For Life (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Promises - full transcript

serving a life sentence
for something I didn't do.

Being a prison paralegal,
representing fellow inmates ‐‐

that's my only commodity.

Being a lawyer,
proving my innocence ‐‐

that's how I'm gonna
get myself out of here.

Every day, every second I'm not
there for her...for you...

Are you saying
the District Attorney's
office is racist?

There's no question
the system's broke

for anybody who doesn't have
power or money.

Maskins,
who's in a neck‐and‐neck battle

for Attorney General
against Anya Harrison.



You didn't tell me

Aaron Wallace was going
scorched earth on Maskins.

I'm gonna need you
to let things cool down

till after the election.

That was the deal
we made with Maskins.

It's gonna be a blessing, Dad.

But you have to get out of here
to be a part of it.

In the outside world,
you make all kinds of promises.

Promises you think
you can keep.

In here,
we don't call them promises.

We call them debts.

And right now, I owe a big one
to the wrong kinds of people.

There's gonna be
a lot of my fellow inmates

who don't like that...



...but if you set everything up
just right,

play one debt against another,

you can sometimes get
what you need the most ‐‐

another chance.

We need to upgrade

our security checks
and surveillance.

Do you need me
for this?

Uh, no.

Why don't you round up medical
staff for a status report?

Sure.
And if I'm not there in 20,
you can get started.

Sit down.

I didn't know
you ate here.

Talk the talk,
gotta walk the walk.

I met with
the Prison Board yesterday,

and my only chance
of shutting down solitary

is if I can show
some extenuating circumstances

around Knox
and his assault charge.

I told you,
repping Joey's

gonna cost me big time
in my community.

Have a look at this.

Joey walks right up
to Lassiter.

No provocation.

Something feels wrong
to me.

You know,
maybe there's history.

What do you need?

My police file.

I'm gonna sue the NYPD
to release it.

It'll be litigated
outside the Bronx,

the DA's office
won't be mentioned,

and I swear, no press.

You won't be able
to control that.

Petition gets filed
in Manhattan Criminal Court.

They won't be
looking for me there.

Anybody shows, I say,
"No comment."

Without this file,
I have nothing.

Manhattan.

No mention of Maskins.

No.

And no press.

Deal.

Look alive, Knox.

You got a visitor.

The hell
are you doing here?

Wild Bill
asked me to come.

I owe the man
a solid.

Yeah?
What for?

Daugherty forged a letter
for me...

...which I used
in my last case.

Let's just say
Jose Rodriguez

is walking around
a free man right now.

That supposed to
impress me?

I saw your record.

Six years,
no violent incidents,

no trouble
with custody.

And suddenly you haul off
and go after a guard?

You see the video
of the fight?

He provoke you?
You afraid to rat him out?

I ain't afraid...

and I ain't no rat.

You know
how soft this warden is.

Give me half a shot,

I can get you
back into gen pop.

Cell, yard restrictions,
maybe phone,

but there's something to
be done here, I'm telling you.

Yeah.

Maybe I'll think
about that.

Now get the hell out.

Henry Roswell.
On the visitor list.
Yeah? To see who?

Boy,
you really get off

on that miniscule piece
of authority.

You know
I'm here for Wallace.

Yo, Aaron, you seeing
that Roswell dude again today?

What is it to you,
Bobby D?

Mind ya business.

I'm just sayin',

maybe he can
sponsor me, too.

No reason
I can't be a lawyer.

Yeah.

All you gotta do
is spend the next seven years

getting your degree
and passing the bar.

By the time that happens,
I'll be out.

Maybe I can sponsor you.

First you gotta
learn how to read.

Submitting requests

to access your files
from the DA's office

is one thing.

Suing the NYPD ‐‐

that's a whole
different beast.

Well, last I checked,
I was in here for life.

What do I care
about rattling cages?

Because you're
still new at this

and you're already
two strikes down

because of who you are.

You get a reputation
for frivolous litigation,

judges are gonna
start denying you

without even reading
your arguments.

Well,
I looked it up.

A writ of mandamus
is appropriate here.

Aaron,
this is like demanding

that the commissioner
of baseball

force the New York Yankees
to fire their manager.

It's just not done.

Not until now.

Don't you understand
everyone's watching you?

You made sure of that already
by talking to the press.

I've been in here
nine years.

Nine years, they've been
denying me information

I got a right to see
by law.

Now, you got any better ideas
on how I can fight this?

If so, I'm all ears.

No, I don't.

Look,
I know it's a Hail Mary.

But I really need
your help.

There's not gonna be
a lot of precedents out there,

but I'll get you
what I can.

Thank you, Henry.

At your service.
As always.

I got Henry running down
some research for me.

Hopefully,
he finds something.

If not,
I'm gonna have to wing it.

Wing it?

Well, not really,
but let's just say

I'm a bit more motivated
to get all this moving.

Oh, must have been a ton
landing on you.

She's 17, Marie.

We're gonna be grandparents.

Do you think if you were here,
it wouldn't have happened?

Not on you.
On me.

Don't do that
to yourself.

I've already had
enough sleepless nights

over this
for the both of us.

I think it's about time
I met Ronnie.

Yeah.

I'll talk to Jazz
about getting him up there.

Aaron?

Aaron.

Sorry.
A guard just walked by.

I better go.

Good luck in court.

Let me know
how it goes.

Yeah, I will.

Bye, Marie.

The blue one.

Surprised to hear
you took Joey Knox's case.

I am prisoner rep.

Are you?

Or is it warden rep?

I get on this bus,

that's an "order to produce"
from the court.

Warden's got
no jurisdiction over this.

Come on.

One notation
in your file

that you're
a disciplinary problem...

What's your point,
Captain?

Point is ‐‐
you oughta be more concerned

about how my boys
are gonna feel

with you defending
that Nazi dirtbag

than gettin' favors
from the warden.

Make sure
he gets to court on time.

Suing the police,
huh?

Good luck.

A writ of mandamus?

Used to compel
a government agency ‐‐

Yeah, I understand
what a writ does, counselor,

but whipping it out here's

like using a sledgehammer
to drive a finishing nail.

The great writ is supposed to be
a last resort.

Which it is,
Your Honor.

Nine years,
a dozen requests ‐‐

Of the District Attorney's
office, not the NYPD.

You're all working
together. I'm not wasting
any more time asking.

Well, I'm sorry
you're feeling inconvenienced,

but filing a writ
for this particular file

is totally premature since
the information relates
to ongoing investigations.

What investigations?

Can you name
a single conviction,

even one indictment?
Mm.

He's fishing, Your Honor,
which one might conclude

has something to do
with the drug operation

he's probably conducting
from within the prison.

Probably?

Is that the best you got,
or do you have some evidence?

Do you?

Nothing substantive,
Your Honor.
Right.

But the man
was sentenced

to life in prison
as a drug kingpin.

Which has nothing to do
with my right to due process.

So, I'm gonna ask you again.

Have there been
any additional indictments

based on
this supposed investigation?

Not that I'm aware of.

Mr. Velarde, I understand the
sensitive nature of these files,

but after nine years, you best
come back here with detectives

and some substance regarding the
nature of this investigation.

I'll give you
three more days.

Good? Done.

Nah, it was huge.

If I can see
all the evidence

they used,
what they didn't use,

this could open up
everything for me.
That's amazing, Dad.

I mean, Mom said
you were killing it.

Oh, she did?
Yeah.

She saw
what you did for Jose.

Just wish I was there.

Aww.
Me too, sweetheart.

Maybe next time.

Anyway, how you feeling?

I've been fine.

No morning sickness
or anything.

That's good.
And Ronnie?

He coming up here?
Uh...

not sure exactly when.

But go easy on him,
okay?

I'm just gonna
talk to the kid.

See, that's what I mean when
I say "go easy on him," Dad.

He's not a kid.

Give him the respect
he deserves.

You always were the smartest
person in the family.

So, you're gonna be chill,
right?

I'll be chill.

Listen...

there's a few things
I gotta take care of over here,

so, um,
I'm gonna run, okay?

Well,
I'm happy about your case.

And I really do hope

you pissed off
the District Attorney.

Well, I think I did.

How the hell
could this have gone down

without my office
being notified?

No, I‐I am not
coming to you.

You send counsel for the NYPD
to my office.

One hour.

And he'd better have
some answers for me.

I promise,
no more depositions.

Yeah, no, no.

I hear you, but that's not
'til the hearing next week.

Come in!

Listen, someone just
walked in my office.

Gotta call you back.

Thought your license
was suspended.

11 more months.
Consulting 'til then.

Three DUIs
in two years.

Sponsored Wallace
before anyone noticed.

Good thing they can't rescind
his Character and Fitness

just 'cause it turns out
I don't have any.

I just find it hard to believe
you didn't call me,

find out the real story
about this guy

before sticking your neck out
for him.

Well,
I was pretty drunk.

Now that you're sober?

Seems like
an even better decision.

I've seen
the court records.

Smells like you were playing
footloose and fancy‐free

with witnesses,
discovery, snitches ‐‐

Then let him
prove that.

Hard to,

without seeing what you
and the cops are withholding.

'Course,
that's what you count on.

Dragging your feet
with your limitless resources,

grinding people down ‐‐

Holy smokes, pal,
what happened to you?

Moral clarity.

You oughta
try it some time.

So, you're helping him?

Not exactly a law library
at Bellmore, no Internet.

I run down some case law
from time to time.

Ah, you're his paralegal.
How cute.

I'd beware, Glen.

He's out for blood

and he's already a better lawyer
than I ever was.

Doesn't make him innocent.

Of course,
you have to say that,

especially after
you got elected

off those splashy headlines
nine years ago.

I thought
we were friends.

We were never friends.
We used each other.
Oh, for God's sake.

Grow up.
Get off your cross.

All those pleas we made,

the wheeling and dealing
with people's lives ‐‐

You were a public defender.
It's part of the job.

Then the water I carried
for you and the other
law‐and‐order bastards

when I was in the Senate,

the legislation we passed
protecting police misconduct?

We ruined people's lives.

How many lives, Glen,
while we were doing our jobs?

Yo, Phil.

I heard you used to bunk
with Joey Knox.

Not for a while,
but yeah.

He's been thrown in the hole
for smacking the CO.

He ever have a beef?

With custody?
Yeah.

Nah.
Not with custody.

With who, then?

Why don't you ask
Wild Bill?

I'm asking you.

Something about what went down
doesn't fly.

You give me something,
you know I can hook you up.

I saw him
the morning of the fight,

in the cafeteria.

He was spooked
about something.

And how do you know?

He say something
to you?

You spend three years
in a cell with somebody,

you can read them
from across the room.

And he was spooked.

We're gonna need to review
some video footage

from last Thursday.

Here's the order
from the superintendent.

He shouldn't even
be in here.

He's the prisoner rep.

Now cue it up.

He's asking for help.

He's scared.

I need to see Knox.

He's not interested.

Said you should
take a hike.

A hundred brothers wanting you
to take their case...

...and you working
for Adolf.

You having trouble protecting
your people these days?

Now, why would you say
something like that?

I saw
some security‐cam footage.

Looked to me
like Joey was begging a guard

to pull him
out of gen pop.

Joey say that?

He'd never admit
to wanting protection.

The guard never put in
to help him.

An hour later,
he assaulted Lassiter.

Only one reason
that could be ‐‐

he wanted
to be put in solitary.

No, I‐I know that Joey got into
some trouble on the side,

but he never mentioned
anything to me.

And why wouldn't he?

If you're his "Daddy."

You're the one
he's afraid of.

Listen, your job
was to get Joey out.

I don't care
what your theory is.

That was
our arrangement,

so just fulfill
your obligations, okay?

You alright?

Yeah.

That happen
in school, too?

Don't know why they call it
morning sickness.

It's so much worse
in the afternoons.

Well, it's different
for everybody.

And I know it feels like
your stomach doesn't want to,

but you gotta
eat some crackers

or some small snacks
throughout the day.

It'll help.

Okay.
Mm‐hmm.

How are you feeling about
how it went with your father?

Good.

Relieved.

Ronnie next up?

I just found out
he never told his parents

where Dad actually is.

It never came up
when you were over there?

It's not
exactly something

I'm dying
to talk to people about.

Especially not them.

Well,
what do they think?

That he's in Sacramento

and just doesn't
come around much.

Guess it was early on

before Ronnie knew
we were gonna be serious,

then he didn't know
how to come clean.

Well,
now would be the time.
I know.

But he's just so nervous about
going up there to see Dad.

Didn't need his parents
furious at him on top of it.

You want me
to give him a ride?

I'm sorry all this extra stuff
ends up on your plate.

It's life, right?

Come here.

I'm gonna
get ready for bed.

Don't forget to brush
your teeth, honey.

Yeah.
Both of you.

Got it.
Thank you.

Love you.

I got a call
from Maskins today.

He considers Aaron Wallace's
appearance in Manhattan

a violation
of our agreement,

threatened to call
the Post...

Oh.

...if you didn't get Wallace
to stand down.

That's ridiculous.
And what'd you say?

I said
I'd get back to him,

but part of me thinks
if Maskins is this scared,

we should just
let Wallace go.

You've only been at the prison
less than six months.

Roswell is the one
who sponsored him.

At the end of the day,

I can't see
how we're that exposed.

It's a risk.

It's all a risk,

no matter
which way we play it.

As long
as you have that job,

people are going to point to
nepotism, conflict of interest.

We can't let them
push us around.

If you think you have a handle
on Wallace,

you just have to do
what you feel is right.

Get in here.
Show you how this thing is done.

Give me ‐‐ Give me a minute,
alright?

Don't touch my choice.

What?

Huh?
What, what, what?

Wild Bill wants Joey
out the hole so he can off him.

Alright, well ‐‐
Alright, well, get him out.

Serve him up.
That's one less Nazi.

I might be able
to sell that to my side.

That wouldn't exactly
be consistent with my oath.

Listen, man,
you already got a problem

with the guards
and the brothers.

You fail Wild Bill,
you done hit the trifecta.

Yeah, I gotta find some way
to thread the needle.

Yeah.
Got any intel for me?

Uh...nah,
you so radioactive,

I shouldn't even be
rocking with you right now, man.

But I need this, Jamal.

Alright, let me ‐‐ let me ‐‐
let me ‐‐ let me poke around,

alright?
Thanks, man.

Alright, but next time,
let me find you first.

Huh?

Ah! Ah, man, get away
with that, man.

So, you want to play
like that, huh?

Telling you, it's enough, man.
Let it go!

So, that's how it is, huh?
I ain't got
nothing for you.

You gonna
play me like that now?
Yeah, that's ‐‐ that's ‐‐
that's how that's going.

Alright,
forget you, man.

Alright, we got the doubles.
Y'all need some knuckles?

Alright, Jamal.

You was
waiting on me, huh?

Jazz said
he's going to court soon,

try and get
his police file.

Mm‐hmm.

If he wins, then he's going to
get a new trial?

I wouldn't count on that,
Ronnie.

And I wouldn't get her hopes up
about it, either.

It's gonna be a long process,
no matter what.

Next.

Hey, Jen.
Hey!

How you doing?
How's your son?

Oh. Eight months
'til he graduates.

Yay!
Oh.

We're still waiting to hear
from some colleges.

Okay.
Where's Jasmine?

It's just this one.

I'm gonna
wait out here.

Okay.
ID, please.

Oh, yeah.

Hey. Yeah.

Ronnie?

Hey,
Mr. Wallace.

I‐I was able to get up here
a couple days early.

Hope that's okay.
I asked you.

You're here.
I appreciate it.

Take a seat.

I'm sure you have
a pretty good idea

why I want
to talk to you.

Well...

I want you to know
I love Jasmine.

I always planned to marry her
and have a family.

We're just a little bit
ahead of schedule now.

Yeah.
Just a little bit.

We're still
going to college.

Only change is
now we'll both be close to home.

And my parents are gonna help
take care of the baby,

and Marie and Darius,
of course.

You know, she always wanted
to go to California for school.

I know.

And now she's giving up
on that dream?

Yeah.
Well,
I don't want this

to become the beginning
of a pattern,

her giving up on
things she wants.

It won't be.
Well,
you say that now,

but you have no clue
what it's like to be a parent.

And I know
my daughter.

She's gonna want
to be there for that boy.

So, I need you
to remember what I'm saying.

Any sacrifices to be made,
you make them with her.

Any load to be carried,
you carry it with her.

You will not leave her
holding the bag.

I understand, sir.
I won't.

Then you and me
will get along just fine.

Jamal says check
your client's medical records.

You a damn sellout.

Get out of my face,
Walter.

Hey, Walter, what's up?
We gonna have a problem?

Hey, I'm cool, yo.

He's a damn leech.

But I'm cool.

Prison politics.

No reason for Jasmine

to hear anything about this,
you hear me?

But I‐I don't even understand
what just happened.

I told them
I don't want to see you.
Yeah, yeah, I got it.

I need you
to sign this.

It says you're forgoing
a right to a hearing.

Now I know what was really
going on between you two.

Now, I can keep it
on the down‐low

if you testify
at the hearing.

Hey.

His life's at stake,
Phil.

Now, I swear,
the warden can protect you.

Where did you get these?

Well, you signed
a release for 'em.

You mo‐‐
I'm not gonna make you
testify about it.

I got Phil Lee
to do that for you.

Are you crazy?

I can't have
a hearing.

What if I told you...

that I can get you
transferred?

Somewhere out of state, where
they don't even know Wild Bill.

You can't get that done.
No, you're right.
I can't.

But the warden can,
and she'll listen to me.

And I have to sit there?

Well, I can't have a hearing
without my client.

Seven months ago, Joey was
admitted into the infirmary

after being attacked
in the shower.

While in the infirmary,

prison doctors discovered
that he had syphilis,

which he had contracted
a few weeks earlier.

Now, my client won't testify,
but we have Phil Lee,

Inmate 01‐C‐439,
to shed some light on all this.

Now, Mr. Lee, you used to
share a cell with Joey Knox?

Yes.

And the two of you were in
a sexual relationship?

We were.

Mr. Lee's medical records
shows he also has syphilis.

Now, is it a coincidence
that Joey got beaten up

shortly after contracting
the venereal disease?

No.

So,
what happened?

He started to get sores.

People saw him
in the shower.

They knew we shared a cell,
they put it together.

When you say...
"they"?

I can't say for sure,

but everyone knows
the tattoos Joey has

and how men with those tattoos
feel about people like me.

So,
Joey got a beating?

As a warning.

And after that, the COs changed
your cell assignment?

We both
asked for it.

For his safety.

And in the seven months
since then?

We stayed away
from each other.

Until last week.

He never wanted to be
part of that gang.

He told me
he only joined it

so he could be
protected here.

I guess that's the irony.

And when Joey Knox approached
you, what happened next?

He said,
"What the hell

are you looking at me
like that for?"

I said
I wasn't looking at him

and that he'd better watch
his mouth and keep walking.

And then he jumped you?

Then he jumped me.

Ever have a problem
with Joey Knox before?

No.

Talk to him much?

Once or twice.

And when he came at you,
where'd he hit you?

Went for my chest,
kind of pushed me, you know?

Your face looks pretty clean.
Not too banged up.

I handled him
pretty easily.

Then Bromell
came running in.

And did he resist much
at that point?

Nah.

I think he realized
what was good for him.

So, you were working
on Joey Knox's pod

the day
of the alleged assault?
That's right.

Do you remember what he said
to you on that day?

About what?

This is footage
recorded at 2:13 p. m.

the day of the fight.

54 minutes before,
to be exact.

Now, looks to me like
Joey's in some kind of distress.

I'm not trying to get anybody
into any trouble here.

All I'm trying to do
is figure out

why Joey Knox
would start a fight

with a CO he barely knew

after being in Bellmore
six years

without any kind
of violent incident.

I think my guard
would probably like

to speak to his union rep
at this point.

Mr. Henderson is not
being charged with anything,

and my client
will waive all complaint.

We just want
to get to the truth here.

He said
he wanted to go to solitary,

that he needed protection.

And what
did you tell him?

I said
I'd look into it.

But why didn't you
remove him right away

after he just told you
he was afraid for his life?

I wasn't sure about
the protocols with solitary.

I figured I'd check
with my shift commander.

Now, is that
the real reason,

or was it because
you know what gang Joey's in?

You don't
have to answer that.

I'm just wondering if it
would have gone down differently

with a different inmate.

No, we understand
what you're implying.

Did you go
to your shift commander?

I started the paperwork,

then I got sidetracked with
an incident in the rec room.

Sidetracked?

After he just told you
he was afraid for his life?

Man,
don't put this on me.
I won't,
unless you earned it.

Now,
wait a minute here.

You did go to your
shift commander, didn't you?

I went, but by the time
I got there,

Joey'd already attacked
Lassiter,

and he was in the hole.

So, where's this paperwork you
supposedly started to fill out?

Figured it didn't matter
much anymore, so...

I tossed it.

Now, that is not
the proper protocol,

and you know that.

I think we both know
what this means, Captain.

The violation is dismissed,

and the inmate is discharged
from disciplinary sanctions.

I will leave it
to the prisoner rep

and the superintendent

to determine how
Mr. Knox can best be protected.

Thank you.

I didn't do this
for you.

And I don't care
what you think about those tats.

You wear 'em...
you one of 'em.

I didn't think
you were going there,

given your "community."

I did
what I had to do.

I'd really like
to go after Wild Bill.

We can't hang
Phil Lee out to dry.

Anyway, his testimony
is all hearsay,

and Joey
will never roll.

We've got to get him
out of here, that's for sure.

Yeah, somewhere Wild Bill
can't touch him.

Saves his life,
your reforms, and my rep.

How's that?

As long as my community see
I wasn't Wild Bill's bitch,

then I'm cool.

My bigger problem
might be with the COs.

I'll give Henderson
a slap on the wrist.

That'll help you
and buy me a bit of good will.

Slow and steady
wins the race.

That's not exactly
your motto.

So, what's going on
with your own case?

Big day's tomorrow.

And if I win, I'm gonna need
to get back out there.

And it'll be the Bronx.

Going after Maskins again.

That's not
what we talked about.

No.

What changed?

Like you said,
Maskins wins the election,

he'll take away
my license.

If all I've been doing
is sitting around here waiting,

then I'd be a fool.

I thought you said you had
nothing without your file.

So why are we even
talking about this now?

Hmm...

I thought I kind of had you
at a good moment.

Come back to me
if you win.

Whoa, whatchu doing,
Wallace?

It's my daughter.

Well,
this isn't visiting time.

The judge
ain't even here yet.

What, you want me
sitting at my table,

looking over at her?

Come on, man.

Three minutes.

Hey.
Don't get up.

What you doin' here?

You're supposed to be
in school.

All I had was PE and music
at the end of the day.

I told people
I wasn't feeling well,

which they're inclined
to believe.

I met Ronnie.

Seems like
he really loves you.

He was pretty wigged out about
going all the way up there.

But I guess
it'll just take time.

For him
to get used to it.

Yeah.

All rise!

Upon deeper review
of the files in question,

it became clear that
no witnesses would be required

for today's proceedings.

Really?
Mm‐hmm.

Uh, section 82,
subdivision E

of the
Public Officer's Law

allows the police department
to withhold these records

if they will identify
a confidential source.

You got
a new source?

What's he saying?

Been rotting in prison
for nine years.

What's he got to add?

Well, this is unrelated to
Mr. Wallace's original arrest,

but it is someone
identified more recently

as part of
the ongoing investigation.

What? Who?

Mine's completely redacted.

Well, that's the crux of it,
Your Honor.

We cannot disclose who.

Where did
this new source come from?

He didn't mention this
the last time he was here.

Did the DA's office
invent him?

I don't appreciate
that insinuation, Mr. Wallace,

unless you have
some kind of proof ‐‐

I'd have proof, Your Honor,
if I could have my file.

If I may continue.

Under subdivision F,
the state believes

that the disclosure
of these records

could endanger the life
of this source.

Now you're saying
I'd have this person killed?

Please address your arguments
to the bench, Mr. Wallace,

not to opposing counsel.

Given Mr. Wallace's
history

and access
to the criminal elements

of a maximum security
prison ‐‐
History?!

I ‐‐ I've never
been accused

or convicted of violence
at any time.

This is all a smokescreen,
Your Honor ‐‐

Detectives were supposed to
show up here today.

Instead, we get
this new piece of paper ‐‐

Your Honor,
it's perfectly clear

the defense has no legitimate
argument to make here.

I know he has
his law license,

but he's still
a convicted felon.

Given this new set
of circumstances,

I see no reason
to grant access.

I'm sorry, Mr. Wallace.

Let me see my daughter.
Come on, man.

Hey, sweetheart.
Don't worry about it, alright?

It'll be okay,
sweetheart.

I promise you,
I'm gonna get out of here.

Don't cry, please.

Hello?

It's Aaron.
Is she alright?

Wish she wouldn't have
gone there today.

Yeah, I know.
Me either.

She was so shook,

I had to go to the court
to get her.

She had to wait
an hour and a half

for me
to get over there.

Marie texted me
she was alright.

She will be.
She's upstairs resting.

You there now?

Of course I am.

Thank you.

And for reaching out.

Very responsible.

You know, I thought about
what you said to me

when I was up there ‐‐
about what she's given up.

Nobody wants to tell you
these things,

but you should know ‐‐

she let go of California
last year.

So she could be
near you.

She never told me.

You know how much better
her grades would be,

how many more
after‐school activities

she'd have on her record

if she didn't spend so much
time going up there to see you?

You're talking to me
about her making sacrifices ‐‐

you have no idea what
she's already given up for you.

She's not gonna like it,
but I'm gonna tell her

I don't want her going up there
every week.

She doesn't need
to be on the road like that,

five hours round trip.

Pregnant, exhausted,

trying to keep up
with her schoolwork.

It's not right.

It's just not right.

Listen.

Tell her to get
her head straight, alright?

I will, too.

I‐I'm sorry
about your case,

and I hope
you're staying safe in there.

Thank you, Ronnie.

You spend
most of your time in here

paying off debts
to prove your worth,

trying to keep your promises
to the people on the outside.

In the end,
no matter what you do,

they're all gonna judge you.

They're gonna gather evidence
to decide who you are.

You just hope they can still
see what's good in you,

because your life
may depend on it.

You wanted him out,
I got him out.

Look, I don't control
what the warden does.

You miss Joey so bad,

why don't you see
if she can transfer you?

To be continued,
boy.

Let him go.

I saw it
as my civic duty

to sponsor someone as
intelligent as Aaron Wallace.

And clearly, he proved
in his first case last week

he has what it takes
to run circles

around Glen Maskins
and his people.

I guess that's why the police
refused to give Mr. Wallace

the records from his case.

They're afraid.

When we made
that deal ‐‐

you help me
with Joey Knox,

I let you sue the police
in Manhattan ‐‐

you already knew you weren't
gonna settle for that.

You were planning on
asking for more.

So why didn't you
say it then?

I thought I had to
prove myself first.

And now
you didn't get your file.

So, how would you even
fight your case?

I don't know.

But I'd find
another way.

Go ahead then.