The Practice (1997–2004): Season 8, Episode 10 - Equal Justice - full transcript
Ah, Mr. Shore,
thank you for coming.
Whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
From what I've been told,
you probably did.
Have a seat.
There's a rumor going around,
underneath that slick surface,
there's a heart of gold.
Completely untrue.
I got a 19-year-old kid
scheduled for a murder trial
tomorrow.
He's just fired
his sixth attorney an hour ago
and he's decided
to represent himself.
It's my sense he hires
and fires lawyers
to buy himself time, and...
he's successfully done that
up till now.
That trial
will go forward tomorrow.
Are we getting to the part
that involves me?
I'm assigning you
to be shadow counsel.
Nuh-uh, I've had very little
of criminal experience,
Your Honor.
ROBBINS: Well,
you're about to get more.
9:00.
I'd love to accommodate you
but actually,
I'm starting another trial
tomorrow morning, so--
Who's the judge?
SHORE: Okubo.
ROBBINS: Oh.
Only thing you need to know
about the honorable Amy Okubo
is that I've got seniority
on her.
You'll be in my courtroom
at 9:00.
SHORE: She's ordered
no further continuances.
ROBBINS: 9:00, Mr. Shore.
All right, Your Honor.
Let's cut to it,
I couldn't possibly
try a case
in your courtroom.
Because...
I'm attracted to you.
In fact, I'm...
obsessed with you.
I'm afraid my lust would...
inhibit my ability to...
fairly represent my client.
You're attracted to me?
Yes.
Could you lean forward a bit?
You are a very sexy man
and a clever one
capable of feigning
an attraction for a judge
just to get yourself off a case.
9:00.
I will be getting myself off.
I assure you.
9:00.
(music playing)
FRUTT: Shadow counsel?
SHORE: The problem is
I'm already scheduled
for a trial
before Judge Okubo,
who will be anything
but pleased.
Well, what do you want me
to do?
SHORE: Try to get a continuance,
which won't be easy.
And then there's the client
himself,
Mr. Tang Jingyu.
Tang Jing who?
Tara knows the case.
She'll go with you.
Just try and get it pushed
till next week.
I'll really appreciate it.
Tang who?
(alarm buzzes)
Thank you.
Hello, Marshall.
I'm Alan Shore.
I'm representing myself.
That's what I told her.
I understand, but she asked me
to be shadow counsel,
which basically means
I see to it
that you screw yourself over
a little less rather than more.
So, what's wrong
with all these attorneys
you've been firing?
They keep asking me
to plead out,
which I don't want to do.
Fair enough.
You're alleged to have shot
and killed somebody.
Did you?
Yes.
In front of an eyewitness?
Yes.
This would explain
why the lawyers
were suggesting a plea.
Look, Mister, uh--
Shore, but you
can call me Michael.
You said your name was Alan.
SHORE: Excellent.
You pay attention.
This will help.
Listen closely, Marshall,
after just a cursory view
of the facts,
my guess is you'll be
found guilty.
If you insist
on representing yourself,
it's over.
Then I have to fire
your ass, too.
It may shock you to learn
I make for a better lawyer
than your average
19-year-old crackhead.
I could be wrong.
If you don't want to plead,
fine, don't,
but if you're going to go
to trial,
use a trained professional.
Don't be a complete idiot.
It's beneath you.
JINGYU: What happened, Shore?
Mr. Shore got called in
on an emergency matter.
We're gonna try to push
your case until next week.
I don't anticipate that
to be a problem, but, then--
I knew Shore not care.
That's not true, Mr. Tang.
Mr. Shore cares very much.
No one care.
People think big joke.
WILSON: Mr. Tang...
I know that you know
that I care.
Shore think joke.
Look at me.
We will get the continuance,
and everything will be fine.
Are you kidding me?
This case is marked
"No further continuances."
FRUTT: Your Honor,
we are ready,
but Mr. Shore was suddenly
called in on a homicide.
OKUBO: I do not care
where Mr. Shore is.
I am angry about
where Mr. Shore isn't.
This matter has been
on my docket for five years.
I understand that, but--
OKUBO: Alan Shore
is the fourth attorney
of record,
following Robert Donnell,
Lindsay Dole,
and Rebecca Washington.
You now make number five.
I don't enjoy lawyers
playing turf ball
in my court.
That's not going on,
I assure you.
Judge Robbins ordered him
to shadow-counsel on a--
OKUBO: Judge Robbins
does not control my courtroom.
FRUTT: Your Honor,
we're just stuck
in the middle here.
OKUBO: This is a two
or three day trial, max,
and it's a stupid case
to begin with.
Not stupid. Object!
Mr. Tang...
the court respects your right
to have your day in court,
so I'm giving it
to you right now.
Your Honor--
OKUBO: You either say
"Ready for trial,"
or we dismiss this complaint.
Your choice.
Ready for trial.
What happened now?
There is no reason
to panic.
Case not know.
I'm sorry?
You--case not know.
Up creek!
Mr. Tang--
JINGYU: Case not know.
Male puppet!
Excuse me?
I think that he means
"Malpractice."
His English isn't very good.
Wait five years.
WILSON: Mr. Tang,
I will be there every step.
I promise.
Excuse me one second, sir.
Tara, do you think
you could possibly try this?
Me?
But I'm not even a member--
Third-year law students
with supervision can try--
WILSON: But that's criminal,
not civil.
FRUTT: I will be doing it
with you,
and the judge will sign off.
Tara, he's right.
With me, it's...
"up creek."
You know the medicals.
You've researched the law.
You seem to have
a good connection
with the client.
But I have never tried
a case before,
ever.
Everybody has a first time.
Look, you are up
to speed here.
I am not.
Just get us through the day,
and then maybe Alan
can take over.
The evidence will show that
once the drug deal went bad,
the defendant drew a weapon,
a 38-caliber revolver,
and fired three shots
into the victim,
killing him.
You'll hear from an eyewitness
who saw Marshall Bagnelle
commit this crime.
You'll hear from an expert
in ballistics
who will tell you
that the bullets
retrieved from the victim's body
match the gun found later
in the defendant's possession.
And after all this evidence
is presented,
it will be established
beyond all reasonable doubt
that Marshall Bagnelle
committed murder.
Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen,
Your Honor.
Mr. Shore.
I was drafted for this trial,
much like all of you
were summoned for jury duty.
And my reaction was,
"Damn it,
I have better things to do
than sit around
in a courtroom all day."
Show of hands, how many of you
felt burdened by--
Objection.
Counsel.
But then, I found out
it's a murder trial.
And part of me went,
"Oh, boy," inside,
because murder trials,
they can be juicy.
How many of you went,
"Oh, boy"?
Objection.
Mr. Shore.
SHORE: And the great thing
about this particular
murder trial,
there's no real tragedy.
The victim was a drug dealer.
My client is a drug dealer.
One is dead,
another we can send
to prison for life,
it's a win-win.
So let's sit back,
relax...
enjoy ourselves, shall we?
One lowlife down, one to go.
That concludes
my opening statement.
How am I doing so far?
TAMARA: Mr. Shore.
Yes?
I'm Tamara Bagnelle,
Marshall's mother.
Oh. Very nice to meet you.
Was that sexual?
My son is on trial
for his life,
and your opening statement--
Ms. Bagnelle, I assure you
I have a plan here.
Which is...
Okay, I lied.
I don't have a plan,
but I'm forming one.
Nobody slaps me twice,
Ms. Bagnelle,
at least not in the face.
FRUTT: I will make
the evidentiary objections.
All you need to do
is ask him what happened.
Don't lead,
just basically say,
"What happened next?"
And let him tell his story.
Okay.
FRUTT: And don't move
around a lot, Tara.
Just plant your feet,
stay still.
Why?
FRUTT: Because we want
the jurors' eyes
to be on him as he testifies.
His story is basically
our whole case.
You're moving around
could be distracting.
Now, if he starts
to get too hot,
which is a very likely
possibility,
you may have to calm him down
a little bit.
Have bad feeling.
Mr. Tang,
you just need to relax.
Tara will basically ask you
what happened.
Just tell the jury
in your own words.
And a few of ours might help.
What?
Nothing.
Make fun I talk.
You do have an accent,
Mr. Tang,
so please try
and speak slowly.
If you need to ask
a question twice,
don't be afraid to.
You can do this.
I'm ready.
They got into an argument
over the price.
The price of the cocaine?
MILLS: Yes. I mean, I really
wasn't paying attention.
I was watching television
and the next thing I know,
he's got a gun.
The defendant?
MILLS: Yes.
He pulls out this gun
and he's screaming
and I think,
"Okay, now it's a robbery,"
you know, that he's just
gonna steal the stuff outright.
TOOMEY: What did you do here?
I basically just started
screaming, you know, that,
"He's got a gun,"
and that's when Brian
went for his gun
and that's when it happened.
He shot him three times.
He just killed Brian
right there.
TOOMEY: Now Andrea,
and this is important,
when did Brian get his gun
in relation to when--
I just said
that Brian got his gun
after that man
pulled a gun out on him.
And before Brian could even
get his gun,
he just started shooting.
It's a miracle
he didn't kill me, too.
And then he just took
the stuff and left.
Thank you, Andrea.
Drugs are a horrible thing,
Andrea, wouldn't you agree?
Yes.
Did you ever use them?
I wasn't using that night,
if that's what you're going for.
My capacity for observation
was perfect.
That's a legal term.
Are you a lawyer, Andrea?
No.
Huh.
Have you by any chance
spoken to a lawyer
before testifying, say...
a district attorney?
Objection.
I'm merely trying
to establish
that you put words
in her mouth.
Objection.
Sustained.
Andrea, there were drugs
on the premises that night,
weren't there?
Obviously.
SHORE: And since you were there
on the premises,
what were you watching,
by the way?
Joe Millionaire.
Ah, figures.
And since you were present
with these drugs,
you were exposed
to criminal charges as well,
weren't you?
Might have been nice
to have something
to offer the police,
I bet something like say...
testimony.
I'm telling it
like it happened.
SHORE: What was your
relationship with Brian
the drug dealer?
He was my boyfriend.
SHORE: Your boyfriend?
Brian the drug dealer
was your boyfriend?
Yes.
Well, you didn't
establish that.
That might make you biased.
I'm telling the truth.
You said that you weren't
using that night.
You do use though,
don't you, Andrea?
Recreationally,
occasionally.
Ever get arrested?
Once.
For using or dealing?
Dealing.
Oh, so you're a drug dealer too.
Oh, well, tell me,
with Brian dead,
do you pick up his business?
TOOMEY: Objection!
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
My client wants to know.
He needs a new connection.
ROBBINS: Mr. Shore,
will you step up here, please?
Is this the way
you defend your client?
It is, Your Honor.
Pull over.
Get gas.
Need pee.
You needed to pee?
Yes, long drive, need pee.
WILSON: Okay, so, can you
tell us what happened next?
Bathroom painted.
Man say, "Be careful."
Flesh paint on wall,
advise not go in.
But you did?
Objection, leading.
Can you tell us
what happened next, sir?
Need pee bad.
Go in anyway.
WILSON:
And then what happened?
Sit on toilet,
do business,
then decide have cigarette.
Long drive.
Need relax.
Go lift off!
Explode!
What happened to you, sir?
Knocked unconscious.
Bottom buttocks--
bottom burned red, raw.
Raw skinned bottom,
burned red raw.
Were you taken to hospital?
JINGYU: Yes, hospital.
Bottom burned red raw.
WILSON: You must have been--
you must have been
terrified, sir.
JINGYU: Not funny!
Blow off toilet bowl!
Not funny!
I am so, so sorry.
I think that I was just
so anxious to begin with,
that plus, his accent,
and the nature
of the accident, I just--
FRUTT: The jury now thinks
it's a big joke, Tara.
This man had
third-degree burns.
He has waited five years
to get into court,
and his own lawyer
has likely caused the jury
to completely trivialize
this matter.
Ellenor, you know that
I never intended--
Mr. Tang...
I am so, so sorry.
I deeply apologize.
You're trying
to get me convicted.
I promise you, I'm not.
You said I need
a new connection?
What's up with that?
Calm down, Marshall.
I was merely
trying to demonstrate
to the jury that
I don't like you.
You see, they don't like you.
You shot somebody three times.
They naturally consider you
despicable,
so by showing them
I find you despicable,
it makes me more relatable
to them.
It gives me some credibility,
so when I say,
at the end of all this,
"Find him not guilty,"
I might have a chance
of convincing them.
I'm a human being, Mr. Shore.
No, you're not.
You're a drug addict.
You'll testify next,
then I'll call
character witnesses.
You just need to do
as I tell you, Marshall,
nothing more.
And tell your mother
to stop hitting me.
MARSHALL: She was right about us
arguing over the price.
He wanted way too much,
one and a half
of the street value.
So you shot him?
We got into a yelling match.
We both got a little hot.
So you shot him?
I didn't just shoot him.
SHORE: Well,
tell us what happened, sir,
but if you don't mind,
just fast-forward
to the good part.
I just said, "That's it."
I wanted to call
the whole deal off.
That's when he pulled back
his jacket
to show that he was packing.
SHORE: Packing?
For those of us
who don't carry a firearm,
"packing" means,
"he had a gun."
Yeah.
SHORE: And, at some point,
did you show him
that you were packing?
Yes.
I pulled out my gun
to show him that, you know,
I wasn't intimidated.
And I saw his eyes flash,
and he pulled his gun,
and it wasn't just to show me
he had it.
Now, he drew,
so I pointed my gun at him,
and yelled, "Don't!"
but his gun is in his hand,
about to--pointed at me,
about to shoot me.
So I figured, you know,
either I shoot or I'm dead,
so I shot.
I fired three times real quick
and he went down.
He drew his gun.
MARSHALL: Yes.
If I hadn't fired, I'd be dead.
SHORE: Did you know
that Brian the drug dealer
was suspected of murdering
somebody before?
TOOMEY: Objection--the victim
had never been charged
in any homicide before,
and counsel is well--
SHORE: Rephrase.
Did you know that Brian
the drug dealer
had never actually been charged
with shooting a woman
twice in the head, blowing--
TOOMEY: Objection.
The victim
was briefly investigated
in a drug-related killing,
and that is all.
He never became
the actual suspect,
and I object
to this blatant distortion
of the facts.
Can't we all just get along?
ROBBINS: Mr. Shore.
What, if anything, did you know
about Brian the drug dealer?
I have to ask it like that,
but please, get in what
I want you to get in there.
TOOMEY: Objection!
Mr. Shore.
There was a rumor
that he had capped a girl
during a drug buy.
I know that.
SHORE: Thank you.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
(clears throat)
How many times have you been
arrested, Mr. Bagnelle?
Five or six.
TOOMEY: Actually,
it's seven.
You brought a concealed weapon
to this drug transaction?
Yes, because sometimes stuff
goes down like it has now.
I need to protect myself.
TOOMEY: Oh, you need
to protect yourself?
SHORE: Objection. There's no
call for sarcasm, Your Honor.
Sustained.
TOOMEY: You didn't report
this shooting, did you, sir?
You fled the scene.
I figured his girlfriend
would report it.
TOOMEY:
But if you were innocent,
if it truly were self-defense,
why run away?
It was a drug deal.
TOOMEY: Yes, a drug deal
where there was a dispute
over price.
Now, you had argued
with the victim before
over price, hadn't you, sir?
He was a gouger.
But this time,
you'd had enough.
You went carrying a gun.
You shot him three times--
MARSHALL: In self-defense.
Objection.
TOOMEY: Did he ever fire at you?
No, but what am I suppose--
TOOMEY: And you didn't wait,
did you, sir?
I would have been dead.
SHORE: So many questions.
May I ask a question?
I forgot one.
You were advised,
were you not, sir,
not to go into the bathroom?
Not advised on explode.
Advised on paint.
You can read English, Mr. Tang?
Yes.
Did you see the signs
that said
"No smoking"?
No.
You didn't see any
of the posted signs?
No.
Is that a truthful response,
sir?
Yes, true.
Why not object? Badger.
LAWYER: I'm not trying
to badger you, sir.
Did it not occur to you
smoking a cigarette,
lighting a match
at a gas station,
that this could be dangerous?
People smoke in bathroom
all time.
They do?
Yes, place to relax,
go pee,
loose pants, smoke.
LAWYER: But you knew, sir,
that this bathroom
had just been painted,
that there could be
fumes inside.
Not expect boom like that.
Bottom burned red raw.
Explode anus!
LAWYER: You don't accept
any blame for this?
JINGYU: Badger--why not object?
Male puppet.
Look, she laugh--make joke.
Male puppets!
Male puppets!
(speaking foreign language)
OKUBO: Mr. Tang!
(speaks foreign language)
Mr. Tang!
Not fair! Not fair!
Mr. Tang--
Not care.
What happen now?
Well, we go
to closing arguments.
Defense not put case?
The defense rested,
evidently, believing
that we didn't make our case.
Sometimes, that's employed
as a strategy.
This must be very difficult
for you, ma'am,
your son on trial for murder.
It is.
I'm sure you must feel,
as many of us do,
it's all your fault.
You were never home.
I had to work.
SHORE: He never knew his father.
You have to be somewhat
to blame for that.
How about his probation officer,
ever meet with him?
No.
SHORE: Ever try to get
your son into any kind
of drug rehab program?
TAMARA: We didn't have money
for that.
I tried to do all I could.
Move to strike.
Counsel.
SHORE: I note he got thrown
out of school
his sophomore year.
Why?
Drugs.
SHORE: Did his principal
come by to explain?
TAMARA: No,
it was zero tolerance.
He just got expelled.
He sounds like an awful child.
Just between us,
glad to be rid of him?
That's quite a look
you're giving me.
Tell me,
have you ever shot anybody?
SHORE: Thank you.
MAN: Uh-hmm.
I thought that went well.
What are your thoughts?
(grunting)
SHORE: I need help.
(grunting)
MARSHALL: Get off me!
MAN: Take it easy.
Get off me!
MAN: Easy.
Don't get off him.
Marshall, I won't stay
in the room with you
if you're gonna beat me up.
Can we have a conversation
without you beating me up?
Yes.
I need you to promise.
I promise.
Let him up.
Are you sure?
My clients hit me all the time.
Let him up.
Let's go.
SHORE: Thank you. Please, go.
It's all right.
Marshall,
at the very beginning of this,
I asked you to trust me,
did I not?
No!
I didn't?
I meant to. I'm sorry.
You're supposed
to be my lawyer.
You're supposed to do
everything you can.
You're supposed to care!
I am your lawyer.
Trust that.
(siren wailing)
In open court?
It's not funny, Jamie.
Look,
these things,
sometimes, they happen.
It happened twice.
Jamie,
could you excuse us, please?
I want you to close.
Excuse me?
Good or bad,
you have the relationship
with the jury here.
It would throw them
if I suddenly got up.
Do you think you're capable
of standing up
and behaving
like a professional?
Yes.
Thank you.
I'm not doing this for you.
I just believe
it's best for the client
if you dig yourself
out of your own hole.
(music playing)
Don't want her close.
Male puppet.
FRUTT: Mr. Tang,
the jury might be confused
if I got up.
She think case funny.
Up creek.
No ping-pong.
I think he means "paddle."
OKUBO: Ms. Wilson,
are you ready?
Male puppet.
When I began law school,
I was convinced
that American juries
would be negatively predisposed
against my British accent,
so I learned to speak American,
the thinking being
that the better
the jurors related to me,
the better my chances
of persuasion.
And let's face it.
Americans are pretty arrogant
about the English language.
They expect
the rest of the world
not only to learn it,
but to speak it
the way they do.
Tang Jingyu doesn't speak
English very well.
He even sounds a little funny.
Combine his accent
with the fact that he got blown
off a toilet.
I laughed.
Maybe some of you did, as well.
But what's not so damn funny
is that this man was hurt.
He suffered third-degree burns.
He is scarred for life.
Is he partly to blame?
Absolutely, he should not
have been smoking.
But the question is
"Who is to blame more?"
Is it foreseeable
that people smoke in lavatories?
Of course it is.
People smoke in bathrooms
in high schools,
on airplanes,
in gas stations.
And knowing
that this sometimes goes on,
you do not put flammables
in a toilet bowl.
To do so,
that is negligence.
And as amusing as it all may be,
as a result of this negligence,
an innocent man was injured.
He waited five years
to get to trial,
only to be laughed at
by his own lawyer.
This man suffered real pain,
and he deserves better.
He knew the room
had just been painted.
He was told not to go in.
The "No smoking" signs
were posted.
The room had fumes and still,
he lights a match.
He caused this.
He blew up my client's bathroom
and he's suing.
Come on.
That may not technically
be a legal argument
but let me say it again,
this was his negligence,
not ours,
and you know that.
The question
is a simple one really,
is it foreseeable
that someone might light a match
and drop it in a toilet bowl?
If no, find for the defendant.
If yes, find for the plaintiff.
(elevator bell dings)
I don't know
whether you saved yourself,
but that was a good closing,
Tara.
It was simple and persuasive.
You did a very good job.
Thank you.
Can we talk?
You heard Andrea Mills'
testimony.
There was a dispute over price.
The defendant pulled his gun
and he fired.
You can't claim self-defense,
ladies and gentlemen,
if you cause somebody
to reach for a gun
only so you can then blast him,
that's ridiculous.
Now, to be honest,
I don't know what the hell
defense counsel is up to
in this trial.
I suspect all that nonsense
was motivated
by the fact that Mr. Shore
knew he had no case.
The defendant pulled a gun
in front of an eyewitness
and shot somebody.
What could his lawyer
really say or do?
So Mr. Shore tried
to deflect attention
onto himself,
but this isn't about
a lawyer's antics.
We're not in this room
to enjoy defense
counsel's sideshow.
We are here
because his client
committed a murder.
A man is dead.
At the beginning,
you heard me mention
that I was assigned this case.
We have this pro bono program
because somebody has to be here
for the guy.
See, that's where
our judicial system
actually exceeds real life.
In here,
somebody's got
to be there for the guy.
In life,
Marshall Bagnelle
never met his father.
His mother worked full-time,
leaving him home alone all day.
He got involved early in drugs.
There was nobody there
to get him in treatment.
His parents, his teachers,
school principals,
probation officers,
people vested
with the responsibility
of caring for him a little,
they didn't.
And he became a drug addict.
Now, I'm not gonna stand here
and ask you to care for him.
God forbid.
But what I will ask
is for you to recognize
that life hasn't been very fair
to Marshall Bagnelle.
The irony is,
by pulling that trigger
three times,
he gets thrown into a system
that's required
to treat him fairly.
He gets a right
to a fair trial,
and if you afford him
that right,
he must necessarily
be found not guilty.
The supposed eyewitness
admitted she was watching
television,
her own words.
She wasn't looking
at the men
at the time
my client drew his weapon.
She told you that.
She did not see.
Now, what she did see
supports precisely
what Marshall told you.
The victim was going
for his gun.
At that point,
my client could only shoot
or be shot,
that's self-defense.
That's classic self-defense.
And think about it,
if Marshall Bagnelle
wasn't acting in self-defense,
why did he not shoot
Andrea Mills?
Why did he leave behind
this eyewitness?
Perhaps because
she wasn't about
to shoot him.
Of course, you could choose
to ignore all this,
simply because you don't care,
not only about
Marshall Bagnelle,
but also about the law
you swore to uphold,
swore to because what we do
pretend to care about
is the integrity of this system.
We do believe
in that cherished notion
of the fair trial.
We're fiercely loyal
to the ideal that a prosecution
must satisfy
its burden of proof.
They haven't done that here.
As dearly as we'd all love
to send Mr. Bagnelle to prison,
we cannot know for a fact
that the victim,
a drug dealer,
rumored to have killed
somebody before,
didn't draw his gun
to shoot first.
We cannot know
beyond all reasonable doubt
that Marshall Bagnelle
didn't fear for his life.
And if he did reasonably
fear for his life.
If you believe it's possible
that he feared for his life
you must find him not guilty.
Unless, of course,
you don't care.
Sixty-three thousand?
We could get more
but we could get nothing.
I think it's a decent offer.
Clearly, you were hurt
but just as clearly
there was contributory
negligence.
What think?
I think we should take it.
What think?
I believe that we should accept,
as well.
Okay.
FRUTT: Okay.
I'm going to accept, then.
Okay.
FRUTT: This is a good result,
Mr. Tang.
Okay.
Thank you for closing.
Good closing.
(music playing)
Mr. Tang,
I owe you a sincere...
apology.
Give already.
Thank you.
Appreciate closing.
People laugh at me always.
One reason I angry.
Apologize for anger.
You don't need to apologize
for anything.
Not male puppet.
Thank you.
TAMARA: How long
do they usually take?
SHORE: There's really
no telling.
The judge will probably
keep us here until 6:00.
Look, I'm sorry
I jumped you.
I see now you, uh,
kind of had a strategy.
Why didn't you just tell us
what it was?
Takes the fun out of it.
I suppose I should thank you
and all.
Well, I'd prefer money.
You're a big fraud,
you know that?
You do care about my son.
You're not fooling me.
Jury's back.
(music playing)
What does it mean
that it's so fast?
It's usually a good sign
when you win,
but a bad one when you lose.
We'll know in a second,
Marshall.
Hang in there.
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
ROBBINS: The defendant
will please rise.
What say you?
In the matter
of the Commonwealth
vs. Marshall Bagnelle,
on the charge of murder
in the first degree,
we find the defendant,
Marshall Bagnelle,
not guilty.
In the matter
of the Commonwealth
vs. Marshall Bagnelle,
on the charge of murder
in the second degree,
we find the defendant,
Marshall Bagnelle,
guilty.
ROBBINS: Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury,
you are dismissed
with the thanks of this court.
Security, take the defendant
into custody.
We are adjourned.
(gavel bangs)
We'll explore grounds
for appeal, Marshall.
Marshall, look at me.
There's still some things
we can do.
We'll explore all grounds
for appeal.
Marshall,
I'll let you know, okay?
Marshall,
I'll come visit you tomorrow.
(music playing)
(music playing)
WOMAN: You stinker!
(music playing)
thank you for coming.
Whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
From what I've been told,
you probably did.
Have a seat.
There's a rumor going around,
underneath that slick surface,
there's a heart of gold.
Completely untrue.
I got a 19-year-old kid
scheduled for a murder trial
tomorrow.
He's just fired
his sixth attorney an hour ago
and he's decided
to represent himself.
It's my sense he hires
and fires lawyers
to buy himself time, and...
he's successfully done that
up till now.
That trial
will go forward tomorrow.
Are we getting to the part
that involves me?
I'm assigning you
to be shadow counsel.
Nuh-uh, I've had very little
of criminal experience,
Your Honor.
ROBBINS: Well,
you're about to get more.
9:00.
I'd love to accommodate you
but actually,
I'm starting another trial
tomorrow morning, so--
Who's the judge?
SHORE: Okubo.
ROBBINS: Oh.
Only thing you need to know
about the honorable Amy Okubo
is that I've got seniority
on her.
You'll be in my courtroom
at 9:00.
SHORE: She's ordered
no further continuances.
ROBBINS: 9:00, Mr. Shore.
All right, Your Honor.
Let's cut to it,
I couldn't possibly
try a case
in your courtroom.
Because...
I'm attracted to you.
In fact, I'm...
obsessed with you.
I'm afraid my lust would...
inhibit my ability to...
fairly represent my client.
You're attracted to me?
Yes.
Could you lean forward a bit?
You are a very sexy man
and a clever one
capable of feigning
an attraction for a judge
just to get yourself off a case.
9:00.
I will be getting myself off.
I assure you.
9:00.
(music playing)
FRUTT: Shadow counsel?
SHORE: The problem is
I'm already scheduled
for a trial
before Judge Okubo,
who will be anything
but pleased.
Well, what do you want me
to do?
SHORE: Try to get a continuance,
which won't be easy.
And then there's the client
himself,
Mr. Tang Jingyu.
Tang Jing who?
Tara knows the case.
She'll go with you.
Just try and get it pushed
till next week.
I'll really appreciate it.
Tang who?
(alarm buzzes)
Thank you.
Hello, Marshall.
I'm Alan Shore.
I'm representing myself.
That's what I told her.
I understand, but she asked me
to be shadow counsel,
which basically means
I see to it
that you screw yourself over
a little less rather than more.
So, what's wrong
with all these attorneys
you've been firing?
They keep asking me
to plead out,
which I don't want to do.
Fair enough.
You're alleged to have shot
and killed somebody.
Did you?
Yes.
In front of an eyewitness?
Yes.
This would explain
why the lawyers
were suggesting a plea.
Look, Mister, uh--
Shore, but you
can call me Michael.
You said your name was Alan.
SHORE: Excellent.
You pay attention.
This will help.
Listen closely, Marshall,
after just a cursory view
of the facts,
my guess is you'll be
found guilty.
If you insist
on representing yourself,
it's over.
Then I have to fire
your ass, too.
It may shock you to learn
I make for a better lawyer
than your average
19-year-old crackhead.
I could be wrong.
If you don't want to plead,
fine, don't,
but if you're going to go
to trial,
use a trained professional.
Don't be a complete idiot.
It's beneath you.
JINGYU: What happened, Shore?
Mr. Shore got called in
on an emergency matter.
We're gonna try to push
your case until next week.
I don't anticipate that
to be a problem, but, then--
I knew Shore not care.
That's not true, Mr. Tang.
Mr. Shore cares very much.
No one care.
People think big joke.
WILSON: Mr. Tang...
I know that you know
that I care.
Shore think joke.
Look at me.
We will get the continuance,
and everything will be fine.
Are you kidding me?
This case is marked
"No further continuances."
FRUTT: Your Honor,
we are ready,
but Mr. Shore was suddenly
called in on a homicide.
OKUBO: I do not care
where Mr. Shore is.
I am angry about
where Mr. Shore isn't.
This matter has been
on my docket for five years.
I understand that, but--
OKUBO: Alan Shore
is the fourth attorney
of record,
following Robert Donnell,
Lindsay Dole,
and Rebecca Washington.
You now make number five.
I don't enjoy lawyers
playing turf ball
in my court.
That's not going on,
I assure you.
Judge Robbins ordered him
to shadow-counsel on a--
OKUBO: Judge Robbins
does not control my courtroom.
FRUTT: Your Honor,
we're just stuck
in the middle here.
OKUBO: This is a two
or three day trial, max,
and it's a stupid case
to begin with.
Not stupid. Object!
Mr. Tang...
the court respects your right
to have your day in court,
so I'm giving it
to you right now.
Your Honor--
OKUBO: You either say
"Ready for trial,"
or we dismiss this complaint.
Your choice.
Ready for trial.
What happened now?
There is no reason
to panic.
Case not know.
I'm sorry?
You--case not know.
Up creek!
Mr. Tang--
JINGYU: Case not know.
Male puppet!
Excuse me?
I think that he means
"Malpractice."
His English isn't very good.
Wait five years.
WILSON: Mr. Tang,
I will be there every step.
I promise.
Excuse me one second, sir.
Tara, do you think
you could possibly try this?
Me?
But I'm not even a member--
Third-year law students
with supervision can try--
WILSON: But that's criminal,
not civil.
FRUTT: I will be doing it
with you,
and the judge will sign off.
Tara, he's right.
With me, it's...
"up creek."
You know the medicals.
You've researched the law.
You seem to have
a good connection
with the client.
But I have never tried
a case before,
ever.
Everybody has a first time.
Look, you are up
to speed here.
I am not.
Just get us through the day,
and then maybe Alan
can take over.
The evidence will show that
once the drug deal went bad,
the defendant drew a weapon,
a 38-caliber revolver,
and fired three shots
into the victim,
killing him.
You'll hear from an eyewitness
who saw Marshall Bagnelle
commit this crime.
You'll hear from an expert
in ballistics
who will tell you
that the bullets
retrieved from the victim's body
match the gun found later
in the defendant's possession.
And after all this evidence
is presented,
it will be established
beyond all reasonable doubt
that Marshall Bagnelle
committed murder.
Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen,
Your Honor.
Mr. Shore.
I was drafted for this trial,
much like all of you
were summoned for jury duty.
And my reaction was,
"Damn it,
I have better things to do
than sit around
in a courtroom all day."
Show of hands, how many of you
felt burdened by--
Objection.
Counsel.
But then, I found out
it's a murder trial.
And part of me went,
"Oh, boy," inside,
because murder trials,
they can be juicy.
How many of you went,
"Oh, boy"?
Objection.
Mr. Shore.
SHORE: And the great thing
about this particular
murder trial,
there's no real tragedy.
The victim was a drug dealer.
My client is a drug dealer.
One is dead,
another we can send
to prison for life,
it's a win-win.
So let's sit back,
relax...
enjoy ourselves, shall we?
One lowlife down, one to go.
That concludes
my opening statement.
How am I doing so far?
TAMARA: Mr. Shore.
Yes?
I'm Tamara Bagnelle,
Marshall's mother.
Oh. Very nice to meet you.
Was that sexual?
My son is on trial
for his life,
and your opening statement--
Ms. Bagnelle, I assure you
I have a plan here.
Which is...
Okay, I lied.
I don't have a plan,
but I'm forming one.
Nobody slaps me twice,
Ms. Bagnelle,
at least not in the face.
FRUTT: I will make
the evidentiary objections.
All you need to do
is ask him what happened.
Don't lead,
just basically say,
"What happened next?"
And let him tell his story.
Okay.
FRUTT: And don't move
around a lot, Tara.
Just plant your feet,
stay still.
Why?
FRUTT: Because we want
the jurors' eyes
to be on him as he testifies.
His story is basically
our whole case.
You're moving around
could be distracting.
Now, if he starts
to get too hot,
which is a very likely
possibility,
you may have to calm him down
a little bit.
Have bad feeling.
Mr. Tang,
you just need to relax.
Tara will basically ask you
what happened.
Just tell the jury
in your own words.
And a few of ours might help.
What?
Nothing.
Make fun I talk.
You do have an accent,
Mr. Tang,
so please try
and speak slowly.
If you need to ask
a question twice,
don't be afraid to.
You can do this.
I'm ready.
They got into an argument
over the price.
The price of the cocaine?
MILLS: Yes. I mean, I really
wasn't paying attention.
I was watching television
and the next thing I know,
he's got a gun.
The defendant?
MILLS: Yes.
He pulls out this gun
and he's screaming
and I think,
"Okay, now it's a robbery,"
you know, that he's just
gonna steal the stuff outright.
TOOMEY: What did you do here?
I basically just started
screaming, you know, that,
"He's got a gun,"
and that's when Brian
went for his gun
and that's when it happened.
He shot him three times.
He just killed Brian
right there.
TOOMEY: Now Andrea,
and this is important,
when did Brian get his gun
in relation to when--
I just said
that Brian got his gun
after that man
pulled a gun out on him.
And before Brian could even
get his gun,
he just started shooting.
It's a miracle
he didn't kill me, too.
And then he just took
the stuff and left.
Thank you, Andrea.
Drugs are a horrible thing,
Andrea, wouldn't you agree?
Yes.
Did you ever use them?
I wasn't using that night,
if that's what you're going for.
My capacity for observation
was perfect.
That's a legal term.
Are you a lawyer, Andrea?
No.
Huh.
Have you by any chance
spoken to a lawyer
before testifying, say...
a district attorney?
Objection.
I'm merely trying
to establish
that you put words
in her mouth.
Objection.
Sustained.
Andrea, there were drugs
on the premises that night,
weren't there?
Obviously.
SHORE: And since you were there
on the premises,
what were you watching,
by the way?
Joe Millionaire.
Ah, figures.
And since you were present
with these drugs,
you were exposed
to criminal charges as well,
weren't you?
Might have been nice
to have something
to offer the police,
I bet something like say...
testimony.
I'm telling it
like it happened.
SHORE: What was your
relationship with Brian
the drug dealer?
He was my boyfriend.
SHORE: Your boyfriend?
Brian the drug dealer
was your boyfriend?
Yes.
Well, you didn't
establish that.
That might make you biased.
I'm telling the truth.
You said that you weren't
using that night.
You do use though,
don't you, Andrea?
Recreationally,
occasionally.
Ever get arrested?
Once.
For using or dealing?
Dealing.
Oh, so you're a drug dealer too.
Oh, well, tell me,
with Brian dead,
do you pick up his business?
TOOMEY: Objection!
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
My client wants to know.
He needs a new connection.
ROBBINS: Mr. Shore,
will you step up here, please?
Is this the way
you defend your client?
It is, Your Honor.
Pull over.
Get gas.
Need pee.
You needed to pee?
Yes, long drive, need pee.
WILSON: Okay, so, can you
tell us what happened next?
Bathroom painted.
Man say, "Be careful."
Flesh paint on wall,
advise not go in.
But you did?
Objection, leading.
Can you tell us
what happened next, sir?
Need pee bad.
Go in anyway.
WILSON:
And then what happened?
Sit on toilet,
do business,
then decide have cigarette.
Long drive.
Need relax.
Go lift off!
Explode!
What happened to you, sir?
Knocked unconscious.
Bottom buttocks--
bottom burned red, raw.
Raw skinned bottom,
burned red raw.
Were you taken to hospital?
JINGYU: Yes, hospital.
Bottom burned red raw.
WILSON: You must have been--
you must have been
terrified, sir.
JINGYU: Not funny!
Blow off toilet bowl!
Not funny!
I am so, so sorry.
I think that I was just
so anxious to begin with,
that plus, his accent,
and the nature
of the accident, I just--
FRUTT: The jury now thinks
it's a big joke, Tara.
This man had
third-degree burns.
He has waited five years
to get into court,
and his own lawyer
has likely caused the jury
to completely trivialize
this matter.
Ellenor, you know that
I never intended--
Mr. Tang...
I am so, so sorry.
I deeply apologize.
You're trying
to get me convicted.
I promise you, I'm not.
You said I need
a new connection?
What's up with that?
Calm down, Marshall.
I was merely
trying to demonstrate
to the jury that
I don't like you.
You see, they don't like you.
You shot somebody three times.
They naturally consider you
despicable,
so by showing them
I find you despicable,
it makes me more relatable
to them.
It gives me some credibility,
so when I say,
at the end of all this,
"Find him not guilty,"
I might have a chance
of convincing them.
I'm a human being, Mr. Shore.
No, you're not.
You're a drug addict.
You'll testify next,
then I'll call
character witnesses.
You just need to do
as I tell you, Marshall,
nothing more.
And tell your mother
to stop hitting me.
MARSHALL: She was right about us
arguing over the price.
He wanted way too much,
one and a half
of the street value.
So you shot him?
We got into a yelling match.
We both got a little hot.
So you shot him?
I didn't just shoot him.
SHORE: Well,
tell us what happened, sir,
but if you don't mind,
just fast-forward
to the good part.
I just said, "That's it."
I wanted to call
the whole deal off.
That's when he pulled back
his jacket
to show that he was packing.
SHORE: Packing?
For those of us
who don't carry a firearm,
"packing" means,
"he had a gun."
Yeah.
SHORE: And, at some point,
did you show him
that you were packing?
Yes.
I pulled out my gun
to show him that, you know,
I wasn't intimidated.
And I saw his eyes flash,
and he pulled his gun,
and it wasn't just to show me
he had it.
Now, he drew,
so I pointed my gun at him,
and yelled, "Don't!"
but his gun is in his hand,
about to--pointed at me,
about to shoot me.
So I figured, you know,
either I shoot or I'm dead,
so I shot.
I fired three times real quick
and he went down.
He drew his gun.
MARSHALL: Yes.
If I hadn't fired, I'd be dead.
SHORE: Did you know
that Brian the drug dealer
was suspected of murdering
somebody before?
TOOMEY: Objection--the victim
had never been charged
in any homicide before,
and counsel is well--
SHORE: Rephrase.
Did you know that Brian
the drug dealer
had never actually been charged
with shooting a woman
twice in the head, blowing--
TOOMEY: Objection.
The victim
was briefly investigated
in a drug-related killing,
and that is all.
He never became
the actual suspect,
and I object
to this blatant distortion
of the facts.
Can't we all just get along?
ROBBINS: Mr. Shore.
What, if anything, did you know
about Brian the drug dealer?
I have to ask it like that,
but please, get in what
I want you to get in there.
TOOMEY: Objection!
Mr. Shore.
There was a rumor
that he had capped a girl
during a drug buy.
I know that.
SHORE: Thank you.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
(clears throat)
How many times have you been
arrested, Mr. Bagnelle?
Five or six.
TOOMEY: Actually,
it's seven.
You brought a concealed weapon
to this drug transaction?
Yes, because sometimes stuff
goes down like it has now.
I need to protect myself.
TOOMEY: Oh, you need
to protect yourself?
SHORE: Objection. There's no
call for sarcasm, Your Honor.
Sustained.
TOOMEY: You didn't report
this shooting, did you, sir?
You fled the scene.
I figured his girlfriend
would report it.
TOOMEY:
But if you were innocent,
if it truly were self-defense,
why run away?
It was a drug deal.
TOOMEY: Yes, a drug deal
where there was a dispute
over price.
Now, you had argued
with the victim before
over price, hadn't you, sir?
He was a gouger.
But this time,
you'd had enough.
You went carrying a gun.
You shot him three times--
MARSHALL: In self-defense.
Objection.
TOOMEY: Did he ever fire at you?
No, but what am I suppose--
TOOMEY: And you didn't wait,
did you, sir?
I would have been dead.
SHORE: So many questions.
May I ask a question?
I forgot one.
You were advised,
were you not, sir,
not to go into the bathroom?
Not advised on explode.
Advised on paint.
You can read English, Mr. Tang?
Yes.
Did you see the signs
that said
"No smoking"?
No.
You didn't see any
of the posted signs?
No.
Is that a truthful response,
sir?
Yes, true.
Why not object? Badger.
LAWYER: I'm not trying
to badger you, sir.
Did it not occur to you
smoking a cigarette,
lighting a match
at a gas station,
that this could be dangerous?
People smoke in bathroom
all time.
They do?
Yes, place to relax,
go pee,
loose pants, smoke.
LAWYER: But you knew, sir,
that this bathroom
had just been painted,
that there could be
fumes inside.
Not expect boom like that.
Bottom burned red raw.
Explode anus!
LAWYER: You don't accept
any blame for this?
JINGYU: Badger--why not object?
Male puppet.
Look, she laugh--make joke.
Male puppets!
Male puppets!
(speaking foreign language)
OKUBO: Mr. Tang!
(speaks foreign language)
Mr. Tang!
Not fair! Not fair!
Mr. Tang--
Not care.
What happen now?
Well, we go
to closing arguments.
Defense not put case?
The defense rested,
evidently, believing
that we didn't make our case.
Sometimes, that's employed
as a strategy.
This must be very difficult
for you, ma'am,
your son on trial for murder.
It is.
I'm sure you must feel,
as many of us do,
it's all your fault.
You were never home.
I had to work.
SHORE: He never knew his father.
You have to be somewhat
to blame for that.
How about his probation officer,
ever meet with him?
No.
SHORE: Ever try to get
your son into any kind
of drug rehab program?
TAMARA: We didn't have money
for that.
I tried to do all I could.
Move to strike.
Counsel.
SHORE: I note he got thrown
out of school
his sophomore year.
Why?
Drugs.
SHORE: Did his principal
come by to explain?
TAMARA: No,
it was zero tolerance.
He just got expelled.
He sounds like an awful child.
Just between us,
glad to be rid of him?
That's quite a look
you're giving me.
Tell me,
have you ever shot anybody?
SHORE: Thank you.
MAN: Uh-hmm.
I thought that went well.
What are your thoughts?
(grunting)
SHORE: I need help.
(grunting)
MARSHALL: Get off me!
MAN: Take it easy.
Get off me!
MAN: Easy.
Don't get off him.
Marshall, I won't stay
in the room with you
if you're gonna beat me up.
Can we have a conversation
without you beating me up?
Yes.
I need you to promise.
I promise.
Let him up.
Are you sure?
My clients hit me all the time.
Let him up.
Let's go.
SHORE: Thank you. Please, go.
It's all right.
Marshall,
at the very beginning of this,
I asked you to trust me,
did I not?
No!
I didn't?
I meant to. I'm sorry.
You're supposed
to be my lawyer.
You're supposed to do
everything you can.
You're supposed to care!
I am your lawyer.
Trust that.
(siren wailing)
In open court?
It's not funny, Jamie.
Look,
these things,
sometimes, they happen.
It happened twice.
Jamie,
could you excuse us, please?
I want you to close.
Excuse me?
Good or bad,
you have the relationship
with the jury here.
It would throw them
if I suddenly got up.
Do you think you're capable
of standing up
and behaving
like a professional?
Yes.
Thank you.
I'm not doing this for you.
I just believe
it's best for the client
if you dig yourself
out of your own hole.
(music playing)
Don't want her close.
Male puppet.
FRUTT: Mr. Tang,
the jury might be confused
if I got up.
She think case funny.
Up creek.
No ping-pong.
I think he means "paddle."
OKUBO: Ms. Wilson,
are you ready?
Male puppet.
When I began law school,
I was convinced
that American juries
would be negatively predisposed
against my British accent,
so I learned to speak American,
the thinking being
that the better
the jurors related to me,
the better my chances
of persuasion.
And let's face it.
Americans are pretty arrogant
about the English language.
They expect
the rest of the world
not only to learn it,
but to speak it
the way they do.
Tang Jingyu doesn't speak
English very well.
He even sounds a little funny.
Combine his accent
with the fact that he got blown
off a toilet.
I laughed.
Maybe some of you did, as well.
But what's not so damn funny
is that this man was hurt.
He suffered third-degree burns.
He is scarred for life.
Is he partly to blame?
Absolutely, he should not
have been smoking.
But the question is
"Who is to blame more?"
Is it foreseeable
that people smoke in lavatories?
Of course it is.
People smoke in bathrooms
in high schools,
on airplanes,
in gas stations.
And knowing
that this sometimes goes on,
you do not put flammables
in a toilet bowl.
To do so,
that is negligence.
And as amusing as it all may be,
as a result of this negligence,
an innocent man was injured.
He waited five years
to get to trial,
only to be laughed at
by his own lawyer.
This man suffered real pain,
and he deserves better.
He knew the room
had just been painted.
He was told not to go in.
The "No smoking" signs
were posted.
The room had fumes and still,
he lights a match.
He caused this.
He blew up my client's bathroom
and he's suing.
Come on.
That may not technically
be a legal argument
but let me say it again,
this was his negligence,
not ours,
and you know that.
The question
is a simple one really,
is it foreseeable
that someone might light a match
and drop it in a toilet bowl?
If no, find for the defendant.
If yes, find for the plaintiff.
(elevator bell dings)
I don't know
whether you saved yourself,
but that was a good closing,
Tara.
It was simple and persuasive.
You did a very good job.
Thank you.
Can we talk?
You heard Andrea Mills'
testimony.
There was a dispute over price.
The defendant pulled his gun
and he fired.
You can't claim self-defense,
ladies and gentlemen,
if you cause somebody
to reach for a gun
only so you can then blast him,
that's ridiculous.
Now, to be honest,
I don't know what the hell
defense counsel is up to
in this trial.
I suspect all that nonsense
was motivated
by the fact that Mr. Shore
knew he had no case.
The defendant pulled a gun
in front of an eyewitness
and shot somebody.
What could his lawyer
really say or do?
So Mr. Shore tried
to deflect attention
onto himself,
but this isn't about
a lawyer's antics.
We're not in this room
to enjoy defense
counsel's sideshow.
We are here
because his client
committed a murder.
A man is dead.
At the beginning,
you heard me mention
that I was assigned this case.
We have this pro bono program
because somebody has to be here
for the guy.
See, that's where
our judicial system
actually exceeds real life.
In here,
somebody's got
to be there for the guy.
In life,
Marshall Bagnelle
never met his father.
His mother worked full-time,
leaving him home alone all day.
He got involved early in drugs.
There was nobody there
to get him in treatment.
His parents, his teachers,
school principals,
probation officers,
people vested
with the responsibility
of caring for him a little,
they didn't.
And he became a drug addict.
Now, I'm not gonna stand here
and ask you to care for him.
God forbid.
But what I will ask
is for you to recognize
that life hasn't been very fair
to Marshall Bagnelle.
The irony is,
by pulling that trigger
three times,
he gets thrown into a system
that's required
to treat him fairly.
He gets a right
to a fair trial,
and if you afford him
that right,
he must necessarily
be found not guilty.
The supposed eyewitness
admitted she was watching
television,
her own words.
She wasn't looking
at the men
at the time
my client drew his weapon.
She told you that.
She did not see.
Now, what she did see
supports precisely
what Marshall told you.
The victim was going
for his gun.
At that point,
my client could only shoot
or be shot,
that's self-defense.
That's classic self-defense.
And think about it,
if Marshall Bagnelle
wasn't acting in self-defense,
why did he not shoot
Andrea Mills?
Why did he leave behind
this eyewitness?
Perhaps because
she wasn't about
to shoot him.
Of course, you could choose
to ignore all this,
simply because you don't care,
not only about
Marshall Bagnelle,
but also about the law
you swore to uphold,
swore to because what we do
pretend to care about
is the integrity of this system.
We do believe
in that cherished notion
of the fair trial.
We're fiercely loyal
to the ideal that a prosecution
must satisfy
its burden of proof.
They haven't done that here.
As dearly as we'd all love
to send Mr. Bagnelle to prison,
we cannot know for a fact
that the victim,
a drug dealer,
rumored to have killed
somebody before,
didn't draw his gun
to shoot first.
We cannot know
beyond all reasonable doubt
that Marshall Bagnelle
didn't fear for his life.
And if he did reasonably
fear for his life.
If you believe it's possible
that he feared for his life
you must find him not guilty.
Unless, of course,
you don't care.
Sixty-three thousand?
We could get more
but we could get nothing.
I think it's a decent offer.
Clearly, you were hurt
but just as clearly
there was contributory
negligence.
What think?
I think we should take it.
What think?
I believe that we should accept,
as well.
Okay.
FRUTT: Okay.
I'm going to accept, then.
Okay.
FRUTT: This is a good result,
Mr. Tang.
Okay.
Thank you for closing.
Good closing.
(music playing)
Mr. Tang,
I owe you a sincere...
apology.
Give already.
Thank you.
Appreciate closing.
People laugh at me always.
One reason I angry.
Apologize for anger.
You don't need to apologize
for anything.
Not male puppet.
Thank you.
TAMARA: How long
do they usually take?
SHORE: There's really
no telling.
The judge will probably
keep us here until 6:00.
Look, I'm sorry
I jumped you.
I see now you, uh,
kind of had a strategy.
Why didn't you just tell us
what it was?
Takes the fun out of it.
I suppose I should thank you
and all.
Well, I'd prefer money.
You're a big fraud,
you know that?
You do care about my son.
You're not fooling me.
Jury's back.
(music playing)
What does it mean
that it's so fast?
It's usually a good sign
when you win,
but a bad one when you lose.
We'll know in a second,
Marshall.
Hang in there.
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
ROBBINS: The defendant
will please rise.
What say you?
In the matter
of the Commonwealth
vs. Marshall Bagnelle,
on the charge of murder
in the first degree,
we find the defendant,
Marshall Bagnelle,
not guilty.
In the matter
of the Commonwealth
vs. Marshall Bagnelle,
on the charge of murder
in the second degree,
we find the defendant,
Marshall Bagnelle,
guilty.
ROBBINS: Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury,
you are dismissed
with the thanks of this court.
Security, take the defendant
into custody.
We are adjourned.
(gavel bangs)
We'll explore grounds
for appeal, Marshall.
Marshall, look at me.
There's still some things
we can do.
We'll explore all grounds
for appeal.
Marshall,
I'll let you know, okay?
Marshall,
I'll come visit you tomorrow.
(music playing)
(music playing)
WOMAN: You stinker!
(music playing)