The Lincoln Lawyer
Based on: The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
Season 4 – Episode 7
Episode title: Honor Among Thieves
Original release date: February 5, 2026 (Netflix)
Plot: Still mourning Siegel, Mickey is visited by his mother, who he asks to take Hayley to Mexico for the duration of the trial. Cisco reveals to the team that he planted a tracker in Gazarian’s girlfriend’s car before being assaulted, though Lorna remains upset. Mickey and Maggie discuss exposing Gazarian as having killed Sam. Three weeks later, the trial begins. In jail, Mickey meets Carter Gates, a man charged with murder who claims to be innocent, and refers him to Lorna, who agrees to take his case and talk to a witness. The next day, in court, Berg accuses Mickey of withholding evidence of Sam’s alias, but Judge Stone does not sanction him. Cisco leaves to follow Gazarian, using Lorna’s car. After opening statements, they question the arresting officer, introducing the incriminating video, but the officer claims to have been having an affair and gotten rid of the burner phone he used to communicate with his mistress. Lorna and Izzy question the witness in Gates’ case, who is convinced the man is guilty. Lorna and Cisco get into an argument over his continued following of Gazarian. That night, in jail, a riot occurs, and Mickey is thrown into solitary.
* * *
Transcript
Note for Students & Writers: This transcript is archived here for educational purposes, critical analysis, and screenwriting study. All rights belong to the original creators.
[buzzer sounds] [lock clicks]
[door slams open]
[guard] Get up. You have a visitor.
[distant, indistinct shouting]
[sighs]
[buzzer sounds] [lock clicks]
[quiet, poignant music playing]
Hey, kid.
Legal, what… what are you doing here?
[Legal] Came to see you.
But…
[Legal] Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. One too many pastrami sandwiches. The hard living finally caught up with me. Don’t look so sour. It’s depressing.
[sighs] I couldn’t even go to your funeral.
[Legal] Trust me, you didn’t miss much. At least the catering was good. For once, my kids didn’t skimp.
[Mickey chuckles]
So what do you got?
Nothing. I’m… I’m lost, Legal. I… can’t see the play on this one.
Your client, Sam Scales. He was a con man, right?
Well, he would call himself a con artist.
A guy like that can’t help himself, kid. There’s no honor among thieves.
[Mickey sighs sadly, sniffles]
What am I gonna do without you, Legal?
[Legal] Same thing you did with me.
Figure it out.
There’s an old Chinese proverb.
“A wise parent gives their children roots and wings.”
[Mickey chuckles softly, sniffles]
Chinese proverb?
What? I saw it in a fortune cookie at Yang Chow.
We gave you the roots.
Your father and me both.
Now you gotta spread your wings, kid.
Don’t worry so much.
I’m right here.
Always.
[guard] Haller.
Haller.
Get up.
You have a visitor.
[Mickey sighs]
[indistinct chatter]
[buzzer sounds] [lock clicks]
[in Spanish] Hi, Mom.
Thank you for coming.
Of course.
How are you handling all of this?
I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me.
Everyone missed you at the funeral.
It was very nice.
Although, David’s kids didn’t seem as heartbroken as I expected, but they were always spoiled brats.
Mom, I need to talk to you about Hayley.
She was at the funeral with her mother who was cold, as always.
I can’t believe my granddaughter is going through all this without me around to help her.
That’s why I want to talk to you.
I need you to take Hayley to Mexico.
Are you sure?
Unfortunately, yes.
My situation is causing trouble for her. It’s not fair.
Plus, the prosecutor is gonna say terrible things about me.
I don’t want her to hear them.
[Elena] Well, I’m not happy about why, but it’s about time that girl got a taste of her roots.
And she can help me plan my wedding.
I’m sure she’ll love that.
[Elena chuckles softly]
Leave it to Mamí.
I’ll take care of her while you take care of yourself.
Eat something. You’re too skinny.
[Mickey chuckles]
I love you.
I still can’t believe Mickey missed Legal’s funeral.
Well, look at it this way.
What do you think Legal would have told him to do?
Looks worse than it is.
[Lorna scoffs] Ha!
Well, the good news is that before they jumped me, I managed to place a tracking device in Jeanine Ferrigno’s car.
That way, if they go anywhere, we’ll know about it.
Did you go to the emergency room? No, he did not.
[bell dings] [doors open]
[quirky music playing]
Cisco!
Excuse me. Just a sec.
[music softens]
[Cisco sighs]
[music fades]
Don’t move.
What is that?
Why does it smell so awful?
It’s arnica gel.
Helps with the bruising.
I keep a tube of it here because all the men at Haller and Associates seem to constantly be getting punched in the face.
Ow. [sternly] Oh, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?
Maybe next time, don’t be such an idiot.
What if Gazarian’s guys try to finish the job?
Why would they risk that?
Because they are psychotic gangsters working for an even more psychotic gangster.
There’s so much going on with Mickey in jail.
I can’t be worrying my husband’s gonna end up in the morgue or in someone’s trunk.
Babe.
I promise that is not gonna happen.
Now I can keep tabs on them from a safe distance with the tracker.
Lorna.
I am taking this seriously.
[tense music playing]
[Mickey] Let’s talk about Gazarian.
[Maggie] If we’re lucky, we can establish that he was a secret owner of Biogreen, and we can say that Sam was working at Biogreen too.
But where does that get us?
[Mickey] That’s where the FBI comes in.
They were looking for Sam. They picked him up in Los Alamitos.
They didn’t bring charges against him. Exactly. Why not?
Because Sam isn’t who they were after. They wanted Gazarian.
Bingo, and they used Sam to get to him.
You think Gazarian had Sam killed because he found out Sam was informing on him to the FBI?
Well, it makes sense. Doesn’t it?
So setting you up was what, payback?
Gazarian hates me because of what happened in court.
He saw an opportunity, and he took it.
Now we gotta put him on the stand again, but we gotta be careful about it.
If we move too soon, we’ll lose him.
Cisco’s on it. He put a tracker on Gazarian’s girlfriend’s car.
But… [sighs]
[Mickey] What?
I don’t like this. You didn’t see what they did to Cisco.
This guy is dangerous.
[Mickey] Tell me something I don’t know.
It might work to our advantage this time though.
Let him think he scared us off, then serve him when he’s not expecting it.
Cisco will know what to do.
Saying that Gazarian killed Sam is a good theory, but we need the jury to believe it. We need evidence.
We’ll find some.
Unfortunately, I can’t help with that right now.
Don’t worry. We’ll all be on it.
Oh, before I forget, um, my mom agreed to take Hayley.
Good. Maybe she can have some fun away from all of this.
I’ll tell Hayley at dinner, and tomorrow, I’m gonna get on to jury selection.
Thank you, Maggie, for everything.
[Maggie] Don’t thank me yet.
As I recall, jury selection is a particular specialty of Dana Berg’s.
Oh, I know.
Luckily, I still have a few tricks of my own.
Okay.
Adios, McFierce.
[door unlocks]
[funky music playing]
[woman] No. We’re just on our lunch break.
I’m heading back there in a minute. Wait, hold on a second.
Hi, can I have one of your cafe mochas with an extra shot?
Thanks. Oh, and I’m gonna have one of those cookies.
Don’t know what they’re doing. They wanna throw the ball, but don’t have the receivers.
The defense is okay, but they can’t stay off the field.
It’s a mess.
♪ Come on, don’t stop ♪
♪ Do your thing, hey… ♪
No, it’s a murder trial.
Yeah, I know.
Hopefully, they don’t pick me.
♪ You gotta do your thing… ♪
I’ll call you when I’m done.
♪ Do your thing ♪
♪ Uh! Do your thing, hey ♪
♪ Come on, don’t stop ♪
♪ Do your thing ♪
♪ Don’t give up ♪
♪ Do your ♪ ♪ Do your thing ♪
♪ Do your thing ♪
♪ Do your thing ♪
[phone vibrates]
I’m gonna stretch my legs before we start up again, okay?
Yeah.
[quiet, intriguing music playing]
[Mickey clears throat] Blue is bad, right?
Yeah. Blue is cold. Red is hot.
Most people would think the opposite. That’s the point.
To fool nosy prosecutors who try to cheat and look at my notes like Golantz.
You’re telling me Jeff Golantz looked at your juror notes?
Yeah. When?
The Trevor Elliott case, but it backfired.
He thought blue was good and red was bad, like you said.
I find that very hard to believe.
Yeah, of course you do. You think everyone on your side has a halo.
[sighs] Sixty-eight is a retired school teacher.
She didn’t raise any red flags for me. Why do you think she’s a problem?
I don’t know. I… She’s just giving me a bad vibe.
Think she might be pro-law enforcement.
She might not buy that a cop tried to frame me.
We only have one peremptory left.
I’d be more inclined to use this guy, number 19, an accountant on the west side, as Dana’s juror.
Normally, I would agree with you, but… I don’t know.
I just have a hunch about 68.
This hunch doesn’t have anything to do with the text you got?
What text?
Really? Uh-huh.
Whatever you’re up to, it’s not gonna work.
Why not?
Because Berg and Golantz are tight.
He was her second chair for years. They play pickleball together.
If he knows your color scheme, she does too.
I’ll be right back.
[suspenseful music playing]
Both sides have one last peremptory challenge. Ms. Berg?
The people would like to thank and excuse juror 68.
[Stone] Sixty-eight, you are excused. The court thanks you.
See, if she knows blue is bad, and she stole a look at your note, she wouldn’t have kicked 68.
Yeah, well, that’s why I switched it to red.
I got the deputy to take me to the men’s room to make sure she had a chance to look.
Did you pull a Princess Bride?
Hayley’s favorite movie.
“Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.”
[Mickey chuckles]
I do all right.
The defense would like to thank and excuse juror 19, Your Honor.
[Stone] Very well. Juror 19, you are excused.
Thank you for your service.
Thanks.
[opening theme music playing]
[music fades]
[buzzer sounds]
[quiet chattering]
What’s up, man? Mm-hmm.
You know you got about 12 hungry dudes waiting to see you, right?
[Mickey sighs]
Office hours are closed, Bamba.
Like, for today or for good?
For the foreseeable future.
I gotta focus on my own case.
You’re gonna break some hearts, man. Can’t be helped.
And Bamba, just stay close by. All right?
Yeah, for sure. I got you, man. At least until they ship me upstate.
Oh.
Man, you know, I never thanked you for hooking me up with a job. You know?
Wish you could have stuck around, even if you did hate my music.
Well, trust me, I’d rather be listening to that music than stuck in here, man.
You hitting up that meeting later? I’ll go with you.
You’re in the program?
Nah, man. But going to those meetings get me out of my cell for a minute.
[Mickey chuckles]
[Bamba] I’ll wait here until you finish your work.
Think I saw an old Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Tyra Banks, y’all. You know it?
[jazzy pensive music playing]
[buzzer sounds] [lock clicks]
[keys jangling]
[indistinct shouting nearby]
[buzzer sounds]
[music continues]
[sighs softly]
[music ends]
I’m afraid that case book won’t do you much good.
It’s from 1995. It… it is?
Yeah. [sighs] Most of the books in here are.
Jails are in the business of keeping people in, not helping them get out.
[inmate] Hey.
You’re that lawyer, right?
Yeah.
I have a preliminary hearing coming up.
My lawyer wants me to take a plea.
But I didn’t do it.
Look, I’m really sorry, man, but I just can’t help anybody today.
All right?
Good luck.
[inmate sighs]
[sighs]
What’s the charge?
Murder.
They say I killed my business partner so I can get the whole business.
[Mickey] Financial gain.
That sounds familiar.
All right. [Lorna] Why don’t you tell me your story?
[inmate] I grew up in Crenshaw.
Uh, got into a little trouble when I was young. [sighs]
But it was nothing major.
But it was enough to get me a record.
I mean, eventually, I… I got my shit together.
I started saving my pennies.
I got a loan from the SBA.
Finally, I was able to open my own business.
And that was CG Liquors?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Those are my initials, Carter Gates.
The first store was in West Adams.
A few years later, I opened a second.
That’s when I took on a partner.
I knew this guy, Gary, my… my cousin’s friend.
He had some capital, and, uh…
He… he seemed like a good guy.
But after a couple of a years, I started noticing some money was missing.
I mean, the books weren’t adding up.
And I knew it had to be Gary.
So finally, I confronted him about it.
In the detective’s report, you admitted to arguing the morning he was killed.
No, we were just yelling at each other. [chuckles]
That’s all it was. I left the store, and the next thing I know, Gary was dead.
Those cops took one look at my record, and that was it.
All they wanted to do was arrest someone and be done with it.
I’m not gonna sugarcoat this.
Carter, it looks bad.
Real bad. They have an eyewitness.
[Carter] Please, I can pay you.
I… I was already paying that other lawyer.
I didn’t do this.
I’m not a killer, Ms. Crane.
Whatever else I… I might have done, I’m not that.
But if I take this plea, that’s it.
[somber music playing]
That is the rest of my life.
[Lorna sighs softly]
[poignant music playing]
Tell me about this eyewitness.
[Cisco] Rashad Harrison?
[Lorna] He’s the stock boy at CG Liquors.
He said he saw my client kill his business partner.
[Izzy] Is your client Carter Gates?
Oh, I’m on speaker. Hey, Izzy. Yes, that’s him.
Well, you just got his files.
[Lorna] Hopefully, there’s something in there we can use.
Carter said Rashad got a new job. Can you find him and talk to him?
Uh, it looks like he works at a weed dispensary in Culver City.
Babe, I’m currently sitting on Gazarian and his girlfriend in an Airbnb in Pasadena right now.
I can’t go all the way down to Culver City.
Right, but there’s a tracker in his car, so you don’t have to physically follow him, right?
In theory, yes, but… [Lorna] What does “in theory” mean?
[Cisco] If he leaves the state, we can’t subpoena him.
Can’t take that chance. Gotta stay close to him.
But we can call in outside help.
What about the Road Saints? What?
Bringing in the Road Saints isn’t gonna make this any less dangerous.
[sighs] Okay, Cisco, you obviously don’t want to listen to me.
That’s fine. Do whatever you want.
When it’s time to serve the subpoena, we’re gonna have Val do it.
That’s what we’re paying him for. Okay?
Cisco?
Okay.
Good. Hey, Izzy, if you drive me to Culver City tomorrow, I’ll buy you a burger at Father’s Office.
That would be a yes. Great. See you then.
Okay, babe. [phone line beeps]
[soft pensive music playing]
[Cisco breathes deeply]
Cisco, she’s just scared. That’s all.
She doesn’t know what she’d do if something happened to you.
Thing is… you’re not a lone wolf anymore.
Gotta remember that.
[music intensifies]
Hey.
[handcuffs clicking]
I got a call from Judge Stone’s clerk. Any idea what this is about?
Hypocrite.
Excuse me?
You accused me of withholding discovery, but it was the other way around.
What’s going on, Dana?
Maybe you should ask your ex-husband.
[bailiff] All rise.
The Honorable Judge Lionel Stone presiding.
Refereeing another discovery dispute was not on my bingo card today.
Ms. Berg, we were supposed to be starting your opening statement.
Would you care to explain why that has changed?
My apologies, Your Honor, but we received the defense’s amended witness list yesterday, and we saw a name was added.
Iris Dietrich.
My investigator spoke with her and learned that she was the victim’s landlady at his last known address.
An address that the prosecution was not previously aware of because the victim was living under an alias.
But it turns out that Mr. Haller was aware of this.
In fact, Ms. Dietrich told us that the defendant already visited the location.
Apparently, Mr. Haller went through Mr. Scales’ belongings and then told her she could “throw away his things or sell them at a yard sale.”
Mr. Haller has blatantly violated the rules of discovery, even going so far as to permit the destruction of evidence, not to mention what he may have taken for himself.
This is ridiculous.
Yes, we went to the address and examined what was there, but I took nothing.
I guarantee you, Ms. Dietrich told them. Ms. Berg just chose not to mention…
Judge! Not… I’m not finished!
Ms. Berg, you had your turn.
Now, as an officer of the court, I would never destroy evidence or take anything without sharing it with the prosecution.
The truth is, there was nothing there of any evidentiary value.
The address itself is of evidentiary value.
I asked the court for permission to go interview a witness, the victim’s former cellmate in Arizona.
Ms. Berg was fully aware of this.
The cellmate gave me the victim’s alias and address.
Which you failed to provide to us.
Your Honor, I ask the court that Mr. Haller be sanctioned for this egregious conduct.
[Mickey] What egregious conduct?
We are under no duty to turn over witness statements unless we’re calling the witness to trial, which we’re not.
You used the evidence that you got from the witness.
Which you could also have gotten if you were doing your job, Dana.
Okay, both of you.
Enough.
Your Honor, the People demand that this…
I’m sorry, the People demand?
Mr. Haller may not have bent over backwards to make things easy on the People, but he is not required to.
By the letter of the law, he did nothing wrong.
You knew about this witness and could have interviewed him at any point.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The spirit of the law is another matter, however, and, Mr. Haller, there you come up a bit short.
What you did was legal, but if you attempt to introduce any evidence gained from this witness, which was not disclosed in advance, the evidence will be suppressed, and we will discuss sanctions at that point.
Do I make myself clear?
Yes, Your Honor, absolutely.
Very well, then. Let’s bring in the jury and get this started.
[tense music playing]
You really didn’t find anything?
Nothing that I took with me.
Mags, I didn’t break a single rule here. All right? Besides, we won.
Did we?
He has you on notice.
One more misstep, and he can hang this over your head.
I did what I had to do.
This is not a fair fight, Maggie. It never is.
They have all the power, so you do whatever you can to even the playing field.
Welcome to my side.
[tense music continues]
[music fades]
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Deputy District Attorney Dana Berg.
I am here today for one reason.
Justice.
A man was murdered with callous disregard for the law or decency or morality by a person who had been entrusted as an officer of this very court.
A person who was supposed to uphold the rules, not break them.
The People intend to prove with certainty that Sam Scales was killed by his own attorney, Michael Haller.
“For what reason?” you may ask.
Well, among others, the simplest of all.
Money.
We will demonstrate that Mr. Scales and Mr. Haller were in a financial dispute for unpaid legal fees.
And the defendant, in all of his rage and his greed, decided that the best chance for him to recover that money was to kill Sam Scales and collect on his estate.
To that end, the evidence will show that Mr. Haller lured the victim to his home and then shot him point-blank in the trunk of his own car.
And then the defendant proceeded to drive with the victim’s body in his car to the desert, where he intended to bury it.
And he might have gotten away with all of this if it weren’t for the sharp eyes of a police officer who noticed a missing license plate and initiated a routine traffic stop.
Now, I won’t mince words.
Sam Scales was a criminal himself.
Con man.
Person who took advantage of others for his own gain.
But regardless of his crimes, he did not deserve to be murdered.
No one does.
Just as no one is above the law, especially not someone who has been sworn to defend it.
Mr. Haller may have thought that Sam Scales was an easy target.
Someone whose death would go unmourned and unnoticed.
He may have thought that all of his intricate knowledge of the justice system would enable him to get away with murder.
And he may have thought that even if he did get caught, he could use all of his years of trial experience to distract and deceive you.
But he was wrong.
He was wrong on all counts.
And once you are able to look at the clear facts in front of you, I’m confident you will deliver the only possible verdict.
Guilty.
Thank you.
[Stone] Thank you, Ms. Berg.
Let’s take a short recess.
[tense music playing]
[music fades]
I’m sorry we can’t stay.
We have to talk to the witness about the case you asked me to look into.
No, thanks for being here.
I’ll try and come back. Knock ’em dead.
[suspenseful music playing]
[music subsides]
Maggie thinks the prosecution could wrap up in four days.
That means we need to be ready to subpoena Gazarian in three. We’re all set?
Shouldn’t be a problem. They’re still…
Oh shit.
What?
They’re on the move.
Gotta go. All right. Stay on them.
My entire case is riding on this subpoena.
Yeah, I got this.
[music intensifies]
Is the defense ready for your opening statement?
[music fades]
You ready?
[Mickey exhales]
To quote a famous lawyer, “Watch this.”
Yes. Thank you, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, hello.
My name is Maggie McPherson, and I am cocounsel for the defense, along with Mr. Haller.
Now, you should know that I have given many opening statements in my career, but this one is a first for me.
My first on the defense side.
See, I’m normally a prosecutor.
Now, it’s not that I’ve made a big career change. Far from it.
I have dedicated my life to seeking justice, and that is exactly what I am doing here because this case is nothing short of an injustice.
So I’m gonna be brief in the interest of getting to the evidence in this case, or the lack thereof, because a trial is a search for truth, and you, the jury, are the truth seekers.
You must be unbiased and undaunted.
You must question everything.
Question the facts.
Question the evidence.
Question the prosecutor. Question me.
And if you do that, you will find the truth.
And the truth here is that the People have made a terrible mistake.
They have charged the wrong person with this crime, and we will show that.
We will show you that a man whose name the State won’t even mention, a man whom they would rather you not even know exists, is the man actually responsible for the death of Sam Scales.
This man, this man, is innocent.
[pensive music playing]
There’s not much more to say.
We don’t have to prove his innocence for you to return a “not guilty” verdict.
It’s the People who have to prove guilt.
You see, in our justice system, the defense doesn’t have to prove anything.
But I promise you we will.
Thank you.
[pensive music continues]
[indistinct whispering]
I knew I picked the right lawyer.
[funky music playing]
[horn beeps]
[grunts, sighs]
[puffs sharply]
[car starts]
[music fades]
[Lorna] Thanks for agreeing to meet us, Rashad.
We wanna know what you remember about the day of the shooting.
Like I told the other lawyer, I was in the stockroom when Carter came in.
Him and Gary got in this crazy fight.
I wasn’t trying to be involved, so I stayed in the back.
I thought they was finna throw down, but then Carter just left.
When did the shooting happen?
About 15 minutes later, Carter came in with black pantyhose on his face, holding a gun.
Then he fired a warning shot, yelling, “Give me all the fucking money!”
So he had pantyhose over his head, but you still knew it was Carter?
It was him.
[splutters] Same build, same size.
Plus, I heard his voice. I know Carter’s voice.
Were you still in the stockroom? No. I came out. I saw him.
When I saw the gun, I ducked back in there.
Then I heard the shot, so I hid behind some boxes.
But he only got one shot off before the gun jammed.
[Lorna] How do you know the gun jammed?
I grew up in South Central. I know what a gun jam sound like.
After, I heard two clicks, then Gary got a shot off.
He keep a gun behind the counter.
And then I guess the jam must have cleared because then I heard another shot from Carter’s gun.
Then everything went quiet.
He ran out. I called 911.
How long until they got there? [exhales] Don’t know, about ten minutes.
First person there was the community security guard.
He tried to give Gary CPR, but… it was too late.
What’s a community security guard?
We have one where my studio is too. All the businesses chip in for it.
It’s supposed to discourage crime.
Doesn’t seem to work.
All right, look, look.
I like Carter. All right? I ain’t never had a problem. Always been cool.
But I know what I saw, and I know what I heard.
[tense music playing]
[Lorna sighs]
[Dana] At what point did you decide to initiate a traffic stop, Officer Collins?
Uh, after we crossed Alameda Street.
That’s where the area becomes a little less densely populated.
And that’s important, why?
At that point, I still didn’t know what I was dealing with.
And in the event of trouble, it’s always best to be in an area where no innocent bystanders can get caught in the crossfire.
[Dana] Mmm. Understood.
So what happened at that point?
I put on my lights and siren. The defendant pulled over.
It’s all there on the dashboard video. [remote clicks]
I approached his vehicle, asked him for his license and registration.
[Dana] Did you notice anything suspicious?
Other than the missing license plate, of course.
Not at first, no.
I asked the defendant to exit his vehicle and showed him why I pulled him over.
He acted surprised and then, uh… impatient.
Impatient?
[Collins] Yeah, like he wanted to get out of there.
He insisted I write him a ticket and just send him on his way.
And were you about to do that? I was, yeah.
Until I saw the blood.
Marking People’s Exhibit 4, the officer’s body camera footage.
[remote clicks]
[Mickey] What?
[Collins] Is that blood?
So, Officer Collins, tell us about the blood.
[garage rock music playing]
♪ Be a man, can a mystery man ♪
♪ Be a doll, be a baby doll ♪
♪ It can’t be fun, not anyway ♪
♪ It can’t be found, no way at all ♪
♪ A distant man can’t sympathize ♪
♪ He can’t uphold his distant laws ♪
♪ Due to form on that today ♪
♪ I got a feeling then I hear this call ♪
♪ I said, neat, neat, neat ♪
♪ She can’t afford no cannon ♪ ♪ Neat, neat, neat ♪
♪ She can’t afford no gun at all ♪ ♪ Neat, neat, neat ♪
♪ She can’t afford no cannon ♪ ♪ Neat, neat, neat ♪
♪ She ain’t got no name to call ♪ ♪ Neat, neat, neat ♪
♪ She ain’t got no name to call ♪ ♪ Neat, neat, neat ♪
[song ends] The forensics team showed up.
I escorted the defendant to the station and, uh, booked him into custody.
Thank you, Officer. Nothing further, Your Honor.
[Stone] Very well. We’ll take a recess, then resume with cross-examination.
It’s 3:30. She used up most of the day. And the jury’s half-asleep now.
In the DA’s office, we call that a filibuster.
Oh, so you have your own tricks.
I’m only gonna get through some of our questions.
The rest, we’re gonna have to wait until next week, which means the jury’s going home with her story in their head.
Unless you flip the script.
She didn’t leave you enough time, so skip the preamble and get right to it.
[intriguing music playing] [sighs]
[Mickey] Good afternoon, Officer Collins. Good afternoon.
Can you please tell the jury who it was that told you to follow my car the night of the traffic stop?
Uh, no, I can’t, because that did not happen.
Are you telling this jury that you received no notice or instructions to pull me over, like a phone call or a text?
Objection. Asked and answered.
Sustained. [Mickey] I apologize, Your Honor.
I just wanna make sure the witness fully understands the question.
In fact…
I’d like to refer back to the dashboard and body camera videos the People showed from my arrest.
[remote clicks]
[Mickey] Now, Officer, you claim that you made the decision to follow my car because you noticed my missing rear license plate.
Is that correct?
Yes, that’s right.
[Mickey] Okay.
[remote clicks] Let’s watch, then.
Can you see the missing license plate on this frame, Officer?
Uh, no, it’s not visible yet.
Can you explain, then, why you shifted your car into drive before it was even possible to see the missing license plate?
[remote clicks] Uh…
It must have been just cop instinct, I guess.
[Mickey] Cop instinct?
Is that a class at the police academy, or…
[jurors chuckle] [Collins laughs]
No, no. I’ve been a police officer for over ten years, though, and sometimes we just get a feeling when something’s about to happen.
I see. Okay, let’s, uh… let’s go back a little further, then.
[remote clicks]
[remoted clicks] [buzzing on video]
Can you tell us what that buzzing sound was?
Sorry, buzzing sound?
Yes, the buzzing sound, just before I came out of the restaurant.
You… You heard it. Didn’t you?
Uh, yeah, yeah, I heard something, but, uh, hard to say what it was exactly.
Could have been anything.
Did it sound like maybe a phone receiving a text message?
Uh, objection. Calls for speculation.
[Stone] Sustained.
I’ll rephrase. What did that buzzing sound like to you?
[Collins] Uh, like I said, very difficult to say.
[Mickey] It’s still your sworn testimony that you received no texts or alerts of any kind directing you to pull me over?
I think you already know the answer to that.
Please answer the question, Officer.
Sorry, what I meant to say was the defendant already subpoenaed all my cell phone records, so he’s well aware that I received no calls or texts during that time.
Well, not from your personal phone or your work phone, but is it possible that buzzing came from another phone?
Maybe a burner phone? You know, one that can’t be traced to you.
Objection!
There is no foundation for this outrageous accusation…
The foundation is the buzzing sound everyone in this court heard, Your Honor.
Overruled. The witness may answer.
Should I repeat the question, Officer?
I don’t recall that I had any other cell phones on me at the time.
You don’t recall? Okay.
Would a video of you carrying such a phone refresh your memory?
Defense Exhibit A, Your Honor.
This is a video of my arrest shot by a passerby on her cell phone, and before the People can object they’ve never seen it, we’re offering it as impeachment.
We also have no authentication for this video, Your Honor.
The officer can authenticate it. [remote clicks]
I mean, that… that is you, Officer. Right?
[remote clicks]
[clears throat] Yeah, it seems… seems to be.
Video is admitted. Proceed, Mr. Haller.
[remote clicks]
[Mickey] Can I ask, what are you tossing into your car there?
[Collins] I… Uh…
I don’t recall.
Was it a burner phone?
This, uh… this is not what it seems like.
[Mickey] Then… then what is it like? This has no bearing on this case.
The court will decide what has bearing on this case and what does not.
Your Honor, may counsel approach?
Not now, Ms. Berg.
[Mickey] I’ll ask again, Officer.
Under oath, did you or did you not have a burner phone that night?
A burner phone that you got a text message on just before you decided to follow?
[Dana] Objection. Counsel is testifying.
[Mickey] I’m just trying to get an answer.
If the witness refuses to answer, I have no choice…
I was having an affair.
[gasping, muttering in courtroom]
Okay?
My wife and I were going through difficulties, and I was using that phone to communicate with a girlfriend.
Right, and I… I don’t suppose you can produce this phone so we can verify that’s all it was?
No.
Thankfully, my wife and I patched things up, and I got rid of it.
Ah. How convenient.
Objection.
Sustained. The jury will disregard that last remark.
Nothing further.
Any redirect?
[Dana] Yes, Your Honor.
Just to reiterate, Officer, did you receive any alert or text of any kind that was connected in any way with the defendant?
No, I did not.
So this was just your private business. Is that right?
Yes, that’s correct.
I’m not proud of it, but it had nothing to do with me pulling the defendant over, and it certainly had nothing to do with finding a dead body in his trunk.
Thank you. Nothing further.
[Stone] Very well. The witness is excused.
Thank you, Judge.
[Stone] Adjourned until Monday.
The jurors will remember their admonition not to discuss this case with anyone, nor read or view any media accounts of this case.
Thank you.
Throw enough mud at the wall and eventually something will stick.
Well played, I guess.
[Mickey] That wasn’t a play, Dana.
This might be a game to you, but to me, it’s life or death.
Not something to be playing around with.
Well, enjoy the theatrics while you can.
Juror 68.
What?
I wanted her off the jury. I knew you would cheat to get an edge.
That was a play.
Today’s the real thing.
Don’t let her get under your skin. You hear me? That’s what she wants.
Get some sleep. Got a lot of work to do tomorrow.
I’ll be ready.
It’s gonna be okay, Izzy. [door closes]
I’m just worried about him falling into old habits.
There’s no easier place to do that than jail.
[tense music playing]
[phone vibrates] [upbeat music playing nearby]
[phone vibrates]
Hey, babe.
Hey, what do you know about a GLOCK 19?
[Cisco] Um…
That it’s the follow-up to the GLOCK 18, but not much else. Why?
I’m looking at a ballistics report in this Carter Gates case.
That’s the gun he used in the murder, but Carter says he never owned any gun at all.
So I’m just trying to figure out, is it a hard gun to get a hold of?
I don’t think so, but, uh, I can look into it tomorrow for you, babe.
[Lorna] Okay, I’m gonna head home soon. What do you want for dinner?
Uh, I’ll probably grab myself something because I’ll be home a little later.
[cheering and laughing over phone]
Cisco, where are you?
Um… Palm Springs.
Palm Springs? When were you gonna tell me?
[Cisco] Well, I’m telling you now.
Gazarian and Jeanine took off. I tracked them to a resort out here.
You had too much on your plate, and, uh, I didn’t wanna add to your workload.
So, uh, I borrowed your car because they know what the truck looks like, but I did leave the truck with a full tank of gas.
[Lorna] Your truck?
What am I, a homesteader? I can’t drive that thing.
And Cisco, you promised me that you would call Val.
[Cisco] No, I did not.
I might have said okay to get you to drop it.
Seriously?
[Cisco] This is my job, right?
Our entire case depends on getting Gazarian served, and we can’t risk Val screwing it up.
No, this is some macho bullshit.
This is about your bruised ego because you got beat up by Gazarian’s goons.
No, it is not, and I am not afraid of those assholes!
Well, good for you because I am!
Damn it!
[phone line beeps]
Hey, my name is Darius, and I’m an addict.
[men] Hi, Darius.
[Darius] I’m in here now on a little parole violation, you know, but my lawyer said they gonna clear that up soon.
I did do three years in Solano though.
I’ve been clean for the past two.
You see, man, I’ve been using since I was 13 years old.
I started off with a little weed.
Pretty soon, I tried heroin.
I mean, where I grew up, it wasn’t hard to find.
And it still ain’t.
I think that’s the hard part about it when you get out is that it’s still all out there waiting for you.
You know, the same dudes on the same corners or at the same bars.
What I’m trying to say to y’all is, man, ain’t no shortcuts with this thing.
You got to work it every day.
Inside or out. You feel me?
[man 1] For sure.
[man 2] Talk about it, man.
All right.
Thank you all for coming.
Check the schedule for more meetings.
[indistinct chattering]
You good? Yeah. I’m good.
[inmate grunting]
Hey! Hey! Back off!
[men shouting]
Back off! Hey! Get off!
Bamba! Bamba!
Let me go, man!
Mickey!
[Mickey] Bamba!
What the hell is this? You can’t do this!
Where are you taking me? Whatever this is, it won’t work.
Hey! What are you…
Get your fucking hands off! Shut up!
[panting]
[keys jangling]
You can’t do this! [unlocks door]
Hey!
[men grunting]
Hey!
[lock clicks]
[Mickey panting]
[ominous music playing]
[light buzzing]
[Mickey] Hey!
[banging on door]
You can’t leave me here!
Hey! Hey!
[banging on door]
[music ends]
[quiet, tense music playing]
[music fades]
