Bull (2016) s03e17 Episode Script
Parental Guidance
1 Is that all you got? I was hoping to trade these for some coffee beans.
You hungry? Yeah.
Get some water.
I'll make lunch.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (ALARM BLARING) You know what to do, son.
Yes, sir.
Remember this is our land.
It's kill or be killed.
(ALARM CONTINUES BLARING) OFFICER (OVER BULLHORN): Mr.
Schwieger.
State Police.
I need you to step outside.
- NORMAN: Now.
- (GUNSHOT) (GLASS BREAKING) (OFFICER SHOUTING OUTSIDE) (GUNSHOT, GUN COCKING) Kill or be killed.
(GUNSHOT) So where are we going? What are we doing? And who is this wonder of wonders I just have to meet? What did you call him? A walking anachronism? Lucas Schwieger, 16.
He never attended school.
He lives a completely sheltered existence in a cabin with no electricity or running water in the woods above Sullivan County.
His father, whom he lived with, described himself as a radical survivalist.
He was, as far as I can tell, the only person that Lucas had any sustained contact with during his 16 years of life.
Wow.
A caseworker with Child Protective Services heard about him, grew concerned, came to pay him a visit escorted by the New York State Police.
"Father and son opened fire, killing the caseworker "and wounding the State Police officer, who fired back, killing the father.
" Ballistics indicate that while Lucas shot the police officer, wounding him in the leg, he didn't actually kill anyone.
It was the father's gun that did that.
Nonetheless, he's being charged as an adult for murder as part of a joint venture.
Does he even understand what's going on? The charges? That they want him to stand trial? They want to punish him for what happened? He didn't even understand what an attorney was - until I explained it to him.
- (SIGHS) You know, it's not like he's mentally impaired.
In fact, in the little time I've spent with him, he seems innately intelligent.
But his only understanding of the world is what's been taught to him by his father.
Well, obviously, some doctor, somewhere, - deemed him fit to stand trial.
- (BUZZER BLARES) You should also know that Lucas did speak to the police on the record.
He already admitted he shot the officer.
Expressed clear intent.
- Insisted he would do it again.
- (DOOR CLANKS OPEN) (DOOR CLOSING) (HANDCUFFS CLICKING) He's a friend.
My name's Dr.
Jason Bull.
Dr.
Statton wanted me to meet you.
See if I could help you.
Doctor, huh? I'm not sick.
No.
I'm not the doctor that helps sick people.
I'm the doctor that helps people when they get into trouble, when they have to go to court.
Do you know what court is? Did Dr.
Statton explain about court to you? Let me start over.
First of all, I'm sorry about your father.
They had better guns.
How about your mom? Do you ever see her? Is there any way I could talk to her? No.
She hung herself.
It was when I was a little kid.
I'm sorry.
Lucas do you understand you could spend the rest of your life in here, in jail? And I'm guessing you don't want that.
Am I right? I just want to go home.
And that's what we want to try and make happen.
You all right with that? - I guess so.
- (LOCK BUZZES, CLICKS) All right.
Let me get back to my office, get this started.
I'm sure I'm gonna want to talk to you some more.
In the meantime, is there anything I can bring you? Anything you miss? Maybe some books? Well, if you think of anything.
(DOOR CLOSES) MARISSA: This is Lucas Schwieger.
16 years old.
Charged with murder in the death of a New York State Children's Services caseworker.
Yeah.
We all got Bull's e-mail about this kid.
He can't read.
Barely speaks.
Lived with his dad off the grid his whole life.
Oh, and let's not forget he confessed to the crime.
DANNY: So I'll just say it.
Can we even help this boy? We've got the surviving police officer's testimony.
Plus the confession.
And this client doesn't seem like he's in a position to really help his own defense.
TAYLOR: And what kind of narrative? What kind of story can you tell a jury that makes it okay to ambush a caseworker and a trooper? MARISSA: Bull wants to mount a defense based on persuasive coercion.
Our position will be that, because of Lucas's sheltered and isolated upbringing, he didn't know what he was doing, other than following the instructions of, quite literally, the only person in his life: his father.
Norman Schwieger was delusional and paranoid and controlling.
He was convinced that humankind was on the verge of a cataclysmic end and thought the only way to survive was to live a completely self-sustaining life away from the scrutiny of other human beings.
And he forced his son to live the same way cloistered on their small plot of land, which they didn't even really own, which Norman rigged with trip-wired alarms to warn them of any trespassers.
Okay.
I'll ask.
What is persuasive coercion? Basically, Bull wants to argue for all intents and purposes that Lucas's father exercised a kind of mind control over him.
Denied the boy a voice in any decision-making of any kind.
His job was simply to do what he was told.
And as a result, he had no experience choosing between right and wrong, no experience choosing anything.
The problem is, it's an affirmative defense.
Hi.
Zero years of law school here.
Though I did watch a lot of Ally McBeal back in the '90s.
So what does that mean? "Affirmative defense"? MARISSA: That means that going in, we admit to what the prosecution claims he did.
And now it puts the burden on us to present evidence that will negate his having done it.
Basically, yes, he shot at those people, but no, given the circumstances, it wasn't his fault.
And how do we make that argument? Is there anyone left to testify? With Lucas's father dead, it leaves us without one witness who can tell the jury about the crazy way that Lucas grew up.
BENNY: And based on Bull's e-mails, it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to put Lucas himself on the stand.
DANNY: Wait a second.
Someone saw something, because Child Protective Services were sent to this house.
I know those calls are confidential, but I'll start digging and see if I can find out who did it.
You know what the trick is gonna be? Trying to get a jury to connect with this kid despite everything about his life being vastly different from their own.
I can't wait to hear what the big guy has to say.
(GRUNTS) You ever seen one of these before? It's called a tie.
It's what men wear when they want to be taken seriously.
It hurts.
Hurts my neck.
Well, every man who's ever put one of these on has thought that, but still people have been wearing them for hundreds of years.
Went to church once.
Saw some there.
So, today today is all about picking jurors, the people who decide whether to punish you or not.
Mr.
Colón is gonna be asking people questions.
You don't have to do anything; just sit there.
Try not to react.
And don't say a word unless I tell you to.
Remember, people are gonna be looking at you.
Okay? Trying to figure out who you are.
They might make funny faces.
Don't make any back.
You just sit there, try to smile.
It's probably gonna take the whole day.
Mr.
Colón and I will do our best to get you out of there as quickly as possible.
(GAVEL RAPS TWICE) Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Let me ask you all a question.
How many of you, especially when you were teenagers, had a less than terrific relationship with your parents? You, sir.
You were at war with your folks a lot? Well, my old man was a taskmaster.
Very old-school.
And I was the kind of kid who didn't really like rules.
Got it.
And all of you pretty much feel the same way? That your parents didn't necessarily know best? Your Honor, the defense would like to thank and excuse jurors number three, eight, ten and 12.
BULL: We need jurors who see Lucas was a part of a cult of two.
Brainwashed to hate like a sort of Manchurian Candidate.
And how do we do that? We look for people who can be persuaded to follow a leader.
They may not understand the environment Lucas was raised in, but they can relate to his need to do as he's told.
People who are risk averse and make middle-of-the-road decisions.
So, tell me, sir, do you invest in the stock market? I do.
Do you buy tech stocks, high-risk investments, or are you more of a S&P 500 kind of investor? I actually like to go with mutual funds.
Let someone who knows what they're doing decide for me.
Play it safe.
Get a steady return.
Your Honor, the defense finds this juror acceptable.
And we have our jury.
The court is in recess until tomorrow morning.
Nice job.
You did everything we asked perfectly.
We had a good day.
Does that mean I can go home now? No.
No.
I'm sorry, this is gonna take many days.
Today was a good day but not the only day.
Are you going home? Yes.
Is he going home now? Yes.
But not me? Not yet.
What are we gonna do about this confession? Talk about taking advantage of someone's limited capacity.
That's why I hung around I wanted to get it - in front of both of you.
- It's pretty damning.
I get the feeling, if they had asked him where Hoffa's body was buried, he would have told them.
How about I file a motion to get the confession thrown out first thing in the morning? That's how you get to be Benjamin Colón.
Does that mean we're done for the day? I know I am.
(TV PLAYING INDISTINCTLY) Are you happy? I'm sorry? Are you happy? I am lying here naked next to my naked husband, watching do-it-yourself bathroom projects at 8:30 at night.
I'm euphoric.
Why? (CLICKS OFF TV) I don't know, uh the mail was piling up, and I finally got around to going through it, and there was a thing from a fertility clinic.
A bill.
They wanted to know if they should keep your eggs frozen or just throw 'em away.
I didn't even know that you had frozen some eggs.
I didn't even know that you wanted kids.
I mean I seem to recall when we first got married that we sort of figured out that we didn't want them.
God.
I so didn't see this conversation coming.
I love what we have.
I love our life just the way it is.
But we're paying to keep your eggs in some stranger's Deepfreeze.
(SIGHS): I know.
How can I explain this to you? After our divorce friends with kids kept telling me that something's gonna happen, that I'd suddenly want them, too.
That some switch would flip and it would be too late, and this was something I needed to plan for.
And you're right, I never had that thing, that kid thing, but I thought: "Don't be stupid.
You don't know how you're gonna feel in five years.
" So I did it.
I just did it.
I guess deep down I wanted to have the option.
So did it happen? Did your switch flip? I really don't know.
How would you feel if it did? I really don't know, either.
I think I need to give it some thought before I answer.
Okay.
I think I do, too.
Okay.
(TV CLICKS ON) (PROGRAM CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY) So, this morning is just gonna be about Mr.
Colón trying to convince the court to ignore what you told the police when they arrested you.
The jury's not even gonna be there.
Did I say something bad? Well, you said you did it, and you said you'd do it again.
Should I say something different? BULL: No.
Just do what you did yesterday: Don't speak unless Mr.
Colón asks you to.
Just sit.
We'll do the rest.
BENNY: Your Honor, the defense would like to file a motion to suppress Lucas Schwieger's statements to the police at the time of his arrest.
It's gonna be fine.
JOSHI: Your Honor, there are simply no grounds for this.
The defendant made a knowing and voluntary and intelligent waiver.
"A knowing and voluntary and intelligent waiver.
" Your Honor, prior to my client's arrest, he had never even seen a state trooper or a courtroom or, for that matter, an attorney.
He didn't even know what an attorney was, didn't know he had rights under the law.
He didn't know anything.
Nothing but what his father told him, and his father, who suffered from delusions and paranoia and a host of other mental illnesses, basically told him that anyone who was not one of the two of them was bad and needed to die.
He never said that! He-he just he said it was our land, and we had to kill or be killed! - Lucas.
- My dad taught me how to carve.
He taught me how to fish.
- Lucas.
- He-he taught me how to shoot.
Counselor, control your client.
They came on our land.
It was kill or be killed! Lucas.
(CLEARS THROAT) My apologies, Your Honor.
As you can clearly see my client is a victim of a cruel and sadistic upbringing, one that kept the world away at all costs.
He simply doesn't know any better.
He couldn't possibly have been expected to understand his rights or the consequences of speaking without an attorney present.
LUCAS: No, no, no, no, no! They killed him! - (GAVEL BANGING) - They came on our land, and they killed him! - Lucas, stop.
- We shot at them, - but they came on our land! - JUDGE: Mr.
Schwieger, - I need you to stay in your seat - (LUCAS CONTINUES TALKING) - and to refrain from speaking.
- I didn't do nothing wrong! Officer, return Mr.
Schwieger to holding, please, immediately.
It's okay.
You need to go with him.
It's gonna be all right.
Let's go.
(SIGHS) (HANDCUFFS CLICKING) This is one of those moments in a judge's life.
(DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) So let's talk law.
I certainly see the validity of your argument, Mr.
Colón.
"Knowing and voluntary and intelligent" hardly describes what went on here.
Your motion to suppress Mr.
Schwieger's statement to the police from evidence is granted.
However I'm not sure the omission of the statement will matter much to the jury if you can't rein in your client's behavior.
Yes, Your Honor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
BENNY: What did we get ourselves into here? He couldn't even keep it together - for a ten-minute motion hearing.
- (PHONE VIBRATING) How is he supposed to make it through eight hours a day of court? May I ask who's calling? This is he.
I see.
I see.
No, I'll be right over.
I very much appreciate the call.
Everything all right? Lucas is in the hospital.
After he returned from court today, he tried to hang himself.
(TAKES DEEP BREATH) Sorry I'm late.
What kind of shape is he in? Well, at the moment, he's heavily sedated.
One of the other inmates heard him choking and called out to the guards.
They cut him down and resuscitated him.
The good news is he's going to be fine.
So, anybody venturing a guess about when he'll be awake, when I can get him back in court? They're guessing his sedation wouldn't wear off until midday tomorrow.
Oh.
So what now? Now we roar into the courtroom tomorrow morning before the prosecution is any wiser, and Benny files a motion to try and keep all this from being introduced into the record.
Why? I mean, I'm no lawyer, but if I'm on the jury, doesn't the idea that he almost tried to kill himself make Lucas look sympathetic? You'd think so, wouldn't you? But that's not how the other side will spin it.
They will claim it is proof Lucas felt guilty about what he did, that he knows he did something he shouldn't have, and since we're telling the jury the exact opposite that he didn't know the difference between right and wrong the trial would effectively be over before we ever called a witness.
BENNY: That the suicide attempt is somehow connected to this caseworker's death is pure speculation.
I mean, look at everything this young man has been through.
He watched as his father was shot to death right in front of him.
He's been pulled away from the only home he's ever known.
He's spent this last week either in a-a courtroom or a jail cell.
If we are going to hypothesize, shouldn't we say that maybe depression is the cause of of this behavior? Your Honor, Dr.
Jason Bull.
I'm part of the defense team and a doctor of psychology.
I know who you are, Dr.
Bull.
Well, in my professional opinion, it's likely that this child tried to kill himself because the only man he knew, the only man he trusted, his father, was being referred to as the person most responsible for his own death and his son's incarceration.
Now, this man was the boy's God.
His North Star.
Everything he knew about life he learned from this man, and to hear that he could be so profoundly wrong had to be cataclysmic for him and was surely reason enough for him to consider taking his own life.
I'm not sure what I believe the boy was thinking.
Respectfully, that's for the jury to decide.
And they won't get to decide if we withhold the defendant's suicide attempt from them.
(SIGHS) I agree with the defense, and I find the prejudicial impact outweighs the probative value.
The attempted suicide will not be allowed into evidence.
When will the defendant be available so that the trial can resume? We will get you the answer to that question as soon as possible, Your Honor.
WOMAN: I am so sorry.
It's amazing what he can do in a split second.
It's fine.
BOY: Here, Mommy.
How old is he? 22 months.
(CHUCKLES) Uh, almost two.
Two years since I've had a full night's sleep.
Two years since I've read a book.
Two years since I've been to the gym.
You have kids? Yeah, I can tell.
You lack frazzle.
Bye.
DANNY: Well, turns out the nearest neighbors are almost a quarter mile away.
They seemed to know that there was a teenager and an old man living near them, but they said that they'd sometimes hear gunfire, so they kept their distance.
BULL: Maybe there's someone from their past.
He told me his mother hung herself when he was little.
I'll bet that's where he got the idea.
- How horrible.
- BULL: Maybe there's someone who knew her, who was friends with her before she BENNY: That would be great.
Someone we could get to testify to how Lucas had a normal life at one time and a completely isolated one once the mother passed.
I know it drives the kid crazy, but we have to keep hammering away at what a lunatic the father was.
What about the person who called Child Protective Services? There's a reason why these folks went out to take a look.
Someone had to have called in a complaint.
Yep.
A woman named Yvonne Fowler.
She won't take my calls, and she doesn't answer the door when I visit her house, but I haven't given up.
Well, I'm about to.
I'm exhausted.
Court's back in session first thing in the morning.
You don't have to tell me twice.
(COMPUTER BEEPING) TAYLOR: My son is obsessed with sending me poop emojis.
I wonder if it means something.
You are always on duty, aren't you? On duty? That's a joke, right? Hey, let me ask you something.
How'd you know you wanted to have kids? Was it something you just felt in your soul, or did you just sense it was the right time? Neither.
It was more like a three-martini night, and nine months later we needed a crib.
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) - I mean, it wasn't planned, but wouldn't trade it for anything.
You getting an itch? Not even a tickle.
Greg? He wants what I want.
At least, that's what he says.
And you don't know what you want.
No.
I envy you.
(CHUCKLES): Really? Why? It feels terrible from in here.
Because no matter what happens, no matter what you do, it's gonna be wonderful.
You're either gonna get what you want, or you're gonna get what you want.
(ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES) The people would like to call Yvonne Fowler to the stand.
MARISSA: Yvonne Fowler? Isn't she the one Danny said called in the complaint to Child Services? Looks like she took the prosecution's call.
(WHISPERS): I know her.
JOSHI: Ms.
Fowler, could you please tell the court how you came to meet Lucas Schwieger? I'm a nurse at St.
Benjamin's Hospital, which is about five miles from where Norman and Lucas lived.
A few months ago, Norman showed up in the middle of the night at the hospital with Lucas.
Norman had walking pneumonia.
Once we got Norman checked in, I realized Lucas had nowhere to go.
So I brought him home with me, thinking it would just be for a day or so.
But one day turned into two, two turned into a week, and Lucas ended up staying with us for three weeks.
And when you say "us"? Oh.
My husband and two children.
Boys.
Seven and nine.
So, when the defense claims Mr.
Schwieger spent his whole life in isolation, that simply isn't true, is it? I don't know anything about his whole life.
Well, but you can categorically state that he lived with you? Had running water, home-cooked meals, slept in a warm bed for a period of three weeks? Yes, he did.
Now, you're very active in your church, aren't you, Ms.
Fowler? Our whole family is.
I teach Sunday school.
During the three weeks Lucas lived with you, did you ever take him to church? Every Sunday.
He said he'd never stepped inside a church before, and he seemed to like it.
The singing, the shaking hands, the sermon.
My boys showed him how to put money in the plate.
Hard to know if this is good or bad for our side.
Anything that suggests Lucas knew right from wrong - is not a help.
- JOSHI: So, I'm curious.
Did you ever take Mr.
Schwieger with you to Sunday school? Yes, I did once.
Could you tell the court what lessons were being taught that Sunday? We talked about the Ten Commandments.
And that particular week was the fifth commandment: thou shalt not kill.
(GALLERY MURMURING) BULL: Jury's slipping away.
They're starting to sense that he's seen enough of the world to know the difference between right and wrong.
You don't just shoot people when they show up in front of your house.
So, how'd it go in there? We've had better days.
You still interested in making the father the villain? I'm not sure it much matters to the jury at this point.
Maybe that's because they haven't heard the really bad stuff.
Really bad stuff? Like what? Like, how about telling a child his whole life that his mother is dead when she's actually alive.
WOMAN: You good if I smoke? (MATCH LIGHTS) Anybody thirsty? We're fine.
We just wanted to ask you a few questions about your ex-husband, Norman, and your son, Lucas.
Oh, well, I mean, I'll tell you everything I know.
Did you know that Norman died? Shot by a state trooper.
And that your son, Lucas, is on trial for murder? (SNORTS) No, I didn't know that.
You aware that your son thinks you're dead? Well, I'm not surprised.
You ever meet his father? Never had the pleasure.
What can you tell me about him? Uh, he's crazy.
I just finally said, "I'm gonna take Lucas and leave.
" And how'd Norman feel about that? Oh, that night I woke up and find Norman on top of me with a pistol in my mouth.
And he said if I ever tried to take the boy, he was gonna kill both of us.
How old was Lucas? He'd just turned three.
So, that night, the second he fell asleep, I was out the window.
I didn't even kiss my baby good-bye.
I know it's been a long time, but we need your son's jury to hear what it was like to live with that man, to hear the story you just told us.
Yeah, I don't think so.
I got a really busy schedule.
You have a drug problem, Mrs.
Schwieger? It's not a problem for me.
Okay, I'm gonna step outside.
She's gonna stay in here with you.
I want you to put on the closest thing you have to a decent dress, and then we are going to the courthouse.
And don't try going out the window.
She's ex-FBI.
She could be anybody.
But she isn't.
- Can I smoke? - No.
She's gonna tell the jury what life was like with your father before she left.
And you're not gonna like hearing it, but I need you to promise that you will not react.
No noises.
No faces.
No standing.
No talking.
Don't worry, I won't do nothing.
I don't even know her.
BRENDA: He knocked me around all the time.
Wouldn't let us go out.
He didn't trust anyone.
Objection, Your Honor.
What does any of this have to do with whether or not Lucas Schwieger shot a police officer? BENNY: If it pleases the court, in order to understand what happened the day of the shooting, we have to understand what kind of environment Lucas came from.
Overruled.
BENNY: Now, you were saying He just got stranger and stranger.
He-he stopped letting me leave the cabin at all.
He he rigged up alarms so that he would know if somebody came and went.
He said that the government was watching him from satellites.
From space? Yeah.
Sometimes at night he'd go outside, and-and he'd scream at them.
He'd shoot his guns up in the air.
I mean, I was scared all the time.
It was no way to live.
And it probably wasn't any better for Lucas, either.
Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.
MARISSA: Well, that made an impact.
No reds have flipped green, but I can see that their attitudes about Lucas are in flux.
For the first time, they're sympathizing with him.
Let's take a moment and talk about your past.
Are you the same Brenda Schwieger who was convicted of forging checks? Sentenced to court-appointed rehab twice? Hasn't had a full-time job in almost 20 years? And you expect this jury to believe anything you have to say? You got me.
I don't even want to be here.
I just was told that I had to.
But I'll tell you this.
My husband ruined me.
I used to be a human being.
So whatever kind of person Lucas has become, trust me, it's because his father got him there.
If my little baby has become a killer, it's because his father turned him into one.
BENNY: She was good.
You think it was enough? No.
But I have an idea.
DANNY: So these are of the inside of the cabin.
As you can see, it's pretty spartan.
BULL: You can use these to show the jury how little stimulation was available.
No books, no radio, no TV.
Obviously, no computers.
And most importantly, no outlets for learning.
All right, so these are the air horns and the trip wires Norman installed around the property to ward against intruders.
BENNY: Got it.
Helps demonstrate the paranoia.
Fear of outsiders, the isolation.
Ready for the next series? Fire when ready.
What are we looking at here? DANNY: It's a homemade target range.
Metal head and torso silhouettes.
By the way, the police dusted all of this.
The guns, the targets.
Lucas's fingerprints were everywhere.
His father's? Norman's? Not so much.
Wow.
All those bull's-eyes.
One on top of the other.
Looks like Lucas was quite the shot.
How far away would you say the targets were from the stand where Lucas would have been shooting from? - Had to be at least 50 yards.
- BENNY: I'm not sure we really want the jury looking at this target range.
I mean, it's kind of horrific.
Kind of like looking at a murderer's training ground.
Actually, I disagree.
I think this is exactly what the jury needs to see.
Okay.
Well, how are we gonna get all this in? Who's on the stand? Can't just stand up in front of a court and show photos without any context.
We need somebody to authenticate them, to say that this is really where Lucas lived, that this is really what it looked like.
Who are we gonna get to do that? I was thinking Lucas.
Good morning, Lucas.
First time in a witness box? Yes.
Well, you know how this works, right? They made you raise your right hand a moment ago, and you promised to tell the truth.
You understand that, don't you? Yes.
All right.
Now (CLEARS THROAT) Does this picture? Does this look familiar to you? Does it look like a place you know? Yes.
It's behind my house.
BENNY: It's a target range.
Right? A place where people practice shooting guns? Yes.
You shoot there a lot? Pretty much almost every day.
BENNY: All right.
Now how far was that target from where you shot? Uh, I-I don't get you.
How many steps? I mean, if you had to take a guess.
Um at least a hundred.
Okay.
And how far away from the house was the state trooper and the lady he brought with him? The one your dad shot? Maybe 20 steps.
Never really counted.
Objection.
Relevance? If the court would just indulge me for a moment more, please? Overruled.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Do you recognize this picture? That's what I shoot at.
BENNY: So these are your bullet holes? LUCAS: I'm the only one who shoots there.
Huh.
So if you shoot at these targets pretty much every day, and they're at least a hundred feet away, why'd you shoot that state trooper in the leg? (GALLERY MURMURING) - The witness will answer the question.
- Oh, that's all right.
I'll rephrase.
Didn't your father tell you, "It's kill or be killed"? JUDGE: Again, the witness will answer the question.
I'll withdraw the question.
Let me ask another.
Do you recognize the phrase, - "thou shalt not kill"? - (MOUTHING) Have you heard that before? Yes.
Sunday school, right? Yes.
And did it go through your mind when your father told you, "Kill or be killed"? Lucas? (QUIETLY): Yes.
That's why you shot that state trooper in the leg and not through the head or the heart like you've been practicing your whole life to do? (VOICE BREAKING): Yes.
(GALLERY MURMURING) BENNY: Thank you, Your Honor.
No further questions.
JUDGE: Let's take a 20-minute recess.
Did you bring me in here to gloat? I brought you in here to see if we could cut a deal.
A deal? Why would you want to make a deal? The jury is almost certainly going to vote to let the boy go free.
Because I'm not necessarily convinced that that's the best thing for him.
(BULL SIGHS) Seemed like you guys were talking for an hour.
Where's he going? To tell the judge the good news.
We're done.
No more jail, no more court.
Yvonne, the woman you stayed with for three weeks, has agreed to let you live with her and her family until you're 18.
It's what we call "probation.
" It's kind of like a test to see if you can follow the rules, and "you don't hae any problems.
And the A.
D.
A.
and I would also like you to see Dr.
Statton once a week.
You remember her from the hospital? She introduced us? She's a good doctor.
A doctor for your feelings.
Someone for you to talk to.
Okay.
That's it? It's a pretty terrific deal.
Nice work.
I didn't do it.
Lucas did.
He got on the stand and told the truth.
But I can't go home? Not to your old home, no.
It was never really yours.
Your father was a squatter.
A person who lives someplace, but doesn't really own it.
That's why he was so protective of it.
The guns, the alarms.
He knew he wasn't supposed to be there.
I'm sorry.
(CLEARS THROAT) The judge agreed.
Does this mean I can go to school now? I'm sure we can figure something out.
Learn to read? Oh, I'm sure whatever school you end up at, they'd love to help you with that.
Hey, you ever been to a restaurant? What's that? Well, you ever been to a celebration? I-I don't know.
What does one look like? Oh, you've got your whole life ahead of you.
- (BULL LAUGHS) - So much great stuff.
Ask me about work today.
Okay.
How was work today? We've been working on this case.
This kid he's, like, 16.
Completely lost the parent lottery.
Up on murder charges.
Mother's a junkie.
Father was a delusional paranoid who thought the world was coming to an end.
And your point? It scares me.
His parents must have been in love once upon a time, or at the very least, in lust.
This kid was born a baby.
A cute, beautiful baby.
How did it all go so wrong? If God is so smart, why does he or she let people like that have children, let alone be attracted to each other? You are so much smarter than that question suggests.
Maybe I'm not.
Maybe I'm not really any of the things I like to think I am.
I mean look at my parents.
Look at what happened to me.
So this is how we're gonna make this momentous decision.
In the middle of the night, half asleep.
I don't know.
Do you have an opinion? Actually, I do.
I'm as frightened as you are of failing.
I'm terrified at the prospect of letting another human being down.
But there's also a part of me that thinks it would be scary and dangerous if I didn't have those fears.
So what are you saying? I'm saying your parents robbed you of so much.
Don't let them rob you of this.
This choice.
If you don't want to have a baby, let's not.
But if you're afraid of having a baby because of your parents then I'm gonna force you to have a baby just to prove you wrong.
(LAUGHS) You and what army? Mm.
Come here.
I want to start right now.
You understand this is not how this works.
We go to an office.
We don't do it like this? Well, they show you porn.
Porn? Really? Wow.
The things we do for our kids.
(LAUGHS)
You hungry? Yeah.
Get some water.
I'll make lunch.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (ALARM BLARING) You know what to do, son.
Yes, sir.
Remember this is our land.
It's kill or be killed.
(ALARM CONTINUES BLARING) OFFICER (OVER BULLHORN): Mr.
Schwieger.
State Police.
I need you to step outside.
- NORMAN: Now.
- (GUNSHOT) (GLASS BREAKING) (OFFICER SHOUTING OUTSIDE) (GUNSHOT, GUN COCKING) Kill or be killed.
(GUNSHOT) So where are we going? What are we doing? And who is this wonder of wonders I just have to meet? What did you call him? A walking anachronism? Lucas Schwieger, 16.
He never attended school.
He lives a completely sheltered existence in a cabin with no electricity or running water in the woods above Sullivan County.
His father, whom he lived with, described himself as a radical survivalist.
He was, as far as I can tell, the only person that Lucas had any sustained contact with during his 16 years of life.
Wow.
A caseworker with Child Protective Services heard about him, grew concerned, came to pay him a visit escorted by the New York State Police.
"Father and son opened fire, killing the caseworker "and wounding the State Police officer, who fired back, killing the father.
" Ballistics indicate that while Lucas shot the police officer, wounding him in the leg, he didn't actually kill anyone.
It was the father's gun that did that.
Nonetheless, he's being charged as an adult for murder as part of a joint venture.
Does he even understand what's going on? The charges? That they want him to stand trial? They want to punish him for what happened? He didn't even understand what an attorney was - until I explained it to him.
- (SIGHS) You know, it's not like he's mentally impaired.
In fact, in the little time I've spent with him, he seems innately intelligent.
But his only understanding of the world is what's been taught to him by his father.
Well, obviously, some doctor, somewhere, - deemed him fit to stand trial.
- (BUZZER BLARES) You should also know that Lucas did speak to the police on the record.
He already admitted he shot the officer.
Expressed clear intent.
- Insisted he would do it again.
- (DOOR CLANKS OPEN) (DOOR CLOSING) (HANDCUFFS CLICKING) He's a friend.
My name's Dr.
Jason Bull.
Dr.
Statton wanted me to meet you.
See if I could help you.
Doctor, huh? I'm not sick.
No.
I'm not the doctor that helps sick people.
I'm the doctor that helps people when they get into trouble, when they have to go to court.
Do you know what court is? Did Dr.
Statton explain about court to you? Let me start over.
First of all, I'm sorry about your father.
They had better guns.
How about your mom? Do you ever see her? Is there any way I could talk to her? No.
She hung herself.
It was when I was a little kid.
I'm sorry.
Lucas do you understand you could spend the rest of your life in here, in jail? And I'm guessing you don't want that.
Am I right? I just want to go home.
And that's what we want to try and make happen.
You all right with that? - I guess so.
- (LOCK BUZZES, CLICKS) All right.
Let me get back to my office, get this started.
I'm sure I'm gonna want to talk to you some more.
In the meantime, is there anything I can bring you? Anything you miss? Maybe some books? Well, if you think of anything.
(DOOR CLOSES) MARISSA: This is Lucas Schwieger.
16 years old.
Charged with murder in the death of a New York State Children's Services caseworker.
Yeah.
We all got Bull's e-mail about this kid.
He can't read.
Barely speaks.
Lived with his dad off the grid his whole life.
Oh, and let's not forget he confessed to the crime.
DANNY: So I'll just say it.
Can we even help this boy? We've got the surviving police officer's testimony.
Plus the confession.
And this client doesn't seem like he's in a position to really help his own defense.
TAYLOR: And what kind of narrative? What kind of story can you tell a jury that makes it okay to ambush a caseworker and a trooper? MARISSA: Bull wants to mount a defense based on persuasive coercion.
Our position will be that, because of Lucas's sheltered and isolated upbringing, he didn't know what he was doing, other than following the instructions of, quite literally, the only person in his life: his father.
Norman Schwieger was delusional and paranoid and controlling.
He was convinced that humankind was on the verge of a cataclysmic end and thought the only way to survive was to live a completely self-sustaining life away from the scrutiny of other human beings.
And he forced his son to live the same way cloistered on their small plot of land, which they didn't even really own, which Norman rigged with trip-wired alarms to warn them of any trespassers.
Okay.
I'll ask.
What is persuasive coercion? Basically, Bull wants to argue for all intents and purposes that Lucas's father exercised a kind of mind control over him.
Denied the boy a voice in any decision-making of any kind.
His job was simply to do what he was told.
And as a result, he had no experience choosing between right and wrong, no experience choosing anything.
The problem is, it's an affirmative defense.
Hi.
Zero years of law school here.
Though I did watch a lot of Ally McBeal back in the '90s.
So what does that mean? "Affirmative defense"? MARISSA: That means that going in, we admit to what the prosecution claims he did.
And now it puts the burden on us to present evidence that will negate his having done it.
Basically, yes, he shot at those people, but no, given the circumstances, it wasn't his fault.
And how do we make that argument? Is there anyone left to testify? With Lucas's father dead, it leaves us without one witness who can tell the jury about the crazy way that Lucas grew up.
BENNY: And based on Bull's e-mails, it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to put Lucas himself on the stand.
DANNY: Wait a second.
Someone saw something, because Child Protective Services were sent to this house.
I know those calls are confidential, but I'll start digging and see if I can find out who did it.
You know what the trick is gonna be? Trying to get a jury to connect with this kid despite everything about his life being vastly different from their own.
I can't wait to hear what the big guy has to say.
(GRUNTS) You ever seen one of these before? It's called a tie.
It's what men wear when they want to be taken seriously.
It hurts.
Hurts my neck.
Well, every man who's ever put one of these on has thought that, but still people have been wearing them for hundreds of years.
Went to church once.
Saw some there.
So, today today is all about picking jurors, the people who decide whether to punish you or not.
Mr.
Colón is gonna be asking people questions.
You don't have to do anything; just sit there.
Try not to react.
And don't say a word unless I tell you to.
Remember, people are gonna be looking at you.
Okay? Trying to figure out who you are.
They might make funny faces.
Don't make any back.
You just sit there, try to smile.
It's probably gonna take the whole day.
Mr.
Colón and I will do our best to get you out of there as quickly as possible.
(GAVEL RAPS TWICE) Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Let me ask you all a question.
How many of you, especially when you were teenagers, had a less than terrific relationship with your parents? You, sir.
You were at war with your folks a lot? Well, my old man was a taskmaster.
Very old-school.
And I was the kind of kid who didn't really like rules.
Got it.
And all of you pretty much feel the same way? That your parents didn't necessarily know best? Your Honor, the defense would like to thank and excuse jurors number three, eight, ten and 12.
BULL: We need jurors who see Lucas was a part of a cult of two.
Brainwashed to hate like a sort of Manchurian Candidate.
And how do we do that? We look for people who can be persuaded to follow a leader.
They may not understand the environment Lucas was raised in, but they can relate to his need to do as he's told.
People who are risk averse and make middle-of-the-road decisions.
So, tell me, sir, do you invest in the stock market? I do.
Do you buy tech stocks, high-risk investments, or are you more of a S&P 500 kind of investor? I actually like to go with mutual funds.
Let someone who knows what they're doing decide for me.
Play it safe.
Get a steady return.
Your Honor, the defense finds this juror acceptable.
And we have our jury.
The court is in recess until tomorrow morning.
Nice job.
You did everything we asked perfectly.
We had a good day.
Does that mean I can go home now? No.
No.
I'm sorry, this is gonna take many days.
Today was a good day but not the only day.
Are you going home? Yes.
Is he going home now? Yes.
But not me? Not yet.
What are we gonna do about this confession? Talk about taking advantage of someone's limited capacity.
That's why I hung around I wanted to get it - in front of both of you.
- It's pretty damning.
I get the feeling, if they had asked him where Hoffa's body was buried, he would have told them.
How about I file a motion to get the confession thrown out first thing in the morning? That's how you get to be Benjamin Colón.
Does that mean we're done for the day? I know I am.
(TV PLAYING INDISTINCTLY) Are you happy? I'm sorry? Are you happy? I am lying here naked next to my naked husband, watching do-it-yourself bathroom projects at 8:30 at night.
I'm euphoric.
Why? (CLICKS OFF TV) I don't know, uh the mail was piling up, and I finally got around to going through it, and there was a thing from a fertility clinic.
A bill.
They wanted to know if they should keep your eggs frozen or just throw 'em away.
I didn't even know that you had frozen some eggs.
I didn't even know that you wanted kids.
I mean I seem to recall when we first got married that we sort of figured out that we didn't want them.
God.
I so didn't see this conversation coming.
I love what we have.
I love our life just the way it is.
But we're paying to keep your eggs in some stranger's Deepfreeze.
(SIGHS): I know.
How can I explain this to you? After our divorce friends with kids kept telling me that something's gonna happen, that I'd suddenly want them, too.
That some switch would flip and it would be too late, and this was something I needed to plan for.
And you're right, I never had that thing, that kid thing, but I thought: "Don't be stupid.
You don't know how you're gonna feel in five years.
" So I did it.
I just did it.
I guess deep down I wanted to have the option.
So did it happen? Did your switch flip? I really don't know.
How would you feel if it did? I really don't know, either.
I think I need to give it some thought before I answer.
Okay.
I think I do, too.
Okay.
(TV CLICKS ON) (PROGRAM CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY) So, this morning is just gonna be about Mr.
Colón trying to convince the court to ignore what you told the police when they arrested you.
The jury's not even gonna be there.
Did I say something bad? Well, you said you did it, and you said you'd do it again.
Should I say something different? BULL: No.
Just do what you did yesterday: Don't speak unless Mr.
Colón asks you to.
Just sit.
We'll do the rest.
BENNY: Your Honor, the defense would like to file a motion to suppress Lucas Schwieger's statements to the police at the time of his arrest.
It's gonna be fine.
JOSHI: Your Honor, there are simply no grounds for this.
The defendant made a knowing and voluntary and intelligent waiver.
"A knowing and voluntary and intelligent waiver.
" Your Honor, prior to my client's arrest, he had never even seen a state trooper or a courtroom or, for that matter, an attorney.
He didn't even know what an attorney was, didn't know he had rights under the law.
He didn't know anything.
Nothing but what his father told him, and his father, who suffered from delusions and paranoia and a host of other mental illnesses, basically told him that anyone who was not one of the two of them was bad and needed to die.
He never said that! He-he just he said it was our land, and we had to kill or be killed! - Lucas.
- My dad taught me how to carve.
He taught me how to fish.
- Lucas.
- He-he taught me how to shoot.
Counselor, control your client.
They came on our land.
It was kill or be killed! Lucas.
(CLEARS THROAT) My apologies, Your Honor.
As you can clearly see my client is a victim of a cruel and sadistic upbringing, one that kept the world away at all costs.
He simply doesn't know any better.
He couldn't possibly have been expected to understand his rights or the consequences of speaking without an attorney present.
LUCAS: No, no, no, no, no! They killed him! - (GAVEL BANGING) - They came on our land, and they killed him! - Lucas, stop.
- We shot at them, - but they came on our land! - JUDGE: Mr.
Schwieger, - I need you to stay in your seat - (LUCAS CONTINUES TALKING) - and to refrain from speaking.
- I didn't do nothing wrong! Officer, return Mr.
Schwieger to holding, please, immediately.
It's okay.
You need to go with him.
It's gonna be all right.
Let's go.
(SIGHS) (HANDCUFFS CLICKING) This is one of those moments in a judge's life.
(DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) So let's talk law.
I certainly see the validity of your argument, Mr.
Colón.
"Knowing and voluntary and intelligent" hardly describes what went on here.
Your motion to suppress Mr.
Schwieger's statement to the police from evidence is granted.
However I'm not sure the omission of the statement will matter much to the jury if you can't rein in your client's behavior.
Yes, Your Honor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
BENNY: What did we get ourselves into here? He couldn't even keep it together - for a ten-minute motion hearing.
- (PHONE VIBRATING) How is he supposed to make it through eight hours a day of court? May I ask who's calling? This is he.
I see.
I see.
No, I'll be right over.
I very much appreciate the call.
Everything all right? Lucas is in the hospital.
After he returned from court today, he tried to hang himself.
(TAKES DEEP BREATH) Sorry I'm late.
What kind of shape is he in? Well, at the moment, he's heavily sedated.
One of the other inmates heard him choking and called out to the guards.
They cut him down and resuscitated him.
The good news is he's going to be fine.
So, anybody venturing a guess about when he'll be awake, when I can get him back in court? They're guessing his sedation wouldn't wear off until midday tomorrow.
Oh.
So what now? Now we roar into the courtroom tomorrow morning before the prosecution is any wiser, and Benny files a motion to try and keep all this from being introduced into the record.
Why? I mean, I'm no lawyer, but if I'm on the jury, doesn't the idea that he almost tried to kill himself make Lucas look sympathetic? You'd think so, wouldn't you? But that's not how the other side will spin it.
They will claim it is proof Lucas felt guilty about what he did, that he knows he did something he shouldn't have, and since we're telling the jury the exact opposite that he didn't know the difference between right and wrong the trial would effectively be over before we ever called a witness.
BENNY: That the suicide attempt is somehow connected to this caseworker's death is pure speculation.
I mean, look at everything this young man has been through.
He watched as his father was shot to death right in front of him.
He's been pulled away from the only home he's ever known.
He's spent this last week either in a-a courtroom or a jail cell.
If we are going to hypothesize, shouldn't we say that maybe depression is the cause of of this behavior? Your Honor, Dr.
Jason Bull.
I'm part of the defense team and a doctor of psychology.
I know who you are, Dr.
Bull.
Well, in my professional opinion, it's likely that this child tried to kill himself because the only man he knew, the only man he trusted, his father, was being referred to as the person most responsible for his own death and his son's incarceration.
Now, this man was the boy's God.
His North Star.
Everything he knew about life he learned from this man, and to hear that he could be so profoundly wrong had to be cataclysmic for him and was surely reason enough for him to consider taking his own life.
I'm not sure what I believe the boy was thinking.
Respectfully, that's for the jury to decide.
And they won't get to decide if we withhold the defendant's suicide attempt from them.
(SIGHS) I agree with the defense, and I find the prejudicial impact outweighs the probative value.
The attempted suicide will not be allowed into evidence.
When will the defendant be available so that the trial can resume? We will get you the answer to that question as soon as possible, Your Honor.
WOMAN: I am so sorry.
It's amazing what he can do in a split second.
It's fine.
BOY: Here, Mommy.
How old is he? 22 months.
(CHUCKLES) Uh, almost two.
Two years since I've had a full night's sleep.
Two years since I've read a book.
Two years since I've been to the gym.
You have kids? Yeah, I can tell.
You lack frazzle.
Bye.
DANNY: Well, turns out the nearest neighbors are almost a quarter mile away.
They seemed to know that there was a teenager and an old man living near them, but they said that they'd sometimes hear gunfire, so they kept their distance.
BULL: Maybe there's someone from their past.
He told me his mother hung herself when he was little.
I'll bet that's where he got the idea.
- How horrible.
- BULL: Maybe there's someone who knew her, who was friends with her before she BENNY: That would be great.
Someone we could get to testify to how Lucas had a normal life at one time and a completely isolated one once the mother passed.
I know it drives the kid crazy, but we have to keep hammering away at what a lunatic the father was.
What about the person who called Child Protective Services? There's a reason why these folks went out to take a look.
Someone had to have called in a complaint.
Yep.
A woman named Yvonne Fowler.
She won't take my calls, and she doesn't answer the door when I visit her house, but I haven't given up.
Well, I'm about to.
I'm exhausted.
Court's back in session first thing in the morning.
You don't have to tell me twice.
(COMPUTER BEEPING) TAYLOR: My son is obsessed with sending me poop emojis.
I wonder if it means something.
You are always on duty, aren't you? On duty? That's a joke, right? Hey, let me ask you something.
How'd you know you wanted to have kids? Was it something you just felt in your soul, or did you just sense it was the right time? Neither.
It was more like a three-martini night, and nine months later we needed a crib.
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) - I mean, it wasn't planned, but wouldn't trade it for anything.
You getting an itch? Not even a tickle.
Greg? He wants what I want.
At least, that's what he says.
And you don't know what you want.
No.
I envy you.
(CHUCKLES): Really? Why? It feels terrible from in here.
Because no matter what happens, no matter what you do, it's gonna be wonderful.
You're either gonna get what you want, or you're gonna get what you want.
(ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES) The people would like to call Yvonne Fowler to the stand.
MARISSA: Yvonne Fowler? Isn't she the one Danny said called in the complaint to Child Services? Looks like she took the prosecution's call.
(WHISPERS): I know her.
JOSHI: Ms.
Fowler, could you please tell the court how you came to meet Lucas Schwieger? I'm a nurse at St.
Benjamin's Hospital, which is about five miles from where Norman and Lucas lived.
A few months ago, Norman showed up in the middle of the night at the hospital with Lucas.
Norman had walking pneumonia.
Once we got Norman checked in, I realized Lucas had nowhere to go.
So I brought him home with me, thinking it would just be for a day or so.
But one day turned into two, two turned into a week, and Lucas ended up staying with us for three weeks.
And when you say "us"? Oh.
My husband and two children.
Boys.
Seven and nine.
So, when the defense claims Mr.
Schwieger spent his whole life in isolation, that simply isn't true, is it? I don't know anything about his whole life.
Well, but you can categorically state that he lived with you? Had running water, home-cooked meals, slept in a warm bed for a period of three weeks? Yes, he did.
Now, you're very active in your church, aren't you, Ms.
Fowler? Our whole family is.
I teach Sunday school.
During the three weeks Lucas lived with you, did you ever take him to church? Every Sunday.
He said he'd never stepped inside a church before, and he seemed to like it.
The singing, the shaking hands, the sermon.
My boys showed him how to put money in the plate.
Hard to know if this is good or bad for our side.
Anything that suggests Lucas knew right from wrong - is not a help.
- JOSHI: So, I'm curious.
Did you ever take Mr.
Schwieger with you to Sunday school? Yes, I did once.
Could you tell the court what lessons were being taught that Sunday? We talked about the Ten Commandments.
And that particular week was the fifth commandment: thou shalt not kill.
(GALLERY MURMURING) BULL: Jury's slipping away.
They're starting to sense that he's seen enough of the world to know the difference between right and wrong.
You don't just shoot people when they show up in front of your house.
So, how'd it go in there? We've had better days.
You still interested in making the father the villain? I'm not sure it much matters to the jury at this point.
Maybe that's because they haven't heard the really bad stuff.
Really bad stuff? Like what? Like, how about telling a child his whole life that his mother is dead when she's actually alive.
WOMAN: You good if I smoke? (MATCH LIGHTS) Anybody thirsty? We're fine.
We just wanted to ask you a few questions about your ex-husband, Norman, and your son, Lucas.
Oh, well, I mean, I'll tell you everything I know.
Did you know that Norman died? Shot by a state trooper.
And that your son, Lucas, is on trial for murder? (SNORTS) No, I didn't know that.
You aware that your son thinks you're dead? Well, I'm not surprised.
You ever meet his father? Never had the pleasure.
What can you tell me about him? Uh, he's crazy.
I just finally said, "I'm gonna take Lucas and leave.
" And how'd Norman feel about that? Oh, that night I woke up and find Norman on top of me with a pistol in my mouth.
And he said if I ever tried to take the boy, he was gonna kill both of us.
How old was Lucas? He'd just turned three.
So, that night, the second he fell asleep, I was out the window.
I didn't even kiss my baby good-bye.
I know it's been a long time, but we need your son's jury to hear what it was like to live with that man, to hear the story you just told us.
Yeah, I don't think so.
I got a really busy schedule.
You have a drug problem, Mrs.
Schwieger? It's not a problem for me.
Okay, I'm gonna step outside.
She's gonna stay in here with you.
I want you to put on the closest thing you have to a decent dress, and then we are going to the courthouse.
And don't try going out the window.
She's ex-FBI.
She could be anybody.
But she isn't.
- Can I smoke? - No.
She's gonna tell the jury what life was like with your father before she left.
And you're not gonna like hearing it, but I need you to promise that you will not react.
No noises.
No faces.
No standing.
No talking.
Don't worry, I won't do nothing.
I don't even know her.
BRENDA: He knocked me around all the time.
Wouldn't let us go out.
He didn't trust anyone.
Objection, Your Honor.
What does any of this have to do with whether or not Lucas Schwieger shot a police officer? BENNY: If it pleases the court, in order to understand what happened the day of the shooting, we have to understand what kind of environment Lucas came from.
Overruled.
BENNY: Now, you were saying He just got stranger and stranger.
He-he stopped letting me leave the cabin at all.
He he rigged up alarms so that he would know if somebody came and went.
He said that the government was watching him from satellites.
From space? Yeah.
Sometimes at night he'd go outside, and-and he'd scream at them.
He'd shoot his guns up in the air.
I mean, I was scared all the time.
It was no way to live.
And it probably wasn't any better for Lucas, either.
Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.
MARISSA: Well, that made an impact.
No reds have flipped green, but I can see that their attitudes about Lucas are in flux.
For the first time, they're sympathizing with him.
Let's take a moment and talk about your past.
Are you the same Brenda Schwieger who was convicted of forging checks? Sentenced to court-appointed rehab twice? Hasn't had a full-time job in almost 20 years? And you expect this jury to believe anything you have to say? You got me.
I don't even want to be here.
I just was told that I had to.
But I'll tell you this.
My husband ruined me.
I used to be a human being.
So whatever kind of person Lucas has become, trust me, it's because his father got him there.
If my little baby has become a killer, it's because his father turned him into one.
BENNY: She was good.
You think it was enough? No.
But I have an idea.
DANNY: So these are of the inside of the cabin.
As you can see, it's pretty spartan.
BULL: You can use these to show the jury how little stimulation was available.
No books, no radio, no TV.
Obviously, no computers.
And most importantly, no outlets for learning.
All right, so these are the air horns and the trip wires Norman installed around the property to ward against intruders.
BENNY: Got it.
Helps demonstrate the paranoia.
Fear of outsiders, the isolation.
Ready for the next series? Fire when ready.
What are we looking at here? DANNY: It's a homemade target range.
Metal head and torso silhouettes.
By the way, the police dusted all of this.
The guns, the targets.
Lucas's fingerprints were everywhere.
His father's? Norman's? Not so much.
Wow.
All those bull's-eyes.
One on top of the other.
Looks like Lucas was quite the shot.
How far away would you say the targets were from the stand where Lucas would have been shooting from? - Had to be at least 50 yards.
- BENNY: I'm not sure we really want the jury looking at this target range.
I mean, it's kind of horrific.
Kind of like looking at a murderer's training ground.
Actually, I disagree.
I think this is exactly what the jury needs to see.
Okay.
Well, how are we gonna get all this in? Who's on the stand? Can't just stand up in front of a court and show photos without any context.
We need somebody to authenticate them, to say that this is really where Lucas lived, that this is really what it looked like.
Who are we gonna get to do that? I was thinking Lucas.
Good morning, Lucas.
First time in a witness box? Yes.
Well, you know how this works, right? They made you raise your right hand a moment ago, and you promised to tell the truth.
You understand that, don't you? Yes.
All right.
Now (CLEARS THROAT) Does this picture? Does this look familiar to you? Does it look like a place you know? Yes.
It's behind my house.
BENNY: It's a target range.
Right? A place where people practice shooting guns? Yes.
You shoot there a lot? Pretty much almost every day.
BENNY: All right.
Now how far was that target from where you shot? Uh, I-I don't get you.
How many steps? I mean, if you had to take a guess.
Um at least a hundred.
Okay.
And how far away from the house was the state trooper and the lady he brought with him? The one your dad shot? Maybe 20 steps.
Never really counted.
Objection.
Relevance? If the court would just indulge me for a moment more, please? Overruled.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Do you recognize this picture? That's what I shoot at.
BENNY: So these are your bullet holes? LUCAS: I'm the only one who shoots there.
Huh.
So if you shoot at these targets pretty much every day, and they're at least a hundred feet away, why'd you shoot that state trooper in the leg? (GALLERY MURMURING) - The witness will answer the question.
- Oh, that's all right.
I'll rephrase.
Didn't your father tell you, "It's kill or be killed"? JUDGE: Again, the witness will answer the question.
I'll withdraw the question.
Let me ask another.
Do you recognize the phrase, - "thou shalt not kill"? - (MOUTHING) Have you heard that before? Yes.
Sunday school, right? Yes.
And did it go through your mind when your father told you, "Kill or be killed"? Lucas? (QUIETLY): Yes.
That's why you shot that state trooper in the leg and not through the head or the heart like you've been practicing your whole life to do? (VOICE BREAKING): Yes.
(GALLERY MURMURING) BENNY: Thank you, Your Honor.
No further questions.
JUDGE: Let's take a 20-minute recess.
Did you bring me in here to gloat? I brought you in here to see if we could cut a deal.
A deal? Why would you want to make a deal? The jury is almost certainly going to vote to let the boy go free.
Because I'm not necessarily convinced that that's the best thing for him.
(BULL SIGHS) Seemed like you guys were talking for an hour.
Where's he going? To tell the judge the good news.
We're done.
No more jail, no more court.
Yvonne, the woman you stayed with for three weeks, has agreed to let you live with her and her family until you're 18.
It's what we call "probation.
" It's kind of like a test to see if you can follow the rules, and "you don't hae any problems.
And the A.
D.
A.
and I would also like you to see Dr.
Statton once a week.
You remember her from the hospital? She introduced us? She's a good doctor.
A doctor for your feelings.
Someone for you to talk to.
Okay.
That's it? It's a pretty terrific deal.
Nice work.
I didn't do it.
Lucas did.
He got on the stand and told the truth.
But I can't go home? Not to your old home, no.
It was never really yours.
Your father was a squatter.
A person who lives someplace, but doesn't really own it.
That's why he was so protective of it.
The guns, the alarms.
He knew he wasn't supposed to be there.
I'm sorry.
(CLEARS THROAT) The judge agreed.
Does this mean I can go to school now? I'm sure we can figure something out.
Learn to read? Oh, I'm sure whatever school you end up at, they'd love to help you with that.
Hey, you ever been to a restaurant? What's that? Well, you ever been to a celebration? I-I don't know.
What does one look like? Oh, you've got your whole life ahead of you.
- (BULL LAUGHS) - So much great stuff.
Ask me about work today.
Okay.
How was work today? We've been working on this case.
This kid he's, like, 16.
Completely lost the parent lottery.
Up on murder charges.
Mother's a junkie.
Father was a delusional paranoid who thought the world was coming to an end.
And your point? It scares me.
His parents must have been in love once upon a time, or at the very least, in lust.
This kid was born a baby.
A cute, beautiful baby.
How did it all go so wrong? If God is so smart, why does he or she let people like that have children, let alone be attracted to each other? You are so much smarter than that question suggests.
Maybe I'm not.
Maybe I'm not really any of the things I like to think I am.
I mean look at my parents.
Look at what happened to me.
So this is how we're gonna make this momentous decision.
In the middle of the night, half asleep.
I don't know.
Do you have an opinion? Actually, I do.
I'm as frightened as you are of failing.
I'm terrified at the prospect of letting another human being down.
But there's also a part of me that thinks it would be scary and dangerous if I didn't have those fears.
So what are you saying? I'm saying your parents robbed you of so much.
Don't let them rob you of this.
This choice.
If you don't want to have a baby, let's not.
But if you're afraid of having a baby because of your parents then I'm gonna force you to have a baby just to prove you wrong.
(LAUGHS) You and what army? Mm.
Come here.
I want to start right now.
You understand this is not how this works.
We go to an office.
We don't do it like this? Well, they show you porn.
Porn? Really? Wow.
The things we do for our kids.
(LAUGHS)