From books to movies to series, The Lincoln Lawyer finds its way to Netflix for an original show that was released perfectly in time to reach the top ten of the streaming platform. Anyone can finish it in one sitting, just give it a whole day and it’s done. With just ten episodes, here is the ending explained and why it is called the Brass Verdict.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Lincoln Lawyer! Read at your own risk!
Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer: The Brass Verdict Ending Explained
In a legal sense, a “brass verdict” is what the police use as a slang for “street justice” which happens when a guilty person gets to walk free but ends up getting shot while enjoying freedom. This originated from the judgment of a person delivered through a gun. Brass is a type of metal good for bullet shells.
The finale of Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer delivered its finale titled “The Brass Verdict” with the whole season based on the second book of the series of Michael Connelly of the same name. The series followed Mickey Haller, a lawyer on a break, inheriting the whole practice of one Jerry Vincent who was murdered by a mystery suspect.
First up, the case of Maggie McPherson on human trafficking against Angelo Soto was ordered to be dismissed by the new District Attorney Bob Cardone and after which, Maggie was removed from her position. WIth the testimony of Lankford being tainted, Maggie is left without any choice but to call a friend, Sara, who helped her set up the case to a higher authority, now the FBI.
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Then, there is Cisco, the investigator of Mickey Haller used to be a member of the Road Saints motorcycle club that isn’t just a club totally. Throughout the series, Cisco has been curious why Haller would have a pro bono case for one of the members of the Road Saints but in the end, he finally realized why – Haller may compromise his reputation just to pay for the debts of Cisco.
Cisco knew that this would be a tarnish to the name of Haller who just won one of the biggest cases in his life and redeemed his practice so Cisco said that he will be paying his own debts. Teddy seemed to offer him a job which was never revealed, only that he hit the road off to somewhere.
We get to the big case: Trevor Elliot. Mickey Haller was able to win his case in court even when their time to prepare for all of it was too short. Haller explained to the jury how impossible it could be for Elliot to have killed his wife and her paramour in just under seven minutes but Haller knew that there is more to the story, that it was indeed Elliot who killed them.
While Haller might have felt that he let injustice prevail, vigilante justice just never ceases and this is where the brass verdict enters: Carol DuBois, one of the many women of Jan Rilz, took it to her own to deliver Elliot what he deserves, because she felt that Rilz deserved better justice so she shot him while he was launching the sequel of his game.
The case of Jesus Menendez resurfaced just after Mickey Haller obtained Gloria Dayton, a.k.a. Glory Days, to testify in his case and free him. It was her who knew that it wasn’t Menendez who killed her friend, he was wrongly accused and Haller made it sure that there would be no one innocent person jailed because of him.
His case was still pending when Haller got into an accident and it left Menendez in jail for longer than he should have. Haller ensured that Menendez would be given a new trial and Glory Days would testify, since it is a new trial, there would be no more jury, just the judge. Haller was able to free Menendez.
The biggest question from the very first episode is finally answered in the finale on who killed Jerry Vincent. This is where the whole season revolved in his murder and Haller got his whole practice. Detective Griggs makes sure to investigate the case until they find who the real killer is. As it turns out, in the penultimate, the same person who killed Vincent tried to kill Haller, too.
Then they finally pieced out everything: Vincent’s death was because of a jury-rigging conspiracy which he was supposed to intervene. Vincent found out that Juror Number 7 in Elliot’s case would be rigged and he wanted to file a continuance even if it is against the wishes of his client.
With such a continuance, a different set of jurors would be taken and that would remove the planted juror. It was Judge Holder all along, the very judge who checks in on Haller regarding his practice. Vincent must have known this and that caused his death because if he would be able to submit the continuance, then Holder’s juror would not be seated.
The end scene suggests that there is more to the series, a hint to the possibility of a second season. When Glory Days testified in court, she mentioned that there was also an attempt on her life by the same killer who murdered her friend. It was not Jesus Menendez but it is a guy who has a kanji tattoo on his forearm.
Haller struggled to go back to surfing given that he met a drowning accident because of it and had to rest up for 18 months before going back to his legal profession. When he finally came into terms in going back to surfing, the camera pans to a man with the same kanji tattoo which may lead to a problem should there be another season for the show.
All in all, The Lincoln Lawyer delivered a legal drama that is not that difficult to digest. It was not about justice coming from law and order, it is one which is delivered by who stands for one when a trial happens. It gets the perspective of justice from within and without the law, and how it is tainted with corruption from the inside.
A guilty person gets to walk free but an innocent one gets time in prison, the politics within the system and how to never underestimate those who crave for power because they will never stand for you, and how every person within the justice system, may it be big or not, has something to do with justice not being delivered.
See, the eyes of Lady Justice, the woman who holds the scales, speak volumes. It was always covered. The main reason for that is because justice should never be influenced by whoever has judgment borne by them and thus, justice would not fall into corruption or prejudice. In the Lincoln Lawyer, however, they delivered justice keeping both eyes open.
The Lincoln Laywer is now streaming on Netflix.
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