22x07 - Only the Lonely

[bunniefuu]

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.

- Mr. Zanford! Mr. Zanford!
- How do you feel about

your wife serving you
with divorce papers

on the floor of the stock
exchange this morning?

Blindsided. How the hell would you feel?

Um, excuse me! I have one more question.

- Do you have a minute?
- Toxicity and negativity

are contrary to everything Mark Zanford

has spent the last years building.

His app, Connectivity, promotes healthy,

positive connections, and so does Mark.

Will your personal problems
impact the company?

Do you think that's why
the stock price is off %?

Mark's wife tried
to ruin his moment in the sun.

That alone should tell you
what kind of a woman she is.

This whole nightmare is your fault.

I'm not the one shagging
a -year-old yoga teacher.

Just do your job.

[EXHALES]

DOA is Dana Clarkson.

years old, single, no kids.

Lives on Central Park West.

Possible strangulation.

[WHISTLES, SIGHS]

Bruises on her face,
abrasions on her hands.

She put up a fight.

Have the MLI bag her hands
and get a sexual as*ault kit.

You get a time of death?

MLI puts it at some time
between : and midnight last night.

Witnesses?

Woman who runs
the laundromat called it in.

Found the body on the stairs
when she came to open up.

How about cameras?

Nothing so far.

She's still got
her credit cards and cash.

Her phone is missing,

assuming she had one with her,
of course.

Found this on the ground.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Connectivity.

Must have been at some sort of event.

Looks like she was a crisis consultant.

Yeah, well, some things aren't fixable.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Dana Clarkson
was at your event last night.

That's correct.

What were you two arguing about?

Arguing?

This whole nightmare is your fault.

I'm not the one shagging
a -year-old yoga teacher.

I was venting.

Half of Dana's job is putting up

with loudmouthed alphas like me.

Where did you and Ms. Clarkson go

after you got in the car?

I went to my apartment.

Dana was supposed to go to hers.

- Supposed to?
- Yeah.

She got a text.

Uh, made her really mad,

and she asked my driver to pull over.

And she got out of the car.

Can you think of anyone
who didn't like Dana?

Yeah, lots of people.

She had sharp elbows.

That's why I hired her.

Did any of those people
show up to your IPO party?

My crazy soon-to-be ex-wife
tried to crash the event.

What, Dana got involved in that?

She did, yeah, she called security,
had them toss her out.

That's what a crisis manager does.

Then my wife went crazy.

Started swearing at Dana.

She threw a glass at her.

And she threatened to k*ll her.

She blames Dana for ruining her career.

Did she?

I didn't pay Dana grand for nothing.

Hey, I just got off the phone
with the medical examiner.

Cause of death
was mechanical asphyxiation.

She thinks the k*ller
may have used some kind

of soft piece of clothing.

They found some blue
and white and maroon fibers

- on her throat.
- Necktie?

They think it's a scarf.
Forensics shows some kind

- of high-end mulberry silk.
- DNA?

Yeah, they found some skin cells
underneath the victim's fingernails,

so we're just waiting
on the results now.

Well, it wasn't Zanford.
The driver backs up his story.

Does the driver know why Dana got out
of the car so suddenly?

Nah, he just pulled over
and she just hopped out.

What about Zanford's wife?

She's bitter as hell, that's for sure.

Her social media is a...
Practically a tribute

to her hatred of Dana Clarkson.

Yeah, and she doesn't just
talk the talk.

There's v*olence in her past.

Last year she was accused
of assaulting her assistant.

Well, last night
she was assaulting martinis.

This is her at the Lava Club.

Is that in Midtown?

East rd.

Not far from the m*rder scene.

Yeah, and I bet
she owns a few silk scarves.

Let's find out where she lives,
get a search warrant.

Why is the story
of a crazy woman so compelling?

Pretty simple... you threatened
to k*ll Dana Clarkson

a few hours before she was k*lled.

Okay, do you know
how many people hated Dana?

So you admit, you hated her?

Yes, definitely.

She planted fake stories
about me having affairs,

being an alcoholic.

Last night she paid a photographer

to trip me outside of some club

just to make me look like
a drunken fool.

- What do you got?
- Ms. Zanford...

You wanna explain this?

[TENSE MUSIC]

Um...

[HANDCUFFS CLINKING] It's...

it's... it's not...
It's not what you think.

Well, I think you're under arrest

for the m*rder of Dana Clarkson.

Like I keep telling you,
I didn't k*ll her.

The shirt is being tested for DNA.

When the blood comes back
as Dana Clarkson's,

the time for explanations will be over.

Now is your chance to get out
in front of this.

Uh, blood on that shirt isn't Dana's.

It's mine.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

You self-harm?

Yes.

I started when I was a teenager and...

then when Mark and I separated,

people started attacking me online.

I just felt very alone.

♪ ♪

Uh, forensics. Not a match.

You're free to go, ma'am.

Officer Preston's gonna show you out.

The skin cells found under
the victim's fingernails

weren't a match.

The DNA belongs to a man, so...

So we're looking for a man
with no criminal record.

Mostly likely someone
with a personal grudge

- against the vic.
- That's right.

So we're gonna keep digging.

We're gonna look into her personal life,
into her professional life.

Someone with a job like that is
bound to have a lot of enemies.

♪ ♪

Dana was a never-let-'em-see-you-sweat

kind of woman.

Came from nothing,
grew up in rural West Virginia.

Her father was a coal miner.

She worked like hell
to build her firm, her life.

The day of the m*rder,
anything out of the ordinary happen?

She had a lunch with someone.

The name wasn't on her calendar,
which was weird.

Well, everybody's got secrets.

When she came back from lunch,

she asked for the nonemergency number
for the local police precinct.

Where was this lunch?

I'll get that for you.

I just... [SIGHS]

I... I can't believe Dana's dead.

How'd you know her?

Well, we've been friends
for, like, years,

since college.

We get together ever time
I'm in the city.

I... I live in Zurich full-time.

But she is...

Was an amazing woman.

I always told her, if I weren't gay,

I'd have proposed years ago.

[CHUCKLES]

Did anything happen during lunch,

something that would upset her
enough to call the police?

Dana was worried about
this ex-boyfriend.

Was he harassing her?

More like stalking.

I mean, he reappeared
in her life a few months ago.

And she told him, like,
"Leave me alone,"

but he wouldn't let it go.

She was terrified.

Was he ever violent with her?

Yeah, when they were together,

she ended up in the emergency room.

I mean, at least once.

Maybe twice.

You got this guy's name?

Dana and I had dated a few years ago,

even lived together, on paper at least.

What does that mean?

She wasn't ready for real intimacy.

- She broke it off?
- It... it was amicable.

- We wanted different things.
- Amicable?

We checked her hospital records.

She was admitted to the ER
at least twice

while you guys were dating.

One for a cut above her eye,
and the other for a broken wrist, so...

What the hell are you trying
to say, that I had something

to do with that?

- Correct.
- Well, you're wrong.

Maybe.

Just have a few more questions
and we'll be out of your hair.

When's the last time you spoke to Dana?

A while back.

At the height of the pandemic,
she reached out.

- Why is that?
- She was lonely.

That was the last time we spoke.

Yeah, we're not buying a word
of this nonsense.

Phone records show that you
and Dana exchanged phone calls

as recently as three days ago.

Excuse me.

Oh, sorry.

- What's going on?
- It's all right, honey.

These men are just leaving.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Well, he's lying through his teeth.

Yeah, we got enough
for a search warrant.

Let's get patrol
to come seal off the location.

Whoa, whoa. Hold up.

What you got?

♪ ♪

Does that look like silk to you?

Maroon, blue, and white
like the ME said.

Uh-huh.

What are you still doing here?

Sir, you mind stepping outside?

Just step outside.

Let's go.

We need to talk to you
down at the precinct.

♪ ♪

I've never seen that scarf before.

We found it in your trash.

I didn't k*ll Dana.

I would never do something
like that, ever!

So why did you lie to us

about being on the phone
with her recently?

We have the phone records.

I just got married.

I didn't want my wife to find out.

She gets jealous of ex-girlfriends,

especially Dana.

Still doesn't explain why

you were on the phone
with Dana recently.

She was having money problems.

So she hit you up for money?

Yes, which was concerning

because she never asks for help.

She solves everyone else's
problems, you know?

So I knew that she was
in some real trouble.

Did you lend her any money?

No, I was trying to figure out a way

to broach the subject
with my wife, but...

That still does not explain the scarf,

the m*rder w*apon that we found
outside of your house.

If I really k*lled her with that scarf,

would I be stupid enough to just toss it

on the top of a damn trash bin?

Ay, forensics and the scarf came back.

So Dana Clarkson's DNA
and blood are all over it,

but no trace of Dr. Royce.

And his story about
Dana's financials checks out.

She was underwater.

Bank account was near zero,

mortgage was days delinquent,

and she owed over ,
in credit cards.

But she was successful, right?

I mean, she had a thriving business.

Sure looked that way.

So where'd all the money go?

She have an addiction?

dr*gs, gambling, private planes maybe?

No indication of anything like that,

but a few hours before the m*rder,

her credit card was frozen.

A dinner charge was declined
for , at Chez Roget.

Check out the time of the charge.

: p.m.

That is about the time
she was in Mark Zanford's car.

Cannot be in two places at once.

You better shine your shoes, fellas.

You're about to go to a restaurant

that charges $ , for dinner.

[WHISTLES]

No, she doesn't look familiar.

You remember a card being declined
for a $ , dinner?

I do, but it was a man using the card.

What was his name?

Uh, his name was Dana Clarkson.

If the card was declined,
who ended up paying the bill?

The woman he was with.

Can I have her name?

Our regulars rely on our discretion.

Yeah, we're homicide detectives,
not gossip columnists.

Grace Pollard.

The lawyer?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Huh.

I know who she is.

♪ ♪

Two nights ago,
you had dinner at Chez Roget.

Your companion's credit card
was declined,

and you ended up paying the bill.

Can you tell us who you were with?

Unfortunately, I can't even confirm
I was at that restaurant.

Miss Pollard, the man
you were having dinner with

tried to use the credit card of a woman

who was found strangled
and beaten to death

less than two hours later.

Are you asserting
attorney-client privilege?

I can neither affirm nor deny,

and if you don't have a warrant,

I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

♪ ♪

Why the hell would Grace Pollard

stonewall a homicide investigation?

Maybe she was with a client,
trying to protect him.

From what is the question.

We could get a subpoena, force
her to give it up in the grand jury.

No, no, she would rather go to jail
than break confidentiality.

Yeah, as long as the media
covers her story.

Hold on a second.
This woman has done a lot of good.

She's responsible for getting
date r*pe codified as a felony.

She's a pioneer.

She's been leading the charge for women

long before any of us even knew
about Me Too or Time's Up.

- Fair enough.
- No arguments. She's a boss.

- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey. I got something...

Security footage
from outside the restaurant

about minutes
after the card was declined.

Can you punch in on that face?

I can send it to FAS for facial rec.

Don't bother.

It's the guy who had lunch
with Dana Clarkson,

the college friend from Zurich.

Pierre Briones.

I'll check for an address.

Here he is, Pierre Briones.

Rents a townhouse on th and rd.

That's three blocks from the m*rder.

♪ ♪

This guy wasn't visiting from Zurich.
He lives here.

Hey, Detective, come look at this.

What you got?

Nice work.

Thank you.

Andrew Hilton.

Julian Matias.

Vincent Balanza.

Jeez.

Dana Clarkson's bank account info.

Bag all this.

This guy's got more passports
than James Bond.

He's got a pile of Dana Clarkson's

financial records,
credit card applications,

loan information, all in her name.

Wow, this guy's a real pro.

Yeah, he is.

[BOTH LAUGH]

[TENSE MUSIC]

Stop, police!

♪ ♪

- [CAR HORN HONKS]
- [GRUNTS]

Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?

♪ ♪

[CAR HORNS AND ALARMS BLARING]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[GROANS]

Pierre Briones, you're under arrest

for the m*rder of Dana Clarkson.

Too bad she's gone.

You could use a good crisis manager.

Calling docket ending in ,

People v. Pierre Briones,
also known as Julian Matias,

also known as Andrew Hilton,
also known as Vincent Balanza,

- also known as...
- What's his actual name?

The defendant's true name
is Devon Miller.

Mr. Miller pleads not guilty.

I assume the people are seeking remand?

He's the very definition
of a flight risk.

He has eight aliases
and nine dates of birth.

My client has never been
convicted of a crime.

In fact, he's never even been
arrested before.

I'll hear your argument, Ms. Maroun.

The people's theory
is that the defendant

romanced the victim, Dana Clarkson,

conned her out of almost $ / million,

and when she found out, he k*lled her.

The victim's body was found three blocks

from Mr. Miller's home.

He lied to police about both the nature

of their relationship
and his true identity,

and his DNA was found under
Ms. Clarkson's fingernails.

The DNA merely proves
there was physical contact

sometime that day.

And the prosecutor failed to mention

that the m*rder w*apon was
found at another man's home.

Sounds like the people have
their work cut out for them.

Bail is set at $ million.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Uh, one sec.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Yeah, I mean...

Mr. Miller will post bail forthwith.

He's got profiles on four dating sites

mostly catered to older,
affluent singles.

And the two women we know he's dated

are both sophisticated,
intelligent women.

It's not about intelligence.

He's an emotional predator.

Thank God I'm in a relationship.

Lucky you.

It's... it's hard meeting people
these days.

[CHUCKLES] Online dating is a nightmare.

That's how I met my partner.

It's a numbers game, but you
have to put yourself out there.

Oh, I put myself out there.

I met my first husband
the old-fashioned way,

drunk as hell at a biker bar in Queens.

And then my second husband
I met through mutual friends.

I'm single now.

I did get the Financial Frauds
report back,

and this guy has conned a slew of women.

He's run up their credit cards.

He persuaded them
to get car loans, mortgages,

to wire money into his account.

And judging by all the timing
of these transactions,

he's just using one woman
to pay for the next.

Wasn't he having dinner
with that lawyer Grace Pollard?

- Yeah.
- You think it was a date?

Possibly.

I mean, we tried to question her,

and she invoked
attorney-client privilege.

I followed up.
She refused to speak with me,

so I issued a subpoena,
but she got it quashed.

Look, we will get you a list
of all his other victims.

- Thank you.
- All right.

None of the victims
are willing to testify.

Subpoena them.

These women were conned,
but they're not stupid.

We force them on the stand,
they'll refuse

to admit they were duped.

The financial records will refute that.

We have documents.

We have evidence
that shows he has their money.

They'll call it a loan,
say they expect him to pay them back.

Good news is, we have a clear motive.

Dana Clarkson was planning
to expose Miller.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

What?

Miller just fired his lawyer.

He's gonna represent himself.

This is a thinly veiled attempt

to manipulate the process.

The defendant is trying
to create an appealable issue.

If he's convicted,
he'll ask for a new trial,

claiming ineffective counsel.

Also going pro se allows the defendant

to cross-examine
and intimidate our witnesses.

It also allows him
to speak directly to the jury

without being placed under oath
or being subject to cross-examination,

which means he can say whatever
he wants with no repercussions.

So what are you asking me to do?

To appoint stand-by counsel,
a lawyer who is required

to comply with the rules
of professional responsibility

who Ms. Maroun and I can confer with.

What do you say about that, Mr. Miller?

They can confer with me.

I am happy to confer.

And I should be able
to handle the rules of evidence

as I did graduate summa cum laude

from Harvard College, and then
I went to Columbia Law School,

so I should be fine.

He was expelled from Columbia
for cheating.

Excuse me. The Sixth Amendment

to the United States Constitution

affords me the right
to represent myself.

Okay, Mr. Miller.

I'm allowing your application.

You may act as your own lawyer.

Thank you, Your Honor.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

The defendant preyed on intelligent,

accomplished women,

women who worked hard
to earn their money,

but also their reputation.

And who would rather face financial ruin

than go public and report what
had happened to them.

But he underestimated Dana Clarkson,

a crisis manager who was
determined to expose him

and make him pay for what he had done.

On the day of the m*rder,

Ms. Clarkson met with the defendant

at Soho House for lunch,
demanding her money back.

He made empty promises to repay her,

but later that night,

when Ms. Clarkson discovered

that he was still using her credit card,

she went to his home to confront him.

And in response,

he savagely b*at

and strangled her to death.

Don't be fooled

by the defendant's charming demeanor.

After you've heard all the evidence,

you will learn
what Dana Clarkson learned

the hard way...

He's a con man.

And a cold-blooded k*ller.

Hi. Good morning.

[EXHALES]

I'm not a big-sh*t lawyer
like Mr. Price over there.

And I'm fighting for my life.

So please, I just ask,
be patient with me.

I loved Dana Clarkson.

I loved her. She was a beautiful person,

inside and out.

Brilliant. Talented.

So please, I just ask,
let's not speak of her

like she's some piece of evidence
in this sham of a trial.

Look, I didn't k*ll Dana.

I would never, ever hurt her.

Yes, I saw her the day she d*ed.

Lots of people saw her after our lunch.

Any one of them could have harmed her.

She spent the evening
with the notoriously volatile

tech mogul Mark Zanford.

Maybe he k*lled her.

Or it could have been
her abusive ex-boyfriend.

Police found the m*rder w*apon
at his home.

[LAUGHS]

But it's not my job
to figure out who k*lled Dana.

I have news for you:
it's not your job either.

You know whose job it is?

His.

The prosecutor's.

[TENSE MUSIC]

And you'll see he has
fabricated a case against me.

Mm.

A case full of gaping holes.

And in so doing,
he has deprived Dana Clarkson,

my Dana, of the justice
and respect she deserves.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

Mr. Price, you may call
your first witness.

People call Detective Jalen Shaw.

Objection.

What's the objection? [LAUGHS]
Witness hasn't even taken the stand yet.

Detective Shaw's testimony
should be excluded.

I was never advised
of my Miranda rights.

The time for a motion to
suppress hearing has long passed.

I agree

under normal circumstances.

But since Mr. Miller
is a pro se defendant,

I have no choice
but to allow some latitude.

I'm excusing the jury while
we hold an evidentiary hearing.

Thank you so much, Your Honor.

♪ ♪

Detective Cosgrove and I
spoke to Mr. Miller

for about minutes.

Can you characterize the conversation?

It was cordial.

The defendant lied to you.

He did.

He said his name was Pierre Briones,

that he lived in Zurich,

that he and Dana Clarkson
were old college friends,

and that he was gay.

Thank you. Nothing further.

There were two of you, yeah?

I was with my partner, correct.

Both of you were carrying
fully loaded a*t*matic handguns, yeah?

We were on duty.

You ambushed me.

You told me I wasn't free
to leave, didn't you?

Absolutely not.

No, no. I stood up.

I asked to consult with an attorney.
You told me to sit down,

that I wasn't "going anywhere"
till you were done.

That never happened.

You grilled me for over an hour.

If you're gonna let
the defendant testify,

can we at least place him under oath?

Sit down, Mr. Price.

You violated my rights
under Miranda v. Arizona.

Your Honor, I request that you
allow my application to suppress.

The burden falls on the prosecution.

You should have videotaped
the defendant's statement.

He wasn't even a suspect at the time.

I'm granting
the defendant's application.

Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you.

So you can't tell the jury about
Miller's lies to the detectives,

but you should be able
to prove your case.

Well, it's not just the lies.

He'll explain away the DNA
found under her nails

with a false claim
that she touched his arm

earlier in the day.

And we don't have any other women

to show that he has a pattern of fraud.

You're telling me if the case were to go
to the jury today, you'd lose?

We might not even make it over the rail.

Judge could dismiss it outright
for lack of evidence.

Sounds like
he's playing the judge and jury

the way he played your victim.

Just about sums it up.

And if he's acquitted,
he'll be right back at it.

You need to pivot.

Link Miller to the m*rder w*apon.

- Put the scarf in his hands.
- Tried.

No one saw him plant it.

We checked surveillance video,

subpoenaed GPS in his car and phone.

Focus on the scarf, not the defendant.

If the fabric is as rare and expensive

as forensics indicate,

only a handful of stores sell it.

Find out where he bought it.

Men like Miller don't buy
their own luxury items.

Then track down whoever
bought it for him.

I can prove you bought the scarf.

Sales clerk remembers selling it to you.

I have a video of you in the store,

and I have your credit card statement.

It was a client gift.

We both know that's not the nature

of your relationship.

You bought it on Valentine's Day.

I know this must be difficult.

You have no idea
what you're talking about.

If you call me to testify,
I will assert privilege.

I'll challenge it and win.

- I'll take the Fifth.
- I'll immunize you.

And if I refuse to comply?

Every survivor,

every prosecutor in the country
owes you a debt of gratitude

for all that you've done to give a voice

to sexual as*ault victims,

promote equal pay for equal work,

women's healthcare, Title IX.

But you're an essential witness
in a m*rder case,

in the m*rder of another woman.

And you and you alone
can put the m*rder w*apon

in the defendant's hands.

My detractors have been searching

for a way to undermine me
and the causes that I champion

for years.

You are handing it to them
on a silver platter.

People will understand.

You were looking for connection
and companionship.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

That doesn't make you weak.

It makes you human.

I'm begging you, Ms. Maroun...

if you believe in the women
that I have helped,

put your money where your mouth is

and do not put me on the witness stand.

♪ ♪

Grace Pollard, of all people,

should be leading the charge,

helping us send Devon Miller to prison.

Her ego is getting in the way.

No, it's about legacy,

preserving all the causes
she's advanced.

And therefore,
I hope you're not suggesting

we dismiss a m*rder charge.

We could offer a plea.

Man One, years.

Miller goes to prison.

Grace Pollard retains her reputation.

m*rder trumps humiliation.

Grace Pollard and her causes
will recover.

Easy for you to say.

Excuse me?

Men bounce back from scandals,
not women.

You have no idea
how hard she had to fight

to accomplish what she has.

This will stain her
and all she's fought for.

It'll be the excuse not to take her

or her causes seriously.

I hear you.

But Grace Pollard is gonna have
to testify.

Subpoena her if necessary.

Ms. Pollard, were you involved

in a romantic relationship
with the defendant?

Your Honor, I'd object to that question

as being overly broad.

Ms. Pollard, please leave the objections

to counsel on the case.

And who's representing my interests?

The people certainly aren't.

I'm instructing you
to answer the question.

We were involved briefly, yes.

For about ten months, correct?

Approximately.

You ever loan him money?

I'm out somewhere in the
neighborhood of $ , .

Did you ever give him gifts?

Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

I gave him a silk scarf.

This silk scarf?

Yes.

Was this in his possession

the night of Dana Clarkson's m*rder?

It was.

Thank you.

[EXHALES]

Hi, Grace.

You were in my brownstone

the night Dana Clarkson
was m*rder*d, weren't you?

Objection. No foundation.

Overruled.

[TENSE MUSIC]

I was.

You heard Dana bang
on the door, call my name?

I did.

An old flame had reappeared in my life,

and you were understandably angry,

maybe even jealous?

Your Honor, he's badgering the witness.

Can he step away from the witness box?

Step back, Mr. Miller.

Yeah, of course.

Sorry.

I wish I'd have known
who you really are.

Mm-hmm, you were so angry, in fact,

that you grabbed that scarf
and ran out the door.

- That's a lie.
- Objection.

- That's just...
- You k*lled Dana Clarks...

- That is absurd!
- Your Honor...

- Your Honor!
- Didn't you?

- That is... that is...
- All right, all right.

Let's everybody calm down.

You have anything to back
that up, Mr. Miller?

I do, actually.

Yeah, I have a tape.

I... I have never heard about a tape.

This violates the rules of discovery

and it's unfair surprise.

I will see you all in my chambers now.

♪ ♪

A sex tape, are you serious?

How is that even remotely relevant?

It was taken in my home.

It puts Ms. Pollard right near
the scene of the crime,

and it goes to her state
of mind at the time,

which you'll see from the tape,

she was in a rage.
I mean, angry enough to k*ll.

- Play it.
- Your Honor, I object.

I wanna see if it has any
evidentiary value.

Play the tape.

There you go.

- Take off your blouse.
- [SIGHS]

Yes, sir.

Tell me what you want.

Don't talk. Get on the bed.

[BOTH MOAN]

[KNOCK AT DOOR] Ah, who's that?

Pierre, I know you're in there.

It's an ex, okay? Don't worry.

- Get rid of her.
- Open the door!

Get her the hell out of...

This tape is a pretext
to publicly shame a woman

for being vulnerable, intimate,
for... for trusting someone.

Are you really gonna allow that
tape to be aired in your courtroom?

Watch yourself, Ms. Maroun.

I find the tape to be exculpatory,

and distasteful as I find it,

I'm granting you your request.

- Thank you.
- But I warn you,

tread lightly.

If you didn't consent to the recording,

I can go back in there,
ask the judge to suppress it.

♪ ♪

Well, he's not allowed
to play the entire tape.

- It will be limited in scope.
- I am half-naked, Mr. Price,

asking a man, that man,

to take charge of my body.

Do you understand how that looks?

It looks like a woman engaged in
a consensual act, making a choice.

It will be my undoing.

The jury will see right
through his whole charade.

I've seen thousands of women
torn to shreds on the stand.

It always comes down to one thing:

sex.

You've made a career out
of encouraging other women

to stand up for themselves.

Now that it's your turn, what,

you're just gonna try
and look the other way?

You can do this.

Judge is waiting.

♪ ♪

It's an ex, okay? Don't worry.

- Get rid of her.
- Open the door!

- Get her the hell out...
- Okay, all right.

That was you on the tape?

You're trying
to slut-shame me, Mr. Miller?

I'll take that as a yes.

Okay, Mr. Miller. Let's move on.

So you admit you were in my home

when Dana Clarkson was banging
on the door that night?

- Yes, I was.
- And you were livid, correct?

No, I was annoyed. I wanted to have sex.

- [JURORS MUMBLING INDISTINCTLY]
- Hmm.

Nothing further.

What Mr. Miller just did
in this courtroom

reveals who he is,
not who you are, isn't that true?

Objection! Leading.

Overruled.

Yes.

He's a liar and a ruthless sociopath

with no regard for others.

And that sex tape was a cheap ploy

designed to intimidate you, wasn't it?

If it was, it didn't work.

Mr. Miller tried to demean you?

I will not be demeaned
for being a woman,

for being a human, in full.

At times, I'm a professional,

at times, I'm a a friend,

at times,

I am a woman seeking

physical intimacy.

When I fight for the rights of women,

I fight for their right

to enjoy the full human experience.

It is what we all hope for in life.

♪ ♪

Did you k*ll Dana Clarkson?

No, I did not.

Mr. Miller k*lled her.

What makes you so sure?

He left the house with the scarf.

He was gone for about minutes.
When he came back, he was disheveled,

and he poured himself
a tall glass of whiskey.

And why should this jury believe you?

I'm sitting here,

exposing the most intimate details
of my life.

I have everything to lose
and nothing to gain.

♪ ♪

No further questions.

♪ ♪

How do you find?

We find the defendant, Devon Miller,

guilty of m*rder in the second degree.

Thank you for your service.

[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]

♪ ♪

Ms. Pollard.

That verdict was a referendum
on his guilt and your courage.

You think this is a victory?

♪ ♪

You feel like a drink?

I can't.

I have a date.

Well, have fun.

And make sure he only has one passport.

♪ ♪