All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.S24E10.Greater.Good.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-FLUX (SDH)

- In the criminal justice
system,

the people are represented

by two separate,
yet equally important groups:

the police,
who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

[hip-hop music playing]

♪

[indistinct chatter]

- OK. You're all right.

Just hydrate, OK?

I'm calling you a Uber.
- Mm! No, no, no.

I don't want to go.
I want to stay.

Don't you want to stay?

- Girl, I am unbothered.

I'm tired of being eye candy
for these old-ass fools.

[indistinct chatter]

♪

Tiff!

Hey, I just called her Uber.

It's going to be here
in five minutes,

so make sure she gets in it, please.

- Mm-hmm.

♪

[metallic clanging,
person yelling]

- Where are you going?

Something wrong?

[tense music]

[indistinct
police radio chatter]

- Single gunshot wound
to the chest.

Found a .40-caliber casing
nearby.

- Canvassing or video
turn anything up?

- Just the neighbor
who reported the body.

Called it in at 11:07 PM.

Other than that, nothing.

- They see anything?

- The area is pretty quiet.

I think a body on the sidewalk
will get these streets talking.

- They'll be doing
more than that.

- Whoa, is that--

- Wes Morgan.

- Oh, man.
He's a mogul.

Had his hands in everything, right?

Entertainment, liquor,
hotels, casinos.

- Wallet, watch, cell phone
were all still on him.

- So obviously not a robbery.

- Means he could have been
targeted.

- By who?

Everybody loved him.

- Not everybody.

♪

[dramatic music]

♪

- I'm very sorry
for your loss, ma'am.

- Thank you.

- Can you tell us what your
husband was doing last night?

- He was at a fundraiser
uptown.

- You didn't attend?

- No, I was here at home
with my two daughters.

- Was Wes having any problems?

Was anyone threatening him
or harassing him?

- Not that I know of.

People loved him.

- That may be so,

but, ma'am, what's also true

is that your husband made
a lot of money over the years.

And with that comes jealousy.

Now, can you think of anybody

who was bitter
about his success?

Somebody who might have felt
left behind

or cut out of a deal?

- Well, I'm sure
there were hundreds,

but Wes never brought
that stuff home.

- What about the event
he went to last night?

Can you tell us about that?

Where it was,
who might have been there?

- I'm afraid not.

You should probably speak
with his security team.

- ♪ It's game time

♪ I'm locking in

- Y'all feel that?
[laughs]

You got to keep it hard
on that one, baby.

- Kevin Mays,
need to ask you some questions.

- Hey, could y'all
clear the room, please?

[sighs]

- You go by Big K, yeah?

- Yeah.

So what's this all about?

- The security team told us
you had an argument

with Wes Morgan last night.

- Nah,
just a business disagreement.

Ain't no thing.

- And what was this
disagreement about?

- Wes thought he was more
valuable than he really was.

- Care to elaborate?

- He thought he owned my ass.

I took issue with that.

- What time
you leave the party?

- Around midnight.

- OK. Right.

So you guys have
your little argument.

Then what happened?

- Then we kind of made up.

Agreed to meet for breakfast,
hash things out

like two grown-ass men.

I mean, come on, now.
I didn't kill Wes.

He was my dude.

- All right, so you agree
to have breakfast.

Then what?

- Then he left,
chasing after some woman.

Singer, I think.

- You know her name?

- No.

- Can you tell us
what she looks like?

- Yeah, the same as all
the rest of them women--

young, hot, and ambitious.

- So this woman here
exits the party.

94 seconds later,
Wes Morgan exits the party

and goes in the same direction
as her too.

- She got a name?

- Vanessa Washington.

She was on the guest list.

There's a headshot too, but we
can't seem to track her down.

- Popular name.

- Nine, to be exact.
Yeah.

Three around her age,

and exactly zero
that match the description.

- Maybe she gave a fake name
to security, or a stage name?

- Oh, guys, I got something.

I've been going through
the footage

from the video canvass,

and we still don't have
an angle on the crime scene.

But as for our mystery girl,
there she is right there,

walking south on Columbus,

a few blocks away
from the crime scene.

- Three minutes
after the murder.

OK. Keep on her.

If we find out where she went,

maybe we can find out
who she is.

- All right.
So what's up?

Why are y'all following me?
- That's what's up.

- We need to talk to you.

- About?

- About Wes Morgan's murder.

- I don't know
nothing about that.

Sorry. Can't help you.

- No, no, no, no, no.
Hey, hey, hey. No, no, no.

We're not done here.

Because this is you
getting a taxi

seven blocks north
of the crime scene

six minutes after he got shot.

And according to their records,
they dropped you off

at this building right here.

- So?

- So we know
you were at the party,

and you gave security
a fake name.

- And that Wes Morgan followed
you out of there at 11:00.

- All right.
Arrest me.

- [chuckles]

- I'm serious.

Put the damn cuffs on me,
and escort me to the car.

- You saying you killed Morgan?

- No, I'm saying I'm with SSU.

I'm a cop.

- You're telling me
you're working undercover?

[tense music]

♪

- All right.
Thanks, Sarge.

Appreciate it.

Supervisor confirmed
she's NYPD,

Security Services Unit.

- All right.
[clears throat]

If your cover's
Vanessa Washington,

what's your real name?

- Vanessa Washburn.

I've been under
for, like, a month or so.

I was an aspiring
hip-hop artist.

I did a demo
with a producer last week,

and I made it seem like I would
do anything to hit it big.

And so he threw me the invite
for the party last night.

- Who are you investigating?

- Wes Morgan.

- Wes Morgan? Really?

- Lots of rumors about him
trafficking girls, boys,

and from what I've seen
and heard,

they're not just rumors.

I mean, we don't have enough
to make a case yet,

but we will.

- What do you mean you will?
Morgan is dead.

I'm guessing
the case is closed, right?

- No, there are plenty of other
folks involved besides him.

Famous folks too.

- All right.
So what happened last night?

Now, we know you left
around 11:00,

Morgan followed you out.

- He was getting a little
familiar earlier in the night,

so soon as I saw him again,
I left.

And he followed me outside

and tried to get me
to come back inside.

Then this guy just started
coming up at us yelling,

"Wes Morgan, we need to talk."

Morgan got distracted,
so I took off.

- You recognize the guy?

- No.

It was dark.

There was a lot going on.

It was happening really fast.

- Hold on a second.
So you're with Wes Morgan

minutes, if not seconds,
before he's killed,

and you don't think
to notify us?

- I didn't see anything,
so no, nothing to report.

- Well, that's not true, right?

You just said
you saw a guy approach him

minutes before he was shot.

OK, look, let's just go back
to the basics here.

Height, skin color, build.

- Black, medium height,
medium build.

- Very useful information.
Thank you.

- Are we done here?

- Is it me?
- Nope.

- No.
- Nope.

- Unbelievable.

- OK.
So we have a suspect.

We don't know much about him,
but it's a start.

- Plus the sex trafficking
thing,

which could be a connection
to motive.

- Yeah, that's if
the rumors are true.

I mean, Morgan has
a pristine reputation.

I mean, there's no allegations,
no arrests.

Most guys like this--
you know, like Diddy, Epstein--

there's smoke
around these people for years.

Most folks
just drag their feet.

But with Morgan,
I don't think so.

- Hey, check this out.

Video of a Black man,
medium height and build,

hanging out in the parking lot
across from the venue

where the party was being held
around 10:30 PM.

- Can you make out his face?

- No, video is way too grainy,
but he's got a jacket

with some kind of logo on it.

Is that an "SG"?

Maybe St. Gabriel Prep?

- You can't make out the face
but you can make out the logo?

- Once a Catholic school kid,
always a Catholic school kid.

I mean, the point is, the guy's
hanging out in the parking lot

for about two hours,
then at 11:03,

he heads south
toward the murder scene.

- Like he saw Morgan
exiting the building

and then took off after him?

All right, see if anybody
at the party

has any connection
to St. Gabriel.

It's a long shot, but--

- It's something.

- Yeah, I graduated
from St. Gabriel in May.

What's that have to do
with what happened?

- Any of your
high school friends

try to sneak
into the party last night?

- No, why?

- Well, because
there was someone

with a St. Gabriel jacket

hanging out
at the party last night.

- And you're the only person
at the party

that has ties to that school.

- I don't know
anything about that.

I was at the party all night,
you know, until Wes got shot.

And I was pretty drunk,
to be honest.

- Your parents live here?

- No, just me.

- You got a job?

- No.

- Who picks up the tab, then?

[tense music]

Mm-hmm.

- [sighs]
Angela,

how would you describe your
relationship with Wes Morgan?

- [sighs]

Close.

- Romantic?

- No.

- Sexual?

- Yeah, sometimes.

- And other than Wes,

is there anyone else
you're hanging out with?

Say, a boyfriend?

- Yeah, but we broke up
last week.

- He know about Wes?

- Yeah, that's why we broke up.

He lost his mind.
[chuckles]

♪

- We were supposed to have
dinner with our parents

a few days ago,

but Angela canceled
last-minute,

said that she needed
to meet up with some producers

or some crap like that.

And then she just disappeared,

and then didn't hear from her
for two days.

Then finally,
she shows up at my apartment

looking like a zombie,
tells me it's over,

and then passes out in my bed.

She was obviously doing
all kinds of drugs,

and I got nervous,
so I went through her phone,

and I saw messages
between her and Morgan.

Photos too.

It's pretty disturbing stuff.

Morgan had everyone thinking

that he was a saint
and a savior.

That punk-ass bitch is
more like a--like a vampire.

- All right,
then where were you

two nights ago
around 11:00 PM?

- At a frat party
with 200 other people,

and there's photos
to verify that as well.

Look, I didn't kill Morgan.

I wish I did, but I didn't.

I wasn't going to ruin
my life over him or Angela.

- But if you didn't kill him,

who did?

Can you think of anybody else

who hated Wes Morgan
as much as you?

[knock at door]

Lyman Ross, open up.
- Hold on, hold on.

Give me a second
to open the damn door.

- NYPD,
here to search the premises.

- You can let us in
or we can move you.

- The police are coming in.

[dramatic music]

♪

[sighs]

Look, my family is scared.

I think it'd be best if I was
able to sit with them,

if that's all right with you.

- Go ahead.

- [sighs]

♪

Hey, it's OK.

Y'all can get back
to your homework, OK?

You don't have to worry
about these men.

[sighs]
- You're welcome to sit.

- Mr. Ross, I think
we need to take a ride.

♪

- It's OK.

It's all right.

♪

- Look, I already told
the other officers,

I had nothing,
absolutely nothing,

to do with that man's death.

- So...

we spoke to your daughter's ex,

Ahmad Willis.

He told us what he found
on Angela's phone

and that he shared
that information with you,

and that you said you were
going to kill Wes Morgan,

and it looks like
that is exactly what happened.

And I--
I got to be honest with you,

if some punk was
trafficking my kid,

I would put a bullet
in him too.

I wouldn't think twice
about it either.

- [sighs]

- That's you, 11:00 PM
the night of the murder,

across the street
from the venue

where Morgan was having
his highfalutin soiree.

And five minutes later,
he was shot.

- I am not the only man
in the city

with a St. Gabriel jacket.

- Correct.

I'm just guessing
you're the only one

whose daughter was getting
pimped out by the dead guy.

- [sighs]

I'm done talking.

I think I want a lawyer now.

- You recognize
any of these men?

- No.

- I would take a good look.
Are you sure?

- I'm not sure.
It was dark.

- OK. How about this one?

- I can't tell.

- Well, is he the same build

as the guy you saw
coming at you?

I gotta say, for a cop,
you're not very good

at solving crimes, are you?

- Luckily, that's not my job.

- Excuse me?

- I'm not here
to solve your crimes.

- [laughs]

- Since that's what
cops actually do,

what are you here for, then?

- To collect a paycheck,

earn my pension,
and, in the process,

help my community
whenever I can.

- Wow, are you serious?
- Very.

- I appreciate
your point of view,

but here, race is irrelevant.

- Nope.
Race is always relevant.

- Here we go.
- What does that mean?

- It means we don't have time
for your political nonsense

right now, OK?

You want to make
a difference in the world?

Run for Congress.

But right now,
you're a cop, OK?

So you do what a cop
is supposed to do,

and cops help us find
the bad guy, period.

- And that right there

is exactly why
things don't change.

- [scoffs]

Oh--oh, really?

- [sighs]
- What--

- Vince, just--just let it go.
Let it go.

- She's practically spitting
in our faces, man.

- That is one way
of looking at it.

- What's the other one?

- That she's coming
at this whole thing

from a different point of view,
from a more progressive,

more political point of view.
- All right, man, I'm done.

Whatever.
- Hey, bro, bro, listen.

Listen, listen, listen.

So let's go back
to the precinct,

dig through some more
surveillance footage.

How about that?
- All right. Great.

So there's the suspect
walking north on Amsterdam,

six blocks
from the crime scene,

seven minutes after
the 911 call came in.

- Just stop right there.

There's something in his hand.

You can't really see
what it is,

but it could be a gun.
- Mm-hmm.

- Any more video?

- No, the trail goes cold
right there.

- He lives in
Washington Heights, right?

- Mm-hmm.

- There's a subway stop
at Broadway and 96th.

I mean, maybe he was
heading there.

Start looking for a video
of him walking

in that direction,
north and east.

And who knows?
Maybe we'll get lucky.

- Calling docket
ending in 7824,

People versus Lyman Ross,
murder in the second degree.

How does the defendant plead?

- Not guilty.

- I'll hear the people on bail.
- Yes, Your Honor.

The evidence against
the defendant is substantial.

Police recently found a gun
whose ballistics match

the bullet casing
recovered at the scene.

They also found
the defendant's DNA

on the weapon
and his fingerprints

on five bullets
inside the magazine.

We also have video evidence
putting the defendant

near the crime scene
and the sewer grate

where the weapon was found.

So in light of the severity
of the charge,

people seek remand.

- Your Honor, the defendant is

a lifelong resident
of New York City,

has held the same job at
New York Cellular for 17 years,

and has three children
whom he loves dearly.

He is clearly not
a flight risk

and, as such, should be granted
a reasonable bail.

- Reasonable bail is reserved
for reasonable people,

not men who gun down
other men in cold blood.

Defendant is remanded.

Next case.

[gavel bangs]

[indistinct chatter]

- Thank you so much
for meeting with me.

- Of course.

- My husband was a big fan.

He encouraged lots of folks
in our community

to support
your election efforts.

- I know.

He was very helpful.

So what can I do for you?

- I'm worried about the trial.

- From what I hear,

the evidence
is quite substantial,

so I wouldn't spend
too much time worrying.

- I'm not worried
about winning.

I'm worried about
the emotional stress

that comes along with winning.

Come on, Nick,
you know how this goes.

Someone like Wes dies,
people want to dig up dirt.

They attack your character,
your reputation.

My family and I have been
through enough already.

- I can't imagine
what you're going through,

but we're confident
we have a strong case,

and we will do everything
we can to protect the process,

to make sure irrelevant facts
are not introduced.

- I appreciate all that,

but I was hoping you might be
able to do better than that--

avoid the trial altogether.

- [sighs]

Wes was an inspirational leader
in our community,

and to see his name
dragged through the mud?

[sighs]
That would be unfortunate.

- No. No. Hell no.

I'm not pleading
to a damn thing,

let alone murder.

- Given the evidence,
this is a good deal.

You realize that?

- Well, the only thing
that I realize

is that that bastard Morgan
got what he deserved,

and I'm not going
to prison for that.

- Well, you're wrong.

The jury is going to convict
you of murder, no doubt.

And when they do,

we'll recommend
a minimum sentence

of 25 years.

You plead out now,
we'll recommend 15.

- Look, we're open
to manslaughter, but--

- No. No, no, no. Murder two.

We'll recommend the minimum,
15 to life, or we go to trial.

- Give us some time
to discuss it.

- You have 24 hours.

[buzzer blares]

- OK.

[indistinct chatter]

- Hey.

- Morning.

- Good morning.

- How'd it go with Ross?

- He is thinking about it.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Look, I know we're trying
to protect Morgan's legacy,

but I'm not sure
it's possible or advisable.

- What are you talking about?

- Just got off the phone
with five women who claim

Morgan sexually assaulted them.

- What?

- Yeah, I was looking
for more witnesses,

so I spoke
with some of the other women

at Morgan's party, and...

let's just say
the floodgates started to open.

And if you believe
what they said,

then Wes Morgan was a monster.

He preyed
on young women and men.

He raped them, drugged them,
trafficked them.

- So much for protecting
Morgan's legacy.

Pull the offer.
Try your case.

Better the world knows
who he really was.

- Right.
I hear you, Nick.

But the problem is,

Morgan is our victim,
not our defendant.

So the more detestable
Morgan becomes,

the more likeable Ross becomes.

- Hell, if Morgan was
as bad as they said,

then Lyman Ross should get
a medal.

- Well, yeah, what I think
we're saying is that

if a deal made sense yesterday,
it makes even more sense today.

- Except it sends
the wrong message.

- Meaning what?

- Meaning it's OK
to exact revenge

on someone you find loathsome.

If we cut a deal with Ross,

show him some leniency,

we're basically saying
that killing a monster

isn't as bad
as killing an angel.

So regardless of how repugnant
Wes Morgan may have been

or how challenging
this case may have just become,

we need to try this case.

We need to get a conviction.

♪

- I was in love with Angela.

I thought that we would get
married someday, to be honest.

- What happened?

Why did you two break up?

- I found text messages
in her phone.

There were photos
and videos too.

- Can you be more specific?

- They were--
they were about sex.

Looked like
Angela was unconscious

in some of the pictures.

- Who was the other person
involved in this exchange?

- Wes Morgan.

- Did you happen to tell
anyone else

about what you saw
in Angela's phone?

- Yes, her father, Lyman.

I told him everything.

I thought he deserved to know.

- And how did he react?

- He lost it,

said he was going
to kill Wes Morgan.

- Thank you.
Nothing further.

- No questions, Your Honor.

- Mr. Price?

- The people rest.

- Defense calls Angela Ross.

How did you meet Wes Morgan?

- One of his music producers
introduced me to him.

- And what was the nature
of your relationship?

- At first, we just talked
about the music business.

He thought I was
a really talented singer,

and he was going
to help me get started.

I know it's--it's cliché,

but he was going to make me
a star.

- Did the relationship
turn romantic?

- Romantic, no.

- Was it
a consensual relationship?

- I thought so at first,

but I've been trying to process
what happened

and working with a therapist.

Wes manipulated me.

He kept saying
that he was going to help me,

and he was--
he was paying for my condo,

so I believed him.

But then he--he told me

that I had to sleep
with his friends too,

and he'd watch
and videotape it.

[indistinct chatter]

- Order!

- Continue.

How did this make you feel?

- Terrible,

but he kept saying that was
the cost of being famous,

that if I wanted to make it
in the music business,

I had to do
what he wanted me to do

with the people that
he wanted me to do it with.

And he was so powerful
that I just--

I'm so sorry, Daddy.

I--I wish I listened to you.

- Your Honor.

- Ms. Ross, do not address
the defendant.

Please disregard
what you just heard.

- While we're at it,
Your Honor,

I would like to object to this
entire line of questioning.

Why are we even
discussing this?

How does this witness'
negative experience

with Wes Morgan
relate to this case?

The defendant claims
he didn't kill Mr. Morgan,

so whether the victim did
or didn't have

some sort of relationship
with his daughter

is irrelevant.

- Mr. Harris, I assume there's
some point behind all of this?

- There is, and I'd appreciate
a little latitude here.

- All right.
You got it, for now.

Please proceed.

- I just have
one more question.

When I asked you earlier
if your relationship

with Wes Morgan was consensual,

you said,
"I thought so at first."

But you never finished
that thought.

So if you don't mind,
please tell us,

was the relationship
consensual?

- No. No.

It was predatory and abusive.

I was totally dependent
on him for my rent,

my food, my music career.

So I did what he told me to do,

even though it was disgusting.

I just--I didn't think
I had a choice.

- Thank you.

Nothing further.

- No questions.

- You may step down.

- Defense calls Lyman Ross.

Where were you

the night
Wes Morgan was killed?

- The Upper West Side
of Manhattan.

- Did you see
Wes Morgan that night?

- Yes, I did.

- And what happened?

- I confronted him,
and I told him

that I knew what was going on
between him and my daughter

and that he needed
to stay away from her.

- How did he respond?

- He laughed at me.

He said that Angela
was his property

and that he could do
whatever he wanted with her.

- Then what?

- Well, then we argued.

It got real heated, and...

he had this champagne bottle
in his hand.

And he raised it up like he was
going to attack me with it.

- Your Honor,
I'd like to introduce

defense exhibit 12,

a photo of Wes Morgan
exiting the venue

where the party was being held
on the night he was killed.

Is this the bottle of champagne
you saw in his right hand?

- Yes. Yes, it is.

- What happened next?

- I shot him.

I had to.

I felt like
my life was in danger,

and I thought
he was going to kill me.

- So you shot him

because you thought the man

who was exploiting
your 18-year-old daughter

was going to kill you?

- That is correct.

- Thank you.

Nothing further.

[tense music]

♪

- The defendant is now claiming
self-defense.

He testified
that Wes Morgan had

a champagne bottle in his hand

and tried to attack him
with it.

So any evidence you can find
to suggest he's lying

would be terrific.

- We'll try to grab more video,
but there's not

a lot of cameras
in that part of town.

- Well, what about
the photographs

from the crime scene?

I mean, there's no evidence
of a bottle

or any broken glass
or anything.

- Yeah, that's helpful,
but it might not be enough.

The defense can easily
counteract that argument.

The bottle didn't break,
or it rolled along the street--

- Yes, you need more. Got it.
- Thank you.

- OK, let's do another
deep dive, see what we get.

- See you back at the precinct.

- You OK?
- Yeah.

- Hey, what's going on?

- Well...
[chuckles]

Lyman Ross is now claiming

that Wes Morgan threatened
to kill him.

Said he came at him
and tried to attack him

with a champagne bottle.
- Mm.

Well, look, I, um--
like I said before,

I took off
the moment I heard that dude

calling Morgan's name.

- Yeah, but you also told me
that you were there with Morgan

when Ross approached, right?

- Yeah, but I didn't see
anything in his hand.

- OK. Well, that's good news.

We're getting somewhere.
- OK.

- So what I need
from you is to--

- Uh, oh, wait.

No, I'm not getting involved.

- What do you mean
you're not getting involved?

- It means I'm not testifying.

- Well, that's your job,

so you don't really have
a choice in the matter.

- Well, that's if you tell
the DA what I said.

- I'm going to tell them,
because what you just told me,

that he had nothing
in his hand,

we need that to disprove
Ross' self-defense claim.

- Jalen, why would I help
the DA's office bury Lyman Ross

for shooting
some billionaire sex trafficker

who was pimping out
the dude's daughter?

- That's not how it works,
Vanessa.

- How what works?

The system?

The system created by white men

to keep the Black community
in its place?

- This case is a lot more
complicated than that.

- [sighs]
See, that's what old heads say

when they afraid of change.

- No, that's what old heads say

when they see a young sister
about to make a stupid mistake.

- From where I stand,
putting a good brother

in prison for 20 years to get
justice for a piece of garbage

does not add up to me.

- I hear that--
- Do you?

- Yes, I hear you,
because I became a cop

to make a difference.

But we don't get to run around
and just do whatever we want.

We have to follow the law.

- Follow the law?
- Yeah.

- And where has that gotten us
as a people?

We have to do more.

We have to take the victories
wherever we can find them,

regardless of what
the law says.

Because if we don't,

nothing's going to change,

and that's just the truth.

♪

- I get
where she's coming from, but...

we get paid
to investigate crimes,

not change the world.

- Yeah, but maybe
that's the old way

of looking at the job.

- You calling me old?

- No, no, I'm calling us old.

You got gray hair.
I got no hair.

We're both old.
Get over it.

- All right.
- Live with it, all right?

Look, Vanessa, she's 25, 26?

She sees this as it is

through the lens
of a young Black woman.

- I'm not sure
I know what you mean.

- I mean maybe it's not so bad
if, once in a while,

we color outside of the lines
to help our community.

- But you don't get
to pick and choose

when to be a real cop,

you know, in the name
of some higher calling.

I mean, come on.

You start doing that, you could
justify pretty much anything.

And then--then where are we?

- Look, she's got a good heart,
and she's fighting

really hard
to make a difference.

- But, I mean,
there's no carve-out

in the police handbook
for a cop, Black or white,

whose heart's
in the right spot,

just trying to make
a difference.

[bluesy music playing]

♪

Call Price.

Put her ass on the stand.

She wants to perjure herself?

You know, that's her call.

I got to go.

- Do you solemnly swear
or affirm the testimony

you shall give here today
will be the truth,

the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

- I do.
- You may be seated.

- Mr. Price, you may proceed.

- Detective Washburn,

when was the last time
you saw Wes Morgan?

- The night that he was killed.

I was at his party
working undercover.

- What time did you leave
the party?

- Around 11:00 PM.

- Did anyone follow you
out of the door?

- Yes. Wes Morgan.

- How come?
What did he want?

- He wanted me
to come back inside.

He said if I stayed,
it would good for my career.

But I told him I was tired
and I wanted to get some sleep.

- Then what happened?

- Someone started walking
toward us.

- Did this person say anything?

- Yes.

He said, "Yo, Wes,
we need to talk."

- And did you see
what this man looked like?

- No, not really.

It was dark, but he was Black,

had an average height,
average build.

- Did Wes Morgan have
anything in his hand?

[tense music]

♪

- Yes.

A bottle.

♪

- He was holding a bottle?

- Yes, champagne bottle.

- When you spoke
to Detective Shaw yesterday,

you didn't mention
a champagne bottle.

In fact, you said
his hands were empty, correct?

- Objection, Your Honor.
Argumentative.

- I'll allow it.

You may answer.

- No.

Detective Shaw must have
misunderstood me.

Wes Morgan was holding
a champagne bottle.

- Nothing further.

♪

- Hey, I told you, she did not
want to get involved.

- Well, she got involved.
She lied.

She gave the defense
everything they wanted.

- I'm not surprised.

She's got some
really strong opinions.

- So do I, especially
when it comes to perjury.

I need you to impeach
her testimony.

- You're putting me in
a really tough position, Nolan.

- How is that?

- You're asking me
to go on the stand

and call another cop a liar.

- I'm asking you
to tell the truth.

It sounds pretty easy to me.

You're due in court
in one hour.

- When I talked
to Detective Washburn,

she made it clear
that Wes Morgan was not holding

anything in his hands,

that he didn't have
a champagne bottle.

- Did Detective Washburn
give you any indication

that she would not
be forthcoming

if asked to testify?

- Yes.

She said she didn't want
to get involved in the case.

- Did she say why?

- Yes.

♪

She said that...

she didn't want
a good Black man going down

for killing Wes Morgan,

someone who she believed
to be a sexual predator.

She thought--no,

I believe she thought

it would serve
the community better,

the Black community,

if Lyman Ross
did not go to prison,

and he was able
to continue working

and raising his children.

- Thank you.
Nothing further.

♪

- You weren't
with Detective Washburn

that evening, correct?

- No, sir, I was not.

- So you don't know
if Wes Morgan was carrying

a champagne bottle.

- Correct.

I'm simply telling you what
Detective Washburn told me.

- Sounds to me that
Detective Washburn told you

what every person in this
courtroom already knows,

certainly every Black person.

I mean,
putting Lyman Ross in prison

for killing Wes Morgan

makes no sense
for the Black community.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

- Nothing further.

♪

- [sighs]

- Whether Wes Morgan
was a predator

or not,

it doesn't matter.

You don't get to kill someone

because he is vile.

That's--

that's not the way
our legal process is designed.

Your job as jurors

is to follow the law,

to determine
if I have established

beyond a reasonable doubt

that the defendant was not
legally justified

in killing Wes Morgan.

That is where
your duties begin and end.

The idea of what might be just

or right

is irrelevant to this analysis.

In other words, you're not here
to follow your hearts

or to help
effectuate the result

that you think might be fair
or for the benefit of society.

No, you are here
to follow the law,

to administer legal justice,

not street justice.

And if you do that,
you will come to the conclusion

that the defendant shot
and killed Wes Morgan

because he believed
Mr. Morgan was involved

in an abusive sexual
relationship with his daughter,

not because he was in fear
for his life.

So please do your job

and find the defendant guilty.

[dramatic music]

♪

- [sighs]

- Hey!

Just heard the news.

Congratulations
on the conviction.

You must be thrilled.

- I'm not doing this today.

- Hey, wait, wait, hold on.

You don't get to walk away.

- Look, I tried to warn you.

- You just blew up
my whole career.

You do realize that?

Remember when you told me
you wanted to become a cop

because you wanted
to make a difference?

- Damn straight.

- So what happened?

You just gave up?

♪

[dramatic music]

♪

[wolf howls]