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Jerry Kellerman is a public defender who believes that there is good in everyone. For this reason, he uses his career to help defend people who do not have the money and the resources to buy their freedom. Jerry will defend people he feels are innocent, and he does whatever it takes for justice. The way he approaches his job often leads him to fighting with Judge Trudy.
Trudy is looking to become the next district attorney, and she wants all the courtroom proceedings to go as smoothly as possible to help make her resume look better. This isn't easy when Jerry is working a case. Another person Jerry argues with is Michelle Earnhardt. She is often Jerry's opponent in court, but they have also dated. This adds to the tension in and out of the courtroom.
In the opening of the show, Jerry is defending an innocent man. However, the focus on the story is Michelle realizing that a man was wrongfully accused and charged of rape. She fights to get the decision reversed, but it does not happen since it will embarrass the office.
In Jerry's next case, he defends a man who is accused of murder. He truly believes the man is innocent, but it becomes extremely difficult for him to prove it. The reason being, is the only witness to claim the man is innocent is out of the country for the time being. As the season progresses, Jerry must learn to accept that he cannot save every innocent person from being wrongfully accused. However, he will continue to fight in hopes of teaching is peers that they can provide justice, and still have successful careers.
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Raising the Bar Full Episode Guide
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In the series finale, Jerry tries to uphold justice for a male massage therapist charged with inappropriately touching a female client, but a snafu involving the jury threatens to derail the case. Meanwhile, Kessler's boyfriend asks her a legal favor; Jerry and Bobbi search for an apartment; and Roz---who continues to care for a baby---is extorted by the infant's father.
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Jerry questions his client's deal to testify against a rapist and a series of events leave Roz with a baby.
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Jerry faces off against Michelle when he defends a heroin-addled pregnant woman and Michelle wants her in jail so that her unborn baby stands a chance. Elsewhere, Roz takes a case for a carriage driver accused of abusing a horse and attacking a cop, but surprising details surface in the case.
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Jerry defends a convict accused of killing a fellow inmate. The case takes a different turn when it turns out that Jerry's client was wrongly imprisoned. A new staffer works hard for a homeless man and finds a way to sue the city.
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Bobbi takes the case of a woman charged with smuggling drugs that involves Michelle's cop boyfriend. Elsewhere, Jerry tries to obtain a better deal for his client and goes against Marcus over the issue.
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Kessler and Farnsworth clash over a case in which a mother is set to go to prison. Elsewhere, Balco hands a case to Michelle, but she'll only have 48 hours to prepare before it goes to trial.
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Bobbi advocates for a confidential informant who fears his powerful codefendant could have him killed. Jerry tries to assist Bobbi in the case, but his meddling backfires. Elsewhere, Richard tries to help a client by using his own family name as leverage in negotiations.
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Jerry and Richard both fight for clients who received unfair verdicts. Richard has to go up against Judge Kessler who is preoccupied with a blind date. Meanwhile, Bobbi struggles to adjust to a life-shattering situation involving her ex-husband
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Jerry relies on the sympathy of the jury instead of the facts when he holds court for a man charged with running over a corrupt lawyer. Elsewhere, Richard makes a judicial fumble when he rushes through his cases. Also, Bobbi's divorce proceedings advance.
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Jerry advocates for a woman charged with drug possession, but the case stirs up a conflict between Jerry and Michelle's new cop boyfriend. In addition, Bobbi defends a client battling larceny charges; and Charlie and Judge Farnsworth (John Michael Higgins) spend a most interesting dinner together.
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Jerry goes up against Balco in a child-pornography case. Bobbi's divorce proceedings go downhill when Gavin exploits a legal loophole which produces life-changing consequences.
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Fiery friction erupts between Jerry and rigid Judge Farnsworth over Jerry's tardiness. Elsewhere, Roz and Richard join forces on a hate-crime case. And Marcus' well-connected girlfriend puts him in a tight spot with Balco.
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Jerry and Michelle go before an extremely strict new judge and the case only gets worse when Michelle realizes that she may have feelings for a witness. Meanwhile, a case revolves around two older twins accused of falsifying a welfare check.
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Jerry defends a man charged with permitting a relative to sell drugs out of his barbershop. Roz begins working on active cases again and Bobbi's divorce proceedings begin.
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The appeals court overturns the conviction of a black firefighter accused of stealing property from a body found during a fire. The court finds that Judge Kessler was wrong to disallow testimony. Roz and Balco have to go and retry the case and they find racism to play a major part. Jerry finds some information out about Bobbi's husband but doesn't know if he should share it. Charlie deals with conflict between him and Judge Kessler.
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Jerry takes the case when an HIV-positive man is charged with attempted murder after spitting in an officer's face. Meanwhile, Bobbi and Richard team up for the case of a 14-year-old who was involved in a murder.
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When Charlie's friend is arrested, he has Jerry handle the case. Meanwhile, Michelle asks Jerry to intercede on Bobbi's current case.
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Jerry's latest client assures him he's innocent, but Jerry believes that there is more to the case than meets the eye. Meanwhile, a law student takes an interest in Richard.
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Jerry takes on the case of a man who followed a driver after he hit-and-ran from the scene of a crime and then stole from him. Meanwhile, Bobbi's works on the case of a wife refuses to press charges on her husband who has been abusing her.
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Jerry faces his most emotional case yet when he takes on the case of a murdered young boy. As the press watches the case closely, Balco takes over the case as lead prosecutor. Meanwhile, Bobbi defends a man on possession of heroin charges.
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Roz receives a job offer from Richard's extremely wealthy father. Meanwhile, Jerry defends a case in which a mother's arrest may be connected to a murder trial. Also, Jerry works for his broke mother and Judge Kessler continues with his political aspirations.
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Jerry takes the case of a man who is accused of murder, but the only witness to the alleged crime is in Guatemala. Meanwhile, Michele has an opportunity to try her first murder trial; Richard defends an assault case; and Charlie is put in an awkward situation when he runs into a former fling in court.
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Public defender Jerry Kellerman must defend a man who he believes is innocent. However, the case becomes complicated when Jerry struggles in front of a judge that has it out for him. Meanwhile, Michelle works on a rape trial while being pressured by the DA's office who doesn't want to be embarrassed by a wrong conviction.
