In the opening scene of Episode 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer season 4, Lorna and Mickey arrive at the courthouse, greeted by a few judging looks from passersby. Lorna tries to brush them off, but the atmosphere is tense. On their way to the courtroom, they bump into Bamba, who has just been released on parole. Bamba is in need of a job, and Mickey suggests hiring him as a driver.
As they proceed to the courtroom, Lorna calls Izzy to run a background check on Bamba, just to be sure. In the courtroom, Dana accuses Mickey of alerting the press for publicity, but he denies it, saying he's on a murder trial and wouldn't want his reputation ruined. Judge Stone agrees to hear a motion to compel discovery. Dana requests that the motion be heard in chambers rather than in front of the media, but Judge Stone declines.
Mickey summons his first witness, lead detective Drucker, who mentions that Sam's body didn't have an ID. He says they had to run fingerprints to identify the victim. Mickey brings up two pictures from the crime scene and points out a rectangular pattern on Sam's pocket, asking if it could be a wallet. Drucker says he cannot confirm the object but Mickey presses further.
Drucker implies that a wallet was not handed to him, turning heads in the courtroom. As they leave the courtroom, Mickey confesses that he tipped off a reporter, Kasey Montoya, since he wants them to report every dirty trick that Dana might try. Mickey and Lorna are surprised to find Jack and Maggie waiting for them, who have come to ask for a referral. One of Jack's athletes was injured, and Lorna offers to help.
As Lorna talks to Maggie about her client's divorce case, she asks if it's possible to press charges against a husband who infects their partner with an STD. Mickey talks with Jack, revealing that if found guilty, he might get a life sentence without a chance for parole.
After the lunch break, Drucker notes that the rectangular pattern in the pocket was likely a wallet. However, he assumes that the wallet might have been misplaced within the 17 hours before he was called to pick up Sam's body. The tension in the courtroom remains high as the investigation continues.
Judge Stone sternly emphasized that the prosecution had a mere 48 hours to present the missing wallet, voicing his disappointment with their handling of crucial information related to Mickey's case. Dana was instructed not to return empty-handed. Meanwhile, Mickey and Maggie exchanged text messages, with Maggie expressing her concern for him and her surprise at showing up unexpectedly in his office. She also mentioned that Lorna was worried about him, and they all needed to know he was okay. Mickey then headed out with Izzy for an AA meeting.
The next day, Mickey received a call from Cisco in Yuma, sharing a new lead: Sam had been wiring money to Austin Niederland, an inmate. Austin requested a face-to-face meeting with Mickey, which was impossible due to Mickey's ankle monitor. Recognizing the significance of this information for his case, Mickey went to the courthouse to request permission to travel to Arizona. Judge Stone granted him permission to fly to Arizona to meet with Austin and return to LA, warning that failure to do so would result in him becoming a fugitive. This put Mickey under a tight schedule to speak with Austin and travel back before midnight.
Mickey hurriedly made his way to catch a flight to Arizona, while Lorna went to meet Celeste at an insurance company. They discussed how clients casually engage in car sex, which can lead to numerous claims. The insurance company's counsel was shocked by the claim amount that Celeste was requesting. Initially, she failed to see how Celeste's situation could affect them, but Lorna managed to find a way to ensure Celeste was paid by the insurance company.
Upon leaving, Celeste is struck by the victory's impact. Her desire for revenge against her ex-husband still lingers, and Lorna's revelation that subsection 17C of the policy allows the insurance company to pursue the husband for negligence further impresses her with Lorna's astuteness.
As Mickey arrives in Arizona, Cisco picks him up and rushes him to the prison. The clock is ticking, and he hopes to meet Austin and return home before midnight. Austin accuses Mickey of killing Sam, but Mickey assures him that he didn't kill his best friend. Mickey emphasizes that the only way to find the killer is for Austin to cooperate. As it appears that he's wasted his trip, Mickey prepares to leave, but Austin asks if he liked Sam. Although Sam had taken advantage of many people, Mickey admits that he did like him. Austin cooperates and reveals that Sam sent him letters disguised as his uncle, Kirk Lennon, and gives him an address in San Pedro, admitting he didn't know what Sam was doing there.
Mickey's ankle monitor flashes as he prepares to leave prison, signaling that the battery could die at any moment. Fortunately, the prison guard directs them to his cousin's place where they can find a charger. Maggie calls, and Mickey explains that his low battery made him miss his flight. He has less than five hours to return to LA. Once the monitor charges, they hop into a rental car that's nearly out of gas. At the LA city limits, traffic threatens their ability to arrive on time. They take a different route, but the gas runs out. Running against time, Mickey races up the hill and makes it in time. He texts Maggie to assure her that he's back on time.
With a sense of relief, Lorna instructs Izzy to fetch three chargers so that Mickey always has one with him. The episode ends with Mickey lying on the ground, catching his breath after that narrow escape.
