Bull (2016–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - No Good Deed - full transcript

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

OK, OK, please,
please, take your seats.

Leave your booklets closed and your
pencils down until I tell you to begin.

[DOOR OPENS]

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

- Principal MacDonald?
- Yeah, come on in.

Um, these are the
exams from first period.

Thanks, Lacey.
Any irregularities?

What?

Tyler Young.

I got him admission and a scholarship
up at Hudson College next year.



It's contingent upon these
scores, and if he fails...

Is there any way I
could look at his test?

By law I have to certify that
I've locked these tests in a safe

no later than ten minutes
after the conclusion of the exam.

No one can see
them or touch them

until the courier from
the testing service

picks them up in the morning.

But what happens
after I leave for the day...

well, I wouldn't
know about that.

Can I help you?

No.

Yeah, um... I need
one test. Tyler Young.

I must say, Marissa, you
look absolutely beautiful.

But I'm sure Kyle's
already told you that.



Yes. He told me I looked
beautiful in the shower.

Told me I looked
beautiful in my underwear.

And then he told me I
looked beautiful in my dress.

I couldn't help but notice his
sense of conviction diminishing

the more clothes I put on.

Men. What's our problem?

Bull. Dr. Jason Bull.
Why are we here again?

You swore last year you
were never coming back.

And I meant it.
Oh, wait a second.

Is this the mayor's annual

"You scratch my back, I have no
idea who you are fundraising gala"?

Don't you think
you've had enough?

Astonishingly, no. I can
still hear this guy's voice.

Now, here's a truly
New York experience.

A private carriage ride through
Central Park with Mayor Hopkins herself.

What do you say we
kick this one off at $2,000?

- 2,000, anyone?
- Oh, God.

Hey, what are you doing?

It's worth two grand
to shut this guy up.

2,000 from the gentleman in
the glasses. Now, do I see three?

- Ta-da! Auction over.
- 3,000?

3,000 in the back.
Now, do I hear four?

- Do I hear four? Do I hear four?
- Hey, what are you doing?

I know when to bow out. I'm
just gonna run the price up.

- 4,000 from the man in the glasses.
- I can't believe this.

5,000 in the back.
Now, do I hear six?

We've got six. Thank you, Clark
Kent. Is there a seven to be had?

Do I hear seven? Seven.

- Do I hear eight?
- Bull, stop.

Trust me, I know when to
get out. This is my last bid.

8,000. Can I get
nine? In the back.

9,000.9,000 once, 9,000 twice.

Sold to the man in
the back for 9,000.

See? Do I know what I know
or do I know what I know?

I don't know.

Ladies and gentlemen, Your
Honor the mayor was so moved

by this outpouring of generosity

that she has agreed to take
time for two carriage rides,

one to the man in
the back for $9,000

and to the gentleman
in the glasses for eight.

Oh, yeah.

MAN: Dr. Bull. Dr. Jason Bull.

Dr. Bull, John Powers. Chief
of staff for Mayor Hopkins.

Thanks so much for jumping in.

Page six would've
had a field day

if we couldn't sell a stroll
through the park with Her Honor.

Happy to do it.

Nothing gives me
greater pleasure

than writing a check for
something I really don't need.

[LAUGHS]

Truth is, I was wondering if I could
impose on you for one more thing?

You've heard about the
cheating scandal in the Bronx?

Oh, yeah, last summer,
the teachers fixing tests?

The teachers union is representing the
only teacher who's been charged so far.

She's a passionate young
educator who, in our opinion,

is being railroaded by
the district attorney's office.

Any way I could entice you to take a
meeting with the teacher and her lawyer?

The mayor would be
extremely grateful for your help.

I'm sure she would.

There are far more teachers who
vote in elections than district attorneys.

[LAUGHS]

Just email me where to
go and when to be there.

And say hi to the mayor for me,

even though she probably
couldn't tell me from Adam.

- Just say yes, Bull.
- Yes, Bull.

Dr. Jason Bull.

So what can I do
for you, Dr. Bull?

Mayor's office said
you'd be stopping by.

- You know who I am?
- I read the New York Times.

You're a trial scientist.

It's hard to tell, the way you said
that, just how you feel about it.

Does the expression "third
teat" clear it up for you?

- Mmm.
- [KNOCKING]

It's open.

Hi. Um... am I interrupting
something? I was told to just knock.

No, no, you're fine. Lacey
Adams, Dr. Jason Bull.

- Doctor.
- Miss Adams. It's nice to meet you.

I'm a trial scientist.

I assist lawyers and legal
teams with challenging cases.

The mayor's office wanted me to
come by and meet you and your lawyer,

see if I could be of any help.

- He can't.
- [PHONE RINGS]

Gwen here.

Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Sure.

- So, what'd they tell you about me?
- Nothing. I just know what I've read.

You and five other
teachers are accused

of altering more than
800 standardized tests.

I changed one
answer, on one test.

One. For one kid.

Wow. That must
be one special kid.

He's one of those kids
everyone says is a lost cause.

Terrible grades,
attendance issues, no dad,

and I think the mother
has a heroin problem.

But in class I can
see the gears turning.

I spent three years working with
him before school, after school.

I brought him up
from a D to a B plus.

I even talked the admissions counselor
at Hudson College into accepting him.

All he had to do was
get a 65 on his test,

and it shouldn't have
been a problem, but...

So let me get this straight.

They could place all six of you at
the scene and all of you were arrested,

but you are the only
one being charged.

- Mm-hm.
- Why?

Because I confessed.

That was the district
attorney's office.

- They're offering a deal.
- They certainly are.

You plead guilty, testify
against the other five teachers,

the ADA will give you
probation, you'll serve no time.

But she'll still have a
felony on her record,

which means they'll take
away your teaching license.

- What's the alternative?
- You go to jail.

The alternative
is we go to court.

We explain to a jury
why you did what you did,

and maybe, just maybe,

you walk away from this
doing what you're meant to do,

which is obviously teach.

And you'll be there?
Part of the team?

Absolutely. Can't have too
many teats, can you, Gwen?

- What?
- Nothing.

MARISSA; Lacey Adams,
age 27. Graduated from Yale.

Did a one-year stint
with Teach for America.

She has been at Woodrow High School,
in the Bronx, for the last three years.

Went to Yale and works in
a public school in the Bronx.

- That's commitment.
- Oh, it gets better.

She works 11-hour days,
nets less than 700 a week

and buys school supplies
with her own money.

I need to leave now so I can go
home and rethink my entire life.

A group of teachers changes thousands
of answers on hundreds of tests.

And supposedly this
girl only did it once.

- MARISSA: That's what she says.
- Uh-huh. And we believe her?

Bull believes her. He thinks she's
a good teacher, a good person.

And he hates that she's
facing a decade in prison.

He said, "In Lacey's mind,
what she did was justified."

"We just have to get the jurors
to accept that justification."

That's all, huh?

You grew up around here?

- I grew up in Switzerland.
- Ah, I was close.

My father works in
international finance.

They live in Massachusetts now.

I mean, I am American.
I was born here.

But it wasn't until I went to Yale
that I fell in love with the place.

What about teaching?

Did you get the notice?
There's no money in it, Lacey.

Yeah, I know,

but some of the most important people
in my life growing up were teachers.

I remember when
we moved to Europe.

I was five years old.

They speak four languages in
Switzerland, none of them English.

So the only person who understood
me and the only person I could talk to,

other than my mom
and dad, was my teacher.

My fate was sealed.

I'm in a lot of trouble,
aren't I, Dr. Bull?

Yes and no.

You did do something
that was wrong,

but it seems fairly obvious
you did it for a very good reason.

In fact, it seems pretty clear
you did it to help someone else.

God, I miss it.

God, I miss them.

I know.

Knock, knock. How do
you feel about necessity?

I feel very strongly that
it's the mother of invention.

Ah. I mean as a trial strategy.

I just spent the morning
with our mutual client

and I think necessity
gives us what we need.

You wanna present
a necessity defense?

I do. Think about it. We're
stuck with Lacey's confession.

I mean, we can't
claim she's not guilty.

But we can turn a
weakness into a strength.

We can demonstrate that
Lacey's cheating was a necessity.

She did it to prevent Tyler's life
from becoming a greater tragedy

than it already was.

OK, Dr. Bull, I know
you're not a lawyer,

but the necessity defense is
intended for people trying to save lives.

That's what Lacey was doing.

An intruder breaks into your
home and tries to kidnap your child,

so you shoot him.

That's necessity. That's why
people mount a necessity defense.

It's not used to defend
against an allegation of fraud.

- And there's no precedent.
- Then let's make some precedent.

- You're serious?
- Mmm.

Well, that's all well and
good, but I've already decided.

We're going to argue
that standardized testing

without regard to
socioeconomic inequality

is just bad public policy.

That's our defense.

I wanna put the entire notion
of standardized testing on trial.

- You do?
- Damn right.

You ever get out of here? From
under this mountain of paperwork?

Why don't you come by my office?

I'll show you what we do and why I
think our defense is such a winner.

The jurors we should be looking
for are those who understand

it's sometimes acceptable
to do something wrong

in pursuit of something right.

You're talking about Machiavellianism,
as in Niccolò Machiavelli?

Exactly. Machiavelli.

15th-century politician
and philosopher

who believed it was absolutely
fine to do the wrong thing

if it was for the right reasons.

Our task is to identify the jurors
with the most Machiavellian tendencies

and get them
seated on that jury.

Our task is to prove Lacey
was put in an impossible situation

by forces beyond her control

and did her best to navigate it.

- The rest of this is...
- Wait a minute. Is this a test?

It's the Mach IV test
for Machiavellianism.

Question number
one, agree or disagree.

"Honesty is the best
policy in all cases."

- I certainly agree with that.
- I don't.

- I don't believe you do either.
- Kids, no fighting at the table.

We have a guest.

BULL: Everybody ready to share?

Remember, the higher the score,
the more Machiavellian you are.

- Well, I got a 44.
- Confirms what we already know.

Save for your perverse talent
for violating people's privacy

and reading their most secret
and intimate documents online,

you're fundamentally
trustworthy and ethical.

I hate that. Sounds so boring.

- I got a 66.
- Spoken like a true Machiavellian.

And right up there with my 72.

- What'd you get?
- Uh, 62.

- I guess we are a den of thieves.
- BULL: Hmm.

And Mr. Honesty
Is The Best Policy?

77. I'm not sure I
even trust this test.

38. And I trust it completely.

- Ms. Kinsey?
- 34. Not that it matters.

Well done, group. Is
anyone else hungry?

[CLEARS THROAT]

Here are the questions I'd
love you to ask potential jurors.

In addition, it's
extremely important

that you weave the word
"necessity" into the conversation.

I want the jurors to become
very comfortable with that word

and to understand that's what they
need to measure Lacey's behavior against.

Do me a favor and raise your
hand if you agree with the following:

"Most people are
basically good and kind."

The defense would like to excuse
and thank jurors two and nine.

"The best way to handle people is
to tell them what they wanna hear."

Juror number five is acceptable
to the defense, Your Honor.

[WHISPERS] Necessity.

Again, raise your
hand if you agree.

"Generally speaking,
most people won't work hard

unless it's an
absolute necessity."

Juror 12 is acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.

Raise your hand if you believe

there should be uniform
educational standards

whether you live in Alaska or Wyoming,
whether your child is rich or poor.

She's going off script.

So, then, I take it you
believe standardized tests

are a necessary
part of the curriculum?

I do.

Defense would like to
thank and excuse this juror.

So ordered, and let
me remind the defense

that you have now
exhausted all your challenges.

[GRUNTS]

What? I said the word
"necessity." You're not happy?

I thought we had a plan. I
thought we were working together.

No. You had a plan. And you
thought I was working for you.

And now you know better.

Rather Machiavellian,
wouldn't you say?

Tell me you are not going
through my personal papers.

Sorry, can't do that. That's
exactly what I'm doing.

OK, I need you
to stop right now.

I need you to get up, get
your clothes and leave.

- Are you mad at me?
- I am going to count to three.

And if you are not out of that
chair and getting your clothes,

I'm calling the police.

Out of the chair.

But I was just looking through this
stuff because I'm worried about you.

Marissa, I'm a money
guy. That's what I do.

And you won't let
me take care of you.

Half the time you won't
let me pay for dinner.

And I get it, that's
what works for you.

But I am who I am and I
need to know you're OK,

that you're set for the
future, and you're not.

That's my business.

You're halfway through your working
life and you have nothing put away.

Less than a hundred grand.

And I know, I see, that
you're paying for your mom

to live in that nice
place in Massachusetts.

You've got this great apartment.
You're running some credit card debt.

- I need you to leave.
- I will leave in two minutes.

I just... I want you to know...

I can make room for
you in my Queens project.

Push some of the Chinese money
aside and make room for you.

Take your 75 grand and
turn it into 350 in 18 months.

And it would give me enormous
pleasure to do that. It would.

'Cause I care about you.

Wow. This is impressive.

I didn't know something
like this even existed.

I'm very proud of this.

By the way, we finally
made contact with Tyler.

Turns out he is the prosecution's
first witness tomorrow.

- He's coming in tonight to get prepped.
- That's great.

Um, how is he? Is he OK?
Did he get some kind of job?

I mean, I feel terrible that I'm
putting him through all this trouble.

That's funny. He was
worried about you.

Said if he had done better on the
test, none of this would have happened.

So, you mind if I
ask you a question?

You can ask me any
question you like, Dr. Bull.

You come from money.

Is that a question
or an accusation?

Just a fact.

It makes your choice of
profession even more laudable,

but it does beg the question, why
do you have a union lawyer, hmm?

Why aren't you being represented
by some high-priced firm

that has the DA's
private cell phone number

and can maybe make
this whole thing go away?

Are your parents
unwilling to help you?

Do they understand, do you understand,
you could go to prison for ten years?

The ADA is looking to
make an example out of you

and those five other teachers.

He is not fooling around.

My parents didn't walk into that room
and change the test question. I did.

And I'm sure you won't
be surprised to hear

that they were not too thrilled at
the idea of me becoming a teacher,

a public school teacher,
in New York, in the Bronx.

I'm an adult, Dr. Bull.

I make my own choices,
I pay my own way

and I'm willing to pay
for the consequences.

I meant what I said when I told
you I was grateful for your help.

But I understand if you feel
that this is a fool's errand.

Not at all.

I'm just trying to figure out if you're
a saint or a misbegotten martyr.

CHUNK: Mr. Young,
what did you offer to do

in return for Miss Adams
changing your test grade?

I didn't offer to do anything. I didn't
even know she was gonna do it.

She didn't even tell me she
was gonna change that answer.

I didn't even find out
until she got arrested

and the school called to tell
me my scholarship was no good

and that I couldn't
go there anymore.

And when that
happened, were you mad?

I was really confused.
Never mad. Sad.

'Cause I had it all in my
head, going to college.

No one in my family's
ever been to college.

I don't even know anybody
who's ever been to college.

So I was really sad
but also worried.

Miss Adams got in a lot of trouble
and I keep kind of thinking it's my fault.

That's a lot of words, Tyler.
Remember what I said before?

Right. Just answer the question.

Right. So try it again.

When you found out what
she had done, were you mad?

No, sir, I wasn't mad.

You like Miss Adams, don't you?

- I think she's a really good teacher.
- Nice answer.

Do you think she liked you?

- I think you'd have to ask her that.
- Good answer.

Do you think the reason why
she did what she did for you

and the reason you weren't mad is
because the two of you liked each other?

No. Don't just stare at me.
That looks like a yes to the jury.

- But it's not.
- So, what do you say?

Sir, I'm happy to answer any questions
you have about the facts of the case,

but now you're
just making stuff up.

I don't have to answer any
questions about things you make up.

Nice answer. I think
you're gonna do great.

Tyler, when you started tenth grade,
what was your letter grade average?

A C or a D, I think.

According to your school
records, it was a C minus.

But by your senior year, your
average soared to a B plus.

Any idea what happened
in those three years

to make such a dramatic
difference in your grades?

Well, I think a big part
of it was Miss Adams.

- She spent a lot of time tutoring me.
- Simple as that, huh?

Just spend some time with your teacher
and you get right on the honor roll.

Objection. Argumentative.

- Ask a question, Mr. Newhall.
- Sure. Here's a question.

How do we know the defendant
wasn't changing your test scores

starting all the way
back in the tenth grade?

How do we know she hasn't
been cheating for you all along?

Objection. Calls for speculation.
Assumes facts not in evidence.

- Sustained.
- OK. Let me ask it another way.

Are you certain your teacher hasn't been
cheating for you these last three years?

- Yes.
- Really? How can you be so sure?

- I mean, it's possible, isn't it?
- Objection. Anything is possible.

Exactly! So how many tests
did she really help you with? Ten?

[WHISPERS] I don't have to answer
questions about things you make up.

I told you, one.

One? Really? How
can you be so sure?

GWEN: Objection. He's
badgering the witness. Please.

The truth is, you can't, can you?
You don't know. You have no idea.

You're right. I have
no idea. I don't know.

I don't. I don't know. What
do you want me to say?

Just stop talking. Don't say
anything. Objection is sustained.

I'm sorry, Bull. I really
did try to prep him.

BULL: That drink
better be for me.

- Sorry. This one's spoken for.
- You upset about the trial?

No. It's only just begun.

That was a serious swallow.
Wanna tell your Uncle Bull all about it?

What is it about what we do that
makes it so hard to trust people?

Oh. Hmm.

We're gonna have that conversation?
Marissa, give yourself a break.

We spend the whole day figuring
out if people are lying to us or not.

And when we're not doing that,

we're figuring out how
to convince 12 strangers

that our clients
are telling the truth.

Of course we
don't trust anybody.

Kyle offered to do something
for me the other night.

Something really
nice, really thoughtful.

- And what did you do?
- I threatened to have him arrested.

Ain't love grand?

I think I'm gonna go home
and call him and apologize.

Oh. Well, I'm glad I could help you work
through this little crisis of the heart.

Don't hesitate to call me
if you need any more ad...

- You're welcome.
- [JUDGE BANGS GAVEL]

At the request of the State Board
of Education, I reviewed the tests.

And what did you find?

They all shared a similar
pattern of eraser marks.

GWEN: How do you mean?

The vast majority were in the history
section, between questions 20 and 35.

This is a copy of
Tyler Young's test.

There are three erasure marks, one
of which Miss Adams admits to making.

They are all wrong to
right answer changes.

- What number questions are those?
- 11, 48 and 73.

- None are in the history section.
- Correct.

And none are in the question
20 to question 35 range.

Correct.

Sounds like Tyler's test is
very different from the others.

- Objection. Leading.
- Sustained.

I'll put it another way.

The test Lacey
admits to changing

is different from all
the other 800 tests.

- It doesn't fit the pattern, right?
- Right.

Nothing further.

Talk to me, Marissa.

Yesterday was a train wreck. No
green on the screens anywhere.

But today we have seven greens
back, three yellows and two reds.

So even though the two
of you hate each other,

it seems like you're
making progress.

Hey, can I talk to you?

Talk fast. I got a car waiting.
What are you offering?

What makes you think
I'm offering anything?

'Cause it's my job to know whether
I'm winning or losing and by how much.

- And right now I'm winning. By a lot.
- I'll drop the charges against Lacey.

I'll even make sure she gets
her teaching credentials back.

And my boss will call Tyler's
college, get him reinstated.

In exchange for...?

I need those five
other teachers.

I get it, your client's a nice lady
who did a bad thing for a good reason.

- But those other five...
- Come on.

You're asking her to decide between
her colleagues and her student.

Her student and her career.

Tyler can quit his dead-end
job and go to college.

And Lacey can get
back in the classroom.

Wow. So is this why you
wanted me here early?

- So you could triple-team me?
- It's a good deal, Lacey.

I'd go so far as to
say it's a great deal.

And I am not in the business of
throwing other teachers to the wolves.

But I will be here for
them, just as I was for you.

It sounds like you've
already made up your mind.

You heard what I thought
when I called you last night.

Gets you everything you want.

Tyler gets to go to college.
You get to continue teaching.

And as for the other teachers, they
get their day in court, just like you did.

My two cents. I worked in
the DA's office a long time.

Deals don't get
much better than this.

So it's unanimous.

You want me to sell out
the people I work with.

I wouldn't call it a sellout. The
ADA already knows who they are.

- He already knows what they did.
- But he can't prove it without me.

Today. But maybe
tomorrow he can.

And maybe tomorrow one of the
five goes to him and cuts a deal.

And then you have nothing.

Nothing but jail time.

It's your decision, Lacey. We just
want you to understand what's at stake.

But whatever you decide,
we'll go along with it.

I want Tyler to
go back to school.

And I wanna keep my job.

But I couldn't live with myself

knowing I destroyed the lives
of others to make it happen.

You called it. How
did you describe her?

- The architect of her own destiny.
- Mm-hm.

We are all here for you, Lacey.

Now, I will call
the ADA's office,

let him know that you have
made your decision, and...

we can plot our next move.

You know what? I just
plotted my next move.

- I'm withdrawing from the case.
- Wait. You're what?

Our union is happy to come
to the aid of our members

when they've been
wrongly accused of a crime.

We're even happy to help
when they've admitted to a crime,

when we think there are
extenuating circumstances

that will impact the
lives of working teachers.

But I am not about to spend our
very limited time and resources

on what I now realize
is a suicide mission.

I'm sure Dr. Bull can
help you find someone

to get you through the
remainder of the trial.

I did not see that coming.

- Did I just make a huge mistake?
- I actually think you traded up.

Oh. Yeah. I bet you say that
to all the second-string lawyers.

What's the game plan, Doc?

Well, we have a little less than an
hour to get young Miss Adams ready.

- For what?
- We're putting you on the stand.

Lacey, you already testified

that the second you saw
Tyler the morning of the exam,

you knew that he
was going to struggle.

What was that based on?

Well, to begin with, he
was already a half hour late.

But more than that, I know
how complicated his life is.

How do you mean?

Well, first of all, he's got a
little brother he's gotta feed

and get off to school
every morning.

Plus his mother, um,
has a drug problem

and sometimes she
brings men to the apartment

in the middle of the night
to support her drug habit.

On these nights, I... I know
Tyler doesn't get any sleep.

I'm fairly certain that's what
happened the day of the test.

- Objection. Hearsay.
- Right on cue.

It's not hearsay.

During school vacations, I
would go to his apartment

and tutor him in the morning
and then again in the evening.

- I know what I'm talking about.
- I'm going to allow it.

Thank you, Your Honor.

So let me ask you a question.

Was this your plan?

Tyler takes the test.

If he doesn't make the grade, you
figure out a way to doctor his answers?

No, it didn't even cross my
mind. Tyler is a solid B student.

But that morning you
knew he wasn't getting a B.

I didn't know...
but... but I sensed.

I just wanted to
look at it, the test.

That's all I really
wanted to do,

is just put my mind at
ease that he had passed

and that he'd be
going to college.

But then I walked in and I realized that
all I had to do was change one question

and he could have a future.

You and Tyler prepped for
the exam? Is that correct?

- You gave him practice tests?
- Yes, three times.

- And how did he do?
- 80s. Low 80s, every time.

That's how I know him
failing is an anomaly.

One last question.

If you could do anything
you wanted to in life, OK,

anything at all, money's no
object, what would that be?

- Objection. Relevance.
- Overruled.

This. Teaching, not testifying.

Showing people who think they
know where their boundaries are

that there's so much more.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Cross-examination.

One question.

Did you or did you not change
an answer on Tyler Young's exam?

Objection. Asked and
answered, Your Honor.

- Overruled.
- Yes or no? I need to hear.

Did you alter in any way Tyler
Young's exam after it was completed?

Making you guilty of tampering
with a government record.

As well as perjury, since
you warranted the results

by virtue of your role as
the official proctor of record.

And fraud, since your
intent was to deceive.

Yes or no.

Yes. Yes, I did.

No more questions.

OK. How we doing
with closing arguments?

- MARISSA: Uh...
- Not good.

We've already run
six different versions.

I just let the last group
of mock jurors go.

We were just throwing
away good money after bad.

I don't understand.
What's the problem?

The problem is she did it, Bull.
That's always been a problem.

They're just not buying
the necessity defense.

They want more evidence
to support Lacey's choice.

If you wanna win an acquittal,
we need something tangible,

something definitive,
something objective.

Then that's what we'll give 'em.

You want the boy to take
the test again? Here? Today?

I have the testing service standing
by with a fresh version of the exam.

And I am happy to have Your
Honor and the ADA here proctor it,

so everyone can be sure that
there's no funny business going on.

Give him the test and two hours
later we will know where we stand.

Your Honor, this is completely
irrelevant and unduly prejudicial,

not to mention an obfuscation.

Judge Conway, I disagree.

Our client has never
denied what she did.

What's relevant
here is why she did it.

It's unorthodox, but I agree it's
relevant and I'm going to allow it.

In the 82nd percentile,
ladies and gentlemen.

That's what Tyler Young scored when
he retook his college placement exam.

82%. Now, why does that matter?

Well, because it proves why Lacey
felt what she did was necessary.

Against the rules but necessary.

She knew what her
student was capable of

and didn't want that
student's future compromised

because of circumstances
that were beyond his control.

Lacey Adams confessed
to changing a single answer,

bringing Tyler's test
to the 65th percentile,

allowing him to attend a local college
where he hoped to study architecture

and perhaps be the first person in
his family to earn a college degree.

Is changing answers
wrong? Yes, absolutely.

But is it... is it worse than taking
away a bright young man's opportunity

to better himself,
change his future?

Well, I guess that's
why you're here.

I guess that's why we'll
leave it up to you to decide.

Thank you for listening.

JUDGE: Madam Foreman,
have you reached a verdict?

WOMAN: Yes, we have, Your Honor.

We, the jury, find the
defendant, Lacey Adams,

guilty on one count of tampering
with a government record,

one count of perjury
and one count of fraud.

[JUDGE BANGS GAVEL]

- I'm sorry. I'm, uh...
- No. I did it. I did.

Bull? Is she OK? Are you OK?

I am so, so sorry.

I'll fix this, I will,
somehow. I promise.

OK.

POWERS: You're here.
You actually showed up.

Hey, you're not the mayor.

She sends her regrets. She
really wanted to be here tonight.

No, she didn't.

I was surprised when
you called to schedule it.

Most people just give the
money and let the carriage ride go.

Well, the truth
is, I need a favor,

and I was hoping I could
ask the mayor directly.

Happy to carry
your water, Dr. Bull.

You remember the case you asked
for my help on about a month ago?

- I do.
- We lost.

I'm aware, but
it all worked out.

The judge liked her,
gave her no jail time.

Not the worst ending.

But she's got a felony on her
record and, um, now she can't teach.

I just... I think we lost
one of the good ones,

maybe even one
of the great ones.

Thing about teaching is, if you're
meant to do it, you're gonna do it.

Maybe not in a classroom, maybe
not in the State of New York, but...

I just have a feeling
she's gonna be fine.

Probably end up in a
private school somewhere.

Massachusetts, maybe.

You seem to know
an awful lot about her.

I'll let you in on
a little secret.

The reason I sought you out that
night? Her father is a bigwig in the party.

Major contributor,
especially in New England.

He knew his daughter would
never accept any help from him,

so he asked our
office to intervene.

He called the mayor himself.

[LAUGHS]

In any event, your
client's gonna be fine.

Was that your favor?

What is it about what we do that
makes it so hard to trust people?

Excuse me?

Agree or disagree: "Honesty
is the best policy in all cases."

I don't think I understand.

I'm sure you don't.

I need the mayor or someone
from the mayor's office

to get on the phone and find a place
for Tyler Young to go to a city college.

That would be highly irregular
for the mayor to use her influence

to gain admission
for any individual.

It could even be
construed as unethical.

Like the way the
mayor twisted my arm

to get me to work for free so she
could curry favor with a party bigwig?

You ever heard of Machiavelli?
Very successful politician.

I think he and the mayor would
have gotten along really well.

Get the Tyler Young
college thing done for me.

Shouldn't be a problem.

Great.

Driver, I'm gonna hop
off. I got what I came for.

Thanks for the ride.

[♪ JOE COCKER: FEELIN' ALRIGHT]

♪ Feelin' alright

- ♪ I'm alright - ♪ Yeah

♪ Feelin' alright

♪ Whoa, I'm alright
You can turn away ♪