True Believer

Tier four. First bed. Come on, move it.

Fear will kill you.

I'm not afraid.

Good. Right after chapel.

It's goin' down in the yard.

Not in here, motherfucker!

Get on the ground! Facedown! Don't move!

You, get down! Facedown!

Put that head down! Put that head down!

Give me your arm!

Don't move, buddy! Don't move!

Come on, move it. Move it!

Just stay down!

Keep the change.

Hi. I'm looking for the courtroom where Mr. Edward j. Dodd...

Is defending a Mr. Nevins.

Par! 73, room 7773. The room 7773.

Negotiated both to purchase and to sell this dangerous drug.

In a moment, you will hear from counsel for the defense.

As the people rest this case, I leave you with this word of warning.

Edward dodd is an inventive lawyer.

I'm sure he'd like you to believe...

That the pound of pure cocaine found in his client's apartment...

Was intended for personal, recreational use.

But just bear in mind, only you can insure...

That the defendant, who is... Let's be honest...

A vermin, a vulture... That he will pay a penalty.

Thank you.

Thank you, miss jessum. Mr. Sweeny, may I have a word with you?

Roger baron. Hi. Sorry I'm late.

It's such an honor and a thrill to meet you.

Really?

So, what are you accused of?

All sorts of things. How about you?

No, I'm a lawyer. I just...

I got into town today. I'm working with Mr. Dodd.

Mr. Dodd, would you care to make your closing argument?

You're in good hands with this guy. — I would, your honor.

Cocaine...

Is evil.

Selling cocaine is evil.

Dislike this wicked merchant, if you will.

Loathe him, if you must.

But despise the tactics the police employed to snare Brian nevins...

Because we mustn't lose sight...

Of what this trial is really about:

Our most basic personal freedoms.

For when we condone the bugging of our citizens' bedrooms...

When we allow the police to enter our homes without warrants...

Or with specious warrants, at best...

When we invade our citizens' privacy in a frenzied quest...

For a wicked white powder, aren't we, in fact...

Capitulating to the evil?

Aren't we surrendering to the drug?

Aren't we saying that cocaine is more powerful...

Than the constitution of the United States of America?

Wow! What a speech. It was beautiful.

Amazing horse shit. — Amazing client.

Everybody should own one.

Sorry about the mix—up back there. I never actually saw your photo.

I read every civil liberties brief... — it was nice meeting you.

I gotta get back to the office. — you ever filed in the '60s.

Roger baron. Overland undergrad, Michigan law.

None of this rings a bell? You hired me to clerk for you.

Remember my letter? "Top 5%, Harvard law review, salary is no object"?

Oh, that's right. Yeah.

Let me help you with some of that. — Thanks.

Here, I got it.

You comin'? — Yeah.

I was a sixth—year law student when I read...

Your "chase Manhattan bombing" case summation...

In a '71 leftist law anthology.

I know this sounds dorky, but it kind of changed my life.

So, this is greenwich village, huh? — yes, Roger, you've arrived.

Anyway, I got a hold of a trial transcript.

Your cross-examination of the cops was like an indictment of the system.

You were my age when you defended that case.

I was never your age. Billy, this is Reggie.

He's our new social conscience on Sheridan square.

What about my court date? What if we plead insanity?

Both of us? Okay, Princess, you're next.

Billy, what is this thing? — It's a sculpture.

Now, what kind of pills were you busted with?

Mr. Dodd needs to know.

Is that an upper or a downer?

Gabe! I'll take care of it. Just park it on the bench.

Park your ass on the bench and wait! Gabe, you got a minute?

I had a minute before the hearing, but couldn't get you on the phone.

I had reason to believe the judge had heard of a concept called "entrapment."

Gruner was busted with three pounds of methedrine.

Judge refused to exclude the evidence. No deal.

I'm deeply disturbed about detective cedar's conduct.

I may demand an investigation. Can you imagine the headlines?

I imagine the headlines, I drool.

"Undercover cop busts east village speed factory."

Eddie, you're out of step. Detective cedar's a hero.

He's a scumbag.

Detective cedar went undercover, huh? So did Judas.

Detective cedar used his wiles to insinuate himself...

Into the bosom of Clyde gruner's life, his home, his loved ones.

Can't I take a simple piss...

Detective cedar broke bread with Clyde gruner.

He was a guest at Clyde gruner's wedding.

And, yes, Gabe, detective cedar used drugs with my client.

Not once, but many times.

You're gonna drag out that crap? — Only if I have to.

Be a mensch.

Brian nevins stopped by. It's on your desk.

Good.

We pleaded out Clyde gruner to five years' probation.

Score another point for truth and justice.

The last struggle for constitutional rights is being waged over drugs.

And we...

Are in the ring, Roger, doing battle with big brother.

Where are you goin'?

Edward dodd, please.

I'm Roger baron, Mr. Dodd's assistant. May I help you?

Mrs. Kim needs a lawyer.

Her son killed a man in self-defense in prison.

He didn't belong there in the first place.

Eight years in jail for the murder he didn't commit.

I'm her neighbor's daughter.

Please, come in. — Hi, I'm Eddie dodd. What's up?

Her son didn't shoot anybody. He's the wrong guy.

You meet him.

You see he wouldn't go around stabbing guys just for fun.

This guy really shot a guy and stabbed a guy?

He didn't shoot anyone. Eight years in jail for the murder he didn't commit.

He's a good boy.

And he comes from a fine home in Seoul, Korea.

Shu Kai Kim. — Shu Kai Kim?

That's his name, shu Kai Kim.

I bet he is a wonderful boy.

I mean, I... I can't take this case.

I have a specialty.

Lawyers specialize.

These days, I mostly do, like, drug... narc...

Anyway, I couldn't even go see your son...

Without having a look at the files from his case.

So it's really out of the question... Those are the files. Great.

How did you hear about me, anyway?

She went to all the court-houses.

They all speak of you, and they all say the same thing.

Oh, wow. What do they say?

You do cases cheap.

My associate and I will review this material...

As soon as possible, and we will get back to you.

In the meantime, I wanna thank you ladies very much for stopping by.

Thank you.

Thank you for helping my son.

Talk about a hard sell.

"Thank you for helping my son."

Attila the hun had a mother, okay?

Hit?

That was close, huh? Almost defended somebody who wasn't a dealer.

Who knows? He might even have been innocent.

We have a full caseload. Don't start.

You're right. I forgot. We're pledged to protect...

Every mid—level drug dealer in the tristate area.

It's an awesome responsibility.

I don't venerate drug dealers. To the contrary.

Of course. — What we're attempting to do here...

Is check the government's attempt to abridge our civil liberties...

I know that.

Through informants, eavesdropping, unreasonable searches and seizures...

Right. You're right.

Damn right I'm right. Okay?

It's just that I left behind family and friends...

And a couple good job offers in Chicago.

And in three dizzying weeks, I've helped to acquit a coke dealer...

A speed dealer... — I specialize, Roger.

An angel dust dealer... — I'm not a kid any more.

A speed manufacturer!

So get a job on wall street. I'm sure your rich daddy can arrange it.

Look, don't tell me where to work. I came here to work for Edward dodd.

But I just can't believe that Edward dodd has nothing better to do...

Than invoke exalted legal issues to get off guilty little pricks.

You wanna be a criminal defense attorney?

Then know this going in.

Everybody's guilty.

Everybody.

You wouldn't have said that ten years ago.

Ten years is a long time.

I'm tired, man. I'll see you in the morning.

Along time.

We're late. Let's get going. — Where?

Ossining correctional facility. Sing sing.

Everybody's innocent there, man. Just ask 'em.

What was Kim in for?

Killing a young Chinese gang leader named Jimmy chin.

Prosecution said he did it to get into a rival gang...

The pell street dragons.

Kim admitted the gun was his. He got 25 to life.

Thank you, officer.

Mr. Kim, my name's Eddie dodd. I'm a lawyer.

This is Roger baron, my associate. He's also a lawyer.

My mother find you? — That's right.

Figures.

You wanna tell me exactly what went down here?

Racist pig came at me.