For the People (2018) s02e01 Episode Script
First Inning
1 Come get a little higher - Purified, there's something to admire - JUDGE BYRNE: This is a battlefield.
And this is not satire On one side is the United States Attorney's Office.
So strap in for the ride We about to take off, going straight to the sky On the other side is the Federal Public Defender.
You are among the best and the brightest attorneys in this country.
You are passionate.
You are dedicated.
You are talented.
You are incredibly hard-working.
You handle the most difficult and the most challenging cases in the most prestigious, highest profile trial court in the country.
You're extraordinary advocates and worthy adversaries.
You are The Defenders.
You are Justice.
And you come together to fight on this battlefield.
And, honestly, I'm really dreading it.
Really! I've been umping in the New York Lawyers Softball League for 11 years, and this is the one game of the season that I do not look forward to.
Because you stink.
Thank you, Judge.
Really appreciate that, Your Honor.
Okay.
Great.
Now let's play ball! [SCATTERED CHEERING.]
We came to win Go! Hard! Go! We came to win Go! Hard! - Go! - Safe! - We came to - Yes! Me and mom, we never lose - [GRUNTS.]
- Winning ain't something to choose We win Got to work hard, got to play hard Oh, oh We get deeper than a graveyard You can't catch me 'cause I'm higher You already know that your time's up - [STAMMERING.]
- We in first, better line up Let's play ball! We came to win What inning is it? I lost count.
- First inning.
- Really? You guys are terrible.
Yes, that is true, but, I mean, we're having fun.
And And who ever thought that was possible, you know? Prosecutors, defenders.
Dogs, cats.
Sharks and Jets.
- Gryffindors and Slytherins - Yeah, I got it.
- Because you were just staring - I got it.
My point is, we've all come a long way.
[SUCKS TEETH.]
Still the first inning.
Go! We came to win - [CELLPHONE RINGING.]
- [SIGHS.]
- [BEEP.]
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE.]
[CELLPHONES RINGING, VIBRATING.]
Let's bring it in! NEWS ANCHOR: The senior United States Senator from New York, Walter Carson, has been shot multiple times outside of a house in Scarsdale, New York.
The area around the home remains an active crime scene, and few details have emerged about what is already the highest-profile shooting of an American politician in a generation.
SETH: Was this political? Do we know? - We don't know.
- Have others been shot? - We don't know.
- Whose house is this? The Senator's, I assume.
Don't assume, 'cause it isn't.
Senator Carson lives on the Upper East Side.
We don't know whose house this is, we don't know why he was there, we don't know why he was shot.
This could be a home invasion, some random crime, it could be a political hit, it could be a domestic dispute.
We don't know.
- And until we know, we don't know - [CELLPHONE RINGS, BEEPS.]
What do you know? Nothing.
And if I did, I couldn't talk about it.
I'm just asking Are we picking this up? I don't know.
You okay? [SIGHS.]
Carson handed me my diploma at Stuyvesant High in '89.
I was a volunteer on his '92 campaign.
Worked out of the Rochester field office.
Jill.
I got to go.
Okay, we're getting word from University Memorial Hospital 63-year-old United States Senator Walter Carson has died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Senator Carson becomes the first United States Senator killed in office since the man who previously held this same seat was gunned down in California in 1968 New York Senator Robert F.
Kennedy.
MAN: The senator's son lives in Scarsdale.
Just moved in.
This was his house.
What are you guys wearing? - Who are you? - Ted.
Who are you? - You're not Ted.
- Who is this? Ted.
Ted is our new investigator.
Well, our old investigator was named Ted.
- I know.
- It's confusing.
Oh, it's actually not that confusing.
You just need to remember your investigator is named Ted.
This was the Senator's son's house.
Maybe he was shot at his son's house because there was less security there? Senators don't have full-time security outside of Washington.
Sir, FBI is confirming Senator Carson was shot - by local police.
- The police? That doesn't make any sense.
Senator Carson is white.
A 911 call was made to Scarsdale police reporting an active shooter at this residence.
The police responded with more than 50 officers from seven different departments, including the Special Response Team.
Senator Carson apparently ran out the doorway after his grandson and was shot on the front porch.
The boy was uninjured.
E-Excuse me.
- I need a lawyer.
- Give us a minute.
Someone just killed a United States Senator.
Yeah.
Th-That was me.
I rep WorldWarBlood.
- What? - It's a video game, WorldWarBlood.
Online multiplayer.
This dude in my Pillage Guild MySoCalledKnife bet me he could beat me to a hundred caps, so Okay, okay, stop.
Back up.
What is your name? - Julian.
- Okay, Julian.
What does "WorldWarBlood" and "Pillage Guild" and "Caps" have to do with the Senator? I had a disagreement with MySoCalledKnife, and, you know, it it got a little out of control.
And he was like, "Why don't you swat me, then?" And I was like, "Fine, I will," so I just Wait, why why don't you what me? My God.
This was a swatting.
S-Swatting.
Nobody? - Really? Really? - Ted.
Why does his name have to be Ted? Swatting is when someone calls 911 and reports that something horrible is happening at some address an active shooter, a bomb, hostages and the police send a Special Response Team a SWAT team and everyone there is terrorized.
It's big in the gamer community.
He gave me his address, so I did it.
- Except the address he gave you - Wasn't his.
It was the son of a United States Senator.
- I didn't know that.
- How hard is it to trace these 911 calls? I used a tor browser and spoofed the call in a VoIP network - to mask the number.
- Difficult.
Not impossible.
You don't have to turn yourself in, Julian.
I'm not advising you not to.
I'm not advising you to.
I-I-I don't want a bunch of cops coming to my house.
My mom, she doesn't need to see that.
I messed this up.
If you're not gonna help me, I'll walk over to the FBI myself Julian, we are going to help you.
Ted, I want you to look into everything you can about Julian's past.
His online activity.
These other guys playing the game.
Sandra, you bought this one.
It's yours.
The government is going to file a false report charge, but see what else they might hit him with.
Contact his parents.
Jay.
Duty.
Allison, these cases.
All of them.
This is all hands on deck.
[CLICK.]
[CELLPHONE RINGING.]
[BEEP.]
I don't know anything.
I do.
- [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
- Walter Carson was a tireless public servant, a proud New Yorker, a wonderful father and and husband.
- Swatting is not a joke.
- [HANDCUFFS CLICK.]
It's an act of terrible cowardice and cruelty.
And I can assure you that this office will bring every possible resource to bear in prosecuting Julian Sarco to the fullest extent of the law.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING, CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
We've got nothing, do we? We have Julian Sarco.
For filing a false report to emergency services.
18 years old.
No priors.
Maybe gets four years.
For killing a United States Senator.
He didn't kill a United States Senator.
What about the officer who did kill a United States senator? He acted within protocol.
What else can we charge Sarco with? Sarco was in a Pillage Guild with MySoCalledKnife.
That's his handle MySoCalledKnife.
MySoCalledKnife has lots of enemies within WorldWarBlood, including KimJunMakeEmSayUn D-Don't say the names anymore.
Uh, right.
So, when it looked like Julian might not go through with the swat, Kim offered Julian some online currency to do it.
Yeah.
So conspiracy? - We need more.
- SANDRA: More? That is everything Julian has said in WorldWarBlood over the last two years.
It's dark and threatening - and grotesquely violent.
- [SIGHS.]
- Enjoy.
- Mm, this is horrible.
He sounds like every kid on a video game.
Which is horrible.
If you don't like video games.
Or kids.
I don't.
You know this is bad for us, right? - It is what it is.
- It's bad for us.
[CHUCKLES.]
Look, if you say so.
I do.
I did.
We need your help.
Now, see, if I was in your position, I would think that that would be helpful information to have, and I would say, "Wow, Ted, this is great.
How did you turn this up so quickly?" And you would say, "Aw, shucks, just doing my job.
" You're me in this scenario.
And then I would say, "I can't imagine you found anything else out in such a short period of time.
" - And you would say, "Actually, I did.
" - Mm-hmm.
"I also found out Julian Sarco has swatted six other times in the past.
" And I would say, "Oh, my God.
That's so bad, but so good to know.
Thank you.
" And I'd start to walk away, so grateful.
But then you would say, "Wait.
One more thing.
The others involved in this, MySoCalledKnife and KimJunMakeEmSayUn, they have both been identified and are being investigated, but the focus is on Julian because he's the one who actually made the phone call.
" And I would say, "You found all that out? I'm speechless.
- Who are you?" - Mm-hmm.
And then you would lean in and say, "I am Ted.
" And then you'd walk away.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.]
Tina Krissman, ladies and gentlemen! Don't do that.
I will not do that again.
Not on the Senator Carson case, huh? They only give me the important stuff, Tina.
I'm a lawyer on duty.
I work with a blindfold.
I put my hands out.
I take it.
I shape it.
I turn dirt into gold.
[FOLDER OPENS.]
HOLIDAY: My parents cut off my allowance when I turned 30, like that's even a thing.
- What was I supposed to do? - Get a job? I have a job.
I film myself sitting in public spaces while I blog.
How is that a job? - How is that not a job? - Because you You know what? Doesn't matter.
The allegation is you went into open houses in your building and stole prescription drugs from your neighbors and sold them.
Okay.
Are you done reaming me? Let me set the scene here for you.
I'm at an open house next door, and I have to use the bathroom, and Ms.
Wilding has this tub of Vicodin on the counter.
Like a wheelbarrow of Vicodin.
And I'm like, "Am I supposed to take this? Why is it just sitting there?" - Right? Are you with me? - No.
- So I take 2 or 3 - 75.
And I'm not using them, even though I'm super depressed.
But my friend Burks has a broken back.
Or something.
And he was like, "If you give me the Vicodin, I can give you a hundred dollars" because he knows that my parents screwed me on my allowance.
So not a "sale.
" That is a sale.
When is the lawyer going to get here? I'm the lawyer.
You're a lawyer? I'm your lawyer.
I'm a federal public defender.
Whether or not I go to jail is in the hands of a public defender? [SOBS.]
[VOICE BREAKING.]
How can my parents not hire me a real attorney? Okay, cool, great pep talk.
Now, I'm gonna go do my job, which is an actual job, - and talk to the prosecutor.
- Wait! [SNIFFLES.]
Is someone gonna bring me breakfast? [WHIMPERS.]
SETH: She still lives with her parents? Well, sometimes it can make financial sense - to move back home.
- She's never left home.
Sometimes that makes sense, too.
You live with your parents.
Uh, nearby.
Same borough.
Same general area.
Yes, I live with my parents.
How did we end up here, talking about this? You got shut out of the swatting case, too, huh? [SCOFFS.]
I wouldn't say "shut out.
" I'd say strategically deployed on something dramatically less important.
Look, uh, this girl is awful.
I'm not gonna lie, but this is Ridiculous.
We can do probation.
I remember your office being smaller and more depressing.
Maybe that was just the mood? Nope.
New office.
This was Leonard Knox's old office.
Unfortunately, it didn't come with his case load.
Well, you're here, and he's wherever he is.
[CHUCKLES.]
Where is he, again? - I'm in hell.
- [CHUCKLING.]
It's not that hot.
It's like 185 degrees.
Try breathing through your mouth.
- I'm not doing that.
- You coming out with us tonight? Can't.
Prepping my first case in front of the Texas Supreme Court.
Defending a challenge to a statute that restricts pickling to cucumbers.
It's actually pretty interesting We're headed to the South Congress Bridge to watch the bats at dusk.
- I hate bats.
- We hate bats.
But we love the out-of-town chicks who get wasted and watch the bats.
Sounds cool.
Let me Let me think about it.
[ENGINE STARTS.]
[SNIFFS.]
[SIGHS.]
[CELLPHONE VIBRATING.]
[BEEP.]
You were right! Okay? We haven't talked in months, and that's what you have to say to me? Is there anything you'd rather hear? No, I guess not.
Right about what? Everything.
The heat, the white people, the bats, stupid festivals every two days.
You know what I did last night? I went to a mustache competition because Austin is weird.
- [COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
- Oh, my God.
What? This line.
For barbecue.
- I told you.
- This is what I'm saying.
Maybe I should come back.
Should I come back? Would Roger take me back? You'd have to ask Roger.
I need to go.
- I miss you.
- Leonard I miss New York, the office, Hand-Pulled Noodle House #3.
Yesterday, I thought I missed Seth.
Then that passed.
I miss the work there.
You're the Solicitor General of Texas.
I am working on a case about pickles.
You're on the swatting case, aren't you? You are not a quitter, Leonard.
You're many things spoiled, insolent, wrong on so many levels but you're not a quitter.
You thought about this decision long and hard, and you made a choice.
You chose Texas.
Now you just do it well.
Like I know you can.
You chose Texas.
You're right.
Again.
Goodbye, Leonard.
[BEEP.]
New Ted! Good morning! "Ted" is fine.
Nah, that's not gonna work.
Going with New Ted.
Your parents are here.
What? Why? Those aren't my parents.
Mr.
Simmons, I'm Bob Colgate.
This is my wife, Cindy.
Oh, Holiday's parents.
So nice to meet you.
I know how stressful this kind of thing can be, but the good news is she's not going to jail and this is not a felony.
Where's the good news? So, there are two parts, really.
Not going to jail and not a felony.
- Which means she's back at home? - Correct.
Right.
So how is that good for us? Y-You don't want her at home? - You met her.
- Would you? She's not my daughter.
Oh, that makes it worse.
Trust me.
Have you asked her to leave? 137 times.
This year.
We served her with eviction papers.
You served your own daughter with eviction papers? Wasn't that hard.
I just gave them to her coming out of the bathroom.
This was our last hope.
Wait, hold on.
Y-You turned her in about the Vicodin? - Of course.
- Yes! We didn't want her to go to jail.
M-Maybe a-a few nights.
But if she's a convicted felon, the co-op won't let her live in the building.
[CHUCKLES.]
This is insane.
Oh, says the successful professional who isn't living with his parents.
I mean, that's not relevant.
Yeah, look, we know that we're not innocent in all of this.
We created a monster.
No rules, no discipline.
And we named her Holiday, for God's sake.
We didn't break her spirit when we should have, and that is on us.
But this is on you! You have to fix this! Well, unfortunately, Holiday's already taken the deal.
Your daughter's not a convicted felon.
- I'm so sorry.
- [SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
SANDRA: We have all of Julian's online communications.
- Good.
- Not good.
They're vengeful and full of rage and threats, and he's swatted six times in the past.
What about the officer who shot the Senator? He's clean.
- And the other gamers? - They'll probably get charged, but that's not gonna help Julian.
We got nothing, really.
ROGER: What do we have? Making a threat in interstate communications maybe.
Cyberstalking? That's harder.
- Wire fraud.
- Wire fraud? - We got, uh nothing, really.
- [SIGHS.]
The false report is one charge.
We're preparing a superseding indictment with four additional charges making a threat in interstate communications, cyberstalking, conspiracy, wire fraud.
Wire fraud? Julian isn't gonna present well to a jury.
He's a kid.
He has no criminal history.
- He turned himself in.
- He's an adult.
He engages in relentlessly violent rhetoric online.
He's credibly tied to multiple swatting incidents in the past.
He turned himself in because he was going to be caught.
- What are you offering? - Six years.
This is a kid who made a phone call.
This is a phone call that killed a United States Senator.
2 years' probation, $10,000 fine.
Sarco pleads guilty to conspiracy and making a false charge, we'll recommend 5 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Drop the conspiracy charge, he'll plead to false report, - 1 year in prison, $15,000.
- Four years in prison, and he testifies against MySoCalledKnife and anyone else involved in this.
That's as low as we can go.
[SIGHS.]
That was the easy part.
Four years? He's a teenager.
He He He did something stupid.
He's not a bad kid.
I mean, sometimes I worried about how much time he spent on the computer, but mostly I liked that it kept him home, safe, when I was at work.
I mean, it's just a game, right? Julian's never touched a real weapon, never even got in a fist fight.
Four years in federal prison? For a phone call? Four years in prison? For killing my dad? It's totally inadequate.
We agree.
But there's no federal law that covers this kind of thing.
My father is dead.
They shot him.
Right in front of me, in in front of my son.
And for what? Some stupid fight over a video game? What kind of sick person thinks doing something like this is funny? How can you sit there and tell me that's the best you can do? JILL: Why don't you come to bed? [SIGHS.]
I can't sleep.
I would ask you if you want to talk about it.
But we don't talk about work.
[SIGHS.]
We can't talk about work.
I don't even like talking about not talking about work.
In the '92 campaign, he'd come by the office every few weeks, the Senator.
He was very inspirational.
I became a lawyer because of him.
Senator Carson inspired you to defend the man who killed him? Julian didn't kill Senator Carson.
But, yes, uh Life is complicated, isn't it? [SIGHS.]
Come to bed.
Yes, you're right.
[SIGHS.]
[FLOORBOARD CREAKING.]
- NYPD! Get on the ground now! - Freeze! - Get down! - Crawl! - Roger! - Don't move! Hey! Hey! - She's unarmed.
She's unarmed! - Get on the ground! - Ma'am, on the ground now! - Face forward! - [GUN COCKS.]
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
- Hands behind your back! - Face forward! - Do it now! - Do you want to get shot?! - Move your hands.
- Don't move! Keep your hands where we can see them.
Do not move.
I will shoot you.
- [RINGING.]
- [HEART BEATING.]
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
- Okay.
All right.
[TELEPHONES RINGING.]
- Are you okay? - I'm fine.
Do we know anything The call came from Holland, Michigan.
My press conference, apparently.
The FBI is on it.
You said someone offered Julian online currency in exchange for swatting? Uh, yes, 475 Bloodoons.
That's the currency in the video game.
Well, if Julian was paid to make the 911 call, we can get him on murder-for-hire.
It was online currency.
Not real money.
The statute doesn't say "real money.
" it says murder in exchange for "anything of pecuniary value.
" What is the "pecuniary value" of a Bloodoon? Well, it must be something, or people wouldn't kill for it.
You're talking about murder, malice, intent to kill.
Where is the intent? It's where he says he intends to kill.
- In a video game - To a real person.
Murder-for-hire is a capital offense Are you gonna do your job or not? I am doing my job.
This is my job.
I'm trying to determine the appropriate charges.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- I understand what happened last night - was deeply upsetting, but - No, you don't understand.
At all.
And I don't blame you for that.
We're up here, all day, every day, on the 20th floor, staring at computer screens, reading files, looking at photos, making decisions about people's lives.
Above it all.
Literally.
But this work is not bloodless, and we should not be.
We're not machines.
We don't just plug in facts and spit out charges.
We use our discretion.
We work for justice.
On the ground.
For the people.
Now, there were over 400 swatting incidents in this country last year, and it's on the rise, and there is no federal statute to deal with it.
The congresswoman who introduced one? She was swatted.
So what do we do? Nothing? Give me the file.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[CELLPHONE RINGING.]
[BEEP.]
[CLICK.]
[TELEPHONE RINGING.]
So, I settled the case with a 34-year-old girl in pajamas squatting in her parents' house, and I'm ready for something else.
Anything else.
I was gonna jump in and help Allison on a few things.
You have your choice of health care benefits fraud, bribery, or conspiracy to steal bioengineered rice seeds.
Lot of nice options here.
I can do you one better.
Mail theft.
Just came in.
For you, Jay.
Mail theft? [CHUCKLES.]
Who steals mail? HOLIDAY: I was trying to make some money.
By stealing mail? You say "mail" like these are letters from "The Notebook.
" These are like catalogues and stupid bills and rando envelopes laying around the co-op mailroom.
That's mail! From which I am making art, which I will sell, because my parents are being even more lame than usual.
How did the mail police even know I was doing this? It was on your Instagram.
The art.
Oh, right.
That's cool.
No, it's not cool.
I'm gonna talk to the prosecutor again.
He's reasonable.
You should be grateful.
Not all of them are.
We had a deal four years.
And now he's charging murder-for-hire and conspiracy and three other new charges that, alone, could mean 8 to 12 years.
This is about last night, isn't it? - Getting swatted.
- I'm sure it is.
Julian had nothing to do with that I know.
It's emotional.
It's punitive, I know.
But Roger has the right to charge whatever he thinks he can prove, and if he thinks he can prove this Can't you talk to him, though? You guys have a relationship.
Well, I don't mean that.
I wasn't suggesting I just I just meant maybe you can talk some sense into him because this is insane.
A few cops show up to his house, - tell him to put his hands up - Sandra which is what our clients deal with every day It's not "a few cops," okay?! He had semi-automatic weapons jammed into the side of his head.
Have you ever been through something like that? Police screaming at you? All at the same time? And you can't move, you can't talk.
Because those things might get you shot in your home.
Don't be glib.
I'm sorry.
These are the charges.
This is the case.
We work the case.
- You filed the new charges.
- Yes.
I don't agree with that decision.
I know.
I don't care.
[SIGHS.]
I will continue to work on the case, - but when it comes to sentencing - No.
I feel strongly about the application of the death penalty No, you will not continue to work on the case.
You're taking me off the case? Yes.
Because I disagreed with you? 'Cause I have someone else working on it now.
Welcome home, Mr.
Knox.
- I don't want to hear it.
- It was too hot down there.
You have to breathe through your mouth.
Don't try to charm your way out of this.
It's not charming.
It's the opposite of charming.
- What's the opposite of charming? - Seth.
How did this even happen? I called him, like you told me to.
I didn't tell you to call him and take my case.
I didn't call him and take your case.
I called him, he told me about the case and said you didn't want to add the charges.
- I didn't.
- So what's the problem? Ohh, you couldn't have told me you were coming back? It all happened so fast.
You quit your job as Solicitor General of Texas, you packed, you bought tickets, you flew on an airplane I didn't want you to talk me out of it.
When have I ever talked you out of anything? [SIGHS.]
I shouldn't have left in the first place.
I had a choice.
I chose Texas.
That was a mistake for lots of reasons.
I realized that, and this was a chance to get back.
I thought I thought I'd be helping you.
You didn't do this for me.
What if I did? Well, then, you made another mistake.
And this case sucks, by the way.
Sucks.
If you had any capacity to be ashamed of yourself, you would be.
You will be.
This is my office.
It was, yes.
I'm sure it's been many people's office.
I'm sorry.
Are you just visiting, or No, I'm back.
Is that an Elvis clock? [CLOCK TICKING.]
- Uh, pretty cool, right? - No.
Hey, I'm gonna need you to clear out of here.
You're back working here? Roger brought me back to work on the Julian Sarco case.
- He called you back from Texas? - Yes.
- From Texas? - Mm-hmm.
I'm right here, right not in Texas, working on mail theft, and he brings you back? Look, dude, I'm sorry.
I am.
- I don't know.
Not my call.
- [BINDER THUDS.]
If you'd get all your stuff out by the end of the day, that'd be best.
Nobody told you, did they? - What? - Who you're up against.
No.
Because I don't care who I'm up against.
That's why I have the case and you don't.
[PAPER RUSTLES.]
[NO AUDIO.]
I'm back.
I see that.
- I'm sorry.
- [CHUCKLES.]
If you want to be the best, you want to go up against the best.
I'm sure I'll have another chance at that with Kate.
But, anyway, here we are.
Welcome back.
Agent Vinuza, you've had a chance to review the correspondence in WorldWarBlood between the defendant, Mr.
Sarco, and another gamer who uses the handle MySoCalledKnife? - That's correct.
- In that correspondence, did Mr.
Sarco ever explicitly threaten to kill MySoCalledKnife? He did.
Repeatedly.
He said he would "waste him," "kill his sorry ass," that the "dudes who show up at your house are going to be ready to cap.
Keep your hands up.
" Agent Vinuza, WorldWarBlood has - a feature called "M-Cloud," correct? - Yes.
And M-Cloud is when you drop a nuclear bomb on one of your opponents? That's correct.
M-Cloud stands for "Mushroom Cloud.
" Isn't it true that Mr.
Sarco repeatedly threatened - to "M-Cloud" MySoCalledKnife? - Yes.
Didn't Mr.
Sarco tell MySoCalledKnife, "I can't wait to see you beg like a whiny little bitch - when I M-Cloud your whole family"? - Yes.
You don't have any evidence that Mr.
Sarco actually believed he would or could detonate a nuclear bomb in order to kill MySoCalledKnife, do you? No, ma'am.
Agent Patel, you're an expert on cybersecurity - within the FBI, correct? - That's correct.
In your review of this case, did the gamer KimJunMakeEmSayUn offer to pay, and did he in fact pay the defendant, Mr.
Sarco, to swat the home of Fred Carson, which resulted in the death of Senator Walter Carson? Yes.
Paid in what currency, Agent Patel? - Bloodoons.
- I'm sorry? Bloodoons? Is that a foreign currency? - I'm not familiar with what country - Bloodoons is a virtual currency - in WorldWarBlood.
- Inside the game? - Yes.
- I see.
Do Bloodoons have any pecuniary value - outside the game? - No.
So, to be absolutely clear, I couldn't go to the airport right now and say, "I'd like to buy a one-way ticket to Texas.
Here's a billion Bloodoons"? I don't think you would get on that flight.
Agent Tate, you've had an opportunity to forensically analyze the defendant's computer, phone, tablets, and other electronic devices seized in a search of his home? - Yes.
- Have you been able to determine whether the swatting incident in this case is the first one Mr.
Sarco has been involved in? Your Honor.
If I could just have a minute? You can object to this.
404b.
Prior bad acts.
You can keep this out.
I don't want to keep it out.
We're ready to proceed.
Do you have an objection, Ms.
Bell? No, Your Honor.
The witness may answer.
AGENT TATE: We believe that Mr.
Sarco has swatted at least six other times.
Was anyone killed in any of those incidents? - No.
- Physically injured in any way? - No.
- So, based on those incidents, Mr.
Sarco would have no reason to believe that swatting results in anyone getting physically injured, much less killed, correct? That's difficult for me to say.
Well, Agent Tate, it would be hard to believe, would it not, that Mr.
Sarco really intended to kill someone when the weapon he was allegedly using had never previously resulted in anyone even getting injured? Objection! Beyond the scope.
- Calls for a legal conclusion.
- Sustained.
I'm going to fix this.
I'm gonna figure something out.
I know what to do.
[CLOCK TICKING.]
Leonard Knox is back? Uh, I guess so.
Not sure.
He took your office.
I like the light in here more.
S-So, look, we're back on Holiday.
Ah.
"Back on Holiday"! [LAUGHS.]
I did you a favor.
Once.
Not again.
Mail theft carries a maximum of five years.
Whoa, Cobra Kai, what's going on here? This jackass comes back, swipes your office, and you want to take it out on the only person in America still using the U.
S.
mail? - Save the analysis.
- [PENS CLATTER.]
O-Okay.
You're right.
Not cool.
Not personal.
You want to go to the mat on this, I'm good for the fight.
I do think it's a colossal waste of time, and I know you're better than this.
You pick the right fights.
I can make this go away with the Colgates so we can both focus on more important battles but [SIGHS.]
that's up to you.
Would you please tell the jury about the moments leading up to your father's death? I was in the kitchen.
My dad, the Senator, was in the living room with my son, Jack, building a balloon car.
We saw flashing lights outside.
I looked out the window, and I've never seen anything like it.
A dozen squad cars, tanks, officers lined up with automatic weapons.
We didn't know what the hell was going on, and everybody started panicking.
My dad was calling his aides, trying to get information.
And, in all the chaos, I guess, Jack must have slipped away, ran to the front door.
He's 4.
Uh, I think he heard "police," and he wanted to see the police.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Yeah, he loves police.
Take your time.
Jack opened the door, and my dad, he just ran out after him.
Instinct.
He was like that.
He was fearless, protective.
And then it was like firecrackers.
So loud.
Somebody tackled me, and somebody else grabbed Jack, and I could hear him crying, screaming for my dad, and I saw my dad on the ground.
He'd been shot.
He was dead.
I knew that.
He was dead.
And then I heard Jack say, "Grandpa, get up.
Come inside.
" That's what I heard my son say when he looked at my dad.
The killing of Senator Walter Carson was a tragedy, but it was not an accident.
It is critical that you remember this.
What Fred Carson saw on the porch of his house was the direct consequence of Julian Sarco's words and actions.
This was exactly what he intended to do.
This was why he called 911.
"Waste him," "kill his sorry ass," "send the cops, ready to cap.
" That was what he wanted.
It doesn't matter that he killed the wrong person.
That is irrelevant.
The law requires only that he intended to kill and he did.
MySoCalledKnife was an opponent, and he was trying to kill that opponent.
In real life.
In the game.
It didn't matter to him.
Because there was no difference to him.
M-Cloud, swat? These are just moves against another character.
And that's what MySoCalledKnife was a character, not a person.
Julian never met him, never talked to him, doesn't have any idea what he looks like, doesn't care.
He's a character, and Julian wanted to destroy him in any way that he could.
That's the world Julian lives in.
But that's not the world we live in.
We live in the real world, where people bleed and children cry, where there is real loss and deep pain.
Where people die and don't get up.
I understand why the government brought this case against Julian.
The circumstances of Senator Carson's death are tragic and frustrating and, in many ways, inexplicable.
How could this happen? How could we let this happen? Who can we blame? Julian made a mistake, but no one honestly believes least of all the fine lawyers who filed these charges that Julian is legally responsible for Senator Carson's death.
No, these charges were filed to make an example out of Julian.
To say, "This stops here," and I agree.
We ought to take what happened as a cautionary tale, as an invitation for someone to assume responsibility for the troubled world Mr.
Knox so ably describes.
But we should take responsibility for this.
Because his world, it is our world.
That is the world we live in.
We drop bombs on places halfway around the globe from suburban office parks a few miles from here.
We blast pictures of people we've never met online.
We destroy reputations with keystrokes.
We lead lives, many of us all of us in one way or another that are detached, artificial, simulated, with fake money and fake friends, fake violence, fake love.
Julian didn't create this.
If we're going to make a change, if we're going to make ourselves human again, if we're going to accept responsibility for how disconnected and disassociated we've become let's do it together.
Don't point at Julian and say he is that and we are not.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
- [TELEPHONE RINGING.]
[THUD.]
Mom? Dad? What are you doing here? - What are you doing here? - What are you doing here? Okay, let's go ahead and stop that right now.
We are all here because we're gonna have a talk together, and I'm gonna go first, and then we can all leave.
So, Holiday, your parents are the ones turning you in.
Stoppppppp! Is that true? It is true.
They are turning you in because they don't want you to live at home anymore.
Now, let's talk about that.
I live at home with my parents.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ms.
Colgate, but it's true.
I live with my parents.
Always have.
There's nothing wrong with living with your parents.
Uh, all around the world, people live with their parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts.
There is nothing wrong with living with your parents if it works for everyone.
I like living at home, and my parents like having me at home.
I think.
I need to check on that.
Now, look, someday, I might have to move out, but living at home is not the problem here.
The problem is you aren't communicating.
You say you want her to leave, but you're the ones who insisted she come back after college, you make her breakfast every morning, and you both complain to her about one another.
You use her.
You are whiny and unappreciative, and you need an actual job, and you need to grow up, and you really, really need to put pants on.
Real pants.
Pants.
This is not hard.
I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, and not just about the pants.
Your parents love you, Holiday, and you love them.
However twisted it all looks, I do believe you love each other.
Now, here's the score the prosecutor has agreed to drop these charges, but that won't happen next time, so don't let there be a next time, okay? I have a lot of hope for you.
I have faith in you.
I believe in you.
And I don't ever, ever want to see any of you ever again.
Great talk.
I understand the jury has reached a unanimous verdict.
Yes, Your Honor.
In the case of the United States v.
Julian Sarco, how do you find the defendant on Count One, murder-for-hire? Not guilty.
[SPECTATORS MURMUR.]
With respect to Count Two, making a false report to emergency services resulting in death of another, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
With respect to Count Three, conspiracy to make a false report to emergency services resulting in death of another, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
With respect to Count Four, making a threat in interstate communications, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
Broken home baby I can never blame you No one ever taught you how to love right Now one ever taught you how to stand by When it's uphill And more times this love is just uphill You might not have realized this yet, but things are different around here now, and I'm taking back this office.
Not because it has a window, though I have enjoyed watching all the little cars go by, but because I earned it.
You left, I was here, I am here, and I earned this.
This is my office.
Okay.
Broken home baby I can never hate you Even though you drain the soul out of my eyes Even though you had me crying every night I see you trying I'm grateful 'cause I see you're trying I'm sorry.
Don't.
I just wanted to say thank you.
He's my boy.
You defended him.
I wanted to say thank you.
Just let me know that you need me Love me I'll teach you how to love me Yeah, you just got to Got to love me Don't let goodbye come too easy Love me Just let me know that you need me Love me I'll teach you how to love me I'll teach you how to love me I'll teach you how to love me How to love me I'll teach you how to love, how to love me
And this is not satire On one side is the United States Attorney's Office.
So strap in for the ride We about to take off, going straight to the sky On the other side is the Federal Public Defender.
You are among the best and the brightest attorneys in this country.
You are passionate.
You are dedicated.
You are talented.
You are incredibly hard-working.
You handle the most difficult and the most challenging cases in the most prestigious, highest profile trial court in the country.
You're extraordinary advocates and worthy adversaries.
You are The Defenders.
You are Justice.
And you come together to fight on this battlefield.
And, honestly, I'm really dreading it.
Really! I've been umping in the New York Lawyers Softball League for 11 years, and this is the one game of the season that I do not look forward to.
Because you stink.
Thank you, Judge.
Really appreciate that, Your Honor.
Okay.
Great.
Now let's play ball! [SCATTERED CHEERING.]
We came to win Go! Hard! Go! We came to win Go! Hard! - Go! - Safe! - We came to - Yes! Me and mom, we never lose - [GRUNTS.]
- Winning ain't something to choose We win Got to work hard, got to play hard Oh, oh We get deeper than a graveyard You can't catch me 'cause I'm higher You already know that your time's up - [STAMMERING.]
- We in first, better line up Let's play ball! We came to win What inning is it? I lost count.
- First inning.
- Really? You guys are terrible.
Yes, that is true, but, I mean, we're having fun.
And And who ever thought that was possible, you know? Prosecutors, defenders.
Dogs, cats.
Sharks and Jets.
- Gryffindors and Slytherins - Yeah, I got it.
- Because you were just staring - I got it.
My point is, we've all come a long way.
[SUCKS TEETH.]
Still the first inning.
Go! We came to win - [CELLPHONE RINGING.]
- [SIGHS.]
- [BEEP.]
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE.]
[CELLPHONES RINGING, VIBRATING.]
Let's bring it in! NEWS ANCHOR: The senior United States Senator from New York, Walter Carson, has been shot multiple times outside of a house in Scarsdale, New York.
The area around the home remains an active crime scene, and few details have emerged about what is already the highest-profile shooting of an American politician in a generation.
SETH: Was this political? Do we know? - We don't know.
- Have others been shot? - We don't know.
- Whose house is this? The Senator's, I assume.
Don't assume, 'cause it isn't.
Senator Carson lives on the Upper East Side.
We don't know whose house this is, we don't know why he was there, we don't know why he was shot.
This could be a home invasion, some random crime, it could be a political hit, it could be a domestic dispute.
We don't know.
- And until we know, we don't know - [CELLPHONE RINGS, BEEPS.]
What do you know? Nothing.
And if I did, I couldn't talk about it.
I'm just asking Are we picking this up? I don't know.
You okay? [SIGHS.]
Carson handed me my diploma at Stuyvesant High in '89.
I was a volunteer on his '92 campaign.
Worked out of the Rochester field office.
Jill.
I got to go.
Okay, we're getting word from University Memorial Hospital 63-year-old United States Senator Walter Carson has died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Senator Carson becomes the first United States Senator killed in office since the man who previously held this same seat was gunned down in California in 1968 New York Senator Robert F.
Kennedy.
MAN: The senator's son lives in Scarsdale.
Just moved in.
This was his house.
What are you guys wearing? - Who are you? - Ted.
Who are you? - You're not Ted.
- Who is this? Ted.
Ted is our new investigator.
Well, our old investigator was named Ted.
- I know.
- It's confusing.
Oh, it's actually not that confusing.
You just need to remember your investigator is named Ted.
This was the Senator's son's house.
Maybe he was shot at his son's house because there was less security there? Senators don't have full-time security outside of Washington.
Sir, FBI is confirming Senator Carson was shot - by local police.
- The police? That doesn't make any sense.
Senator Carson is white.
A 911 call was made to Scarsdale police reporting an active shooter at this residence.
The police responded with more than 50 officers from seven different departments, including the Special Response Team.
Senator Carson apparently ran out the doorway after his grandson and was shot on the front porch.
The boy was uninjured.
E-Excuse me.
- I need a lawyer.
- Give us a minute.
Someone just killed a United States Senator.
Yeah.
Th-That was me.
I rep WorldWarBlood.
- What? - It's a video game, WorldWarBlood.
Online multiplayer.
This dude in my Pillage Guild MySoCalledKnife bet me he could beat me to a hundred caps, so Okay, okay, stop.
Back up.
What is your name? - Julian.
- Okay, Julian.
What does "WorldWarBlood" and "Pillage Guild" and "Caps" have to do with the Senator? I had a disagreement with MySoCalledKnife, and, you know, it it got a little out of control.
And he was like, "Why don't you swat me, then?" And I was like, "Fine, I will," so I just Wait, why why don't you what me? My God.
This was a swatting.
S-Swatting.
Nobody? - Really? Really? - Ted.
Why does his name have to be Ted? Swatting is when someone calls 911 and reports that something horrible is happening at some address an active shooter, a bomb, hostages and the police send a Special Response Team a SWAT team and everyone there is terrorized.
It's big in the gamer community.
He gave me his address, so I did it.
- Except the address he gave you - Wasn't his.
It was the son of a United States Senator.
- I didn't know that.
- How hard is it to trace these 911 calls? I used a tor browser and spoofed the call in a VoIP network - to mask the number.
- Difficult.
Not impossible.
You don't have to turn yourself in, Julian.
I'm not advising you not to.
I'm not advising you to.
I-I-I don't want a bunch of cops coming to my house.
My mom, she doesn't need to see that.
I messed this up.
If you're not gonna help me, I'll walk over to the FBI myself Julian, we are going to help you.
Ted, I want you to look into everything you can about Julian's past.
His online activity.
These other guys playing the game.
Sandra, you bought this one.
It's yours.
The government is going to file a false report charge, but see what else they might hit him with.
Contact his parents.
Jay.
Duty.
Allison, these cases.
All of them.
This is all hands on deck.
[CLICK.]
[CELLPHONE RINGING.]
[BEEP.]
I don't know anything.
I do.
- [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
- Walter Carson was a tireless public servant, a proud New Yorker, a wonderful father and and husband.
- Swatting is not a joke.
- [HANDCUFFS CLICK.]
It's an act of terrible cowardice and cruelty.
And I can assure you that this office will bring every possible resource to bear in prosecuting Julian Sarco to the fullest extent of the law.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING, CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
We've got nothing, do we? We have Julian Sarco.
For filing a false report to emergency services.
18 years old.
No priors.
Maybe gets four years.
For killing a United States Senator.
He didn't kill a United States Senator.
What about the officer who did kill a United States senator? He acted within protocol.
What else can we charge Sarco with? Sarco was in a Pillage Guild with MySoCalledKnife.
That's his handle MySoCalledKnife.
MySoCalledKnife has lots of enemies within WorldWarBlood, including KimJunMakeEmSayUn D-Don't say the names anymore.
Uh, right.
So, when it looked like Julian might not go through with the swat, Kim offered Julian some online currency to do it.
Yeah.
So conspiracy? - We need more.
- SANDRA: More? That is everything Julian has said in WorldWarBlood over the last two years.
It's dark and threatening - and grotesquely violent.
- [SIGHS.]
- Enjoy.
- Mm, this is horrible.
He sounds like every kid on a video game.
Which is horrible.
If you don't like video games.
Or kids.
I don't.
You know this is bad for us, right? - It is what it is.
- It's bad for us.
[CHUCKLES.]
Look, if you say so.
I do.
I did.
We need your help.
Now, see, if I was in your position, I would think that that would be helpful information to have, and I would say, "Wow, Ted, this is great.
How did you turn this up so quickly?" And you would say, "Aw, shucks, just doing my job.
" You're me in this scenario.
And then I would say, "I can't imagine you found anything else out in such a short period of time.
" - And you would say, "Actually, I did.
" - Mm-hmm.
"I also found out Julian Sarco has swatted six other times in the past.
" And I would say, "Oh, my God.
That's so bad, but so good to know.
Thank you.
" And I'd start to walk away, so grateful.
But then you would say, "Wait.
One more thing.
The others involved in this, MySoCalledKnife and KimJunMakeEmSayUn, they have both been identified and are being investigated, but the focus is on Julian because he's the one who actually made the phone call.
" And I would say, "You found all that out? I'm speechless.
- Who are you?" - Mm-hmm.
And then you would lean in and say, "I am Ted.
" And then you'd walk away.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.]
Tina Krissman, ladies and gentlemen! Don't do that.
I will not do that again.
Not on the Senator Carson case, huh? They only give me the important stuff, Tina.
I'm a lawyer on duty.
I work with a blindfold.
I put my hands out.
I take it.
I shape it.
I turn dirt into gold.
[FOLDER OPENS.]
HOLIDAY: My parents cut off my allowance when I turned 30, like that's even a thing.
- What was I supposed to do? - Get a job? I have a job.
I film myself sitting in public spaces while I blog.
How is that a job? - How is that not a job? - Because you You know what? Doesn't matter.
The allegation is you went into open houses in your building and stole prescription drugs from your neighbors and sold them.
Okay.
Are you done reaming me? Let me set the scene here for you.
I'm at an open house next door, and I have to use the bathroom, and Ms.
Wilding has this tub of Vicodin on the counter.
Like a wheelbarrow of Vicodin.
And I'm like, "Am I supposed to take this? Why is it just sitting there?" - Right? Are you with me? - No.
- So I take 2 or 3 - 75.
And I'm not using them, even though I'm super depressed.
But my friend Burks has a broken back.
Or something.
And he was like, "If you give me the Vicodin, I can give you a hundred dollars" because he knows that my parents screwed me on my allowance.
So not a "sale.
" That is a sale.
When is the lawyer going to get here? I'm the lawyer.
You're a lawyer? I'm your lawyer.
I'm a federal public defender.
Whether or not I go to jail is in the hands of a public defender? [SOBS.]
[VOICE BREAKING.]
How can my parents not hire me a real attorney? Okay, cool, great pep talk.
Now, I'm gonna go do my job, which is an actual job, - and talk to the prosecutor.
- Wait! [SNIFFLES.]
Is someone gonna bring me breakfast? [WHIMPERS.]
SETH: She still lives with her parents? Well, sometimes it can make financial sense - to move back home.
- She's never left home.
Sometimes that makes sense, too.
You live with your parents.
Uh, nearby.
Same borough.
Same general area.
Yes, I live with my parents.
How did we end up here, talking about this? You got shut out of the swatting case, too, huh? [SCOFFS.]
I wouldn't say "shut out.
" I'd say strategically deployed on something dramatically less important.
Look, uh, this girl is awful.
I'm not gonna lie, but this is Ridiculous.
We can do probation.
I remember your office being smaller and more depressing.
Maybe that was just the mood? Nope.
New office.
This was Leonard Knox's old office.
Unfortunately, it didn't come with his case load.
Well, you're here, and he's wherever he is.
[CHUCKLES.]
Where is he, again? - I'm in hell.
- [CHUCKLING.]
It's not that hot.
It's like 185 degrees.
Try breathing through your mouth.
- I'm not doing that.
- You coming out with us tonight? Can't.
Prepping my first case in front of the Texas Supreme Court.
Defending a challenge to a statute that restricts pickling to cucumbers.
It's actually pretty interesting We're headed to the South Congress Bridge to watch the bats at dusk.
- I hate bats.
- We hate bats.
But we love the out-of-town chicks who get wasted and watch the bats.
Sounds cool.
Let me Let me think about it.
[ENGINE STARTS.]
[SNIFFS.]
[SIGHS.]
[CELLPHONE VIBRATING.]
[BEEP.]
You were right! Okay? We haven't talked in months, and that's what you have to say to me? Is there anything you'd rather hear? No, I guess not.
Right about what? Everything.
The heat, the white people, the bats, stupid festivals every two days.
You know what I did last night? I went to a mustache competition because Austin is weird.
- [COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
- Oh, my God.
What? This line.
For barbecue.
- I told you.
- This is what I'm saying.
Maybe I should come back.
Should I come back? Would Roger take me back? You'd have to ask Roger.
I need to go.
- I miss you.
- Leonard I miss New York, the office, Hand-Pulled Noodle House #3.
Yesterday, I thought I missed Seth.
Then that passed.
I miss the work there.
You're the Solicitor General of Texas.
I am working on a case about pickles.
You're on the swatting case, aren't you? You are not a quitter, Leonard.
You're many things spoiled, insolent, wrong on so many levels but you're not a quitter.
You thought about this decision long and hard, and you made a choice.
You chose Texas.
Now you just do it well.
Like I know you can.
You chose Texas.
You're right.
Again.
Goodbye, Leonard.
[BEEP.]
New Ted! Good morning! "Ted" is fine.
Nah, that's not gonna work.
Going with New Ted.
Your parents are here.
What? Why? Those aren't my parents.
Mr.
Simmons, I'm Bob Colgate.
This is my wife, Cindy.
Oh, Holiday's parents.
So nice to meet you.
I know how stressful this kind of thing can be, but the good news is she's not going to jail and this is not a felony.
Where's the good news? So, there are two parts, really.
Not going to jail and not a felony.
- Which means she's back at home? - Correct.
Right.
So how is that good for us? Y-You don't want her at home? - You met her.
- Would you? She's not my daughter.
Oh, that makes it worse.
Trust me.
Have you asked her to leave? 137 times.
This year.
We served her with eviction papers.
You served your own daughter with eviction papers? Wasn't that hard.
I just gave them to her coming out of the bathroom.
This was our last hope.
Wait, hold on.
Y-You turned her in about the Vicodin? - Of course.
- Yes! We didn't want her to go to jail.
M-Maybe a-a few nights.
But if she's a convicted felon, the co-op won't let her live in the building.
[CHUCKLES.]
This is insane.
Oh, says the successful professional who isn't living with his parents.
I mean, that's not relevant.
Yeah, look, we know that we're not innocent in all of this.
We created a monster.
No rules, no discipline.
And we named her Holiday, for God's sake.
We didn't break her spirit when we should have, and that is on us.
But this is on you! You have to fix this! Well, unfortunately, Holiday's already taken the deal.
Your daughter's not a convicted felon.
- I'm so sorry.
- [SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
SANDRA: We have all of Julian's online communications.
- Good.
- Not good.
They're vengeful and full of rage and threats, and he's swatted six times in the past.
What about the officer who shot the Senator? He's clean.
- And the other gamers? - They'll probably get charged, but that's not gonna help Julian.
We got nothing, really.
ROGER: What do we have? Making a threat in interstate communications maybe.
Cyberstalking? That's harder.
- Wire fraud.
- Wire fraud? - We got, uh nothing, really.
- [SIGHS.]
The false report is one charge.
We're preparing a superseding indictment with four additional charges making a threat in interstate communications, cyberstalking, conspiracy, wire fraud.
Wire fraud? Julian isn't gonna present well to a jury.
He's a kid.
He has no criminal history.
- He turned himself in.
- He's an adult.
He engages in relentlessly violent rhetoric online.
He's credibly tied to multiple swatting incidents in the past.
He turned himself in because he was going to be caught.
- What are you offering? - Six years.
This is a kid who made a phone call.
This is a phone call that killed a United States Senator.
2 years' probation, $10,000 fine.
Sarco pleads guilty to conspiracy and making a false charge, we'll recommend 5 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Drop the conspiracy charge, he'll plead to false report, - 1 year in prison, $15,000.
- Four years in prison, and he testifies against MySoCalledKnife and anyone else involved in this.
That's as low as we can go.
[SIGHS.]
That was the easy part.
Four years? He's a teenager.
He He He did something stupid.
He's not a bad kid.
I mean, sometimes I worried about how much time he spent on the computer, but mostly I liked that it kept him home, safe, when I was at work.
I mean, it's just a game, right? Julian's never touched a real weapon, never even got in a fist fight.
Four years in federal prison? For a phone call? Four years in prison? For killing my dad? It's totally inadequate.
We agree.
But there's no federal law that covers this kind of thing.
My father is dead.
They shot him.
Right in front of me, in in front of my son.
And for what? Some stupid fight over a video game? What kind of sick person thinks doing something like this is funny? How can you sit there and tell me that's the best you can do? JILL: Why don't you come to bed? [SIGHS.]
I can't sleep.
I would ask you if you want to talk about it.
But we don't talk about work.
[SIGHS.]
We can't talk about work.
I don't even like talking about not talking about work.
In the '92 campaign, he'd come by the office every few weeks, the Senator.
He was very inspirational.
I became a lawyer because of him.
Senator Carson inspired you to defend the man who killed him? Julian didn't kill Senator Carson.
But, yes, uh Life is complicated, isn't it? [SIGHS.]
Come to bed.
Yes, you're right.
[SIGHS.]
[FLOORBOARD CREAKING.]
- NYPD! Get on the ground now! - Freeze! - Get down! - Crawl! - Roger! - Don't move! Hey! Hey! - She's unarmed.
She's unarmed! - Get on the ground! - Ma'am, on the ground now! - Face forward! - [GUN COCKS.]
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
- Hands behind your back! - Face forward! - Do it now! - Do you want to get shot?! - Move your hands.
- Don't move! Keep your hands where we can see them.
Do not move.
I will shoot you.
- [RINGING.]
- [HEART BEATING.]
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
- Okay.
All right.
[TELEPHONES RINGING.]
- Are you okay? - I'm fine.
Do we know anything The call came from Holland, Michigan.
My press conference, apparently.
The FBI is on it.
You said someone offered Julian online currency in exchange for swatting? Uh, yes, 475 Bloodoons.
That's the currency in the video game.
Well, if Julian was paid to make the 911 call, we can get him on murder-for-hire.
It was online currency.
Not real money.
The statute doesn't say "real money.
" it says murder in exchange for "anything of pecuniary value.
" What is the "pecuniary value" of a Bloodoon? Well, it must be something, or people wouldn't kill for it.
You're talking about murder, malice, intent to kill.
Where is the intent? It's where he says he intends to kill.
- In a video game - To a real person.
Murder-for-hire is a capital offense Are you gonna do your job or not? I am doing my job.
This is my job.
I'm trying to determine the appropriate charges.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- I understand what happened last night - was deeply upsetting, but - No, you don't understand.
At all.
And I don't blame you for that.
We're up here, all day, every day, on the 20th floor, staring at computer screens, reading files, looking at photos, making decisions about people's lives.
Above it all.
Literally.
But this work is not bloodless, and we should not be.
We're not machines.
We don't just plug in facts and spit out charges.
We use our discretion.
We work for justice.
On the ground.
For the people.
Now, there were over 400 swatting incidents in this country last year, and it's on the rise, and there is no federal statute to deal with it.
The congresswoman who introduced one? She was swatted.
So what do we do? Nothing? Give me the file.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[CELLPHONE RINGING.]
[BEEP.]
[CLICK.]
[TELEPHONE RINGING.]
So, I settled the case with a 34-year-old girl in pajamas squatting in her parents' house, and I'm ready for something else.
Anything else.
I was gonna jump in and help Allison on a few things.
You have your choice of health care benefits fraud, bribery, or conspiracy to steal bioengineered rice seeds.
Lot of nice options here.
I can do you one better.
Mail theft.
Just came in.
For you, Jay.
Mail theft? [CHUCKLES.]
Who steals mail? HOLIDAY: I was trying to make some money.
By stealing mail? You say "mail" like these are letters from "The Notebook.
" These are like catalogues and stupid bills and rando envelopes laying around the co-op mailroom.
That's mail! From which I am making art, which I will sell, because my parents are being even more lame than usual.
How did the mail police even know I was doing this? It was on your Instagram.
The art.
Oh, right.
That's cool.
No, it's not cool.
I'm gonna talk to the prosecutor again.
He's reasonable.
You should be grateful.
Not all of them are.
We had a deal four years.
And now he's charging murder-for-hire and conspiracy and three other new charges that, alone, could mean 8 to 12 years.
This is about last night, isn't it? - Getting swatted.
- I'm sure it is.
Julian had nothing to do with that I know.
It's emotional.
It's punitive, I know.
But Roger has the right to charge whatever he thinks he can prove, and if he thinks he can prove this Can't you talk to him, though? You guys have a relationship.
Well, I don't mean that.
I wasn't suggesting I just I just meant maybe you can talk some sense into him because this is insane.
A few cops show up to his house, - tell him to put his hands up - Sandra which is what our clients deal with every day It's not "a few cops," okay?! He had semi-automatic weapons jammed into the side of his head.
Have you ever been through something like that? Police screaming at you? All at the same time? And you can't move, you can't talk.
Because those things might get you shot in your home.
Don't be glib.
I'm sorry.
These are the charges.
This is the case.
We work the case.
- You filed the new charges.
- Yes.
I don't agree with that decision.
I know.
I don't care.
[SIGHS.]
I will continue to work on the case, - but when it comes to sentencing - No.
I feel strongly about the application of the death penalty No, you will not continue to work on the case.
You're taking me off the case? Yes.
Because I disagreed with you? 'Cause I have someone else working on it now.
Welcome home, Mr.
Knox.
- I don't want to hear it.
- It was too hot down there.
You have to breathe through your mouth.
Don't try to charm your way out of this.
It's not charming.
It's the opposite of charming.
- What's the opposite of charming? - Seth.
How did this even happen? I called him, like you told me to.
I didn't tell you to call him and take my case.
I didn't call him and take your case.
I called him, he told me about the case and said you didn't want to add the charges.
- I didn't.
- So what's the problem? Ohh, you couldn't have told me you were coming back? It all happened so fast.
You quit your job as Solicitor General of Texas, you packed, you bought tickets, you flew on an airplane I didn't want you to talk me out of it.
When have I ever talked you out of anything? [SIGHS.]
I shouldn't have left in the first place.
I had a choice.
I chose Texas.
That was a mistake for lots of reasons.
I realized that, and this was a chance to get back.
I thought I thought I'd be helping you.
You didn't do this for me.
What if I did? Well, then, you made another mistake.
And this case sucks, by the way.
Sucks.
If you had any capacity to be ashamed of yourself, you would be.
You will be.
This is my office.
It was, yes.
I'm sure it's been many people's office.
I'm sorry.
Are you just visiting, or No, I'm back.
Is that an Elvis clock? [CLOCK TICKING.]
- Uh, pretty cool, right? - No.
Hey, I'm gonna need you to clear out of here.
You're back working here? Roger brought me back to work on the Julian Sarco case.
- He called you back from Texas? - Yes.
- From Texas? - Mm-hmm.
I'm right here, right not in Texas, working on mail theft, and he brings you back? Look, dude, I'm sorry.
I am.
- I don't know.
Not my call.
- [BINDER THUDS.]
If you'd get all your stuff out by the end of the day, that'd be best.
Nobody told you, did they? - What? - Who you're up against.
No.
Because I don't care who I'm up against.
That's why I have the case and you don't.
[PAPER RUSTLES.]
[NO AUDIO.]
I'm back.
I see that.
- I'm sorry.
- [CHUCKLES.]
If you want to be the best, you want to go up against the best.
I'm sure I'll have another chance at that with Kate.
But, anyway, here we are.
Welcome back.
Agent Vinuza, you've had a chance to review the correspondence in WorldWarBlood between the defendant, Mr.
Sarco, and another gamer who uses the handle MySoCalledKnife? - That's correct.
- In that correspondence, did Mr.
Sarco ever explicitly threaten to kill MySoCalledKnife? He did.
Repeatedly.
He said he would "waste him," "kill his sorry ass," that the "dudes who show up at your house are going to be ready to cap.
Keep your hands up.
" Agent Vinuza, WorldWarBlood has - a feature called "M-Cloud," correct? - Yes.
And M-Cloud is when you drop a nuclear bomb on one of your opponents? That's correct.
M-Cloud stands for "Mushroom Cloud.
" Isn't it true that Mr.
Sarco repeatedly threatened - to "M-Cloud" MySoCalledKnife? - Yes.
Didn't Mr.
Sarco tell MySoCalledKnife, "I can't wait to see you beg like a whiny little bitch - when I M-Cloud your whole family"? - Yes.
You don't have any evidence that Mr.
Sarco actually believed he would or could detonate a nuclear bomb in order to kill MySoCalledKnife, do you? No, ma'am.
Agent Patel, you're an expert on cybersecurity - within the FBI, correct? - That's correct.
In your review of this case, did the gamer KimJunMakeEmSayUn offer to pay, and did he in fact pay the defendant, Mr.
Sarco, to swat the home of Fred Carson, which resulted in the death of Senator Walter Carson? Yes.
Paid in what currency, Agent Patel? - Bloodoons.
- I'm sorry? Bloodoons? Is that a foreign currency? - I'm not familiar with what country - Bloodoons is a virtual currency - in WorldWarBlood.
- Inside the game? - Yes.
- I see.
Do Bloodoons have any pecuniary value - outside the game? - No.
So, to be absolutely clear, I couldn't go to the airport right now and say, "I'd like to buy a one-way ticket to Texas.
Here's a billion Bloodoons"? I don't think you would get on that flight.
Agent Tate, you've had an opportunity to forensically analyze the defendant's computer, phone, tablets, and other electronic devices seized in a search of his home? - Yes.
- Have you been able to determine whether the swatting incident in this case is the first one Mr.
Sarco has been involved in? Your Honor.
If I could just have a minute? You can object to this.
404b.
Prior bad acts.
You can keep this out.
I don't want to keep it out.
We're ready to proceed.
Do you have an objection, Ms.
Bell? No, Your Honor.
The witness may answer.
AGENT TATE: We believe that Mr.
Sarco has swatted at least six other times.
Was anyone killed in any of those incidents? - No.
- Physically injured in any way? - No.
- So, based on those incidents, Mr.
Sarco would have no reason to believe that swatting results in anyone getting physically injured, much less killed, correct? That's difficult for me to say.
Well, Agent Tate, it would be hard to believe, would it not, that Mr.
Sarco really intended to kill someone when the weapon he was allegedly using had never previously resulted in anyone even getting injured? Objection! Beyond the scope.
- Calls for a legal conclusion.
- Sustained.
I'm going to fix this.
I'm gonna figure something out.
I know what to do.
[CLOCK TICKING.]
Leonard Knox is back? Uh, I guess so.
Not sure.
He took your office.
I like the light in here more.
S-So, look, we're back on Holiday.
Ah.
"Back on Holiday"! [LAUGHS.]
I did you a favor.
Once.
Not again.
Mail theft carries a maximum of five years.
Whoa, Cobra Kai, what's going on here? This jackass comes back, swipes your office, and you want to take it out on the only person in America still using the U.
S.
mail? - Save the analysis.
- [PENS CLATTER.]
O-Okay.
You're right.
Not cool.
Not personal.
You want to go to the mat on this, I'm good for the fight.
I do think it's a colossal waste of time, and I know you're better than this.
You pick the right fights.
I can make this go away with the Colgates so we can both focus on more important battles but [SIGHS.]
that's up to you.
Would you please tell the jury about the moments leading up to your father's death? I was in the kitchen.
My dad, the Senator, was in the living room with my son, Jack, building a balloon car.
We saw flashing lights outside.
I looked out the window, and I've never seen anything like it.
A dozen squad cars, tanks, officers lined up with automatic weapons.
We didn't know what the hell was going on, and everybody started panicking.
My dad was calling his aides, trying to get information.
And, in all the chaos, I guess, Jack must have slipped away, ran to the front door.
He's 4.
Uh, I think he heard "police," and he wanted to see the police.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
[VOICE BREAKING.]
Yeah, he loves police.
Take your time.
Jack opened the door, and my dad, he just ran out after him.
Instinct.
He was like that.
He was fearless, protective.
And then it was like firecrackers.
So loud.
Somebody tackled me, and somebody else grabbed Jack, and I could hear him crying, screaming for my dad, and I saw my dad on the ground.
He'd been shot.
He was dead.
I knew that.
He was dead.
And then I heard Jack say, "Grandpa, get up.
Come inside.
" That's what I heard my son say when he looked at my dad.
The killing of Senator Walter Carson was a tragedy, but it was not an accident.
It is critical that you remember this.
What Fred Carson saw on the porch of his house was the direct consequence of Julian Sarco's words and actions.
This was exactly what he intended to do.
This was why he called 911.
"Waste him," "kill his sorry ass," "send the cops, ready to cap.
" That was what he wanted.
It doesn't matter that he killed the wrong person.
That is irrelevant.
The law requires only that he intended to kill and he did.
MySoCalledKnife was an opponent, and he was trying to kill that opponent.
In real life.
In the game.
It didn't matter to him.
Because there was no difference to him.
M-Cloud, swat? These are just moves against another character.
And that's what MySoCalledKnife was a character, not a person.
Julian never met him, never talked to him, doesn't have any idea what he looks like, doesn't care.
He's a character, and Julian wanted to destroy him in any way that he could.
That's the world Julian lives in.
But that's not the world we live in.
We live in the real world, where people bleed and children cry, where there is real loss and deep pain.
Where people die and don't get up.
I understand why the government brought this case against Julian.
The circumstances of Senator Carson's death are tragic and frustrating and, in many ways, inexplicable.
How could this happen? How could we let this happen? Who can we blame? Julian made a mistake, but no one honestly believes least of all the fine lawyers who filed these charges that Julian is legally responsible for Senator Carson's death.
No, these charges were filed to make an example out of Julian.
To say, "This stops here," and I agree.
We ought to take what happened as a cautionary tale, as an invitation for someone to assume responsibility for the troubled world Mr.
Knox so ably describes.
But we should take responsibility for this.
Because his world, it is our world.
That is the world we live in.
We drop bombs on places halfway around the globe from suburban office parks a few miles from here.
We blast pictures of people we've never met online.
We destroy reputations with keystrokes.
We lead lives, many of us all of us in one way or another that are detached, artificial, simulated, with fake money and fake friends, fake violence, fake love.
Julian didn't create this.
If we're going to make a change, if we're going to make ourselves human again, if we're going to accept responsibility for how disconnected and disassociated we've become let's do it together.
Don't point at Julian and say he is that and we are not.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
- [TELEPHONE RINGING.]
[THUD.]
Mom? Dad? What are you doing here? - What are you doing here? - What are you doing here? Okay, let's go ahead and stop that right now.
We are all here because we're gonna have a talk together, and I'm gonna go first, and then we can all leave.
So, Holiday, your parents are the ones turning you in.
Stoppppppp! Is that true? It is true.
They are turning you in because they don't want you to live at home anymore.
Now, let's talk about that.
I live at home with my parents.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ms.
Colgate, but it's true.
I live with my parents.
Always have.
There's nothing wrong with living with your parents.
Uh, all around the world, people live with their parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts.
There is nothing wrong with living with your parents if it works for everyone.
I like living at home, and my parents like having me at home.
I think.
I need to check on that.
Now, look, someday, I might have to move out, but living at home is not the problem here.
The problem is you aren't communicating.
You say you want her to leave, but you're the ones who insisted she come back after college, you make her breakfast every morning, and you both complain to her about one another.
You use her.
You are whiny and unappreciative, and you need an actual job, and you need to grow up, and you really, really need to put pants on.
Real pants.
Pants.
This is not hard.
I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, and not just about the pants.
Your parents love you, Holiday, and you love them.
However twisted it all looks, I do believe you love each other.
Now, here's the score the prosecutor has agreed to drop these charges, but that won't happen next time, so don't let there be a next time, okay? I have a lot of hope for you.
I have faith in you.
I believe in you.
And I don't ever, ever want to see any of you ever again.
Great talk.
I understand the jury has reached a unanimous verdict.
Yes, Your Honor.
In the case of the United States v.
Julian Sarco, how do you find the defendant on Count One, murder-for-hire? Not guilty.
[SPECTATORS MURMUR.]
With respect to Count Two, making a false report to emergency services resulting in death of another, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
With respect to Count Three, conspiracy to make a false report to emergency services resulting in death of another, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
With respect to Count Four, making a threat in interstate communications, how do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty? Guilty.
Broken home baby I can never blame you No one ever taught you how to love right Now one ever taught you how to stand by When it's uphill And more times this love is just uphill You might not have realized this yet, but things are different around here now, and I'm taking back this office.
Not because it has a window, though I have enjoyed watching all the little cars go by, but because I earned it.
You left, I was here, I am here, and I earned this.
This is my office.
Okay.
Broken home baby I can never hate you Even though you drain the soul out of my eyes Even though you had me crying every night I see you trying I'm grateful 'cause I see you're trying I'm sorry.
Don't.
I just wanted to say thank you.
He's my boy.
You defended him.
I wanted to say thank you.
Just let me know that you need me Love me I'll teach you how to love me Yeah, you just got to Got to love me Don't let goodbye come too easy Love me Just let me know that you need me Love me I'll teach you how to love me I'll teach you how to love me I'll teach you how to love me How to love me I'll teach you how to love, how to love me