Mickey makes a bold move after the prosecution rests their case in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 episode 8.
The Lincoln Lawyer: Case File for season 2 episode 8 ‘Covenants and Stipulations’
Written by Chris Downey and Michael Connelly
Directed by Shana Stein
Let us investigate our case file for The Lincoln Lawyer S2E8 ‘Covenants and Stipulations’.
- Mickey’s strategy for Lisa’s defense is to point the finger at someone else. He has his eyes on Alex Grant and plans to put him on the stand.
- Jeff Trammell is Lisa’s estranged ex-husband.
- Walter Kim is a building inspector who provided the photo for Bondurant’s restraining order against Lisa.
- Rene is the restaurant manager at Lisa’s restaurant Elysian. He is the one who brought the complimentary food to Mickey’s table in episode 1.
- Izzy was blindsided when the landlord suddenly increased security deposit for the studio space by 50%.
- Henry Dahl is the podcaster who bailed Lisa out of jail using money from his podcast investor David Webber who runs one of Alex Grant’s shell companies. Henry interviewed Lisa before she was arrested for murder. He wants to continue the story.
The prosecution continues to work through their case with several more witnesses on the stand before finally resting their case.
Mickey gets a surprise visitor on his “above average Thursday” (his birthday, which shall not be named). His mother Elena arrives with enough clothes to satisfy any audition she may secure while in town.
Lisa keeps telling Mickey that she wants to testify. He informs her that it is better if they let other witnesses tell the story for her. But in the end, Mickey reconsiders.
Check with my office
What is the The Lincoln Lawyer office staff up to in episode 8?
For court
Lorna continues to serve as Mickey’s second chair on the Trammel case. She questions him when he makes a risky decision about his first witness for the defense.
Cisco prepares some “attack” points for the prosecution’s witnesses due on the stand. He also makes a failed attempt to locate a potential witness.
Rental woes
Lorna also tag teams with Izzy to confront the property owner of the space Izzy wants for the dance studio. The owner tries to pass off the same story as the rental agent, quoting changes in market conditions. Izzy gives the owner two rental applications, her original one and one completed by Lorna the current day.
Izzy points out to the property owner that the applications have all the same information except for the lessee’s name. Lorna, however, was offered the original $10,000 security deposit amount. Apparently, market conditions did not affect her application.
Izzy and Lorna accuse the owner of discrimination and threaten to turn to their lawyer boss and the newspaper. The owner quickly changes her tune and Lizzy secures the lease with the $10,000 deposit. Later that evening, Izzy happily spends time looking over the studio and making plans.
Wedding plans
Cisco and Lorna have a heart-to-heart talk about their impending nuptials when Cisco discovers that Lorna used their credit with the wedding cake baker. He becomes quiet and Lorna knows something is bothering him. Cisco asks why she used the credit. It was about to expire but she could have asked for an extension. Lorna explains that she wasn’t sure when the wedding would be and thought maybe they should elope like Cisco originally suggested. Then Lorna realizes that Cisco is now eager for the traditional wedding instead. They agree to go with the big cheesy wedding and all its accoutrements.
In the courtroom
Episode 8 brings a couple of busy days in court as the prosecution brings in its final witnesses.
Landscaper
Andy: First up is the landscaper that discovered the hammer underneath some hedges.
Mickey: Mickey tries to poke a hole in the story asking the landscaper if he blows the leaves from beneath those hedges each week. The landscaper confirms that he does. Mickey wonders why the hammer suddenly appears this week – the start of Lisa’s trial.
Detective O’Brien
Andy: Detective O’Brien is back on the stand for questions regarding the murder weapon. She begins walking him through the process of identifying and securing the hammer as evidence. Mickey interrupts and concedes to the stipulation that the hammer is the one missing from Lisa’s toolkit.
Mickey: Mickey cross-examines O’Brien and tries to discredit his original search for the murder weapon. The defense suggests that either O’Briens’s original search was inadequate, or it was, and someone planted the hammer later.
Dr. Gates
Andy: Andy begins questioning Dr. Gates about the lab procedure to identify the blood on the hammer. Mickey interrupts again agreeing to the stipulation that the blood on the hammer belongs to Mitchell Bondurant.
Andy takes a sidebar to complain about Mickey shortcutting her evidence presentations. Judge Medina agrees to the stipulations but warns Mickey that his actions could be brought up on appeal for his counsel being ineffective. It is time for the lunch recess.
During the recess, Mickey receives a call from Jeff Trammell who is in the lobby of Mickey’s office. Trammel not so subtly offers to say whatever Mickey wants him to on the stand in exchange for compensation. Mickey turns him away.
Ms. Stern
Andy: Longtime neighbor of Lisa, Ms. Stern, is on the stand after lunch. Andy questions her about her experience as Lisa’s neighbor. Ms. Stern recalls several disputes and a lot of fighting between Lisa and Jeff. Ms. Stern says one fight landed Jeff in the hospital
Mickey: Mickey cross-examines Ms. Stern and discredits her assumption that Jeff went to the hospital due to fighting with Lisa. Instead, he credits a separate medical issue. Mickey also asks Ms. Stern what the offer was for her home if she and Lisa both agreed to sell to Bondurant. At a hefty 1.5 million, Mickey suggests that Ms. Stern’s testimony merely stems from a grudge against Lisa for not be willing to sell.
Walter Kim
Andy: Next up is building inspector Walter Kim who took the compromising photo used in the restraining order against Lisa. He explains that he took photos that day because things were escalating. The prosecution shares the photo of Lisa lunging at Bondurant.
Mickey: In his cross-examination, Mickey tries to suggest that Kim was helping Bondurant with the restraining order because he received so many jobs from him. Andy objects stating that Kim’s job is a publicly funded position that cannot gain from working with a particular builder. Mickey asks why Kim was at the protest. Kim explains that he was assigned to a foundation inspection at the site. He testifies that Bondurant did not ask him to take photos, but seeing that he had, Bondurant called upon him for help with the restraining order. Mickey asks about other filming that day and points to a cyclist in the background with a camera on his helmet. Cisco has secured that footage and the defense shares the view from the other side. The video shows that Bondurant actually accosted Lisa and she pushed him back to defend herself.
Kim is excused. Lorna speaks with Elysian restaurant manager René in the hallway. She tells him he may be up shortly because it looks like the prosecution will rest its case. While they are talking, René takes curious notice of Walter Kim exiting the courtroom.
Andy tells Judge Medina that she may call one more witness. Mickey is afraid it could be Jeff Trammel and tasks Cisco with finding him.
Cisco is unable to track down Jeff. The trial reconvenes late the next morning due to the judge’s dental procedure.
Henry Dahl
Andy: The prosecution’s mystery final witness is podcaster Henry Dahl. He testifies that about 20 minutes of a total of 7-8 hours of tape was used in the actual podcast. Part of the tape not used contains some language hurtful to Lisa’s defense. On the audio, we hear Lisa telling Dahl that her group learned everything they could about Bondurant including where he parked his car in the garage. That way they would be ready for him.
Despite his busy trial schedule, Mickey gets a big dose of family in the episode.
Hayley plans a surprise celebration for his birthday. Mickey does not like celebrating his birthday and refuses to even call it his birthday. But Lorna gives him a heads up that the surprise is Hayley’s idea, so he should act pleased.
Mickey returns to the office for the lunch recess and thanks Hayley for the party. He gets an even bigger surprise when his mother, Elena, shows up for the celebration. Elena lives in Mexico where she has enjoyed a long acting career. Her trip to Los Angeles makes her excited for some local opportunities as well. Elena fawns over Mickey offering him a variety of supplements and even some discount antibiotics that she endorses on an infomercial. Before Mickey leaves to return to court, Elena offers to take Hayley shopping and prompts Mickey to hand over his credit card. Elena is a force of nature, for sure!
Lorna tells Izzy that Mickey does not like his birthday because his father could not remember it and his mother always put the focus on herself.
Mickey and Hayley enjoy some horseback riding later that day. Hayley asks how her grandparents met. They get tickled seeing Elena fussing at her agent on the phone by the fence. She does not seem happy about her high heels getting dirty at the ring.
Later that evening, Mickey brings Elena and her abundant luggage to his house. She has outfits ready for any kind of audition she might secure while she is there.
After Henry Dahl testifies for the prosecution, Mickey declines to cross-examine him because Henry did not give him all of the audio. The prosecution rests their case. But Mickey cannot recess for the weekend and leave the jury thinking about what Lisa said on the tape. Lorna tells him it is too dangerous, but Mickey takes the risk and calls Lisa to the stand as the first witness for the defense as the credits roll.
Mickey has made a risky move by calling Lisa as his first witness for the defense instead of restaurant manager Rene as originally planned. How will Lisa respond when Andy cross-examines her? I am expecting quite a show.
Will Mama Elena will end up staying longer than the three days planned? I guess it depends on the outcome of her big audition.
Has Jeff Trammell left town now that Mickey turned down his offer to lie on the stand?
Sidebar: Mickey’s mom is delightful and a fun foil to his stressful trial obligations.
Closing argument: It is starting to feel like Lisa’s case is losing steam before the defense even begins making their case.
Episodes 1 – 10 of The Lincoln Lawyer are currently available on Netflix.
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Next up: ‘Case File’ recap S2E9
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