Murder in the First (2014–2016): Season 1, Episode 8 - Win Some, Lose Some - full transcript

Where's your girlfriend?

Oh, why you got to start
off like that, Chris?

Habit?

Let's just say my partner

isn't as interested in
your point of view as I am.

So, now you've decided to believe

I didn't kill that junkie?

Why did you confess?

Coercion.

No, don't lay that on me.

I wasn't talking about you.



You don't think a good offer from the D.A.

counts as coercion?

Okay, if you didn't kill Neyers,

then how come you were
positively identified

by two eyewitnesses that
I interviewed myself?

Why would they lie?

Tell me who they are and I'll tell you why.

I can't do that, man.

You went hard on them like you tried on me.

This is different.

They gave you up. They said they saw you.

Not then. Not there.

I-I'm not saying

I'm the best-loved guy
in the neighborhood,



but I am one of the best known.

Makes me an easy target.

Oh, okay. So you're a victim.

No need for sarcasm.

Why'd you come out here if
you don't want to listen?

I'm listening.

Okay, well, let me ask
you something, Inspector.

If I killed that fool
in a business dispute,

like you think, why would
I leave my product behind?

Fentanyl's pricy shit. You know that.

You were in a hurry.

A .357 makes a lot of noise.

Obviously not enough to get me
popped with a gun in my hand.

Because the man was healthy when I left.

But somebody like me,

I need to prove innocent
beyond a reasonable doubt.

You all had your answers already.

That don't make me the truth.

Who cares? Nobody. Case closed.

Well, I'm here.

And I respect that, man. I really do.

But you ain't gonna change anything.

Just make the both of
us feel worse about it.

Sync and corrections by explosiveskull

I don't agree with you,
Warren, because you're wrong.

How many homicide trials have you handled?

You're doing everything the
same old way you always do.

That's what you pay me for.

But you've never had a client like me.

Rich pricks? I think that's my specialty.

I want you to put me on the stand.

Stop this.

The state rested without proving its case.

We're out ahead. We
just have to stay there.

I'm not letting you bury yourself

just because you don't know any better.

I'm the only one who can tell the jury

what really happened between me and Hannah.

And it sure as hell wasn't rape.

I established that in cross.

No, you didn't.

I listened to every single word.

You asked if it was possible

that she'd used consensual
sex as leverage for a payday

and she said no.

The jury needs to hear
from me how she's a liar.

Unless you convince them
that you're the liar,

since you have little or no
incentive to tell the truth.

How about because it's the truth?

If you don't put me on the stand,

I'll be convicted for a blowjob.

'Cause that's the only physical
evidence that connects me.

But I can explain why it
means I didn't kill her.

Lord Almighty.

Well, I haven't heard a
better plan from one of you.

It's my life, not yours.

Yes, Erich and I had planned

to meet at his house at 9:00 P.M.

to discuss the latest test
results of a new product.

Is it unusual for
executives in your business

to work at night like that?

Not at all. It's
efficient, no interruptions.

Were you on time?

9:00 P.M. sharp, per my phone.

Never want to keep your boss waiting.

No.

What was Erich's mood
like when you arrived?

He was relaxed, happy, you know.

Life was good.

- Did he mention Cindy?
- Yes.

He said that he and Cindy
had kissed and made up

and that she would be back
at work in the morning.

- Objection.
- It was to Erich's state of mind, Your Honor.

Do me the courtesy of letting
me finish my objection.

I thought you had.

Go ahead.

Hearsay, Your Honor. Move to strike.

Erich's statement to the witness indicates

his emotional condition at the time

and his future intention to
continue Cindy's employment.

I count two hearsay exceptions.

Overruled.

Ms. West, you just said
"Kissed and made up."

So, you obviously knew that Erich and Cindy

had a personal relationship,
is that correct?

Yes, though they tried to be discreet,

it's hard to hide love.

Now, when you describe the defendant

as your boss, Ms. West,

that's not a complete description

of your relationship, is it?

In fact, you have a sexual relationship

- with the defendant, don't you?
- Yes.

He's been your mentor.

Your career depends on him, right?

Not at all.

What an old-fashioned question

coming from a man with a female boss.

Well, I'm sure you'd say you'd never

deceive the jury by protecting him.

- Isn't that true?
- I'm not trying to protect him.

Protecting the defendant protects
your own future, doesn't it?

Objection, Your Honor.

I've tried to sit on my hands,

but this is argumentative
even for Mr. Siletti.

Sustained.

Were you and Cindy friends?

We were friendly, yes.

Did you ever tell her about

your ongoing sexual relationship

with her boyfriend, the defendant?

No. That would be over-sharing.

Over-sharing?

When you're already sharing a man?

Objection! Not relevant
to this case in any way.

Your Honor, it demonstrates

a pattern of deceptive
behavior by this witness

and goes to her credibility.

Liars lie.

Which is why I have no
further questions for Ms. West.

Redirect. Mr. Daniels.

Very quickly, Your Honor.

Ms. West...

is there a formal succession plan at Applsn

if Erich needed to be replaced

for any reason as Chief Executive Officer?

To minimize risks to the shareholders, yes.

So, if Erich were to be
convicted in this case,

for example, who becomes C.E.O.?

I do.

You do?

Yes.

That doesn't give you much of an incentive

for protecting him, now, does it?

No. It doesn't.

Thank you.

I'm ready for my next witness, Your Honor.

James Salter, Director
of Security for Applsn.

And how long have you
been in that position?

Going on five years next month.

Ooh, watch out. I miss anything?

A base hit for Siletti.

Red pill or blue pill, you think?

What are you talking about?

"Matrix" movies. Come on.

Red pill is you bite the truth.

Blue pill... keep on lying to yourself.

When is it ever that easy?

Erich was contacted by an acquaintance

offering to sell him a popular club drug

at a very low price... specifically MDMA,

also known as ecstasy or Molly.

He suspected he was
being set up by the police

and asked me to investigate.

From your own personal experience

as a captain in the police department,

did that seem unreasonable to you?

Not at all.

And what, if anything, did you do next?

I had Erich set up a
meeting with his acquaintance

ostensibly to make the purchase.

Then I went to the location
myself to see what would happen.

And what did you see at that location?

Inspector English and another
undercover narcotics officer

were staked out in an
unmarked command vehicle,

along with six other units,

including two sets of photographers.

Is that typical department procedure

for this kind of operation?

No, sir, it is not.

Hmm. What happened next?

I interrupted the operation

and confronted Inspector English

about his attempt to entrap Mr. Blunt

with phony drug charges
that would basically

violate his bail and incarcerate him.

Objection... assumes facts not in evidence,

as this witness is very well aware.

Move to strike.

Sustained.

The jury is directed to
disregard in its entirety

Mr. Salter's statement about entrapment.

Captain, do you remember what you said

to Inspector English at that time?

Yes.

I told him he was running a witch hunt

and that I was ashamed of him.

Ohh.

And he went for the blue
pill, ladies and gentlemen.

I correctly identified...

Uh, what are you doing?

Terry, you and Hildy are
under direct admonition

from the court not to watch
or read other testimony.

You're both witnesses. You
know you're subject to recall.

What if I do it like this?

All right, now you're
just trying to piss me off.

- Where's the...
- Lieutenant.

Everybody watches everything all the time.

I mean, you really
think these jurors aren't

sitting at home at night
watching "Nancy Grace"

- or whatever?
- Hey, don't knock Nancy.

- She's on our side.
- Okay, enough.

Our clearance rate isn't getting any better

with all of you sitting around here

carrying on like a bunch of gossip girls.

Do I know you?

Narcotics, sir.

Well, are you lost? This isn't Narcotics.

Go watch your own TV.

Your Honor, the Defense calls Erich Blunt.

Raise your hand, sir.

Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I do.

State your full name
for the record, please.

Erich Maxwell Blunt.

I'm going to skip all
the warm-up questions

and cut right to the chase.

Erich... did you kill Cindy Strauss?

No, I did not.

On the night of June 5th,

did you physically harm her in any way?

No, I did not.

Did you go to her apartment that night?

- Yes.
- Why?

I'd fired Cindy without
cause the day before,

and I wanted to apologize
for acting like a pig

and to give her back her job.

Couldn't you have done that over the phone?

She wouldn't talk to me.

She let you come into the
apartment when you showed up.

She needed to see that I was sincere.

I was just glad she forgave me.

She said she'd be on
the crew in the morning,

and we made love, then I went home.

And where was Cindy when you left?

She was in her bed upstairs.

And this was after she had
performed oral sex on you,

is that correct?

It was a mutual act between us.

It's how Cindy and I

liked to be intimate with each other.

Although, obviously not the only way,

or she wouldn't have been pregnant by you.

Did you know she was pregnant?

No, or I wouldn't have let her

keep drinking and using like she did.

The rules change when there's three of you.

I'd have protected my
child better than the...

Your Honor, the defendant is narrating.

The question to the defendant

only requires a
yes-or-no answer,

not a chapter in his autobiography.

Mr. Blunt, please restrict yourself

to simply answering the
questions put to you.

Yes, Your Honor. I'm sorry.

When did you find out
about the pregnancy, Erich?

I read about it online...

when the autopsy report got leaked.

And what was your reaction?

I've lost a dear friend.

I lost a child.

It hurt.

Still does.

I don't understand.

If you had nothing to hide,

why did you lie to the police and say

you weren't at her
apartment the night she died?

Because I knew how it would look.

And looks lie...

which is exactly what happened.

Here we are.

What was the nature of your

personal relationship with Cindy?

We had a strong physical
and emotional connection.

Did you love her?

I cared about her very much.

I respected her. I admired her.

You admired your flight attendant?

A college dropout? Why?

You don't need a college
degree to be smart.

Cindy was smart.

She'd come through tough
childhood like I did.

We both learned very young
how to look after ourselves.

And I admired her resilience, her...

capacity for joy.

It was amazing.

Your Honor, please excuse

the interruption of the eulogy here,

but the defendant has not been called

as a character witness for the victim.

Sustained.

I'm sorry... what exactly was the objection

that I didn't hear?

Narrative. Relevance. Immateriality.

Should I keep going, Your Honor?

The Court has already
sustained, Mr. Daniels.

Forward, please.

Hannah Harkins testified that
you drugged her and raped her

and then paid her off to keep her quiet.

- Objection. Leading.
- Sustained.

Did you have a long-term
sexual relationship

with Ms. Harkins when she
worked for you at Wesne?

Yes.

And did there come a time
when that relationship ended?

Yes.

What were the circumstances?

I was selling the company,

and Hannah thought she'd lose her job.

So she invented her assault story

to force me into a better settlement.

And... I paid her off

because that was the quickest, easiest,

kindest way to solve the problem.

Not because there was any
truth in what she was saying.

That's not who I am.

You, of course, would
never admit to a pattern

of sexual violence, would you, sir?

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained.

You said Cindy had been drinking

and using drugs the night of her murder.

Did you partake, as well?

Yes. A little.

- Thank you for a little honesty.
- Editorializing.

- What were you drinking?
- Sustained.

Champagne.

And what drugs did you take?

Ecstasy.

Champagne and ecstasy?

Huh, well, that's the
exact same combination

that Hannah Harkins testified

that you used on her, too, isn't it?

"Used with" doesn't mean "Used on," sir.

It is the same drug you
sent your Head of Security

to score from your dealer, correct?

I had no knowledge of Captain
Salter's plan to do that.

Did you violate your bail
conditions in this case

by leaving the jurisdiction
and flying to Nevada

for an arts-and-music
festival?

Objection. Relevance?

Your Honor, it goes to
the defendant's credibility

by showing his propensity
to lie to the court

and generally behave as
though he is above the law.

Mr. Siletti's response

is blatantly prejudicial
in itself, Your Honor.

Sustained.

Mr. Blunt, you told the jurors

that you cared for Cindy very much,

that you respected her,
that you admired her.

While you were also involved

in a secret sexual relationship

with another female
employee, Ms. West, correct?

Cindy and I had never
agreed to be exclusive.

So, Cindy was good enough

to be the mother of your
child, but not your girlfriend.

Argumentative.

Overruled.

I don't like labels.

How about "World's Youngest Billionaire"?

Well, that would be a
description, not a label.

How about "Smartest Guy
in the Room... Any Room."

Do you recall describing yourself that way

in a videotaped appearance?

Yes, but I was making a joke

about other people's perceptions of me.

Smart enough not to get trapped

by an unwanted pregnancy, right?

I already testified that I
didn't know Cindy was pregnant.

She thought a baby would let her hang on

to a man of your wealth and intelligence

and martial-arts talent.

Objection... Mr. Siletti is always

a wonderful storyteller,
but there's no foundation.

Move on, Mr. Siletti.

Smart enough to buy your
way out of criminal charges

from Hannah Harkins, right?

I'm smart enough to know
what you're trying to do.

You think you can make me lose my temper.

You can't.

I refuse to let you goad me.

It's a cheap trick from
a man in a cheap suit.

Stop smiling at me like that.

Move to strike the response, Your Honor,

especially in the absence
of an actual question.

Take the next one.

Now you know why I didn't
want you to testify.

But you're way too smart to listen to me.

I did fine... until the end.

Pity that's the part the jury remembers.

Do you think you made them like you?

You did not.

Now it's up to me to save
your punk ass with my closing.

Never, ever a position of strength.

But, as you say,

your life, not mine.

Called in sick.

I just... couldn't face the office

after what Erich said about me in court.

Like I just...

made it all up for the money.

Look, no one who knows
you believes that, Hannah.

No one.

I read that there are
over a thousand reporters

officially covering the trial.

Yeah.

Well, they're not on his side.

If you google my name now...

I'm sorry.

And all that for nothing.

Just...

more shame and embarrassment.

I feel like he raped me twice,

and he got away with it.

Look...

Hear the verdict before you say that.

Me, I trust the eyes and ears in the Box.

And when the jury finds
him guilty on all counts,

you'll be part of why.

All right?

Thanks, Dave.

I got your back.

Today, tomorrow.

Whenever.

I mean, if that's all right with you.

Cindy Strauss was human.

She had weaknesses.

She liked booze and drugs and men.

Yes, she made mistakes.

And her worst mistake...
her fatal mistake...

was getting involved with
the handsome, charming,

world-famous Erich Blunt...

the man she thought she'd
found to respect her,

to love her.

The man who murdered her

because she wasn't good enough for him.

When Erich Blunt got Cindy pregnant,

she must have dreamed
of a golden life together

as a family.

She was wrong.

'Cause he did not want
a family... not with her.

A genius like him tied to
a girl like her forever?

She was useless... his own words for her.

Remember Stan Shaw's testimony

about what the defendant
shouted at Cindy on the plane

on the second-to-last
day of her life?

She wasn't worth his $400 t-shirt.

And as soon as Cindy told
Erich that she was pregnant,

she became a liability.

Her and a baby on the way?

The solution he chose

was to break her neck
with his black-belt hands

and throw her down her own stairs

to try to hide the crime.

He chose to end her life and her child's

while his semen was still in her mouth.

And we know from the testimony

of the medical examiner, Dr. Burnside,

that Cindy died within 15 to 20 minutes

after she had oral sex with the defendant.

Well, no wonder he lied to police. Huh?

And told them he hadn't seen
her since the night before

when he humiliated her and assaulted her

and... and fired her from
the crew of his private plane,

so big that it needed two
pilots and a flight attendant...

Cindy.

The state has managed to prove one thing

beyond a reasonable doubt...

that Erich Blunt is a rich man.

The rest of the state's case against him

is pure fiction.

Erich told you that he didn't
even know Cindy was pregnant

until he read about it after the autopsy.

The prosecution has
not been able to produce

one speck of evidence to the contrary.

But that's a problem for Mr. Siletti.

Mr. Siletti needs a motive

for a crime we can't be sure...

ever happened.

If Cindy fell down her stairs,

and we know she wasn't sober...

Poor girl.

That's... that's a terrible accident.

But that doesn't advance
careers in the D.A.'s Office.

This case with this defendant
has made Mr. Siletti famous.

His boss, D.A. Perez, is now a brand name,

in the news, day after
day, night after night.

They've told their version
of the story so often,

they might even believe it themselves.

But saying a thing is so

doesn't make it so.

Oh, Mr. Blunt used the technical expertise

that made him a billionaire
to try to hide his tracks

with a highly sophisticated e-mail hack

routed to look like a text
message from Cindy's cellphone,

as though she were still alive after he'd

arrived safely home to
his other girlfriend.

Except Cindy wasn't alive.

Hmm.

She was lying naked and dead

on the floor at the bottom of her stairs,

where he left her behind
her own locked door.

No sign of any intruder,

no evidence of any
other presence that night

except the victim and the defendant.

All this talk about e-mail hacks

and anonymous relays in
shady parts of the world

and secret protocols to fake
a text from Cindy's phone?

Proof.

Proof.

Proof. Where is the proof?

Our laws say you cannot convict a man

on the basis of theories or suppositions

and wishful thinking.

The defendant's semen puts him

at the scene of the murder
close to the time of the murder.

DNA doesn't lie.

Erich had no motive.

Now, Cindy's estranged
husband, Mark Strauss,

with a restraining order
against him already...

he had motive and means and opportunity.

Cindy's ex-boyfriend, Bill Wilkerson,

the man who found the body...

he had motive and means and opportunity.

But those two names...
those aren't marquee names.

Got to be rich to get away with murder.

How often have we all heard that?

Do you believe it? 'Cause
Erich Blunt believes it.

Show him he's wrong.

Hold him accountable for the murder

of Cindy Strauss and their unborn child.

Show the world watching this trial

that justice is not for sale in our city.

Ladies and gentlemen,

you are not running for Office.

You're not looking for a promotion.

You are here to determine the facts

to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt.

The state has not proved

how Cindy died, where, or when.

Or that a crime

was ever even committed.

No less a thinker than Albert Einstein

once said that the simplest explanation

tends to be the most accurate.

And the simplest explanation
in this case is that Cindy...

just... fell down the stairs.

You didn't leave your common sense at home

when you put on those jury badges.

Follow your conscience.

Thank you for your service.

I love you.

Oh, I, uh...

was planning on wearing that.

Oh.

You can have it back.

No, no, that's cool. I...

You can keep it on. I, uh...

shouldn't be walking in
Homicide smelling like perfume.

I made special coffee.

Ah. Did you, uh...

did you bring that coffee pot with you?

Fits in my purse.

Right.

On a... on a first date?

So...

we're dating now.

Well, we, uh... We went
on a... a date, yeah.

Uh, that was more than a date.

Was I supposed to play hard to get?

Why?

No, well, do you... Uh...

Do you always say, uh, "I-I
love you" so... so fast?

Wow. You're easily threatened.

Threatened... Threatened is, uh,

being on the wrong side of a gun.

I would say I... I was a little c-crowded.

Yeah.

What's the matter with you?

Why did you ask me out
if you didn't want this?

Well, I didn't know that
you'd be trying to move in.

- Screw you!
- Oh. Hey. Okay.

Oh. Wait. I already did.

I'm going home.

Don't you try to stop me.

You don't deserve me.

You're right. You are so right.

Hello.

I remember my sister

tried to warn me when you bought that car.

She said next there'd be
a blonde with big tits.

Cindy didn't mean anything to me.

Well, you know what? That's worse.

I mean, to cause so much pain.

What? Just... just...
just to have a little fun?

- I did a terrible thing. I know. I know. I know.
- Mm-hmm.

Actually, a lot of fun from
what it looked like on the video.

I-I can't understand how you even
saw that video in the first place.

I deleted it from my phone.

I-I got a bullshit e-mail
from an anonymous address.

I don't know. I thought it was spam.

But the subject said "Bill loves Cindy."

So, of course, knowing you,
I-I had to click on the link.

Yeah, a-are you telling
me that... that somebody

sent you that video from
an anonymous account?

Yeah, imagine that.
Not everybody likes you.

I want to come home.

I want... I want to... I
want to stop this right now.

Let's cancel the meeting with the lawyer.

- No. Unh-unh. No.
- Come on. I love you.

You know what? That's funny.
I didn't hear you say that

when... when you were on national TV

testifying about your sexual relationship

- with the murder victim.
- Are you kidding me?!

Warren Daniels made us
both look like suspects.

It was strate... Exactly!
It was a strategy.

I think... I think Erich killed her.

And I-I think she had it coming,

but, you know...

I'm vindictive.

I'll see you upstairs.

And... if you try to hit me again,

I'm filing a police report.

Okay.

Yeah, same here. Same here, baby.

Howard, risky move letting
the defendant testify.

Did Erich Blunt hurt
himself or help himself?

You know what, Susan? It's hard to tell.

Erich Blunt did fairly well
in getting his story out.

But his outburst, I-I think hurt him.

You know what? It's a jury question.

Be interesting to see what happens.

Well, uh, deliberations

- continue tomorrow for a second day.
- Why are we even watching this?

It's not even news.
They're just filling time.

I'm not gonna worry till I have to.

I'm not gonna worry period.

There's more than enough reasonable doubt.

If the jury wants to see it.

Well, they're not
supposed to have a choice.

How are you still an idealist, David?

It's got to be hard for a lawyer.

That's why I represent you.

Not to be grandiose,

but I think you can change the world.

One drink at a time.

We had a rough morning

with Barbara's lawyer.

David, go home.

Eat, sleep.

Wilky's here to babysit.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Okay.

Goodnight, Bill.

So, you're here with me.

Not at home with her,

so I'm guessing Barbara
didn't change her mind.

- Huh.
- Which means congratulations.

You're on the way to being a free man.

Yeah, right.

H-here's... here's
what I don't understand.

- When you delete a video...
- Mm-hmm.

from a phone... isn't that a full wipe?

Like, gone forever?

I mean, unless you're some...
on some NSA list or something?

Or you work for Applsn.

Well, what does that mean?

That's why you never use a company phone

for... let's call them Private Moments.

Data can be accessed from the
cloud and bounced anywhere.

I mean, what... what about
all this encryption crap?

Oh. Oh, Wilky, now I feel sorry for you.

Well, who...

would e-mail that video to Barbara?

Somebody did you a favor.

If you had loved your wife,

you wouldn't have been with
Cindy in the first place.

You owe somebody thanks.

Somebody...

like you, Erich?

Sorry, are you asking me

if I e-mailed the sex video to your wife?

You know what? Just...

She's making me nuts.

Yeah.

Yeah, I did it.

You weren't happy, and...

you don't want a life in the suburbs.

Sex on Saturday, church on Sunday,

trash on Monday... You know that.

Look, I-I know you're
upset about the money,

but money's easy.

I'm gonna make that right for you.

I care about you, Wilky.

Welcome to your future.

Unless you lose.

Hey. I just got the call. The jury's back.

Who else is coming? Seats won't last.

Uh-oh. See? I told y'all.

I said it would be fast.

Fast tends to be good for us.

All right, please be seated.

Let the record show that

the defendant is present with Counsel,

that the jury is in the jury box.

Mr. Foreperson, it's my understanding

that this jury has arrived
at verdicts in this case.

- Is that correct?
- We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant stand and face the jury?

Mr. Foreperson,

would you hand the verdicts to the bailiff?

Would you read the verdicts, Gwen?

State of California vs. Erich Blunt.

"We the jury in the above entitled cause

find the defendant, Erich Maxwell Blunt..."

- "...violation of Penal Code Section 187 A...
- Congratulations.

"as alleged in count one

- Thank you, Warren.
- of the information filed herein.

Signed Foreperson."

Thank you.

Is that the unanimous verdict

of this jury with respect to count one?

It is, Your Honor.

Gwen, would you read count two, please?

"We the jury in the above entitled cause

"find the defendant, Erich
Maxwell Blunt, not guilty

"of the crime of murder of baby Strauss

"in violation of Penal Code Section 187 A

as alleged in count two in the
information filed herein..."

Stunning news.

Erich Blunt found not
guilty on both counts.

- Howard Weitzman, your thoughts?
- Wow.

A... a surprise. For
Erich Blunt, great day.

For District Attorney Jackie Perez,

a staggering defeat.

What you can't lose sight of, Susan,

is when a jury says "Not guilty,"

it means the prosecution
didn't prove the case.

All right. You good?

Yeah.

Two seconds, man.

Hey.

You still think I did it.

Yeah, we do.

Lucky the Double Jeopardy rule means

there's only one bite at the Apple, huh?

A woman's dead.

A child... your child... is dead.

So don't get up in my face and gloat.

Why not?

You're right.

I did kill that dumb bitch.

Sync and corrections by explosiveskull