In Contempt (2018) s01e01 Episode Script
Welcome to Hell
1 [MUSIC PLAYING.]
You are descendants of Kings and Queens, walk proud, walk proud, heads up! Brothers and sisters, you are free! Citizens stay woke, don't jump to these unjust laws! I fought for freedom and your nose are in these phones and gadgets! Your minds are enslaved again! Put in on a t-shirt and be woke upstairs, now! Beautiful black woman, you are descendants of Kings and Queens.
Walk proud, head up, my black and brown brothers, The justice system is a new Jim Crow, the new slavery, you gotta fight it! - Morning, Akin.
- Morning.
[SIGHING.]
Thank you.
I'm gonna need another one of these.
- Starting a trial? - Yeah, have you heard anything? Is Hammond ready to go? Well, he told Dashay that he was ready for something, I dunno if it's yours, but You are my hero.
Don't worry, I'll put it on your tab.
Thank you.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Jamal, part F, 30 minutes.
God, I hope that coffee's for me.
Black and sweet, just like you like it, - you want a chip? - Na.
Come on, it's like bacon in a bag.
Mmm, I brought up your guys first.
Thank God, I got four cases in F3 in thirty, and it looks like my attempted rape - is gonna go.
- Oh Adler's in a mood, - he already started calling cases.
- Docket ending 3-8-2.
People vs.
Franklin Cowling, Obstructing Governmental Administration, step up! Counsel, state your name for the record.
Gwen Sullivan, Defenders Association of New York County for Mr.
Cowling.
Your Honor, the people have a one time only offer of six months.
Sounds eminently fair, what say you, Miss Sullivan? I say I need 15 minutes to talk to my client.
No need to discuss, discourse, dialogue! Are you off your meds? I ain't messing with them meds, that's the government trying to control me.
OK, Your Honor, don't you think a second call - would be useful here? - Is your client 7-30, counselor? - Well, no, but you can - Six months, yes or no? This court suppresses, represses and depresses the body and integrity of the black man.
Stick a fork in it, we're done! I'm revoking bail.
Wait, what? Your Honor, we didn't - Your client was late! - We never Put it over till tomorrow.
- He.
.
He's locking me up? - Yes, but don't - You in on this, ain't you? - No.
[SCREAMING.]
Franklin! Franklin, it's me, Gwen! Don't grab him, don't grab him, he doesn't like getting grabbed like this.
Get off of him, he doesn't like being restrained.
Damn, I know you said you boxed him.
But you went in like Mayweather! In light of what just happened Your Honor, we'll take the six months.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Hey.
So, what's your story? Are you moving packs? You left a Louis bag from Bernies.
Yo, I got two videos up on Worldstar, do you wanna be my third? Alright.
Hilary Banks.
That's your boss, right there.
[SIGHING.]
Hi, Vanessa Hastings.
Tom DelGato, attorney in chief.
- Morning, Lisa.
- Morning, Tom.
It's ten o'clock.
What happened to your only at lunchtime rule? Rules are made to be broken, honey.
Are they? So, we can do an actual dinner, too? Let's keep it at one work day screw for now, Richard.
Why, when they're so much fun? 'Cause you're a married man and I'm a traditional girl With traditional values.
Ah.
[DOOR OPENING.]
Jesus, you're like a pit-bull in pumps! We had bets at the office, you know, where you'd come after me.
I don't think anyone picked the men room.
Well, we're both lucky your stall was locked.
It was a bad ID, you're gonna lose the hearing, come down off the sixth and I'll get him to take it.
You can have five.
Uh-uh, that was too easy, what's going on? Fine, you can have eight.
Your case is falling apart, that's why you're being such a tight ass with the Rosario.
That case is air tight, you've got, er An hour to take the five, after that, deal's off the table.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[DOOR SHUTTING.]
- Hey, Andrew.
- Hey.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER.]
[SIGHING.]
The D.
A.
came down to five, with good time you'll be out in four.
See, I knew this was coming.
You know I have your back but if you blow trial, it's not five years, it's fifteen.
I don't care if it's 50, I ain't never touched that girl Brandell, a straight A engineering student is gonna get up on that stand, point at you and say, "I will never forget the face of the man who tried to rape me.
" All I know is that I went out for a run, next thing I know I'm in the back of a cop car, chick I ain't never seen talking about I tried to rape her.
Nine months, I've been locked down for something I didn't do.
I lost my job, my wife, her and my kids had to move back in with her momma in Atlanta.
I ain't seen my little girls.
- You had her locket.
- I told you, I found it! It's a bad fact, please don't play like you don't know that.
You know What's funny? I-I actually couldn't believe my luck.
I thought I could give - that locket to my youngest daughter.
- Brandell, you take the five years, your Tosh is in pre-school by the time you get out.
You blow trial, she's in college.
I didn't do this, I'm not copping out I can't.
Then we fight.
Ladies and gentleman, the police did a procedure in this case called a Show Up.
That's a line up, a line up in the streets, a line up with only one choice, my client, Brandell Willis.
Had my client not been running in the Yo, Fight Club! Oh God, jeez.
I heard someone couldn't keep their hands off one of their clients today? Heard it ended with you in handcuffs.
- You jealous? - Only 'cause I wasn't there.
Turn around.
Don't tell me the judge is finally coming - to watch you on trial.
- [CHUCKLES.]
We're meeting for lunch at the club.
- Hmm.
- What? Just imagining what it's gonna be like - to have you call me boss.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Cute, I call you a lot of things, Charlie, trust me, boss ain't never gonna be one of them.
And anyway Tom would never promote you over me.
I don't know, only one of us beat down - a court officer today.
- And the other one of us doesn't want to break a nail, now get out.
I promise not to enjoy - bossing you around at all.
- Beat it.
- OK, I'm going.
- Beat it, beat it.
[DOOR SHUTTING.]
Yes, she wants me.
There seems to be a mistake, I applied for the civil division.
Normal case load for a new attorney is 125 misdemeanors.
125? You gonna be able to handle this without bitching and moaning? Because I hate bitching and moaning, raises my blood pressure.
Really? Well, hello, young Condoleezza Rice.
I'm Vanessa Hastings, I'm new.
I gotta share my office with a rookie? What did I say to you a minute ago? You hate bitching and moaning.
You see that, she's only been here 15 minutes and I already like her better than you.
Who's my assistant? - Take that back.
- Tom! Not now, Charlie, I have to go talk to Judge Adler, some idiot got handcuffed in his courtroom this morning.
You know, I heard she was more heroic than idiotic.
All I know is that, because of you, I have to put on a tie.
OK, listen, I got Hammond to come down to five but I can't get my guy to swallow it.
Say you gotta go I.
D.
Oh God, I'm just hoping the show up was bad.
You're gonna roll the dice and hope a defense reveals itself for the suppression hearing? Oh, please, you know I always have something in my back pocket, I just don't know what yet.
- What judge you pull? - Blackburn.
- Shit, he needs to plead.
- My guy didn't do it.
Didn't homeboy have the victims locket in his pocket? Yeah, whatever, Dr.
Seuss! Jesus, both of you, grow up! Charlie, take the rookie over to arraignments.
Tell her something encouraging and keep an eye on her, she's a Caldwell fellow.
What the hell is that? She's a first year associate at Caldwell, Drummond and Hale.
She does a year of public service, they pay her a full Caldwell salary.
Guess we know who's buying lunch.
Yo, rookie, let's roll.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[SIREN WAILING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Someone gets arrested, they disappear into the system.
On a good day, they pop up here 24 hours later and get assigned a lawyer.
Oh, come on, Joel, give her one day of community service, Haven't you ever stolen the least itty bitty thing? Miss.
Campbell.
You're not taking advantage of Mr.
Maknimara are you? I take advantage of everyone, Your Honor, but when I smile, they don't seem to mind.
Tracy, this is What's your name again? Vanessa Hastings, it's nice to meet you.
Docket ending 822, The People vs.
Julie Sulowitz.
Penal Law 240.
37.
Loitering for the purposes of engaging in prostitution, step up! Fun fact about Charlie, he once slept with a 60 year old fat woman for her play off tickets.
Damn right, dugout seats! I'd do it again.
Interview your client, confirm the details on this CJA sheet and try to get him out on bail or cop him out to community service.
But don't give anyone a criminal record that doesn't already have one.
Rookie dumping? Is this a preview of your brand new super fashion, Charlie? I got four cases in Part F, ten in AP5 and two felonies set to trial.
So, I dapper dodge you.
Fly, baby bird, fly.
What is that smell? A delightful potpourri of piss, B.
O.
and baloney sandwiches.
It'll never come out of that pretty suit.
How did the victim describe her attacker? She described him as a black male wearing dark exercise sweats and a blue hoodie with white lettering.
Then after the victim gave you this description, what did you do? My partner and I canvassed the area, we saw the defendant running near the crime scene, we stopped him and upon performing a safety search, found a gold necklace in his pants pocket.
We transported him back to the scene of the assault.
- What happened next? - The victim identified the defendant and the necklace, I placed him under arrest.
Thank you No further questions.
Officer, when you found the incredibly dangerous locket in Mr.
Lewis' shorts, - Objection.
Oh, lighten up, Hammond.
Miss.
Sullivan, please don't taunt the prosecutor.
When you transported Mr.
Lewis to the crime scene, where did you park the patrol car in relation to the ambulance treating the victim? Across the street, a couple car lengths south.
And did you keep Mr.
Lewis in the car or did you take him out? I took him out, uncuffed him, another officer brought the victim partway across the street, she identified him from about 20 feet away.
She identified him from about 20 feet away, would that be about - This far? - That's about right.
When you took Mr.
Lewis out of the car, where did you stand him? Just outside the car.
And was the door open or shut? Open, the victim identified him before I even shut the door.
[HINGES CREAKING.]
You said you parked the car just south of the ambulance and across the street? So, the other officer walked the victim, what, diagonally across the street toward the front of your cruiser? - Yes.
- So, you hid Mr.
Lewis behind the open door? Objection, who said anything about hiding? Sustained, but now I'm curious.
He was standing behind the door, so the victim couldn't see that he was wearing shorts - and not sweat pants! - Objection, speculation.
Your Honor, this show up hid a crucial way that Mr.
Lewis' clothes did not match the victims description and was therefore unduly suggestive.
Unduly being the operative word here.
They did not have to hide him behind the door.
They could have let her see all of him.
I move to suppress the in-court identification.
[SLAMMING DESK.]
Enough.
You two are worse than my grandchildren.
Standing the defendant behind the cruiser door did not create a risk that the victim would incorrectly identify him.
The defense's motion to suppress the victims in-court identification of Mr.
Lewis is therefore denied.
- Your Honor.
- Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
You get what you get and you don't get upset.
Alright, we will adjourn for the day, we begin trial tomorrow.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
How is she? As I've heard you say, she bouji.
Well, she is a Caldwell fellow, she makes 180 K to our 70.
Just when I thought she couldn't possibly annoy me more.
Counselor, I'll give him five days.
Five days? But, Your Honor, what about time served? He was just charged with sleeping in the subway.
Ah, sleep.
Something you might get if you laid off those energy drinks.
Ask your client, counselor.
We don't like her, let the bouji have her sank.
Shut up.
Your Honor, we have a rookie here.
Really? I couldn't tell.
- Ask your client.
- But Miss Sullivan, I have a docket to move here.
OK.
But why would he want to go to jail.
Five days, he serves three, that's three days of three square meals and a roof over his head, ask him.
- Is this what you want? - Yes.
He'll take the five days.
Welcome to hell.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[LIQUID POURING.]
You remind me of your mother.
Why? It's not a flask and I like men.
Yes, um, my daughter will have a sparkling water, please.
Dad, you know, next time you invite me here, I'm a wear a dashiki and a head wrap.
That old bag, Judge Bolter even stopped making women wear pantyhoes in her court room.
Look, this just a means to an end, sweetheart.
Back when I was practicing, judge Brown overruled every objection I made, until I became a member here.
That couple, they always like to talk about how all lives matter.
I get such pleasure from making them uncomfortable.
So, I had drinks with James Pinmore the other day and he said that they would love for you to come and meet at Hamilton Grey.
Look, take the interview, what's it gonna hurt? My soul, dad, it would shrivel up and die! - Oh, come on.
- No, thank you.
Look, I know you wanna save the world but you could do it more effectively from a place like Hamilton Grey.
What is this? Some misguided attempt to help people like your brother? My career is not about David! No, he got the time that he deserved! Nobody deserves five years for a burglary, Dad! I do this job because I believe in it and I'm good at it and if you actually took the time and came and watched me you'd see that.
But I guess you have to be a drunk in this family to get your attention.
If I remember correctly, I helped you pay your rent last month.
I'm not gonna sanction your poor choice of a career by coming and watching you in court.
Wow.
I thought we might have a nice lunch, where for once, you know, you didn't mention what a disappointment I am.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Officer, this is Mr.
Lewis' arrest photo, would you please describe what he is wearing.
Black exercise sweats and a blue nylon hoodie with dollar signs across the front.
Dollar signs, not lettering and actually Mr.
Lewis is not wearing black sweats, he's wearing black shorts, isn't that right? Black sweatshorts, I thought they matched the description By matched, do you mean dollar signs instead of lettering and shorts instead of pants, withdrawn.
When you conducted your safety search, what did you do? I padded the defendant down and felt something in his shorts pocket.
I reached in and removed it.
Officer, this is a prop 9mm Glock.
This is a Beretta 22.
One of the smallest guns on the market and these are a variety of knives.
Would you please explain why this felt like a weapon? - Objection! - On what grounds? You don't like the answer? Overruled.
Don't gloat.
You may answer.
I didn't know what it could be.
So, it was the non-descript dangerous object? Your Honor, during a Terry stop, the officer is allowed to conduct a safety frisk but he is not allowed to go into the suspects pocket and just pull out evidence.
The locket should be suppressed.
Your Honor, he did now know what the object was, - it could have been anything - Not anything dangerous.
She's right, Mr.
Hammond, the locket is out.
Alright, we will continue this hearing this afternoon.
You might win some but you just lost one.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
I thought Hammond was trying to hide something in the Rosario but there is nothing here.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Uh, what's going on over there? No, that is my phone! Oh my God, I cannot believe my room mate is getting dick pics and I don't know from who.
I am underwhelmed.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
And who was that? I dunno, somebody keeps calling and won't leave a message, probably AMEX, apparently they're serious about this whole minimum payment thing.
It might be that new ATB lawyer.
I gave him your number.
The knuckle-cracker? Girl, you know he is annoying.
Have you noticed that you find anyone who's not your law school professor crush annoying? Who, Bennet? Girl, please, that's cray.
We never even dated, he doesn't like me like that.
How do you know? You told me you never put it on the table.
- Because - Anyone seen the rookie? You lost the rookie, that is awesome, good job.
- I told you to watch her.
- I did, Charlie.
And then I killer her for her shoes.
Hey, how did it go today? Well, it's not civil court.
Ah, civil court Where white people argue over white people problems.
Here, make yourself useful.
What is this? Witness statements, police reports, cop's memo book.
What am I looking for? A defense theory.
Well, shouldn't you have figured it out from the discovery? Ain't she cute? Discovery is called Rosario material and in criminal court we're not actually legally entitled to it, until after the jury is sworn.
That's not fair, how are you supposed to prepare? You're catching on.
What's with the redactions? That's the stuff that proves he's innocent.
Yeah, victim and witness, addresses and phone numbers, we could interview them but the prosecutor makes sure that we can't find them, in fact, they black it out so hard that even if you hold it up to the light [MUSIC PLAYING.]
Wait a minute.
Why didn't I catch that before? He missed one! This is the victim's boyfriend's address.
Do you still have those phone records? According to the report, she was on the phone with him when she was attacked and the cops never even talked to him.
Campbell, let's go see what Mr.
Boyfriend has to say.
Miss Wong, you were attacked at ten o'clock, coming from a yoga class, correct? Yes.
And when this person attacked you, he pushed you to the pavement face first, correct? Yes but I turned and saw him very clearly before he pushed me down.
Well, you were talking to your boyfriend James on the phone when you first heard someone behind you, - isn't that right? - Yes.
These are your cell phone records, you were talking to him for 42 minutes, right? I guess.
It was an emotional conversation, wasn't it? Yes, it was.
You were distraught and crying, weren't you? You'd been fighting for 42 minutes and James said he wanted to break up, right? - Yes.
- In fact, James said he wanted to break up and then you told him that you might be pregnant? What does that have to do with anything? I was almost raped! Your Honor, I am not trying to embarrass this witness, I'm just trying to get at her state of mind when she was attacked.
Overruled but you are on a very short leash.
Miss Wong, you're a college aged women who had sex! Nobody here is judging you, in fact, everyone in this room had sex at your age, except maybe Mr.
Hammond.
[CHUCKLING.]
You were this upset when you told James because you weren't happy about maybe being pregnant, right? Yes.
And, by the way, it was pretty dark out there because these three street lights were out that night, right? Yes, except the porch lights at the fraternity were on.
Ah, well this photograph taken by our defense investigator, just two days later, shows the fraternity lights out.
The fraternity was suspended.
They were suspended for hazing the day after I was attacked.
The lights were on that night.
I might have been crying but I saw who attacked me and I am one hundred percent sure it was him.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Judge, my client maintains the complainant attacked him first, he was defending himself.
The people offer an A misdemeanor and 90 days, Your Honor.
Alternatively we request 5000 dollars bail.
Five thousand? That's ridiculous! Five's not out of the ball park with a rap sheet as long as his, how about 60 days? Your Honor, my client lives in SRO, you might as well Is that a no? I'll wave motions, I want immediate an trial date.
How about December 19th? That is ten weeks away.
I can't manufacture trial parts, Miss Campbell.
What's happening? We're getting screwed, you gotta take the 60 days, Kenneth if you take the 60, you'll be out in 40, if you fight it, you're gonna be in for longer.
But I didn't do it and if I plead, I'll lose my room.
Counselor, what date do you want? I need ten more seconds, please! - December 19th for trial.
- Kenneth, take the plea.
Bring in the next case, please.
No, he'll take the plea, he'll take it.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
- I wanna take the 5 years.
- That deal is off the table.
Then I wanna testify.
Absolutely not, you have nothing to add! I got my story, my side.
That prosecutor will take you apart piece by piece.
You think I'm just some What, some dumb ass thug? Look, I know I may not dress like you or talk like you, with your, "Why, yes, Your Honor", we'd like to have this evidence thrown out of court, Na, Na.
" OK, you know what, you would make a horrible witness.
There are consequences, Randell, to your neck tattoos and your saggy pants, the jury is not gonna like you, not the white jurors and not the black ones either, including the brother who works for AT&T.
He is not gonna like you because he thinks you bring the curve down.
I don't like it but it is the truth.
If you want me to let you tell your story, I will.
But all of your anger and your resentment will spell out it is real, and it is justifiable.
But they will hate you and they will convict you.
Do you understand? [SIGH.]
[HEAVY BREATH.]
This closet is for our clients, Sullivan.
Not for you.
Although I am feeling that green floral jacket.
- Get out! - What's wrong with you? [HEAVY BREATHS.]
Maybe you should stop having these panic attacks if you'd admit you still have feelings for me.
Do you miss how I put it down a little bit? [MUSIC PLAYING.]
No, stop, stop! Worst idea ever! - Would I begged to differ? - No, you are like a donut.
You are like a maple, glaze, bacon donut.
You're just a few seconds of fun and you always regret after.
- So, in bed it would be fun? - This never happened, Charlie.
Don't worry.
I'm not gonna tell anyone.
Except maybe the court offices.
But I'm sure they'll keep it to themselves.
- I don't have a defense.
- No woman does.
Oh, my Do you claim a tax deduction for that ego? You worry too much, Sullivan.
You go home at night and you lie awake thinking about your clients.
When I go home, I'm drinking Macallan and playing Madden.
And that's the difference between us.
You don't care about your clients.
You just care about winning.
I care about my clients by caring about winning.
My guy has a shitty case.
He pleas.
He's a triable one, we try it.
And guess what? Most of the time my interest and my clients' overlap.
Wow! That's so inspiring.
You should copyright that.
In fact, if you become a supervisor why don't you just start a welcoming speech for the rookies What? Do you remember what Tom always said when we just started? - Go back to basics! - Go back to basics! Thanks, donut.
So, we'll go meet back in here later.
Gwen! - Charlie, again? - Shut up! [MUSIC PLAYING.]
[WINDOW RATTLING.]
- Hands up! Don't shoot! - Step away from the window.
I just talked to your boss.
He ain't happy.
What else can you do? Maybe you should reconsider the whole burglar thing.
If I was a blond named Jessica, would you still think I was a burglar? Mam, you were trying to jimmy the window.
- Good point.
- Why were you trying to get in to turn on the porch lights anyway? I was trying to see the lighting conditions.
This fraternity is on my beat.
Trust me, porch lights are blinding.
Are you saying this because it's true or because you want me to lose my case? I've got no dog in your fight.
I might have, But NYPD was not interested.
- Wait, what? - I was involved tracking the suspect that night.
We picked up some guy that fit the description, I radioed in to the NYPD.
They said they already got the guy.
They cut our guy loose.
Did you try and get paper work over to the Prosecutor? Of course.
- You withheld this.
- It was misfiled.
Seriously, Hammond? Counsels, address the court, not each other.
I just showed the victim this photo.
- She said that was not him.
- You know that doesn't matter.
My client's face was invented in her brain because of that ridiculous show-up.
Counselors, I said address yourselves to me.
Your Honor, this clearly is a Brady violation.
I want sanctions, dismiss the case.
Mr Hammond.
Did you know another person had been detained? - No, I did not.
- Bullshit! It's the reason why you offered my client three years because he knew if I found out his case would disappear.
One more curse word from you, and I will hold you in contempt.
That's like adult time out, but worse.
Now you can argue all of these to a Jury.
That's not enough.
My client has been in jail for nine months.
Stop throwing a temper tantrum! Your Honor, how many people are in Attica right now because the prosecution didn't forget the black guy's out of the witness' dress! One more word, Miss Sullivan! This is a joke! The DA's Office does this all the time.
And I expect it from a prick like him but not from you! You are supposed to care.
We are not processing savages.
These are human beings.
I mean, why will we even bother with a trial at all? Why don't we just take him back and hang him from a tree? Miss Sullivan, you are in contempt.
Officer Johnson, could you please escort her to lock-up? [MUSIC PLAYING.]
How should they pay you? Nickle bag just down on the corner and tell people who to buy from.
I think we might have a good story for the Grand Jury.
We are going to use the fact that the cops recovered drugs on you to our advantage.
- How? - We can make you a plain buyer.
You weren't steering anyone towards the dealer.
Okay? You bought.
Some guy asked you to escort.
There is a difference between sale and possession.
Cool! - You told them to lie.
- He is an addict facing a 4.
5 to 9 now for dealing.
And all he did was take 5 dollars worth of heroin to a point down the street.
The rules are there for a reason.
Have you been paying attention? My client just plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit because he couldn't afford a bail.
The rules are screwing our client.
But if we cheat, we only bring ourselves down to their level.
What are you doing here exactly? You just slumped it for a few months? I didn't ask for this.
I wanted in housing or immigration.
Oh, what happened? Mommy and Daddy, they didn't pull the right strings? You don't like me because I have money? I don't like you cause you think you are too good for this place.
Because you hate getting your hands dirty.
I mean, look at these two guys.
They don't look any more like two black men you just grab on the street.
It's the cross racial of it all.
Which I haven't brought up in court yet.
How would you do that without an expert? Why people don't like to admit we all look alike? Okay, okay.
I know the contempt thing is not very supervisorial.
But are you seriously considering Charlie? During a trial last month he kept mispronouncing - his client's name.
- He did win.
- It's all that matters.
- Gwen Last month, you chased down Judge Goldberg at his son's bar mitzvah demanding he lower someone's bail.
- Yeah.
- In the last trial you lost, you asked the Judge to hold the Jury four times.
Now you are in handcuffs three times in three days.
I mean, sometimes you are a little bit too passion? - What's wrong with passion? - Passion is great.
Passion gave me a heart attack at age 48.
I want you to go out there and apologize to Judge Blackwood.
Absolutely not.
Look Gwen, if you don't survive the last battles, then you can't win the war.
Apology accepted, Miss Sullivan.
She is a talented lawyer, Tom.
Oh, I know she is, Judge.
And I appreciate I mean, we appreciate your tolerance.
But she's just disrespectful.
I'm disciplined even if facial expressions in this court, they're indescribable - Holy shit! - See! There, right there! No, Your Honor.
It's just I got an idea.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Miss Wang, if I were a sketch artist what would you tell me about the man Who tried to rape you? Objection! Miss Sullivan is not in fact a sketch artist.
I'll allow it.
Eh He was black, tall, short hair.
What about the shape of his face? Regular, I guess, kind of oval-ish.
His hairline? Was it square, round? I'm not sure.
His eyes, were they wide set, closed together? - I'm not really sure.
- How about his nose? Was it large, small, wide, flat, pointy? - I don't know.
- How about his chin? Or his cheeck bones, his ears, his forehead.
Is there anything you can tell us? He was black.
Yes, you've told us.
He was black.
Miss Wang, based on your testimony just now this is the face of the man who tried to rape you.
My God! Objection! All right, not one more word, either of you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to ask you to step out, please.
Your honor, Ms.
Cooper is a sketch artist certified by the international association of identification.
Your honor, this is outrageous.
What is it outrageous is this man being ripped from his life and his family and charged with attempted rape based on nothing other than it was a black man who did it.
Your honor, after sitting in this court room for several hours, looking directly at Mr.
Louis, she can't even identify him.
No reasonable jury is going to be able to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed this crime.
This is absurd.
Sketch artists spend hours with their victim.
They have scores of questions designed to elicit an accurate description.
You wanna have the sketch artist do that right here? We can let the jury sit through the whole thing.
Mr.
Hamon? Then I am directing a not guilty verdict in favor of Mr.
Louis.
Your honor.
Mr.
Hamon, you get what you get and you don't get upset.
Not guilty.
It's over.
Thank you.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
Why are you in a closet? Internal crash.
Oh.
This place is a nightmare.
I know.
The computers are from like 1999, there's no support staff to speak of and the entire place has a smell.
My bad, I thought you were talking about the injustice.
Like the fact that my client almost went to prison because a college girl can't tell black people apart.
That too.
Does this get any better? In some ways it does.
You learn the law, you get more comfortable in court you even get used to the smell.
But chances are you'll screw up and some will go to jail because of it.
You just gotta learn to live with it.
All of it.
Have you? Vanessa, I'm sitting in a clothes closet.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
You ran the guilty plea down my client's throat yesterday.
I've got a hundred cases on my docket.
If I don't dispose of them quickly I hear about it from the chief junction and besides, if you didn't do this, you did something else.
You say some shit like that, it makes me not want to have sex with you.
Are you sure? You know, I hate that I can't manipulate you.
No, you don't.
It turns you on.
Maybe, maybe.
But right now, the other thing turns me off more.
I'll definitely be calling you.
Cheers.
You're gonna call twins? Not at the same time.
Shots are in the room.
Let's do this thing, Oh yes, double fisting.
Here's to the win.
Can't wait to do it again.
Drink number three and you haven't eaten, do not get drunk and fall on top of Charlie.
Mind your business.
It'll be my business next month when you all are fighting like cats and dogs and driving each other crazy and then you'll be like, âWhy didn't you stop me?â I'm not sleeping with Charlie, trust me.
You better not be sleeping with Charlie.
Are you gonna stand there, in that bad ass dress? Looking all fine and pretending you don't want me? Or you can live in this moment.
Forget all those do's and don'ts fooling around in that pretty little head of yours.
And come get this Maple glazed bacon donut.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
What's with you and these damn closets? Shut up.
- Hey, what's going on in there? - It's private! Next time on In Contempt - Ladies.
- Oh, my Lord! You slept with him last night! Charlie doesn't like anyone but himself.
- No! - Everybody's lying and don't expect the truth until they trust you.
Remember, you're the lawyer.
So, be confident and authoritative.
I don't care how you do it, but you gotta find a way to get your client to trust you.
Especially you.
You look and act just like a prosecutor.
There, Bennet.
That's the hot law professor? I would show off for his office hours.
So here's to old friends reconnecting.
I'll drink to that.
You are descendants of Kings and Queens, walk proud, walk proud, heads up! Brothers and sisters, you are free! Citizens stay woke, don't jump to these unjust laws! I fought for freedom and your nose are in these phones and gadgets! Your minds are enslaved again! Put in on a t-shirt and be woke upstairs, now! Beautiful black woman, you are descendants of Kings and Queens.
Walk proud, head up, my black and brown brothers, The justice system is a new Jim Crow, the new slavery, you gotta fight it! - Morning, Akin.
- Morning.
[SIGHING.]
Thank you.
I'm gonna need another one of these.
- Starting a trial? - Yeah, have you heard anything? Is Hammond ready to go? Well, he told Dashay that he was ready for something, I dunno if it's yours, but You are my hero.
Don't worry, I'll put it on your tab.
Thank you.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Jamal, part F, 30 minutes.
God, I hope that coffee's for me.
Black and sweet, just like you like it, - you want a chip? - Na.
Come on, it's like bacon in a bag.
Mmm, I brought up your guys first.
Thank God, I got four cases in F3 in thirty, and it looks like my attempted rape - is gonna go.
- Oh Adler's in a mood, - he already started calling cases.
- Docket ending 3-8-2.
People vs.
Franklin Cowling, Obstructing Governmental Administration, step up! Counsel, state your name for the record.
Gwen Sullivan, Defenders Association of New York County for Mr.
Cowling.
Your Honor, the people have a one time only offer of six months.
Sounds eminently fair, what say you, Miss Sullivan? I say I need 15 minutes to talk to my client.
No need to discuss, discourse, dialogue! Are you off your meds? I ain't messing with them meds, that's the government trying to control me.
OK, Your Honor, don't you think a second call - would be useful here? - Is your client 7-30, counselor? - Well, no, but you can - Six months, yes or no? This court suppresses, represses and depresses the body and integrity of the black man.
Stick a fork in it, we're done! I'm revoking bail.
Wait, what? Your Honor, we didn't - Your client was late! - We never Put it over till tomorrow.
- He.
.
He's locking me up? - Yes, but don't - You in on this, ain't you? - No.
[SCREAMING.]
Franklin! Franklin, it's me, Gwen! Don't grab him, don't grab him, he doesn't like getting grabbed like this.
Get off of him, he doesn't like being restrained.
Damn, I know you said you boxed him.
But you went in like Mayweather! In light of what just happened Your Honor, we'll take the six months.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Hey.
So, what's your story? Are you moving packs? You left a Louis bag from Bernies.
Yo, I got two videos up on Worldstar, do you wanna be my third? Alright.
Hilary Banks.
That's your boss, right there.
[SIGHING.]
Hi, Vanessa Hastings.
Tom DelGato, attorney in chief.
- Morning, Lisa.
- Morning, Tom.
It's ten o'clock.
What happened to your only at lunchtime rule? Rules are made to be broken, honey.
Are they? So, we can do an actual dinner, too? Let's keep it at one work day screw for now, Richard.
Why, when they're so much fun? 'Cause you're a married man and I'm a traditional girl With traditional values.
Ah.
[DOOR OPENING.]
Jesus, you're like a pit-bull in pumps! We had bets at the office, you know, where you'd come after me.
I don't think anyone picked the men room.
Well, we're both lucky your stall was locked.
It was a bad ID, you're gonna lose the hearing, come down off the sixth and I'll get him to take it.
You can have five.
Uh-uh, that was too easy, what's going on? Fine, you can have eight.
Your case is falling apart, that's why you're being such a tight ass with the Rosario.
That case is air tight, you've got, er An hour to take the five, after that, deal's off the table.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[DOOR SHUTTING.]
- Hey, Andrew.
- Hey.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER.]
[SIGHING.]
The D.
A.
came down to five, with good time you'll be out in four.
See, I knew this was coming.
You know I have your back but if you blow trial, it's not five years, it's fifteen.
I don't care if it's 50, I ain't never touched that girl Brandell, a straight A engineering student is gonna get up on that stand, point at you and say, "I will never forget the face of the man who tried to rape me.
" All I know is that I went out for a run, next thing I know I'm in the back of a cop car, chick I ain't never seen talking about I tried to rape her.
Nine months, I've been locked down for something I didn't do.
I lost my job, my wife, her and my kids had to move back in with her momma in Atlanta.
I ain't seen my little girls.
- You had her locket.
- I told you, I found it! It's a bad fact, please don't play like you don't know that.
You know What's funny? I-I actually couldn't believe my luck.
I thought I could give - that locket to my youngest daughter.
- Brandell, you take the five years, your Tosh is in pre-school by the time you get out.
You blow trial, she's in college.
I didn't do this, I'm not copping out I can't.
Then we fight.
Ladies and gentleman, the police did a procedure in this case called a Show Up.
That's a line up, a line up in the streets, a line up with only one choice, my client, Brandell Willis.
Had my client not been running in the Yo, Fight Club! Oh God, jeez.
I heard someone couldn't keep their hands off one of their clients today? Heard it ended with you in handcuffs.
- You jealous? - Only 'cause I wasn't there.
Turn around.
Don't tell me the judge is finally coming - to watch you on trial.
- [CHUCKLES.]
We're meeting for lunch at the club.
- Hmm.
- What? Just imagining what it's gonna be like - to have you call me boss.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Cute, I call you a lot of things, Charlie, trust me, boss ain't never gonna be one of them.
And anyway Tom would never promote you over me.
I don't know, only one of us beat down - a court officer today.
- And the other one of us doesn't want to break a nail, now get out.
I promise not to enjoy - bossing you around at all.
- Beat it.
- OK, I'm going.
- Beat it, beat it.
[DOOR SHUTTING.]
Yes, she wants me.
There seems to be a mistake, I applied for the civil division.
Normal case load for a new attorney is 125 misdemeanors.
125? You gonna be able to handle this without bitching and moaning? Because I hate bitching and moaning, raises my blood pressure.
Really? Well, hello, young Condoleezza Rice.
I'm Vanessa Hastings, I'm new.
I gotta share my office with a rookie? What did I say to you a minute ago? You hate bitching and moaning.
You see that, she's only been here 15 minutes and I already like her better than you.
Who's my assistant? - Take that back.
- Tom! Not now, Charlie, I have to go talk to Judge Adler, some idiot got handcuffed in his courtroom this morning.
You know, I heard she was more heroic than idiotic.
All I know is that, because of you, I have to put on a tie.
OK, listen, I got Hammond to come down to five but I can't get my guy to swallow it.
Say you gotta go I.
D.
Oh God, I'm just hoping the show up was bad.
You're gonna roll the dice and hope a defense reveals itself for the suppression hearing? Oh, please, you know I always have something in my back pocket, I just don't know what yet.
- What judge you pull? - Blackburn.
- Shit, he needs to plead.
- My guy didn't do it.
Didn't homeboy have the victims locket in his pocket? Yeah, whatever, Dr.
Seuss! Jesus, both of you, grow up! Charlie, take the rookie over to arraignments.
Tell her something encouraging and keep an eye on her, she's a Caldwell fellow.
What the hell is that? She's a first year associate at Caldwell, Drummond and Hale.
She does a year of public service, they pay her a full Caldwell salary.
Guess we know who's buying lunch.
Yo, rookie, let's roll.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[SIREN WAILING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Someone gets arrested, they disappear into the system.
On a good day, they pop up here 24 hours later and get assigned a lawyer.
Oh, come on, Joel, give her one day of community service, Haven't you ever stolen the least itty bitty thing? Miss.
Campbell.
You're not taking advantage of Mr.
Maknimara are you? I take advantage of everyone, Your Honor, but when I smile, they don't seem to mind.
Tracy, this is What's your name again? Vanessa Hastings, it's nice to meet you.
Docket ending 822, The People vs.
Julie Sulowitz.
Penal Law 240.
37.
Loitering for the purposes of engaging in prostitution, step up! Fun fact about Charlie, he once slept with a 60 year old fat woman for her play off tickets.
Damn right, dugout seats! I'd do it again.
Interview your client, confirm the details on this CJA sheet and try to get him out on bail or cop him out to community service.
But don't give anyone a criminal record that doesn't already have one.
Rookie dumping? Is this a preview of your brand new super fashion, Charlie? I got four cases in Part F, ten in AP5 and two felonies set to trial.
So, I dapper dodge you.
Fly, baby bird, fly.
What is that smell? A delightful potpourri of piss, B.
O.
and baloney sandwiches.
It'll never come out of that pretty suit.
How did the victim describe her attacker? She described him as a black male wearing dark exercise sweats and a blue hoodie with white lettering.
Then after the victim gave you this description, what did you do? My partner and I canvassed the area, we saw the defendant running near the crime scene, we stopped him and upon performing a safety search, found a gold necklace in his pants pocket.
We transported him back to the scene of the assault.
- What happened next? - The victim identified the defendant and the necklace, I placed him under arrest.
Thank you No further questions.
Officer, when you found the incredibly dangerous locket in Mr.
Lewis' shorts, - Objection.
Oh, lighten up, Hammond.
Miss.
Sullivan, please don't taunt the prosecutor.
When you transported Mr.
Lewis to the crime scene, where did you park the patrol car in relation to the ambulance treating the victim? Across the street, a couple car lengths south.
And did you keep Mr.
Lewis in the car or did you take him out? I took him out, uncuffed him, another officer brought the victim partway across the street, she identified him from about 20 feet away.
She identified him from about 20 feet away, would that be about - This far? - That's about right.
When you took Mr.
Lewis out of the car, where did you stand him? Just outside the car.
And was the door open or shut? Open, the victim identified him before I even shut the door.
[HINGES CREAKING.]
You said you parked the car just south of the ambulance and across the street? So, the other officer walked the victim, what, diagonally across the street toward the front of your cruiser? - Yes.
- So, you hid Mr.
Lewis behind the open door? Objection, who said anything about hiding? Sustained, but now I'm curious.
He was standing behind the door, so the victim couldn't see that he was wearing shorts - and not sweat pants! - Objection, speculation.
Your Honor, this show up hid a crucial way that Mr.
Lewis' clothes did not match the victims description and was therefore unduly suggestive.
Unduly being the operative word here.
They did not have to hide him behind the door.
They could have let her see all of him.
I move to suppress the in-court identification.
[SLAMMING DESK.]
Enough.
You two are worse than my grandchildren.
Standing the defendant behind the cruiser door did not create a risk that the victim would incorrectly identify him.
The defense's motion to suppress the victims in-court identification of Mr.
Lewis is therefore denied.
- Your Honor.
- Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
You get what you get and you don't get upset.
Alright, we will adjourn for the day, we begin trial tomorrow.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
How is she? As I've heard you say, she bouji.
Well, she is a Caldwell fellow, she makes 180 K to our 70.
Just when I thought she couldn't possibly annoy me more.
Counselor, I'll give him five days.
Five days? But, Your Honor, what about time served? He was just charged with sleeping in the subway.
Ah, sleep.
Something you might get if you laid off those energy drinks.
Ask your client, counselor.
We don't like her, let the bouji have her sank.
Shut up.
Your Honor, we have a rookie here.
Really? I couldn't tell.
- Ask your client.
- But Miss Sullivan, I have a docket to move here.
OK.
But why would he want to go to jail.
Five days, he serves three, that's three days of three square meals and a roof over his head, ask him.
- Is this what you want? - Yes.
He'll take the five days.
Welcome to hell.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[LIQUID POURING.]
You remind me of your mother.
Why? It's not a flask and I like men.
Yes, um, my daughter will have a sparkling water, please.
Dad, you know, next time you invite me here, I'm a wear a dashiki and a head wrap.
That old bag, Judge Bolter even stopped making women wear pantyhoes in her court room.
Look, this just a means to an end, sweetheart.
Back when I was practicing, judge Brown overruled every objection I made, until I became a member here.
That couple, they always like to talk about how all lives matter.
I get such pleasure from making them uncomfortable.
So, I had drinks with James Pinmore the other day and he said that they would love for you to come and meet at Hamilton Grey.
Look, take the interview, what's it gonna hurt? My soul, dad, it would shrivel up and die! - Oh, come on.
- No, thank you.
Look, I know you wanna save the world but you could do it more effectively from a place like Hamilton Grey.
What is this? Some misguided attempt to help people like your brother? My career is not about David! No, he got the time that he deserved! Nobody deserves five years for a burglary, Dad! I do this job because I believe in it and I'm good at it and if you actually took the time and came and watched me you'd see that.
But I guess you have to be a drunk in this family to get your attention.
If I remember correctly, I helped you pay your rent last month.
I'm not gonna sanction your poor choice of a career by coming and watching you in court.
Wow.
I thought we might have a nice lunch, where for once, you know, you didn't mention what a disappointment I am.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Officer, this is Mr.
Lewis' arrest photo, would you please describe what he is wearing.
Black exercise sweats and a blue nylon hoodie with dollar signs across the front.
Dollar signs, not lettering and actually Mr.
Lewis is not wearing black sweats, he's wearing black shorts, isn't that right? Black sweatshorts, I thought they matched the description By matched, do you mean dollar signs instead of lettering and shorts instead of pants, withdrawn.
When you conducted your safety search, what did you do? I padded the defendant down and felt something in his shorts pocket.
I reached in and removed it.
Officer, this is a prop 9mm Glock.
This is a Beretta 22.
One of the smallest guns on the market and these are a variety of knives.
Would you please explain why this felt like a weapon? - Objection! - On what grounds? You don't like the answer? Overruled.
Don't gloat.
You may answer.
I didn't know what it could be.
So, it was the non-descript dangerous object? Your Honor, during a Terry stop, the officer is allowed to conduct a safety frisk but he is not allowed to go into the suspects pocket and just pull out evidence.
The locket should be suppressed.
Your Honor, he did now know what the object was, - it could have been anything - Not anything dangerous.
She's right, Mr.
Hammond, the locket is out.
Alright, we will continue this hearing this afternoon.
You might win some but you just lost one.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
I thought Hammond was trying to hide something in the Rosario but there is nothing here.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Uh, what's going on over there? No, that is my phone! Oh my God, I cannot believe my room mate is getting dick pics and I don't know from who.
I am underwhelmed.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
And who was that? I dunno, somebody keeps calling and won't leave a message, probably AMEX, apparently they're serious about this whole minimum payment thing.
It might be that new ATB lawyer.
I gave him your number.
The knuckle-cracker? Girl, you know he is annoying.
Have you noticed that you find anyone who's not your law school professor crush annoying? Who, Bennet? Girl, please, that's cray.
We never even dated, he doesn't like me like that.
How do you know? You told me you never put it on the table.
- Because - Anyone seen the rookie? You lost the rookie, that is awesome, good job.
- I told you to watch her.
- I did, Charlie.
And then I killer her for her shoes.
Hey, how did it go today? Well, it's not civil court.
Ah, civil court Where white people argue over white people problems.
Here, make yourself useful.
What is this? Witness statements, police reports, cop's memo book.
What am I looking for? A defense theory.
Well, shouldn't you have figured it out from the discovery? Ain't she cute? Discovery is called Rosario material and in criminal court we're not actually legally entitled to it, until after the jury is sworn.
That's not fair, how are you supposed to prepare? You're catching on.
What's with the redactions? That's the stuff that proves he's innocent.
Yeah, victim and witness, addresses and phone numbers, we could interview them but the prosecutor makes sure that we can't find them, in fact, they black it out so hard that even if you hold it up to the light [MUSIC PLAYING.]
Wait a minute.
Why didn't I catch that before? He missed one! This is the victim's boyfriend's address.
Do you still have those phone records? According to the report, she was on the phone with him when she was attacked and the cops never even talked to him.
Campbell, let's go see what Mr.
Boyfriend has to say.
Miss Wong, you were attacked at ten o'clock, coming from a yoga class, correct? Yes.
And when this person attacked you, he pushed you to the pavement face first, correct? Yes but I turned and saw him very clearly before he pushed me down.
Well, you were talking to your boyfriend James on the phone when you first heard someone behind you, - isn't that right? - Yes.
These are your cell phone records, you were talking to him for 42 minutes, right? I guess.
It was an emotional conversation, wasn't it? Yes, it was.
You were distraught and crying, weren't you? You'd been fighting for 42 minutes and James said he wanted to break up, right? - Yes.
- In fact, James said he wanted to break up and then you told him that you might be pregnant? What does that have to do with anything? I was almost raped! Your Honor, I am not trying to embarrass this witness, I'm just trying to get at her state of mind when she was attacked.
Overruled but you are on a very short leash.
Miss Wong, you're a college aged women who had sex! Nobody here is judging you, in fact, everyone in this room had sex at your age, except maybe Mr.
Hammond.
[CHUCKLING.]
You were this upset when you told James because you weren't happy about maybe being pregnant, right? Yes.
And, by the way, it was pretty dark out there because these three street lights were out that night, right? Yes, except the porch lights at the fraternity were on.
Ah, well this photograph taken by our defense investigator, just two days later, shows the fraternity lights out.
The fraternity was suspended.
They were suspended for hazing the day after I was attacked.
The lights were on that night.
I might have been crying but I saw who attacked me and I am one hundred percent sure it was him.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Judge, my client maintains the complainant attacked him first, he was defending himself.
The people offer an A misdemeanor and 90 days, Your Honor.
Alternatively we request 5000 dollars bail.
Five thousand? That's ridiculous! Five's not out of the ball park with a rap sheet as long as his, how about 60 days? Your Honor, my client lives in SRO, you might as well Is that a no? I'll wave motions, I want immediate an trial date.
How about December 19th? That is ten weeks away.
I can't manufacture trial parts, Miss Campbell.
What's happening? We're getting screwed, you gotta take the 60 days, Kenneth if you take the 60, you'll be out in 40, if you fight it, you're gonna be in for longer.
But I didn't do it and if I plead, I'll lose my room.
Counselor, what date do you want? I need ten more seconds, please! - December 19th for trial.
- Kenneth, take the plea.
Bring in the next case, please.
No, he'll take the plea, he'll take it.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
- I wanna take the 5 years.
- That deal is off the table.
Then I wanna testify.
Absolutely not, you have nothing to add! I got my story, my side.
That prosecutor will take you apart piece by piece.
You think I'm just some What, some dumb ass thug? Look, I know I may not dress like you or talk like you, with your, "Why, yes, Your Honor", we'd like to have this evidence thrown out of court, Na, Na.
" OK, you know what, you would make a horrible witness.
There are consequences, Randell, to your neck tattoos and your saggy pants, the jury is not gonna like you, not the white jurors and not the black ones either, including the brother who works for AT&T.
He is not gonna like you because he thinks you bring the curve down.
I don't like it but it is the truth.
If you want me to let you tell your story, I will.
But all of your anger and your resentment will spell out it is real, and it is justifiable.
But they will hate you and they will convict you.
Do you understand? [SIGH.]
[HEAVY BREATH.]
This closet is for our clients, Sullivan.
Not for you.
Although I am feeling that green floral jacket.
- Get out! - What's wrong with you? [HEAVY BREATHS.]
Maybe you should stop having these panic attacks if you'd admit you still have feelings for me.
Do you miss how I put it down a little bit? [MUSIC PLAYING.]
No, stop, stop! Worst idea ever! - Would I begged to differ? - No, you are like a donut.
You are like a maple, glaze, bacon donut.
You're just a few seconds of fun and you always regret after.
- So, in bed it would be fun? - This never happened, Charlie.
Don't worry.
I'm not gonna tell anyone.
Except maybe the court offices.
But I'm sure they'll keep it to themselves.
- I don't have a defense.
- No woman does.
Oh, my Do you claim a tax deduction for that ego? You worry too much, Sullivan.
You go home at night and you lie awake thinking about your clients.
When I go home, I'm drinking Macallan and playing Madden.
And that's the difference between us.
You don't care about your clients.
You just care about winning.
I care about my clients by caring about winning.
My guy has a shitty case.
He pleas.
He's a triable one, we try it.
And guess what? Most of the time my interest and my clients' overlap.
Wow! That's so inspiring.
You should copyright that.
In fact, if you become a supervisor why don't you just start a welcoming speech for the rookies What? Do you remember what Tom always said when we just started? - Go back to basics! - Go back to basics! Thanks, donut.
So, we'll go meet back in here later.
Gwen! - Charlie, again? - Shut up! [MUSIC PLAYING.]
[WINDOW RATTLING.]
- Hands up! Don't shoot! - Step away from the window.
I just talked to your boss.
He ain't happy.
What else can you do? Maybe you should reconsider the whole burglar thing.
If I was a blond named Jessica, would you still think I was a burglar? Mam, you were trying to jimmy the window.
- Good point.
- Why were you trying to get in to turn on the porch lights anyway? I was trying to see the lighting conditions.
This fraternity is on my beat.
Trust me, porch lights are blinding.
Are you saying this because it's true or because you want me to lose my case? I've got no dog in your fight.
I might have, But NYPD was not interested.
- Wait, what? - I was involved tracking the suspect that night.
We picked up some guy that fit the description, I radioed in to the NYPD.
They said they already got the guy.
They cut our guy loose.
Did you try and get paper work over to the Prosecutor? Of course.
- You withheld this.
- It was misfiled.
Seriously, Hammond? Counsels, address the court, not each other.
I just showed the victim this photo.
- She said that was not him.
- You know that doesn't matter.
My client's face was invented in her brain because of that ridiculous show-up.
Counselors, I said address yourselves to me.
Your Honor, this clearly is a Brady violation.
I want sanctions, dismiss the case.
Mr Hammond.
Did you know another person had been detained? - No, I did not.
- Bullshit! It's the reason why you offered my client three years because he knew if I found out his case would disappear.
One more curse word from you, and I will hold you in contempt.
That's like adult time out, but worse.
Now you can argue all of these to a Jury.
That's not enough.
My client has been in jail for nine months.
Stop throwing a temper tantrum! Your Honor, how many people are in Attica right now because the prosecution didn't forget the black guy's out of the witness' dress! One more word, Miss Sullivan! This is a joke! The DA's Office does this all the time.
And I expect it from a prick like him but not from you! You are supposed to care.
We are not processing savages.
These are human beings.
I mean, why will we even bother with a trial at all? Why don't we just take him back and hang him from a tree? Miss Sullivan, you are in contempt.
Officer Johnson, could you please escort her to lock-up? [MUSIC PLAYING.]
How should they pay you? Nickle bag just down on the corner and tell people who to buy from.
I think we might have a good story for the Grand Jury.
We are going to use the fact that the cops recovered drugs on you to our advantage.
- How? - We can make you a plain buyer.
You weren't steering anyone towards the dealer.
Okay? You bought.
Some guy asked you to escort.
There is a difference between sale and possession.
Cool! - You told them to lie.
- He is an addict facing a 4.
5 to 9 now for dealing.
And all he did was take 5 dollars worth of heroin to a point down the street.
The rules are there for a reason.
Have you been paying attention? My client just plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit because he couldn't afford a bail.
The rules are screwing our client.
But if we cheat, we only bring ourselves down to their level.
What are you doing here exactly? You just slumped it for a few months? I didn't ask for this.
I wanted in housing or immigration.
Oh, what happened? Mommy and Daddy, they didn't pull the right strings? You don't like me because I have money? I don't like you cause you think you are too good for this place.
Because you hate getting your hands dirty.
I mean, look at these two guys.
They don't look any more like two black men you just grab on the street.
It's the cross racial of it all.
Which I haven't brought up in court yet.
How would you do that without an expert? Why people don't like to admit we all look alike? Okay, okay.
I know the contempt thing is not very supervisorial.
But are you seriously considering Charlie? During a trial last month he kept mispronouncing - his client's name.
- He did win.
- It's all that matters.
- Gwen Last month, you chased down Judge Goldberg at his son's bar mitzvah demanding he lower someone's bail.
- Yeah.
- In the last trial you lost, you asked the Judge to hold the Jury four times.
Now you are in handcuffs three times in three days.
I mean, sometimes you are a little bit too passion? - What's wrong with passion? - Passion is great.
Passion gave me a heart attack at age 48.
I want you to go out there and apologize to Judge Blackwood.
Absolutely not.
Look Gwen, if you don't survive the last battles, then you can't win the war.
Apology accepted, Miss Sullivan.
She is a talented lawyer, Tom.
Oh, I know she is, Judge.
And I appreciate I mean, we appreciate your tolerance.
But she's just disrespectful.
I'm disciplined even if facial expressions in this court, they're indescribable - Holy shit! - See! There, right there! No, Your Honor.
It's just I got an idea.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Miss Wang, if I were a sketch artist what would you tell me about the man Who tried to rape you? Objection! Miss Sullivan is not in fact a sketch artist.
I'll allow it.
Eh He was black, tall, short hair.
What about the shape of his face? Regular, I guess, kind of oval-ish.
His hairline? Was it square, round? I'm not sure.
His eyes, were they wide set, closed together? - I'm not really sure.
- How about his nose? Was it large, small, wide, flat, pointy? - I don't know.
- How about his chin? Or his cheeck bones, his ears, his forehead.
Is there anything you can tell us? He was black.
Yes, you've told us.
He was black.
Miss Wang, based on your testimony just now this is the face of the man who tried to rape you.
My God! Objection! All right, not one more word, either of you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to ask you to step out, please.
Your honor, Ms.
Cooper is a sketch artist certified by the international association of identification.
Your honor, this is outrageous.
What is it outrageous is this man being ripped from his life and his family and charged with attempted rape based on nothing other than it was a black man who did it.
Your honor, after sitting in this court room for several hours, looking directly at Mr.
Louis, she can't even identify him.
No reasonable jury is going to be able to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed this crime.
This is absurd.
Sketch artists spend hours with their victim.
They have scores of questions designed to elicit an accurate description.
You wanna have the sketch artist do that right here? We can let the jury sit through the whole thing.
Mr.
Hamon? Then I am directing a not guilty verdict in favor of Mr.
Louis.
Your honor.
Mr.
Hamon, you get what you get and you don't get upset.
Not guilty.
It's over.
Thank you.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
Why are you in a closet? Internal crash.
Oh.
This place is a nightmare.
I know.
The computers are from like 1999, there's no support staff to speak of and the entire place has a smell.
My bad, I thought you were talking about the injustice.
Like the fact that my client almost went to prison because a college girl can't tell black people apart.
That too.
Does this get any better? In some ways it does.
You learn the law, you get more comfortable in court you even get used to the smell.
But chances are you'll screw up and some will go to jail because of it.
You just gotta learn to live with it.
All of it.
Have you? Vanessa, I'm sitting in a clothes closet.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
You ran the guilty plea down my client's throat yesterday.
I've got a hundred cases on my docket.
If I don't dispose of them quickly I hear about it from the chief junction and besides, if you didn't do this, you did something else.
You say some shit like that, it makes me not want to have sex with you.
Are you sure? You know, I hate that I can't manipulate you.
No, you don't.
It turns you on.
Maybe, maybe.
But right now, the other thing turns me off more.
I'll definitely be calling you.
Cheers.
You're gonna call twins? Not at the same time.
Shots are in the room.
Let's do this thing, Oh yes, double fisting.
Here's to the win.
Can't wait to do it again.
Drink number three and you haven't eaten, do not get drunk and fall on top of Charlie.
Mind your business.
It'll be my business next month when you all are fighting like cats and dogs and driving each other crazy and then you'll be like, âWhy didn't you stop me?â I'm not sleeping with Charlie, trust me.
You better not be sleeping with Charlie.
Are you gonna stand there, in that bad ass dress? Looking all fine and pretending you don't want me? Or you can live in this moment.
Forget all those do's and don'ts fooling around in that pretty little head of yours.
And come get this Maple glazed bacon donut.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
What's with you and these damn closets? Shut up.
- Hey, what's going on in there? - It's private! Next time on In Contempt - Ladies.
- Oh, my Lord! You slept with him last night! Charlie doesn't like anyone but himself.
- No! - Everybody's lying and don't expect the truth until they trust you.
Remember, you're the lawyer.
So, be confident and authoritative.
I don't care how you do it, but you gotta find a way to get your client to trust you.
Especially you.
You look and act just like a prosecutor.
There, Bennet.
That's the hot law professor? I would show off for his office hours.
So here's to old friends reconnecting.
I'll drink to that.