The Deep End Episode 1.05 An Innocent Man

Kevin Mather, the son of one of Sterling's biggest clients, is accused of murder after a man dies following a fight. Kevin's father hasn't spoken to him in years, as he has a history of substance abuse. Mr. Mather wants Dylan and Liam to negotiate a plea so that his son spends some time in jail. He wants Kevin to finally learn some responsibility.

When Dylan and Liam meet with Kevin, he admits to hitting the victim a few hours before he died. Drugs and alcohol weren't a factor though. Kevin has been sober for five years. He also says that the victim walked away from the fight after it was broken up.

The A.D.A. offers five years jail time for Kevin. It's either that or Dylan and Liam can take their chances against a hard-nosed judge named Joan Anderson. They call her Maximum Joan. The boys look on as Judge Joanie sentences a man to nine months in prison for stealing some lunchmeat. No word on if it was thinly-sliced.

Dylan discovers that the victim died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head, an injury that couldn't have occurred by Kevin's bare hands. They need time to build a defense. But Maximum Joan isn't having any of it. They can take the D.A.'s revised offer of two years or risk going to trial where Kevin could get life. Dylan and Liam have only minutes to decide. They can't. Kevin decides for them. Realizing that his father has lost all faith in him, he pleads guilty.

Dylan and Liam refuse to give up on their client. They dig up video surveillance tape that shows the victim alive with an unidentified man with his wife, who claimed she was home alone at the time of his death. The only problem is that Maximum Joan won't vacate Kevin's plea.

The boys want to file a complaint against the judge, but Rowdy says that if they tick off Judge Anderson it'll have an adverse affect on the firm's clients for years to come. The boys can't believe that Rowdy is more concerned about other clients than the fact that an innocent man is in jail. Don't worry. He's not.

Rowdy pays a visiting to Maximum Joan. It's obvious they've known each other for a long time. He talks about a case they once worked together where they tried to free an innocent man, but couldn't. Rowdy recalls that Joan cried when that man was executed. She cried again when the real killer was finally caught. Rowdy wants Joan to do the right thing but assures her that, if she doesn't, he will be the one filing the complaint against her.

The judge miraculously discovers that there was an error in the processing of Kevin's plea making it invalid. The D.A. won't pursue the case, as they have a new suspect in custody. Kevin is released from prison to find his father waiting for him. The elder Mather apologizes and hugs his son as his lawyers look on.

Jason, Addy's boyfriend from Ohio, comes to town to surprise her for her birthday. Jason is a very sweet guy who is totally in love with Addy. But we get the sense that she doesn't feel the same way. It becomes evident in her less-than-enthusiastic reaction to his announcement that their long distance relationship is over. Jason is moving to Los Angeles. It's a shocker for sure. But Addy is thrown even more off balance when Jason gives her an engagement ring. Again, she doesn't look thrilled. But she does wear the ring.

Cliff and Susan are negotiating what's supposed to be an amicable dissolution of partnership between two brothers in the chocolate business. Beth assists Susan while Malcolm works with Cliff. What should be a sweet little deal turns bitter fast, as the estranged hubby and wife seem to be letting their personal issues seep into the workplace. Malcolm and Beth aren't sure how to handle the bickering pair. Hart suggests outsmarting them.

Beth and Malcolm set up a dinner meeting with Hart and their clients, but they are all no-shows. That's because it was a set-up. Only Cliff and Susan were ever going to be at the restaurant. Since a bottle of fine wine has already been ordered, they decide to go with the flow. In other words, the plan worked. After polishing off all that vino, Cliff and Susan find themselves holding hands and talking reconciliation. Aww.