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