Juror #2 (2024) | Transcript

Juror #2 (2024)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Jonathan A. Abrams
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons

Synopsis: Family man Justin Kemp, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, faces a profound moral dilemma that could influence the jury’s verdict. His choice has the potential to convict—or free—the wrong killer, putting his values and conscience to the ultimate test.

* * *

[somber music playing]

[music fades]

Okay. You ready?

It’s beautiful.

[both chuckle]

Where’d you find this?

[chuckles] It’s cute, right?

[chuckles] Aw, I love this!

So cute.

[both chuckle]

It’s perfect! [chuckles]

[chuckles softly]

It would’ve been, you know, a lot for me.

Thank you.

Yeah.

It’s perfect.

You’re perfect.

Thank you.

Of course.

[laughter nearby]

Are they here already?

They’re like 30 minutes early.

Why are they… What?

Hey.

It’s okay.

[chuckles]

I love it.

Yeah?

I’ll be honest. Ally and I, you know,

we weren’t sure about whether to have this party,

but together there’s nothing we can’t overcome.

You’re the strongest woman I know.

I love you more than anything.

And I’m so damn excited

to keep building our lives together.

Me too. I love you.

Love you.

[all] Aw.

Why don’t you ever say anything like that about me?

Thank you all for being here. Thank you.

Vitamins are on the table.

Oh. Thank you, baby.

[sighs]

It was a nice party.

Yeah.

Think everyone had a good time.

Yeah. You deserve it.

You’re just buttering me up before you abandon me.

I wish I could delay it again.

I know.

I don’t want to leave you here.

You just go to the judge

and tell him something wildly inappropriate

and then come back to me.

I will.

Oh, you will?

Mmm-hmm. Yeah. I got some…

Oh, you will? Like what?

I’ll say… [chuckles]

What?

I’ll say we’re having a big old orgy tomorrow night

and they’re all invited.

[laughs]

Ow!

Ooh. No, no, no. Be careful. Careful.

All right. That got me too excited.

[both laugh]

All right.

Hey.

Sorry. Sorry, sorry.

Hey.

[man on radio] Just a reminder to send in those mail-in ballots soon.

We’re only two weeks out from election date, folks,

and every ballot matters.

So be sure to get yours in before it’s too late.

[turns off radio]

[woman on phone] Faith, come on.

Polling has you at a 46-point deadlock,

with 8% of voters still undecided.

We need to push your plan to reduce the crime rate

in order to pull ahead.

But this case is my campaign.

He’s a dangerous criminal

with a long history of violence.

I put James Sythe away, we win.

[sighs] If you lose, you lose your shot at being DA.

All right. I got to go. Faith…

[sighs]

Oh. There she is.

[cameras clicking]

Hey. Excuse me!

You, uh…

You dropped this.

Oh. I did.

Oh, my God. Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.

No worries. Have a good day.

[chuckles]

Yeah. You too.

Through that door.

[woman] Oh, thank you.

Where do I go for, uh, jury duty?

Go down there.

Thanks.

[bailiff] All right, guys. Eyes up.

Pay attention.

[narrator on TV] Hello. I’d like to welcome you

as a juror in the Georgia court system.

As a juror, you protect the right of every person

to a trial by jury.

The right to a trial by jury

is a cornerstone of our democracy.

That right is protected

by the United States constitution.

[man] There she is.

[sighs]

Sugar-free vanilla with skim.

[Faith] Ah. You’re good.

Can I get you something else?

[Faith] Mmm-mmm.

You got something for me?

[sighs] Okay. Voluntary manslaughter

with a recommendation of 20 years.

Fifteen to serve, followed by five on probation.

Wow. That’s a hell of a deal.

I will even waive the recidivist statute

if he pleads before we strike the jury.

And admit to something he didn’t do?

[chuckles] Save it for the jury.

Better yet, why don’t you plead your guy out

and say, free for your caseload.

Look… [sighs]

my client wants a trial.

Well, then, you’re wasting my time and your client’s.

Last chance.

After you.

The case you’re about to hear is an alleged homicide.

The state is charging James Michael Sythe

with malice murder

for the death of Kendall Alice Carter.

Now, if any of you have a personal relationship

with the accused, and/or the deceased

that will prohibit you from serving on this panel

in an unbiased manner,

please speak now.

Yes.

[exhales]

He used to ride my bus.

And when was this?

[sighs] I don’t know. Few years ago.

Okay. Then there’s no reason we can’t leave it there.

I think you’ll make a fine juror.

Does anyone else think

that they’re incapable of serving on this panel?

Yes.

Uh…

Your Honor, my wife is in the third trimester

of a high-risk pregnancy.

I’d like to be available to her.

Well, that’s commendable.

What hours do you normally work?

Uh, 9:00 to 6:00, typically.

Then you have my word that this court

will not demand one minute more of your time than that.

Yeah.

See, the fact that you don’t want to be here

is exactly what makes you

the perfect group to judicate this case.

You are impartial.

You have no skin in the game. Nothing to gain or lose.

And that is why I believe that this process,

as flawed as it may be,

is still our best chance at finding justice.

Do you work, Mrs. Aldworth?

Well, I had the toughest job there is.

I raised two kids and just sent them off to college.

Ah. Congratulations.

Thank you.

And have you ever served on a jury before?

Twice. Both were mistrials.

Twice. Okay. Okay.

Mr. King. Have you ever had a physical altercation

with a significant other?

Are you gonna ask that question to every guy in this courtroom?

If I have to, I will. I…

I know these questions can be very personal…

Nah, man.

That ain’t me.

Thank you, sir.

[Faith] How long have you lived in the area, Mr. Chicowski?

About ten years.

And you, uh…

Oh, you run a flower shop?

Yeah. With my wife.

Mr. Robinson, it says here your wife has

primary custody of your daughter.

Is that correct?

Yeah.

Do you mind if I ask you who ended the marriage?

She did.

Thank you. All you.

Mr. Kemp.

And you’re a magazine writer?

[Justin] Uh, that’s right.

What kind of articles do you write?

Features, mostly.

So you write about a variety of topics?

Yes.

Ever written about a murder trial?

Uh, well, I write for a regional lifestyle magazine

so it’s not exactly Vanity Fair.

[jurors chuckling]

Take that as a no.

Being a writer, I imagine you read a lot.

You’ve read anything about this case?

No. No. Today’s the first I’ve heard about it.

Well, then, I think you’ll make

a perfectly acceptable member of this jury.

All right. Does the defense accept or challenge?

We accept him, Your Honor.

Good. Please enter Justin Kemp as juror number two.

[Justin] Hey.

[Ally] Hi!

[Justin] Hi.

[Ally] How did it go?

[sighs]

[Ally] No.

I got picked.

No.

Mmm.

I’m so sorry.

I know.

What happened to “wildly inappropriate”?

Ah. Well, I’m saving that for you.

Oh, yeah?

They said it’ll be a short trial.

I feel like they always say that,

but I hope so.

I know.

How was your day?

It was okay. I did this. [laughs]

Yeah? It’s good progress. Looks good.

[laughs] Thank you.

All day?

No, this did not take me all day.

Yeah.

I watched a documentary…

Mmm-hmm. What about?

…and I peed 94 times.

Ninety-four? Okay.

And I ate some ice.

Ooh.

Can I have some more?

You need some more? Ice?

Yeah.

Ice. Coming up. All right.

[exhales]

The people need to know how I’ll make this city safer.

And women need to know that,

if they’re in an abusive relationship,

their community has their back.

The rest? The rest is noise.

So, thank you.

Thank you, guys. Thank you for coming.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Hey! Thank you so much.

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much. Yeah.

[man] Hey. Good job.

[sighs] Hey.

Hey.

Nice speech.

[chuckles]

Thanks.

“Justice is truth in action”?

Mmm-hmm. Professor Nielsen.

Yeah. No. Yeah, I remember.

You still believe it?

Of course.

All right. As long as it doesn’t

get in the way of a win, though, right?

Oh, my God. If you got something to say, Eric, just say it.

Mmm. I’m saying, he…

You know, he loves you. You were his favorite student.

[scoffs]

Are you really going there?

Yeah, I’m going there.

Oh, my God!

And now you’re a…

What?

I’m a what?

A politician. [sighs]

[Judge Thelma] Good morning.

We will begin with opening statements.

Ms. Killebrew.

Okay. The facts of the case are these.

One year ago, on October 25th, the defendant, James Sythe,

and his then-girlfriend, Kendall Carter,

went drinking at Rowdy’s Hideaway

on Old Quarry Road.

[country rock music playing on speakers]

Come on. I walked all the way up there and got it.

Take the drink.

I’m already drunk, babe.

[chuckles]

[inaudible conversation]

Things got tense.

They had a fight.

[Kendall] Not fair what you’re doing.

[James] Hey, leave it alone.

[Kendall] What the hell is wrong with you?

[James] I’ve already told you. We’re not moving in together.

[Kendall] I’m not…

What is wrong with it?

Stop pushing me.

I told you, stop…

I’m not pushing you.

[gasps]

I said stop pushing!

[scoffs]

Jesus Christ.

[Faith] She stormed out of the bar

and he followed her.

The fight escalated,

and things quickly got out of control.

Hey.

What the hell are you doing?

What are you doing?

Get away from me.

Don’t touch me.

How dare you?

Are you kidding me?

[Eric] It was par for the course.

They’d argue. They’d break up.

And they’d make up the next day

after they both had calmed down.

It was basically a game.

[Faith] Now, this couple had a history of violent interactions,

but this time she was serious.

She was done with him.

So she left and headed down the road, on foot.

[tense music playing]

[Eric] So this was just another typical night of drama.

So James Sythe got in his car and he drove home.

He flew into a violent rage

and followed Kendall Carter down the road…

where he proceeded to kill her.

[cell phone chimes]

[thuds]

[grunts]

[gasping]

[tires screeching]

[breathing heavily]

[Faith] He beat her viciously.

He pushed her over a railing to the creek below…

and left her to die.

[jurors exclaim]

[panting]

James Sythe didn’t attack her

and he couldn’t have pushed her

because he wasn’t there.

[somber music playing]

James Sythe…

[sighs]

took an innocent life.

James Sythe…

is an innocent man.

Thank you.

[retching]

[flushes]

[sighing]

Damn, man.

You… You all right?

Mmm-hmm.

Yeah. Just those crime scene pictures.

Never had a strong stomach.

Yeah.

All right. Well, you have a good night.

You, too.

[all] God grant me the serenity

to accept the things that I cannot change,

the courage to change the things that I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Great work, everybody.

Keep coming back.

[all] It works if you work it.

Great job, everybody.

[man] Right on, bro!

Hey, Justin.

Hey!

You were quiet tonight.

Yeah. I’ve got a lot on my mind.

Yeah, I can tell. [chuckles]

You want to talk about it?

Okay, look, whatever it is, my advice is the same.

You know what to do.

We’re only as sick as our secrets.

Yeah.

Okay, I’m always here for you.

[tense music playing]

[man] Working late?

[keyboard clacks]

Be out of your way in a minute.

Nah, take as long as you want, I’ll come back.

Hey.

Hey.

Sorry I’m late.

That’s okay.

How was the meeting?

It was good.

I stayed after to talk with Larry for a bit.

[breathing heavily]

You okay? Your heart.

Hmm?

Are you okay?

Yeah, I’m good.

Everything’s going to be fine.

We’re going to be a family soon.

[Justin] Hmm.

Very soon, I hope. [chuckles]

[sighing]

[tires screeching]

[gasping]

[breathing heavily]

What the…

I’d seen them in there before. A couple times.

Um, it was always the same thing.

They would start off fun and flirty, and then,

after a few drinks, things would change.

Change, how?

That night, she came in,

trying to talk to him, like, seriously, you know?

But he wasn’t having it.

[Kendall] What’s wrong with you?

What, do you want me to disagree?

No. I want you to say, “I love you, too.”

I basically did.

I want you to say, “I love you, too.”

Read between the goddamn lines,

I said, “Yeah.”

[Kendall] What lines?

[James] I’m sick of this shit.

[Kendall] What lines are you talking about?

[James] Hey, get out of my face!

[Kendall gasps]

[woman] He got mad. Like, scary.

She leaves.

He follows her outside. So I started following.

Hey!

What the hell are you doing?

What are you doing?

I want to go home.

I don’t want to do this anymore.

[James] Do what?

[Kendall] I’m done. You’re embarrassing!

What are you talking about?

Who cares what these idiots think?

What are you going to do? Hit me?

Relax. I’m sorry.

Don’t touch me.

It was…

What are you going to do?

How dare you?

Are you kidding me?

Bring it on!

You better get the fuck out of here right now.

[crowd murmuring]

Fine, walk home, in the rain, you stupid bitch!

And, Kendall, we ain’t over!

I’m done, James.

[crowd murmuring]

So she left,

then what happened?

He followed her out of the parking lot

and onto Old Quarry Road.

Thank you. No further questions, Your Honor.

So you saw him walk down Old Quarry Road?

Yes.

Did you know that his car was parked

down on Old Quarry Road?

No.

No.

Were you drinking that night?

Objection, Your Honor.

Overruled.

Were you drinking that night?

Yes.

So you don’t know how far he followed her

down Old Quarry Road, do you?

No. Um, at that point,

I had stopped filming and I went back inside.

No more questions.

[Judge Thelma] Does the State have any more questions?

No more questions, Your Honor.

[Judge Thelma] Thank you. You may step down.

I was at the bar till close.

I didn’t see either one of them come back in.

And then the next day, I opened,

and I did what I always do.

I took the night’s trash out to the dumpster.

Miss! Miss! I’m sorry. I need your help.

Because of the rain the night before…

the trails were all muddy and wet.

So I had to cut up to Old Quarry by the bridge

in order to get back to the road.

[tense music playing]

[breathing heavily]

Right. And just to be clear,

when you found Kendall Carter,

she was dead?

Her head was in a pool of blood.

It was awful.

Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Reed.

I know it isn’t easy.

That’s all I have.

Mr. Resnick, your witness.

Mr. Reed,

you hike those trails in the woods frequently, don’t you?

Yes, sir.

Twice a week at least.

In your opinion, is the hike down the hillside difficult?

Yes.

I assume you wear hiking boots

when you hike, Mr. Reed? Is that correct?

Of course.

This is a picture of Kendall Carter

the morning you found her below Old Quarry Road.

Can you please tell us what kind of shoes she’s wearing?

Looks like heels.

Heels.

And if she’s walking along the edge of Old Quarry Road

in a blinding rainstorm at night, in heels,

and she suddenly lost her footing,

it’d be next to impossible

to prevent herself from falling, isn’t that correct?

Yes.

Thank you.

She landed in a posterior position,

which suggests she was pushed, as opposed to a fall.

Rigor mortis indicated the victim had been dead

for around nine hours.

[Faith] Hmm.

And the cause of death?

The severity of her skull fractures suggests

she was struck with a non-specific blunt instrument.

And the manner of death?

Homicide.

[Faith] Thank you. No more questions.

The witness is yours, Mr. Resnick.

Is it possible that she sustained

her head injuries from hitting the rocks?

Possible, sure,

but in my professional opinion, it’s not likely.

But possible.

That’s all from me.

Thank you for your testimony. You may step down.

On October 25th of last year,

you lived on Old Quarry Road.

Correct?

Yes.

And do you remember anything unusual happening that evening?

I saw a man get out of his car [chuckles] in a storm.

Do you remember what time that was?

It was 11:48 on the button.

I looked at the clock.

I heard thunder,

and so I went to the window, and lightning lit up the sky.

There he was.

[Faith] What was he doing?

He looked around, he went over to the side of the road.

Peered over the railing…

got back in his car and drove off.

And is that man you saw that night

here in the courtroom today, do you know?

Can you point him out?

[coin clatters]

Yes, he is here today.

That’s him right there.

Let the record reflect that the witness has identified

the man he saw as the defendant,

James Michael Sythe.

No more questions, Your Honor.

All right. This feels like a good time

to break for the day.

This court is in recess until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning

when we will pick up here where we left off.

Justin, what’s going on?

I need a lawyer.

Okay. Give me a dollar.

And I’m not joking, that gives us attorney-client privilege.

Take a seat.

So I went to clear my head,

and found myself at Rowdy’s Hideaway…

Ordered a drink and sat there for a while,

then I got up and left.

I got to the car. It was raining.

I turned back onto Old Quarry,

I went about a quarter of a mile

and I hit something.

I got out of the car and I looked around.

I checked, I didn’t see anything,

and I figured it was a deer that ran off,

and then I got back in the car and went home.

Okay, what’s the problem?

I got called for jury duty.

The Kendall Carter case?

Mmm-hmm.

And they found her body in a creek bed,

about a quarter mile from Rowdy’s Hideaway last October.

What are you telling me?

[breathes heavily]

Maybe I didn’t hit a deer.

[sighs]

[stammers] I don’t know what to do.

You were at a bar and you had a drink?

Yes, but I didn’t touch it.

Doesn’t matter.

Given your history,

there isn’t a jury in the world

that would believe you were sober.

But if I was coming forward voluntarily,

that has to count for something, right?

If I come forward and I tell them the truth…

Then your prior DUIs,

and the fact that you were at a bar,

gives the State reason to charge you

with first-degree vehicular homicide

or even felony murder.

That’s 30 years to life.

What?

If you were to come forward right now,

you will be completely screwed.

That’s it?

Uh…

[sighs]

I’m sorry.

[Eric] The defense calls James Sythe, Your Honor.

[Judge Thelma] Please raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

Yes, Your Honor.

All right. Have a seat.

Please state your name for the record.

Uh, James Michael Sythe.

[Judge Thelma] Mr. Resnick, your witness.

Okay, James, let’s talk about what happened

the night of October 25th.

Can you tell us what happened?

Yeah, um…

Kendall and I went to Rowdy’s

to have a few drinks, get some food.

We were having fun, shots and pool,

played some darts, you know.

Now, there’s been testimony that you guys argued.

You don’t deny that, do you?

[James] No. No, yeah. Um…

She got really drunk and she was…

She was giving me a hard time.

What do you mean?

She’d been going on about us moving in together

for a couple of weeks and I…

just kept telling her that I didn’t think

that I was ready.

We’ll… We’ll see.

We’ll see.

What do you mean “We’ll see”?

And she just wasn’t having it. She said I didn’t love her.

And, uh, she stormed out.

And then what happened?

We argued in the parking lot.

I don’t want to do this anymore.

Do what?

I want to go home.

I’m done.

Fine. Get out of here. Go walk home.

Go walk home then. In the rain.

And she was just out of her head, you know?

Screaming at me and walked off.

[Eric] And what did you do?

[James] Followed her, at first,

but it was cold, it was raining.

I remember getting in my car.

So I was parked next to, uh,

mile marker 217.

My niece is born February 17th, so that just…

I don’t know, pulled me out of everything,

then I turned around and just drove home.

And, um, we’d see each other the next day,

and we’d work it out, like…

like always.

Look, was I stupid?

For not wanting to move in with her?

So I could see her face every day?

Absolutely, yeah.

But I could never put my hands on her like that.

I couldn’t do that to her.

I… I loved her.

Now, look, I understand,

with my past, and the mistakes that I’ve made,

I know what you’re thinking, I do. And I get it.

But I’m…

I’m not that guy anymore.

Okay, I’ve changed.

I left that life behind me, and I, you know…

[voice breaks] I thought I was doing really good.

[sighs] I don’t know what happened.

I went home. I drove…

I just… I drove home.

I know how difficult this is for you, James.

You take your time, and…

let me know when you’re ready.

I’m good.

I’m gonna show you a video now, okay?

And then I’m gonna ask you some questions.

[James on video] It’s fine. I’m not mad.

Why didn’t you say it to me?

[country music playing on video]

[billiard balls clatter]

Did you see that?

That’s for you.

[Kendall] That’s my guy.

[chuckles]

I love you.

I love you, too.

Did you miss or make it?

[Kendall] No, I didn’t make it.

[James] You missed it.

Well, let me help you. You’re good luck. Come here.

[Kendall] I was.

[Kendall kisses]

[James] Okay, turn that shit off.

[Kendall] Okay.

[Eric] Who took that video?

Kendall.

When?

October 25th.

Of last year.

And where?

At Rowdy’s Hideaway.

Thank you, James. No more questions.

Prosecution, your witness.

Mr. Sythe,

you just stated that you loved Kendall Carter.

Is that right?

More than anything.

[Faith] Hmm.

And on the night of October 25th,

you and Kendall drove to Rowdy’s Hideaway.

Is that right?

We took my car, yeah.

And when you got there, the two of you

started drinking, is that right?

Yeah. It’s a bar.

And then the two of you started arguing.

Is that right?

Yeah.

And during this argument,

you knocked a beer bottle off the table.

Is that right?

Yeah, it was an accident.

And then she left, and you went after her.

Is that right?

Yeah.

And outside, the argument continued, and… [scoffs]

it is your sworn testimony,

that you left Kendall Carter alone

to walk down a narrow two-lane road

in the dark, drunk, in the pouring rain,

in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Is that how you treat someone you love?

No more questions, Your Honor.

Are there any further questions from the defense?

No, Your Honor. The defense rests.

Thank you for your testimony, you can step down.

[Judge Thelma] Members of the jury,

the evidence in this case is now closed.

Attorneys, you may give

your closing arguments at this time.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury…

Kendall Carter’s murder was a savage crime

committed by an evil man.

[Eric] An innocent man.

An innocent man who was shattered

from losing the love of his life.

We have an eyewitness who saw him at the crime scene

at the time of death.

In the middle of the night, in a blinding rainstorm…

it could have been anyone.

When she broke up with him that night,

and he realized she meant it,

he snapped.

And so he bludgeoned her.

No murder weapon was recovered. Nothing.

Nothing.

The defendant’s DNA was all over the victim.

No one else’s.

[Eric] The State says there was DNA.

Of course, there was DNA. Of course.

They were a couple.

[Faith] Yeah, of course, they were a couple.

Until they weren’t.

James Sythe bravely took the stand

and admitted to some difficult truths.

[Faith] That? [scoffs]

That was all a performance, nothing else.

Look…

I think we can all agree on this.

The person responsible for Kendall Carter’s death

deserves to face justice.

That person is James Sythe.

But that person,

that evil man,

is still out there.

All I ask is that you deliver a verdict

that speaks the truth.

The truth about what happened to Kendall.

The truth about what happened on Old Quarry Road that night.

And the truth about him.

And the truth about him…

is that James Michael Sythe

is guilty.

Find him guilty.

The truth is, James Sythe…

is not guilty.

Find James Sythe…

not guilty.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Um, excuse me, everyone.

If… If nobody objects,

I’d really like to throw my name into the ring

to be the forewoman.

I’ve served on multiple juries.

I know the ropes.

I’m cool with it.

Yeah. Sure.

Sure!

I don’t mind.

Okay, great. Thanks.

Okay. So right now we can do one of two things.

We can vote and talk,

or talk and vote.

I suggest that we just vote

and just get an idea where we all stand.

Does that sound good?

Agreed.

Okay. So I vote “guilty.”

Yes, ma’am. Me, too.

Me three. This whole thing is such a shame.

Yeah. I definitely think that he did it.

Definitely.

I agree.

Everything fits together.

Yeah. Let him rot.

[woman 1] Amen.

Nine. So that is nine for guilty.

You, sir? Hi.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, guilty’s cool.

Okay.

And…

Oh! You, sir? How about you?

Kid should have pled out.

And then there was one.

[Justin sighs]

[somber music playing]

All right. So… what’s it gonna be?

You with us or what?

[sighs]

[woman 1 sighs] Tsk.

Don’t you want to get home to your pregnant wife?

Of… Of course I do.

All right. So what’s the problem?

[stammers]

You know, this is somebody’s life we’re dealing with.

Shouldn’t we at least talk about it?

[sighs]

This is a joke. [sighs]

No, it’s, um… Look, it’s a deliberation.

You are ready to send this man to prison,

maybe forever, just like that?

[King] And?

I heard the facts of the case. Did you?

Yeah, right. The lawyer didn’t prove,

beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was innocent.

Well, he doesn’t have to.

The burden of proof is on the prosecution.

Does anyone have even the slightest hesitation

that James Sythe is guilty?

[sighs] I mean…

Look, if you have to think, you aren’t sure.

No.

What I’m sure of is, I got three kids at home

I got to get back to.

Look, we all have lives.

None of us want to be here.

Okay. Um, how about we…

Why don’t you just tell us what your issue is

or your issues are,

and… and then we can all talk through it?

Oh, I don’t have an… an issue. Uh…

Okay. So you just like pissing me off, then?

Or what?

[scoffs] No. Look, I…

I have questions.

Nah. That’s just your guilt talking.

What do you mean?

You want to go home to your little neighborhood

and tell them,

“We did right by that boy.

We gave him a fair shake, just like anybody else.”

Whoa, man. Hold up. Why’re you getting on him like that?

Hey, mind your own damn business,

all right, little fella?

Excuse me?

That’s enough. Both of you.

Please, Mr. Kemp, go on.

Thank you, ma’am.

All I’m trying to say is,

let’s put everything else aside for a minute

and just remember two key points. Um…

One, Sythe went to trial instead of taking a plea,

and two, he testified instead of taking the Fifth.

Right? I mean…

it doesn’t mean he’s innocent,

but I think he’s earned just a few hours of our time

just to be sure.

Uh, he’s right. You’re right.

We should take the time and we should go over it.

Fine. Fine, but it’s a waste of time.

Any other group of 12 people

would arrive at the exact same decision we did.

[woman 1] Mmm-hmm. That part right there.

The State has the truth on its side.

James Sythe is going to pay for what he did.

And I will get justice for Kendall Carter

and every woman who is a victim of domestic abuse.

How do you feel about the latest polling

that a verdict in the Sythe trial

carries a five-point swing in the district attorney race?

Oh, come on. You…

You know I can’t comment on that.

Okay. Thank you, everybody.

So I’m just going to start with what I think

is the most damning evidence.

Which was the man who saw

Sythe on the road, at the railing,

directly above where Kendall Carter’s body was found.

Yes, exactly.

So what’s left to even talk about?

Well, I mean, he was a few hundred feet away,

looking from across the bridge.

And it was the middle of the night,

and through pouring rain.

Yeah. And I’ve actually done

a bunch of landscaping work up there.

That whole area is covered by trees.

It’d be hard to see.

The man made a positive identification.

Yeah, but dude’s kind of ancient, though.

[laughs]

Well, this old bird has 20-20 vision with my glasses.

Come on, y’all. It’s his testimony. He’s not lying.

I mean, why would he lie?

And the question here means that we think he’s lying.

I don’t think he’s lying.

You think he’s lying?

No, I don’t think he’s lying…

[woman 1] Okay. So what the hell are we talking about?

Look, I’m just saying… Okay.

The man, he saw somebody at the railing, right?

Can we all agree on that?

Yeah.

Yes.

Okay. So isn’t it possible

that he saw someone other than James Sythe?

Oh!

Mmm-mmm. No, we can go back and forth all day on possibilities.

That’s not helpful.

Well, I think we should.

No, no, no.

No. That’s not our job.

Our job is to just weigh the facts.

[sighs] Okay. Fact.

32% of homicides occur between domestic partners.

Fact, the police arrested James Sythe

two days after they found the body.

Fact, they never questioned any other suspects.

You watch too much TV, old man. [scoffs]

[chuckles]

[sighs] Okay.

You’re a cop?

I was.

Twenty-two years. Robbery-homicide.

Finally took the buyout, came down here to get away

from those brutal Midwest winters

and be closer to the grandkids.

Why didn’t you… Why didn’t you tell the lawyers?

‘Cause nobody asked.

How about that.

Well, their loss is our gain.

So what are you thinking, officer?

Uh, Detective.

Um…

Look, I think…

It seems to me like the police,

you know, followed the evidence,

found their guy, built their case.

Okay. So what’s wrong with that?

It may be nothing, but tunnel vision like that

can really bite you in the ass.

They feed Sythe to that eyewitness,

so, of course, that’s who he IDs.

Now they’re sure they got their guy,

so they just ignore anything that doesn’t help their case.

They stop asking questions.

Confirmation bias.

Yeah, confirmation bias. Exactly.

Confirmation bias.

There’s no bad intentions.

It’s just a bunch of people trying to do the right thing,

and they can’t see everything they’re doing wrong.

It’s a good point.

And what about this blunt instrument murder weapon

they kept talking about?

The prosecutor said they couldn’t recover it.

So he got rid of it. That’s easy to do.

Or he could have killed her

with something other than a blunt instrument.

Like what?

Like a car?

It could have been a hit-and-run.

[Justin] Oh, shit.

Here. Let me help.

I’m sorry. Sorry.

It got in your pants.

It’s all right.

You know, that’s…

That’s a really, really good theory.

Hit-and-run.

[Robinson] Yeah.

I mean, it’s raining, it’s night.

Visibility’s got to be terrible.

Well, we know it was slippery, from that hiker’s testimony.

Wandering around in the dark in heels?

Kids today…

Um, it explains how she could have ended up in a creek.

[jurors] Mmm-hmm.

Okay. So, Sythe mowed her down instead of bashing her head in?

What are we talking about here?

What difference does it make?

The guy is a piece of shit.

Look, my gut is telling me that that kid is not a killer.

Okay. The other day, you voted guilty.

[woman] Mmm-hmm.

No. No, I never said guilty.

I said, he should have taken a plea bargain.

He’s got a weak case.

[woman] Well, maybe there’s a reason for that.

[Chicowski] Yeah. It’s called a public defender.

I mean, nothing against this guy.

He seems pretty smart,

but… the PDs are working 10 times

the caseload of the DA’s office on a fraction of the budget.

It’s just not a fair fight.

Yeah, well, nothing is anymore.

We’ll just do the best we can.

I hear you.

And I got 22 years on the street,

that is telling me

there’s a lot more to this case than we know.

All right. Then, if you were still a detective,

what would you do?

Yeah.

All right, y’all. That’s it for today.

See you back here at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Oh! And I almost forgot. Happy Halloween.

[jurors] Happy Halloween!

Hey!

Yeah, it has been a minute.

But I was hoping you could do me a solid.

Hang on a sec.

[engine starts]

Yeah, I’m here.

[car engine starts]

[keyboard clacking]

“We cannot break the law.

“We can only break ourselves of the law.”

[knock at door]

No decision yet.

[sighs]

We’re breaking for the weekend.

You’re kidding.

You never know what a dozen strangers are gonna do.

Clearly. Okay. Well, thanks for letting me know.

See you Monday.

Mmm-hmm.

Trick or treat!

Yeah. Have a good one.

[keyboard clacking]

[sighs]

[somber music playing]

[cell phone rings]

[cell phone rings]

Hey, hon.

Yeah, I’m heading back to the shop right now.

Okay.

[engine starts]

Hey.

Hi.

Did you get my text?

Oh, shit.

Sorry.

I’m sorry, I forgot.

Does everything look okay?

Are you okay?

Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong?

I’m scared.

I’m scared. We didn’t make it this far last time, and…

I’m just scared.

I don’t want to be doing this alone.

I don’t want to go to these things alone.

It’s going to be okay.

[stammers] It’s going to be all right, I promise.

I don’t understand why you weren’t there today.

How much longer is the trial going to go on for?

[sighs] I have no idea.

It’s…

Are you close to a verdict?

I’m not supposed to discuss the case…

Justin, are you close to a verdict?

Well, it’s ten to two for guilty.

So then, Monday,

can you just go in and sway the two holdouts

and then be done with this?

Well, I’m one of them. I…

Why?

I’m sorry,

but they took one look at this guy, and that was it.

No discussion of the evidence, nothing.

I had to do something.

Everyone deserves a chance, right?

I keep thinking where I’d be if you hadn’t given me one.

[stammers] Can I ask you something?

[sighs]

Yeah, sure. What?

If I were to sell the 4Runner without telling someone

it was in a wreck,

but they’re happy with the deal and there’s no safety risks.

It was in the ad, Justin.

I know, I know,

but just go with me.

If they’re never the wiser,

then did I do anything wrong?

No.

I mean, I don’t think so.

Yeah.

I’m going upstairs.

[melancholy music playing]

Food’s in the fridge.

See you upstairs.

[sighs]

There she is. Next round’s on her.

Bourbon. Neat. And…

yeah, whatever he’s having.

What I’m having? What I’m having is a…

Thank you.

…great evening.

Isn’t it a beautiful evening?

It should have been a two-hour verdict.

What can I tell you? They’re taking their job seriously.

I gave them a lot to think about.

Mmm. I got a mountain of evidence.

You gave them smoke and mirrors.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

[laughs] I admire your optimism.

Look, here’s the thing. You walk into court

convinced of the guilt of the defendant. Me, I…

I have no illusions about what I do.

A lot of my clients are guilty,

and my job is to help make the best of a bad situation.

But I’m telling you…

I’m telling you, this guy didn’t do it.

And the fact that the jury’s taking a little time

gives me hope that things are working

the way they should.

Well… you enjoy that while it lasts.

To the justice system.

It ain’t perfect, but it’s the best we got.

Hey.

Hey.

I’m sorry again about yesterday.

It’s just that case wearing on me.

I know. I can tell.

Yeah.

Trust your gut.

You’ll do the right thing.

[doorbell rings]

Oh! Oh, Oh, wait.

[kids laughing]

Wait, wait, wait.

What’s that?

It’s my pitchfork.

Nice!

Yeah. Thanks.

[laughs]

Homemade.

[kids] Trick or treat!

Hey! Happy Halloween!

I love your costumes! Take two, everyone.

Oliver?

Hey, Ms. Crewson.

Oliver, I didn’t even recognize you! How are you?

I’m good. Hi, Mr. Kemp.

Hey, how’s the writing going?

I’m on student paper now.

No way. That’s awesome.

That’s very cool.

Congrats.

Hey, have fun tonight.

[Oliver] We will.

See you back at school?

Yeah. Next year.

[Oliver] Okay.

Well, bye.

Bye!

Keep it up!

God, he’s a giant.

I know.

Happy Halloween.

Thanks.

Hey.

Hey.

Why’d you follow me after court on Friday?

I picked your tail up, like, halfway out of the parking lot.

I mean, green Toyota 4Runner, right?

Uh, yeah, well, you’re…

you’re not allowed to investigate the case

outside the jury room.

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

But… I mean, somebody’s got to.

Don’t you want to know what really happened?

Yeah. Of course.

Look, I, uh…

I did some digging.

This is every registered car in the county

that was in for body work

between October 26th and the end of last year.

You’re still about the hit-and-run? Come on, it’s…

Yeah, because that’s a really good theory.

Now, the automakers keep a detailed list

of these repairs strictly for R and D purposes.

They collect it from the dealers pro forma

and then pay the mom-and-pop shops under the table.

My partner and I recovered more cars

than an impound this way.

Right. But there must be hundreds of cars in there.

Yeah, so process of elimination,

which is what I spent my whole weekend doing.

I mean, anything there’s already a police report for,

crossed off the list.

Mmm.

And there’s only going to be a very specific kind of damage

with this kind of hit-and-run.

So a headlight, grille, hood.

Yeah.

I narrowed it down to 15 vehicles

that match that description on this list,

one of which, by the way,

a ’96 Toyota 4Runner, Forest Green.

I mean, that’s the exact same car as yours, right?

I mean, if that is your car,

we can just cross it off the list.

Right. Yeah. So what’s the plan?

Well, if you don’t mind helping,

there’s only so many hours in the day,

and we got to spend most of them here.

So you want to help me with the legwork,

and see if we can find our guy.

Yeah. Okay. You know, you’re reaching, but…

Look, I… It’s a hit-and-run, kid.

I feel it in my bones.

Dollars to doughnuts, our guy is on this list.

[bailiff] Oh, good morning. Party time, y’all, let’s go.

Fellas, wrap it up.

Thanks.

[bailiff] Let’s go.

God damn it!

[grunts] Hmm.

Everything all right over here?

[Justin] Mmm?

[bailiff] Y’all working my nerve today.

What is all this?

Just… You two, wait for me.

Read instruction 0.01 for me, please.

Uh…

“To maintain the integrity of the jury system,

I remind you that you must decide this case

based only on the evidence admitted during the trial

and the law I will explain to you.

You may not conduct any research

on your own about this case

or about any people or places mentioned during the trial.”

Sounds to me like you two violated

every sentence of that paragraph.

Your Honor, I move for a mistrial.

He’s a former cop.

Who knows what ideas he put in the jury’s heads.

Failure to elicit his previous employment

during voir dire is on you, Mr. Resnick.

[Eric] It’s misconduct.

Kick him off, Judge. There’s no need to start over.

Our resources are already stretched so thin.

She’s right. Motion denied.

Your Honor. You know…

As for you two…

You violated your oath as jurors.

Your Honor…

if I may. I, uh…

I upheld the oath I took as a police officer

to never betray my character,

my integrity, or the public trust.

Mr. Chicowski, [sighs]

you are hereby removed from Jury Service.

On account of your background,

I’m going to make an exception

and not find you in contempt of court.

Thank you, Your Honor.

So Mr. Kemp,

you are not a retired law enforcement officer, are you?

No. No, Your Honor.

So how do you explain

your involvement in this transgression?

I obtained those documents on my own, Your Honor.

He didn’t have anything to do with it.

Is that true?

Mmm.

I mean, did you look at these documents

or help to procure them

or know what Mr. Chicowski was intending to do?

No, Your Honor. I did not look at them

and I didn’t help.

So do you think that you can disregard

everything that you heard just now

and remain an unbiased member of this panel?

Yes, I can.

I’m going to take you at your word.

Bailiff, please escort Mr. Kemp back to the juror room.

Mr. Chicowski, you are dismissed.

Your Honor, I would ask that a copy of these documents

be made part of the court’s records

for purposes of appeal.

And again, I move for a mistrial.

The documents will be marked as court’s Exhibit One.

Your motion for a mistrial is denied, Mr. Resnick.

Is that understood?

Yes, Your Honor. It’s understood.

Good. Then we are done here.

You got to be kidding me.

What?

“Our resources are stretched so thin”?

You are something.

Okay.

[sighs]

Counselor.

Hey, it’s okay. I’m not on the jury anymore.

You don’t have to…

Yeah.

Yeah, made sure of that.

[sighs]

Feeling the pressure, huh?

In this job? Nah.

[both chuckle]

Yeah. Okay.

Hey, I’m… Sorry, but I just…

I can’t not say this. You…

[sighs] You got this case all wrong.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

It’s a hit-and-run.

No way. ME would have flagged it.

Well, yeah, you’d think.

That guy did five autopsies that day.

One day. I checked.

Doesn’t mean anything.

Let me just ask you one thing.

Did you guys ever look at any other suspect?

We did our job.

All due respect, Counselor, if you’d have done your job,

I don’t think we’d be standing here right now.

Well, that guy is bad news.

Maybe.

But he didn’t kill that girl.

[pensive music playing]

[bailiff] All right. So with that being said,

Judge Stewart thanks you for your patience

and apologizes for any inconvenience.

Juror number 13 is now a voting member of this panel.

Okay.

I’ll let you guys get back to it.

So what happened?

What was this misconduct?

Uh, that’s between him and the judge.

Bullshit. You were there.

What did Harold do?

He was investigating the case on his own.

The judge sent him home.

What about that stack of papers?

What papers?

The ones Harold gave to him.

You dropped them all over the floor. We all saw it.

The bailiff was on us before I looked at the papers, so…

You were talking for quite a while.

Did he tell you what was in them?

Okay, yes, he did. It…

It was a printout. Names, vehicle registrations…

He said that it could prove

James Sythe’s innocence.

[all murmuring]

So what?

Are we just supposed to believe you now

and change our vote?

No, I’m just telling you what I know.

He thinks it was a hit-and-run.

So if he thinks it was a hit-and-run…

Kendall was 5’5″.

If she was hunched over,

and the car was an SUV or a truck,

she could have easily have been hit

smack across the head and torso.

Look at the way her shoulders are fractured.

Well, I’m sorry, but are you a doctor?

Not yet. Third-year med student.

I… I mean,

I think we should leave that to the professionals,

the medical examiner who, you know, examined the body.

Well, I mean, doctors can be careless.

One time they told my dad he was having a heart attack.

Turned out it was just gas.

[chuckles] They’re always in such a rush.

Go ahead, dear. Speak your mind.

The right and left clavicle both show a very clean break.

Can you pass this around?

She couldn’t get that from the fall?

It’s not likely.

Both bones had to be broken by a single,

sharp, posterior impact.

Pow.

Do we know if Sythe’s car had any damage?

No. The police would have noted it

in their report if it did.

Not if they thought it was irrelevant.

[scoffs] Cops hate paperwork.

So you’re some kind of secret cop now, too?

[laughs] No. I’m a dog groomer,

but I watch and listen to a lot of true crime,

and the first rule is the husband did it.

Okay, well,

husband, boyfriend. Same difference.

You agree that he’s guilty, right?

He is the perfect suspect.

[King] All right. Thank you.

But the second rule of true crime

is that it’s never the perfect suspect.

Oh, my God.

I’m just sharing with you my experiences.

Your experiences? Listening to crime podcasts.

Well, hold on. And watching Dateline.

Okay. Well, that doesn’t make you Sherlock Holmes.

Oh, thank you. [laughs]

No, you burn through enough cases,

and you start to see certain patterns.

But I leave the detective work to the forum lawyers.

Okay, good. Good.

Because we’re not here to solve a mystery, okay?

All we’re here to do is decide if we’re positive

James Sythe killed Kendall Carter. That’s it.

[woman 2] May I?

Oh.

[med student] I’m not.

Old Quarry Road feeds into the highway.

When traffic’s heavy, GPS will send you that way.

It gets busy.

Yeah, and at night, I mean, it’s gnarly.

I nearly mowed down a deer once.

[man] What if that’s what they thought?

[Aldworth] Who thought?

Whoever hit Kendall Carter.

Yeah, man. I mean, that all makes sense,

but, you know, what about our eyewitness?

Maybe he saw someone else?

Okay, hold up. Wait a minute.

Y’all got way too many “maybes” for my liking.

Yeah, and too many maybes is reasonable doubt.

[man] I agree with Justin.

Yeah.

Okay. Keiko?

Nellie?

I’m not sure any more that this young man is guilty.

Right. Okay. Anyone else?

Not guilty.

Okay.

[suspenseful music playing]

[sighs softly]

[man grunting]

I fell asleep on Highway 17 and woke up in a ditch.

Thank God the hospital was close.

Hmm. Okay.

Thank you for your time.

[man] Yep.

Yeah, we were street racing down Greek Row.

It was dumb. I know.

[chuckles softly]

[sighs]

Guilty.

Guilty.

Not guilty.

Not guilty.

Guilty.

All right. It looks like we’re six to six.

We’re deadlocked.

Okay, so what do we do now?

Feels like the more we talk, the less we know.

I’m so tired.

You’re so stoned, dear.

[mouthing]

Let’s go back to the beginning.

Build a case piece by piece.

No, no. Let’s stop wasting our damn time.

How about we all just take a breath. It’s…

It’s been a long day, but, you know, votes…

votes have changed, right?

The process is working.

[woman] No, it’s not. You are wearing us down.

Talking a lot, but saying nothing.

I mean, hell, you go over anything enough times,

yeah, we’ll start to question it.

Yeah. Like which shoes to wear.

Yeah. Look… [sighs]

We got all these theories, y’all, but no new evidence.

Well, yeah, but those theories are making

some of us question James Sythe’s guilt.

No. No, no. You can question it all you want,

but I know he’s guilty.

Just look at his damn neck.

Hey, my man. I know you got a picture of him

in that book of yours.

I mean, yeah, but it’s not perfect, but…

Yes. See? Right there.

Snake and a crown.

That’s the West Side Crowns.

They’re the biggest drug pushers in the city.

How do you know that?

Because I run the Boys and Girls Club.

These guys are poisoning their own community.

This case is personal to you.

Yeah, well, you’re damn right it is.

My little brother was 14

when he got inked.

A month before his 17th birthday, he was dead.

Caught a stray bullet in some…

tit-for-tat turf bullshit.

I’m sorry. I had no idea.

Yeah, that’s right. You have no idea.

Look, Sythe did say that he left that life behind.

There’s only one way to leave that crew.

So…

You can keep talking about your theories.

Look, people can change.

[King] Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.

I… I do. Every day.

Well, I drive a bus,

and I see the same people day in and day out,

and they do not change.

Well, then how am I sitting here?

What are you talking about?

I should be dead.

I should…

A little over four years ago,

I wrapped my car around a tree

with a blood alcohol level that,

you know, probably should have killed me

before I even got in the car

and somehow… [clears throat]

walked away with barely a scratch.

[King] Mmm. Lucky you.

[Justin] Yeah. Yeah, part of my sentence

was community service.

I spent three days a week in an elementary school

teaching kids how to write.

Uh… Alcoholics, we can charm anybody.

But the teacher I was reporting to,

I mean, she was Teflon.

She saw right through me.

And she…

She made me finally want to, you know, own my shit

and just take responsibility for myself.

I’m… [clears throat]

I’m still not sure what I did

to get a woman like her to give me a chance.

But her belief and believing in myself,

that I could change, that was…

That was, you know, the first step.

And…

Look, the, uh…

the journey never ends, I know that…

But…

that’s…

that’s four years.

And am I the same man that I was four years ago? No.

Absolutely not.

Yeah, well…

Now I can see… [chuckles]

You changed.

But guys like James Sythe,

they don’t change.

Okay. Think back to his testimony.

That was raw and real, and I believed it.

Wait, hold on, gang.

If Sythe didn’t do it, then who did?

We don’t have to answer that.

So no one’s going to pay for what happened to that girl?

No, someone will pay.

How do you know that?

Because somebody always does. Look…

Look, I get how you feel,

but you can’t let your feelings sway you.

You don’t know anything about me, man.

All right.

How… how old’s your daughter?

That’s her on the key chain, right?

Yeah. She, um…

She turned 16 in March.

How often do you get to see her?

Not often enough.

You know, during the trial, I was sat

right in Kendall’s parents’ eyeline.

I could see…

I mean, their pain each day.

And, you know, what if she were your daughter?

[stammers]

You want justice, right? An eye for an eye.

Right. Yeah.

But then James Sythe’s family was in court each day, too.

You know, his grandma and his niece.

Uh…

What if he were your son, right?

Wouldn’t you want justice for him, too?

Yeah. Yeah, I suppose, I would.

[Robinson sighs]

[suspenseful music playing]

[engine roars]

[sighs]

So how can I help you?

Well, I just want to have a little chat

about what happened here.

Just have a little one on one.

Maybe I could get some more information

if something came to you new, you know?

Well, like I said at the trial, the police come by.

Showed me a picture,

asked me if he was the man I saw that night.

Mmm. They show you any other pictures?

Oh, no. They knew it was him.

They… They just needed me to confirm it.

Right.

I was happy to do so.

I mean, everyone was so generous.

And if I could say so, it felt pretty good

to be needed again.

Mmm.

I’m sure it did.

All right. Well, if there’s anything else I can do for you,

just give a holler. Tea is always hot.

[chuckles] Okay. Thank you so much.

Thanks for your time, sir.

Uh, James Sythe…

He did kill that girl, right?

[exhales]

Okay, so does anybody else want to change their vote?

[chuckles]

Uh, well…

It doesn’t matter anyway.

[Aldworth] What do you mean?

Because I haven’t changed my mind.

All right, well, let’s just keep talking.

No, no, I’m done talking.

Marcus.

So what? You’re gonna tell the judge, we…

we can’t reach a verdict?

[woman] It is what it is.

But we’re actually making progress.

[scoffs] Progress?

Yeah.

How can we continue if we can’t even reach a verdict?

We’ve been at this for I don’t even know how long.

My kids need me.

I’m just trying to do my job here.

Okay? Um…

Courtney, what about you? Do you want to keep going?

I don’t know. Look, he yelled at her.

He grabbed her arm. He called her a bitch.

He was possessive and temperamental.

No, he was abusive. Screw him.

Yeah. You’re right.

Screw him.

Great. [chuckles] For the third time,

I get to go home and tell my husband,

“Guess what, honey?

[laughs] I did nothing.”

He gets a real kick out of that.

I’m sorry, Denice. I’m not changing my vote.

Neither am I.

Yeah. Me, too.

[man] So what do we do then?

Um…

there’s one thing we could try.

[sighs] Madam Foreperson.

Sending a jury to visit a crime scene

once deliberations have begun

is not something I would typically allow.

With all due respect, Your Honor,

this has not been a typical deliberation.

But I do think it will be beneficial

in helping us reach a verdict.

I see.

Mr. Resnick. Any objections?

No, Your Honor.

Okay, Miss Killebrew?

The State’s fine with it.

All right, then.

Here are the rules.

During your visit, you are not to speak

to anyone outside of your jury panel,

nor are you to speak to each other about this case.

All right, you are there to view the locations

in and around where the crime took place.

And you are not to collect evidence of any kind.

Does everyone understand these rules?

Yes, ma’am.

[jurors] Yes, Your Honor.

All right, then.

This court is adjourned.

Hey. Hey. Can… Can we talk?

Yeah, great. Great. I’ll see you there. Thanks.

[knock at door]

[knocks at door]

Hello?

Oh, hey, are you Allison Crewson?

Yes, I am. Yeah. Who are you?

I’m, um… I’m Faith Killebrew.

I’m a prosecutor with the District Attorney’s office.

Do you mind if we talk?

I was just about to lay down, but what is this about?

It’ll only be a minute.

Okay. Come in.

Okay. Thank you.

Uh, I’m sorry for the intrusion.

I won’t be long.

I’m following up on a…

on a few different accidents from October last year,

just doing routine checks on any cars

that were serviced for major body damage around that time.

Okay.

So on October 25th last year,

did you own a 1996 green Toyota 4Runner?

Yes.

Mmm-hmm. And do you remember having any body work

done on it around that time?

Yeah.

Okay. And how was your car damaged?

My husband, Justin, hit a deer.

Okay. Any idea where?

Up on Brimstone Pass.

You sure?

[laughs] Yeah.

Could it have been Old Quarry Road? Or…

No, it was Brimstone Pass.

You’re positive.

Positive.

Okay. Great. Well, that’s all I have.

Thank you very much for your time, Mrs. Crewson.

And, uh, congratulations. When are you due?

Uh…

Yeah, any day now.

[laughs] Well, good luck with that.

You want me to do anything before I go?

No, no. No.

Okay. Well, I’ll just see myself out.

No. I’ll get you…

No, you stay there.

Okay, all right.

No, it’s good. [laughs]

Have a good one.

Thank you. Thanks for your time.

Bye.

Bye, now.

[door closes]

[tense music playing]

[bell ringing]

Hey. Sorry I couldn’t meet you earlier.

No worries.

What’s on your mind?

The trial.

Well, yeah, I figured.

It’s headed for a hung jury.

[man] Justin!

Thanks.

Enjoy.

I got you a coffee.

Thanks.

Obviously, I want to acquit the guy,

but if the jury hangs, it’s a mistrial, right?

That’s right.

So problem solved.

Well, given all the press on this case,

the public’s going to demand a retrial.

We’re just gonna have to do it all over again with Sythe.

Unless the District Attorney’s office decides

that he’s not the guy, then they’ll find the guy.

And there’s no way that this case ends without a verdict.

Once they get that, then, yeah, it’s over. Then it’s done.

So you’re saying I need a verdict?

I’m afraid so.

[sighs]

Hey, can you meet me at County?

[Allison] Hey.

Hey. Everything okay?

Just checking the car. Might have a buyer.

Where’d you hit that deer again?

Up on Brimstone Pass, right?

Mmm.

Are you sure that it wasn’t Old Quarry Road?

I’m positive.

That’s…

Just that’s ex…

“Positive,” that’s what I said to the…

prosecutor from your trial

when she just interrogated me in our living room.

What? She was here.

Yeah.

I looked her up. She wanted to know about your accident.

That…

What’d you tell her?

The truth.

That you hit a deer

up on Brimstone Pass.

Okay. Good.

That is the truth, right?

Did you take the shortcut…

home through Old Quarry that night?

Did you stop at Rowdy’s Hideaway?

[Allison sighs]

Did you drink?

[sighs softly]

Did you?

Justin. Did you drink?

Talk to me.

No, no, I didn’t drink.

I didn’t drink. Okay? I…

I stopped and I [stammering]…

I ordered the drink, but I didn’t touch it.

Ordered, but didn’t drink. Why would I believe that?

Because that’s the truth. I promise. I swear.

You swear?

Why should I believe that? Why should I believe anything

that you’re saying anymore?

I promise. I swear to you.

I swear to you.

You swear to me?

I swear.

Don’t lie to me.

I’m not lying. I promise.

I promise. That is the truth.

Okay?

Look, it…

It…

It was the twins’ due date and I couldn’t deal

with the feelings that I was having.

I couldn’t deal with them,

so I didn’t want to bring them home and put them on you.

So I went there.

I sat there for a while, and then I…

and then I came home.

[voice shaking] Why didn’t you tell me any of this?

Why did you keep this from me?

I wanted… I wanted to.

You could’ve talked to me.

But you were in so much pain.

Of course I was in pain.

I kept thinking that I was somehow responsible,

that it was my fault, that it’s still my…

No. No. It was not your fault.

They were my babies.

It’s not… It’s not…

They were our babies.

I know.

None… None… None of this is your fault, okay?

We were both hurting. It still hurts.

I’m still hurting.

Me, too.

Yeah. Yeah.

[sighs]

I’m not doing this alone.

No, you’re not. You’re not.

You are not.

I will protect our family. I will.

I promise. Okay?

Hey, come here. Come here.

[sighs]

What the hell is going on?

Ugh, I need to see him.

Why?

I need him to look me in the eye

and tell me he didn’t do it.

So you’re having doubts?

I’m right. You’re doubting it?

I… I don’t know.

What do you mean you don’t know?

Come on. You know something isn’t right here.

The jury knows it. It’s just…

Can you prove that’s what happened?

Can you prove it didn’t? Can you?

[Faith] I don’t know. Just get me in there.

[door buzzes]

[door slams]

What are you doing here?

Have a seat.

I shouldn’t be talking to you.

It’s okay.

What do you want?

Same thing as you.

Justice for Kendall Carter.

So go find the son of a bitch who did it.

Look, there’s no jury,

no judge, no cameras. So just…

tell me what happened that night.

I told you. I went home.

Right, but first, you…

you followed her, right?

Yeah. I mean, she was wasted.

Oh, no. So you felt angry

and, I don’t know, sick of being played?

No, no, that wasn’t it. Okay?

It’s just how Kenny was.

She’d get all worked up, you know, talk this big game,

and the next day, it’d be like nothing happened.

So she just needed to chill out.

Right.

Yes, okay, I…

I know our relationship wasn’t perfect.

But we did love each other.

Now, listen, lady…

I’ve done a lot of things in my life

that I’m not proud of.

But I didn’t do this.

The biggest regret…

of my life…

is that I didn’t go after Kendall

in my car that night.

Because if I did…

Kenny would still be alive.

I’m done.

[bangs door]

[door closes]

[bailiff] All right, everybody, on the bus. Let’s go.

[laughing]

[Courtney laughs]

[snoring]

Ah. Look, but don’t touch.

Put it back.

[country music playing on speakers]

[bailiff] Okay, y’all. You ready to go?

[music fades]

[tense music playing]

So this is where they fought.

Hey, you all right?

Yeah. I’m fine, thanks.

Nah, man.

You haven’t been fine since the start.

I think you’ve been playing us this whole time.

I don’t know what you mean.

The day you got on the jury, you were…

puking in the bathroom.

All that stuff with the Flower Man cop and those papers.

You claim to be the voice of reason,

but you’re really just…

telling us what we want to hear.

[clinks]

Now, I don’t know what game you’re playing, man,

but I see you.

Do I know exactly what happened that night?

No.

But neither do you.

And you can’t be any more sure

that James Sythe got in his car

and drove home that night than I’m sure he…

picked up one of these rocks

and bashed that poor girl’s head in.

And threw her body in the creek.

Jesus, man.

You nearly slipped.

Yeah. [clears throat]

Maybe that hiker was right.

Could have slipped.

Yeah, maybe. Maybe.

But it doesn’t matter.

That piece of shit left her there that night…

alone, to die.

In a ditch.

Her death is on him.

Which is why I will never acquit James Sythe.

Ever.

This trial ends in only two ways,

either with a conviction or a hung jury.

[Denice claps] All right.

Is everybody ready to head home?

Is everybody done here, please?

[Marcus] Yeah.

Okay, let’s go.

[Denice] Have you seen enough?

Yeah.

[engines start]

[suspenseful music playing]

[engine starts]

[country music playing on speakers]

[sighs]

[banging]

All rise!

Madam Foreperson.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

Yes, Your Honor.

And is that verdict unanimous?

Yes, Your Honor.

Will the defendant please stand for the reading of the verdict?

“In the matter of the State of Georgia vs. James Michael Sythe,

case number C-R-20211715532,

we, the jury

find the defendant, James Michael Sythe

guilty of count one malice murder.

Signed and dated this day,

Denice Aldworth, Foreperson.”

[sighs]

Madam Foreperson?

To the best of your knowledge,

was this your verdict in the jury room?

Was it freely and voluntarily given?

And is this still your verdict?

[Denice] Yes, Your Honor.

[Judge Thelma] Very well.

Then the defendant is hereby remanded

to the custody of the State.

Sentencing will be at a later date.

[softly] Oh, James.

Thank you for your service.

It is now concluded.

This court is adjourned.

[sighs]

[groans softly]

[sirens blaring in distance]

[tense music playing]

[sighs]

Hey. Good. Right there.

Hey.

Hey.

What time does it start?

Soon. I’m going to head out.

You sure you want to go?

Hey! Justin.

He wasn’t a good guy.

It’s not your fault.

I didn’t stand up for him.

I told them what they needed to hear,

and said he couldn’t change.

And I have to live with that, so…

The least I can do is be there.

[door closes]

Hi, peanut.

This came for you.

Will the defendant please stand for sentencing?

The murder of Kendall Carter was violent and senseless.

The jury has found you guilty of that murder,

for which this court sentences you as follows.

Count one, malice murder.

Life in prison

without the possibility of parole.

The defendant is hereby remanded

to the Department of Corrections

to serve the rest of his life in prison.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Allison] My husband, Justin, hit a deer.

[Justin] My wife is of a high-risk pregnancy.

[Judge Thelma] This court is now adjourned.

Hey.

I’m surprised you came today.

I wanted to see this through.

Yeah. Me too.

You look tired.

Likewise.

Well, I have a new baby at home.

That’s not what I meant.

Congratulations on winning your election.

I saw it in the paper.

Oh, yeah. Thank you.

It’s a pretty big deal. You must have worked hard for it.

Oh, I did.

There’s a lot of good you can do in that job, I’d imagine.

Sometimes.

It’s not as easy as you think, though.

Never is.

Mmm. Sometimes you try and do the right thing

only to realize you got it all wrong.

And when you figure things out,

you realize the guy you’re after isn’t some…

psycho.

He’s not even really a criminal.

He’s just a regular guy.

What if it was an accident?

This is no accident.

It’s impossible to prove, either way.

Just like him not realizing at the time

that he hit someone with his car. It’s…

You just have to trust him.

Why would I do that?

Because he’s a good person.

He was caught in terrible circumstances.

Mmm-hmm. No, you’re right. This is a…

[chuckles] It’s a tough one.

He has a family depending on him,

just like you have people depending on you.

And what about justice?

Well, sometimes…

the truth isn’t justice.

[scoffs] You really believe that?

If you keep going with this,

the press will eat you alive.

Okay? This case will follow you forever.

In the meantime,

some politician will take your job,

a criminal goes back on the street,

and a good man and his family will be…

just destroyed.

Where is the justice in that?

[melancholy music playing]

Amen.

Looks like the storm passed.

Yeah. I think so.

[engine starts]

[Eric] Hello? Where’s our new DA?

Hey.

Hey.

For the new digs.

Oh. [chuckles]

Thanks.

Yeah. It’s real.

Easy plant to take care of.

It really thrives on neglect.

[chuckles]

You did it.

[sighs]

I hope it was worth it.

[knocks on table]

Ale House later.

You’re buying.

Kung fu!

Hi.

And the 4Runner is officially sold.

Okay.

[sighs]

Come here.

[baby cooing]

[both gasp]

Hi.

Oh.

Good morning. Dada.

[Justin and Allison] Yeah.

There she goes.

Come here. Here we go.

Yeah. Yeah. You’re doing good. Hi.

[sighs] It sucks. I think she has my eyes.

Really?

Yeah.

No.

Yeah.

You have beautiful eyes.

Well…

Look, I think, maybe mine.

They’re changing a little bit.

[baby cooing]

Yeah, hi.

She has my mouth.

I hope not.

[both laugh]

Definitely your elbows, though.

My elb… [laughs]

My elbow. [gasps]

Look at your beautiful elbows. You’re blessed.

[laughs]

My greatest feature.

Hi.

My girls.

My girls with beautiful elbows. Yeah.

[knock at door]

Oh.

Oh.

Who could that be at a time like this?

Hey, peanut.

There we go.

Hi, honey.

Okay.

[somber music playing]