The Defenders (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Ashes, Ashes - full transcript
Stick offers up a theory, Danny finds himself sidelined, and Alexandra learns that it's not easy being the leader.
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Never heard anything like it.
Well, Joe, Jim's a good kid.
Just fell in with the wrong group of guys.
Owens is a decent judge.
Even chance we get the murder charge kicked.
One step at a time. Jim might not do so bad.
Right.
But even if Owens tosses the murder,
there's no chance the D.A.'s going to plea out the rest.
With the policeman shot,
we're going to go to trial.
But Jim can get bail?
He can be out until it's over?
If we get the murder kicked, he gets bail.
But the bail is going to be very high.
I can put up my house.
Yeah.
It's funny what you remember, times like this.
It must have been 20 years ago,
uh, before his mother ran off.
The three of us were going to Arizona
to see his cousins... my sister's kids.
I can barely see Jim in the rearview, he was so little then.
Janet and me are fighting about God knows what, and...
I run out of gas.
There was no moon that night.
We were less than a mile out,
but the kid's like seven years old then,
and to him, it's the middle of nowhere.
And even though I can see he's afraid,
I got to scream at Janet like it's her damn fault,
when he says, "Dad?
"It's okay.
I'll take care of Mom while you go."
It was right then I thought,
"He's going to be a better man than me."
I thought he'd be fine.
Pete, come here, quick. What? What's up?
A famous Vegas attraction was robbed last night.
Police report the break-in occurred just after closing...
They hit the Elvis-Plex. They got the blue suede shoes.
...with the thief using a tow truck to gain entry
and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of jewelry and memorabilia.
No. Elvis. Is anything sacred in this town?
Anson Ricks, owner of the museum, believes that the shoes on display
were the same ones worn by Elvis on The Steve Allen Show.
They did. They got the blue suede shoes.
According to metro police, a suspect is in custody.
I told you. For more on this developing story,
stay tuned to Channel 37.
The bullet that nearly killed Sergeant Sullivan
is a sad testimony to the crime problem in North Vegas.
But rest assured, starting today,
James Rodgers will answer to this office.
D.A. Robart. The Elvis-Plex heist.
What are you doing to nab that yo-yo?
Mr. Morelli?
Okay, let's... let's go over the stipulated facts of the case.
James Rodgers drove a friend,
Daryl Carver, and a guy named Jack to Downers Tavern.
Jack and Daryl got out of the car,
went into the bar, where they were confronted
by three off duty police officers,
who shot and killed Daryl Carver
to stop what they believed was a robbery in progress.
Jack ran from the bar, escaped.
And James was in his car, outside, the whole time,
and yet, he is being charged with murder of one of the robbers.
I don't know. That... that's just stupid.
I'm sorry, Judge. Is that a legal argument?
No, it's a misapplication of the law, Your Honor,
and far as I know, it's never been tried before.
Well, there's always a first time, Judge.
The felony murder rule was meant to cover the victim of a felon,
not the felon himself.
Uh, actually, no, Your Honor.
Nrs 200.030-b.
Murder in the first degree is the killing of a human being
while in the furtherance of a class A or B felony.
It just says the killing of a human being, Judge.
Daryl Carver was at least that, felon or no felon.
Okay, how about this, Your Honor?
If Sergeant Sullivan here were on trial here today
for the shooting of Daryl Carver,
I would vigorously defend the shooting as righteous.
The officer had every reason to believe
that there was a robbery in progress.
Therefore, justified.
Now, if we can all agree
that Sergeant Sullivan's shooting was justifiable homicide,
how can we find the kid in the car guilty of murder?
I mean,
can't have both, can we?
Thank you, counsel. Thank you, sir.
I'm going to disallow the first degree.
Your Honor, a man died. Officer Sullivan nearly died.
The attempted murder of Sergeant Sullivan still stands,
as do the rest of the charges,
but the felony murder of Daryl Carver is out.
Enough. Move for bail, Your Honor.
No way, Judge. Murder's gone.
You can't hold him no bail for the rest.
His accomplice is still at large. He's a flight risk.
Lived in Vegas his whole life.
His father has put up the family home.
Bail is set at $100,000 cash or bond.
Court is in recess.
Recess! Clear it!
You okay, son?
Yeah. Sure.
Let's just get out of here.
All right.
Step out of the road, sir.
Careful, sir.
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That's a felony.
And as his getaway driver, James Rodgers is guilty
of everything that happened inside that bar.
Will the D.A.'s office appeal the loss of the murder charge?
No. The defendant's still facing
extortion, robbery and attempted murder.
We can manage with that.
Mr. Gomez here calls James Rodgers a getaway driver.
You know what? If James Rodgers knew he was with criminals
and they were out to collect an illegal gambling debt,
then James is a getaway driver.
But... if it's just a loan Jack made
to the bartender for... I don't know... um,
a boat, his mortgage...
if Jim thought he was taking those guys to collect a legal loan,
well, then, he's not a getaway driver.
He's just a friend.
And if Jim didn't know that he was involved with a felony,
if he was just giving a buddy a ride, then he is innocent
of every count against him.
You think Gomez can prove it was a gambling debt?
It'll be hard to convince the jury it wasn't.
You think Jim knew?
It doesn't really matter what I think.
Yo, Kaczmarek.
Donte, what's up?
I need a lawyer, man.
What'd you do now?
Donte Neele, public defender's office.
Lisa Tyler. Yeah, Pete's new associate.
Word's been going around.
Got a burglary. Turns out the office has a conflict.
Oh, no, no. No, I can't. It's 20 minutes.
They're moving him to arraignment right now.
Donte, I'm in the middle of a police shooting here,
in case you hadn't noticed.
Maybe your new associate can help out.
Just get the guy a decent deal.
What is it? You can't have her...
Burglary, no gun. Caught him in possession.
Anybody get hurt? Donte, I need her.
No violence. He hit the place when it was shut.
He ran his tow truck into the building. Tow truck?
Wait a minute. Is this the guy who hit Elvis?
Yeah. I will take it. You? I...
And they're moving him to court now? Should be there now.
Well, come on, Lisa. Let's not keep a client waiting.
Come on, let's go! Donte, we got this.
That's got to be him. Unbelievable.
Mr. Purcel. Mr. Purcel.
Hi. I'm Pete Kaczmarek. This is my associate, Lisa Tyler.
The PD's office has engaged us on your behalf.
Well, all right. I thank you.
Miss Tyler's going to stay here with you.
Do not say a word she doesn't tell you to say.
I, uh... I just need to know one thing.
Did you really touch the blue suede shoes?
And what happened next, Officer Collins?
We were sitting at this table...
myself, Officers Rodriquez and Sullivan...
when two men entered the front door,
walked to the end of the bar, where they confronted Mr. Wyatt.
Confronted? They drew handguns and demanded money,
at which point Officer Sullivan drew his off duty weapon
and announced his presence.
So, shots were fired? Yes.
The perpetrator known as Jack turned his gun on the sergeant.
The sergeant returned fire in self-defense.
The second perpetrator went down.
Who was Daryl Carver, and he was killed?
Yes, and Sergeant Sullivan was hit,
whereupon the shooter escaped out the back door.
And you gave chase?
Rodriquez ran out the back door, and I took the front.
Where you found the defendant
desperately trying to start his car.
Objection, Your Honor.
Withdrawn.
Officer Collins, did you find
James Rodgers trying to flee the scene?
Yes. Thank you.
Good afternoon, Officer Collins.
How you doing? Pretty good.
You said that Daryl and Jack
drew their weapons.
Did you see Daryl draw his?
No, not directly.
Not directly, huh?
Hmm.
Is that because Daryl's back was to you
and the other officers when he was shot?
His accomplice fired on the sergeant.
The sergeant had every right to shoot.
No, I... I am not in dispute on the sergeant's right to fire,
and if Daryl got shot in the back, it was justified.
What I'm curious about is
if Daryl's back was to you when he was shot...
...how could you see if he drew a gun?
Did you see it?
Well, his gun was found away from his body.
Not in the waistband or pocket.
He-He must have pulled it.
Oh, I see.
Because the gun couldn't have been
knocked out when he was shot and fell.
I get that.
One more thing.
Officer Collins, can you carry a handgun
in the state of Nevada with the proper permits?
Yes.
Did Daryl Carver have the proper permit?
Yes.
Thank you, Officer Collins.
He's great.
You really took that cop apart, man.
Shot him in the back.
It was sweet.
Jim, little respect.
Whatever.
All right, well, they're gonna make the case
that you and Daryl were friends and you knew he had a gun.
Well, if he kept it in his pants, that's legal,
and you shouldn't get blamed for that.
Right.
- Cool. - This guy Jack,
waving his around could pose a problem for us.
They're going to argue that you knew he was going to pull it.
I didn't.
They're also going to argue you knew
he was a bookmaker collecting on a debt.
I'll-I'll tell them I never even met the guy.
Well, Jim, w-we're not going to put you on the stand.
Yeah, we can't have you lie, son.
What the hell do you mean "Lie"?
It's-It's none of your business, okay?
Just let me talk to my lawyers.
All right, I think we had a long day,
so, uh, why don't we get some sleep.
Hey, Pete, uh, can you take care of this?
I didn't bring any money with me.
Excuse me.
Come here.
Now, I want to tell you something.
If it wasn't for your father,
you'd be in prison for 50 years.
Hey, he cashed his pension, he put up the house,
and he did all that so you don't spend life without parole.
So, when this is over...
whichever way it turns out...
I expect to hear "Thank you"
and "I'm sorry."
And not to me.
Cool?
Up until six months ago, I worked the Chrystal Room,
where they have the impersonators.
And you were Elvis.
No, I was a handyman some, some janitorial.
Arnie Barlow got me the job;
he's the Chrystal's main Elvis.
Then they let me go.
I haven't had a job since.
Nothing?
Well, a couple conventions, as a young Elvis.
But I'm a little too old for that.
Why break into the Elvis-Plex, Luke?
I was busted.
Behind on my rent, hiding my truck from the bank.
And I got two little ones with their mom up in Reno.
I send them $300 a month, rain or shine.
Okay, the detective found you with the shoes,
couple hundred grand in jewelry.
Did they get everything? Yeah.
This Arnie Barlow... you know it was him
who called the police to tell them
that you offered to sell him a ring?
Yeah.
I figured maybe him and the other Elvises
would buy up all the stuff.
But I guess he took it a bit too personal.
Yeah, well, you stole from the King, Luke.
That is personal.
I know.
But I just got crazy some, not having any money at all.
It's frightening for a man.
We'll try to help you, Mr. Purcel,
but you might have to do a little jail time.
Well, I suppose it serves me right.
I do appreciate the help, ma'am.
Sir.
Mr. Wyatt, the man you knew as Jack... he was your bookie?
Yes.
So you made illegal sports bets with him, correct?
Yes.
And on the afternoon of the crime,
you owed how much for your losses?
$3,600.
Sir, can you explain what happened when Daryl Carver
and Jack came to collect on those losses?
I was... behind the bar, here, cleaning up.
I didn't even see them come in.
He grabs me by the collar.
Who grabbed you? Daryl Carver.
And then Jack put a gun at my head,
yelling, "Give me my money. I'll kill you, I'll kill you."
I thought he was going to. And then?
Well, I heard the officer yelling,
"Drop the gun.
Drop it."
And, well, then all the shooting.
Thank you, Mr. Wyatt.
Good afternoon, Mr. Wyatt. How you doing?
Very well, sir, thank you.
Mr. Wyatt, you're a bartender, is that correct?
Yes.
So how far from Downers Tavern is the Strip?
How far? Yeah, how far?
Half a mile; I don't know.
So you work a half a mile from the Strip,
yet you place your illegal bets with this dangerous bookie?
Why? Why?
Yeah, why? Why? I mean, you told police
that you didn't even know this guy Jack's last name.
I mean... are you sure he was a bookie?
Yes. And not just some guy that loaned you money and was tired
of you not paying him back?
Why would I say he's a bookie if he's not a bookie?
I don't know.
Why would you bet three grand with this stranger
carrying a gun, when you could book it
a half a mile away at the El Cid?
I mean, casinos... they don't shoot.
We've got a chance here, Nicky.
You did good with that bartender.
Yeah, but then Gomez knocked it right back.
You gave them a reasonable doubt.
Doubt, yes.
I don't know how reasonable it was.
Look, the cops figure it was a robbery, fine;
the bartender says it was a gambling debt, fine.
They still got to prove what Jim knew
sitting out there in the car, and they can't.
They didn't.
Ah, that kid must have said a hundred times
how he didn't know they were going after a gambling debt.
Yeah. So? Well, do you believe him?
Okay, there you go.
Neither will the jury.
Can't believe the kid's gonna do 20 years over a bad bet.
Like his father said,
I've never seen anything like this before.
Four years. Four years?
We could lose at trial and still do better than that.
Give us some incentive to make a deal here.
I don't have any incentive to make one.
The guy was caught red-handed.
Mr. Purcel has no priors and two children he provides for.
Yes, evidently by stealing. Okay, okay.
All the missing items have been returned undamaged.
Which is why I'm giving you four years.
Final offer.
Deal's good till happy hour.
There's a useful principle in philosophy,
lex parsimoniae,
which suggests that when looking for the solution
to a complex problem,
the simplest explanation is most often correct.
Defense lawyers make a living trying to prove that wrong.
See, because they're in the business of trying to confuse,
to mix up, to obfuscate and to weasel.
And, uh, Mr. Morelli is one of the best.
But the simplest explanation here
is still that James Rodgers knew
that Daryl Carver and Jack were carrying guns
to, uh, collect on a gambling debt.
I think you all know that.
And if you know that, then you have no choice
but to include Mr. Rodgers as a full participant
to attempted murder, extortion and robbery.
It's that simple.
Really.
Lex Parsimony.
"A useful principle in philosophy."
Hmm.
Well, here's a useful principle.
How about beyond a reasonable doubt.
Okay, yes, I am a criminal defense attorney.
So sue me.
But I'm also here to remind you that the State's burden
is not to offer you a simple story, but to prove a crime.
All right, let's look at the crime.
Daryl Carver carried a gun.
So? He had a permit.
It was legal.
Did James Rodgers know he carried?
Ah, they were friends; he probably knew.
But did James know he was gonna use it?
Come on, the State couldn't even prove
that Daryl drew it.
And Jack?
Mr. Wyatt doesn't even know his last name,
but Mr. Gomez here wants you to assume that James knew.
That James knew all about this illegal gambling debt.
Well, here's the thing:
What if he didn't? Right?
I mean, what if Daryl and Jack just came up to James
and said, "Hey, man, you give me a ride?
"I got to go pick up some cash, this loan I gave a bartender
"For some bar stools,
and then we'll go out and shoot some craps."
I mean, that's a simple story.
It's as simple as the State's.
Okay, I can't prove all my stories.
But, luckily for Jim,
the State has to prove theirs.
It is that simple.
Listen to this. "Items recovered: blue suede shoes,
the Carolina concert ring, federal agent-at-large badge."
Are you kidding? The one that Nixon gave him?
Yeah. $300,000 worth of the King's stuff...
jewelry, clothing, rare photos.
Hi. Pete Kaczmarek and Nick Morelli here to see Arnie Barlow.
Uh, rare photos? Yeah.
Uh, are they worth something?
Oh, yeah. Candids? Sure.
Are you kidding? Look at that.
Okay, Priscilla Presley and me.
Just dumb luck I was at the El Cid
and she walked by and I grabbed a shot.
Wait, wait, you're saying that this smudge here...
that's Priscilla Presley?
Yeah, look at the cute little nose.
I mean, that's definitely you, but...
Yeah, I mean, it could be a woman.
It's a woman. It's Priscilla Presley!
Forget it. It's not for sale. Jerk.
You can see these tears are real I'm crying.
I'm gonna go talk to Elvis, Nick.
Why don't you grab a drink.
I think I will. Thank you very much.
We can't go on together... Mm. Mm-mm-mm.
He's sitting in jail? Really?
Luke can't make bail, Mr. Barlow.
Not even close. He's broke.
That's why he did it.
Well, it's a crying shame.
Sure is. Poor guy.
Poor guy?
I'm-I'm sorry, I'm a little confused here.
You turned him in.
Well, that's because he robbed the King, man.
I mean, that all belongs to the fans.
You can't just sell it to some guy
who's going to just hide it away in a safe.
Right, right, I get that.
I mean, he tried to sell me the very ring
that the Colonel gave Elvis when they signed with RCA.
Gold with-with the diamond inlay.
Beautiful. It was gorgeous.
And I got to tell you... I was tempted.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, I didn't mean any harm to Luke.
I mean, hell, I like the man.
He always did right by me.
When he offered you the ring,
did he tell you that he stole it?
What do you mean? Of course he did.
No, no, no. Not what you assumed, what he told you.
Did he admit that he was involved in the break-in?
Did he mention the burglary at all?
No. Well, he said that he had the ring and if I was interested.
Why?
That could help, maybe.
I should have told him to give it all back.
All right, that's what I should have done.
That's what I should have done.
Mr. Foreperson,
I understand the jury is deadlocked. True?
Yes, Your Honor.
Well, without letting us know
which way you lean, can you tell me the split?
We have one hold out, Your Honor.
It's 11 to one. Do you get a clear sense
whether that deadlock might be broken with more deliberation?
I'm really not sure, Your Honor.
We've been split the whole day.
All right, well, I'm going to ask you to break for the night.
Return tomorrow morning, give it one more try. Fair?
Yes, Your Honor.
11 to one, which way?
You really need to ask?
Now we wait. Hang tight.
Hey, this is Jess.
Sammy and I aren't home right now,
but we are looking forward to your message.
Thanks.
What?
Ah, damn it.
License and registration.
There you go.
What's the matter, Officer, going a little too fast?
Your taillights are dead, sir.
Taillights? It's a brand-new car.
You be careful out there, sir.
First decent meal I've had in ages.
Thanks for bailing me out, Mr. Kaczmarek. Don't thank us.
Thank Arnie Barlow and your friends over at the Chrystal.
Well, I appreciate it.
I wish they knew how much.
Look, the D.A. isn't giving us much of a deal here... four years.
We're not going to do much worse at trial.
Luckily, you never admitted to Mr. Barlow
that you actually stole the ring you tried to sell him,
so we do have a defense.
You were just walking by and you found the bag of stolen goods.
Unfortunately, the truck used in the burglary
was registered to a towing company that you used to work for.
Look, uh...
Maybe I just need to face the consequences of my actions
and four years is what I deserve.
No, it's way too long.
You've never done anything like this before.
Luke, how did you get yourself into this mess?
I had a dream that wouldn't quit.
Come here, make something of myself.
I mean, I'd pray every night that I'd wake up
and the dream would just die.
But every morning, there it was again.
Till the morning after I did this awful thing.
And now it's gone.
Forever.
I just want to go home.
Six months.
Six months, I'm begging you.
I hate to see the guy go to jail for even that long.
No, not going to happen, Kaczmarek.
Come on. Just this once, give a guy a break.
Which guy, him or you?
Hunt, I'm on my knees here.
All right.
In the interest of the State's time, three years.
But that's it. Deal?
Have a drink with me. Excuse me?
One drink. Thing's go well, maybe two.
Are you hitting on me in the middle of a plea bargain?
Yes. I've been meaning to, ever since you dumped...
Uh... what's his name?
Ellis.
Ellis? I haven't dumped Ellis.
You should.
Come on, one drink.
It'll be great. Happy hour.
There's somebody I want you to meet.
Call my office at 6:00.
We'll talk about Mr. Purcel.
They aren't looking, Nick.
No.
Not even one.
Not one, Pete.
All rise. Clark County District Court is now in session.
Good morning, Mr. Foreperson.
Have you reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Please hand the form to the bailiff.
Thank you.
"Case number 8-646, "State of Nevada v. James Rogers.
"As top count one, robbery with use of a deadly weapon:
Guilty."
"As to count two, extortion with use of a deadly weapon:
"Guilty.
"As to count three, "Kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon:
"Guilty.
"As to the final count of attempted murder:
guilty."
Thank you, Mr. Foreperson. And thank you all the members.
Poll the jury, Your Honor.
Ms. Jenson, please, poll the jury.
Jim.
We're going to appeal this.
I'll see you later this afternoon.
Juror number one, was this your verdict?
Juror number two, was this your verdict?
Juror number three, was this your verdict?
Juror number four, was this your verdict?
Juror number five, was this your verdict?
So what's he facing, best case?
Well, Owens is a fair judge.
But this attempted murder of a police officer...
It really ties his hands.
Maybe 20 years.
20...?
Could easily be more.
I'm sorry.
You did what you could, Nick.
It was me that let him down.
Come on, Joe.
Jim's a grown man.
He made his own decisions.
So did I.
Ask Janet, if you can find her.
Hey, not everything we do affects our kids, Joe.
No? No.
Look, I'm going to need to put you on the stand
for the sentencing hearing.
You tell the judge what a good kid he was.
Right. Of course.
He was.
Nick, there's a man here to see you about Mr. Rogers' case.
Mr. Morelli, hello.
- I'm... - Juror number nine.
It was like you said... it was reasonable he didn't know.
I mean, he probably did, but I didn't think they proved it.
And the charges, if he didn't know,
he's just giving a friend a lift,
that seemed like too much.
So you held out.
You hung the jury. Yes.
But then last night after the judge sent us home,
I'm driving and I see a police car behind me.
I'm not speeding or anything.
But he follows me all the way up to my house.
And then the siren.
So I pull over, but nobody comes.
He's just sitting back there.
I wait
what seems like forever,
with the lights in my eyes.
Finally he walks up
and he says... "Be careful, sir"?
Yeah. How did you know?
Did they do that to all the jurors? No.
Just to you.
You're all they needed.
No, no, I'm not making you a deal, Nick.
Yes, you are, Charlie, and it's gonna be a good one.
No. No, I'm not. We'll retry it,
because God knows my ADAs could use the practice.
Two years. All you get. Or I'm walking.
Fine, walk. Run. Skip. I don't give a rat's ass.
If I go out there, I'm gonna tell every one of those journalists
that the D.A. conspired to intimidate a juror.
My office had no intention...
We're not talking about your office; we're talking about you.
Me? The kid here, what if I depose him?
What do you figure he's gonna say?
That you don't know everything that goes on in this office?
Come on, you knew, man.
I can't deal. It's a cop shooting.
My guy didn't shoot.
He wasn't even there.
Please! This city does a few billion dollars a year in legal gambling,
and you want to throw my kid away for 30 years
because he was collecting on a bet?
I got to get something for the department.
The chief is breathing down my neck.
Eight years. No! - Two!
Or we're filing suit against the city, the department,
and you personally, all on behalf of juror number nine.
- You can't win that. - Look, I don't have to win it.
All I got to do is remind any prospective juror
in the James Rodgers retrial that the D.A. is a crook.
Not to mention the voters.
Now, I'm going out there to make my statement.
Here he goes.
He's going.
- Better make up your mind quick. - Faster than that.
- Before I talk too much. - He's got a huge mouth.
Three years?
Eligible for parole in 18 months.
- It's good, Jim. It's real good. - Good?
They could have kept you in for 30 with a bad judge.
Yeah, it could easily be more if they retry the case.
You-You said it, all we need is one to hang them.
We-We could get one again,
or two, especially after what they did!
You got lucky, Jim. You can't count on that next time.
And what if they find this Jack character before the retrial?
Who's to say he doesn't make a deal with the D.A.
And say that you knew about the gambling debt the whole time?
What if I knew?
So what? The guy owed money.
It wasn't any robbery.
Nobody was gonna shoot nobody.
If the cops don't freak out and go all cowboy...
- So, now it's the officer's fault? - It wasn't mine!
It's not.
- Son... - It's not. My...
I just drove...
And now I got to go to jail?
Yeah. You do.
And I... will bring you smokes and porn magazines
and whatever the hell else you need, every week,
if you just take this like a man just one time.
I can't.
Well, if you can't, we're done here.
You let Mr. Morelli know how you want to go.
I'll pay for your bill either way.
Even if that's the last thing I do.
Hey. What the hell is this, Kaczmarek?
You're late. I'm always late.
You'll get used to it. Come on.
This city, man, it's cruel.
And it got the best of a good man.
It's not the first time.
All he did was talk about his kids.
You're such a loveable man.
Luke, you are.
And if it makes a difference, he could stay with me,
until he's back on his feet.
I trust him. I think that goes for all of us.
Mr. Barlow?
I assume you'd still testify.
Yeah, yeah, I would.
I mean, it would pain me, ma'am. I... I feel kinda responsible...
No, Arnie, look, I got you into this and I am so sorry.
But this is all me.
I want to apologize, Ms. Hunt.
I do... What-what they're saying here I-I...
I don't truly deserve.
I want you to know, whatever you do, I know I did wrong,
and I take the consequences.
That's your job.
Well? Well, what? The man has friends.
Hunt, did you even hear the guy? He's leaving it to you.
Look, I don't know what you expect here, Kaczmarek.
Fine, 18 months.
Not good enough.
Try this...15 years. What?
Five for the burglary. Five for the grand larceny.
And five for the possession of stolen property.
15 years, minimum.
Then suspend it. Come on.
The guy makes one wrong move, just one,
over the next 15 years, and he goes straight to jail.
But he keeps his nose clean until then,
the guy deserves a chance to stay out.
- He's got kids. - All right, Pete.
Damn it. I'll see what I can do.
Really? Yeah.
The hell are you doing?
We had a date. It's a... it's a kiss.
Don't push your luck, shyster.
All rise.
Counsel?
Do we have a negotiated plea here,
or do I have to calendar a new trial?
A plea, Your Honor.
One count of conspiracy to commit extortion
with a stipulated sentence of three years.
Mr. Gomez?
We're agreed, Your Honor.
As to the count of conspiracy to commit extortion, how do you plead?
Guilty, Your Honor.
The court accepts your guilty plea, Mr. Rodgers.
Before I sentence you, is there anything you'd like to say?
Yes, Your Honor.
I'd like to apologize to the officer who was hurt.
I did not mean for it to happen, but I was part responsible.
And I want to say sorry to my dad.
Thanks for not giving up on me.
That's all. Thank you.
On the count of conspiracy to commit extortion,
I will accept counsel's recommendation and I hereby
sentence you to three years in Nevada State Prison.
Use your time well, Mr. Rodgers.
Take a class or two.
May change your life.
You're going to be okay.
- Good luck, Jim. - Thank you.
Dad.
See you this weekend. I'll be there.
Thanks.
I won't forget it.
I hope you do.
Good luck, Joe.
Thanks, Nick.
Sergeant?
I just want you to know...
it wasn't me with that juror.
All I wanted was a fair shake for everybody.
All right.
Why don't you drop by the tavern sometime?
Buy you a beer.
Thank you, Sergeant.
I'll do that.
The judge is serious, Luke.
You so much as get a speeding ticket, you go away for 15 years.
Don't worry, ma'am, I won't do any speedin'.
They took my truck away.
Lisa is gonna get you to the bus station.
I let your wife know you're coming,
so your kids are expecting you.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you very much.
Good luck, Luke.
Come on, Elvis. Let's get you home.
Elvis has left the building.
Long day, huh?
Long week.
Going back to the office?
No. You?
Nah.
I think I'll just go back to my place, get some sleep.
- Sleep? - Yeah.
Nick, come on, it's Vegas.
- Let's go out. - Eh... Come on, I'll drive.
Thank you very much.
I wanna be loved by you.
Just you, nobody else but you.
Is she singing to me?
I wanna be loved by you alone, Boop boop be do.
I wanna be kissed by you.
Just you, nobody else but you.
I wanna be kissed by you Alone Boop boop be do...
***
Never heard anything like it.
Well, Joe, Jim's a good kid.
Just fell in with the wrong group of guys.
Owens is a decent judge.
Even chance we get the murder charge kicked.
One step at a time. Jim might not do so bad.
Right.
But even if Owens tosses the murder,
there's no chance the D.A.'s going to plea out the rest.
With the policeman shot,
we're going to go to trial.
But Jim can get bail?
He can be out until it's over?
If we get the murder kicked, he gets bail.
But the bail is going to be very high.
I can put up my house.
Yeah.
It's funny what you remember, times like this.
It must have been 20 years ago,
uh, before his mother ran off.
The three of us were going to Arizona
to see his cousins... my sister's kids.
I can barely see Jim in the rearview, he was so little then.
Janet and me are fighting about God knows what, and...
I run out of gas.
There was no moon that night.
We were less than a mile out,
but the kid's like seven years old then,
and to him, it's the middle of nowhere.
And even though I can see he's afraid,
I got to scream at Janet like it's her damn fault,
when he says, "Dad?
"It's okay.
I'll take care of Mom while you go."
It was right then I thought,
"He's going to be a better man than me."
I thought he'd be fine.
Pete, come here, quick. What? What's up?
A famous Vegas attraction was robbed last night.
Police report the break-in occurred just after closing...
They hit the Elvis-Plex. They got the blue suede shoes.
...with the thief using a tow truck to gain entry
and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of jewelry and memorabilia.
No. Elvis. Is anything sacred in this town?
Anson Ricks, owner of the museum, believes that the shoes on display
were the same ones worn by Elvis on The Steve Allen Show.
They did. They got the blue suede shoes.
According to metro police, a suspect is in custody.
I told you. For more on this developing story,
stay tuned to Channel 37.
The bullet that nearly killed Sergeant Sullivan
is a sad testimony to the crime problem in North Vegas.
But rest assured, starting today,
James Rodgers will answer to this office.
D.A. Robart. The Elvis-Plex heist.
What are you doing to nab that yo-yo?
Mr. Morelli?
Okay, let's... let's go over the stipulated facts of the case.
James Rodgers drove a friend,
Daryl Carver, and a guy named Jack to Downers Tavern.
Jack and Daryl got out of the car,
went into the bar, where they were confronted
by three off duty police officers,
who shot and killed Daryl Carver
to stop what they believed was a robbery in progress.
Jack ran from the bar, escaped.
And James was in his car, outside, the whole time,
and yet, he is being charged with murder of one of the robbers.
I don't know. That... that's just stupid.
I'm sorry, Judge. Is that a legal argument?
No, it's a misapplication of the law, Your Honor,
and far as I know, it's never been tried before.
Well, there's always a first time, Judge.
The felony murder rule was meant to cover the victim of a felon,
not the felon himself.
Uh, actually, no, Your Honor.
Nrs 200.030-b.
Murder in the first degree is the killing of a human being
while in the furtherance of a class A or B felony.
It just says the killing of a human being, Judge.
Daryl Carver was at least that, felon or no felon.
Okay, how about this, Your Honor?
If Sergeant Sullivan here were on trial here today
for the shooting of Daryl Carver,
I would vigorously defend the shooting as righteous.
The officer had every reason to believe
that there was a robbery in progress.
Therefore, justified.
Now, if we can all agree
that Sergeant Sullivan's shooting was justifiable homicide,
how can we find the kid in the car guilty of murder?
I mean,
can't have both, can we?
Thank you, counsel. Thank you, sir.
I'm going to disallow the first degree.
Your Honor, a man died. Officer Sullivan nearly died.
The attempted murder of Sergeant Sullivan still stands,
as do the rest of the charges,
but the felony murder of Daryl Carver is out.
Enough. Move for bail, Your Honor.
No way, Judge. Murder's gone.
You can't hold him no bail for the rest.
His accomplice is still at large. He's a flight risk.
Lived in Vegas his whole life.
His father has put up the family home.
Bail is set at $100,000 cash or bond.
Court is in recess.
Recess! Clear it!
You okay, son?
Yeah. Sure.
Let's just get out of here.
All right.
Step out of the road, sir.
Careful, sir.
***
***
That's a felony.
And as his getaway driver, James Rodgers is guilty
of everything that happened inside that bar.
Will the D.A.'s office appeal the loss of the murder charge?
No. The defendant's still facing
extortion, robbery and attempted murder.
We can manage with that.
Mr. Gomez here calls James Rodgers a getaway driver.
You know what? If James Rodgers knew he was with criminals
and they were out to collect an illegal gambling debt,
then James is a getaway driver.
But... if it's just a loan Jack made
to the bartender for... I don't know... um,
a boat, his mortgage...
if Jim thought he was taking those guys to collect a legal loan,
well, then, he's not a getaway driver.
He's just a friend.
And if Jim didn't know that he was involved with a felony,
if he was just giving a buddy a ride, then he is innocent
of every count against him.
You think Gomez can prove it was a gambling debt?
It'll be hard to convince the jury it wasn't.
You think Jim knew?
It doesn't really matter what I think.
Yo, Kaczmarek.
Donte, what's up?
I need a lawyer, man.
What'd you do now?
Donte Neele, public defender's office.
Lisa Tyler. Yeah, Pete's new associate.
Word's been going around.
Got a burglary. Turns out the office has a conflict.
Oh, no, no. No, I can't. It's 20 minutes.
They're moving him to arraignment right now.
Donte, I'm in the middle of a police shooting here,
in case you hadn't noticed.
Maybe your new associate can help out.
Just get the guy a decent deal.
What is it? You can't have her...
Burglary, no gun. Caught him in possession.
Anybody get hurt? Donte, I need her.
No violence. He hit the place when it was shut.
He ran his tow truck into the building. Tow truck?
Wait a minute. Is this the guy who hit Elvis?
Yeah. I will take it. You? I...
And they're moving him to court now? Should be there now.
Well, come on, Lisa. Let's not keep a client waiting.
Come on, let's go! Donte, we got this.
That's got to be him. Unbelievable.
Mr. Purcel. Mr. Purcel.
Hi. I'm Pete Kaczmarek. This is my associate, Lisa Tyler.
The PD's office has engaged us on your behalf.
Well, all right. I thank you.
Miss Tyler's going to stay here with you.
Do not say a word she doesn't tell you to say.
I, uh... I just need to know one thing.
Did you really touch the blue suede shoes?
And what happened next, Officer Collins?
We were sitting at this table...
myself, Officers Rodriquez and Sullivan...
when two men entered the front door,
walked to the end of the bar, where they confronted Mr. Wyatt.
Confronted? They drew handguns and demanded money,
at which point Officer Sullivan drew his off duty weapon
and announced his presence.
So, shots were fired? Yes.
The perpetrator known as Jack turned his gun on the sergeant.
The sergeant returned fire in self-defense.
The second perpetrator went down.
Who was Daryl Carver, and he was killed?
Yes, and Sergeant Sullivan was hit,
whereupon the shooter escaped out the back door.
And you gave chase?
Rodriquez ran out the back door, and I took the front.
Where you found the defendant
desperately trying to start his car.
Objection, Your Honor.
Withdrawn.
Officer Collins, did you find
James Rodgers trying to flee the scene?
Yes. Thank you.
Good afternoon, Officer Collins.
How you doing? Pretty good.
You said that Daryl and Jack
drew their weapons.
Did you see Daryl draw his?
No, not directly.
Not directly, huh?
Hmm.
Is that because Daryl's back was to you
and the other officers when he was shot?
His accomplice fired on the sergeant.
The sergeant had every right to shoot.
No, I... I am not in dispute on the sergeant's right to fire,
and if Daryl got shot in the back, it was justified.
What I'm curious about is
if Daryl's back was to you when he was shot...
...how could you see if he drew a gun?
Did you see it?
Well, his gun was found away from his body.
Not in the waistband or pocket.
He-He must have pulled it.
Oh, I see.
Because the gun couldn't have been
knocked out when he was shot and fell.
I get that.
One more thing.
Officer Collins, can you carry a handgun
in the state of Nevada with the proper permits?
Yes.
Did Daryl Carver have the proper permit?
Yes.
Thank you, Officer Collins.
He's great.
You really took that cop apart, man.
Shot him in the back.
It was sweet.
Jim, little respect.
Whatever.
All right, well, they're gonna make the case
that you and Daryl were friends and you knew he had a gun.
Well, if he kept it in his pants, that's legal,
and you shouldn't get blamed for that.
Right.
- Cool. - This guy Jack,
waving his around could pose a problem for us.
They're going to argue that you knew he was going to pull it.
I didn't.
They're also going to argue you knew
he was a bookmaker collecting on a debt.
I'll-I'll tell them I never even met the guy.
Well, Jim, w-we're not going to put you on the stand.
Yeah, we can't have you lie, son.
What the hell do you mean "Lie"?
It's-It's none of your business, okay?
Just let me talk to my lawyers.
All right, I think we had a long day,
so, uh, why don't we get some sleep.
Hey, Pete, uh, can you take care of this?
I didn't bring any money with me.
Excuse me.
Come here.
Now, I want to tell you something.
If it wasn't for your father,
you'd be in prison for 50 years.
Hey, he cashed his pension, he put up the house,
and he did all that so you don't spend life without parole.
So, when this is over...
whichever way it turns out...
I expect to hear "Thank you"
and "I'm sorry."
And not to me.
Cool?
Up until six months ago, I worked the Chrystal Room,
where they have the impersonators.
And you were Elvis.
No, I was a handyman some, some janitorial.
Arnie Barlow got me the job;
he's the Chrystal's main Elvis.
Then they let me go.
I haven't had a job since.
Nothing?
Well, a couple conventions, as a young Elvis.
But I'm a little too old for that.
Why break into the Elvis-Plex, Luke?
I was busted.
Behind on my rent, hiding my truck from the bank.
And I got two little ones with their mom up in Reno.
I send them $300 a month, rain or shine.
Okay, the detective found you with the shoes,
couple hundred grand in jewelry.
Did they get everything? Yeah.
This Arnie Barlow... you know it was him
who called the police to tell them
that you offered to sell him a ring?
Yeah.
I figured maybe him and the other Elvises
would buy up all the stuff.
But I guess he took it a bit too personal.
Yeah, well, you stole from the King, Luke.
That is personal.
I know.
But I just got crazy some, not having any money at all.
It's frightening for a man.
We'll try to help you, Mr. Purcel,
but you might have to do a little jail time.
Well, I suppose it serves me right.
I do appreciate the help, ma'am.
Sir.
Mr. Wyatt, the man you knew as Jack... he was your bookie?
Yes.
So you made illegal sports bets with him, correct?
Yes.
And on the afternoon of the crime,
you owed how much for your losses?
$3,600.
Sir, can you explain what happened when Daryl Carver
and Jack came to collect on those losses?
I was... behind the bar, here, cleaning up.
I didn't even see them come in.
He grabs me by the collar.
Who grabbed you? Daryl Carver.
And then Jack put a gun at my head,
yelling, "Give me my money. I'll kill you, I'll kill you."
I thought he was going to. And then?
Well, I heard the officer yelling,
"Drop the gun.
Drop it."
And, well, then all the shooting.
Thank you, Mr. Wyatt.
Good afternoon, Mr. Wyatt. How you doing?
Very well, sir, thank you.
Mr. Wyatt, you're a bartender, is that correct?
Yes.
So how far from Downers Tavern is the Strip?
How far? Yeah, how far?
Half a mile; I don't know.
So you work a half a mile from the Strip,
yet you place your illegal bets with this dangerous bookie?
Why? Why?
Yeah, why? Why? I mean, you told police
that you didn't even know this guy Jack's last name.
I mean... are you sure he was a bookie?
Yes. And not just some guy that loaned you money and was tired
of you not paying him back?
Why would I say he's a bookie if he's not a bookie?
I don't know.
Why would you bet three grand with this stranger
carrying a gun, when you could book it
a half a mile away at the El Cid?
I mean, casinos... they don't shoot.
We've got a chance here, Nicky.
You did good with that bartender.
Yeah, but then Gomez knocked it right back.
You gave them a reasonable doubt.
Doubt, yes.
I don't know how reasonable it was.
Look, the cops figure it was a robbery, fine;
the bartender says it was a gambling debt, fine.
They still got to prove what Jim knew
sitting out there in the car, and they can't.
They didn't.
Ah, that kid must have said a hundred times
how he didn't know they were going after a gambling debt.
Yeah. So? Well, do you believe him?
Okay, there you go.
Neither will the jury.
Can't believe the kid's gonna do 20 years over a bad bet.
Like his father said,
I've never seen anything like this before.
Four years. Four years?
We could lose at trial and still do better than that.
Give us some incentive to make a deal here.
I don't have any incentive to make one.
The guy was caught red-handed.
Mr. Purcel has no priors and two children he provides for.
Yes, evidently by stealing. Okay, okay.
All the missing items have been returned undamaged.
Which is why I'm giving you four years.
Final offer.
Deal's good till happy hour.
There's a useful principle in philosophy,
lex parsimoniae,
which suggests that when looking for the solution
to a complex problem,
the simplest explanation is most often correct.
Defense lawyers make a living trying to prove that wrong.
See, because they're in the business of trying to confuse,
to mix up, to obfuscate and to weasel.
And, uh, Mr. Morelli is one of the best.
But the simplest explanation here
is still that James Rodgers knew
that Daryl Carver and Jack were carrying guns
to, uh, collect on a gambling debt.
I think you all know that.
And if you know that, then you have no choice
but to include Mr. Rodgers as a full participant
to attempted murder, extortion and robbery.
It's that simple.
Really.
Lex Parsimony.
"A useful principle in philosophy."
Hmm.
Well, here's a useful principle.
How about beyond a reasonable doubt.
Okay, yes, I am a criminal defense attorney.
So sue me.
But I'm also here to remind you that the State's burden
is not to offer you a simple story, but to prove a crime.
All right, let's look at the crime.
Daryl Carver carried a gun.
So? He had a permit.
It was legal.
Did James Rodgers know he carried?
Ah, they were friends; he probably knew.
But did James know he was gonna use it?
Come on, the State couldn't even prove
that Daryl drew it.
And Jack?
Mr. Wyatt doesn't even know his last name,
but Mr. Gomez here wants you to assume that James knew.
That James knew all about this illegal gambling debt.
Well, here's the thing:
What if he didn't? Right?
I mean, what if Daryl and Jack just came up to James
and said, "Hey, man, you give me a ride?
"I got to go pick up some cash, this loan I gave a bartender
"For some bar stools,
and then we'll go out and shoot some craps."
I mean, that's a simple story.
It's as simple as the State's.
Okay, I can't prove all my stories.
But, luckily for Jim,
the State has to prove theirs.
It is that simple.
Listen to this. "Items recovered: blue suede shoes,
the Carolina concert ring, federal agent-at-large badge."
Are you kidding? The one that Nixon gave him?
Yeah. $300,000 worth of the King's stuff...
jewelry, clothing, rare photos.
Hi. Pete Kaczmarek and Nick Morelli here to see Arnie Barlow.
Uh, rare photos? Yeah.
Uh, are they worth something?
Oh, yeah. Candids? Sure.
Are you kidding? Look at that.
Okay, Priscilla Presley and me.
Just dumb luck I was at the El Cid
and she walked by and I grabbed a shot.
Wait, wait, you're saying that this smudge here...
that's Priscilla Presley?
Yeah, look at the cute little nose.
I mean, that's definitely you, but...
Yeah, I mean, it could be a woman.
It's a woman. It's Priscilla Presley!
Forget it. It's not for sale. Jerk.
You can see these tears are real I'm crying.
I'm gonna go talk to Elvis, Nick.
Why don't you grab a drink.
I think I will. Thank you very much.
We can't go on together... Mm. Mm-mm-mm.
He's sitting in jail? Really?
Luke can't make bail, Mr. Barlow.
Not even close. He's broke.
That's why he did it.
Well, it's a crying shame.
Sure is. Poor guy.
Poor guy?
I'm-I'm sorry, I'm a little confused here.
You turned him in.
Well, that's because he robbed the King, man.
I mean, that all belongs to the fans.
You can't just sell it to some guy
who's going to just hide it away in a safe.
Right, right, I get that.
I mean, he tried to sell me the very ring
that the Colonel gave Elvis when they signed with RCA.
Gold with-with the diamond inlay.
Beautiful. It was gorgeous.
And I got to tell you... I was tempted.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, I didn't mean any harm to Luke.
I mean, hell, I like the man.
He always did right by me.
When he offered you the ring,
did he tell you that he stole it?
What do you mean? Of course he did.
No, no, no. Not what you assumed, what he told you.
Did he admit that he was involved in the break-in?
Did he mention the burglary at all?
No. Well, he said that he had the ring and if I was interested.
Why?
That could help, maybe.
I should have told him to give it all back.
All right, that's what I should have done.
That's what I should have done.
Mr. Foreperson,
I understand the jury is deadlocked. True?
Yes, Your Honor.
Well, without letting us know
which way you lean, can you tell me the split?
We have one hold out, Your Honor.
It's 11 to one. Do you get a clear sense
whether that deadlock might be broken with more deliberation?
I'm really not sure, Your Honor.
We've been split the whole day.
All right, well, I'm going to ask you to break for the night.
Return tomorrow morning, give it one more try. Fair?
Yes, Your Honor.
11 to one, which way?
You really need to ask?
Now we wait. Hang tight.
Hey, this is Jess.
Sammy and I aren't home right now,
but we are looking forward to your message.
Thanks.
What?
Ah, damn it.
License and registration.
There you go.
What's the matter, Officer, going a little too fast?
Your taillights are dead, sir.
Taillights? It's a brand-new car.
You be careful out there, sir.
First decent meal I've had in ages.
Thanks for bailing me out, Mr. Kaczmarek. Don't thank us.
Thank Arnie Barlow and your friends over at the Chrystal.
Well, I appreciate it.
I wish they knew how much.
Look, the D.A. isn't giving us much of a deal here... four years.
We're not going to do much worse at trial.
Luckily, you never admitted to Mr. Barlow
that you actually stole the ring you tried to sell him,
so we do have a defense.
You were just walking by and you found the bag of stolen goods.
Unfortunately, the truck used in the burglary
was registered to a towing company that you used to work for.
Look, uh...
Maybe I just need to face the consequences of my actions
and four years is what I deserve.
No, it's way too long.
You've never done anything like this before.
Luke, how did you get yourself into this mess?
I had a dream that wouldn't quit.
Come here, make something of myself.
I mean, I'd pray every night that I'd wake up
and the dream would just die.
But every morning, there it was again.
Till the morning after I did this awful thing.
And now it's gone.
Forever.
I just want to go home.
Six months.
Six months, I'm begging you.
I hate to see the guy go to jail for even that long.
No, not going to happen, Kaczmarek.
Come on. Just this once, give a guy a break.
Which guy, him or you?
Hunt, I'm on my knees here.
All right.
In the interest of the State's time, three years.
But that's it. Deal?
Have a drink with me. Excuse me?
One drink. Thing's go well, maybe two.
Are you hitting on me in the middle of a plea bargain?
Yes. I've been meaning to, ever since you dumped...
Uh... what's his name?
Ellis.
Ellis? I haven't dumped Ellis.
You should.
Come on, one drink.
It'll be great. Happy hour.
There's somebody I want you to meet.
Call my office at 6:00.
We'll talk about Mr. Purcel.
They aren't looking, Nick.
No.
Not even one.
Not one, Pete.
All rise. Clark County District Court is now in session.
Good morning, Mr. Foreperson.
Have you reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Please hand the form to the bailiff.
Thank you.
"Case number 8-646, "State of Nevada v. James Rogers.
"As top count one, robbery with use of a deadly weapon:
Guilty."
"As to count two, extortion with use of a deadly weapon:
"Guilty.
"As to count three, "Kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon:
"Guilty.
"As to the final count of attempted murder:
guilty."
Thank you, Mr. Foreperson. And thank you all the members.
Poll the jury, Your Honor.
Ms. Jenson, please, poll the jury.
Jim.
We're going to appeal this.
I'll see you later this afternoon.
Juror number one, was this your verdict?
Juror number two, was this your verdict?
Juror number three, was this your verdict?
Juror number four, was this your verdict?
Juror number five, was this your verdict?
So what's he facing, best case?
Well, Owens is a fair judge.
But this attempted murder of a police officer...
It really ties his hands.
Maybe 20 years.
20...?
Could easily be more.
I'm sorry.
You did what you could, Nick.
It was me that let him down.
Come on, Joe.
Jim's a grown man.
He made his own decisions.
So did I.
Ask Janet, if you can find her.
Hey, not everything we do affects our kids, Joe.
No? No.
Look, I'm going to need to put you on the stand
for the sentencing hearing.
You tell the judge what a good kid he was.
Right. Of course.
He was.
Nick, there's a man here to see you about Mr. Rogers' case.
Mr. Morelli, hello.
- I'm... - Juror number nine.
It was like you said... it was reasonable he didn't know.
I mean, he probably did, but I didn't think they proved it.
And the charges, if he didn't know,
he's just giving a friend a lift,
that seemed like too much.
So you held out.
You hung the jury. Yes.
But then last night after the judge sent us home,
I'm driving and I see a police car behind me.
I'm not speeding or anything.
But he follows me all the way up to my house.
And then the siren.
So I pull over, but nobody comes.
He's just sitting back there.
I wait
what seems like forever,
with the lights in my eyes.
Finally he walks up
and he says... "Be careful, sir"?
Yeah. How did you know?
Did they do that to all the jurors? No.
Just to you.
You're all they needed.
No, no, I'm not making you a deal, Nick.
Yes, you are, Charlie, and it's gonna be a good one.
No. No, I'm not. We'll retry it,
because God knows my ADAs could use the practice.
Two years. All you get. Or I'm walking.
Fine, walk. Run. Skip. I don't give a rat's ass.
If I go out there, I'm gonna tell every one of those journalists
that the D.A. conspired to intimidate a juror.
My office had no intention...
We're not talking about your office; we're talking about you.
Me? The kid here, what if I depose him?
What do you figure he's gonna say?
That you don't know everything that goes on in this office?
Come on, you knew, man.
I can't deal. It's a cop shooting.
My guy didn't shoot.
He wasn't even there.
Please! This city does a few billion dollars a year in legal gambling,
and you want to throw my kid away for 30 years
because he was collecting on a bet?
I got to get something for the department.
The chief is breathing down my neck.
Eight years. No! - Two!
Or we're filing suit against the city, the department,
and you personally, all on behalf of juror number nine.
- You can't win that. - Look, I don't have to win it.
All I got to do is remind any prospective juror
in the James Rodgers retrial that the D.A. is a crook.
Not to mention the voters.
Now, I'm going out there to make my statement.
Here he goes.
He's going.
- Better make up your mind quick. - Faster than that.
- Before I talk too much. - He's got a huge mouth.
Three years?
Eligible for parole in 18 months.
- It's good, Jim. It's real good. - Good?
They could have kept you in for 30 with a bad judge.
Yeah, it could easily be more if they retry the case.
You-You said it, all we need is one to hang them.
We-We could get one again,
or two, especially after what they did!
You got lucky, Jim. You can't count on that next time.
And what if they find this Jack character before the retrial?
Who's to say he doesn't make a deal with the D.A.
And say that you knew about the gambling debt the whole time?
What if I knew?
So what? The guy owed money.
It wasn't any robbery.
Nobody was gonna shoot nobody.
If the cops don't freak out and go all cowboy...
- So, now it's the officer's fault? - It wasn't mine!
It's not.
- Son... - It's not. My...
I just drove...
And now I got to go to jail?
Yeah. You do.
And I... will bring you smokes and porn magazines
and whatever the hell else you need, every week,
if you just take this like a man just one time.
I can't.
Well, if you can't, we're done here.
You let Mr. Morelli know how you want to go.
I'll pay for your bill either way.
Even if that's the last thing I do.
Hey. What the hell is this, Kaczmarek?
You're late. I'm always late.
You'll get used to it. Come on.
This city, man, it's cruel.
And it got the best of a good man.
It's not the first time.
All he did was talk about his kids.
You're such a loveable man.
Luke, you are.
And if it makes a difference, he could stay with me,
until he's back on his feet.
I trust him. I think that goes for all of us.
Mr. Barlow?
I assume you'd still testify.
Yeah, yeah, I would.
I mean, it would pain me, ma'am. I... I feel kinda responsible...
No, Arnie, look, I got you into this and I am so sorry.
But this is all me.
I want to apologize, Ms. Hunt.
I do... What-what they're saying here I-I...
I don't truly deserve.
I want you to know, whatever you do, I know I did wrong,
and I take the consequences.
That's your job.
Well? Well, what? The man has friends.
Hunt, did you even hear the guy? He's leaving it to you.
Look, I don't know what you expect here, Kaczmarek.
Fine, 18 months.
Not good enough.
Try this...15 years. What?
Five for the burglary. Five for the grand larceny.
And five for the possession of stolen property.
15 years, minimum.
Then suspend it. Come on.
The guy makes one wrong move, just one,
over the next 15 years, and he goes straight to jail.
But he keeps his nose clean until then,
the guy deserves a chance to stay out.
- He's got kids. - All right, Pete.
Damn it. I'll see what I can do.
Really? Yeah.
The hell are you doing?
We had a date. It's a... it's a kiss.
Don't push your luck, shyster.
All rise.
Counsel?
Do we have a negotiated plea here,
or do I have to calendar a new trial?
A plea, Your Honor.
One count of conspiracy to commit extortion
with a stipulated sentence of three years.
Mr. Gomez?
We're agreed, Your Honor.
As to the count of conspiracy to commit extortion, how do you plead?
Guilty, Your Honor.
The court accepts your guilty plea, Mr. Rodgers.
Before I sentence you, is there anything you'd like to say?
Yes, Your Honor.
I'd like to apologize to the officer who was hurt.
I did not mean for it to happen, but I was part responsible.
And I want to say sorry to my dad.
Thanks for not giving up on me.
That's all. Thank you.
On the count of conspiracy to commit extortion,
I will accept counsel's recommendation and I hereby
sentence you to three years in Nevada State Prison.
Use your time well, Mr. Rodgers.
Take a class or two.
May change your life.
You're going to be okay.
- Good luck, Jim. - Thank you.
Dad.
See you this weekend. I'll be there.
Thanks.
I won't forget it.
I hope you do.
Good luck, Joe.
Thanks, Nick.
Sergeant?
I just want you to know...
it wasn't me with that juror.
All I wanted was a fair shake for everybody.
All right.
Why don't you drop by the tavern sometime?
Buy you a beer.
Thank you, Sergeant.
I'll do that.
The judge is serious, Luke.
You so much as get a speeding ticket, you go away for 15 years.
Don't worry, ma'am, I won't do any speedin'.
They took my truck away.
Lisa is gonna get you to the bus station.
I let your wife know you're coming,
so your kids are expecting you.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you very much.
Good luck, Luke.
Come on, Elvis. Let's get you home.
Elvis has left the building.
Long day, huh?
Long week.
Going back to the office?
No. You?
Nah.
I think I'll just go back to my place, get some sleep.
- Sleep? - Yeah.
Nick, come on, it's Vegas.
- Let's go out. - Eh... Come on, I'll drive.
Thank you very much.
I wanna be loved by you.
Just you, nobody else but you.
Is she singing to me?
I wanna be loved by you alone, Boop boop be do.
I wanna be kissed by you.
Just you, nobody else but you.
I wanna be kissed by you Alone Boop boop be do...