Close to Home (2005) s01e03 Episode Script
102 - Suburban Prostitution
So, what brings you down from Vice, Detective? Had a complaint yesterday from a guy named Vincent Kelmer.
Vice president of his home owners association.
Neighborhood block captain.
What's his problem? Well, he's noticed an unusual number of men coming in and out of the home of one of his neighbors.
Shannon Cooke, housewife, mother of two.
So, he jumps to the conclusion that she's turning tricks.
That's logical.
Does he have proof? He's been videotaping guys coming in and out of her house for a couple of weeks.
Creepy.
I know.
Maybe Shannon Cooke is a CPA who works out of an at-home office.
My CPA doesn't do my returns in a teddy.
Have you talked to her? Not yet.
Thought you might want to join me.
I'm not real interested in busting my neighbors for having sex.
STEVE: Thank you, gentlemen.
Hey, Steve.
What do you think about a soccer mom who's turning tricks at home in her spare time? I'm going to assume that's a hypothetical question.
Not if you live next door to this lady.
Well, if it's true, we're not going to ignore it.
If it's true, it's a misdemeanor.
Wait till you see the tape.
I'm telling you, this lady's hot to trot.
One bored housewife turning a few tricks while her kids are at school isn't exactly a public menace, Detective.
And you'd need to literally catch her in the act of exchanging sex for money in order to press charges.
Well, that's what I'm saying.
We set up a sting.
A $6,000 sting to make her pay a $200 fine? I don't think so.
Decaf? You're drinking decaf now? What's the point of that? Do we need to go through this again? I'm breast-feeding.
Trying not to get my child addicted to caffeine, if you don't mind.
You really want to set up a sting to catch one lousy hooker? This neighborhood block captain, he's threatening to go to the media with it if we don't shut her down.
Then let's get ahead of it.
Oh, come on, Steve.
This is a misdemeanor.
Not to mention a victimless crime.
This has "time suck" written all over it.
It also had "lead story on the ten o'clock news" written all over it, Annabeth.
It's a waste of time and resources.
Good thing you're not paid by the hour.
Whoa.
Uh-huh.
Talk about your desperate housewife.
CBS and Warner Bros.
STEVE: Okay, people, let's adjourn the gossip and get started.
Issue one-- we need to get our conviction rate up.
Is there something you want to share with us, Annabeth? Uh, I bet Danny a dollar that the stats on convictions came out today.
You taking money from a paralegal? Am I right the stats came out today? Yes.
Okay.
Updates? Annabeth.
Well, Steve, I've got a soccer mom prostitute to interrogate pushing my armed robbery and granny extortion ring to the back-burner.
Could someone explain the broken window theory to Ms.
Chase? Maureen.
Ignoring small crimes emboldens criminals to commit more serious ones.
STEVE: Prostitution attracts criminals, criminals attract crime, so we don't ignore the small stuff.
More updates.
MAUREEN: So you're serious.
You've got a soccer mom turning tricks out of her house? Allegedly.
Her neighbor may just have an active imagination.
Well, nothing upsets some people more than the idea of other people having lots of sex.
I know it upsets me.
I get mad just thinking about it.
Man, I've got a baby.
I get mad thinking about other people getting a good night's sleep-- never mind getting busy.
Play it safe out there.
Let me know if you need me.
Thanks.
We got a complaint from a concerned citizen about the number of visitors you receive.
Is that a crime? Well, it is if you're turning tricks.
That's ridiculous.
I'm married.
I have two kids in grade school.
Why on Earth So you're not turning tricks at home while your husband's at the office and your boys are going to school? No, no, absolutely not.
Now how do you explain these gentlemen? I have a lot of friends.
You sure are friendly.
I'll give you that.
Mrs.
Cooke, please just give us a reasonable explanation for what's going on here and we'll drop this whole matter.
What do you want from me? ANNABETH: We want what you're doing to stop.
That's it.
We're not looking to ruin anyone's life here, but your neighbors don't want to live next door to the Chicken Ranch.
You can't arrest me.
In Indiana, you have to solicit an undercover cop to be prosecuted and money has to exchange hands.
So if you don't mind, I have to go pick up my son.
How does your husband feel about you entertaining so many friends? I have his number right here.
Why don't I give him a call? Please, don't contact him.
He just started at this new job.
Look, he got laid off for six months.
And we got behind on our mortgage.
I was only going to do it until he got his bonus and we could catch up on the payments.
So how long have you been turning tricks? A month or so.
Terri said we'd be okay if we didn't solicit a cop and if we didn't handle the money.
ANNABETH: Who's Terri? Was it Terri who did all this research on solicitation and the technicalities of the law? I can't tell you that.
Is Terri the one who got you into this? I can't talk about that.
Are there other women involved in this? Oh, no.
Please, please, please.
Don't call my husband.
He'd die a thousand deaths if he knew.
Please, he can't find out.
My God, what if my kids find out? ANNABETH: Calm down.
Am I going to be arrested? Am I going to jail? Not if you tell us the truth.
And if I do, will you promise not to tell my husband? I think that can be arranged.
You think, or you promise? I'll grant you immunity from prosecution and I'll do my best to protect your anonymity.
But first, we need to know exactly who this Terri person is.
And how many other ladies are involved in this line of work? Need your help.
The state of Indiana has allocated $42 million for Weed and Seed grants.
Weed and Seed? You go into a neighborhood and weed out the drug dealers then seed the good stuff.
Such as? After-school clubs, treatment programs.
The point is, we want our weed money.
Could mean $7 million.
What do we have to do? Get our conviction rate up on drug dealers.
And what about all the murderers who don't happen to be drug dealers? That's the beauty part.
They give us money for drug dealers, which frees up money in our budget to prosecute murderers.
As long as we're not spending all our time drumming up drug cases.
Don't have to.
Police stopped a truck with 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate and various other chemicals.
Meth dealer.
Right.
There were three guys in the car.
I want you to charge them all.
Were they all dealers? They are now.
Steve.
The law says anyone in the truck can be held accountable for its contents.
Trust me.
None of these guys are Boy Scouts.
It's a three-for-one deal.
Take it.
I had Danny pull priors on the woman Shannon says was the ringleader, Terri Shaffer.
She managed Mrs.
Cooke's career as a suburban working girl.
She's a JD MBA, business school and law school.
DANNY: Terri Shaffer was arrested three years ago by Tulsa Vice.
Charges were dropped on a technicality.
We think she's running the same M.
O.
here in Indianapolis.
Stay-at-home housewives turning tricks? It's not quite as far-fetched as it sounds.
Our witness tells us a lady sees five or six clients a week, Terri takes half for making the arrangements.
They keep the rest.
Terri, meanwhile, keeps upwards of $400,000 a year profit.
Tax free, huh? The ladies charge more for special requests.
Uh, overnights, multiple partners, mixed doubles.
It's all on the Web site.
Matt, our computer expert, is checking out right now.
There's a Web site? Oh, yeah, with lots of things to click on.
raunchymamas.
com How many raunchy mamas are there? MATT: According to the Web site, at least nine.
Our witness, Mrs.
Cooke, says they all know each other through their kids, the gym, stuff like that.
One friend tells another friend how easy it is to make extra money and that's how Terri builds a stable of women.
"The premiere listing of adult entertainment models.
" For legal cover it bills itself as a modeling service.
Oh, so you show up at this lady's house and she, uh, models lingerie for you.
MATT: It's a smart operation.
They run a credit card check and background to screen for law enforcement.
You need a referral.
No exceptions.
I tried.
What are these? Reviews.
The johns use a rating system.
From "okay if you're drunk" to "forgot I was paying for it.
" So, how do I make a date? Uh, hypothetically.
You order through the Web site.
Pay through an online billing service.
Shows up on your credit card statement just as if you were purchasing a book.
A $300 book.
Which makes it almost impossible to prosecute.
Not impossible, but difficult.
Around 70% of high-end call girls have a Web presence these days.
The women never touch the money.
They're instructed not to even ask.
Well, the money has to change hands sometime.
Mrs.
Cooke says they meet every other Tuesday night and Terri pays them in cash.
They call it "Book Club.
" My wife's in a book club.
So, you're going to wire this Mrs.
Cooke lady and send her in? You got it.
If we can tie the money to the girls, we can get Terri Shaffer for running a criminal enterprise and we can shut this whole operation down.
What about these other ladies? Steve, I don't really see any good in sending a bunch of working moms to jail.
I mean, hopefully we scare them enough, they'll never do it again.
I want the madam, not the moms.
Okay.
My client is way too much of a waste case to run a meth lab.
Hmm.
That's your defense? Yes.
Derrick's a meth head.
He can't remember his own phone number, let alone operate a highly sophisticated drug making operation.
That must be the most pathetic argument I've ever heard.
Maureen, seriously, you don't believe he's running a meth lab.
I can make the case.
Why would you want to? The guy's a wasteoid.
Let him plead six month's possession.
He was in a car with 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate.
You know who the dealer is.
He was driving the car.
He owns the car.
He's got an arrest record a mile long for dealing.
My client was just getting a ride from him.
He should have taken the bus.
Calm down, Shannon.
You can do this.
We just want Terri.
But we need her to say the money is for sex, okay? You need to literally get her to say those words.
The money is an exchange for sex.
Well, what if they figure it out? What if they can tell it's a camera? ANNABETH: Listen to me.
Nothing is going to happen.
DETECTIVE: Hey, stop worrying about your good friends.
Think about the judge who's going to take your kids away if you don't cooperate.
Are you ready? WOMAN: Hey Shannon, how you doing? I'm really good.
How's things going? Good.
Good.
ANNABETH: I thought this was a brothel.
Looks like a tea party.
It's a book club.
For hookers.
Put your hands off the camera, Shannon.
Hands off the camera.
She's freaking out.
She'll be fine.
So, did you read the book? Yeah.
Nobody ever reads the book.
That's why I quit the book club.
My sister goes to get away from her kids.
When does that start? Wanting to be away from them? All I want is to be with my baby.
When they start talking back, and slam the door in your face and tell you they hate you.
So, like around 15? More like two.
You guys want to come over on Sunday? You can bring your suits.
We're going to hit the pool.
Yeah, great.
Did you hear what happened to Jackie? Let's not get into that.
Well, what happened? She broke her wrist.
Or should I say it was broken for her.
A client threw her off the bed and then Terri wouldn't let her cancel her week.
Come on, Ryan.
Terri will freak if she sees you're drunk.
Oh, screw her.
Come on.
Let's get our money and get out of here.
Okay.
Here we go.
We just want Terri.
Find Terri and get her to say the money is for sex.
$300 for special requests.
Here's $2,100.
Shannon I need you to verify your hours.
Are those financial records? MacKenzie wanted the blindfold thing again It must be.
She's doing payroll.
I want that computer.
You should've reported that.
Okay.
There you go.
We should go in.
No, wait.
They haven't said it.
If the girls are dispersing we're going to lose them.
We don't want the girls.
We want that computer.
I don't want this search thrown out for lack of probable cause.
We have plenty of probable cause.
No, we don't.
Why did you want me here if you're not going to listen to my advice? If you go in now, you put the warrant at risk.
We have nine prostitutes and their madam exchanging cash.
They haven't directly tied the money to sex.
They talked about the blindfold thing.
The blindfold thing could mean anything.
Wait until the girls are gone and limit the search and seizure to the madam's computer.
I can't believe we're going to let them walk.
I made a deal with Shannon.
And I'm not going to risk exposing her now.
Indianapolis Police.
We have a warrant.
Please step back.
This warrant authorizes the Indianapolis Police Department to search 6624 Havenhurst Avenue.
If you touch anything outside the exact grounds of this warrant, I'll sue you, your department and the city for harassment.
Do I make myself clear? That's a whole lot of money and a whole lot of johns.
I hear you don't want to cooperate.
I've asked to speak to my lawyer three times.
I'm sure he's on his way.
That's unlikely since I haven't been allowed to use the phone.
We know about your arrest in Tulsa.
What are you writing? I'm taking contemporaneous notes.
They hold up in court.
Yeah, I heard something about that in law school.
Maybe we were there together.
Yale? No.
Columbia? I'll get you a phone.
Oh, state school.
Don't you feel embarrassed doing this? Putting scarlet letters on women who aren't hurting anyone? If you believe nobody's being hurt, you haven't been listening to those women.
How many other Jackie's are there? Well, don't judge them just because their life goals are different from yours.
No little girl raises her hand in fifth grade and says, "I want to be a hooker when I grow up.
" You're preying on them.
Well, maybe she says, "I want to feel attractive.
" Or, "I don't want to depend on a man for money.
" Now, I'm just guessing of course, you'd have to ask them.
I've never been a prostitute.
No, you just make money off them.
Oh, another uninspired attempt to entrap me.
You definitely went to a state school.
It's becoming less and less likely we're going to offer you a deal.
I don't need a deal.
But I do wish to speak to my lawyer.
He went to Yale.
I will now hear pretrial motions in People v.
Terri Shaffer.
Motion to dismiss the charges, Your Honor.
There's no probable cause to hold my client.
We have a computer full of payroll records.
Names, dates, events.
Constituting proof of a prostitution ring.
Motion to suppress the laptop.
Police had a warrant for a computer, but not for its contents.
Are you kidding me? That's like saying I can check a book out of the library, but I can't read it.
It's a matter of privacy.
Information on a computer is inherently private.
Your Honor, I've had half a dozen warrants with this language stand up in court.
It's implied that if you seize a computer you want the contents.
Your Honor, I have post-it notes up on my computer monitor with all kinds of information.
Dates, passwords, information to myself.
And as I recall, Judge Ryker, so do you.
Interesting theory.
I'll take it under advisement.
The computer will be held pending my ruling on admissibility.
Remand the laptop to the vault.
Let's talk about bail.
MAN: Derrick.
Over here.
Oh, sorry.
All right, this looks good to me.
Can we set a trial date? Uh, the defense would like to add an additional item into evidence, Your Honor.
Exhibit 7A.
What is this? A grant application for targeted criminal justice funding through the Weed and Seed Program.
What's going on here, Mr.
Hobbs? The DA's office is applying for a $7 million grant that is tied to their drug conviction rate.
The charges against my client are a clear example of prosecutorial excess.
And this grant application goes to motive.
The DA is systematically overcharging defendants to increase their federal funding.
Grant applications reflect the ongoing multi-year efforts of any office, not one-off prosecutions.
Furthermore, this application is the confidential property of the District Attorney's office.
A concerned source furnished me with the document.
Your Honor, this document will be used out of context in order to discredit the DA's office with the jury.
Yes, it will.
And you'll have ample opportunity to explain yourself.
We'll see who the jury believes.
The document is admissible.
DETECTIVE: We should have picked up those girls.
I only need one, and I already have Shannon.
What's going on? We may not get the laptop.
So, while we're waiting for the judge to decide, let's focus on Terri's financials.
Any luck with the Web site? raunchymamas.
com is hosted by a Czech company via New Delhi.
She bouncing through four or five proxy servers.
What about the credit cards? The johns use a Web-based payment service.
Did you get the records? I put in a request.
Okay.
Let's subpoena them and their phone records too, while we're at it.
Let's figure out how they're all connected.
We'll just have to work a little harder.
This is Annabeth.
How could you do this to me? They're all over my lawn.
Shannon, what's wrong? Who's there? Reporters.
People with cameras.
You said no one would find out.
I don't know what happened.
Shannon's on TV.
Confidential sources say the accused soccer mom and part-time prostitute, Shannon Cooke, was taken in for questioning and released.
Oh, my God.
These crimes came to light because of a videotape made by a concerned citizen who supplied WPKW with the exclusive footage.
The neighbor sold the tape.
Oh, that creep.
Don took the kids.
He said he's leaving me and I'll never see my kids again.
Shannon, listen to me.
Calm down.
Keep your curtains closed.
I'll be right there.
No.
I want out of this.
I want out of the whole thing.
Shannon, I know this is horrible, but we still need you to testify.
No.
I never want to see you again.
I never should have trusted you.
Thanks.
You okay? Yeah.
Honey, you tried to protect her identity, okay? If some jackass wants to make a few bucks and put her on the news, he's going to do it.
I know.
Shannon's right.
She's probably going to lose her kids.
And for what? So she can keep up the mortgage payments on a five bedroom house? Yeah, it seems backwards, doesn't it? You should see these women.
Nice looking, educated, middle class.
Why would they put everything at risk to turn tricks? Well, for a thrill.
That is a male fantasy.
I don't know.
Maybe they're sick of carpools.
Maybe they're tired of baking cookies for dance recitals.
You know, maybe they want to feel wild again.
Are you saying I'm not wild enough? I would never say that.
Annabeth Chase.
Oh, my God.
Oh, no.
She took sleeping pills.
Downed a bottle of wine.
Her mother called the cops when she couldn't get Shannon to answer the door.
Sorry about Shannon.
So, what are you going to do? I'm gonna get Terri.
It's time to go after the rest of these girls, Annabeth.
I can make my case without blowing up more lives.
They're having sex for money.
They're blowing up their own lives.
So, it's okay if they commit suicide? Look, if you don't care about them, think about what else could happen.
How long before we start seeing angry husbands killing their wives after some concerned citizen leaks their names? Angry wives hunting down prostitutes? That proves my point.
We need to shut this operation down now.
And to do that, I still only need one of these women to testify.
So, which one is it gonna be? Ryan.
She's not having a good time.
I think she'll talk.
Give it a shot.
But get the information on the rest of these girls.
We're gonna have to be ready to move on if this one goes away.
Sometime next week? Absolutely.
All right.
Take care.
Why are you talking to him? Who? Oscar? He's an old friend.
We just had lunch.
Did you tell him about the Weed and Seed grant? No.
Because somebody just blew my case right out of the water by leaking a copy of our grant to the other side.
What happens in this office stays in this office.
I didn't do it.
And just so you know, those grant applications are a matter of public record.
All he needed to find was a good paralegal.
You're a good paralegal, Danny.
It wasn't me.
And, uh, all due respect Maureen, I can't believe that you would accuse me.
I'm a prosecutor.
I accuse people for a living.
I thought we were What? I want to believe in this office.
But is this what we do? What? Overcharge people.
The guy's a user, right? You know he's not a dealer.
I don't mean to question you.
I guess am not sure what I'm signing up for.
Ryan? Yes? I'm Annabeth Chase.
I work in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Hmm.
I was wondering when it'd be my turn.
Look.
I'm not interested in prosecuting you.
I only want Terri.
I can't help you.
Why not? She's not a nice person.
In what way? In a way that I am not about to tell a prosecutor.
Come on, sweetie, let's go inside.
Ryan, why did you do it? Why Why would you risk everything? My marriage was a mess.
I-I wanted something to wake me up.
Terri told me how beautiful I was.
How men would want me.
And it seemed exciting.
Weren't you afraid someone would expose you? I used to go to the movies and worry I'd see a john and he'd recognize me, and then one day, during a session, I realized they don't see me.
That's why they pay.
Why didn't you just stop? Terri decided when you'd stop.
She blackmailed you.
Threatened to expose you? Come on, sweetie.
You know, getting involved was my mistake.
But she knew when you were down, and she'd zero in and use that and-and not let go.
Now I'm just trying to hold onto everything I have as long as possible.
Here's how all these hookers know each other.
This woman is a team mom on her son's soccer team.
Playing on the same team is this woman's son.
Now, both these boys go to school with this woman's daughter.
What's up with this one? She hasn't come up anywhere.
And none of the women are talking.
Ryan won't testify, either.
She's scared she'll lose custody of her daughter.
Just like Shannon.
Uh, excuse me.
The judge is ready to rule on the laptop.
MAN: My client is eager to cooperate.
He may have some information about his friends that would strengthen your case in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Okay.
MAUREEN: What do you got? About what? About the driver.
Of the truck you were in that was carrying 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate.
Um, we were we were partying together.
He, uh he sold me some ice.
And then he, uh, had to He had to drop off some stuff in the back of his big, monster SUV, you know? So we, uh we drove, and then he, uh, said we were gonna get some candy bars 'cause I was seriously tweaking.
But then the cops-- they-they stopped us, and I was, like, "Oh, man.
" Where were you taking the chemicals? Oh, dude, I know he told me.
'Cause-'Cause we were gonna go by the 7-Eleven and get some candy bars.
This is not helpful.
Derrick, this is important.
Do you remember where the lab was located? The meth lab! I wish.
Would that would that help you guys out? JUDGE RYKER: I've read the case log, gone over this particular search and seizure, and I'm denying the motion to suppress.
The police had a valid warrant to enter the defendant's home and seize the laptop.
The incriminating spreadsheet was displayed on the laptop in plain view of the officers.
My clerk will see that all paperwork is completed, and the laptop is ready for transfer to the prosecutor's office no later than-- let's say I heard you lost a witness.
We'll make the case.
Let's save ourselves a huge headache and a lot more broken hearts.
Six months suspended.
Forget it.
And so we're clear, when a witness commits suicide, it suggests witness intimidation, which gets your client a lot more than probation.
I'm not gonna forget what your client did to Shannon Cooke.
Mrs.
Chase? I'm Don Cooke, Shannon Cooke's husband.
Oh, Mr.
Cooke, I am so sorry for your loss.
I found these for you.
Uh, it's her calendar, address book.
Some photo's.
I I hope it helps.
I'm sure it will.
Thank you.
Please, have a seat.
When they downsized my company, I told Shannon we could move into an apartment until I found another job.
But Shannon said we'd figure something out.
Then that letter came.
What letter? From Terri.
She sent me a letter listing all the men Shannon had had slept with.
All the things she had done, how much she was paid.
I didn't know what to do.
And then I saw that video of Shannon on the news, and and I went nuts.
And I took the kids, and I left.
I should have let her explain.
I should have listened.
And now my kids have lost their mother.
If there is anything I can do, Mr.
Cooke You can make Terri pay for what she did to my family.
Please, tell me you'll do whatever it takes to get that woman.
Whatever it takes.
What is this? It's a routine memo saying I'm reducing the charges against Derrick Rivers due to insufficient evidence.
Why didn't you talk to me first? A: Because I knew you would freak out, which you are doing.
B: Because since when do I have to get your permission on a routine drug case? And C: It was the right thing to do.
He needs rehab, not jail.
And if you want to accuse me of being soft on crime, good luck making that stick.
People like Derrick support these dealers, Maureen.
You know that.
Get him on possession.
But there was a greater good here.
This money means less crime, which means lives are saved down the line, real lives.
I hear you, but I looked at that kid, I talked to him.
He's not a dealer.
There are probably thousands of people in jail across the country because of these grants, and maybe they need to serve some time, but when it becomes about blood money, I'm not gonna be a part of it.
And in Derrick's case, it's blood money.
Point taken.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
Try this.
Okay.
Okay.
What's happening? It's eating the data.
Why? How? I don't know.
Well, stop it.
I can't.
Every time I try to open a program, it starts deleting files.
Ugh! Unplug it.
That was hi-tech.
This is our case.
No one else will testify.
I know.
There's a few more things I can try.
No, I can't afford to lose anymore material.
I have someone.
I've used him before to retrieve information.
You're not taking this away from me? This is no time for ego.
We need to solve this problem now.
Thanks for all your help, Elliott.
So, how's it look? A time bomb was installed that caused the data to self-delete.
I was able to boot into safe mode and bypass the operating system completely.
So, can you get anything off it? Yeah, I got it all, except for the files that were deleted this afternoon.
You mean when the computer started eating itself? No, there were files deleted before that.
I don't understand.
Well-Well, the file system says that 16 files were deleted at 2:01 p.
m.
, just before the time bomb was installed at 2:39 p.
m.
No.
No, that's not possible.
We had control of the laptop by then.
We? Well, my computer expert, Matt.
Did Terri pay you, or did she comp you? That's a printout of the file system showing the exact time you erased the data.
Tampering with evidence is a Class D felony.
You'd have been better off dealing with the embarrassment of your friends knowing you hire hookers.
I don't.
Then why did you delete those files? Your name was on that laptop.
It wasn't me.
Stop lying to me.
It was my daughter.
What? Lily.
She got into some trouble.
She dropped out of school.
Since her mom and I split up, she's been lost.
I tried to talk to her, but she pretty much hates me 'cause I left her mom.
When you put her photo up there, I almost died.
I went over to Terri's house.
Matt.
I know.
I thought I could show her my temporary consultant badge and somehow intimidate her-- tell her to get her hands off my daughter.
What a joke.
She had a printout of every trick Lily had turned.
She said she'd tell her-- Lily's mom, our family, our friends if I didn't erase the laptop.
I was just trying to protect her.
I can't ignore this.
I know.
You need to tell me where Lily is.
Uh, you wanted to see me? I made a deal with Oscar's client.
He's pleading to probation violation.
Six months suspended.
Oh, uh, okay.
I believe in what we do in this office, too, Danny.
Sometimes things get complicated.
Sometimes they get off track.
Well, thanks for telling me.
Lily, I'm Annabeth Chase, from the prosecuting attorney's office.
I don't want to talk to you.
Did your dad call you? I don't talk to my dad.
Leave me alone or my mom will hear you.
You know he's going to jail for you.
What are you talking about? My dad doesn't give a crap about me.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true.
Your dad destroyed evidence in this case to protect your identity.
He didn't want to see you hurt.
And now he's in a lot of trouble.
If that's not love, Lily, I don't know what is.
This isn't who you are.
This is just a mistake you made.
You can correct it, and get your life back on track.
It's too late.
It's not too late.
For anything.
Your dad loves you enough to go to jail for you.
What are you willing to do? Lily, tell us your relationship with the defendant.
She hired me.
To do what? To work with clients.
Lily, please speak up for the mic.
What did Terri hire you to do? I was a prostitute.
How did you start working for her? I quit school.
I was bumming around.
I guess Terri was looking for someone like me.
You know, young.
Some guys want that.
Terri saw me at the mall.
She asked me to come to her book club.
I was all, like, "What? I'm not reading a book.
" She explained that's just what she called it.
And then what happened? Terri said I could make $300 if I slept with this guy.
$300 every time? Half went to Terri.
The guys were gross.
Mainly fat and old.
How did it make you feel? How do you think? Lily, why didn't you just stop? She'd make you pay.
She had these lists of all the gross things we'd done.
Like the extras and stuff.
The other girls told me.
She sent it to Shannon's husband the day that she died.
Objection, Your Honor.
Facts not in evidence.
Sustained.
How old were you when you started working for Terri? Sixteen.
How old are you now? Seventeen.
No more questions.
ATTORNEY: Your Honor, I'd like to request a brief recess, please.
Let's be reasonable.
Two years probation.
I don't need to make a deal.
have slept with a prostitute.
That's one in five.
Odds are in my favor that one guy on the jury has.
Your client solicited and employed an underage girl to have sex with men.
You preyed on a troubled teenager to make a buck.
You found women who were weakened by financial troubles, divorces and depression and you put their lives in more jeopardy.
You're not going to drive away from this mess in your luxury SUV.
You're going to pay for what you did to them.
To Lily and Shannon.
I'll be out in a year.
Two at the most.
I'll sell a book like Heidi Fleiss.
I'm already negotiating the M.
O.
W.
rights to my story.
I only went to state school, but I seem to remember something about how sexual photos of underage girls like Lily on a Web site constitutes child pornography-- which triggers the FBI.
For the rest of your life, you won't be able to get on an airplane without a strip search.
You move to a new neighborhood, you're a registered sex offender.
No deal.
"State of Indiana "v.
Terri Shaffer, under count one, "we the jury, find the defendant guilty "of the crime of promoting prostitution, "a Class C felony.
"Under count two, we the jury, find the defendant guilty of the crime of child solicitation.
" Mrs.
Chase? Mr.
Cooke.
I just wanted to say thank you.
You're welcome.
I miss her.
Mr.
Cooke she loved you and the kids so much.
She made a mistake, but she did it out of love for you and your family.
Please don't ever doubt that.
Thank you.
JACK: It's a good day for the Chase family.
You put that Ivy League witch away.
Yeah.
The look on her face when I told her she'd spend the rest of her life as a registered sex offender.
Can I ask you something? You've never thought about you know? Seeing a call girl? Yeah.
Why would I? I've already got the hottest chick in Indianapolis.
( chuckles ): Seriously, honey.
Do we you know, do we keep it interesting enough? My buddy, Mac, said to me after Haley was born, "It's a very long first year, my friend.
" I never liked Mac.
So is it? A long year? I have a kick-ass wife.
I have the most beautiful baby in the world.
I count my blessings.
Vice president of his home owners association.
Neighborhood block captain.
What's his problem? Well, he's noticed an unusual number of men coming in and out of the home of one of his neighbors.
Shannon Cooke, housewife, mother of two.
So, he jumps to the conclusion that she's turning tricks.
That's logical.
Does he have proof? He's been videotaping guys coming in and out of her house for a couple of weeks.
Creepy.
I know.
Maybe Shannon Cooke is a CPA who works out of an at-home office.
My CPA doesn't do my returns in a teddy.
Have you talked to her? Not yet.
Thought you might want to join me.
I'm not real interested in busting my neighbors for having sex.
STEVE: Thank you, gentlemen.
Hey, Steve.
What do you think about a soccer mom who's turning tricks at home in her spare time? I'm going to assume that's a hypothetical question.
Not if you live next door to this lady.
Well, if it's true, we're not going to ignore it.
If it's true, it's a misdemeanor.
Wait till you see the tape.
I'm telling you, this lady's hot to trot.
One bored housewife turning a few tricks while her kids are at school isn't exactly a public menace, Detective.
And you'd need to literally catch her in the act of exchanging sex for money in order to press charges.
Well, that's what I'm saying.
We set up a sting.
A $6,000 sting to make her pay a $200 fine? I don't think so.
Decaf? You're drinking decaf now? What's the point of that? Do we need to go through this again? I'm breast-feeding.
Trying not to get my child addicted to caffeine, if you don't mind.
You really want to set up a sting to catch one lousy hooker? This neighborhood block captain, he's threatening to go to the media with it if we don't shut her down.
Then let's get ahead of it.
Oh, come on, Steve.
This is a misdemeanor.
Not to mention a victimless crime.
This has "time suck" written all over it.
It also had "lead story on the ten o'clock news" written all over it, Annabeth.
It's a waste of time and resources.
Good thing you're not paid by the hour.
Whoa.
Uh-huh.
Talk about your desperate housewife.
CBS and Warner Bros.
STEVE: Okay, people, let's adjourn the gossip and get started.
Issue one-- we need to get our conviction rate up.
Is there something you want to share with us, Annabeth? Uh, I bet Danny a dollar that the stats on convictions came out today.
You taking money from a paralegal? Am I right the stats came out today? Yes.
Okay.
Updates? Annabeth.
Well, Steve, I've got a soccer mom prostitute to interrogate pushing my armed robbery and granny extortion ring to the back-burner.
Could someone explain the broken window theory to Ms.
Chase? Maureen.
Ignoring small crimes emboldens criminals to commit more serious ones.
STEVE: Prostitution attracts criminals, criminals attract crime, so we don't ignore the small stuff.
More updates.
MAUREEN: So you're serious.
You've got a soccer mom turning tricks out of her house? Allegedly.
Her neighbor may just have an active imagination.
Well, nothing upsets some people more than the idea of other people having lots of sex.
I know it upsets me.
I get mad just thinking about it.
Man, I've got a baby.
I get mad thinking about other people getting a good night's sleep-- never mind getting busy.
Play it safe out there.
Let me know if you need me.
Thanks.
We got a complaint from a concerned citizen about the number of visitors you receive.
Is that a crime? Well, it is if you're turning tricks.
That's ridiculous.
I'm married.
I have two kids in grade school.
Why on Earth So you're not turning tricks at home while your husband's at the office and your boys are going to school? No, no, absolutely not.
Now how do you explain these gentlemen? I have a lot of friends.
You sure are friendly.
I'll give you that.
Mrs.
Cooke, please just give us a reasonable explanation for what's going on here and we'll drop this whole matter.
What do you want from me? ANNABETH: We want what you're doing to stop.
That's it.
We're not looking to ruin anyone's life here, but your neighbors don't want to live next door to the Chicken Ranch.
You can't arrest me.
In Indiana, you have to solicit an undercover cop to be prosecuted and money has to exchange hands.
So if you don't mind, I have to go pick up my son.
How does your husband feel about you entertaining so many friends? I have his number right here.
Why don't I give him a call? Please, don't contact him.
He just started at this new job.
Look, he got laid off for six months.
And we got behind on our mortgage.
I was only going to do it until he got his bonus and we could catch up on the payments.
So how long have you been turning tricks? A month or so.
Terri said we'd be okay if we didn't solicit a cop and if we didn't handle the money.
ANNABETH: Who's Terri? Was it Terri who did all this research on solicitation and the technicalities of the law? I can't tell you that.
Is Terri the one who got you into this? I can't talk about that.
Are there other women involved in this? Oh, no.
Please, please, please.
Don't call my husband.
He'd die a thousand deaths if he knew.
Please, he can't find out.
My God, what if my kids find out? ANNABETH: Calm down.
Am I going to be arrested? Am I going to jail? Not if you tell us the truth.
And if I do, will you promise not to tell my husband? I think that can be arranged.
You think, or you promise? I'll grant you immunity from prosecution and I'll do my best to protect your anonymity.
But first, we need to know exactly who this Terri person is.
And how many other ladies are involved in this line of work? Need your help.
The state of Indiana has allocated $42 million for Weed and Seed grants.
Weed and Seed? You go into a neighborhood and weed out the drug dealers then seed the good stuff.
Such as? After-school clubs, treatment programs.
The point is, we want our weed money.
Could mean $7 million.
What do we have to do? Get our conviction rate up on drug dealers.
And what about all the murderers who don't happen to be drug dealers? That's the beauty part.
They give us money for drug dealers, which frees up money in our budget to prosecute murderers.
As long as we're not spending all our time drumming up drug cases.
Don't have to.
Police stopped a truck with 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate and various other chemicals.
Meth dealer.
Right.
There were three guys in the car.
I want you to charge them all.
Were they all dealers? They are now.
Steve.
The law says anyone in the truck can be held accountable for its contents.
Trust me.
None of these guys are Boy Scouts.
It's a three-for-one deal.
Take it.
I had Danny pull priors on the woman Shannon says was the ringleader, Terri Shaffer.
She managed Mrs.
Cooke's career as a suburban working girl.
She's a JD MBA, business school and law school.
DANNY: Terri Shaffer was arrested three years ago by Tulsa Vice.
Charges were dropped on a technicality.
We think she's running the same M.
O.
here in Indianapolis.
Stay-at-home housewives turning tricks? It's not quite as far-fetched as it sounds.
Our witness tells us a lady sees five or six clients a week, Terri takes half for making the arrangements.
They keep the rest.
Terri, meanwhile, keeps upwards of $400,000 a year profit.
Tax free, huh? The ladies charge more for special requests.
Uh, overnights, multiple partners, mixed doubles.
It's all on the Web site.
Matt, our computer expert, is checking out right now.
There's a Web site? Oh, yeah, with lots of things to click on.
raunchymamas.
com How many raunchy mamas are there? MATT: According to the Web site, at least nine.
Our witness, Mrs.
Cooke, says they all know each other through their kids, the gym, stuff like that.
One friend tells another friend how easy it is to make extra money and that's how Terri builds a stable of women.
"The premiere listing of adult entertainment models.
" For legal cover it bills itself as a modeling service.
Oh, so you show up at this lady's house and she, uh, models lingerie for you.
MATT: It's a smart operation.
They run a credit card check and background to screen for law enforcement.
You need a referral.
No exceptions.
I tried.
What are these? Reviews.
The johns use a rating system.
From "okay if you're drunk" to "forgot I was paying for it.
" So, how do I make a date? Uh, hypothetically.
You order through the Web site.
Pay through an online billing service.
Shows up on your credit card statement just as if you were purchasing a book.
A $300 book.
Which makes it almost impossible to prosecute.
Not impossible, but difficult.
Around 70% of high-end call girls have a Web presence these days.
The women never touch the money.
They're instructed not to even ask.
Well, the money has to change hands sometime.
Mrs.
Cooke says they meet every other Tuesday night and Terri pays them in cash.
They call it "Book Club.
" My wife's in a book club.
So, you're going to wire this Mrs.
Cooke lady and send her in? You got it.
If we can tie the money to the girls, we can get Terri Shaffer for running a criminal enterprise and we can shut this whole operation down.
What about these other ladies? Steve, I don't really see any good in sending a bunch of working moms to jail.
I mean, hopefully we scare them enough, they'll never do it again.
I want the madam, not the moms.
Okay.
My client is way too much of a waste case to run a meth lab.
Hmm.
That's your defense? Yes.
Derrick's a meth head.
He can't remember his own phone number, let alone operate a highly sophisticated drug making operation.
That must be the most pathetic argument I've ever heard.
Maureen, seriously, you don't believe he's running a meth lab.
I can make the case.
Why would you want to? The guy's a wasteoid.
Let him plead six month's possession.
He was in a car with 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate.
You know who the dealer is.
He was driving the car.
He owns the car.
He's got an arrest record a mile long for dealing.
My client was just getting a ride from him.
He should have taken the bus.
Calm down, Shannon.
You can do this.
We just want Terri.
But we need her to say the money is for sex, okay? You need to literally get her to say those words.
The money is an exchange for sex.
Well, what if they figure it out? What if they can tell it's a camera? ANNABETH: Listen to me.
Nothing is going to happen.
DETECTIVE: Hey, stop worrying about your good friends.
Think about the judge who's going to take your kids away if you don't cooperate.
Are you ready? WOMAN: Hey Shannon, how you doing? I'm really good.
How's things going? Good.
Good.
ANNABETH: I thought this was a brothel.
Looks like a tea party.
It's a book club.
For hookers.
Put your hands off the camera, Shannon.
Hands off the camera.
She's freaking out.
She'll be fine.
So, did you read the book? Yeah.
Nobody ever reads the book.
That's why I quit the book club.
My sister goes to get away from her kids.
When does that start? Wanting to be away from them? All I want is to be with my baby.
When they start talking back, and slam the door in your face and tell you they hate you.
So, like around 15? More like two.
You guys want to come over on Sunday? You can bring your suits.
We're going to hit the pool.
Yeah, great.
Did you hear what happened to Jackie? Let's not get into that.
Well, what happened? She broke her wrist.
Or should I say it was broken for her.
A client threw her off the bed and then Terri wouldn't let her cancel her week.
Come on, Ryan.
Terri will freak if she sees you're drunk.
Oh, screw her.
Come on.
Let's get our money and get out of here.
Okay.
Here we go.
We just want Terri.
Find Terri and get her to say the money is for sex.
$300 for special requests.
Here's $2,100.
Shannon I need you to verify your hours.
Are those financial records? MacKenzie wanted the blindfold thing again It must be.
She's doing payroll.
I want that computer.
You should've reported that.
Okay.
There you go.
We should go in.
No, wait.
They haven't said it.
If the girls are dispersing we're going to lose them.
We don't want the girls.
We want that computer.
I don't want this search thrown out for lack of probable cause.
We have plenty of probable cause.
No, we don't.
Why did you want me here if you're not going to listen to my advice? If you go in now, you put the warrant at risk.
We have nine prostitutes and their madam exchanging cash.
They haven't directly tied the money to sex.
They talked about the blindfold thing.
The blindfold thing could mean anything.
Wait until the girls are gone and limit the search and seizure to the madam's computer.
I can't believe we're going to let them walk.
I made a deal with Shannon.
And I'm not going to risk exposing her now.
Indianapolis Police.
We have a warrant.
Please step back.
This warrant authorizes the Indianapolis Police Department to search 6624 Havenhurst Avenue.
If you touch anything outside the exact grounds of this warrant, I'll sue you, your department and the city for harassment.
Do I make myself clear? That's a whole lot of money and a whole lot of johns.
I hear you don't want to cooperate.
I've asked to speak to my lawyer three times.
I'm sure he's on his way.
That's unlikely since I haven't been allowed to use the phone.
We know about your arrest in Tulsa.
What are you writing? I'm taking contemporaneous notes.
They hold up in court.
Yeah, I heard something about that in law school.
Maybe we were there together.
Yale? No.
Columbia? I'll get you a phone.
Oh, state school.
Don't you feel embarrassed doing this? Putting scarlet letters on women who aren't hurting anyone? If you believe nobody's being hurt, you haven't been listening to those women.
How many other Jackie's are there? Well, don't judge them just because their life goals are different from yours.
No little girl raises her hand in fifth grade and says, "I want to be a hooker when I grow up.
" You're preying on them.
Well, maybe she says, "I want to feel attractive.
" Or, "I don't want to depend on a man for money.
" Now, I'm just guessing of course, you'd have to ask them.
I've never been a prostitute.
No, you just make money off them.
Oh, another uninspired attempt to entrap me.
You definitely went to a state school.
It's becoming less and less likely we're going to offer you a deal.
I don't need a deal.
But I do wish to speak to my lawyer.
He went to Yale.
I will now hear pretrial motions in People v.
Terri Shaffer.
Motion to dismiss the charges, Your Honor.
There's no probable cause to hold my client.
We have a computer full of payroll records.
Names, dates, events.
Constituting proof of a prostitution ring.
Motion to suppress the laptop.
Police had a warrant for a computer, but not for its contents.
Are you kidding me? That's like saying I can check a book out of the library, but I can't read it.
It's a matter of privacy.
Information on a computer is inherently private.
Your Honor, I've had half a dozen warrants with this language stand up in court.
It's implied that if you seize a computer you want the contents.
Your Honor, I have post-it notes up on my computer monitor with all kinds of information.
Dates, passwords, information to myself.
And as I recall, Judge Ryker, so do you.
Interesting theory.
I'll take it under advisement.
The computer will be held pending my ruling on admissibility.
Remand the laptop to the vault.
Let's talk about bail.
MAN: Derrick.
Over here.
Oh, sorry.
All right, this looks good to me.
Can we set a trial date? Uh, the defense would like to add an additional item into evidence, Your Honor.
Exhibit 7A.
What is this? A grant application for targeted criminal justice funding through the Weed and Seed Program.
What's going on here, Mr.
Hobbs? The DA's office is applying for a $7 million grant that is tied to their drug conviction rate.
The charges against my client are a clear example of prosecutorial excess.
And this grant application goes to motive.
The DA is systematically overcharging defendants to increase their federal funding.
Grant applications reflect the ongoing multi-year efforts of any office, not one-off prosecutions.
Furthermore, this application is the confidential property of the District Attorney's office.
A concerned source furnished me with the document.
Your Honor, this document will be used out of context in order to discredit the DA's office with the jury.
Yes, it will.
And you'll have ample opportunity to explain yourself.
We'll see who the jury believes.
The document is admissible.
DETECTIVE: We should have picked up those girls.
I only need one, and I already have Shannon.
What's going on? We may not get the laptop.
So, while we're waiting for the judge to decide, let's focus on Terri's financials.
Any luck with the Web site? raunchymamas.
com is hosted by a Czech company via New Delhi.
She bouncing through four or five proxy servers.
What about the credit cards? The johns use a Web-based payment service.
Did you get the records? I put in a request.
Okay.
Let's subpoena them and their phone records too, while we're at it.
Let's figure out how they're all connected.
We'll just have to work a little harder.
This is Annabeth.
How could you do this to me? They're all over my lawn.
Shannon, what's wrong? Who's there? Reporters.
People with cameras.
You said no one would find out.
I don't know what happened.
Shannon's on TV.
Confidential sources say the accused soccer mom and part-time prostitute, Shannon Cooke, was taken in for questioning and released.
Oh, my God.
These crimes came to light because of a videotape made by a concerned citizen who supplied WPKW with the exclusive footage.
The neighbor sold the tape.
Oh, that creep.
Don took the kids.
He said he's leaving me and I'll never see my kids again.
Shannon, listen to me.
Calm down.
Keep your curtains closed.
I'll be right there.
No.
I want out of this.
I want out of the whole thing.
Shannon, I know this is horrible, but we still need you to testify.
No.
I never want to see you again.
I never should have trusted you.
Thanks.
You okay? Yeah.
Honey, you tried to protect her identity, okay? If some jackass wants to make a few bucks and put her on the news, he's going to do it.
I know.
Shannon's right.
She's probably going to lose her kids.
And for what? So she can keep up the mortgage payments on a five bedroom house? Yeah, it seems backwards, doesn't it? You should see these women.
Nice looking, educated, middle class.
Why would they put everything at risk to turn tricks? Well, for a thrill.
That is a male fantasy.
I don't know.
Maybe they're sick of carpools.
Maybe they're tired of baking cookies for dance recitals.
You know, maybe they want to feel wild again.
Are you saying I'm not wild enough? I would never say that.
Annabeth Chase.
Oh, my God.
Oh, no.
She took sleeping pills.
Downed a bottle of wine.
Her mother called the cops when she couldn't get Shannon to answer the door.
Sorry about Shannon.
So, what are you going to do? I'm gonna get Terri.
It's time to go after the rest of these girls, Annabeth.
I can make my case without blowing up more lives.
They're having sex for money.
They're blowing up their own lives.
So, it's okay if they commit suicide? Look, if you don't care about them, think about what else could happen.
How long before we start seeing angry husbands killing their wives after some concerned citizen leaks their names? Angry wives hunting down prostitutes? That proves my point.
We need to shut this operation down now.
And to do that, I still only need one of these women to testify.
So, which one is it gonna be? Ryan.
She's not having a good time.
I think she'll talk.
Give it a shot.
But get the information on the rest of these girls.
We're gonna have to be ready to move on if this one goes away.
Sometime next week? Absolutely.
All right.
Take care.
Why are you talking to him? Who? Oscar? He's an old friend.
We just had lunch.
Did you tell him about the Weed and Seed grant? No.
Because somebody just blew my case right out of the water by leaking a copy of our grant to the other side.
What happens in this office stays in this office.
I didn't do it.
And just so you know, those grant applications are a matter of public record.
All he needed to find was a good paralegal.
You're a good paralegal, Danny.
It wasn't me.
And, uh, all due respect Maureen, I can't believe that you would accuse me.
I'm a prosecutor.
I accuse people for a living.
I thought we were What? I want to believe in this office.
But is this what we do? What? Overcharge people.
The guy's a user, right? You know he's not a dealer.
I don't mean to question you.
I guess am not sure what I'm signing up for.
Ryan? Yes? I'm Annabeth Chase.
I work in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Hmm.
I was wondering when it'd be my turn.
Look.
I'm not interested in prosecuting you.
I only want Terri.
I can't help you.
Why not? She's not a nice person.
In what way? In a way that I am not about to tell a prosecutor.
Come on, sweetie, let's go inside.
Ryan, why did you do it? Why Why would you risk everything? My marriage was a mess.
I-I wanted something to wake me up.
Terri told me how beautiful I was.
How men would want me.
And it seemed exciting.
Weren't you afraid someone would expose you? I used to go to the movies and worry I'd see a john and he'd recognize me, and then one day, during a session, I realized they don't see me.
That's why they pay.
Why didn't you just stop? Terri decided when you'd stop.
She blackmailed you.
Threatened to expose you? Come on, sweetie.
You know, getting involved was my mistake.
But she knew when you were down, and she'd zero in and use that and-and not let go.
Now I'm just trying to hold onto everything I have as long as possible.
Here's how all these hookers know each other.
This woman is a team mom on her son's soccer team.
Playing on the same team is this woman's son.
Now, both these boys go to school with this woman's daughter.
What's up with this one? She hasn't come up anywhere.
And none of the women are talking.
Ryan won't testify, either.
She's scared she'll lose custody of her daughter.
Just like Shannon.
Uh, excuse me.
The judge is ready to rule on the laptop.
MAN: My client is eager to cooperate.
He may have some information about his friends that would strengthen your case in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Okay.
MAUREEN: What do you got? About what? About the driver.
Of the truck you were in that was carrying 25 pounds of ammonium nitrate.
Um, we were we were partying together.
He, uh he sold me some ice.
And then he, uh, had to He had to drop off some stuff in the back of his big, monster SUV, you know? So we, uh we drove, and then he, uh, said we were gonna get some candy bars 'cause I was seriously tweaking.
But then the cops-- they-they stopped us, and I was, like, "Oh, man.
" Where were you taking the chemicals? Oh, dude, I know he told me.
'Cause-'Cause we were gonna go by the 7-Eleven and get some candy bars.
This is not helpful.
Derrick, this is important.
Do you remember where the lab was located? The meth lab! I wish.
Would that would that help you guys out? JUDGE RYKER: I've read the case log, gone over this particular search and seizure, and I'm denying the motion to suppress.
The police had a valid warrant to enter the defendant's home and seize the laptop.
The incriminating spreadsheet was displayed on the laptop in plain view of the officers.
My clerk will see that all paperwork is completed, and the laptop is ready for transfer to the prosecutor's office no later than-- let's say I heard you lost a witness.
We'll make the case.
Let's save ourselves a huge headache and a lot more broken hearts.
Six months suspended.
Forget it.
And so we're clear, when a witness commits suicide, it suggests witness intimidation, which gets your client a lot more than probation.
I'm not gonna forget what your client did to Shannon Cooke.
Mrs.
Chase? I'm Don Cooke, Shannon Cooke's husband.
Oh, Mr.
Cooke, I am so sorry for your loss.
I found these for you.
Uh, it's her calendar, address book.
Some photo's.
I I hope it helps.
I'm sure it will.
Thank you.
Please, have a seat.
When they downsized my company, I told Shannon we could move into an apartment until I found another job.
But Shannon said we'd figure something out.
Then that letter came.
What letter? From Terri.
She sent me a letter listing all the men Shannon had had slept with.
All the things she had done, how much she was paid.
I didn't know what to do.
And then I saw that video of Shannon on the news, and and I went nuts.
And I took the kids, and I left.
I should have let her explain.
I should have listened.
And now my kids have lost their mother.
If there is anything I can do, Mr.
Cooke You can make Terri pay for what she did to my family.
Please, tell me you'll do whatever it takes to get that woman.
Whatever it takes.
What is this? It's a routine memo saying I'm reducing the charges against Derrick Rivers due to insufficient evidence.
Why didn't you talk to me first? A: Because I knew you would freak out, which you are doing.
B: Because since when do I have to get your permission on a routine drug case? And C: It was the right thing to do.
He needs rehab, not jail.
And if you want to accuse me of being soft on crime, good luck making that stick.
People like Derrick support these dealers, Maureen.
You know that.
Get him on possession.
But there was a greater good here.
This money means less crime, which means lives are saved down the line, real lives.
I hear you, but I looked at that kid, I talked to him.
He's not a dealer.
There are probably thousands of people in jail across the country because of these grants, and maybe they need to serve some time, but when it becomes about blood money, I'm not gonna be a part of it.
And in Derrick's case, it's blood money.
Point taken.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
Try this.
Okay.
Okay.
What's happening? It's eating the data.
Why? How? I don't know.
Well, stop it.
I can't.
Every time I try to open a program, it starts deleting files.
Ugh! Unplug it.
That was hi-tech.
This is our case.
No one else will testify.
I know.
There's a few more things I can try.
No, I can't afford to lose anymore material.
I have someone.
I've used him before to retrieve information.
You're not taking this away from me? This is no time for ego.
We need to solve this problem now.
Thanks for all your help, Elliott.
So, how's it look? A time bomb was installed that caused the data to self-delete.
I was able to boot into safe mode and bypass the operating system completely.
So, can you get anything off it? Yeah, I got it all, except for the files that were deleted this afternoon.
You mean when the computer started eating itself? No, there were files deleted before that.
I don't understand.
Well-Well, the file system says that 16 files were deleted at 2:01 p.
m.
, just before the time bomb was installed at 2:39 p.
m.
No.
No, that's not possible.
We had control of the laptop by then.
We? Well, my computer expert, Matt.
Did Terri pay you, or did she comp you? That's a printout of the file system showing the exact time you erased the data.
Tampering with evidence is a Class D felony.
You'd have been better off dealing with the embarrassment of your friends knowing you hire hookers.
I don't.
Then why did you delete those files? Your name was on that laptop.
It wasn't me.
Stop lying to me.
It was my daughter.
What? Lily.
She got into some trouble.
She dropped out of school.
Since her mom and I split up, she's been lost.
I tried to talk to her, but she pretty much hates me 'cause I left her mom.
When you put her photo up there, I almost died.
I went over to Terri's house.
Matt.
I know.
I thought I could show her my temporary consultant badge and somehow intimidate her-- tell her to get her hands off my daughter.
What a joke.
She had a printout of every trick Lily had turned.
She said she'd tell her-- Lily's mom, our family, our friends if I didn't erase the laptop.
I was just trying to protect her.
I can't ignore this.
I know.
You need to tell me where Lily is.
Uh, you wanted to see me? I made a deal with Oscar's client.
He's pleading to probation violation.
Six months suspended.
Oh, uh, okay.
I believe in what we do in this office, too, Danny.
Sometimes things get complicated.
Sometimes they get off track.
Well, thanks for telling me.
Lily, I'm Annabeth Chase, from the prosecuting attorney's office.
I don't want to talk to you.
Did your dad call you? I don't talk to my dad.
Leave me alone or my mom will hear you.
You know he's going to jail for you.
What are you talking about? My dad doesn't give a crap about me.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true.
Your dad destroyed evidence in this case to protect your identity.
He didn't want to see you hurt.
And now he's in a lot of trouble.
If that's not love, Lily, I don't know what is.
This isn't who you are.
This is just a mistake you made.
You can correct it, and get your life back on track.
It's too late.
It's not too late.
For anything.
Your dad loves you enough to go to jail for you.
What are you willing to do? Lily, tell us your relationship with the defendant.
She hired me.
To do what? To work with clients.
Lily, please speak up for the mic.
What did Terri hire you to do? I was a prostitute.
How did you start working for her? I quit school.
I was bumming around.
I guess Terri was looking for someone like me.
You know, young.
Some guys want that.
Terri saw me at the mall.
She asked me to come to her book club.
I was all, like, "What? I'm not reading a book.
" She explained that's just what she called it.
And then what happened? Terri said I could make $300 if I slept with this guy.
$300 every time? Half went to Terri.
The guys were gross.
Mainly fat and old.
How did it make you feel? How do you think? Lily, why didn't you just stop? She'd make you pay.
She had these lists of all the gross things we'd done.
Like the extras and stuff.
The other girls told me.
She sent it to Shannon's husband the day that she died.
Objection, Your Honor.
Facts not in evidence.
Sustained.
How old were you when you started working for Terri? Sixteen.
How old are you now? Seventeen.
No more questions.
ATTORNEY: Your Honor, I'd like to request a brief recess, please.
Let's be reasonable.
Two years probation.
I don't need to make a deal.
have slept with a prostitute.
That's one in five.
Odds are in my favor that one guy on the jury has.
Your client solicited and employed an underage girl to have sex with men.
You preyed on a troubled teenager to make a buck.
You found women who were weakened by financial troubles, divorces and depression and you put their lives in more jeopardy.
You're not going to drive away from this mess in your luxury SUV.
You're going to pay for what you did to them.
To Lily and Shannon.
I'll be out in a year.
Two at the most.
I'll sell a book like Heidi Fleiss.
I'm already negotiating the M.
O.
W.
rights to my story.
I only went to state school, but I seem to remember something about how sexual photos of underage girls like Lily on a Web site constitutes child pornography-- which triggers the FBI.
For the rest of your life, you won't be able to get on an airplane without a strip search.
You move to a new neighborhood, you're a registered sex offender.
No deal.
"State of Indiana "v.
Terri Shaffer, under count one, "we the jury, find the defendant guilty "of the crime of promoting prostitution, "a Class C felony.
"Under count two, we the jury, find the defendant guilty of the crime of child solicitation.
" Mrs.
Chase? Mr.
Cooke.
I just wanted to say thank you.
You're welcome.
I miss her.
Mr.
Cooke she loved you and the kids so much.
She made a mistake, but she did it out of love for you and your family.
Please don't ever doubt that.
Thank you.
JACK: It's a good day for the Chase family.
You put that Ivy League witch away.
Yeah.
The look on her face when I told her she'd spend the rest of her life as a registered sex offender.
Can I ask you something? You've never thought about you know? Seeing a call girl? Yeah.
Why would I? I've already got the hottest chick in Indianapolis.
( chuckles ): Seriously, honey.
Do we you know, do we keep it interesting enough? My buddy, Mac, said to me after Haley was born, "It's a very long first year, my friend.
" I never liked Mac.
So is it? A long year? I have a kick-ass wife.
I have the most beautiful baby in the world.
I count my blessings.