Chicago Justice (2017): Season 1, Episode 2 - Uncertainty Principle - full transcript
Kevin Atwater is indicted for the death of a young man with Paul Robinette as his attorney.
- Can I help you with something?
- ASA Anna Valdez.
You have a prisoner... Adrian Carrera.
That we do.
Uh, his defense attorney
should be with him.
That he is. Arnold Rifking...
Total bottom feeder.
Hey, Duarte,
escort ASA Valdez
upstairs to the drunk tank.
Uh, Mr. Carrera was pretty loaded
when they hauled him in this morning.
- Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
Good news, bad news, Arnold.
Which do you want first?
- How bad's the bad?
- Very.
I'll take good for $500, please, Alex.
Stone authorized a plea of 20
for Carrera today only.
Take it or leave it.
On a simple assault? We'll pass.
Brings us to the bad.
Mr. Carrera's victim
in the barroom brawl
died at Chicago Med.
- We're filing murder charges.
- I barely touched that guy.
Shut up, Adrian. Let
me talk to my client.
Nothing to talk about. And
I need to get out of here.
And I need a shower. Look!
That punk ass puked all over me!
I don't hear from you by 2:00,
I'm putting the case
into the grand jury.
Uh, what do you have
for Boozy the Clown here?
Justin Wilkes... possession
of a controlled substance?
[groaning]
You represent him too?
It's a matter of time. He took my card.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Peter... Rifking called.
Carrera said we should shove it.
Well, look on the upside.
You're first chair on a homicide.
Really?
Why not?
- Peter, I wanna...
- Anna, I'm eating.
[phone buzzes]
- Valdez?
- Hey, it's Arnold Rifking.
Sorry, Arnold, you're too late.
Boozy the Clown...
Kid in the cell... he died.
What?
Yep.
I'm here as counsel to Mrs. Wilkes.
Her son, as you know, is my client.
Mrs. Wilkes.
I'm very sorry for
your loss, Mrs. Wilkes.
It's an honor to meet
you, Reverend Fitch.
I only pray that your office investigates
Justin's death thoroughly.
Sir?
Clearly, Mr. Wilkes
didn't die of natural causes.
He was in police custody.
Next thing we know, he
sustained fatal injuries.
I assure you we will look into
the circumstances of his death.
You're going to investigate?
A child... no older than my Justin.
[solemn music]
Mrs. Wilkes simply means that we expect
the maximum effort from your office.
Of course.
[knocking on door]
♪ ♪
Go. Say good-bye to him, Donna.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Tell Mark I'll be calling.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Wilkes was brought in on a drug charge
with a side of resisting arrest.
Nine hours later, he's dead
in O.R. at Lady of Hope.
Cops, paramedics, doctors...
Any one of them could be responsible.
We can expect some
sort of public reaction.
- In the form of Reverend Fitch?
- Well...
what did you think of the man, Anna?
I've seen him on the
news. He was a bit...
well, intimidating.
Like you're talking
to some sort of prophet
right out of the Old Testament?
Nothing like the ambulance chaser
representing Mrs. Wilkes.
Well, William Fitch won't
put up with that for long.
And he won't stop pushing either.
That's why you gotta get out
in front of this immediately.
Start at the hospital, and
work your way backwards.
Assistant State's Attorney Peter Stone,
meet the suprasternal manubrium,
or... or a... sliver of it anyway.
Manubrium's part of the sternum.
So someone hit him in the chest?
Someone or something.
Lot of this going around
in fatal car accidents.
The bone punctured the aortic isthmus,
causing an osseous pinch.
He bled to death.
Has the lab sent over tox screens?
Not yet, but drunk or not,
once that sliver of
bone pierced the aorta,
unless we received
prompt medical attention,
Mr. Wilkes here was a dead man walking.
Oh, FYI, I'm checking the homicide box.
[tense music]
[distant siren wails]
♪ ♪
[police radio chatter]
We had seven gunshot victims,
a boating accident with
multiple immersions,
then a guy whose head was
used for batting practice.
So that's why it took five hours
- for you to get to Mr. Wilkes?
- [sighs]
This is a busy hospital.
Sometimes we're forced to do triage.
Passed out drunks aren't
on the top of our list.
All due respect,
how did you know he was
drunk if nobody examined him?
Some of our best customers are drunks.
Anyway, that's what the paramedics said.
And you took their word for it?
Are you sure you're with the SA's office?
'Cause you sound like
Slip and Fall Attorneys.
Probably the next knock on your door.
What killed him anyway?
Technically, exsanguination.
Caused by?
Not my department.
Thanks.
Call came in from the 21st.
We loaded Wilkes to the bus
exactly 11 1/2 minutes later.
He was unconscious,
but his breathing wasn't labored,
his pulse was normal, and
his pupils were reactive.
Any treatment on the
way to the hospital?
We administered a saline line.
- And?
- And nothing.
En route to Hope, we got a
call about an eight-year-old kid
from Hyde Park... Pulled from the lake.
No pulse. Pupils were fixed and dilated.
Hold on.
You went to the lake with
Wilkes still in the ambulance?
The dude was covered in
vomit, and stinking of booze.
We figured he wasn't going anywhere.
Turns out you were wrong.
Remind me not to get sick.
Remind me not to be a black male.
Hey... that kid from the lake...
- He made it.
- [phone buzzes]
Thanks for asking.
- [sighs]
- What?
Stone got us the name
of the arresting officer.
This won't be fun.
How you doing?
Hey. [laughs]
Look what the cat dragged in.
You just couldn't stay away, huh?
How's the SA's office treating you?
Hey, how much caviar can you eat?
Yeah, tell me about it.
We're looking for Atwater.
You better be going to
gym to work on that three.
Hey, I wouldn't have to,
if I had one guard that knew
how to make it to the bucket.
Yeah.
This place still smells the same.
Yeah. Oh, and speaking of smells,
my condolences for having to ride
with Mr. Salami For Lunch right here.
[chuckles] Air up high,
window open, you can hardly tell.
Well, you're a better man than me.
[chuckles] So, what's the occasion?
Justin Wilkes.
Yeah, you know, I-I pinched him.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Uh... what... I was at
a stop sign on Flournoy,
and he was selling H,
like, 7:00 in the morning.
You know, I know his mom from
back when I was in uniform.
She's real good people.
So I'm like, "Hey, I'll
give him a warning."
You know, "Next time
I catch you serving...
blah, blah, blah."
But he sees me get out of my car,
and he takes off running.
And you chased him down?
Yeah. You know, I'm...
He's tossing little
baggies all over the place,
and, uh, he was running pretty good too.
I mean, it took me about a block
before I took him down.
Hard?
Wait, what? Wilkes
isn't crying foul, is he?
What happened?
I just cuffed him, I
loaded him up, and that's it.
Hey, listen, if he says
anything different than that,
that's a lie, bro.
Wilkes died, Kev.
[sighs]
Damn.
Um, you don't... you don't think
you should've opened up with that?
Hey...
nobody's blaming you.
[sighs] I'm...
no, but I-I just feel like
you just kind've worked me
a little bit.
We had to ask.
[tense music]
Then ask.
"Officer Atwater, did
you kill Justin Wilkes?"
No, investigators, I
didn't kill Justin Wilkes.
See how easy that is?
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
What's going on, Antonio?
Was the prisoner properly restrained
inside the vehicle?
♪ ♪
[laughs] She's kidding, right?
♪ ♪
The suspect resisted lawful arrest.
I subdued him using
reasonable physical force.
♪ ♪
End of story.
[locker door slams shut]
♪ ♪
There's no way Atwater
wanted to hurt the guy.
What about the ride to the District?
Come on, Dawson. I'm not naive.
I know about the so-called rough ride
when a guy mouths off.
Did Atwater say he strapped Wilkes in?
- I asked him.
- And?
He didn't answer.
Because it was an insult to even ask.
She's just doing her job.
Routine.
Cops are trained to do
the same thing every time
to establish a routine.
You make an arrest, you cuff your man.
You holster your weapon, safety on.
You load a prisoner, you strap him in.
That way, if someone
accuses you of something,
you don't have to think when you answer.
You know exactly what you did,
because you did it the same
away a thousand times before.
[phone buzzes]
Valdez?
We'll meet you there.
[clears throat]
Mr. Carrera has something
he thinks might help
with your search for
Mr. Wilkes's killer.
Right. In exchange for what?
Hear him out,
and then tell me how
you want to play it.
When I was in the cage with Wilkes, he...
He might've said something
about a cop hitting him.
Might have?
Depends.
What do you got for me?
Wh... what my client means
is that in exchange for your empathy
regarding a certain
incident in a local tavern,
he'd be willing to testify
against the police officer
who killed Mr. Wilkes.
Pass.
Like that?
One client swears a cop
killed your other client,
he gets a slap on the wrist,
and you get a seven-figure
civil verdict against the city.
- [laughs]
- Look at it this way, Arnold.
I am protecting you
from a feeble attempt
to suborn perjury.
[murmurs indistinctly]
I do this, we both
end up in orange pajamas.
Alongside Atwater.
Tell me again why you can't
go through proper channels.
An official request gets
the blue wagons circling,
and all of a sudden, the
videos are magically drawn
into a big black hole.
Sound like you're not
gonna like what we find.
I don't know what the hell we'll find.
But I do know I gotta get ahead of it
before the big guys throw
Atwater to the wolves
just to keep the peace.
What you need exactly?
Any and all footage CPD
recovered that morning.
Hey, it's between you and me. I swear.
[sighs]
Give me a couple hours.
My heart goes out to you, Mrs. Wilkes.
The loss of a child...
I can't even imagine it.
Thank you, sir.
How can I help you?
Actually...
we're here to help you, Mark.
I have what some might call
a unique relationship
with the community.
No one appreciates that more than I.
In that capacity,
I have often been privy to
certain information and confidences.
Cell phone videos made by
members of the community
who might have otherwise been
reluctant to come forward.
I suppose we're lucky nobody
posted them on the Internet.
These are good people.
They just don't want to
get mixed up with the cops.
Meaning the cops aren't good people?
The videos speak for themselves.
Justin was definitely murdered, Mark.
[sobbing]
No. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[sobbing]
[somber music]
♪ ♪
So this footage is
from Atwater's dash cam.
How did we get...
♪ ♪
Wilkes doing the hand-to-hand.
♪ ♪
I can't tell what he's actually doing.
Well, Atwater must
have had a better view.
How you doing, man? Just wanna talk, man.
All right, Wilkes takes off running.
Atwater gives chase.
Security camera picks them
up in the intersection.
This is footage from one of
the cell phones turned in.
Stop!
And then this is the corner
store security camera footage.
I don't see any signs of
Wilkes tossing dope bags.
Well, you won't.
It might've happened,
but not in any of the recorded footage.
Cell phone from a rooftop,
followed by another security cam,
which caught the tackle.
When you splice everything together,
it's like a movie missing a reel or two.
[both grunting]
♪ ♪
More cell phone footage
from across the street.
[grunts]
Atwater heads back to his truck.
I'm not gonna ask where this came from.
♪ ♪
Here they are back at the intersection,
walking towards Atwater's truck.
♪ ♪
A civilian caught the grand finale
from their apartment window.
I can't see if he put
Wilkes in a seatbelt.
Can't see if he didn't.
♪ ♪
Nice work, Ronnie.
♪ ♪
You know what would be nice?
If I was on the same page as my partner.
- I worked with Atwater.
- In case you haven't noticed,
you work with me now.
[train zooming]
It's kind've weird we gotta
meet out here like this, huh?
It's better safe, you know?
I've been wracking my brain, Antonio.
Damn if I could remember if
I strapped Wilkes in, bro.
You follow the drill?
[sighs] Usually.
That's that. As far as I'm concerned,
you strapped a seatbelt on him.
Look, you got a solid reputation
that'd be hard to get around.
[sighs] This is for real, huh?
[sighs]
Truth be told, I didn't
have to do anything.
Should've just let
Wilkes go sell his dope,
poison somebody's kid.
♪ ♪
Justin Wilkes, 26.
Multiple arrests, including possession,
possession with intent,
and misdemeanor theft.
Atwater spots him. He runs.
He is arrested and
transported to holding,
where somebody notices something hinky,
calls the paramedics,
who then take him to Lady of Hope.
Wilkes has a long nap on
a gurney in the hospital,
dies six hours later in the O.R.
Does he have a history
of resisting arrest?
Not once in 22 stops.
And yet this time, for whatever reason,
he resisted?
He sees a cop, he runs. Most of them do.
Yeah, especially those with
pockets full of heroin bags.
Allegedly.
None of that was caught on video.
You know Atwater. You worked with him.
I also know Voight's unit.
I wouldn't exactly call
them shrinking violets.
- That's bull.
- Hey.
I get no pleasure
from going after a cop,
especially a cop like Kevin Atwater.
Yeah, then drop it.
My obligation is to
the victim and his family.
I can't just drop it.
Then I don't have to be a part of it.
[elevator bell dings]
Hey, just the man I wanted to see.
You okay?
[sighs]
What do you think? I'm
doing everything I can.
Well, I know that.
What'd the video show?
I would've done the same thing.
With everything going on, it's not good.
Jesus.
[sighs] What if...
What if Kev killed him?
Yeah.
If Kev killed that son of a bitch,
that son of a bitch needed killing.
A cop, EMTs, doctors...
Lots of fingers will be pointing.
Ending in a textbook
case of reasonable doubt
for any and all of them.
The problem is, we don't
have enough evidence
to convict any one of them alone.
No, Anna, the problem is saying,
"Sorry, someone screwed the pooch,
- but we don't know who."
- Because of Reverend Fitch?
Not that I have to
justify anything to you,
but the man has a voice
that people listen to.
We'll conduct a thorough
grand jury investigation
with named targets.
- Which ones?
- All of 'em.
We'll seek indictments
on everyone involved.
The cop who arrested Wilkes,
the EMTs who took their time
getting him to the hospital,
and the doctors who
let him bleed to death
in a waiting room.
So we throw spaghetti against the wall,
- and see what sticks?
- Why not?
Once in custody, Justin Wilkes
became a ward of the State,
and deserved all the protection
the State has to offer.
But to the cop, the
EMTs, the... the doctors,
he was just a subhuman whose
life wasn't worth saving.
And to you, what is he?
He's a murder victim.
[tense music]
[rock music playing]
To establish conspiracy,
you have to prove
they all agreed to kill Wilkes.
That's why I never said
anything about a conspiracy.
I'm gonna argue that
their collective actions,
or inactions, contributed to his death.
But for each of them,
Wilkes would still be alive.
Our country is coming
apart at the seams, Anna.
The people have lost all their
faith in our institutions.
The universities, the
churches, the government?
Nobody trusts any of them anymore.
And you're going to change their minds?
No, but I'm gonna argue that
our little corner of the world is well
and doing fine.
A man dies, those
responsible will go to prison.
You are aware that
contributory negligence
doesn't exist in the criminal code?
If you always know
where you're going, Anna,
you never get anywhere new.
Hm, I heard that somewhere before.
- Hey.
- Peter.
Mr.... Mr. Robinette, I...
Please, I think it's
time you called me Paul.
Uh, ASA Anna Valdez,
this is Mr.... Paul.
He served for my dad at
the DA's office in New York.
Good to meet you.
- Yeah.
- Have a seat.
His dad used to brag
non-stop about that right arm.
I haven't touched a baseball in years.
What, uh... what have you been up to?
Defense work.
I got what you might
call a sub-specialty...
Defending cops.
So this isn't a happy coincidence?
Hm, afraid not.
I've been retained by Officer Atwater.
Turns out my sub-specialty
has been in the news of late.
I got a call from
Officer Atwater's C.O.,
a Sergeant Voight, and here I am.
And so here we are. [laughs]
And since my mom taught me
a guest should never show up
without a gift...
A motion to preclude grand jury action.
You're kidding, right?
I'm sorry, Paul, I think you've got
your jurisdictions confused.
This might fly in Manhattan,
but it's DOA in Cook County.
Hm, and those who always
know where they're going...
How about we let the presiding
judge make that call, huh?
It really is good to see you, Peter.
Yeah.
Ms. Valdez...
Considering the paucity
of evidence against him,
dragging my client in front
of the grand jury at this point
would permanently scar his reputation,
and hinder his chance for advancement
in the Department.
Defendant's proper remedy
is a motion to quash
the grand jury subpoena.
And ordinarily, I
would've made that motion,
but the culture's made it necessary
to nip this in the bud
as soon as possible.
- The culture?
- Specifically, the regard
in which police officers
are held in society today.
Is there really any question
what a grand jury will decide?
Like I said, I'm curious.
Let me reread counsel's brief,
and we'll pick this up in, say, an hour.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Oh, and Mr. Stone,
could you please have
your office deliver a copy
of all issued subpoenas
to my chambers ASAP?
You know, I have to admit,
I thought she was gonna
toss you out on your butt.
- Thank you.
- [laughs]
She's probably just humoring
me, but it was worth a shot.
[chuckles]
[both sigh]
Did you know that, uh, Officer Atwater
takes care of his
sister and two brothers?
Character evidence isn't admissible
until after a verdict.
Yeah, I know that.
My question is why?
Because we're looking into the truth
about what happened to Wilkes.
You even sound like your old man.
When the acorn falls, it
lands in the shade of the oak.
It could be stifling.
[chuckles]
No, my dad has nothing to
do with how I practice law.
Hm.
A couple of years ago, I
called my dad out of the blue,
just to say I'm sorry.
For what?
Mm, being his son,
letting him down, whatever.
You should try it.
No offense, but you don't know...
Mm, I think I do.
I congratulate you on making
a concise, reasoned
argument, Mr. Robinette.
- Thank you, Judge.
- However, in Illinois,
a grand jury has very
broad investigative powers.
I understand your concern
about the negative impact
the subpoenas might have
on the targets in this case,
but that's the world we live in,
and in that world, I
must deny your motion.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Targets, plural?
Did he catch it?
Paul's a very good lawyer.
Is he good enough to
bring a frivolous motion
just to trick a judge
into tipping our hand?
Then he's got all the
reasonable doubt he needs.
Not under my theory
of the case, he doesn't.
[knocking on door]
The grand jury just
returned a single indictment
against officer Kevin Atwater
for first-degree murder.
What about the others?
- Nothing.
- [sighs]
So much for getting somewhere new.
I want an arrest warrant on Atwater,
issued within the hour,
and executed immediately thereafter.
I'm sure Atwater will surrender himself.
You just worry about
how you're gonna counter
all the reasonable doubt you
just handed Mr. Robinette.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
This action by the grand jury today
is a strong mandate to this office
to pursue the charges
against officer Kevin Atwater
to the fullest extent the law allows.
And this is just an example
of how the system
works on its own power,
without the unnecessary civil unrest
we've seen in too many other cities.
Now it truly saddens me
to bring the weight of this office down
upon a member of law enforcement,
but Mr. Wilkes and his family
deserve nothing less.
You know, when someone needs help,
they dial 911. Who shows up?
- You really want to do this?
- I'll tell you what.
It's not a lawyer. We show up.
And we don't know what we're gonna find.
Let's say Atwater
didn't tackle that punk.
Let's say he approached him,
and said, "Excuse me, sir,
"I saw you selling illegal
narcotics on a street corner.
Would you mind very much
coming to the station with me,
so I can lock you up
for the next 30 years?"
You know what happens then?
That punk pulls a
Glock 22 from his pants,
and that's all she wrote for Atwater.
Don't forget, Dawson,
you are no longer CPD.
♪ ♪
Believe me, I won't.
♪ ♪
Atwater is just a guy, you know.
Worse than some, maybe...
but better than most.
And you tell me, what kind of prick
goes out of his way to
ruin a man like that?
♪ ♪
Simply, the victim
suffered blunt force trauma
to his rib cage, causing it to splinter.
A shard of bone nicked the aorta,
causing slow but steady bleeding.
Could this have caused the trauma?
Yes, if the victim had landed on a rock
or something like that.
Or this?
[grunting]
That's a lot bigger than a rock... yes.
Thank you.
How long after such a nick of the aorta
would it take for Mr. Wilkes to die?
Perhaps six or seven
hours, depending on how...
I show you what has
been marked as People's 3,
Mr. Wilkes's Certificate of Death.
- What time does it say he died?
- 4:06 p.m.
Huh, now, according to the time stamp
on the videos Mr. Stone just showed you,
Officer Atwater's last
so-called act of violence
occurred at 7:10 a.m.
According to your testimony,
he should've been dead...
At the latest... 2:10.
- Isn't that correct?
- It's possible that...
Yes or no?
- Sure.
- Right, so it's possible.
No, it's scientifically probable
that neither of the events
involving Officer Atwater
caused Mr. Wilkes's death.
Isn't that correct, Dr. Fletcher?
- There's no way of...
- Yes or no, Doctor?
Yes.
I suppose that's why Mr.
Stone tried to indict the EMTs
that brought Mr. Wilkes to the hospital.
- Objection.
- And the doctors who...
- Objection.
- Does counsel deny
they were all targets of the grand jury?
- Your Honor...
- Do I have to put you
- on the stand to verify?
- That's enough, Mr. Robinette.
The jury will ignore any
mention of the grand jury.
No more questions.
Redirect, Your Honor?
Go ahead.
How precise was your estimation
of six or seven hours?
If defense counsel had let me finish,
I would have said that the time needed
for death by exsanguination varies,
according to the individual's
particular circulatory system.
So it could've taken
longer than seven hours
- for him to die?
- Yes.
Thank you.
I saw the police
officer arrest Mr. Wilkes.
You're referring to Officer Atwater?
That's him over there.
He nearly knocked me
over when he ran past me.
I was carrying my groceries.
He chased Justin around the corner,
and then a couple of minutes later,
he brought Justin back in handcuffs.
Did Mr. Wilkes appear injured to you?
He was kind've bent over.
It looked like he was
in a lot of pain...
Like he was having
trouble walking on his own.
Thank you.
Sounds like you knew Mr. Wilkes
- from the neighborhood.
- We say hi.
So, you knew that he was a drug dealer?
He didn't need to die for it.
Non-responsive... Motion to strike?
Granted.
The jury will disregard
the witness's last remark.
Have you ever been arrested, Ms. Davis?
- Uh, relevance?
- Credibility, Your Honor?
I'll allow it.
No, I've never been arrested.
Has anyone in your immediate
family ever been arrested?
- Objection.
- Overruled.
My brother, James.
He was sitting on the L.
Hm. Why was he arrested?
They said he was disturbing the peace.
He was on his way to the United Center.
His teacher gave him a
ticket to see the Bulls.
I guess being black on
the L disturbs some people.
So what you're saying, Ms. Davis,
is that your testimony in this case
may in fact be prejudiced
by your general dislike
for the police force?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
No more questions.
- We shouldn't be talking.
- I'll arrest myself.
What do you want me say?
"It's okay"?
"Thanks for trying, Antonio"?
- Hey, come on.
- 'Cause it's not okay, Antonio.
I did what I could.
Yeah, it's too bad for me, huh?
Too bad it wasn't good enough.
[laughs]
How long we ride together, Antonio?
Look at you.
You moved on.
Got a bigger and better house.
Look, if it makes a difference,
the vibe around the SA's office
is your lawyer's kicking ass.
You know that doesn't mean anything.
I got a badge.
I'm guilty. Case closed.
- You don't know.
- I know I watched a black woman
testify against me in court today,
and look at me like I'm turning my back
on my people,
a people who's been
shut out of restaurants,
schools, shot with firehoses, lynched.
Why does your boss have to look at me
like I'm the one doing the lynching?
I see a guy doing his job.
Well, I see my brothers and my sister
being tossed into a motel,
because we got death threats.
That's not what I signed up for
when I got on this job, Antonio.
Why didn't you say something?
They're moving in with me.
- After you're cleared...
- It's too late.
Stone's taking something from me
I'm not gonna be able to get back.
So forget it.
You know, you might be right.
Maybe I did rough up
Wilkes a little bit more
than I should have.
Maybe I did kill Wilkes.
- That's crazy, Kev.
- No, it's not.
Because how many times
have you grabbed a bad guy
a little tighter than you should have?
Hit him harder than you should have?
I mean... [laughs]
This is what we do.
This is payback.
No, it's...
What we did... What we do...
We do it for the right reasons.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Keep shooting, huh?
♪ ♪
What?
You ever think about the
power we have as prosecutors?
I don't like you, you look at me funny,
I can drag you in front of
a grand jury for something.
Anything.
And so what if it gets no-billed?
The mere act of accusing
you can destroy your life.
It's a little late in your career
for a crisis of conscience.
Robinette was right in court today.
I had plenty of other targets.
But the people of Cook
County indicted only one of 'em.
I just got off the phone
with Reverend Fitch.
He feels things aren't going our way.
How much of what I told him was a lie?
It's a coin toss,
and I'm out of witnesses.
What about the jailhouse snitch?
Carrera?
I'm not sure he's credible.
That's the jury's job, not yours.
[sighs]
Do you know for a fact the man's lying?
No.
Then talk to him.
I was in the next cell over.
The guy looked all busted up.
You're referring to Mr. Wilkes?
Yeah, that's right.
Mr. Wilkes was moaning and groaning
like I don't know what.
I asked him if he was okay.
- Did he respond?
- Yeah.
He puked all over me.
Did he say anything?
He said that the cop that arrested him
beat the hell out of him.
[indistinct murmuring]
And you're testifying here today
as part of a plea
deal. Isn't that right?
Yeah.
I was in a barroom fight. The guy died.
I-I didn't mean for that to happen.
You knocked down the...
The charges to
involuntary manslaughter...
- Two-year sentence.
- Thank you, Mr. Carrera.
That's enough for today.
You can begin your cross-examination
tomorrow morning, Mr. Robinette.
- [knocking on door]
- Yeah?
How about we talk?
Between you and me,
did you believe a word Carrera said?
- That's not my role.
- Come on, Peter.
We're talking about
a man's liberty here.
- Your father...
- My father?
Screw my father.
Maybe he can live with
one foot in heaven.
- And you can't?
- And neither can you.
You left him just like I did, Paul.
I'm not the only acorn
under the damn tree.
[sighs]
That's his, uh, special
purpose in life, you know...
To make everyone around him take note
of their own imperfections.
Hell of a world, isn't it?
A murderer has more
credibility than a cop.
[scoffs]
Let's end this.
[laughs] Well, that's pretty drastic.
Atwater pleas to aggravated assault.
Six months probation.
Involuntary man. He does a year.
Fine.
- Atwater's okay with that?
- He knows the alternative.
♪ ♪
Do you understand the terms of the plea?
♪ ♪
I do.
Please state in your
own words what happened.
♪ ♪
I observed Mr. Wilkes
in what appeared to be a narcotics sale.
I got out of my car. He saw me and fled.
I chased him down.
♪ ♪
I didn't mean to,
but I guess I was too rough with him.
♪ ♪
He died.
♪ ♪
- A year's not that bad, considering.
I don't want to talk about it.
Yeah, that's gonna be
a problem, 'cause I do.
I have these friends... The
Durells, identical twins.
One day in the schoolyard,
Davey, or Dougie... I
can't remember which one...
He gets pissed at the other,
and they start pounding on each other.
Finally, the teacher breaks it up.
And since I'm the only witness,
he asks me who started it.
Now, I don't want to pick sides...
They're both my buddies...
So I say, "I don't know.
I can't tell 'em apart."
That's a nice story.
Yeah, I think so.
Only they both got suspended.
The thing is,
I knew it was Dougie
that started the fight.
To this day, I beat myself up,
because deep down, I
know the right thing to do
was to pick a side and stick with it.
Anyway, if I ever get in a jam,
I'm happy to have you as my partner.
[chuckles softly]
The EMTs and the doctors all
said Wilkes was drunk, right?
- Yeah.
- There's no blood tox report here.
[sighs] I play ball with Atwater.
I can barely keep up with him.
How does a drunk take him
on a run around the block
before getting caught?
The only person who didn't say
Wilkes was drunk was Atwater.
How did Stone not
look for the tox report?
Wilkes was a victim.
It didn't matter to his
case if he was drunk.
There's nothing in his booking report
saying that Wilkes was covered in puke.
So if he was clean
when he got to lockup,
but he wasn't when the
paramedics picked him up...
I'm thinking a punch
hard enough to crack a rib
might make me nauseous.
And the only place that
could've happened was lockup.
The snitch, Carerra...
He testified Wilkes vomited on him.
He also testified he was in another cell.
You called this meeting.
What can we do for you fine people?
We're here to offer you a deal.
- We already have a deal.
- That one's null and void.
It was contingent upon your client
telling us the truth.
We have reason to believe
he's lying through his teeth.
- About what?
- Everything.
Police records show you and Wilkes
- were in the same cell.
- That son of a bitch was drunk.
He puked on me.
I asked the guard to move me.
Hey, I still heard what I heard.
Problem is, Wilkes didn't
have any alcohol in his system.
I didn't know about any of this.
Well, right now, that's
neither here nor there.
If I were you, I would
explain to my client
the consequences of his lie.
If you lied, we can't
hold them to the deal.
And?
Perjury will get you five years.
And?
The murder charge
in the barroom killing
carries a minimum 20-year sentence.
Very good. It pays to keep up.
Now tell him the difference between
concurrent and consecutive sentences.
- I know that.
- The choice is yours.
Oh, and I almost forgot.
I'm charging you with
killing Justin Wilkes.
So what'll it be, Mr. Carrera?
Concurrent or consecutive?
Two murders and perjury?
Keeps me waiting, I'm sure
I can think of something else.
That punk ass should've
given me a smoke.
You killed him for a cigarette?
Look...
I didn't know that guy was gonna die.
So...
let's make a deal?
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Based upon newly discovered evidence,
the people move to vacate
Officer Atwater's earlier plea,
and dismiss all charges against him.
I assume you have no problem
with that, Mr. Robinette?
The defense has no objection.
One more thing, Your Honor?
Go ahead.
[stirring music]
Part of what we do as prosecutors
is to make decisions that
might destroy the lives
of innocent people.
We do our best to make those decisions
without prejudice or pride.
Sometimes...
we get it wrong.
♪ ♪
Officer Atwater,
on behalf of the
State's Attorney's Office
and all the people of Cook County,
I'm sorry.
[indistinct murmuring]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
♪ ♪
I think he'd be proud.
Of both of us.
♪ ♪
Pursuing justice is a messy business,
and yes, it took us awhile
to dig it out of the muck,
but in the end,
the truth emerged victorious.
[knocking on door]
[TV silences]
I figure I owe you an apology.
Forget about it.
Nah, I was pissed at the world.
I took it out on you.
I probably deserved it.
Well, anyway...
Yeah.
[poignant music]
♪ ♪
[line trilling]
♪ ♪
Hey, Pop? It's me.
- ASA Anna Valdez.
You have a prisoner... Adrian Carrera.
That we do.
Uh, his defense attorney
should be with him.
That he is. Arnold Rifking...
Total bottom feeder.
Hey, Duarte,
escort ASA Valdez
upstairs to the drunk tank.
Uh, Mr. Carrera was pretty loaded
when they hauled him in this morning.
- Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
Good news, bad news, Arnold.
Which do you want first?
- How bad's the bad?
- Very.
I'll take good for $500, please, Alex.
Stone authorized a plea of 20
for Carrera today only.
Take it or leave it.
On a simple assault? We'll pass.
Brings us to the bad.
Mr. Carrera's victim
in the barroom brawl
died at Chicago Med.
- We're filing murder charges.
- I barely touched that guy.
Shut up, Adrian. Let
me talk to my client.
Nothing to talk about. And
I need to get out of here.
And I need a shower. Look!
That punk ass puked all over me!
I don't hear from you by 2:00,
I'm putting the case
into the grand jury.
Uh, what do you have
for Boozy the Clown here?
Justin Wilkes... possession
of a controlled substance?
[groaning]
You represent him too?
It's a matter of time. He took my card.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Peter... Rifking called.
Carrera said we should shove it.
Well, look on the upside.
You're first chair on a homicide.
Really?
Why not?
- Peter, I wanna...
- Anna, I'm eating.
[phone buzzes]
- Valdez?
- Hey, it's Arnold Rifking.
Sorry, Arnold, you're too late.
Boozy the Clown...
Kid in the cell... he died.
What?
Yep.
I'm here as counsel to Mrs. Wilkes.
Her son, as you know, is my client.
Mrs. Wilkes.
I'm very sorry for
your loss, Mrs. Wilkes.
It's an honor to meet
you, Reverend Fitch.
I only pray that your office investigates
Justin's death thoroughly.
Sir?
Clearly, Mr. Wilkes
didn't die of natural causes.
He was in police custody.
Next thing we know, he
sustained fatal injuries.
I assure you we will look into
the circumstances of his death.
You're going to investigate?
A child... no older than my Justin.
[solemn music]
Mrs. Wilkes simply means that we expect
the maximum effort from your office.
Of course.
[knocking on door]
♪ ♪
Go. Say good-bye to him, Donna.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Tell Mark I'll be calling.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Wilkes was brought in on a drug charge
with a side of resisting arrest.
Nine hours later, he's dead
in O.R. at Lady of Hope.
Cops, paramedics, doctors...
Any one of them could be responsible.
We can expect some
sort of public reaction.
- In the form of Reverend Fitch?
- Well...
what did you think of the man, Anna?
I've seen him on the
news. He was a bit...
well, intimidating.
Like you're talking
to some sort of prophet
right out of the Old Testament?
Nothing like the ambulance chaser
representing Mrs. Wilkes.
Well, William Fitch won't
put up with that for long.
And he won't stop pushing either.
That's why you gotta get out
in front of this immediately.
Start at the hospital, and
work your way backwards.
Assistant State's Attorney Peter Stone,
meet the suprasternal manubrium,
or... or a... sliver of it anyway.
Manubrium's part of the sternum.
So someone hit him in the chest?
Someone or something.
Lot of this going around
in fatal car accidents.
The bone punctured the aortic isthmus,
causing an osseous pinch.
He bled to death.
Has the lab sent over tox screens?
Not yet, but drunk or not,
once that sliver of
bone pierced the aorta,
unless we received
prompt medical attention,
Mr. Wilkes here was a dead man walking.
Oh, FYI, I'm checking the homicide box.
[tense music]
[distant siren wails]
♪ ♪
[police radio chatter]
We had seven gunshot victims,
a boating accident with
multiple immersions,
then a guy whose head was
used for batting practice.
So that's why it took five hours
- for you to get to Mr. Wilkes?
- [sighs]
This is a busy hospital.
Sometimes we're forced to do triage.
Passed out drunks aren't
on the top of our list.
All due respect,
how did you know he was
drunk if nobody examined him?
Some of our best customers are drunks.
Anyway, that's what the paramedics said.
And you took their word for it?
Are you sure you're with the SA's office?
'Cause you sound like
Slip and Fall Attorneys.
Probably the next knock on your door.
What killed him anyway?
Technically, exsanguination.
Caused by?
Not my department.
Thanks.
Call came in from the 21st.
We loaded Wilkes to the bus
exactly 11 1/2 minutes later.
He was unconscious,
but his breathing wasn't labored,
his pulse was normal, and
his pupils were reactive.
Any treatment on the
way to the hospital?
We administered a saline line.
- And?
- And nothing.
En route to Hope, we got a
call about an eight-year-old kid
from Hyde Park... Pulled from the lake.
No pulse. Pupils were fixed and dilated.
Hold on.
You went to the lake with
Wilkes still in the ambulance?
The dude was covered in
vomit, and stinking of booze.
We figured he wasn't going anywhere.
Turns out you were wrong.
Remind me not to get sick.
Remind me not to be a black male.
Hey... that kid from the lake...
- He made it.
- [phone buzzes]
Thanks for asking.
- [sighs]
- What?
Stone got us the name
of the arresting officer.
This won't be fun.
How you doing?
Hey. [laughs]
Look what the cat dragged in.
You just couldn't stay away, huh?
How's the SA's office treating you?
Hey, how much caviar can you eat?
Yeah, tell me about it.
We're looking for Atwater.
You better be going to
gym to work on that three.
Hey, I wouldn't have to,
if I had one guard that knew
how to make it to the bucket.
Yeah.
This place still smells the same.
Yeah. Oh, and speaking of smells,
my condolences for having to ride
with Mr. Salami For Lunch right here.
[chuckles] Air up high,
window open, you can hardly tell.
Well, you're a better man than me.
[chuckles] So, what's the occasion?
Justin Wilkes.
Yeah, you know, I-I pinched him.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Uh... what... I was at
a stop sign on Flournoy,
and he was selling H,
like, 7:00 in the morning.
You know, I know his mom from
back when I was in uniform.
She's real good people.
So I'm like, "Hey, I'll
give him a warning."
You know, "Next time
I catch you serving...
blah, blah, blah."
But he sees me get out of my car,
and he takes off running.
And you chased him down?
Yeah. You know, I'm...
He's tossing little
baggies all over the place,
and, uh, he was running pretty good too.
I mean, it took me about a block
before I took him down.
Hard?
Wait, what? Wilkes
isn't crying foul, is he?
What happened?
I just cuffed him, I
loaded him up, and that's it.
Hey, listen, if he says
anything different than that,
that's a lie, bro.
Wilkes died, Kev.
[sighs]
Damn.
Um, you don't... you don't think
you should've opened up with that?
Hey...
nobody's blaming you.
[sighs] I'm...
no, but I-I just feel like
you just kind've worked me
a little bit.
We had to ask.
[tense music]
Then ask.
"Officer Atwater, did
you kill Justin Wilkes?"
No, investigators, I
didn't kill Justin Wilkes.
See how easy that is?
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
What's going on, Antonio?
Was the prisoner properly restrained
inside the vehicle?
♪ ♪
[laughs] She's kidding, right?
♪ ♪
The suspect resisted lawful arrest.
I subdued him using
reasonable physical force.
♪ ♪
End of story.
[locker door slams shut]
♪ ♪
There's no way Atwater
wanted to hurt the guy.
What about the ride to the District?
Come on, Dawson. I'm not naive.
I know about the so-called rough ride
when a guy mouths off.
Did Atwater say he strapped Wilkes in?
- I asked him.
- And?
He didn't answer.
Because it was an insult to even ask.
She's just doing her job.
Routine.
Cops are trained to do
the same thing every time
to establish a routine.
You make an arrest, you cuff your man.
You holster your weapon, safety on.
You load a prisoner, you strap him in.
That way, if someone
accuses you of something,
you don't have to think when you answer.
You know exactly what you did,
because you did it the same
away a thousand times before.
[phone buzzes]
Valdez?
We'll meet you there.
[clears throat]
Mr. Carrera has something
he thinks might help
with your search for
Mr. Wilkes's killer.
Right. In exchange for what?
Hear him out,
and then tell me how
you want to play it.
When I was in the cage with Wilkes, he...
He might've said something
about a cop hitting him.
Might have?
Depends.
What do you got for me?
Wh... what my client means
is that in exchange for your empathy
regarding a certain
incident in a local tavern,
he'd be willing to testify
against the police officer
who killed Mr. Wilkes.
Pass.
Like that?
One client swears a cop
killed your other client,
he gets a slap on the wrist,
and you get a seven-figure
civil verdict against the city.
- [laughs]
- Look at it this way, Arnold.
I am protecting you
from a feeble attempt
to suborn perjury.
[murmurs indistinctly]
I do this, we both
end up in orange pajamas.
Alongside Atwater.
Tell me again why you can't
go through proper channels.
An official request gets
the blue wagons circling,
and all of a sudden, the
videos are magically drawn
into a big black hole.
Sound like you're not
gonna like what we find.
I don't know what the hell we'll find.
But I do know I gotta get ahead of it
before the big guys throw
Atwater to the wolves
just to keep the peace.
What you need exactly?
Any and all footage CPD
recovered that morning.
Hey, it's between you and me. I swear.
[sighs]
Give me a couple hours.
My heart goes out to you, Mrs. Wilkes.
The loss of a child...
I can't even imagine it.
Thank you, sir.
How can I help you?
Actually...
we're here to help you, Mark.
I have what some might call
a unique relationship
with the community.
No one appreciates that more than I.
In that capacity,
I have often been privy to
certain information and confidences.
Cell phone videos made by
members of the community
who might have otherwise been
reluctant to come forward.
I suppose we're lucky nobody
posted them on the Internet.
These are good people.
They just don't want to
get mixed up with the cops.
Meaning the cops aren't good people?
The videos speak for themselves.
Justin was definitely murdered, Mark.
[sobbing]
No. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[sobbing]
[somber music]
♪ ♪
So this footage is
from Atwater's dash cam.
How did we get...
♪ ♪
Wilkes doing the hand-to-hand.
♪ ♪
I can't tell what he's actually doing.
Well, Atwater must
have had a better view.
How you doing, man? Just wanna talk, man.
All right, Wilkes takes off running.
Atwater gives chase.
Security camera picks them
up in the intersection.
This is footage from one of
the cell phones turned in.
Stop!
And then this is the corner
store security camera footage.
I don't see any signs of
Wilkes tossing dope bags.
Well, you won't.
It might've happened,
but not in any of the recorded footage.
Cell phone from a rooftop,
followed by another security cam,
which caught the tackle.
When you splice everything together,
it's like a movie missing a reel or two.
[both grunting]
♪ ♪
More cell phone footage
from across the street.
[grunts]
Atwater heads back to his truck.
I'm not gonna ask where this came from.
♪ ♪
Here they are back at the intersection,
walking towards Atwater's truck.
♪ ♪
A civilian caught the grand finale
from their apartment window.
I can't see if he put
Wilkes in a seatbelt.
Can't see if he didn't.
♪ ♪
Nice work, Ronnie.
♪ ♪
You know what would be nice?
If I was on the same page as my partner.
- I worked with Atwater.
- In case you haven't noticed,
you work with me now.
[train zooming]
It's kind've weird we gotta
meet out here like this, huh?
It's better safe, you know?
I've been wracking my brain, Antonio.
Damn if I could remember if
I strapped Wilkes in, bro.
You follow the drill?
[sighs] Usually.
That's that. As far as I'm concerned,
you strapped a seatbelt on him.
Look, you got a solid reputation
that'd be hard to get around.
[sighs] This is for real, huh?
[sighs]
Truth be told, I didn't
have to do anything.
Should've just let
Wilkes go sell his dope,
poison somebody's kid.
♪ ♪
Justin Wilkes, 26.
Multiple arrests, including possession,
possession with intent,
and misdemeanor theft.
Atwater spots him. He runs.
He is arrested and
transported to holding,
where somebody notices something hinky,
calls the paramedics,
who then take him to Lady of Hope.
Wilkes has a long nap on
a gurney in the hospital,
dies six hours later in the O.R.
Does he have a history
of resisting arrest?
Not once in 22 stops.
And yet this time, for whatever reason,
he resisted?
He sees a cop, he runs. Most of them do.
Yeah, especially those with
pockets full of heroin bags.
Allegedly.
None of that was caught on video.
You know Atwater. You worked with him.
I also know Voight's unit.
I wouldn't exactly call
them shrinking violets.
- That's bull.
- Hey.
I get no pleasure
from going after a cop,
especially a cop like Kevin Atwater.
Yeah, then drop it.
My obligation is to
the victim and his family.
I can't just drop it.
Then I don't have to be a part of it.
[elevator bell dings]
Hey, just the man I wanted to see.
You okay?
[sighs]
What do you think? I'm
doing everything I can.
Well, I know that.
What'd the video show?
I would've done the same thing.
With everything going on, it's not good.
Jesus.
[sighs] What if...
What if Kev killed him?
Yeah.
If Kev killed that son of a bitch,
that son of a bitch needed killing.
A cop, EMTs, doctors...
Lots of fingers will be pointing.
Ending in a textbook
case of reasonable doubt
for any and all of them.
The problem is, we don't
have enough evidence
to convict any one of them alone.
No, Anna, the problem is saying,
"Sorry, someone screwed the pooch,
- but we don't know who."
- Because of Reverend Fitch?
Not that I have to
justify anything to you,
but the man has a voice
that people listen to.
We'll conduct a thorough
grand jury investigation
with named targets.
- Which ones?
- All of 'em.
We'll seek indictments
on everyone involved.
The cop who arrested Wilkes,
the EMTs who took their time
getting him to the hospital,
and the doctors who
let him bleed to death
in a waiting room.
So we throw spaghetti against the wall,
- and see what sticks?
- Why not?
Once in custody, Justin Wilkes
became a ward of the State,
and deserved all the protection
the State has to offer.
But to the cop, the
EMTs, the... the doctors,
he was just a subhuman whose
life wasn't worth saving.
And to you, what is he?
He's a murder victim.
[tense music]
[rock music playing]
To establish conspiracy,
you have to prove
they all agreed to kill Wilkes.
That's why I never said
anything about a conspiracy.
I'm gonna argue that
their collective actions,
or inactions, contributed to his death.
But for each of them,
Wilkes would still be alive.
Our country is coming
apart at the seams, Anna.
The people have lost all their
faith in our institutions.
The universities, the
churches, the government?
Nobody trusts any of them anymore.
And you're going to change their minds?
No, but I'm gonna argue that
our little corner of the world is well
and doing fine.
A man dies, those
responsible will go to prison.
You are aware that
contributory negligence
doesn't exist in the criminal code?
If you always know
where you're going, Anna,
you never get anywhere new.
Hm, I heard that somewhere before.
- Hey.
- Peter.
Mr.... Mr. Robinette, I...
Please, I think it's
time you called me Paul.
Uh, ASA Anna Valdez,
this is Mr.... Paul.
He served for my dad at
the DA's office in New York.
Good to meet you.
- Yeah.
- Have a seat.
His dad used to brag
non-stop about that right arm.
I haven't touched a baseball in years.
What, uh... what have you been up to?
Defense work.
I got what you might
call a sub-specialty...
Defending cops.
So this isn't a happy coincidence?
Hm, afraid not.
I've been retained by Officer Atwater.
Turns out my sub-specialty
has been in the news of late.
I got a call from
Officer Atwater's C.O.,
a Sergeant Voight, and here I am.
And so here we are. [laughs]
And since my mom taught me
a guest should never show up
without a gift...
A motion to preclude grand jury action.
You're kidding, right?
I'm sorry, Paul, I think you've got
your jurisdictions confused.
This might fly in Manhattan,
but it's DOA in Cook County.
Hm, and those who always
know where they're going...
How about we let the presiding
judge make that call, huh?
It really is good to see you, Peter.
Yeah.
Ms. Valdez...
Considering the paucity
of evidence against him,
dragging my client in front
of the grand jury at this point
would permanently scar his reputation,
and hinder his chance for advancement
in the Department.
Defendant's proper remedy
is a motion to quash
the grand jury subpoena.
And ordinarily, I
would've made that motion,
but the culture's made it necessary
to nip this in the bud
as soon as possible.
- The culture?
- Specifically, the regard
in which police officers
are held in society today.
Is there really any question
what a grand jury will decide?
Like I said, I'm curious.
Let me reread counsel's brief,
and we'll pick this up in, say, an hour.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Oh, and Mr. Stone,
could you please have
your office deliver a copy
of all issued subpoenas
to my chambers ASAP?
You know, I have to admit,
I thought she was gonna
toss you out on your butt.
- Thank you.
- [laughs]
She's probably just humoring
me, but it was worth a shot.
[chuckles]
[both sigh]
Did you know that, uh, Officer Atwater
takes care of his
sister and two brothers?
Character evidence isn't admissible
until after a verdict.
Yeah, I know that.
My question is why?
Because we're looking into the truth
about what happened to Wilkes.
You even sound like your old man.
When the acorn falls, it
lands in the shade of the oak.
It could be stifling.
[chuckles]
No, my dad has nothing to
do with how I practice law.
Hm.
A couple of years ago, I
called my dad out of the blue,
just to say I'm sorry.
For what?
Mm, being his son,
letting him down, whatever.
You should try it.
No offense, but you don't know...
Mm, I think I do.
I congratulate you on making
a concise, reasoned
argument, Mr. Robinette.
- Thank you, Judge.
- However, in Illinois,
a grand jury has very
broad investigative powers.
I understand your concern
about the negative impact
the subpoenas might have
on the targets in this case,
but that's the world we live in,
and in that world, I
must deny your motion.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Targets, plural?
Did he catch it?
Paul's a very good lawyer.
Is he good enough to
bring a frivolous motion
just to trick a judge
into tipping our hand?
Then he's got all the
reasonable doubt he needs.
Not under my theory
of the case, he doesn't.
[knocking on door]
The grand jury just
returned a single indictment
against officer Kevin Atwater
for first-degree murder.
What about the others?
- Nothing.
- [sighs]
So much for getting somewhere new.
I want an arrest warrant on Atwater,
issued within the hour,
and executed immediately thereafter.
I'm sure Atwater will surrender himself.
You just worry about
how you're gonna counter
all the reasonable doubt you
just handed Mr. Robinette.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
This action by the grand jury today
is a strong mandate to this office
to pursue the charges
against officer Kevin Atwater
to the fullest extent the law allows.
And this is just an example
of how the system
works on its own power,
without the unnecessary civil unrest
we've seen in too many other cities.
Now it truly saddens me
to bring the weight of this office down
upon a member of law enforcement,
but Mr. Wilkes and his family
deserve nothing less.
You know, when someone needs help,
they dial 911. Who shows up?
- You really want to do this?
- I'll tell you what.
It's not a lawyer. We show up.
And we don't know what we're gonna find.
Let's say Atwater
didn't tackle that punk.
Let's say he approached him,
and said, "Excuse me, sir,
"I saw you selling illegal
narcotics on a street corner.
Would you mind very much
coming to the station with me,
so I can lock you up
for the next 30 years?"
You know what happens then?
That punk pulls a
Glock 22 from his pants,
and that's all she wrote for Atwater.
Don't forget, Dawson,
you are no longer CPD.
♪ ♪
Believe me, I won't.
♪ ♪
Atwater is just a guy, you know.
Worse than some, maybe...
but better than most.
And you tell me, what kind of prick
goes out of his way to
ruin a man like that?
♪ ♪
Simply, the victim
suffered blunt force trauma
to his rib cage, causing it to splinter.
A shard of bone nicked the aorta,
causing slow but steady bleeding.
Could this have caused the trauma?
Yes, if the victim had landed on a rock
or something like that.
Or this?
[grunting]
That's a lot bigger than a rock... yes.
Thank you.
How long after such a nick of the aorta
would it take for Mr. Wilkes to die?
Perhaps six or seven
hours, depending on how...
I show you what has
been marked as People's 3,
Mr. Wilkes's Certificate of Death.
- What time does it say he died?
- 4:06 p.m.
Huh, now, according to the time stamp
on the videos Mr. Stone just showed you,
Officer Atwater's last
so-called act of violence
occurred at 7:10 a.m.
According to your testimony,
he should've been dead...
At the latest... 2:10.
- Isn't that correct?
- It's possible that...
Yes or no?
- Sure.
- Right, so it's possible.
No, it's scientifically probable
that neither of the events
involving Officer Atwater
caused Mr. Wilkes's death.
Isn't that correct, Dr. Fletcher?
- There's no way of...
- Yes or no, Doctor?
Yes.
I suppose that's why Mr.
Stone tried to indict the EMTs
that brought Mr. Wilkes to the hospital.
- Objection.
- And the doctors who...
- Objection.
- Does counsel deny
they were all targets of the grand jury?
- Your Honor...
- Do I have to put you
- on the stand to verify?
- That's enough, Mr. Robinette.
The jury will ignore any
mention of the grand jury.
No more questions.
Redirect, Your Honor?
Go ahead.
How precise was your estimation
of six or seven hours?
If defense counsel had let me finish,
I would have said that the time needed
for death by exsanguination varies,
according to the individual's
particular circulatory system.
So it could've taken
longer than seven hours
- for him to die?
- Yes.
Thank you.
I saw the police
officer arrest Mr. Wilkes.
You're referring to Officer Atwater?
That's him over there.
He nearly knocked me
over when he ran past me.
I was carrying my groceries.
He chased Justin around the corner,
and then a couple of minutes later,
he brought Justin back in handcuffs.
Did Mr. Wilkes appear injured to you?
He was kind've bent over.
It looked like he was
in a lot of pain...
Like he was having
trouble walking on his own.
Thank you.
Sounds like you knew Mr. Wilkes
- from the neighborhood.
- We say hi.
So, you knew that he was a drug dealer?
He didn't need to die for it.
Non-responsive... Motion to strike?
Granted.
The jury will disregard
the witness's last remark.
Have you ever been arrested, Ms. Davis?
- Uh, relevance?
- Credibility, Your Honor?
I'll allow it.
No, I've never been arrested.
Has anyone in your immediate
family ever been arrested?
- Objection.
- Overruled.
My brother, James.
He was sitting on the L.
Hm. Why was he arrested?
They said he was disturbing the peace.
He was on his way to the United Center.
His teacher gave him a
ticket to see the Bulls.
I guess being black on
the L disturbs some people.
So what you're saying, Ms. Davis,
is that your testimony in this case
may in fact be prejudiced
by your general dislike
for the police force?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
No more questions.
- We shouldn't be talking.
- I'll arrest myself.
What do you want me say?
"It's okay"?
"Thanks for trying, Antonio"?
- Hey, come on.
- 'Cause it's not okay, Antonio.
I did what I could.
Yeah, it's too bad for me, huh?
Too bad it wasn't good enough.
[laughs]
How long we ride together, Antonio?
Look at you.
You moved on.
Got a bigger and better house.
Look, if it makes a difference,
the vibe around the SA's office
is your lawyer's kicking ass.
You know that doesn't mean anything.
I got a badge.
I'm guilty. Case closed.
- You don't know.
- I know I watched a black woman
testify against me in court today,
and look at me like I'm turning my back
on my people,
a people who's been
shut out of restaurants,
schools, shot with firehoses, lynched.
Why does your boss have to look at me
like I'm the one doing the lynching?
I see a guy doing his job.
Well, I see my brothers and my sister
being tossed into a motel,
because we got death threats.
That's not what I signed up for
when I got on this job, Antonio.
Why didn't you say something?
They're moving in with me.
- After you're cleared...
- It's too late.
Stone's taking something from me
I'm not gonna be able to get back.
So forget it.
You know, you might be right.
Maybe I did rough up
Wilkes a little bit more
than I should have.
Maybe I did kill Wilkes.
- That's crazy, Kev.
- No, it's not.
Because how many times
have you grabbed a bad guy
a little tighter than you should have?
Hit him harder than you should have?
I mean... [laughs]
This is what we do.
This is payback.
No, it's...
What we did... What we do...
We do it for the right reasons.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Keep shooting, huh?
♪ ♪
What?
You ever think about the
power we have as prosecutors?
I don't like you, you look at me funny,
I can drag you in front of
a grand jury for something.
Anything.
And so what if it gets no-billed?
The mere act of accusing
you can destroy your life.
It's a little late in your career
for a crisis of conscience.
Robinette was right in court today.
I had plenty of other targets.
But the people of Cook
County indicted only one of 'em.
I just got off the phone
with Reverend Fitch.
He feels things aren't going our way.
How much of what I told him was a lie?
It's a coin toss,
and I'm out of witnesses.
What about the jailhouse snitch?
Carrera?
I'm not sure he's credible.
That's the jury's job, not yours.
[sighs]
Do you know for a fact the man's lying?
No.
Then talk to him.
I was in the next cell over.
The guy looked all busted up.
You're referring to Mr. Wilkes?
Yeah, that's right.
Mr. Wilkes was moaning and groaning
like I don't know what.
I asked him if he was okay.
- Did he respond?
- Yeah.
He puked all over me.
Did he say anything?
He said that the cop that arrested him
beat the hell out of him.
[indistinct murmuring]
And you're testifying here today
as part of a plea
deal. Isn't that right?
Yeah.
I was in a barroom fight. The guy died.
I-I didn't mean for that to happen.
You knocked down the...
The charges to
involuntary manslaughter...
- Two-year sentence.
- Thank you, Mr. Carrera.
That's enough for today.
You can begin your cross-examination
tomorrow morning, Mr. Robinette.
- [knocking on door]
- Yeah?
How about we talk?
Between you and me,
did you believe a word Carrera said?
- That's not my role.
- Come on, Peter.
We're talking about
a man's liberty here.
- Your father...
- My father?
Screw my father.
Maybe he can live with
one foot in heaven.
- And you can't?
- And neither can you.
You left him just like I did, Paul.
I'm not the only acorn
under the damn tree.
[sighs]
That's his, uh, special
purpose in life, you know...
To make everyone around him take note
of their own imperfections.
Hell of a world, isn't it?
A murderer has more
credibility than a cop.
[scoffs]
Let's end this.
[laughs] Well, that's pretty drastic.
Atwater pleas to aggravated assault.
Six months probation.
Involuntary man. He does a year.
Fine.
- Atwater's okay with that?
- He knows the alternative.
♪ ♪
Do you understand the terms of the plea?
♪ ♪
I do.
Please state in your
own words what happened.
♪ ♪
I observed Mr. Wilkes
in what appeared to be a narcotics sale.
I got out of my car. He saw me and fled.
I chased him down.
♪ ♪
I didn't mean to,
but I guess I was too rough with him.
♪ ♪
He died.
♪ ♪
- A year's not that bad, considering.
I don't want to talk about it.
Yeah, that's gonna be
a problem, 'cause I do.
I have these friends... The
Durells, identical twins.
One day in the schoolyard,
Davey, or Dougie... I
can't remember which one...
He gets pissed at the other,
and they start pounding on each other.
Finally, the teacher breaks it up.
And since I'm the only witness,
he asks me who started it.
Now, I don't want to pick sides...
They're both my buddies...
So I say, "I don't know.
I can't tell 'em apart."
That's a nice story.
Yeah, I think so.
Only they both got suspended.
The thing is,
I knew it was Dougie
that started the fight.
To this day, I beat myself up,
because deep down, I
know the right thing to do
was to pick a side and stick with it.
Anyway, if I ever get in a jam,
I'm happy to have you as my partner.
[chuckles softly]
The EMTs and the doctors all
said Wilkes was drunk, right?
- Yeah.
- There's no blood tox report here.
[sighs] I play ball with Atwater.
I can barely keep up with him.
How does a drunk take him
on a run around the block
before getting caught?
The only person who didn't say
Wilkes was drunk was Atwater.
How did Stone not
look for the tox report?
Wilkes was a victim.
It didn't matter to his
case if he was drunk.
There's nothing in his booking report
saying that Wilkes was covered in puke.
So if he was clean
when he got to lockup,
but he wasn't when the
paramedics picked him up...
I'm thinking a punch
hard enough to crack a rib
might make me nauseous.
And the only place that
could've happened was lockup.
The snitch, Carerra...
He testified Wilkes vomited on him.
He also testified he was in another cell.
You called this meeting.
What can we do for you fine people?
We're here to offer you a deal.
- We already have a deal.
- That one's null and void.
It was contingent upon your client
telling us the truth.
We have reason to believe
he's lying through his teeth.
- About what?
- Everything.
Police records show you and Wilkes
- were in the same cell.
- That son of a bitch was drunk.
He puked on me.
I asked the guard to move me.
Hey, I still heard what I heard.
Problem is, Wilkes didn't
have any alcohol in his system.
I didn't know about any of this.
Well, right now, that's
neither here nor there.
If I were you, I would
explain to my client
the consequences of his lie.
If you lied, we can't
hold them to the deal.
And?
Perjury will get you five years.
And?
The murder charge
in the barroom killing
carries a minimum 20-year sentence.
Very good. It pays to keep up.
Now tell him the difference between
concurrent and consecutive sentences.
- I know that.
- The choice is yours.
Oh, and I almost forgot.
I'm charging you with
killing Justin Wilkes.
So what'll it be, Mr. Carrera?
Concurrent or consecutive?
Two murders and perjury?
Keeps me waiting, I'm sure
I can think of something else.
That punk ass should've
given me a smoke.
You killed him for a cigarette?
Look...
I didn't know that guy was gonna die.
So...
let's make a deal?
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Based upon newly discovered evidence,
the people move to vacate
Officer Atwater's earlier plea,
and dismiss all charges against him.
I assume you have no problem
with that, Mr. Robinette?
The defense has no objection.
One more thing, Your Honor?
Go ahead.
[stirring music]
Part of what we do as prosecutors
is to make decisions that
might destroy the lives
of innocent people.
We do our best to make those decisions
without prejudice or pride.
Sometimes...
we get it wrong.
♪ ♪
Officer Atwater,
on behalf of the
State's Attorney's Office
and all the people of Cook County,
I'm sorry.
[indistinct murmuring]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
♪ ♪
I think he'd be proud.
Of both of us.
♪ ♪
Pursuing justice is a messy business,
and yes, it took us awhile
to dig it out of the muck,
but in the end,
the truth emerged victorious.
[knocking on door]
[TV silences]
I figure I owe you an apology.
Forget about it.
Nah, I was pissed at the world.
I took it out on you.
I probably deserved it.
Well, anyway...
Yeah.
[poignant music]
♪ ♪
[line trilling]
♪ ♪
Hey, Pop? It's me.