ANNOUNCER: Previously on All Rise...
LOLA: You were working for my campaign.
It looked like you were trying to buy votes.
- Oh. - "Oh" is right.
LUKE: Emily Lopez, working for the biggest pro bono
- law firm in the world? - No pressure. None.
EMILY: The Southland Women's Reentry Center.
Many women live there with their children.
- Louise and Harry Collins? - EMILY: What's happening?
You must be Charlotte Collins.
Excuse me, you can't just take them.
Please, you've got to help me fix this.
I will, I will, I will, I will.
Ah, peekaboo.
Peekaboo. Oh, what you got there?
What you got there?
[indistinct baby talk]
Yeah.
Oh, what did your daddy do?
Okay.
[sighing]
Okay.
[upbeat instrumental playing]
Yep.
Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. It's okay.
You do know that babies tend
to stop wearing diapers before the age of four, right?
You've got enough pampers in there
to last Bailey until her senior prom.
Very funny.
[laughing] Robin Taylor,
you have got our home looking like a wholesale warehouse
with all these coupons.
So, would you prefer I not pay lower
than low-low prices?
All right. Start talking.
Who's your supplier.
[laughing] I get my coupons from Nancy.
Nancy Adler?
From your little mommy social club?
Nancy's got you all hopped up?
On deals and discounts, yes.
You're welcome.
Wait a minute.
Mmm. I think I know what's going on here.
You think I'm jealous?
[chuckling] Oh, no, no.
I've got to get to work.
Anything new on the Sherri assistant drama?
Oh, Sherri kept her word.
She transferred to Delgado's courtroom.
But I have already decided
that she ain't going out like that.
All right. Handle your business.
- Good day, sir. - Okay.
- EMILY: Bye, Bailey. - ROBIN: Oh, wait, wait.
I got you a value sausage biscuit
for your car ride.
I don't want your little discount biscuit.
- Thank you. - Okay, well I'll eat it.
LOLA: Bye!
[rock music playing]
♪ 'Cause it hurts my mind
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah
Damn, did that just happen?
Did Mark Callan just outrun Luke Watkins? Dude.
[laughing] Dude.
Did Mark Callan just refer to us in third person?
Because Watkins really hates that.
So, what's your excuse?
What, you got a pebble in your shoe?
Didn't get enough sleep last night? What's up?
Well, that and I just haven't worked out in a while.
- How about you? - Yeah,
I've had my share of sleepless nights.
It's not every day you go up against your buddy
in a murder trial.
Let's make a pact.
We keep up our weekly jogs as usual.
No matter who wins?
No matter who loses.
Deal.
Like the saying goes, "Bros before..."
Litigation?
Bros before litigation.
Hey, no fair, man. You're getting a head start.
ZACHARY: I've got a new trick,
guaranteed to knock your Barbie socks off.
Zachary, I am not in the mood.
You know, I'm good with the 101 tricks
you showed me over the weekend.
Oh, girl, real quick.
Now, do you have a quarter?
No? Okay, look, I have one right here.
[laughing] Okay, so what I'm going to do,
I'm going to take this quarter,
and magically put it inside of this balloon.
When it happens, it's going to instantaneously
turn into a bunch of dollars, yeah?
So, you're going to be my assistant.
You hold this. There you go.
[balloon squeaking]
- [balloon popping] - ZACHARY: Woah! Oh, my God.
Zachary, what the hell?
ZACHARY: I'm so sorry.
You know, it appears that I purchased
the confetti bomb version by mistake.
Okay, do you have one of those
cute little vacuum things
- that we can just clean up-- - You get away.
Oh, fine, fine.
[Sara whispering] Oh, my God. What?
Where'd the quarter go?
[elevator dinging]
[whispering] Hey, Wilson.
[upbeat instrumental playing]
LOLA: All right, Kansky. This is how it's going down.
You're coming back to my court
at least for the week
and if you want to leave after that, then fine,
but for right now it's you and me,
so snatch up your hot tea,
gather your little meditation crystals,
and be at my courtroom
before they start calling morning calendar. Got it?
Good.
[sighing] Fine.
But I'm bringing this chair with me.
What's happening today is evidentiary hearing.
The judge is going to rule on the motion
that I filed to throw out the statements
- you gave to police. - Look,
I know the strongest evidence
the DA got against me is about DNA
so I've been reading up.
They say one to four percent
all DNA matches are false.
- Carl, listen to me-- - You need to tell the jury
about all of that.
There is this legal thing
called the presumption of innocence.
Yeah, I know, innocent until proven guilty.
Right, it exists in theory, but I promise you,
from the moment that you step in front of those jurors,
they're already pegging you as a cold-blooded murderer
who shot a woman in the head
and dumped her body in the trash bin.
But I can persuade them
that their preconceived notions are wrong,
but I need you to stop fighting me.
Do you believe I'm innocent Mr. Watkins?
It doesn't matter what I think.
Nah, nah, nah.
I need you to answer my question.
[clearing throat]
My job is to show how weak
the prosecution's case is against you.
That's the only thing that matters.
[Carl sighing]
Yeah, I was going to represent myself.
My sister said no.
She told me it'd be stupid
not to ask for a-- a public defender.
[chuckling]
[sighs]
Please.
I don't want to be one of those guys
that gets old in prison
before someone finally proves they're innocent.
Please. Please, Mr. Watkins.
I'm putting my life in your hands.
[dramatic music playing]
SHERRI: Today's calendar, Your Honor.
Thank you, Sherri.
This case is already working my last nerve.
It feels like it's been 100 years
and we haven't even started the trial yet.
I just hate the thought of seeing Mark and Luke
go at each other's throats in court.
I would posit that if the trial had gone
to someone like Lasky, the punisher would be
eating Luke Watkins alive right about now.
[chuckling] Lasky does have an appetite
for new public defenders, that's for sure.
But I see your point.
See, that's why we work well together.
You're the Yin to my Yang.
- Ping to my pong. - If you say so, Your Honor.
Aw, that sneaky husband of mine.
He snuck my favorite shea butter into my briefcase.
It's the little things.
Wait a minute.
Looks like the only reason he got me
this hand cream is 'cause he had a coupon.
Does this man not think I'm worth full price?
[upbeat instrumental playing]
AMY: Emily?
EMILY: Amy, hey.
Hi...
- what are you doing here? - What?
I mean, not that I mind the surprise visit.
Oh, well, that's-- Okay.
Okay, so I ran into Ness in court
and I mentioned that there's still
no desk available for me at Free Council Initiative.
And Ness offered you Rachel's office
until she gets back.
EMILY: Obviously without your knowledge.
I am so sorry.
I can-- I can find someplace else, honestly--
No, absolutely not. Her instincts are spot on.
I would've invited you myself.
I really, really appreciate it.
So, what case are you working on?
EMILY: Charlotte Collins.
Single mom in the country on a green card.
She caught a mayhem case and I got it reduced
to felony, false imprisonment,
so she is set up
at the reentry center on probation,
but DCFS still took her two kids.
[sighing] When's the hearing?
EMILY: In a couple days.
I dropped the ball.
Like, I should have been in front of this.
You were focused on keeping Charlotte out of custody
and in the country, and you did exactly that.
And you will get her kids back, too.
In the meantime, make yourself at home.
Thank you so much.
AMY: You're welcome.
♪
All right.
Olani Broadnax, am I pronouncing that
- correctly? - Yes.
You are a stenographer at Elite Deposition Solutions,
Riverside County Superior Court.
Oh, goodness.
- Excuse me? - It's strong.
Very, very strong.
My boss gave--
It is a little strong, isn't it?
No, dear. Your energy is strong.
I feel it emanating from your aura.
You see, I'm a psychic.
I'm looking for this job
as a court reporter to supplement my income.
Oh. I sense someone well above your pay grade
seeking your forgiveness.
- Oh. - Someone very close to you.
Well, you are not going to win me over that easily.
What's that, dear?
Miss Olani Broadnax.
Welcome to courtroom 802.
Of course.
Did you know that was coming?
I saw that, too.
[exhaling abruptly]
Hi, Darius?
Hi, I-- I'm Sara Castillo,
I'm the victim's advocate assigned to this case.
Uh, right. Right. Hi-- hi, Miss Castillo.
Oh, no, please. Call me Sara.
I'll-- Sorry, you'll have to
excuse me appearance.
Anyway I'm here to offer any support I can.
I-- I also want to offer my condolences.
You know, I know it must be tough
just sitting through this trial
and hearing all the details--
All due respect, Miss Castillo,
my mom was the victim.
Not me.
So, I'm going to head in there now.
Oh, yeah. Yes. Please.
♪
[groaning]
OFFICER: Did you pick up Brenda Fletcher
from the bar she worked at?
[Carl sighing]
CARL: You know, maybe I--
maybe I should get a lawyer.
I keep telling you I didn't kill nobody.
OFFICER: We found your DNA
on her dead body, Carl.
It's like your signature is all over her corpse.
LUKE: Thank you, Judge.
Very well, Mr. Watkins.
I will hear you one last time before I rule in the evidence.
Your Honor, detectives relentlessly
interrogated Carl Brewer for 21 continuous hours.
He was not in his right state of mind.
Even more outrageous,
his statements were made involuntarily.
He continuously asked the detectives for an attorney
and they denied him.
MARK: Your Honor, the techniques
used by the detectives during the interrogation
were not coercive, and for Mr. Watkins
to suggest otherwise is--
Look, I'll borrow
one of his own dramatic terms, here, "outrageous."
Mr. Brewer clearly stated that he understood
he had a right to retain appointed council,
and yet he never definitely asked for an attorney.
- He waived his Miranda rights. - He absolutely did not.
LOLA: Stop.
I'm ready to rule.
Mr. Watkins, as to your motion
to suppress Mr. Brewer's statements,
I believe detectives had an affirmative duty
to confirm whether Mr. Brewer was exercising his right
against self-incrimination.
MARK: With all due respect, Your Honor,
the law says the officers do not have to clarify--
It is good police practice to do so.
I believe the detectives should have asked
further questions to clarify.
I'm granting the defense's motion to suppress.
Now, as for the people's 402 motion,
relevance regarding
the defendant's medical condition.
Mr. Callan, it is your position
that the jury should not hear
Mr. Brewer's suffers from acute myeloid leukemia,
- correct? - MARK: Yes, Your Honor.
It's clear that the defense is only trying
to gain the jury's sympathy by mentioning that--
Mr. Brewer has suffered from leukemia his entire adult life,
he would not have the physical ability,
nor the energy, to commit such a murder.
Well, it doesn't take much vim and vigor
- to pull a trigger, Your Honor. - The victim wasn't just shot.
Her hair was ripped out, her wrists bound,
he body dumped like trash. That takes energy.
Energy that Mr. Brewer does not have.
Mr. Watkins. Take a breath.
[uptight music playing]
I find that the defense as a proponent of the evidence
regarding your client's current medical condition
has not met its burden.
Your Honor, you cannot be serious,
- the jury needs to hear-- - LOLA: The probative value
of your client's medical condition is outweighed
by the risk of undue prejudice.
I agree with the people that this evidence would elicit
more sympathy than it would tend
to disprove identity.
My client has an absolute constitutional right
to present a--
But not with inadmissible evidence.
I have excluded the evidence on 352 grounds,
and do not interrupt me again.
I apologize, Your Honor.
The trial will begin in a couple days.
[hammer hitting gavel]
[uptight music playing]
[sighing]
Good morning, Your Honor.
LOLA: I'm hoping it will be.
Tea for you, two for me.
[groaning] I might need to triple up on the caffeine.
I did so much tossing and turning last night.
- Is it the trial? - If the evidentiary hearing
is any indication, it's about to get
- brutal out there. - This must be an immense amount
of pressure for Luke, I can't think of any new PD
who got a murder case so soon.
He has come a long way
in a short amount of time, Your Honor.
Sherri.
How are you and I doing?
Are we making any bit of progress here?
Your Honor, I will be returning
to Judge Delgado's court on Monday.
[footsteps leaving]
I want to see my kids.
- Now! - Ma'am, calm down.
- Don't tell me to calm down! - Ma'am--
Charlotte, hey, I have been looking
- all over the town for you. - Louise is sick.
They say she's in the hospital but they won't tell me where!
- Charlotte-- - Where is my daughter?
You need to get her out of here.
EMILY: I got it. Thank you.
Charlotte, look at me. Your daughter is fine.
No, I spoke to the doctor
after the reentry center called me.
She is fine, she had an ear infection.
She's okay. She's okay.
I need to see my children.
I understand, but right now
we need to get you back to the center
- because you cannot afford to-- - Oh, God.
Officers, hi, we had a young lady
who was distraught, but it's fine.
- I'm her attorney. - We need to talk to her.
Okay, look, she found out her kid was sick
and she panicked, all right?
We are on our way out right now, I promise.
The murder trial of 56-year-old Carl Brewer
begins in about an hour.
The forklift operator is accused
of shooting a woman to death.
This morning, the victim's 20-year-old son,
- Darius Fletcher... - DARIUS: I join you
with someone today who is concerned
about the dangerous effects
of under-policing in our communities.
So many women in the past three decades
have gone missing or been murdered,
the cases unsolved.
So, in the spirit of calling for justice
for my mom, and other women,
I ask that you join me in saying their names.
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
- Sheila James. - CROWD: Sheila James!
- Harriet Boyd. - CROWD: Harriet Boyd!
- Martina Sanchez. - CROWD: Martina Sanchez!
I'm not saying I disagree, I just wonder if the push
for more policing doesn't get lost
behind the argument for defunding the police.
Police reform can walk the fine line
between maintaining public safety
and decreasing police brutality.
This murder trial I'm handling right now
has me thinking about all of it.
Clearly, black and brown communities
are suffering the worst of it.
The problem is either aggressive policing
or not enough policing.
Or both, you know, it's a complex issue,
and one which probably isn't going to be solved
over coffee and fruit in the judge's lounge.
- Oh, here we go. - JUDGE THOMAS: I'll say this.
Most police officers in this country...
are selfless, patriotic citizens.
No one is disputing that.
Yes, we must curtail
the authority for police officers
to use deadly force, but not to the extent
that their actions are frozen
when confronting violent crime.
Since you chimed in with the pitch of the problem,
why don't you hit us with a solution?
JUDGE THOMAS: I'll hit you with several.
De-escalation training.
The tearing down of the blue wall of silence
which protects abusive policing,
more effective training for police officers
dealing with crisis intervention.
I want to bring this back around to the dangers
of under-policing.
Grassroots organizations have long offered up
solutions to these issues.
Real progress would be city and police leaders
- sitting down with them. - Not just every other quarter.
And that's something on which we all agree.
I'm not bad.
We should have this chat every week.
We'll be here.
[reporter talking over TV]
SECURITY GUARD: [indistinct] Mr. Slimms.
- Jimmy Slimms. - That's me.
Luke Watkins, we consulted on the Brewer case
over the phone, I was supposed
- to meet you here. - Oh, yes. Forgive me.
Most days, I don't know if I'm coming or going.
But right now I am going.
I'm sorry. I've got to get to trial.
I-- I just need two seconds.
- [Jimmy sighing] - Have you found
any discrepancies on how the police
collected the evidence?
Compromised DNA? Contamination testing issues?
I haven't spotted any inconsistencies,
and we may not find any, Mr. Watkins.
That's just the reality.
Trust me, I've seen DNA specimen techniques
as messed up as a Hogan's goat.
[chuckling] But not here.
If you could just take another look
at the case file I sent you.
I'll try and grab some time
- over the next couple days. - Great.
- I will call you. - I will call you.
DETECTIVE BLAIR: There were rope burns
on the victim's wrists.
And we could see that a lock of her hair
had been ripped from the scalp.
MARK: And where did you apprehend the suspect?
DETECTIVE BLAIR: In the backyard of his home.
He never asked why he was being arrested,
which I found odd.
Yo, can he even say that?
You should object.
MARK: ...you found in the alley,
what kind of bullet was it?
The casing we found was from a silver colored
nine-millimeter bullet,
it's a very particular piece of ammo.
MARK: And what more did you find?
DETECTIVE BLAIR: Using the automated firearm system
we were able to find out that Mr. Brewer
- owns a nine-millimeter. - He's lying.
I'm telling you to object.
And I'm telling you to be cool.
DETECTIVE BLAIR: ...from the shell casing
found at the scene, we determine that Mr. Brewer
owns the same type of gun used to murder the victim.
Thank you, detective Blair.
LOLA: Mr. Watkins.
You led a search of Mr. Brewer's home,
- correct? - DETECTIVE BLAIR: Correct.
LUKE: But you didn't find any firearms
in the house, correct?
As I already stated, we knew Mr. Brewer had
the same type of gun.
- Is that a yes, or no? - No. We didn't find a gun.
In fact, Mr. Brewer filed a report
years ago that a nine-millimeter gun
that he owned was stolen,
- isn't that right? - Correct.
It's funny, I didn't hear you tell
- the prosecution that. - Objection.
Withdrawn.
Did you find any of Mr. Brewer's DNA
in the alley where you believe
Mrs. Fletcher was shot to death?
Just Mr. Brewer's DNA on her body.
LUKE: And you testified earlier that you didn't find
any scratches, bruises or cuts on Mr. Brewer,
- correct? - DETECTIVE BLAIR: Correct.
LUKE: Yet, you found,
or you say you found his DNA
under the victim's fingernails?
DETECTIVE BLAIR: Right, again, I stated that I personally
didn't observe any injuries on your client.
That doesn't mean he didn't have any.
That's all, Your Honor.
- LOLA: Redirect, Mr. Callan? - No, Your Honor.
Your Honor, I'd like to address the court.
I'd like to fire my lawyer.
- Carl. - LOLA: Excuse me?
Bailiff, remove this man from my courtroom.
CARL: Mr. Watkins is not following any of my directions.
I demand new council.
Members of the jury, we will take a break.
Disregard Mr. Brewer's statement.
- I demand new council. - Mr. Watkins,
you need to control your client.
- Bailiff. - Mr. Watkins is not adequate
for my defense.
My sixth amendment right...
[Carl shouting indistinctly from behind the door]
[uptight instrumental music fades]
You showed a lack of respect for this court,
for council, and most significantly,
for the jury.
Any more outbursts like that
and I will have you removed for the rest of trial.
- Am I clear? - Yes, Your Honor.
I will say, I considered your request for new council,
and since you did not make this request
before trial began, and we are already
deep into testimony, I am denying your request
for a Marsden hearing.
I know Mr. Watkins well,
and he is an excellent attorney.
It would behoove you to trust him
in representing you.
We will pick up again tomorrow morning. Bailiff?
Thank you, Your Honor.
♪
I miss my kids.
I know you do.
But you get to see the judge tomorrow.
I'll be right there with you.
I'm a screwup.
And the judge is going to know that.
Well, then you must be screwup number two
because I hold the title.
Oh no.
You should have seen me when I was a teenager.
You could not tell me anything.
I had all the answers, I knew it all.
If there was a rule, I just broke it, you know?
I spent time in juvey.
- You were in juvey? - EMILY: Mm-hmm.
And then I just--
I turned things around for myself.
Look at you now. A lawyer.
EMILY: And look at you.
A fearless mom who has raised
two beautiful, amazing kids on her own.
That doesn't look like a screwup to me.
[sighing]
[sentimental instrumental playing]
Can I tell you something?
Yeah.
They tried to take away my kids
before I came to the States.
LOLA: Sherri?
Oh, what are we smiling at?
It looks like our new stenographer slash psychic
has earned her keep.
She predicted that an admirer
would give me a gift and here it is.
A gift card to Cycle City.
Someone just left it on my desk.
[chuckling] Sherri,
Robin actually got me that gift card.
It must have fallen out of my bag
and someone accidentally placed it on your desk,
but, no, no, no, no, no, Sherri, you-- you keep it.
No, thank you. It's yours.
Come on, Sherri.
When would I even have the time?
[sighs] I suggest you make the time, Your Honor.
♪
Mr. Watkins. I'm sorry to disturb you.
I'm Carl's sister, Mildred.
I met you when you first took on his case.
Yes. I-- I remember.
I'm so sorry about my brother's outburst
today in court.
That should not have happened.
LUKE: Please, have a seat.
He has had challenges his whole life.
When we were kids, Carl got into a lot of trouble.
I've been trying my whole life
to restore him to Christ.
It may be true he's trapped in sin,
but my brother is not a murderer.
[sentimental instrumental playing]
You said that your grandparents raised you two?
- What happened to your parents? - Momma, well...
she had a hard time.
- And I didn't mean to-- - No. No, it's fine.
I think about how sick my brother was
with leukemia and everything.
I was his only caretaker
after our grandparents passed.
I've seen that cancer come and go
and come back again,
but because of God's grace and mercy,
my brother is still here.
DARIUS: I went to Howard University.
Mom helped me enroll using some outrageous money.
She sounds like a wonderful lady.
When I was a kid...
my mom, she got this tattoo
on her arm of her favorite bible verse,
and I'm not such a religious guy myself,
but I want to do something special
to remember her by so I actually ended up
getting the same tattoo.
"Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth."
That's a beautiful verse
and a great tribute to your mom.
Thank you.
["Keep Rising" by Bodytalkr Feat. JSSYKA]
♪ We just got To rise up, hoo ♪
♪ Rise up, hoo
♪ Rise up
TRAINER: Come on, believe in yourself!
You can do anything you put your mind to!
If you see it, you can achieve it.
- Let's go! - Excuse me.
- Lola Carmichael? - Yeah.
I'm officer Bernard. My partner, officer Cohen.
We'd like to talk about the gift card
you used for this class.
Would you come with us, please?
Yeah.
♪
Tomorrow the prosecution will call more witnesses,
including the criminalists that worked with investigators
- on your case-- - CARL: Let me guess,
you grew up in an upper-middle class home,
went to one of them
highfalutin private schools, hmm?
Probably only dated rich white women, huh?
Your mommy and daddy spoil you rotten, I can tell.
Look.
Carl, I get it.
I get that you had it rough growing up.
Your sister, she told me about your--
the troubles you faced.
It's a lot.
Your father's untimely death...
your mom leaving you with your grandparents--
Don't talk about my mother, you understand?
Don't ever talk about her.
It's okay, deputy.
Just give us a minute, please.
I don't know if my sister told you...
but after our mother left,
she came back, years later,
when she found out about my cancer.
She was a match
and she wanted to donate her bone marrow.
[chuckling] Yeah, and I was so happy.
My momma came back to save me.
Then she took off again.
Right before my surgery.
I never knew why.
All I knew was my momma had left me a second time.
She left me.
That bitch left me to die.
[sentimental music playing]
[bar music playing]
MARK: Thanks.
And thanks for showing up.
- You think I wouldn't? - MARK: I wasn't-- I'm not--
[sighing]
LUKE: Can I ask you a question?
You ever worry about charging
the wrong guy with murder?
Just curious.
I tend to worry about the guilty guy
getting away with it.
Look, I've been doing this long enough to know
that restorative justice doesn't work for everybody.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I can't tell you everything,
but we are learning new information--
- New information like... - MARK: I can't tell you.
Are you planning to drop a bombshell in trial?
This has nothing to do with trial, Luke.
And maybe I shouldn't have said anything,
- but I am your-- - But you sure as hell did.
I'm giving you a heads up that there is something
coming down the pike, okay?
And there might be more to Carl Brewer
than you think.
You know what I think, Callan?
I think this is you trying to get into my head
and knock me off my game
because your case is getting weaker
by the minute and you cannot handle
the thought of losing to a public defender
in his first murder trial.
MARK: Are you serious right now?
Your ass can't handle it, Callan.
Wow, man. Okay.
LUKE: I'll see you in court.
[bar music playing]
[sighing]
[clearing throat]
- Bailey's down. - Mhm.
Thank you, husband.
You're welcome, wife.
Rough day, huh babe?
Well, at least they didn't throw you in the clink.
You should've let me come down to help you.
No, it was fine
once I explained everything to the officers.
The point is I got embarrassed
in front of my entire spin class
because of your little girlfriend, Nancy.
I can't believe that gift card she gave you was counterfeit.
[Robin sighing] Nancy.
A wanted scammer.
- I didn't see that one coming. - LOLA: Yeah.
I'm as surprised as you are, Mr. F.B.I. agent.
Guess this puts a huge dent in me and Nancy's relationship.
It's too soon, Robin.
- Too soon. - [Robin chuckling]
- I'm sorry, baby. - [Lola moans softly]
I guess I've got some making up to do.
Mhm, but this prime rib feast
is a good start.
It looks delicious.
Mm.
[kiss smacks]
Wait.
[intriguing music]
Did you buy this dinner with one of Nancy's coupons?
I plead the fifth, Your Honor.
[both laughing]
[doorbell ringing]
- Appreciate you coming. - Are you kidding?
I live with my brother in his very crowded home.
Of course I was coming.
LUKE: Congrats on the new place, Em,
- I'm happy for you. - Oh, thank you.
[both laughing]
I mean... [chuckling]
...I move in a week or so,
and I-- I just, I cannot wait.
I look forward to my invitation to the housewarming.
Well, I look forward to having you.
So, what's up with this new adventure of yours
- they call Holistic Law? - Yeah.
I-- I told you about the case I'm working.
Single mom trying to get her kids back.
She's young, you know?
And she's had a really tough life.
She-- she shared some stuff with me...
about something she experienced that was extremely difficult.
Then you share that with the judge,
and if the judge is empathetic...
- It's Judge Taylor. - LUKE: Judge Needum Taylor?
I appeared before him before he was transferred
over to juvenile court.
I'm not going to lie, he was tough.
- Great. - LUKE: Maybe think about
holding your most compelling argument
to the very end right before he rules.
- That worked for me. - Duly noted.
- So, Luke Watkins... - Mm.
What's up with this new adventure of yours
- they call public defense? - [Luke chuckling]
I'm not going to lie.
It's been tough.
The trial... Callan.
My client, he shared something
very painful with me today about his mother.
[doleful music playing]
I could feel...
the misery...
that he was living with.
How haunted he was, it was-- [sighing]
♪
It was almost like I could feel that misery, too.
♪
LUKE: Mr. Slimms, thanks for getting back.
Did you have a chance to look at the case file again?
Bottom line, the prosecution is saying Carl Brewer's DNA,
and only his DNA,
was found on this woman's body.
A lot of it. Like, too much to ignore.
You're going to argue something else.
The DNA is solid.
Hey, listen, I wanted to ask you again
about my client's, uh, transplant from 35 years ago.
I thought you weren't allowed to mention that in trial.
I'm not allowed to talk about
my client's current medical condition,
but no one said I can't refer to his medical history.
SIMMS: Well, you're the lawyer.
Wait a minute.
What kind of transplant did you say your client had?
[uptight music playing]
I've heard all that I'm going to hear, Miss Lopez.
I would just like to say one more thing
on behalf of Miss Collins.
She recently shared with me something
that she experienced that was very tough for her to handle
back in British Columbia, Canada, where she's from.
There was a certain practice called a birth alert.
It allowed social workers to flag an expecting parent,
without their consent,
as being unfit to care for their child.
Tell me how this relates to the case
- before me? - Yes, Your Honor.
These birth alerts were often issued
without regulation,
disproportionately against indigenous women,
but also low-income women like Charlotte.
In fact, she received them during both of her pregnancies.
She spent years on the run for fear
that her children were going to be taken from her.
Judge Taylor, please do not add to the trauma
that Charlotte has had to endure.
She is a loving... a loving mother.
And she deserves to have her children back.
[heartfelt instrumental]
[elevator dinging]
[sighing]
[determined music playing]
[sighing]
♪
[groaning] Sherri, you are a lifesaver.
Very welcome, Your Honor.
[sighing]
It was a look.
This incredulous look
you gave me at the Public Integrity hearing.
The same look you give to guilty defendants
before you sentence them.
And in that moment, it hit me.
The woman that I have come to respect.
Idolize, even.
And care for.
Would think that I would steal
half a million dollars from her campaign.
And though I did nothing wrong I carry tremendous guilt,
as though I had somehow betrayed you.
And for that I am angry.
It really hurt.
Sherri.
The look I gave you wasn't a look of scorn;
it was one of concern.
For the first time, something nefarious
had happened in my backyard,
and while I never for one second
believed that you had stolen that money,
someone in my camp did,
and I was worried sick about it.
So, for what seemed like an accusatory glance
that I gave you, I am truly sorry.
But this look?
This look right here
that I'm giving you right now
is a look of...
admiration and appreciation
and of respect.
It is a look of love and of apology.
[emotional instrumental]
Thank you.
♪
Miss Collins, you've missed court-mandated
therapy sessions, you've missed A.A. meetings,
you're someone who does not obey rules.
That is a problem.
Having said all that, I strongly believe
in a concerted effort to strengthen the relationship
between parents involved in the system and their children.
Miss Lopez is right, you've been through a lot
and I'm convinced you never put your children in harm's way.
I'm ruling that your children be returned to you
while you serve out the terms of your plea agreement.
- [hammer gavel thuds] - Thank you.
[sobbing] Thank you so much.
[sentimental piano instrumental]
MISS REED: We sent the blood for processing
and we found that the genetic profile
generated from the blood found on the victim's body
was consistent with Carl Brewer's DNA profile.
Thank you.
LOLA: Mr. Watkins.
Miss Reed. [clear his throat]
Just to be clear, you told this Jury
that the DNA from the victim and the DNA from my client
matched to a certainty of, what was it,
- one in 19 billion? - Correct. Right.
LUKE: 19 billion, that's a big number.
Three times the total population
of humans on the planet.
Even with that certainty, wouldn't you say that
there are circumstances in which DNA can change?
Change? Uh.
It's possible, but extraordinarily rare.
LUKE: I want to show you something.
Know what this is, Miss Reed?
[sighing]
It's a Chimera.
LUKE: A Chimera.
Comes from Greek mythology,
- right? - MISS REED: Yes.
LUKE: A fire-breathing monster.
A hybrid creature made up of three different
animal parts: A lion, the body of a goat,
and a snake's head for a tail.
- Beautiful, actually. - Your Honor, relevance.
Overruled, I want to see where this is going.
But we're not talking about Greek mythology,
are we Mrs. Reed.
Tell us how this beautiful creature
connects to the medical definition.
In medicine,
Chimera refers to a hybrid human.
Someone who could be carrying two totally different
sets of DNA inside their body.
LUKE: So, let's say if someone received a procedure
like, say, a bone marrow transplant,
that person could be a Chimera, yes?
They could be carrying two distinct sets of DNA,
one of the recipient and one of the donor, right?
Sorry, I didn't hear you, Miss Reed.
- Human Chimerism is rare. - Rare, yes,
but it is possible under these circumstances.
Objection, relevance. 352 in foundation.
Overruled. Continue, Mr. Watkins.
Miss Reed, if you learned that Mr. Brewer
had a bone marrow transplant, would that change your opinion
regarding the probability of the DNA evidence.
- [sighing] - Your Honor,
marking defense exhibit W.
Carl Brewer's medical records from 1987 showing he received
a bone marrow transplant
from the California Cancer Organization.
Your Honor, objection on prior grounds.
The defense just violated the court's rulings to prohibit
the mention of the defendant's medical record.
The court didn't tell me not to present evidence from
a medical procedure that my client received 35 years ago.
- MARK: You serious, Watkins? - Bailiff, remove the jury.
I ask that the evidence be excluded and that the jurors--
- be instructed to disregard it. - LUKE: Those records include
recurrent medical records as well as the fact that
Mr. Brewer received a bone marrow transplant.
Watkins, are you serious right now?
I complied with the court's discovery rules
as well as the court's 402 rulings.
Council, you are both out of order.
I want to see you in my chambers.
Now.
♪