Reasonable Doubt (2022) s02e08 Episode Script

1
[KRYSTAL WALTERS]
Previously on Reasonable Doubt
- And the name is Tucker.
- How bad was it?
[JAX STEWART] Did you know about these?
I took 'em.
[CRYING]
He just kept hurting her, Chris,
and he wasn't gonna stop.
Fuck you, JT.
Did you get a chance to talk
to any of JT's ex-girlfriends?
Quite a few of them
don't want the attention,
given the way Shanelle's being dragged.
The last thing this department needs
is another embarrassing loss.
[PETER THOMPSON]
It's good to see you, Lucy.
How did you find me?
[PROCESS SERVER] Lucy Wargo?
Are you two looking
to reconcile or uncouple?
- Reconcile.
- Reconcile.
I should stop.
[LEWIS STEWART]
I know how much you love Jax.
Fuck that, you're my big brother.
She ain't shit to me
without you, understood?
- [JAX] Just leave.
- Where else am I gonna go, Jax?
You think I give a fuck?
That's not what
unconditional love is about.
Sounds like something
that you didn't receive as a child.
[JAX] Paul made
sexual advances towards me.
I am a father, and I'm not
gonna pretend I can't be.
Do you know who the father
of your unborn child is?
No.
The baby is mine.
[VOICE BREAKING] If you don't wanna
be with me anymore, that is fine,
but you can't stop me from loving you.
[JAX] Lewis.
I
I want you.
All of you.
I love you unconditionally.
And I need you, Lewis.
I never wanna lose you.
["MAKE ME FORGET"
BY MUNI LONG PLAYING]
Yeah, yeah, mm, mm ♪
- I'm an alpha and ♪
- I am ♪
- I need a alpha man ♪
- Man ♪
Need him to understand ♪
- There's power in the tongue ♪
- Ooh ♪
Want you to make me forget ♪
Please can you make me forget? ♪
I want you to make me forget ♪
Anything before you
that didn't feel like this ♪
- Oh ♪
- Didn't feel like this ♪
- Oh ♪
- Feel like this ♪
- Hey, hey ♪
- Didn't feel like this ♪
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
From La Brea to Slauson ♪
It's all us ♪
The Sun, Central Ave Jazz ♪
It's all us ♪
Where we at? ♪
Hit the Maverick Flats ♪
Leimert and right back to the ark ♪
It's all us ♪
We coastin' on the west
between sets and wealth ♪
We toast the sunset in the Dons ♪
Take flight into the night
under Cali stars ♪
In a world on wheels ♪
It's all us ♪
It's the world we feel ♪
It's all us ♪
From the hills to Hollywood ♪
It's all us ♪
No doubt we all we got ♪
Hold it down, black and brown ♪
In a city of dreams ♪
It's all us ♪
[JAX] [IN SINGSONGY VOICE]
Good morning, family ♪
- [SPENSER STEWART] Good morning, Mom.
- Morning.
[LEWIS] Morning. How'd you sleep?
- Mm, like a baby.
- [LEWIS] Mm.
[NAIMA STEWART] Oh, my goodness,
you guys are so gross.
[SPENSER] Oh, man.
Oh, uh, Terrence is
in town for a few days,
so he'll probably swing
by tomorrow night.
[JAX] Oh, well, that should be fun.
Yeah.
Naima, what are you wearing?
Um, a shirt.
Uh-huh, lift your arms up.
- Dad.
- Naima.
Nah, mm-mm-mm. No.
You changing. Just change.
Dad, are you being for real right now?
I'm just going to school then Kumon.
- It's not that big of a deal.
- Wait, you have Kumon today?
Um, duh, it's Tuesday.
Wow. They really don't like you.
[JAX] Spenser.
- I mean, it's true.
- [JAX] No, that's not true, baby, okay?
We both have been busy,
and I can't take you to Kumon
because I have court.
[LEWIS] Oh, and I have the presentation
for the game today.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- That's exciting.
- [LEWIS] I know. I'm a little nervous.
- Um hello?
- Yeah.
Naima, just text Kanika.
She'll come and get you.
It's cool if I chill
by myself for a minute?
- Uh yeah, that's, that-that works.
- Yeah, yeah.
I'm going to the car.
[JAX] Uh-huh, uh-huh, no.
Change your shirt. Nice try.
[NAIMA SIGHS]
- She really tried it.
- [LEWIS] She really did.
So, y'all good now?
No more fake working late?
Sleeping on the couch?
Just back to being gross?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
[SPENSER] Alright.
You know, I'm starting to wonder
I mean, do they even need us anymore?
Sadly, yes,
but not more than I need you.
Not more than I need you.
- [JAX] Mm.
- [LEWIS] Mm-hm.
Fuck them kids.
[LEWIS] Mm-hm.
You have a beautiful day.
- You too.
- Thank you.
[JAX] Oh.
[LEWIS] Alright, let's go.
["IT'S GIVIN" BY LATTO PLAYING]
- It's givin' boss bitch ♪
- Boss bitch, what? ♪
- It's givin' boss bitch ♪
- Boss bitch ♪
- It's givin' bad bitch ♪
- Bad bitch ♪
Never ever play me like I'm average ♪
Like I'm average ♪
- It's giving rich bitch ♪
- Rich bitch ♪
- It's giving rich bitch ♪
- Rich bitch ♪
Hey, listen, uh, about last night
in the conference room
Oh, right, that.
I compromised
our professional relationship,
and I apologize.
- It won't happen again.
- It's not a problem, we good.
And now, look,
I know it's gonna be tough,
but let's just do our best
to keep it professional.
[CHUCKLES]
So, today, we're gonna hear
testimony from Dr. Michaels
who's brilliant and charming,
and she's gonna show how J
would've tried to kill Shanelle.
Then we have Porter,
the handwriting expert.
She's gonna prove that Shanelle
didn't sign those money transfers.
Then we have Agent Ali who's gonna show
that Shanelle did not steal
JT's $30 million.
Yeah, that's good,
but the state relied on the balance
of experts and eyewitnesses who tried
to prove that Shanelle
planned the murder.
We need witnesses other than Shanelle
to connect to the jurors.
We need to show
that she was trying to leave him,
and that his abuse
escalated to a, a, a fight to the death.
And that's why we have Sally.
Sally's gonna show the steps
that Shanelle took to leave.
Daniel, did you get an opportunity
to land one of JT's exes?
Uh, no. Uh, I talked to five of them,
none of them will come forward,
but I have one left.
Uh, Eboni Phillips' last known address
is Fresh Start Rehab.
I'll find her.
What about the clerk, Rebecca Gray,
from the restraining orders office?
You know, unlike Eboni, the ex,
and Sally, she'll show as unbiased,
and she will prove that Shanelle
was trying to leave him.
Good point.
I ran a quick background check.
She's worked for LA County for 12 years,
likely tried to help Shanelle.
Perfect,
I'll reach out to her and see
But TZT just posted an interview today
with Rebecca Gray.
[KRYSTAL] Ah, hell.
Okay, no, she's out.
- She's out. Jurors don't like fame whores.
- Yeah.
Okay, that's true, that's true.
But we should still watch the interview
to see how bad it is,
then decide if we wanna
put her on the stand.
She might still be a strong witness.
Okay, but at the end of the day,
our most important witness is Shanelle,
and as long as she's strong,
we're solid.
Hey, hey, hey.
Good luck in court today, Tucker.
- Thank you, Baker.
- [BAKER] Hmm.
I'll tell you all about
it when I'm back.
You good?
Any morning you can pull the sheet
from your own face, it's a good one.
I know that's right. Later, Baker.
[COREY CASH] The Defense calls
Dr. Brandy Michaels,
director for
the Institute for the Prevention
of Intimate Partner Violence.
Dr. Michaels, can you explain
how a victim can end up
in an abusive relationship?
I will use "he" for abuser
and "she" for victim,
but abuse affects
relationships of all kinds.
An abuser and a victim
will begin a romance.
He will act like the perfect partner,
make grand gestures,
or share his trauma
to make her feel for him.
In time, he'll begin
to exert his control over her,
trapping her in a pattern of abuse.
And how is a victim trapped?
He'll act out to build tension,
make her think there's something wrong,
that it's all her fault.
And because he's
been the perfect partner
and she knows the trauma
that he's been through in the past,
she'll believe him.
The tension grows
until there's an incident of abuse.
He may try to make it up to her,
or swear it'll never happen again,
but there will always be more abuse.
What kind of abuse?
Emotional, verbal, isolation,
reproductive coercion,
financial control.
Physical abuse
is often the last step he'll take.
And why is that?
Well, if he's violent
on the first date, she'll leave.
But she's less likely to do that
with her husband of 10 years
or if he controls all the money.
[COREY] Now, are there times when
a victim is more at risk
of harm than others?
Yes, when she tries to leave him.
And are there times when a abuser
is more likely to kill his victims?
Yes, if he strangles her,
he is over 700 times
more likely to kill her.
And the tricky part is is that even if
she's been through other types of abuse,
she will most likely only get help
from the legal system
if he gets physical.
Why would a victim not be able
to get help from the authorities?
She may be afraid or ashamed
or she may have concerns
about the legal system.
[COREY] What type of concerns?
Well, if she's Black, sexism and racism.
Forty-five percent of us
experience violence or stalking,
but we are less likely
to be seen as victims.
And she may fear involving the police
because of police violence.
But as a Black woman,
if she kills her abuser,
she is 80% more likely to be convicted.
[COREY] Thank you.
How often are Black men the victims
of intimate partner violence?
Forty percent experience
intimate partner violence or stalking.
Let's say you have a wife
who slaps her husband in public
and later kills him.
Would you also say that he was a victim?
- Objection, argumentative.
- Sustained.
Do most financial abuse victims
have accounts with $30 million?
No, financial abuse
is used to control the victim
so she can't leave.
[LUCY WARGO] So, in your opinion,
a wife with that kind of wealth
has the option to leave her
husband rather than kill him?
- Objection.
- Withdrawn.
[COREY] Dr. Michaels, can you explain
what financial abuse looks like
in a wealthy home?
She may drive a fancy
car that's not hers,
nor is the house that she lives in.
And if she leaves,
she'll have no assets or credit.
And if he sees her leaving,
he may do anything to stop her,
even try to kill her.
Thank you.
[EXHALES]
[BELL RINGING]
- Bye, Spenser.
- [SPENSER] Bye.
[JAX] Ohh, who's that?
It's Aisha.
Aisha? Wait, as in
[SINGS]
Iesha, Iesha, so glad to meetcha ♪
I see you on the school ground ♪
Thought you was a teacher ♪
The little skirt you wear is so fly ♪
I turned around ♪
- You don't know that? Wow.
- No, I, I don't know that, Mom.
Wow. You know what?
- I'm doing something wrong.
- It Y-You are, the dance moves.
- [LUCY] No, no, no, maybe another time.
- [JOHN WARGO] But, Mom?
No, come on,
let's get in the car right now.
[PETER]
Oh, sorry, John. I'll see you soon.
[ENGINE STARTS]
And so, yes, I decided
to give Lewis a chance,
in the same way he gave me.
And I just wanna be with her
and to make her life easier.
Yeah,
I probably shouldn't be saying this,
but, uh, I'm really happy
you guys decided not to uncouple.
- Look at you!
- Check Dr., check Dr. Webb out.
I see you, Dr. Webb. Okay.
Okay, alright, alright.
So, what's next?
Uh
I mean, we, obviously, still have things
that we need to figure out, right?
I mean, we both have a lot going though.
I ha I have the trial. He
And I, and I have my launch, and, uh,
my brother, Terrence, is coming to town,
so that, that should be interesting.
Why you say that?
What did you tell him?
Uh, everything.
- Oh.
- I mean, I had to talk to someone.
You definitely already
told your friends.
I mean, Sally damn near
called me a piece of shit.
And what about the baby?
How are you going to tell the kids?
Well, listen, like I said,
I'm happy you guys
decided to stay together.
But we work now on the "staying" part
of staying together.
And the only way to get that done
is by having some hard conversations,
and getting through them
by working together,
we're not going against each other,
and that is what's gonna
make this union successful.
Okay.
But, yeah, but there's,
there's so many things
that we have to figure out.
Where do we start?
I have an idea.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Can we come in?
Jax.
Toni.
Sure.
I, we, um, have decided
to be in the baby's life,
and if I'm going to co-parent,
Jax is gonna be involved too.
Which is why we're here,
to figure out how to make it work.
Well, I guess he'll be a lucky boy.
Boy? Wow. Look at that.
Yeah, I've always wanted a boy.
[JAX] Boys can be a lot.
Now, Spenser, he ran me ragged,
and I wasn't even a single mom.
Well, neither am I.
Yes, you have two baby daddies now.
Uh, Jax.
I didn't mean it in a shady way.
But you're right,
you'll have all the help you need.
I sure will.
[SPENSER]
Today is teacher development day.
That's not fair. I wanna switch schools.
Well,
you can't play video games all day.
Well, a few people
in the play are practicing
for the showcase at a friend's house.
You mean, your boo Aisha's house?
She's not my We're friends, a'ight?
Okay, wait, is that the girl
you were talking to yesterday?
- She's cute.
- Yeah.
He thinks so too.
I heard him on the phone,
"Oh, Aisha, I love her so much."
- Ooh.
- You wish somebody liked you.
- What?
- Hey. Uh-uh. Stop it now, both of you.
Can I go please?
Look, Aisha's parents gonna be there?
'Cause if not, that's a big no.
Aisha said her dad
is working from home. So?
Alright, I'll drop you off
at Aisha's house.
Yes! I'm gonna go take a shower.
[UPBEAT, CHEERFUL MUSIC PLAYING]
[JAX] Really, y'all need to stop.
I obviously didn't use my name
or Peter's when I talked to Judge Wu.
But when she said that, uh,
my witness only had a 50/50 chance
of getting
a restraining order for her ex
Fifty-fifty is not so bad.
Although, you would have
an easier time getting an order
if his conviction
was for domestic violence,
not a DUI and gun possession.
Why don't you just tell John
the truth about his dad?
No.
I have shown him photos and videos
and pretended like his dad was this,
uh
misunderstood good guy
who will run to him
as soon as he became free.
And now, my monster
is John's superhero because of me.
None of this is your fault.
At the custody hearing,
you have two advantages.
You've taken care of John,
- alone, for years
- Mm-hm.
and the court will look
favorably on you
as long as you can show stability,
like your DA job.
Okay.
Let's hope I can keep it.
I should go.
But in the meantime,
try not to stress too much.
Okay.
Hey, Lucy. Another great day, huh?
Hey, Davis, yeah
another great day.
[COREY]
The Defense calls Francesca Porter.
I'm a forensic document examiner
and certified handwriting analyst.
Agent Abdul Ali of the FBI.
I just closed an investigation
into Jamarion Tucker's charity.
Now, I'm showing you
the People's Exhibit 35.
Do you know what that is?
Yes, documents creating
a trust for Mrs. Tucker
and transferring $30 million.
Does her signature show
that she had the legal power
to use and transfer the money
however she liked?
Yes.
[LUCY] Including the
$30 million transfer
that happened prior
to the victim's death?
Yes.
Now, in your opinion, is the signature
on People's Exhibit 35 authentic?
No, I reviewed dozens
of documents signed by the defendant.
Her signature on the right
is consistent across time periods,
but here, on the left,
the signatures lack
the fundamental characteristics
that define her other writing.
Can a person's authentic signature
sometimes change?
For example,
if the defendant's wrist was injured?
- Objection, lack of foundation.
- Sustained.
Please look to Defense Exhibit 12.
Do you recognize that document?
Yes, it's a check written
from Mr. Tucker's charitable foundation,
and drawn from an account
shared by him and Evan Gerrard.
And this check was payment
for reducing his yardage
in the game the prior day.
It's a front to fix football games.
Do you think the signature
on this check belongs to the defendant?
No, I do not believe so.
We have reams of documents
proving Mr. Tucker
and others fixed games,
laundered gambling money
through the charity and used it,
but Mrs. Tucker
never drew from the charity
or its secret accounts.
[COREY] Have you ever had a case
where a husband had his wife
sign some documents
to move some money
that she would never use?
I've had dozens of cases like that.
Why might a husband
do something like that?
Skip out on taxes
or to set her up, since if she signs,
he avoids doing time
while the wife
spends the rest of her life in prison.
What a terrible thing to do. Thank you.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Hey, Ma, it's not a good time.
[MAMA LU] [ON PHONE] Then,
I'll be quick.
Kevin and I would like
for you and Lewis and the kids
to come over for lunch on Saturday.
Tomorrow? I have the trial, I can't
It's getting serious.
Between me and Kevin, I mean.
I really want you to meet him.
Okay, and since when
do you care what I think?
Since now. I care, Jacqueline.
Okay. Okay, we'll be there.
Thank you.
[UPBEAT HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]
[INDISTINCT SINGING]
- [LAUGHTER]
- Oh!
- [ALL APPLAUDING]
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Oh, shit. Hey, that was fire.
Thanks, man. You know,
I still gotta work on it though.
Oh, my God, really?
'Cause you can go
on stage, like, tomorrow.
- Oh yeah?
- [AISHA'S DAD] Hey, Aisha,
I gotta step out for a bit,
work emergency,
but you guys be good, okay?
[AISHA ANDERSON]
Uh, yeah, we're good, Dad.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
- Let's go!
- Let's go. [LAUGHS]
[FAINT HIP-HOP SONG PLAYING]
S-So, no one's home?
Nope.
You want anything?
N I d I don't do that type
of stuff, but I vape though.
I left mine at home.
I mean, I don't do
this kind of stuff either,
but I'm glad you don't,
makes me like you more.
- Okay.
- [AISHA] I'll go get my vape.
[SOFTLY] Shit. Okay.
- [TERRENCE STEWART] What did he say?
- [NAIMA/TERRENCE LAUGHING]
[DOOR OPENS]
Hey, Jax.
Uh where's your dad?
Well, he had to work late,
so Uncle Terrence
picked me up from school,
since he's the only one
who cares about me.
Really, Naima? [SCOFFS]
Why don't you go finish
your homework in your room
while I talk to Uncle Terrence?
Okay. Bye, Uncle Terrence.
Ah! [GRUNTING]
- Yeah. [LAUGHS]
- Love you, baby.
Love you too.
[TERRENCE CLEARS THROAT]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[JAX CLEARS THROAT]
I know Lewis told you
what's been going on,
and I know you're probably on his side.
No, my brother nearly blew up
his life for a side chick.
I'm not on his side.
But I'm not on your side either.
I know you have
your own opinions, Terrence,
but at the end of the day,
he is my husband.
And he's my brother.
And as much as I love you, Jax,
you scare me
because when the going gets tough
I'm still here, Terrence.
For now.
But this shit with this baby,
it's gonna be a lot.
And not just this year.
Are you okay with him
putting away less for retirement
to pay a college
tuition for another kid?
And blended family holidays?
That-That's just a tiny piece of it.
So, let me ask you this, Jax,
are you really gonna be all in?
Because if not,
you need to tell him now.
You already hurt him once,
and I'll be damned
if I let you do it again.
And by the way, you, you, you
keep calling it a "side baby."
It's a "break baby."
A baby that was made
during the break that you both enjoyed.
- Let me tell you something, okay
- [DOOR OPENS]
[SPENSER] What's up, Uncle Terrence?
- [LAUGHS] Hey, what's going on, kid?
- What's going on, man?
- Hey, baby.
- [TERRENCE] You lookin' good.
[SPENSER] Hey, man. What's up, Mom?
- What's going on, babe?
- [JAX] Hey.
Hey.
- Yo.
- Hey-hey-hey. [LAUGHS]
- What's up? What's up, T?
- [TERRENCE/LEWIS LAUGHING]
Alright so what'd I miss?
- [TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
- [JAX CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
As you can see, Mr. Smithers,
this facility would be a wonderful place
for your sister's treatment.
[IN BRITISH ACCENT]
Ah, well, I appreciate the tour,
but are you sure this
is the whole place?
For patients, yes.
The only rooms I didn't show you
are our staff offices,
but your sister
won't need to worry about those.
Yes, right. Uh, well, of course.
Thank you. Alright.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
I found her.
She's not a patient,
surprised face emoji.
- [JAX] It's on you.
- Alright. It's on, it's on me?
- [JAX] Play!
- Alright, I'm going, I'm going.
- Oh!
- [MAMA LU] Oh. [CHUCKLES]
- [JAX] Ooh, baby, that hurt.
- Okay.
[JAX] Ooh, baby, that hurt.
I'm sorry. Sorry.
Wait, hold on,
there you go, here you go.
So, Lewis,
I hear you design video games,
so what's that like?
Uh, you know, I can't complain.
Uh, working a lot
on the launch of Auto Drive 2,
but, I mean, I have
an amazing wife and great kids, so.
Mm, that's a real blessing.
Uh, and I wish, uh,
Spenser could be here,
but he's at rehearsal for his showcase,
but we'll have to bring him by
so you can meet him.
I'm looking forward to that.
I don't wanna play no more.
Baby, what's wrong?
I'm going to get some more chips.
- Thank you, Kevin.
- Thanks.
I know you miss Grandpa Paul
and how good he was to you, baby,
but you can't treat Kevin like that.
Yeah, well, he's trying to be
like Grandpa and he's not.
- And that's someone he'll never be.
- [LEWIS] And you're right.
You're absolutely right,
and that's okay.
Naima, families change with time,
but getting a new family member
is having another person
to love you and to love.
Don't be afraid
to accept love, Naima, okay?
'Kay.
Okay, take this love right here.
My little princess.
- Oh, you got a draw four? Hold on.
- [NAIMA] Oh.
- No, I don't.
- [LEWIS] Okay, you
[NAIMA] I'm keeping this.
- [MAMA LU] Thank you for that, Lewis.
- [LEWIS] You're welcome.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
You're Spenser's mom. I saw you on TV.
You're even prettier in person.
Oh, thank you.
Well, I brought some cupcakes,
you know, different flavors and
Um, are they gluten-free?
I'm sorry?
Uh, actually, it's okay.
I'm sure you were busy.
Oh
[CLEARS THROAT] Great minds.
[LUCY] Mm-hm.
The only reason I was able to do this
is because of our late start today,
even though I should be prepping
to destroy your witness.
Hm.
Same, but a few hours won't help you.
We know your tricks already.
[LUCY CHUCKLES]
Wow.
Yeah.
Looks like I'll be
quitting smoking again tomorrow.
- You have cigarettes?
- Yeah.
They're not gluten-free.
You know, it's funny
how they call it Pastries with Parents,
but there's, like,
four dads and 800 moms.
That's how it is. Yeah.
Mom has to fight daily at her job
- and for her kid, and it's nothing.
- Mm-hm.
And then, you know,
Dad shows up to play parent
and everyone in the world
acts like he's a great guy.
[JAX SCOFFS]
Fuck it,
what about all the women
that are out there doing it themselves?
Because, you know,
my award shelf is quite empty.
[JAX] Mm.
- Facts.
- Mm-hm.
I was raised by a single parent.
My father was a disaster.
Made things complicated, you know?
Well, you turned out okay, I guess.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I'm sure you're doing a great job
as a parent, I mean.
I mean, as a lawyer, eh.
I withdraw all my previous statements
about you, Counselor. Hey.
["REAL MUTHAPHUCKKIN G'S"
BY EAZY-E PLAYING]
Ahh, real muthaphuckkin G's ♪
Ahh, real muthaphuckkin G's ♪
Hey, sorry I'm late. It's a work thing.
Uh,
you ready to head to the appointment?
[TONI HOLLEY] Dianne's already here
to go over the birth plan.
This is Dianne, my nurse-midwife.
And Dianne, he's the father.
I'm so pleased you'll be here
with Mom for the home birth.
Home? Look, no disrespect,
but shouldn't you be at a hospital,
Toni?
- It's safer.
- Safer for who?
Compared to white women, Black women
are three times more likely to die
from causes related to pregnancy.
Which is exactly why you should be
with doctors at a hospital, Toni.
The last time I had a baby in
a hospital, I got a blood clot.
They missed it.
It took me weeks to recover,
weeks I should've spent with my baby.
Lewis, her OB will be on-call at Cedars
in case she needs a hospital,
but the plan is to have the baby here.
And after the birth,
you should be with the doula
to take care of Mom night and day.
Night and day?
Yeah, I don't know.
I'm gonna have to check with Jax.
But this isn't her baby, it's mine.
And, look, if you wanna be
a part of this, I need you in it.
If not, then you don't need to be a part
of the birth
or anytime after it, got it?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
[COREY] You ready to testify?
And tell the world
who that fucker JT really was?
- I'm more than ready.
- [JAX] Uh-huh.
Just remember to breathe.
- You got this.
- Okay. [EXHALES]
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
Mrs. Braswell, what's your relationship
to Mrs. Tucker?
We're cousins,
but we grew up like sisters.
Her parents died when we were young,
so I think of her as, you know
she is my sister.
Mrs. Braswell, I'm showing you
Defense Exhibits 13 to 17.
Do you recognize these images?
Yes, I took these photos of Shanelle
after JT beat her.
Why did you take these photos?
As a reminder,
just in case she decided not to leave
and as evidence,
just in case anything happened.
If you knew he was abusing her,
why didn't you call the police?
I did, once.
I was at their house one night.
JT came home drunk and he was angry
because he lost money gambling.
Shanelle got him a glass of water
and when she went to hand it to him,
some of the water spilled on his shirt.
He jumped up and stood over her.
And he started screaming
and he took the glass
and he threw it at the wall behind her.
That's when I called the police.
What happened next?
When the police got there,
I tried to explain to
them what happened,
but they only had eyes for JT.
He gave them VIP tickets to a game,
took selfies with them,
and no police report was ever filed.
Did you do anything
to help her leave Mr. Tucker?
Yes, we created a safety plan.
Could you please explain
to the jurors what that means?
A safety plan is a list of things
that
she needed to do in order to leave him.
I found a sample online
and Shanelle and I,
we filled it out a couple of months ago.
I'm now showing you Defense Exhibit 35.
Do you recognize this document?
Yeah, this is the plan we made.
Did you witness Mrs. Tucker do
any of the items listed
on this document?
I let her store some
of her personal items at my house.
She was moving out slowly
so when she could go, it would be quick.
I helped her update her résumé
for job applications,
and I also helped her sell
some of her things online.
And this number right here,
I also helped her find a therapist
for her and for Jordan.
She wanted to leave, but her kids,
they mean everything to her.
No further questions.
Mrs. Braswell, please, take a look
at Defense exhibit 35.
There are 15 items on the list.
How many did you
and the defendant complete together?
Four.
In all those months,
you only finished four items?
Yeah, we moved slow
so she would stay alive.
Okay, so, on what day
was she supposed to leave Mr. Tucker?
We didn't have an exact date.
Well, if you were helping your sister,
why didn't you have a date in mind?
She was giving up her marriage,
her home, her entire life,
that's not easy, quick, or cheap.
Interesting that you
should mention money.
Were all of the items that you
two sold owned by the defendant?
Yes, of course.
I'm now showing you People's Exhibit 47.
Do you know what that is?
Yes, it's a receipt for a jersey.
Please, read the text at the bottom.
"Verified jersey as worn by JT."
- Did it belong to the victim?
- Yes.
Did you and the defendant sell it?
Yes, he had a million of them
laying around.
Everything else we sold was hers.
So, when you weren't stealing from him,
did you ever see the victim
inflict injuries on the defendant?
- No.
- [LUCY] No?
Even the night that you,
allegedly, called the police
after a shouting match,
he didn't hit her.
So, how do you know
that the victim is responsible
for the injuries in this photo?
Shanelle would not lie to me
about something so personal.
Oh, so you knew that she was
having an affair with Adrian Hunter?
- No.
- [LUCY] Oh. [LAUGHS]
So, sometimes, the defendant steals
and keeps big secrets from you.
A person with a heart that big
does not lie or hurt anyone.
Except for the father of her child
who she caved his skull in.
I'm glad it was him and not her.
That son of a bitch
deserved to fucking die.
[ALL MURMURING]
[EXHALES]
No further questions.
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
Yo, what happened? Where's Baker?
The morgue.
Today, she found out her court case
[MUFFLED VOICE FADING]
was pushed another nine months,
so I guess she didn't feel
like waiting any longer.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
[COREY] Sally's testimony
really set our defense back.
We need to find someone
else who can show
how Shanelle was trying to leave.
- What about Rebecca Gray?
- No, no, she's tainted by the interview.
Did Daniel ever find Eboni?
The intake nurse who gave him the tour
said she's working again tomorrow night,
so he'll stakeout the rehab then
and see if she'll talk.
But I think we should
still try to get Rebecca.
No, no, no. I'd rather focus on just
pushing Shanelle harder during the prep,
as much as she can handle.
[BAKER] Hey, Tucker, you good?
- Pocahontas.
- [JAX] I think you're hiding something.
- [SHANELLE TUCKER] [CRYING] I love you.
- [BAKER] You got this.
- [JAX] Did you kill JT?
- Stop, stop, stop.
- [JAMARION "JT" TUCKER] Shut the fuck up!
- Leave me alone.
- [BAKER] Get it together.
- [GUARD] Did you say something, Tucker?
No, I didn't say anything.
I'm good.
Well, hurry, we ain't got all day.
- Yeah, alright.
- [GUARD] Hm.
[MAMA LU] Naima, your mom's here.
Thank you for taking care of her, Mom.
Oh, not a problem.
I'm just glad one of my grandchildren
still wanna hang with me.
[CHUCKLING]
Well, you know
Spenser's getting older, you know,
so we just wanna give him
some more independence.
Let him stay home alone occasionally.
- I trust him.
- Better you than me.
[LAUGHING]
And thank you for being
nice to Naima about Paul.
Mm.
I like Kevin.
- He seems normal.
- [MAMA LU] He is.
I'm happy things are good
with you and Lewis,
not because he's a good man,
but because you are a good woman.
I'm proud of you, Jacqueline.
Oh, thank you, Mom.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
Okay, you have a good night.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Okay, good night.
[LEWIS] [SCATTING] Hey.
[CONTINUES SCATTING]
- Ahh! [SIGHS]
- Hey.
I take it you and Terrence
had a good time tonight.
Oh, niggas gonna nig, you already know.
Ah! [LAUGHS]
- [SIGHS]
- Okay?
Um, should I get some Pedialyte,
and a burger from Tommy's now
or in the morning?
Mm-mm, I don't want it.
Well,
I can get you something else to eat.
No, I-I'm talkin' about this baby.
[SIGHS]
It was one night, I fucked up one night,
and now I'm having a baby
with a woman I barely know.
A baby I gotta support,
even though she threatened
to cut me out the baby's life.
Wait, she threatened you?
Yeah,
her way or the vroom-vroom highway.
Fuck, and we gotta do this
'til the kid's outta college.
Like I'ma be 65.
Like, men in my family [GRUNTS]
men in my family barely see 70.
Okay, wait, baby, here, drink this.
It's too much to think about
when you're drunk.
I wish this baby would go away.
And I
I hate saying that
about my son, not our son,
my fuckin' son.
[SIGHS DEEPLY] Fuck.
I'm so sorry, Jax, I'm sorry.
It's okay. It's okay.
Will you forgive me, please?
Like, I, I need you to forgive me, Jax.
Do you forgive me?
I j
Will you please forgive me?
[LEWIS SIGHS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[ADRIAN HUNTER] Hey, Shanelle.
Adrian
you know, I thought for sure your ass
would be on the
other side of this glass.
[CHUCKLES] Uh, yeah, yeah, I know. I
I cut a deal with the Feds.
I still gotta do community service.
I have to pay a fine,
and I have to report to a PO
for the next five years.
It's better than
I'm sorry.
And I appreciate what you said
up on the witness stand, but
that don't mean I forgive you.
- You lied to me.
- I know, I
And after Jamarion, you know damn well
how hard it was for me
to trust anybody.
Shanelle, I'm sorry, okay?
The shit I did was fucked up
but I didn't lie about
how I felt about you.
I love you, Shanelle.
Listen, I
my career's over.
I got cut from the team.
They said I'm too much of a distraction.
I can't get my money.
My assets are frozen.
I've lost everything.
But I don't care about any of that
because the one thing
I did not want to lose is you.
Yeah, well,
it's a little too late for that.
I don't believe that.
When you get out of here,
when you beat this case,
because you will beat this case
I wanna be with you.
And not just for a day,
not just for a weekend,
I wanna be with you forever.
Shanelle, will you marry me?
[EXHALES]
Okay, yeah, um, I know,
it's, it's, it's a lot to take in.
I know it's a lot, but
but promise me you'll think about it.
[WINCES]
Thank you.
Thank you, too.
You helped me through
my mistakes with Damon.
You loved me when
I couldn't imagine you would.
I was humbled.
I've never been loved like that.
Unconditionally, when I was at my worst?
This shit is hard, Lewis,
but I am right here.
I am walking this road with you
but it's not easy.
And, sometimes, I wonder
if I'm making the right decision.
But I know I'd rather do this shit
with you than without you.
And I'm showing you that
every day with my actions.
But you constantly
asking me to forgive you
makes you feel better, not me.
You're right, Jax.
I appreciate you so much,
and I respect that.
Now, Ms. Wargo will bring up
that TZT interview.
Ohh. You know, if I had known
that interview might hurt your case,
I would've never done the darn thing.
All I wanna do is help Mrs. Tucker.
And you will.
Just answer the questions as
they're asked and we'll be right here.
- Let's get on with it.
- Okay.
I hope you're right about this.
And what do you do, Mrs. Gray?
I'm a clerk
at an LA County Self-Help Center.
I help people apply
for restraining orders.
Been doing it for 12 years now.
Now, will you walk us through
a typical work day?
Well, when someone comes in,
I answer their questions
and explain how to get
a restraining order.
Have you ever met Mrs. Tucker?
[REBECCA GRAY]
Yes, I remember her coming in.
A lot of women come in
in hats and sunglasses.
But I remember she had
the biggest diamond ring
I've ever seen.
And then I remembered I saw her on TV.
My wife and I,
we watch those ESPY award shows.
What else do you remember?
She asked if restraining orders
were a public record.
I said yes.
Now, Mrs. Gray, do you recall
if Mrs. Tucker ever got
the restraining order?
No, she left without filing.
- Thank you.
- [REBECCA] Mm-hm.
How many people do you see a day?
A few dozen.
Let's say two dozen.
How long did you interact
with the defendant?
Maybe 10 minutes.
So, you see two dozen people a day,
five days a week,
50 weeks a year.
That's 6,000 a year.
Over 12 years, that's 72,000 people.
And yet, you remember one woman
that you saw for 10 minutes?
I can never forget her.
Is that what you told TZ
when you sold your story?
- Objection.
- Withdrawn.
- [COREY] Mrs. Gray.
- [REBECCA] Mm-hm.
How do you remember Mrs. Tucker?
Because she left without filing.
I may not have known her name,
but I remember her face
because she left.
Those are the ones I worry about more,
not the ones who stay
and work past their tears
when they're describing the
horrific acts that brought them here.
But it's the ones
who are afraid of someone,
but they're afraid to admit it.
Those are the ones
that keep me up at night.
Those are the ones I remember.
That's why I remember Mrs. Tucker.
She was scared.
She had tears,
but then she left, alone, with nothing.
Alone with nothing.
Thank you.
Let me just say it again. I was right.
Oh, so you just can't get enough,
can you?
I really can't. I really can't.
Just one more time, please.
Okay, you were
- right about Rebecca Gray.
- Oh!
And I'm the best lawyer
you have ever worked with.
- And don't push it.
- [LAUGHING]
So, you have any big plans for tonight?
No, no, just headed back to the office.
- [JAX] Hm.
- You?
Picking up the kids,
dinner with the family
before prepping for tomorrow.
Well, listen, I, I know I said
I was gonna keep it professional, right?
And I, and I hope I'm not
about to cross the line,
but Lewis is a very lucky man.
I'll pass along the message.
Oh, please don't.
Good night.
Good night.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Hey.
- Hey.
It's really good to see you.
I'm sorry it's taken a while.
I can't imagine what it feels like
to spend your days in here.
Yeah, well,
I can't explain it myself, so.
I just wanna apologize to you
because, for whatever reason,
you didn't feel comfortable
telling me about the abuse,
which is my fault.
What? No.
Autumn, it's really not.
Jamarion fucked me up, girl.
He made me feel small
even around you guys.
He reminded me I was just a housewife.
You know, he convinced me that y'all
thought y'all were better than me.
Wow!
Girl, that's fucked up,
and not true at all.
I know that now.
And the only reason I'm a therapist
is because I'm a head case myself.
We all know Sally's a mess,
and didn't Jax get kidnapped
by her side piece?
[AUTUMN LAUGHING]
Shanelle, honey, you are worthy of love
just the way you are.
No matter what's going on
with you or any of us,
if you get anything out of all of this,
I hope you remember that.
- Okay?
- [SNIFFLES]
Thank you.
[AUTUMN OWENS] You're welcome, baby.
I love you, girl.
[SHANELLE] Thank you.
We're gonna get you out of here.
[EXHALES]
I heard you threatened
to take Lewis's baby away.
Well, it's not just his baby.
Exactly, this baby has two parents,
you and Lewis,
which means he has rights.
So, we're involved
whether you like it or not.
Now, the easy way to do this
is where we compromise
and we all work together.
The hard way is where you
hire an expensive lawyer
and we all end up in court.
Do you really wanna
face me in court again?
Are you threatening me?
No, I'm reminding you who I am.
And if you think I fight hard
for my friends, bitch,
wait until you see
what I do for my family.
Who do you think you're talking to?
- Hey.
- Hey, baby.
- How was school?
- How was school?
Good.
- Good to see you, Toni.
- [TONI] Mm-hm.
[JAX] Yep.
Okay. [WINCES]
[GROANS]
Joint custody?
[LUCY PANTS]
How can they
Oh, my God. What am I gonna do?
I am so sorry, Lucy.
Excuse me.
Uh, hi, are you Eboni Phillips?
- Yes?
- [DANIEL KIM] Great.
Uh, I've been trying
to get in touch with you.
- I just have a couple questions.
- I don't talk to reporters.
- No, sorry, I'm not a reporter.
- Kick rocks before I have to pull
my taser out of my purse.
I'm sorry, l-l-let me just run it back.
My name is Daniel Kim,
and I work for Shanelle
Tucker's defense.
Look, we know that J
took Natasha from you
when you went into rehab.
We need you to testify about
everything between you and JT.
Tell your side of the story.
["WEARY" BY SOLANGE PLAYING]
But you know that
a king is only a man ♪
With flesh and bones ♪
He bleeds just like you do ♪
He said, "Where does that leave you?"
♪
And, "Do you belong?" ♪
I do ♪
I do ♪
Be leery 'bout your
place in the world ♪
You're feeling like
you're chasing the world ♪
[NEWSCASTER] After Sally Braswell's
dramatic outburst on the stand,
Corey Cash, lead counsel
on the Tucker trial,
astonished us this week,
overshadowing ADA
Wargo's case in the process.
Whether or not the jury is aligned
with these sentiments
is another question,
one we will have to
[CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]
But you know that a king ♪
Hey, I need to make a phone call.
Is only a man ♪
Only a man ♪
With flesh and bones ♪
He bleeds just like you do ♪
Just like you do ♪
He said, "Where does that leave you?"
♪
Leave you ♪
And do you belong ♪
I do ♪
I do ♪
[VOCALIZING]
Hey, yeah, you know, I was thinking.
Just-Just about everything
that's happened and
I don't know, maybe this
has all gone too far.
Maybe we should
maybe we should tell the truth.
Okay. Okay.
Let's talk in person.
Until then
don't say another word.
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]