- "If I'm indicted, which we know I will be, we'll waive all hearings and discovery and go directly to trial. Not my first rodeo, remember?"
"You'll need to testify."
"I'm just gonna have faith in our judicial system and you're gonna do your jobs." - ―John Healy and Matt Murdock[src]
The People v. John Healy was a criminal trial for John Healy, who was accused of murdering Prohaszka.
Background[]
- "It's not their experience that matters. They just opened shop and they're completely clean. Say that about any of the other hundred you know? Huh? Two lawyers above reproach. Self-defense. No questions, no trail."
- ―James Wesley to Leland Owlsley[src]
John Healy surrenders after killing Prohaszka
In order to expand their Steel Serpent distribution network, Wilson Fisk negotiated with Prohaszka to acquire the Kitchen Cab assets and transfer them over to the Russian Mafia. However, Prohaszka repeatedly refused to negotiate, so James Wesley sent John Healy to assassinate him. Healy bought a gun from Turk Barrett and arrived at Whitestone Lanes, where Prohaszka had a private bowling game. Prohaszka ordered his men to kick him out, but Healy subdued them and attempted to shoot Healy, but the gun jammed.
James Wesley approaches Nelson and Murdock
In a subsequent struggle between the two, Healy ended up bashing Prohaszka's skull with a bowling ball and immediately surrendered to the New York City Police Department. As Healy was taken to the 15th Precinct Police Station, Wesley approached Nelson and Murdock on behalf of Confederated Global Investments and offered them to take on the case, paying in advance. Fisk and Wesley planned for a fresh, clean law firm to handle Healy's case without attracting any unwanted attention. Matt Murdock was suspicious, so he sent Foggy Nelson to speak with Healy and tried to follow Wesley, although he got away.
Foggy Nelson talks to John Healy
While talking with Nelson, Healy denied that he provoked Prohaszka to attack him and claimed that he killed him in self-defense. Nelson started having second thoughts about the whole case and talked to Murdock about recusal, but Murdock convinced him to take on it. Talking with Healy, Murdock suggested filing an appeal to get Healy out while the District Attorney would consider a plea deal. But Healy refused and insisted on taking things to court, knowing that Fisk and Wesley worked behind the scenes to resolve the situation as clean as possible.[4]
Trial[]
Foggy Nelson makes an opening statement
- "What was in my client's heart when he took Mr. Prohaszka's life, whether he is a good man or something else entirely, is irrelevant. These questions of good and evil, as important as they are, have no place in a court of law. Only the facts matter."
- ―Matt Murdock[src]
As the case was taken to the court, Prohaszka's associates refused to make a statement on the incident, while the Whitestone Lanes clerk testified that John Healy acted peacefully before it all happened. Foggy Nelson made his opening statement, telling the jury that according to the state law, it was on the prosecution to prove that John Healy's actions were unjustified, while Healy was not required to prove anything. While Rosalind Fowler addressed the jury to inform them of some important details regarding the case, Matt Murdock noticed one of the jurors being unusually nervous.
Matt Murdock senses James Wesley in the courtroom
He then sensed James Wesley entering the courtroom, which caused the juror's anxiety to spike, so Murdock smelled fowl play. At night, he followed the juror as Masked Man and found out that she was being blackmailed by Oscar into influencing the verdict. Masked Man attacked Oscar and forced him to destroy the blackmail material and leave the juror alone, even though Oscar feared for his life. On the next day of the trial, the juror in question excused herself from duty, so she was replaced.
Matt Murdock makes a closing statement
As the prosecution failed to prove that Healy's actions did not qualify as self-defense, Murdock proceeded with a closing statement, reminding the jury to focus only on the facts of the matter. As Fowler prepared to rule the verdict, Wesley returned to the courtroom and Murdock realized that the jury spokesperson was also being blackmailed. Fowler then was informed that the jury failed to reach a verdict, which made Nelson worried that the District Attorney would move for a retrial. However, Murdock knew that it would not happen and that Healy was perfectly aware that the trial was being manipulated.[4]
Aftermath[]
Masked Man confronts John Healy
- "Do you remember depositing this retainer check for a company called CGI?"
"Yes, I do. Um... Look, Matt and Foggy took on one case for them. That's all."
"According to my source, CGI was a front for Fisk." - ―Ray Nadeem and Karen Page[src]
Due to the lack of the verdict, the charges against John Healy were dropped and he was released from the custody. He was then immediately attacked by Masked Man, who demanded Healy to name his employer. Healy initially refused to yield, but Masked Man forced him to confess that he was working for Wilson Fisk. Masked Man then told Healy to escape, but he said that now that he gave away Fisk's name, he and his loved ones would never be safe and committed suicide in front of Masked Man.[4]
A few years later, Fisk became an informant for the FBI and provided them with the information that Murdock was his criminal associate. Ray Nadeem launched an investigation into Murdock and discovered a Confederated Global Investments retainer check that James Wesley issued to Nelson and Murdock for taking on Healy's case. As Confederated Global Investments was known to be a front for Fisk's criminal enterprise, it led Nadeem to suspect Murdock, as well as Foggy Nelson and Karen Page as his accessories.[5]
