The Defenders (2010–2011): Season 1, Episode 17 - Nevada v. Greene - full transcript

Mr. Morelli?

Yeah. Kaczmarek,

Jeff Rodgers, hotel security.
Thank you for coming.

Mr. Greene asked me to call you personally.

Housekeeping slacking?

Mr. Greene as in Johnny Greene

- who owns this hotel Johnny Greene?
- Yes.

The only thing more important

to my employer than this hotel

is his family.

Unfortunately, both are at stake in this.



Come on, this doesn't have to do
with some guy

having a heart attack
here in the penthouse.

- What's going on?
- No heart attack, Mr. Morelli.

Mr. Greene's son Mike uses this room
to party with his friends.

I'll have him
fill the details in with you later.

I sent him to his father's suite
to sober up.

All right, come on, cut the crap.
What did you call us for?

That.

Oh, geez.

That ain't Grandpa.

Aw...

That's the police.

Mr. Greene asked
that you please handle this.

Heads.



Tails.

All right, I'll meet you downtown.

Don't let anybody touch her
except for the coroner.

You're the lawyer?

Uh, Morelli, was it?

Yeah. Mike?

Well, Mike, you want
to tell me what happened?

Uh, I don't know what happened.

Woke up, saw her in the tub.

Must have passed out.

I called Rodgers.

And I suppose he called Dad.

He's gonna kill me.

Look, you're going to have to make
a statement to the police.

You probably want to skip the booze.

Tough guy.

I have no statement. I blacked out.

I don't remember anything after, uh...

Whatever, I don't remember.

Who's the girl?

Rye Seeger. She's a casino host.

- At the Florentine here?
- Mm.

She your girlfriend or what?

No, not a girlfriend.

But she was cool... mostly.

Look, this is all my fault.

I'll tell the police anything you like.

Your fault? What do you mean your fault?

I was wrecked, man.

If I don't pass out,

maybe I stop her from falling
and knocking her head...

or however she ended up dead.

I'm not exactly the best guy to be around.

Look, let me get you a little breakfast.

Some greasy food

to soak up that alcohol.

With all due respect, Mr. Morelli,
no thank you.

Why isn't he here, Kaczmarek?

He got something to hide?

- Drugs?
- I just got here, you mook.

As far as I know, the kid's a priest.

Oh, geez.

The Defenders 01x17 - Nevada v. Greene
Original air date Mar. 4, 2011

Well, it's a preliminary hearing

where the D.A. presents their evidence

and a judge decides
whether it should go on to trial.

Now, if you go to trial,
you'll still be out on bail.

Do you think that it will go to trial?

Well, with those bruises
around her throat...

my bet yes.

All right, look, she liked it.
She wanted me to do it.

She'd put my hands
on her neck herself if I wouldn't.

Come on, Mike, every guy

who beats his wife says that she likes it.

She did.

Wait a minute, are you
saying that you remember

having sex with her
the night she died, and choked her?

I don't remember.

I'm saying it wouldn't have been
the first time if I did.

Here it comes.

Mike.

Dad.

Michael!

- You kill a girl?
- No.

- Did you kill her?!
- I don't know.

Michael, did you kill her?!

I don't remember!

All right?!

I don't know what I did.

In my hotel.

Uh, Mr. Greene,

hi. Sorry to interrupt. I'm Pete...

I know who you are, Kaczmarek.

It's what I don't know,
maybe you could help me with.

Morelli...

can you make this go away?

Well, Johnny, it depends.

Sources have told me that the girl has...

some skin under her fingernails.

That would figure,

because she would fight back
if she was really being strangled.

So what?

Well, if there is a killer,

he'd have marks on his body.

Okay, kid...

drop trou.

I'd like to thank you for coming.

I realize this is difficult.

Well, it's not so much difficult, Wally.

It's just kind of a waste of my time.

Bennie, not Wally. It's Bennie.

Mr. Hapwood, I understand

you have a new offer?

Mr. Merman is willing

to drop his demand for pain and suffering

in return for an apology.

Sincere and in writing.

Oh. Uh... okay, fine.

I'm so sorry.

Write that down.

I've got two shows, so thanks a lot.

And, of course, there's the matter
of Mr. Merman's expenses.

Expenses? Expenses?

$1,287.

Plane tickets, car, hotel.

Had a weekend planned for this girl

that I'd had hopes for, and you ruined it.

You fit on a plane?

Ms. Scott, please.

None of us wants this to go to trial.

Sally's a comedian.

Mr. Merman assumed the risk of ridicule.

He willingly walked into the theater.

My client had no prior knowledge
of her act.

Chuck entered in good faith.

- Ms. Scott took unfair advantage.
- My date laughed at me.

She won't even answer my calls.

Okay, I know what this is.

I'm looking at them, and obviously
your moms are cousins.

So, um, we'll just

see you in court, dumbasses.

- Let's get lunch.
- Yeah.

Ms. Reif, you knew
the victim, Rye Seeger?

Yes. We were both casino hosts
at the Florentine.

Can you explain your job?
What a casino host is?

Officially we're
in the marketing department.

We liaison between
the major players and the casino.

And did you witness,
on two occasions, this defendant

accost Ms. Seeger,

accusing her of sleeping with her clients?

Once he grabbed her arm

and dragged her out of the poker room.

Another time he pushed her...

And she fell, she hurt her back?

Had to go to the doctor.

Said she could barely walk.

Thank you, Ms. Reif.

Ms. Reif, when you saw

Mike push Rye,

didn't she simply slip on a wet pool deck?

- It was at the pool.
- And did Rye admit to you

that she saw half a dozen doctors and had
half a dozen prescriptions for hydrocodone?

- Objection.
- Counselor, is there anything else?

Me? It's Mr. Cole's case.
If you could call it that.

The witness may step down.

Mr. Cole.

Judge, the victim exhibited
contusions on her neck,

consistent with the manual strangulation.

The defendant's relationship
with Ms. Seeger

was violent, and a witness will attest

that when he left Greene's penthouse,

the defendant was alone with Ms. Seeger
and she was alive.

There's more than enough probable cause

to bind this over, Judge.

Your Honor, I heard a rumor

that there was skin
under Ms. Seeger's nails.

That she fought back
against her killer. Is that true?

It could be.

Well, if it is, Your Honor,

we have a little problem.

I have a doctor's report right here...

says Mike Greene
doesn't have a mark on his body.

It's microscopic, Your Honor.

Little cells.

She could literally get millions
under her nails and not break his skin.

All right. I find sufficient evidence
to bind this over.

Oh, come on, Judge.

The defendant will answer
to a single charge

of murder in the second degree.

Your Honor, may it please
the court... Wallace Stern

representing Open Trial TV.

We'd like to file papers
to allow our cameras

- for the Greene matter.
- I'll take 'em.

- Judge, we object.
- Why?

Why are you objecting?

It's not fair to my client

to have his case tried in public?

The state has no objection, Your Honor.

Camera serve to educate the public.

- Which we take seriously.
- Kiss ass.

Take it up with Judge Owens, Mr. Morelli.

I just file the paper.

What are you doing?

Hey, you called me.

No, this. What is this?

Seriously, you leave a box
laying around, guy's gonna play.

It's for my son, you nit. Kill it.

Ow! Hey! Ow! Geez!

All right, Tony, this.

I got a dead girl
and a room full of zombie kids.

Find out what you can on them

and run due diligence on anyone

who was on that penthouse floor that night.

Hotel staff,

- the whole nine yards.
- Got it.

And here...
this is the victim... Rye Seeger.

Now, we're going to argue
that she had enough drugs in her system

to drown herself.

We got to deal
with those bruises on her neck.

So, find me an ex who will confirm

that she likes to play it rough.

Zoey, also, uh, I'm going to need
a couple of new ties,

but no stripes, because they get
all fuzzy on... camera.

Ah. You're going to be on television?

Open Trial TV, baby! Our case!

- Nice!
- Yeah!

Hey, you want me to do your makeup?

Makeup?

Why-why would I want make...?
Do I need makeup?

Nick, these new cameras

are hell on a face like yours.

Yeah, just fill this in right here.

Nose hairs.

Leave me alone. No makeup.

Fellas, just got a call
from a friend of mine...

a guy who plays poker online.

He says they've posted odds on your case.

Betting odds?

- On Mike Greene's murder trial?
- Yep.

It's going off at 20-to-one against.

Against.

Oh, Bob.

I'm sorry.

Listen, we got a problem
with the Greene case, Bob,

and we need to talk to you.

But I'm putting here.

- Mind if we just grab a seat?
- Just have a seat over here.

And just talk to you for one second?

We really appreciate your time.

Thank you so much for seeing us, Judge.
It's very kind of you.

We are calendared in your court, Judge,

- but we might need some relief.
- Yes.

Well, I can't talk to you about that
without a D.A.

It's ex parte.

- Guys.
- Morelli, what is this?

I've got an arraignment in, like, 45.

Just sit down for a minute, will ya?

- Hey, Judge.
- Gentlemen.

Hi, ma'am. We'll have two coffees, please.

- I'll take a steak sandwich.
- Thank you.

Here's the thing...
there's an online casino

offering a betting line on the Greene case.

Is this some kind of a joke?

- No.
- A betting line on a murder case?

It's shocking. Betting on a tragedy.

- It's appalling.
- What are the odds?

Judge, we're going to need a writ, right?

You got to order them to take this down.

An online casino?
Based where, huh? Barbuda?

No, my law doesn't travel.

You're going to have to sequester the jury.

No way!

You can't leave a jury free
to bet on their own verdict.

Hey.

You guys know Tony.

Guys, listen to this. The girl was crazy.

I got three exes who'll say she loved it.

And even better,
my guy at the hospital told me

she had water in her lungs.

There you go, Cole, okay?
Water in the lungs.

You may as well just drop the case, Cole.

- Morelli...
- So he strangled her. He strangled

her while she was in the hot tub. Big deal.

- You want a big deal?
- All right, look, enough.

- I'll give you a big deal.
- Look, guys, enough, huh?!

I got a tee time.

Judge, you have a member number for this?

Judge, you got to do something

about this TV coverage, Judge.

- Come on.
- No!

- Mr. Morelli...
- Mr. Cole...

- Judge Owens, Judge Owens...
- Mr. Cole...

Mr. Kaczmarek...

Judge Owens, can you give us
a comment, please?

No. No. Thank you. No.

Is there going to be a delay in the trial?

Mr. Greene admits

to restraining Ms. Seeger.

That's it. It was consensual.

The State's rush to judgment
got the wrong man.

- Mr. Cole?
- The arrest of Mike Greene

was made not one bit sooner
than the evidence warranted...

Mike Greene admitted
to strangling the girl.

It's as clear as day.

- So you suspect someone else?
- Are the police still looking?

I have a guy here

with two felony arrests for battery.

He works room service at the Florentine.

And he hasn't punched in since the murder.

Why don't you ask Mr. Cole about that.

By the way, I'm
having dinner with your sister tonight.

I'll tell her hi.

Mr. Cole... Tom, what can you tell us
about the man...

He's dating your sis...?

I got to tell you... it felt really good.

I picked that jury pool
right out of their pocket.

Hey, Zoey, check online
on the Greene trial.

See what the odds are. I bet it's even.

- On it.
- You sounded strong, forceful.

The lighting was good.
I'm sure you looked fine.

What do you mean "fine"?
Do you think I looked fine?

Whoa, okay. This can't be.

Mike's odds went up.

We're 40-to-one.

What is going on, Nick.

We just gave them a brand-new suspect.

Who is betting against us?

Got me. But whoever it is,

they know something we don't know.

It was an anonymous call.
It was a tip to our office.

This was an accident.

Come on, kids went swimming
in Lake Tahoe and a girl drowns?

Was drowned... by Mike Greene.

They were 16 years old.

The local police ruled it accidental.

In light of Rye Seeger,
it looks different now.

We'll seek to have it introduced
as a prior bad act.

Prior bad act? What, are you nuts?

Owens will never allow it.

A girl dies skinny-dipping.

It's not even remotely relevant.

And it's prejudicial, Cole, come on.

I can demonstrate probative
value, Nick, really.

You should bet on it.

I hate those two.

I think they're a couple.

So you're Ricky Hall, huh?

- How old are you?
- 28.

And you were there that night?

Yeah, I was there.

Thank you.

I told them Mike was kicked in the bedroom.

The dude was snorting sleeping pills.

- You couldn't wake him up with a gun.
- You were doing what?

You saw Rye on the deck
when you left? She was dancing?

You could call it that.

Swaying... trying to keep
from falling over.

You told the police that, too?

- Yeah, they know it.
- You were in Lake Tahoe

- in '99 also, right?
- What about it?

You two went to school together, right?

Tahoe Mountain Academy?

Yeah. So?

Mike, the prosecution is trying to admit

the drowning in the lake.

- Admit?
- Tell the jury about it at trial.

Okay, wait, wait, what?

How is that relevant? It was an accident.

It's not relevant.

But the D.A.'s not an idiot.

The got something going on.

Ricky, you were there, too,

at the lake, right?

When Katherine Davis drowned?

I was there. It sucked.

But how does the D.A. blame Mike?

He tried to save her.

I know. I read the report.

Ricky, I'm going to need you
to testify to that.

- Will you do that?
- Of course. It's crap.

We were just partying and she freaked.

It was... it was nothing.

It was nothing?

Nothing?!

Get out of my sight, you punk.

Get the hell out of here!

And you...

A girl died, Michael!

This one's on you.

Can I ask you a question, Mr. Morelli?

Sure, Mike.

You ever have a guy
that just forgot he killed somebody?

They all forget, to be honest with you.

I don't think I did anything to Rye.

I don't... I don't... know. I don't.

But Kate out at the lake...

I really did try to save her.

And I will always remember that.

Kaczmarek!

You don't have to sneak around.

No one cares that your friend here
doesn't have papers.

Hola. ¿Como esta?

Uh, Sally, this is...

Yeah, you can save your breath.

You're going to need it later
to blow up your date.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Do me. Do me. Do me.

Oh, come on, you? It's too easy.

It'd be like shooting Bambi.

Okay, okay. Um, uh, you're... you're fat.

Okay. I'm fat because every time
I spank you daddy,

he gives me a biscuit.

Huh?

By the way, let's talk about your rack.

You want to put some Hummels
on there? Figurines?

Well, well, well.

Nick Morelli. Oh, I saw you on TV. Big man.

You looked like hell.

I tease, buddy.

You look great on camera.

As long as it was pointed at Pete.

- Right, buddy? Seriously. Don't let me hang.
- Sally, zip it.

- Let's go.
- So a nun and a rabbi walk into a...

Oh, my.

- Sally!
- I'm on a roll!

Bye.

Believe me, Chuck,
I sympathize, I do.

It can be tough to find the right girl.

But you believed that that girl
was Mona Kiper?

Oh, yeah. I thought she was
the kind of girl I'd like to marry.

But Mona no longer speaks to you?

She doesn't.

She says I was a nice guy,

but being a nice guy just wasn't enough.

An observation she made

the day after you attended
Ms. Scott's show together?

- Yes.
- Objection.

- Sustained. No...
- No.

No, it's true. She belittled me.

She said I was fat. I was a slob.

Things I don't even want to repeat.

Can you repeat that?

See? She just keeps going and going.

She asked me if my arm fat
was considered carry-on or excess baggage.

She said that I made Fat Albert
look like an Olsen twin.

Everybody in the place was laughing.

Mona was laughing.

I could tell the moment we left
the theater... Mona was gone.

She lost all respect.

She doesn't even answer my calls.

No more questions.

Mr. Merman, before Ms. Scott's show,

had you ever seen a comedian?

Yeah, of course.

Sir, I understand the tickets
to my client's performance

were comped by the hotel.

That you were completely unfamiliar

with her act, correct?

Yeah.

But surely you know

it's kind of risky

to sit in the front rows of a comedy club?

Look, I can take a couple of jokes.

But she just wouldn't stop.

I mean, I was her act.

She would be all the way over

on the other side of the stage

in the middle of a joke, and just stop.

She would see me,

and she would come all the way back

just to make a wisecrack.

Mr. Merman, tell me, why not leave?

Sorry?

You're claiming emotional
and physical distress,

sleeplessness, gastrointestinal pain,

headaches, elevated blood pressure...

He hasn't lost his appetite,

right?

But unlike this courtroom,

you were free to leave.

And yet you chose to stay...
to suffer Sally's abuse. Why?

There's 200 people in that theater.

Mona was there.

I didn't want to seem humorless.

You know what, I get that.

For what it's worth, this Mona lady,

or any girl that would leave you

just for showing a sense of humor,

you're better off.

Unfortunately
there are no video cameras

in the penthouse hall. So we don't get

to see who moves in and out of the suite.

Just who uses the elevator.

There's Ricky getting in
to go down at 1:58.

The rest of the kids were all out by 1:00.

So Ricky's story sticks.

- He was the last one to leave the room.
- What about, uh,

Tony's room service guy,
with the rap sheet?

Yeah, Alvarez.

No, nothing that day.

Not on the service elevator or the mains.

Is there a private elevator
to the penthouse floor?

No cameras? For VIPs?

Yes. But you need a keycard for access.

Room service keys don't work.

Well, we don't need another suspect,

I mean, uh, Mike has no scratches,

Ricky Hall will verify that the girl

was stumbling around in a daze
after Mike passed out.

- I mean, it's an accident, it's reasonable.
- Guys!

Guys! Channel 65.

Zoey, what is it?

It's inexcusable, they just
throw up a Macguffin,

some guy with, what, zero convictions?

Yeah, only two arrests, Laura.
But "arrests" sounds bad,

- it affects the jury pool...
- So we had no choice

but to get Judge Gomez to give us
an emergency gag order

against misters Morelli and Kaczmarek.

- What?
- What?

Nothing is going to sidetrack
this trial, Laura; nothing.

We believe the evidence
will show Mike Greene is guilty

of murder, and you watch:
I may even prove that twice.

- What?
- Morelli. Kaczmarek.

What?

You've been served.

What?

It's clear, Your Honor.

Lake Tahoe is proof of plan
and absence of mistake

or accident.

Looks like an accident to me, Mr. Cole.

Apparently, the girl drowned.

She did drown, Judge.

Mr. Cole is doing this for cameras,

to try and influence the jury.

Mr. Morelli is the only one here
facing a gag order, Your Honor.

Yeah, Judge, speaking of which...

We are doing evidence.

- Mr. Cole?
- Uh, page 16, Judge.

The, uh, coroner's report on Lake Tahoe.

Lines... six, seven, and eight.

"Contusions to the eye, throat,"

"chest, and shoulder."

Now, Mike Greene

was swimming with a group of friends,

when Katherine Davis

started "flailing"
and needed to "be saved."

Contusions to the throat,
Your Honor. Just like Rye Seeger.

Both girls drowned.

It's coincidence, Your Honor.

She was flailing like you do
when you drown.

Mike had to fight with her to bring her in.

Page 14, in a statement
by the Coast Guard office of Tahoe City

"indications of struggle with the victim"

"are altogether consistent
with rescue in deep water."

It may have seemed so, then, Your Honor,

but in light of recent events,
I see a pattern here.

Mr. Morelli?

Why shouldn't a jury decide relevance?

Because it's prejudicial, Judge.

Taken out of context, it makes it seem like

something it wasn't.

It is what it is.

A jury can separate accident and intent.

Thank you, uh...
I'm going to allow the evidence.

Judge... you can't! You know
what this is going to do.

What this is going to do is make you
make your case to a jury.

I was a lawyer once, too, Counsel.

You might want to get a little sun
this weekend, Nicky.

We're about to lose
a murder trial on national TV.

It has to be somebody
at the party, come on.

No, it was an accident.
Let's stick with that.

No, no, once
the Tahoe incident was admitted,

our argument for an accident
just went out the window.

The facts haven't changed!

The girl was still alive
when Mike passed out,

he has no defensive marks on his body...

Okay, our guy is innocent. All right?

But this Tahoe incident
makes him look like a serial killer.

Rey Alvarez. Room service felon.

Get on him. We need a new suspect.

I still vote for Ricky Hall.

- He's at the scene of both crimes.
- Crimes.

- Neither one of these are crimes.
- They are now.

Look, if our guy didn't do it,
somebody did.

We got to find ourselves a killer.

Do you enjoy
making fun of people, Ms. Scott?

- If it gets a laugh, yes.
- It's all about the joke.

I do comedy as my job.
If I don't get a laugh, I don't eat.

And do you believe

Mr. Merman was injured in any way

by your "comedy"?

No, I believe he's fine.

- Sticks and stones.
- Something like that.

But you'll admit
you took advantage of the guy.

I don't know what you're talking about.

What? It's a simple question.

Did you pick Mr. Merman out for ridicule

in order to advantage yourself?

Not particularly.

Who is Kirk Drew?

The stage manager at the club I work at.

And if I told you Mr. Drew will testify

that you have him target
certain types of men,

fat men, bald men, short men,

and pull them out of line
to tables right down front

so you can make them part of your act,

would that surprise you?

No.

Thank you, Sally.

Your witness.

Ms. Scott.

When you do your show tonight,

will there be a fat man, a bald man,

or any other type of man
you'll make fun of?

One of each kind, if I'm lucky.

And will you make the same jokes
you made on Mr. Merman?

Most the same.

Look, it's not personal. It's my act.

Everybody gets cut with the same knife.

Here's the deal: Charlie's fine,

there's nothing special about him,

he's perfect to make fun of,

because of everything. I mean, honestly.

We can literally start
from the top of his hair, and...

Thank you, Sally. That's all we need.

What about the shirt? Can we talk...

- Step down, please.
- Okay.

Nick?

Nick.

You got a minute?

I didn't know if I should say,
but I knew Rye Seeger.

I didn't know her too well,
she was at my school.

She wasn't a bad person.

It's just...

It's just sometimes girls around here,

they'll get mixed up
with a bad crowd, you know?

It just, it happens a lot.

I just wanted to say
thank you for this job.

Thank you.

You're a good kid, Zoey.

Get me a donut!

Okay.

Ah, Nicolas.

Rey Alvarez checks out.

Reason he left the Florentine
day after Rye's murder

and never went back...

dude's been in jail on a larceny
the whole time.

But, check this.

The day the DAs got their tip
on Lake Tahoe,

the day the odds on our case went sky-high.

Guess who makes a $20,000
wire transfer to an online casino?

Ricky Hall.

You want to blame Ricky for this?

Well, I got to blame somebody,

because the jury's not going
to believe that it was an accident.

If it's murder, the jury will need

a reasonable suspect, other than you.

And Ricky's a reasonable suspect.

He bet on you to lose, Mike.

He bet on you to lose on the same day

the DA received an anonymous tip

about the drowning in Tahoe.

He called in the tip. To make sure
Mike took the fall, right?

That's what we'll argue, yes.

So what
do you think about that, son?

Your best friend sells you out
and then bets on it.

Tells you something about yourself, huh?

I don't know, dad,
what do you think it says?

What's it say?

It says that this is
your life now, Michael.

And all you have left
is your old man's booze.

So you better enjoy it,
because prison or rehab,

that's the last good Scotch
you'll ever get from me.

The store is closed.

So I gave you the rope
to hang yourself with.

Doesn't mean I can't cut you down.

He's there, Morelli.

If you don't get what you need,

I will.

Hey! Ricky.

Bored, huh?

Hey, guys.

I'm bored?

Yeah. I mean, you got to bet
the price of a condo

to get a thrill.

Oh.

Just the cards, Rick?

You playing any, uh, football? Ponies?

Murder trials?

I know a good bet
when I see one. What can I say?

You really think
Mike is going to lose?

I think the Tahoe thing don't help.

What do you think?

I think you called the DA,
made a murder out of an accident.

That's what a guilty man does,

he throws suspicion somewhere else.

Wait. What? You think I killed the girl?

Come on.

Why else make the anonymous call?

I didn't make the call.

The DA called me.
They were asking me about Tahoe.

So I used the info to make a bet. Big deal.

It's Vegas.

Well, if you didn't make
the call, big shot...

who did?

First it's Ricky Hall, now it's Rodgers?

Who's it going to be next time, guys?

He was on the penthouse floor
after Ricky left Mike's suite.

He works here.

- Checking up on Mike is part of his job.
- Checking?

Making sure the boy's still alive.

The way he lives, it's even odds
he makes it through the night.

He didn't tell us he was there.

I assumed he found it immaterial.

Look. Jeff's worked for me for years.

That's just it, Mr. Greene.

If Ricky didn't call the DA
about the drowning,

it was most likely someone else
who knew the details.

He was there. In Tahoe.

It was his job to keep the

- action out of the press, right?
- Yes.

Johnny.

Jeff Rodgers might have called the DA.

We won't know until we get him to talk.

And we need to do that now.

Do yourself a favor, Nick:

Don't make any more mistakes.

Intentional lnfliction
of Emotional Distress.

"The wrongdoer's conduct
must be intentional."

"It must be outrageous and intolerable."

And an injured party's
emotional pain

must be severe.

Chuck Merman lost his health.

He lost a woman he cared for.

He was singled out for ridicule,

ladies and gentlemen,
and one day this has all

got to stop!

Making fun of kids at school...

of how people act
in the privacy of their homes!

We have to learn
to be civil to one another.

Chuck was targeted by Ms. Scott

and she hurt him intentionally...

just to make people laugh.

Good luck. That was good.

He's good.

I used to be a showgirl.

It's how I put myself through law school.

And I can remember walking around campus

and just feeling so belittled and demeaned.

And, man, that hurt me,
just like Mr. Merman.

And like him,
I could have stayed and put up

with all the abuse...

or I could have walked away.

But I couldn't have sued.

No. See, actions can be punished:

if someone strikes you,
you can strike back,

but the only defense we have
against speech is more speech.

That's what's hard
about the First Amendment;

you kind of have
to let the stupid be stupid

even if sometimes people
really do get hurt.

Now, Sally Scott, she's,
she's not a dangerous person.

She's just a second-rate comic
working a third-rate room.

What Mr. Merman should have done
was heckle.

It would have been worth a whole lot more.

Are you still a showgirl?

Shh...

Are you wearing a bedazzled thong?

In the matter of Merman v. Scott,

on the claim of intentional infliction

of emotional distress,
we find for the defendant.

- Is that us?
- Yeah.

- We won?
- Yeah.

Oh, sweet! You're great!
Oh, you're great! Wow.

Hey, Chuck, come on.
I really do want to say it:

sorry.

Wow. I'm sorry, did you...

- did you say I was second-rate comic?
- Aw, come on.

'Cause you don't want to know
what I think about you.

You don't take a deposition

in a criminal procedure, Nick.

Your Honor, unless the witness
is unavailable for trial.

Mr. Rodgers leaves for Macao this week.

Well, get him to postpone his trip, Nick.

He's doing essential business
for Mr. Greene,

who insists on attending Mike's trial.

Tommy,

you guys are the ones claiming
that Rodgers obstructed justice,

Do you want his testimony preserved or not?

Okay, yes, we have no objection

to the depo, Your Honor.

But I want a camera in this court.

Then I'll allow it.

Bring him in.

Next.

Mr. Rodgers, this is only a deposition,

but the oath applies:

do you affirm that any answer given here

- will be the truth?
- I do.

Pete, Mr. Greene, have a seat.

Go ahead, Nick. Any time you're ready.

Oh, thank you, Your Honor.

Mr. Rodgers, could you state

your full name and occupation, please?

Jeffrey Rodgers.

Head of security for the Florentine Hotel.

And you've worked for the Greene family

for what, 15 years now?

I started with them
at the South Tahoe resort in '95.

So you were present

for that tragic accident
where Katherine Davis

died at the lake, right?

I was actually in Reno
when the accident occurred,

but I came straight to Tahoe after that.

At Mike's father's request?

Yes. Mr. Greene requested that I come

to take over the public relations.

Public relations?

Yes, Mike and his friends were underage

and had been drinking.

News media needed to be managed

so reputations weren't damaged.

So you were concerned

with the Greene company's reputation,
not Mike, right?

Yes, that's right.

Mike's reputation wasn't at stake;

he tried to help the girl.

I'm sorry. He didn't try to help the girl.

Contusion to the throat, Your Honor?

You'll have your chance.

Did the official Tahoe City

police investigation find

that Mike tried

to save Ms. Davis?

Yes. They ruled it an accident.

All right, Jeff,

the morning you found

Ms. Seeger drowned in Mike's suite,

- you sent him away from the room, right?
- Mm-hmm.

Why?

Mike had no recollection

of the previous night's events.

He was in no condition to talk to anyone.

That's my job.

- Public relations?
- That's right.

Not because you expected foul play?

Mike had witnessed her
mixing narcotics and alcohol.

I figured she got in the hot tub,
passed out and drowned.

You still believe that?

Yes. I've seen this

type of thing before.

The blood vessels dilate,

the alcohol causes...

Your Honor, this man is

a bodyguard, not a doctor.

It's in his wheelhouse.

Go ahead.

The body overheats because

- of the hot water,
- Uh-huh.

And it's lights out. It's common
with kids and drugs.

I'm sorry. Is he a psychologist, too?

Overruled.

All right, did you know Rye Seeger, Jeff?

Yes. She worked at the hotel.

You remember the last time

you saw her?

I don't, no.

The morning she died? About 2:00?

I... I don't remember when I last saw Rye.

Well, you exited
to the penthouse floor at 2:13.

But it's part of your job
to check in on Mike, right?

Is that what you were doing?

Yes.

Well, here's the thing. There's no record

of your key card in the door lock.

So who let you into the room?

Mike.

What are you talking about? I...

Ah. But you didn't see Rye?

I spoke to Mike in the foyer,
and then I left.

Okay. Mr. Rodgers, how long
before you left?

I don't remember.

You left the penthouse floor

by the private elevator,

no cameras, but you need a key card.

You keyed the elevator at...

2:55,

so you talked with Mike

for 42 minutes?

I must have.

Time flies.

Yeah, time flies.

Why did you take the private elevator?

Some reason you felt guilty going down

that you didn't feel going up?

No reason.

And if I told you Ricky Hall
says he saw Mike passed out cold

15 minutes before you claim
that he let you in,

what would you say to that?

I rang the bell, and he woke up.

He woke up. A young man who had

prescription drugs in him and alcohol

just woke up and answered the door,

and you chatted for 42 minutes?

- I don't know,
- Mr. Rodgers,

maybe you're confused.

Maybe it was Rye Seeger
who opened the door?

You didn't spend 40 minutes
with her maybe, huh?

No.

And if a number of Florentine employees
told my investigator

that they've seen you and Rye
together many times,

and sometimes arguing,
what would you say to that?

We were co-workers, Mr. Morelli,

She was in a relationship
with my employer's son,

who, as I've said, I tend to.

Tend to.

Well, it must be a pain in the ass
to tend to those little

snot-nosed brats, huh?

Your Honor, I don't like

the direction this is going in.

It's not for you to like, sir,

but you may invoke your rights.

You know, Mr. Rodgers, there's something

about this that always bugged me.

The girl had skin under her nails,

you don't get that from downing.

But my guy didn't have a scratch on him.

I don't suppose you'd want
to undress for us, would you?

Your honor, I invoke.

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd want to take

my shirt off on camera either.

Leo, the gentleman I spoke to you about.

Yeah, that's correct.

Good job, Morelli.

Eh, it's what we do.

Pete.

Michael...

I am sorry that I ever doubted you.

It's okay.

I don't think that you ever really did.

- Mr. Greene!
- Mr. Greene!

What happened then?
Did they just arrest him?

No, but I heard
they've sworn out a warrant.

I know a girl in Homicide, and she says

they found out Rye was with him
even before Mike.

He introduced us.
I didn't know they had a thing.

Maybe he killed her in a jealous rage.

Maybe it was an accident.

Leaves it for Mike to face, you know?

I just want to thank you all so much.

- Oh...
- You really saved me.

Oh, cheers. Congratulations.

Hey, Dad.

Everybody, you all taken care of?

Morelli?

Yes, very well.

I thought you all might be
interested to know

that the line on my son's case
is off the board.

Not guilty covers at 11 to one.

You gotta be kidding me.
You got to be kidding me!

What, what?! You bet on our case?

2,000 bucks.

That's twenty thou after the vig!

- I'm rich!
- You cannot... You cannot bet

on our case! What
do you think you're doing?!

Hey, what's the line on the Rodgers case?

- Just posted. Even odds.
- Even odds? All right, give me money on that.

I'm gonna put some money
on the Rodgers case.

Oh, I'm gonna bet now!

- I'm gonna do whatever....
- Don't do that money dance.

Don't do that money dance for me!