Directed by Jace Alexander
Written by Jeremy R Littman
An African-American college student named Charley Monroe is found stabbed to death in his apartment. It becomes clear that a girlfriend visited him earlier in the day; and a library book found at the apartment links him to wealthy, white Danielle Mason. With further evidence against Danielle, she is arrested. She claims that she met Monroe at the library, and he lured her back to his apartment and drugged and raped her. She then killed him in self-defense when he tried to assault her again. Van Buren does not believe this explanation, and Danielle is charged with murder.
It is discovered that Danielle knew Monroe's neighborhood, regularly made calls to his pager, and that he worked a part-time job on her street. However, there is no concrete evidence of them being in a relationship. McCoy and Ross are not confident in the prosecution's case, but the Monroes' lawyer successfully petitions to force an indictment. McCoy and Ross plan to appeal, the judge even stated she doesn't care about legal precedent, but Schiff orders them to go forward as the optics would look worse. Further tensions emerge when an anonymous letter accuses a white juror of racism; the alternate juror is black. Danielle's father insists in a racist diatribe that the black community is deliberately trying to rig the jury.
McCoy discovers from insurance records that shortly after Danielle had introduced her parents to a high school boyfriend who happened to be black, she broke her arm by having someone (such as her father) twist or pull on it. McCoy tells the Masons he will question Danielle about this during cross-examination; as a result, the defense doesn't call her. With the jury swayed by Van Buren pointing out that Danielle lied about her alibi and may not be trustworthy, Danielle's lawyer requests a plea deal. Danielle confesses she lashed out at Monroe because he broke up with her, not understanding why she was so secretive about their relationship - her father and neighbors would have tried to kill him themselves if they knew. McCoy and Ross wryly reflect on how something as simple as two kids being in love led to such a complicated and contentious case.
This episode contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Danielle Mason's father.
- Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story: Monroe's ex is suspected because she had recently argued with him. When he was killed, she was working at a weekend job where she could have slipped out at any time, and no one can prove whether or not she was there (however, she's eliminated as a suspect fairly quickly.)
- False Rape Accusation: Danielle uses this to hide her motivation for killing Monroe.
- Jerkass: Mr. Mason is a racist and abusive jerk who broke his daughter's arm for dating a black teenager.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: Danielle and Monroe weren't married, but the elements are otherwise there.
- Meaningful Background Event: After Van Buren's testimony is read back and Ross mentions that they are winning the case, you can see Charley's parents thanking their lawyer, knowing that Danielle will be forced to plead out.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: While Charley's parents understandably want justice for their son, they almost sink the case twice.
- First, they hire a lawyer who uses a sympathetic judge to force McCoy and Ross to prosecute before they are ready (they are trying to find evidence that absolutely refutes the rape claim).
- Then they sign off on an obvious scam to slander a white juror as a racist and get him replaced with a black woman, a maneuver that nearly sinks the case.
- Race Fetish: Danielle seems to have had a penchant for black boyfriends.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Danielle plays on the Where da White Women At? stereotype about black men to claim that she acted in self-defense after he raped her and was trying to do it again.
