The Practice (1997–2004): Season 3, Episode 1 - Passing Go - full transcript

[upbeat music]

- Go for your variance.
I could care.

You're in
a single-family class zone

bordered by a school district.

I'm really worried they're gonna
grant you a variance

to put up a night club.

No, I won't talk
to their families.

Going into a tunnel.
[mimics static]

♪ ♪

[tires squeal]
[grunts]

[woman screams]



[dramatic music]

[indistinct chatter]

- Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

♪ ♪

[upbeat funky music]

♪ ♪

- You've gotta calm down, Allan.
I can't even understand you.

ALLAN:
Don't tell me to calm down.

I hit him head on.
He could be dead.

He's lying in the street.

ELLENOR:
Have you called the police?

- Yes, I called the police.
What if I killed him?

He's lying in the street.



- You have just
got to calm down, Allan.

- Stop telling me
to calm down!

- Look.
Calm down!

Now, is there somebody
with the guy you hit?

ALLAN: Yeah,
there's a crowd around him.

He just darted out
in front of me,

and--oh.

He seems to be moving now.
ELLENOR: All right, all right.

- Ellenor, I've been drinking,
but I'm not drunk.

God, I've got an open bottle
of bourbon in my car.

Should I throw it out?

- Allan, I-I can't advise you
to do that.

ALLAN: So what do I do?
- God.

ALLAN: He's--I mean, if he dies
I'll go to prison.

I'm not drunk, I swear.

ELLENOR: All right,
how much have you had?

- Uh, I don't know.

Maybe, uh,
a third of a bottle?

I had--maybe I should
just drive off.

- No, no.
You cannot drive off.

They will get you
for leaving the scene.

- So tell me what to do!

[exhales]

You have a bottle of bourbon
right there?

- Yes, it's right here.
I've gotta get rid of it.

- All right, start drinking it.

- What?
ELLENOR: To calm your nerves,

start drinking it,
and drink it out in the open.

I will be right there.
- Ellenor, what?

- Drink the bourbon, Allan.
Now!

[phone disconnects]

[sirens wailing]
- [exhales]

I can get up.
- No, I wouldn't.

I'd wait for the ambulance.
- Uh, I think I'm okay.

I, um--I rolled with it.

- It sounded nasty.

[indistinct chatter]

JOEL: I didn't kill her.
He did.

WOMAN: Tell us,
in your own words,

what happened that night.

- After talking a while
at the library,

we all went back to the dorm.

- You, your roommate,

and Brittany Foster?
- Yes.

WOMAN: So what did
the three of you do then?

- We just hung out a little.

Thought about seeing a film.

Then...

Th--that's when things...

Kevin and Brittany
started kissing a little,

and then they went
into his room.

WOMAN:
What did you do, Joel?

- I felt
a little uncomfortable.

I mean, she was 15 or so.

- Tell us what happened next.

- I could hear her.

It was like there were
some muted screams.

[dramatic music]

I had a bad feeling,
so I went in there.

- And what did you see?

- I saw him...

pushing her to the floor,

trying to get her clothes off.

He screamed at me to get out.

WOMAN:
And what did you do?

- I left.

- Joel,
why didn't you stop him?

- I don't know.

I guess,
I was a little scared.

WOMAN:
Why not call the police?

- He was my roommate.

I think I wanted to believe that
nothing was really gonna happen,

but...

♪ ♪

And I was afraid of him.

- So you just went for a walk?
- Yes.

- And when you got back,
you found her dead?

- Yes.

- You saw him molesting her,

you were afraid something
bad was going to happen,

so,
you just went for a walk?

- Asked and answered.

- Anybody see you on this walk?

- I don't think so.

- Where was Kevin
when you got back?

- Gone. He came back
a few seconds after me.

He pretended he didn't do it.

That's when I called the police.

- That's when you both decided

to call the police, and have--

- No, no, he killed her.
- Objection.

I called the police.

- How long did you wait
for Kevin to get home

before you called the police?

- I don't know.
Not long.

- You were looking
for his permission to call

or you just didn't know
the number?

- Objection.
EUGENE: Withdrawn.

Why did you bother
to wait at all?

Why didn't you just
call the police?

- I was in shock at first,

and then he came in.

- You strangled her
and decided to frame Kevin.

Isn't that what happened, Joel?
WOMAN: Objection.

- I didn't do it!
WOMAN: Objection!

- You decided
to take his story...

JUDGE WALTERS: Sustained.
- Make it your own.

- Objection!
- Pin him for the murder

that you committed!
WOMAN: Move to strike!

JOEL: No.
- Sustained.

The jury will disregard
all of that.

- I wa--I was crossing
the street.

I may have darted out
a little.

I thou--I thought
I saw a girl I knew, and...

I heard a--a screeching sound

and then the next thing I knew
I was...

- He was rolling up my hood
and then--and then over

and I thought--God,
I thought he was dead.

- How much have you had
to drink, sir?

- Uh...

this much, I guess.

I needed to calm myself.

Uh, uh, I wasn't drinking
before the accident.

I just needed to calm myself.

- You just need
to calm yourself?

- I swear.
- Anything else?

- Uh...no.
- Allan?

- Oh, thank you for coming.
- Hi, I'm Ellenor Frutt.

- He just ran out
in front of me.

I couldn't--
- Yes, okay, I know.

I'm his attorney.
Can I be of any help?

- Ellenor?
- Hey, Bobby,

what're you doing here?
- I'm the guy who got hit.

- What?
Are you okay?

- Well, my back's
a little stiff, but, uh...

what're you doing here?

- I-I'm his--I'm his lawyer.
This is Allan Gamm.

Bobby Donnell.

- He's your client?
The guy who hit me?

ELLENOR: Yeah.
Small world, huh?

Um, are you sure that
you're okay?

- Is he drunk?
- No.

He, um, drank
after the accident.

He's just calming his nerves.

- That's exactly
what he told me.

Almost the same words.

- Well, that's because we spoke
on the phone.

- I'd like to give him
a Breathalyzer.

- Absolutely.
We will cooperate

in any way we can.

- Bobby?
- Yeah, okay.

He's fine.
[door opens]

He--he's okay.

He, uh--thank you.

- The guy Ellenor's client hit
was Bobby?

- Yeah, he rolled
right over the car.

- And he's okay?
- Well, he says he is.

I mean, he's not even going
to the hospital,

so he must be okay.
I mean, he's pretty lucky.

- You expecting something?
- What?

- In the mail.
- What--I check the mail.

This is what I do.
- Well, you're riffling

through it like
you're expecting something.

- I'm not riffling through it.
Why are you being so snoopy?

- Snoopy?
- Yes, snoopy.

[both talking at once]

Why don't you go redecorate
a room or something?

- Hey.
- What's going on?

- Nothing.
Why's everybody being so nosy?

I mean, Bobby gets hit
by a damn car,

everybody's interested
in how I sort mail.

Well, you know,
that's just really great.

You really got your priorities
straight, don't you, Jimmy?

- [scoffs]

- Was I out of line?

- The jury looked like
they were believing him.

- We knew he'd be good, Kevin.

Which means I gotta put you up.

- I don't believe this.

He killed her.

He just got up there
and told my story.

- Uh, the problem is,
he has no record.

You've got an old burglary,
so...

- He was 17.

- Listen up, everybody.

Joel has no record.

You do.

Joel comes from
a wealthy family.

You don't.

Joel has put up shrinks

to say that he couldn't have
done this.

You can't afford
to buy any experts.

Joel got to testify first.

True or not, if you get up there
and tell the same story,

it's not gonna play as well.

- Kevin passed the polygraph.
Joel didn't.

- Polygraphs aren't admissible.
We can't use that.

- What's going on here,
Mr. Young?

- I'm saying,
if there's a deal to be made,

we might want
to think about it...

But it's going to involve
some sort of guilty plea.

KEVIN: No.

I'm not pleading guilty
to anything.

He killed her.

He did it.

- I'm fine.
I am.

- You should at least
get checked out.

You want me to do it?
I'm kidding.

Come see
the new conference room.

It's officially finished.
- Uh, I will.

Right now,
I got some stuff to do.

- Bobby, we've been under
construction over two months.

You haven't so much as
poked your head in.

You barely go near the library
for that matter.

- I trust you.
- It isn't that.

Aren't you curious?

- I've seen it.

- Come see it now.
- I will, Lindsay.

Right now,
I have some things to do.

MAN: Blow one more time.

[machine beeps]

- Nobody light a match.
- Excuse me?

- .12

He's flammable.

- You gotta get me out of here.

- Look, don't worry about it,
Allan.

[door opens]
Excuse me, one minute.

- It was your idea
that I drink more.

- Allan, you have to trust me.
Don't worry about it.

- All right, let's go.

- Ellenor?
- I--

I'm going to work it out,
Allan.

I'm gonna work it out.

♪ ♪

[door closes]

[knocks on door]

- How we doing?

- [sighs]
I don't know.

They're both
accusing each other.

We may not get either of 'em.

- Helen, this is
a front-page homicide.

- I know.
- 15-year-old girl.

- You don't have to tell me.
I look at her picture every day,

but I--
[sighs]

I can't prove that
they did it together,

and without that...

- Are you telling me that--

Helen,

these kids cannot walk.

- I know.

♪ ♪

- Do what you have to do
to at least get one of them.

♪ ♪

- You won't even make PC, Jimmy?

- He ran a guy down,
broad daylight, drunk.

- He got drunk
after the accident.

- Ah, right.

- Well,
you can't prove otherwise.

Come on, there's no injury.

Why are we even
wasting our time here?

- Wha--.12.
- [scoffs]

Look, I will give you
dry reckless.

You can take his
driver's license for 90 days...

- [scoffs]
- And you can fine him $1,000

if you want.
- No, no, come on.

- Jimmy, it was Bobby Donnell
that he hit.

Do you think I'd want him
to walk if--

- Yes, you would
because you're his lawyer.

He could have run down
your own mother.

- Jimmy, please.

I need this one.

- [sighs]

Dry reckless and his license,

90 days.

- Thank you.

[soft dramatic music]

[sighs]
Thank God.

- Looks great.
Great job, Lindsay.

- Well--well, wait.
You barely looked.

- I looked.
It looks--

- Wait, I worked hard on this.

- And you did a beautiful job.
- Don't shine me on.

- It's a conference room,
Lindsay.

[quietly]
What do you want from me?

I mean,
you did a beautiful job.

You want me to call
"Architectural Digest"?

- What is going on?
- Nothing's going on.

- You obviously have some
problem with this expansion.

- If I do, it's my problem.
Not yours.

- What am I missing here?

- Look, my father works
in the big, fancy law firm.

I'm just not thrilled
about becoming that.

- We are not becoming
a big, fancy law firm,

and I-I thought
you love your father.

- I do.
I-I just--

- Just what?

- [sighs]
I don't know.

- You do know.

- I just promised myself
I wouldn't end up

at some blue chip law firm
and become the fat cat lawyer.

- It--it's just
a conference room.

- I know.

- I-I don't get you, Bobby.

On the one hand,

you seem to be saying
you love your dad,

and yet,
you also seem to be saying

that you don't want
to turn out like him.

I don't get--
- I'm not saying that, Lindsay.

You did a great job
on the expansion.

Okay?

We don't need
to keep talking about it.

- Fine.

[sirens wailing in distance]

- How's Bobby?
- He'll live.

The other kid did it, Helen.
You know it.

- I don't know it.
- He passed the polygraph.

- The other kid--
- Inadmissible.

- In court, maybe, but--
- Eugene.

- You're trying a kid
for murder.

A kid you know
didn't commit murder, and--

- Stop telling me what I know.
- This isn't right.

- And don't give me
the morality speech, either.

At best, your boy saw a
15-year-old girl getting mauled

and went for a walk.

At worst, he killed her.

Either case, I have no problem
putting him away.

- This could backfire.
You could lose 'em both.

- I'll give you conspiracy,
if he agrees to testify,

they were in on it together.

- They weren't
in on it together.

- Conspiracy.
Yes or no?

- No.

- Dry reckless?

- Police can't prove
he drank before.

- [sighs]
And no time?

- Bobby,
I don't like being a rat,

but Ellenor told the guy
to drink.

- What?

- He called her
after he hit you.

Told Ellenor he was drinking.

She told him
to drink there in the open

so they could argue
he got drunk after.

- Ellenor told him to drink?

- She didn't know
you were the victim at the time.

REBECCA: [screaming]
Yes, I got it!

- Rebecca?
- [breathing heavy]

- What's wrong?

- He--He--
[grunts]

BOBBY: "We are pleased
to inform you..."

- What?

- She passed the bar.

BOTH: What?

- How could you
even take the bar?

- Um, I've been going
to night school.

- Law school at night?

- For the last five years.
- What?

- [stammers]
Well, why didn't you tell us?

REBECCA:
'Cause I--I don't know.

I guess I was afraid
if I failed...

I just didn't want
to tell anybody.

- You passed first try.

- Five years
you been going to school?

- Rebecca,
you're a lawyer!

- [laughs softly]

- Come here, you.

[all laugh]

[door opens]

- What's going on?

- Ellenor, in my office.

Did you tell your client
to drink after the accident?

- Bobby--
- Yes or no, Ellenor.

- Yes.

- That's the equivalent

of tampering with evidence.

- Look, hold on.
- You could get disbarred.

- Bobby--
- It's no different

than telling a shooter
where to hide the gun.

- I panicked.
Everything happened so fast.

I know.
I know it was stupid.

- Not stupid, Ellenor.
Criminal.

Look, you want to risk
your career, that's one thing,

but doing it
in front of Jimmy and Lindsay,

you expose them as well.

They have a legal duty
to report you...

And so do I.

- I wasn't thinking.

- I hope that's true.

- These kids
shouldn't be tried together.

- One murder, one trial.

There is such a thing
as judicial economy.

- There is such a thing
as fairness, Your Honor.

- Is that why we're in here?

The fairness jingle?

Consider the bell rung.

- I object to your being snide
about it, Judge.

- We got two codefendants
claiming the same story.

One went for a walk.
The other killed that girl.

Her client got
to tell the story first.

- Which you can argue
to the jury.

- They should have been
severed

from the beginning
and you know--

JUDGE WALTERS:
You made that argument.

You lost.
You can take it up on appeal.

Now, I suggest you concentrate

on the battles you can win.

- This is politic.
Public wants to lynch somebody,

and you're afraid if you--
- Eugene--

- You know Kevin Peete
is innocent--

- I offered you a deal.
You're free to take it.

- Hey!
- Hey, and you're no better.

This case should have been
kicked from the beginning.

- You are one remark away
from a jail cell, counsel.

- She's trying to coerce

a conspiracy confession
from my client,

'cause it's the only way
she can convict her client.

- That's your theory, not mine.
- Right.

- I'll be back
in a couple hours.

- Mm-kay.
Tuesday's the last day

to assert insanity
if you're going for that

in the Boden trial.
- How 'bout the research

on self-defense?
- Jimmy's still working on it.

- Okay.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

- She's having a tough time.

Does she need to be
in the room every day?

HELEN:
I won't kid you Mr. Foster.

We have a tough case.

Emotion is going to count.

The defendants' parents have
been in that room every day.

I think the victim's parents
should be there too.

We talked about this.

- I know.

- We've made it this far.

It'll only be
a couple more days.

- You have to get these boys,
Miss Gamble.

If they wa--
if they walk free after--

- They won't.

I promise.
They won't.

- Before you get up there, you
gotta be clear about something.

The jury doesn't like you,
Kevin,

and you're not gonna
change that.

15-year-old girl,
leaving her there

knowing she's in trouble.

The goal isn't
to get them to like you,

so don't start
defending yourself

like you're some good,
misunderstood kid, okay?

- Yeah, okay.

- Now,

this is important.

Once you get up there
and say it's all him, it's done.

You can't later say that
both of you were in on it.

- Well, I wasn't in on it!
- I understand,

but on conspiracy, you get 20.

Good behavior,
you'd be out in 10.

Murder one, life.

Once you testify,
there's no going back.

- Are you advising me to lie?

- No...
I can't do that.

- Well, then why are we talking
about it?

- I can't believe
you're suggesting

an innocent person
plead guilty--

- Your son isn't innocent,
Mr. Peete.

Now, he may not have killed her,
but him walking away--

Let's not call him innocent.

- Time off?

- Just a few weeks...

or maybe longer.

- [sighs]
Ellenor--

- What I did, Bobby,
it would have been bad enough

had I thought about it first,

but I did it on reflex.
I did it on instinct.

I mean, "How do we beat it?"
"How can we fool 'em?"

"I know.
Why don't you just

drink out in the open."

It was as easy as a knee jerk.

You want to know what else
was spinning through my head?

Too bad the guy's
still breathing.

A judgment on wrongful death
is really minimal

compared to pain and suffering,
so liability wise,

it's a pity he's still alive.

I think I need some time away.

- We're scaling back
on the criminal cases, Ellenor.

We're becoming more...

- Bobby, new furniture
and paint jobs aside, it--

we're not gonna
remake ourselves.

- I can't give you time off.
Not now.

We have too much going on.

Can you wait just a little?

- Yeah.

You want to know
what the worst part is?

If you hadn't been the guy
who got hit,

I might be feeling really
proud of myself just about now.

- A case.
My own case.

- Stolen bike.
One day trial.

Couple of weeks from now.
No big deal.

- [stammers]
Well, can I do it?

I mean, I haven't been
sworn in yet.

Will they let me?
- Oh, you don't have to be

officially sworn in, Becky.
- Okay.

- It's just a stolen bicycle.
First offense--

- Stolen.
Can they make intent?

I mean, have you talked
to the client yet?

It could have been a mistake.

I mean, did the bike
look like his own?

Or duress.
There could have been

exigent circumstances--
oh, is he a minor?

Wait, we might be able
to make out undue influence.

Oh, have you interviewed
the arresting officers?

- Uh, Becky--
- And then that bike.

I mean, what about that?
I mean, are there any

chain of custody issues?
I mean...

how can we possibly be
ready to go in two weeks?

We have two weeks.

- This could be ugly.

- He just reversed it.

He stayed and I left.

- To go for a walk?

- Yes.

- If you thought she could be
put in danger, Kevin,

how could you just leave?

- I was afraid.

EUGENE: Of what?

KEVIN: Of him a little.

You know, I-I am ashamed
that I left,

but like I told the police,

I think I just really wanted
to pretend

that nothing bad was
gonna happen,

and I walked out that door.

- She was found in your room,
Kevin.

- But Joel brought her there.

- You both brought her
back in there, didn't you?

- No.
No, he did,

and he killed her.

- The burglary in 1994,
you do it yourself

or was there anybody else
with you?

- Myself.
- You committed the crime

on your own initiative.
- Objection.

- Overruled.

- Did anybody see you
on this walk you took?

- No.

HELEN: I'm sorry.

It's just a little
too convenient,

like the perfect crime.
They both blame each other.

Jury doesn't know
who's telling the truth.

Perfect.
- Except, Helen,

you do know
who's telling the truth.

That polygraph--
- They're not foolproof.

- They're close enough.

Do you think they both did it?

- [sighs]

Maybe it's easier to believe
a kid could kill

than to see somebody
about to be killed

and just walk away.

- You could have gone
for murder two.

Walking away, you could have
argued reckless disregard.

- I never would have made that,
and you know it as well as I do.

- Look, if you're
trying somebody for murder

and you don't have
a good faith belief

he committed that murder--

- Look, Eugene already
gave me this speech.

Are you here as my friend
or as co-counsel?

- I don't think you should have
a blowup poster of the victim

in your office.

That's from a friend.

[elevator bell dings]

- Hey, Mary.
- Hey, Bobby.

- Bobby,
- Hey, Mr. Kilburn.

- I haven't seen you in a while.

- Been busy.
- I know.

I keep track.
- My dad around?

- I think he's
in the little boys' room.

Good to see you.
You're looking well.

- Thanks.

Dad, you in here?

- Bobby, is that you?

- What're you doing?
Slacking off in there?

- Yeah, you know it.

[chuckles]

Well, well...

to what do I owe this?

- Ah, I was in the building.

Oh...

how you doing?

- The same.

You cancelling Sunday?
- No, I'm not cancelling Sunday.

Do I ever miss?
- Well...

you stopping by like this,
uh, you must--

You met somebody.

- Oh, as if I'd tell you.

- Yeah,
as if you'd admit it...

to yourself.
- [chuckles]

No, I was, um--I was
in the building

and, uh--hey, listen,

we just finished our expansion
at the office

and I was wondering if,

uh, you'd like to come see it.

- Oh, I'd love to.
It's done?

[door opens]
- Finished.

- Um, today's tough,

but--but tomorrow.

Excuse me.
- Yeah, great.

- I'll, uh--I'll call you
before I come over.

- Perfect.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

- Bingo, bingo, bingo.
LINDSAY: What?

- I just pulled
an old college transcript

from the arresting officer.
- The bicycle case?

- He was asked to leave Tufts

when he was suspected
of plagiarism--

some term paper.

I can use this to impeach.

- Rebecca--
- Lindsay,

if he'd steal a term paper,

maybe he'd fudge
an incident report.

- They caught the kid
sitting on the bike.

- Yeah, so says the plagiarist.
- And the other cop.

REBECCA:
Well, who's he gonna believe?

Some kid or his own partner?

All I have to do
is show reasonable doubt.

- Oh, God.

- What, "Oh, God"?

- Nothing.

- You know, you haven't even
said "congratulations" to me.

Do you have a problem
with me being a lawyer, Ellenor?

- No.
- [scoffs]

Thanks for all your support.

ELLENOR:
Congratulations, Rebecca.

You're a member of the club.

You just earned the privilege
to distort and manipulate

the most noble
of all judicial systems.

The privilege of delivering
opening statements

promising evidence and witnesses
you know you don't really have.

And you're gonna get
to warn all your clients

against telling the truth,
so you'll be able

to put them on the stand later
to commit their perjury

without really exposing yourself
in the process.

Oh, and, um, you'll get
to beat up

on a bunch of rape victims
at probable cause hearings.

Scaring 'em off
from testifying at trial.

And you'll get to buy lots
of little presents

for all the clerks,

so they might schedule
all of your trials on Fridays

when the judges are
in great moods

just before they hit the road
to Cape Cod,

but, uh, best of all,

you're gonna have the joy
of securing the freedom

of all your guilty clients,

and you'll never have
to see them again

until they murder or rape
the next person,

but that usually takes
about two to three weeks, so...

congratulations, Rebecca.

You're a lawyer.

[soft music]

- [scoffs]

You don't really believe that.

- I don't know
what I believe anymore.

♪ ♪

BOY: We didn't plan
on keeping it or nothing.

We were just gonna
ride it around for awhile.

- You had no idea
who the bike belonged to?

- No.

- [sighs]
Didn't plan on keeping it?

Just want to ride it around?
You stole it.

- You're not my mother.
- Be glad of that.

You think you gonna
walk into court

and talk that
soft little victim voice thing

and then get set free?
It doesn't work like that.

Nobody gives a damn
if a thief sounds sweet.

Now, listen to me.

I have to be able
to tell the judge

that you're a good kid.
That you feel bad

for what you did.

Do you feel bad?
- Yes.

- Not bad enough,
you don't.

Now I'll work on this.

You go home
an--and start thinking of a way

you can pay off
on the damage you did.

That bike needs a new tire.

Mow a lawn,
clean somebody's garage,

earn the money.

You screw up one more time
and you get another lawyer.

Do you know what I'm saying?
- Yes.

- Look people in the eye
when you talk to 'em.

- Yes.

- All right.
Go on.

[sighs]

How was I?

- Well, different lawyers

have different styles.

- Beyond reasonable doubt?

They don't come close.

One of these boys did it.

On that much,
we can probably agree,

but which one?

Not Joel Carlington.

It was Kevin's room,
wasn't it?

Joel was taking a walk
like he told you.

I don't know whether
that sounded good to you,

but it certainly did
to Kevin Peete

because he made it his story.

And the prosecution, come on.

They don't know who was where,
do they?

- Which is exactly why they had
to try these boys together.

They don't know
which one was where,

and she's banking
on one simple thing:

You would rather
punish them both

than to see whoever did it
go free.

Here's Miss Gamble's thinking:

If these boys
get separate trials,

it's likely both juries
will find reasonable doubt

thinking that
the evidence must be there

on the other guy,

and then you have
two quick acquittals,

but a combined trial,
she's boxed you in.

Evidence is the same
for both defendants.

Either they both go to prison,

or they both go free,

and nobody--

nobody wants
to see them both go free.

Beautiful,

innocent girl.

We've been looking
at her picture.

They're argument is:
Somebody's gotta pay,

and the only way to be sure
to get the guilty guy,

is to lock them both up

'cause we don't know
which one

did it.

Somebody's gotta pay.

- Evidence shows they both
brought her back to that room.

They both claim
they went on a walk,

and, well, gee,

that sets up reasonable doubt,
doesn't it?

"You say I did it.
I'll say you did it.

"The jury will never know who.

We've got reasonable doubt."

Two kids telling
the exact same story.

The exact same denial.

That's what you call
good planning.

Aren't they smart?

Smart college kids.

- So she's gonna work here
as a lawyer now?

- I guess.
She'll still do office work

while she builds a practice,
but eventually,

we'll have to hire
a new secretary.

- I bet her name goes up
on the door now.

One more name on the door
that doesn't start with B.

- Relax, Jimmy.
[door opens and closes]

- [sighs]

- Oh.

You built this from the ground.

- Well, uh,
I had lots of help, Dad.

- I'm proud of ya.

I wish some of the lawyers
at Sullivan could see this.

- Dad...

Are you proud of me?

- You have to ask me that?

- Well, we, um--

we never talk too much
about my cases,

and some of the people
I represent...

I don't know, I guess I've--

I've never been sure that you--

♪ ♪

- Son,

there isn't a day that
I don't say to myself,

"Look at him."

♪ ♪

You know, it's funny.

I've always wondered

if you were proud of me.

- What?

- Well,

I mop floors.

That's the first time in,
what?

Seven or eight years

that you've invited me
over here.

- This is the first time
I've been excited

for you to see it.

♪ ♪

- You don't think I'm
proud of you, Son?

♪ ♪

- You don't think
I'm proud of you?

♪ ♪

Hey, you, um...

you haven't seen
the library yet.

- Show me the library then.

- Bobby, hey.

- Lindsay.

This is my dad,
Stephen Donnell.

Lindsay Dole.
- Pleasure.

I've heard so much about you.

- And I've heard so much
about you too.

- Come on,
we don't have all day.

- Yeah, like I do, huh?

- [quietly]
It's gonna be okay.

- Madame foreperson,

the jury has reached
a unanimous verdict?

- We have, Your Honor.

- The defendants will
please rise.

- [quietly]
Stand.

- What say you?

- "Commonwealth
versus Joel Carlington

"on the charge of murder
in the first degree:

We find the defendant
not guilty."

[crowd murmurs]

"On the charge of murder
in the second degree:

We find the defendant
not guilty."

[indistinct chatter]

"Commonwealth
versus Kevin Peete:

"on the charge of murder
in the first degree:

"We find the defendant,
Kevin Peete,

guilty as charged."

JUDGE WALTERS:
So say you all?

JURY FOREPERSON:
We do.

MRS. PEETE:
No. Oh, my God.

[crying]

JUDGE WALTERS:
Members of the jury,

this completes your service.

The bailiff will take Mr. Peete
into custody.

We're adjourned.
[gavel strikes]

[dramatic music]

- It wasn't me.
BAILIFF: Hands behind your back.

♪ ♪

- It wasn't me.

♪ ♪

- What now, Helen?

You got your conviction,
but for the wrong guy.

What now?

♪ ♪

- Do you believe it?

What you said to Rebecca?

- I don't know, Bobby.

I think I've always known that
we have to step over lines.

[sighs]
I'm not even sure

where those line are anymore.

- There's nobody I know,

more moral than you.

- I don't feel that way.

Not for a long time.

- Well, that's my failure.

- You know,
my dad was here earlier,

and we stood
in the conference room

wondering whether or not...

when I got hit by that car,

lying on the road, that--

that life flashing stuff,

it happens.

You know what my flash was?

A waste.

I had no kids, no family,

except my dad,
who I never--

I can't remember the last time
I told him I loved him.

And all of you,
who I never--

I am proud
to work with you Ellenor.

I'm sorry
you don't know that.

- It's not too late,
you know,

to tell your father that you--

your proud of him.

- I did.

Today.

It was overdue.

Would you excuse me
for a second?

- Sure.

- Bobby?

- I'd like some privacy,
Lindsay.

Fine.
I won't let anybody else in.

- Things make
a little more sense to me now.

- As a little kid,
I'd run around those offices...

[soft music]

Wanting to be them,

wanting to dress like them,
go to court

argue cases,

be important.

At the same time,

I hated them.

- Why?

- For the way they treated him.

I should say,
the way they didn't treat him.

He was just a janitor.

He was never really in the room
when he was in the room.

- Like you say, Bobby,

"We will never be them."

♪ ♪

- Thanks for saying that you,
uh, you heard all about him.

♪ ♪

I feel so ashamed
that you haven't.

♪ ♪

- Mr. Young?

- Yes?

- Joseph Strand.
I was on the jury.

- Oh, yes.

Do you mind my asking...

how?

- [sighs]
We couldn't know who did it.

Maybe they both did.

- Then why did you convict
Kevin Peete?

- In your closing argument,

you talked about why
the district attorney wanted

a joint trial, and so forth.

You said a lot of stuff,

except you never said
your client was innocent.

We picked up on that
in deliberation.

Then, suddenly,
there was a swell.

- That was--you convicted a man
on that?

Because in my closing--

- [sighs]

Well...

you were right about one thing:

Somebody's gotta pay.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat funky music]

♪ ♪