Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

Jesse Metcalfe: C.J. Nicholas

Photos 

Quotes 

• C.J. Nicholas : [ecstatic]  I got it! This is the big one!

  Martin Weldon : Sit your ass down.

  C.J. Nicholas : [as Corey takes a seat]  District Attorney Mark Hunter is faking forensic evidence to get convictions in murder trials.

  Martin Weldon : [to Corey]  He's not sitting his ass down.

  Corey Finley : I am, though. My ass is right down. Snug. This is his idea.

  C.J. Nicholas : I've got proof.

  Martin Weldon : Sit your ass down.

  C.J. Nicholas : [complies]  Hear me out. Three years ago, Hunter lost a string of cases. Now that's not something a district attorney's supposed to do. And then- bada bing- 17 murder convictions in a row. Now he's leading the polls for governor. Do you think maybe he's on a lucky streak?

  Martin Weldon : DAs don't try cases they don't expect to win.

  C.J. Nicholas : [pulls out crime scene photos]  Okay, take a look at this.

  Corey Finley : [to himself]  Oh, man.

  C.J. Nicholas : It's the crime scene photo from the Andre Benson case.

  Martin Weldon : [disinterested]  Why am I listening to you?

  C.J. Nicholas : There was no footprint match, no fiber match, no trace that Andre Benson was even there, except for this cigarette butt. So Andre Benson had the presence of mind to pick up his shell casings, but not his cigarette but that he left right next to the victim's hand?

  Martin Weldon : I think you used the word "proof."

  C.J. Nicholas : [pulls out a tape]  The interview tape. Just bear with me here.

  [puts tape in a VCR] 

  C.J. Nicholas : The detective on the left, one Anthony Merchant. Now, before Hunter joined the DA's office, he was a police detective, and his partner for many of those years was none other than Detective Lieutenant Anthony Merchant. Now watch.

  [In the tape, Merchant offers Benson a cigarette] 

  C.J. Nicholas : Okay, here we go.

  [pauses the tape] 

  C.J. Nicholas : That's how they got the cigarette butt with Benson's DNA. It's right there in front of use.

  Martin Weldon : This is your proof?

  [to Corey] 

  Martin Weldon : Are you going along with this?

  [Corey just raises his hand] 

  C.J. Nicholas : All of these 17 convictions were decided by DNA evidence. In each case the lead detective was none other than Anthony Merchant.

  Martin Weldon : How did you get that tape?

  C.J. Nicholas : From a source.

  Martin Weldon : And I bet this source has a skirt.

  C.J. Nicholas : [scoffs]  Does it matter?

  Martin Weldon : [shakes his head]  Not really.

  C.J. Nicholas : Then, what is it? I mean, this is a story- a monster story!

• Martin Weldon : I just received a new budget. We can't afford the investigation team anymore.

  Corey Finley : [shocked]  What?

  C.J. Nicholas : [shocked]  You gotta be kidding me.

  Martin Weldon : Have you looked at your ratings?

  C.J. Nicholas : No.

  Martin Weldon : Well, it's not a pretty sight. It just so happens that the folks who own this place have this funny little obsession about ratings. It seems that ratings pay the rent. No ratings, no rent. So you guys are both going on general assignment.

  Corey Finley : Oh, come on.

  Martin Weldon : I don't like this anymore than you do. Hey, I saw your documentary. That's why I hired you. I know you're good.

  C.J. Nicholas : [desperate]  What about the story?

  Martin Weldon : What story? You've got some stones coming in here and using the word "proof." You answer me one simple question- How in the hell could Detective Merchant plant that cigarette butt at the crime scene when the interview took place three days after the crime scene photographs were taken?

  [beat] 

  Martin Weldon : Now pick up your assignments at the front desk and get out of here.

• Animal Shelter Attendant : Are you looking for a pacific type of dog?

  C.J. Nicholas : A Jack Russell terrier.

  Corey Finley : Like the kind in Mask or Frasier.

  Animal Shelter Attendant : Yeah, I think I know what a Jack Russell terrier is. Thank you. Uh, we have one that's mostly Jack Russell. He's-

  [points] 

  Animal Shelter Attendant : he's out there.

• C.J. Nicholas : How far would you go for the story of your lifetime?

  Corey Finley : I mean, you know me, farther than far.

  C.J. Nicholas : Would you risk everything?

  Corey Finley : Depends on what you mean by everything.

  C.J. Nicholas : Aw, everything means everything, including going to prison.

  Corey Finley : You're kidding.

  C.J. Nicholas : Never been more serious in my entire life.

  [He sips his beer] 

  Corey Finley : Jesus. I mean, I don't know.

  C.J. Nicholas : I'm talking about the biggest story we've ever dreamed of. I'm talking about the Pulitzer Prize!

  Corey Finley : You're also talking about prison.

  C.J. Nicholas : Just hear me out. Okay, when I'm done, you say no, we don't do it. Your choice. Of course, it will mean you will spend the rest of your numbered days producing tookie tidbits from a minor league field. And it'll also mean you have no scrotal sack.

  Corey Finley : We gonna cut to commercial before we do Final Jeopardy?

  C.J. Nicholas : Right, cut to the chase. We both know that Hunter is bringing in fake DNA to get those convictions.

  Corey Finley : Right.

  C.J. Nicholas : We don't know exactly how, but we know that he's doing it.

  Corey Finley : Mm-hmm.

  C.J. Nicholas : You with me?

  Corey Finley : So far, yeah.

  C.J. Nicholas : Well, there's one way we can prove it.

  Corey Finley : And is this the risky part?

  C.J. Nicholas : Not yet. First we have to wait for the right murder.

  [beat] 

  Corey Finley : What do you- The right murder?

  C.J. Nicholas : The murder of some anonymous person, okay? Some junkie or hooker where the cops have no suspect and they really don't give a shit. And there's gotta be some vague physical evidence, like, uh, like a tire track or a footprint. Not a lot. And it's gotta happen when I have no alibi.

  Corey Finley : Right, who needs an ali- Why can't you have one?

  C.J. Nicholas : I can't have an alibi because that's when we plant the circumstantial evidence.

  Corey Finley : We what?

  C.J. Nicholas : We plant enough circumstantial evidence that points it to me.

  Corey Finley : You're shitting me.

  C.J. Nicholas : I shit you not. We not only plant it, you document us planting it. You tape me doing it, each time with the day's newspaper in the shot. That way we can prove that the evidence came after the fact.

  Corey Finley : [worried]  Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?

  C.J. Nicholas : More than one. Anyway, enough circumstantial evidence, and District Attorney Mark S. Hunter won't be able to resist. He'll arrest me, he'll indict me and he'll put me on trial. And not only will he have a high profile case, he will have a truly sexy, juicy, front page lead story that'll tie up the nomination for governor. And he'll have a white defendant. That, he won't be able to resist.