Law & Order (1990) s24e12 Episode Script
Duty to Protect
1
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who
investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[phone buzzing]
You look great.
Are you sure?
I swear.
You're perfect.
Okay, people.
Places, everyone.
Places!
- [sighs]
- Quiet on set!
And action.
My Best Defense.
It literally does everything.
Shields your skin from harmful
UV rays, hides blemishes,
leaves you looking
and feeling flawless.
Use it as part of your
daily skincare routine.
It's the only protection
you'll ever need.
And cut! [bell rings]
Beautiful.
Let's reset and do
it one more time.
[phone buzzing]
There's a guy downstairs
looking for you.
[suspenseful music]
♪
She's a kid.
Can't be more than 16, 17.
MLI says body temp and
rigidity puts time of death
between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
We got a name?
No. No wallet,
no ID, no phone.
Oh, boy.
Looks like she went face
first into this dumpster, huh?
Yeah, she was strangled too.
Got petechial hemorrhaging in
her eyes, marks on her neck.
Oh.
Necktie.
Make sure we get that to the
lab and have that tested.
Clothing still intact, so
probably not a sexual assault.
Who found the body?
Maintenance guy from
the flower shop nearby.
911 call came in at 8:07 p.m.
You know, I noticed
they had a camera.
Let's make sure we get
that footage, okay?
Mm-hmm.
Somebody lost their
child tonight.
And they probably
don't even know it.
[dramatic music]
♪
About an hour ago, I was
taking out the trash.
I saw her legs.
And then all of a
sudden, a guy bolted
from behind the dumpster.
Which way did he go?
- Up towards that corner.
- Thank you.
You get a good look at him?
Yeah, uh, white,
thin, about 5'5".
Hair color?
Blond.
And he was wearing
a blue puffy jacket.
Okay.
We're looking for a male,
5'5", thin, blond hair,
wearing a blue jacket.
Let's set up a perimeter north
of Christopher, south of Bank.
Let's go.
[tense music]
♪
Yeah, blue puffer. Hey, kid.
Hey! Police!
[tires squealing]
[horn honking]
Kid, stop!
NYPD!
Hey! Stop!
Hey! Do not move!
Keep your hands right there.
Get on the van.
♪
That's nice. Where'd
you get this?
- I found it.
- You found it, huh? Where?
- In the trash.
- In the trash.
- How old are you?
- 18.
- Try again.
- 15.
He's 15.
We recovered the murder weapon,
and we're getting
it tested for DNA.
And if it's a match, that
means life in prison.
I didn't kill anyone, though.
Does this kid look like
he wears a necktie?
We got a witness that says
they saw him running away
from the dead woman's body.
He was found with
a very expensive
piece of women's jewelry.
Now, I'm willing
to bet that we will
be able to prove
that that bracelet
belongs to the dead girl.
Yeah.
I was looking for food.
And she was already dead,
so I took the bracelet.
All right, and how about
her phone and her wallet?
That's all there was.
I swear.
You living on the street?
His mother has a
problem with drugs.
How about your father?
I don't have one.
[soft music]
♪
All right.
We will be right back.
Did the kid's story check out?
Got video from the flower shop
that was near the crime scene.
Check this out.
So that is our victim
27 minutes before the
maintenance guy found her.
But keep watching.
It gets interesting.
Whoever the mystery
man is, he drags her
in the direction
of the dumpster,
where the body was found.
And then
24 minutes later, there's Joey
walking towards the dumpster
no cameras back there.
Then three minutes
later, he comes back out
with the vic's bracelet.
He's telling the truth.
Okay, call Social Services.
- Already did.
Uh, how'd you make out
at Missing Persons?
I cross-checked all
the new reports.
No luck.
Facial rec?
Flower shop footage
is too grainy.
This is the only other
photo we have of her,
and her face is too messed
up to make a comparison.
Poor kid.
The victim's DNA
is on the necktie,
along with someone else's.
You run it through the database?
It's not in the system, so we
can eliminate convicted felons.
[sighs] Anything else?
Well, it's likely
a Caucasian male,
but there's no shared genetic
makeup with the victim.
So we can eliminate
biological family members.
Well, that only leaves us
with a few hundred
million suspects.
[chuckles] Yeah.
Well, in the more
bad news department,
I still haven't been
able to determine
this victim's identity.
I can't believe her parents
haven't reported
her missing yet.
I know.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Vince, I need you guys to
go back and canvass the area
around the crime scene,
see if anybody can identify
the picture of the vic.
Have you seen this woman?
Sorry.
- Any luck?
- None.
Excuse me, miss?
Have you seen this woman?
Yeah, I've seen her
around the neighborhood.
Do you know her name?
I've got ten preschool
kids to keep an eye on.
I don't really have
time to socialize.
How about yesterday?
You see her yesterday?
Yeah.
She was with a guy, and
he was yelling at her.
Could you hear
what he was saying?
No.
What time was this?
Well, I was on my way home
from work, so around 4:30.
And this guy, had you
ever seen him before?
No, sorry.
Can you describe
what he looked like?
Uh, white, medium build,
medium height, bald.
How old was he?
Old. Like, 50?
Oh, and he was
smoking a cigarette.
Can you show us where
he was standing?
Thank you.
[suspenseful music]
I don't see any cigarette butts.
Mm.
Here we go.
It's a long shot.
Maybe we can get some
prints off the box.
I'll call the lab, see
if they can rush it.
Yeah, if we can't
get him on murder,
maybe we can get
him for littering.
Mr. Paven, NYPD.
Need to ask you a few questions.
Hey, what's up?
You know this woman?
What'd she say?
- Nothing now.
- You got a gun on you?
- Yeah.
- Hands on the car.
Oh, wait, man!
But the gun is legal.
All right? I'm on the job.
You're a limo driver.
Yeah, I also work
private security.
Yeah, well, if everything
checks out, you'll get it back.
Come on.
- I'm not going anywhere, man.
My client is in that building.
Tell him he's gotta
find another ride.
Is this really necessary?
Look, whatever that
bitch said, it is a lie.
You've got a lot of anger
towards this young woman
girl
and she's dead.
And we have a witness who saw
you bullying her a few hours
before she was killed.
Now, why were you, a grown
man, yelling at a teenage girl
on the sidewalk?
Maybe I should have a
lawyer here or something.
That's fine by me.
In the meantime, I'm going
to confiscate your gun.
Wait, look, I need
that for work.
I've got a license for it.
You can't just
take that from me.
Yes, I can.
You're a person of
interest in a murder case.
You're refusing to
cooperate with the police.
As far as I'm concerned,
that makes you
a threat to public safety.
H hold on.
Look.
My son, all right, he follows
that girl on social media.
She was pushing some
new sports drink.
You know, said that it
would make him strong
and full of energy or
some bull like that.
I mean, this girl
made it a contest.
How many can you drink in a row?
So my kid ended up
downing, like, five of them
in less than an hour.
And there was so
much caffeine in it
that he ended up having
a freaking heart attack.
I'm serious, all
right? He almost died.
How did you find her?
That girl posted, like,
everything she did,
literally everything.
So I knew that she was
doing a commercial.
She even said the
name of the studio.
So I looked it up,
went down there,
and, you know, I had a
little talk with her.
Okay, where were you between
7:00 and 10:00 p.m. last night?
I was in Jersey with a client.
I can give you his
contact info if you need.
Yeah, I'm gonna need the
name of the young woman
you accosted.
[somber music]
Kaitlyn was so special.
She's beautiful, inside and out.
I've gotta ask,
is there a reason
that you didn't report
your daughter missing?
She didn't live
here. We didn't know.
She doesn't live here anymore.
She was 17?
Yeah, um
She's a a
she was a model,
so she lived with
a group of models.
No school?
She graduated early.
But we're still
very much involved.
We we spoke to
her every night.
Just not last night.
We were at a premiere,
Michelle's premiere.
She's a she's
a film director.
I promised my daughter
I'd take her this weekend.
Was Kaitlyn having any
problems with anyone?
She [clears throat]
She had a boyfriend.
He's he's a little older.
They were in the
process of breaking up.
♪
Who the hell lets their
daughter live alone at 17?
What do you mean?
Kids leave for college
all the time at 18.
Same thing.
- No, no, no.
Big difference
between 17 and 18.
And college is filled with
college kids, you know?
You gotta let them fly
at some point, bro.
All I know is, when
my daughter turns 17,
she's not shacking up with some
20-year-old dude named Dylan.
[laughs]
She's dead?
Oh.
That's, like, surreal.
Yeah.
Uh, hey, hey, Dylan.
Yeah?
Are you planning
on going somewhere?
I just got back from Paris.
I was there for
a magazine shoot.
When's the last time
you spoke to Kaitlyn?
I texted her last night at
8:00 when I landed at JFK.
Never heard back.
Did that surprise you?
We've been fighting a lot.
- About what?
- [sighs]
She was cheating on me.
What makes you say that?
She'd been acting all weird,
spending a lot of time
with other people.
And she didn't wanna
be, you know, intimate.
Any idea who she was seeing?
[suspenseful music]
Can you show us her room?
♪
This her laptop?
You know the password?
Two hours before the
murder, she googled
the address of Daisy's Donuts.
Four blocks from
the murder scene.
Looks like they make
a hell of a cruller,
I'll give them that.
Does anyone remember
seeing Kaitlyn?
- Nope.
- Did they have cameras?
They weren't working.
Manager just emailed me
the credit card receipts.
Is her boyfriend's
name in there?
I don't see it.
This is interesting, though.
[knock at door]
Did you find something?
Do you know who
killed my daughter?
We need to speak to
your husband right now.
Is he here?
- Yes, yes. Of course.
Come in. He's
What's going on?
Do you guys have an update?
- We do.
We can talk about it
down at the precinct.
[scoffs] Now?
Right now.
It's a little late in the day.
Couldn't we do this first
thing in the morning?
No, this can't wait.
And we would prefer to
do it in our office.
So we need you to come with us.
I don't understand.
What's the problem?
Am I under arrest?
We're giving you an opportunity
to come in voluntarily.
But if not
[scoffs]
[tense music]
I guess so.
♪
We've got a credit card
receipt that puts you
in a café a few blocks
from the crime scene
a half hour before
Kaitlyn was killed.
And Kaitlyn just happened to
google the address of that café
a couple hours before
she was killed.
And we got surveillance
video from a flower shop
down the block that picked you
up after you left the café.
It shows a man who
looks a lot like you
grabbing Kaitlyn by
the arm and pushing her
in the direction
of the crime scene.
And you told us that you
didn't talk to Kaitlyn
the day that she was murdered.
Isn't that right?
- Mm-hmm, yeah. Yeah.
You lied about your
alibi, too, didn't you?
Said you were at
a movie premiere?
No, I was
I was at the premiere.
Really.
Well, the time stamp
on the bill here
says that you paid six minutes
after the movie started.
So help me out here.
- Correct.
I had coffee with my daughter,
and then I went to the movie.
I got there late.
- Hmm.
Here's me and Michelle
at the theater.
That corroborates
my client's alibi.
The theater is, like, 15
minutes from the crime scene.
He could have killed Kaitlyn
and gotten back to the theater
before the movie was over.
Still, I'm confused.
Didn't the ME tell you the
DNA on the murder weapon
didn't come from anyone
in Kaitlyn's family?
The ME said that the
killer's DNA profile
didn't share any
genetic similarities
with the victim.
He's not Kaitlyn's
biological father?
According to family
court records,
Ron adopted Kaitlyn
after he married Michelle
about ten years ago.
Can I go home now?
No.
We have a few more questions.
Hold him while you get
a warrant for his DNA.
If it matches the necktie,
charge him with murder.
Calling docket ending in 5912,
People v. Ronald Lawson,
charging murder in
the second degree.
How do you plead, sir?
My client pleads not guilty.
I'll hear the People on bail.
The victim in this case is
the defendant's daughter.
The evidence shows
that Mr. Lawson
pushed her into a dumpster,
causing a severe head wound.
Then, as she lay
bleeding on the pavement,
he strangled her
with his necktie.
We have video and
credit card statement
putting him near
the crime scene.
His DNA is on the weapon.
We'd submit that he's a
danger to the community
and a flight risk.
People request remand.
The only thing worse than
losing your child, Your Honor,
is losing your child
and then being falsely
accused of killing her.
The People have no case,
no motive, no eyewitnesses.
My client is a respected
member of his community.
My client's wife,
Michelle Burns,
who is also the victim's mother,
has signed an affidavit
affirming that
they were at a movie premiere
at the time of the murder.
It was a three-hour film.
He had more than enough
time to kill his daughter
and saunter back
into the theater
to enjoy his wife's movie.
The bail is set at 20 million.
Don't worry, I got you.
Okay?
The victim's mother posted
bail for the killer?
It was a first for me as well.
She also doubled down on her
husband's so-called alibi.
She obviously believes
in Lawson's innocence.
Are we sure we
got the right guy?
Yeah, evidence is strong.
What about motive?
Why would Lawson
kill his own child?
That is the one missing piece.
Have we done a deep dive
into their texts, emails?
Well, I just finished, actually,
and, uh, I think
we have the answer.
Kaitlyn made a video,
was supposed to go live
the day she was killed.
It's horrific.
[suspenseful music]
My father, Ron Lawson
sexually abused me.
It started when I was 14,
and he's still doing it.
I know it sounds weird, but, uh,
at first, it made
me feel special.
I actually thought I
was in love with him.
But recently, I
I started to realize
how horrible and
abusive it actually is.
So
I told him to stop.
He wouldn't.
So, um, I told my mother.
But she wasn't she
wasn't able to help.
That's why I'm
making this video,
to tell the world my truth.
The defendant killed
Kaitlyn Lawson
because he was
afraid of exposure.
He didn't want the world to know
his disgusting,
perverted secret.
The evidence will show that
he invited her to a café,
where he tried to talk her
out of posting the video.
When she refused, he
grabbed her by the arm
and dragged her
behind a flower shop.
He shoved her face-first
into a dumpster,
and then he used his necktie to
strangle the life out of her.
Ron Lawson thought
by killing Kaitlyn,
his secret would be safe, but
But now we all know
what Kaitlyn knew.
The defendant is a pedophile.
He is also a killer.
And he must answer to that.
We're going to take
a brief recess.
I'll see you all back
here in 20 minutes.
[gavel bangs]
[indistinct chatter]
♪
[grunts]
[screaming]
Get back! Get back!
Stay
No, no, no, no!
Back!
Hey. Ron, put the gun down!
Put it down!
Do not do anything stupid.
Put it down.
No, no, no! [gunshot]
[screams]
♪
- That was
- Yeah.
I don't even know
how to process it.
Everybody okay?
I'm just glad no
one else was hurt.
[camera shutters clicking]
Where do we go from here?
I presume you're
gonna file a motion
to dismiss the charges?
Yeah, we'll have to.
Well, bastard got off
easy, if you ask me.
Now nobody gets
held accountable.
Maybe we should look
into the mother.
Well, unfortunately,
posting bail
for your abusive
husband isn't a crime.
She didn't just post bail.
She was aware that her
daughter was being abused,
and she did nothing
to protect her.
She just let it happen.
Hard to imagine.
Is there a reason she
just looked the other way?
Oh, no idea.
Makes no sense to me.
Her movies are all
about female empowerment
and gender equality.
So what do you wanna do?
I wanna charge her
with endangering
the welfare of a child.
Can we prove Michelle had
knowledge of the abuse?
We have Kaitlyn's video.
Maybe.
If we offer it for the truth,
it'll likely be
excluded as hearsay.
But I'm with you, Nolan.
Michelle Burns had a duty
to protect her child,
and she didn't, and now
the girl's dead, so.
Talk to Brady.
Maybe she can figure out a
way to get Michelle to admit
she knew what was going on
between her husband and Kaitlyn.
[elevator dings]
- Michelle.
- Oh.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Thanks so much for coming in.
Do you want a coffee
or water or something?
No. No, thank you.
Well, I can't imagine
what you're going through.
Yeah, it's, uh
it's been a long few days.
I'm really very
sorry, but I won't
take up much of your time.
I just I just need to
tie up a few loose ends.
Have a seat.
Some of Kaitlyn's
personal effects.
I thought they might be
of some sentimental value.
You can take them if you want.
I just need you
to sign that form.
I have a lot of
respect for your work.
I think your movies
are very powerful,
and they remind
me of Alice Munro.
I know she's a
novelist, but, um
I really admire
her work as well.
Yeah, you two have
a lot in common.
I mean, you're both feminists
that wanted to raise
strong, opinionated
daughters, and
And both stayed with men
even after we knew
about their failings?
Well, yeah, that's
what I was gonna say.
I know.
I'm not here to judge,
Michelle, really.
Honestly, I'm just trying
to tie up some loose ends.
But now that you mention
it, actually, I'm
I must say, I'm curious.
About what?
Well, you're a brilliant
and talented woman,
a powerful woman.
I I I just don't
see how you could
sit there and let that happen.
I suppose I felt the
same way Alice did.
You know, I love
them both very much,
and I suppose I decided
that it was their business,
and it wasn't my
place to get involved.
[tense music]
Not your place?
Well, I know on some level, yes.
I mean, if you eliminate
patriarchal norms
and expectations, why should
I be expected to dismiss
my own wants and desires,
or even worse,
dismiss those wants
and desires for my child?
So you knew about the
video Kaitlyn made?
Yes.
And what about your
husband? Did he know?
Yes, I I told him.
♪
Well.
Michelle, I have to tell
you, you make me sick.
- What?
- Get up.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Stand up.
Put your hands behind your back.
[gasps]
You're under arrest.
She told her husband
about the video?
That Kaitlyn was
planning to expose her?
Sure did.
She might as well have
handed him a loaded gun.
Ask me, this is more
than child endangerment.
You want me to charge
her with manslaughter?
Man two.
Michelle Burns had a duty
to protect her child,
and her reckless
actions and inactions
directly led to her
daughter's death.
Sam.
- Hi.
- Hey, how are you?
I'm good.
You represent Michelle Burns?
[sighs] I wish I wasn't.
I can't believe you're
actually prosecuting her.
She's a victim.
Her daughter was murdered.
Yeah, I get it.
But she had a duty, a legal
duty to protect her daughter.
She didn't. So.
Well, you may be right,
but it's more
complicated than that.
What are you talking about?
Kaitlyn wasn't the only
woman Ron Lawson abused.
I'm requesting the court's
permission to allow
an expert witness at trial
a psychologist who can testify
to my client's state of mind
as a victim of physical
and sexual abuse.
How is that relevant
to this case?
Mr. Price has a point.
What does a
psychologist's opinion
have to do with this matter?
Well, the People are required
to prove that my client
ignored an unjustifiable risk
that someone's
death would occur.
I'd like to tell the jury
why she failed to act.
Context is important.
It cuts to the very
core of our defense.
The defendant's reasons
have no legal significance.
This is just a veiled attempt
to elicit sympathy
from the jury.
I'll allow counsel to
conduct a voir dire
outside of the
presence of the jury
to see what this
witness has to say.
I'll issue my
decision afterwards.
Dr. Mankin, did you conduct
a forensic evaluation
of the defendant?
- I did.
She reported that she
was in a physically
and emotionally
abusive marriage.
Did she describe specific
instances of violence?
A fractured eye socket, a
broken ankle, a concussion,
and numerous bruises and cuts.
Did she tell you
about her childhood?
Do I have to sit here
and listen to this?
Your lawyer asked
for this hearing.
Please control your client.
Please answer the question.
When she was nine years old,
Michelle was the
victim of sexual abuse
at the hands of an uncle.
Did that surprise you?
No.
Children who are
raised in abusive homes
are six times more
likely to find themselves
in abusive
relationships as adults.
Why is that?
For women like Michelle,
abuse becomes their
definition of love.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Cross-examination?
Did the defendant ever
report any of this abuse?
When she was a child,
she told her parents,
but they didn't believe her,
and that was shattering.
It reinforced her
sense of powerlessness.
While the defendant may
have been suffering,
wasn't she still capable
of protecting her daughter?
I believe Michelle suffers
from dissociative disorder.
Her survival depends
on her ability
to disengage emotionally.
As a result, she lost her
ability to recognize danger,
along with her maternal
instincts of protection.
You're not saying she's
legally insane, are you?
No, I'm not saying that.
Thank you. Nothing further.
You are excused.
[suspenseful music]
While what Ms. Burns
is alleging is tragic,
it is clearly not
relevant to this case.
And as such, the law requires
that you deny the
defendant's motion.
Respectfully, the
defense has the right
to present a full
and complete picture
of what happened
more specifically,
why this happened.
I agree with Mr. Price.
But Your Honor, as a woman,
how can you possibly
Don't go there, Counsel.
My decision is based on the law.
And I find that the
defendant's state of mind
has no legal significance
in this case.
Therefore, the defendant's
motion is denied.
Dr. Mankin will not be
allowed in this trial.
We're adjourned.
I'll see you all here
tomorrow morning.
♪
I'm not sure about this.
Sure about what?
Leaving this evidence out or
even prosecuting Michelle.
She's a victim, Nolan.
♪
Hey.
I've subpoenaed Michelle's
medical records.
They corroborate the
psychologist's testimony.
In the last ten years,
Michelle was treated
for a broken ankle,
fractured eye socket,
and a concussion.
I also found a police report
from Westport, Connecticut,
where Michelle and
Ron used to live.
Shows she called 911 to
report domestic violence.
Withdrew her complaint
a week later.
Well, there was also a
report from Cleveland,
where Michelle grew up.
Teacher suspected there
was abuse in the home.
I don't dispute that
the abuse happened
and that it's horrific.
Jesus.
It also certainly explains why
Michelle would stay with a man
who was abusing her daughter.
Yeah.
But the fact remains,
Michelle Burns
had an obligation
to protect her kid,
and she did the exact opposite.
She wasn't capable of helping.
She was fighting for
her own survival.
You're right about that,
but she let her husband
abuse Kaitlyn for years.
And if that weren't
enough, she told
a violent, sexually
abusive man that
he was about to be
exposed as a pedophile,
which directly led
to her child's death.
She was more a perpetrator than
victim in this instance anyway.
What kind of precedent
would it be setting
if we gave her a pass?
Society demands that people
in positions of power
protect those who have none.
Parents are the ones
who hold that power.
Yeah, I agree.
But it doesn't mean that
we don't have an obligation
to protect Michelle too.
She's an adult. Kaitlyn
was a kid, a teenager.
In case of a tie,
Michelle loses.
Sorry.
Move forward with the trial.
[tense music]
♪
Lieutenant Brady, did you
speak with the defendant?
I did.
And she told me she was aware
that her husband had been
sexually abusing her
daughter and that the abuse
had gone on for several years.
And did the defendant tell
her husband that Kaitlyn
was going to expose him?
- She did.
And less than 24 hours
later, Kaitlyn was dead.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Cross-examination?
My client didn't kill anyone.
Fair to say?
Fair to say.
In fact, my client
wasn't present
when Kaitlyn died, was she?
Objection, relevance?
Overruled. You may answer.
I don't believe she was, no.
The person who actually
did kill Kaitlyn,
Ron Lawson, shot himself.
So he's gone.
And now you and Mr. Price are
trying to compound this tragedy
by blaming it on his wife.
Objection, argumentative.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
I love my daughter very much.
[sniffles]
More than I can even
[crying]
And I tried very
hard to protect her.
I know it wasn't
enough, but I tried.
Tell the jury what
you mean by that.
I taught Kaitlyn to be a
strong, independent woman.
I took her to
self-defense classes.
I I helped her become
financially independent.
I I talked to her about
her sex, about her body.
[sniffles] And when I
became aware of what
was going on with Ron, I
I encouraged her to move out of
the house as soon as possible.
But you were having
your own problems.
Objection.
Sustained.
We've been through
this, Ms. Hogan.
Your witness.
Cross-examination?
After your husband was arrested
for killing your daughter,
you posted his bail, didn't you?
♪
- Yes.
- He was in custody.
He was behind bars. And
you helped him get out?
I did.
You also helped him
create a false alibi?
Yes.
I know that this won't make
any sense, but I was afraid.
And so I did what he said
because that's the
way it's always been.
Because if I disappointed
him, he became violent!
- Your Honor.
- Next question.
You have made several very
successful films, haven't you?
I suppose.
One of your movies is
about a young woman
who was abused by
a family member.
Objection, relevance.
Overruled.
Please answer.
It was an exploration
in a complicated
family relationship.
In that movie, the
daughter is hurt so badly,
she dies, doesn't she?
Objection. Where is
he going with this?
The People are required to
prove that the defendant
consciously disregarded a
substantial risk to her child,
knowing that death could result.
I'm simply trying to establish
that the defendant was aware
of the risk involved in not
reporting her husband's abuse
because she made
a film about it.
The objection is overruled.
Please answer.
♪
In the film, the daughter dies.
In your home, your husband's
abuse of your daughter
went on for years, didn't it?
Unfortunately.
And you told your
husband that Kaitlyn
was going to expose
him, didn't you?
Yes.
And 24 hours later,
she was dead.
Did I get that right?
- I
I made a mistake.
I made a mistake.
I wish I could do
it all over again,
be a different person,
a stronger person.
But I wasn't, and I didn't.
And I have to live with that
for the rest of my life.
I'm afraid you do.
I have nothing further.
♪
Nolan.
What you did in
there, using her film
against her in that way?
That was fair game, Sam.
No, no, that was legal.
But it wasn't fair.
I
you're the one who always
says trials are supposed
to be a search for the truth.
So please tell me how the
hell the jury is supposed to
make a decision about
Michelle, about this case
when they don't
have all the facts,
when they don't
actually know the truth.
The jury decides what is and
isn't true based on the facts,
on the relevant facts.
I respect that you are
a man of principle,
but I have my principles too.
Well, then we'll just
have to agree to disagree.
No.
Do you really think
that you know more
about domestic
violence than I do?
I I have counseled victims.
I've volunteered at shelters.
I studied the psychological
impact of trauma.
And there's my sister, who
died at the hands of an abuser.
So please don't tell me what
Michelle should have done
or what she was
legally required to do.
She spent most of her
life being abused.
And the truth is,
Nolan, she wasn't
capable of protecting herself,
let alone her daughter.
And there is no
punishment in the world
that is going to change that.
♪
Now, if you don't
respect my opinion
when it comes to this issue,
then I don't know what the
hell I'm doing in this office.
♪
What do you mean,
you wanna cut a deal?
We've been through this.
We agreed Michelle
Burns failed in her duty
to protect her child.
I'm having second thoughts.
Sam has been pretty
passionate in her defense
of Michelle Burns, and
I'm starting to see
her point of view.
I'm not so sure that sending
an abuse victim to prison
for 15 years is the right call.
Neither am I.
But I have to look
at the big picture.
There are larger societal
implications here.
You're right. [sighs]
But let's face it, Nick, Sam
knows more about these issues
than we do.
Maybe it's time for us to
start listening to her,
instead of telling
her why she's wrong.
♪
Your Honor, the defendant
has agreed to plead guilty,
and we have a sentencing
recommendation
for the court's consideration.
I'll hear it.
The defendant will
admit to so much
of the complaint that
alleges endangering
the welfare of a child,
and she will serve
one year in jail,
followed by three years of
post-release supervision.
Defense?
We have agreed to the terms.
Okay, Ms. Burns, I will
accept your change of plea
and sentence you to
one year in jail.
Court is adjourned.
[gavel bangs]
♪
Thank you for hearing me.
♪
subsync
johnhallgeir
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who
investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[phone buzzing]
You look great.
Are you sure?
I swear.
You're perfect.
Okay, people.
Places, everyone.
Places!
- [sighs]
- Quiet on set!
And action.
My Best Defense.
It literally does everything.
Shields your skin from harmful
UV rays, hides blemishes,
leaves you looking
and feeling flawless.
Use it as part of your
daily skincare routine.
It's the only protection
you'll ever need.
And cut! [bell rings]
Beautiful.
Let's reset and do
it one more time.
[phone buzzing]
There's a guy downstairs
looking for you.
[suspenseful music]
♪
She's a kid.
Can't be more than 16, 17.
MLI says body temp and
rigidity puts time of death
between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
We got a name?
No. No wallet,
no ID, no phone.
Oh, boy.
Looks like she went face
first into this dumpster, huh?
Yeah, she was strangled too.
Got petechial hemorrhaging in
her eyes, marks on her neck.
Oh.
Necktie.
Make sure we get that to the
lab and have that tested.
Clothing still intact, so
probably not a sexual assault.
Who found the body?
Maintenance guy from
the flower shop nearby.
911 call came in at 8:07 p.m.
You know, I noticed
they had a camera.
Let's make sure we get
that footage, okay?
Mm-hmm.
Somebody lost their
child tonight.
And they probably
don't even know it.
[dramatic music]
♪
About an hour ago, I was
taking out the trash.
I saw her legs.
And then all of a
sudden, a guy bolted
from behind the dumpster.
Which way did he go?
- Up towards that corner.
- Thank you.
You get a good look at him?
Yeah, uh, white,
thin, about 5'5".
Hair color?
Blond.
And he was wearing
a blue puffy jacket.
Okay.
We're looking for a male,
5'5", thin, blond hair,
wearing a blue jacket.
Let's set up a perimeter north
of Christopher, south of Bank.
Let's go.
[tense music]
♪
Yeah, blue puffer. Hey, kid.
Hey! Police!
[tires squealing]
[horn honking]
Kid, stop!
NYPD!
Hey! Stop!
Hey! Do not move!
Keep your hands right there.
Get on the van.
♪
That's nice. Where'd
you get this?
- I found it.
- You found it, huh? Where?
- In the trash.
- In the trash.
- How old are you?
- 18.
- Try again.
- 15.
He's 15.
We recovered the murder weapon,
and we're getting
it tested for DNA.
And if it's a match, that
means life in prison.
I didn't kill anyone, though.
Does this kid look like
he wears a necktie?
We got a witness that says
they saw him running away
from the dead woman's body.
He was found with
a very expensive
piece of women's jewelry.
Now, I'm willing
to bet that we will
be able to prove
that that bracelet
belongs to the dead girl.
Yeah.
I was looking for food.
And she was already dead,
so I took the bracelet.
All right, and how about
her phone and her wallet?
That's all there was.
I swear.
You living on the street?
His mother has a
problem with drugs.
How about your father?
I don't have one.
[soft music]
♪
All right.
We will be right back.
Did the kid's story check out?
Got video from the flower shop
that was near the crime scene.
Check this out.
So that is our victim
27 minutes before the
maintenance guy found her.
But keep watching.
It gets interesting.
Whoever the mystery
man is, he drags her
in the direction
of the dumpster,
where the body was found.
And then
24 minutes later, there's Joey
walking towards the dumpster
no cameras back there.
Then three minutes
later, he comes back out
with the vic's bracelet.
He's telling the truth.
Okay, call Social Services.
- Already did.
Uh, how'd you make out
at Missing Persons?
I cross-checked all
the new reports.
No luck.
Facial rec?
Flower shop footage
is too grainy.
This is the only other
photo we have of her,
and her face is too messed
up to make a comparison.
Poor kid.
The victim's DNA
is on the necktie,
along with someone else's.
You run it through the database?
It's not in the system, so we
can eliminate convicted felons.
[sighs] Anything else?
Well, it's likely
a Caucasian male,
but there's no shared genetic
makeup with the victim.
So we can eliminate
biological family members.
Well, that only leaves us
with a few hundred
million suspects.
[chuckles] Yeah.
Well, in the more
bad news department,
I still haven't been
able to determine
this victim's identity.
I can't believe her parents
haven't reported
her missing yet.
I know.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Vince, I need you guys to
go back and canvass the area
around the crime scene,
see if anybody can identify
the picture of the vic.
Have you seen this woman?
Sorry.
- Any luck?
- None.
Excuse me, miss?
Have you seen this woman?
Yeah, I've seen her
around the neighborhood.
Do you know her name?
I've got ten preschool
kids to keep an eye on.
I don't really have
time to socialize.
How about yesterday?
You see her yesterday?
Yeah.
She was with a guy, and
he was yelling at her.
Could you hear
what he was saying?
No.
What time was this?
Well, I was on my way home
from work, so around 4:30.
And this guy, had you
ever seen him before?
No, sorry.
Can you describe
what he looked like?
Uh, white, medium build,
medium height, bald.
How old was he?
Old. Like, 50?
Oh, and he was
smoking a cigarette.
Can you show us where
he was standing?
Thank you.
[suspenseful music]
I don't see any cigarette butts.
Mm.
Here we go.
It's a long shot.
Maybe we can get some
prints off the box.
I'll call the lab, see
if they can rush it.
Yeah, if we can't
get him on murder,
maybe we can get
him for littering.
Mr. Paven, NYPD.
Need to ask you a few questions.
Hey, what's up?
You know this woman?
What'd she say?
- Nothing now.
- You got a gun on you?
- Yeah.
- Hands on the car.
Oh, wait, man!
But the gun is legal.
All right? I'm on the job.
You're a limo driver.
Yeah, I also work
private security.
Yeah, well, if everything
checks out, you'll get it back.
Come on.
- I'm not going anywhere, man.
My client is in that building.
Tell him he's gotta
find another ride.
Is this really necessary?
Look, whatever that
bitch said, it is a lie.
You've got a lot of anger
towards this young woman
girl
and she's dead.
And we have a witness who saw
you bullying her a few hours
before she was killed.
Now, why were you, a grown
man, yelling at a teenage girl
on the sidewalk?
Maybe I should have a
lawyer here or something.
That's fine by me.
In the meantime, I'm going
to confiscate your gun.
Wait, look, I need
that for work.
I've got a license for it.
You can't just
take that from me.
Yes, I can.
You're a person of
interest in a murder case.
You're refusing to
cooperate with the police.
As far as I'm concerned,
that makes you
a threat to public safety.
H hold on.
Look.
My son, all right, he follows
that girl on social media.
She was pushing some
new sports drink.
You know, said that it
would make him strong
and full of energy or
some bull like that.
I mean, this girl
made it a contest.
How many can you drink in a row?
So my kid ended up
downing, like, five of them
in less than an hour.
And there was so
much caffeine in it
that he ended up having
a freaking heart attack.
I'm serious, all
right? He almost died.
How did you find her?
That girl posted, like,
everything she did,
literally everything.
So I knew that she was
doing a commercial.
She even said the
name of the studio.
So I looked it up,
went down there,
and, you know, I had a
little talk with her.
Okay, where were you between
7:00 and 10:00 p.m. last night?
I was in Jersey with a client.
I can give you his
contact info if you need.
Yeah, I'm gonna need the
name of the young woman
you accosted.
[somber music]
Kaitlyn was so special.
She's beautiful, inside and out.
I've gotta ask,
is there a reason
that you didn't report
your daughter missing?
She didn't live
here. We didn't know.
She doesn't live here anymore.
She was 17?
Yeah, um
She's a a
she was a model,
so she lived with
a group of models.
No school?
She graduated early.
But we're still
very much involved.
We we spoke to
her every night.
Just not last night.
We were at a premiere,
Michelle's premiere.
She's a she's
a film director.
I promised my daughter
I'd take her this weekend.
Was Kaitlyn having any
problems with anyone?
She [clears throat]
She had a boyfriend.
He's he's a little older.
They were in the
process of breaking up.
♪
Who the hell lets their
daughter live alone at 17?
What do you mean?
Kids leave for college
all the time at 18.
Same thing.
- No, no, no.
Big difference
between 17 and 18.
And college is filled with
college kids, you know?
You gotta let them fly
at some point, bro.
All I know is, when
my daughter turns 17,
she's not shacking up with some
20-year-old dude named Dylan.
[laughs]
She's dead?
Oh.
That's, like, surreal.
Yeah.
Uh, hey, hey, Dylan.
Yeah?
Are you planning
on going somewhere?
I just got back from Paris.
I was there for
a magazine shoot.
When's the last time
you spoke to Kaitlyn?
I texted her last night at
8:00 when I landed at JFK.
Never heard back.
Did that surprise you?
We've been fighting a lot.
- About what?
- [sighs]
She was cheating on me.
What makes you say that?
She'd been acting all weird,
spending a lot of time
with other people.
And she didn't wanna
be, you know, intimate.
Any idea who she was seeing?
[suspenseful music]
Can you show us her room?
♪
This her laptop?
You know the password?
Two hours before the
murder, she googled
the address of Daisy's Donuts.
Four blocks from
the murder scene.
Looks like they make
a hell of a cruller,
I'll give them that.
Does anyone remember
seeing Kaitlyn?
- Nope.
- Did they have cameras?
They weren't working.
Manager just emailed me
the credit card receipts.
Is her boyfriend's
name in there?
I don't see it.
This is interesting, though.
[knock at door]
Did you find something?
Do you know who
killed my daughter?
We need to speak to
your husband right now.
Is he here?
- Yes, yes. Of course.
Come in. He's
What's going on?
Do you guys have an update?
- We do.
We can talk about it
down at the precinct.
[scoffs] Now?
Right now.
It's a little late in the day.
Couldn't we do this first
thing in the morning?
No, this can't wait.
And we would prefer to
do it in our office.
So we need you to come with us.
I don't understand.
What's the problem?
Am I under arrest?
We're giving you an opportunity
to come in voluntarily.
But if not
[scoffs]
[tense music]
I guess so.
♪
We've got a credit card
receipt that puts you
in a café a few blocks
from the crime scene
a half hour before
Kaitlyn was killed.
And Kaitlyn just happened to
google the address of that café
a couple hours before
she was killed.
And we got surveillance
video from a flower shop
down the block that picked you
up after you left the café.
It shows a man who
looks a lot like you
grabbing Kaitlyn by
the arm and pushing her
in the direction
of the crime scene.
And you told us that you
didn't talk to Kaitlyn
the day that she was murdered.
Isn't that right?
- Mm-hmm, yeah. Yeah.
You lied about your
alibi, too, didn't you?
Said you were at
a movie premiere?
No, I was
I was at the premiere.
Really.
Well, the time stamp
on the bill here
says that you paid six minutes
after the movie started.
So help me out here.
- Correct.
I had coffee with my daughter,
and then I went to the movie.
I got there late.
- Hmm.
Here's me and Michelle
at the theater.
That corroborates
my client's alibi.
The theater is, like, 15
minutes from the crime scene.
He could have killed Kaitlyn
and gotten back to the theater
before the movie was over.
Still, I'm confused.
Didn't the ME tell you the
DNA on the murder weapon
didn't come from anyone
in Kaitlyn's family?
The ME said that the
killer's DNA profile
didn't share any
genetic similarities
with the victim.
He's not Kaitlyn's
biological father?
According to family
court records,
Ron adopted Kaitlyn
after he married Michelle
about ten years ago.
Can I go home now?
No.
We have a few more questions.
Hold him while you get
a warrant for his DNA.
If it matches the necktie,
charge him with murder.
Calling docket ending in 5912,
People v. Ronald Lawson,
charging murder in
the second degree.
How do you plead, sir?
My client pleads not guilty.
I'll hear the People on bail.
The victim in this case is
the defendant's daughter.
The evidence shows
that Mr. Lawson
pushed her into a dumpster,
causing a severe head wound.
Then, as she lay
bleeding on the pavement,
he strangled her
with his necktie.
We have video and
credit card statement
putting him near
the crime scene.
His DNA is on the weapon.
We'd submit that he's a
danger to the community
and a flight risk.
People request remand.
The only thing worse than
losing your child, Your Honor,
is losing your child
and then being falsely
accused of killing her.
The People have no case,
no motive, no eyewitnesses.
My client is a respected
member of his community.
My client's wife,
Michelle Burns,
who is also the victim's mother,
has signed an affidavit
affirming that
they were at a movie premiere
at the time of the murder.
It was a three-hour film.
He had more than enough
time to kill his daughter
and saunter back
into the theater
to enjoy his wife's movie.
The bail is set at 20 million.
Don't worry, I got you.
Okay?
The victim's mother posted
bail for the killer?
It was a first for me as well.
She also doubled down on her
husband's so-called alibi.
She obviously believes
in Lawson's innocence.
Are we sure we
got the right guy?
Yeah, evidence is strong.
What about motive?
Why would Lawson
kill his own child?
That is the one missing piece.
Have we done a deep dive
into their texts, emails?
Well, I just finished, actually,
and, uh, I think
we have the answer.
Kaitlyn made a video,
was supposed to go live
the day she was killed.
It's horrific.
[suspenseful music]
My father, Ron Lawson
sexually abused me.
It started when I was 14,
and he's still doing it.
I know it sounds weird, but, uh,
at first, it made
me feel special.
I actually thought I
was in love with him.
But recently, I
I started to realize
how horrible and
abusive it actually is.
So
I told him to stop.
He wouldn't.
So, um, I told my mother.
But she wasn't she
wasn't able to help.
That's why I'm
making this video,
to tell the world my truth.
The defendant killed
Kaitlyn Lawson
because he was
afraid of exposure.
He didn't want the world to know
his disgusting,
perverted secret.
The evidence will show that
he invited her to a café,
where he tried to talk her
out of posting the video.
When she refused, he
grabbed her by the arm
and dragged her
behind a flower shop.
He shoved her face-first
into a dumpster,
and then he used his necktie to
strangle the life out of her.
Ron Lawson thought
by killing Kaitlyn,
his secret would be safe, but
But now we all know
what Kaitlyn knew.
The defendant is a pedophile.
He is also a killer.
And he must answer to that.
We're going to take
a brief recess.
I'll see you all back
here in 20 minutes.
[gavel bangs]
[indistinct chatter]
♪
[grunts]
[screaming]
Get back! Get back!
Stay
No, no, no, no!
Back!
Hey. Ron, put the gun down!
Put it down!
Do not do anything stupid.
Put it down.
No, no, no! [gunshot]
[screams]
♪
- That was
- Yeah.
I don't even know
how to process it.
Everybody okay?
I'm just glad no
one else was hurt.
[camera shutters clicking]
Where do we go from here?
I presume you're
gonna file a motion
to dismiss the charges?
Yeah, we'll have to.
Well, bastard got off
easy, if you ask me.
Now nobody gets
held accountable.
Maybe we should look
into the mother.
Well, unfortunately,
posting bail
for your abusive
husband isn't a crime.
She didn't just post bail.
She was aware that her
daughter was being abused,
and she did nothing
to protect her.
She just let it happen.
Hard to imagine.
Is there a reason she
just looked the other way?
Oh, no idea.
Makes no sense to me.
Her movies are all
about female empowerment
and gender equality.
So what do you wanna do?
I wanna charge her
with endangering
the welfare of a child.
Can we prove Michelle had
knowledge of the abuse?
We have Kaitlyn's video.
Maybe.
If we offer it for the truth,
it'll likely be
excluded as hearsay.
But I'm with you, Nolan.
Michelle Burns had a duty
to protect her child,
and she didn't, and now
the girl's dead, so.
Talk to Brady.
Maybe she can figure out a
way to get Michelle to admit
she knew what was going on
between her husband and Kaitlyn.
[elevator dings]
- Michelle.
- Oh.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Thanks so much for coming in.
Do you want a coffee
or water or something?
No. No, thank you.
Well, I can't imagine
what you're going through.
Yeah, it's, uh
it's been a long few days.
I'm really very
sorry, but I won't
take up much of your time.
I just I just need to
tie up a few loose ends.
Have a seat.
Some of Kaitlyn's
personal effects.
I thought they might be
of some sentimental value.
You can take them if you want.
I just need you
to sign that form.
I have a lot of
respect for your work.
I think your movies
are very powerful,
and they remind
me of Alice Munro.
I know she's a
novelist, but, um
I really admire
her work as well.
Yeah, you two have
a lot in common.
I mean, you're both feminists
that wanted to raise
strong, opinionated
daughters, and
And both stayed with men
even after we knew
about their failings?
Well, yeah, that's
what I was gonna say.
I know.
I'm not here to judge,
Michelle, really.
Honestly, I'm just trying
to tie up some loose ends.
But now that you mention
it, actually, I'm
I must say, I'm curious.
About what?
Well, you're a brilliant
and talented woman,
a powerful woman.
I I I just don't
see how you could
sit there and let that happen.
I suppose I felt the
same way Alice did.
You know, I love
them both very much,
and I suppose I decided
that it was their business,
and it wasn't my
place to get involved.
[tense music]
Not your place?
Well, I know on some level, yes.
I mean, if you eliminate
patriarchal norms
and expectations, why should
I be expected to dismiss
my own wants and desires,
or even worse,
dismiss those wants
and desires for my child?
So you knew about the
video Kaitlyn made?
Yes.
And what about your
husband? Did he know?
Yes, I I told him.
♪
Well.
Michelle, I have to tell
you, you make me sick.
- What?
- Get up.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Stand up.
Put your hands behind your back.
[gasps]
You're under arrest.
She told her husband
about the video?
That Kaitlyn was
planning to expose her?
Sure did.
She might as well have
handed him a loaded gun.
Ask me, this is more
than child endangerment.
You want me to charge
her with manslaughter?
Man two.
Michelle Burns had a duty
to protect her child,
and her reckless
actions and inactions
directly led to her
daughter's death.
Sam.
- Hi.
- Hey, how are you?
I'm good.
You represent Michelle Burns?
[sighs] I wish I wasn't.
I can't believe you're
actually prosecuting her.
She's a victim.
Her daughter was murdered.
Yeah, I get it.
But she had a duty, a legal
duty to protect her daughter.
She didn't. So.
Well, you may be right,
but it's more
complicated than that.
What are you talking about?
Kaitlyn wasn't the only
woman Ron Lawson abused.
I'm requesting the court's
permission to allow
an expert witness at trial
a psychologist who can testify
to my client's state of mind
as a victim of physical
and sexual abuse.
How is that relevant
to this case?
Mr. Price has a point.
What does a
psychologist's opinion
have to do with this matter?
Well, the People are required
to prove that my client
ignored an unjustifiable risk
that someone's
death would occur.
I'd like to tell the jury
why she failed to act.
Context is important.
It cuts to the very
core of our defense.
The defendant's reasons
have no legal significance.
This is just a veiled attempt
to elicit sympathy
from the jury.
I'll allow counsel to
conduct a voir dire
outside of the
presence of the jury
to see what this
witness has to say.
I'll issue my
decision afterwards.
Dr. Mankin, did you conduct
a forensic evaluation
of the defendant?
- I did.
She reported that she
was in a physically
and emotionally
abusive marriage.
Did she describe specific
instances of violence?
A fractured eye socket, a
broken ankle, a concussion,
and numerous bruises and cuts.
Did she tell you
about her childhood?
Do I have to sit here
and listen to this?
Your lawyer asked
for this hearing.
Please control your client.
Please answer the question.
When she was nine years old,
Michelle was the
victim of sexual abuse
at the hands of an uncle.
Did that surprise you?
No.
Children who are
raised in abusive homes
are six times more
likely to find themselves
in abusive
relationships as adults.
Why is that?
For women like Michelle,
abuse becomes their
definition of love.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Cross-examination?
Did the defendant ever
report any of this abuse?
When she was a child,
she told her parents,
but they didn't believe her,
and that was shattering.
It reinforced her
sense of powerlessness.
While the defendant may
have been suffering,
wasn't she still capable
of protecting her daughter?
I believe Michelle suffers
from dissociative disorder.
Her survival depends
on her ability
to disengage emotionally.
As a result, she lost her
ability to recognize danger,
along with her maternal
instincts of protection.
You're not saying she's
legally insane, are you?
No, I'm not saying that.
Thank you. Nothing further.
You are excused.
[suspenseful music]
While what Ms. Burns
is alleging is tragic,
it is clearly not
relevant to this case.
And as such, the law requires
that you deny the
defendant's motion.
Respectfully, the
defense has the right
to present a full
and complete picture
of what happened
more specifically,
why this happened.
I agree with Mr. Price.
But Your Honor, as a woman,
how can you possibly
Don't go there, Counsel.
My decision is based on the law.
And I find that the
defendant's state of mind
has no legal significance
in this case.
Therefore, the defendant's
motion is denied.
Dr. Mankin will not be
allowed in this trial.
We're adjourned.
I'll see you all here
tomorrow morning.
♪
I'm not sure about this.
Sure about what?
Leaving this evidence out or
even prosecuting Michelle.
She's a victim, Nolan.
♪
Hey.
I've subpoenaed Michelle's
medical records.
They corroborate the
psychologist's testimony.
In the last ten years,
Michelle was treated
for a broken ankle,
fractured eye socket,
and a concussion.
I also found a police report
from Westport, Connecticut,
where Michelle and
Ron used to live.
Shows she called 911 to
report domestic violence.
Withdrew her complaint
a week later.
Well, there was also a
report from Cleveland,
where Michelle grew up.
Teacher suspected there
was abuse in the home.
I don't dispute that
the abuse happened
and that it's horrific.
Jesus.
It also certainly explains why
Michelle would stay with a man
who was abusing her daughter.
Yeah.
But the fact remains,
Michelle Burns
had an obligation
to protect her kid,
and she did the exact opposite.
She wasn't capable of helping.
She was fighting for
her own survival.
You're right about that,
but she let her husband
abuse Kaitlyn for years.
And if that weren't
enough, she told
a violent, sexually
abusive man that
he was about to be
exposed as a pedophile,
which directly led
to her child's death.
She was more a perpetrator than
victim in this instance anyway.
What kind of precedent
would it be setting
if we gave her a pass?
Society demands that people
in positions of power
protect those who have none.
Parents are the ones
who hold that power.
Yeah, I agree.
But it doesn't mean that
we don't have an obligation
to protect Michelle too.
She's an adult. Kaitlyn
was a kid, a teenager.
In case of a tie,
Michelle loses.
Sorry.
Move forward with the trial.
[tense music]
♪
Lieutenant Brady, did you
speak with the defendant?
I did.
And she told me she was aware
that her husband had been
sexually abusing her
daughter and that the abuse
had gone on for several years.
And did the defendant tell
her husband that Kaitlyn
was going to expose him?
- She did.
And less than 24 hours
later, Kaitlyn was dead.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Cross-examination?
My client didn't kill anyone.
Fair to say?
Fair to say.
In fact, my client
wasn't present
when Kaitlyn died, was she?
Objection, relevance?
Overruled. You may answer.
I don't believe she was, no.
The person who actually
did kill Kaitlyn,
Ron Lawson, shot himself.
So he's gone.
And now you and Mr. Price are
trying to compound this tragedy
by blaming it on his wife.
Objection, argumentative.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
I love my daughter very much.
[sniffles]
More than I can even
[crying]
And I tried very
hard to protect her.
I know it wasn't
enough, but I tried.
Tell the jury what
you mean by that.
I taught Kaitlyn to be a
strong, independent woman.
I took her to
self-defense classes.
I I helped her become
financially independent.
I I talked to her about
her sex, about her body.
[sniffles] And when I
became aware of what
was going on with Ron, I
I encouraged her to move out of
the house as soon as possible.
But you were having
your own problems.
Objection.
Sustained.
We've been through
this, Ms. Hogan.
Your witness.
Cross-examination?
After your husband was arrested
for killing your daughter,
you posted his bail, didn't you?
♪
- Yes.
- He was in custody.
He was behind bars. And
you helped him get out?
I did.
You also helped him
create a false alibi?
Yes.
I know that this won't make
any sense, but I was afraid.
And so I did what he said
because that's the
way it's always been.
Because if I disappointed
him, he became violent!
- Your Honor.
- Next question.
You have made several very
successful films, haven't you?
I suppose.
One of your movies is
about a young woman
who was abused by
a family member.
Objection, relevance.
Overruled.
Please answer.
It was an exploration
in a complicated
family relationship.
In that movie, the
daughter is hurt so badly,
she dies, doesn't she?
Objection. Where is
he going with this?
The People are required to
prove that the defendant
consciously disregarded a
substantial risk to her child,
knowing that death could result.
I'm simply trying to establish
that the defendant was aware
of the risk involved in not
reporting her husband's abuse
because she made
a film about it.
The objection is overruled.
Please answer.
♪
In the film, the daughter dies.
In your home, your husband's
abuse of your daughter
went on for years, didn't it?
Unfortunately.
And you told your
husband that Kaitlyn
was going to expose
him, didn't you?
Yes.
And 24 hours later,
she was dead.
Did I get that right?
- I
I made a mistake.
I made a mistake.
I wish I could do
it all over again,
be a different person,
a stronger person.
But I wasn't, and I didn't.
And I have to live with that
for the rest of my life.
I'm afraid you do.
I have nothing further.
♪
Nolan.
What you did in
there, using her film
against her in that way?
That was fair game, Sam.
No, no, that was legal.
But it wasn't fair.
I
you're the one who always
says trials are supposed
to be a search for the truth.
So please tell me how the
hell the jury is supposed to
make a decision about
Michelle, about this case
when they don't
have all the facts,
when they don't
actually know the truth.
The jury decides what is and
isn't true based on the facts,
on the relevant facts.
I respect that you are
a man of principle,
but I have my principles too.
Well, then we'll just
have to agree to disagree.
No.
Do you really think
that you know more
about domestic
violence than I do?
I I have counseled victims.
I've volunteered at shelters.
I studied the psychological
impact of trauma.
And there's my sister, who
died at the hands of an abuser.
So please don't tell me what
Michelle should have done
or what she was
legally required to do.
She spent most of her
life being abused.
And the truth is,
Nolan, she wasn't
capable of protecting herself,
let alone her daughter.
And there is no
punishment in the world
that is going to change that.
♪
Now, if you don't
respect my opinion
when it comes to this issue,
then I don't know what the
hell I'm doing in this office.
♪
What do you mean,
you wanna cut a deal?
We've been through this.
We agreed Michelle
Burns failed in her duty
to protect her child.
I'm having second thoughts.
Sam has been pretty
passionate in her defense
of Michelle Burns, and
I'm starting to see
her point of view.
I'm not so sure that sending
an abuse victim to prison
for 15 years is the right call.
Neither am I.
But I have to look
at the big picture.
There are larger societal
implications here.
You're right. [sighs]
But let's face it, Nick, Sam
knows more about these issues
than we do.
Maybe it's time for us to
start listening to her,
instead of telling
her why she's wrong.
♪
Your Honor, the defendant
has agreed to plead guilty,
and we have a sentencing
recommendation
for the court's consideration.
I'll hear it.
The defendant will
admit to so much
of the complaint that
alleges endangering
the welfare of a child,
and she will serve
one year in jail,
followed by three years of
post-release supervision.
Defense?
We have agreed to the terms.
Okay, Ms. Burns, I will
accept your change of plea
and sentence you to
one year in jail.
Court is adjourned.
[gavel bangs]
♪
Thank you for hearing me.
♪
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johnhallgeir