Law & Order (1990) s25e01 Episode Script
Street Justice
1
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
We find the defendant,
Carter Mills,
not guilty of murder
in the second degree.
♪
[SIREN WAILING]
He killed my sister, Nolan.
[BANGING ON DOOR]
Please tell me you had
nothing to do with this.
♪
Nolan.
What the hell's going on?
Carter Mills is dead.
Someone gunned him down
about two hours ago.
Any suspects?
Not at the moment.
Have you connected with Sam about this?
Yes.
She is having a hard time.
She didn't say too much.
What do you mean?
She didn't want to engage. Uh
she's obviously very
upset with the verdict,
and with me.
I get it.
That's a hell of a
thing, to watch the man
who killed your sister
and another young woman
walk out of court a free man.
It sure is. Yeah.
There's no reason to
think Sam had anything
to do with this, right?
[SIGHS]
I'm not sure.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[PANTING]
[SHOUTS]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Hey.
How are you doing?
Thank you.
I'm sorry if I
Sam, come on, for God's sake.
I I just wanna say I was worried.
Worried that I shot him?
It was an emotional case.
Yes, it was.
But it all turned out
for the best, I suppose.
We had our chance, Nolan.
It just didn't work out.
I I did what was required by the law.
That's one way to look at it.
And the other?
You did what you wanted to do, Nolan.
You did what made you
feel good and noble.
And it's obviously important to you.
No, what is important
is following the law.
In case you forgot, that's our job.
I know it's our job
to hunt down killers,
but I kind of feel like
throwing this one a parade.
At least send him some
sort of fruit basket.
So a street camera
picked up Carter Mills
being killed at 9:38 p.m.
And check this out.
This dude was sweeping up right
across from the crime scene
at the time of the murder.
Play that back real quick.
Sweeping up out front,
minding his own business,
and he sees or hears the
gunshot and runs back inside.
Let's track this guy down.
I just spoke to Shaw.
Something opened up over at
the 88, and he's gonna take it.
I knew he wanted to
get back to Brooklyn,
so good for him.
I'm gonna miss that guy, though.
Yeah, that's me.
Sweeping the sidewalk
against the law or something?
No.
Murder is.
I got nothing to do with that.
I was just sweeping the sidewalk.
But you saw the shooting?
Okay, fine.
I I heard the gunshots, looked over,
and I saw some guy on
the ground bleeding.
What about the shooter? You see him too?
No, but it wasn't a him.
It was a her.
How do you know?
She yelled something
right before the gunshots.
You remember her exact words?
Yep.
"You deserve this."
I appreciate you keeping us in the loop.
But what's all this concern based on,
just because the shooter
appears to be female?
She also appears to be
thin and medium height.
Oh, well, that narrows it down
to, what, to 3 million people?
Well, we all know how upset Sam was.
We all were upset.
That doesn't mean anything.
He killed her sister, Nolan,
and she owns a .38-caliber handgun,
same weapon used to kill Carter Mills.
So if you know anything
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
When I found out that
Carter had been shot,
my first instinct was
to check in on Sam.
So I went to her apartment, and
- She was there?
- Yes.
What did she say?
She was angry with with me, mostly,
because we had a
disagreement about the case.
And, um, yeah, anyway, she was angry.
Have you checked the
surveillance footage?
Was Sam even out and about
at the time of the shooting?
We have video of her arriving
at her apartment building
28 minutes after the 911 call.
So I have to talk to her.
I understand.
♪
Do you own a gun, a .38 revolver?
I do.
Bought one three years ago.
Someone was stalking
me. I didn't feel safe.
Are you still in possession
Let's just cut to the chase, okay?
We have reason to believe a woman
of your height and body type
shot and killed Carter Mills.
You're saying I'm a suspect.
So I'm asking your
permission to check your gun
to prove that it wasn't
involved in the shooting
so that we can clear you.
If you wanna test my gun, get a warrant.
♪
Wow. You're really doing this, huh?
I asked your permission, but
You guys wanna start in the back?
I'll take the bedroom.
Hey, check it out, dark hoodie.
Okay, bag it. Get it over to the lab.
I need you to open this safe.
It's all spelled out
in the warrant, Sam.
You know how this works.
[SAFE BEEPS]
No gun.
Come on, Sam. Where is the gun?
No more questions.
When you're done searching
my apartment, please leave.
Brady said your gun was missing?
Is there a reason for that?
Nolan, I'm not doing this.
Why not?
I'm not gonna do or say anything
that may incriminate me.
If you are involved
I'm not.
Nolan, I swear I didn't shoot him.
So then why not just
hand over the damn gun?
Because I don't have it.
What do you mean you don't have it?
I threw it in the
river. I don't have it.
[UNEASY MUSIC]
♪
I was just so angry.
I didn't know how to
process what had happened.
The only thing that made
sense to me in that moment
was to confront the bastard.
I wanted to see him.
I wanted to scare him.
So I grabbed my gun, and I started
walking towards his
apartment, which is insane.
It's crazy. I know that.
But after a few blocks,
I realized it was
a bad idea, a terrible idea.
So I went on a walk instead.
I ended up on the promenade,
and I threw my damn
gun in the East River.
Why?
Because I was afraid of
what I might do with it.
♪
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
So our .38 is at the
bottom of the East River,
and you think this somehow
suggests that she's innocent?
I do.
As a person, I hope you're right.
As a cop, I'm I'm not buying it.
I mean, from that one
conversation with you,
she admitted to practically everything
but the actual shooting.
I understand.
I mean, she admitted
to leaving her apartment
with the intent of
confronting the victim.
She admitted to carrying a .38 caliber
and throwing that weapon into the river.
I know it looks suspicious, I do,
but I've known Sam for for six years,
and she has never lied to me, not once.
That's very sweet,
but it doesn't mean anything.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Hey. I just got off the phone
with a potential witness.
Nolan, would you mind?
Damn, it's like that, huh?
What's up?
The guy I just spoke with
says that he literally
bumped into a young woman
wearing a dark hoodie
just after the shooting,
about a block from the scene.
Did he get a look at her?
Said she was about 30 to
35, brunette, and pretty.
[SIGHS] Okay.
Uh, bring him in and see if he can
pick Maroun out of a photo lineup.
Do you really think it's possible
that Sam shot this guy?
He raped and killed her sister.
Yeah, I know, but
If someone did that to my sister
and then walked out of court
a free man, I don't know.
It's hard to tell, but, ah,
I'm not sure I see the
woman from the other night.
Well, you said she was about
30, 35 and pretty, right?
Yeah.
None of those faces ring a bell?
I mean, they're all attractive,
but I don't recognize any of them.
Well, do you remember
anything else about her,
besides being young and pretty?
I mean, she was tall,
for a woman anyway.
- Is that a guess, or?
- No, she bumped into me.
It was a minute or so
after I heard the gunshots.
What do you mean?
She ran into me, almost knocked me over,
and we were standing face-to-face.
I was looking right at her, you know,
and we were pretty much the same height.
I don't see her in these photos.
And how tall are you?
5'9".
Okay. Thank you for your time.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
No, it's great. Thank you.
Maroun is 5'3".
If this woman is 5'9"
Then Maroun is not our gal.
Which is good news.
I like Sam.
So do I.
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
I was just talking to Brady.
They have found new evidence
that seems to exclude you
as a suspect for now.
They're still waiting to hear back
from the lab about the hoodie
they found in your apartment.
Oh, well, they're wasting their time.
I know.
Nolan,
if I actually had the ability
to take someone's life,
I'd be in handcuffs right now
because I really, really wanted
to kill that son of a bitch.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
But I couldn't.
♪
That's good to know,
given that we spend
so much time together.
[SCOFFS]
♪
Well, there's definitely
no shortage of people
who hated this guy, that's for sure.
And a few who seem to
be in love with him.
"Carter, you're far
too handsome to be evil.
If I'm being honest, you're so hot,
I don't even care if you did it."
Who could possibly love
such a disgusting man?
I guess good looks and a
toothy smile will get you far.
I spoke to a doorman at
Carter's building who claims
to have known him pretty well.
Also said what a great guy he was.
Said the only woman he saw
him with in the last few months
- was his girlfriend.
- What do we know about her?
Not much, except that she's a lawyer,
and that she stuck with
him throughout the trial,
even gave a few emotional
interviews about what
a wonderful man he was.
So she's an idiot.
You said it.
Well, talk to her anyway.
Maybe she can tell us something.
There was definitely
a lot of online hate.
But we weren't really
out in public too often.
We'd go to court, back to his apartment,
order in.
We just wanted to get
through this horrible ordeal,
and we did.
But
Everyone forgets that he was acquitted.
So just to be clear, you aren't aware
of any recent arguments
or confrontations?
No, the only person he argued
with lately was his sister.
You know what they fought about?
Carter wanted her to come
to court, show some support.
But she wasn't into it.
Said she didn't believe he was innocent,
that she hoped the jury
was going to convict him.
It was awful
and hypocritical.
Why is that?
Carter was really good to her.
Paid her rent, invested
in her art gallery,
and she's the sole
beneficiary of his will.
I wanted to support him, but
in my bones, I knew
he was guilty, and I
I didn't wanna help
him get away with it.
So after he was acquitted,
how did that make you feel?
I was upset
but not surprised.
What do you mean by that?
Carter always gets away with everything.
Since he was five years old,
no one ever held him accountable,
truly accountable.
Is that what you did?
Hold him accountable for
what he did to that model?
No, I
no, I didn't kill him.
I was in Brooklyn with
my girlfriend that night.
This is us at dinner.
Do you know anyone else
who felt the same as you,
might have wanted to
see Carter punished?
No, no one specific anyway,
but I'm sure the list is long.
The pattern was always the same.
People would meet him,
fall in love with him,
and then eventually end up hating him.
Except his girlfriend, right?
Poor thing stuck with
him to the bitter end.
I'm not so sure about that.
Thanks for coming by.
Uh, we're just trying to understand
why you failed to mention
that you broke up with Carter
three days prior to the verdict.
- Excuse me?
- His sister told us.
Oh.
You broke up with him three
days before the trial ended.
That's not true.
So, what? She's making it up?
I don't know.
She and Carter don't
really talk too much.
Well, that might be true,
but he reached out to
her after the breakup,
and he told her he was very upset.
I find that hard to believe.
Well, it happened.
What's your point?
My point is, did you break
up with Carter, yes or no?
What difference does it make?
Well, it means next to
nothing if you didn't lie
about it and then double-down on it.
I mean, why would you lie about
something so insignificant?
I didn't lie.
I just
I didn't mention it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
So you did break up with him?
- Yes.
- How come?
I was tired of all
the negative attention
and publicity.
I just couldn't handle it anymore.
But you believed in his innocence.
I did.
- Until the bitter end?
- Yes.
And how did you feel when you
found out he was acquitted?
I was
happy and relieved.
Everyone thought I was
crazy, that I was blind.
So when the jury voted to acquit,
I felt vindicated.
Okay.
This is a recent ATM
withdrawal from a bank
in Pennsylvania three hours
after the verdict for $600.
So?
It turns out that bank was
located in the same mall
as a store called Ike's Gun Shop.
And it turns out Ike's Gun
Shop has a lot of cameras.
♪
That's you buying a .38 revolver
the day your ex-boyfriend
was acquitted of murder.
♪
I want a lawyer.
I hope you get a good one.
I really do.
Police just arrested
Carter's ex-girlfriend,
- Julia Keaton.
- What?
- She was his biggest supporter.
- I know.
Do we know what happened,
what provoked the shooting?
No, not yet.
Hm.
How are you feeling?
About what?
This case.
Do you wanna be involved?
Yes.
- Are you sure?
- I'm positive.
All right, as long as you can
separate your personal feelings
from the case.
Oh, I think I can.
Okay.
Sam,
you need to be honest
with me, with yourself.
Are you capable of thinking
like a prosecutor on this case?
Because you said it already.
Part of you wishes that you had the guts
to kill this bastard yourself.
I'm good, Nolan.
I can do it.
I need to do it.
I hope the evidence is
pretty damn compelling
because there's not
a person in this city
shedding a tear over this guy's death.
Nor should they, but here we are.
We don't get to pick our
victims or our defendants.
We're just here to present the evidence.
So
what do we know?
We know she bought a
gun, a .38 revolver,
in Pennsylvania six
hours before the murder.
That's a good start.
Police recover it?
No, but there's more.
We also have two
pieces of video footage.
The first is the actual murder.
The only helpful thing here is
that you can see the shooter's
wearing a dark hoodie.
The second video shows
Julia entering her apartment
12 minutes after the 911 call,
wearing the same hoodie as the shooter,
and it's definitely her.
Okay, good.
- So what about motive?
- Unclear.
I mean, we know Julia
and Carter were dating,
that Julia supported him.
And that she broke up with him
three days prior to the
conclusion of the trial.
Okay, but you're comfortable
moving forward with what we have?
I am.
Charge murder 2.
Three days after the defendant broke up
with Carter Mills and six
hours after she purchased
the .38 revolver from Ike's Gun Shop,
she shot and killed him.
Why she committed this crime is unclear.
But as you will see, the evidence
will show that she did.
We will present video of the
shooting in which you will see
a person with a thin build
in a dark-colored hoodie
shooting Carter Mills.
We will also present
a second piece of video
from outside the defendant's
apartment building
on the night of the murder.
It will show the
defendant, clear as day,
wearing the same hoodie as the
person who shot Carter Mills.
And, finally, we will
present two witnesses,
one who heard her yell,
"You deserve this,"
prior to opening fire, and
another who will testify
that he not only saw the defendant
near the crime scene
moments after the murder,
but that she literally ran into him
in her haste to escape.
Like I said,
we may not know what provoked the
defendant to kill Carter Mills,
but we know that she did.
We agree with everything
Mr. Price just said,
including the fact that Julia Keaton
shot and killed Carter Mills.
But there's a reason, a good reason.
Carter Mills was going to kill
her that night in that moment.
So Julia did what she had to do
and killed him first.
Julia Keaton acted in self-defense.
She shot Carter Mills
because it was necessary
to prevent her own death.
And that, ladies and gentlemen,
is not against the law.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Credible or not, arguing
self-defense is the right move.
The video evidence is too strong.
Question is, can they prove it?
I'm not sure.
What about the video of the shooting?
Does that sync up with
the self-defense claim?
Does Carter appear to
threaten her in any way?
It's hard to say.
He takes a few steps towards
her, and then she shoots him.
But there is no physical contact.
She is at least 15 feet away from him
when she starts shooting, but it
it doesn't matter.
- What do you mean?
- She's lying.
She didn't just happen to cross
paths with Carter that night.
She was waiting for him,
and she was carrying a gun,
a gun that she bought six
hours prior to the shooting.
No, this was an execution.
Can you prove it?
[SIGHS]
Yeah, I think so.
The evidence is mostly circumstantial.
But when you add it all
up, I think it's clear
this was not a random encounter.
Julia set out to kill
Carter Mills that evening,
and she succeeded.
The defense will
obviously portray Carter
as a violent predator,
someone who had been
charged with rape and murder,
someone capable of killing an
ex-girlfriend in the blink of an eye.
If they're successful, they'll
win, regardless of the facts.
The problem is, it's not
easy to hide the truth
about who Carter was.
Him being on trial for murder,
that's public information.
It doesn't mean it's admissible.
File a motion trying to limit the scope
and detail surrounding
the prior murder trial.
Already did.
You want to preclude the defense
from discussing the
defendant's prior murder trial?
Evidence of a murder
victim's prior bad acts
is not admissible as proof
of the victim's propensity
to act in a certain
manner, such as being
the initial aggressor
in a confrontation.
But there are exceptions
in self-defense cases
if the defendant was aware
of the prior bad acts.
And in this case, the
defendant clearly was.
She sat through Carter
Miller's murder trial.
She heard all of the
horrific allegations.
She was even aware he
was the prime suspect
in a second murder case.
That may be true, but Your Honor,
the mere mention of this prior trial
is, on its face, prejudicial.
Carter Mill's reputation and prior acts
are essential to establishing
my client's state of mind
on the night of the shooting.
She had heard all of
the disturbing evidence
that Mr. Price himself presented.
She didn't suddenly unhear it
just because Carter was acquitted.
I agree with Ms. Paymor.
The defense can discuss the prior trial,
the allegations, his general
reputation for violence.
I'm sorry, general reputation for vi
With all due respect,
that is ridiculous.
One, it's not.
Two, never preface a statement
with "all due respect,"
then say something disrespectful.
You tried and lost that
murder case, Mr. Price.
And the mere fact you brought that case
meant you believed Carter
Mills was guilty of murder.
And now what?
You wanna pretend he wasn't?
That the prior trial didn't happen?
No, the defense has a
right to let the jury know
who Carter Mills really was.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I don't really know
why, but I believed him.
The idea of Carter raping
someone or killing someone
didn't seem possible.
I'd never seen Carter act violently.
So
I stayed with him.
Did you and Carter remain
romantically involved
for the duration of the trial?
No, I broke it off toward the end.
Can you explain why?
I knew that even if he were acquitted,
the stigma would remain.
Plus, I thought that the
jury was going to convict him,
that he was going to spend
the rest of his life in prison.
And I couldn't handle that either.
So I broke it off.
What happened when you told
Carter you wanted to move on?
He got angry,
started calling me all
kinds of horrible names.
Can you please be more specific?
He called me a liar,
a bitch,
a whore.
And then what?
♪
Then he pushed me against the wall.
And he started choking me.
And then he threw me
onto the floor, and
He raped me.
Objection, this is unfair surprise.
Statement against self-interest.
- Overruled.
- Your Honor
Sit down, Mr. Price.
Please continue.
He threatened to kill
me if I told the police.
And how'd that make you feel?
Awful.
I was terrified.
I was a threat to his freedom.
Can you tell the jury what happened
on the night of the shooting?
I took a walk to clear my head,
trying to figure out what to do,
whether to call the police
or move to a different city.
Then
I saw him, and I
I froze.
And we just sort of
looked at each other.
Then he said,
"I told you they wouldn't convict me."
And he started laughing.
And he walked toward me
and said, "You're done."
And how did you
interpret that statement?
I interpreted it to mean
that he was going to kill me.
In that moment, were you
in fear for your life?
Yes.
I was convinced he was going to kill me.
So
I shot him.
He was evil.
I don't know why it took
me so long to realize it,
but he was going to kill me,
I swear.
I know it!
[SOBBING]
I think that's enough for today.
We're adjourned until
tomorrow, 9:00 a.m.
Ms. Keaton, you're excused.
♪
Hey.
Paymor just sent over
an amended witness list.
One of Julia's friends
is gonna testify that
Julia called her the
night of the alleged rape
and told her what happened.
We should try to exclude her
No, it's admissible as a prompt outcry.
Goes to her subjective state
of mind and whether or not
she was in reasonable fear for her life.
So trying to shift the focus.
Mm.
They wanna barrage the jury with all
the horrific details of Julia's
sexual assault allegation.
But they don't need to
hear even more evidence
about what a monster he was,
especially because it has
no bearing on what happened immediately
prior to the shooting.
Did Carter threaten to
kill her in that moment?
If so, was his threat credible?
Did it justify lethal force?
[EXHALES]
What are we really
trying to accomplish here?
Um
we're trying to get
justice for the victim.
Who happens to be a
really, really horrible man.
We are past all that, Sam.
Oh, trust me, Nolan, I
am really trying my best
to think like a prosecutor,
to ignore my personal feelings, I swear.
But this isn't a murder case.
She left her apartment
with a gun in her purse,
a gun she had just bought with
the intent of killing Carter Mills.
That's practically the
definition of murder.
Yeah, but why? Why did she do it?
Because he had just raped her
and threatened to kill
her if she told anyone.
And the guy gets acquitted
and is a free man
free to rape, free to kill.
So she assassinated him.
She yelled, "You deserve this,"
just before she opened fire.
She was acting under the influence
of extreme emotional disturbance.
That's manslaughter,
Nolan, all day long.
Sam Sam, we talked about this,
about staying focused on the law.
I am making a legal argument.
You want the emotional one?
Julia should have never been
in that position to begin with.
If we had won the damn case,
if we actually convicted Carter Mills,
this would have never happened.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
We let a monster walk free.
You let a monster walk free.
If you ask me, we practically forced
Julia to shoot the bastard.
That is not fair. You and I both
What's not fair
is watching the man who
killed your little sister
and another young,
innocent woman walk free
because the guy trying the case
didn't have the guts to do what
was necessary to get a conviction.
♪
That's what's not fair.
♪
You wanna offer man 1?
If we take Julia at her
word on the rape allegation,
I think it is reasonable
to conclude that
she was acting under the influence
of extreme emotional disturbance.
Not to mention, there's
a really good chance
the jury's gonna buy
her self-defense story,
and she walks.
Are you doing this because you think
it's the right legal move?
Or to placate Sam,
to make amends for
the Carter Mills trial?
It's the right move, Nick.
You didn't answer my question.
It is the right legal move.
If you say so.
We appreciate the offer,
but let's be honest.
There isn't a juror
alive that wants to punish
Julia for what she did.
We're not here to debate
whether Carter Mills
was a good man. We know he wasn't.
But murder is still murder.
Having said that, in light
of the highly emotional
circumstances surrounding this event,
we are willing to accept
a guilty plea to man 1.
We'll discuss and get back to you.
- You have 24 hours.
- Okay.
[PHONE BUZZES]
I need to take this real quick.
I'll be right back.
[DOOR SHUTS]
I just wanna say, I feel
terrible about everything.
He should have never walked
out of that damn courtroom.
I know what Carter did to your sister.
And I
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I'm so sorry.
I can't believe how stupid I was.
I feel like such a fool.
He thought he could
do whatever he wanted.
He thought that he was above the law.
That's why I did what I did.
That's why I waited outside
his damn condo so that I
I-I didn't mean to say that.
Shh, shh.
Stop talking.
♪
Hey.
Um
just got a text from Paymor.
Julia wants to accept the plea.
But there is something you should know.
After the meeting this
afternoon, Julia and I
talked for a minute.
I told her I felt awful about
what had happened to her.
She got very emotional.
She said, uh
she said that she felt like a fool
for believing in his innocence.
And, uh, then she said something
she didn't mean to say.
And she was just so
emotional that, uh
well, she accidentally confessed
to waiting outside Carter's
building prior to killing him.
Which means she lied on the stand.
Yeah.
And she and Carter didn't just, um,
didn't just happen to
cross paths that night.
Well, you were right.
This was premeditated.
This was an assassination.
- On paper, anyway.
- On paper?
Based on the letter of the law.
All right.
So how do you wanna proceed?
Uh, are you asking what I would do
or what I think you wanna do?
No, I'm asking for your opinion.
Okay.
Um, well, we have two choices.
I mean, I can testify
as a rebuttal witness
and tell the jury
what Julia blurted out.
Or, uh, we can both pretend that
I didn't hear what Julia just said,
accept the damn plea, and move on.
I didn't ask for choices, Sam.
I asked for an opinion,
for your opinion.
Yeah.
Well, my opinion is we
accept the damn plea.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Just because we can win the case
based on the letter of the
law doesn't mean we need to.
♪
I agree.
Hey, Sam.
Yeah?
Thanks for being so honest.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
We find the defendant,
Carter Mills,
not guilty of murder
in the second degree.
♪
[SIREN WAILING]
He killed my sister, Nolan.
[BANGING ON DOOR]
Please tell me you had
nothing to do with this.
♪
Nolan.
What the hell's going on?
Carter Mills is dead.
Someone gunned him down
about two hours ago.
Any suspects?
Not at the moment.
Have you connected with Sam about this?
Yes.
She is having a hard time.
She didn't say too much.
What do you mean?
She didn't want to engage. Uh
she's obviously very
upset with the verdict,
and with me.
I get it.
That's a hell of a
thing, to watch the man
who killed your sister
and another young woman
walk out of court a free man.
It sure is. Yeah.
There's no reason to
think Sam had anything
to do with this, right?
[SIGHS]
I'm not sure.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[PANTING]
[SHOUTS]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Hey.
How are you doing?
Thank you.
I'm sorry if I
Sam, come on, for God's sake.
I I just wanna say I was worried.
Worried that I shot him?
It was an emotional case.
Yes, it was.
But it all turned out
for the best, I suppose.
We had our chance, Nolan.
It just didn't work out.
I I did what was required by the law.
That's one way to look at it.
And the other?
You did what you wanted to do, Nolan.
You did what made you
feel good and noble.
And it's obviously important to you.
No, what is important
is following the law.
In case you forgot, that's our job.
I know it's our job
to hunt down killers,
but I kind of feel like
throwing this one a parade.
At least send him some
sort of fruit basket.
So a street camera
picked up Carter Mills
being killed at 9:38 p.m.
And check this out.
This dude was sweeping up right
across from the crime scene
at the time of the murder.
Play that back real quick.
Sweeping up out front,
minding his own business,
and he sees or hears the
gunshot and runs back inside.
Let's track this guy down.
I just spoke to Shaw.
Something opened up over at
the 88, and he's gonna take it.
I knew he wanted to
get back to Brooklyn,
so good for him.
I'm gonna miss that guy, though.
Yeah, that's me.
Sweeping the sidewalk
against the law or something?
No.
Murder is.
I got nothing to do with that.
I was just sweeping the sidewalk.
But you saw the shooting?
Okay, fine.
I I heard the gunshots, looked over,
and I saw some guy on
the ground bleeding.
What about the shooter? You see him too?
No, but it wasn't a him.
It was a her.
How do you know?
She yelled something
right before the gunshots.
You remember her exact words?
Yep.
"You deserve this."
I appreciate you keeping us in the loop.
But what's all this concern based on,
just because the shooter
appears to be female?
She also appears to be
thin and medium height.
Oh, well, that narrows it down
to, what, to 3 million people?
Well, we all know how upset Sam was.
We all were upset.
That doesn't mean anything.
He killed her sister, Nolan,
and she owns a .38-caliber handgun,
same weapon used to kill Carter Mills.
So if you know anything
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
When I found out that
Carter had been shot,
my first instinct was
to check in on Sam.
So I went to her apartment, and
- She was there?
- Yes.
What did she say?
She was angry with with me, mostly,
because we had a
disagreement about the case.
And, um, yeah, anyway, she was angry.
Have you checked the
surveillance footage?
Was Sam even out and about
at the time of the shooting?
We have video of her arriving
at her apartment building
28 minutes after the 911 call.
So I have to talk to her.
I understand.
♪
Do you own a gun, a .38 revolver?
I do.
Bought one three years ago.
Someone was stalking
me. I didn't feel safe.
Are you still in possession
Let's just cut to the chase, okay?
We have reason to believe a woman
of your height and body type
shot and killed Carter Mills.
You're saying I'm a suspect.
So I'm asking your
permission to check your gun
to prove that it wasn't
involved in the shooting
so that we can clear you.
If you wanna test my gun, get a warrant.
♪
Wow. You're really doing this, huh?
I asked your permission, but
You guys wanna start in the back?
I'll take the bedroom.
Hey, check it out, dark hoodie.
Okay, bag it. Get it over to the lab.
I need you to open this safe.
It's all spelled out
in the warrant, Sam.
You know how this works.
[SAFE BEEPS]
No gun.
Come on, Sam. Where is the gun?
No more questions.
When you're done searching
my apartment, please leave.
Brady said your gun was missing?
Is there a reason for that?
Nolan, I'm not doing this.
Why not?
I'm not gonna do or say anything
that may incriminate me.
If you are involved
I'm not.
Nolan, I swear I didn't shoot him.
So then why not just
hand over the damn gun?
Because I don't have it.
What do you mean you don't have it?
I threw it in the
river. I don't have it.
[UNEASY MUSIC]
♪
I was just so angry.
I didn't know how to
process what had happened.
The only thing that made
sense to me in that moment
was to confront the bastard.
I wanted to see him.
I wanted to scare him.
So I grabbed my gun, and I started
walking towards his
apartment, which is insane.
It's crazy. I know that.
But after a few blocks,
I realized it was
a bad idea, a terrible idea.
So I went on a walk instead.
I ended up on the promenade,
and I threw my damn
gun in the East River.
Why?
Because I was afraid of
what I might do with it.
♪
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
So our .38 is at the
bottom of the East River,
and you think this somehow
suggests that she's innocent?
I do.
As a person, I hope you're right.
As a cop, I'm I'm not buying it.
I mean, from that one
conversation with you,
she admitted to practically everything
but the actual shooting.
I understand.
I mean, she admitted
to leaving her apartment
with the intent of
confronting the victim.
She admitted to carrying a .38 caliber
and throwing that weapon into the river.
I know it looks suspicious, I do,
but I've known Sam for for six years,
and she has never lied to me, not once.
That's very sweet,
but it doesn't mean anything.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Hey. I just got off the phone
with a potential witness.
Nolan, would you mind?
Damn, it's like that, huh?
What's up?
The guy I just spoke with
says that he literally
bumped into a young woman
wearing a dark hoodie
just after the shooting,
about a block from the scene.
Did he get a look at her?
Said she was about 30 to
35, brunette, and pretty.
[SIGHS] Okay.
Uh, bring him in and see if he can
pick Maroun out of a photo lineup.
Do you really think it's possible
that Sam shot this guy?
He raped and killed her sister.
Yeah, I know, but
If someone did that to my sister
and then walked out of court
a free man, I don't know.
It's hard to tell, but, ah,
I'm not sure I see the
woman from the other night.
Well, you said she was about
30, 35 and pretty, right?
Yeah.
None of those faces ring a bell?
I mean, they're all attractive,
but I don't recognize any of them.
Well, do you remember
anything else about her,
besides being young and pretty?
I mean, she was tall,
for a woman anyway.
- Is that a guess, or?
- No, she bumped into me.
It was a minute or so
after I heard the gunshots.
What do you mean?
She ran into me, almost knocked me over,
and we were standing face-to-face.
I was looking right at her, you know,
and we were pretty much the same height.
I don't see her in these photos.
And how tall are you?
5'9".
Okay. Thank you for your time.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
No, it's great. Thank you.
Maroun is 5'3".
If this woman is 5'9"
Then Maroun is not our gal.
Which is good news.
I like Sam.
So do I.
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
I was just talking to Brady.
They have found new evidence
that seems to exclude you
as a suspect for now.
They're still waiting to hear back
from the lab about the hoodie
they found in your apartment.
Oh, well, they're wasting their time.
I know.
Nolan,
if I actually had the ability
to take someone's life,
I'd be in handcuffs right now
because I really, really wanted
to kill that son of a bitch.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
But I couldn't.
♪
That's good to know,
given that we spend
so much time together.
[SCOFFS]
♪
Well, there's definitely
no shortage of people
who hated this guy, that's for sure.
And a few who seem to
be in love with him.
"Carter, you're far
too handsome to be evil.
If I'm being honest, you're so hot,
I don't even care if you did it."
Who could possibly love
such a disgusting man?
I guess good looks and a
toothy smile will get you far.
I spoke to a doorman at
Carter's building who claims
to have known him pretty well.
Also said what a great guy he was.
Said the only woman he saw
him with in the last few months
- was his girlfriend.
- What do we know about her?
Not much, except that she's a lawyer,
and that she stuck with
him throughout the trial,
even gave a few emotional
interviews about what
a wonderful man he was.
So she's an idiot.
You said it.
Well, talk to her anyway.
Maybe she can tell us something.
There was definitely
a lot of online hate.
But we weren't really
out in public too often.
We'd go to court, back to his apartment,
order in.
We just wanted to get
through this horrible ordeal,
and we did.
But
Everyone forgets that he was acquitted.
So just to be clear, you aren't aware
of any recent arguments
or confrontations?
No, the only person he argued
with lately was his sister.
You know what they fought about?
Carter wanted her to come
to court, show some support.
But she wasn't into it.
Said she didn't believe he was innocent,
that she hoped the jury
was going to convict him.
It was awful
and hypocritical.
Why is that?
Carter was really good to her.
Paid her rent, invested
in her art gallery,
and she's the sole
beneficiary of his will.
I wanted to support him, but
in my bones, I knew
he was guilty, and I
I didn't wanna help
him get away with it.
So after he was acquitted,
how did that make you feel?
I was upset
but not surprised.
What do you mean by that?
Carter always gets away with everything.
Since he was five years old,
no one ever held him accountable,
truly accountable.
Is that what you did?
Hold him accountable for
what he did to that model?
No, I
no, I didn't kill him.
I was in Brooklyn with
my girlfriend that night.
This is us at dinner.
Do you know anyone else
who felt the same as you,
might have wanted to
see Carter punished?
No, no one specific anyway,
but I'm sure the list is long.
The pattern was always the same.
People would meet him,
fall in love with him,
and then eventually end up hating him.
Except his girlfriend, right?
Poor thing stuck with
him to the bitter end.
I'm not so sure about that.
Thanks for coming by.
Uh, we're just trying to understand
why you failed to mention
that you broke up with Carter
three days prior to the verdict.
- Excuse me?
- His sister told us.
Oh.
You broke up with him three
days before the trial ended.
That's not true.
So, what? She's making it up?
I don't know.
She and Carter don't
really talk too much.
Well, that might be true,
but he reached out to
her after the breakup,
and he told her he was very upset.
I find that hard to believe.
Well, it happened.
What's your point?
My point is, did you break
up with Carter, yes or no?
What difference does it make?
Well, it means next to
nothing if you didn't lie
about it and then double-down on it.
I mean, why would you lie about
something so insignificant?
I didn't lie.
I just
I didn't mention it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
So you did break up with him?
- Yes.
- How come?
I was tired of all
the negative attention
and publicity.
I just couldn't handle it anymore.
But you believed in his innocence.
I did.
- Until the bitter end?
- Yes.
And how did you feel when you
found out he was acquitted?
I was
happy and relieved.
Everyone thought I was
crazy, that I was blind.
So when the jury voted to acquit,
I felt vindicated.
Okay.
This is a recent ATM
withdrawal from a bank
in Pennsylvania three hours
after the verdict for $600.
So?
It turns out that bank was
located in the same mall
as a store called Ike's Gun Shop.
And it turns out Ike's Gun
Shop has a lot of cameras.
♪
That's you buying a .38 revolver
the day your ex-boyfriend
was acquitted of murder.
♪
I want a lawyer.
I hope you get a good one.
I really do.
Police just arrested
Carter's ex-girlfriend,
- Julia Keaton.
- What?
- She was his biggest supporter.
- I know.
Do we know what happened,
what provoked the shooting?
No, not yet.
Hm.
How are you feeling?
About what?
This case.
Do you wanna be involved?
Yes.
- Are you sure?
- I'm positive.
All right, as long as you can
separate your personal feelings
from the case.
Oh, I think I can.
Okay.
Sam,
you need to be honest
with me, with yourself.
Are you capable of thinking
like a prosecutor on this case?
Because you said it already.
Part of you wishes that you had the guts
to kill this bastard yourself.
I'm good, Nolan.
I can do it.
I need to do it.
I hope the evidence is
pretty damn compelling
because there's not
a person in this city
shedding a tear over this guy's death.
Nor should they, but here we are.
We don't get to pick our
victims or our defendants.
We're just here to present the evidence.
So
what do we know?
We know she bought a
gun, a .38 revolver,
in Pennsylvania six
hours before the murder.
That's a good start.
Police recover it?
No, but there's more.
We also have two
pieces of video footage.
The first is the actual murder.
The only helpful thing here is
that you can see the shooter's
wearing a dark hoodie.
The second video shows
Julia entering her apartment
12 minutes after the 911 call,
wearing the same hoodie as the shooter,
and it's definitely her.
Okay, good.
- So what about motive?
- Unclear.
I mean, we know Julia
and Carter were dating,
that Julia supported him.
And that she broke up with him
three days prior to the
conclusion of the trial.
Okay, but you're comfortable
moving forward with what we have?
I am.
Charge murder 2.
Three days after the defendant broke up
with Carter Mills and six
hours after she purchased
the .38 revolver from Ike's Gun Shop,
she shot and killed him.
Why she committed this crime is unclear.
But as you will see, the evidence
will show that she did.
We will present video of the
shooting in which you will see
a person with a thin build
in a dark-colored hoodie
shooting Carter Mills.
We will also present
a second piece of video
from outside the defendant's
apartment building
on the night of the murder.
It will show the
defendant, clear as day,
wearing the same hoodie as the
person who shot Carter Mills.
And, finally, we will
present two witnesses,
one who heard her yell,
"You deserve this,"
prior to opening fire, and
another who will testify
that he not only saw the defendant
near the crime scene
moments after the murder,
but that she literally ran into him
in her haste to escape.
Like I said,
we may not know what provoked the
defendant to kill Carter Mills,
but we know that she did.
We agree with everything
Mr. Price just said,
including the fact that Julia Keaton
shot and killed Carter Mills.
But there's a reason, a good reason.
Carter Mills was going to kill
her that night in that moment.
So Julia did what she had to do
and killed him first.
Julia Keaton acted in self-defense.
She shot Carter Mills
because it was necessary
to prevent her own death.
And that, ladies and gentlemen,
is not against the law.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Credible or not, arguing
self-defense is the right move.
The video evidence is too strong.
Question is, can they prove it?
I'm not sure.
What about the video of the shooting?
Does that sync up with
the self-defense claim?
Does Carter appear to
threaten her in any way?
It's hard to say.
He takes a few steps towards
her, and then she shoots him.
But there is no physical contact.
She is at least 15 feet away from him
when she starts shooting, but it
it doesn't matter.
- What do you mean?
- She's lying.
She didn't just happen to cross
paths with Carter that night.
She was waiting for him,
and she was carrying a gun,
a gun that she bought six
hours prior to the shooting.
No, this was an execution.
Can you prove it?
[SIGHS]
Yeah, I think so.
The evidence is mostly circumstantial.
But when you add it all
up, I think it's clear
this was not a random encounter.
Julia set out to kill
Carter Mills that evening,
and she succeeded.
The defense will
obviously portray Carter
as a violent predator,
someone who had been
charged with rape and murder,
someone capable of killing an
ex-girlfriend in the blink of an eye.
If they're successful, they'll
win, regardless of the facts.
The problem is, it's not
easy to hide the truth
about who Carter was.
Him being on trial for murder,
that's public information.
It doesn't mean it's admissible.
File a motion trying to limit the scope
and detail surrounding
the prior murder trial.
Already did.
You want to preclude the defense
from discussing the
defendant's prior murder trial?
Evidence of a murder
victim's prior bad acts
is not admissible as proof
of the victim's propensity
to act in a certain
manner, such as being
the initial aggressor
in a confrontation.
But there are exceptions
in self-defense cases
if the defendant was aware
of the prior bad acts.
And in this case, the
defendant clearly was.
She sat through Carter
Miller's murder trial.
She heard all of the
horrific allegations.
She was even aware he
was the prime suspect
in a second murder case.
That may be true, but Your Honor,
the mere mention of this prior trial
is, on its face, prejudicial.
Carter Mill's reputation and prior acts
are essential to establishing
my client's state of mind
on the night of the shooting.
She had heard all of
the disturbing evidence
that Mr. Price himself presented.
She didn't suddenly unhear it
just because Carter was acquitted.
I agree with Ms. Paymor.
The defense can discuss the prior trial,
the allegations, his general
reputation for violence.
I'm sorry, general reputation for vi
With all due respect,
that is ridiculous.
One, it's not.
Two, never preface a statement
with "all due respect,"
then say something disrespectful.
You tried and lost that
murder case, Mr. Price.
And the mere fact you brought that case
meant you believed Carter
Mills was guilty of murder.
And now what?
You wanna pretend he wasn't?
That the prior trial didn't happen?
No, the defense has a
right to let the jury know
who Carter Mills really was.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I don't really know
why, but I believed him.
The idea of Carter raping
someone or killing someone
didn't seem possible.
I'd never seen Carter act violently.
So
I stayed with him.
Did you and Carter remain
romantically involved
for the duration of the trial?
No, I broke it off toward the end.
Can you explain why?
I knew that even if he were acquitted,
the stigma would remain.
Plus, I thought that the
jury was going to convict him,
that he was going to spend
the rest of his life in prison.
And I couldn't handle that either.
So I broke it off.
What happened when you told
Carter you wanted to move on?
He got angry,
started calling me all
kinds of horrible names.
Can you please be more specific?
He called me a liar,
a bitch,
a whore.
And then what?
♪
Then he pushed me against the wall.
And he started choking me.
And then he threw me
onto the floor, and
He raped me.
Objection, this is unfair surprise.
Statement against self-interest.
- Overruled.
- Your Honor
Sit down, Mr. Price.
Please continue.
He threatened to kill
me if I told the police.
And how'd that make you feel?
Awful.
I was terrified.
I was a threat to his freedom.
Can you tell the jury what happened
on the night of the shooting?
I took a walk to clear my head,
trying to figure out what to do,
whether to call the police
or move to a different city.
Then
I saw him, and I
I froze.
And we just sort of
looked at each other.
Then he said,
"I told you they wouldn't convict me."
And he started laughing.
And he walked toward me
and said, "You're done."
And how did you
interpret that statement?
I interpreted it to mean
that he was going to kill me.
In that moment, were you
in fear for your life?
Yes.
I was convinced he was going to kill me.
So
I shot him.
He was evil.
I don't know why it took
me so long to realize it,
but he was going to kill me,
I swear.
I know it!
[SOBBING]
I think that's enough for today.
We're adjourned until
tomorrow, 9:00 a.m.
Ms. Keaton, you're excused.
♪
Hey.
Paymor just sent over
an amended witness list.
One of Julia's friends
is gonna testify that
Julia called her the
night of the alleged rape
and told her what happened.
We should try to exclude her
No, it's admissible as a prompt outcry.
Goes to her subjective state
of mind and whether or not
she was in reasonable fear for her life.
So trying to shift the focus.
Mm.
They wanna barrage the jury with all
the horrific details of Julia's
sexual assault allegation.
But they don't need to
hear even more evidence
about what a monster he was,
especially because it has
no bearing on what happened immediately
prior to the shooting.
Did Carter threaten to
kill her in that moment?
If so, was his threat credible?
Did it justify lethal force?
[EXHALES]
What are we really
trying to accomplish here?
Um
we're trying to get
justice for the victim.
Who happens to be a
really, really horrible man.
We are past all that, Sam.
Oh, trust me, Nolan, I
am really trying my best
to think like a prosecutor,
to ignore my personal feelings, I swear.
But this isn't a murder case.
She left her apartment
with a gun in her purse,
a gun she had just bought with
the intent of killing Carter Mills.
That's practically the
definition of murder.
Yeah, but why? Why did she do it?
Because he had just raped her
and threatened to kill
her if she told anyone.
And the guy gets acquitted
and is a free man
free to rape, free to kill.
So she assassinated him.
She yelled, "You deserve this,"
just before she opened fire.
She was acting under the influence
of extreme emotional disturbance.
That's manslaughter,
Nolan, all day long.
Sam Sam, we talked about this,
about staying focused on the law.
I am making a legal argument.
You want the emotional one?
Julia should have never been
in that position to begin with.
If we had won the damn case,
if we actually convicted Carter Mills,
this would have never happened.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
We let a monster walk free.
You let a monster walk free.
If you ask me, we practically forced
Julia to shoot the bastard.
That is not fair. You and I both
What's not fair
is watching the man who
killed your little sister
and another young,
innocent woman walk free
because the guy trying the case
didn't have the guts to do what
was necessary to get a conviction.
♪
That's what's not fair.
♪
You wanna offer man 1?
If we take Julia at her
word on the rape allegation,
I think it is reasonable
to conclude that
she was acting under the influence
of extreme emotional disturbance.
Not to mention, there's
a really good chance
the jury's gonna buy
her self-defense story,
and she walks.
Are you doing this because you think
it's the right legal move?
Or to placate Sam,
to make amends for
the Carter Mills trial?
It's the right move, Nick.
You didn't answer my question.
It is the right legal move.
If you say so.
We appreciate the offer,
but let's be honest.
There isn't a juror
alive that wants to punish
Julia for what she did.
We're not here to debate
whether Carter Mills
was a good man. We know he wasn't.
But murder is still murder.
Having said that, in light
of the highly emotional
circumstances surrounding this event,
we are willing to accept
a guilty plea to man 1.
We'll discuss and get back to you.
- You have 24 hours.
- Okay.
[PHONE BUZZES]
I need to take this real quick.
I'll be right back.
[DOOR SHUTS]
I just wanna say, I feel
terrible about everything.
He should have never walked
out of that damn courtroom.
I know what Carter did to your sister.
And I
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I'm so sorry.
I can't believe how stupid I was.
I feel like such a fool.
He thought he could
do whatever he wanted.
He thought that he was above the law.
That's why I did what I did.
That's why I waited outside
his damn condo so that I
I-I didn't mean to say that.
Shh, shh.
Stop talking.
♪
Hey.
Um
just got a text from Paymor.
Julia wants to accept the plea.
But there is something you should know.
After the meeting this
afternoon, Julia and I
talked for a minute.
I told her I felt awful about
what had happened to her.
She got very emotional.
She said, uh
she said that she felt like a fool
for believing in his innocence.
And, uh, then she said something
she didn't mean to say.
And she was just so
emotional that, uh
well, she accidentally confessed
to waiting outside Carter's
building prior to killing him.
Which means she lied on the stand.
Yeah.
And she and Carter didn't just, um,
didn't just happen to
cross paths that night.
Well, you were right.
This was premeditated.
This was an assassination.
- On paper, anyway.
- On paper?
Based on the letter of the law.
All right.
So how do you wanna proceed?
Uh, are you asking what I would do
or what I think you wanna do?
No, I'm asking for your opinion.
Okay.
Um, well, we have two choices.
I mean, I can testify
as a rebuttal witness
and tell the jury
what Julia blurted out.
Or, uh, we can both pretend that
I didn't hear what Julia just said,
accept the damn plea, and move on.
I didn't ask for choices, Sam.
I asked for an opinion,
for your opinion.
Yeah.
Well, my opinion is we
accept the damn plea.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Just because we can win the case
based on the letter of the
law doesn't mean we need to.
♪
I agree.
Hey, Sam.
Yeah?
Thanks for being so honest.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]