Carmichael, you were fun to watch
as a prosecutor. You'd take a hit,
and you'd bounce back with a knockout.
You can handle this.
Do I have daddy issues?
My boy. The prodigal. [LAUGHS]
- [THUD]
- Uh, yeah.
I need to know what being
by myself feels like.
You are a good man, Luke Watkins.
It's about time someone did
something nice for you.
- [ALARM RINGING]
- MAN OVER P.A.: Lockdown protocol is in effect.
[GRUNTING AND SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
Off! Now!
He's got no place in here! Aah!
It's "they," you jackass!
[ALARM CONTINUES RINGING]
- Are you Jax Hopkins?
- I can take care of myself.
Great, but I'm here for transport.
Someone should set his a*s on fire.
- [HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
- Maybe not the best thing to say
- when you're on trial for arson.
- [CHUCKLES]
- That is no excuse.
- It's the truth, Your Honor.
I was doing so well, Mr. Morton.
You are my last participant,
and I was rockin' through my docket
like I'm plugged
into a socket. Am I right?
To rhyme? No, Your Honor.
Mr. Morton, is Mr. Cruz
seriously claiming
to have done zero of
his days' community service
because his dog ate the paperwork?
Dogs eat things, Your Honor.
Mine's partial to soap.
No extensions, Mr. Cruz. Instead
of days, you'll do .
County. Defendant is remanded.
MAN: Stand up.
Put your hands behind your back.
[HANDCUFFS CLICKING, RADIO CHATTER]
Ma'am, there in the gallery,
please stand.
Have you been here all morning?
Uh, no. Only about minutes.
Let's toss in a "Your Honor" next time,
if you don't mind.
And welcome to my courtroom.
- First time?
- Yes, Your Honor.
On a scale of to , how am I doing?
- Tough question, Your Honor.
- Oh. How so?
Am I evaluating how you're doing your job
or the effect your jobs
had today, Your Honor?
[LOWERED VOICE] You're in
the end zone, Your Honor.
Spike the ball.
That's my mother... Roxy.
- [GASPS] Oh.
- Recess.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
- Hey, Mama. Come on back.
Hi, Lo.
- It's okay. We don't bite.
- [SIGHS]
♪♪♪
Hey.
Why aren't you in
Judge Carmichael's courtroom?
Light morning. Swapped out.
- Gave me a chance to say hi.
- Hi.
MAN: [OVER RADIO] Watkins,
new custody offenders arriving.
- Copy that. Catch you later.
- Yeah. I'd like that. Yeah.
Whatever that was, it's new.
- It's nothing.
- Doesn't look like nothing.
Jax, did they put you in
with the men again?
Yep. When I informed my Incel-mates
that I use "they-them" pronouns,
some of them didn't like it much.
I will do everything I can
to make sure the jury
doesn't feel that way.
Never expected to get a PD
who cared about a homeless arsonist.
I just see someone
who survived on the street
since they were .
If this trial goes bad, the upside is
I'm off the street for
the first time since .
The DA is demanding this be a felony.
They won't let me plea it out.
For setting one dumb fire?
Um, can you still be my lawyer
if I confess to you?
As long as you don't perjure yourself,
it's on the people to make their case,
and I don't think they can prove
that you lit that sock
and threw it over the fence.
They can't even prove
that you had the sock.
All they've got is a cop
who picked you up at your encampment
an hour after the fire was reported,
claiming you reeked of gasoline
while sitting next to a kerosene lamp.
Sounds good, putting it like that.
That's how I'm gonna put it,
but, Jax, it's a serious charge.
A strike plus four years max in State.
At least Ms. Robinson's in my corner.
- Did she show?
- She texted me.
She's here. I'm sitting with her later.
Is it true her daughter's a judge here?
- Yeah.
- Any chance we can get her?
- [CHUCKLES]
- ROXY: Impressive.
Certainly an upgrade
from the DDAs' offices.
- How's Daddy?
- Oh, same as ever.
He's in San Diego
at a conference this week.
- Uhura?
- You know she's my hero.
Well, why not someone
who actually lives to fight,
like, uh, Angela Davis?
That's what the mirror is for.
Oh, so you're Angela Davis now.
- I'm trying.
- By being a judge
in a system biased
against your race and gender?
That my presence here starts to change.
- Make sure it's not just optics.
- It's not.
It happens when you're not looking.
It was a gift... Uhura.
From Mark, no doubt.
[CHUCKLES] You know
he's gonna cross-examine me.
- And how are you feeling about that?
- Or should I bring up
that I once co-signed a lease for him?
[LAUGHS] It would certainly
throw Mark off his game.
[SIGHS]
- Funny.
- What's that?
It took a defendant
to get you in the building.
- Well, I've been busy, Lo.
- I know.
At DayHome with at-risk youth like Jax.
- I've been working with them.
- And they are lucky for it.
Um...
I'm gonna grab some lunch
before I meet Ms. Lopez.
How do I get out of here?
It's a maze. I'll take you
down the judges' elevator.
You have your own entrance?
So did I, growing up.
You sure about this?
Arson case starts today.
I know. I'm trying it.
So you are trying it, even though
Judge Carmichael's
mother's on the witness list.
She's a character witness,
- not presenting evidence. It'll be fine.
- Some character to witness.
Jax Hopkins tried to incinerate
a city block to save land
he already wasn't allowed
to be living on.
Destroyed a pile of lumber
and a construction trailer
before LAFD response.
I hear you. Could have
gotten out of hand.
Remember the Skirball fire?
Burned acres
and almost my parents' house.
Started at a homeless encampment, I know.
Now they're everywhere...
streets, parks, in tents, cars.
Boss, not everyone
without a roof over their head
is trying to incinerate the city.
DA wants to send a message
that that people
experiencing homelessness
can't use violence
to solve their problems.
Case is yours unless you think
you can't handle Roxanne Robinson.
I got it, boss.
[TELEPHONE RINGS IN DISTANCE]
[ELEVATOR DOOR DINGS]
Oh.
Hold that, please.
Thank you.
Judge Benner, this is my mother Roxy.
And, Mom, this is my boss.
Judge Carmichael is one
of our rising stars.
It was my mission to get her the robe.
Then thank you.
And today that robe shall collect dust.
Finished docket. No case...
Which is why I put you
on search warrant duty.
Detectives will come to your chambers.
Probably some already there.
[SIGHS] I was this close
to having the afternoon
to catch up on work.
So instead, you get to decide
whose privacy to invade.
SARA: A free afternoon.
A trial-free afternoon.
So much transcribing for me
to catch up on.
Your enthusiasm... it's commendable.
[RUMBLING]
[RUMBLING CONTINUES]
- [LOUD THUD, ALARM RINGS]
- [GASPS]
- [RUMBLING INTENSIFIES]
- Under that desk now! Now!
[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
[ALARM CONTINUES RINGING]
[GASPS]
[WHIMPERING]
Charlie, Bubba, Rufus, Bimbo.
Growing up, my husband told her
when she got scared,
to think of all the pets she had.
- Cats?
- Fish.
[GASPS]
[RUMBLING STOPS, ALARM STOPS RINGING]
- [ELEVATOR RESUMES WHIRRING]
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
You had a fish named Bimbo?
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
♪♪♪
Is that even the right thing to do,
the doorway thingy?
Where's the floor warden?
They should be here instructing us.
- It was Florence.
- Florence the JA
who called from Rio to say she quit?
- That Florence?
- Yeah. Not the best choice
for the person in charge of saving us all
when the big one hits.
I don't think Benner's
reassigned it to anyone.
Oh, that was my first inside quake
that I remember, at least.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
We're okay. Thanks.
Hey, if this had been the Great Shake,
what happens to me? You just let me go?
They'd take you down to holding.
You put me under the building
that's gonna fall?
That's reassuring. [SCOFFS]
SHERRI: No floor warden is unacceptable.
Lives are at stake. We need someone now
with encyclopedic knowledge
of the building.
Who's ready to rise to the challenge.
Who can lead and listen while
the world crumbles around them.
And can wear the cool reflecty vest
that comes with the gig.
BOTH: I'll do it.
I'm the... obvious choice.
And I'm the inspired one.
Give me a chance to prove
I can serve and protect
as well as anyone else around here.
Oh.
It's on, Kansky.
Castillo.
♪♪♪
Please do not touch the items on my desk.
Technically, they fell off your desk.
Putting it right for you.
You okay, Ms. Kansky?
My quake tracker put it at a . ,
epicentered in Redlands.
- A little close for comfort.
- Why are you here?
For Judge Carmichael... to sign.
Warrant duty. Right. Let's have a look.
[PAPERS SHUFFLING]
Carmichael. C-A-R, not C-H-A-R.
You sure?
Kidding. My bad. Sorry.
Fix it. Have someone proof it.
It's time-sensitive.
All warrants are time-sensitive.
When will Judge Carmichael be back?
When she's back.
Good morning, Mr. Landy.
How long have you owned this property
with the intention of developing it?
From the moment L.A. landed
the ' Olympics,
I had to have a hotel downtown.
And in general, what's your relationship
with the homeless population been like?
I know my projects displace them.
Almost impossible not to
with their population spiking to thou.
It's progress versus humanity,
which is why I donate
to Safe Place For Youth,
Chrysalis, and other homeless outreach.
Just wish the ones near the site
had ever stopped to ask.
So you've had problems.
Those kids have been in our face
since, well, since we asked them
to move their encampment a year ago.
Mr. Landy, do you see
any of those kids here
- in the courtroom today?
- Yes.
Can you please point
to where that person is seated?
- He's sitting right over there.
- Objection. Your Honor,
my client uses the singular
"they-them" pronoun.
I ask that all of us respect that.
He looks like a he.
Because that's what you think
a he looks like.
Jax is Jax, neither male
nor female as you define it.
But "they-them"... it's confusing.
We do it all the time, Your Honor.
"I found someone's lost dog.
I can't wait to call them.
They will be so happy."
That someone is Jax.
[SIGHS] Gonna wreak havoc
on the transcript,
but that will be sustained.
The court respects
the defendant's identity.
Okay, Mr. Landy, do you see
them in this courtroom?
That person there.
Identifying the defendant?
Did you ever have
any interaction with them?
The day before the fire.
I was at a site inspection when he...
when they yelled at my crew.
Said, "Someone should fight back."
I was worried something
like this would happen.
Did your fears prove to be well-founded?
We're here, aren't we?
Nothing further.
Ooh. Quite the day so far,
huh, Detective Kramer?
If earthquakes excite you.
They, in fact, do not.
Know where I was for it?
In the elevator with my boss
and my mother.
Sounds like something you
wake up screaming from, huh?
Not in my best interest
to answer that, Your Honor.
Point taken. So a Covert Entry...
the LeBron of search warrants.
It's a special circ, Your Honor.
You want dispensation
to break into a Bel Air mansion
specifically when the owners aren't home?
We trace property ownership
back to a Ugandan drug cartel.
Place was empty for years until recently.
We suspect that there's an arsenal inside
- and want to avoid a firefight.
- Who's the owners?
Something we're still
trying to determine.
But you've seen the arsenal?
A reliable witness has, Your Honor.
Then I would like to interview them.
Beg pardon?
Bring them in today. I miss my courtroom.
I don't think that's
in Her Honor's purview.
PC gives me the right
for a recorded oral examination
of any witness produced by the affiant.
All my years on, I've never
heard of a judge doing this.
Then I guess my being here changes that.
It'll be fun and new for the both of us.
You don't trust me, Your Honor?
I want to sign this, Detective,
but I need to know you've got it right.
♪♪♪
EMILY: I did some digging.
Does the name Steam Creek, LLC,
mean anything to you, Mr. Landy?
It's one of my corporations.
And hasn't this company you own
been investigated for
and charged with insurance fraud?
Nothing ever stuck.
How much was the insurance payout for
the lumber and construction
trailer in this case?
$ , .
Wow. And you still get
to build on the lot?
- Well, yes, but...
- Security cameras...
do you have them installed
at the site, Mr. Landy?
- Yes.
- Were they on that night?
Well, no. We were just
getting up and running.
Yet you thought one of the homeless kids
was going to do something,
so why weren't they live?
Unless you didn't want anyone
seeing who started the fire.
You know what? You already
answered that. Withdrawn.
♪♪♪
Mrs. Kelleher, you may notice
there are no lawyers present
because this is not
a matter of litigation.
It's a matter of evaluation,
and I will be doing
the questioning. Is that clear?
This was not supposed to be
part of our day,
but we are living in fear,
so yes. I am clear.
I am sorry you're scared,
so let's see if we can help you.
Please tell me what you saw, ma'am.
I was walking Willow,
and she did her business.
It's trash day, so I threw the mess
into the nearest garbage can,
where I found many
empty boxes of ammunition.
And then a moment later,
these gangsters came out.
- Gangsters?
- Rapper types.
- They had g*ns.
- Gangster rappers with g*ns.
- Just holding them?
- They were in bags.
So you didn't actually see the g*ns.
Willow barked. Mwah. And they
drove off. But I am sure of it.
And do you know who these people were?
[CHUCKLES] Goodness, no.
[SCOFFS]
- [LAUGHS]
- Thank you, Mrs. Kelleher.
This has been very enlightening.
You and Willow are excused.
I will have my decision soon,
Detective Kramer.
Tell me again what makes
you reflecty vest-worthy?
[DOOR CLOSES]
I already run this courtroom
with efficiency, order, respect.
True. And I mean this in the best way,
but you do it by making
people nervous, scared.
- I do not.
- You just scared me.
I did not.
I, on the other hand, am silk and calm,
the first class flight attendant
on a one-way trip to safety.
Exits there and there.
You're not commanding enough.
My email to Benner said different.
♪♪♪
EMILY: Callan.
- Don't say it.
- Plea this down
to the misdemeanor it has always been.
Can't and won't. I made my case.
I destroyed your witness.
Your cop couldn't put
my client at the scene,
and you've rested.
You still calling up
Roxanne Robinson after lunch?
What? Yes.
You're doing so well. Why trot her out?
'Cause Jax is someone
I have to try twice as hard for
- just to get them a fair shake.
- I cannot believe
you've got Carmichael's mother
in a courtroom.
We've spoken on the phone.
I'm gonna meet her in a few.
You'll see. Apple didn't
fall far from the tree.
Is that good, bad?
Well, as an apple
who ran like hell from mine,
- I'd say... good. Roxy's...
- Oh, she's Roxy now.
Strong, passionate,
follows her own moral center
wherever that takes her,
which isn't always where you wanna go.
Are you trying to psych me out?
Just letting you know who
you're putting on the field.
Oh. I get it now.
- What?
- You're scared of her.
[CHUCKLES]
Tell me, was that witness biased,
or am I biased against her?
Two things can exist at the same time.
Detective, I want nothing more
than to sign your warrant
and get as many g*ns
off the street as possible.
- So we're on the same page.
- I've always been on that page.
I'm just worried about civil liberties.
- For arms dealers, Your Honor?
- Homeowners.
I keep asking who's in that house.
I issue this warrant
without that information,
I put public safety
over the Fourth Amendment.
When you were a prosecutor, you loved us.
Still do, Detective.
I just love due process more.
You tell me who's in that house,
I will reconsider.
Any blood spills, it's on you.
And if I sign it and I'm wrong,
it's on me, too.
It's the right call.
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
Hey, I talked to my sergeant.
- Jax is in their own space now.
- Oh, good looking out.
Imagine knowing yourself at .
I mean, all I learned
was that I'm definitely
not linebacker material.
I mean, did you have any idea?
If you could have been a linebacker?
- No. Of who you were.
- Who I was... I was...
You know what? Don't answer now.
- Tell me over dinner tonight.
- Wow. This is short notice.
After this morning, there's
no time like the present.
No. Right. Present.
I have to get to my house
and see if my glassware survived.
Okay, did the other night...
- I kissed you.
- You did.
- And I don't regret it.
- But?
But I think I have to not
kiss you again for a while.
- Because?
- Because divorce.
Because... Because, you know...
I have to go.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]
Are you sure we're safe
being seen together outside?
We're friends.
We're allowed to be friends.
Anyway, the riffraff invaded
our secret stairwell sanctuary
'cause they're scared
to ride the elevators.
Maybe we should have met in one of them.
Been in enough for one day, thanks.
Trapped with Benner and Roxy,
one over each shoulder.
Welcome to your collective conscience
as you plummet to your certain...
That is not how I plan to meet my Maker.
- I can think of worse ways.
- Do tell.
Well, there's death
by cross-examining the woman
who was a better parent
to you than your own.
I am jealous. Give me minutes
with her under oath,
can undo a lifetime
of unresolved feelings.
Wish I could grant your request.
You're not thinking of conflicting
off this case, are you?
I'm losing, Lola.
Roxy's gonna come hard,
which means I'll have to punch back,
and I don't want to punch your mom.
You're the one person who doesn't.
I'm serious.
You can't recuse yourself mid-trial.
It's bad for the case,
even worse for your career.
- I know you're right, but...
- My mother...
- Your mother...
- Who didn't come see me in action
until someone else
brought her to the courthouse.
Poor poppet. I'll make sure
she's in the front seat
at your next recital.
- Don't make fun.
- Why not? Your mother
is out there every day
saving the world from ending up
in our building in the first place,
and now she's in there trying to
get someone out in one piece.
She may not have shown up for you enough,
but she shows up,
unlike some parental figures.
Did you call him after you clocked him?
We should be getting back.
Hmm. Now who's the poor poppet?
And what the hell is a poppet anyway?
ROXY: Public defender in the public eye.
No back room deals. That's how
all justice should play out.
It's... Well, mostly it's because
I don't really have my own office.
Well, don't tell people that.
My way is better.
Yes. It's true. It is.
So, okay. Thank you for doing this.
Well, it's the least I could do for Jax.
How do they seem to be holding up?
Okay, I think.
Don't let them fool you.
There's a lot of acting
like it all rolls off
their back, but it can't.
The life expectancy
of a non-binary person
in this country is heartbreaking.
How long have you known Jax?
About a year now, when they first came
into DayHome, where I volunteer.
That first time, when Jax came in,
they had broken ribs
but didn't tell me why.
They swallowed that pain.
But always, there was
this fire in their eyes.
Maybe don't put it that way,
'cause, you know, fire.
Oh. [CHUCKLES] Point taken, Ms. Lopez.
♪♪♪
MAN: And on the day
of the big earthquake,
other big things
are happening in Bel Air.
Blake Peterson joins us with the latest.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- BLAKE: Right, Tom.
Ms. Kansky.
- Letter-perfect?
- From years of letter practice.
- Do you have a CI?
- Yes. Doesn't it say?
- Do you want the affidavit sealed?
- Well, yes.
Then you need to file a motion,
which you neglected to bring.
Right. A motion. Of course.
Where's my head today?
Go... find it.
Whoop.
I have something to show you.
You are not gonna like it.
g*ns were found and seized
after the FBI raided a Bel Air mansion.
Neighbors were horrified
to see hundreds of g*ns...
He went behind my back.
No official reports yet as to...
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]
[MOUTH FULL] Confection display fell over
during the quake,
so Jasheeka's giving away...
[SINGSONGY] damaged goods free.
- Ah.
- Thanks again, Jasheeka.
[SIGHS] I kind of bit
Luke's head off today.
- Luke decapitated.
- Mm-hmm.
- Over what?
- The kiss was a thing
that should not have been... yet.
It was a future kiss...
a kiss that looked to the future,
but the future is not now. It can't be.
- Have you been reading sci-fi again?
- [SIGHS]
I don't know who I am anymore.
If you would have told me four years ago
that Joe would hit me and I'd be looking
for an apartment instead of a car seat
and starting something with someone new
and wanting to be honest
but scared that being honest...
- Em.
- Yeah.
It's okay not to know.
The truth is, none of us do.
You just have the crappy task
of starting over while never stopping.
- So cut Luke some slack.
- No. Cut yourself some.
Thank you.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Your precinct sergeant
said you were here.
Waiting for Choi to talk charges.
- You went behind my back.
- Couldn't waste precious time,
so I found someone who trusts me.
- Who?
- Judge Benner.
♪♪♪
And what kind of classes
were you helping Jax with?
Cooking. Jax has got solid knife skills.
They were just about to apply
to some local chains.
Have they ever exhibited
any violent tendencies?
- Never.
- Thank you, Ms. Robinson.
No further questions, Your Honor.
She is now your witness, Mr. Callan.
Thank you, Your Honor.
[SIGHS]
Ms. Robinson,
when speaking with Jax about work,
were these jobs usually
close to their encampment?
Not always. Sometimes.
So there was motive
not to relocate, right?
- Objection. Speculative.
- That will be sustained.
Did you ever express any ill will
to the defendant about
developers like Tim Landy?
- Yes, but...
- Do you spend a lot of time with Jax,
getting them ready for the job hunt,
helping them out
with applications, résumés?
- Yes.
- You ever buy them clothes?
Yes. On occasion.
When was that last occasion?
The witness will answer.
Would you like me to repeat the question?
I heard you, Mark.
Then...
You're compelled by the court.
You will answer the question,
Ms. Robinson.
I won't.
I find you in contempt.
[GAVEL BANGS]
You need to tell me
what is going on because
whether Roxy gets
back up on the stand or not,
the jury thinks that you are
hiding something.
- Please don't get mad at me.
- I am not angry. I just...
I just didn't think.
Ms. Robinson does all kinds of stuff
for me, for everybody.
Is she gonna get in trouble, too?
- She is in trouble, Jax.
- No. I mean
are they gonna think she had
something to do with it?
- Did she?
- Hell, no.
This is all me.
You need to tell me
what the prosecutor almost discovered.
♪♪♪
[SINGSONGY] Benner said she'd
make a pick by day's end.
You want it so bad? You can have it.
Really?
No.
Cruel. I like it.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Warrant.
Now with more motion.
Nice work.
I'll give it to Judge Carmichael
when she's back.
- Couldn't have done it without you.
- Okay.
You're welcome.
Thanks again. See you around.
Oh, he likes you!
What? No. No.
He kept coming back
to see that smiling face of yours.
- I don't... I do... I never smile.
- Sherri, you hear?
I did, Your Honor.
Wait. Which thing did you hear?
- That your mother...
- My mom. Okay.
The other thing. Benner signed
Kramer's warrant.
- Really? I just...
- Which should be what I'm dealing with,
- but of course...
- Don't do it, Your Honor.
- I have to.
- She can take care of herself.
She is my mother, Sherri.
You can't even get Judge Carmichael
to listen to you, how are you gonna
command a whole floor in a crisis?
♪♪♪
Your Honor.
- What's wrong?
- Is this a trick question?
I know I'm in here,
but I also know that face.
That's not a face
that's frustrated with me.
I am frustrated with you.
I don't doubt it.
Judge Benner undercut me
for the first time
since I've been on the bench.
Was she right?
It's the way she went about it.
- Behind your back.
- Just...
- not upfront.
- That's optics, Lo.
On an already epically hard day,
can you please just get out of here?
I am not gonna answer Mark's question.
Somebody's got to stand up
for those without a voice.
You are in a building
designed to do just that.
As long as all the people
standing are honest,
good lawyers like Ms. Lopez
can contextualize the truth.
- But without it...
- It's gonna hurt Jax.
You being in here has already done that.
If Jax did commit the crime,
your protest of one can't change that.
And taking a stand out there
is very different
from taking the stand in here.
If you don't finish your testimony,
every good thing you've said about Jax
gets stricken from the record,
so you won't have helped them at all.
Let the system work, Mama.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I was worried, but you brought it.
You here to give me an "attaboy"
for getting a witness thrown in jail?
Don't lose perspective, Callan.
Defendant is still an arsonist
who clearly has something to hide.
- He gets back on the street...
- "They."
...the homeless are gonna
have more trouble with more...
I lived out of a car for a few months
when I was with my dad.
Gambling debts or something. [SCOFFS]
Every night he would ask
what neighborhood I wanted to move to.
It's how I got to know the city.
Turns out Brentwood topiaries
make great urinals
until private security chases you away.
Same with Santa Monica,
which is why we started
parking in Venice,
which has surprisingly good
public showers.
Callan, I'm sorry, but...
Ria and I... we went to dinner
there last weekend,
and the way that people
still react to the homeless,
it's like... it's like
my dad used to say...
the more things stay,
the more they change the sane.
Okay, still, did either
of you commit crimes?
Other than sleeping in our car?
Keep this in mind.
Most of our defendants have homes.
Does that make them somehow better
- than the ones who don't?
- [CELLPHONE CHIMES AND BUZZES]
Fine. I hear you.
Roxanne's agreed to finish her testimony.
Good. Don't pull your punches.
JUDGE PIPER: Mr. Callan,
you may continue.
I'll repeat the question.
When was the last time
you bought the defendant clothing?
- The day of the fire.
- And what did you give them?
Socks.
A moment, Your Honor.
[TYPING ON KEYBOARD]
This is a remnant of the sock
used to start the fire,
with the blue and red striping.
- You see that, Ms. Robinson?
- Yes, I do.
Are these the same socks
you gave the defendant?
Objection. Speculation.
Withdrawn. The same kind of socks?
Yes. They are.
No further questions.
♪♪♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
I heard your mother's out. Is she okay?
She's on the stand now, so not really.
- You?
- I was...
until I saw footage of Kramer's g*n bust.
Actually, check that. I was okay
until I found out who okayed it.
I've known Detective Kramer for years.
He brings the warrant.
He's usually got it. He was right.
You really think this
is about who's right?
I do. I understand
you want to go by the book,
- but my judicial gut is honed.
- What does your gut say
about letting the cops think I'm weak?
- I don't like your tone.
- And I don't like...
I am trying to establish
a judicial identity,
which is made considerably more difficult
when your boss negates it
without a second thought.
Carmichael, I know
it's been a tough day...
the earthquake, your mother.
Do not bring my mother into this!
Take a breath. Hold that breath.
And talk to me
when you calm the hell down.
♪♪♪
We're gonna lose.
Yeah. We probably are.
Maybe the building will fall on us.
Jax.
Sorry.
I, uh, you just...
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
You have made me feel safe
for the first time in...
You know, on the street,
watching everyone pretend
that they're not watching you
and keeping an eye
on the people living with you,
there is so much mental illness.
There's so much... addiction.
If you don't put up a front to that,
forget it.
I'm tough.
More than I want to be.
Less than I act, but I...
I am not tough enough for state prison.
[VOICE BREAKING]
I will be k*lled in there.
Then we have to get the jury
to consider only the misdemeanor...
unlawful burning of property.
How?
By having everyone see the Jax I know.
How'd you know it'd be empty?
Angelenos have short memories,
plus it is hard to look at your phone
in a crowded staircase.
Look, I just wanted to, you know,
check in since...
- Throwing my mom in jail.
- I did not do that.
It's how I'm gonna tell it.
Thanks for getting her to come back.
Did Hurricane Roxy have
any blowback on you?
Didn't need her to sh**t myself
in the foot today.
I... I went off on Benner.
- Whoa.
- Yeah.
- Was it bad?
- Is there a good version?
The only reason I am kindly
ignored by the other judges
is because they know
I'm under Benner's wing.
- If I lose her protection...
- That's rough.
Fighting the world on your own.
Then I really will be my mother.
♪♪♪
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Two options always presented to you,
which, as my friend Jax
has helped me see,
is a very binary way
of looking at the law.
For what's between guilty and not?
Less guilty, sort of guilty,
guilty but we totally
understand why they did it.
Turns out guilt,
like everything else, is fluid.
Put yourself in Jax' shoes,
the ones they wear every day.
All it takes is an earthquake
just a little bigger than this morning's.
All of a sudden, you're looking
for a place to live.
Thousands of others...
vulnerable, scared, no help coming,
and you find a spot
where you, your family finally feel safe.
Tell me you wouldn't fight to protect it.
Jax does not deserve
to be convicted of a felony
for the crime of being homeless.
The People have to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that my client acted with malice
in starting the fire,
but the evidence here shows the opposite.
Jax was clearly trying to protect
what little they thought of as home.
Without malice, you can't
convict on a felony charge.
And remember this...
the opposite of poverty is not wealth.
It's justice.
I beg you to be just.
♪♪♪
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS,
TELEPHONE RINGING IN DISTANCE]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
Ah.
I thought we should have
one civil conversation
before I left.
- I'm sorry about...
- Doing your job?
Sending you to jail?
That was my choice, not yours.
We followed our paths.
Well, how about our paths never
cross like that ever again?
Oh, so you'd rather
I was just co-signing
apartment leases, eh?
Ooh, that's right.
I forgot you had to come
to the rental agency
because my dad flaked.
- How are you and Vic?
- Good as we get, I guess.
Reach out, Mark.
He's a hard man. I know
he gave you a hard life.
But I know there are things
that you'd like to say.
He's not gonna make the first move,
so you can either wait
and hate him for it
or be bigger than that.
Yes, ma'am.
And, uh, due respect,
I could say the same about you.
It took you a minute
to come see Lola in action.
I know, but honestly,
I felt like I would be intrusive
and she'd never understand that.
You should try her some time.
- How's she doing?
- She's a natural,
like she was born speaking the language
and born to influence
the way others speak it.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [CELLPHONE BUZZES]
Jury's back.
♪♪♪
So... about earlier...
Yeah?
You were right to sign the warrant.
And I realized I could have
called you with a heads up.
- True, but...
- Been a long time
since a colleague talked to me like that.
Hopefully longer until one does again.
- Okay.
- But I appreciate the passion
behind your objection.
You wouldn't have done that
when you first got here,
but now you're feeling
your judicial oats.
That fierce fire is needed around here.
My mother would agree with that.
[CHUCKLES] I can tell
you two have your differences,
but being on that elevator,
a strong bond took over.
Even I felt safer for it.
- We're on the same team, Carmichael.
- Amen to that.
And thank you, boss. Won't happen again.
Oh.
One more thing.
MAN: "People of the State
of California vs. Jax Hopkins.
"As to count , a violation
of Penal Code (C),
"a felony commonly known
as arson of property,
"we the jury in the above entitled case
"find the defendant not guilty.
"As to the lesser included offense,
"a violation
of Penal Code Section (D),
"commonly known as the unlawful
burning of property,
"a misdemeanor,
we the jury find the defendant guilty."
JUDGE PIPER: On behalf
of the parties of the court,
We thank the jury for the fair
and dutiful fulfillment
of their civic duty.
You are hereby excused
and free to discuss the case
as you choose.
- Court's adjourned.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
It'll be fines and probation.
With your custody credits,
you'll be released.
I... thank you. You saved my life.
I just gave you a break
from doing it yourself.
[CHUCKLES]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Ohh.
[CHUCKLES]
You know, my daughter told me
to trust the truth to find justice.
Now, I know that you
do not live in a world
where that's the case, but today
we lived with Ms. Lopez,
who put my daughter's words
into practice.
- Mm-hmm.
- You were very fortunate.
Oh, uh, I won't do
anything that dumb again.
I know you won't.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
[JAZZ PLAYING]
[SIGHS]
You owe me bucks.
I swallowed a filling when you belted me.
bucks. You don't have to pay me now.
So?
Had a case today. Kicked up some dust.
Oh, well. [CHUCKLES] That's never good.
[LAUGHS]
[COUGHING]
You okay, Pop?
- [COUGHS]
- Your health?
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
♪♪♪
I didn't want to say no
to you when you called.
You need to know that
your call meant something.
But I can finish my drink
while you do your thing.
I might not even finish my drink.
I might not want people
to know I'm Vic Callan's kid.
You know?
♪♪♪
[SIPS]
[EXHALES DEEPLY] I'm glad you called.
Dad.
Here's the $ .
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[CHUCKLES]
MAN: It's hopping in here tonight.
♪♪♪
I was told I'd find you here.
Yep. [CLEARS THROAT]
Look, um...
the mixed messages.
- I'm sorry.
- You don't have to, um...
I kissed you. I... did that.
Yeah, you did.
I liked it, by the way.
My marriage is over,
but also it isn't.
It was...
a*usive.
I'm not even sure
how to talk to myself about it,
and, um...
- Em.
- I just...
need... would love for you to be patient
'cause I was never good at this,
and now I'm gonna be worse.
- Okay.
- Um...
So slow.
You know what slow looks like?
What?
Dinner.
Whenever you're ready.
I got just the spot.
Where?
Wouldn't you like to know?
[CHUCKLES]
BRITTANY HOWARD: ♪ I already feel ♪
- Thanks for waiting.
- I had a book.
Heard Jax won't be going to jail.
True, but they'll never be
able to pay those fines.
It's almost like you want them
back here as soon as possible.
- I don't.
- You know what I mean.
No, Mom, I don't know what you mean.
You're still upset
that I didn't come sooner?
Your daughter, your little girl,
became a judge, a sight to behold.
- Be, I don't know, proud?
- I didn't want to intrude.
Just like winning state debate,
Most Improved Basketball Player.
Sometimes setting an example
for you also deprived you.
- Still, could have come sooner.
- When was the last time
you saw how we're changing
lives outside these walls?
Getting up to speed here,
I've been just a little...
Judgmental?
♪ ...keep it cool and don't
worry about what everyone... ♪
You may never like this robe,
but, hey, I did get
an article of clothing today
that you might.
Judge Benner made me
earthquake floor warden.
The sole purpose of this vest
is to save lives, all lives,
which I will do
if I'm not a puddle of tears
in the corner.
I thinks she did it
to help me face my phobia,
or it's punishment
for the way I acted today.
Or it could be
a vote of confidence in you.
Take the win, Lo,
and you may not wear that to dinner.
♪ With you ♪
You know what I'm thinking?
- Not Thai.
- Thai.
♪♪♪