Conviction

- Previously on "Conviction"... - Rodney Landon?

Being a hateful jackass isn't grounds for four life sentences.

But celebrating the 10th anniversary of 9/11 by bombing a mosque is.

My plan was to blow up a mosque, not that mosque.

The best way to defend this country

is to eradicate all Muslims before they eradicate us.

But innocent or guilty, Rodney Landon needs to stay in prison.

Hayes: A rumor started that Landon was getting out

for snitching on other inmates.

A skinhead attacked him.

Landon stabbed the guy with a shiv.

He isn't getting out of prison anytime soon.

Bad guy stays off the street. Sounds like a win to me.

Mr. President.

Part of what he loves about you is that you're my daughter.

You were raised in a political family,

you have power, access, all the things he never had.

To us.

You were up early this morning.

Garbage trucks woke me.

Figured I might as well get a jump on things.

New case?

Not yet.

- Hayes. - Hmm?

Everything okay?

Yes.

Mm.

You remember when we first met?

Of course.

Why?

Just wondering why you liked me.

Too many reasons to count.

I'd settle for top three.

Smarts, attitude, beauty.

I can continue.

You'll tell me later.

Ever since your dad left, you've seemed a little...

No. I'm good.

Great, actually.

Hayes: Gerald Harris.

Serving life for murdering his wife, Claire.

Where'd this case come from? I don't remember logging it.

Claire died after a fall

from a second-story balcony in their home.

Prosecution claimed that she fell

after a blow from the head delivered by Gerald.

Was there a problem with the forensics?

Not that I'm aware of.

Tess: No witnesses to the crime, so no chance for witness misidentification.

Right you are.

So what's the issue with the conviction?

Gerald's defense attorney really screwed the pooch.

_

Criminal courthouse, fast as you can.

Oh, uh, one stop on the way...

Smithson's Dry Cleaner on Cicero.

Kind of in a hurry.

I wanted to say I had fun last night.

That's sweet. Me, too.

Maybe I could get your number.

I'd like to see you again.

It was fun, but not repeatbusiness fun.

Move! Go!

Hayes: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

my client, Gerald Harris, devoted husband,

woke up one morning last November

to a terrible tragedy.

His beloved wife, Claire, was dead."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury..."

Testing my patience on the first day, Ms. Morrison?

Hardly seems prudent.

Million apologies, Your Honor.

Good morning, Gerald.

Well...

You're not ASA Rachel Johnson.

Nothing gets by you.

Conner Wallace.

Rachel went into labor a month early.

And I just thought she was fat.

I'm a big fan of your father's. He's a hero of mine.

Well, that makes one of us.

I hear you're the golden boy... Mr. Undefeated.

Don't get used to it.

I'm gonna kick your ass.

Wallace prosecuted this in Chicago.

How is it even under our purview?

Gerald was transferred to Dannemora over a month ago

so his mother could continue to visit him.

That makes him a ward of New York state

and... and eligible for CIU review.

The M.E. put Claire's time of death at 4:30 a.m.

Gerald didn't call 911 until after he found her at 7:30 a.m.

When the police and the paramedics arrived at the house...

...the defendant greeted them

showered and dressed for the day.

His pajamas, covered in Claire's blood, were found in the washing machine.

You'll hear from forensics experts that there was blood...

...on the bathroom sink and shower

where Gerald had cleaned up.

He was horrified. He didn't want Claire's blood on him or what he was wearing.

Your wife is dead...

Who worries about appearances?

The defendant does.

He wanted out of his marriage,

but a divorce would have been unseemly and costly.

And on the night of November 7th,

his dissatisfaction with Claire came to an ugly head.

They argued, and like so many victims of domestic violence...

Objection! There is zero evidence

that Claire Harris was the victim of domestic abuse,

and ASA Walbash knows it.

Wallace.

Sorry. Forgot.

Sustained. Stick to the case, counselor.

The evidence will show that this man

brutally bashed Claire on the back of the head,

the force of that blow sending her over the railing...

...and down to the tiled floor 16 feet below.

A blow to the back of the head means someone hit her.

Any other suspects besides the husband?

The police found a set of unidentified fingerprints

inside the back door of the Harris' house.

There had been a series of burglaries...

...in the Harris' neighborhood.

Gerald and Claire never locked their back door...

the same back door

where these mysterious fingerprints were found.

The evidence will show that Claire was battling a cough

at the time of her death.

She got up so as not to wake Gerald

only to be surprised by a burglar,

who knocked her off the balcony to her death.

- And yet, in a rush to judgment, -

the police set their sights on Gerald

and failed to pursue the obvious suspect.

Claire's killer is still at large.

You pitched an unknown, uncaught thief as Claire's murderer?

Basically, the one-armed man.

Watch "The Fugitive"... the one-armed man did it.

So you argued Claire fought with an intruder

who knocked her off a 16-foot balcony,

and Gerald slept through the whole thing?

Gerald had taken a sleeping pill that night.

Other than that theory, what was your defense?

Love.

True love.

That is what Claire and Gerald had.

You will hear testimony from their friends

about their 15-year marriage, his devotion to her,

his adoration of her,

their plans to spend the rest of their lives together.

It's enough of a tragedy that Claire is gone.

To accuse Gerald of killing her,

the love of his life,

doesn't fit the evidence.

Simply not true.

It's nice to see you, Gerald.

Not sure I can say the same.

I wanted to let you know we're taking another look at your case.

I've already exhausted all my appeals.

Which were all based on ineffective assistance of counsel.

I know.

I deserve that.

As soon as that guilty verdict came down, you bolted.

You didn't return my calls, my letters.

And I have regretted it ever since.

Now I run the Conviction Integrity Unit.

- We're gonna try... - Do you believe I'm innocent?

The whole trial,

I never knew whether you believed me.

Defense attorneys aren't supposed to focus on that.

But I have been thinking about you and Claire,

how much she meant to you, how much you loved her.

I believe you.

Even if our marriage was... different?

I like different.

Hmm.

I was surprised to hear from you.

Last time we sat in this room,

you told me you'd proven I didn't bomb that mosque.

And you made it clear you still had a plan to kill thousands.

That's debatable.

Unlike my innocence of the bombing.

And yet I'm still here,

thanks to the ironically named Conviction Integrity Unit.

You're here because you got in a fight.

I was attacked.

- I defended myself. - With a shiv.

You stabbed your unarmed assailant six times.

The skinhead who jumped me,