01x08 - Win Some, Lose Some

[bunniefuu]

Where's your girlfriend?

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

Habit?

Let's just say my partner isn't as interested in your point of view as I am.

So, now you've decided to believe I didn't k*ll that junkie?

Why did you confess?

Coercion.

No, don't lay that on me.

I wasn't talking about you.

You don't think a good offer from the D.A. counts as coercion?

Okay, if you didn't k*ll Neyers, then how come you were positively identified by two eyewitnesses that I interviewed myself?

Why would they lie?

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

I can't do that, man.

You went hard on them like you tried on me.

This is different.

They gave you up. They said they saw you.

Not then. Not there.

I-I'm not saying I'm the best-loved guy in the neighborhood, but I am one of the best known.

Makes me an easy target.

Oh, okay. So you're a victim.

No need for sarcasm.

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

I'm listening.

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

If I k*lled that fool in a business dispute, like you think, why would I leave my product behind?

Fentanyl's pricy sh*t. You know that.

You were in a hurry.

A .357 makes a lot of noise.

Obviously not enough to get me popped with a g*n in my hand.

Because the man was healthy when I left.

But somebody like me, I need to prove innocent beyond a reasonable doubt.

You all had your answers already.

That don't make me the truth.

Who cares? Nobody. Case closed.

Well, I'm here.

And I respect that, man. I really do.

But you ain't gonna change anything.

Just make the both of us feel worse about it.

[Sighs]

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

How many homicide trials have you handled?

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

That's what you pay me for.

But you've never had a client like me.

Rich pricks? I think that's my specialty.

I want you to put me on the stand.

Stop this.

The state rested without proving its case.

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

I'm not letting you bury yourself just because you don't know any better.

I'm the only one who can tell the jury what really happened between me and Hannah.

And it sure as hell wasn't r*pe.

I established that in cross.

No, you didn't.

I listened to every single word.

You asked if it was possible that she'd used consensual sex as leverage for a payday and she said no.

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

Unless you convince them that you're the liar, since you have little or no incentive to tell the truth.

How about because it's the truth?

If you don't put me on the stand, I'll be convicted for a blowjob.

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

But I can explain why it means I didn't k*ll her.

[Sighs] Lord Almighty.

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

It's my life, not yours.

[Indistinct conversations]

Yes, Erich and I had planned to meet at his house at 9:00 P.M. to discuss the latest test results of a new product.

Is it unusual for executives in your business to work at night like that?

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

Were you on time?

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

Never want to keep your boss waiting.

No.

[Chuckles]

What was Erich's mood like when you arrived?

He was relaxed, happy, you know.

Life was good.

Did he mention Cindy?

Ivana: Yes.

He said that he and Cindy had kissed and made up and that she would be back at work in the morning.

Objection.

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

Do me the courtesy of letting me finish my objection.

I thought you had.

Go ahead.

Hearsay, Your Honor. Move to strike.

Erich's statement to the witness indicates his emotional condition at the time and his future intention to continue Cindy's employment.

I count two hearsay exceptions.

Overruled.

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

So, you obviously knew that Erich and Cindy had a personal relationship, is that correct?

Yes, though they tried to be discreet, it's hard to hide love.

Siletti: Now, when you describe the defendant as your boss, Ms. West, that's not a complete description of your relationship, is it?

In fact, you have a sexual relationship with the defendant, don't you?

Yes.

He's been your mentor.

Your career depends on him, right?

Not at all.

What an old-fashioned question coming from a man with a female boss.

Well, I'm sure you'd say you'd never deceive the jury by protecting him.

Isn't that true?

I'm not trying to protect him.

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

Objection, Your Honor.

I've tried to sit on my hands, but this is argumentative even for Mr. Siletti.

Sustained.

Were you and Cindy friends?

Ivana: We were friendly, yes.

Did you ever tell her about your ongoing sexual relationship with her boyfriend, the defendant?

No. That would be over-sharing.

Over-sharing?

When you're already sharing a man?

Objection! Not relevant to this case in any way.

Your Honor, it demonstrates a pattern of deceptive behavior by this witness and goes to her credibility.

Liars lie.

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

Judge Greer: Redirect. Mr. Daniels.

Very quickly, Your Honor.

Ms. West... [Clears throat] is there a formal succession plan at Applsn if Erich needed to be replaced for any reason as Chief Executive Officer?

To minimize risks to the shareholders, yes.

So, if Erich were to be convicted in this case, for example, who becomes C.E.O.?

I do.

You do?

Yes.

That doesn't give you much of an incentive for protecting him, now, does it?

No. It doesn't.

Thank you.

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

James Salter, Director of Security for Applsn.

Daniels: And how long have you been in that position?

Going on five years next month.

Ooh, watch out. I miss anything?

A base hit for Siletti.

Red pill or blue pill, you think?

What are you talking about?

"Matrix" movies. Come on.

Red pill is you bite the truth.

Blue pill... keep on lying to yourself.

[Sighs] When is it ever that easy?

Erich was contacted by an acquaintance offering to sell him a popular club drug at a very low price... specifically MDMA, also known as ecstasy or Molly.

He suspected he was being set up by the police and asked me to investigate.

From your own personal experience as a captain in the police department, did that seem unreasonable to you?

Not at all.

And what, if anything, did you do next?

I had Erich set up a meeting with his acquaintance ostensibly to make the purchase.

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

And what did you see at that location?

Inspector English and another undercover narcotics officer were staked out in an unmarked command vehicle, along with six other units, including two sets of photographers.

Is that typical department procedure for this kind of operation?

No, sir, it is not.

Hmm. What happened next?

I interrupted the operation and confronted Inspector English about his attempt to entrap Mr. Blunt with phony drug charges that would basically violate his bail and incarcerate him.

Objection... assumes facts not in evidence, as this witness is very well aware.

Move to strike.

Judge Greer: Sustained.

The jury is directed to disregard in its entirety Mr. Salter's statement about entrapment.

Captain, do you remember what you said to Inspector English at that time?

Yes.

I told him he was running a witch hunt and that I was ashamed of him.

Carlson: Ohh.

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

I correctly identified...

Uh, what are you doing?

Terry, you and Hildy are under direct admonition from the court not to watch or read other testimony.

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

What if I do it like this?

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

Where's the...

Hildy: Lieutenant.

Everybody watches everything all the time.

I mean, you really think these jurors aren't sitting at home at night watching "Nancy Grace" or whatever?

Hey, don't knock Nancy.

She's on our side.

Okay, enough.

Our clearance rate isn't getting any better with all of you sitting around here carrying on like a bunch of gossip girls.

Do I know you?

Narcotics, sir.

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

Go watch your own TV.

[Chuckles]

[Indistinct conversations]

[Clears throat]

Your Honor, the Defense calls Erich Blunt.

[Spectators murmuring]

Raise your hand, sir.

Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I do.

State your full name for the record, please.

Erich Maxwell Blunt.

I'm going to skip all the warm-up questions and cut right to the chase.

Erich... did you k*ll Cindy Strauss?

No, I did not.

On the night of June 5th, did you physically harm her in any way?

No, I did not.

Did you go to her apartment that night?

Yes.

Why?

I'd fired Cindy without cause the day before, and I wanted to apologize for acting like a pig and to give her back her job.

Couldn't you have done that over the phone?

She wouldn't talk to me.

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

She needed to see that I was sincere.

I was just glad she forgave me.

She said she'd be on the crew in the morning, and we made love, then I went home.

And where was Cindy when you left?

She was in her bed upstairs.

And this was after she had performed oral sex on you, is that correct?

It was a mutual act between us.

It's how Cindy and I liked to be intimate with each other.

Although, obviously not the only way, or she wouldn't have been pregnant by you.

Did you know she was pregnant?

No, or I wouldn't have let her keep drinking and using like she did.

The rules change when there's three of you.

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

Your Honor, the defendant is narrating.

The question to the defendant only requires a yes-or-no answer, not a chapter in his autobiography.

Mr. Blunt, please restrict yourself to simply answering the questions put to you.

Yes, Your Honor. [Clears throat] I'm sorry.

When did you find out about the pregnancy, Erich?

I read about it online... when the autopsy report got leaked.

And what was your reaction?

I've lost a dear friend.

I lost a child.

It hurt.

Still does.

I don't understand.

If you had nothing to hide, why did you lie to the police and say you weren't at her apartment the night she d*ed?

Because I knew how it would look.

And looks lie... which is exactly what happened.

Here we are.

What was the nature of your personal relationship with Cindy?

We had a strong physical and emotional connection.

Did you love her?

I cared about her very much.

I respected her. I admired her.

You admired your flight attendant?

A college dropout? Why?

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

Cindy was smart.

She'd come through tough childhood like I did.

We both learned very young how to look after ourselves.

And I admired her resilience, her... capacity for joy.

It was amazing.

Your Honor, please excuse the interruption of the eulogy here, but the defendant has not been called as a character witness for the victim.

Sustained.

I'm sorry... what exactly was the objection that I didn't hear?

Narrative. Relevance. Immateriality.

Should I keep going, Your Honor?

The Court has already sustained, Mr. Daniels.

Forward, please.

Hannah Harkins testified that you drugged her and r*ped her and then paid her off to keep her quiet.

Objection. Leading.

Judge Greer: Sustained.

Did you have a long-term sexual relationship with Ms. Harkins when she worked for you at Wesne?

Yes.

And did there come a time when that relationship ended?

Yes.

What were the circumstances?

I was selling the company, and Hannah thought she'd lose her job.

So she invented her as*ault story to force me into a better settlement.

And... I paid her off because that was the quickest, easiest, kindest way to solve the problem.

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

That's not who I am.

Siletti: You, of course, would never admit to a pattern of sexual v*olence, would you, sir?

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained.

You said Cindy had been drinking and using dr*gs the night of her m*rder.

Did you partake, as well?

Yes. A little.

Thank you for a little honesty.

Editorializing.

What were you drinking?

Sustained.

Champagne.

Siletti: And what dr*gs did you take?

Ecstasy.

Champagne and ecstasy?

Huh, well, that's the exact same combination that Hannah Harkins testified that you used on her, too, isn't it?

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

It is the same drug you sent your Head of Security to score from your dealer, correct?

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

Did you violate your bail conditions in this case by leaving the jurisdiction and flying to Nevada for an arts-and-music festival?

Objection. Relevance?

Your Honor, it goes to the defendant's credibility by showing his propensity to lie to the court and generally behave as though he is above the law.

Daniels: Mr. Siletti's response is blatantly prejudicial in itself, Your Honor.

Sustained.

Mr. Blunt, you told the jurors that you cared for Cindy very much, that you respected her, that you admired her.

While you were also involved in a secret sexual relationship with another female employee, Ms. West, correct?

Cindy and I had never agreed to be exclusive.

[Chuckles] So, Cindy was good enough to be the mother of your child, but not your girlfriend.

Argumentative.

Overruled.

I don't like labels.

How about "World's Youngest Billionaire"?

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

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

Do you recall describing yourself that way in a videotaped appearance?

Yes, but I was making a joke about other people's perceptions of me.

Smart enough not to get trapped by an unwanted pregnancy, right?

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

She thought a baby would let her hang on to a man of your wealth and intelligence and martial-arts talent.

Objection... Mr. Siletti is always a wonderful storyteller, but there's no foundation.

Move on, Mr. Siletti.

Smart enough to buy your way out of criminal charges from Hannah Harkins, right?

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

You think you can make me lose my temper.

You can't.

I refuse to let you goad me.

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

Stop smiling at me like that.

Daniels: [Sighs]

Move to strike the response, Your Honor, especially in the absence of an actual question.

[Elevator bell dings]

[Indistinct conversations]

Take the next one.

[Elevator bell dings]

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

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

I did fine... until the end.

Pity that's the part the jury remembers.

Do you think you made them like you?

You did not.

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

Never, ever a position of strength.

But, as you say, your life, not mine.

Called in sick.

I just... couldn't face the office after what Erich said about me in court.

Like I just... made it all up for the money.

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

No one.

I read that there are over a thousand reporters officially covering the trial.

Yeah.

Well, they're not on his side.

If you google my name now...

[Sighs]

I'm sorry.

And all that for nothing.

Just... more shame and embarrassment.

I feel like he r*ped me twice, and he got away with it.

Look...

Hear the verdict before you say that.

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

And when the jury finds him guilty on all counts, you'll be part of why.

All right?

Thanks, Dave.

I got your back.

Today, tomorrow.

Whenever.

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

Siletti: Cindy Strauss was human.

She had weaknesses.

She liked booze and dr*gs and men.

Yes, she made mistakes.

And her worst mistake... her fatal mistake... was getting involved with the handsome, charming, world-famous Erich Blunt... the man she thought she'd found to respect her, to love her.

The man who m*rder*d her because she wasn't good enough for him.

When Erich Blunt got Cindy pregnant, she must have dreamed of a golden life together as a family.

She was wrong.

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

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

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

Remember Stan Shaw's testimony about what the defendant shouted at Cindy on the plane on the second-to-last day of her life?

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

And as soon as Cindy told Erich that she was pregnant, she became a liability.

Her and a baby on the way?

The solution he chose was to break her neck with his black-belt hands and throw her down her own stairs to try to hide the crime.

He chose to end her life and her child's while his semen was still in her mouth.

And we know from the testimony of the medical examiner, Dr. Burnside, that Cindy d*ed within 15 to 20 minutes after she had oral sex with the defendant.

Well, no wonder he lied to police. Huh?

And told them he hadn't seen her since the night before when he humiliated her and assaulted her and... and fired her from the crew of his private plane, so big that it needed two pilots and a flight attendant...

Cindy.

The state has managed to prove one thing beyond a reasonable doubt... that Erich Blunt is a rich man.

The rest of the state's case against him is pure fiction.

Erich told you that he didn't even know Cindy was pregnant until he read about it after the autopsy.

The prosecution has not been able to produce one speck of evidence to the contrary.

But that's a problem for Mr. Siletti.

Mr. Siletti needs a motive for a crime we can't be sure... ever happened.

If Cindy fell down her stairs, and we know she wasn't sober...

Poor girl.

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

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

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

His boss, D.A. Perez, is now a brand name, in the news, day after day, night after night.

They've told their version of the story so often, they might even believe it themselves.

But saying a thing is so doesn't make it so.

Oh, Mr. Blunt used the technical expertise that made him a billionaire to try to hide his tracks with a highly sophisticated e-mail hack routed to look like a text message from Cindy's cellphone, as though she were still alive after he'd arrived safely home to his other girlfriend.

Except Cindy wasn't alive.

Hmm.

She was lying naked and dead on the floor at the bottom of her stairs, where he left her behind her own locked door.

No sign of any intruder, no evidence of any other presence that night except the victim and the defendant.

All this talk about e-mail hacks and anonymous relays in shady parts of the world and secret protocols to fake a text from Cindy's phone?

Proof.

Proof.

Proof. Where is the proof?

Our laws say you cannot convict a man on the basis of theories or suppositions and wishful thinking.

The defendant's semen puts him at the scene of the m*rder close to the time of the m*rder.

DNA doesn't lie.

Erich had no motive.

Now, Cindy's estranged husband, Mark Strauss, with a restraining order against him already...

he had motive and means and opportunity.

Cindy's ex-boyfriend, Bill Wilkerson, the man who found the body... he had motive and means and opportunity.

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

Got to be rich to get away with m*rder.

How often have we all heard that?

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

Show him he's wrong.

Hold him accountable for the m*rder of Cindy Strauss and their unborn child.

Show the world watching this trial that justice is not for sale in our city.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are not running for Office.

You're not looking for a promotion.

You are here to determine the facts to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt.

The state has not proved how Cindy d*ed, where, or when.

Or that a crime was ever even committed.

No less a thinker than Albert Einstein once said that the simplest explanation tends to be the most accurate.

And the simplest explanation in this case is that Cindy... just... fell down the stairs.

You didn't leave your common sense at home when you put on those jury badges.

Follow your conscience.

Thank you for your service.

[Bell rings]

[Woman moaning]

[Moaning continues]

[Laughing, moaning]

I love you.

[Clears throat]

Oh, I, uh... [Chuckles] was planning on wearing that.

Oh.

You can have it back.

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

You can keep it on. I, uh... shouldn't be walking in Homicide smelling like perfume.

[Chuckles]

I made special coffee.

Ah. Did you, uh... did you bring that coffee pot with you?

Fits in my purse. [Chuckles]

Right.

On a... on a first date?

So... we're dating now.

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

Uh, that was more than a date.

Was I supposed to play hard to get?

Why?

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

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

[Sighs]

Wow. You're easily threatened.

Threatened... Threatened is, uh, being on the wrong side of a g*n.

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

Yeah.

What's the matter with you?

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

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

Screw you!

Oh. Hey. Okay.

Oh. Wait. I already did.

I'm going home.

Don't you try to stop me.

[Sighs]

You don't deserve me.

You're right. You are so right.

[Car alarm chirps]

[Siren wails in distance]

Hello.

I remember my sister tried to warn me when you bought that car.

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

Cindy didn't mean anything to me.

Well, you know what? That's worse.

I mean, to cause so much pain.

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

I did a terrible thing. I know. I know. I know.

Mm-hmm.

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

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

I deleted it from my phone.

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

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

But the subject [Chuckles] said "Bill loves Cindy."

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

Yeah, a-are you telling me that... that somebody sent you that video from an anonymous account?

Yeah, imagine that. Not everybody likes you.

I want to come home.

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

Let's cancel the meeting with the lawyer.

No. Unh-unh. No.

Come on. I love you.

You know what? That's funny. I didn't hear you say that when... when you were on national TV testifying about your sexual relationship with the m*rder victim.

Are you kidding me?!

Warren Daniels made us both look like suspects.

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

I think... I think Erich k*lled her.

And I-I think she had it coming, but, you know...

I'm vindictive.

I'll see you upstairs.

And... if you try to hit me again, I'm filing a police report.

Okay.

Yeah, same here. Same here, baby.

Howard, risky move letting the defendant testify.

Did Erich Blunt hurt himself or help himself?

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

Erich Blunt did fairly well in getting his story out.

But his outburst, I-I think hurt him.

You know what? It's a jury question.

Be interesting to see what happens.

Well, uh, deliberations continue tomorrow for a second day.

Why are we even watching this?

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

I'm not gonna worry till I have to.

I'm not gonna worry period.

There's more than enough reasonable doubt.

If the jury wants to see it.

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

How are you still an idealist, David?

It's got to be hard for a lawyer.

That's why I represent you.

[Door opens, closes]

Not to be grandiose, but I think you can change the world.

One drink at a time.

[Sighs] We had a rough morning with Barbara's lawyer.

David, go home.

Eat, sleep.

Wilky's here to babysit.

Really?

Yeah.

Okay.

Goodnight, Bill.

[Sighs]

[Door closes]

So, you're here with me.

Not at home with her, so I'm guessing Barbara didn't change her mind.

Huh.

Which means congratulations.

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

Yeah, right.

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

When you delete a video...

Mm-hmm. from a phone... isn't that a full wipe?

Like, gone forever?

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

Or you work for Applsn.

Well, what does that mean?

That's why you never use a company phone for... let's call them Private Moments.

Data can be accessed from the cloud and bounced anywhere.

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

[Chuckles] Oh. Oh, Wilky, now I feel sorry for you.

Well, who... would e-mail that video to Barbara?

Somebody did you a favor.

If you had loved your wife, you wouldn't have been with Cindy in the first place.

You owe somebody thanks.

Somebody... like you, Erich?

Sorry, are you asking me if I e-mailed the sex video to your wife?

You know what? Just...

[Sighs] She's making me nuts.

Yeah.

Yeah, I did it.

You weren't happy, and... you don't want a life in the suburbs.

Sex on Saturday, church on Sunday, trash on Monday... You know that.

Look, I-I know you're upset about the money, but money's easy.

I'm gonna make that right for you.

I care about you, Wilky.

Welcome to your future.

Unless you lose.

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

Who else is coming? Seats won't last.

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

I said it would be fast.

Fast tends to be good for us.

[Indistinct conversations]

[Gavel bangs]

Judge Greer: All right, please be seated.

Let the record show that the defendant is present with Counsel, that the jury is in the jury box.

Mr. Foreperson, it's my understanding that this jury has arrived at verdicts in this case.

Is that correct?

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant stand and face the jury?

Mr. Foreperson, would you hand the verdicts to the bailiff?

Would you read the verdicts, Gwen?

State of California vs. Erich Blunt.

[Echoing] "We the jury in the above entitled cause find the defendant, Erich Maxwell Blunt..."

[Audio fades]

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

Congratulations.

"as alleged in count one Thank you, Warren. of the information filed herein.

Signed Foreperson."

Thank you.

[Chuckles]

Judge Greer: Is that the unanimous verdict of this jury with respect to count one?

Man: It is, Your Honor.

Gwen, would you read count two, please?

Gwen: "We the jury in the above entitled cause "find the defendant, Erich Maxwell Blunt, not guilty "of the crime of m*rder of baby Strauss "in violation of Penal Code Section 187 A as alleged in count two in the information filed herein..."

Susan: Stunning news.

Erich Blunt found not guilty on both counts.

Howard Weitzman, your thoughts?

Wow.

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

For District Attorney Jackie Perez, a staggering defeat.

What you can't lose sight of, Susan, is when a jury says "Not guilty," it means the prosecution didn't prove the case.

[TV turns off]

[Indistinct shouting]

[Indistinct conversation]

All right. You good?

Yeah.

[Grunts]

Two seconds, man.

Hey.

[Scoffs]

You still think I did it.

Yeah, we do.

Lucky the Double Jeopardy rule means there's only one bite at the Apple, huh?

A woman's dead.

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

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

Why not?

You're right.

I did k*ll that dumb bitch.

[Chuckles]

[Clicks tongue]