07x08 - Virgil Tibbs: Attorney at Law

[bunniefuu]

♪ In the heat of the night

♪ I've got troubles
wall to wall ♪

♪ In the heat of the night

♪ Yeah

♪ Must be an ending
to it all ♪

♪ Oh

♪ But hold on

♪ It won't be long

♪ Just you be strong

♪ And it'll be all right

♪ In the heat of the night

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪

Hey, parker,
you'll never guess

Who's back in town.

It's the king--elvis.

No. Virgil tibbs.

He must have driven down

For sunday dinner
with miss etta.

Althea and the twins
with him?

No, he's by himself.

Saw him hugging
aunt etta at the door.

Well, now. Huh.

[Telephone rings]

. Hi.

Oh, hi, parker.

Of course he's here.

You want me
to get him?

Oh! Do tell!

Oh. Just by himself?

O.k.

I'll tell him.

Bye.

That was parker
to say virgil drove
in town.

He phoned the other day

To say he was coming
back in briefly

To take care of
some family business.

When are they all
coming? Still christmas?

It could be
any time now

Because he's finished
his exams

And been admitted
to the bar.

Excuse me.

Beautiful.

Yards plus
easy.

That's a good
golfer.

That alone does not
signify a good golfer.

[Telephone rings]

[Ring]

Chief forbes here.

Hi. Bill gillespie here.

Hi. Something wrong?

No, no, no,
nothing at all.

Virgil tibbs is back
in town for the next
couple days,

And I'd like to make
the introductions.

Should I set up a lunch?

That's fine with me.
I look forward
to meeting him.

I'll be in touch.

All right.

Virgil tibbs
is in town today.

I am told he's already
been admitted to the bar.

Is that possible?

He completed
all the courses

On a compressed
time schedule.

And got himself admitted
in / years?

Unheard of.

And of men
who've done so

By holding down
a policeman's job, too.

You probably
fixed it for him.

Judge, I hate
that word fix.

Everything was legal,
ethical, and approved.

Not approved by me.

Life today is just
slipping and sliding

Into a slough
of ordinariness.

Here. Let me tee off.

Why, no.

Why would he
go back on
the police force?

I don't know.
Get some money coming in.

I think he'll go
straight into

Ted marcus's
law office.

Well, poor ted.
There's no money
coming in there.

Well, I got to run.

Got to set some tasks
for those guys of mine.

I'll talk to you later.

Who do you suppose
is going to buy
virgil tibbs's house?

He's not selling it.
They're coming back
to live there.

That's not
the word I got.

The word from where?

Sheriff knows where.

Oh, I think so.

Where?

Is it the air, mona?

That's right, sheriff.

The word comes
from the air,
ms. Delong.

It's in the air.

She means that air
that hovers over
pearblossom street.

I'll talk to you later.

Oh, here.

There you go.

Oh, now that man
right there,

That's my
uncle malcolm handy,

My mother's brother.

The one who played
the mandolin.

That's right.

Virgil...

You the first lawyer ever
in our family.

I'm very proud of you.

Thank you.

You going
to go on your own,

Or you going to be
with somebody?

I've had offers from
two of the four
black lawyers

In the bar association.

You still thinking
about selling that
acreage out there

By ruda's place?

Yes. Still thinking
about it.

You wanted to put
a farm out there.

Not now.
That won't happen now.

Well, I hear the market
isn't too good for selling.

Uh, no, no.

I want to set up
a trust fund
for the kids.

Ted marcus will
take care of that.

Is something the matter
with your health?

No. No, no, no,
no, no. I'm fine.

I'm worried about you.

Aunt etta,
I'm going to be o.k.

I am going to be
just fine now.

Ms. Hallisey,
are you saying to me

The public
defender's office
is incapable

Of representing
mr. Pike there?

No, sir,
but conflicts exist

For all of our
available attorneys.

One is distantly
related to the man
who was k*lled.

The other was rejected
by mr. Pike.

Surely you have never
been rejected, counselor.

I wish somebody had,
your honor.

I'm handling six cases.

I'll represent mr. Pike
for the purpose of this
arraignment

Then I'll arrange
counsel with butler
county legal aid.

Newman county
should handle this.

Mr. Marcus, are you
also an overloaded

Beast of burden?

No, sir, judge. Just
an overloaded lawyer.

I see virgil tibbs
is in my courtroom.

Congratulations
on your admission
to the bar.

Thank you, judge.

You still a permanent
resident of sparta?

Yes, judge.

Property owner?
Taxpayer?

Member of
the bar association?

Y-yes, sir.

Good, I'm assigning
you this case.

What?

Step forward,
counselor.

Judge sims,
you can't do that.

Miss hallisey,
would you inform
mr. Tibbs

As to what I can
and cannot do?

The judge cando that,
mr. Tibbs.

Your honor,
with all due respect,
you can't.

I've already done it.

Virgil, don't argue.

I've never tried a case.

You'll try this one.

No, I won't.

You'll do it, tibbs,
and you will do it
pro bono.

Free?

In appreciation
of the legal education

Afforded you
by the state
of mississippi.

I am told that a man
can do wondrous things

In / years.

I want to see that
for myself.

...gave her
a ticket.

Chief, may I present
virgil tibbs,
attorney-at-law.

Virgil, chief forbes.

How do you do,
chief forbes?

So nice to meet you.

Pleasure to meet you,
too, sir.

I thought we would do this
over leisurely lunch.

Yeah, well, this is
kind of an emergency.

Judge sims ordered me
to represent delbert pike.

You're defending
the fellow that
stabbed that guy

Outside of
mason's dixie line?

Sims is a crazy judge,

But I got to obey
his order,

So I'll try to get
pike to reject me
for his own benefit.

Why didn't you
say no?

No to what?

To me!

Why should i?

I've never
been in court.

Your life
is on the line.

If you lose.

Pike, if I lost,
you could appeal.

But I don't want it
to get that far.

But you know
how to do it, right?

I suppose.

But I'm urging you
to reconsider.

Get someone
with experience.

No.

It's you I want.

Juries believe cops,

Even ex-cops.

Now, I think it was
a lucky break I got you.

Well, I have to read
the police files.

Find out what kind of case
the district attorney has.

No case.

I acted in self-defense.

I'm an innocent man.

Then that's my case.

Self-defense.

Hey, guys.

How's althea
and the twins doing?

They're all fine.

They here with you? No.

I read your
police report.

The m*rder victim--
eli chambers,
you talked to him?

Yeah. It was pretty sad.

Tell me.
I'll take notes.

We found chambers
lying in the parking lot

Of mason's
dixie line bar.

I waited with him
for the ambulance,

But I knew
he was dying.

Delbert called
my wife a whore.

So that's why you
pulled your Kn*fe, huh?

No. Delbert pulled his.

He didn't need to.
I wanted to quit.

He knew I was drunk.

He came here to k*ll me.

[Siren]

Is my husband
going to be all right?

No, ma'am.
He just d*ed.
I'm sorry.

This woman needs help.

And that's that?

That's that.

Cover, you talked to
the bartender bo, right?

Yeah, but he didn't
have much to say.

Bo claimed he didn't
see a thing.

I's too busy to know
who att*cked who.

I didn't realize
they was fighting

Till they was
out the door.

Did he seem honest?

Yeah.

What you think,
lonnie?

I've known bo
a long time.

If he says he didn't
see anything, he didn't.

All right.
Well, thanks, guys.

Anytime, sir. Appreciate your time.

Uh, lonnie,

Uh...

I'm sorry for
being so abrupt

When you asked about
althea and the twins.

That's o.k., Virgil. No it's not.

My home life
isn't going that well,

And I'm having trouble
dealing with it.

There's no need
to explain.

Thanks.

Look at him.

Hey, bubba.

Hey. Virgil.

Congratulations,
sergeant.

That's right.
And the same to you,
mr. Attorney.

Thank you.

Hey, sit down.
Let me buy you
some ribs here.

I'll sit, but I got
to save myself for
etta's catfish.

Hey, uh, we heard
what happened
in sims' courtroom.

That judge sims
is weird.

Any way we can help you,
you let us know.

Well, tell me
what happened.

Did delbert give you
any trouble when
you arrested him?

No.

In fact,
he was waiting on us.

All right,
get out the pickup,

Put your hands where
I can see them.

Whoa. Delbert pike,
you under arrest.

Did pike say anything?

Nope. Not a word.

He just kept grinning,

Like as if we said
something funny.

But if he did it,
why did he wait?

He knew he'd be
picked up sometime.

You know, virgil,
I hate to say it,

But darnell's got
a pretty strong case there.

I don't know.
I just...

Hate to see you look bad
in your first court case.

There's no help to that.

I'm going to look
like a natural fool.

My client's going
to get convicted.

Sheriff,
virgil tibbs
to see you.

How ya doing', virgil?

How you doing, sheriff?

Nice office
you got here.

Make this bill
from now on.

O.k. Bill.

How's your client,
delbert pike?

He says he's innocent.

You think he is?

No. And I don't want
any part of this case.

Why don't you see darnell?

Maybe you can
make a deal.

What can you tell me
about delbert pike?

Well, he likes to sleep
with other men's wives.

Eli chambers lived here
in the county

With his wife amanda,

But amanda
and your client
delbert pike

Been seeing each other
on the side.

How you know that?

The two men were arrested
once before for fighting.

Witnesses say
it was over
amanda chambers.

Now that was
about a month ago.

And then about
two weeks later,

We stopped delbert
for speeding.

Was there something
special about this?

Yeah. The deputy
that wrote that citation

Said that amanda
was riding with him

In the car at the time.

Oh.

Bill, there's something
I want to say to you.

You may just be
my closest friend.

Well, I'm happy
if I am, virgil.

Althea and I
have separated.

She's back
in philadelphia...

Staying with
her parents.

She has the twins, too.

What happened?

She told me she...

She didn't want
to come back here.

That she hated
life here.

She hates
the work I do,

Not just
the police work,

The criminal justice
system. Everything.

She blames herself

For her student's
su1c1de.

She keeps running
it through
over and over...

And the r*pe, too.

Well, virgil,
you and she are a family,

And I'm sure
she'll come back to you.

Not to sparta.
Not even the south.

I'm sure of it.

Well, maybe
you ought to consider

Living where althea
be happiest.

She's not interested.

What does that mean?

She's not interested

In making
our marriage work.

She doesn't love me.

That's the story.

No love.

No love.

'Cause I'm going to
prove it was m*rder.

Delbert pike
deliberately set out

To k*ll eli chambers.

He knew chambers
was in that bar.

He provoked him into
fighting and k*lled him.

Lord have mercy, gerard.
Why would he do that?

Why? Yes, gerard. Why?

What compelling reason
did he have?

Read it.

I have witnesses,

And each of them
has something to say

About delbert's reasons.

You'll never prove
premeditation.

Manslaughter, maybe.

Virgil, you, uh,

Sound like a lawyer
who wants to make a deal.

I do.

O.k. Manslaughter.

I'll recommend
the minimum sentence--
nine years.

I'll put it to him.

You put it to him.

He's going to say
he's innocent.

Tell him you believe him,

Then ask him if he's
willing to do six.

Call me.

Here's a man
I ain't seen in a while.

How you doing, bo?

Fine, virg.
You still a detective,

Or you took up
respectable employment?

Bo, I'm a lawyer now.

Then you went
from bad to worse.

Delbert pike's
my first client.

Did you pick him
or he pick you?

What's the difference?

None. Either way
it's a mistake.

Eli and amanda chambers--

They drink here regular?

Too regular.

You ever seen eli
talking to abel?

Sure, but eli's usually
with his wife amanda.

Have you ever seen amanda

Flirting with other men?

Naw, never.
Not the type.

Huh. Okay, thanks.

O.k., Virg. Later.

Yeah, yeah.

Abel dent was
arrested twice,

Both times for d.u.i.

Thanks.

You really think
that's going to make him

Any less reliable
as a witness?

I don't know,

But it's my job
to make it look that way.

The district attorney
is willing to reduce

The m*rder charge
to manslaughter.

Ifi plead guilty
to that.

Yes.

You'd be sentenced
nine years.

With good behavior,
you could be out in three.

I ain't guilty!

I acted in self-defense.

Did you have a thing
with amanda chambers?

Yeah.

Brief.

To me, she was just
another bored housewife.

But it was
her first affair.

And how did it end?

She caught me
with another woman.

She went crazy, and...

I was drunk.

I grabbed her.

She tripped
and bruised her face.

She ran home
to her husband.

He asked
about her bruise.

She told him everything.

He tracked me down,

And we started fightin'.

Did you see amanda
after that?

Not until that night
at mason's.

No.

Amanda chambers
was with you

The night you got
a speeding ticket.

Well, uh...

I was driving around,
and I saw her,

And I persuaded her
to get in my car.

Why?

I wanted to apologize
for the way I acted
that last night.

Didn't you know amanda

Would be at mason's
with her husband?

Well, sure,

But I figured it was
all over and done.

Hey!

What are you doing?

Uh!

Eli.

Then I went to my car,

Lit up a cigarette,
and waited for the police.

So, amanda came out
and saw everything.

That's right.

She told the police

That she saw nothing.

Why would she lie?

Put me in the wrong.

Get back at me.

For b*ating her up?

Well, not that only.

She blames me for
ruining her marriage.

Ruining her life.

Afternoon, ma'am.

I'm virgil tibbs,
delbert pike's attorney.

You want me to say
something good for him?

I won't. Uh, ma'am, wai--

I just need to ask you
a couple of questions.

I don't want to answer
your questions.

I'm sorry, but the law
say that I have the right

To question all
witnesses before trial,

So, please cooperate.

Please.

How long were you married?

Since I was .

Do you miss him?

More than I ever
dreamed I would.

What would you have
done differently?

I wouldn't have
had an affair
with delbert pike.

Did you think
you loved pike?

No,

But eli and I were
having problems.

Delbert took
advantage of me.

For a minute
I thought

I might be in love
with him, but...

No.

You caught him
with another woman.

Yes.

So you thought
that delbert
should be punished.

Why shouldn't i?

Because he didn't
start the fight.

Look, I didn't
see anything.

He says you did. Not from the start!

You didn't see who
pulled the Kn*fe first?

No.

But they were fighting
over you, weren't they?

My husband loved me.

Delbert had no right

Coming into mason's
that night.

He knew I would be there
with eli.

Now, it's just too late.

My husband is dead.

And delbert k*lled him.

You really hate delbert,
don't you?

Yes.

The ladies come by once
a week to play bridge.

Other times,
I go to them.

Martha got me even
going to the bingo.

Nothing like family, though.

Ruder come by
every once in a while.

Sometimes she even stay
the whole weekend.

Go on.

We catch up on news

And sit out
on the porch,

Look around,

Wave to people.

That sounds nice.

Sure, it's nice,

But it ain't like it was
when y'all were here.

You and...

Althea and the babies.

I know.

I'm going on up to bed.

O.k.

Good night.

Give me your glass.

No, I'll take care of it.

You go on.
Go, now. Rest.

I got it. Go ahead. Go.

Goodnight.

[Darnelle]
and then what happened?

I saw delbert
walk over to eli.

Delbert said his wife
amanda was a whore.

Eli got up.

Delbert started
pushing him.

They ended up
fightin' outside.

I went over
to the bartender bo

And told him to call
the police,

Then I went outside.

Delbert and eli were
fightin' with knives.

Delbert was trying
to k*ll him.

Objection, your honor.

The witness is drawing
an unwarranted conclusion.

Objection sustained.
Strike the answer.

Uh, no further questions.

Your witness, counselor.

You had four sh*ts
of whiskey

And two beers
that night.

That sounds about right.

Do you think of yourself
as a heavy drinker?

Yeah, I can go
pretty good. Yep.

You were also convicted
of two d.u.i.s.

Objection!

Mr. Dent's
prior record

Has no relevance
to this case.

Sustained.

Disregard
mr. Tibbs's question.

You ever forget things?

Doesn't everybody?

Well, have you ever
been out drinking

And then forgot
what happened?

Listen, things were
the way I said.

Eli was att*cked
and provoked

By delbert pike.

Did you actually
see delbert
pull out a Kn*fe

And s*ab your friend
eli chambers?

No.

No further questions,
your honor.

The witness is excused.

The people call
amanda chambers.

Now, mrs. Chambers,

On the night your
husband was m*rder*d--

I object to any
presumption of m*rder!

Change your language,
counselor.

How shall I put it?

k*lled by a man trying
to save his own life.

Did your husband
have any reason

To pull a Kn*fe
on delbert pike?

Objection, your honor!
That calls for conjecture.

Overruled.

I wanna hear
her answer.

Eli never would have
pulled a Kn*fe on delbert.

That just wasn't his way.

No further questions.

Mrs. Chambers,
didn't you say
you hated delbert?

And I admit that now.

Isn't that why you're
not telling the court
how you felt?

Objection! The witness
has already testified

As to what's happened
and what she saw.

Sustained.

Didn't you say

You felt bad
about your affair?

Just tell us about it.

Because I saw
how sad it made eli,

And I really loved him.

Did he forgive you?

I think so.

Did he say,
"I forgive you"?

Well, it wasn't easy.

Did he say it?

Not in those
exact words.

What were his words--

About his sadness,
for example?

Was his sadness
a quickly passing thing
of no importance,

Or was it a very
important thing,

A very painful thing,

So painful that it
made him do and say things

That might have resulted
in his death?

Maybe.

Do you feel responsible
for his death in any way?

I object to this!

I am asking the witness

A perfectly allowable
question about her feelings.

We already know
her feelings.

With all due respect,
your honor,

I want the jury to hear

What mrs. Chambers felt
her responsibility

In this affair was.

I lied.

You what?

I object to this!

So do i.

I object to lying
as much as you do.

The witness is saying
she's been lying.

I can't go on doing
what I'm doing.

What are you
talking about,
miss chambers?

I saw what happened
that night.

Delbert didn't start it.

He was defending himself.

Eli was drunk when
delbert walked in,

And he started saying

How he was
going to get even.

Get even because
of the affair?

Yes.

Then what?

Delbert went outside,

And eli went out
after him.

So I ran outside.

Delbert and eli
were fighting.

And then,

Eli took out his Kn*fe

And started slashing
at delbert.

What happened after eli
drew his w*apon?

He took out his Kn*fe.

He started
to fight back.

Why are you
telling us this now?

Could it be

You've discovered you still
have feelings for delbert?

I despise him.

No further questions,
your honor.

The witness is excused.

Amanda chambers...

Told the truth

About a man
she openly despises...

Even though that truth

Would save that man

From a punishment
she wished to bring
down on him.

She told the truth...

When the truth
would discredit

The man she loved...

Bring dishonor...
To his memory.

You see,

The testimony
that's easy to give

Is hard to believe.

But a testimony that's
hard to give...

Is very easy to believe.

Delbert pike

k*lled in self-defense.

This man

Is not...

Is not guilty of m*rder.

For the charge of m*rder,

How do you find
the defendant
delbert pike?

Not guilty.

Thank you very much,
mr. Tibbs.

[Bill]
harriet.

Now, how about this?

What's it mean?

Well, it means
that virgil defended
his client

For nothing.

Oh, well,
that's very nice.

I trust there's
more in his future
than this.

Virgil tibbs,
attorney-at-law,

Has just pulled in.

Surprise!
Surprise!

Hey, congratulations!

Congratulations.

Well, thank you.attorney tibbs.

Thank y'all very much.

Kudos are in order. Thank you.

Maybe now we have
time for that lunch.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Congratulations, virgil.

All right, chief.

Oh, I'm sorry. Sheriff.

Counsel for the defense.

Congratulations, virgil.

Thank you, harriet.

Could I speak to you
for a moment?

Yes. Certainly.

Excuse us.

I just got
a guilty man off.

You mean you just
defended a guilty man.

You see a difference?

Well, sure there's
a difference.

Guilty man's entitled
to a defense.

Yeah, but I was used.

Well, you're
supposed to be used.

The woman and her lover
set me up.

People on that jury
judged the facts.

They were fooled.
Everything was wrong.

Everything wrong? Yes.

You and I ought to go
and sit on the porch,

The big porch over
at your house,

And pass
the lazy afternoons

Trying to figure out

How we can change
the constitution

That seems so wrong
so much of the time.

Will that make you
feel better?

No.

Oh, well, then we ought
to sit on the porch

And, uh, leave
the constitution alone.

[Harriet]
bill? Yeah?

Excuse me, virgil.