What can you sacrifice for your dreams

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.

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!