Directed by Edwin Sherin
Written by Michael S Chernuchin
The detectives investigate the murder of bookie Gordon Meeks. They soon establish that the killer is his partner, Stephen Strelzik; Meeks was going to report Strelzik for stealing from their business, so Strelzik killed him. Strelzik's attorney, Dworkin, deliberately selects a majority-Jewish jury then has Strelzik reveal on the stand that he was stealing to send funds to Israel. The judge, also Jewish, is very sympathetic to this and won't do anything to stop it. In McCoy's summation, he asks the jury to consider the facts of the case and uphold the law, not let themselves be manipulated by an appeal to their personal loyalties. They convict, and Strelzik gets a life sentence for felony murder. Dworkin privately tells McCoy that although he had to defend his client, he personally doesn't think Strelzik should be out on the streets.
This episode contains examples of:
- Batman Gambit: Dworkin's entire defense to get Strelzik off the hook by playing to the jury's sympathies. To that end, he selects a majority-Jewish jury, has the trial overseen by a Jewish judge, then claims that Strelzik killed in self-defense because he was stealing money to help Jews overseas in Israel that are dying due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It initially works in his favor, but McCoy beats him at his own game for one simple reason—he reminds the jury that, sympathetic motive or not, Strelzik still killed a man, and whatever's going on in Israel has nothing to do with existing US laws regarding murder.
- Domestic Abuse: The detectives initially think one of Meeks' clients got a black eye from an altercation with him, but it turns out her husband beat her for losing his money.
- Double-Meaning Title: Refers both to the concept of the Jews as God's chosen people, and Dworkin's deliberate selection of the jurors for his own ends.
- Evil Debt Collector: Meeks' job was to intimidate customers to pay up - often by means of physical violence.
- Graceful Loser: Dworkin concedes McCoy won fair and square, and even agrees with him that Strelzik is dangerous.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Dworkin speaks this way in court.
- Soapbox Sadie: Strelzik's wife, who launches into a lengthy rant on the stand about Palestinian atrocities against Israel.
- Wham Line: When Strelzik tells the jury he was giving his embezzled money to Israel. At that moment Jack realizes that Dworkin had been Obfuscating Stupidity, and he had been expertly played.
