.
- 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.
[cheers and applause]
[camera shutters clicking]
[lively music]
- * Hey, hey *
- That is just gorgeous.
- Beautiful!
* *
- * And set me free *
* *
- Love it!
[cheers and applause]
- You're up. - Yes, thank you.
- Ladies and gentlemen,
the fabulous fall collection from Perry Sutton.
- Hello, everyone.
Thank you all for coming out tonight.
I just wanted to say that I am so incredibly proud
of our new flagship boutique.
Huh? [cheers and applause]
I truly hope that this store will encourage other designers
to invest in this community in spite of the recent crime wave.
You know, as someone who was born and raised in this city,
it's heartbreaking to me to see what's happening all around--
all the anger, all the violence.
But I believe in New York.
And more importantly, I believe in New Yorkers.
[cheers and applause]
We don't give up.
And we sure as hell don't let punks push us around.
- The DOA, Perry Sutton, took two to the chest.
- The fashion designer? - Yeah.
From what I'm told, he's a big deal.
- Never heard of him.
- Robbery? - Doesn't look that way.
Phone and wallet were still in his possession.
- Casings? - No, nothing.
Perp either policed his brass or used a revolver.
- Witnesses?
- One.
[indistinct chatter]
- Oh.
I guess that makes you the fashion police.
[tense music]
* *
No, not much to work with at the moment, lieu.
- Got one witness. Heard more than he saw.
- Yeah, he was walking down East 10th Street, 11:00 p.m.
Saw two men from a distance.
He didn't know how old they were,
what they were wearing, or even what they look like.
- But he heard one of them yell, "Give it back!"
And then, he heard gunshots.
Two or three. He wasn't sure.
- So did you recover any surveillance video yet?
- No, nothing in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.
- Jalen's right. Nothing near the actual scene.
But I found a video of Perry Sutton
near the corner of Avenue C and 7th Street
approximately seven minutes before the 911 call.
- Well, that gives us some place to start.
- Question is, where was he coming from?
- I'm guessing his new boutique on East 5th Street.
He threw a big soirée last night.
"A grand opening."
- Let's check it out.
- Mm.
- I can't believe he's gone.
It just doesn't feel real.
I've been working for Perry since college.
He was a great boss.
- I'm sorry for your loss,
but we do have some questions for you if you don't mind.
- There was a party here last night, right?
- Yeah, it was the grand opening.
Sutton spent two years building this place.
- Did anything unusual happen at the party?
Were there any arguments, altercations?
- Perry and a woman got into an argument around 10:30 or so.
- About what? - I don't know.
She just sort of showed up, started yelling at Perry.
I tried to break it up, but he left before I could get there.
- He left his own party? - Party was winding down.
- And what about this woman he was arguing with?
- Followed him out the door.
- I feel like he's the reason my business failed--
all the construction, the noise, the dust.
It's hard enough to keep a small business going
these days, especially in this neighborhood.
People just steal stuff, and we're supposed
to just stand there and do nothing,
pretend they're actually not committing a crime.
- That must have been really frustrating.
- Yeah, it's a joke, and you people just sit back and watch.
- Uh, no, we make the arrests.
And then, the judges, politicians, and DAs,
they don't want to incarcerate anyone anymore.
- So let me get this straight.
You just decided to give Perry Sutton a piece of your mind.
Is that right? - Yeah, I--
I told him he had no regard for local shop owners.
He just looked at me.
Sort of apologized. - What'd you do?
- I told him he needed to compensate me.
- And? - He agreed with me.
And he offered me a job at his new store.
100 grand a year.
- And then what? - Then we came back here.
I showed him around, made him a cup of tea,
and we started talking.
- And what did you two talk about?
- He spent most of the time talking about
his ex-girlfriend, some model.
Said they had a bad breakup.
- Was he upset about that? - Very.
She was calling him, saying all kinds of crazy stuff.
- Like what?
- Like she wanted to kill him.
- Hmm.
* *
Looks like a model to me.
- Excuse me, Sofia.
If you don't mind, we have a few questions for--
No, no. Don't do that. - Hey, hey!
- Don't do that. We're police.
Do not raise that gun.
You see that shiny, gold thing? It's a badge.
You keep that gun down, or we will shoot you.
- Keep that gun where it is. - OK.
- Keep it where it is. - Yes, okay.
What the hell are you doing?
- We're going for a ride.
- For what?
- For starters, pulling a gun on a cop.
- Not just a gun, a revolver.
Same kind of weapon used to kill your ex-boyfriend,
Perry Sutton.
.
- I brought the gun last year
after some fan started stalking me.
He showed up to my yoga class last week,
and you guys refused to do anything about it.
So I carry a gun, but it's registered.
I have a carry permit, too, so it's all totally legit.
- That doesn't mean you get to flash it whenever you want.
You're lucky to be alive right now.
- I've been on edge lately.
This stalker thing is hard.
- Anything else bothering you lately?
- Like what?
- Like Perry Sutton.
- No.
I never would have hurt him.
- Where were you last night, around 11:00?
- In my apartment, crying.
- Because of the breakup?
- Yeah, I was devastated.
He was a really good guy.
- So you weren't angry with him?
- No.
Truth is, he's a hard guy to hate.
He's so upbeat and generous.
In fact, he just hired me to be the face of his new campaign.
Biggest contract of my life. 500 grand.
- And when was this?
- Three days ago.
- The day before he broke it off with you?
It's a hell of a going-away present.
[door opens]
- I just got off the phone with Sofia's doorman.
He confirmed that she was in her apartment
from 5:26 p.m. to 8:32 a.m. the next day.
- She's not our shooter. - No.
And ballistics came back, too.
Her gun is not the murder weapon,
so let's go easy on her, Frank.
- She you pulled a gun on us, lieu.
- I get it, but she's a single woman.
She's got somebody stalking her,
so I think we should give her a break.
[door opens]
- Sofia gave Sutton a watch for his birthday,
an expensive one.
Said he always had it on.
- So?
- So it was not on his wrist
when we found him at the crime scene.
- These two photos were taken
at the grand opening event at 10:26 p.m.
He's definitely wearing the watch.
But in the crime scene photos...
- Can you zoom in?
40 minutes later, no watch.
- So maybe it really was just a regular armed robbery.
You know, the killer sees this fancy piece of jewelry.
He pulls out a gun.
He tells the victim to hand it over.
The victim resists, winds up dead.
- And it's such a good score, the shooter doesn't even bother
to grab Sutton's wallet or phone?
- Right.
- The watch Sutton was wearing has a GPS chip inside of it.
Means we can track it.
[tense music]
* *
- NYPD! Open up!
[doorknob rattles]
[whistles]
* *
- NYPD! Open up!
- [panting] - Breach!
- Hey, hey, hey! Police!
Stop! Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Nowhere to go, bro. Put your hands up.
Put your hands up nice and slow!
Open them up.
[keys clatter]
The hell are you doing here? - I work here.
What the hell are you doing here?
- Investigating a homicide.
- Gum, paper towels, detergent, toothpaste.
[faint beeping]
What the hell?
All this stuff yours? - Yeah, it's mine.
[beeping continues]
- You hear that?
Then you got a lot of explaining to do.
- I don't know nothing about no watch.
- But we found it in your warehouse.
- I got lots of stuff in that warehouse.
Can't pay attention to every single item.
- Come on, Eddie. We're talking about
a really expensive watch,
not a couple of tubes of toothpaste over here.
- I buy in bulk.
I'm a legitimate businessman. - A legitimate businessman?
So you're trying to tell me you have receipts
for all those items in your warehouse?
- Like I keep saying, I buy in bulk.
The people in the neighborhood know that,
so they bring me inventory.
- Who brought you this watch?
- Don't know, like I said.
- If you say "I buy in bulk" one more time,
I swear to God... - Fine, I won't say it.
But I still don't know anything about that watch.
- How about a murder?
Do you know anything about that?
- Hell no.
- Where were you last night around 11:00?
- In Queens, watching TV with my wife.
You could check it out for yourself.
But that's it.
I'm done talking. Lawyer.
- Why on Earth would Eddie agree to cooperate?
- Because he leases a warehouse filled with stolen goods...
- That he sells out of a discount store in Queens.
- Yeah, but if he tells us where he got the watch,
we'll reduce the criminal charges.
- What criminal charges?
- Possession of stolen property, among others.
- [scoffs] Chile, please.
- One, I'm not a child.
Two, Eddie's staring down real time.
- [chuckles] For buying stolen toothpaste?
- Criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree.
Maximum sentence: 15 years.
- You can rattle those sabers all you want,
but it ain't gonna happen.
Now, kindly let the man go.
- Yeah, that ain't gonna happen either.
- See, that right there is the attitude
that the people are rebelling against--
white cops punishing Black men...
- Okay, okay. - For nothing.
- Get the hell out of my precinct,
or I'll arrest your ass, too.
- Yee, any luck with the video near the warehouse?
- Found some footage a block away.
All these guys bringing in stolen goods and making money.
And another.
- Confirms our theory that Eddie is an active buyer
of stolen merchandise.
- Yeah, of low-end merchandise.
Bubblegum, shaving cream, mouthwash, not Rolexes,
which begs the question:
how did Sutton's watch get into the warehouse?
- Well, we know Eddie didn't steal it.
His alibi is clean.
Cell phone tracking has him at home in Queens.
- Well, then, the only thing that makes any sense
is one of Eddie's "associates" stole it.
- That sounds about right. - So, Frank,
you found the watch in a large, red duffel bag
with a bunch of other stolen items.
- What are you saying?
That the killer stole Sutton's watch
before he stole all that other stuff?
- Or after.
- Check the tags on that stolen merchandise
in the duffel bags. And let's go set up
on the warehouse and find another associate.
* *
- I got a potential suspect
carrying two large shopping bags
heading for the main entrance now.
- How you doing?
I got a couple questions for you.
- Damn!
* *
[tires squeal]
- No--hey! Okay! - Come on!
- Okay! - There you go!
- Okay, okay!
- Have a seat, buddy! - Okay!
.
- Whew! Nice haul, buddy.
You got soap, toothpaste, chocolate.
- You ever steal any shaving cream or batteries?
- I don't know, probably.
- Recently?
- No, this was my first delivery in a few weeks.
I was out of town for a while.
Visiting my mother on Rhode Island.
- Oh, I bet she's real proud of you.
- That's out of line.
- Why's that?
- 'Cause I ain't doing anything illegal.
- Oh, I hate to break it to you, pal,
but stealing, it's still illegal.
Even though there is no bail doesn't mean it's not a crime.
- I don't know about all that,
but I do know I can walk into any store I want,
fill my bags up with whatever I want,
and every employee in the damn place
will just look the other way.
Last month, the manager opened the door for me
'cause my hands was too full
from all the stuff I was taking.
[laughs] It's a true story.
- [sighs]
You ever steal a watch?
- They lock those up.
- No, I mean from a person.
You ever steal a watch from a human being?
- I don't steal from people.
- How about your friends? Do they steal from people?
Who then sell it to Eddie Wells here?
- No, not that I know about anyway.
- Anybody you know ever use a red duffel bag
to put their stuff in?
- No.
Can I go? - No.
We're arresting you for larceny
and unlawful fleeing from a police officer.
But don't worry, you'll be out on bail real soon.
That guy, Gwynn, literally thinks stealing is legal now.
Was surprised we actually arrested him.
- Yeah, I mean, criminals pay attention to society.
They act accordingly, they adjust their business plans.
- Yeah, and right now, it's a good time to be a thief,
which is a problem, because people aren't
gonna stand for that forever.
They're gonna fight back, and that's--
that's a real problem for us.
- I mean, I suppose so, but... - Don't tell me
it's more complicated. - It's more complicated.
- Yeah, I think I've heard that before.
- 'Cause it is! [chuckles]
All right. One more block up.
That's the pharmacy.
- Now, Yee is sure
that the stuff from the red duffel bag
was taken from this place?
- Everything but the watch.
She scanned all the stolen items,
traced it back to King's Pharmacy,
right up here.
- I'm gonna need more details than that, fellas.
I got people stealing things all day, every day.
- Two nights ago.
11:00 p.m., give or take an hour.
- Oh, that dude.
He was hardcore, man.
Putting all these items in a big duffel bag.
- A red duffel bag?
- Yeah, bright red.
So listen, I walk up to the guy and say,
"Look, you got to pay for these items."
He laughs at me, tells me to kiss his ass,
and keeps stealing right in front of me.
So I get angry and I grab him by the arm.
And he hits me, the side of the head.
Kind of knocks me off balance.
Then a bunch of customers start yelling.
This one guy runs up, and he starts to help, too.
Gets right in the dude's face.
Then, he pushes the guy off of him
and runs right out of the store.
- These cameras work? - Yeah.
- We got to see the video. - That's not a problem.
Look, you guys got to arrest these punks.
We're losing money here,
and it's not just the stolen goods.
Customers are scared to come here.
People are scared to go shopping.
- What are you doing, man? You got to pay for this.
- Back up! - That looks like
the same red bag where we found the watch.
- Get off of me! Don't touch me!
- Damn, that is a legit right cross.
- All right, hold up. Freeze it right there.
Well, look at that. Our good Samaritan.
That's Perry Sutton. - Good man.
- Get off me, man! - Hey, you all right?
- Then he goes after him.
- All right. What about our shoplifter?
Can you get a better angle on him?
- Yeah. - Yeah, right there.
Right there. That's good.
- Running facial rec now.
Got a hit.
Name is Nick Castillo.
- Does he have any priors?
- Uh, yeah, I think this dude just broke a record.
I have never seen anything like this.
- You got to be kidding me.
- 15 pages, literally.
- All right, let's get his last known address
and get a search warrant.
[knocking on door] - NYPD!
Open up!
NYPD! Anybody home?
[lock unlocks] - What's going on?
- Nick Castillo live here? - Yeah. Why?
- Is he home? - No.
What's this? - This is a search warrant.
NYPD!
- All clear.
- What's going on? - Nothing to worry about.
We're just having a look around.
- What are you looking for?
- I got nothing in here.
- Yeah, just some half-smoked joints
and beer bottles over here.
- Where's Nick? We need to talk to him.
- Okay, but he's not doing too well.
- What do you mean?
- He's in the hospital.
- How come?
- He got shot.
* *
- What's going on?
- Nick Castillo, you're under arrest
for the murder of Perry Sutton.
- I'm in the hospital.
I got an infection. You can't arrest me.
- Yeah, we can.
- You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you
in a court of law.
.
- Mr. Castillo, are you able
to understand the nature of these proceedings?
- My client pleads not guilty
to the charge of murder in the second degree.
We ask that he remain in the hospital to receive treatment
and then be allowed to return home to recover.
- Ms. Maroun?
- He can convalesce in Rikers.
People seek remand.
- The people's case is built on sand.
No eyewitnesses, no forensics, no gun,
no stolen property-- nothing.
- The bullet taken out of Mr. Castillo's leg
puts him at the scene of the crime.
The defendant is a career criminal.
107 arrests.
Started at age 16,
swiping packages off his neighbor's stoop.
Graduated to shoplifting,
then larceny and receiving stolen property.
The list goes on.
- All misdemeanors.
Most ended up getting dismissed.
My client has no felony convictions
and has never done time.
- He failed to appear in court 63 times.
Clearly, he's a flight risk.
- I'm adopting the prosecutor's recommendation
and holding you without bail.
[gavel slams]
- Ms. Maroun.
- What's this?
- Pre-trial motion.
[tense music]
* *
The people have no case.
Their plan is, obviously, to prejudice the jury
with evidence of my client's past transgressions,
convict him of murder
over a series of trivial misdemeanors.
- 107 arrests is more than a series.
This guy should get the lifetime achievement award.
- You just made my point.
- The jury has a right to know who the defendant is,
that he is quite literally a career criminal.
Demonstrates a pattern
of increasingly aggressive and criminal conduct.
- This is revolting,
but I find the probative value
of Mr. Castillo's prior criminal actions
to be outweighed
by the prejudicial effect it'll have on the jury.
So I'm granting the defendant's application to exclude.
No mention of his record in your opening statement.
- Want me to draft an appeal?
- Judge didn't abuse his discretion.
And our case is still solid.
- Well, I'm not so sure about that.
No eyewitnesses, no video
that can explain how the crime was committed,
and no murder weapon.
And now, we can't even let the jury know
that Castillo is a career criminal.
Maybe we should offer a deal
to the discount store guy, Eddie Wells?
- We have what we have, Sam.
We just need to lay out the evidence
in a simple, logical way.
The pharmacy manager, the pharmacy surveillance video,
the witness who heard the two men arguing in the street,
ballistics.
The case isn't perfect, but it's clear.
Nick Castillo killed Perry Sutton.
The defendant went into the pharmacy
and emptied a shelf of toothpaste and mouthwash
into a duffel bag.
When confronted, he struck the store manager.
A concerned citizen, Perry Sutton,
witnessed the theft and assault and decided to get involved.
He followed the defendant out of the store.
Once outside, Mr. Sutton told the defendant
to return what he stole.
A witness heard him yell, "Give it back!"
The defendant responded by pulling out a gun.
- Objection.
It's hearsay, and he's mischaracterizing the facts.
- An objection to my opening?
What the hell is going on?
- Ms. Vega, hold your objections
until the people have finished.
- Um, Mr. Sutton tried to protect himself,
grabbed the gun.
A struggle ensued,
during which the defendant was shot in the leg.
He then regained control of the gun
and shot and killed Perry Sutton.
- Objection.
Move for a mistrial.
- I told you to save your objections
until Mr. Price was finished.
- I have to protect my client, Your Honor.
The people's theory is based on pure fiction.
And by spinning this tale based on pure speculation
and racial innuendo,
Mr. Price is doing irreparable harm to our case.
- I am simply telling the jury
what we will prove during trial.
- Perry Sutton was the one carrying a gun,
not Mr. Castillo.
He attacked Mr. Castillo, not the other way around.
- That is for the jury to decide based on the facts.
- I agree.
Your objection is overruled,
and your motion for a mistrial is denied.
And if you interrupt Mr. Price's opening
one more time, I will hold you in contempt.
Understood?
* *
- I have never experienced anything like that
in my entire career.
- Is there anything
to what the defense lawyer was saying?
Did Perry Sutton own a gun? - No.
He's never applied for a firearms license.
And everyone we've spoken to-- people who know him well--
say that they've never seen him with a weapon of any kind.
And on top of all of that,
he's donated hundreds of thousands of dollars
to local charities that support gun control.
- Well, it doesn't mean he didn't have a gun
the night he was killed.
- We represent the people, Ms. Maroun.
- All I'm saying is, we weren't there.
We don't know what really happened.
- Same as most murder cases we try.
So we piece together the story based on the facts we do know.
And in this case, the facts lead us
to one, and only one, logical conclusion:
Nick Castillo was the person carrying a gun that night.
- I agree.
But will the jury see it that way?
- I think so, and they're gonna like Perry Sutton.
Despite his wealth and fame, he's relatable.
He was a real New Yorker.
He loved this city. He invested in this city.
And like most of us,
he was sick and tired of all the crime,
so he did something about it.
- As long as we don't paint him as a vigilante.
That'll just feed into the defense's assertion
that Sutton was carrying the gun.
- But like I said, we still don't know.
It's our word against theirs.
- There's nothing we can do about that, Sam.
- We could offer a plea. - No.
Castillo needs to go down.
Even though the jury won't know Castillo was a career criminal,
the people of this city do.
So we need to send a message,
let people know we won't stand
for this level of recidivism and violence.
Dig through Castillo's past cases.
Find someone who can testify to a history of violence.
- 107 arrests, 0 consequences.
Unbelievable. - Yeah.
We're frustrated, too. Trust me.
But let's face it.
It not like this just happened for no reason.
- I agree.
It wasn't too long ago we were locking up people
for not being able to scrape together
100 bucks' worth of bail.
They were sitting in Rikers for months--some, years--
while their dumbass misdemeanor cases
would just drag on and on.
- That may be true, but I'm not sure the cure
is any better than the disease.
- I hear you, Frank. We overcorrected.
- And it's driving people crazy.
They're starting to take matters into their own hands.
- Like Perry Sutton.
- Mm-hmm.
- Maroun.
- Yeah?
- Your name's on this jacket.
- What? - Yeah.
It looks like you arraigned Castillo
ten months ago for theft.
He's been released on his own recognizance,
and the case is still pending.
- This is my case?
Yeah, larceny.
- Victim was from Africa
and had a hard time speaking English.
Castillo didn't qualify for bail under the new bail laws.
Nothing I could do.
- Come on, Sam.
Guy has a 15-page rap sheet?
Had to be something you could have done.
I mean, you had a witness.
.
- Hello, Jasmine. ADA Maroun.
- We met before.
You never call me back.
- Oh, I'm--I'm sorry.
I remember that we were trying to find a translator.
And then, I...
I apologize for the confusion.
- I'm ADA Price. Nice to meet you, Jasmine.
We have a translator coming today.
He should be here in ten minutes or so.
Do you want us to wait?
- No, that's okay.
My--my English is better now.
- Okay.
I will text him. Let him know.
- Yeah, I just have a few questions.
First, the police report says that a man stole your wallet.
- Yes, at the supermarket.
I leave it in the cart, and he took it from my purse.
- Do you think you could identify this man?
- Yes.
- Did the man hurt you? Was he violent?
- No, but I scared.
- What do you mean?
- He had a gun.
- A gun?
- This--this wasn't in the police report.
- I tried to tell you, but you never call me back.
[door opens]
- I called her a few times.
I--I tried to get a translator.
But then, you know, I got promoted to homicide,
handed off the case to another prosecutor,
and that was that. - It happens, Sam.
You did what you could, given your workload.
- He had a gun, Nolan.
If I'd been paying closer attention, I--
I could have upped the charges to armed robbery and got bail.
Castillo would have been locked up,
and none of this would have happened.
- How many misdemeanor arraignments
did you do that week?
- That's not the point. - It's exactly the point.
It's a mistake any of us could have made.
Too many cases, too much crime.
Impossible to keep up.
But the good news is that we have a new witness,
and she's gonna help us convict Castillo.
Ms. Omari, do you see the man
who stole your purse and pointed a gun at you?
- I renew my objection
on the grounds of relevance, unfair surprise,
and discovery violations.
- Your objection is overruled.
- Do you see your assailant in this courtroom?
- Yes. - Could you indicate
where he's seated, what he's wearing?
- He's there, with a blue shirt.
- May the record reflect
that the witness has identified the defendant.
- It shall so reflect.
- Did you notice anything about the gun
the defendant was holding?
- Gray color and had a long thing on it.
- A barrel?
- Yes, a barrel.
- Thank you.
I have nothing further.
- I have no questions for this witness.
- No cross on Jasmine? What was that all about?
- Vega chooses her spots carefully.
- Well, she could have challenged her identification,
her ability to perceive or even communicate.
- Samantha Maroun? - Yes?
What's this? - You've been served.
[tense music]
* *
- "People v. Nick Castillo."
- A discovery request?
Why would she hire a process server to request a--
- It's not a request. It's a subpoena.
They want me to testify for the defense.
* *
- ADA Maroun should not be compelled to testify
in a case that she is prosecuting.
- She should when she has relevant
and exculpatory evidence to offer.
- What do you expect Ms. Maroun to say?
- That the prosecution's witness never told anyone
until two days ago that my client robbed her at gunpoint.
- Ms. Omari tried to tell people,
but she was unable because of a language barrier.
- Oh, she communicated just fine
when she was on the witness stand.
- Her English has improved.
We'll stipulate to the fact that Ms. Maroun
never heard the witness mention anything about a gun.
- That sounds reasonable.
Would you agree to a stipulation?
- Not in a million years.
- The defense counsel is trying to distract from the fact
that the defendant murdered an unarmed man,
and she is also trying
to humiliate my colleague in the process.
- The entire DA's office should be ashamed
of the way they handled this case.
- Your Honor, I implore you
not to let defense turn this into a sideshow.
- I don't appreciate the tactics,
but the defense has a right to bring in witnesses
on their own behalf.
Your application to quash the subpoena is denied.
.
- ADA Maroun, yesterday,
we heard from a witness who came into this courtroom
and accused my client of robbing her at gunpoint.
- Yes, I recall.
- And you had previously spoken with this woman.
- Um, briefly.
- And she never mentioned a word about a gun.
- Well, she tried.
English is not her first language.
- Can you please answer my question?
Did she or did she not mention anything about a gun?
- It is not a yes or no question.
- May the witness be instructed to answer the question?
- Ms. Maroun, can you answer the council's question?
- She did not mention anything about a gun.
- And that's because there was no gun.
Isn't that true? - No, that is not true.
- Isn't it a fact that your witness came into this court
and committed perjury? - No.
- You suborned perjury
in order to bolster evidence in this trial.
Isn't that true?
- Your Honor, this is inflammatory,
argumentative, badgering--
- Sustained.
- I am telling the truth about what happened.
- I see.
So what is this jury supposed to infer?
That you are incompetent?
Unprofessional? Derelict in your duties?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Anything else?
- No.
I have nothing further.
- On the day that this case came in,
you were assigned to ECAB--
the Early Case Assessment Bureau?
- Yes.
- How many cases did you handle that week?
- Hundreds.
- How many times did you appear in court?
- Several times a day.
- Interview witnesses?
- I spoke with police officers, detectives, firefighters,
EMTs, doctors, victims, and witnesses.
Too many to count.
- How many times do you get it right?
- Excuse me?
- We know you made a single mistake,
but can you tell us
how many times you didn't make a mistake?
How many people you've helped?
How many cases you've resolved?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
- Nothing further.
[tense music]
* *
- I am so sorry for what happened.
I don't know where to begin.
Are you here to fire me?
- I know who you are, Ms. Maroun.
- I'm not sure that's a good thing.
I feel terrible, yeah.
I screwed up.
- Like everyone else.
If you don't screw up, you're not trying hard enough.
There's no time for self-pity.
Get back to work
and figure out how to put the gun in Castillo's hands.
* *
- One, two, three, four, five.
[dialing keypad]
Detective Shaw. ADA Samantha Maroun.
Sorry to call you so late,
but I need to talk to you about the Castillo case.
- Mr. Gwynn, you're here under a cooperation agreement?
- Yes.
- You worked for Eddie Wells?
- I stole stuff.
Sold it to Eddie.
- Did Mr. Wells supply you with a weapon
to help you carry out your thefts?
- Objection. Leading.
- You may answer.
- He gave me a gun.
- Objection. Relevance.
- Overruled.
Let's see where this goes.
- Why did he give you a gun?
- Objection. Calls for speculation.
- Well, let me rephrase.
Did Eddie Wells tell you why he gave you a gun?
- Yes. - What did he say?
- Calls for a hearsay.
- Statement against penal interest.
- Overruled.
- Things were getting more intense lately.
People in the stores, the security guards,
and the customers started to push back,
so we needed protection.
So Eddie gave us guns.
Told us to flash them when people got aggressive.
- Mr. Gwynn, do you know the defendant, Nick Castillo?
- Yeah.
- Do you know if Mr. Wells ever gave a gun to him?
- I do.
He gave one to him
the same day he gave one to me and to all the other guys.
We were all in the warehouse together.
- Were they all the same caliber?
- Yes, all revolvers.
Ruger GP100s.
- Thank you.
Nothing further.
* *
- Has the jury reached a verdict?
- Yes, Your Honor.
- In the matter of People v. Nick Castillo,
as to count one
of the indictment murder in the second degree,
what say you?
- We find the defendant guilty.
- Members of the jury, thank you for your service.
You're dismissed. [gavel slams]
- I will be in touch.
- Don't.
- Still at it?
- Conveyor belt of justice.
- [chuckles]
Thank you.
- For what?
- Winning the trial.
If it weren't for you,
Castillo would have walked out of here a free man yet again.
- If it weren't for me...
Perry Sutton would still be alive.
.
[tense music]
* *
[wolf howling]