Previously on The Defenders:
Your Honor, you cannot cross-examine my witness.
I can ask any questions I want. Don't be stupid. This is my courtroom.
I am sorry you're gonna miss golf game this afternoon, but just...
Two hundred and fifty dollars. You are in contempt, Mr. Morelli.
I hope you're calling to give me my $250 back.
All right, I'll be right there. Don't say a word.
- As you can see, I've been arrested. - Mm-hm.
And I have reason to believe, I'll soon be charged with 30 to 40 counts
of felony possession of a controlled substance,
engaging in prostitution
and, uh, let's both pray to God, she doesn't die.
All right, judge, this way, please.
Oh, look at that.
The Vega star shining down on Las Vegas.
- Okay, I think you should stop talking. - There's Cygnus, Hercules,
Draco, Vulpecula.
Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn't it?
Look, son, I know this is a big moment for you,
putting a judge in handcuffs,
but in the vast scheme of things, heh, this is nothing.
Keep it in mind, my boy, this too shall pass.
I'm betting by tomorrow.
All right, judge.
- Uh, Morelli? - Yeah, judge?
Do you mind stopping somewhere and get me a cherry cola,
pack of spearmint gum and a Mountain Dew.
My mouth is kind of dry.
Try shutting it.
I'll follow you there.
Drive on, constable.
- All right, judge. - Great.
All right with you officer?
Oh, you couldn't spring for the Dew?
It's lemon-lime. They were out of the Dew.
Oh, generic. Whatever. I'm parched.
Judge, we're gonna get you through this processing.
We're gonna get you bail.
Obviously, don't talk about this case to anyone.
Obviously, you're mistaken.
See you in the interrogation room. Bring me the cola and the gum.
What?
Uh, Detective, I believe you know my attorney, Mr. Morelli.
I think I had the pleasure of having you both in my courtroom recently.
Yes, sir, the Linda Sedgwick trial, I believe.
That's one that Mr. Morelli would, no doubt about it, forget, I'm sure.
- What'd she get, ten years? - Yes, you screwed me sideways.
Temperament, counselor. Hmm.
Uh, Detective Davis has a great Willie Nelson joke.
What kind of tour bus does Willie Nelson travel on?
A cannabis.
- Comedy gold, right? - Yeah.
I'm sorry I gotta do this, judge. You know, it's just a formality.
Max Hunter, you have the right to remain silent, to an attorney.
Anything you say will be used against you
in a court of law. You understand your rights?
Uh, yes, great, detective. I understand. I evoke my rights.
And may we tell Mr. Morelli the good news?
Oh, sure, sure.
The, uh, young woman the judge was in the motel room with,
Lucy Cordell, she's alert,
she's conscious and she's gonna be just fine.
- That's great. - Amen to that.
Hell of a looker, that gal, huh?
Oh, Lucy's a beautiful lady and very reasonable rates too.
- Judge, that's enough. - Oh, yeah, heh, what kind of rates?
Do you know that sex burns 200 calories an hour?
And if you double that gyration, that could be 400 calories an hour.
That is a diet I think we can all get behind.
Sexercise? Ha-ha.
- Uh, what was your question? - Oh, um...
Keeping in mind I've evoked my rights and anything I give you
cannot be used as evidence against me at any time?
What the hell was the point of that? You're facing 30 years,
only you're trying to prove that you can outsmart a cop?
I helped my case. Our case.
If that detective takes the stand, discredit him.
Come on, Morelli, catch up. We need to win.
You wanna win?
Then shut up when I tell you, all right?
That doesn't mean that Robart won't try to introduce it.
Then I'll have to take time to knock it out.
- Stop wasting my time. - Gotta go by the tow yard, get my car.
- What? - Where's that gum?
If I had a veto left, I would use it.
Judge Maximus? What the hell? We hate this guy.
Hey, he deserves a vigorous defense, just like anybody else.
For some reason, he thinks I'm the best to offer.
Are you kidding me? You're flattered?
He called because he happened to have your cell.
That is not true.
It doesn't matter. He's running the case.
He's gonna steamroll you.
The hell he is. Nobody steamrolls Nick Morelli.
Have you heard of anyone ever do...?
Where's Zoey?
Uh, Lisa, I need U.S. v. Howard
and Olech v. Willowbrook.
Nice of you to show up, gentlemen.
Thank you, Zoey.
Another double espresso would be delightful.
Sure thing, Your Honor.
Morelli, you have a balcony. You should smoke your cigars out there.
The tobacco film on the glass, it's as carcinogenic as it is unsightly.
Third-hand smoke is the next class action.
- Third-hand smoke? - All right, let's get started. Um...
Steve, you will be co-council on this, correct?
Um...
- I am, but actually, my name is Peter. - Sorry.
Thank you, Lisa. All right, uh, let's get going.
Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time. I have a trial in one hour.
You're hearing a case today?
I'm a judge. I have a full calendar this morning
and for the whole week. We've got to make this thing go away today.
You think it's gonna happen today?
I don't think, I know.
The DA is going to try to use me for free publicity in an election year.
And we're not gonna let that happen.
Now, let's, uh, go over the facts.
I have been charged with 30 felony counts
of possession of a controlled narcotic being oxycodone.
- Thirty counts? Judge. - Get out.
One felony count per pill, Nevada revised statute 453.336.
- Well done. A-plus. - Oh, heh.
The good news is, they're not my pills.
Well, they were in your room.
So they're gonna make a constructive possession argument.
Which you will easily beat if you're worth what I'm paying you. Next.
Well, did you take any of those pills?
I had drugs in my system before I arrived.
- Well, that's not what I asked. - That's what I'm telling you.
I have a lawful prescription for a narcotic for controlling back pain.
L5-S1 herniated disc. Moving on, counselor.
Right, what about the girl?
You're being charged with engaging in prostitution.
I'm innocent. I did not pay for sex. They can't prove otherwise.
- Who's the girl? - An acquaintance.
- Define "acquaintance"? - Immaterial.
It is not immaterial.
I need to know the history.
She is a talented, albeit unlicensed masseuse,
who helps me with my back pain.
Rem tene, verba sequentur,
- stay with the facts. - I am staying with the facts.
No, you're not. You're fishing for irrelevant, personal information.
Oh, for crying out loud.
If I am gonna run a defense,
I need to know the facts when I ask them.
Wow, Nick is really getting worked up today.
Judges do that to him, especially this one.
I think Judge Hunter might even be bossier than Nick.
- Hard to imagine, huh? - Hmm.
- Tell me that. - We have a walk-in.
I don't wanna be blindsided by the DA
because you think you're so smart. I need all the facts.
Fact. Facts within a narrow legal bandwidth are all that matter.
I mean, if this ever went to trial, you'd put me on the stand.
- I'd show you how it's done. - Oh, for...
I'd never put you on the stand because this is my damn case!
Temperament, counselor. You know, that's always been his downfall.
He's too emotional. What is it with you Italians?
- His mother's Albanian. - Leave my mother out of this.
Even worse, there's no room
for southern European passion in the courtroom.
Did it help Edmund Muskie to cry in the snows
in New Hampshire in 1972?
Who's crying? I'm not crying.
- Well, you have in my courtroom. - Ha, ha, I have not.
Nick is crying because he cares about his clients.
I have never cried in the courtroom.
Morelli, you always get misty-eyed in front of a jury and I can't stand that.
Well, if you think I'm such a lousy attorney,
why did you hire me in the first place?
- Now, he needs a compliment. - Oh, come on.
I hired you because you're scrappy. A fighter.
Leave that girlie stuff behind.
Ex lege vindica, ex non animo,
win on the law, not on emotion.
All right, gentlemen, we will take care of this today.
Get the affidavit of the search warrant.
There was no probable cause to enter that motel room.
And, Steve, I want you to represent the girl, Lucy Cardell.
And I'm gonna pay for it.
Not out of altruism, but I think we should, you know,
control all angles in this thing.
- Would you see her for me? - Of course. My name is...
Uh, Zoey. Well, tell me when it's wrapped up, gentlemen.
I'll be in court.
Like how you're running the case so far, Nick. Impressive.
Screw you. I didn't cry in a courtroom.
And you told the waiter before you ordered?
Yes, I have to. It's so lame,
but I have a severe reaction to anything with dairy in it.
- No butter, cheese, ice cream. - No ice cream?
- I'm sorry, but that is just not fair. - I know. It's so, unh...
But my windpipe swells up and I can't breathe.
Oh, wow, that's gotta be scary trying new restaurants.
That's why I almost never do.
But, heh, this was a date and he was really cute.
Okay, I totally get it. No need to say anymore.
You know what? I'm gonna jump all over this.
- We have your contact information? - Uh, yeah.
I'll be in touch with you.
- Thanks for coming in, Sonya. - Thank you so much.
- Uh, Pete? Uh, quick question. - Shoot.
Young woman, allergic to dairy. Repeatedly tells the waiter that she...
And the mayo or whatever had dairy in it.
Milk powder in the rigatoni sauce.
Call up the restaurant, find out who their lawyer is. See them.
Hotels and restaurants deal with this.
They're gonna offer a low of 4 grand, high of 6.
Get anywhere close to $6,000, take it. No need to run it by me.
Okay, great. Thanks. Low of 4?
- High of 6. - Right, got it. Thanks.
Hi, Lucy. My name is Pete Kaczmarek.
My firm's representing Judge Hunter.
Would it be okay if I talk to you for a minute?
- Kaczmarek, good morning. - What the hell, Nicholson?
You read her rights before or after she came out of her coma?
Can't the DA's office at least wait until she finds a lawyer?
Actually, she's already got a lawyer.
Me.
Judge Hunter told me to tell you:
"Tell that bastard I'm gonna bring him and the DA's office down
if he doesn't drop this right now."
I'm trembling.
All right, let me see the affidavit in support of the search warrant.
You had no probable cause, whatsoever, to go into that motel room.
Patience, Morelli. We're still putting the discovery together.
You know I can't stand the guy any more than you can.
Come on, the firearm's registered.
He forgot to put it in the lockbox. All right, so fine him.
Huh? Yeah, we may give you that.
Where the hell do you get prostitution, Robart?
You'll never prove that.
Well, we have information that he paid the young woman cash
at a strip club before going to the hotel.
We're gonna say that's a prepayment for sex.
- Come on. Are you kidding me? - No, I'm not.
You charged prostitution because you wanted to grab a headline
and pollute the jury pool.
Now, that offends me to the core.
I tell you, this thing goes to trial, you're gonna drop the prostitution...
All right, let's say the prostitution were to go away,
we still have that tiny little matter of the 30 felony drug counts.
All right, well, show me the discovery.
Because you know nothing's gonna stick.
Come on, this is an election year witch-hunt.
I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I like you, Morelli. Not really.
But, listen, I'm gonna give you a taste, all right?
- Of what? - Since you're so eager.
We'll be fine. We'll be fine.
All right, what are you talking about? The DA has got a video
of you dancing around a hotel room in your underwear.
Underwear's not illegal. In fact, it's advisable. It prevents chafing.
Yeah, it also shows you popping pills.
One pill. I took one pill in that motel room.
And you said, Lucy Cardell, she was a masseuse.
Well, the DA found out you met her in a strip club.
That's not incongruous.
There's nothing illegal about a strip club in Vegas.
I know it doesn't look good, but I'm a single, senior citizen.
My wife, God rest her soul, she's gone now...
We have work to do. We have new challenges. Where the hell's Dean?
Did he go to the hospital and see Lucy?
Pete. Yes, he made it to the hospital this morning and saw her.
- But she doesn't need a lawyer. - What?
She's the state's witness. She helped set up the sting.
Lucy?
Yeah, Lucy.
They pulled her over for a routine traffic stop.
They saw some pills and I don't know, your name came up.
My name?
- How did my name come up? - Heh, I don't know.
Typical DA bs. I haven't gotten the discovery yet.
Sons of bitches.
They threatened her.
Found out somehow that she knew me
and concocted a plan to bring me down.
Homo homini lupis,
man is a wolf to man. A wolf.
They used that girl as a pawn. And that is entrapment.
In fact, that's our defense.
Uh, Your Honor, the DA is gonna milk that video any way they can.
As your attorney, I recommend that you consider taking a plea deal.
Absolutely not. They'll compel me to step down.
I belong on that bench.
And I'm not gonna reward the DA for a clear abuse of power.
Here it is, Sorrells v. United States.
"When the actions of government officers entice
or allure an otherwise law-abiding person to commit a crime,
that shall be considered entrapment."
You can't find a more law-abiding citizen in Nevada than me, Morelli.
- Not last night, you weren't. - An aberration.
I have no history of such, admittedly, regrettable behavior.
- No history. - I was enticed. I was lured.
It's entrapment. It's in the rule.
All right, judge.
Do you think this Lucy's gonna tell them the same thing?
She will. Guaranteed.
Okay.
- Will do. - Thanks, guys.
Oh.
Lisa. Bennett Perkins. How are you?
I'm well. Thank you. Nice to meet you.
Yes. Tell me, how is Miss Lee doing?
I trust she's avoiding milk shakes and whipped cream?
- Heh. - Hmm.
Well, she was shaken up by the whole ordeal.
Said it was a very scary thing.
- To feel your windpipes closing up. - Oh.
But thank God, we think she's gonna be all right.
- Well, I'm sure she will be. - Yeah.
Allergies are more an annoyance than anything else.
Hmm.
Now, we've gone ahead and drawn up some papers.
Uh, papers?
Well, we haven't had a chance to discuss a settlement yet.
And we were thinking that...
We're offering $15,000.
Fifteen thousand dollars.
We think that's fair. We're not gonna go any higher.
And I'm sure you don't wanna go any lower.
Thank you for, um, putting this offer together.
We will consider it.
And I'm going to take this back to my boss right now and...
Actually, uh, no.
We were under the impression
that we were talking to someone who had the power of attorney.
This offer comes off the table if you leave. I'm sorry.
But we really would like a decision.
Uh-huh.
Well,
good afternoon then.
Hey.
Hell of a way to make a living, Tony.
No smoking in the GTO.
What do you got?
Divorce case, D'Amato, Fiorita Samuels.
- Those shysters? - Yeah, heh.
Wife's in the red dress.
I take it that's not the husband?
That's why you make the big bucks, Nick. You're smart like that.
Ha, ha.
Here we go.
Well, she's a kisser.
- What do you got for me? - Uh, Judge Max Hunter.
District court pain in the ass?
Yeah, that's the one. I need anything and everything you can find on him.
I can't tell if he's telling me the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Look, I need to do it for his sake.
Got a copy of the arrest report here and there's a stripper involved.
Of course there is.
Lucy Cardell. She works at the Swan's.
I need anything and everything you can find on her.
You got it, boss.
Wait, what's with the cigar?
This is a Mexican cigar.
Good morning.
When a public official, a judge, violates the public trust,
well, the public faith must be restored.
Now, it is my job as district attorney to see to it that that faith
and that trust are rebuilt stronger than ever... Morelli?
- Mr. Morelli? - Mr. Morelli, care to comment?
Yes, DA Robart can say what'd he like about Judge Hunter
because he'll be off the case by tomorrow.
I'm filing a motion to dismiss the DA's office,
based on bias and malice toward a fine judge.
That's all. Thank you very much.
A fine judge, my ass. You'll never win that.
I know, but 250,000 prospective jurors just heard
that you are biased and malicious.
Payback's a bitch.
You are not wearing that to the arraignment.
Of course I am. I'm a judge and I intend on remaining one.
Gentlemen, I have discovery for you, Morelli.
About time.
The good news, we're dropping the prostitution and weapons charges.
Of course you are, scumbags.
Let's go.
Miss Jones, I accept your guilty plea to five counts of felony...
Do you understand by entering this guilty plea...
Son of a...
I knew it.
Temperament, counselor. What is it?
Temperament, my ass. You said, Lucy wouldn't talk history.
Right here in her witness report, she says:
"I've known Judge Hunter for eight months
and we've used drugs together for four of them."
Let me see that.
Phew, oh, that just did it.
That just torpedoed our damn defense.
Man, I can't tell if this is the humus or the baba ghanoush.
Can we please get a little more light in here?
No. No.
No lights. No phones.
No nothing tonight. I don't want him to know that we're even here.
- Who? - Hunter.
I don't wanna see the guy, I don't wanna hear the guy.
I need to hear myself think.
Good call. He's been wrong this whole time.
- Yeah, he's been lying the whole time. - Tony dropped these off.
Old arrest reports for Lucy Cardell. All drug related.
Hmm, we can use these to attack her credibility?
Say she's lying about the judge just to get immunity.
Could rip her apart.
Yeah, we could,
but I don't think we do it.
Look, Lucy's had a run-in with drugs before.
But she never went into a coma till the night of the sting, right? Why?
And why is the judge so sure that she won't betray him?
You know what?
Maybe these two care about each other.
And if they do,
I say we take our cues from the DeLorean and Barry cases.
Wait a second. I thought DeLorean and Marion Barry won on entrapment.
Most people do. Their lawyers never even mention the word.
They just convinced the jury
that the government went too far. They were the bullies.
Right. And they put their clients in a human light.
Gave their actions context.
Come on, Nick. We're talking about Judge Hunter here.
I mean, heh, how do we humanize that guy?
It's like trying to humanize a Weedwacker.
I don't know. I thought he was really nice.
Would you consider putting the judge on the stand?
Ha, ha, no. Believe me, he wants to, but it would be suicide.
The jury would hate him more than we hate him.
It all comes down to Lucy, doesn't it?
You know, if she does care about the judge
and she was coerced into turning on him,
she becomes our witness.
- Morelli, Steve. - Get down. Get down. Get down.
- Pete, get down under the table. - This is so stupid.
Zoey, the light. The light.
What is this, some kind of an amateur show?
Sons of...
- Is it safe? - Yeah, it's safe.
All right.
Let's get back to work. We've got trial tomorrow.
There.
After the defendant took possession of the narcotics,
after pocketing them, what happened next?
The police broke into the room.
It's about all I remember.
You can't remember because you were using those drugs too?
Yes.
You're a stripper. Is that right?
- And a habitual drug user? - Yes.
And Judge Hunter is a habitual drug user?
- Objection. - Sustained.
How many months have you and the defendant known each other
and used unprescribed oxycodone together?
Eight months.
- And you met the judge how? - At work.
At your strip club.
What, did the judge come in
and spend his lunch throwing dollars on the stage?
- Objection. - Withdrawn.
One last thing, approximately six weeks prior to the night in question,
were you yourself arrested for possession?
I was pulled over for a missing brake light and they have found pills.
After which you agreed to accept probation
and drug diversion for your crime
in return for helping the police arrest this defendant for his?
Yeah. Yes.
Thank you, Miss Cardell.
Good morning, Lucy.
- It's all right if I call you Lucy? - Yes.
Lucy, you were pulled over for a missing brake light
and the officer found pills, is that correct?
I had four pills in a vial on the front seat. He saw them.
And then what happened? The officer put you in handcuffs?
Yes. He told me I was in trouble and I had to tell him where I got the pills.
Did Judge Hunter give you the pills?
No, he didn't.
See, Lucy, that's where I get a little confused
because I've got the arresting officer's report right here.
You mentioned Judge Hunter, but if he didn't give you the pills, why...?
How did his name even come up?
I, uh...
I thought if I let them know he was my friend, it might help.
I have a 7-year-old daughter.
- So you were scared? - Yes.
And they said, they'd let you go if you agreed to trap him?
- Objection. - Let's be a little precise, counselor.
Lucy,
did the police make you aware of the consequences of a conviction
on the charges you were facing?
They said I'd go to prison.
And they'd put my little girl in foster care.
So you'd lose your daughter if you didn't help them?
Yes.
That is a hell of a position for a young woman to find herself in.
All right, Lucy, according to the transcripts here,
you and Judge Hunter entered the motel at 9:05.
Is that correct?
You removed a vial of pills from your bag,
and you shake one into the judge's hand,
he takes it, chases it with whiskey,
you take one out of the vial,
ingest it with whiskey.
And then here,
he disappears into the bathroom.
But then something else happens.
Something the judge didn't know about
because he wasn't there when it happened.
Now, the police must've known
because they were watching this monitor.
Here. You fill your hand will pills and take them.
Then chase it with whiskey.
And then again.
Fill your hand with pills,
ingest them,
chase it with whiskey.
That's an awful lot of pills and alcohol in a short period of time.
Why?
Why would you do that?
I don't know.
Is it because you felt like you betrayed a friend?
- Yes. - He's a friend, isn't he?
Not just a guy who comes in and throws dollars at the stage?
- Ahem. - Yes.
He never even watched me dance.
So, what would he do? He'd just talk?
Yes. We tried to help each other.
How, Lucy? How did you try to help each other?
Objection.
Counsel, where is this going?
Your Honor, you wanna have a seat?
I wanna know where this questioning is headed.
- I beg your... There you go. - I demand to know the relevance.
I will establish the relevance as soon as you sit the hell down.
- Profanity. Two hundred dollars. - What?
- You want some more? - What?
I will levy the fines in this court, judge.
- You put me on the witness list. - Over my dead body.
- I can straighten this out. - You sit down right now.
I think we could use a break.
What the hell was that? What the hell was that?
That was me doing your job because you seem incapable.
Oh, cut the crap, judge.
If you could've hacked this, you wouldn't be sitting behind it.
I assure you, sir,
I have forgotten more law than you learned in night school.
- Is that right? - Guys, come on. Come on.
Well, then, you call that lawyering? You were just fishing for emotions.
I was trying to give the jury a picture of you
other than the one dancing in your underwear.
I'll not have you asking questions
which could compromise Lucy's immunity.
I will ask any damn question I please.
If I compromise her immunity, I will take her case.
Right now I'm trying to keep you out of jail.
We are losing big-time.
I don't care. I don't want her on the stand again and that's final.
I gotta use the washroom.
Son of a... Damn it.
That good, huh?
You know, Pete, I can write the close of my life,
but it doesn't mean diddly, they're just words
unless you get a glimpse of the man.
You got halfway there with Lucy.
Yeah, till he jumped up like a pompous ass,
acting like he had something to hide.
Ugh, I got a half a witness, half a close.
All right, well, give it your best shot. Let me know if you need any help.
Yeah, thanks.
- Pete. - Hey, Lisa. Nice suit.
Uh, that was a compliment, not harassment.
- Accepted. Thank you. - What's going on?
Well, I went to see Bennett Perkins, the lawyer repping the restaurant
where my client had her food allergy incident.
Mm-hm.
He offered me $15,000.
Fifteen grand for a food poisoning case?
- Seems a little bit too high, doesn't it? - Well, there are dumb lawyers.
Well, Perkins didn't seem dumb. He seemed eager.
Too eager.
It just didn't feel right, Pete. I turned it down.
Okay. You rolled the dice. I respect that. How'd it go?
Well, I just got ahold of this, this morning.
The EMT report from the ambulance service
that transported Sonya to the hospital.
Turn the page, second paragraph.
Whoa, whoa!
What the hell is this? What happened?
I'm still getting all the details,
but I don't think Sonya even knows it happened.
Good luck, Nick.
Oh, thanks, Zoey. I'm gonna need it.
- Hey, Nick. - Hey, hey, hey. You got anything?
- Did you find anything out? - Man, that judge.
He's a specter. Leaves no prints.
He's a lawyer you know he knows all the traps.
Thanks for trying.
Look, I'm running late. Give your invoice to Zoey.
I did find something. Not about the drugs or the girl.
- Have no idea if it'll be of any use. - Try me.
The judge hired his own private investigator
a few weeks before his wife's death.
I played poker with the guy.
And he told me, he sat on these photos for three months
before, actually, he showed it to the judge.
Looks like you didn't get any sleep.
- You either, judge. - Oh, I never do.
Thomas Jefferson never got more than two hours sleep a night,
yet he had the highest functioning brains in American leadership.
- I didn't know that. - Look it up.
- Here. - So, what's on your mind, Morelli?
You must've had a good reason to come over instead of the courthouse.
Well, I think we should put another witness on the stand before we rest.
I've changed my mind.
I think you should go on the stand.
- Really? Hmm. - Yeah.
- Good call. - Heh.
You feed me questions
that allow me to educate the jury on the law
and we'll win this thing together.
You got it, judge.
My great-grandfather opened one of the first silver mines in this state
so I know a little bit about metallurgy.
This is sterling silver, very powerful alloy.
That's what a good legal defense should be. A cohesion of metals.
You can't have the softness of the silver
without the strength of the copper.
You'll be my silver, Morelli, and I'll be your copper.
Great, judge.
Your Honor,
the defense would like to call Judge Max Hunter to the stand, please.
Silver. Copper.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
I do.
- Good morning, Your Honor. - Good morning.
How long have you been a judge, Your Honor?
I've served the Commonwealth of Nevada proudly for 17 years.
And you presided over trials of defendants
facing similar charges to those you're facing.
- Is that correct? - I have.
And some of those defendants were found guilty.
- Correct? - Yes.
Some of the defendants were found not guilty. Is that correct?
- It is. - Why?
I mean, what makes the difference for a jury,
finding some guilty or not guilty?
- The jury's responsibility... - Objection, Your Honor.
As you've reminded the defendant, you give the instructions in this court.
- Sustained. - All right, all right.
Your Honor, should context matter?
I mean, in your opinion,
shouldn't the jury's compassion and the sense of propriety
and decency factor into their decision about innocence or guilt?
In my view, no.
The decision of the jury should be based on facts, on the law.
So you wouldn't wanna catch a break if the jury sympathizes with you
once they've heard the context of your actions. True?
No. That should not factor into any respective juror's decision.
Well, I disagree with you, judge.
I do. I think context does matter.
That's why we pick a jury of our peers
instead of 12 men or women heavily steeped in the law.
Kind of evens the playing field.
Objection, Your Honor. I'm sorry, is there a question here?
I'm getting there.
Judge,
is there anything of significance that happened
during the time you first started seeing Miss Cardell?
I'm not going to answer that.
Your Honor, I'm gonna have to ask it again then.
- Objection, Your Honor. Relevance. - Yes. Objection. Relevance.
Overruled.
The witness will answer the question.
It is well known that my wife passed away a year ago.
I'm sorry for your loss, Your Honor. I'm sure we all are.
Yep, it's not to be considered an excuse for my behavior.
- And, counselor... - And was there something significant
that you learned about your wife after her passing
and before you met Miss Cardell that affected you in any way?
I'm not gonna answer that. No, Margaret. Strike that question.
- Mr. Hunter! - Jury should ignore...
Mr. Hunter, you will answer the question.
And I remind you once more that you are in my courtroom.
I'm sorry, Bob.
If you'd rather have me ask the question more specifically, I can.
I have photographs.
I found out that my wife
had entered into an extramarital relationship
of a romantic nature.
An affair.
I suppose it had been going on for a few years.
I, ugh...
Tsk.
I would say in the final analysis
that I probably drove her to it because I'm not the easiest guy to be around,
24/7.
I lost someone I dearly loved, my wife, my partner.
And I'm not proud of how I responded.
But I do not regret meeting Lucy Cardell for one second.
She's not a stripper, sir.
She's someone's daughter.
She's a mother and she's a fine young woman.
Picture looks a little different now, doesn't it?
Context,
I think it does matter.
Here's context for you.
The police pull over a young lady because she has a broken brake light
and find four pills on her passenger seat.
They give her 40 more pills for her to take to the judge.
Telling her if she doesn't cooperate, she goes to prison
and her little girl goes into the system.
What if they'd given her a hundred pills?
Should the judge be facing a hundred counts?
I don't know.
Is that the kind of power we wanna give our government?
How about the context that the prosecution's video gave us?
Same young women they forced to turn against a man
she deeply cares about.
She takes a handful of pills,
swallows them with whiskey.
A handful, enough to kill her.
And they just watched from the next room
while those pills slowly shut down Lucy's system
for almost 20 minutes.
Till finally the judge took their pills away from her.
He's the bad guy?
Context.
I think it matters a hell of a lot.
Fifteen thousand dollars? And you didn't take it?
They're offering $20,000 now.
And I don't think we should take that either.
I don't understand.
I thought you said the most they'd ever offer would be 6,000.
There's a lot more at stake then either of us thought.
Including your health. I'd like to get you to see a doctor.
My health? A doctor?
No, I'm fine. I just have to keep away from dairy.
Sonya, listen to me.
Something went very, very wrong
when the paramedics treated you that day.
This is your EMT report.
Your heart stopped for 60 seconds.
In Nevada, that's the definition of being dead.
What?
Uh...
I was dead?
We're going to have to fight to find out who's responsible for this.
Nick!
Bottom line is if you plead guilty to a lesser charge,
one count of possession of a controlled substance,
they'll agree to probation.
- Slap on the wrist. - Not quite.
Also they want you to step down from the bench.
A slap on the ass.
Ha, ha, they are running scared, judge.
I say we pass, wait for the jury.
- You think you won it, huh? - Oh, I know I won it.
Know any other reason they would offer a plea deal
after a closing argument? Never heard of it.
No, I know, I saw it in the jury's eyes. I'm good at that.
Would you believe I'm 79 for 79, predicting my own verdicts this year?
You know, I believe you, sir.
- Hell of a job, Morelli. - Heh.
You did one hell of a job.
Not bad for silver, huh?
No, you're gold, my friend.
But let's take the deal.
What?
You were so effective at painting me as a flawed man,
I bought it myself.
You ever sit up on the bench
when the judge is gone just to try it out?
Whew. Well, yeah, sure.
I mean, not in your courtroom.
It's nice, isn't it? That high perch looking down on everybody.
What surprised me is how different it is
from the witness' chair.
Just those 2 feet lower makes all the difference in the world.
Oh, judge.
Judge, you have to think about this.
Sleep on it.
No need. It's time I get my ass down from there, Morelli,
with or without the slap.
Okay, judge.
Appreciate you coming by on a Saturday to help me out.
- Thank you. - Unh, no problem, judge.
Just put that there.
Here. You got that?
I'm kind of glad to go without all the fanfare.
I'll just slip away quietly like the Baltimore Colts.
You know, originally, the Baltimore Colts started in Miami
as the Miami Seahawks?
- Really? - Yeah.
Yeah, 1946, they had one lousy season.
I think they won three in 11.
And then they left the town in broad daylight.
- I did not know that, heh. - Yeah.
- Thank you. - Good luck, judge.
You know, judge, it's, uh, been really great to get to know you a little better.
So if we ever pass through these parts again,
be sure to call us. I'll take you out for a beer.
Heh, Pass through these parts again?
Who are you now, Pa Cartwright?
You're so schmaltzy for God's sake. When are you gonna grow a pair?
Ah, look, when Diamond Dunn Wilson hired me right out of ULV law school
to clean up a hole called the Wagon Train Casino,
we turned that place around, flipped it and made a killing.
Straw into gold.
Well, Nick, Pete,
that's what I'm gonna do for myself, right now.
Straw into gold.
I'm just going up to Yosemite for a couple of weeks.
Do some fishing, stargazing. I'll be back down here.
And I'm thinking of running for DA.
Really?
Then I'll be seeing a lot more of you.
And you'll wish you hadn't saved me from disbarment.
"Next time you're around these parts, give me a ring."
- Shut up. - "I'll take you out for a beer."
I swear to God, I'll punch you in the face this time.
"Oh, judge, it's been great getting to know you.
I really..."