[somber music playing]
[music fades]
Okay. You ready?
-It's beautiful.
-[both chuckle]
-Where'd you find this?
-[chuckles] It's cute, right?
[chuckles] Aw, I love this!
-So cute.
-[both chuckle]
It's perfect! [chuckles]
[chuckles softly]
It would've been,
you know, a lot for me.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
It's perfect.
You're perfect.
-Thank you.
-Of course.
[laughter nearby]
Are they here already?
They're like 30 minutes early.
-Why are they-- What?
-Hey.
It's okay.
-[chuckles]
-I love it.
Yeah?
I'll be honest.
Ally and I, you know,
we weren't sure about
whether to have this party,
but together there's nothing
we can't overcome.
You're the strongest
woman I know.
I love you more than anything.
And I'm so damn excited
to keep building
our lives together.
-Me too. I love you.
-Love you.
[all] Aw.
Why don't you ever say
anything like that about me?
Thank you all for being here.
Thank you.
Vitamins are on the table.
Oh. Thank you, baby.
[sighs]
-It was a nice party.
-Yeah.
Think everyone had a good time.
Yeah. You deserve it.
You're just buttering me up
before you abandon me.
I wish I could delay it again.
-I know.
-I don't want to
leave you here.
You just go to the judge
and tell him something
wildly inappropriate
and then come back to me.
-I will.
-Oh, you will?
-Mmm-hmm. Yeah. I got some--
-Oh, you will? Like what?
-I'll say... [chuckles]
-What?
I'll say we're having
a big old orgy tomorrow night
and they're all invited.
-[laughs]
-Ow!
Ooh. No, no, no.
Be careful. Careful.
All right.
That got me too excited.
[both laugh]
All right.
Hey.
-Sorry. Sorry, sorry.
-Hey.
[man on radio]
Just a reminder to send in
those mail-in ballots soon.
We're only two weeks out
from election date, folks,
and every ballot matters.
So be sure to get yours in
before it's too late.
[turns off radio]
[woman on phone]
Faith, come on.
Polling has you
at a 46-point deadlock,
with 8% of voters
still undecided.
We need to push your plan
to reduce the crime rate
in order to pull ahead.
But this case is my campaign.
He's a dangerous criminal
with a long history
of violence.
I put James Sythe away, we win.
[sighs] If you lose, you lose
your shot at being DA.
-All right. I got to go.
-Faith--
[sighs]
-Oh. There she is.
-[cameras clicking]
Hey. Excuse me!
You, uh...
You dropped this.
Oh. I did.
Oh, my God. Thank you.
You're a lifesaver.
-No worries. Have a good day.
-[chuckles]
Yeah. You too.
-Through that door.
-[woman] Oh, thank you.
Where do I go
for, uh, jury duty?
Go down there.
Thanks.
[bailiff] All right, guys.
Eyes up.
Pay attention.
[narrator on TV] Hello.
I'd like to welcome you
as a juror in the Georgia
court system.
As a juror, you protect
the right of every person
to a trial by jury.
The right to a trial by jury
is a cornerstone
of our democracy.
That right is protected
by the United States
constitution.
-[man] There she is.
-[sighs]
Sugar-free vanilla with skim.
[Faith] Ah. You're good.
-Can I get you something else?
-[Faith] Mmm-mmm.
You got something for me?
[sighs] Okay.
Voluntary manslaughter
with a recommendation
of 20 years.
Fifteen to serve,
followed by five on probation.
Wow. That's a hell of a deal.
I will even waive
the recidivist statute
if he pleads before
we strike the jury.
And admit to something
he didn't do?
[chuckles] Save it
for the jury.
Better yet, why don't you
plead your guy out
and say, free
for your caseload.
Look... [sighs]
my client wants a trial.
Well, then, you're wasting
my time and your client's.
Last chance.
After you.
The case you're about to hear
is an alleged homicide.
The state is charging
James Michael Sythe
with malice m*rder
for the death
of Kendall Alice Carter.
Now, if any of you have
a personal relationship
with the accused,
and/or the deceased
that will prohibit you
from serving on this panel
in an unbiased manner,
please speak now.
Yes.
[exhales]
He used to ride my bus.
And when was this?
[sighs] I don't know.
Few years ago.
Okay. Then there's no reason
we can't leave it there.
I think you'll make
a fine juror.
Does anyone else think
that they're incapable
of serving on this panel?
Yes.
Uh...
Your Honor, my wife
is in the third trimester
of a high-risk pregnancy.
I'd like to be
available to her.
Well, that's commendable.
What hours
do you normally work?
Uh, 9:00 to 6:00, typically.
Then you have my word
that this court
will not demand one minute more
of your time than that.
Yeah.
See, the fact that
you don't want to be here
is exactly what makes you
the perfect group
to judicate this case.
You are impartial.
You have no skin in the game.
Nothing to gain or lose.
And that is why I believe
that this process,
as flawed as it may be,
is still our best chance
at finding justice.
Do you work, Mrs. Aldworth?
Well, I had the toughest
job there is.
I raised two kids
and just sent them off
to college.
-Ah. Congratulations.
-Thank you.
And have you ever served
on a jury before?
Twice. Both were mistrials.
Twice. Okay. Okay.
Mr. King. Have you ever had
a physical altercation
with a significant other?
Are you gonna ask that question
to every guy in this courtroom?
If I have to, I will. I...
I know these questions
can be very personal--
Nah, man.
That ain't me.
Thank you, sir.
[Faith] How long have you lived
in the area, Mr. Chicowski?
About ten years.
And you, uh...
Oh, you run a flower shop?
Yeah. With my wife.
Mr. Robinson, it says here
your wife has
primary custody
of your daughter.
Is that correct?
Yeah.
Do you mind if I ask you
who ended the marriage?
She did.
Thank you. All you.
Mr. Kemp.
And you're a magazine writer?
[Justin] Uh, that's right.
What kind of articles
do you write?
Features, mostly.
So you write
about a variety of topics?
Yes.
Ever written
about a m*rder trial?
Uh, well, I write for
a regional lifestyle magazine
so it's not exactly
Vanity Fair.
[jurors chuckling]
Take that as a no.
Being a writer,
I imagine you read a lot.
You've read anything
about this case?
No. No. Today's the first
I've heard about it.
Well, then, I think you'll make
a perfectly acceptable
member of this jury.
All right. Does the defense
accept or challenge?
We accept him, Your Honor.
Good. Please enter Justin Kemp
as juror number two.
-[Justin] Hey.
-[Ally] Hi!
-[Justin] Hi.
-[Ally] How did it go?
-[sighs]
-[Ally] No.
-I got picked.
-No.
-Mmm.
-I'm so sorry.
I know.
What happened
to "wildly inappropriate"?
Ah. Well,
I'm saving that for you.
Oh, yeah?
They said
it'll be a short trial.
I feel like
they always say that,
-but I hope so.
-I know.
How was your day?
It was okay.
I did this. [laughs]
Yeah? It's good progress.
Looks good.
-[laughs] Thank you.
-All day?
No, this did not
take me all day.
-Yeah.
-I watched a documentary...
-Mmm-hmm. What about?
-...and I peed 94 times.
-Ninety-four? Okay.
-And I ate some ice.
-Ooh.
-Can I have some more?
-You need some more? Ice?
-Yeah.
Ice. Coming up. All right.
[exhales]
The people need to know
how I'll make this city safer.
And women need to know that,
if they're in
an a*usive relationship,
their community has their back.
The rest? The rest is noise.
So, thank you.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you for coming.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Hey!
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much. Yeah.
[man] Hey. Good job.
-[sighs] Hey.
-Hey.
Nice speech.
[chuckles]
Thanks.
"Justice is truth in action"?
Mmm-hmm. Professor Nielsen.
Yeah. No. Yeah, I remember.
You still believe it?
Of course.
All right.
As long as it doesn't
get in the way of a win,
though, right?
Oh, my God.
If you got something to say,
Eric, just say it.
Mmm. I'm saying, he...
You know, he loves you.
You were his favorite student.
[scoffs]
Are you really going there?
-Yeah, I'm going there.
-Oh, my God!
And now you're a...
What?
I'm a what?
A politician. [sighs]
[Judge Thelma] Good morning.
We will begin
with opening statements.
Ms. Killebrew.
Okay. The facts
of the case are these.
One year ago, on October 25th,
the defendant, James Sythe,
and his then-girlfriend,
Kendall Carter,
went drinking
at Rowdy's Hideaway
on Old Quarry Road.
[country rock music
playing on speakers]
Come on. I walked all the way
up there and got it.
-Take the drink.
-I'm already drunk, babe.
[chuckles]
[inaudible conversation]
Things got tense.
They had a fight.
[Kendall] Not fair
what you're doing.
[James] Hey, leave it alone.
[Kendall] What the hell
is wrong with you?
[James] I've already told you.
We're not moving in together.
[Kendall] I'm not...
-What is wrong with it?
-Stop pushing me.
-I told you, stop...
-I'm not pushing you.
-[gasps]
-I said stop pushing!
[scoffs]
Jesus Christ.
[Faith] She stormed
out of the bar
and he followed her.
The fight escalated,
and things quickly
got out of control.
Hey.
What the hell are you doing?
-What are you doing?
-Get away from me.
Don't touch me.
-How dare you?
-Are you kidding me?
[Eric] It was par
for the course.
They'd argue. They'd break up.
And they'd make up the next day
after they both
had calmed down.
It was basically a game.
[Faith] Now, this couple
had a history of violent
interactions,
but this time she was serious.
She was done with him.
So she left and headed
down the road, on foot.
[tense music playing]
[Eric] So this was just
another typical night of drama.
So James Sythe got in his car
and he drove home.
He flew into a violent rage
and followed Kendall Carter
down the road...
where he proceeded to k*ll her.
[cell phone chimes]
-[thuds]
-[grunts]
-[gasping]
-[tires screeching]
[breathing heavily]
[Faith] He beat her viciously.
He pushed her over a railing
to the creek below...
and left her to die.
[jurors exclaim]
[panting]
James Sythe didn't attack her
and he couldn't have pushed her
because he wasn't there.
[somber music playing]
James Sythe...
[sighs]
took an innocent life.
James Sythe...
is an innocent man.
Thank you.
[retching]
[flushes]
[sighing]
Damn, man.
-You... You all right?
-Mmm-hmm.
Yeah. Just those
crime scene pictures.
Never had a strong stomach.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, you have a good night.
You, too.
[all] God grant me the serenity
to accept the things
that I cannot change,
the courage to change
the things that I can,
and the wisdom
to know the difference.
Great work, everybody.
Keep coming back.
[all] It works if you work it.
Great job, everybody.
[man] Right on, bro!
Hey, Justin.
Hey!
You were quiet tonight.
Yeah. I've got
a lot on my mind.
Yeah, I can tell. [chuckles]
You want to talk about it?
Okay, look, whatever it is,
my advice is the same.
You know what to do.
We're only as sick
as our secrets.
Yeah.
Okay, I'm always here for you.
[tense music playing]
[man] Working late?
[keyboard clacks]
Be out of your way in a minute.
Nah, take as long as you want,
I'll come back.
-Hey.
-Hey.
-Sorry I'm late.
-That's okay.
How was the meeting?
It was good.
I stayed after
to talk with Larry for a bit.
[breathing heavily]
You okay? Your heart.
-Hmm?
-Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm good.
Everything's going to be fine.
We're going
to be a family soon.
[Justin] Hmm.
Very soon, I hope. [chuckles]
[sighing]
-[tires screeching]
-[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
What the...
I'd seen them in there before.
A couple times.
Um, it was always
the same thing.
They would start off
fun and flirty, and then,
after a few drinks,
things would change.
Change, how?
That night, she came in,
trying to talk to him,
like, seriously, you know?
But he wasn't having it.
[Kendall]
What's wrong with you?
What, do you want me
to disagree?
No. I want you to say,
"I love you, too."
I basically did.
I want you to say,
"I love you, too."
Read between the g*dd*mn lines,
I said, "Yeah."
-[Kendall] What lines?
-[James] I'm sick of this sh*t.
[Kendall] What lines
are you talking about?
[James] Hey,
get out of my face!
[Kendall gasps]
[woman] He got mad.
Like, scary.
She leaves.
He follows her outside.
So I started following.
Hey!
What the hell are you doing?
What are you doing?
I want to go home.
-I don't want
to do this anymore.
-[James] Do what?
[Kendall] I'm done.
You're embarrassing!
What are you talking about?
Who cares
what these idiots think?
What are you going to do?
Hit me?
-Relax. I'm sorry.
-Don't touch me.
-It was...
-What are you going to do?
-How dare you?
-Are you kidding me?
Bring it on!
You better get the f*ck
out of here right now.
[crowd murmuring]
Fine, walk home, in the rain,
you stupid b*tch!
-And, Kendall, we ain't over!
-I'm done, James.
[crowd murmuring]
So she left,
then what happened?
He followed her
out of the parking lot
and onto Old Quarry Road.
Thank you. No further
questions, Your Honor.
So you saw him walk down
Old Quarry Road?
Yes.
Did you know
that his car was parked
down on Old Quarry Road?
No.
No.
Were you drinking that night?
Objection, Your Honor.
Overruled.
Were you drinking that night?
Yes.
So you don't know
how far he followed her
down Old Quarry Road, do you?
No. Um, at that point,
I had stopped filming
and I went back inside.
No more questions.
[Judge Thelma] Does the State
have any more questions?
No more questions, Your Honor.
[Judge Thelma] Thank you.
You may step down.
I was at the bar till close.
I didn't see either one of them
come back in.
And then the next day,
I opened,
and I did what I always do.
I took the night's trash
out to the dumpster.
Miss! Miss!
I'm sorry. I need your help.
Because of the rain
the night before...
the trails were
all muddy and wet.
So I had to cut up
to Old Quarry by the bridge
in order to get back
to the road.
[tense music playing]
[breathing heavily]
Right. And just to be clear,
when you found Kendall Carter,
she was dead?
Her head was
in a pool of blood.
It was awful.
Thank you for your testimony,
Mr. Reed.
I know it isn't easy.
That's all I have.
Mr. Resnick, your witness.
Mr. Reed,
you hike those trails
in the woods frequently,
don't you?
Yes, sir.
Twice a week at least.
In your opinion, is the hike
down the hillside difficult?
Yes.
I assume you wear hiking boots
when you hike, Mr. Reed?
Is that correct?
Of course.
This is a picture
of Kendall Carter
the morning you found her
below Old Quarry Road.
Can you please tell us
what kind of shoes
she's wearing?
Looks like heels.
Heels.
And if she's walking along
the edge of Old Quarry Road
in a blinding rainstorm
at night, in heels,
and she suddenly
lost her footing,
it'd be next to impossible
to prevent herself
from falling,
isn't that correct?
Yes.
Thank you.
She landed
in a posterior position,
which suggests she was pushed,
as opposed to a fall.
Rigor mortis indicated
the victim had been dead
for around nine hours.
[Faith] Hmm.
And the cause of death?
The severity of her
skull fractures suggests
she was struck
with a non-specific
blunt instrument.
And the manner of death?
Homicide.
[Faith] Thank you.
No more questions.
The witness is yours,
Mr. Resnick.
Is it possible
that she sustained
her head injuries
from hitting the rocks?
Possible, sure,
but in my
professional opinion,
it's not likely.
But possible.
That's all from me.
Thank you for your testimony.
You may step down.
On October 25th of last year,
you lived on Old Quarry Road.
-Correct?
-Yes.
And do you remember
anything unusual happening
that evening?
I saw a man get out of his car
[chuckles] in a storm.
Do you remember
what time that was?
It was 11:48 on the button.
I looked at the clock.
I heard thunder,
and so I went to the window,
and lightning lit up the sky.
There he was.
[Faith] What was he doing?
He looked around, he went over
to the side of the road.
Peered over the railing...
got back in his car
and drove off.
And is that man
you saw that night
here in the courtroom
today, do you know?
Can you point him out?
[coin clatters]
Yes, he is here today.
That's him right there.
Let the record reflect that
the witness has identified
the man he saw
as the defendant,
James Michael Sythe.
No more questions, Your Honor.
All right. This feels
like a good time
to break for the day.
This court is in recess until
9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning
when we will pick up here
where we left off.
Justin, what's going on?
I need a lawyer.
Okay. Give me a dollar.
And I'm not joking, that gives
us attorney-client privilege.
Take a seat.
So I went to clear my head,
and found myself
at Rowdy's Hideaway...
Ordered a drink
and sat there for a while,
then I got up and left.
I got to the car.
It was raining.
I turned back onto Old Quarry,
I went about
a quarter of a mile
and I hit something.
I got out of the car
and I looked around.
I checked,
I didn't see anything,
and I figured it was
a deer that ran off,
and then I got back
in the car and went home.
Okay, what's the problem?
I got called for jury duty.
-The Kendall Carter case?
-Mmm-hmm.
And they found her body
in a creek bed,
about a quarter mile from
Rowdy's Hideaway last October.
What are you telling me?
[breathes heavily]
Maybe I didn't hit a deer.
[sighs]
[stammers] I don't know
what to do.
You were at a bar
and you had a drink?
Yes, but I didn't touch it.
Doesn't matter.
Given your history,
there isn't a jury in the world
that would believe
you were sober.
But if I was
coming forward voluntarily,
that has to count
for something, right?
If I come forward
and I tell them the truth...
Then your prior DUIs,
and the fact
that you were at a bar,
gives the State
reason to charge you
with first-degree
vehicular homicide
or even felony m*rder.
That's 30 years to life.
What?
If you were to
come forward right now,
you will be completely screwed.
That's it?
Uh...
[sighs]
I'm sorry.
[Eric] The defense calls
James Sythe, Your Honor.
[Judge Thelma] Please raise
your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
Yes, Your Honor.
All right. Have a seat.
Please state your name
for the record.
Uh, James Michael Sythe.
[Judge Thelma]
Mr. Resnick, your witness.
Okay, James, let's talk
about what happened
the night of October 25th.
Can you tell us what happened?
Yeah, um...
Kendall and I went to Rowdy's
to have a few drinks,
get some food.
We were having fun,
shots and pool,
played some darts, you know.
Now, there's been testimony
that you guys argued.
You don't deny that, do you?
[James] No. No, yeah. Um...
She got really drunk
and she was...
She was giving me a hard time.
What do you mean?
She'd been going on
about us moving in together
for a couple of weeks and I...
just kept telling her
that I didn't think
that I was ready.
We'll... We'll see.
-We'll see.
-What do you mean "We'll see"?
And she just wasn't having it.
She said I didn't love her.
And, uh, she stormed out.
And then what happened?
We argued in the parking lot.
I don't want
to do this anymore.
-Do what?
-I want to go home.
I'm done.
Fine. Get out of here.
Go walk home.
Go walk home then. In the rain.
And she was just
out of her head, you know?
Screaming at me and walked off.
[Eric] And what did you do?
[James] Followed her, at first,
but it was cold,
it was raining.
I remember getting in my car.
So I was parked next to, uh,
mile marker 217.
My niece is born
February 17th, so that just...
I don't know, pulled me
out of everything,
then I turned around
and just drove home.
And, um, we'd see
each other the next day,
and we'd work it out, like...
like always.
Look, was I stupid?
For not wanting
to move in with her?
So I could see
her face every day?
Absolutely, yeah.
But I could never put
my hands on her like that.
I couldn't do that to her.
I... I loved her.
Now, look, I understand,
with my past,
and the mistakes
that I've made,
I know what you're thinking,
I do. And I get it.
But I'm...
I'm not that guy anymore.
Okay, I've changed.
I left that life behind me,
and I, you know...
[voice breaks] I thought
I was doing really good.
[sighs] I don't know
what happened.
I went home. I drove...
I just... I drove home.
I know how difficult
this is for you, James.
You take your time, and...
let me know when you're ready.
I'm good.
I'm gonna show you
a video now, okay?
And then I'm gonna
ask you some questions.
[James on video]
It's fine. I'm not mad.
Why didn't you say it to me?
[country music playing
on video]
[billiard ba*ls clatter]
Did you see that?
-That's for you.
-[Kendall] That's my guy.
[chuckles]
-I love you.
-I love you, too.
Did you miss or make it?
[Kendall] No, I didn't make it.
[James] You missed it.
Well, let me help you.
You're good luck. Come here.
[Kendall] I was.
[Kendall kisses]
[James] Okay,
turn that sh*t off.
[Kendall] Okay.
[Eric] Who took that video?
Kendall.
When?
October 25th.
Of last year.
And where?
At Rowdy's Hideaway.
Thank you, James.
No more questions.
Prosecution, your witness.
Mr. Sythe,
you just stated that
you loved Kendall Carter.
Is that right?
-More than anything.
-[Faith] Hmm.
And on the night
of October 25th,
you and Kendall drove
to Rowdy's Hideaway.
Is that right?
We took my car, yeah.
And when you got there,
the two of you
started drinking,
is that right?
Yeah. It's a bar.
And then the two of you
started arguing.
Is that right?
Yeah.
And during this argument,
you knocked a beer bottle
off the table.
Is that right?
Yeah, it was an accident.
And then she left,
and you went after her.
Is that right?
Yeah.
And outside, the argument
continued, and... [scoffs]
it is your sworn testimony,
that you left
Kendall Carter alone
to walk down
a narrow two-lane road
in the dark, drunk,
in the pouring rain,
in the middle
of a thunderstorm.
Is that how you treat
someone you love?
No more questions, Your Honor.
Are there any further questions
from the defense?
No, Your Honor.
The defense rests.
Thank you for your testimony,
you can step down.
[Judge Thelma]
Members of the jury,
the evidence in this case
is now closed.
Attorneys, you may give
your closing arguments
at this time.
Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury...
Kendall Carter's m*rder
was a savage crime
committed by an evil man.
[Eric] An innocent man.
An innocent man
who was shattered
from losing
the love of his life.
We have an eyewitness
who saw him at the crime scene
at the time of death.
In the middle of the night,
in a blinding rainstorm...
it could have been anyone.
When she broke up
with him that night,
and he realized she meant it,
he snapped.
And so he bludgeoned her.
No m*rder weapon
was recovered. Nothing.
Nothing.
The defendant's DNA
was all over the victim.
No one else's.
[Eric] The State says
there was DNA.
Of course, there was DNA.
Of course.
They were a couple.
[Faith] Yeah, of course,
they were a couple.
Until they weren't.
James Sythe bravely
took the stand
and admitted
to some difficult truths.
[Faith] That? [scoffs]
That was all a performance,
nothing else.
Look...
I think we can
all agree on this.
The person responsible
for Kendall Carter's death
deserves to face justice.
That person is James Sythe.
But that person,
that evil man,
is still out there.
All I ask is that you
deliver a verdict
that speaks the truth.
The truth about
what happened to Kendall.
The truth about what happened
on Old Quarry Road that night.
And the truth about him.
And the truth about him...
is that James Michael Sythe
is guilty.
Find him guilty.
The truth is, James Sythe...
is not guilty.
Find James Sythe...
not guilty.
Thank you.
-Good luck.
-Thanks.
Um, excuse me, everyone.
If... If nobody objects,
I'd really like to throw
my name into the ring
to be the forewoman.
I've served on multiple juries.
-I know the ropes.
-I'm cool with it.
-Yeah. Sure.
-Sure!
-I don't mind.
-Okay, great. Thanks.
Okay. So right now we can do
one of two things.
We can vote and talk,
or talk and vote.
I suggest that we just vote
and just get an idea
where we all stand.
-Does that sound good?
-Agreed.
Okay. So I vote "guilty."
Yes, ma'am. Me, too.
Me three. This whole thing
is such a shame.
Yeah. I definitely think
that he did it.
Definitely.
I agree.
Everything fits together.
Yeah. Let him rot.
[woman 1] Amen.
Nine. So that is
nine for guilty.
You, sir? Hi.
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Yeah, guilty's cool.
Okay.
And...
Oh! You, sir? How about you?
Kid should have pled out.
And then there was one.
[Justin sighs]
[somber music playing]
All right. So...
what's it gonna be?
You with us or what?
[sighs]
[woman 1 sighs] Tsk.
Don't you want to get home
to your pregnant wife?
Of... Of course I do.
All right.
So what's the problem?
[stammers]
You know, this is somebody's
life we're dealing with.
Shouldn't we at least
talk about it?
[sighs]
This is a joke. [sighs]
No, it's, um...
Look, it's a deliberation.
You are ready to send
this man to prison,
maybe forever, just like that?
[King] And?
I heard the facts
of the case. Did you?
Yeah, right.
The lawyer didn't prove,
beyond a reasonable doubt,
that he was innocent.
Well, he doesn't have to.
The burden of proof
is on the prosecution.
Does anyone have
even the slightest hesitation
that James Sythe is guilty?
[sighs] I mean...
Look, if you have to think,
you aren't sure.
No.
What I'm sure of is,
I got three kids at home
I got to get back to.
Look, we all have lives.
None of us want to be here.
Okay. Um, how about we...
Why don't you just tell us
what your issue is
or your issues are,
and... and then we can
all talk through it?
Oh, I don't have
an... an issue. Uh...
Okay. So you just like
pissing me off, then?
-Or what?
-[scoffs] No. Look, I...
I have questions.
Nah. That's just
your guilt talking.
What do you mean?
You want to go home
to your little neighborhood
and tell them,
"We did right by that boy.
We gave him a fair shake,
just like anybody else."
Whoa, man. Hold up.
Why're you getting on him
like that?
Hey, mind
your own damn business,
all right, little fella?
-Excuse me?
-That's enough. Both of you.
Please, Mr. Kemp, go on.
Thank you, ma'am.
All I'm trying to say is,
let's put everything else
aside for a minute
and just remember
two key points. Um...
One, Sythe went to trial
instead of taking a plea,
and two, he testified
instead of taking the Fifth.
Right? I mean...
it doesn't mean he's innocent,
but I think he's earned
just a few hours of our time
just to be sure.
Uh, he's right. You're right.
We should take the time
and we should go over it.
Fine. Fine,
but it's a waste of time.
Any other group of 12 people
would arrive at the exact same
decision we did.
[woman 1] Mmm-hmm.
That part right there.
The State has the truth
on its side.
James Sythe is going to pay
for what he did.
And I will get justice
for Kendall Carter
and every woman who is
a victim of domestic abuse.
How do you feel
about the latest polling
that a verdict
in the Sythe trial
carries a five-point swing
in the district attorney race?
Oh, come on. You...
You know I can't
comment on that.
Okay. Thank you, everybody.
So I'm just going to start
with what I think
is the most damning evidence.
Which was the man who saw
Sythe on the road,
at the railing,
directly above where
Kendall Carter's
body was found.
Yes, exactly.
So what's left
to even talk about?
Well, I mean, he was
a few hundred feet away,
looking from across the bridge.
And it was
the middle of the night,
and through pouring rain.
Yeah. And I've actually done
a bunch of landscaping
work up there.
That whole area
is covered by trees.
It'd be hard to see.
The man made
a positive identification.
Yeah, but dude's
kind of ancient, though.
[laughs]
Well, this old bird has
20-20 vision with my glasses.
Come on, y'all.
It's his testimony.
He's not lying.
I mean, why would he lie?
And the question here means
that we think he's lying.
I don't think he's lying.
You think he's lying?
No, I don't think he's lying--
[woman 1] Okay. So what
the hell are we talking about?
Look, I'm just saying... Okay.
The man, he saw somebody
at the railing, right?
Can we all agree on that?
-Yeah.
-Yes.
Okay. So isn't it possible
-that he saw someone
other than James Sythe?
-Oh!
Mmm-mmm.
No, we can go back and forth
all day on possibilities.
That's not helpful.
-Well, I think we should.
-No, no, no.
No. That's not our job.
Our job is to just
weigh the facts.
[sighs] Okay. Fact.
32% of homicides occur
between domestic partners.
Fact, the police
arrested James Sythe
two days after
they found the body.
Fact, they never questioned
any other suspects.
You watch too much TV,
old man. [scoffs]
[chuckles]
[sighs] Okay.
You're a cop?
I was.
Twenty-two years.
Robbery-homicide.
Finally took the buyout,
came down here to get away
from those brutal
Midwest winters
and be closer to the grandkids.
Why didn't you... Why didn't
you tell the lawyers?
'Cause nobody asked.
How about that.
Well, their loss is our gain.
So what are you
thinking, officer?
Uh, Detective.
Um...
Look, I think...
It seems to me like the police,
you know, followed
the evidence,
found their guy,
built their case.
Okay. So what's wrong
with that?
It may be nothing,
but tunnel vision like that
can really bite you in the a*s.
They feed Sythe
to that eyewitness,
so, of course,
that's who he IDs.
Now they're sure
they got their guy,
so they just ignore anything
that doesn't help their case.
They stop asking questions.
Confirmation bias.
Yeah, confirmation bias.
Exactly.
Confirmation bias.
There's no bad intentions.
It's just a bunch of people
trying to do the right thing,
and they can't see everything
they're doing wrong.
It's a good point.
And what about this blunt
instrument m*rder weapon
they kept talking about?
The prosecutor said
they couldn't recover it.
So he got rid of it.
That's easy to do.
Or he could have k*lled her
with something other
than a blunt instrument.
Like what?
Like a car?
It could have been
a hit-and-run.
[Justin] Oh, sh*t.
-Here. Let me help.
-I'm sorry. Sorry.
-It got in your pants.
-It's all right.
You know, that's...
That's a really, really
good theory.
-Hit-and-run.
-[Robinson] Yeah.
I mean, it's raining,
it's night.
Visibility's
got to be terrible.
Well, we know it was slippery,
from that hiker's testimony.
Wandering around
in the dark in heels?
Kids today...
Um, it explains how she could
have ended up in a creek.
[jurors] Mmm-hmm.
Okay. So, Sythe mowed her down
instead of bashing her head in?
What are we talking about here?
What difference does it make?
The guy is a piece of sh*t.
Look, my gut is telling me
that that kid is not a k*ller.
-Okay. The other day,
you voted guilty.
-[woman] Mmm-hmm.
No. No, I never said guilty.
I said, he should have
taken a plea bargain.
He's got a weak case.
[woman] Well, maybe there's
a reason for that.
[Chicowski] Yeah. It's called
a public defender.
I mean,
nothing against this guy.
He seems pretty smart,
but... the PDs
are working 10 times
the caseload of the DA's office
on a fraction of the budget.
It's just not a fair fight.
Yeah, well, nothing is anymore.
We'll just do the best we can.
I hear you.
And I got 22 years
on the street,
that is telling me
there's a lot more
to this case than we know.
All right. Then, if you were
still a detective,
what would you do?
Yeah.
All right, y'all.
That's it for today.
See you back here at 9:00 a.m.
Monday morning.
Oh! And I almost forgot.
Happy Halloween.
[jurors] Happy Halloween!
Hey!
Yeah, it has been a minute.
But I was hoping
you could do me a solid.
Hang on a sec.
[engine starts]
Yeah, I'm here.
[car engine starts]
[keyboard clacking]
"We cannot break the law.
"We can only break ourselves
of the law."
[knock at door]
-No decision yet.
-[sighs]
We're breaking for the weekend.
You're kidding.
You never know what
a dozen strangers are gonna do.
Clearly. Okay. Well,
thanks for letting me know.
-See you Monday.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Trick or treat!
-Yeah. Have a good one.
[keyboard clacking]
[sighs]
[somber music playing]
[cell phone rings]
[cell phone rings]
Hey, hon.
Yeah, I'm heading back
to the shop right now.
Okay.
[engine starts]
Hey.
-Hi.
-Did you get my text?
Oh, sh*t.
Sorry.
I'm sorry, I forgot.
Does everything look okay?
Are you okay?
Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong?
I'm scared.
I'm scared. We didn't make it
this far last time, and...
I'm just scared.
I don't want to be
doing this alone.
I don't want to go
to these things alone.
It's going to be okay.
[stammers] It's going
to be all right, I promise.
I don't understand why
you weren't there today.
How much longer is the trial
going to go on for?
[sighs] I have no idea.
-It's...
-Are you close to a verdict?
I'm not supposed
to discuss the case--
Justin, are you close
to a verdict?
Well, it's ten to two
for guilty.
So then, Monday,
can you just go in
and sway the two holdouts
and then be done with this?
Well, I'm one of them. I...
-Why?
-I'm sorry,
but they took
one look at this guy,
and that was it.
No discussion of
the evidence, nothing.
I had to do something.
Everyone deserves
a chance, right?
I keep thinking where I'd be
if you hadn't given me one.
[stammers] Can I ask
you something?
[sighs]
Yeah, sure. What?
If I were to sell the 4Runner
without telling someone
it was in a wreck,
but they're happy with the deal
and there's no safety risks.
-It was in the ad, Justin.
-I know, I know,
but just go with me.
If they're never the wiser,
then did I do anything wrong?
No.
I mean, I don't think so.
Yeah.
I'm going upstairs.
[melancholy music playing]
Food's in the fridge.
See you upstairs.
[sighs]
There she is.
Next round's on her.
Bourbon. Neat. And...
yeah, whatever he's having.
What I'm having?
What I'm having is a...
-Thank you.
-...great evening.
Isn't it a beautiful evening?
It should have been
a two-hour verdict.
What can I tell you?
They're taking
their job seriously.
I gave them a lot
to think about.
Mmm. I got a mountain
of evidence.
You gave them
smoke and mirrors.
Where there's smoke,
there's fire.
[laughs] I admire
your optimism.
Look, here's the thing.
You walk into court
convinced of the guilt
of the defendant. Me, I...
I have no illusions
about what I do.
A lot of my clients are guilty,
and my job is to help make
the best of a bad situation.
But I'm telling you...
I'm telling you,
this guy didn't do it.
And the fact that the jury's
taking a little time
gives me hope
that things are working
the way they should.
Well... you enjoy that
while it lasts.
To the justice system.
It ain't perfect,
but it's the best we got.
-Hey.
-Hey.
I'm sorry again
about yesterday.
It's just that case
wearing on me.
I know. I can tell.
-Yeah.
-Trust your gut.
You'll do the right thing.
-[doorbell rings]
-Oh! Oh, Oh, wait.
-[kids laughing]
-Wait, wait, wait.
-What's that?
-It's my pitchfork.
-Nice!
-Yeah. Thanks.
-[laughs]
-Homemade.
-[kids] Trick or treat!
-Hey! Happy Halloween!
I love your costumes!
Take two, everyone.
Oliver?
Hey, Ms. Crewson.
Oliver, I didn't even
recognize you! How are you?
I'm good. Hi, Mr. Kemp.
Hey, how's the writing going?
-I'm on student paper now.
-No way. That's awesome.
-That's very cool.
-Congrats.
-Hey, have fun tonight.
-[Oliver] We will.
See you back at school?
-Yeah. Next year.
-[Oliver] Okay.
Well, bye.
-Bye!
-Keep it up!
-God, he's a giant.
-I know.
Happy Halloween.
Thanks.
-Hey.
-Hey.
Why'd you follow me
after court on Friday?
I picked your tail up,
like, halfway out of
the parking lot.
I mean, green Toyota
4Runner, right?
Uh, yeah, well, you're...
you're not allowed
to investigate the case
outside the jury room.
Yeah. Yeah, I know.
But... I mean,
somebody's got to.
Don't you want to know
what really happened?
Yeah. Of course.
Look, I, uh...
I did some digging.
This is every registered car
in the county
that was in for body work
between October 26th
and the end of last year.
You're still about
the hit-and-run?
Come on, it's--
Yeah, because that's
a really good theory.
Now, the automakers
keep a detailed list
of these repairs
strictly for R and D purposes.
They collect it
from the dealers pro forma
and then pay the mom-and-pop
shops under the table.
My partner and I
recovered more cars
than an impound this way.
Right. But there must be
hundreds of cars in there.
Yeah, so process
of elimination,
which is what I spent
my whole weekend doing.
I mean, anything there's
already a police report for,
crossed off the list.
Mmm.
And there's only going to be
a very specific kind of damage
with this kind of hit-and-run.
So a headlight, grille, hood.
-Yeah.
-I narrowed it down
to 15 vehicles
that match that description
on this list,
one of which, by the way,
a '96 Toyota 4Runner,
Forest Green.
I mean, that's the exact
same car as yours, right?
I mean, if that is your car,
we can just cross it
off the list.
Right. Yeah.
So what's the plan?
Well, if you
don't mind helping,
there's only so many
hours in the day,
and we got to spend
most of them here.
So you want to help me
with the legwork,
and see if we can find our guy.
Yeah. Okay. You know,
you're reaching, but...
Look, I...
It's a hit-and-run, kid.
I feel it in my bones.
Dollars to doughnuts,
our guy is on this list.
[bailiff] Oh, good morning.
Party time, y'all, let's go.
Fellas, wrap it up.
Thanks.
[bailiff] Let's go.
God damn it!
[grunts] Hmm.
Everything all right over here?
[Justin] Mmm?
[bailiff] Y'all working
my nerve today.
What is all this?
Just... You two, wait for me.
Read instruction
0.01 for me, please.
Uh...
"To maintain the integrity
of the jury system,
I remind you that you must
decide this case
based only on the evidence
admitted during the trial
and the law
I will explain to you.
You may not conduct
any research
on your own about this case
or about any people or places
mentioned during the trial."
Sounds to me
like you two violated
every sentence
of that paragraph.
Your Honor,
I move for a mistrial.
He's a former cop.
Who knows what ideas
he put in the jury's heads.
Failure to elicit
his previous employment
during voir dire
is on you, Mr. Resnick.
[Eric] It's misconduct.
Kick him off, Judge.
There's no need to start over.
Our resources are already
stretched so thin.
She's right. Motion denied.
Your Honor. You know...
As for you two...
You violated
your oath as jurors.
Your Honor...
if I may. I, uh...
I upheld the oath I took
as a police officer
to never betray my character,
my integrity,
or the public trust.
Mr. Chicowski, [sighs]
you are hereby removed
from Jury Service.
On account of your background,
I'm going to make an exception
and not find you
in contempt of court.
Thank you, Your Honor.
So Mr. Kemp,
you are not a retired
law enforcement officer,
are you?
No. No, Your Honor.
So how do you explain
your involvement
in this transgression?
I obtained those documents
on my own, Your Honor.
He didn't have anything
to do with it.
Is that true?
Mmm.
I mean, did you look
at these documents
or help to procure them
or know what Mr. Chicowski
was intending to do?
No, Your Honor.
I did not look at them
and I didn't help.
So do you think
that you can disregard
everything that
you heard just now
and remain an unbiased
member of this panel?
Yes, I can.
I'm going to take you
at your word.
Bailiff, please escort Mr. Kemp
back to the juror room.
Mr. Chicowski,
you are dismissed.
Your Honor, I would ask
that a copy of these documents
be made part
of the court's records
for purposes of appeal.
And again,
I move for a mistrial.
The documents will be marked
as court's Exhibit One.
Your motion for a mistrial
is denied, Mr. Resnick.
Is that understood?
Yes, Your Honor.
It's understood.
Good. Then we are done here.
-You got to be kidding me.
-What?
"Our resources
are stretched so thin"?
You are something.
Okay.
[sighs]
Counselor.
Hey, it's okay.
I'm not on the jury anymore.
-You don't have to...
-Yeah.
Yeah, made sure of that.
[sighs]
Feeling the pressure, huh?
In this job? Nah.
-[both chuckle]
-Yeah. Okay.
Hey, I'm...
Sorry, but I just...
I can't not say this. You...
[sighs] You got this case
all wrong.
-Oh, really?
-Yeah.
It's a hit-and-run.
No way.
ME would have flagged it.
Well, yeah, you'd think.
That guy did
five autopsies that day.
One day. I checked.
Doesn't mean anything.
Let me just ask you one thing.
Did you guys ever look
at any other suspect?
We did our job.
All due respect, Counselor,
if you'd have done your job,
I don't think we'd be
standing here right now.
Well, that guy is bad news.
Maybe.
But he didn't k*ll that girl.
[pensive music playing]
[bailiff] All right.
So with that being said,
Judge Stewart thanks you
for your patience
and apologizes
for any inconvenience.
Juror number 13 is now
a voting member of this panel.
Okay.
I'll let you guys
get back to it.
So what happened?
What was this misconduct?
Uh, that's between
him and the judge.
Bullshit. You were there.
What did Harold do?
He was investigating
the case on his own.
The judge sent him home.
What about
that stack of papers?
What papers?
The ones Harold gave to him.
You dropped them
all over the floor.
We all saw it.
The bailiff was on us before
I looked at the papers, so...
You were talking
for quite a while.
Did he tell you
what was in them?
Okay, yes, he did. It...
It was a printout.
Names, vehicle registrations...
He said that it could prove
James Sythe's innocence.
-[all murmuring]
-So what?
Are we just supposed
to believe you now
and change our vote?
No, I'm just telling you
what I know.
He thinks it was a hit-and-run.
So if he thinks
it was a hit-and-run...
Kendall was 5'5".
If she was hunched over,
and the car was
an SUV or a truck,
she could have easily
have been hit
smack across
the head and torso.
Look at the way
her shoulders are fractured.
Well, I'm sorry,
but are you a doctor?
Not yet.
Third-year med student.
I... I mean,
I think we should leave
that to the professionals,
the medical examiner who,
you know, examined the body.
Well, I mean,
doctors can be careless.
One time they told my dad
he was having a heart attack.
Turned out it was just gas.
[chuckles] They're always
in such a rush.
Go ahead, dear.
Speak your mind.
The right and left clavicle
both show a very clean break.
Can you pass this around?
She couldn't get that
from the fall?
It's not likely.
Both bones had to be broken
by a single,
sharp, posterior impact.
Pow.
Do we know if Sythe's car
had any damage?
No. The police
would have noted it
in their report if it did.
Not if they thought
it was irrelevant.
[scoffs] Cops hate paperwork.
So you're some kind
of secret cop now, too?
[laughs] No. I'm a dog groomer,
but I watch and listen
to a lot of true crime,
and the first rule
is the husband did it.
Okay, well,
husband, boyfriend.
Same difference.
You agree
that he's guilty, right?
He is the perfect suspect.
[King] All right. Thank you.
But the second rule
of true crime
is that it's never
the perfect suspect.
Oh, my God.
I'm just sharing with you
my experiences.
Your experiences?
Listening to crime podcasts.
Well, hold on.
And watching Dateline.
Okay. Well, that doesn't
make you Sherlock Holmes.
Oh, thank you. [laughs]
No, you burn
through enough cases,
and you start to see
certain patterns.
But I leave the detective work
to the forum lawyers.
Okay, good. Good.
Because we're not here
to solve a mystery, okay?
All we're here to do
is decide if we're positive
James Sythe k*lled
Kendall Carter. That's it.
-[woman 2] May I?
-Oh.
[med student] I'm not.
Old Quarry Road
feeds into the highway.
When traffic's heavy,
GPS will send you that way.
It gets busy.
Yeah, and at night,
I mean, it's gnarly.
I nearly mowed down
a deer once.
[man] What if that's what
they thought?
[Aldworth] Who thought?
Whoever hit Kendall Carter.
Yeah, man. I mean,
that all makes sense,
but, you know, what about
our eyewitness?
Maybe he saw someone else?
Okay, hold up. Wait a minute.
Y'all got way too many
"maybes" for my liking.
Yeah, and too many maybes
is reasonable doubt.
[man] I agree with Justin.
Yeah.
Okay. Keiko?
Nellie?
I'm not sure any more that
this young man is guilty.
Right. Okay. Anyone else?
Not guilty.
Okay.
[suspenseful music playing]
[sighs softly]
[man grunting]
I fell asleep on Highway 17
and woke up in a ditch.
Thank God the hospital
was close.
Hmm. Okay.
Thank you for your time.
[man] Yep.
Yeah, we were street racing
down Greek Row.
It was dumb. I know.
[chuckles softly]
[sighs]
Guilty.
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Not guilty.
Guilty.
All right. It looks like
we're six to six.
We're deadlocked.
Okay, so what do we do now?
Feels like the more we talk,
the less we know.
I'm so tired.
You're so stoned, dear.
-[mouthing]
-Let's go back
to the beginning.
Build a case piece by piece.
No, no. Let's stop
wasting our damn time.
How about we all just
take a breath. It's...
It's been a long day,
but, you know, votes...
votes have changed, right?
The process is working.
[woman] No, it's not.
You are wearing us down.
Talking a lot,
but saying nothing.
I mean, hell, you go over
anything enough times,
yeah, we'll start
to question it.
Yeah. Like which shoes to wear.
Yeah. Look... [sighs]
We got all these theories,
y'all, but no new evidence.
Well, yeah, but those
theories are making
some of us question
James Sythe's guilt.
No. No, no. You can
question it all you want,
but I know he's guilty.
Just look at his damn neck.
Hey, my man. I know you
got a picture of him
in that book of yours.
I mean, yeah,
but it's not perfect, but...
Yes. See? Right there.
Snake and a crown.
That's the West Side Crowns.
They're the biggest
drug pushers in the city.
How do you know that?
Because I run
the Boys and Girls Club.
These guys are poisoning
their own community.
This case is personal to you.
Yeah, well, you're
damn right it is.
My little brother was 14
when he got inked.
A month before
his 17th birthday,
he was dead.
Caught a stray b*llet
in some...
tit-for-tat turf bullshit.
I'm sorry. I had no idea.
Yeah, that's right.
You have no idea.
Look, Sythe did say
that he left that life behind.
There's only one way
to leave that crew.
So...
You can keep talking
about your theories.
Look, people can change.
[King] Yeah.
Keep telling yourself that.
I... I do. Every day.
Well, I drive a bus,
and I see the same people
day in and day out,
and they do not change.
Well, then how
am I sitting here?
What are you talking about?
I should be dead.
I should...
A little over four years ago,
I wrapped my car around a tree
with a blood alcohol
level that,
you know, probably
should have k*lled me
before I even got in the car
and somehow... [clears throat]
walked away
with barely a scratch.
[King] Mmm. Lucky you.
[Justin] Yeah. Yeah,
part of my sentence
was community service.
I spent three days a week
in an elementary school
teaching kids how to write.
Uh... Alcoholics,
we can charm anybody.
But the teacher
I was reporting to,
I mean, she was Teflon.
She saw right through me.
And she...
She made me finally want to,
you know, own my sh*t
and just take
responsibility for myself.
I'm... [clears throat]
I'm still not sure what I did
to get a woman like her
to give me a chance.
But her belief
and believing in myself,
that I could change,
that was...
That was, you know,
the first step.
And...
Look, the, uh...
the journey never ends,
I know that...
But...
that's...
that's four years.
And am I the same man
that I was four years ago? No.
Absolutely not.
Yeah, well...
Now I can see... [chuckles]
You changed.
But guys like James Sythe,
they don't change.
Okay. Think back
to his testimony.
That was raw and real,
and I believed it.
Wait, hold on, g*ng.
If Sythe didn't do it,
then who did?
We don't have to answer that.
So no one's going to pay for
what happened to that girl?
-No, someone will pay.
-How do you know that?
Because somebody
always does. Look...
Look, I get how you feel,
but you can't let
your feelings sway you.
You don't know
anything about me, man.
All right.
How... how old's your daughter?
That's her
on the key chain, right?
Yeah. She, um...
She turned 16 in March.
How often do you
get to see her?
Not often enough.
You know, during the trial,
I was sat
right in Kendall's
parents' eyeline.
I could see...
I mean, their pain each day.
And, you know, what if
she were your daughter?
[stammers]
You want justice, right?
An eye for an eye.
Right. Yeah.
But then James Sythe's family
was in court each day, too.
You know, his grandma
and his niece.
Uh...
What if he were
your son, right?
Wouldn't you want justice
for him, too?
Yeah. Yeah, I suppose, I would.
[Robinson sighs]
[suspenseful music playing]
[engine roars]
[sighs]
So how can I help you?
Well, I just want
to have a little chat
about what happened here.
Just have a little one on one.
Maybe I could get
some more information
if something came to you
new, you know?
Well, like I said at the trial,
the police come by.
Showed me a picture,
asked me if he was the man
I saw that night.
Mmm. They show you
any other pictures?
Oh, no. They knew it was him.
They... They just needed me
to confirm it.
Right.
I was happy to do so.
I mean, everyone
was so generous.
And if I could say so,
it felt pretty good
-to be needed again.
-Mmm.
I'm sure it did.
All right. Well,
if there's anything else
I can do for you,
just give a holler.
Tea is always hot.
[chuckles] Okay.
Thank you so much.
Thanks for your time, sir.
Uh, James Sythe...
He did k*ll that girl, right?
[exhales]
Okay, so does anybody else
want to change their vote?
[chuckles]
Uh, well...
It doesn't matter anyway.
[Aldworth] What do you mean?
Because I haven't
changed my mind.
All right, well,
let's just keep talking.
No, no, I'm done talking.
Marcus.
So what? You're gonna
tell the judge, we...
we can't reach a verdict?
[woman] It is what it is.
But we're actually
making progress.
-[scoffs] Progress?
-Yeah.
How can we continue if we
can't even reach a verdict?
We've been at this for
I don't even know how long.
My kids need me.
I'm just trying
to do my job here.
Okay? Um...
Courtney, what about you?
Do you want to keep going?
I don't know.
Look, he yelled at her.
He grabbed her arm.
He called her a b*tch.
He was possessive
and temperamental.
No, he was a*usive. Screw him.
Yeah. You're right.
Screw him.
Great. [chuckles]
For the third time,
I get to go home
and tell my husband,
"Guess what, honey?
[laughs] I did nothing."
He gets a real kick
out of that.
I'm sorry, Denice.
I'm not changing my vote.
Neither am I.
Yeah. Me, too.
[man] So what do we do then?
Um...
there's one thing we could try.
[sighs] Madam Foreperson.
Sending a jury
to visit a crime scene
once deliberations have begun
is not something
I would typically allow.
With all due respect,
Your Honor,
this has not been
a typical deliberation.
But I do think
it will be beneficial
in helping us reach a verdict.
I see.
Mr. Resnick. Any objections?
No, Your Honor.
Okay, Miss Killebrew?
The State's fine with it.
All right, then.
Here are the rules.
During your visit,
you are not to speak
to anyone outside
of your jury panel,
nor are you to speak to
each other about this case.
All right, you are there
to view the locations
in and around where
the crime took place.
And you are not to collect
evidence of any kind.
Does everyone
understand these rules?
-Yes, ma'am.
-[jurors] Yes, Your Honor.
All right, then.
This court is adjourned.
Hey. Hey. Can... Can we talk?
Yeah, great. Great.
I'll see you there. Thanks.
[knock at door]
[knocks at door]
Hello?
Oh, hey, are you
Allison Crewson?
Yes, I am. Yeah. Who are you?
I'm, um... I'm Faith Killebrew.
I'm a prosecutor with
the District Attorney's office.
Do you mind if we talk?
I was just about to lay down,
but what is this about?
It'll only be a minute.
-Okay. Come in.
-Okay. Thank you.
Uh, I'm sorry
for the intrusion.
I won't be long.
I'm following up on a...
on a few different accidents
from October last year,
just doing routine checks
on any cars
that were serviced
for major body damage
around that time.
Okay.
So on October 25th last year,
did you own a 1996
green Toyota 4Runner?
Yes.
Mmm-hmm. And do you remember
having any body work
-done on it around that time?
-Yeah.
Okay. And how was
your car damaged?
My husband, Justin, hit a deer.
Okay. Any idea where?
Up on Brimstone Pass.
You sure?
[laughs] Yeah.
Could it have been
Old Quarry Road? Or...
No, it was Brimstone Pass.
You're positive.
Positive.
Okay. Great.
Well, that's all I have.
Thank you very much
for your time, Mrs. Crewson.
And, uh, congratulations.
When are you due?
Uh...
Yeah, any day now.
[laughs] Well,
good luck with that.
You want me to do anything
before I go?
-No, no. No.
-Okay. Well, I'll just
see myself out.
-No. I'll get you...
-No, you stay there.
-Okay, all right.
-No, it's good. [laughs]
-Have a good one.
-Thank you.
Thanks for your time.
-Bye.
-Bye, now.
[door closes]
[tense music playing]
[bell ringing]
Hey. Sorry I couldn't
meet you earlier.
-No worries.
-What's on your mind?
The trial.
Well, yeah, I figured.
It's headed for a hung jury.
[man] Justin!
-Thanks.
-Enjoy.
-I got you a coffee.
-Thanks.
Obviously, I want
to acquit the guy,
but if the jury hangs,
it's a mistrial, right?
-That's right.
-So problem solved.
Well, given all the press
on this case,
the public's going
to demand a retrial.
We're just gonna have to do it
all over again with Sythe.
Unless the District Attorney's
office decides
that he's not the guy,
then they'll find the guy.
And there's no way that this
case ends without a verdict.
Once they get that,
then, yeah, it's over.
Then it's done.
So you're saying
I need a verdict?
I'm afraid so.
[sighs]
Hey, can you meet me at County?
[Allison] Hey.
Hey. Everything okay?
Just checking the car.
Might have a buyer.
Where'd you hit
that deer again?
Up on Brimstone Pass, right?
Mmm.
Are you sure that
it wasn't Old Quarry Road?
I'm positive.
That's...
Just that's ex...
"Positive," that's what
I said to the...
prosecutor from your trial
when she just interrogated me
in our living room.
-What? She was here.
-Yeah.
I looked her up.
She wanted to know about
your accident.
That--
What'd you tell her?
The truth.
That you hit a deer
up on Brimstone Pass.
Okay. Good.
That is the truth, right?
Did you take the shortcut...
home through
Old Quarry that night?
Did you stop
at Rowdy's Hideaway?
[Allison sighs]
Did you drink?
[sighs softly]
Did you?
Justin. Did you drink?
-Talk to me.
-No, no, I didn't drink.
I didn't drink. Okay? I...
I stopped and I [stammering]...
I ordered the drink,
but I didn't touch it.
Ordered, but didn't drink.
Why would I believe that?
-Because that's the truth.
I promise. I swear.
-You swear?
Why should I believe that?
Why should I believe anything
-that you're saying anymore?
-I promise. I swear to you.
-I swear to you.
-You swear to me?
-I swear.
-Don't lie to me.
I'm not lying. I promise.
I promise. That is the truth.
Okay?
Look, it...
It...
It was the twins' due date
and I couldn't deal
with the feelings
that I was having.
I couldn't deal with them,
so I didn't want to bring them
home and put them on you.
So I went there.
I sat there for a while,
and then I...
and then I came home.
[voice shaking] Why didn't
you tell me any of this?
Why did you keep this from me?
-I wanted... I wanted to.
-You could've talked to me.
But you were in so much pain.
Of course I was in pain.
I kept thinking that I was
somehow responsible,
that it was my fault,
that it's still my...
No. No. It was not your fault.
-They were my babies.
-It's not... It's not...
-They were our babies.
-I know.
None... None... None of this
is your fault, okay?
We were both hurting.
It still hurts.
I'm still hurting.
Me, too.
Yeah. Yeah.
[sighs]
I'm not doing this alone.
No, you're not. You're not.
You are not.
I will protect our family.
I will.
I promise. Okay?
Hey, come here. Come here.
[sighs]
What the hell is going on?
-Ugh, I need to see him.
-Why?
I need him
to look me in the eye
and tell me he didn't do it.
So you're having doubts?
I'm right. You're doubting it?
I... I don't know.
What do you mean
you don't know?
Come on. You know
something isn't right here.
The jury knows it. It's just...
Can you prove
that's what happened?
Can you prove it didn't?
Can you?
[Faith] I don't know.
Just get me in there.
[door buzzes]
[door slams]
What are you doing here?
Have a seat.
I shouldn't be talking to you.
It's okay.
What do you want?
Same thing as you.
Justice for Kendall Carter.
So go find the son of a b*tch
who did it.
Look, there's no jury,
no judge, no cameras.
So just...
tell me what happened
that night.
I told you. I went home.
Right, but first, you...
you followed her, right?
Yeah. I mean, she was wasted.
Oh, no. So you felt angry
and, I don't know,
sick of being played?
No, no, that wasn't it. Okay?
It's just how Kenny was.
She'd get all worked up,
you know, talk this big game,
and the next day,
it'd be like nothing happened.
So she just needed
to chill out.
Right.
Yes, okay, I...
I know our relationship
wasn't perfect.
But we did love each other.
Now, listen, lady...
I've done a lot of things
in my life
that I'm not proud of.
But I didn't do this.
The biggest regret...
of my life...
is that I didn't
go after Kendall
in my car that night.
Because if I did...
Kenny would still be alive.
I'm done.
[bangs door]
[door closes]
[bailiff] All right, everybody,
on the bus. Let's go.
[laughing]
[Courtney laughs]
[snoring]
Ah. Look, but don't touch.
Put it back.
[country music playing
on speakers]
[bailiff] Okay, y'all.
You ready to go?
[music fades]
[tense music playing]
So this is where they fought.
Hey, you all right?
Yeah. I'm fine, thanks.
Nah, man.
You haven't been fine
since the start.
I think you've been playing us
this whole time.
I don't know what you mean.
The day you got
on the jury, you were...
puking in the bathroom.
All that stuff
with the Flower Man cop
and those papers.
You claim to be
the voice of reason,
but you're really just...
telling us
what we want to hear.
[clinks]
Now, I don't know
what game you're playing, man,
but I see you.
Do I know exactly
what happened that night?
No.
But neither do you.
And you can't be any more sure
that James Sythe got in his car
and drove home that night
than I'm sure he...
picked up one of these rocks
and bashed
that poor girl's head in.
And threw her body
in the creek.
Jesus, man.
-You nearly slipped.
-Yeah. [clears throat]
Maybe that hiker was right.
-Could have slipped.
-Yeah, maybe. Maybe.
But it doesn't matter.
That piece of sh*t
left her there that night...
alone, to die.
In a ditch.
Her death is on him.
Which is why I will never
acquit James Sythe.
Ever.
This trial ends
in only two ways,
either with a conviction
or a hung jury.
[Denice claps] All right.
Is everybody ready
to head home?
Is everybody done here, please?
[Marcus] Yeah.
Okay, let's go.
[Denice] Have you seen enough?
Yeah.
[engines start]
[suspenseful music playing]
[engine starts]
[country music playing
on speakers]
[sighs]
[banging]
All rise!
Madam Foreperson.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
Yes, Your Honor.
And is that verdict unanimous?
Yes, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please stand
for the reading of the verdict?
"In the matter
of the State of Georgia
vs. James Michael Sythe,
case number C-R-20211715532,
we, the jury
find the defendant,
James Michael Sythe
guilty of count one
malice m*rder.
Signed and dated this day,
Denice Aldworth, Foreperson."
[sighs]
Madam Foreperson?
To the best of your knowledge,
was this your verdict
in the jury room?
Was it freely
and voluntarily given?
And is this still your verdict?
[Denice] Yes, Your Honor.
[Judge Thelma] Very well.
Then the defendant
is hereby remanded
to the custody of the State.
Sentencing will be
at a later date.
[softly] Oh, James.
Thank you for your service.
It is now concluded.
This court is adjourned.
[sighs]
[groans softly]
[sirens blaring in distance]
[tense music playing]
[sighs]
Hey. Good. Right there.
-Hey.
-Hey.
-What time does it start?
-Soon. I'm going to head out.
You sure you want to go?
Hey! Justin.
He wasn't a good guy.
It's not your fault.
I didn't stand up for him.
I told them what they
needed to hear,
and said he couldn't change.
And I have
to live with that, so...
The least I can do is be there.
[door closes]
Hi, peanut.
This came for you.
Will the defendant
please stand for sentencing?
The m*rder of Kendall Carter
was violent and senseless.
The jury has found you
guilty of that m*rder,
for which this court
sentences you as follows.
Count one, malice m*rder.
Life in prison
without the possibility
of parole.
The defendant
is hereby remanded
to the Department
of Corrections
to serve the rest
of his life in prison.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Allison] My husband,
Justin, hit a deer.
[Justin] My wife is of
a high-risk pregnancy.
[Judge Thelma] This court
is now adjourned.
Hey.
I'm surprised you came today.
I wanted to see this through.
Yeah. Me too.
You look tired.
Likewise.
Well, I have
a new baby at home.
That's not what I meant.
Congratulations on winning
your election.
-I saw it in the paper.
-Oh, yeah. Thank you.
It's a pretty big deal.
You must have
worked hard for it.
Oh, I did.
There's a lot of good
you can do in that job,
I'd imagine.
Sometimes.
It's not as easy
as you think, though.
Never is.
Mmm. Sometimes you try
and do the right thing
only to realize
you got it all wrong.
And when you figure things out,
you realize the guy
you're after isn't some...
psycho.
He's not even
really a criminal.
He's just a regular guy.
What if it was an accident?
This is no accident.
It's impossible to prove,
either way.
Just like him
not realizing at the time
that he hit someone
with his car. It's...
You just have to trust him.
Why would I do that?
Because he's a good person.
He was caught
in terrible circumstances.
Mmm-hmm. No, you're right.
This is a...
[chuckles] It's a tough one.
He has a family
depending on him,
just like you have people
depending on you.
And what about justice?
Well, sometimes...
the truth isn't justice.
[scoffs] You really
believe that?
If you keep going with this,
the press will eat you alive.
Okay? This case
will follow you forever.
In the meantime,
some politician
will take your job,
a criminal goes back
on the street,
and a good man
and his family will be...
just destroyed.
Where is the justice in that?
[melancholy music playing]
Amen.
Looks like the storm passed.
Yeah. I think so.
[engine starts]
[Eric] Hello?
Where's our new DA?
-Hey.
-Hey.
-For the new digs.
-Oh. [chuckles]
-Thanks.
-Yeah. It's real.
Easy plant to take care of.
-It really thrives on neglect.
-[chuckles]
-You did it.
-[sighs]
I hope it was worth it.
[knocks on table]
Ale House later.
You're buying.
Kung fu!
-Hi.
-And the 4Runner
is officially sold.
Okay.
[sighs]
Come here.
[baby cooing]
[both gasp]
-Hi.
-Oh.
Good morning. Dada.
[Justin and Allison] Yeah.
-There she goes.
-Come here. Here we go.
Yeah. Yeah.
You're doing good. Hi.
[sighs] It sucks.
I think she has my eyes.
-Really?
-Yeah.
-No.
-Yeah.
-You have beautiful eyes.
-Well...
Look, I think, maybe mine.
They're changing a little bit.
-[baby cooing]
-Yeah, hi.
-She has my mouth.
-I hope not.
[both laugh]
Definitely your elbows, though.
My elb-- [laughs]
My elbow. [gasps]
Look at your beautiful elbows.
You're blessed.
-[laughs]
-My greatest feature.
Hi.
My girls.
My girls
with beautiful elbows. Yeah.
-[knock at door]
-Oh.
Oh.
Who could that be
at a time like this?
-Hey, peanut.
-There we go.
Hi, honey.
Okay.
[somber music playing]
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Juror #2 (2024)
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