In the criminal justice system
the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,
the police who investigate crime
and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
Off the glass... Whoo!
Yeah! Baby Bird! Whoo!
You see the Oklahoma State game?
Thirty-foot bank at the buzzer.
Over three guys.
When's that guy gonna lose
that raggedy ass moustache?
After he goes
numero uno in the draft.
No way.
Dude's got no hops,
he's got no speed...
You just can't give a white
man his props, can you?
He's a good college
ballplayer, period.
What the hell?
I don't wanna miss
the end of this game.
Damn. Somebody sh*t our TV.
A stray b*llet came through the
wall in the room next door.
What time was that?
About 11:30. The manager came up
to check it out and found him.
Is this the guy
that checked into the room?
Front desk says the room's
registered to Jeffrey Pope,
but there's no ID.
No wallet or money?
How about a cell phone?
None of the above.
Did you notice any shell casings?
I didn't see any.
Did he check in with anyone?
Said he was alone.
- Condom wrapper.
- Ah-ha.
There's three more
on the floor over here.
Looks like our DOA
had a visitor.
Or two.
We should check the garbage.
Maybe he didn't flush.
Looks like he had
a hell of a party.
Yeah, that's one
way you can look at it.
The deceased was the same man
who paid for the room,
Jeffrey Pope.
Checked in at 1:15
this afternoon.
Address on the driver's license
is in Camden, South Carolina.
Anyone imprint his credit card?
He paid three nights cash
in advance.
Did he make any calls
from the room?
Uh, no.
Any way of telling
who visited him earlier?
Six hundred rooms.
We can't keep track of
everybody who comes and goes.
You got security cameras
on the eighth floor?
Not on the individual floors,
just over here.
We're going to
have to get those from you.
Did any of your employees go
up there, room service, maybe?
No, but I'm
pretty sure I saw him
using our courtesy computer
around 7:30.
Where's that?
It's right over here.
Lot of hits on
Craigslist New York.
Looks like he went right to
the Erotic Services section.
Hmm. Escorts.
Uh-huh.
There's, like, 10 postings.
Kept going back to
one of them, though. Hold on.
A little comparison shopping.
The caption says,
"Alex, 23-year-old model."
Can you set us up in a room?
Hi, there.
Wow. You must be Alex.
You going to
invite me in or what?
That's why you're here, baby.
Come on in.
Make yourself comfortable.
It's business first, sweetie.
Of course. How much we talking
about here, doll face?
300 for the hour.
Not a problem.
One, two, three.
Oh, you did not tell me
we had company.
A threesome is extra.
Oh, son of a bitch!
Nah, nah, nah. Just take it easy. Sit down.
It's not what you think it is.
Yeah? What then?
Okay. Just sit down.
You were in Room 823 here
earlier this evening?
Yes, says who?
Look, if you give us
straight answers,
you're gonna be out making calls
before the sun rises. Okay?
I had a client there.
Said his name was Jeffrey.
Right. How long
were you with him?
He booked me for an hour.
Did he bring a friend? No.
Did you?
What are you talking about?
We found a whole pile of those
condom wrappers in his room.
Yeah, all his.
Guy was a regular p*rn star.
He said he'd been away, hadn't
had any in eight months.
Sol made him double up.
I thought I was done. He
made me stay for an encore.
And then? I left.
Something happen?
Yeah. He's dead.
Look, when I left,
he was happy and healthy.
He even rang me back to see if I wanted
to set something up for tomorrow.
You can check the time
on my phone.
I was on my way
to another appointment.
Officer Davies is gonna babysit you
while we check out your story.
Well, she did get
a phone call at 10:53.
But look at this area code,
88216.
Oh, that's a satellite phone. You can
use those anywhere in the world.
This guy Pope was out of the
country for eight months.
I'd like to know
what that was all about.
Let's call his phone.
I don't know nobody
named Jeffrey Pope.
So what were you doing
with his phone?
I found it in the garbage.
You know how many times
we've heard that one?
No. I saw this guy open his
trunk and throw something away.
I went there by the trashcan and
this phone was down in there.
Why did you hold on to it?
You know what it costs
to call the Ukraine?
Where were you
last night at 11:25?
My shift here started at 8:00. You
can check with my supervisor.
Okay, the dude that dumped this
phone, what did he look like?
I didn't get a good look.
White, six foot.
How old?
It was dark. He could have
been 20, could have been 60.
Look, he got back into his car
and drove right into the tunnel.
Okay. Fine.
What did the car look like?
Let me see, dark red,
a piece of junk.
What do you mean, a piece of junk?
It was old.
One of his headlights
was not working.
Where's the trashcan?
It's right over there.
But sanitation was by
about half an hour ago.
We tracked down
that garbage truck
and we have got a detail from the
police academy going through the bags.
How'd you swing that, Fontana?
Somebody owed me a favor.
Anything from Ballistics?
Yeah. The slugs are 9mms.
An a*t*matic. And the sh**t
cleaned up after himself.
Yeah, and he took
all of Pope's lD's.
I guess he's trying to
slow us down.
How about next of kin?
Well, according to the police
department in South Carolina,
he moved out of that address on
his driver's license years ago.
Did they speak to the neighbors?
Yeah. They said
he kept to himself,
and they don't know
of any family.
Hey. Pope's satellite phone is
from a network based in Dubai.
These phones are only available in
southwest Asia and northern Africa.
Check all the flights that
came from the Middle East.
Rivera's doing that.
Iran his prints.
He was honorably discharged
from the navy two years ago.
Ex-m*llitary, overseas.
And he played football
for SUNY Maritime.
Well, maybe they still
have a local contact.
Jeffrey was here '88 to '92.
An average student, a better
than average quarterback.
Is this is him?
Oh. He looks a little older
than I remember him.
Did he join the navy
right after he graduated?
He qualified for the SEALS. That's
a pretty big deal around here.
Most of our students
go to the Coast Guard
or they choose careers at sea
in the private sector.
Is there some kind of problem?
He was found dead in a
hotel room a few days ago.
Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.
In New York? Yes, sir.
Our athletic director just got a
postcard from him a few months ago.
He'd left the service.
He was with a private
security company over there.
Um, Diamond something.
Hey, if you worked here, would you
want me telling your life story
to whoever walks in that door?
Hey, man. Look, here. Pope's
life story ended last night.
I don't think so. Someone would
have given me a phone call.
From where?
Damn it!
Can you not take a hint?
Well, here's a hint
for you, Johnny.
You can either answer our questions
here or downtown, chained to a wall.
He was m*rder*d in New York at
the Wilton Hotel on 43rd Street.
That does not make any sense.
Yeah, that's him.
What does he do
for your company?
We have a security team that
works in the Sunni Triangle,
protecting high-risk
individuals and materials.
He was a mercenary.
Diamond River is
a private m*llitary firm.
One out of eight men or women
that's performing
mission-critical roles in Iraq
works for a PMF.
And we've had about
1000 casualties.
Is there anybody we can
talk to, besides you,
that knows what he was going
through over there recently?
There's a guy that
he worked with in Ramadi.
- He was here a few hours ago.
- Who?
Kevin Boatman. He came in here and quit.
He wanted his back pay.
Why'd he quit?
I don't know. Maybe he
needed a change of scenery.
L think he had
some problems with Pope.
What do you mean problems?
There was an incident a
couple months ago, a roadside b*mb.
Two of Pope's guys got k*lled.
Boatman got out of harm's way, but I
have heard there were hard feelings.
Do you know where
Boatman's staying?
Boatman is flying back
to Jordan tonight.
Said he took a job with
one of our competitors.
He's on the 8:00 out of JFK.
Boatman check any bags?
All he had was his carry-on.
Mr. Boatman? Boatman?
Yeah.
Can you step out of the
line, please, sir? Why?
We got some questions
we'd like to ask you.
My plane leaves in 20 minutes.
Well, you'll have to take
the next one. Come on.
You want to let go of my arm?
Yeah, sure.
Have a seat.
What were you doing
in New York, Mr. Boatman?
I work private security.
In Iraq.
That's right. I came over here to
catch on with a different company.
You had to travel 7,000 miles
to do that?
Yeah.
Why'd you make the switch?
Better pay. Better hours. Same
reasons you guys change departments.
We heard you were having problems
with your supervisor, Jeffrey Pope.
Why don't you get to the point?
All right. We also heard about
the ambush you were involved in.
That's no big secret.
Then you wouldn't mind
filling us in on the details.
We got ticketed to guard a
truck from Ramadi to Baghdad.
I'm in the rear SUV
with our interpreter.
Jamie Cortez and Nick Howell
are in the lead.
About two miles out of town,
Nick hit a roadside b*mb.
Next thing you know,
a dozen Ali Babas
are coming
over the berm with AK's.
My vehicle and the client vehicle
hauled ass out of there.
You left your friends behind?
That or wind up dead like them.
You blame Pope
for getting your pals k*lled?
Something happen to Pope?
Is that what this is about?
Your passport has you and Pope
leaving Amman a day apart.
Pope was screwing some guy's
wife in South Carolina.
That's who I'd be looking at.
Where were you
at 11:30 last night?
He said this guy
threatened to k*ll him.
So I'm going to see if I can
catch my connection to Jordan.
Sit down!
What are the charges?
Fragging your boss. Sit down.
Boatman flies in
from Iraq on Pope's heels.
Now Pope's dead and Boatman's
trying to leave town.
What's the motive?
To avenge his dead friends
at the Diamond River Group.
So, he's here less than one day
and comes up
with a car and a g*n?
- He must've had some help.
- Who?
We got nothing
on the security video.
We got a vague description
of a single suspect,
driving a red car
with one headlight.
TSA did find a business card
in Boatman's luggage.
It's some lawyer in Midtown.
That's our next stop.
Well, where's Boatman?
They're holding onto him
pending a background check.
So you called in
another favor, Fontana?
Look, if we cut him loose, he'll be on
a plane before our coffee gets cold.
All this stuff
is starting to add up.
Twenty-four hours.
I had no idea Boatman
was in town.
You didn't see him
while he was here?
No.
What would he be doing
with your business card?
Come on, guys.
Mrs. Rosen, what kind of work
do you do here at this firm?
Civil litigation, personal
injury, industrial accidents...
The only accident we heard Boatman
was involved in happened in Iraq.
Do you know a man
named Jeffrey Pope?
He was found m*rder*d
a few nights ago.
You're serious?
Oh, we're very serious.
I contacted Boatman in Iraq because
he was a potential witness.
I was looking into this on
behalf of one of the families
of the men who were k*lled,
the Howell family.
Who are they going after?
Pope.
And the Diamond River Group.
Because the insurgents
k*lled their son?
Not just k*lled.
They beheaded him.
That's awful, but can they
actually sue them for that?
This isn't the army. The company sent
its employees on a su1c1de mission.
When Nick d*ed over there, nobody
would even answer our questions.
If he would have
still been in the service,
it would be in the paper.
They probably would have
had a parade for him in town.
But from these
Diamond River people, nothing.
That's why we went
to see Mrs. Rosen.
We thought she could get to
the bottom of what happened.
No disrespect intended, but weren't
you looking to collect damages?
We're not doing so good.
The only reason Nick took
the job with that company
was so he could
help get us out of debt.
For your medical expenses?
I have MS.
Vernon had to switch
to part-time at the plant
so he could look after me.
My kid is risking
his life in Iraq,
and they're trying to take away our house
'cause we got no health insurance.
Did Nick ever mention
his supervisor, Jeffrey Pope?
Pope, yeah. I think he
talked to Robbie about him.
Said he was a real idiot.
Who's Robbie?
Our other boy.
Nick's little brother.
He lives two blocks from here.
Nick used to live there, too.
Do you know if Robbie's home?
I'm pretty sure he's at work.
He's a stock boy
at Better Foods on Route 27.
The last thing my parents need are
people coming around, asking about Nick.
We're trying to
get over what happened.
You don't support your parents'
lawsuit against Diamond River?
What lawsuit? The lawyer said
we probably couldn't touch 'em
'cause it happened in Iraq.
Somebody dropped some salad dressing in
aisle five. Bob wants you to clean it up.
Hey, listen. Your father said that you
and Nick would talk about Jeffrey Pope.
Yeah, what about him?
He doesn't sound
like your favorite person.
Two things I know about Pope.
Nick worked for him, and Nick's
head came home in a box.
We're sorry that happened.
So, yeah, I'd love to hear what
Pope has to say about that.
Where were you Tuesday night?
My shift ends at 8:00.
Then I went home.
Alone?
Yeah.
What kind of car do you drive?
Jeep Cherokee.
How about your brother?
Did he keep a car around?
I gotta go clean up that mess.
Hey, look. We can
always do a DMV check
if you're not gonna
give us a straight answer.
Nick used my mom's old Honda.
What color?
Maroon.
Where's it at?
My parents' garage.
Thank you.
You know, I don't understand what
this has to do with Diamond River.
We just wanna take a quick
look at your wife's car.
Well, there it is.
Hey, do you mind
if I turn it on?
I guess it's all right.
Who has access to this car, Mr.
Howell?
Robbie uses it sometimes. Why?
Thank you, Mr. Howell.
Hold on.
It's a 9mm shell casing.
From a g*n?
We're going to have to
have a talk with your son.
I don't know
where that shell came from.
Yeah, well, you're screwed,
because it matches the slugs
we found in
Jeffrey Pope's chest.
Look, Robbie.
I was in Vietnam, okay?
I lost a lot of
good buddies over there
because some prep boy captain didn't
know his Johnson bar from his elbow.
So for you to lose a brother like
that, man, that's gotta be rough.
Come on, man.
Don't baby his ass.
He k*lled Pope
because he wanted revenge.
Now, he's gonna sit here
like a little coward?
Now, wait a minute. You don't
think he deserved revenge?
Pope got this kid's brother's head
chopped off, for crying out loud.
And there isn't a jury in the
world that would convict him.
Yeah, he's noble.
He's not even standing up and taking
responsibility for it, like a man.
Look, Robbie, you gotta get out
in front of this thing right now.
I'm telling you,
it's your only sh*t.
I don't know.
Come on, man.
Let's just give this to the D.A.
We already know that
he got that headlight fixed
the next morning
at the Route 27 Exxon.
And we have a witness that saw
you dump Pope's cell phone
near the Midtown Tunnel.
He couldn't have seen me.
Why not?
'Cause I wasn't there.
See what I'm saying, man?
Kevin took the Honda that night.
Wait a second. Kevin. Kevin who?
Kevin. Boatman.
I picked him up at the airport.
He stayed in
Nick's room that night.
He wanted a car
to drive to the city.
Did you go with him?
No, I swear I didn't.
Where'd he get the g*n?
It was Nick's.
Did you give it to him?
Yeah.
So you knew that that was gonna
lead to trouble, didn't you?
I don't know. I guess.
Why did you go along with it?
Well, I told Kevin the lawyer didn't
think she could help my mom and dad,
and Kevin said
that wasn't right,
that somebody should pay
for what happened to Nick.
Pay? Pay how?
Well, if Pope wouldn't
help us with our lawsuit,
Kevin was gonna get justice,
one way or the other.
Wait a minute.
How did you come to blame Pope
for what happened
to your brother, anyway?
Kevin said they told Pope
the road was too hot that day,
that they were gonna get hit.
Pope didn't care.
He said they had a contract,
that the reason they got a fat
paycheck was to take risks.
And my brother...
After they blew up
my brother's truck,
Kevin radioed Pope for help.
But Pope wouldn't send
the rest of the team.
He left Nick out there
for those animals.
Danielle Melnick for Mr. Howell and Mr.
Boatman.
You gentlemen are aware that
you're entitled to separate counsel?
Yes. Yes.
I'll make further inquiry on
this after they're arraigned.
How do they plead, Ms. Melnick?
Not guilty, Judge.
People on bail?
Mr. Boatman, the gunman,
was apprehended
attempting to board
an international flight.
He had a job to
get to, Your Honor.
We obtained admissions implicating
both defendants from Robbie Howell.
What were their
motives, Ms. Borgia?
They held the victim responsible
for Nick Howell's death in Iraq.
He was fighting over there?
Not exactly.
He was k*lled during an ambush
while he worked for a private militia
called the Diamond River Group.
They're the real criminals!
They got my son k*lled!
Who is that?
My client's father, Your Honor.
Another outburst like that, and
he'll be on this side of the bar.
He's upset that his son d*ed due
to this company's incompetence.
Save it for trial, Ms. Melnick.
I'm remanding Boatman.
Bail for Robbie Howell will be
set at $1 million, cash or bond.
Melnick must have an agenda.
She seemed all worked up about
the Diamond River Group.
One of the defendants
and the victim
both worked for the same company.
What's her angle?
She'll say Nick Howell's
a victim, too.
And Pope's death is collateral
damage from private armies
fighfing in an undermanned,
unpopular w*r.
A run at jury nullification,
and a pretty weak one,
if you ask me.
Melnick's got a press conference
scheduled today at 3:00.
The beginning of her campaign to
work the media and the jury pool.
Blue city. Blue state.
It could have some traction.
Well, let's don't go paws up
because some self-serving defense
lawyer wants to hop on a soapbox.
You just couldn't lay off
this one, could you, Danielle?
How could I, Jack?
They've outsourced an
ill-advised, mismanaged w*r.
And now, it's spilled over
into New York City.
We're looking at
a much smaller picture.
The Howell family's
been through a lot.
We're prepared to offer Mr.
Howell some consideration.
Really?
Becoming a softie
in your old age, Jack?
I could be convinced that he wasn't fully
aware of Mr. Boatman's intentions.
You want his testimony.
That's right.
Does he want to deal or not?
No can do.
Don't you think there's a problem
representing both defendants?
No. They waived the conflict.
That wasn't a problem for you.
Jack, if I thought for a minute that Mr.
Howell wanted any plea bargain,
I would withdraw as his counsel.
We're offering you a plea
to manslaughter. Ten years.
Because I tried to
help my parents?
You were looking
for revenge, Mr. Howell.
When they hear about my brother at
the trial, they're gonna let me go.
I trust Ms. Melnick has told
you that what happened in Iraq
has no bearing
on this m*rder case.
It may not even
come into evidence.
And there's where we
part company, Jack.
My motion to enter
video evidence.
Video of what?
Of Nick Howell's ambush and
beheading in Ramadi, Iraq.
First problem with this video, Your Honor,
is that it lacks proper authentication.
We have no reason to believe that
it is what it purports to be.
Where'd you get it, Ms. Melnick?
It was first posted on a
jihadist website, Your Honor.
Exactly. For all we know,
it was staged.
It was then delivered to the
al-Jazeera television network,
which confirmed the details
through eyewitness accounts
and found it trustworthy
enough to broadcast.
Al-Jazeera. In any case,
what happened to Nick Howell in Iraq
is irrelevant to Mr. Pope's m*rder.
Irrelevant? It provides the
context for this case!
So Ms. Melnick is conceding
her clients' culpability?
No.
In which case, the only rationale
for this brutal piece of footage
is to manipulate
the jury into an acquittal.
Judge Fischer, this ambush
demonstrates that Jeffrey Pope
was an incompetent cowboy.
He cultivated a long list of enemies
who may have committed this crime.
You can establish that through the testimony
of your clients without the video.
That's Fifth Amendment
blackmail, Counselor.
This video is the fullest, most objective
rendition of what occurred, Your Honor.
Hard to argue with that,
Mr. McCoy.
I cannot believe you would even contemplate
screening a beheading for a jury.
It's off-the-charts
inflammatory.
Yes, it is. So here's
what we're going to do.
The defense may introduce
the video of the ambush,
subject to a proper foundation,
up to the point of the beheading.
In fact, Ms. Melnick, I want
the video clip pre-edited
so there'll be no slipups
in the courtroom.
Mr. Howell, you testified
that your older son, Nick,
returned to Iraq to work for
a private m*llitary company?
Right. The Diamond River Group.
And does he still
work for this company?
Nick was k*lled over there
this past September.
Do you know how
he was k*lled, sir?
On a job for Diamond River.
They hit a b*mb
that was buried in the road.
I know this may be
difficult, Mr. Howell,
but I'm going to show you a
video and ask you to indicate
if and when
you see your son Nick. Okay?
Nick!
That's Nick.
Sir? Let him go.
Look, I know the video
was disturbing,
but we've gotta make sure that this case
doesn't turn into a colloquy on Iraq.
Easier said than done, Arthur. Danielle
put up a very effective smoke screen.
The jury saw young Americans
dying in combat.
Private contractors who knowingly
took on a dangerous job.
Trust me. The jurors weren't
making those kind of distinctions.
These are images of American soldiers
the public isn't used to seeing.
Images that have little if anything to
do with the crime you're prosecuting.
- It was a cheap sh*t.
- Agreed.
But we knew it was
gonna bring the w*r
home to that courtroom
like a ton of bricks.
And after being rocked by that,
the jury would be hard pressed not to feel
something for Boatman and Robbie Howell.
If you can't fight the message,
go against the messenger.
You can expose Danielle Melnick
for the opportunist that she is.
Or do you have
a problem with that?
Of course not.
We're getting
a little ahead of ourselves.
The defense still has another
witness, Kevin Boatman.
Why put on
one of the defendants?
To dish more dirt
on the Diamond River Group?
Or Danielle's got something
else up her sleeve.
Pope's escort job
was bad enough,
and then he told us
what was in the truck.
And what was that, Mr. Boatman?
Files from the Republican Guard.
They were sending them to
the tribunal in Baghdad
to be used in
the w*r crimes trials.
And why did Diamond River get this
assignment instead of the m*llitary?
Well, the private providers are
superior to the reserve troops
we have stationed over there.
That's why the Defense
Department hires them
to protect key installations
and individuals.
And what, if anything,
did you say to Mr. Pope
about this escort that we
saw today on the video?
Me and Nick
went into his trailer
and told him he was crazy
to send us out.
We needed to scout
and sweep the route first,
send a decoy through, with five times
the personnel supporting the job.
And how did he respond to that?
He started screaming.
Don't tell him
how to do his job.
Which, in effect, you were.
He wasn't the one
going out there with us.
When your boss tries to send
you on a su1c1de mission,
you gotta speak up.
And was this the first time that Mr.
Pope did anything like this?
No, he was always
cutting corners.
He put every man who worked for him
at risk at one point or another.
Everybody hated his guts.
So what happened when you complained
about this particular assignment?
Pope said that we made more
money than Bush and Cheney.
Told us to shut up
and do our effin' jobs.
And did you?
I was in the trailing SUV
in the video.
Mr. Boatman,
can you describe to us
what happened to your colleagues
as a result of this att*ck?
Jamie Cortez
d*ed in the expl*si*n.
Nick, well you saw him
get captured.
We went back there the same day,
and all we found was Nick's head.
And were there any consequences to Mr.
Pope for sending you into this ambush?
From who? He's not in the m*llitary,
so he can't be court-martialed.
He can't be tried in
a court of law anywhere.
The private companies
can do anything to anyone.
There's no accountability.
Thank you.
So you decided to be judge
and jury and execute him?
It wasn't me.
So you deny that you followed Mr.
Pope here from Iraq?
I came here to see Robbie,
my dead friend's brother.
And you deny borrowing
Nick Howell's car and g*n?
That's right.
Didn't you just testify to a litany of
reasons you had to k*ll Jeffrey Pope?
Reasons he screwed up.
Motives for m*rder, Mr.
Boatman? For revenge?
Those are your words.
So you're asking
this jury to believe
that all these events
you so meticulously recounted,
all this evidence that lines up against
you is just pure happenstance?
Objection. Argumentative.
Sustained.
If you didn't trust your supervisor,
why didn't you just quit?
Because I wanted to
serve my country.
I wanted to finish
what we started over there.
But you left the m*llitary for a
hefty salary and benefits package?
I still put my ass on the line every day.
For you. For all of you.
So, was k*lling Jeffrey Pope
part of the mission?
How dare you stand there in your
safe little job and judge me.
You'll be judged because you tracked
down Pope and m*rder*d him.
Objection!
You want to know why
I followed Pope here?
You wanted to avenge
your friend's death?
He was selling an Iraqi
prisoner for ransom!
That's what Pope
was doing here in New York.
Him and his friends caught some
high-level insurgent t*rror1st,
and they weren't
giving him over to our guys.
They were offering him to the
Israelis for $15 million.
Boatman claims DRG's hostage
is a man named Abu Zayeed.
He's a Jordanian t*rror1st
who's been working with the
insurgency for the last two years.
Any chance
he's telling the truth?
Well, he's mentioned
in various news reports
as a high-value
coalition target.
Why did Melnick wait so long
to spring this on you?
For maximum impact
in a courtroom?
Maybe Boatman never told her.
Call the FBI,
I want them to check this out.
Because we believe Boatman?
Because if this information turns out
to be accurate, we can't afford not to.
Zayeed's a Palestinian who grew up in the
Baqa'a refugee camps north of Amman.
He wrangled a handful of
su1c1de operations
on the West Bank
during the Second Intifada.
The Israelis say he's responsible
for at least two dozen fatalities
before he turned
his attention to Iraq.
How do we know Boatman's
talking about the same man?
Or that Pope's colleagues
even have him?
That's why I asked
Ms. Melnick to join us.
I take it your client mentioned
this when he retained you?
That's none of your business.
Well, your résumé
speaks for itself.
Meaning?
This wouldn't the first time you've
crossed paths with an individual
who's of interest to the Bureau.
That's my job, Agent Guardino.
Now I came here in good faith.
You want to hear more or not?
Good.
Boatman says this DRG team
was sent to escort an Iraqi
politician to a routine meeting.
They were given
the wrong address.
And that's when
they stumbled on Zayeed.
They recognized him,
took him into custody.
Where is he now?
Boatman claims DRG has a secret detention
facility in a remote location.
Is that possible?
It wouldn't be the first PMF to
have a private jail over there.
How'd they plan
to ransom Zayeed?
They put out feelers to a Mossad
contact here in New York.
Was the home office
of Diamond River involved?
No. Just these
renegades in Ramadi.
They thought they could make
this one deal and cash out.
Pope was sent here
to get a down payment.
My client thought this was an
outrage, so he came here to stop it.
Instead of informing
someone in authority?
I'm not vouching
for his methodology, Jack.
You want Zayeed or not?
We'll check this out.
If they have him, we want him.
What's on your mind that couldn't
wait till tomorrow, Jack?
I thought we could at least
exchange some pleasantries first.
Scotch on the rocks, please.
Okay. Let's start with whether you
engineered this Zayeed revelation.
After everything
we've been through together,
you think I'd
do this to you, Jack?
Well, I didn't.
Even if you're
telling me the truth,
I still think
you're playing with fire.
What's my alternative? Sit
around and bitch about things?
We all need to
take a stand, Jack.
By putting your political
agenda before your clients?
I took on a dead case pro bone.
I can make my point, and possibly
get an acquittal in the bargain.
You've got
your priorities reversed.
Robbie Howell doesn't strike
me as a political activist.
Well, burying your brother's head
can change your perspective.
And for all we know, Boatman was
after his part of $15 million.
If he were,
which I highly doubt,
maybe it's because he's as
big a cynic as you are.
How so?
The w*r, Jack.
Who wins, who loses.
It's all about
a payday for somebody.
The Diamond River Group,
Halliburton.
At the end of the day, Zayeed,
he's just a commodity.
He's a means to an end
for whomever's got him.
So this is
your mission statement?
You're the one who makes this
all about the money.
And if you're questioning
Boatman's motivation,
why aren't you
questioning this country's?
Do you think Melnick set
us up from the beginning?
She's being coy.
We'll never know.
Well, if this Abu Zayeed thing pans
out, it plays right into her hands.
Out of control private soldiers
undermining our troops.
If the jury gets lost in politics
instead of listening to facts.
Boatman's denials were about
as transparent as they come.
Maybe that's why he panicked
and threw a Hail Mary.
I hope that's all it was.
Mr. McCoy, Mr. Branch wants
to see you in his office.
Jack,
this is General Clark Ronson.
Jack McCoy.
Pleasure.
I'm the DOD's point man
on this Abu Zayeed situation.
Defense thinks Boatman's story
is credible, Jack.
Our eyes and ears in Iraq have
confirmed most of his allegations.
Can I ask about the specifics?
Well, we've corroborated
a firefight at one of Zayeed's
reputed safe houses in Ramadi.
Witnesses then saw DRG personnel
leaving town with a prisoner.
And the Israelis?
We've got a bigger problem
than the Israelis.
We have three Marines
in the Sunni Triangle
who haven't returned
from a work detail.
We decoded Internet chatter that
indicates Zayeed's group has them.
We need Boatman's full cooperation
to help us find Zayeed.
Who presumably has no idea
where these three Marines are,
nor any reason
to tell us if he did.
Well, that's what
interrogations are for.
Which means you need to make
a deal with Boatman, today.
Not all of this
is under my control.
Well, do what you have to do.
There are
American lives at stake.
We need this guy
to spill his guts.
You dismiss the indictment, my
client cooperates with the Pentagon.
He doesn't get a walk on a m*rder.
I'll offer man one.
You have no leverage, Jack.
My leverage is saying no.
And you'd compromise
what we've been doing in Iraq
for the past three years.
Don't wave the flag
in my face, Mr. Boatman.
If you were the patriot
you claim to be,
Abu Zayeed would be in an
American stockade right now.
And Jeffrey Pope
would still be alive.
So let's put our cards
on the table.
I think you went after Pope because
you wanted a piece for yourself.
You're dead wrong.
Then prove it.
How am I gonna do that?
Give the Department of Defense
whatever they need to get Zayeed.
That way, I'll know
that your real concerns
are for the safety and welfare of your
country and for the people of Iraq.
Then we make a deal. No, no, no.
What's the problem?
You're in checkmate, Jack.
We're not going back
three moves for a do-over.
This is the only way
this is going to fly.
Really? Ls that your position?
Then this meeting is over.
Come on, Mr. Boatman.
Why don't we have a deal?
I tried, Arthur.
They wanted a dismissal.
I'm not sure
we have any other options.
You know, there's another way
of looking at this, Arthur.
We represent the people of
New York, not the Pentagon.
This would mean that a m*rder*r
walks out our front door.
A New Yorker has
just as much at stake
in three Marines who might be
saved as any other American.
Maybe. Boatman's value is premised
on a handful of rosy suppositions.
We know he committed
a cold-blooded m*rder.
And this office will,
on occasion,
deal with a m*rder*r if he
has critical information.
Yeah. But we always get the milk
before we hand over the cow.
I know that.
Your call.
I don't think I have any choice.
Your Honor, at this time,
the People move to dismiss
the m*rder indictment
against Kevin Boatman.
Mr. Boatman is discharged.
And as to
Robbie Howell, Mr. McCoy?
We're prepared to
proceed to verdict.
Summation and charge
tomorrow, 10:00 a.m.
Hey. Let me get this straight.
Boatman gets a pass, and Robbie
still goes up for m*rder.
I'm not happy about it either, Mr.
Howell.
But some things
are beyond my control.
What, like justice?
Please, you're an important man.
You gotta help me
understand this.
They offered Boatman a deal because
he could help our w*r effort.
But my son Nick,
he fought over there, too.
What do I have to show for it?
One dead son, one in jail.
Both my boys, all they ever wanted
was to be hardworking Americans.
It doesn't make any sense.
I don't even know what country
I'm living in anymore.
Let me see
what I can do, Mr. Howell.
Well, why can't you just dismiss
the case against me, too?
You don't deserve
a walk, Mr. Howell.
But Boatman gets one.
That was due to
extraordinary circumstances.
Yeah, he had a t*rror1st to trade.
And what do I got?
We wanna help you.
We can make you a good deal.
Attempted manslaughter.
Jail time?
Five years.
Oh, please.
Boatman sh*t him, not me.
With your invaluable
assistance and your blessing.
My mom isn't gonna
make it five years.
I'm sorry,
that's as low as we can go.
Well, it's five years too high.
Your case has fallen apart, Jack.
He'd be foolish to assume that.
Do you remember the way the
jury reacted to that video?
Robbie, jury's are unpredictable.
It's a huge risk.
They're just trying to
save face here, Robbie.
Salvage one guilty plea
out of this travesty.
Enough grandstanding, Danielle.
It's time to stop using your
clients to play provocateur.
This man should have had
his own lawyer from day one.
Don't tell me
how to do my job, Jack!
Then gamble on your own dime!
Who gives a damn
what you think anyway?
Robbie, listen to me.
Robbie, look at me.
Thisjury, in this political climate,
is not going to convict you
after what Pope did
to your brother.
That is the most irresponsible
statement you have ever made.
Who's going to do the 15-to-life
if she's wrong, Mr. Howell?
And how could you ever look his parents
in the eyes if a jury finds him guilty?
Five years the best you can do?
That's right, Mr. Howell.
I'll take it.
They got Zayeed.
Where?
The ex-employees
of the Diamond River Group
were holed up
with him in a warehouse
about 30 miles from where
Boatman said they'd be.
What about the three Marines?
They got lost in the desert.
Showed up tired and hungry
a few hours ago.
So much for intelligence.
Well, you gotta do
the best you can
with what you got
at the time, Jack.
There was a greater good here.
And we bought into it lock,
stock and barrel.
16x17 - America, Inc.
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Detectives and prosecutors work to solve crimes and convict perpetrators.
Detectives and prosecutors work to solve crimes and convict perpetrators.