21x01 - The Right Thing

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Law & Order". Aired: September 1990 to May 2010.*
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21x01 - The Right Thing

Post by bunniefuu »

NARRATOR: In the criminal
justice system,


the people are represented

by two separate yet equally
important groups:


the police, who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.


These are their stories.

I'll say this one last time.

I'm innocent.

So all the allegations against you...

Are false.

Diane, I spent years,
months, and days in prison

for a crime that I did not commit.

Like many people of color,

I was wrongfully charged,
and wrongfully convicted.

I have never had non-consensual
sex with anyone ever.

My mission in life is to make
sure that those responsible

for this travesty of justice
are held accountable.

Then, and only then, can we begin a path

towards a more enlightened
and racially just society.

[TENSE MUSIC]

[SIREN WAILING]

What do we got?

Young couple starts fooling around,

walks down the stairs to have sex...

their words, not mine...

until they see
the dead guy bleeding out.

Over here. Name's Henry King.

- The singer?
- Among other things.

Five g*nsh*t wounds, . shell casings.

Four to the chest, one to the groin.

Doesn't look like a robbery either.

Wallet's still in his pocket,
watch is still on his wrist.

The over-under on this guy
was nine months.

I get it, but...

But what?

Every victim deserves respect...

Even the ones that r*pe women.

♪ ♪

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Henry was trying so hard to
reclaim his life, his dignity.

Mrs. King, where were you tonight

between the hours of : and : ?

I had dinner with a few
friends at a place called Orto,

on th and Columbus.

And when did you return?

About : .

You know, I noticed a bunch

of surveillance cameras around here.

We may need to see the video,
if that's okay.

That's not possible.

I haven't activated
the system for years.

Your husband's one of the most hated men

in America and you
don't turn on the alarm?

I'm from Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Barely a thousand people.

We never even think
of locking the front door.

With all due respect, you're
a long way from Banner Elk.

Since your husband
was released from prison,

have there been any problems?

Have you noticed anything unusual?

How about the women
who accused him of r*pe?

Have any of them reached out
to express their...

opinions on the recent court ruling?

No.

Not that I'm aware of, anyway.

When was the last time
you spoke with your husband?

About four hours ago,
after he did that interview.

I just got off with the Chief.

Before that, the Mayor.

Before that, the District Attorney.

Oh, first time in years
people actually care

about a Black man getting sh*t.

That's funny. If it was a joke.

If not, you can save
your speech for someone else,

because I am not in the mood
for politics right now.

Music to my ears.

And why is that, Frank?

- Excuse me?
- Hey, hey,

we have a m*rder to solve,

a m*rder that's the lead
of every news channel,

the headline of every paper.

So call me crazy,

but maybe we should focus
on that right now.

Just found a text on King's
phone, sent two days ago.

It says, "It's over.
I'm coming for you".

Damn right I sent that text,

but I was threatening his career,

- not his life.
- What do you mean?

I stood by Henry year after year,

despite all the allegations.

Then he fires me, three days ago,

just as we're about to close
a $ million deal

with some podcast company.

[SCOFFS] Son of a bitch

was trying to screw me
out of my commission.

After all I did
for that two-faced prick.

I even had to beg the CEO
just to meet with the guy.

That's a $ million commission.

Oh, please, I didn't sh**t Henry.

Oh, I believe you.
I mean, you're an agent.

What's more honorable than that?

Unfortunately, some of my
colleagues aren't as trusting,

- so...
- I was home in Westport.

Had dinner with my wife.

- It was our anniversary.
- Hmm.

Can you think of anyone else
that may have had

a serious grudge against Mr. King?

I can think of thousands,
but I'm not aware

of any specific threats
or anything like that.

Did he owe anyone money?

[SCOFFS] Half the city.

Henry was the cheapest
son of a bitch on earth.

Joke was, only reason
he roofied those girls

was cause he was too cheap
to pick up dinner.

Are any of those people
capable of m*rder?

Eh, he told me some gangbanger was

shaking him down for a lot of money.

Did he happen to name this gangbanger?

[WHISTLES] Hey, hey, how you doing?

We're looking for a guy named
Shabazz Walker, seen him?

[CLICKS TONGUE] Yeah, a'ight...

Yo, yo, I'm not done talking to you...

- Yo, kiss my ass!
- What you say to me?

- Hey, hey, Frank.
- What you gonna do, man?

- What you say to me?
- Frank!

It's not your neighborhood, man.

We're good. We're good.

- Watch your boy, man.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- Come on.
- Are you kiddin' me?

These young kids, they got no respect.

They get to say and
do whatever they want.

It's like a free pass.

Not sure what you mean by that.

Uh, I mean, I'm white, he's Black.

I say the wrong thing
and my career's over.

- Yeah, maybe.
- Maybe?

Is there another way of looking at this?

Hey, Frank, you came at him hot, man.

I showed him my badge
and I said, "How you doing?"

How's that coming off hot?

Should I have offered him a croissant

and invited him to tea at the St. Regis?

Maybe you should
have treated him a little...

more polite.

Like a law-abiding citizen,

minding his own damn business.

Truth is it's these damn phones.

They... they've ruined everything.

Yeah, okay.

That's one way of looking at it.

- The other?
- They hold us accountable.

Look, Kev, I know we haven't
been working together

- for very long, but...
- Two months.

Which makes you the longest relationship

I've had in the last six years.

Yeah, well, if we're gonna
keep this thing going,

you gotta know something about me.

Hmm?

I speak my mind,

probably about things I
shouldn't speak my mind about.

- But it's just how I'm wired.
- Oh, I've sensed that.

But do you.

Speak your truth.

I appreciate that.

And that statement you
made about cameras

- holding us accountable...
- Mm-hmm.

I actually agree with you.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Shabazz!

Hey!

Every dude in that joint wanted

to bust Henry King's head wide open.

So my brother Donyell
and his crew took care of him.

- Kept his ass alive.
- For a fee?

Hundred grand a year for life,

whether or not he was on the inside.

But once Henry got sprung,
he didn't wanna pay.

It's not unreasonable.

A deal's a deal, whether
or not it's reasonable.

Did you talk to Henry King about this?

Yeah. He laughed at me.

So I slammed his ass into a wall.

Then some bodyguard comes running up,

breaks things up, and
then pulls out his Glock.

Oh, now I'm intrigued.

What happened next?

Told him we needed
to work out an arrangement.

That's it? No v*olence, no threats?

Nah, nothing like that.
I was in a good mood.

Just had a baby boy, Lamarcus.

Congratulations.

- Mm.
- Just the same.

Where were you last night, : ?

At a bar in Red Hook called Ray's,

talking to the bodyguard,
trying to work things out.

- You make a deal?
- No, he offered me K.

- Told him he can go to hell.
- Dumb move.

Why's that?

King's dead.

For real? He gone?

Somebody sh*t him.

I needed that money, man.

Well, unless he named you in his will,

you're out of luck.

[CHUCKLES] We'll be in touch.

- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Shabazz isn't our guy.

I talked to the bodyguard, confirmed

the meeting at the bar in Red Hook.

Did he say anything else?

Witness any other altercations?

He said King got into
an argument with a woman

three days ago, on White
Street, just west of Baxter.

One of the r*pe victims?

- He wasn't sure.
- Hmm.

Hey, I got it.

Come check it out.

- Look at this.
- [KEYS CLACKING]

Can you punch in on that woman?

Mm-hmm.

You know, I'll run this through ECMS

and request facial
recognition to rush it.

No need. I know her.

She's a prosecutor.
Her name's Jamie Ross.

Henry King's been harassing me

since he was released from prison.

Blames me for ruining his life.

Hmm. Why you?

I was the lead prosecutor
on his r*pe trial.

I was also the one who
made the original promise

- not to prosecute him.
- Hmm.

At the time, there was
only one victim, Nicole.

And it was a tough case;
there wasn't a lot of evidence.

So Nicole sued him.

But Henry refused to testify.

So I offered him immunity
for that one case,

so that Nicole's lawyer
could depose him.

So you're the reason he went to prison

and the reason he was released.

Something like that.

Once the lawsuit was settled,

the evidence just kept pouring in,

woman after woman
talking about being drugged

and r*ped and sodomized.

And none of the cases was perfect,

but it was clear that
Henry King was a predator.

So, I said screw it, let's...

let's roll the dice and
take this bastard to trial.

And we did.

But as we all know,

the appellate court vacated the verdict.

Said my promise not
to prosecute was binding.

You screwed up.

I did what I thought
was best at the time.

Why did you and Henry King
meet the other day?

He had a private investigator
digging into my life, my cases.

So I called his lawyer, said I
wanted to resolve the nonsense.

But he wasn't interested.

Said he was going to destroy me,

destroy my family, and I...

I just lost it.

And because of your mistake,

he's walking out of jail a free man.

[TENSE MUSIC]

What are you really
asking me, Detective?

If I k*lled Henry King?

Did you?

[SCOFFS]

Get the hell out of my office.

♪ ♪

What the hell was that?

- Thanks.
- Hey!

I just got a call from a friend
at the DA's Office.

- Did you really just...
- Damn right I did.

Frank.

She and King got in a heated argument

three days before the m*rder.

All right, don't do this. Not to me.

I'm sick of it, Lou.
All they ever do is question

the way we do our jobs, our tactics,

our integrity.

It's like their goal is to pull
our pants down at every turn.

I get it, Frank. But Ross is solid.

She is not some progressive crusader

trying to get her name in the paper.

Like it or not, we're
partners with these guys.

So you better stay above the fray.

Yeah, well, I'm not so good at that,

especially when it's them
that cause the fray.

Yeah, thanks.

Just got off the phone
with the manager at Orto.

He says Veronica left at : .

He has her on video.

Restaurant is ten blocks
from the brownstone.

That's about a -minute walk.

She should have arrived around : .

- Not : like she said.
- Mm-hmm.

Hey, got a hit.

Here's King's wife on the corner

of th and Columbus,

two blocks from her house.

Time stamp says : .

That's minutes
before Henry got popped.

Let's get a search warrant
for her cell sites

and confirm her whereabouts
prior to, during,

- and after the m*rder.
- Okay, I'm on it.

- [DOOR OPENS]
- I didn't lie.


I just left out a few details.

That's what lawyers would call

a distinction without a difference.

Or the cops might call
a serious red flag.

So your husband is dead,
lying on a concrete floor,

blood everywhere,
and you decide to lie us

about what time
you got home from dinner?

My life was spinning upside down.

So I kept a few things to myself.

Care to elaborate?

After dinner, I started walking home,

but I knew Henry would still be awake.

and I couldn't bear it.

So I went to a bar a block away.

Maxwell's. Had a few drinks.

Helps me cope.

So you were there when Henry got sh*t?

Yes, I was having a martini.

I heard the sirens.

Word started to spread,
people started buzzing around,

like something important
had just happened.

And then I heard the bartender say,

"Serves the bastard right".

That's when I knew it was Henry.

Okay, just so we're clear,

- you didn't sh**t him?
- Correct.

Did you hire someone to sh**t him?

If I was gonna k*ll Henry,

I'd want the satisfaction
of seeing him pass

right in front of my eyes.

So much for the grieving widow.

All my grieving has been reserved

for the women whose lives
Henry destroyed.

I know we asked you this before, but...

did you notice anything unusual?

Uh, this is probably nothing, but I...

did notice someone hanging out

at the end of the block a few times.

He had on a hoodie.

Green, I think.

And he was wearing sunglasses
even though it was dark.

It felt odd.

Veronica's telling
the truth about the bar.

The bartender said she left about : ,

which is shortly after the news
of Henry King's m*rder broke.

She's also telling the truth

about the dude in the green hoodie.

Check it out.

Here he is standing on the corner

a block away from the brownstone.

Just like she said.

Run the video.

Freeze it.

It's a long sh*t, but...

there's a chance that
cigarette butt is still there.

[TENSE MUSIC]

All right.

♪ ♪

Looks like it should be
around here someplace.

Yup. This is it.

[CHUCKLES]

I am feeling lucky.

I'm not. But that's just me.

Bet you bucks.

- Bet.
- Deal.

We got a hit from the DNA.

A woman named Nicole Bell.

- Maiden name Nicole Atkins.
- Mm-hmm.

Nicole Atkins?

That makes a lot of sense.

[KEYS CLACKING]

Nicole Atkins was the first woman

to accuse Henry King of r*pe.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Okay.

A search warrant? For what?

We're investigating a homicide.

A homicide?

What are you talking about?

- Is your wife home?
- No, she just left for work.

Okay, guys, take upstairs.

Wait.

Is this about Henry King?

- You think...
- We're not thinking anything.

We're just executing a search warrant.

She's the victim here.
I mean, you get that, right?

She's the one that was
drugged and r*ped...

We understand, sir.

We're gonna need you
to step aside, please.

All right, we won't be long.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[DRYER CLANKING]

♪ ♪

[WHISTLES]

♪ ♪

No GSR, blood, or DNA on the hoodie.

But it still puts her near the scene.

Well, Nicole's subway card
says she exited and entered

the nd Street subway station
three times in the past week.

That's about four blocks
from Henry King's brownstone.

- Where's Nicole live?
- West Village.

Her yoga studio's down there, too.

Got another hit on
the person in the green hoodie,

except you can see her face in this one.

- Date?
- December th, : p.m.,

about minutes
before the actual m*rder.

It's definitely Nicole Bell.

Where's she standing?

On th, between Columbus
and Central Park West,

about two blocks from King's brownstone.

Detective Bernard, how's it going?

We've been canvassing the area.

Found it in there.

Called Sanitation and trash hasn't

been picked up for the past two days.

So if the sh**t dumped it,
it would still be here.

We got a SIG .

That'll match the casings
we found at the crime scene.

Tuesday night?

I was home with my husband.

Were you on the Upper
West Side at all that day?

I'm not sure.

Hmm.

That is you, correct?

Am I under arrest?

Oh, no.

But if you keep lying to us,
we'll have no choice.

You gotta understand,
no one in this building

thinks you did anything wrong.

Hell, if it were up to me, I'd
give you the key to the city.

Prick King got what he deserved.

The other thing you gotta understand is

we got the whole thing on video.

Yeah, holding the SIG . ,

waiting outside the service
entrance, sh**ting King.

There were two surveillance cameras

on the wall, hidden from plain view.

The video is perfect.
We see your face, the g*n,

the muzzle flash.

If you already know what happened,

why are we even talking?

Because we want to help you.

Like I said, no one here
thinks you did anything wrong.

More importantly, nobody
wants to prosecute you.


Nobody.

What prosecutor is gonna
punish a good woman


like yourself for sh**ting
the man who r*ped her?


That's a career k*ller.

Tell us what really happened.

Tell us your side of the story,
so we can help you.

Then what?

You go home.

Nicole, you move on with your life.

[TENSE MUSIC]

I give you my word.

♪ ♪

Well, you saw his TV interview, right?

There was no remorse. None!

It was like he was mocking us.

I... I couldn't take it.

- So you k*lled him.
- He needed to be stopped.

He would have kept raping people.

So, yes, I sh*t him.

Okay. Okay.

So tell us what happened
after you sh*t him.

I tossed the g*n
in a dumpster and went home.

I took a shower, said a few prayers,

made my peace, and then went to sleep.

♪ ♪

[HANDCUFFS CLICK]

Nicole Bell, you're under
arrest for m*rder.

What? You just said that...

- Yeah, I lied.
- No! No!

[SOBBING]

♪ ♪

ALL: [CHANTING] Let her go, let her go!

Let her go! Let her go!

Let her go, let her go!

Let her go, let her go!

Let her go, let her go!

Docket number - ,
People versus Nicole S. Bell.

- m*rder in the second degree.
- How does the defendant plead?

- Not guilty, Your Honor.
- Mr. Price, bail?

The defendant has no priors
and is not a flight risk.

As such, we request bail
be set at $ , .

- [GASPS]
- Defense has no objection.

Well, I do. This is a m*rder case.

Bail is set at $ million.

A million dollars, that's crazy!

- That's ridiculous!
- She did the right thing!

Let her go! Let her go!

- Enough!
- She's innocent!

Keller filed a motion to suppress

Nicole Bell's confession.

On what basis?

The usual stuff.

Defendant wasn't properly Mirandized,

confession wasn't knowing and voluntary,

police used improper
and coercive tactics.

- Did they?
- Did they what?

Use improper techniques.

No. I watched the interrogation.

Did Cosgrove lie?

Yeah.

Did a good job, too.

This case is front page news, Nolan.

I get it. But, with all due respect,

that's not relevant.

When you asked me
to come here, you said,

"I need someone who sees the
world through a different lens,

someone with the guts
to make hard decisions".

I remember. I still feel that way.

But it's a legal confession, Nolan.

Cops are allowed to lie.

They are, but it makes
the confession less reliable.

Less ethical.

No. If it's legal, it's ethical.

So where do we draw the line, Nolan?

One lie, two lies?

Or do we analyze
the severity of the lie?

Do white lies count?

Do we examine how
charming a detective is?

What about embellishments?
Do they count?

What if a cop says we have
five witnesses instead of four?

- Do we throw it out?
- I think we need to analyze it

on a case-by-case basis.

But, to be clear,
in this case, it wasn't

one little lie or embellishment.

Cosgrove spun the suspect upside down.

He practically promised her immunity.

Told her that no one in the DA's Office

would even consider prosecuting her,

exploited the fact that
she was a r*pe victim,

that she sh*t the man who assaulted her.

Why let the defense
tear him apart on cross,

shift the focus away from the evidence

and onto her sympathetic client

and the big bad police department?

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

Like it or not, Nolan,

"the big bad police department"
is our partner.

And, in case you haven't
been paying attention,

they're under att*ck.

Every decision, every
arrest is scrutinized.

There are people trying to
defund them, for God's sake.

And here you are, asking
me to castrate them?

That is not my intent.

I just wanna do what
is best for this case.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

Can you win this trial
without a confession?

♪ ♪

Yes.

♪ ♪

Your call.

As long as you're willing
to live with the consequences.

I am.

Okay, then it's out.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

[DOOR CLOSES QUIETLY]

♪ ♪

We have video of the defendant,

two blocks from Henry King's brownstone,

approximately minutes
prior to the sh**ting,

and video of her, wearing
the exact same clothing,

but this time covering
her face, wearing sunglasses,

two blocks from the brownstone,
tossing the m*rder w*apon

into a dumpster, five
minutes after the m*rder.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

As for motive... well,
she's got a good one.

Oldest one there is, actually.

Vengeance.

When the justice system failed her,

the defendant took matters
into her own hands.

Got justice her way.
The Old Testament way.

The evidence will prove that Henry King

did some despicable things
to the defendant,

that she had every right to loathe him.

But the evidence will also prove that,

on the date of Henry King's death,

the defendant grabbed
a SIG . handgun,

secreted herself in a dark place

outside the victim's home,
and then sh*t him five times.

Henry King...

committed some abhorrent acts

of sexual v*olence to the defendant.

He took things from her
that she will never get back.

Unfortunately for her,

that has no bearing on this trial.

In the eyes of the law,

when a good woman kills

a horrible man

in cold blood...

it's called m*rder.

Your Honor, the Defense
waives opening at this time.

Mr. Price, call your first witness.

Is this hooded sweatshirt
similar to the one

you recovered from
the defendant's apartment?

Yeah, it appears identical.

And where exactly did you recover

this green hooded sweatshirt?

The defendant's apartment.
I found it in the dryer.

It was damp, like it
was just being washed.

Now when was that
search warrant ex*cuted?

Day after Henry King was sh*t.

Detective, where did you
recover the m*rder w*apon?

There. ECT found it in that dumpster.

This dumpster right behind the woman

- in the green hoodie...
- Objection!

There is no evidence that the person

in this photo is a woman.

- Sustained.
- Nothing further, Your Honor.

Detective, you have no idea

that the hoodie you recovered
is the actual hoodie

that the person in the photo is wearing?

Correct.

And there was no blood or DNA evidence

found on the hoodie that you recovered?

Right.

Okay, so help me out here.

If someone is wearing a sweatshirt

and sh**t a man five times
at close range,

there would likely be blood
spatter all over it, correct?

Not necessarily, and, like I said,

when we found the hoodie, it was damp

like she'd just washed it.

But there was no blood on it.

Yes, correct, because she washed it...

So, what you're really saying is,

you have absolutely no evidence

that Nicole Bell committed this crime.

Just some random, blood-free hoodie

that vaguely resembles the hoodie

that the person
in the photograph is wearing?

No, that's not what I'm saying.

The woman in that green
hoodie by that dumpster

is Nicole Bell.

And since we found the m*rder w*apon


- in that very dumpster...
- Objection, speculation.

The witness has
no personal knowledge that

the person in the photo tossed
the g*n into the dumpster.

Sustained. Detective, please refrain

from drawing conclusions.

I apologize, Your Honor.

I'm not drawing conclusions.

Because the defendant actually told me

she tossed the m*rder w*apon
into that dumpster

when she confessed that she sh*t...

- Objection!
- Henry King.

- [GAVEL CLACKS]
- Sustained!

Counsel, my chambers. Now.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

I move for a mistrial.

We had an agreement that the people

would not introduce this confession.

Detective Cosgrove made a mistake.

A mistake that the jury heard.

Heard that Nicole
confessed to this crime.

A confession you decided to toss.

So, what the hell
is going on here, Price?

As I said, Your Honor,
Detective Cosgrove

- made an honest mistake.
- I know Cosgrove.

He's smart; he doesn't
make honest mistakes.

Whatever he said, he said for a reason.

It's possible.
It's... it's still my fault.

I should have reminded Cosgrove

that the confession was
inadmissible, I apologize.

But his testimony
wasn't overly prejudicial.

A curative instruction can fix this.

I agree.

I'll advise the jury to
disregard Cosgrove's statement.

What? No mistrial?

The jury cannot unhear
what Cosgrove just said.

They'll have to. Because
we're moving forward.

♪ ♪

Frank, what the hell was that?

I told you five times

you're not allowed to
mention the confession!

We're not using it.

Are you trying to blow the whole...

- Go to hell.
- Excuse me?

I catch 'em, you cook 'em.

That's how this is supposed to work.

- We talked about this...
- I don't care what we talked about!

I'm a cop. I'm a good cop.

Like it or not, I get paid to
lie to people like Nicole Bell.

Just stop trying to change the world.

Do your damn job.

♪ ♪

If you're here to gloat
about the confession snafu,

I'm not interested.

No gloating here, I promise.

I am simply the bearer of information.

Just got notice that Nicole
is claiming self-defense.

What? Self-defense?

Gets better, too.

King's wife was just
added to the witness list.

She's going to testify
that she actually saw

King att*ck Nicole
right before the sh**ting.

Saw him? She was in the bar.

Well you don't see that every day.

Victim's wife committing perjury

to help the k*ller walk free.

I heard Henry screaming at Nicole,

calling her a whore, a liar.

So I went downstairs to the maid's room.

And what did you see next?

Nicole was trying to hurry out the door.

Henry ran after her, grabbed her.

Then I heard g*nshots.

And did you tell
any of this to the police?

- No.
- How come?

For the past years,

my number one priority
was to protect Henry's brand,

perpetuate the myth
that he was a good man,

a kind man, a family man.

So that was my first instinct,

to protect Henry, even in death.

Nothing further.

At the time of your husband's m*rder,

you were actually
at a bar called Maxwell's,

a block away from your home. Correct?

No, I was home.

The manager of Maxwell's,
Daniel Connolly,

someone you've known for five years,

confirmed that you were there
until approximately : p.m.

He also confirmed seeing you there

as word of Henry's m*rder
began to circulate,

which means you're lying,

that you didn't witness
any sort of altercation.

- Correct?
- No.

Daniel must have been mistaken.
I left the bar before : .

I saw Henry and Nicole fighting.

I heard the g*nshots.

So you're calling Daniel a liar?

No, you are.

Mrs. King...

the real reason you're testifying today

is because you're ashamed
of yourself, correct?

I'm testifying 'cause
it's the right thing.

The right thing for you.

Because you want to absolve yourself

from your husband's crimes,

from the anguish you caused

the defendant and the
other women that he r*ped.

Of course I regret that.

What Henry did to those
women, it's unthinkable!

So you agree.

You're testifying
because you feel guilty.

You're trying to help
Nicole get away with m*rder,

so you can feel better about yourself.

I am here to tell the truth.

You mean rewrite the truth.
Change your brand.

Go from Henry King supporter
to Henry King hater.

Objection! He is badgering the witness.

Sustained. Move on, Mr. Price.

Mrs. King...

You stood by your husband

even though women
accused him of r*pe.

You att*cked their integrity
and motives.

You called them tramps,
gold diggers, fame sluts.

I can only imagine how
much shame and remorse

- you must feel.
- Objection!

Withdrawn. Nothing further.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

The defense calls Nicole Bell.

He was the most charming man I ever met.

He was interested in
everything I had to say,

everything I wanted to do.

We were going to open
a business together,

a chain of yoga studios.

Then one day, we played tennis
at his house in Connecticut.

When we were done, he started flirting,

said he wanted to have sex.

I told him that was a bad idea.

And he just glared at me.

All the charm and kindness in his eyes

just vanished in an instant.

Then what happened?

He pushed me down on the bed,

pulled up my skirt, and r*ped me.

Did you call the police?

- No.
- How come?

I wanted to pretend it never happened.

Are you okay to continue?

Did you and Henry remain
friends after he r*ped you?

Yes.

How come?

I thought maybe if we could both forget

about what happened, maybe things

could be like they were before.

Is that what happened?

No.

Next time I saw him, he drugged me.

Put Rohypnol in my wine.

I...

I lost control of my body.

I was still awake, but I was helpless.

[SOBS] And he r*ped me again.

I was only ,

and he was one of the most
famous men in America.

[SOBBING]

So, knowing what
Henry King is capable of doing,

why did you agree to go
to his house that night?

He said he wanted to apologize.

And I believed him.

Did you bring a g*n with you?

[TENSE MUSIC]

Yes.

I took one from my husband's safe,

in case he tried to r*pe me again.

And what happened at the house?

He poured me a glass of wine.
And I just stared at it.

I was afraid he might
have put something in it.

He saw that I was nervous,
and that infuriated him.

He... he started berating me.
So I ran outside.

He followed me, grabbed me.

I thought he was going to k*ll me.

So I sh*t him.

Henry King ruined my life.

He ruined other lives, too.

And some judge just let him walk free.

Objection. She's making a speech.

So I sh*t him!

So the women he r*ped could move on.

Ms. Bell, please. That's enough.

You've already answered the question.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

[SOBBING]

She put on a hell of a show today.

Jury ate it up, too.

Juror number four had tears in her eyes.

I get it. Her story's heartbreaking.

But they have to know that she's lying,

that this self-defense
claim is nonsense.

They know. They just don't care.

I've been digging into her testimony.

She talked a lot about what
she did the day of the m*rder...

where she went, what she was thinking.

But she left out
something pretty significant.

She came to our offices,

came here at : the day of the m*rder,

to see ADA Ross.

Odd thing to omit.

I mean, if you're going to talk about

taking a walk, going to the gym...

why not slip in the fact
you had a chat with

the prosecutor who actually
tried Henry King for r*pe?

Because the conversation
was incriminating.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Hi.

Excuse me. We need to talk.

Nolan, what the hell are you doing here?

I would prefer to talk in private.

I'm sorry.

Can you give me just a few minutes?

You meet with Nicole Bell
the day of the m*rder?

- No comment.
- Jamie, don't do this.

I'm not having this conversation.

You're a prosecutor, for God's sake.

I already ruined that woman's life.

I'm not doing it again.

- I need to know...
- I'm not talking.

Did Nicole tell you she was
going to k*ll Henry King?

Jamie, for God's sake,

don't ruin your career over this.

I'm not talking.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Then I'll subpoena you.

You wanna lie on the stand,
that's up to you.

[SIGHS]

Well, you do what you have to do.

♪ ♪

ADA Ross, do you know the defendant?

Yes, she was a witness
in a case I tried,

the Henry King r*pe trial.

She was amazing, too.
Strong, determined, fearless.

I have a great deal of respect for her.

Did you meet with the defendant

on the day of the m*rder?

I refuse to answer on the grounds

- that it may incriminate me.
- You're taking the Fifth?

I refuse to answer on the grounds...

Are you saying that
you committed a crime?

- Objection!
- Sustained.

Back off, Mr. Price.

♪ ♪

I'll try one more time.

Did the defendant tell you

she planned to k*ll Henry King?

♪ ♪

I refuse to answer on the grounds

that it may incriminate me.

♪ ♪

Nothing further.

I have no questions, Your Honor.

- You may step down, Ms. Ross.
- Thank you.

♪ ♪

Ms. Keller, call your next witness.

The defense rests, Your Honor.

We're adjourned.

We'll begin closing arguments tomorrow.

We need to poke holes
in their absurd defense

and reinforce the idea that
the character of the victim

and of the defendant are irrelevant!

They already know that, Nolan.

We've been pounding
that it into their heads

from the beginning.

Like it or not, they want
to believe Nicole's story

But it's preposterous!

I agree with Ms. Maroun.

The jury wants to acquit.

Irrespective of the facts.
Irrespective of the law.

Too bad we didn't have
a damn confession.

It's okay to play the hero, Nolan...

as long as you win.

And right now...

that appears highly unlikely.

He's right.

Every woman on that jury hates me.

Right now, I'm just another
man victimizing Nicole Bell.

We need to reframe the argument.

You told me a story

a while back

about your family.

You're saying you want me
to deliver the closing?

I'm a prosecutor.

I'm sworn to enforce
the laws of this state.

Yet I understand the
defendant's desire for revenge,

for street justice.

Nine years ago, my sister was
r*ped and m*rder*d in Georgia.

Police never arrested the offender.

But I knew who did it.

Police knew, too.
Just couldn't prove it.

So it's easy to understand
the defendant's rage,

her desire for vengeance,

her need for this son of a bitch to pay

for what he did to her,

to suffer like he made her suffer.

When Henry King was
released from prison,

the defendant's thirst
for revenge escalated.

Maybe she even began
to fantasize about k*lling him.

Pictured herself grabbing a g*n,

going to his house,
waiting for him to show up.

She probably even planned
what she was going to say,

where she was going to sh**t him.

Those types of fantasies
are perfectly normal.

Trust me.

They're also perfectly legal.

But to actually take the life
of another human being...

to wait outside someone's house

and sh**t him five times
in cold blood...

that's not only wrong, that's criminal.

Just... just because you're suffering

and you're filled with anger

doesn't mean you get to play God.

Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't

have tremendous sympathy
for the defendant,

that you shouldn't appreciate the pain

and the suffering she endured.

So, when you go back
to the jury room to deliberate,

give yourself permission
to feel sorry for her.

But that doesn't mean she's innocent,

that she should walk free.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

This case comes down
to one simple question.

Did Nicole Bell

intentionally sh**t and k*ll Henry King?

♪ ♪

If the answer is yes,

you must convict.

♪ ♪

Have you reached a verdict?

Yes, Your Honor.

What say you?

On the count of m*rder
in the Second Degree,

we find the defendant guilty.

- [AUDIENCE CLAMORING]
- Come on!

[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]

I did this for you!

For all of us!

Move on!

Live your lives!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ALL: [CHANTING] Let her go! Let her go!

- Let her go!
- Order!

- ALL: Let her go!
- Order!

[GAVEL POUNDING]

- ALL: Let her go!
- Order!

ALL: Let her go!

Order!

ALL: Let her go! Let her go!

- Let her go!
- Order!

ALL: Let her go! Let her go!

Let her go, let her go!

♪ ♪

The jury got it right, Sam.

Doesn't feel right.

My goal is to help the victims,
not send them to prison.

If... if you try a good case,

if you do it the right way,

whatever the jury decides is right,

whether or not it feels good.

That's the only way I know how to do it.

Only way that lets me sleep at night.

The only thing that will let me sleep is

you requesting
the lightest sentence possible.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪
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