A serious crime has been committed. The partners look up at the vandalism done to their billboard ad. The horror. Someone had sprayed painted a mustache on Nick’s face. It’s quite a light moment to the start of another moving episode. Nick has Pete paid a guy to have it fixed, while he heads to court.
A case that Judge White is about to sentence catches Nick’s attention. The defendant Laura Reid is going to jail for 6 months, for driving with negligence, resulting in the death of a jogger. She was devastated. What’s going to happen to her daughter?.
Nick is sympathetic. He talks with Benny Hapwood the lawyer about her case. Nick offers his help to get her out of jail, so her 9-year-old daughter Katie does not have to be in foster care. Later, he would enlist the aid of his estranged wife Jessica to take her in temporarily.
Meanwhile, Pete’s new client Walter Hutton is in a bit of a panic. Desperately in need of money, he stole $10,000 from work, while the boss was away on vacation, to bet it all at the racetrack. He won $4000. Now that his boss was back, all he wants to do was return the money, but he is more afraid of what his boss might do to him. If he’s found out. He’s facing a grand larceny charge and he could get 2 to 10 years in jail. He didn’t know what to do, so he just handed Pete all the cash, including $4000 in winnings.
With Judge Owens’ help, Nick got the case to be reopened, except the District Attorney’s office wants to add an additional charge of vehicular manslaughter, citing that the defendant was talking on a cellphone at the time of the accident. The case may be reopened, but it’s going to be tried in District court. It’s a serious offense. It found guilty, the defendant may face 4 years in jail.
Nick breaks the news to Laura, telling her that he is going to represent her. She said that she can’t even afford to be in jail for 6 months. She is worried what will happen to her daughter. She will take back her plea and stand trial again.
Judge Owens presides over the case himself.
The night of the accident, Laura was driving 31 miles per hour along 25 mile per hour zone, so speed was not a factor. Nick can prove that Laura was not on the phone when she hit the victim.
Pete is working with ADA Meredith Kramer on settling his case out of court. The ill-gotten gains comes from laundered funds, she tells him that his client stands to lose $4000 to the state. Pete comes back citing a precedent whereby both parties should get an equal share of the winnings. She concedes. Return the $10,000 and the state takes $2000 and Hutton will have to spend a day in jail or paid $1000 bail.
Pete also goes to Walter’s boss at the jewelry store to negotiate for a better settlement. He’s OK with getting the money back, the man wants ten percent -- $1000.
ADA Cole is losing the case to Nick and he angrily states that Mrs. Reid still wasn’t careful driving. A person was killed.
Judge Owens doesn’t want to hear closing statements. He is ready to rule. The state has failed to prove manslaughter, but the original misdemeanor charge stands. The judge finds the defendant negligent and sentence Laura Reid to 7 days with time served. She was free to go.
In a tender moment, young Katie gives Nick a hug to show her gratitude.
To show how grateful he is, Walter Hutton gives Pete a $500 ticket he had bet on a horse.
I’m glad to have caught the only episode I missed in rerun.
This episode really established the antagonism that ADA Cole has for Nick and Pete. He’s nasty with them.
I didn’t recognize Robert Pine as the judge on the park bench Pete asked about the case precedent.
There were some really nice moments.
1) The hapless Mr. Hapwood being dragged up hill on the links to admit his fault on the Reid case to Judge Owens.
2) The jewelry store owner intimidating Pete to tell him who robbed him.
3) Katie hugging Nick. - This moved me to tears.
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