03x17 - Parental Guidance

[bunniefuu]

Is that all you got?

I was hoping to trade these
for some coffee beans.

You hungry?

Yeah.

Get some water.

I'll make lunch.

You know what to do, son.

Yes, sir.

Remember...

this is our land.

It's k*ll or be k*lled.

Mr. Schwieger. State Police.

I need you to step outside.

Now.

k*ll or be k*lled.

So where are we going?

What are we doing?

And who is this wonder of
wonders I just have to meet?

What did you call him?
A walking anachronism?

Lucas Schwieger, .

He never attended school.

He lives a completely sheltered existence

in a cabin with no
electricity or running water

in the woods above Sullivan County.

His father, whom he lived with,

described himself as
a radical survivalist.

He was, as far as I can tell,
the only person

that Lucas had any sustained contact with

during his years of life.

Wow.

A caseworker with
Child Protective Services

heard about him, grew concerned,
came to pay him a visit...

escorted by the New York State Police.

"Father and son opened fire,
k*lling the caseworker

"and wounding the State Police officer,

who fired back, k*lling the father."

Ballistics indicate that while
Lucas sh*t the police officer,

wounding him in the leg,
he didn't actually k*ll anyone.

It was the father's g*n that did that.

Nonetheless, he's being charged
as an adult for m*rder

as part of a joint venture.

Does he even understand
what's going on? The charges?

That they want him to stand trial?

They want to punish him
for what happened?

He didn't even understand
what an attorney was

until I explained it to him.

You know, it's not like
he's mentally impaired.

In fact, in the little time
I've spent with him,

he seems innately intelligent.

But his only understanding of the world

is what's been taught
to him by his father.

Well, obviously, some doctor, somewhere,

deemed him fit to stand trial.

You should also know that Lucas did speak

to the police on the record.

He already admitted he sh*t the officer.

Expressed clear intent.

Insisted he would do it again.

He's a friend.

My name's Dr. Jason Bull.

Dr. Statton wanted me to meet you.

See if I could help you.

Doctor, huh?

I'm not sick.

No. I'm not the doctor
that helps sick people.

I'm the doctor that helps people
when they get into trouble,

when they have to go to court.

Do you know what court is?

Did Dr. Statton explain
about court to you?

Let me start over.

First of all,
I'm sorry about your father.

They had better g*ns.

How about your mom?

Do you ever see her?

Is there any way I could talk to her?

No.

She hung herself.

It was when I was a little kid.

I'm sorry.

Lucas...

...do you understand you could spend

the rest of your life in here, in jail?

And I'm guessing you don't
want that. Am I right?

I just want to go home.

And that's what we want to try
and make happen.

You all right with that?

I guess so.

All right.

Let me get back to my office,
get this started.

I'm sure I'm gonna want
to talk to you some more.

In the meantime, is there
anything I can bring you?

Anything you miss? Maybe some books?

Well, if you think of anything.

This is Lucas Schwieger. years old.

Charged with m*rder in the death

of a New York State
Children's Services caseworker.

Yeah. We all got Bull's e-mail
about this kid.

He can't read. Barely speaks.

Lived with his dad off
the grid his whole life.

Oh, and let's not forget
he confessed to the crime.

So I'll just say it.

Can we even help this boy?

We've got the surviving
police officer's testimony.

Plus the confession.

And this client doesn't seem like he's

in a position to really help
his own defense.

And what kind of narrative?

What kind of story can you tell a jury

that makes it okay to ambush
a caseworker and a trooper?

Bull wants to mount

a defense based on persuasive coercion.

Our position will be that,
because of Lucas's sheltered

and isolated upbringing, he
didn't know what he was doing,

other than following the instructions of,

quite literally, the only person
in his life: his father.

Norman Schwieger was delusional

and paranoid and controlling.

He was convinced
that humankind was on the verge

of a cataclysmic end and thought
the only way to survive

was to live a completely
self-sustaining life

away from the scrutiny
of other human beings.

And he forced his son
to live the same way...

cloistered on their small plot of land,

which they didn't even really own,

which Norman rigged
with trip-wired alarms

to warn them of any trespassers.

Okay. I'll ask.

What is persuasive coercion?

Basically, Bull wants to argue
for all intents and purposes

that Lucas's father exercised
a kind of mind control over him.

Denied the boy a voice

in any decision-making of any kind.

His job was simply to do
what he was told.

And as a result,
he had no experience choosing

between right and wrong,
no experience choosing anything.

The problem is,
it's an affirmative defense.

Hi. Zero years of law school here.

Though I did watch a lot
of Ally McBeal back in the ' s.

So what does that mean?
"Affirmative defense"?

That means that going in, we admit

to what the prosecution claims he did.

And now it puts the burden on us
to present evidence

that will negate his having done it.

Basically, yes, he sh*t
at those people, but no,

given the circumstances,
it wasn't his fault.

And how do we make that argument?

Is there anyone left to testify?

With Lucas's father dead,
it leaves us without one witness

who can tell the jury about the
crazy way that Lucas grew up.

And based on Bull's e-mails,

it's highly unlikely that we'll be able

to put Lucas himself on the stand.

Wait a second. Someone saw something,

because Child Protective Services
were sent to this house.

I know those calls are confidential,

but I'll start digging and see
if I can find out who did it.

You know what the trick is gonna be?

Trying to get a jury
to connect with this kid

despite everything about his life

being vastly different from their own.

I can't wait to hear
what the big guy has to say.

You ever seen one of these before?

It's called a tie.

It's what men wear when they
want to be taken seriously.

It hurts. Hurts my neck.

Well, every man who's ever
put one of these on

has thought that, but still...

people have been wearing them
for hundreds of years.

Went to church once.

Saw some there.

So, today... today is all
about picking jurors,

the people who decide whether
to punish you or not.

Mr. Colón is gonna be
asking people questions.

You don't have to do
anything; just sit there.

Try not to react.

And don't say a word
unless I tell you to.

Remember, people are gonna
be looking at you. Okay?

Trying to figure out who you are.

They might make funny faces.
Don't make any back.

You just sit there, try to smile.

It's probably gonna take the whole day.

Mr. Colón and I will do our best

to get you out of there
as quickly as possible.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Let me ask you all a question.

How many of you, especially
when you were teenagers,

had a less than terrific
relationship with your parents?

You, sir.

You were at w*r with your folks a lot?

Well, my old man was a taskmaster.

Very old-school.

And I was the kind of kid
who didn't really like rules.

Got it.

And all of you pretty much feel
the same way?

That your parents didn't
necessarily know best?

Your Honor, the defense
would like to thank

and excuse jurors number three,

eight, ten and .

We need jurors who see Lucas
was a part of a cult of two.

Brainwashed to hate like a sort
of Manchurian Candidate.

And how do we do that?

We look for people who can be
persuaded to follow a leader.

They may not understand
the environment Lucas

was raised in, but they can relate

to his need to do as he's told.

People who are risk averse

and make middle-of-the-road decisions.

So, tell me, sir,

do you invest in the stock market?

I do.

Do you buy tech stocks,
high-risk investments,

or are you more of a S&P

kind of investor?

I actually like to go with mutual funds.

Let someone who knows what
they're doing decide for me.

Play it safe. Get a steady return.

Your Honor, the defense finds
this juror acceptable.

And we have our jury.

The court is in recess
until tomorrow morning.

Nice job.

You did everything we asked perfectly.

We had a good day.

Does that mean I can go home now?

No. No.

I'm sorry, this is...

gonna take many days.

Today was a good day
but not the only day.

Are you going home?

Yes.

Is he going home now?

Yes.

But not me?

Not yet.

What are we gonna do
about this confession?

Talk about taking advantage
of someone's limited capacity.

That's why I hung around...
I wanted to get it

- in front of both of you.
- It's pretty damning.

I get the feeling, if they had asked him

where Hoffa's body was buried,
he would have told them.

How about I file a motion

to get the confession thrown out
first thing in the morning?

That's how you get to be Benjamin Colón.

Does that mean we're done for the day?

I know I am.

Are you happy?

I'm sorry?

Are you happy?

I am lying here naked
next to my naked husband,

watching do-it-yourself bathroom
projects at : at night.

I'm euphoric.

Why?

I don't know, uh...

the mail was piling up,
and I finally got around

to going through it,

and there was a thing
from a fertility clinic.

A bill.

They wanted to know if they
should keep your eggs frozen

or just... throw 'em away.

I didn't even know that
you had frozen some eggs.

I didn't even know that you...

wanted kids.

I mean...

I seem to recall
when we first got married

that we sort of figured out that...

we didn't... want them.

God.

I so didn't see this conversation coming.

I love what we have.

I love our life just the way it is.

But we're paying to keep your eggs

in some stranger's Deepfreeze.

I know.

How can I explain this to you?

After our divorce...

friends with kids kept telling me

that something's gonna happen,

that I'd suddenly want them, too.

That some switch would flip
and it would be too late,

and this was something
I needed to plan for.

And you're right,

I never had that thing,
that... kid thing,

but I thought: "Don't be stupid.

You don't know how you're
gonna feel in five years."

So I did it. I...

just... did it.

I guess...

deep down...

I wanted to have the option.

So did it happen?

Did your... switch flip?

I really don't know.

How would you feel if it did?

I really don't know, either.

I think...

I need to give it some
thought before I answer.

Okay.

I think I do, too.

Okay.

So, this morning is just
gonna be about Mr. Colón

trying to convince the court to ignore

what you told the police
when they arrested you.

The jury's not even gonna be there.

Did I say something bad?

Well, you said you did it,
and you said you'd do it again.

Should I say something different?

No. Just...

do what you did yesterday:

Don't speak unless Mr. Colón asks you to.

Just sit.

We'll do the rest.

Your Honor, the
defense would like to file

a motion to suppress
Lucas Schwieger's statements

to the police at the time of his arrest.

It's gonna be fine.

Your Honor, there are simply

no grounds for this.

The defendant made
a knowing and voluntary

and intelligent waiver.

"A knowing and voluntary
and intelligent waiver."

Your Honor, prior to my client's arrest,

he had never even seen a state trooper

or a courtroom or, for
that matter, an attorney.

He didn't even know what an attorney was,

didn't know he had rights under the law.

He didn't know anything.

Nothing but what his father told him,

and his father,
who suffered from delusions

and paranoia and a host
of other mental illnesses,

basically told him

that anyone who was not
one of the two of them

was bad and needed to die.

He never said that! He-he just... he said

it was our land,
and we had to k*ll or be k*lled!

- Lucas.
- My dad taught me how to carve.

He taught me how to fish.

- Lucas.
- He-he taught me how to sh**t.

Counselor, control your client.

They came on our land. It
was k*ll or be k*lled!

Lucas.

My apologies, Your Honor.

As you can clearly see...

my client is a victim

of a cruel and sadistic upbringing,

one that kept the world
away at all costs.

He simply doesn't know any better.

He couldn't possibly have been expected

to understand his rights

or the consequences of speaking
without an attorney present.

No, no, no, no, no! They k*lled him!

They came on our land,

and they k*lled him!

- Lucas, stop.
- We sh*t at them,

- but they came on our land!
- Mr. Schwieger,

I need you to stay in your seat

- and to refrain from speaking.
- I didn't do nothing wrong!

Officer, return Mr. Schwieger
to holding, please,

immediately.

It's okay. You need to go with him.

It's gonna be all right.

Let's go.

This is one of those moments
in a judge's life.

So... let's talk law.

I certainly see the validity
of your argument, Mr. Colón.

"Knowing and voluntary and intelligent"

hardly describes what went on here.

Your motion to suppress
Mr. Schwieger's statement

to the police from evidence is granted.

However...

I'm not sure the omission
of the statement

will matter much to the jury
if you can't rein in

your client's behavior.

Yes, Your Honor.

Thank you, Your Honor.

What did we get ourselves into here?

He couldn't even keep it together

for a ten-minute motion hearing.

How is he supposed to make it

through eight hours a day of court?

May I ask who's calling?

This is he.

I see.

I see.

No, I'll be right over.

I very much appreciate the call.

Everything all right?

Lucas is in the hospital.

After he returned from court today,

he tried to hang himself.

Sorry I'm late.

What kind of shape is he in?

Well, at the moment,
he's heavily sedated.

One of the other inmates
heard him choking

and called out to the guards.

They cut him down and resuscitated him.

The good news is he's going to be fine.

So, anybody venturing a guess
about when he'll be awake,

when I can get him back in court?

They're guessing his
sedation wouldn't wear off

until midday tomorrow.

Oh.

So...

what now?

Now we roar into the courtroom
tomorrow morning

before the prosecution is any wiser,

and Benny files a motion
to try and keep all this

from being introduced into the record.

Why? I mean, I'm no lawyer,

but if I'm on the jury,

doesn't the idea that he

almost tried to k*ll himself
make Lucas look...

sympathetic?

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

But that's not how
the other side will spin it.

They will claim it is proof

Lucas felt guilty about what he did,

that he knows he did something
he shouldn't have,

and since we're telling the jury
the exact opposite...

that he didn't know the difference

between right and wrong...

the trial would effectively be over

before we ever called a witness.

That the su1c1de attempt is

somehow connected to
this caseworker's death

is pure speculation.

I mean, look at everything this
young man has been through.

He watched

as his father was sh*t to death
right in front of him.

He's been pulled away

from the only home he's ever known.

He's spent this last week
either in a-a courtroom

or a jail cell.

If we are going to hypothesize,

shouldn't we say

that maybe depression is the
cause of... of this behavior?

Your Honor,

Dr. Jason Bull.

I'm part of the defense team
and a doctor of psychology.

I know who you are, Dr. Bull.

Well, in my professional opinion,

it's likely that this child
tried to k*ll himself

because the only man he knew,
the only man he trusted,

his father, was being referred to

as the person most responsible
for his own death

and his son's incarceration.

Now, this man was the boy's God.
His North Star.

Everything he knew about life
he learned from this man,

and to hear that he could be
so profoundly wrong

had to be cataclysmic for him

and was surely reason enough
for him to consider

taking his own life.

I'm not sure what I believe
the boy was thinking.

Respectfully,
that's for the jury to decide.

And they won't get to
decide if we withhold

the defendant's su1c1de
attempt from them.

I agree with the defense,

and I find the prejudicial impact

outweighs the probative value.

The attempted su1c1de will not
be allowed into evidence.

When will the defendant

be available
so that the trial can resume?

We will get you the answer
to that question

as soon as possible, Your Honor.

I am so sorry.

It's amazing what he can
do in a split second.

It's fine.

Here, Mommy.

How old is he?

months.

Uh, almost two.

Two years since I've had
a full night's sleep.

Two years since I've read a book.

Two years since I've been to the gym.

You have kids?

Yeah, I can tell.

You lack frazzle.

Bye.

Well, turns out the nearest neighbors

are almost a quarter mile away.

They seemed to know that
there was a teenager

and an old man living near them,

but they said that they'd
sometimes hear g*nf*re,

so they kept their distance.

Maybe there's someone from their past.

He told me his mother
hung herself when he was little.

I'll bet that's where he got the idea.

- How horrible.
- Maybe there's someone

who knew her, who was friends
with her before she...

That would be great.

Someone we could get to testify

to how Lucas had a
normal life at one time

and a completely isolated
one once the mother passed.

I know it drives the kid crazy,

but we have to keep hammering away

at what a lunatic the father was.

What about the person who called
Child Protective Services?

There's a reason why

these folks went out to take a look.

Someone had to have
called in a complaint.

Yep. A woman named Yvonne Fowler.

She won't take my calls,

and she doesn't answer the door
when I visit her house,

but I haven't given up.

Well, I'm about to. I'm exhausted.

Court's back in session
first thing in the morning.

You don't have to tell me twice.

My son is obsessed
with sending me poop emojis.

I wonder if it means something.

You are always on duty, aren't you?

On duty?

That's a joke, right?

Hey, let me ask you something.

How'd you know you wanted to have kids?

Was it something...

you just felt in your soul,

or did you just sense
it was the right time?

Neither. It was more like
a three-martini night,

and nine months later we needed a crib.

I mean,

it wasn't planned,

but wouldn't trade it for anything.

You getting an itch?

Not even a tickle.

Greg?

He wants what I want.

At least, that's what he says.

And you don't know what you want.

No.

I envy you.

Really? Why?

It feels terrible from in here.

Because no matter what happens,
no matter what you do,

it's gonna be wonderful.

You're either gonna get what you want,

or you're gonna... get what you want.

The people would like to call
Yvonne Fowler to the stand.

Yvonne Fowler?

Isn't she the one Danny said
called in the complaint

to Child Services?

Looks like she took
the prosecution's call.

I know her.

Ms. Fowler,

could you please tell the
court how you came to meet

Lucas Schwieger?

I'm a nurse at St. Benjamin's Hospital,

which is about five miles from
where Norman and Lucas lived.

A few months ago, Norman showed up

in the middle of the night
at the hospital with Lucas.

Norman had walking pneumonia.

Once we got Norman checked in,

I realized Lucas had nowhere to go.

So I brought him home with me,

thinking it would just be
for a day or so.

But one day turned into two,
two turned into a week,

and Lucas ended up staying
with us for three weeks.

And when you say "us"?

Oh. My husband and two children.

Boys. Seven and nine.

So, when the defense claims Mr. Schwieger

spent his whole life in isolation,

that simply isn't true, is it?

I don't know anything
about his whole life.

Well, but you can categorically state

that he lived with you?

Had running water, home-cooked meals,

slept in a warm bed for a period

of three weeks?

Yes, he did.

Now, you're very active in your church,

aren't you, Ms. Fowler?

Our whole family is.

I teach Sunday school.

During the three weeks
Lucas lived with you,

did you ever take him to church?

Every Sunday.

He said he'd never stepped
inside a church before,

and he seemed to like it.

The singing,
the shaking hands, the sermon.

My boys showed him how

to put money in the plate.

Hard to know if this is good or bad

for our side.

Anything that suggests
Lucas knew right from wrong

- is not a help.
- So, I'm curious.

Did you ever take Mr. Schwieger
with you to Sunday school?

Yes, I did once.

Could you tell the court what lessons

were being taught that Sunday?

We talked about the Ten Commandments.

And that particular week
was the fifth commandment:

thou shalt not k*ll.

Jury's slipping away.

They're starting to sense

that he's seen enough of the world

to know the difference
between right and wrong.

You don't just sh**t people

when they show up in front of your house.

So, how'd it go in there?

We've had better days.

You still interested in making
the father the villain?

I'm not sure it much matters
to the jury at this point.

Maybe that's because they haven't
heard the really bad stuff.

Really bad stuff? Like what?

Like, how about
telling a child his whole life

that his mother is dead
when she's actually alive.

You good if I smoke?

Anybody thirsty?

We're fine. We just wanted
to ask you a few questions

about your ex-husband, Norman,
and your son, Lucas.

Oh, well, I mean,
I'll tell you everything I know.

Did you know that Norman d*ed?

sh*t by a state trooper.

And that your son, Lucas,
is on trial for m*rder?

No, I didn't know that.

You aware that your son
thinks you're dead?

Well, I'm not surprised.

You ever meet his father?

Never had the pleasure.

What can you tell me about him?

Uh, he's crazy.

I just finally said,

"I'm gonna take Lucas and leave."

And how'd Norman feel about that?

Oh, that night I woke up

and find Norman on top of me
with a p*stol in my mouth.

And he said if I ever tried
to take the boy,

he was gonna k*ll both of us.

How old was Lucas?

He'd just turned three.

So, that night,
the second he fell asleep,

I was out the window.

I didn't even kiss my baby good-bye.

I know it's been a long time,

but we need your son's jury to hear

what it was like to live with that man,

to hear the story you just told us.

Yeah, I don't think so.

I got a really busy schedule.

You have a drug problem, Mrs. Schwieger?

It's not a problem for me.

Okay, I'm gonna step outside.

She's gonna stay in here with you.

I want you to put on
the closest thing you have

to a decent dress,

and then we are going to the courthouse.

And don't try going out the window.

She's ex-FBI.

She could be anybody.

But she isn't.

- Can I smoke?
- No.

She's gonna tell the jury

what life was like with
your father before she left.

And you're not gonna like hearing it,

but I need you to promise
that you will not react.

No noises. No faces.

No standing. No talking.

Don't worry, I won't do nothing.

I don't even know her.

He knocked me around all the time.

Wouldn't let us go out.

He didn't trust anyone.

Objection, Your Honor.
What does any of this have to do

with whether or not Lucas
Schwieger sh*t a police officer?

If it pleases the court,

in order to understand what happened

the day of the sh**ting,
we have to understand

what kind of environment Lucas came from.

Overruled.

Now, you were saying...

He just got stranger and stranger.

He-he stopped letting me
leave the cabin at all.

He... he rigged up alarms

so that he would know
if somebody came and went.

He said that the government

was watching him from satellites.

From space?

Yeah. Sometimes at night he'd go outside,

and-and he'd scream at them.

He'd sh**t his g*ns up in the air.

I mean, I was scared all the time.

It was no way to live.

And it probably wasn't any
better for Lucas, either.

Thank you. No further questions,
Your Honor.

Well, that made an impact.

No reds have flipped green, but I can see

that their attitudes
about Lucas are in flux.

For the first time,
they're sympathizing with him.

Let's take a moment
and talk about your past.

Are you the same Brenda Schwieger

who was convicted of forging checks?

Sentenced to court-appointed rehab twice?

Hasn't had a full-time
job in almost years?

And you expect this jury

to believe anything you have to say?

You got me.

I don't even want to be here.

I just was told that I had to.

But I'll tell you this.

My husband ruined me.

I used to be a human being.

So whatever kind of person
Lucas has become,

trust me, it's because
his father got him there.

If my little baby has become a k*ller,

it's because his father
turned him into one.

She was good.

You think it was enough?

No.

But I have an idea.

So these are of

the inside of the cabin.

As you can see, it's pretty spartan.

You can use these to show

the jury how little stimulation
was available.

No books, no radio, no TV.

Obviously, no computers.

And most importantly,
no outlets for learning.

All right, so these are
the air horns and the trip wires

Norman installed around the property

to ward against intruders.

Got it.

Helps demonstrate the paranoia.

Fear of outsiders, the isolation.

Ready for the next series?

Fire when ready.

What are we looking at here?

It's a homemade target range.

Metal head and torso silhouettes.

By the way,
the police dusted all of this.

The g*ns, the targets.

Lucas's fingerprints were everywhere.

His father's? Norman's?

Not so much.

Wow.

All those bull's-eyes.

One on top of the other. Looks like

Lucas was quite the sh*t.

How far away would you say
the targets were

from the stand where Lucas
would have been sh**ting from?

- Had to be at least yards.
- I'm not sure

we really want the jury looking
at this target range.

I mean, it's kind of horrific.

Kind of like looking
at a m*rder*r's training ground.

Actually, I disagree.

I think this is exactly
what the jury needs to see.

Okay. Well, how are we
gonna get all this in?

Who's on the stand?

Can't just stand up in front of a court

and show photos without any context.

We need somebody to authenticate them,

to say that this is really
where Lucas lived,

that this is really what it looked like.

Who are we gonna get to do that?

I was thinking... Lucas.

Good morning, Lucas.

First time in a witness box?

Yes.

Well, you know how this works, right?

They made you raise your
right hand a moment ago, and

you promised to tell the truth.

You understand that, don't you?

Yes.

All right.

Now...

Does this picture...?

Does this look familiar to you?

Does it look like a place you know?

Yes.

It's behind my house.

It's a target range.

Right? A place where...

people practice sh**ting g*ns?

Yes.

You sh**t there a lot?

Pretty much almost every day.

All right.

Now how far was that target
from where you sh*t?

Uh, I-I don't get you.

How many steps? I mean,
if you had to take a guess.

Um...

at least a hundred.

Okay.

And how far away from the house
was the state trooper

and the lady he brought with him?

The one your dad sh*t?

Maybe...

steps.

Never really counted.

Objection. Relevance?

If the court would just indulge
me for a moment more, please?

Overruled.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Do you recognize this picture?

That's what I sh**t at.

So these are your b*llet holes?

I'm the only one who sh**t there.

Huh.

So if you sh**t at these targets
pretty much every day,

and they're at least a hundred feet away,

why'd you sh**t
that state trooper in the leg?

- The witness will answer the question.
- Oh, that's all right.

I'll rephrase.

Didn't your father tell you,
"It's k*ll or be k*lled"?

Again, the witness
will answer the question.

I'll withdraw the question.
Let me ask another.

Do you recognize the phrase,

"thou shalt not k*ll"?

Have you heard that before?

Yes.

Sunday school, right?

Yes.

And did it go through your mind

when your father told you,
"k*ll or be k*lled"?

Lucas?

Yes.

That's why you sh*t
that state trooper in the leg

and not through the head or the heart

like you've been practicing
your whole life to do?

Yes.

Thank you, Your Honor.

No further questions.

Let's take a -minute recess.

Did you bring me in here to gloat?

I brought you in here
to see if we could cut a deal.

A deal?

Why would you want to make a deal?

The jury is almost
certainly going to vote

to let the boy go free.

Because I'm not necessarily convinced

that that's the best thing for him.

Seemed like you guys
were talking for an hour.

Where's he going?

To tell the judge the good news.

We're done.

No more jail, no more court.

Yvonne,

the woman you stayed with
for three weeks, has agreed

to let you live with her and
her family until you're .

It's what we call "probation."

It's kind of like a test

to see if you can
follow the rules, and...

you don't have any problems.

And the A.D.A. and I would also like you

to see Dr. Statton once a week.

You remember her from the hospital?

She introduced us?

She's a good doctor.

A doctor for your feelings.

Someone for you to talk to.

Okay.

That's it?

It's a pretty terrific deal.

Nice work.

I didn't do it. Lucas did.

He got on the stand and told the truth.

But I can't go home?

Not to your old home, no.

It was never really yours.

Your father was a squatter.

A person who lives someplace,

but doesn't really own it.

That's why he was so protective of it.

The g*ns, the alarms.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be there.

I'm sorry.

The judge agreed.

Does this mean I can go to school now?

I'm sure we can figure something out.

Learn to read?

Oh, I'm sure
whatever school you end up at,

they'd love to help you with that.

Hey, you ever been to a restaurant?

What's that?

Well, you ever been to a celebration?

I-I don't know.

What does one look like?

Oh, you've got your whole life
ahead of you.

So much great stuff.

Ask me about work today.

Okay.

How was work today?

We've been working on this case.

This kid... he's, like, .

Completely lost the parent lottery.

Up on m*rder charges.

Mother's a junkie.

Father was a delusional paranoid

who thought
the world was coming to an end.

And your point?

It scares me.

His parents

must have been in love once upon a time,

or at the very least, in lust.

This kid was... born a baby.

A cute, beautiful baby.

How did it all go so wrong?

If God is so smart,

why does he or she let people
like that have children,

let alone be attracted to each other?

You are so much smarter
than that question suggests.

Maybe I'm not.

Maybe I'm not really any of
the things I like to think I am.

I mean...

look at my parents.

Look at what happened to me.

So this is how we're gonna
make this momentous decision.

In the middle of the night, half asleep.

I don't know.

Do you have an opinion?

Actually, I do.

I'm as frightened as
you are... of failing.

I'm... terrified

at the prospect of letting
another human being down.

But there's also a part of me
that thinks it would be scary

and dangerous if I
didn't have those fears.

So what are you saying?

I'm saying...

your parents robbed you of so much.

Don't let them rob you of this.

This choice.

If you don't want to
have a baby, let's not.

But if you're afraid of having a
baby because of your parents...

...then I'm gonna
force you to have a baby

just to prove you wrong.

You and what army?

Mm. Come here.

I want to start right now.

You understand
this is not how this works.

We go to an office.

We don't do it like this?

Well, they show you p*rn.

p*rn? Really?

Wow.

The things we do for our kids.