Harry's Law (2011) s01e03 Episode Script
Innocent Man
Previously on Harry's Law In all your years as a patent attorney, did you ever have one client who truly needed you? Welcome to the neighborhood.
I'm sorry.
We've just been sued by a former employee Why was this man discharged? She was fired for getting pregnant.
We have a one-child policy.
Just like China, baby, China, baby.
Gee, I wonder who the jury's gonna side with.
Tommy Jefferson, kid.
- You little snot! - Don't call me little! - All right.
- Did you say, "Ohio Supreme Court"? See you in court.
You can help Adam.
It'll be your first official assignment as our new paralegal.
Thank you.
Come again.
You're welcome.
Here, my girlfriend is right here.
How we doing, Harry? Meet Father Jimmy Nance.
We call him Big Papi, 'cause he got a direct dial line to you-know-who.
In case you need any spiritual advice.
Thanks.
I self-medicate.
I didn't realize you were Catholic, Damien.
My relationship with Big Papi goes a little deeper than God and religion, know what I'm saying? I'm his bookie.
That's for another day.
Right now, he got a problem.
And it's a big one, which is why I bring him to you.
Big Papi, I leave you with Big Mama.
I run First Lady of Saint Francis, and we do a lot for many needy people.
You know, I give them food, clothes and shelter.
The over and under.
Times are tough.
I have to resort to unconventional means to raise money for worthy causes.
- Is that your problem? - No.
This is all privileged, right? All your secrets are safe, including your little thing for women's shoes.
Okay, w-what I'm about to tell you, I could be defrocked for doing so.
Okay.
A congregant of mine took his own life.
And before he did so, he came in for his final confession.
And he told me that his false testimony led to the murder conviction of an innocent man.
Jeffrey Rollins is serving a life sentence, and he was convicted essentially-- and, I believe, solely-- on the eyewitness testimony of my congregant, testimony that was a lie.
In fact, he told me that he witnessed somebody else committing the crime.
Now, I-I'd like to go forward and-and correct this horrible injustice, but I'd be excommunicated for breaking the confessional seal.
I'd lose my church.
Look, no D.
A.
is ever going to release a convicted murderer on my word-- "A priest told me so.
" If you're really serious about fixing this, you'll have to go on record.
In which case I'll be defrocked.
Well, I hear the Episcopalians are looking.
I can't submit some sort of a-a blind affidavit or? I'm afraid not.
Yeah, then then I'll go forward.
I can't let an innocent man rot in prison for something he didn't do.
You pick today? Of all days, you pick today? Tomorrow, I go before the parole board.
All goes according to plan, I walk away a free man.
You know how the parole board works, lady? Don't call me "lady.
" And I know how it works.
Sort of.
Why don't you tell me what you know? I was up four years ago.
The warden recommended my release.
I've been a model prisoner.
But I got turned down 'cause the parole board wants you to accept responsibility for what you've done, even if you hadn't done it.
I refused to admit guilt to something I ain't guilty of, so they denied my parole.
What you here for, pray for me? He's here risking his career to save you, so perhaps you could try to be less of a prick.
Two years ago, I'm up for parole again, denied again, same thing.
After that hearing, a parole board officer looks me in the eye and says all I got to do is accept responsibility.
You feel me? The only thing between me and the street tomorrow is me saying I'm sorry for what I did, even though I didn't do it.
So, tomorrow, you plan to say you did it.
Look, it took me some to get to this place, lady.
And now for you to come in Father, I appreciate you risking what you had to do here.
I really do.
It's just Get the hell out of here.
Both of you.
Look, you talk about walking the street tomorrow as a free man.
You won't be a free man.
You'll be on parole.
There's a difference.
You get pulled over for a DUI, shove somebody at a bar, get a speeding ticket, you do anything, you're right back in prison doing time for murder.
That isn't something a free man has to worry about.
As for a job, forget it.
College kids graduating at the top of their class can't get work.
A man on parole with murder on his resume won't be bumped to the top of anybody's list.
And here's something else.
If you ever want your name back, or you ever want a shot at a new trial, you can forget that if you go on record tomorrow saying you were guilty.
Parole isn't real freedom, Mr.
Rollins.
You'd just be a murderer on furlough.
You believe that guy? Talk about no good deed going unpunished.
Well, you got the last word in, that's all that really matters.
You feeling good about that little speech? You maybe just talked him out of doing the one thing that could get him out.
Sir, sir! You need to calm down.
Look, if you want me to help Is anybody here hurt? No.
Nobody's hurt.
You telling me the emergency is a broken window? Fung? Chunhua? Back off, please.
I'm their lawyer; don't talk to me that way.
They threw a brick through our window.
Did you see who? No, we didn't see who, we didn't see.
Look, just back off, okay?! It's because of this case.
Well Look at this.
I told him that I was pregnant, and he fired me.
Just like that.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
Check the Internet blogs, you'll see that everybody hates us.
How long before the Ohio Supreme Court? That could take awhile.
Tell them they win.
We'll give her her job back.
My father always said that one day I would have to rise up to the legacy of my name, Thomas Jefferson.
Well, that day has arrived.
Well, well, well.
So, you want to give her her job back.
What about that big speech I heard the other day? Who's going to save the planet? Not always about the law, is it, kid? Sometimes it's politics, sometimes it's people, sometimes it's me.
You thought you could take me on, I understand.
Kids do.
They're young.
And now here you sit, a little wiser, a little more humble.
You kid, you.
You gnat.
You peepy-squeaky, little bug.
Say it for me, will you kid? So I can at least know you've learned something.
Say "I'm a peepy-squeaky, little bug.
" I won't say that.
Interesting.
Well, I'm not settling.
What do you mean, you're not? - We're giving the woman her job back.
- Yeah.
Come back when you're prepared to give her the job and two million dollars.
Two million? Are you on drugs? Your original ask was, like, one.
That's when I liked you.
Now I don't.
You know you'll never get that kind You want this case to go on, so you can milk the publicity.
That's what this is.
Which you're afraid of, that's why you're now crawling in here.
Tell you what.
Two million, you say, "I'm a peepy-squeaky, little bug," and you can walk out happy.
What, no card to play? Nothing? Gee, you were so cocksure in court, putting on the grand show.
All you can do is sit now and take it.
Well, bend over, kid, you little imp.
You were rude to me, you ridiculed me.
Nobody does that.
You hear me? You peepy-squeaky, rude, arrogant, little shill.
You nothing little bug.
I feel like it's my fault.
I sort of led them into this with my vision, you know, of the Ohio Supreme Court and - The girl.
You two had sex yet? - What? No.
- Come on.
Come on.
- I haven't.
I haven't! Oh, you're doing that thing to me, that thing you used to do where you'd be making fun of me and I wouldn't have a clue.
Why are we here, Adam? It's not to have sex with me.
- What? - Come on.
I'm not! Oh, you're doing it again.
Good one.
Ha.
Why are we here? Well, your thing was always, you know, unconventional.
- So it is about sex.
- What? Oh.
No.
I thought maybe you'd have an idea.
I mean, the man refuses to even convey my offer.
So you convey it.
- Me? - Why not? You have her name; do you know her address? I can't go to a represented client behind the lawyer's back.
He's not going to report you.
His not conveying the offer is just as unethical.
And if it is about making good with Chunhua, throw yourself on the grenade a little bit; women love that.
Tommy is not going to report you.
Just go tell the woman the offer.
It was a bit sanctimonious of me to counsel you against professing guilt tomorrow.
If it were me, I'd probably do whatever I had to to get my ass out.
I just thought I should come back and say that.
Got it.
That it? Yeah.
Well, best of luck, Mr.
Rollins.
Will you come? I'm sorry? To the parole board.
Probably wouldn't hurt.
You seem like the kind of sympathetic crap they'd fall for.
You make me feel special.
What time is the hearing? Ten o'clock.
Look, if you're going to say you did it, fine.
But your heart-- let's assume you've got one-- better be in it.
Clearly, right now it isn't.
I got a son.
Never met him.
Ain't given him a damn thing in life.
Figured at least one day my name would be cleared and he'd be able to know his father wasn't no killer.
But now guess he won't even get that.
Nope.
Once you accept guilt, you own it.
Are you a lawyer? No, ma'am.
I'm a paralegal.
Well, all the lawyers are busy at the moment, and, uh, one of my jobs as a paralegal is to meet with prospective clients, then report to the lawyers so they can better decide whether legal representation can help you.
Why don't we start with you telling me your problem? I'm fat.
- Well - And the reason I'm fat is because of that Fast Food Row down on Third I got to pass by every day, on my way to work, on my way home.
What do you mean, you said maybe? Well, she's not looking for money so much as she is to shut them down.
Now, I did a little research, and it's possible to carve out - a nuisance claim.
- No, it isn't.
There's science and stuff that says fast food is addictive, - plus, those places - It's been tried, it's been done, Malcolm.
They've been sued for this very thing.
- Not by you, they haven't.
- Wait, don't tell me.
You have a feeling about me.
Wow.
You really skipped your happy juice this morning, didn't you? Can I just do a little more research, see what I turn up? No.
Harry, come on.
What's the harm? Do the research.
It's an alternative proposal.
You want to settle, this gets it done.
Look, first of all, I'm not the lawyer on this; he is.
Yeah, I don't deal with him.
He's rude.
Here's why you're going to like this.
I've amended the complaint to include infliction of emotional distress.
Back off, rude.
We settle under that theory, your client's homeowner's covers it.
They're not out of pocket.
But your client still gets $2 million.
Huh.
Bug! It's a good way to go, Harry.
You know what? I'm a little busy at the moment.
Leave it here, and I'll look it over.
Yvonne.
Hi.
Harry, this is Yvonne Morris.
- Harry Korn.
- Hello.
This is the lady that wants to sue - the fast food joints.
- Malcolm, we can't take that case.
I told you.
- Why not? - Ms.
Morris, perhaps you have a legitimate claim, but we're a very small firm, and we need to choose the windmills we tilt at carefully.
Suing those restaurants-- they're huge corporations, right up there with Big Oil.
Could take years.
And we can't afford to do that, especially on a contingency.
I'm very, very sorry.
Look, I'm sorry.
Well, can't you do it? I'm not a lawyer, remember? Hey, kid.
Bring the woman to me.
Tommy Jefferson.
As good as it gets.
Bring her to me.
Well, Mr.
Rollins, uh Looking at the file, listening to the witnesses, we seem to be in the exact same place we were two years ago.
By all accounts, you've been an exemplary inmate.
Helped to innovate many positive programs which have benefited the prison community.
The institutional parole officer has argued passionately for your release, as has the warden.
Nothing's changed at all.
Unless maybe I'm mistaken.
Do you bring anything new to the table today, Mr.
Rollins? Yes, Ms.
Powell.
I would like to say how sorry I am for killing Ethan Montana.
I would like to express my sadness to his family.
I would also like to say to the board that I am not the person I was back then when I committed this crime.
Four years ago, then again two years ago, you were maintaining your innocence of this crime, quite adamantly in fact.
What happened? I just searched my soul.
Had to be honest with myself and God.
Did you ever talk to the prison chaplain about all of this? No, ma'am.
Did you ever write a letter to anybody expressing your remorse? No, ma'am.
Anything else you'd like to say to us? Well, just that I've had And I believe I'm ready to get on with my life and have a positive impact on society.
Okay, then, why don't you give us a few minutes to confer? Then we'll give you our decision.
- Ms.
Kremp? - Yes? My name is Adam Branch.
I'm one of the lawyers representing Lao's Laundromat, your prior place of employment.
May I come in? Well, I don't know that I should be speaking with you.
No, ordinarily you should not.
Are you aware there's an offer on the table, Ms.
Kremp? I think you should hear what I have to say.
Well, Mr.
Rollins, first let me say, this entire board salutes you.
The reputation and character you established for yourself in prison-- it's quite remarkable.
Honestly, you've been such a good influence on the younger inmates, we almost hate to lose you.
It is the decision of this board, however, that you have not been sincere with us.
A person searching his soul quite likely would have engaged his clergy in that pursuit.
You did not.
A person feeling guilt and sorrow toward the victim's family might have reached out to them.
You did not.
You're not really accepting responsibility for this crime, are you, Mr.
Rollins? You're just saying what you think you must to see the sunlight.
Did you commit this crime, Mr.
Rollins? Mr.
Rollins, did you commit this crime? It's really a simple question.
Did you commit the crime for which you were convicted? No.
No, I did not.
Your parole petition is regrettably denied.
This board is adjourned.
- Hold on just a second.
- You don't get to be heard at this proceeding, counsel.
Well, I damn well will be heard.
You denied parole twice because he refused to admit guilt.
You now deny it again because he does.
I'm sorry, Ms.
Korn, this hearing is over.
- You think this is over? - Have a pleasant day.
It may be your right to deny this man his freedom, but how dare you be flippant about it.
Would you like me to have security remove you? Yeah, do it.
You may have the power to throw me out of this room, but I've got the means to haul you into a bigger one.
- Oh, you think so, do you? - I know so.
This is anything but over, you stuck-up bitch.
Father Nance is still on board.
I have a meeting with the D.
A.
at 5:00, and then I'll let you know.
Wasting your time, lady.
- I'll tell you that right now.
- Maybe so, but let's have a little pact, just between the two of us.
I will go to the D.
A.
and do whatever I can do to effect your release, and you will practice at not being an asshole.
That sound good? And enough with the glaring, okay? You're not that scary.
Okay.
I'm not going to waste your time, you're not going to waste mine.
You're biting off even more than you can chew.
These are the heavyweights you're going after, pardon the pun.
They have armies of lawyers.
Here's what's good.
You're fat, poor, and black.
That makes you a triple-crown plaintiff.
Here's what's bad.
I don't sympathize with you.
You're grumpy; that bugs me.
Nobody likes a grump.
Bottom line: if the jury doesn't love you, you're done.
So that means, between now and trial, you need to become sympathetic.
You have to try things you've never attempted before, things like, say, smiling.
You need to have a personality makeover, and you need to come out likable.
Look, I don't think you need to be Where's it say you talk? You don't talk.
These companies? Likable.
Very.
Want a little light reading? Here's a list of all the charity work they do.
Set aside they cause people to stroke out, they also do socially responsible work, like curing kids with cancer.
That's a jury trump card.
They do disaster relief for Katrina victims, they work with Greenpeace to save the planet, college scholarships for the underprivileged, billions of dollars for people in need.
What do you do? What do you do? - Whose side are you on? - I'll be on your side when the time comes, trust me, but these are the things the other side will be raising at trial.
This will be a war.
I will wage it, but you have got to do everything I tell you to do.
You understand? Otherwise, forget it.
Out.
I'll call.
Look, this congregant could have been paid off to make this confession.
Perhaps Oh, yes, and he was paid to commit suicide, too.
Maybe he planned to commit suicide, he wanted some money to take care of loved ones.
I don't know, you don't know.
It could be anything, and we have no means of flushing it out 'cause the guy is dead.
An innocent man is in jail for a murder he didn't We don't know he's innocent, that's the point.
Look, if you want to bring me evidence, Ms.
Korn, I'll be happy to look at it, but hearsay from a bookie? Uh-uh.
I'm going to the judge, with or without you.
It'll be without me, sorry.
Could you at least pretend you give a crap? You didn't have to be so rough - with the woman.
- Okay, first, I did.
She needs to know what she's in for.
Second, she certainly needs to appreciate the difficulty of her case.
And third, I'm still looking for where it says you talk.
Let me lay out the players' program for you.
I am the lawyer, Yvonne is the client, and you're the kid who gave her a lift to my office.
Here's the legal research I did, in case you're interested.
How about a little thank you for taking your fat friend's case? Ah.
People aren't grateful in life.
But let's assume your client is innocent.
The only means of knowing that is a sealed confession to a priest, which would be inadmissible.
I don't think the privilege - would survive the death of - Oh yes, it would.
Trust me.
The clergy privilege is a big one.
Okay, Randy, let's say that's all true.
- It is.
- In the meantime, we've got an innocent man serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit.
Are you telling me smart minds can't figure out a way to fix this? Really? No.
All I'm saying is, you're not going to fix it with a dead man's confession to his priest.
And as a practical matter, Harry, if you try, you're only going to end up causing a lot of anguish for your client, not to mention the murder victim's family, who right now think they have closure.
I'm talking to you as a judge and as your friend.
Let this one go.
I can't.
What a surprise.
Who wrote this crap? You didn't write it.
Who wrote it? - I did, actually.
- You go to law school? - No.
I want to.
- Seriously, where did you get this? I researched it on Westlaw.
You bought the memo on line, didn't you? No.
I told you, I wrote it myself.
- It's good.
- It is? Not as good as I'd do, but for a little drug-addict office boy, it's very good.
Thanks.
How'd you like to assist me on this case? Chance of a lifetime.
You get to observe Tommy Jefferson up close.
Well, I think about it.
But what's to think about? We're talking about me.
Struck out with the D.
A.
, struck out with the judge, but I did talk to a P.
I.
, so we can at least begin a little digging on the evidence front.
If something turns up, we can get a new trial on that.
What is it with these looks? Do you have a crush on me? Is that it? I'm just trying to figure out what's in this for you.
This some white-guilt thing? What? You hit-and-run some black dude, and now you're trying to make amends for something? Okay, Jeffrey, up until now, you haven't really offended me with all your bull.
Now you have.
So before we continue on, let's set the record straight.
Screw you.
Okay? Screw you.
Now, I did manage to persuade my judge friend to get me an audience with the Ohio Appellate Court, where I'd like to challenge the parole board hearing.
In the spirit of full disclosure, parole board rulings are non-reviewable, so I figure to get bounced right out.
But I'm going to try, just the same.
I'm also going to try to get you transferred over so you can be in the courtroom.
I always like to put a face on cases, though yours gives me pause.
If I can effect that transfer, I'll see you in court.
If not, I'll see you back here.
Any questions? Wonderful.
Wait a second, wait a second.
He came to your house? That's not the point, Mr.
Jefferson It's my point.
He came to your house? Why didn't you tell me that they'd offered me my job back? Because the offer was an insult to me-- to you It wasn't an insult.
It's what I wanted.
Look, I've been doing this a long time, and trust me, clients rarely know what they want.
I've called other attorneys.
They've all said the notion of me getting two million dollars is laughable.
That's because they all have one thing in common.
- Which is? - They're not me.
You have a reputation of maximizing your profile at the expense of the client.
And who told you that? Mr.
Bug? I don't need to maximize my profile.
Look at that wall.
I rub shoulders with presidents.
I play golf with Pete Rose.
My child was baptized by the Pope.
I'm accepting the offer.
I can't let you do that.
It's my decision! We have a date with the Ohio Supreme Court.
I'm canceling the date.
You're fired.
What'd you say? I said, you're fired.
As far as the parole board is concerned, - the inmate is guilty, so - That doesn't mean The only question is, is he rehabilitated? And whether he accepts responsibility for his actions is certainly relevant to that question.
But Judge, how can we tell a man convinced of his innocence to say he's guilty, when he's perhaps He is guilty, Counsel, at least for the purpose of a parole hearing.
Are you not listening? Otherwise, every such hearing could turn into a reexamination of the evidence.
Now, you can't be suggesting that, can you? Your Honor, I understand that for the purpose of the parole hearing, he's guilty.
I get that.
But certainly, all of you get that our criminal justice system, perfect as it is, churns out thousands of wrongful convictions a year.
Which means, as a matter of fact, these parole boards commonly, if not routinely, look into the eyes of prisoners who are innocent.
And for us to insist these innocent people profess guilt in order to get their parole We don't insist that.
The Ohio Parole Board does not require a prisoner to admit guilt.
In many other states they do, but Oh, come on! As a practical matter, a prisoner's chances of getting released are almost nil if he doesn't admit guilt.
It's a de facto requirement, and you know it.
- Counsel - And should he admit guilt, that means he can't get a new trial.
He can't ever clear his name.
Not to mention, the admission itself is a lie and a fraud.
Do we care about that? Don't get snide with us, Counsel.
You think you're the first lawyer to raise the innocent prisoner dilemma? We're well aware of the potential unfairness of Which makes your acquiescence all the more disgusting, then.
Is this your style, Counsel? To gain an audience with the Appellate Court only so that you can insult us? I'm more concerned with the insult to that man right there.
He's had to endure - for something he did not do.
- I think we're done.
- Judge! - I said we're done.
Now, my patience has run out.
Your patience has run out? That's what you said? - Jeffrey - Is that what you just said? You out of patience? Mr.
Rollins, I would advise you not to speak.
Yeah, I got that advice 25 years ago from my public defender, but this may be the only and last time I get to say my say in a courtroom, so - Jeffrey! - You talk about respecting the system.
The system put me in here based on a lie.
And now you're telling me I got to lie to get out.
Is that the system you so respect? Well, I didn't do it.
I did not do it! Now I got to live with everybody thinking I did, even my own son.
And now the guy who put me here-- his conscience finally got the better of him, and you don't care.
You just worried about your damn system.
Well, tell me, when does conscience ever get the better of you? If I could just get from the court an order that the Ohio Parole Board not condition my client's release on his admission of guilt.
As you said, that is technically the law, so at least give us that.
What do you mean, you're working with Tommy? I'm just helping Yvonne Morris.
He took that case.
Your job is here, Malcolm.
It's just, he's giving me real law work to do, Harry.
It would be a good experience.
You're a freshman in college, not an attorney.
You're not qualified to do real law work.
Whatever I do with Tommy won't interfere with my work here.
See that it doesn't.
Make any gestures, and you're fired.
I'm off to see the parole board.
You got something to say? Nope.
Malcolm.
That's just her way.
So this is what it's all about.
I get it now.
You throw away your law career for love.
Peepy-squeaky, little love.
The things we do for lu-uh-ove.
Know what you did, you peepy-squeaky, little bug? Chunhua, you remember Tommy.
You just committed professional suicide.
You went to a represented client behind her lawyer's back.
You're dead.
You're done.
Pass the jam.
I'm looking at toast, you peepy-squeaky Oh, come on, Tommy.
That's only if you report me, which we know you won't, because you failed to convey an offer made to a client.
That's also grounds for disbarment, especially since you should know better.
Whereas me-- well, I'm just a kid.
Kids make mistakes.
We're young.
It's what kids do.
Let me tell you, Tommy.
Sometimes it isn't always about the law.
Sometimes it's people, sometimes it's politics.
Sometimes, well it just isn't you.
You know what sets me off more than anything, you little fart? Rude.
I don't like rude.
It'll be the death of you-- rude.
It'll be written on your tombstone.
"He was rude to Tommy Jefferson.
" The death of you.
I'm a little confused, Ms.
Korn.
What do you expect us to do? I expect you to not condition Mr.
Rollins's release on his admission of guilt in compliance with the law, and the order I just received - from the Appeals Court.
- We didn't.
Our decision was based on a multitude of factors.
That isn't true, and you know it.
It is true.
You were here.
You heard me.
Our decision was based primarily on his lack of sincerity with the board.
He lied.
He said he was sorry for a murder which he doesn't even admit committing.
This isn't fair.
Well, I don't mean to sound harsh, but he isn't owed fairness, only due process.
You know what? Whether he's owed fairness or not, how about we give him some, just the same? He's done 25 years.
Even if you choose to believe he's guilty, he's done the time.
He was a model prisoner.
So exemplary that you yourself said the prison would suffer if you lost him.
The warden says let the man go, everyone to review this matter.
For God's sake, whether the law requires it or not, let's be fair.
Mr.
Rollins? Anything to add? Nothing? One thing.
I am not guilty of that murder.
But I am guilty of condemning the judicial process that put me here.
Of condemning all the players in that process, including you.
I think my hatred has been in the room.
At this hearing, and the ones that came before.
You people didn't put me here.
I know that.
I realize that not everybody deserves my hatred.
Some Some should even get my gratitude.
Anyway I'm sorry about I've been a good man in here.
I'll be a good man out there, too, if given the opportunity.
That's all.
Mr.
Jeffrey Rollins, your parole petition is granted.
This board is adjourned.
Did she just say that? She did.
Adam told me of your little misunderstanding.
Misunderstanding? Is that how he called it? First of all, he's just a kid.
Second, you were at fault here, too.
I didn't have time to convey the offer.
He beat me to her.
Let me deal with him, okay? Let me ask you something.
What are you doing, opening a new firm at your age? Ouch.
Why don't you come work with me? - It'll be much more cushy.
- Work with you? Are you out of What would possess you to ask me that? First, I actually like you.
Not your rude associate, but I like you.
Second, you have real pedigree.
As good as I am, and I'm very good, I never get invited to the judges' lunches or It'd be good for me to have a horse like you in my stable.
Get me invited to some of those Well, Tommy, if you want to be taken more seriously, why the big circus act? Really? I mean, why do you need all that pomp and ridiculous nonsense? It's a fair question.
What's the answer? When I was first starting out, I had a case.
I was getting my clock cleaned.
I got these terrible stomach pains.
Gas, mostly.
It got so bad, that I opened the buttons on my pants, you know, below the table, to get a little relief.
I forgot about it.
And when it was my turn to stand, my pants fell down.
The jury smiled.
They laughed.
They thought I did it on purpose.
Anyway, they were suddenly with me.
They actually liked me.
I went on to win the trial You could say I've been dropping trou ever since.
Whatever works, you know? Dignity has been known to work.
Not my strong suit.
Anyway, listen, I'll withdraw the complaint against your boy.
I'll do that for you.
Not him.
He's rude.
He's got talent, but he's rude.
Thank you.
You sure you don't want to grab dinner, or? I'd love to, but I promised my father I'd Actually, I will have dinner.
We settled our case, we have reason to celebrate, right? We? Is that a you-me "We," or a you, me and your father "We"? It's a you, me and my father "We.
" But maybe you and I can do his celebrating for him.
That sounds like a plan.
Thank you, Adam.
I'm sorry you don't get to have your Supreme Court, pretty girl in the stands moment.
But this one worked for me.
Thank you.
That was nice.
Yeah.
Okay.
Where to? You still know anybody in this neighborhood, or? Probably not.
Been 25 years since I lived there, so But I'd daydream every day walking down that street, a free man.
That dream got me through most days, so What about Where are you going to sleep? Do you have a place? Lady, if you're inviting me over to your place Oh, I'm not, don't worry.
And stop calling me "Lady.
" Prison gave me the name of a hostel.
Said I can stay there.
I'll be okay.
Think you'll track down your son? Might.
Well, thanks.
Jeffrey? I think the reason they let you out they finally saw some humility.
You're going to need a lot of that humility on the outside.
There's nobody more entitled to his rage than you.
But anger, it can be a killer.
Did somebody once tell you that little glare of yours was effective? 'Cause I gotta tell you, it's about as attractive as it is scary.
Can I go now? If you need any help, and you probably will, don't be a dope.
Call.
Got it.
Go on, then.
If this is your daydream, get on with the stupid thing.
I've got plans.
Lady? Thank you.
So I remember every face Of every man who put me here Hello? Oh, hi, Adam.
No, I'm not busy.
I'm just, um I'm just watching a man take a walk.
Any day now
I'm sorry.
We've just been sued by a former employee Why was this man discharged? She was fired for getting pregnant.
We have a one-child policy.
Just like China, baby, China, baby.
Gee, I wonder who the jury's gonna side with.
Tommy Jefferson, kid.
- You little snot! - Don't call me little! - All right.
- Did you say, "Ohio Supreme Court"? See you in court.
You can help Adam.
It'll be your first official assignment as our new paralegal.
Thank you.
Come again.
You're welcome.
Here, my girlfriend is right here.
How we doing, Harry? Meet Father Jimmy Nance.
We call him Big Papi, 'cause he got a direct dial line to you-know-who.
In case you need any spiritual advice.
Thanks.
I self-medicate.
I didn't realize you were Catholic, Damien.
My relationship with Big Papi goes a little deeper than God and religion, know what I'm saying? I'm his bookie.
That's for another day.
Right now, he got a problem.
And it's a big one, which is why I bring him to you.
Big Papi, I leave you with Big Mama.
I run First Lady of Saint Francis, and we do a lot for many needy people.
You know, I give them food, clothes and shelter.
The over and under.
Times are tough.
I have to resort to unconventional means to raise money for worthy causes.
- Is that your problem? - No.
This is all privileged, right? All your secrets are safe, including your little thing for women's shoes.
Okay, w-what I'm about to tell you, I could be defrocked for doing so.
Okay.
A congregant of mine took his own life.
And before he did so, he came in for his final confession.
And he told me that his false testimony led to the murder conviction of an innocent man.
Jeffrey Rollins is serving a life sentence, and he was convicted essentially-- and, I believe, solely-- on the eyewitness testimony of my congregant, testimony that was a lie.
In fact, he told me that he witnessed somebody else committing the crime.
Now, I-I'd like to go forward and-and correct this horrible injustice, but I'd be excommunicated for breaking the confessional seal.
I'd lose my church.
Look, no D.
A.
is ever going to release a convicted murderer on my word-- "A priest told me so.
" If you're really serious about fixing this, you'll have to go on record.
In which case I'll be defrocked.
Well, I hear the Episcopalians are looking.
I can't submit some sort of a-a blind affidavit or? I'm afraid not.
Yeah, then then I'll go forward.
I can't let an innocent man rot in prison for something he didn't do.
You pick today? Of all days, you pick today? Tomorrow, I go before the parole board.
All goes according to plan, I walk away a free man.
You know how the parole board works, lady? Don't call me "lady.
" And I know how it works.
Sort of.
Why don't you tell me what you know? I was up four years ago.
The warden recommended my release.
I've been a model prisoner.
But I got turned down 'cause the parole board wants you to accept responsibility for what you've done, even if you hadn't done it.
I refused to admit guilt to something I ain't guilty of, so they denied my parole.
What you here for, pray for me? He's here risking his career to save you, so perhaps you could try to be less of a prick.
Two years ago, I'm up for parole again, denied again, same thing.
After that hearing, a parole board officer looks me in the eye and says all I got to do is accept responsibility.
You feel me? The only thing between me and the street tomorrow is me saying I'm sorry for what I did, even though I didn't do it.
So, tomorrow, you plan to say you did it.
Look, it took me some to get to this place, lady.
And now for you to come in Father, I appreciate you risking what you had to do here.
I really do.
It's just Get the hell out of here.
Both of you.
Look, you talk about walking the street tomorrow as a free man.
You won't be a free man.
You'll be on parole.
There's a difference.
You get pulled over for a DUI, shove somebody at a bar, get a speeding ticket, you do anything, you're right back in prison doing time for murder.
That isn't something a free man has to worry about.
As for a job, forget it.
College kids graduating at the top of their class can't get work.
A man on parole with murder on his resume won't be bumped to the top of anybody's list.
And here's something else.
If you ever want your name back, or you ever want a shot at a new trial, you can forget that if you go on record tomorrow saying you were guilty.
Parole isn't real freedom, Mr.
Rollins.
You'd just be a murderer on furlough.
You believe that guy? Talk about no good deed going unpunished.
Well, you got the last word in, that's all that really matters.
You feeling good about that little speech? You maybe just talked him out of doing the one thing that could get him out.
Sir, sir! You need to calm down.
Look, if you want me to help Is anybody here hurt? No.
Nobody's hurt.
You telling me the emergency is a broken window? Fung? Chunhua? Back off, please.
I'm their lawyer; don't talk to me that way.
They threw a brick through our window.
Did you see who? No, we didn't see who, we didn't see.
Look, just back off, okay?! It's because of this case.
Well Look at this.
I told him that I was pregnant, and he fired me.
Just like that.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
Check the Internet blogs, you'll see that everybody hates us.
How long before the Ohio Supreme Court? That could take awhile.
Tell them they win.
We'll give her her job back.
My father always said that one day I would have to rise up to the legacy of my name, Thomas Jefferson.
Well, that day has arrived.
Well, well, well.
So, you want to give her her job back.
What about that big speech I heard the other day? Who's going to save the planet? Not always about the law, is it, kid? Sometimes it's politics, sometimes it's people, sometimes it's me.
You thought you could take me on, I understand.
Kids do.
They're young.
And now here you sit, a little wiser, a little more humble.
You kid, you.
You gnat.
You peepy-squeaky, little bug.
Say it for me, will you kid? So I can at least know you've learned something.
Say "I'm a peepy-squeaky, little bug.
" I won't say that.
Interesting.
Well, I'm not settling.
What do you mean, you're not? - We're giving the woman her job back.
- Yeah.
Come back when you're prepared to give her the job and two million dollars.
Two million? Are you on drugs? Your original ask was, like, one.
That's when I liked you.
Now I don't.
You know you'll never get that kind You want this case to go on, so you can milk the publicity.
That's what this is.
Which you're afraid of, that's why you're now crawling in here.
Tell you what.
Two million, you say, "I'm a peepy-squeaky, little bug," and you can walk out happy.
What, no card to play? Nothing? Gee, you were so cocksure in court, putting on the grand show.
All you can do is sit now and take it.
Well, bend over, kid, you little imp.
You were rude to me, you ridiculed me.
Nobody does that.
You hear me? You peepy-squeaky, rude, arrogant, little shill.
You nothing little bug.
I feel like it's my fault.
I sort of led them into this with my vision, you know, of the Ohio Supreme Court and - The girl.
You two had sex yet? - What? No.
- Come on.
Come on.
- I haven't.
I haven't! Oh, you're doing that thing to me, that thing you used to do where you'd be making fun of me and I wouldn't have a clue.
Why are we here, Adam? It's not to have sex with me.
- What? - Come on.
I'm not! Oh, you're doing it again.
Good one.
Ha.
Why are we here? Well, your thing was always, you know, unconventional.
- So it is about sex.
- What? Oh.
No.
I thought maybe you'd have an idea.
I mean, the man refuses to even convey my offer.
So you convey it.
- Me? - Why not? You have her name; do you know her address? I can't go to a represented client behind the lawyer's back.
He's not going to report you.
His not conveying the offer is just as unethical.
And if it is about making good with Chunhua, throw yourself on the grenade a little bit; women love that.
Tommy is not going to report you.
Just go tell the woman the offer.
It was a bit sanctimonious of me to counsel you against professing guilt tomorrow.
If it were me, I'd probably do whatever I had to to get my ass out.
I just thought I should come back and say that.
Got it.
That it? Yeah.
Well, best of luck, Mr.
Rollins.
Will you come? I'm sorry? To the parole board.
Probably wouldn't hurt.
You seem like the kind of sympathetic crap they'd fall for.
You make me feel special.
What time is the hearing? Ten o'clock.
Look, if you're going to say you did it, fine.
But your heart-- let's assume you've got one-- better be in it.
Clearly, right now it isn't.
I got a son.
Never met him.
Ain't given him a damn thing in life.
Figured at least one day my name would be cleared and he'd be able to know his father wasn't no killer.
But now guess he won't even get that.
Nope.
Once you accept guilt, you own it.
Are you a lawyer? No, ma'am.
I'm a paralegal.
Well, all the lawyers are busy at the moment, and, uh, one of my jobs as a paralegal is to meet with prospective clients, then report to the lawyers so they can better decide whether legal representation can help you.
Why don't we start with you telling me your problem? I'm fat.
- Well - And the reason I'm fat is because of that Fast Food Row down on Third I got to pass by every day, on my way to work, on my way home.
What do you mean, you said maybe? Well, she's not looking for money so much as she is to shut them down.
Now, I did a little research, and it's possible to carve out - a nuisance claim.
- No, it isn't.
There's science and stuff that says fast food is addictive, - plus, those places - It's been tried, it's been done, Malcolm.
They've been sued for this very thing.
- Not by you, they haven't.
- Wait, don't tell me.
You have a feeling about me.
Wow.
You really skipped your happy juice this morning, didn't you? Can I just do a little more research, see what I turn up? No.
Harry, come on.
What's the harm? Do the research.
It's an alternative proposal.
You want to settle, this gets it done.
Look, first of all, I'm not the lawyer on this; he is.
Yeah, I don't deal with him.
He's rude.
Here's why you're going to like this.
I've amended the complaint to include infliction of emotional distress.
Back off, rude.
We settle under that theory, your client's homeowner's covers it.
They're not out of pocket.
But your client still gets $2 million.
Huh.
Bug! It's a good way to go, Harry.
You know what? I'm a little busy at the moment.
Leave it here, and I'll look it over.
Yvonne.
Hi.
Harry, this is Yvonne Morris.
- Harry Korn.
- Hello.
This is the lady that wants to sue - the fast food joints.
- Malcolm, we can't take that case.
I told you.
- Why not? - Ms.
Morris, perhaps you have a legitimate claim, but we're a very small firm, and we need to choose the windmills we tilt at carefully.
Suing those restaurants-- they're huge corporations, right up there with Big Oil.
Could take years.
And we can't afford to do that, especially on a contingency.
I'm very, very sorry.
Look, I'm sorry.
Well, can't you do it? I'm not a lawyer, remember? Hey, kid.
Bring the woman to me.
Tommy Jefferson.
As good as it gets.
Bring her to me.
Well, Mr.
Rollins, uh Looking at the file, listening to the witnesses, we seem to be in the exact same place we were two years ago.
By all accounts, you've been an exemplary inmate.
Helped to innovate many positive programs which have benefited the prison community.
The institutional parole officer has argued passionately for your release, as has the warden.
Nothing's changed at all.
Unless maybe I'm mistaken.
Do you bring anything new to the table today, Mr.
Rollins? Yes, Ms.
Powell.
I would like to say how sorry I am for killing Ethan Montana.
I would like to express my sadness to his family.
I would also like to say to the board that I am not the person I was back then when I committed this crime.
Four years ago, then again two years ago, you were maintaining your innocence of this crime, quite adamantly in fact.
What happened? I just searched my soul.
Had to be honest with myself and God.
Did you ever talk to the prison chaplain about all of this? No, ma'am.
Did you ever write a letter to anybody expressing your remorse? No, ma'am.
Anything else you'd like to say to us? Well, just that I've had And I believe I'm ready to get on with my life and have a positive impact on society.
Okay, then, why don't you give us a few minutes to confer? Then we'll give you our decision.
- Ms.
Kremp? - Yes? My name is Adam Branch.
I'm one of the lawyers representing Lao's Laundromat, your prior place of employment.
May I come in? Well, I don't know that I should be speaking with you.
No, ordinarily you should not.
Are you aware there's an offer on the table, Ms.
Kremp? I think you should hear what I have to say.
Well, Mr.
Rollins, first let me say, this entire board salutes you.
The reputation and character you established for yourself in prison-- it's quite remarkable.
Honestly, you've been such a good influence on the younger inmates, we almost hate to lose you.
It is the decision of this board, however, that you have not been sincere with us.
A person searching his soul quite likely would have engaged his clergy in that pursuit.
You did not.
A person feeling guilt and sorrow toward the victim's family might have reached out to them.
You did not.
You're not really accepting responsibility for this crime, are you, Mr.
Rollins? You're just saying what you think you must to see the sunlight.
Did you commit this crime, Mr.
Rollins? Mr.
Rollins, did you commit this crime? It's really a simple question.
Did you commit the crime for which you were convicted? No.
No, I did not.
Your parole petition is regrettably denied.
This board is adjourned.
- Hold on just a second.
- You don't get to be heard at this proceeding, counsel.
Well, I damn well will be heard.
You denied parole twice because he refused to admit guilt.
You now deny it again because he does.
I'm sorry, Ms.
Korn, this hearing is over.
- You think this is over? - Have a pleasant day.
It may be your right to deny this man his freedom, but how dare you be flippant about it.
Would you like me to have security remove you? Yeah, do it.
You may have the power to throw me out of this room, but I've got the means to haul you into a bigger one.
- Oh, you think so, do you? - I know so.
This is anything but over, you stuck-up bitch.
Father Nance is still on board.
I have a meeting with the D.
A.
at 5:00, and then I'll let you know.
Wasting your time, lady.
- I'll tell you that right now.
- Maybe so, but let's have a little pact, just between the two of us.
I will go to the D.
A.
and do whatever I can do to effect your release, and you will practice at not being an asshole.
That sound good? And enough with the glaring, okay? You're not that scary.
Okay.
I'm not going to waste your time, you're not going to waste mine.
You're biting off even more than you can chew.
These are the heavyweights you're going after, pardon the pun.
They have armies of lawyers.
Here's what's good.
You're fat, poor, and black.
That makes you a triple-crown plaintiff.
Here's what's bad.
I don't sympathize with you.
You're grumpy; that bugs me.
Nobody likes a grump.
Bottom line: if the jury doesn't love you, you're done.
So that means, between now and trial, you need to become sympathetic.
You have to try things you've never attempted before, things like, say, smiling.
You need to have a personality makeover, and you need to come out likable.
Look, I don't think you need to be Where's it say you talk? You don't talk.
These companies? Likable.
Very.
Want a little light reading? Here's a list of all the charity work they do.
Set aside they cause people to stroke out, they also do socially responsible work, like curing kids with cancer.
That's a jury trump card.
They do disaster relief for Katrina victims, they work with Greenpeace to save the planet, college scholarships for the underprivileged, billions of dollars for people in need.
What do you do? What do you do? - Whose side are you on? - I'll be on your side when the time comes, trust me, but these are the things the other side will be raising at trial.
This will be a war.
I will wage it, but you have got to do everything I tell you to do.
You understand? Otherwise, forget it.
Out.
I'll call.
Look, this congregant could have been paid off to make this confession.
Perhaps Oh, yes, and he was paid to commit suicide, too.
Maybe he planned to commit suicide, he wanted some money to take care of loved ones.
I don't know, you don't know.
It could be anything, and we have no means of flushing it out 'cause the guy is dead.
An innocent man is in jail for a murder he didn't We don't know he's innocent, that's the point.
Look, if you want to bring me evidence, Ms.
Korn, I'll be happy to look at it, but hearsay from a bookie? Uh-uh.
I'm going to the judge, with or without you.
It'll be without me, sorry.
Could you at least pretend you give a crap? You didn't have to be so rough - with the woman.
- Okay, first, I did.
She needs to know what she's in for.
Second, she certainly needs to appreciate the difficulty of her case.
And third, I'm still looking for where it says you talk.
Let me lay out the players' program for you.
I am the lawyer, Yvonne is the client, and you're the kid who gave her a lift to my office.
Here's the legal research I did, in case you're interested.
How about a little thank you for taking your fat friend's case? Ah.
People aren't grateful in life.
But let's assume your client is innocent.
The only means of knowing that is a sealed confession to a priest, which would be inadmissible.
I don't think the privilege - would survive the death of - Oh yes, it would.
Trust me.
The clergy privilege is a big one.
Okay, Randy, let's say that's all true.
- It is.
- In the meantime, we've got an innocent man serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit.
Are you telling me smart minds can't figure out a way to fix this? Really? No.
All I'm saying is, you're not going to fix it with a dead man's confession to his priest.
And as a practical matter, Harry, if you try, you're only going to end up causing a lot of anguish for your client, not to mention the murder victim's family, who right now think they have closure.
I'm talking to you as a judge and as your friend.
Let this one go.
I can't.
What a surprise.
Who wrote this crap? You didn't write it.
Who wrote it? - I did, actually.
- You go to law school? - No.
I want to.
- Seriously, where did you get this? I researched it on Westlaw.
You bought the memo on line, didn't you? No.
I told you, I wrote it myself.
- It's good.
- It is? Not as good as I'd do, but for a little drug-addict office boy, it's very good.
Thanks.
How'd you like to assist me on this case? Chance of a lifetime.
You get to observe Tommy Jefferson up close.
Well, I think about it.
But what's to think about? We're talking about me.
Struck out with the D.
A.
, struck out with the judge, but I did talk to a P.
I.
, so we can at least begin a little digging on the evidence front.
If something turns up, we can get a new trial on that.
What is it with these looks? Do you have a crush on me? Is that it? I'm just trying to figure out what's in this for you.
This some white-guilt thing? What? You hit-and-run some black dude, and now you're trying to make amends for something? Okay, Jeffrey, up until now, you haven't really offended me with all your bull.
Now you have.
So before we continue on, let's set the record straight.
Screw you.
Okay? Screw you.
Now, I did manage to persuade my judge friend to get me an audience with the Ohio Appellate Court, where I'd like to challenge the parole board hearing.
In the spirit of full disclosure, parole board rulings are non-reviewable, so I figure to get bounced right out.
But I'm going to try, just the same.
I'm also going to try to get you transferred over so you can be in the courtroom.
I always like to put a face on cases, though yours gives me pause.
If I can effect that transfer, I'll see you in court.
If not, I'll see you back here.
Any questions? Wonderful.
Wait a second, wait a second.
He came to your house? That's not the point, Mr.
Jefferson It's my point.
He came to your house? Why didn't you tell me that they'd offered me my job back? Because the offer was an insult to me-- to you It wasn't an insult.
It's what I wanted.
Look, I've been doing this a long time, and trust me, clients rarely know what they want.
I've called other attorneys.
They've all said the notion of me getting two million dollars is laughable.
That's because they all have one thing in common.
- Which is? - They're not me.
You have a reputation of maximizing your profile at the expense of the client.
And who told you that? Mr.
Bug? I don't need to maximize my profile.
Look at that wall.
I rub shoulders with presidents.
I play golf with Pete Rose.
My child was baptized by the Pope.
I'm accepting the offer.
I can't let you do that.
It's my decision! We have a date with the Ohio Supreme Court.
I'm canceling the date.
You're fired.
What'd you say? I said, you're fired.
As far as the parole board is concerned, - the inmate is guilty, so - That doesn't mean The only question is, is he rehabilitated? And whether he accepts responsibility for his actions is certainly relevant to that question.
But Judge, how can we tell a man convinced of his innocence to say he's guilty, when he's perhaps He is guilty, Counsel, at least for the purpose of a parole hearing.
Are you not listening? Otherwise, every such hearing could turn into a reexamination of the evidence.
Now, you can't be suggesting that, can you? Your Honor, I understand that for the purpose of the parole hearing, he's guilty.
I get that.
But certainly, all of you get that our criminal justice system, perfect as it is, churns out thousands of wrongful convictions a year.
Which means, as a matter of fact, these parole boards commonly, if not routinely, look into the eyes of prisoners who are innocent.
And for us to insist these innocent people profess guilt in order to get their parole We don't insist that.
The Ohio Parole Board does not require a prisoner to admit guilt.
In many other states they do, but Oh, come on! As a practical matter, a prisoner's chances of getting released are almost nil if he doesn't admit guilt.
It's a de facto requirement, and you know it.
- Counsel - And should he admit guilt, that means he can't get a new trial.
He can't ever clear his name.
Not to mention, the admission itself is a lie and a fraud.
Do we care about that? Don't get snide with us, Counsel.
You think you're the first lawyer to raise the innocent prisoner dilemma? We're well aware of the potential unfairness of Which makes your acquiescence all the more disgusting, then.
Is this your style, Counsel? To gain an audience with the Appellate Court only so that you can insult us? I'm more concerned with the insult to that man right there.
He's had to endure - for something he did not do.
- I think we're done.
- Judge! - I said we're done.
Now, my patience has run out.
Your patience has run out? That's what you said? - Jeffrey - Is that what you just said? You out of patience? Mr.
Rollins, I would advise you not to speak.
Yeah, I got that advice 25 years ago from my public defender, but this may be the only and last time I get to say my say in a courtroom, so - Jeffrey! - You talk about respecting the system.
The system put me in here based on a lie.
And now you're telling me I got to lie to get out.
Is that the system you so respect? Well, I didn't do it.
I did not do it! Now I got to live with everybody thinking I did, even my own son.
And now the guy who put me here-- his conscience finally got the better of him, and you don't care.
You just worried about your damn system.
Well, tell me, when does conscience ever get the better of you? If I could just get from the court an order that the Ohio Parole Board not condition my client's release on his admission of guilt.
As you said, that is technically the law, so at least give us that.
What do you mean, you're working with Tommy? I'm just helping Yvonne Morris.
He took that case.
Your job is here, Malcolm.
It's just, he's giving me real law work to do, Harry.
It would be a good experience.
You're a freshman in college, not an attorney.
You're not qualified to do real law work.
Whatever I do with Tommy won't interfere with my work here.
See that it doesn't.
Make any gestures, and you're fired.
I'm off to see the parole board.
You got something to say? Nope.
Malcolm.
That's just her way.
So this is what it's all about.
I get it now.
You throw away your law career for love.
Peepy-squeaky, little love.
The things we do for lu-uh-ove.
Know what you did, you peepy-squeaky, little bug? Chunhua, you remember Tommy.
You just committed professional suicide.
You went to a represented client behind her lawyer's back.
You're dead.
You're done.
Pass the jam.
I'm looking at toast, you peepy-squeaky Oh, come on, Tommy.
That's only if you report me, which we know you won't, because you failed to convey an offer made to a client.
That's also grounds for disbarment, especially since you should know better.
Whereas me-- well, I'm just a kid.
Kids make mistakes.
We're young.
It's what kids do.
Let me tell you, Tommy.
Sometimes it isn't always about the law.
Sometimes it's people, sometimes it's politics.
Sometimes, well it just isn't you.
You know what sets me off more than anything, you little fart? Rude.
I don't like rude.
It'll be the death of you-- rude.
It'll be written on your tombstone.
"He was rude to Tommy Jefferson.
" The death of you.
I'm a little confused, Ms.
Korn.
What do you expect us to do? I expect you to not condition Mr.
Rollins's release on his admission of guilt in compliance with the law, and the order I just received - from the Appeals Court.
- We didn't.
Our decision was based on a multitude of factors.
That isn't true, and you know it.
It is true.
You were here.
You heard me.
Our decision was based primarily on his lack of sincerity with the board.
He lied.
He said he was sorry for a murder which he doesn't even admit committing.
This isn't fair.
Well, I don't mean to sound harsh, but he isn't owed fairness, only due process.
You know what? Whether he's owed fairness or not, how about we give him some, just the same? He's done 25 years.
Even if you choose to believe he's guilty, he's done the time.
He was a model prisoner.
So exemplary that you yourself said the prison would suffer if you lost him.
The warden says let the man go, everyone to review this matter.
For God's sake, whether the law requires it or not, let's be fair.
Mr.
Rollins? Anything to add? Nothing? One thing.
I am not guilty of that murder.
But I am guilty of condemning the judicial process that put me here.
Of condemning all the players in that process, including you.
I think my hatred has been in the room.
At this hearing, and the ones that came before.
You people didn't put me here.
I know that.
I realize that not everybody deserves my hatred.
Some Some should even get my gratitude.
Anyway I'm sorry about I've been a good man in here.
I'll be a good man out there, too, if given the opportunity.
That's all.
Mr.
Jeffrey Rollins, your parole petition is granted.
This board is adjourned.
Did she just say that? She did.
Adam told me of your little misunderstanding.
Misunderstanding? Is that how he called it? First of all, he's just a kid.
Second, you were at fault here, too.
I didn't have time to convey the offer.
He beat me to her.
Let me deal with him, okay? Let me ask you something.
What are you doing, opening a new firm at your age? Ouch.
Why don't you come work with me? - It'll be much more cushy.
- Work with you? Are you out of What would possess you to ask me that? First, I actually like you.
Not your rude associate, but I like you.
Second, you have real pedigree.
As good as I am, and I'm very good, I never get invited to the judges' lunches or It'd be good for me to have a horse like you in my stable.
Get me invited to some of those Well, Tommy, if you want to be taken more seriously, why the big circus act? Really? I mean, why do you need all that pomp and ridiculous nonsense? It's a fair question.
What's the answer? When I was first starting out, I had a case.
I was getting my clock cleaned.
I got these terrible stomach pains.
Gas, mostly.
It got so bad, that I opened the buttons on my pants, you know, below the table, to get a little relief.
I forgot about it.
And when it was my turn to stand, my pants fell down.
The jury smiled.
They laughed.
They thought I did it on purpose.
Anyway, they were suddenly with me.
They actually liked me.
I went on to win the trial You could say I've been dropping trou ever since.
Whatever works, you know? Dignity has been known to work.
Not my strong suit.
Anyway, listen, I'll withdraw the complaint against your boy.
I'll do that for you.
Not him.
He's rude.
He's got talent, but he's rude.
Thank you.
You sure you don't want to grab dinner, or? I'd love to, but I promised my father I'd Actually, I will have dinner.
We settled our case, we have reason to celebrate, right? We? Is that a you-me "We," or a you, me and your father "We"? It's a you, me and my father "We.
" But maybe you and I can do his celebrating for him.
That sounds like a plan.
Thank you, Adam.
I'm sorry you don't get to have your Supreme Court, pretty girl in the stands moment.
But this one worked for me.
Thank you.
That was nice.
Yeah.
Okay.
Where to? You still know anybody in this neighborhood, or? Probably not.
Been 25 years since I lived there, so But I'd daydream every day walking down that street, a free man.
That dream got me through most days, so What about Where are you going to sleep? Do you have a place? Lady, if you're inviting me over to your place Oh, I'm not, don't worry.
And stop calling me "Lady.
" Prison gave me the name of a hostel.
Said I can stay there.
I'll be okay.
Think you'll track down your son? Might.
Well, thanks.
Jeffrey? I think the reason they let you out they finally saw some humility.
You're going to need a lot of that humility on the outside.
There's nobody more entitled to his rage than you.
But anger, it can be a killer.
Did somebody once tell you that little glare of yours was effective? 'Cause I gotta tell you, it's about as attractive as it is scary.
Can I go now? If you need any help, and you probably will, don't be a dope.
Call.
Got it.
Go on, then.
If this is your daydream, get on with the stupid thing.
I've got plans.
Lady? Thank you.
So I remember every face Of every man who put me here Hello? Oh, hi, Adam.
No, I'm not busy.
I'm just, um I'm just watching a man take a walk.
Any day now