Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for The Lincoln Lawyer!
Lincoln’s lawyerHector Moya’s twist presents an old legal and moral debate in a new way, offering a different perspective on the subject. As a law-centric show, it’s no surprise that Lincoln’s lawyer plays with questions of morality, philosophy and law. These three topics are inextricably intertwined. All law is essentially created based on moral ideas of right and wrong, and its punishment boils down to philosophies of redemption, humanity, and rehabilitation. Almost all of the main characters in Lincoln’s lawyer season 3 deals with a different internal conflict based on these topics.
Mickey wonders if his clients’ guilt is important to him. Andy struggles to ease his guilt over Scott Glass’ actions while he is on a Cruz Waiver in Lincoln’s lawyerbelieving she is guilty of the murder of Deborah Glass. The show also explores bigger questions about humanity. One of the most significant examples comes in the form of an ancient debate about innocent and guilty people.
Hector Moya is guilty of crimes in Lincoln Lawyer (but not the one he is accused of)
Hector Moya committed at least eight murders
A moral debate related to common law is whether it is better to put an innocent person in prison or to mistakenly acquit a guilty person. When the issue is raised, it is usually in the context of an innocent defendant being found guilty during a trial. However, The Lincoln Lawyer flips the angle. It turns out, in a major twist, Hector Moya – an unquestionably guilty man – did not commit the crime of which he is accused.
However, there is no doubt that Moya committed numerous other dangerous and violent crimes. As young people cannot be detained after the age of 18, regardless of the crime they committed in Mexico, the cartel uses them to kill rivals. Hector Moya admitted at the age of 16 to having murdered seven people, three of whom he also tortured and hanged, and another whom he left in the desert. He also kills Agent De Marco.
He also runs a violent drug cartel responsible for the production, smuggling and distribution of illicit and potentially lethal substances. As such, Hector Moya is far from innocent, generally speaking. However, this does not change the fact that Agent De Marco framed Moya for the crime he was accused and convicted of, making him innocent in this case.
Was taking Hector Moya out of prison the right decision?
Hector Moya’s other crimes make the question of whether he leaves more complicated
To get Julian out of prison, Mickey must prove that Agent James De Marco framed Hector Moya on drug charges, an unregistered gun, and related murders. Julian’s best chance to escape is for Mickey to prove Moya’s innocence. Consequently, Hector Moya gets out of prison at the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 – a morally dubious outcome.
Ultimately, the law should apply to everyone equally, even detestable individuals like Moya.
On the one hand, he shouldn’t be incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. On the other hand, he only spent two years in prison for the murder of seven people due to a legal loophole. The question of Hector Moya’s departure may challenge even the most ardent believers in Blackstone’s proportion.
Ultimately, the law should apply to everyone equally, even detestable individuals like Moya. A wrongful conviction is a wrongful conviction. If a person did not commit the crime for which they were convicted, they should be released from prison. Dangerous things happen when we choose who the law applies to, so Mickey was right to help Hector Moya get out of prison in Lincoln’s lawyer.