Presumed Innocent (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

My name is Rusty Sabich, and I
am the prosecutor in this trial.
Sitting over there is the accused,
James McDavid, and I can tell you
that he sits there not guilty
because that is what our
constitution demands.
Now, I will present evidence to show you
that the accused committed this crime.
And should you find
that to be likely
likely you got
to vote not guilty.
Should you find that to be very
likely, you have to set him free.
My job is to prove guilt
beyond a reasonable doubt
and being on a jury,
that is a high calling.
And being entrusted with the prosecution,
satisfying the burden of proof,
that is also a high calling.
I will live up to my duty, and
I ask that you rise up to yours.
Let's do our jobs, shall we?
["Handclapping Song" playing]
That's way high.
Way, way, way high. Come on.
Give me some more. Just
focus. Take a breath.
Hey, just take a breath.
You're rushing it
all. Just breathe.
How's it going out there?
[Rusty] Whoa, nice.
I heard something about
runners on second and third.
Whoa, not the testicles!
- [laughs]
- [Rusty] Nasty!
Hey, guys, I thought
we said no curveballs.
[Rusty] Let the boy pitch,
hon. Just let the boy pitch.
- Dad.
- [Rusty] Yeah?
It's Raymond.
You threw a couple
great ones today.
[grunts]
There must be some new
poll out or something.
You have got to be kidding me.
[teen] Daddy suggested it.
[Rusty] Hey.
When?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be
right I'll be right there.
[breathing shakily]
Barbara, can I talk
to you for a second?
Yeah. Sure.
Yeah?
Carolyn Polhemus was murdered.
[breathing heavily]
Wh-Wh-When?
I don't know. I have to I'm
gonna I have to go. I'll be back.
[sighs deeply]
[siren wails]
[camera shutter clicks]
You don't wanna go
in there. It's bad.
All right. Make
sure you glove up.
[shutter clicking]
[door closes]
I should take the case,
'cause something of this stature
should be either Rusty or me,
- and Rusty's too close.
- No, I need to be in charge.
A-And why is that, exactly?
Well, first of all, because
Raymond asked me to be,
and he still is the district attorney,
Nico, however much you want that title.
And second, I'm better
than Tommy, so
Okay, look. For the record,
until I win the election
and I'm going to win I will remain
your loyal and trusted servant.
It's Rusty's case, all right?
Tommy, you cannot see
straight on things. Admit it.
Your view is likely obstructed
by Nico's sphincter.
- You dismiss me at your peril.
- [Raymond] Fuck off.
I just want the best lawyer
for the job, and it's Rusty.
[sighs]
Eugenia, can you, uh, please ask
Rigo to meet me in my office?
Okay, yeah.
Oh, fuck.
- [scoffs]
- I know.
I know.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Rigo, what do you got?
Um, PD's on forensics,
night of timeline,
last known contacts.
Where are we starting?
Uh, recent releases.
TCS parolees.
Jesus.
- You think it was revenge?
- I don't know. Who knows?
I don't I don't know.
Um, when the labs come in,
can you just make sure that
they they come only to me?
To me only. Not
to Molto or Delay.
Yeah, you got it.
[reporter] One of Raymond
Horgan's top lieutenants,
a tough prosecutor with
political aspirations of her own,
Miss Polhemus was reportedly
bludgeoned to death in her home,
her housekeeper discovering her body
shortly after ten o'clock this morning.
And it's been a rough day on Wall
Street with prices on the Dow
[Nico] Our hearts go out to
Carolyn and her loving family.
We're all quite rightly
stunned and rattled
by such a grotesque and
heartless act of violence.
And to the public at large, we
hear your anguish and your fear
because we feel it too.
It is difficult for the
citizenry to feel safe
when we can't even protect
our own prosecutors.
- [scoffs] Wow. Such a dick.
- [Nico] We have to do better.
- We must do better, frankly.
- [scoffs]
- He's not wasting any time, is he?
- No.
[Nico] We owe that, not
only to Carolyn Polhemus,
but to her friends and family
that will never see her a
[exhales deeply]
You okay?
[clears throat] Yeah.
[sighs] Yeah.
Oh, Rusty.
[breathing shakily]
[kisses]
I will try and be
here for you
But I can't do the memorial.
[Rusty] I understand.
[Raymond] Thanks
for coming today.
Thanks for
[bells tolling]
Thank you.
How are we doing?
Same as you, I guess.
You know anything more?
No, not much, but
I got Rigo on it.
You know, the clock
is ticking on this,
and my expiration date
is in the crosshairs.
Oh, well, don't worry. We're
gonna find out who did this.
Who's our ME?
Painless.
- Kumagai. Jesus fucking Christ.
- Raymond.
Rusty.
- Delay.
- I don't like being called that.
Just a joke.
This press conference, Nico.
Please, can we not
do this right here?
Fuck off. Teeing up Carolyn's
murder for political gain.
Hey. Raymond, let's
not do this right now.
- Fuck you too, Tommy.
- This is beneath us.
- Just shut the fuck up.
- This is beneath us.
Nothing's beneath me. I
once fucked an ottoman.
The Lord is nigh unto them
that are of broken heart,
who are pressed and bored
down with afflictions,
by the sorrow of heart under
which their spirits are broken
or with a sense of
sin and sorrow for it
by which their
hearts smite them
- Her ex.
- and they are wounded by it
- You ever meet him?
- No.
- and broken with it.
- Fucking weirdo.
[priest] These are just words.
[Rusty] He has an alibi.
- Carolyn Polhemus was flesh and blood
- Who's the kid next to him?
- beloved daughter
- Her son.
mother, public servant.
[Raymond] You didn't know?
[priest] Words cannot
convey the loss
or ease our grief.
We tell ourselves we keep her
in our hearts and our minds.
- Sorry, Raymond, I'm just gonna
- Yeah, yeah.
[priest] Ash would
not be just ash.
Her dust will not be just dust.
Her memory will fill us.
[Rusty] It just seems strange that she
would never mention that she had a kid.
And the ex has custody?
I'm assuming he does. Yeah.
Listen, please tell me that we
have some kind of a lead on this,
and that we are not
absolutely out to fucking sea.
I have I have an idea.
- Okay.
- Bunny Davis.
Reynolds? We convicted that guy.
Yeah, but Carolyn and I
worked that case together.
So you're saying that we put
an innocent man behind bars
only to have the real killer
kill one of our prosecutors?
Great. That'll get
me fucking reelected.
[both sigh]
The two of them were tied
up in exactly the same way.
Do you really think
there's a connection?
You asked if we were out at sea.
- [grunts]
- [ball thuds]
Dad?
[grunts]
How come you're home?
I was at Carolyn's memorial.
- [grunts]
- [ball thuds]
You wanna try some?
Come on. Let's see the
curveball. Come on.
Show me the curveball.
[sighs]
- [grunts]
- [ball thuds]
Again. Let's see it again.
[grunts]
[thunder rumbles]
[Rusty] Blunt force trauma to the head.
That's the official cause of death.
[Kumagai] Read the
report. I sent it over.
I did. There's no chemistry, pathology,
toxicology. Wasn't very thorough.
Wow. Go fuck yourself.
I am a medical doctor,
and you will give me your respect
while you're in this room.
No wounds that would imply
that she was stabbed.
- No, she wasn't stabbed.
- And no signs of sexual assault.
No, and you'd know that if you'd
read the report all the way through.
I swear to God,
you fucking people.
[chuckles]
Excuse me?
I said, uh, "you," and I said
"fucking," and I said "people."
I need to go finish
my lunch, so
It was great seeing ya,
Sabich. Uh, enjoy the sights.
[Carolyn] Liam Reynolds has
been watching Bunny Davis.
He knows that a $12 baggie of heroin
can get him anything he wants,
so he tricks her
into his motel room.
And over the course of that
week, he keeps her high.
So high that he has to give her
Narcan on three different occasions
to revive her.
Bunny Davis dies three times
while she's with Reynolds.
And he revives her three times.
She's too drugged to resist, but
not so drugged she can't feel it.
And when he runs out of drugs
and can no longer sedate her,
he hog-ties her for three days.
Three days with a rope around your
neck, pulling you, choking you.
Bunny Davis was a daughter
a sister
a friend.
Bunny Davis was 26 years old
when she found herself hog-tied
in a dirty motel with a monster,
and she is praying
pleading
that this is the kind of man
who will just let her go.
But no.
This man, Liam Reynolds, is the
kind of man who does this
and this
and this.
[Tommy] You remember
Bunny Davis?
Uh, yeah.
Carolyn was tied up in
a in a similar way.
All right. Well, you think
there's a connection?
[Tommy] Apparently,
Rusty thinks there's one.
Yeah, but Liam
Reynolds is in prison.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Well, you know,
it's not our case.
Not yet.
[gate buzzes]
I don't think this is our guy.
It's, uh It's
totally plausible
that he could have gotten
someone on the outside to do it.
That's a stretch.
Different MO. The other victim
was stabbed in the heart.
Carolyn was bludgeoned.
It was a fire poker, by the way.
Really?
Yeah, she had a whole
wrought-iron fireplace set.
[inhales deeply]
Poker's missing.
It would, uh, match the wounds.
- Really?
- [officer] You're good.
[Rigo] Makes me think it just
happened. It wasn't planned.
[Rusty] It just happened?
It was meticulous.
[Rigo] No, she was
tied up meticulous.
Not so much the murder.
Sounds like something
I'd do. [chuckles]
Sounds like something I'd enjoy.
So, am I a suspect?
[sniffs, scoffs]
I mean [chuckles] hope so.
It's pretty fucking
boring around here.
Will I get to go back to
court, put on a tie, dress up?
What, are you [stammers] looking
for some kind of revelation?
Fuck off.
She was about notches on
her belt, which I was one.
So, if you want a statement from me,
I got a statement for you. "Yippee."
Or no, here's a
here's a better one.
Here's a better one from me.
"What goes around comes around."
Are you done?
I'd gladly crater her skull.
[scoffs, sniffing]
You're a thoughtful guy, yeah?
Okay. So, let's just say,
for the sake of argument
yours, not mine
you're a thoughtful guy
serving a life sentence.
Not Carolyn's doing, by the way.
And that if you had
any information at all,
I think you might
find it advantageous
that you're sitting across from
the chief deputy prosecutor.
What do you wanna do?
You wanna go keep doing whatever it
is that you're doing around here?
Let me ask you something.
Do you actually think
that I had something to do with the
death of your revered colleague?
I think I think that
you would be intrigued
by the commonalities
between Bunny and her.
And that if you had
anything to share at all,
now might be an opportune time.
Carolyn Polhemus.
Carolyn Polhemus
ruined my life.
You helped.
[juror] We, the jury in
the above-titled case,
find the defendant, Liam Reynolds,
guilty of murder in the first degree.
[spectators clamoring] Yes!
There's two things
that I never forget.
- Faces, and being fucked over!
- [spectators gasping]
[inhales deeply]
[Raymond] As beloved
as Carolyn was,
she also made a lot of enemies.
She was an
unflinching prosecutor
who put a lot of very
bad people in prison.
Some possibly
looking to get even.
It's every prosecutor's
worst fantasy
that someone you convict
comes looking for revenge.
Violent criminals with grudges is
not something you want to cultivate.
Things aren't okay the way they
are. There's a lot of fear.
People don't feel safe,
and people are anxious. And
they've got good reason to be,
because Raymond Horgan is not doing a
good-enough job of keeping things safe,
and that's something
that we intend to change.
And right now, people don't feel
free and they don't feel safe.
So, in two weeks, Chicago,
get out there and vote.
[doorbell rings]
Mr. Caldwell, I'm I'm sorry for
just, uh, turning up like this.
- My name is Rusty Sabich.
- I know who you are.
Carolyn spoke of you.
I tried calling.
Police have already been here.
Could I just have
a word with you?
[sighs]
We divorced over nine years ago. We
haven't really kept in close touch.
[Rusty] And do you know anything
about her personal life?
I do not.
Do you?
Her life was work, so
the people at her work
would be in a much
better position to know.
Really, the reason we divorced.
You, uh You worked
quite closely with her,
from what I understand.
She was my number two.
I never knew that
she had a child.
[scoffs]
Yeah, sometimes what you don't
know can tell you everything.
[door opens, closes]
Carolyn was a-a very
compartmentalized person.
I'm sure there are many things
about her that remain unknown to me.
Whatever I did see and know is
what she wanted seen and known.
If you're wondering
whether I killed her,
the police have already satisfied
themselves that I didn't.
[door closes]
Uh, my son, Michael.
Mr. Sabich.
Hello, Michael. I'm
sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
He's angry
at the world, at his
mother, at at me.
His family unit failed.
I'm sure he blames
me for that failure.
[breathes shakily]
Okay, everyone.
Let's get started.
Um, listen, I know that
we're all struggling.
We're going through some
very, uh, hard times.
Carolyn was a a really special
person, one of our core team.
Look, it's okay to hurt.
And, uh, it's okay if
you can't carry on.
That's human nature.
But it's also human nature
to support each other.
You know, to be compassionate.
What's the, uh What's
Sorry.
What's the news on that
front, Carolyn's murder?
Uh, well, we haven't gotten
the whole full path report.
Um
On Carolyn's clothes and
body, there were, uh,
minute fibers of a carpeting that
were not found in her apartment.
They were synthetic,
milled domestically.
The color is called
Scottish malt.
The dye lot hasn't
been identified
and the fiber could be from either
industrial or domestic weave
Color's called Scottish malt.
Narrows it down.
Um, there was also probably no
struggle before she was killed,
so no sign of break-in, which
suggests that Carolyn knew her killer.
And the autopsy concludes
three blows to the head.
And what's this with the rope?
It's just standard half-inch,
American-made hemp.
Right. Which can be
found almost anywhere.
Target, Walgreens, Home Depot.
So, when you say that this investigation
is nowhere, you really mean it.
Is that what you plan
to report to Delay,
so you can call a press conference
and declare incompetence?
Your incompetence is
on full parade today.
Wow, you you really can be
a real dick, can't you, Tommy?
I guess this ends the compassionate
portion of the evening.
Tommy, can I talk to you?
What the fuck was that, Tommy?
- What?
- You think that that's productive?
I wasn't aware that's
what we were going for.
- You know what?
- I know a lot.
Uh-uh. You know what, I'm tired of
your fucking insubordination, okay?
And if I find that you have been
blocking my investigation, I
Blocking [stammers]
You have carpet fibers.
The case is basically solved.
Are you fucking kidding me?
You wanna take me on?
You wanna take me on?
- No.
- You think that would be a good idea?
Hmm?
How do you think that'll
work out for you, Tommy?
[chuckles] You're upset.
Yeah.
Fuck.
Mr. Sabich, any comments
on the Polhemus case?
I'm not at liberty
to comment right now.
This is an ongoing
investigation,
- but I can tell you that this office
- Way to go, Rusty. Come on.
is hard at work, and Raymond
Horgan is very hard at work.
And the idea that we're
doing nothing is offensive.
I mean, I understand that that's an idea
that Nico Della Guardia wants to convey
because it's politically
advantageous for him to stoke fear.
But Nico Della Guardia hasn't tried an
actual case in this courtroom for years.
- He pleads everything out.
- Get 'em!
[Rusty] His methodology of choice
is to just stall and stall and stall
until the defendant's
lawyers have to quit
'cause their clients
can't pay them anymore.
It's one thing to be a hack. It's
another thing to be dishonorable.
But to be both is
Nico Della Guardia is known around
here as Nico "Delay" Guardia
because he stalls
and he pleads out.
And just one last thing.
Just one last thing.
If you were headed down a dark
alley and danger lay ahead
- [scoffs]
- who would you want in your corner?
A pleader and a staller
- That little fuck.
- like Nico Della Guardia,
or a fighter like
Raymond Horgan?
[Barbara] Please don't tell me you're
personally handling Carolyn's case.
Right?
Rusty?
Raymond asked me to.
Raymond asked you to.
[sighs]
If I don't take it, then it falls
to Tommy Molto, who will do nothing
because this going unsolved dooms
Raymond's chances of reelection.
I mean, should Della Guardia win, then
he'll give Tommy my job, by the way.
And what if it gets out
[stammers] That you
two were involved.
I mean, what's that
gonna do to your case,
your career and our kids?
Me?
It has been over for so
long between me and Carolyn.
I just need two weeks, because
between now and the primary,
Raymond needs there
to be a case, Barbara.
And I am the only one in the
position to deliver that.
[inhales deeply] What, he can't find a
prosecutor who hasn't slept with her?
I'm sorry.
[sighs]
[sighs]
Our marriage barely
survived this.
I barely survived this.
I know you, Rusty.
[sighs] You will
disappear into this case.
[sighs] You will disappear
and you will go silent.
And that'll break me.
[exhales deeply]
My father cheated
on my mother
and, uh
I swore to myself that
I would never do that.
[scoffs] And now I'm here.
Why do you think it happened?
I don't know. You know,
it wasn't about the sex.
I mean, it became about that.
But I mean, with Barbara, that's
that's what it was at first.
I mean, B and I met
when we were 20.
She was pregnant
six months later,
and then there was Jaden
and and then there was Kyle.
And so we were
just we were in.
When we laid down to bed [stammers]
you know, we lay with all of our worries.
You know, the kids' troubles
at school, my caseload.
With Carolyn, it was just pure.
She just woke me up, you know?
She was funny and strong, and
she was brilliant, Carolyn.
Just fucking
brilliant. [chuckles]
You know what I can't make sense of,
and maybe you can help me understand?
There was something about
that first encounter
[sighs] I just
keep thinking about.
I mean, maybe what she was
drawn to wasn't just me.
Meaning?
Do you think she was
drawn to your power?
Well, that doesn't
sound very loving.
[sighs]
But it was.
I'm trying to teach
you something.
- You're not listening.
- I'm trying to learn.
- You're not listening.
- I'm I'm half listening.
Mm-hmm.
Kind of miss the old days,
where, if two consenting adults wanted to
touch each other, they could just touch.
[sighs]
We were very physical.
She was very aggressive.
- Uh, she liked it when I was aggressive.
- [panting, kissing]
You're talking
about the sex now?
["Crazy" playing]
And sometimes when Carolyn
and I would engage in ways
that B and I never did,
Carolyn would look at
me and she would say,
"Does Barbara do this for you?"
Almost like she wanted to
bring her into the bed with us.
Like she wanted her
to be in bed with us.
Like she wanted one more witness
to what I was willing to lose.
Is that a sentiment that
you've shared with Barbara?
Don't.
[Rusty pants]
- [pants]
- [Carolyn] Does Barbara do this for you?
- [panting, kissing]
- [grunting, kissing]
[moaning]
[grunts] Fuck.
Fuck!
I can't stop thinking about her.
["Crazy" ends]
[crowd cheering]
[chanting] Della Guardia.
Thank you.
- What [chuckling]
- [chanting continues]
- What a wonderful night.
- [cheers]
But look, let's remember,
friends, only the beginning.
[chanting continues]
I would also like to thank
my wonderful friend and noble
adversary, Raymond Horgan.
- [crowd booing]
- Thank you No, no, no.
He has served this city
so faithfully for so long.
- But wonderful and noble.
- [mocking] So faithfully for so long.
He's my dear friend Raymond.
- My dear friend Raymond.
- My heart and love go out to him.
So, Raymond Horgan,
thank you, please.
- [crowd cheers]
- Yeah.
But you know, look,
that's the past and
we're here for the
[crowd] Future!
Does this mean
you're out tonight?
I mean, I still have a job, but
I'm not chief deputy prosecutor.
That's Tommy, right?
Yes. It's Tommy Molto.
[Nico] are you with me?
- [Kyle] Fuck 'em.
- Okay, yeah.
- Kyle.
- Fuck them.
Honestly, I mean, look at 'em.
I mean, he's not wrong.
You wouldn't wanna be there
with these guys in charge.
Okay. Well, where would I go?
- [Jaden] Mmm
- What would I do?
What about the case?
I don't know. [sighs]
[Barbara clears throat]
How'd it go with Dr. Rush?
You would have liked it.
She completely took your side.
Of course she did.
I'm the "cuckoldee."
I am sorry about the election
and your job.
I'm almost relieved, you know?
Thank you for sticking by me.
It's not lost on me
that I'm, you know
The stickiest?
You know, I'm not
tragically dependent.
I could have left.
I could have moved
on. I still could.
The reason I haven't
is we have a family
and if I'm desperate for
anything, it's to preserve that.
Oh, and I love you.
There's that. [breathes shakily]
I will fight You
and I will fight
to save what we have
because we have got a lot.
But you need to stop loving her.
You need to stop loving her.
[Raymond] I called Nico.
Congratulated him on both his
victory and a race well-fought.
I also told him that I would
be stepping down immediately,
as it will allow him to
enjoy a bit of incumbency
before the general election.
Add to that, a
lame-duck prosecutor
really can't serve the
best interests of our city.
[elevator dings]
Rigo, hey.
Hey, how you doing?
[scoffs] I don't know.
Yeah. Well, sorry.
What are you doing here?
Hall and Oates want a
debrief on some cases.
Oh, some cases? [chuckles]
Hey, you gonna hang in okay?
- Always.
- See ya.
[grunts]
- [knocking]
- Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey.
[exhales heavily] Wow, couldn't
get out of here fast enough, huh?
Yeah. Well, if you believe the press, I
don't really have that much time here.
It's like a champion stud
going out to pasture.
If only the stud part
still worked. [chuckles]
[chuckles] You ready?
What, for pasture?
No, for this meeting.
Oh, with Tweedledum
and Tweedledumber.
[chuckling]
Mmm. [groans]
Okay.
You've seen the look
on my face. Happy?
[laughs] Please. Come
on, Raymond. Take a seat.
You too, Rusty.
And close the door.
First off, I just wanna thank you
for your gracious remarks last night.
They were very
moving, very kind.
Oh, fuck off.
[chuckles]
Your previous public comments,
however, saddened me.
Sorry you feel that way.
So, Tommy's gonna assume the
role of chief deputy prosecutor,
effective immediately.
Uh, it goes without saying,
you'll just pass on your case list
and charging notes and calendar
files, and blah-blah-blah.
And then given the compounding public
interest in the Carolyn Polhemus case
The fire you flamed
like a shameless fuck?
Where are we on that?
I mean, I gave Tommy
the full report.
Actually, I don't think you did.
There's a a couple
things are missing here.
[Rusty] Like what?
Um, the fingerprint
analysis, for starters.
I'm still waiting on that.
It's available.
[clears throat]
So you have been tampering?
Well, I mean, it's my
investigation now. [chuckles]
Several sets of fingerprints were found
in her apartment, including yours.
So, when was the last time you
were in Carolyn's apartment?
I was at the scene
following her death.
But you were gloved up
[stammers] right?
And your fingerprints
were found in her bedroom.
No one saw you enter that room.
So, when was the last time you
were in Carolyn's apartment
prior to the murder?
Uh, we had cases together trials
and sometimes we would work after hours,
and sometimes we would
be at her apartment.
So you discussed cases
at her apartment?
We were work colleagues.
So, I looked at Carolyn's
call logs on her cell phone.
- You two had quite a few calls together.
- What is What is the point of this?
The point is, I'm
trying to find out
when the last time you were in
Carolyn's apartment prior to the murder.
And you said, uh, that you
worked on cases together there.
Do I need a lawyer present
at this meeting? [chuckles]
What was the last case the
two of you worked on together?
I'm sorry, am I under
criminal investigation here?
Listen, I'm the new
chief deputy prosecutor.
I'm looking to be briefed
by the former chief deputy.
I have questions.
It's normal.
Um
Were you and Carolyn
romantically involved?
You want me to
repeat the question?
[breathes shakily]
Um, my personal, uh, relationship
with Carolyn Polhemus
is not relevant to
this investigation.
Are you shitting me?
- You're a hack, Tommy.
- Hey, Rusty.
I certainly stand corrected for
having accused you of incompetence
in this investigation.
Seems it was deliberate,
bordering on artful.
- You're a fucking hack, Tommy.
- Hey, maybe
You're a fucking hack.
Rusty, maybe you should
keep your mouth shut.
[Tommy] Here's
the thing. [sighs]
Full path report came back on
Carolyn's murder and she was pregnant.
Were you aware that Carolyn was
pregnant at the time of the murder?
No.
[Tommy] Do you have any idea
who the father might be?