Typical Day
Penny Pleading is up at 6:00AM jogging. A solid run clears Penny's mind and gives her a chance to strategize for the day without the distractions of the busy JOD office or the courtroom.
Penny is in the middle of a big case against Rinaldo Raymondo, who stands accused of kidnapping, human trafficking, importing and selling drugs, and murder. The last part is expecially interesting to her because she hasn't prosecuted many murderers. This will only be her third murder since taking a job at the U.S. attorney's office two years ago.
Penny is certain that the key to this murder lies in the fingerprints found on the gun that killed several of the girls who Raymondo was trying to bring to Shanghai. Penny would love to tie the murder to Raymondo, but the prints aren't his.
However, Penny has proof that Raymondo was involved in the murder of Graciello Domingo—an accomplice discovered at the scene. There are witnesses. Now if only they'd be willing to testify....
It's hard to get someone to put their life on the line to do the right thing and put a killer away. (Especially if they might be targeted as payback for their good deed.)
An hour later, Penny finishes her run. None of her questions have been answered, but she has more energy than when she woke up this morning.
She takes a quick shower, grabs a bagel and cream cheese, and a cup of strong coffee on her way out the door.
Penny swings by her office on the way to the courthouse. She looks at the exhibits and evidence once again before heading out. She looks especially closely at the fingerprints.
The fingerprints don't add up. Who else was at the warehouse that night?
"Think, Penny," she tells herself. "Think."
Penny swings by her boss' office, State's Attorney Jim Justice. She brings her concerns to him and asks him if he has any ideas. He doesn't.
She says she thinks there's a bigger fish in all this and if they use Raymondo as bait, they might catch him. She asks if she can cut Raymondo a deal if he's willing to give up his boss to them.
"You know you don't have to ask me that," Jim Justice says. "Whatever you see fit. Just do it."
Penny offers Raymondo's lawyer a chance to get out of some of the charges against him. She's willing to plea down to the kidnapping charge and drop the murder, especially since Penny doesn't think Raymondo was that one who pulled the trigger. The catch is that he has to turn on his connection and the person who really did fire the gun.
Raymondo's lawyer accepts the deal and Penny gets Raymondo in a room for an interview.
Raymondo names Big Luciano Lombargo, an organized crime lord who operates out of Boston. Lombargo is the one responsible for the girls, for the murder, for the drugs, for everything.
Penny isn't buying it, but she has to admit, the plea bargain was worth it. This case has just gotten bigger. Much bigger.
That's one thing Penny is good at doing: building value into her cases.
Penny and Raymondo's lawyer take the new plea to the judge who grants it.
Now that murder is off the table, Penny can focus on the kidnapping, drug trafficking, and importing humans charges. No walk in the park for this guy.
Penny, however, is totally relaxed. She loves this part, making her opening statement in front of a brand new jury. Fresh- faced and eager to serve. Little do they know that by the end of the day, their backs will be sore from sitting, their patience tried, and the glamor of being on a jury will long since have worn off.
After giving a stellar speech (that Penny can see has every member of the jury riveted by her every word), she goes in for the jugular.
She shows pictures of the girls who were kidnapped. The girls are young, and emaciated, and beaten. Penny feels that she is their voice. She'll speak out for them and for others like them who have undergone unspeakable horrors. Penny's doing more than a job, she is defending the safety of the American people.
She could be making big bucks at a private law firm, but Penny will take the tradeoff for rewarding work any day.
At 5:00PM, the court is done for the day. Penny is spent, but lucky. It's only a matter of time before she finds out who pulled the trigger.
Penny collects her things and buries herself in her office for the next six hours working up the case.
It's close to midnight when Penny gets home. She crawls into bed and watches Friends as she falls asleep. She needs a little distraction to avoid having dreams about what happened in the trial.
If only she knew who was holding the gun....
Eventually, she falls fast asleep. It will have to wait until tomorrow.