Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 8, Episode 8 - Shadow - full transcript
Detectives Briscoe and Curtis investigate the murder of Manny Erlich, a bail bondsman who was shot through the head while sitting at his desk. They learn he didn't usually work on Saturday nights but had received a call from someone and so went in to the office. They first suspect one of Erlich's clients, Oscar Liriano, who failed to show up in court. They apprehend Liriano and his girlfriend Josette tells them that his lawyer, Arvin Baker, was going to fix the case for him. A review of Baker's recent cases show an unusually large number of dismissals. A disgruntled former client confirms that he fixed cases but the question for the DAs office who in the legal justice system is taking the bribes.
In the criminal justice system
the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,
the police who investigate crime
and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
I'm not signing over
nothing for that boy.
Rondell will be in Rikers Island
a year before he gets a trial.
Good. He needs watching.
I'll watch him close now.
Mmm-hmm.
Gray hair don't make me stupid.
See what the man says.
Hello? Hello? Anybody here?
Man's said all he's gonna say.
Manny Ehrlich. One to the head.
Putting in a Saturday
night for his family.
Putting the skells we
arrest back on the street.
Listen. OFFICER: Yeah?
Call their security company, find
out who the other desk belongs to
and wake him up. All right?
Rey, look at this. Pineapple
Street. Brooklyn Heights.
Guy was doing all right.
Mmm-hmm.
You mind? Looks like
they popped the hinges.
Doesn't look like
they got to the safe.
Yeah. Maybe that
was the problem.
Whoa! Wait a minute. You
through with Mr. Ehrlich here?
Uh-huh.
Round's still live.
Dead-on at the client's chair.
The bail-bonds business.
Manny. My poor Manny.
Mrs. Ehrlich...
Mom.
She's been up all night.
My dad usually calls
when he's gonna be late.
Mrs. Ehrlich.
It's important that we get the
information as soon as possible.
It'll be okay, Mom.
I think she took something.
You might as well talk to me.
Was it unusual for your dad
to work on a Saturday night?
He never did, but a man
called around dinnertime.
Do you know what
the call was about?
They were back and
forth with phone calls.
Then my dad said
he had to go in.
Manny said it could be
a nice piece of business.
It'll be okay, Mom.
Perp used a .38, close range. Ballistics
says the slug was pretty beat up.
Any prints at the scene?
Too many. Half the ones
we've run have felony sheets.
Let me guess. The other
half are their mothers.
You make it a robbery?
We talked to his partner.
Nobody got into the safe,
but we found a
jimmied-open lockbox.
He was at home doing
business over the phone.
Somebody called
him into his office.
They're closed
on Saturday nights.
We're waiting on the LUDs.
Sounds like a setup.
These bondsmen are
in the loan business.
You know, a client jumps bail,
they go after the
house, the family jewels,
anything they can
get their hands on.
Makes for some happy relatives.
Well, go through Ehrlich's
files, see who skipped bail.
Talk to the assigned A.D.A.s.
Maybe they could point
you in the right direction.
Oscar Liriano? He
was a narcotics case.
He jumped bail.
Yeah. About three weeks ago.
What was he looking at?
Possession three.
Twelve-and-a-half-to-25.
What do you guys want with him?
A bail bondsman was murdered.
The guy with the office
behind the courthouse?
You think Liriano is the perp?
We're looking at all
of Ehrlich's clients
who jumped bail
in the last two years.
They all came back to court
before their bonds were forfeited.
All except Liriano.
He still has a
week to surrender.
Yeah, right.
What did he put up
to secure his bond?
His mother put
up her restaurant.
You think he killed Ehrlich so his
mom wouldn't lose the restaurant?
Could be. You got any ideas
where we might find him?
Sorry, guys. It was a
cookie-cutter buy-and-bust.
I have 50 Oscar Lirianos.
Let me know how it pans out.
That looks delicious,
Mrs. Liriano.
You know, I can't find a good
cut of oxtail in my neighborhood.
I buy at Espino's
every morning on 14th.
You don't come here to talk about
my food. Oscar's in Santo Domingo.
Yeah, well, Oscar's about to
have a problem with his bail.
He told me not to
worry about that.
He doesn't come back to
court, you'll lose your restaurant.
I tell a man from Mr. Ehrlich's
office, Oscar come back very soon.
Maybe he's already back.
Mr. Ehrlich was shot two nights ago.
He's dead.
Is that how Oscar solved
your problem with Mr. Ehrlich?
No! No! My boy make a little
trouble, but he never do that!
Mrs. Liriano, if you're
helping to hide your son,
you're gonna be in trouble, too.
I work very hard.
All I want to do is sell
my food and pay my bills.
I wonder who she talked
to from Ehrlich's office.
These bail bonds guys
use bounty hunters.
Don't waste your energy. I'll have
Liriano back in your custody any day.
A week at the most.
Well, his mother claims he's
in the Dominican Republic.
His mother? She's
a great cook, bad liar.
Well, how do you
know she's lying?
I've got over 30
hours invested on this.
If you guys collar
him, I'm in the hole.
Hey, you're in the hole already.
The guy who pays your
fee took one in the head.
Manny? When?
Over the weekend.
Damn. Nobody told
me. Nice guy, Manny.
I've been sitting on
Liriano's girlfriend.
Name, address, phone number.
Josette Vega. What makes you
think she's in touch with Liriano?
Every night she comes
down to the corner payphone,
9:00 p.m., like clockwork.
Sometimes she dials
out, sometimes it rings.
Were you on her last Saturday?
She stood around for a
while, dialed out a couple times.
As far as I can tell,
they never connected.
Thanks.
Well, we could put a
tap on the payphone.
9:00? I got a better idea.
- Yeah? Yeah.
- Josette Vega, please?
This is Dr. Curtis from the
emergency room at Saint Vincent's.
What happened?
We have a Marta Liriano. Now,
she was struck by a bus this morning
in front of Espino's
on 14th Street.
Oh, my God.
She's unconscious.
We need permission from
her next of kin for surgery.
Will she be okay?
Well, not unless we can go in
and take a look at her kidneys.
Let me go call her son.
Bogey at 12:00.
What do you got? I'll get him.
Hey, buddy, how you doing? Hey!
How you doing? Remember
me from Hanratty's last night?
What are you doing?
Remember, I was the guy
drinking a Sea Breeze and
you said you liked my hat.
What hat? Looked
like Frank Sinatra.
Look, mister, you got me
confused with somebody else.
I'm gonna show you
where I got the hat, man.
Look, you nutcase! You
made me lose my phone.
Well, don't you want the hat?
It's Josette.
Oscar's mother got hit by
a bus. She's in bad shape.
Are you serious?
A doctor called me
right from the hospital.
They need Oscar to give
permission for surgery.
He said he'd be
back in half an hour.
How long is he
staying here, anyway?
You got it?
Do it.
Police!
Get down on the ground!
Get down on your knees!
Down on the ground!
Look, I was gonna come in!
Yeah, we'll save you the token.
I gotta get to the hospital.
My mother's hurt real bad.
Oh, yeah? Say
hello to Dr. Curtis.
She's so stupid. Stand up.
They're biting me!
What are you looking at, huh?
Nothing.
You looking at that bag?
Huh? Does this belong to you?
Maybe. I'll take that as a yes.
Mind if I take a look inside?
I say no, you're
gonna look anyway.
Where's your gun? What gun?
The .38 you used
to tap Manny Ehrlich.
Rey! Citibank opened
up a branch here.
Look, that's my money.
Look, I want to call my lawyer.
.38. This yours, too?
I'm Arvin Baker, the attorney
on Mr. Liriano's drug case.
It's a pleasure.
You mind telling me
why homicide detectives
are executing bench
warrants on drug cases?
They think I shot
Manny. Who's Manny?
Manny Ehrlich,
his bail bondsman.
You gonna let them
put a body on me?
Just shut up, Oscar.
Or maybe your girlfriend
with the big mouth can fill us in.
Why would Oscar kill that man?
- He jumped bail.
His mother was gonna
lose her restaurant.
You got it all wrong.
He was gonna turn
himself in, okay?
So his mother wouldn't
lose the lonchería.
He's playing you, Josette.
He was gonna turn himself in.
Soon as he paid the money
to his lawyer, Mr. Baker.
What money?
$50,000.
We were gonna give him half on
Saturday. Mr. Baker never showed up.
Come on, Josette.
You don't have 50 grand.
We got half. Call my bank
if you don't believe me.
Oscar couldn't turn himself in
until he got all the
money for Mr. Baker.
If he couldn't afford a lawyer,
the court would give him one.
Free. He didn't
want a free lawyer.
We were supposed to get married.
Mr. Baker said if
we paid the money,
he'd make sure
Oscar didn't blow trial.
Mr. Baker was going
to fix the case, okay?
So Josette was
telling the truth.
She had 24 grand in her account.
She withdrew it on
Saturday morning.
And Liriano was gonna pay it to
Baker on Saturday to fix his case?
Well, Liriano had $24,000 in
his bag when we picked him up.
The LUDs from Ehrlich's
home phone on Saturday.
Three calls to Arvin Baker.
Baker was Ehrlich's
late appointment?
Baker didn't show up to collect
the money from Liriano on Saturday.
Yeah. Maybe he was
too busy shooting Ehrlich.
It's a theory.
We'll hold Liriano on the
warrant while you figure it out.
Four cops with
their heads together.
You got a murder charge or not?
Not yet, Mr. Baker, but
you'll be the first to know.
Arvin Baker? Never heard of him.
The defendant's girlfriend says he was
gonna make the case go away for 50 grand.
What kind of case?
Drugs. A street-level
hand-to-hand.
For no-name counsel, that
rates a $10,000 fee tops.
Maybe he's just trying
to take his client for a ride.
All we know is we got a
lot of pieces that don't fit.
We got a lawyer
and a bail bondsman
exchanging phone
calls on a Saturday night.
Next thing you know,
the bondsman's dead.
And the same lawyer's
squeezing 50 grand from his client.
It's all gotta be connected.
Pin down Baker's whereabouts.
I'll see what I can turn up.
He's lived here about a year. Between
you and me, guy's got an attitude.
We're interested in
last Saturday night.
Lets his girlfriend's mutt urinate
right here on the canopy posts.
Then I gotta hose it down.
Fascinating. Saturday night.
The girlfriend comes by with
the lap-rat, Mr. Baker's not home.
What time was that?
I make it around 9:00.
'Course, it's my fault he
doesn't leave her a key.
She stews for a
while in the lobby.
Mr. Baker comes
in a half-hour later.
Guy's name is Manny
Ehrlich. He ever come by?
Yeah. Mr. Baker left him
an envelope a few times.
These are Baker's criminal
cases over the past two years.
Thirty-five, 40 names.
Business can't be that bad.
His conviction rates are
a lot lower than average.
Maybe all his
clients are innocent.
Or he's fixing cases,
like Josette said.
Read me the names of Baker's
clients who had bonds out with Ehrlich.
Gregory Billups.
Never indicted.
Charges dismissed.
Geraldine Smithson.
Charges dismissed
on a speedy trial motion.
Corey Black.
Charges reduced. Probation.
Ehrlich's referrals come
with satisfaction guaranteed.
Except for Delmore Walton.
He's doing 6-to-12 upstate.
Maybe he couldn't
meet Baker's price.
I'll ask him.
Nice of you to bring
me the smokes.
Join me?
Thanks, I don't.
I need to ask you some
questions about Arvin Baker.
Why don't you
slip off that jacket?
I'm a little chilly.
Here I am thinking it's hot.
Well, think again. Maybe I can
find some other way to help you.
Letter to the parole board.
I can do that.
Okay.
Now, what can I tell you
about my crooked-ass lawyer?
You can tell me
why you call him that.
Baker said he was gonna
sell me a walk-away.
Let me make sure I
understand you, Mr. Walton.
Arvin Baker offered
to fix your case?
Yeah. I paid him 25K.
But you're here.
The man ripped me off.
This got anything to do with
Manny Ehrlich contacting my brother?
What did he want?
He was asking about
my agreement with Baker.
Ehrlich's trying to
shake him down.
Why do you say that?
Ehrlich told me if I told
him what I just told you,
he'd get me a refund
on that cheap bastard.
Ehrlich's dead.
My luck.
Hey! ROSS: Hi.
So, where have
you been hiding out?
You know the routine. Punch
in, punch out, get home for Katie.
You should come to Gallagher's
some Friday after work.
There's someone you should meet.
Oh! Give it up, Charlie.
How are Lisa and the kids?
Great. So who've you
got on Oscar Liriano?
I'm supervising
the investigation.
I had him first on
the drug indictment.
It's McCoy's call.
You owe me on the Camacho case.
Don't ace me out this time.
I'll do my best.
Baker solicited
bribes from his clients.
Ehrlich found out and
wanted a piece of the action.
I'm pretty sure it got him
killed and Baker's the shooter.
Can we do any
better than pretty sure?
There's no physical evidence
linking Baker to the murder.
What about his criminal cases?
Are you only pretty
sure that they were fixed?
Baker's results are just too
miraculous to draw any other conclusion.
If it's true, he had to have help
from somebody on the inside.
At least a dozen ways a
defense lawyer can beat a case.
Baker used most of them.
I checked our database
to find a common thread.
Judges, cops, A.D.A.s,
nothing jumped out.
Might even be a clerk.
Murder is one thing, but corruption
in the system, I want names.
Well, Liriano's
the first domino.
If we can get him
to flip on Baker...
Can't go anywhere near Liriano
as long as Baker represents him.
Well, find some way to
make the dominoes fall.
We could set a trap for Baker.
Baker thinks we're investigating
Liriano for Ehrlich's murder.
If we go ahead
and charge Liriano...
You just said that
Baker killed Ehrlich.
Our prosecution of
Liriano would be a ruse.
A sting to gather information
against Baker and trace the corruption.
A phony prosecution?
The Feds have used this.
We ask the courts
to assign a lawyer
to represent Liriano
behind the scenes,
a shadow counsel, and
we ask Liriano to play along.
He pays the bribe, we follow the
money to Baker's inside connection.
It could work, Adam.
Don't convince me,
convince a judge.
The Liriano case traces back to
Charlie Harmon. I'll bring him in the loop.
No. You ride this case.
If we do anything out of the
ordinary, Baker will sniff it out.
Harmon's never
handled a homicide.
I'll second chair.
I'll fill him in on
what we're doing.
No.
Until we know who's involved,
we keep Mr. Harmon in the dark.
The warrant against Mr. Liriano is
vacated. This matter was marked ready?
Yes, Judge.
Then the defendant
is remanded. May 1st.
This one's ours, fellas.
You guys again?
Oscar Liriano,
you're under arrest for the
murder of Manny Ehrlich.
What? Nice and loose this time.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will
be used against you in a court of law.
You propose to
charge Mr. Liriano,
although you
know he is innocent,
and have me appoint a
lawyer to advise him in secret,
and then go forward
with a bogus prosecution
without telling the
assigned judge.
All subject to
Mr. Liriano's approval.
Isn't this going to require the
police to fabricate testimony?
If it gets that far.
We will have to dummy-up a
ballistics report which says Liriano's gun
is a probable match
for the murder weapon.
Adam Schiff must
be getting senile.
Do you have any
precedent for this scheme?
It was used in federal court.
And there's People v. Stewart.
If you think I am gonna sit
here holding a live hand grenade,
you're very much mistaken.
If it blows up, blame me.
Cases are being
fixed in this courthouse.
I'll assign David Baez from
the Hispanic Defense Project
as Mr. Liriano's shadow counsel.
I just hope the Court of Appeals
doesn't have all our
heads on a platter.
You people are crazy.
Let them finish, Mr. Liriano.
No, you let them finish!
Mr. Baker's my lawyer.
Baker can't help you anymore.
You want to walk on the drug
case, that's what we're offering.
And it won't cost you 50 grand.
This some new way to get
framed on a murder rap?
The murder prosecution
is phony, Mr. Liriano.
They're only doing it
to investigate Mr. Baker.
You want to talk to the judge?
Look, suppose I front for
you. How long I'm in here for?
Three months tops.
Or you can do 10
years on your drug case.
Everybody's gonna
think I capped the guy.
You can explain
it when it's over.
Or you don't explain it.
Yeah. I like that.
Tanya Gross made Deputy
Bureau Chief. She was class of '87.
Special projects, a dumping
ground for has-beens.
Well, maybe I'd have an office with
a door. And the bump would be nice.
For those of us who
care about such things.
I got one of these.
Mine's all blue.
Sophie has a virtual pet now.
This from the man who
wouldn't take an exam
without his Gumby wristwatch.
Thanks for coming
through with McCoy.
It's no big deal.
How do you think Baker will
counter our ballistics evidence?
This'll never go to trial.
Liriano will plead out if
Baker can't get the gun tossed.
It's nice when your first
murder's a slam dunk.
Sometimes the ones that
look easy bite you in the ass.
Motion to suppress
Liriano's gun.
Baker's attacking the police
search of Liriano's gym bag.
Liriano phoned Baker yesterday
to ask him about
the arrangement.
Baker quoted a figure.
How much?
$90,000.
He jacked up the price.
Two cases.
Or he got greedier.
I want this on tape.
Have Liriano sign a consent to
bug the counsel room at Rikers.
Tell him to ask Baker
for a face-to-face.
We'll need an order from Judge
Goldman to show Corrections.
It's imperative that he get
Baker to spell out the details.
I don't want this coming back
looking like a retainer meeting.
I'll tell him.
Baker filed his
suppression motion.
If the gun's suppressed, he'll
move to get the indictment dismissed.
Who's the judge?
Allen Denham.
He's presided over
six of Baker's cases.
Let's keep an eye on him.
So why'd it go to 90?
This ain't Macy's, Oscar.
You have two cases now,
one of which is for murder.
So let me ask you
something, Mr. Baker.
If I get you this money, how
can I be sure you get the results?
That's my problem.
Papa, it's a lot of money.
If it's gonna be a problem...
I have a friend. Okay?
He'll take care of everything.
We're talking a walk?
You'll be out in two weeks.
Tops. Free and clear.
All right.
You come by my
mother's restaurant.
That's all I can stomach.
There's more.
Baker picked up the bribe money
and went to Merchants Bank.
He put it in a safe deposit.
The police searched it
later and found 200 grand,
along with Liriano's 90.
Any idea who Baker's friend is?
We're looking at Judge Denham.
Terrific.
Liriano doesn't answer the door
right away, so ESU breaks us in.
When you're on the stand, make
sure you say you identified yourselves.
Right.
So, we go in.
Liriano's sitting on the
couch, talking on the phone.
Now, while Rey's hooking him up,
I notice he keeps glancing
over at this gym bag...
When you say glanced,
how many times?
Two or three, but it was
more the way he was doing it.
So, is the bag close
enough to grab?
It'd be a dive from
where he was.
Still in the grab-able area.
So anyway, Rey's
got him handcuffed.
Now, he tells me it's his bag.
Well, as soon as I
picked it up, I felt...
The suspect is cuffed
before you picked up the bag?
Let me rephrase that. I'd say he
was in the process of being cuffed.
Don't embellish, Detective.
I don't mind a
little embellishing.
Well, my cops don't testi-lie.
It's his case.
Okay, so I walked
over to the bag,
I gave it a nudge with my foot,
and it opened up a little bit,
and that's when I saw the cash.
So, the cash
wasn't in plain view?
What do you want here?
Not exactly.
Okay, 9:30 tomorrow, part 24.
Right.
You know, Liriano's
gun is the only thing
that puts him at
the murder scene.
Thanks to your waffling cop, it's
probably gonna get suppressed.
So play on the fact that things
transpired in a matter of seconds.
Well, you know, I
play it straight, Jamie.
This is a murder trial, not
some $10 hand-to-hand.
You don't blow it on semantics.
Why you fighting me on this?
I just don't want
to see it get tossed
because the
police did their job.
It's your first homicide.
Well, thank you.
Where's Katie tonight?
Neal took her to
the Liberty game.
Those look like
narcotics jackets.
Just some background
investigation I've been putting off.
The closed Baker dismissals
I ordered from archives.
Anything interesting?
Something that didn't
turn up on our database.
Charlie Harmon's name is
somewhere on every one of these.
He was in the complaint room, he
answered the speedy trial motion.
Could be a coincidence.
He was assigned to special
narcotics from Brooklyn 10 years ago.
He's handled thousands of cases.
When we were prepping
Briscoe for the hearing,
Charlie was coaching him
to be a defense witness.
Maybe he was just reminding
Briscoe not to overcompensate.
You or I would have
smoothed over the rough edges.
Charlie was
prepping him to fail.
Go home, Jamie.
The hearing's tomorrow. You're
not gonna prove anything in here.
I was hoping to prove
I'm wrong about Charlie.
My money's still
on Judge Denham.
As the suspect was being
restrained by my partner,
he looked over at a gym
bag at the foot of the bed.
What did you do?
I asked him if it was his bag
and if I could look inside it.
He didn't object,
so I opened it up,
and first I found the
money and then the gun.
Nothing further.
Detective, you say my client gave
you permission to look inside his bag
even though he knew
there was a gun inside.
I don't know what he knew, but
he didn't object when I asked him.
Didn't he tell you, "If I say
no, you'll just look anyway"?
Something like that.
And when you first noticed the
gym bag, where was Mr. Liriano?
With my partner.
Handcuffed and being
guarded by Detective Curtis?
Yes.
So Mr. Liriano couldn't possibly
have grabbed the
weapon from the bag?
I guess not.
Nothing further.
You may step down, Detective.
Any more witnesses, Mr. Harmon?
The People rest.
Your Honor, the police
had no legitimate reason
to conduct a warrantless
search of my client's bag.
No explicit consent, no
threat to the officers' safety.
The police were investigating a
homicide. The defendant was in hiding.
They had every reason to assume
there was evidence in the bag.
But they arrested Mr. Liriano on a
bench warrant from the drug case
before they uncovered any
evidence against him on the homicide.
If Detective Briscoe had a hunch
there was evidence in that bag,
he should have
obtained a search warrant.
Rebuttal, Mr. Harmon?
We've made our argument.
Very well.
All evidence seized
in the gym bag,
including the gun,
is suppressed.
Your Honor, I'm moving to dismiss
the indictment against Mr. Liriano.
The People cannot
connect him to the murder
without the evidence
from the gym bag.
Mr. Harmon? Going
once, Mr. Harmon.
I move to recall
Detective Briscoe.
Judge, he can't do that.
He can if I say he
can. Step up, Detective.
You're still under oath.
Detective, the night
Mr. Ehrlich was murdered,
was there any evidence a
robbery had taken place?
Well, let's see. His desk
had been rifled through,
and we found a
lockbox on the floor,
the kind of thing
you keep money in.
It was jimmied? The
hinges were broken?
Right, and there was
some loose change.
Indicating what to you?
The box had been pried open and
that some cash had been removed.
When you arrested Mr. Liriano,
what drew your
attention to his gym bag?
Like I said, he looked at it.
But when you looked at the bag
up close, did you notice anything?
Detective?
Yes. I saw a roll
of bills inside it.
Where?
Right on top.
So when you saw a roll of money
in Mr. Liriano's bag,
what did you think?
I thought it might be the money
from the robbery
of Manny Ehrlich.
I ask you to
reconsider, Your Honor.
The officer saw what he thought
was the proceeds from a robbery.
It justifies the search.
He's right, Mr. Baker.
I'm reversing my decision,
suppression is denied.
First I thought Harmon
was gonna tank it.
Then I didn't know
what he was doing.
Hello? Jamie? We won.
Did we? Take me
to the property clerk.
Intake of the property was
the day after the murder.
Cop or D.A. is the only
one authorized to sign out.
Well, who signed this out?
Nobody. This baby hasn't left
the shelf since the day she came in.
Let's have a look.
Well, there's my sign and
seal, and there's Latent's.
All right, I need to see it.
Wait a second, wait a second, wait a
second. You're not supposed to unseal it
till it goes to court.
Cut it.
Harmon. You son of a bitch.
He knew about the broken
hinges on Ehrlich's lockbox.
So he did his homework. JACK: It
wasn't in the police reports, Adam.
And Harmon never
looked for himself.
There's only one way
he could've known.
We thought we had a crooked
D.A. Now we have a murderer.
Well, that's certainly one
way to pad your statistics.
A lawyer beats too many
cases, have him arrested.
We don't mind losing
the old-fashioned way.
It's gonna be a problem...
I have a friend. Okay?
He'll take care of everything.
Are we talking a walk?
You'll be out in
two weeks. Tops.
That was my sales pitch. It's
easy to take that out of context.
Maybe we took these
out of context, too.
You taking the money.
You entering the bank.
So I like my fees in cash.
Greg Billups, Geraldine Smithson,
Igor Navarez, Corey Black.
Delmore Walton's ready
to testify against you.
So, what are you offering?
Depends what you have to say.
It was Harmon's idea.
Do you think I would approach
an A.D.A. with something like that?
So what happened
with Liriano's hearing?
Harmon got cold feet.
Something about you put him off.
Any other lawyers
bribing Harmon?
Not that I know of, no.
It could help you with
the murder charges.
I was nowhere near
that bail bonds office.
Well, let's hear it.
Manny Ehrlich and I had
a little something going.
He'd send me a case,
I'd show my appreciation.
He'd had no idea what I
had going with Harmon.
Manny sniffed it out. He
called me that Saturday night,
told me he wanted a full
share of all the pay-offs
if it was a case
that he referred.
And Harmon went to negotiate.
The next morning I read
about Manny in The Daily News.
We can't convict
Harmon of murder
on accomplice testimony alone.
We need corroboration.
We can't just wait for
it to drop in our laps.
If Harmon finds out
Baker's in the Tombs,
he might run. We should
pick him up tonight.
You know his kids. We can arrest
him when he shows up for work.
Miss Ross is right. The
sooner we get him talking to us,
the quicker I find out how
much this infects my office.
I'll go with Briscoe and Curtis.
I'll be home late tonight, okay?
I have some work
to do with these men.
All right, time to go.
Lisa. Call Ed Richter.
Hey, hugs! Come
on. Hugs. Come on.
See you.
You couldn't wait till
tomorrow? You're despicable.
Charlie didn't
leave us a choice.
You're making a mistake.
Arvin Baker confessed
to your case-fixing venture.
The corruption ties you
into Ehrlich's murder.
Jamie. How long
have you known me?
You killed Ehrlich to
keep him from talking.
- Murder one.
- It's a reach.
We can talk about second-degree
if he briefs us on
every case he fixed.
What's the recommendation?
25-to-life.
I'll throw in the
corruption charges.
That's a big number,
Jack. All you have is Baker.
The Liriano case was a sting.
Harmon hung himself on the
hinges of Manny Ehrlich's lockbox.
Jamie, you... You sat
there. You set me up.
Your key evidence is based
on a phony prosecution?
You have a serious problem.
We're moving to suppress.
Mr. McCoy's tactics are
unacceptable, Your Honor.
He fraudulently
prosecuted Mr. Liriano
for a murder he didn't commit.
There was no fraud.
Mr. Liriano agreed to participate.
We obtained judicial approval.
From?
Judge Goldman.
Goldman. I should have guessed.
Were the other judges on this bogus
case aware of what was going on?
No, they were not.
So we were your personal dupes.
We had no idea where we
were gonna find the corruption.
The integrity of the
investigation had to be protected.
Integrity, Your
Honor? A fake hearing?
Phony police reports?
It was Mr. Richter's client,
Assistant District Attorney Charles
Harmon, who was undermining the system.
Mr. McCoy, wasn't there some
other avenue of investigation?
Lawyers were fixing cases. This
was the only avenue available.
I've heard enough.
The road to hell is paved
with good intentions.
The prosecution's goal to root
out corruption might be laudable,
but the D.A.'s investigation violated
the integrity of the judicial process.
Shame on you, Mr. McCoy,
and shame on Judge Goldman.
The duty of judges is to assure
that our proceedings are conducted
with total candor
and impartiality.
To that end, I'm suppressing all
evidence against Charles Harmon
obtained in this sham
prosecution. In my chambers.
What the hell were you thinking?
I was doing my job.
By making us all
look like idiots?
If you try anything
like this again,
I'll make Jack McCoy
my personal cause.
I had binding precedent
for this type of investigation.
I don't give a damn what you do.
Don't you speak to me like that.
Well, don't call me back
here and try to intimidate me.
Mr. McCoy, I've been
on the bench for 22 years.
This institution
is more important
than your ego and your ambition.
I'm sorry if I offended your sense
of fair play. This isn't a civics lesson.
Someone was selling
justice in this courthouse.
Those civics lessons are what
separate us from the Neanderthals,
something you fail
to grasp. Now get out.
Kaylin suppressed your
corroborating evidence, Jack.
I still have an appeal.
Fifty-fifty. Look, you
can cut your losses.
Give us man one
to cover all charges.
Minimum time.
Three to six years for a murder?
Come on, Miss Ross. They
argued, there was a struggle.
This was an execution.
I'm gonna make it
easy for you, Jamie.
You make the deal, and we
keep the lid on the corruption.
What do we keep a lid on?
Hundreds of convicted
felons making motions
claiming the A.D.A. who
prosecuted them is crooked.
There's no evidence of that. All
we turned up were Baker's cases.
How many defendants
have I put away? Huh?
I can make myself available to
any one of these potential litigants.
It's Adam Schiff's
worst nightmare.
Harmon can gridlock this
office for the next five years.
It's a bluff, Adam.
If there were other fixes
besides the Baker cases,
they would have surfaced by now.
It's how many cases
he says he fixed.
Can we accept his ultimatum
without making it look like a cover-up?
Probably not.
We can't give in to blackmail.
I won't go down like the
Titanic. You have one week.
You come up with something to
prove murder or take their offer.
Credit card receipts.
Forensic accountants have
been through Harmon's records.
No unusual spending
or infusions of cash.
Believe me, he's got
it stashed somewhere.
We did find two jars full
of pennies. Business cards.
"Dodo the Clown."
His son's birthday party.
Katie and I were there.
I just love going through
other people's junk.
"Antilles Travel Agency." Think
he was planning a little getaway?
138th Street?
Harlem? What was
he doing up there?
Read the fine print.
"Remittances to the Caribbean."
Offshore accounts.
Did you ever wire money for a
man named Charlie Harmon?
No. I would have
remembered a white gentleman.
Arvin Baker?
Sorry.
Well, thank you.
I always cooperate with the D.A.
You've been involved
with a case before?
Last year. The district
attorney subpoenaed my records
of a wire transaction
on a drug case.
Do you remember the case?
Geraldine... Geraldine
somebody. Geraldine Smithson?
Yes, that's it, that's it.
They told me it was settled.
Who told you?
The same lady who came to pick
up the papers. I never get them back.
She told me they
had gotten lost.
This lady, what
did she look like?
About your age, not as tall.
She had blonde hair. And
glasses. C'est bon. Glasses.
I'll never accept that
he did what you say.
You know what he
was involved with.
How would I?
You went to a travel
agency in Harlem.
You picked up documents
that Charlie needed to bury.
Who told you that?
It turned up during
our investigation.
And we'll turn up more, now
that we know where to look.
How long is he going away for?
You should be
thinking about yourself.
You could be charged
as an accomplice.
Me? What about my kids?
You cooperate with us, I'm
pretty sure I can keep you out of it.
Jamie, please don't do
this to us. Charlie is not evil.
Lisa! Charlie's gone! If you
could see him with the kids...
Save what you have.
Save your family.
I can't believe this.
Charlie killed somebody.
There's a 13-year-old girl
in Brooklyn without a father.
I knew there was a
little extra coming in.
Charlie wasn't complaining about
the mortgage like he usually does,
or worrying about
the kids' college.
I was afraid to ask
about the money.
Then Charlie wanted
me to do things.
He said I was the
only one he could trust.
I helped him out a few
times, like he wanted.
What else could I do, Jamie?
He's my husband.
Murder two, 25-to-life.
It's a final offer.
You brought us back here
to sing the same old song?
Tell Schiff he better get some more
bodies down at the appeals bureau.
Tell your wife to
hire a good lawyer.
You're charging her? With what?
She did your dirty work
at the travel agency.
The indictment's
presented and voted.
Bribery as an accessory.
Conspiracy to commit murder.
She didn't know anything.
You picked the rules.
I'm just upping the ante.
It's a bluff, isn't it?
You plead to murder two,
plus nine counts of bribery.
If you make any
false allegations
about cases you claim you fixed,
I will personally file the
indictment and have Lisa arrested.
She'll have grandchildren by the
time she gets out of Bedford Hills.
How could you do
this? How could you?
Don't say a word, Charlie.
Is that what you want,
Jamie? To destroy my family?
You did that on your own.
I tried to make a
decent life for them.
By killing somebody?
It went too far. I
am sorry about that.
Try to understand, Jamie.
It's not in the job description.
It's all just a hobby for you.
Rich ex-husband, big
bank account. Charlie.
No! You're a dilettante, Jamie.
You never had to
sweat out a paycheck.
You don't give a damn
that a drug dealer's car
costs more than a D.A.
could make in a year.
So you became a corrupt D.A.?
I took profits
from drug dealers!
You took advantage
of desperate people.
What you're doing to
Lisa, that's so different?
You really don't know? You
could have come to me, Charlie.
I'll call Judge Kaylin and
tell him we have a deal?
If he hadn't cracked,
were you gonna follow
through with Lisa Harmon?
I have the right
to remain silent.
You didn't do anything wrong.
Why do I feel like I did?
Charlie Harmon doesn't
deserve your sympathy.
He's just another name
on another indictment.
Maybe that's the problem.
I'm taking the rest of the
day. I'll see you tomorrow.
the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,
the police who investigate crime
and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
I'm not signing over
nothing for that boy.
Rondell will be in Rikers Island
a year before he gets a trial.
Good. He needs watching.
I'll watch him close now.
Mmm-hmm.
Gray hair don't make me stupid.
See what the man says.
Hello? Hello? Anybody here?
Man's said all he's gonna say.
Manny Ehrlich. One to the head.
Putting in a Saturday
night for his family.
Putting the skells we
arrest back on the street.
Listen. OFFICER: Yeah?
Call their security company, find
out who the other desk belongs to
and wake him up. All right?
Rey, look at this. Pineapple
Street. Brooklyn Heights.
Guy was doing all right.
Mmm-hmm.
You mind? Looks like
they popped the hinges.
Doesn't look like
they got to the safe.
Yeah. Maybe that
was the problem.
Whoa! Wait a minute. You
through with Mr. Ehrlich here?
Uh-huh.
Round's still live.
Dead-on at the client's chair.
The bail-bonds business.
Manny. My poor Manny.
Mrs. Ehrlich...
Mom.
She's been up all night.
My dad usually calls
when he's gonna be late.
Mrs. Ehrlich.
It's important that we get the
information as soon as possible.
It'll be okay, Mom.
I think she took something.
You might as well talk to me.
Was it unusual for your dad
to work on a Saturday night?
He never did, but a man
called around dinnertime.
Do you know what
the call was about?
They were back and
forth with phone calls.
Then my dad said
he had to go in.
Manny said it could be
a nice piece of business.
It'll be okay, Mom.
Perp used a .38, close range. Ballistics
says the slug was pretty beat up.
Any prints at the scene?
Too many. Half the ones
we've run have felony sheets.
Let me guess. The other
half are their mothers.
You make it a robbery?
We talked to his partner.
Nobody got into the safe,
but we found a
jimmied-open lockbox.
He was at home doing
business over the phone.
Somebody called
him into his office.
They're closed
on Saturday nights.
We're waiting on the LUDs.
Sounds like a setup.
These bondsmen are
in the loan business.
You know, a client jumps bail,
they go after the
house, the family jewels,
anything they can
get their hands on.
Makes for some happy relatives.
Well, go through Ehrlich's
files, see who skipped bail.
Talk to the assigned A.D.A.s.
Maybe they could point
you in the right direction.
Oscar Liriano? He
was a narcotics case.
He jumped bail.
Yeah. About three weeks ago.
What was he looking at?
Possession three.
Twelve-and-a-half-to-25.
What do you guys want with him?
A bail bondsman was murdered.
The guy with the office
behind the courthouse?
You think Liriano is the perp?
We're looking at all
of Ehrlich's clients
who jumped bail
in the last two years.
They all came back to court
before their bonds were forfeited.
All except Liriano.
He still has a
week to surrender.
Yeah, right.
What did he put up
to secure his bond?
His mother put
up her restaurant.
You think he killed Ehrlich so his
mom wouldn't lose the restaurant?
Could be. You got any ideas
where we might find him?
Sorry, guys. It was a
cookie-cutter buy-and-bust.
I have 50 Oscar Lirianos.
Let me know how it pans out.
That looks delicious,
Mrs. Liriano.
You know, I can't find a good
cut of oxtail in my neighborhood.
I buy at Espino's
every morning on 14th.
You don't come here to talk about
my food. Oscar's in Santo Domingo.
Yeah, well, Oscar's about to
have a problem with his bail.
He told me not to
worry about that.
He doesn't come back to
court, you'll lose your restaurant.
I tell a man from Mr. Ehrlich's
office, Oscar come back very soon.
Maybe he's already back.
Mr. Ehrlich was shot two nights ago.
He's dead.
Is that how Oscar solved
your problem with Mr. Ehrlich?
No! No! My boy make a little
trouble, but he never do that!
Mrs. Liriano, if you're
helping to hide your son,
you're gonna be in trouble, too.
I work very hard.
All I want to do is sell
my food and pay my bills.
I wonder who she talked
to from Ehrlich's office.
These bail bonds guys
use bounty hunters.
Don't waste your energy. I'll have
Liriano back in your custody any day.
A week at the most.
Well, his mother claims he's
in the Dominican Republic.
His mother? She's
a great cook, bad liar.
Well, how do you
know she's lying?
I've got over 30
hours invested on this.
If you guys collar
him, I'm in the hole.
Hey, you're in the hole already.
The guy who pays your
fee took one in the head.
Manny? When?
Over the weekend.
Damn. Nobody told
me. Nice guy, Manny.
I've been sitting on
Liriano's girlfriend.
Name, address, phone number.
Josette Vega. What makes you
think she's in touch with Liriano?
Every night she comes
down to the corner payphone,
9:00 p.m., like clockwork.
Sometimes she dials
out, sometimes it rings.
Were you on her last Saturday?
She stood around for a
while, dialed out a couple times.
As far as I can tell,
they never connected.
Thanks.
Well, we could put a
tap on the payphone.
9:00? I got a better idea.
- Yeah? Yeah.
- Josette Vega, please?
This is Dr. Curtis from the
emergency room at Saint Vincent's.
What happened?
We have a Marta Liriano. Now,
she was struck by a bus this morning
in front of Espino's
on 14th Street.
Oh, my God.
She's unconscious.
We need permission from
her next of kin for surgery.
Will she be okay?
Well, not unless we can go in
and take a look at her kidneys.
Let me go call her son.
Bogey at 12:00.
What do you got? I'll get him.
Hey, buddy, how you doing? Hey!
How you doing? Remember
me from Hanratty's last night?
What are you doing?
Remember, I was the guy
drinking a Sea Breeze and
you said you liked my hat.
What hat? Looked
like Frank Sinatra.
Look, mister, you got me
confused with somebody else.
I'm gonna show you
where I got the hat, man.
Look, you nutcase! You
made me lose my phone.
Well, don't you want the hat?
It's Josette.
Oscar's mother got hit by
a bus. She's in bad shape.
Are you serious?
A doctor called me
right from the hospital.
They need Oscar to give
permission for surgery.
He said he'd be
back in half an hour.
How long is he
staying here, anyway?
You got it?
Do it.
Police!
Get down on the ground!
Get down on your knees!
Down on the ground!
Look, I was gonna come in!
Yeah, we'll save you the token.
I gotta get to the hospital.
My mother's hurt real bad.
Oh, yeah? Say
hello to Dr. Curtis.
She's so stupid. Stand up.
They're biting me!
What are you looking at, huh?
Nothing.
You looking at that bag?
Huh? Does this belong to you?
Maybe. I'll take that as a yes.
Mind if I take a look inside?
I say no, you're
gonna look anyway.
Where's your gun? What gun?
The .38 you used
to tap Manny Ehrlich.
Rey! Citibank opened
up a branch here.
Look, that's my money.
Look, I want to call my lawyer.
.38. This yours, too?
I'm Arvin Baker, the attorney
on Mr. Liriano's drug case.
It's a pleasure.
You mind telling me
why homicide detectives
are executing bench
warrants on drug cases?
They think I shot
Manny. Who's Manny?
Manny Ehrlich,
his bail bondsman.
You gonna let them
put a body on me?
Just shut up, Oscar.
Or maybe your girlfriend
with the big mouth can fill us in.
Why would Oscar kill that man?
- He jumped bail.
His mother was gonna
lose her restaurant.
You got it all wrong.
He was gonna turn
himself in, okay?
So his mother wouldn't
lose the lonchería.
He's playing you, Josette.
He was gonna turn himself in.
Soon as he paid the money
to his lawyer, Mr. Baker.
What money?
$50,000.
We were gonna give him half on
Saturday. Mr. Baker never showed up.
Come on, Josette.
You don't have 50 grand.
We got half. Call my bank
if you don't believe me.
Oscar couldn't turn himself in
until he got all the
money for Mr. Baker.
If he couldn't afford a lawyer,
the court would give him one.
Free. He didn't
want a free lawyer.
We were supposed to get married.
Mr. Baker said if
we paid the money,
he'd make sure
Oscar didn't blow trial.
Mr. Baker was going
to fix the case, okay?
So Josette was
telling the truth.
She had 24 grand in her account.
She withdrew it on
Saturday morning.
And Liriano was gonna pay it to
Baker on Saturday to fix his case?
Well, Liriano had $24,000 in
his bag when we picked him up.
The LUDs from Ehrlich's
home phone on Saturday.
Three calls to Arvin Baker.
Baker was Ehrlich's
late appointment?
Baker didn't show up to collect
the money from Liriano on Saturday.
Yeah. Maybe he was
too busy shooting Ehrlich.
It's a theory.
We'll hold Liriano on the
warrant while you figure it out.
Four cops with
their heads together.
You got a murder charge or not?
Not yet, Mr. Baker, but
you'll be the first to know.
Arvin Baker? Never heard of him.
The defendant's girlfriend says he was
gonna make the case go away for 50 grand.
What kind of case?
Drugs. A street-level
hand-to-hand.
For no-name counsel, that
rates a $10,000 fee tops.
Maybe he's just trying
to take his client for a ride.
All we know is we got a
lot of pieces that don't fit.
We got a lawyer
and a bail bondsman
exchanging phone
calls on a Saturday night.
Next thing you know,
the bondsman's dead.
And the same lawyer's
squeezing 50 grand from his client.
It's all gotta be connected.
Pin down Baker's whereabouts.
I'll see what I can turn up.
He's lived here about a year. Between
you and me, guy's got an attitude.
We're interested in
last Saturday night.
Lets his girlfriend's mutt urinate
right here on the canopy posts.
Then I gotta hose it down.
Fascinating. Saturday night.
The girlfriend comes by with
the lap-rat, Mr. Baker's not home.
What time was that?
I make it around 9:00.
'Course, it's my fault he
doesn't leave her a key.
She stews for a
while in the lobby.
Mr. Baker comes
in a half-hour later.
Guy's name is Manny
Ehrlich. He ever come by?
Yeah. Mr. Baker left him
an envelope a few times.
These are Baker's criminal
cases over the past two years.
Thirty-five, 40 names.
Business can't be that bad.
His conviction rates are
a lot lower than average.
Maybe all his
clients are innocent.
Or he's fixing cases,
like Josette said.
Read me the names of Baker's
clients who had bonds out with Ehrlich.
Gregory Billups.
Never indicted.
Charges dismissed.
Geraldine Smithson.
Charges dismissed
on a speedy trial motion.
Corey Black.
Charges reduced. Probation.
Ehrlich's referrals come
with satisfaction guaranteed.
Except for Delmore Walton.
He's doing 6-to-12 upstate.
Maybe he couldn't
meet Baker's price.
I'll ask him.
Nice of you to bring
me the smokes.
Join me?
Thanks, I don't.
I need to ask you some
questions about Arvin Baker.
Why don't you
slip off that jacket?
I'm a little chilly.
Here I am thinking it's hot.
Well, think again. Maybe I can
find some other way to help you.
Letter to the parole board.
I can do that.
Okay.
Now, what can I tell you
about my crooked-ass lawyer?
You can tell me
why you call him that.
Baker said he was gonna
sell me a walk-away.
Let me make sure I
understand you, Mr. Walton.
Arvin Baker offered
to fix your case?
Yeah. I paid him 25K.
But you're here.
The man ripped me off.
This got anything to do with
Manny Ehrlich contacting my brother?
What did he want?
He was asking about
my agreement with Baker.
Ehrlich's trying to
shake him down.
Why do you say that?
Ehrlich told me if I told
him what I just told you,
he'd get me a refund
on that cheap bastard.
Ehrlich's dead.
My luck.
Hey! ROSS: Hi.
So, where have
you been hiding out?
You know the routine. Punch
in, punch out, get home for Katie.
You should come to Gallagher's
some Friday after work.
There's someone you should meet.
Oh! Give it up, Charlie.
How are Lisa and the kids?
Great. So who've you
got on Oscar Liriano?
I'm supervising
the investigation.
I had him first on
the drug indictment.
It's McCoy's call.
You owe me on the Camacho case.
Don't ace me out this time.
I'll do my best.
Baker solicited
bribes from his clients.
Ehrlich found out and
wanted a piece of the action.
I'm pretty sure it got him
killed and Baker's the shooter.
Can we do any
better than pretty sure?
There's no physical evidence
linking Baker to the murder.
What about his criminal cases?
Are you only pretty
sure that they were fixed?
Baker's results are just too
miraculous to draw any other conclusion.
If it's true, he had to have help
from somebody on the inside.
At least a dozen ways a
defense lawyer can beat a case.
Baker used most of them.
I checked our database
to find a common thread.
Judges, cops, A.D.A.s,
nothing jumped out.
Might even be a clerk.
Murder is one thing, but corruption
in the system, I want names.
Well, Liriano's
the first domino.
If we can get him
to flip on Baker...
Can't go anywhere near Liriano
as long as Baker represents him.
Well, find some way to
make the dominoes fall.
We could set a trap for Baker.
Baker thinks we're investigating
Liriano for Ehrlich's murder.
If we go ahead
and charge Liriano...
You just said that
Baker killed Ehrlich.
Our prosecution of
Liriano would be a ruse.
A sting to gather information
against Baker and trace the corruption.
A phony prosecution?
The Feds have used this.
We ask the courts
to assign a lawyer
to represent Liriano
behind the scenes,
a shadow counsel, and
we ask Liriano to play along.
He pays the bribe, we follow the
money to Baker's inside connection.
It could work, Adam.
Don't convince me,
convince a judge.
The Liriano case traces back to
Charlie Harmon. I'll bring him in the loop.
No. You ride this case.
If we do anything out of the
ordinary, Baker will sniff it out.
Harmon's never
handled a homicide.
I'll second chair.
I'll fill him in on
what we're doing.
No.
Until we know who's involved,
we keep Mr. Harmon in the dark.
The warrant against Mr. Liriano is
vacated. This matter was marked ready?
Yes, Judge.
Then the defendant
is remanded. May 1st.
This one's ours, fellas.
You guys again?
Oscar Liriano,
you're under arrest for the
murder of Manny Ehrlich.
What? Nice and loose this time.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will
be used against you in a court of law.
You propose to
charge Mr. Liriano,
although you
know he is innocent,
and have me appoint a
lawyer to advise him in secret,
and then go forward
with a bogus prosecution
without telling the
assigned judge.
All subject to
Mr. Liriano's approval.
Isn't this going to require the
police to fabricate testimony?
If it gets that far.
We will have to dummy-up a
ballistics report which says Liriano's gun
is a probable match
for the murder weapon.
Adam Schiff must
be getting senile.
Do you have any
precedent for this scheme?
It was used in federal court.
And there's People v. Stewart.
If you think I am gonna sit
here holding a live hand grenade,
you're very much mistaken.
If it blows up, blame me.
Cases are being
fixed in this courthouse.
I'll assign David Baez from
the Hispanic Defense Project
as Mr. Liriano's shadow counsel.
I just hope the Court of Appeals
doesn't have all our
heads on a platter.
You people are crazy.
Let them finish, Mr. Liriano.
No, you let them finish!
Mr. Baker's my lawyer.
Baker can't help you anymore.
You want to walk on the drug
case, that's what we're offering.
And it won't cost you 50 grand.
This some new way to get
framed on a murder rap?
The murder prosecution
is phony, Mr. Liriano.
They're only doing it
to investigate Mr. Baker.
You want to talk to the judge?
Look, suppose I front for
you. How long I'm in here for?
Three months tops.
Or you can do 10
years on your drug case.
Everybody's gonna
think I capped the guy.
You can explain
it when it's over.
Or you don't explain it.
Yeah. I like that.
Tanya Gross made Deputy
Bureau Chief. She was class of '87.
Special projects, a dumping
ground for has-beens.
Well, maybe I'd have an office with
a door. And the bump would be nice.
For those of us who
care about such things.
I got one of these.
Mine's all blue.
Sophie has a virtual pet now.
This from the man who
wouldn't take an exam
without his Gumby wristwatch.
Thanks for coming
through with McCoy.
It's no big deal.
How do you think Baker will
counter our ballistics evidence?
This'll never go to trial.
Liriano will plead out if
Baker can't get the gun tossed.
It's nice when your first
murder's a slam dunk.
Sometimes the ones that
look easy bite you in the ass.
Motion to suppress
Liriano's gun.
Baker's attacking the police
search of Liriano's gym bag.
Liriano phoned Baker yesterday
to ask him about
the arrangement.
Baker quoted a figure.
How much?
$90,000.
He jacked up the price.
Two cases.
Or he got greedier.
I want this on tape.
Have Liriano sign a consent to
bug the counsel room at Rikers.
Tell him to ask Baker
for a face-to-face.
We'll need an order from Judge
Goldman to show Corrections.
It's imperative that he get
Baker to spell out the details.
I don't want this coming back
looking like a retainer meeting.
I'll tell him.
Baker filed his
suppression motion.
If the gun's suppressed, he'll
move to get the indictment dismissed.
Who's the judge?
Allen Denham.
He's presided over
six of Baker's cases.
Let's keep an eye on him.
So why'd it go to 90?
This ain't Macy's, Oscar.
You have two cases now,
one of which is for murder.
So let me ask you
something, Mr. Baker.
If I get you this money, how
can I be sure you get the results?
That's my problem.
Papa, it's a lot of money.
If it's gonna be a problem...
I have a friend. Okay?
He'll take care of everything.
We're talking a walk?
You'll be out in two weeks.
Tops. Free and clear.
All right.
You come by my
mother's restaurant.
That's all I can stomach.
There's more.
Baker picked up the bribe money
and went to Merchants Bank.
He put it in a safe deposit.
The police searched it
later and found 200 grand,
along with Liriano's 90.
Any idea who Baker's friend is?
We're looking at Judge Denham.
Terrific.
Liriano doesn't answer the door
right away, so ESU breaks us in.
When you're on the stand, make
sure you say you identified yourselves.
Right.
So, we go in.
Liriano's sitting on the
couch, talking on the phone.
Now, while Rey's hooking him up,
I notice he keeps glancing
over at this gym bag...
When you say glanced,
how many times?
Two or three, but it was
more the way he was doing it.
So, is the bag close
enough to grab?
It'd be a dive from
where he was.
Still in the grab-able area.
So anyway, Rey's
got him handcuffed.
Now, he tells me it's his bag.
Well, as soon as I
picked it up, I felt...
The suspect is cuffed
before you picked up the bag?
Let me rephrase that. I'd say he
was in the process of being cuffed.
Don't embellish, Detective.
I don't mind a
little embellishing.
Well, my cops don't testi-lie.
It's his case.
Okay, so I walked
over to the bag,
I gave it a nudge with my foot,
and it opened up a little bit,
and that's when I saw the cash.
So, the cash
wasn't in plain view?
What do you want here?
Not exactly.
Okay, 9:30 tomorrow, part 24.
Right.
You know, Liriano's
gun is the only thing
that puts him at
the murder scene.
Thanks to your waffling cop, it's
probably gonna get suppressed.
So play on the fact that things
transpired in a matter of seconds.
Well, you know, I
play it straight, Jamie.
This is a murder trial, not
some $10 hand-to-hand.
You don't blow it on semantics.
Why you fighting me on this?
I just don't want
to see it get tossed
because the
police did their job.
It's your first homicide.
Well, thank you.
Where's Katie tonight?
Neal took her to
the Liberty game.
Those look like
narcotics jackets.
Just some background
investigation I've been putting off.
The closed Baker dismissals
I ordered from archives.
Anything interesting?
Something that didn't
turn up on our database.
Charlie Harmon's name is
somewhere on every one of these.
He was in the complaint room, he
answered the speedy trial motion.
Could be a coincidence.
He was assigned to special
narcotics from Brooklyn 10 years ago.
He's handled thousands of cases.
When we were prepping
Briscoe for the hearing,
Charlie was coaching him
to be a defense witness.
Maybe he was just reminding
Briscoe not to overcompensate.
You or I would have
smoothed over the rough edges.
Charlie was
prepping him to fail.
Go home, Jamie.
The hearing's tomorrow. You're
not gonna prove anything in here.
I was hoping to prove
I'm wrong about Charlie.
My money's still
on Judge Denham.
As the suspect was being
restrained by my partner,
he looked over at a gym
bag at the foot of the bed.
What did you do?
I asked him if it was his bag
and if I could look inside it.
He didn't object,
so I opened it up,
and first I found the
money and then the gun.
Nothing further.
Detective, you say my client gave
you permission to look inside his bag
even though he knew
there was a gun inside.
I don't know what he knew, but
he didn't object when I asked him.
Didn't he tell you, "If I say
no, you'll just look anyway"?
Something like that.
And when you first noticed the
gym bag, where was Mr. Liriano?
With my partner.
Handcuffed and being
guarded by Detective Curtis?
Yes.
So Mr. Liriano couldn't possibly
have grabbed the
weapon from the bag?
I guess not.
Nothing further.
You may step down, Detective.
Any more witnesses, Mr. Harmon?
The People rest.
Your Honor, the police
had no legitimate reason
to conduct a warrantless
search of my client's bag.
No explicit consent, no
threat to the officers' safety.
The police were investigating a
homicide. The defendant was in hiding.
They had every reason to assume
there was evidence in the bag.
But they arrested Mr. Liriano on a
bench warrant from the drug case
before they uncovered any
evidence against him on the homicide.
If Detective Briscoe had a hunch
there was evidence in that bag,
he should have
obtained a search warrant.
Rebuttal, Mr. Harmon?
We've made our argument.
Very well.
All evidence seized
in the gym bag,
including the gun,
is suppressed.
Your Honor, I'm moving to dismiss
the indictment against Mr. Liriano.
The People cannot
connect him to the murder
without the evidence
from the gym bag.
Mr. Harmon? Going
once, Mr. Harmon.
I move to recall
Detective Briscoe.
Judge, he can't do that.
He can if I say he
can. Step up, Detective.
You're still under oath.
Detective, the night
Mr. Ehrlich was murdered,
was there any evidence a
robbery had taken place?
Well, let's see. His desk
had been rifled through,
and we found a
lockbox on the floor,
the kind of thing
you keep money in.
It was jimmied? The
hinges were broken?
Right, and there was
some loose change.
Indicating what to you?
The box had been pried open and
that some cash had been removed.
When you arrested Mr. Liriano,
what drew your
attention to his gym bag?
Like I said, he looked at it.
But when you looked at the bag
up close, did you notice anything?
Detective?
Yes. I saw a roll
of bills inside it.
Where?
Right on top.
So when you saw a roll of money
in Mr. Liriano's bag,
what did you think?
I thought it might be the money
from the robbery
of Manny Ehrlich.
I ask you to
reconsider, Your Honor.
The officer saw what he thought
was the proceeds from a robbery.
It justifies the search.
He's right, Mr. Baker.
I'm reversing my decision,
suppression is denied.
First I thought Harmon
was gonna tank it.
Then I didn't know
what he was doing.
Hello? Jamie? We won.
Did we? Take me
to the property clerk.
Intake of the property was
the day after the murder.
Cop or D.A. is the only
one authorized to sign out.
Well, who signed this out?
Nobody. This baby hasn't left
the shelf since the day she came in.
Let's have a look.
Well, there's my sign and
seal, and there's Latent's.
All right, I need to see it.
Wait a second, wait a second, wait a
second. You're not supposed to unseal it
till it goes to court.
Cut it.
Harmon. You son of a bitch.
He knew about the broken
hinges on Ehrlich's lockbox.
So he did his homework. JACK: It
wasn't in the police reports, Adam.
And Harmon never
looked for himself.
There's only one way
he could've known.
We thought we had a crooked
D.A. Now we have a murderer.
Well, that's certainly one
way to pad your statistics.
A lawyer beats too many
cases, have him arrested.
We don't mind losing
the old-fashioned way.
It's gonna be a problem...
I have a friend. Okay?
He'll take care of everything.
Are we talking a walk?
You'll be out in
two weeks. Tops.
That was my sales pitch. It's
easy to take that out of context.
Maybe we took these
out of context, too.
You taking the money.
You entering the bank.
So I like my fees in cash.
Greg Billups, Geraldine Smithson,
Igor Navarez, Corey Black.
Delmore Walton's ready
to testify against you.
So, what are you offering?
Depends what you have to say.
It was Harmon's idea.
Do you think I would approach
an A.D.A. with something like that?
So what happened
with Liriano's hearing?
Harmon got cold feet.
Something about you put him off.
Any other lawyers
bribing Harmon?
Not that I know of, no.
It could help you with
the murder charges.
I was nowhere near
that bail bonds office.
Well, let's hear it.
Manny Ehrlich and I had
a little something going.
He'd send me a case,
I'd show my appreciation.
He'd had no idea what I
had going with Harmon.
Manny sniffed it out. He
called me that Saturday night,
told me he wanted a full
share of all the pay-offs
if it was a case
that he referred.
And Harmon went to negotiate.
The next morning I read
about Manny in The Daily News.
We can't convict
Harmon of murder
on accomplice testimony alone.
We need corroboration.
We can't just wait for
it to drop in our laps.
If Harmon finds out
Baker's in the Tombs,
he might run. We should
pick him up tonight.
You know his kids. We can arrest
him when he shows up for work.
Miss Ross is right. The
sooner we get him talking to us,
the quicker I find out how
much this infects my office.
I'll go with Briscoe and Curtis.
I'll be home late tonight, okay?
I have some work
to do with these men.
All right, time to go.
Lisa. Call Ed Richter.
Hey, hugs! Come
on. Hugs. Come on.
See you.
You couldn't wait till
tomorrow? You're despicable.
Charlie didn't
leave us a choice.
You're making a mistake.
Arvin Baker confessed
to your case-fixing venture.
The corruption ties you
into Ehrlich's murder.
Jamie. How long
have you known me?
You killed Ehrlich to
keep him from talking.
- Murder one.
- It's a reach.
We can talk about second-degree
if he briefs us on
every case he fixed.
What's the recommendation?
25-to-life.
I'll throw in the
corruption charges.
That's a big number,
Jack. All you have is Baker.
The Liriano case was a sting.
Harmon hung himself on the
hinges of Manny Ehrlich's lockbox.
Jamie, you... You sat
there. You set me up.
Your key evidence is based
on a phony prosecution?
You have a serious problem.
We're moving to suppress.
Mr. McCoy's tactics are
unacceptable, Your Honor.
He fraudulently
prosecuted Mr. Liriano
for a murder he didn't commit.
There was no fraud.
Mr. Liriano agreed to participate.
We obtained judicial approval.
From?
Judge Goldman.
Goldman. I should have guessed.
Were the other judges on this bogus
case aware of what was going on?
No, they were not.
So we were your personal dupes.
We had no idea where we
were gonna find the corruption.
The integrity of the
investigation had to be protected.
Integrity, Your
Honor? A fake hearing?
Phony police reports?
It was Mr. Richter's client,
Assistant District Attorney Charles
Harmon, who was undermining the system.
Mr. McCoy, wasn't there some
other avenue of investigation?
Lawyers were fixing cases. This
was the only avenue available.
I've heard enough.
The road to hell is paved
with good intentions.
The prosecution's goal to root
out corruption might be laudable,
but the D.A.'s investigation violated
the integrity of the judicial process.
Shame on you, Mr. McCoy,
and shame on Judge Goldman.
The duty of judges is to assure
that our proceedings are conducted
with total candor
and impartiality.
To that end, I'm suppressing all
evidence against Charles Harmon
obtained in this sham
prosecution. In my chambers.
What the hell were you thinking?
I was doing my job.
By making us all
look like idiots?
If you try anything
like this again,
I'll make Jack McCoy
my personal cause.
I had binding precedent
for this type of investigation.
I don't give a damn what you do.
Don't you speak to me like that.
Well, don't call me back
here and try to intimidate me.
Mr. McCoy, I've been
on the bench for 22 years.
This institution
is more important
than your ego and your ambition.
I'm sorry if I offended your sense
of fair play. This isn't a civics lesson.
Someone was selling
justice in this courthouse.
Those civics lessons are what
separate us from the Neanderthals,
something you fail
to grasp. Now get out.
Kaylin suppressed your
corroborating evidence, Jack.
I still have an appeal.
Fifty-fifty. Look, you
can cut your losses.
Give us man one
to cover all charges.
Minimum time.
Three to six years for a murder?
Come on, Miss Ross. They
argued, there was a struggle.
This was an execution.
I'm gonna make it
easy for you, Jamie.
You make the deal, and we
keep the lid on the corruption.
What do we keep a lid on?
Hundreds of convicted
felons making motions
claiming the A.D.A. who
prosecuted them is crooked.
There's no evidence of that. All
we turned up were Baker's cases.
How many defendants
have I put away? Huh?
I can make myself available to
any one of these potential litigants.
It's Adam Schiff's
worst nightmare.
Harmon can gridlock this
office for the next five years.
It's a bluff, Adam.
If there were other fixes
besides the Baker cases,
they would have surfaced by now.
It's how many cases
he says he fixed.
Can we accept his ultimatum
without making it look like a cover-up?
Probably not.
We can't give in to blackmail.
I won't go down like the
Titanic. You have one week.
You come up with something to
prove murder or take their offer.
Credit card receipts.
Forensic accountants have
been through Harmon's records.
No unusual spending
or infusions of cash.
Believe me, he's got
it stashed somewhere.
We did find two jars full
of pennies. Business cards.
"Dodo the Clown."
His son's birthday party.
Katie and I were there.
I just love going through
other people's junk.
"Antilles Travel Agency." Think
he was planning a little getaway?
138th Street?
Harlem? What was
he doing up there?
Read the fine print.
"Remittances to the Caribbean."
Offshore accounts.
Did you ever wire money for a
man named Charlie Harmon?
No. I would have
remembered a white gentleman.
Arvin Baker?
Sorry.
Well, thank you.
I always cooperate with the D.A.
You've been involved
with a case before?
Last year. The district
attorney subpoenaed my records
of a wire transaction
on a drug case.
Do you remember the case?
Geraldine... Geraldine
somebody. Geraldine Smithson?
Yes, that's it, that's it.
They told me it was settled.
Who told you?
The same lady who came to pick
up the papers. I never get them back.
She told me they
had gotten lost.
This lady, what
did she look like?
About your age, not as tall.
She had blonde hair. And
glasses. C'est bon. Glasses.
I'll never accept that
he did what you say.
You know what he
was involved with.
How would I?
You went to a travel
agency in Harlem.
You picked up documents
that Charlie needed to bury.
Who told you that?
It turned up during
our investigation.
And we'll turn up more, now
that we know where to look.
How long is he going away for?
You should be
thinking about yourself.
You could be charged
as an accomplice.
Me? What about my kids?
You cooperate with us, I'm
pretty sure I can keep you out of it.
Jamie, please don't do
this to us. Charlie is not evil.
Lisa! Charlie's gone! If you
could see him with the kids...
Save what you have.
Save your family.
I can't believe this.
Charlie killed somebody.
There's a 13-year-old girl
in Brooklyn without a father.
I knew there was a
little extra coming in.
Charlie wasn't complaining about
the mortgage like he usually does,
or worrying about
the kids' college.
I was afraid to ask
about the money.
Then Charlie wanted
me to do things.
He said I was the
only one he could trust.
I helped him out a few
times, like he wanted.
What else could I do, Jamie?
He's my husband.
Murder two, 25-to-life.
It's a final offer.
You brought us back here
to sing the same old song?
Tell Schiff he better get some more
bodies down at the appeals bureau.
Tell your wife to
hire a good lawyer.
You're charging her? With what?
She did your dirty work
at the travel agency.
The indictment's
presented and voted.
Bribery as an accessory.
Conspiracy to commit murder.
She didn't know anything.
You picked the rules.
I'm just upping the ante.
It's a bluff, isn't it?
You plead to murder two,
plus nine counts of bribery.
If you make any
false allegations
about cases you claim you fixed,
I will personally file the
indictment and have Lisa arrested.
She'll have grandchildren by the
time she gets out of Bedford Hills.
How could you do
this? How could you?
Don't say a word, Charlie.
Is that what you want,
Jamie? To destroy my family?
You did that on your own.
I tried to make a
decent life for them.
By killing somebody?
It went too far. I
am sorry about that.
Try to understand, Jamie.
It's not in the job description.
It's all just a hobby for you.
Rich ex-husband, big
bank account. Charlie.
No! You're a dilettante, Jamie.
You never had to
sweat out a paycheck.
You don't give a damn
that a drug dealer's car
costs more than a D.A.
could make in a year.
So you became a corrupt D.A.?
I took profits
from drug dealers!
You took advantage
of desperate people.
What you're doing to
Lisa, that's so different?
You really don't know? You
could have come to me, Charlie.
I'll call Judge Kaylin and
tell him we have a deal?
If he hadn't cracked,
were you gonna follow
through with Lisa Harmon?
I have the right
to remain silent.
You didn't do anything wrong.
Why do I feel like I did?
Charlie Harmon doesn't
deserve your sympathy.
He's just another name
on another indictment.
Maybe that's the problem.
I'm taking the rest of the
day. I'll see you tomorrow.