For Life

On an institutional scale.

Your curfew will be 10:00,

which means inside the home by 9:59.

I saw Darius.

You could have had any man you wanted,

but you had to go with him.

My best friend.

You left me with almost nothing in there.

And what do you think you left me with out here?

So, what?

You're moving out?

If I stay now, this will finish us.

Captions by VITAC...

What's the occasion?

Court.

You're a lawyer?

On my good days.

I think the blue one has a little more attitude.

Well, I'll take it in the

the blue and the red. Okay.

And those two suits.

So, did you lose weight?

Excuse me?

Whenever somebody comes inand buys a whole new wardrobe,

it's usually that or a new career.

I don't look like I just graduated from law school?

Not quite.

I just needed some new clothes.

That's all.

Well, I hope you get the new beginning that you want,

whatever it is.

Step up.

Is that my man Wallace?

What you doing in here, man?

I thought they kicked you out of this place.

You want me to go?

I can go. No, hell, no.

I can leave right now. Sit your ass down.

You look good, man.

Got on a new suit.

Kay. You know.

Yeah? Got a new whip, too, right?

'Cause I know you ain't take the bus all the way up here.

Roswell lent me his car.

New ride's nexton the list, though.

What you thinking? Benz, Porsche? What's up?

Anything with a steering wheel and four tires.

Alright.

So, how's the family, man?

Things aren't so great with Marie.

I moved out.

Yeah? So, that's it?

You're done?

I don't know.

I love her.

I just can't wrap my head around what she did with Darius.

Yeah, but Jazz,

she can't be too happy, you bolting.

You know what?

I didn't come here to lay all this on you.

We gotta talk about your case.

Yeah, yeah. A'ight. Lay it on me.

So, I finally got Tony's criminal record

from that subpoena.

A couple of misdemeanors, so that's not gonna help us.

Damn.

And I spoke to Wesley Silas,

guy who used to live in Tony's building.

Said that he saw you go after Tony at the basketball court

a couple of weeks before you killed him.

- Yeah, see, man, I ain't. - - I ain't go after him.

I just warned him about knocking my sister around.

Still, if I found him, prosecution can, too.

They'll use his testimony to say it was premeditated,

and our self-defense argument goes down the drain.

So that's it?

Well, there's a defense

called Extreme Emotional Disturbance.

Like, you snap.

That made you do it or something?

Exactly. Okay.

It has to be deep.

Something that triggered you psychologically.

It usually happens from someone's childhood.

You once told me that

your father used to beat you and Georgia all the time...

Okay. How's that gonna help me?

Well, maybe something Tony did or said that day

reminded you of your father.

And that's why I killed him?

Yeah.

Look, man, I ain't no lawyer,

but, that sounds like a stretch.

Look, it's a long shot,

but maybe there's something there we can use.

If you and Georgia would testify about it...

Georgia ain't gonna testify. Forget about that.

You want me to talk to her?

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

Alright.

It's good to see you, man.

Yeah. It's good to see you, too, man.

Where's AJ?

Ronnie's putting him in the car.

We're going to his parents' house for the day.

Well, can you go later?

I was

thinking we could talk.

About what?

About your dad moving out?

There's nothing to talk about.

You don't have anything you want to ask me?

Nope.

Got it all from Dad.

Well, are you okay?

I'm fine.

See you later.

This whole thing is just total BS.

I wasn't trying to steal a ride.

I swiped my card, the screen said I paid,

but the turnstile wouldn't turn.

So you jumped it?

Well, the train was coming.

I didn't want to be late for work.

Soon as I jumped, this cop came outta nowhere,

like he was waiting for me.

What about the resisting arrest?

He was trying to cuff me, so I pulled away,

trying to explain what happened.

I asked him to just give me a ticket.

I could come in with proof that I paid,

but he didn't want to hear it.

And the assault?

Cop says you threw your skateboard at him?

He was twisting my wrist really hard.

So I shoved my skateboard in his chest to make him stop.

The next thing I know, I'm slammed up against the wall.

File says there was an offer at arraignments...

They wanted me to plead to a misdemeanor with probation,

but my public defender said I couldn't

because of my DACA status.

Smart. 'Cause you got a prior conviction.

This one could have got you deported.

Why?

The first arrest was just civil disobedience.

At a DACA protest.

Doesn't matter.

Only safe plea is disorderly conduct.

But I didn't do anything wrong.

This cop basically assaulted me.

So, I'm sorry,

but I'm not pleading to anything.

I didn't say you should.

I know the Immigrant Defense Group

referred me to you because you've done

legal observer work at our protests,

but I looked you up.

You haven't practiced law in like 20 years,

and you got your license suspended last year?

DUIs.

But I'm sober now.

I got my license reinstated last week.

Well, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to be rude,

but the only reason I'm sitting here

is 'cause I know you work with Aaron Wallace.

You sound like the therapist at the program

asking all these questions about our father.

I get it's not your favorite subject,

but it could really help with Jamal's case.

You really think you can get him out?

We have a shot.

But I'm nowhere without your help.

Jamal and I are 14 months apart.

We were inseparable.

When I was about 7,

Jamal got between my father and me

for the first time.

From then on, he became the target.

Took all the beatings for the both of us.

How bad did it get?

He ever tell you about what he likes?

I mean, as far as who he goes out with?

I know he's gay,

if that's what you're talking about.

Wow.

He never told anybody about that but me.

He's my best friend.

Well

when our father got a whiff of that,

you can imagine the kind of stuff he said to him.

Even when he wasn't beating him for real,

he'd make a habit to just hit him in the chest,

tell him to "man up."

Georgia, can you testify about this?

Maybe talk to Jamal,

convince him, too?

It's the only way I see right now.

Okay. But what's the defense?

If she paid the subway,