wall
in front of 'em.
1601
01:28:02,581 --> 01:28:05,976
That brick wall
is called reasonable doubt.
1602
01:28:06,019 --> 01:28:08,979
Atif sadik
said a number of things.
1603
01:28:09,022 --> 01:28:10,415
But it's what he didn't say
1604
01:28:10,459 --> 01:28:12,504
that I want you to focus on.
1605
01:28:12,548 --> 01:28:13,810
It's what he didn't remember
1606
01:28:13,853 --> 01:28:16,160
that I want you to focus on.
1607
01:28:16,203 --> 01:28:19,468
What I found really interesting
1608
01:28:19,511 --> 01:28:21,383
is that he said
that young mr. wright
1609
01:28:21,426 --> 01:28:23,559
comes in his store
three to four times a week
1610
01:28:23,602 --> 01:28:25,082
for the last two years.
1611
01:28:25,125 --> 01:28:28,215
I was an english major.
My math is terrible.
1612
01:28:28,259 --> 01:28:30,348
But from what I gathered,
1613
01:28:30,392 --> 01:28:32,350
that's about 342 times
1614
01:28:32,394 --> 01:28:34,396
over the course of two years.
1615
01:28:36,354 --> 01:28:40,402
But he didn't remember
whether or not
1616
01:28:40,445 --> 01:28:43,013
he had braces.
1617
01:28:43,056 --> 01:28:46,146
And he didn't remember
whether or not he had tattoos.
1618
01:28:48,453 --> 01:28:49,367
I had braces.
1619
01:28:49,411 --> 01:28:50,847
They were terribly embarrassing
1620
01:28:50,890 --> 01:28:52,414
because every time
you open your mouth,
1621
01:28:52,457 --> 01:28:55,068
the very first thing
that people see
1622
01:28:55,112 --> 01:28:57,680
are those braces.
1623
01:28:57,723 --> 01:28:59,769
And when he's coming in
three times a week,
1624
01:28:59,812 --> 01:29:03,381
three to four times a week,
for two years,
1625
01:29:03,425 --> 01:29:06,950
you would know
that he was wearing braces.
1626
01:29:09,213 --> 01:29:10,780
And since they say
1627
01:29:10,823 --> 01:29:13,260
he didn't always come in
with long sleeves,
1628
01:29:13,304 --> 01:29:15,959
they knew that he had tattoos.
1629
01:29:16,002 --> 01:29:18,527
But the person that
they described to the police
1630
01:29:18,570 --> 01:29:20,442
did not have braces,
1631
01:29:20,485 --> 01:29:22,531
and he did not have tattoos.
1632
01:29:25,185 --> 01:29:27,753
Reasonable doubt.
1633
01:29:31,409 --> 01:29:33,280
We would ask
1634
01:29:33,324 --> 01:29:37,502
that you find
the only just verdict
1635
01:29:37,546 --> 01:29:39,678
of not guilty.
1636
01:29:39,722 --> 01:29:41,419
- members of the jury,
1637
01:29:41,463 --> 01:29:42,768
you may now go to the jury room,
1638
01:29:42,812 --> 01:29:44,204
but do not begin
your deliberations
1639
01:29:44,248 --> 01:29:45,989
until you've received
the indictment,
1640
01:29:46,032 --> 01:29:48,165
the evidence,
and the verdict form.
1641
01:29:48,208 --> 01:29:49,645
Thank you.
1642
01:30:20,502 --> 01:30:22,504
- remain seated.
Come to order.
1643
01:30:27,683 --> 01:30:29,685
- would you bring
the jury in, please?
1644
01:30:41,653 --> 01:30:43,481
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
1645
01:30:43,525 --> 01:30:44,961
- yes, we did.
1646
01:30:45,004 --> 01:30:47,398
- will you read
that verdict to us, please?
1647
01:30:50,401 --> 01:30:52,534
- in the superior court
of clayton county,
1648
01:30:52,577 --> 01:30:53,796
state of georgia,
1649
01:30:53,839 --> 01:30:56,451
the state of georgia
versus the defendant,
1650
01:30:56,494 --> 01:30:58,670
demontes regary wright,
1651
01:30:58,714 --> 01:31:04,459
case number 2011cr636-8,
1652
01:31:04,502 --> 01:31:07,113
verdict, count number one:
1653
01:31:07,157 --> 01:31:08,854
we, the jury,
find the defendant
1654
01:31:08,898 --> 01:31:13,250
not guilty of the offense
of aggravated assault.
1655
01:31:13,293 --> 01:31:14,599
Count number two:
1656
01:31:14,643 --> 01:31:16,514
we, the jury,
find the defendant
1657
01:31:16,558 --> 01:31:20,779
not guilty of the offense
of armed robbery.
1658
01:31:20,823 --> 01:31:22,781
Count number three:
1659
01:31:22,825 --> 01:31:24,696
we, the jury,
find the defendant
1660
01:31:24,740 --> 01:31:26,785
not guilty...
1661
01:31:29,962 --> 01:31:32,922
[your hand in mineby
explosions in the sky playing]
1662
01:31:36,229 --> 01:31:44,150
♪
1663
01:32:19,490 --> 01:32:27,411
♪
1664
01:33:00,749 --> 01:33:03,055
♪
1665
01:33:03,099 --> 01:33:04,622
- ♪ Woke up this morning early
1666
01:33:04,666 --> 01:33:05,797
♪ Blinded by light
1667
01:33:05,841 --> 01:33:07,538
♪ A way of insight
1668
01:33:07,582 --> 01:33:09,496
♪ New perception in life
1669
01:33:09,540 --> 01:33:10,802
♪ For true believers
1670
01:33:10,846 --> 01:33:12,064
♪ Every day is a fight
1671
01:33:12,108 --> 01:33:13,762
♪ Yeah, give me my whites
1672
01:33:13,805 --> 01:33:15,111
♪ And I'm ready to take flight
1673
01:33:15,154 --> 01:33:16,852
♪ There's so much fake
in this world ♪
1674
01:33:16,895 --> 01:33:18,636
♪ Something's got to be real
1675
01:33:18,680 --> 01:33:19,855
♪ Working every moment
1676
01:33:19,898 --> 01:33:21,334
♪ Need a hour to chill
1677
01:33:21,378 --> 01:33:23,162
♪ Especially when
the stakes higher ♪
1678
01:33:23,206 --> 01:33:24,642
♪ Than the cow on the hill
1679
01:33:24,686 --> 01:33:26,122
♪ Give you my shoes
to climb it ♪
1680
01:33:26,165 --> 01:33:27,863
♪ And ask you how does it feel
1681
01:33:27,906 --> 01:33:29,473
♪ My belief in freedom's
1682
01:33:29,516 --> 01:33:30,866
♪ The only way to escape
1683
01:33:30,909 --> 01:33:32,345
♪ Going against the odds
1684
01:33:32,389 --> 01:33:34,043
♪ While reconstructing
our fate ♪
1685
01:33:34,086 --> 01:33:35,827
♪ Decisions we make today
1686
01:33:35,871 --> 01:33:37,655
♪ Tomorrow affect the seeds
1687
01:33:37,699 --> 01:33:38,961
♪ The world can learn too
1688
01:33:39,004 --> 01:33:40,919
♪ But first you got to believe
so please ♪
1689
01:33:40,963 --> 01:33:44,575
- ♪ A promise you
ought to make ♪
1690
01:33:44,619 --> 01:33:45,750
- ♪ True believers
1691
01:33:45,794 --> 01:33:47,186
♪ True believers
1692
01:33:47,230 --> 01:33:50,537
- ♪ I give you all you need
1693
01:33:50,581 --> 01:33:51,713
- ♪ True believers
1694
01:33:51,756 --> 01:33:53,453
♪ True believers, yeah
1695
01:33:53,497 --> 01:33:56,892
- ♪ I'll make the world
believe ♪
1696
01:33:56,935 --> 01:33:59,764
- ♪ True believers,
true believers ♪
1697
01:33:59,808 --> 01:34:03,942
- ♪ You just got to be here
- ♪ True believers
1698
01:34:03,986 --> 01:34:06,466
♪ Sell them records,
sell them records, sell them ♪
1699
01:34:06,510 --> 01:34:09,208
- ♪ Don't quit on you
1700
01:34:09,252 --> 01:34:12,168
♪ And I won't quit on me
1701
01:34:12,211 --> 01:34:13,865
- ♪ Visualize the future
1702
01:34:13,909 --> 01:34:14,997
♪ See it in hindsight
1703
01:34:15,040 --> 01:34:16,476
♪ Nothing's a guarantee
1704
01:34:16,520 --> 01:34:18,696
♪ They live
for telling this mic ♪
1705
01:34:18,740 --> 01:34:20,524
♪ With shackles cuffed nice
1706
01:34:20,567 --> 01:34:21,873
♪ Rope tied tight
1707
01:34:21,917 --> 01:34:22,961
♪ Until I turn to houdini
1708
01:34:23,005 --> 01:34:24,833
♪ And disappear in the night
1709
01:34:24,876 --> 01:34:26,138
♪ I can't think with thoughts
1710
01:34:26,182 --> 01:34:27,705
♪ That's built
for hurting your brain ♪
1711
01:34:27,749 --> 01:34:31,666
♪ You can't love a soul
with a heart full of pain ♪
1712
01:34:31,709 --> 01:34:32,884
♪ Channel your energies
1713
01:34:32,928 --> 01:34:34,103
♪ Stay on track in the train
1714
01:34:34,146 --> 01:34:35,887
♪ Loyalty's more important
1715
01:34:35,931 --> 01:34:37,280
♪ Than your personal gain
1716
01:34:37,323 --> 01:34:38,107
♪ So no
1717
01:34:38,150 --> 01:34:39,325
♪ Don't quit on you
1718
01:34:39,369 --> 01:34:40,718
♪ No, don't quit on you
1719
01:34:40,762 --> 01:34:42,633
♪ I got to channel love
1720
01:34:42,677 --> 01:34:43,982
♪ And I can send it through
1721
01:34:44,026 --> 01:34:45,157
♪ What we do today
1722
01:34:45,201 --> 01:34:46,898
♪ Tomorrow affect our seeds
1723
01:34:46,942 --> 01:34:48,291
♪ The world can learn too
1724
01:34:48,334 --> 01:34:50,772
♪ But first you got to believe
so please ♪
1725
01:34:50,815 --> 01:34:53,557
- ♪ A promise you
ought to make ♪
1726
01:34:53,600 --> 01:34:56,821
- ♪ True believers,
true believers ♪
1727
01:34:56,865 --> 01:34:59,998
- ♪ I give you all you need
1728
01:35:00,042 --> 01:35:01,434
- ♪ True believers
1729
01:35:01,478 --> 01:35:02,958
♪ True believers, yeah
1730
01:35:03,001 --> 01:35:06,091
- ♪ I'll make the world
believe ♪
1731
01:35:06,135 --> 01:35:09,268
- ♪ True believers,
true believers ♪
1732
01:35:09,312 --> 01:35:13,577
- ♪ You just got to be here
- ♪ True believers
1733
01:35:13,620 --> 01:35:15,927
♪ Sell them records,
sell them records, sell them ♪
1734
01:35:15,971 --> 01:35:18,800
- ♪ Don't quit on you
1735
01:35:18,843 --> 01:35:22,499
♪ And I won't quit on me
119950
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