Burden of Truth (2018) s02e06 Episode Script

1 I'm at the motel.
It's your dad.
They found him in his room.
We think that they're gonna charge you with manslaughter.
Bail is denied.
The accused will be remanded to the Brockstone Detention Centre to await trial.
Don't touch any of my stuff.
I know you think I had something to do with this.
A lot of people were staying at the motel, Shane.
But were a lot of people supposed to be staying in that room? You're one of my best guys, Owen, but I need to remove you from this case.
[SHOUTING.]
- Are you gonna take the plea? - You don't think I should? - It's your decision, Luna.
- If there's anything you'd like to say before the Crown considers the plea agreement I am not guilty.
When I ask you about the murder scene, focus mainly on the body, OK? On the blood on the sheets, the positioning of the body on the bed.
Remember to speak in bullet points.
It's easier for the jury to remember.
OK? What was the accused's relationship to the victim? Um, he was Luna's father.
Don't use the accused's name, OK? You can use "the accused" or "the defendant".
OK.
- Were they close? - Not to my knowledge, no.
She only found out he was her father last year.
Did the accused have an alibi for the night of the murder? - No.
- And there were marks on her body - indicative of struggle? - There were scratches on her arm.
Right, and her DNA was found under the victim's fingernails.
Yes.
Officer Beckbie, do you have a personal relationship with the accused? Yes.
Her mother and I were together for almost five years.
I moved in with them when Luna was four.
You love her.
I do.
Would you say that this angry young woman, rejected by her own father, with no alibi, had the motive and opportunity to kill David Hanley? Ye yes.
You know, my office is a perfectly reasonable place to meet.
The concrete blocks signals.
If Lovand tries anything, they'll be in breach of their agreement.
Does he have to go? Technically, no.
Practically, yes.
It's the Federal Government and the Security of Information act.
No, it's Lovand.
This is their next play.
They just want to talk to you.
You still have your rights.
You can go in there and sit and not say anything.
- You can bring a lawyer.
- OK, so you'll help me? - I can't.
- Told you.
My sister is on trial for murder.
Jury selection starts tomorrow.
I can't take on any new cases.
I'm not exactly a new case.
Noah, I'm sorry.
Look, here are the names of two lawyers I trust.
- They specialise in this kind of thing.
- Yeah.
Give them a call, it's gonna be fine.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
I have to take this.
I am sorry.
- What's up? - We just got the list of potential jurors.
Eighty of Millwood's finest.
Yeah, I just have a meeting with my boss and then I'm heading back to Millwood.
Sounds good.
I'll get started without ya.
- Why don't you recruit Diane? - That's a good idea.
We're gonna need as much help as we can get.
There's a lot of people to research before 9 A.
M.
tomorrow.
Then you better get to it.
And I will see you soon, Billy.
Joanna! Two, please.
I thought we were having lunch.
This is lunch.
Thank you.
Cheers.
I thought with everything going on, you could use a little self-care.
That's not exactly my specialty.
I know, but you need to try.
Did you know that lawyers are four times more likely to be depressed than any other profession? I did not know that.
And I thought it would give us a more serene opportunity to discuss Singapore.
The expansion interest that I mentioned? Things are really heating up.
That is great news.
Joanna, I can only imagine how difficult it has been for you, but there are some big things about to happen for us.
Joanna, you're my star.
And I need you.
We're going to meet with a potential investor tonight to discuss taking the firm international.
I want you there.
Can you swing it? - Of course.
I will be there.
- Great.
And it's at Belpisio, so, you know, dress to impress.
- Great.
- Where are you going? Just hoping to get a little work done beforehand.
I booked us pedicures.
Park it, Chang.
OK.
Get your feet up.
OK.
Finding good jury members is not easy.
- Where are you at? - 48.
Hey - That's Brie Cunningham.
- You know her? Yeah, I helped her get an internship at an architecture firm in her senior year.
She's bright.
She's very open-minded.
She's a definite "yes".
- Well, if she knows Luna, she's a "no".
- You know who you can ask? Taylor Matheson.
She and Brie were definitely on the yearbook committee together.
Then she's exempt from jury duty.
Friend of a Crown witness.
Taylor's testifying against Luna? - Yeah.
- But they're friends.
They threatened to charge her as a co-conspirator.
They wanna put Luna behind bars for 25 years for something she didn't even do.
She's such a good kid, Billy.
Shows a world of promise.
That's why we can't let this happen.
It's the same all over Asia.
- No one wants to engage in a trade war.
- Apologies.
Joanna Chang.
- Tobias Koh.
- Tobias was just saying how the current tariff situation with other countries is pushing international investment - towards Canada.
- So Canadian law firms with international merger and acquisition experience - are suddenly very interesting.
- I heard that that's your expertise.
It's why you're the only firm I'm talking to outside of Toronto.
Back at CTS, it was my bread and butter.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Joanna helmed a huge merger between a Canadian and Taiwanese paper mill.
Well, she was on the team.
One that also included her very accomplished father, I might add.
- I'm sorry for your loss.
- Thank you.
He'll be hard to live up to.
I was lead counsel.
- Excuse me? - On that merger.
The Canadian forest product company had 19 paper mills That's all very impressive, but I'm not clamouring to get a piece of Canada's forestry industry.
I hear you, Canada's energy sector is a given.
We need to capitalise on industries that are most affected by the recent tariffs on American goods.
Agriculture.
An international merger in this sector would position you to outbid American competitors.
Big words for such a little lady.
Keep talking.
This woman proudly posted on Facebook: "we need to embrace the homosexuals.
" "They are sinners, but it's up to God to punish them.
" Sorry, Mrs.
Jasper, straight to the "no" pile for you.
This jury list is taking forever.
It's getting late.
Is Joanna going to be here soon? Yeah, she got held up for something at work she couldn't get out of, but she'll be here as soon as she can.
I don't know how she's still standing either.
You know Joanna, she copes by overworking.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Speak of the devil.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- How's it going with the list? - We're, uh, about halfway through.
Lots of good options so far.
Good.
That's good.
- You okay? - Yeah.
I don't know.
You're tired.
I'm beyond tired.
I feel like I am stoned.
Yeah, as if you know what that feels like.
I really wish I was there.
You'll be here soon enough and we've got it covered until then.
I just have an hour here at the most and then I will be - rushing back to Millwood.
- I know.
Now go kill it.
[LAUGHING.]
Thank you.
I'm good, thank you.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Sorry.
I have to.
Frank! Good to hear from you, yes.
You're winning him over, Joanna.
I knew you would.
We're this close to closing this deal.
Something about him doesn't sit right.
I don't trust him.
You don't need intuition to trust his signature.
[PHONE CHIMING.]
- Is everything okay? - Yeah.
Uh, sorry about that.
Well shall we have another bottle? - I vote yes.
- What about you? Have what it takes to keep up with the big boys, Joanna? [CHUCKLING.]
[BIRDS CHIRPING.]
[MELANCHOLIC MUSIC.]
- Morning.
- Hey.
Morning, sweetheart.
Diane, thanks for helping us out with all this.
Are you kidding? Nothing a guidance counselor loves more - than doing someone else's paperwork.
- How's it going? Uh, good.
We've got about a dozen jurors left to vet.
- Alright, we've got just over an hour.
- Yeah, to get there, get set up, get Luna her clothes Sorry I couldn't make it last night.
You don't have to explain.
You should get ready.
Pop the trunk? Not that one.
It's not looking very diverse, is it? Eighty people were on the jury list and twenty of them were indigenous people or people of colour.
Where are they? Isn't Luna guaranteed a jury of her peers? That's the goal.
Defining the term "peer" is the problem.
The jury holding room is full of old white dudes.
- We know.
- We're looking into it.
We gotta go.
We're bringing Luna her clothes for the hearing.
Sorry.
Lawyers only.
Time for you to go.
I'll see you up there, kiddo.
You might hear some pretty terrible things in there.
It's your job to stay calm and to keep your face completely neutral.
The jury is going to scrutinise and read into any and all reactions, so it's best if you have none.
Tobacco to keep you strong.
Good.
You look like yourself again.
[SOLEMN MUSIC.]
Alright.
Could you judge the evidence in this trial without bias or prejudice or be in any way affected by the fact that the accused is Indigenous? Yes.
I can do that.
No challenge, Your Majesty.
- No challenge, Your Majesty.
- Please have a seat here, on my right.
- Next.
- We have our first juror.
Next, please.
Hi.
Am I talking to Justin Wabasse? I'm on the defence team for the Luna Spence trial.
Your name is on the jury roll list, but you didn't show up for jury duty.
You didn't receive a summons to appear? OK, and your address is 402 Birch Street, Millwood? Yeah.
It's being held at Millwood High School.
Please state your name, occupation and address - for the court.
- Theodore Denis.
I've got a roofing business.
I live at 437 Evangeline Street.
He's not on social media.
- Nothing? - No.
If you could not call me Theodore.
I prefer to be called John.
Alright.
John it is.
No challenge, Your Majesty.
Ms.
Chang? No challenge, Your Majesty.
- Very good.
Have a seat, please.
- [PHONE CHIMING.]
[SIGHS.]
Next, please.
No challenge, Your Majesty.
No challenge, Your Majesty.
No challenge, Your Majesty.
Please have a seat.
Challenged, Your Majesty.
Alright.
Mr.
Miller, you're dismissed.
Next, please.
Please state your name, occupation, - and address for the court.
- Justin Wabasse.
I'm a nurse.
Live at 402 Birch Street.
Challenged, Your Majesty.
Alright.
Mr.
Wabasse, you're dismissed.
Thank you.
Next, please.
May we approach the bench, Your Majesty? - Can it wait? - I'm afraid not.
Alright, let's hear it.
Your Majesty, we received the jury roll yesterday and the jurors who appear today are very different than the jurors - who were on that list.
- How so? Well, for starters, only about - two-thirds showed up.
- And that is normal.
People think ignoring their summons will make it go away.
Sure, except in this case, a very specific type of juror didn't report.
What my colleague is trying to say is that almost none of the Indigenous people on that list received their letter of summons, including the juror the Crown just dismissed, Mr.
Justin Wabasse.
What are you suggesting, Ms.
Chang? With respect, we believe there's been jury tampering.
That is a baseless allegation, Your Majesty.
It does not merit serious consideration.
Do you have any proof? - No.
- Not yet.
But we are requesting an adjournment so that we can look into the matter.
R v Williams makes it very clear that defendants are entitled to a jury of their peers.
How's my client supposed to get a fair trial here? Ms.
Chang, Mr.
Crawford, I can assure you that anyone who comes into my courtroom is entitled to and receives a fair trial.
I take my duty of impartiality very seriously.
Request denied.
Jury selection will proceed as scheduled.
Thirty percent of Millwood's population is Indigenous, and this is an accurate representation?! Diane's looking into them more.
Let's not assume they won't be sympathetic towards Luna just yet.
I grew up here, Billy.
There was a big difference between sitting with my Chinese mother and my white father.
- That was twenty years ago.
- People don't change.
I shouldn't have gone to that dinner.
I should've been here.
The jurors we wanted didn't show up.
- We had no way of anticipating that.
- OK, so we appeal.
- I don't know.
- [CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Pushing this further with Connors won't do us any favours.
We go to the Supreme Court.
- Luna deserves a fair jury.
- Joanna, that would take years.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Hello? No, I'm sorry.
I don't care.
No, don't do that.
Look, sure, sure, fine.
I'm on my way.
It's my brother.
We are so behind.
OK, um, I'll come with you.
We'll work on the way.
Owen! Ger, what are you doing here? - Everything, okay? - No.
Why haven't you been to see her yet? - I can't.
I told you.
- It's a job, Owen.
This is Luna.
She doesn't have much, but she should have you.
I was the first on the scene.
I can't visit the defendant in jail.
The defendant? - I can't do anything for you, Ger.
- Yes, you can.
You think Luna's guilty.
- No, of course not.
- You do, I can tell.
- Look, the evidence - Screw the evidence! This is our little girl you're talking about.
I'm sorry.
I gotta get home.
I told you don't come near me.
Do you know who I am? Do you? You think you can talk to me that way? You think that you can talk to me that way? - I'm Shane Crawford, man! - Easy.
- Sorry about my brother.
- I have beer! Bro, don't mess with me! Hey.
Hey.
Billy, you see that guy? Where is he? Hey, would you mind getting these guys a round? - Yeah.
- Billy [MUMBLING.]
Sorry.
For those guys.
I love you, Billy.
Let's have a drink.
I wanna have a beer with you.
Let's have a beer.
- I'm havin' a beer! - Shane, there's beer at Billy's.
- Let's go there.
- Smoke show! It's good to see you.
Up.
[DOOR OPENING.]
Just in case.
Just try and get some sleep.
Oh Sorry about that.
But we did get some work done on the way.
I think that was more me ranting than working.
How long has this been going on? Let's see, how old is Shane now? Sometimes it's better, and sometimes it's worse, you know? I think being that close to the murder just really threw him for a loop.
He's dealing with it the Crawford way.
And speaking of which, I'm gonna get one of those beers you promised him.
Want one? I'm delirious enough already, thanks.
[CELL PHONE RINGING.]
Diane.
OK, thanks.
Our juror, Mrs.
Shaio, she owns a convenience store.
Last month she was assaulted in a robbery.
The assailant was from the reserve.
Our defence is built on proving the cops' racial bias.
They dropped the investigation after 48 hours, they didn't pursue any new leads, suspects But compared to the Crown's story, which is practically tied up with a bow, we look like a couple of politically correct whiners.
We have to go over everything again.
Every interview.
Every piece of evidence.
Joanna, we've already been through the evidence.
- And not just once or twice.
- We obviously missed something.
So let's do it again.
[DOOR BUZZING.]
Spence, meet your new cellmate.
Hopefully this one won't end up in the hole like your last one.
You got the top bunk.
I don't belong here.
I didn't even do anything.
It was all my boyfriend.
He was the one selling, I was just with him.
I don't know what to do.
There's nothing to do except stop talking and let me get some sleep.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING.]
- Weird.
- What? In Taylor's police statement, she says she never left her room all night.
No.
No, Shane said that he saw her - when he checked into the motel.
- Yeah, around nine.
Here.
Shane said: "saw the girl that was staying at the motel.
She seemed pretty upset.
" Why would Taylor lie to the police? That's assuming Shane didn't lie, which might be the wrong assumption.
What are you looking for? We missed it.
Shane said he saw Taylor, but Taylor never left her room.
How did we miss that?! Look at them.
They are gonna find Luna guilty and she's gonna go to prison for 25 years.
We don't know that.
We're just gonna make the best of That is not enough! It's OK.
My dad always used to say: "Never make the best out of anything.
" "Be the best and the rest will follow.
" And I knew that from the time I was, like, eight.
But but he was never the best.
Not in any of the ways that mattered, and - I'm just like him.
- No.
No.
[SOBBING.]
Joanna, you're nothing like him.
Hey.
You're nothing like him.
I got you.
Hey.
It's Constable Beckbie from Millwood P.
D.
I'm just following up from yesterday.
Were you able to locate that piece of evidence? Okay.
Thanks.
Oh, it's ten! We slept in.
[THUD.]
Get up, Shane.
Have some coffee.
You might want to apologise to that bartender.
Yeah, he loves me.
Don't worry about me.
Did I make this mess? - No.
- Well, that's a first.
Shane, the statement that you gave the police? It doesn't line up with Taylor's.
I told them everything I saw.
Maybe you should talk to her.
She said she stayed in her room all night.
- You said you saw her in the hallway.
- Who said that? I didn't see Taylor.
I never said that.
You said you saw the girl - who was staying at the motel.
- Yeah, but not Taylor.
It was another girl that was staying there.
Describe her.
- You said 'girl'.
How young? - I dunno, twenties? She was staying there! She had one of the motel's towels.
So why didn't you put that in your statement? They said they talked to her! Billy.
A towel was missing from my father's room.
- What time did you see her? - I don't know.
Ten maybe? - Ten?! - Nine? I dunno.
It was right after I checked in.
OK, the motel should have Shane's check-in time logged in their computer.
This is an eyewitness account of another suspect.
We have to get this to the Crown before the trial starts.
This would be a major screw-up for the police.
They didn't confirm an eyewitness' statement.
Imagine that leaking to the media? [CAR DOOR CLOSING.]
- This a good time? - Yeah, always.
What DNA evidence was listed in discovery? Other than what was found under my father's nails? - Was there anything else? - Yeah, a couple other things, but they were all inconclusive.
At the crime scene, I saw Forensics take a long hair off the bed.
They bagged it.
You can't identify someone from a single strand.
No, but it can rule somebody out.
I don't have access to Luna's file, so - this conversation is off the record.
- Of course.
The hair is missing from evidence.
I thought you'd wanna know.
Owen, do you know who took Shane's statement at the crime scene? He's now saying that there's another suspect.
I can find out.
Let me take Shane back to clarify his statement.
I'll get him.
Hey, Shane! Shane! Hey, Shane! Shane! Hey, Shane! Shane! Hey, stop, come on! Shane, stop! What are you doing? - Come on, we're giving a statement.
- No, man, I can't do it.
I can't be talking to the cops.
Are you in trouble for something? What'd you do? - You can't know.
- Tell me.
Alright, then we're giving your statement.
Come on.
No, stop! I can't be talking to anybody, OK? They will find out, they will come after me, and this time they're gonna get the right room number, OK? Who? Shane, Joanna's innocent sister is sitting in a detention center.
- We're doing this now.
- Stop! You don't get it, man.
I saw something I shouldn't have seen! At the motel? What did you see? Everyone has it wrong, dude.
You know how I always stay in room number 127? I asked for it, - and it was taken.
- OK They got the wrong guy.
They were coming after me.
Who's 'they'? Everyone thinks that the banker hung himself off the bridge, but they smothered him with a pillow in his own bed.
I saw them stage it, set the whole thing up.
That's why they want me dead.
Shane, that's the plot of The Godfather.
You messing with me? Do you want proof? I can show you.
Let's go.
I can try and get access to the initial lab results.
Are you going to the station? He reeks of booze.
I can't let that affect the Crown's judgment.
Yeah, of course.
Get him ready and prepped and sober and I'll set a meeting with the Crown as soon as possible.
Yeah, sounds good.
Thank you so much for meeting with me.
We have an eyewitness account of another suspect leaving the scene between 9 and 10 P.
M.
So why didn't the cops question this witness if they were on the scene? They were questioned.
It was Shane Crawford.
When a witness changes their story, especially weeks after the incident, it's not reliable.
His account of the events hasn't changed he just clarified what he meant.
The police made an incorrect assumption that the woman that he saw was Taylor Matheson.
So you're saying we've had an eyewitness - of a different suspect from day one? - Yes, while another young Indigenous woman remains in an overcrowded detention center.
Wait.
Wait, wait.
So, when David was killed and I realised the mix-up, I was just gonna leave town, not tell anyone where I was headed.
Then I thought: if I stay, the motel is the last place they would look now.
I've been using the room as an office.
Kinda like your home-work environment.
After the murder, I traced it back.
David Hanley wasn't the first one.
It's been happening for months, man.
I know, it's a lot to process.
It's overwhelming.
But I'll walk you through it, man, every step of the way.
See? Mark Johnson was a truck driver, lives in Calgary.
I hitched a ride with another truck driver, same route that Mark would take, bunch of times a year.
And look, he's murdered.
That's that's crazy.
I know, right? Now read this.
This happens two weeks after I leave Deveno.
See? I mean, dude, you didn't believe me, but once you see how it all connects And to think, man, they almost got me.
I asked the front desk that night, I said: "Room number 127, please.
" She said: 'sorry, occupied.
' And then David Hanley.
- [PHONE RINGING.]
- Don't answer it! Your phone should be off, man.
If they know you know, they'll come after you too.
I just have a few more pieces to figure out, then we're gonna take all this to the cops.
I knew the girl, Luna, was innocent.
That's why I've been working so hard.
To get her off.
We're gonna have to go into witness protection.
You rat out the mafia, you don't keep the same name.
No kidding.
Billy, finally.
I spoke with the Crown.
Tim is on a call with the Attorney General right now.
Why would you approach the Crown without talking to me first? What do you mean? This is good news.
Tim wants to get Shane's testimony as soon as possible.
When can you get him down to the Crown's offices? Joanna, you just screwed us.
Screwed Luna.
Billy, this was the plan when you left.
I don't understand what's wrong.
You don't understand.
Shane is Shane's not well.
OK.
We will look into a rehab program.
As soon as Shane testifies Joanna, he is not well.
He probably made the whole thing up.
I have to go.
I just talked to the Attorney General.
I know.
I am very sorry.
You are.
OK.
Great.
I'm gonna phone him back and I'm just gonna tell him this was just a false lead.
You're wasting the Court's time.
That's my time.
That is a stunning lack of professionalism, not to mention your arrogance to think that you could possibly provide objective counsel to the accused, to your sister.
The witness will provide a revised testimony.
I should hope so.
Thank you for that.
And you will face the Ethics Committee as soon as the jury provides a ruling.
And I'll tell you this, tell you this for nothing Your gross negligence will not sit well alongside a guilty verdict.
Hi I am sorry for not visiting.
The first officer on the crime scene is required to testify as a Crown witness.
I knew seeing you would compromise my ability to be objective.
I see now that it was a mistake.
Luna I promise, I will do whatever I can do to bring you home.
I'm I'm so, so sorry.
I love you.
Yeah, that guy goes there.
Along with that guy right there.
With your help, it's gonna go so much faster.
I was thinking maybe you could write a summary or something.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I could do that.
- Awesome.
- Cerveza? - No, I'm still working on this one.
You're really nursin' it, dude.
I think somebody's getting a little soft.
Cheers.
If I lap you again, I get the Crawford Cup.