Bull (2016) s05e16 Episode Script
A Friend in Need
1
New York, New York!
Oh, my goodness.
I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am.
It would be my great honor to serve as your city's district attorney! Now I have to thank A.
D.
A.
Kenneth Kiehl, the man behind the man.
I have never run for office.
I've never even considered it.
He showed me the way.
Thank you.
I also have to thank my sister Isabella, without whose encouragement and support none of this would have happened.
And I also want to thank her new, old, husband, my friend and my old boss, Dr.
Jason Bull.
Talk about an end of an era.
Jason? Have you seen her her rattle thing? - The pig one or the cat one? - Dada! The cat one, her favorite one.
- Yeah, it's right here in the bag.
- Dada, Mama.
You know where you're going? Uh, the florist, wedding photographer, party planner.
You know, our wedding is on Saturday, and it still feels like we're just nailing things down.
It seems crazy.
Why don't you take the SUV? It's right downstairs.
Okay, sure.
Hey, do you want to go in Daddy's car? - Yeah? - Yeah.
Yes, Tony? Dr.
Bull, your guest is here.
Doctor.
District Attorney Sherman.
Former District Attorney Sherman.
I'm vaccinated.
You vaccinated? - I am.
- Oh, good.
Then I'm gonna take this damn thing off.
- Huh.
Great minds.
- Yeah.
Thanks for seeing me, sneaking me into your home.
Yeah.
David, I just I just don't see any way in the world that I can help you.
I mean, Benny He's my lead attorney and my best friend, my fiancée's brother, and he is running to take over your job.
He's six points ahead in the poll as of this morning.
I just I know all that, but I'm in a fight for my life, Jason.
I can't go to jail.
I can't do that to my family.
I just can't.
I need you.
No, you don't.
There are thousands of other firms out there in the city.
Hmm? What happened to the one you were working with? I fired them yesterday.
They wanted me to settle, and I'm innocent.
Oh, David, I wish that I could help you here, but I don't see any way of making this work.
Like I said.
I mean, not without destroying Benny.
I don't think you're understanding me.
Um in my entire career, I never compromised myself.
Except once.
For you.
If you make me go somewhere else, I'm gonna have to tell them about that favor I did for you eight years ago.
That favor I did for you and Benny.
And that really will destroy him.
They'll take away his license to practice law.
Maybe even find a way to go after him criminally after all these years.
Benny doesn't know about any of that.
Excellent.
Let's keep it that way.
Help me, Jason.
I swear to you I am an innocent man.
Someone oversleep? Someone somewhere, I'm sure.
Who is it? Hey.
Looking for me? Yes I was.
We've been through a lot, haven't we? Uh, yeah, yeah.
More than a lot.
Why? You're not getting all emotional on me, are you? Hey, look, I can still lose this thing.
Polls have been wrong in the past.
You trust me? What are you talking about? Of course I trust you.
I mean, we've virtually spent every single day together for the last eight years, so, yeah.
You're comfortable with me, we're comfortable with each other, but I'm asking you, do you trust me? Asked and answered.
Yes, I trust you.
A thousand ways from Sunday.
Yes.
David Sherman came to see me today.
He wants TAC to represent him in court.
You serious? That's crazy.
He knows I work here.
He knows I'm running to be the new D.
A.
I mean, that's that's crazy.
I know it is, but here's the thing.
His original defense team took a poll, and it turns out 82% of potential jurors believe that he resigned because he was guilty.
And his lawyers urged him to take a plea.
Makes sense.
Except he's not gonna do that, because he swears on his life that he is innocent.
He says he was set up.
I mean, this is a man who, of his own accord, who resigned because he thought it would be better for the city.
He didn't think it would be fair to the electorate to have a D.
A.
who was embroiled by a court fight he was in the middle of.
And that is who he is.
I've always liked Dave Sherman.
I've never made a secret of it.
Yeah.
Remember how you and I used to joke that the only problem Sherman had as D.
A.
is that he was too nice, too principled? Well, it turns out we were right.
Now he wants to fight this thing.
And he needs the right jury to do that, and he feels very strongly that it should be us.
I mean, me.
Obviously, I wouldn't want you involved in this.
You're not seriously thinking about helping him, are you? I agreed to it this morning.
Oh, you did? Well, where does that leave me, Bull? It leaves you six points ahead in the D.
A.
's race.
Yeah, but the second you announce that you're taking the case, the media's gonna come after me.
They're gonna say, "Hey, don't you still work at TAC? "Are you saying that-that Dave Sherman is innocent? "Are you saying that you condone the corruption that led to him resigning?" I know it's tricky, Benny, but you and your team will figure out something to say.
- That's your answer? - Yes.
That is my answer.
Why are you doing this to me? I'm not doing this to you.
You just got to trust me, Benny.
Anyone else know? No, just you.
I'd like to keep it that way.
So let me get this straight.
You stab me in the back, and then you ask me to please keep it a secret.
Whatever you say, Bull.
In about two hours, there's going to be a press announcement that David Sherman has officially fired his counsel and hired TAC to represent him against charges of corruption that have been leveled by the State's Attorney General.
Wait a second.
David Sherman, the dirty district attorney that Benny is running to replace? For what it's worth, I don't believe he's dirty.
And I strongly believe that he is innocent.
I also believe he's my friend.
And yeah, it's that David Sherman.
Isn't Benny also a friend? TAC is a business, and Mr.
Sherman needs our help.
Mr.
Palmer, you will be our attorney of record.
- Okay.
- Okay, so here's what happened.
Two years ago, during an afternoon of unusually blustery winds, a construction crane in Midtown Manhattan toppled over, killed a pedestrian on the street below.
Now the owner of the construction company that owned and operated the crane in question was charged with negligent homicide.
And after he was charged, he paid a visit to the D.
A.
's office.
The two men spoke at length, and shortly thereafter, the charges were dropped.
So wait.
Is that why he's being charged with corruption? No.
The reason D.
A.
Sherman was charged with corruption was that after the negligent homicide charge was dropped, the attorney general held a review of his campaign finance accounts.
And it turns out Would you believe it Almost $100,000 worth of campaign contributions suddenly appeared from the construction company owner, from his employees, from his relatives, even some of his neighbors.
So the inference is the construction company owner bought his way out of the conviction? Yeah, but the guy resigned.
He didn't even fight it.
He just resigned.
No.
He resigned so he could fight it.
Unfortunately, most of the public doesn't see it that way, which is where we come in.
Yes, Ms.
Rentzel.
Is it okay to ask how Benny feels about all this? Well, I'm sure he is surprised.
I'm sure he's somewhat hurt.
You should feel free to ask him.
What can I do to help? Are you talking to me? The man who betrayed the most likable man in the world? It's my job to help.
Thank you.
I guess we need to find out everything we can about this attorney general.
He's the one who brought the charges against our client.
I'd love to know why.
Sounds like a job for Danny.
I'd love to get a look at Sherman's campaign records.
I want to know the name of everyone that gave even a dime to get him elected.
Look, everything I am doing I promise you I am doing because I care about your brother.
You know, just because the man comes to you, just because the man needs you you can still say "no.
" Okay, it is a little bit more complicated than that.
And I wish it were simple and I could just explain it to you, but I can't.
Tell me why it isn't.
I can't.
You just have to trust me.
I think we should put this wedding thing on hold.
I mean, it's not a threat, it's just with the election and-and COVID's not even completely over and then now this? It just It all feels like a sign, like-like the world's trying to tell us something or just trying to tell me something, anyway.
Okay, everybody, everybody, please, please, please.
I know what you are all here to ask me.
Okay? And just like you, I found out this morning that former District Attorney Sherman has hired the Trial Analysis Corporation to represent him in his upcoming court fight against the State of New York.
So that there is no ambiguity about my relationship with regard to Mr.
Sherman, I am hereby announcing that I, from this moment forward, choose not to be employed by the Trial Analysis Corporation, in any capacity, and have offered my resignation via notarized letter.
Good to see you all, and thank you for listening.
Hmm? Hey.
Did I wake you? No.
Where are you? The office.
Will probably sleep here tonight.
You don't have to, uh, put up such a fuss.
I didn't tell you not to come home.
No, I know.
How's the candidate? Well, he seems kind of bulletproof.
He made his announcement today and his numbers went up a point in the polls.
Ah, well, you can thank me later.
How's the case? Pretty bullet-riddled, actually.
Tell me there'll be a day that I'll actually understand all of this.
I swear to you there will be a day when you actually understand all of this.
I'm holding you to that.
So I heard from some people around the office that my Saturday just got freed up.
I seem to remember that, uh, there was some kind of event on the calendar.
It was called on account of rain.
Aha.
Well, what's your best guess? Will we be playing a makeup game someday when the sun comes back out? Let's just get through the rain first.
Okay.
Talk tomorrow.
Talk tomorrow.
Jack Martel.
You ever heard of this guy? No, sounds like a game show host.
Taylor.
Yo.
I got emailed the revised witness list very early this morning.
The name at the top of it is "Jack Martel.
" M-A-R-T-E-L.
Hey.
So what do you know? Well, assuming Jack is actually Jonathan no "H" He seems to be a professional investigator who actually worked for our client for almost four years, but then left him to go work for wait for it The attorney general.
And when did this happen? Almost two years ago.
Right around the time the A.
G.
announced he was considering a run for Senate.
So, Jack Martel used to work for you? Yeah.
Why you ask? He's the first witness up this morning.
Any idea why he jumped ship and went to the attorney general's office? Well, he he never said as much, but the A.
G.
was making noise about a Senate run, and I was letting it be known that I thought I was the man for that job, and I think Martel voted with his feet.
Nothing like loyalty.
My name is Jack Martel.
I'm an investigator for the New York Attorney General's Office.
And how did you come to be involved with the matter before the court today? Little less than two years ago, a Manhattan contractor named Dean Burroughs was working on a construction project on the West Side of Manhattan when one of his cranes, which was over 40 stories in the air, collapsed, killing a man on the street below.
It was announced that Mr.
Burroughs, the contractor, was being charged with negligent homicide, and then, a short time later, it was announced that the charges were dropped.
No real explanation, just dropped.
That's when my boss's phone started ringing.
And as you explained previously, your boss is the attorney general.
That's right.
That's correct.
What did you discover? I discovered that after Mr.
Burroughs was arrested, he requested and was given an opportunity to meet with then District Attorney Mr.
Sherman.
And what was the purpose of that meeting? Mr.
Burroughs asked him to dismiss the homicide charges against him.
And did the defendant dismiss the charges against Mr.
Burroughs? Eight days after their meeting.
And then what happened next? We took a shot in the dark.
We did a forensic accounting of Mr.
Sherman's campaign finances, and we discovered that in the weeks and months following the dismissal, Mr.
Burroughs gave $10,000 to Mr.
Sherman's campaign.
His wife contributed another six.
His father contributed another $12,000 and his brother and sister-in-law each contributed 13.
And their total contributions? $54,000.
And in addition, another $45,000 that was traced back to friends, neighbors and employees of Mr.
Burroughs's business.
A total of roughly $100,000.
Did you ask Mr.
Sherman about the money? Of course.
I remember what he said to me.
"You know how these things work.
One hand washes the other.
" And then he said, "$100,000 actually gets you a pretty good scrub.
" Thank you.
No further questions.
Morning, Mr.
Martel.
Good morning.
So, let me make sure that I understand.
You expect this jury to believe that the district attorney of Manhattan, a man who's raised millions of dollars in campaign donations, would be willing to throw it all away for $100,000? I'm just telling you what I know.
- I'm telling you what he - A-And And after he supposedly put his reputation and his career and his livelihood on the line, that he would brag about it? To you? A man who quit working for him with no notice? That's what you're telling the jury? Objection.
Badgering.
Sustained.
Let me ask you another question.
Did you conduct an independent investigation of the crane accident? I did.
Negligent homicide requires proof that Burroughs' actions caused the death of the victim.
Isn't it entirely reasonable that my client determined that those facts did not satisfy that burden of proof? All I can tell you is he was more than happy to share with me that his campaign pocketed a lot of money in the aftermath of that decision.
Mm You didn't record it? You didn't record it? Nope.
And there were no other witnesses? Nope.
Well, it makes sense, you worked for the man for a long time, and clearly you two knew each other well, and safe to say that he'd trust you with his secrets? He obviously did.
So can you tell us another? - Excuse me? - Tell me another secret.
Tell me another time, in all the time that you worked with him, that he broke the law, betrayed his oath of office, betrayed the trust of the people that put him in that office multiple times.
Mr.
Martel, you just testified under oath that District Attorney Sherman was willing to let a guilty man go scot-free for the right price.
Now, are you trying to convince this jury that in all the time that you worked for him, that you never saw him commit any other illegal acts? I'm waiting for an answer, sir.
Not off the top of my head.
Bingo.
Well, if any other part of your head comes up with another answer, don't be shy.
Feel free to let us know.
Now, let me ask you this.
Are you aware that the attorney general, the prosecutor's boss And your boss Is eyeing a run for the Senate? Objection! Relevance? Your Honor This cuts to the very core of our defense, Your Honor, as this is obviously a politically-motivated persecution of an innocent man who happens to be contemplating the same seat.
You see how he snuck that motive in there? No question, no witness.
Think someone might object? Objection.
Counsel is testifying.
Enough.
You know better than that, Mr.
Palmer.
He sure does.
Thank goodness.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
But I submit that the attorney general's political ambitions are wholly relevant to show his bias towards Mr.
Sherman.
He pulled a Britney Spears there.
Oops, he did it again.
Ms.
West, the man makes a point.
Fine.
Let the record show that we stipulate the attorney general has filed the requisite papers for a Senate run.
Stipulation noted.
Any further questions, Counselor? Nope.
Not a one.
True confession? For the first time today, I thought, "Bull's been right about this all along.
"Man's innocent.
"Of course he had to take this case.
"Of course he wouldn't allow that man to go to jail "for something that's becoming more and more obvious that he did not do.
" You might want to reserve judgement on all that.
What, are you saying he isn't innocent? I'm saying maybe I'm not so smart.
Maybe not so steeped in virtue.
Oh, come on, Bull.
You upset a lot of people.
You destroyed an important relationship.
You you were supposed to get married this weekend.
And I admire how you didn't let anything or anyone compromise your principles.
That's something, man.
I had a gun to my head.
What's this for? I just hired you.
And now I would like to invoke attorney-client privilege.
About eight or so years ago, maybe the third case Benny and I ever had, this anesthesiologist calls us out of the blue.
Nice guy.
Terrible story.
His wife and child had been killed in what looked like a horrific murder-suicide.
The mother had suffocated the baby and then shot herself.
But as the investigation went along, the detectives started to think otherwise.
They started to think the whole thing looked staged.
And that this anesthesiologist had killed his family.
So Benny and I got down to business.
We did our thing You've seen it.
Benny can dance.
I mean, he got out there Watching him in court took my breath away.
And four weeks and a hell of a closing argument later the jury voted not guilty.
All right, Benny.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, so Benny and his client went out to celebrate.
And sometime after midnight, after having more drinks than Benny could count, our client confessed to his attorney that he actually did it.
That he did kill his family.
And now, thanks to Benny and my combined skills, he was gonna have the life he really wanted.
Oh, my What did you do? I didn't do anything.
But Benny beat the crap out of the guy.
Knocked out two teeth, broke a rib.
Gave him a concussion.
That's called assault, by the way.
You go to jail for that.
Lose your license to practice law for that.
Benny was, understandably, in a panic.
And I kept telling him he didn't have anything to worry about.
A man who just got away with murder is not gonna run to the cops 'cause somebody messed up his smile.
Yeah I was wrong.
The anesthesiologist filed charges.
Oh, no.
So I went to the D.
A.
Unbeknownst to Benny.
Our client.
Mr.
Sherman.
The most honest man in the world.
Never bent a rule, never broke a law.
But now it was my turn.
And I danced and I pleaded and I did everything I could.
And finally D.
A.
Sherman got it.
'Cause he knew Benny, he knew he was a good man.
- Yeah.
- Knew he had a good heart.
So he took the murderer's complaint and D.
A.
Sherman conveniently just lost it.
It just disappeared.
And to Benny, it seemed like the whole thing just blew over.
Well that's n-nice, I guess.
And then, as luck would have it, our anesthesiologist friend had a little party with himself and some amyl nitrate and ended up choking on his own vomit.
Well, sounds like, uh, it was all meant to be.
Sounds like it.
Did I mention that I told the D.
A.
I owed him one? And that, by the way, what the D.
A.
and I did, that is called obstruction of justice.
And for that, they lock you up and throw away the key.
Okay.
I am up one point in the polls.
So, you hear anything about the trial? Whole thing's pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Lots of muscle on one side, almost none on Sherman's.
Hey.
Don't underestimate TAC.
Don't underestimate the will of the attorney general.
Look, I don't know if Sherman actually did the things they're claiming.
I just know, as someone who worked for him, the guy made it impossible for people like me to get ahead.
Held his staff to an impossible standard.
I don't know.
I mean, I just always saw him as a straight shooter.
An idealist.
You know? There's nothing wrong with that.
There is if you're trying to get things done.
For the people and for yourself.
Oh, come on, Benny.
Nobody who's any good at the business of government is completely straight.
You can't be.
There's too much money changing hands.
Anybody who's smart is planning their exit strategy and their retirement package from the moment they get in there.
They have to.
That's why a-a guy like Sherman had to go.
He stands in the way of too many things, too many people, too much money.
It'll be different when you and I are running things.
When I first heard about the indictments, I was stunned.
I had been district attorney of Manhattan for over a decade and always prided myself on being above reproach.
Then why resign? Why not stick it out and fight? I had a strong feeling about who it was I was up against.
I knew it was gonna be a long and difficult fight, one that was gonna demand all of my attention, and I felt that the people of New York deserved better than a part-time D.
A.
Well, let's talk about this meeting that you had with the contractor, Dean Burroughs.
You see now how having such a meeting might have given the appearance of impropriety? Actually, I don't.
Uh, Mr.
Burroughs was a constituent.
I effectively worked for him, just as I do for every other citizen.
He hadn't yet been found guilty of anything.
So, looking back, you you don't regret taking that meeting? No.
I don't regret taking the meeting.
I believe it was my responsibility to take that meeting.
So, with regard to this crane accident, did you ever meet with anyone else other than Dean Burroughs, the man who was accused of negligent homicide? Yes.
I had a meeting with Charlotte Morris, the widow of the man who died when the crane fell.
And did Mrs.
Morris express any opinion about the case? She believed what happened was a tragic accident.
She didn't want to see any charges filed.
Mr.
Burroughs had already agreed to a sizable multimillion-dollar civil settlement, and Mrs.
Morris felt that was a satisfactory resolution.
She said the family had been through enough pain and they needed to move on with their lives, you know, start to heal.
And I agreed to allow her that.
You know, everyone keeps forgetting, this crane didn't just fall out of the sky.
We were in the middle of a wind event with gusts that, at times, topped 90 miles an hour.
And the last time that happened in this city was back in the 1960s.
And I think Mrs.
Morris was very mindful of that.
She viewed it as an act of God, as did the insurance company.
As did I.
The only one who appears not to have embraced that point of view is the attorney general.
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
Then court is adjourned until 9:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
As the people who've been with me the longest, I'm sure you found my actions over the past week a little puzzling, maybe even disappointing.
And now, here we are, deep enough into the trial for any reasonable person to suspect that we will not prevail.
So, I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work and apologize if I let you down.
For what it's worth, from what I have heard in court yesterday and today, it sounds to me like you guys were punching holes in the other side's arguments.
It's gonna take more than holes.
We need a unanimous not guilty vote, or else we are looking at a mistrial.
And given that it is the attorney general who is bringing this case and it seems like he's got some skin in the game you can be sure he is perfectly happy to try this again next year.
Which leaves our client on hold for a whole year, unable to move on with his life and his reputation destroyed.
I'm-I'm confused.
What is it that we need? I mean, what is it that's gonna turn this whole thing around? Just let me know and I'll find it.
A witness who will take the stand and say in a clear voice this whole thing was a setup.
It exists not to right a wrong but to sideline a political rival.
Anyway, I have got nothing more to contribute.
So I'm gonna go retire to my office couch.
Ms.
Rentzel.
Ms.
Morgan.
Mr.
Palmer.
Ms.
James.
Thank you.
I have something.
It's probably nothing.
I just found it curious.
But I've been going through Sherman's campaign contribution logs.
And for what it's worth, everything looks on the up-and-up.
And then I thought, "Hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
" So then I started poking around the attorney general's campaign contribution logs.
- And? - Again, it's probably nothing.
But he opened this Senate exploratory account, a place where people can donate to his campaign even before he officially announces.
And? You know who donated $2,500? Ken Kiehl.
Who's Ken Kiehl? Well, he's a guy who, on paper, worked for D.
A.
Sherman.
And since Sherman was also talking about a Senate run, it just seemed odd to me that he'd be contributing to a competitor.
Ken Kiehl.
Izzy's always talking about him.
He recruited Benny to run for D.
A.
Is this where you volunteer for the campaign? Wow.
Send this to Ripley.
He wouldn't believe it.
Boss know you're here? Nope.
What can I do you for? I wanted to talk to you.
You're still a lawyer, right? Yeah.
There.
I just hired you.
I'd like to invoke attorney-client privilege.
All rise.
The New York State Superior Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Rand presiding.
Is the defense prepared to rest? Uh, we moving on to closing arguments? With the court's permission, we would actually like to call one last witness.
The defense would like to call Benjamin Colón to the stand.
Trust me.
- Good morning, Mr.
Colón.
- Good morning, Mr.
Palmer.
Now, do you know a prosecutor in the Manhattan D.
A.
's office named Kenneth Kiehl? I-I do.
I know him well.
In fact, he encouraged me to run for the office that District Attorney Sherman resigned.
Objection.
Relevance? Mr.
Palmer, I assume this is going somewhere.
It is, Your Honor.
And we'll get there in the very near future.
Yes, we will, Your Honor.
But I would ask for a little leeway.
Proceed.
And to the best of your knowledge, how long has A.
D.
A.
Kiehl worked in the Manhattan D.
A.
's office? Uh, I believe he's been there for about eight years.
So, up until very recently, Mr.
Sherman, my client, was his boss? Yes.
The defense would like to offer into evidence a page from the attorney general's Senate campaign accounts record.
It shows that Mr.
Ken Kiehl, who worked for then District Attorney Sherman, made a donation of $2,500 to the man who not only is seeking the same office as his boss but also who brought this legal action against him.
- So entered.
- Now, Mr.
Colón, does the news of this contribution surprise you? It might have two weeks ago, but based on a conversation we had the other night, uh, it makes perfect sense.
And why is that? Well, Mr.
Kiehl explained to me that Mr.
Sherman had been a thorn in the side of many people in government, most especially the attorney general.
Objection! Relevance.
Neither this Mr.
Kiehl nor the attorney general - are on trial here.
- Your Honor, the defense is trying to prove that there was a conspiracy to oust District Attorney Sherman from office and to effectively remove him from the upcoming Senate race.
Mr.
Kiehl's comments go directly to the heart of that matter.
I concur.
Objection overruled.
You may continue, Mr.
Palmer.
And did Mr.
Kiehl tell you why the attorney general and so many other people in government wanted to get rid of District Attorney Sherman? He said he was too straight.
Basically, too honest.
Stood in the way of too many things, too many people, too much money.
He had to go.
Thank you, Benny.
He was too honest.
Getting in the way of too much money.
He had to go.
No further questions for this witness.
Mr.
Colón, isn't it true that up until last week, you worked for the very firm that is now defending Mr.
Sherman? That is true.
Then why should anyone on this jury believe you? The man who just questioned you is your friend.
The man he works for is the father of your niece.
The man they're defending was someone you worked for at the end of your career as a city prosecutor.
And your point is? I have friends, so I shouldn't be believed? Yes.
The man who was questioning me is my friend.
A good friend.
And the man he is here defending Turns out he's a friend, too.
Did me a huge kindness once, and I didn't even know about it.
Now, that is a real friend.
And my niece's father? Maybe the best friend I have in the whole world.
Maybe the best friend I'll ever have.
You want to know why you should believe me? I have everything to lose and nothing to gain by coming here.
As I'm sure you know, I'm running to replace the defendant as the city's district attorney.
And what you may or may not know is that I am up in the polls.
I am poised to win.
Nevertheless, I believe so strongly in what I'm telling you, I believe so strongly in former District Attorney Sherman's innocence that I'm officially withdrawing from the race and am supporting any and all efforts to return Mr.
Sherman to an office he never should have been forced to give up in the first place.
How's that for a reason to believe me? Next question.
You heard the man, Counselor.
Next question.
Jury was out in all of eight minutes.
That must be some kind of record.
Yeah, congrats on the verdict.
Not guilty.
That's got to feel great.
No, congrats to you.
And thank you.
I don't know how to thank you.
Well, I'm not the man you should thank.
Oh, no.
I beg to differ.
Thanks for doing that.
Thanks for putting your dream on hold for me.
I owe you.
I've owed you for years and years and didn't even know it.
Now we're even.
I just got a text from the attorney general's office.
They're issuing warrants for Investigator Martel and Ken Kiehl's arrest.
Perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Going after everybody but himself.
Let's get some food.
- This one's on me.
- Yes, indeed.
Text me where you end up.
I'll meet you later.
Uh, hey, guys, you know what? I will meet you there as well.
Speaking of getting your job back I should warn you.
In light of your abominable behavior, I'm gonna make this hard on you.
I'm not taking a penny less than half the money you used to pay me.
Sorry, no.
Double or nothing.
Drive a hard bargain.
I missed you, man.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
I know you are.
I got to find Izzy.
There's something with the sitter.
But, uh, I'll catch up with you.
Yeah.
I know this girl.
You ditch your friends, buy her a couple of drinks, and and she's gonna let you take her home and share her bed.
Really? You think I'm just gonna roll over and let you have your way with me? What would you like to drink? 'Cause I can call ahead and have them sitting on the bar for us.
What was your name again? I don't understand.
If Chunk didn't tell you about Benny beating the bejesus out of that guy, then who did? You know, I can't tell you.
It's attorney-client privilege.
Well, I don't understand, 'cause you're not an attorney.
Um, I'm gonna go check on Astrid.
Will you pay the sitter? I think she's probably in the kitchen.
I do as I'm told.
Judge Rand? What are you doing in my kitchen at 11:00 at night? I don't know.
I'm a judge.
Some lady told me a couple of crazy kids want to get married tonight.
Surprise! - Come on.
Yeah! - You people are crazy.
- A surprise wedding in a kitchen? - Yes.
Isn't it romantic? It is romantic.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight in this pretty damn romantic kitchen to witness the joining of Jason and Isabella in the sacred covenant of marriage.
I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am.
It would be my great honor to serve as your city's district attorney! Now I have to thank A.
D.
A.
Kenneth Kiehl, the man behind the man.
I have never run for office.
I've never even considered it.
He showed me the way.
Thank you.
I also have to thank my sister Isabella, without whose encouragement and support none of this would have happened.
And I also want to thank her new, old, husband, my friend and my old boss, Dr.
Jason Bull.
Talk about an end of an era.
Jason? Have you seen her her rattle thing? - The pig one or the cat one? - Dada! The cat one, her favorite one.
- Yeah, it's right here in the bag.
- Dada, Mama.
You know where you're going? Uh, the florist, wedding photographer, party planner.
You know, our wedding is on Saturday, and it still feels like we're just nailing things down.
It seems crazy.
Why don't you take the SUV? It's right downstairs.
Okay, sure.
Hey, do you want to go in Daddy's car? - Yeah? - Yeah.
Yes, Tony? Dr.
Bull, your guest is here.
Doctor.
District Attorney Sherman.
Former District Attorney Sherman.
I'm vaccinated.
You vaccinated? - I am.
- Oh, good.
Then I'm gonna take this damn thing off.
- Huh.
Great minds.
- Yeah.
Thanks for seeing me, sneaking me into your home.
Yeah.
David, I just I just don't see any way in the world that I can help you.
I mean, Benny He's my lead attorney and my best friend, my fiancée's brother, and he is running to take over your job.
He's six points ahead in the poll as of this morning.
I just I know all that, but I'm in a fight for my life, Jason.
I can't go to jail.
I can't do that to my family.
I just can't.
I need you.
No, you don't.
There are thousands of other firms out there in the city.
Hmm? What happened to the one you were working with? I fired them yesterday.
They wanted me to settle, and I'm innocent.
Oh, David, I wish that I could help you here, but I don't see any way of making this work.
Like I said.
I mean, not without destroying Benny.
I don't think you're understanding me.
Um in my entire career, I never compromised myself.
Except once.
For you.
If you make me go somewhere else, I'm gonna have to tell them about that favor I did for you eight years ago.
That favor I did for you and Benny.
And that really will destroy him.
They'll take away his license to practice law.
Maybe even find a way to go after him criminally after all these years.
Benny doesn't know about any of that.
Excellent.
Let's keep it that way.
Help me, Jason.
I swear to you I am an innocent man.
Someone oversleep? Someone somewhere, I'm sure.
Who is it? Hey.
Looking for me? Yes I was.
We've been through a lot, haven't we? Uh, yeah, yeah.
More than a lot.
Why? You're not getting all emotional on me, are you? Hey, look, I can still lose this thing.
Polls have been wrong in the past.
You trust me? What are you talking about? Of course I trust you.
I mean, we've virtually spent every single day together for the last eight years, so, yeah.
You're comfortable with me, we're comfortable with each other, but I'm asking you, do you trust me? Asked and answered.
Yes, I trust you.
A thousand ways from Sunday.
Yes.
David Sherman came to see me today.
He wants TAC to represent him in court.
You serious? That's crazy.
He knows I work here.
He knows I'm running to be the new D.
A.
I mean, that's that's crazy.
I know it is, but here's the thing.
His original defense team took a poll, and it turns out 82% of potential jurors believe that he resigned because he was guilty.
And his lawyers urged him to take a plea.
Makes sense.
Except he's not gonna do that, because he swears on his life that he is innocent.
He says he was set up.
I mean, this is a man who, of his own accord, who resigned because he thought it would be better for the city.
He didn't think it would be fair to the electorate to have a D.
A.
who was embroiled by a court fight he was in the middle of.
And that is who he is.
I've always liked Dave Sherman.
I've never made a secret of it.
Yeah.
Remember how you and I used to joke that the only problem Sherman had as D.
A.
is that he was too nice, too principled? Well, it turns out we were right.
Now he wants to fight this thing.
And he needs the right jury to do that, and he feels very strongly that it should be us.
I mean, me.
Obviously, I wouldn't want you involved in this.
You're not seriously thinking about helping him, are you? I agreed to it this morning.
Oh, you did? Well, where does that leave me, Bull? It leaves you six points ahead in the D.
A.
's race.
Yeah, but the second you announce that you're taking the case, the media's gonna come after me.
They're gonna say, "Hey, don't you still work at TAC? "Are you saying that-that Dave Sherman is innocent? "Are you saying that you condone the corruption that led to him resigning?" I know it's tricky, Benny, but you and your team will figure out something to say.
- That's your answer? - Yes.
That is my answer.
Why are you doing this to me? I'm not doing this to you.
You just got to trust me, Benny.
Anyone else know? No, just you.
I'd like to keep it that way.
So let me get this straight.
You stab me in the back, and then you ask me to please keep it a secret.
Whatever you say, Bull.
In about two hours, there's going to be a press announcement that David Sherman has officially fired his counsel and hired TAC to represent him against charges of corruption that have been leveled by the State's Attorney General.
Wait a second.
David Sherman, the dirty district attorney that Benny is running to replace? For what it's worth, I don't believe he's dirty.
And I strongly believe that he is innocent.
I also believe he's my friend.
And yeah, it's that David Sherman.
Isn't Benny also a friend? TAC is a business, and Mr.
Sherman needs our help.
Mr.
Palmer, you will be our attorney of record.
- Okay.
- Okay, so here's what happened.
Two years ago, during an afternoon of unusually blustery winds, a construction crane in Midtown Manhattan toppled over, killed a pedestrian on the street below.
Now the owner of the construction company that owned and operated the crane in question was charged with negligent homicide.
And after he was charged, he paid a visit to the D.
A.
's office.
The two men spoke at length, and shortly thereafter, the charges were dropped.
So wait.
Is that why he's being charged with corruption? No.
The reason D.
A.
Sherman was charged with corruption was that after the negligent homicide charge was dropped, the attorney general held a review of his campaign finance accounts.
And it turns out Would you believe it Almost $100,000 worth of campaign contributions suddenly appeared from the construction company owner, from his employees, from his relatives, even some of his neighbors.
So the inference is the construction company owner bought his way out of the conviction? Yeah, but the guy resigned.
He didn't even fight it.
He just resigned.
No.
He resigned so he could fight it.
Unfortunately, most of the public doesn't see it that way, which is where we come in.
Yes, Ms.
Rentzel.
Is it okay to ask how Benny feels about all this? Well, I'm sure he is surprised.
I'm sure he's somewhat hurt.
You should feel free to ask him.
What can I do to help? Are you talking to me? The man who betrayed the most likable man in the world? It's my job to help.
Thank you.
I guess we need to find out everything we can about this attorney general.
He's the one who brought the charges against our client.
I'd love to know why.
Sounds like a job for Danny.
I'd love to get a look at Sherman's campaign records.
I want to know the name of everyone that gave even a dime to get him elected.
Look, everything I am doing I promise you I am doing because I care about your brother.
You know, just because the man comes to you, just because the man needs you you can still say "no.
" Okay, it is a little bit more complicated than that.
And I wish it were simple and I could just explain it to you, but I can't.
Tell me why it isn't.
I can't.
You just have to trust me.
I think we should put this wedding thing on hold.
I mean, it's not a threat, it's just with the election and-and COVID's not even completely over and then now this? It just It all feels like a sign, like-like the world's trying to tell us something or just trying to tell me something, anyway.
Okay, everybody, everybody, please, please, please.
I know what you are all here to ask me.
Okay? And just like you, I found out this morning that former District Attorney Sherman has hired the Trial Analysis Corporation to represent him in his upcoming court fight against the State of New York.
So that there is no ambiguity about my relationship with regard to Mr.
Sherman, I am hereby announcing that I, from this moment forward, choose not to be employed by the Trial Analysis Corporation, in any capacity, and have offered my resignation via notarized letter.
Good to see you all, and thank you for listening.
Hmm? Hey.
Did I wake you? No.
Where are you? The office.
Will probably sleep here tonight.
You don't have to, uh, put up such a fuss.
I didn't tell you not to come home.
No, I know.
How's the candidate? Well, he seems kind of bulletproof.
He made his announcement today and his numbers went up a point in the polls.
Ah, well, you can thank me later.
How's the case? Pretty bullet-riddled, actually.
Tell me there'll be a day that I'll actually understand all of this.
I swear to you there will be a day when you actually understand all of this.
I'm holding you to that.
So I heard from some people around the office that my Saturday just got freed up.
I seem to remember that, uh, there was some kind of event on the calendar.
It was called on account of rain.
Aha.
Well, what's your best guess? Will we be playing a makeup game someday when the sun comes back out? Let's just get through the rain first.
Okay.
Talk tomorrow.
Talk tomorrow.
Jack Martel.
You ever heard of this guy? No, sounds like a game show host.
Taylor.
Yo.
I got emailed the revised witness list very early this morning.
The name at the top of it is "Jack Martel.
" M-A-R-T-E-L.
Hey.
So what do you know? Well, assuming Jack is actually Jonathan no "H" He seems to be a professional investigator who actually worked for our client for almost four years, but then left him to go work for wait for it The attorney general.
And when did this happen? Almost two years ago.
Right around the time the A.
G.
announced he was considering a run for Senate.
So, Jack Martel used to work for you? Yeah.
Why you ask? He's the first witness up this morning.
Any idea why he jumped ship and went to the attorney general's office? Well, he he never said as much, but the A.
G.
was making noise about a Senate run, and I was letting it be known that I thought I was the man for that job, and I think Martel voted with his feet.
Nothing like loyalty.
My name is Jack Martel.
I'm an investigator for the New York Attorney General's Office.
And how did you come to be involved with the matter before the court today? Little less than two years ago, a Manhattan contractor named Dean Burroughs was working on a construction project on the West Side of Manhattan when one of his cranes, which was over 40 stories in the air, collapsed, killing a man on the street below.
It was announced that Mr.
Burroughs, the contractor, was being charged with negligent homicide, and then, a short time later, it was announced that the charges were dropped.
No real explanation, just dropped.
That's when my boss's phone started ringing.
And as you explained previously, your boss is the attorney general.
That's right.
That's correct.
What did you discover? I discovered that after Mr.
Burroughs was arrested, he requested and was given an opportunity to meet with then District Attorney Mr.
Sherman.
And what was the purpose of that meeting? Mr.
Burroughs asked him to dismiss the homicide charges against him.
And did the defendant dismiss the charges against Mr.
Burroughs? Eight days after their meeting.
And then what happened next? We took a shot in the dark.
We did a forensic accounting of Mr.
Sherman's campaign finances, and we discovered that in the weeks and months following the dismissal, Mr.
Burroughs gave $10,000 to Mr.
Sherman's campaign.
His wife contributed another six.
His father contributed another $12,000 and his brother and sister-in-law each contributed 13.
And their total contributions? $54,000.
And in addition, another $45,000 that was traced back to friends, neighbors and employees of Mr.
Burroughs's business.
A total of roughly $100,000.
Did you ask Mr.
Sherman about the money? Of course.
I remember what he said to me.
"You know how these things work.
One hand washes the other.
" And then he said, "$100,000 actually gets you a pretty good scrub.
" Thank you.
No further questions.
Morning, Mr.
Martel.
Good morning.
So, let me make sure that I understand.
You expect this jury to believe that the district attorney of Manhattan, a man who's raised millions of dollars in campaign donations, would be willing to throw it all away for $100,000? I'm just telling you what I know.
- I'm telling you what he - A-And And after he supposedly put his reputation and his career and his livelihood on the line, that he would brag about it? To you? A man who quit working for him with no notice? That's what you're telling the jury? Objection.
Badgering.
Sustained.
Let me ask you another question.
Did you conduct an independent investigation of the crane accident? I did.
Negligent homicide requires proof that Burroughs' actions caused the death of the victim.
Isn't it entirely reasonable that my client determined that those facts did not satisfy that burden of proof? All I can tell you is he was more than happy to share with me that his campaign pocketed a lot of money in the aftermath of that decision.
Mm You didn't record it? You didn't record it? Nope.
And there were no other witnesses? Nope.
Well, it makes sense, you worked for the man for a long time, and clearly you two knew each other well, and safe to say that he'd trust you with his secrets? He obviously did.
So can you tell us another? - Excuse me? - Tell me another secret.
Tell me another time, in all the time that you worked with him, that he broke the law, betrayed his oath of office, betrayed the trust of the people that put him in that office multiple times.
Mr.
Martel, you just testified under oath that District Attorney Sherman was willing to let a guilty man go scot-free for the right price.
Now, are you trying to convince this jury that in all the time that you worked for him, that you never saw him commit any other illegal acts? I'm waiting for an answer, sir.
Not off the top of my head.
Bingo.
Well, if any other part of your head comes up with another answer, don't be shy.
Feel free to let us know.
Now, let me ask you this.
Are you aware that the attorney general, the prosecutor's boss And your boss Is eyeing a run for the Senate? Objection! Relevance? Your Honor This cuts to the very core of our defense, Your Honor, as this is obviously a politically-motivated persecution of an innocent man who happens to be contemplating the same seat.
You see how he snuck that motive in there? No question, no witness.
Think someone might object? Objection.
Counsel is testifying.
Enough.
You know better than that, Mr.
Palmer.
He sure does.
Thank goodness.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
But I submit that the attorney general's political ambitions are wholly relevant to show his bias towards Mr.
Sherman.
He pulled a Britney Spears there.
Oops, he did it again.
Ms.
West, the man makes a point.
Fine.
Let the record show that we stipulate the attorney general has filed the requisite papers for a Senate run.
Stipulation noted.
Any further questions, Counselor? Nope.
Not a one.
True confession? For the first time today, I thought, "Bull's been right about this all along.
"Man's innocent.
"Of course he had to take this case.
"Of course he wouldn't allow that man to go to jail "for something that's becoming more and more obvious that he did not do.
" You might want to reserve judgement on all that.
What, are you saying he isn't innocent? I'm saying maybe I'm not so smart.
Maybe not so steeped in virtue.
Oh, come on, Bull.
You upset a lot of people.
You destroyed an important relationship.
You you were supposed to get married this weekend.
And I admire how you didn't let anything or anyone compromise your principles.
That's something, man.
I had a gun to my head.
What's this for? I just hired you.
And now I would like to invoke attorney-client privilege.
About eight or so years ago, maybe the third case Benny and I ever had, this anesthesiologist calls us out of the blue.
Nice guy.
Terrible story.
His wife and child had been killed in what looked like a horrific murder-suicide.
The mother had suffocated the baby and then shot herself.
But as the investigation went along, the detectives started to think otherwise.
They started to think the whole thing looked staged.
And that this anesthesiologist had killed his family.
So Benny and I got down to business.
We did our thing You've seen it.
Benny can dance.
I mean, he got out there Watching him in court took my breath away.
And four weeks and a hell of a closing argument later the jury voted not guilty.
All right, Benny.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, so Benny and his client went out to celebrate.
And sometime after midnight, after having more drinks than Benny could count, our client confessed to his attorney that he actually did it.
That he did kill his family.
And now, thanks to Benny and my combined skills, he was gonna have the life he really wanted.
Oh, my What did you do? I didn't do anything.
But Benny beat the crap out of the guy.
Knocked out two teeth, broke a rib.
Gave him a concussion.
That's called assault, by the way.
You go to jail for that.
Lose your license to practice law for that.
Benny was, understandably, in a panic.
And I kept telling him he didn't have anything to worry about.
A man who just got away with murder is not gonna run to the cops 'cause somebody messed up his smile.
Yeah I was wrong.
The anesthesiologist filed charges.
Oh, no.
So I went to the D.
A.
Unbeknownst to Benny.
Our client.
Mr.
Sherman.
The most honest man in the world.
Never bent a rule, never broke a law.
But now it was my turn.
And I danced and I pleaded and I did everything I could.
And finally D.
A.
Sherman got it.
'Cause he knew Benny, he knew he was a good man.
- Yeah.
- Knew he had a good heart.
So he took the murderer's complaint and D.
A.
Sherman conveniently just lost it.
It just disappeared.
And to Benny, it seemed like the whole thing just blew over.
Well that's n-nice, I guess.
And then, as luck would have it, our anesthesiologist friend had a little party with himself and some amyl nitrate and ended up choking on his own vomit.
Well, sounds like, uh, it was all meant to be.
Sounds like it.
Did I mention that I told the D.
A.
I owed him one? And that, by the way, what the D.
A.
and I did, that is called obstruction of justice.
And for that, they lock you up and throw away the key.
Okay.
I am up one point in the polls.
So, you hear anything about the trial? Whole thing's pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Lots of muscle on one side, almost none on Sherman's.
Hey.
Don't underestimate TAC.
Don't underestimate the will of the attorney general.
Look, I don't know if Sherman actually did the things they're claiming.
I just know, as someone who worked for him, the guy made it impossible for people like me to get ahead.
Held his staff to an impossible standard.
I don't know.
I mean, I just always saw him as a straight shooter.
An idealist.
You know? There's nothing wrong with that.
There is if you're trying to get things done.
For the people and for yourself.
Oh, come on, Benny.
Nobody who's any good at the business of government is completely straight.
You can't be.
There's too much money changing hands.
Anybody who's smart is planning their exit strategy and their retirement package from the moment they get in there.
They have to.
That's why a-a guy like Sherman had to go.
He stands in the way of too many things, too many people, too much money.
It'll be different when you and I are running things.
When I first heard about the indictments, I was stunned.
I had been district attorney of Manhattan for over a decade and always prided myself on being above reproach.
Then why resign? Why not stick it out and fight? I had a strong feeling about who it was I was up against.
I knew it was gonna be a long and difficult fight, one that was gonna demand all of my attention, and I felt that the people of New York deserved better than a part-time D.
A.
Well, let's talk about this meeting that you had with the contractor, Dean Burroughs.
You see now how having such a meeting might have given the appearance of impropriety? Actually, I don't.
Uh, Mr.
Burroughs was a constituent.
I effectively worked for him, just as I do for every other citizen.
He hadn't yet been found guilty of anything.
So, looking back, you you don't regret taking that meeting? No.
I don't regret taking the meeting.
I believe it was my responsibility to take that meeting.
So, with regard to this crane accident, did you ever meet with anyone else other than Dean Burroughs, the man who was accused of negligent homicide? Yes.
I had a meeting with Charlotte Morris, the widow of the man who died when the crane fell.
And did Mrs.
Morris express any opinion about the case? She believed what happened was a tragic accident.
She didn't want to see any charges filed.
Mr.
Burroughs had already agreed to a sizable multimillion-dollar civil settlement, and Mrs.
Morris felt that was a satisfactory resolution.
She said the family had been through enough pain and they needed to move on with their lives, you know, start to heal.
And I agreed to allow her that.
You know, everyone keeps forgetting, this crane didn't just fall out of the sky.
We were in the middle of a wind event with gusts that, at times, topped 90 miles an hour.
And the last time that happened in this city was back in the 1960s.
And I think Mrs.
Morris was very mindful of that.
She viewed it as an act of God, as did the insurance company.
As did I.
The only one who appears not to have embraced that point of view is the attorney general.
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
Then court is adjourned until 9:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
As the people who've been with me the longest, I'm sure you found my actions over the past week a little puzzling, maybe even disappointing.
And now, here we are, deep enough into the trial for any reasonable person to suspect that we will not prevail.
So, I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work and apologize if I let you down.
For what it's worth, from what I have heard in court yesterday and today, it sounds to me like you guys were punching holes in the other side's arguments.
It's gonna take more than holes.
We need a unanimous not guilty vote, or else we are looking at a mistrial.
And given that it is the attorney general who is bringing this case and it seems like he's got some skin in the game you can be sure he is perfectly happy to try this again next year.
Which leaves our client on hold for a whole year, unable to move on with his life and his reputation destroyed.
I'm-I'm confused.
What is it that we need? I mean, what is it that's gonna turn this whole thing around? Just let me know and I'll find it.
A witness who will take the stand and say in a clear voice this whole thing was a setup.
It exists not to right a wrong but to sideline a political rival.
Anyway, I have got nothing more to contribute.
So I'm gonna go retire to my office couch.
Ms.
Rentzel.
Ms.
Morgan.
Mr.
Palmer.
Ms.
James.
Thank you.
I have something.
It's probably nothing.
I just found it curious.
But I've been going through Sherman's campaign contribution logs.
And for what it's worth, everything looks on the up-and-up.
And then I thought, "Hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
" So then I started poking around the attorney general's campaign contribution logs.
- And? - Again, it's probably nothing.
But he opened this Senate exploratory account, a place where people can donate to his campaign even before he officially announces.
And? You know who donated $2,500? Ken Kiehl.
Who's Ken Kiehl? Well, he's a guy who, on paper, worked for D.
A.
Sherman.
And since Sherman was also talking about a Senate run, it just seemed odd to me that he'd be contributing to a competitor.
Ken Kiehl.
Izzy's always talking about him.
He recruited Benny to run for D.
A.
Is this where you volunteer for the campaign? Wow.
Send this to Ripley.
He wouldn't believe it.
Boss know you're here? Nope.
What can I do you for? I wanted to talk to you.
You're still a lawyer, right? Yeah.
There.
I just hired you.
I'd like to invoke attorney-client privilege.
All rise.
The New York State Superior Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Rand presiding.
Is the defense prepared to rest? Uh, we moving on to closing arguments? With the court's permission, we would actually like to call one last witness.
The defense would like to call Benjamin Colón to the stand.
Trust me.
- Good morning, Mr.
Colón.
- Good morning, Mr.
Palmer.
Now, do you know a prosecutor in the Manhattan D.
A.
's office named Kenneth Kiehl? I-I do.
I know him well.
In fact, he encouraged me to run for the office that District Attorney Sherman resigned.
Objection.
Relevance? Mr.
Palmer, I assume this is going somewhere.
It is, Your Honor.
And we'll get there in the very near future.
Yes, we will, Your Honor.
But I would ask for a little leeway.
Proceed.
And to the best of your knowledge, how long has A.
D.
A.
Kiehl worked in the Manhattan D.
A.
's office? Uh, I believe he's been there for about eight years.
So, up until very recently, Mr.
Sherman, my client, was his boss? Yes.
The defense would like to offer into evidence a page from the attorney general's Senate campaign accounts record.
It shows that Mr.
Ken Kiehl, who worked for then District Attorney Sherman, made a donation of $2,500 to the man who not only is seeking the same office as his boss but also who brought this legal action against him.
- So entered.
- Now, Mr.
Colón, does the news of this contribution surprise you? It might have two weeks ago, but based on a conversation we had the other night, uh, it makes perfect sense.
And why is that? Well, Mr.
Kiehl explained to me that Mr.
Sherman had been a thorn in the side of many people in government, most especially the attorney general.
Objection! Relevance.
Neither this Mr.
Kiehl nor the attorney general - are on trial here.
- Your Honor, the defense is trying to prove that there was a conspiracy to oust District Attorney Sherman from office and to effectively remove him from the upcoming Senate race.
Mr.
Kiehl's comments go directly to the heart of that matter.
I concur.
Objection overruled.
You may continue, Mr.
Palmer.
And did Mr.
Kiehl tell you why the attorney general and so many other people in government wanted to get rid of District Attorney Sherman? He said he was too straight.
Basically, too honest.
Stood in the way of too many things, too many people, too much money.
He had to go.
Thank you, Benny.
He was too honest.
Getting in the way of too much money.
He had to go.
No further questions for this witness.
Mr.
Colón, isn't it true that up until last week, you worked for the very firm that is now defending Mr.
Sherman? That is true.
Then why should anyone on this jury believe you? The man who just questioned you is your friend.
The man he works for is the father of your niece.
The man they're defending was someone you worked for at the end of your career as a city prosecutor.
And your point is? I have friends, so I shouldn't be believed? Yes.
The man who was questioning me is my friend.
A good friend.
And the man he is here defending Turns out he's a friend, too.
Did me a huge kindness once, and I didn't even know about it.
Now, that is a real friend.
And my niece's father? Maybe the best friend I have in the whole world.
Maybe the best friend I'll ever have.
You want to know why you should believe me? I have everything to lose and nothing to gain by coming here.
As I'm sure you know, I'm running to replace the defendant as the city's district attorney.
And what you may or may not know is that I am up in the polls.
I am poised to win.
Nevertheless, I believe so strongly in what I'm telling you, I believe so strongly in former District Attorney Sherman's innocence that I'm officially withdrawing from the race and am supporting any and all efforts to return Mr.
Sherman to an office he never should have been forced to give up in the first place.
How's that for a reason to believe me? Next question.
You heard the man, Counselor.
Next question.
Jury was out in all of eight minutes.
That must be some kind of record.
Yeah, congrats on the verdict.
Not guilty.
That's got to feel great.
No, congrats to you.
And thank you.
I don't know how to thank you.
Well, I'm not the man you should thank.
Oh, no.
I beg to differ.
Thanks for doing that.
Thanks for putting your dream on hold for me.
I owe you.
I've owed you for years and years and didn't even know it.
Now we're even.
I just got a text from the attorney general's office.
They're issuing warrants for Investigator Martel and Ken Kiehl's arrest.
Perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Going after everybody but himself.
Let's get some food.
- This one's on me.
- Yes, indeed.
Text me where you end up.
I'll meet you later.
Uh, hey, guys, you know what? I will meet you there as well.
Speaking of getting your job back I should warn you.
In light of your abominable behavior, I'm gonna make this hard on you.
I'm not taking a penny less than half the money you used to pay me.
Sorry, no.
Double or nothing.
Drive a hard bargain.
I missed you, man.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
I know you are.
I got to find Izzy.
There's something with the sitter.
But, uh, I'll catch up with you.
Yeah.
I know this girl.
You ditch your friends, buy her a couple of drinks, and and she's gonna let you take her home and share her bed.
Really? You think I'm just gonna roll over and let you have your way with me? What would you like to drink? 'Cause I can call ahead and have them sitting on the bar for us.
What was your name again? I don't understand.
If Chunk didn't tell you about Benny beating the bejesus out of that guy, then who did? You know, I can't tell you.
It's attorney-client privilege.
Well, I don't understand, 'cause you're not an attorney.
Um, I'm gonna go check on Astrid.
Will you pay the sitter? I think she's probably in the kitchen.
I do as I'm told.
Judge Rand? What are you doing in my kitchen at 11:00 at night? I don't know.
I'm a judge.
Some lady told me a couple of crazy kids want to get married tonight.
Surprise! - Come on.
Yeah! - You people are crazy.
- A surprise wedding in a kitchen? - Yes.
Isn't it romantic? It is romantic.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight in this pretty damn romantic kitchen to witness the joining of Jason and Isabella in the sacred covenant of marriage.