(Episode 10)
You're leaving already? Take a sip before you go.
If I take a sip, you'll tell me to finish it.
I'll grab coffee on the way.
How could you drink something so bitter?
You ought to drink sweet coffee from the wall cafe at court.
My goodness.
Oh, right.
I put the copy of record Chief Oh wanted me to give you...
on your desk.
But why did you want Choi Kyung Ho's case file?
Well, someone asked me to look into it.
I was reading his case file too.
You were? Why?
The ruling was final and conclusive. Why?
Because the ruling could've been wrong.
What on earth...
You know well Myung Hee doesn't make incorrect rulings.
That judgement could be wrong too.
Dad, until when...
will you live as her admirer?
What?
I really respected you.
I grew up watching your trials since I was in elementary school.
I wanted to be a respectable judge like you,
so I dreamed of being a judge and am wearing the robe now.
I wished that being a judge would be your sole career.
But you gave up your career because of Professor Yoo.
Eui Hyun, no. You must have gotten the wrong idea.
I resigned because...
No, it's you who doesn't know the truth.
I turned my back on Professor Yoo whom I considered as my mother...
and thought I must draw a line between myself and Han Joon...
all because of you, Dad.
Because of me?
I didn't want you to get mixed up with that family anymore.
I'm off now.
Judge Lee, you're back already. I thought you had an appointment.
I have a lot to look over.
I'm trying to start afresh with the thought that...
judges must speak through the rulings.
I get it. There are so many cases we must settle on.
It's time, right?
"Case number, 2017GWA184."
"The theft case for habitual offender..."
This habitual offender violated from Article 329 to Article 331...
of Criminal Law.
The defendant had served twice in prison. Since the defendant...
committed the crime listed in Article 329...
of Criminal Law within three years after serving time,
under the Clause 5, Article 5...
of Aggravated Punishment on Specific Crimes,
it requires the minimum of 3 years up to 25 years in prison.
I'll write up the ruling for this case right away.
Okay.
Come to think of it, Judge Jung,
don't we have a case about a scary dog? Was it a pit bull terrier?
Yes, that case...
Case number for Judicial Panel, 2017234.
It's an injury case.
Did you already look over the case?
A mother and an elementary school student went out to exercise.
A dog was out for a walk without a leash and bit the child.
Before the biting, the child avoided the dog as the child was scared,
but the dog owner didn't take any measures.
Yes, I'm the main chief for this case.
As a dog owner of Mongsil,
I need to think hard about this.
I believe the problem was the ignorant thought of "a dog owner"...
that their dogs won't bite.
Had the dog owner given up this blind trust that...
the dog wouldn't bite people...
That's right. These days, people treat dogs like their children.
It's the same mindset of wanting to believe otherwise about children.
Okay.
Right.
My mother also told me that he would never do such a thing.
Why couldn't I think of that?
I'm not sure if this has been on your mind at all.
"When should I stop Jang Soon Bok's retrial?"
Something like that.
Can you come to Courtroom 13?
Honey, come quickly.
(Civil case for damage compensation)
An independent, civil case of its first trial. Case number 2017253.
This is the plaintiff, Lee Yun Soon's and the defendant,
Myung Soo Jin's trial regarding damage compensation.
Lee Yun Soon states that the purse she borrowed from Myung Soo Jin...
was a counterfeit,
but she believed it was real when she lost it,
and borrowed from a loan shark to buy a 50,000 dollar...
authentic purse.
She gave it to Myung Soo Jin in place of the lost purse,
but she found out later on that the one she lost...
was a counterfeit, a fake.
Thus, plaintiff requests defendant to return the purse...
or to reimburse her for it.
Is that correct?
Yes, Your Honor.
Defendant Myung Soo Jin deceived me, saying the counterfeit was real,
so please punish her.
And please let me reclaim that purse.
Your Honor,
this is a civil case, not a criminal case.
- Plaintiff... - She doesn't even have a lawyer.
She is making groundless accusations.
If you have the money for a lawyer, just give her the money.
Judge Lee, Judge Sah. I've been seeing you often.
I may end up seeing you more than my associate judges at this rate.
I asked both of you here today...
to verify the facts.
Judge Lee. You presided over your brother's trial?
Yes. I went in, not knowing it was Choi Kyung Ho's trial.
I found out after I took the bench,
and I tried to leave, but...
You didn't leave, knowing you'd be disciplined, is that correct?
Disciplined?
You had to know it was grounds for a mistrial.
Shouldn't you have known?
Isn't that right, Judge Sah?
I think we should think it over more before taking disciplinary action.
- What? - Every case has circumstances...
surrounding the action.
It's the court's duty to investigate what those are.
Judge Lee entered the courtroom to fill in for another judge...
without knowing it was her family member.
A criminal trial cannot proceed...
without three judges present on the panel.
Even if she found out it was her brother, she couldn't just leave.
I think that should be considered.
I didn't want to say this, since it would sound like an excuse,
but I have a pretty unique situation.
Whatever that situation is,
you should not have presided over that trial.
The defendant is your biological brother...
He's her biological brother, but they have different last names.
Thus, that family is not your average family.
It is extremely exceptional.
To disregard such complex circumstances...
and to discipline her purely because they are biologically related...
seems unduly severe, in my opinion.
Even if their last names are different, what's most important...
is the fact that he is biologically her brother.
Wasn't there a case where the court decided differently...
where the parties were biologically related...
but had different last names?
You rendered a decision like that as well.
What do you mean?
A divorced woman got married to another man...
and had her children take on her new husband's last name.
When the biological father refused to pay child support,
she sued him for child support.
You stated that the biological father had no obligation to pay.
You said their last names changed, and so did their environment.
You didn't insist on...
the biological relationship.
Wait. What does that have to do with this...
Fine. Even if I give you that,
according to the civil code...
States that...
a biological relationship continues even after adoption.
Regardless, it is a ground for mistrial,
so Judge Lee is in no position to argue.
You should ask the head chief for mercy,
so that this won't reach a disciplinary hearing.
Do you know how much people are talking about you...
on the intranet bulletin board and on social media?
I'm sorry.
The chief justice is very stressed about this as well.
He's already stressed out about Jang Soon Bok's retrial matter.
If you'd deny Jang Soon Bok's retrial...
If you keep talking, it may become an abuse of authority problem.
Abuse of authority?
The rules prohibit sticking your nose into trials of other...
I'm not sticking my nose in!
Look. It's not like I told her to deny the retrial request.
I was being cautious...
Even a cautious comment...
may sound like pressure when coming from a superior.
And many give in due to the pressures from up above.
I don't go around pressuring junior judges!
I'm not like that.
Is that how you felt?
- Pardon? - Did you think...
I was pressuring you to deny the retrial request...
as Judge Sah states?
Well... Not yet.
See? She says, "Not yet"! Not yet! Not yet.
Anyway, it'll be difficult for the chief justice...
to bury this incident like the video of you...
going on a rampage in court.
If he buries this again,
people will criticize him for covering for his people.
You'd better be prepared.
Sir.
I'll go first, if you have nothing more to say.
Even if I did, I'd be too afraid to say anything.
I'm afraid you'd say I'm sticking my nose in or abusing authority.
It's hot, that's why! It's hot!
Darn it.
That punk. That arrogant brat.
He has no respect for his seniors.
What's happening to the court?
What are you doing? I'm done talking, so leave!
What's this? Why do you have a judge's picture?
Did your sister grow up this much?
What an honor for your family.
- Guys, look. - Hey.
Kyung Ho's sister is a judge.
She's so pretty.
You're so lucky.
You must be happy just by looking at this.
Then the judge who was taken hostage that time...
Her last name was Lee, though.
Our mom...
couldn't bear to pretend like she didn't have her precious son,
so she just died.
But I will.
I'll live my life just fine, pretending like you don't exist.
You're not my brother or anything anymore.
Choi Jung Joo, who was born from the same womb as you...
no longer exists.
(Choi Jung Joo)
3007. You have a visitor.
Jung Joo.
I need to check something.
10 years ago,
how did you pay off the loan shark...
and Mom's hospital bill?
You told Uncle that you won big in a gambling match.
But I realize now that doesn't make sense.
Have you eaten?
You made a deal?
Was that deal paying off the debt and Mom's bills...
in exchange for taking the fall for the crime?
No. There was no deal.
What you've known until now is the truth.
Is it?
Mom told me,
"Even if the entire world throws stones at your brother,"
"you can't do that."
But I...
I threw stones at you too.
She said, "Your brother would never do such a thing,"
but I scoffed at her...
for not knowing her own son.
You were right. That's the kind of guy I am.
Then why did you do it?
I heard that 10 years ago, you let Mom hear your voice...
just before she went in for surgery.
You asked a guy you met in the court bathroom to record it.
How do you...
That guy became a judge.
He works at the court with me now.
It's funny...
how I heard about you from 10 years ago through my colleague.
You must've seen him at your last trial.
It was the judge who was sitting where I had sat before.
Had I known,
I would've relayed Mom's message to you sooner.
Mom said...
that she knew everything.
Mom said she loved you too.
- Stop it. - Look me in the eyes.
With whom did you make the deal?
You had a deal.
There was a deal.
- This visit is over. - Not yet.
Is it Do Han Joon?
Did you make a deal with Do Han Joon?
Time's up.
Answer me, Choi Kyung Ho!
Do you know what's thrilling about standing here as a professor,
not as a judge?
I can share my opinions with you freely.
What about when you were a judge?
"Judges speak with rulings."
Have you heard of the phrase?
- Yes. - Yes.
I'll tell you from my experience.
I was considered as a competent judge at court.
Hey, stop covering your ear. This is important.
Rendering decisions isn't easy.
Especially in criminal trials,
whether it's guilty or innocent, I'd be grateful if it is definite,
but when there isn't a clear answer,
then the battle of the mind begins.
(Different rulings on the same case)
I wrote these rulings as an assignment when I was...
in the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
Of course, it wasn't a real case,
but it was so hard to render a decision.
I wrote both rulings based on the defendant being guilty and innocent.
When judges aren't sure of their decisions,
they do write both rulings after much consideration.
In this process, they end up reaching a conclusion.
All right. At this point,
someone could've asked if I had a similar experience.
- Did you? - Did you?
Yes.
- Just one case. - May we ask which case it was?
- Are you curious? - Yes.
- Would you like to know? - Yes!
Hey, have you seen my toothbrush?
Why? What happened?
3007. You have a visitor.
- Disciplinary action? - Yes.
It could've been swept under the rug as long as the news didn't spread.
But a judge having a brother as a rapist-murderer...
is beyond shocking.
What do you mean it got around? Who told she was my sister?
- Judge Lee told that herself. - She did?
I'm sure it must've been hard for her to reveal who she was,
so Kyung Ho, you need to...
make a decision for Judge Lee now.
- What decision? - File a petition for a retrial.
Kyung Ho.
If your name is cleared for the rape and murder...
Please! Cut it out.
Do you know that Prosecutor Do Han Joon loves your sister?
It seems like Judge Lee cares about him too.
- They might start dating... - No!
Let's break our deal.
I don't plan on staying away from Jung Joo.
No, no! She can't!
- Kyung Ho. - Choi Kyung Ho!
Young Hoon, she cannot date that scum, Do Han Joon.
Please get Jung Joo for me.
(Petitioner: Choi Kyung Ho)
(Delegator: Lee Jung Joo)
(Petition for Retrial)
Judge Lee.
He ruptured the muscles on his wrist.
It will take some time to get your grip strength back.
Don't lift heavy objects.
If you can, please use your left hand.
- You're all set. - Thank you.
What happened? Are you hurt?
It's nothing.
You said you wanted to see me.
Yes, I had a deal.
With Do Han Joon.
I can't break the deal now.
- Then you'll be in danger. - You'll serve time...
despite your innocence because of me?
I'm fine.
- But I'm not fine. - Jung Joo.
I said I'm not fine with it.
How could I be?
(Petition for Retrial)
(Delegator: Lee Jung Joo)
Kyung Ho.
"My brother would never do such a thing."
"He didn't do it."
It never crossed my mind...
that you weren't the killer.
No.
I never doubted it.
I'm sorry, Kyung Ho.
I'm sorry.
Mom.
You know, right?
You know how much I love you, right, Mom?
Jung Joo.
Yes, Mom.
Even if the entire world...
throws stones at your brother,
you can't do that.
Jung Joo.
You can do that for me, right?
Your brother...
would never do something like that.
Tell your brother this for me.
That I know everything.
That I...
love...
him too.
Tell him that for me.
Okay?
(Late Lee Kyung Sook)
Mom.
I did well, right?
I will come back...
with Kyung Ho next time.
(Petition for Retrial)
That brat Jung Joo...
says she'll quit being a judge if you don't listen to her.
You brat. You're about to ruin your sister's life.
What about your life?
And your mom?
If she finds out you ended up like this so that she could get surgery,
how could she rest in peace?
Please stop Jung Joo.
You stop her.
You get out of there,
and do your part as her brother.
Who'd want a judge hearing their case...
if her brother is a rapist murderer?
If you tell anyone about this,
you're dead as soon as you get out of here.
It's almost over.
Just a few more years.
That brat Jung Joo...
says she'll quit being a judge if you don't listen to her.
You're about to ruin your sister's life.
It never crossed my mind...
that you weren't the killer.
No.
I never doubted it.
I'm sorry, Kyung Ho.
I'm sorry.
Gosh.
What brings a prosecutor here during a trial?
I can revise the indictment to remove the bodily harm charge.
What's wrong? You're scaring me.
It can't be for free.
You want to make a deal?
Yes. Let's make a deal.
So? Should I show you my hand first?
What do you say?
You want me...
to accomplish something this hard?
Hello?
Okay. I'll be right there.
I'm leaving first.
Okay.
Good night.
Mom.
What's wrong? Did something happen?
(Petition for Retrial)
Kyung Ho finally sent it.
I'll put...
everything back to where it belongs.
Of course, you should.
(True Reform)
(Ministry of Justice)
Once you board the bus,
we will go straight to the court without making any stops,
so use the bathroom before we leave.
(Bathroom)
So that idiot judge is your sister?
Did you know this?
Your sister is super sexy when she takes off her robe.
(Clerk's Office)
(Petition for Retrial)
(Petitioner: Choi Kyung Ho, Delegator: Lee Jung Joo)
I took off your judge sister's robe twice, you know.
Shut it.
If that crazy knucklehead prosecutor...
hadn't claimed her for himself,
I would've given her my sex education.
Why you little...
Why are you giving me this?
I'll stab and kill that knucklehead prosecutor for you,
so give me your sister.
Then I'll remove her blouse this time...
and give her a proper sex education.
Why you little...
- Let's do it in one go. - What?
Goodbye, Choi Kyung Ho.
He... He tried to kill me.
Help.
We have an emergency.
Send the medic!
(Seoul Central District Court, Receipt of Submission)
(Nothing to Lose)
Choi Kyung Ho died.
Judges are human. They make mistakes.
If the mistake was an incorrect decision...
that brought about death, that is a failure. You should resign.
I will take responsibility by proving Choi Kyung Ho's innocence.
It was self-defense?
Do you have the right to take on this case?
- Please, Jung Joo... - I'll send you to jail...
and prove my brother's innocence.
Do you think it's my fault too?
Do you think it's my fault?
Let's meet wearing our robes.
I didn't realize you look much better in a judge's robe.