Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for Michael Connelly's The Law of Innocence (and potential spoilers for The Lincoln Lawyer season 4)!

Netflix’s co-showrunners Dailyn Rodriguez and Ted Humphrey at the helm, Season 4 will follow suit.

Other characters will need to fill in for Harry Bosch’s absence. They can’t include the COVID-19 ending in The Law of Innocence since it’s set in the present day. Mickey Haller also never dates Kendall Roberts in the show, and Andy isn’t coming back for The Lincoln Lawyer season 3. As such, he likely won’t be in a relationship in the fourth season. Meanwhile, Maggie will have a boyfriend. Considering the number of changes they’ve already had to make in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4, I’m concerned that they will change one of the most important parts of the book.

Mickey Haller Stays Behind Bars For A Large Portion Of The Law Of Innocence Book

Mickey Haller Spends A Large Amount Of Time Behind Bars

When I made my wishlist for The Lincoln Lawyer season 4, one of my hopes was that Mickey Haller defends himself from behind bars. This request came straight from The Law of Innocence. In the Michael Connelly book, he initially stays behind bars because he can’t afford to pay the absorbent bail – $5 million, even though the suggested amount is $2 million based on the charges. He’s paying for Hayley’s college, and he’s unwilling to interrupt her education. Even though he doesn’t have this obligation in the show, Hayley did discuss taking some college classes ahead of time.

Eventually, his bail is decreased because Dana Berg is caught using dirty tactics. Because he’s representing himself in court, his calls are meant to be protected. However, the deputies illegally listen in on the calls to provide information to the prosecutors through fake confidential informants. Consequently, the judge lets him out with an ankle monitor.

After six weeks free, Mickey Haller goes back in because they drop the standard murder charges, and the grand jury indicts him of murder with special circumstances. The prosecution wants the extra time for the case and Mickey’s bail revoked. The defense wants the right to a speedy trial and to stay out on bail. The judge gives him a choice to either wave his right to a speedy trial but stay out on bail, or go back to jail but keep the speedy trial. He chooses the latter, forcing him to work on his case from behind bars.

Mickey’s Character Arc Requires Him To Stay In Jail For A While In The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4

Prison Will Transform Mickey Haller As A Character

Mickey Haller gets arrested for murder at the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3. I can understand why he doesn’t have the option of winning on a technicality, because “not guilty” isn’t the same as “innocent.” If Mickey gets out because of an illegal search of his car, his reputation will be tarnished forever. Clients won’t want to work with a lawyer who might have killed his past client. So much rests on him getting completely exonerated, and fighting the charges from behind bars adds to the stress of the situation.

It’s one of the factors that makes this Mickey’s most difficult fight. He’s facing increased stress from the inhumane conditions of prison, plus restrictions and limited resources that could hinder his defense. On top of that, defending oneself instead of hiring counsel is considered one of the most foolish decisions. Plus, The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 is starting with evidence against Mickey, much of which the prosecution doesn't turn over to the defense in the book.

Finally, Mickey’s time behind bars is transformative in short-term and long-term ways. Mickey’s time behind bars also impacts his mental and physical health. He refuses to see Hayley when he’s in jail. It’s one of the most difficult moments mentally for Mickey in any of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer books, and the Netflix show needs to preserve this. Ultimately, Mickey’s time behind bars will make him a much better defense attorney, though. He will also know about the inhumane conditions of prison from his own experience behind bars, which could make him fight even harder for his future clients.

Dana Berg’s Efforts To Win At Any Cost Impacts Mickey’s Time Behind Bars

Death Row Dana Uses Questionable Tactics In Mickey's Case

Other than pushing forward Mickey Haller’s character arc, the character’s time behind bars is crucial to the story because it shows Dana “Death Row Dana” Berg’s vindictive and ruthless side. Mickey’s new rival in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 is known for bending the rules if necessary in order to win her cases. Early into Mickey’s case in The Law of Innocence, this comes into play.

Actor Constance Zimmer is set to play Death Row Dana in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4. She's previously acted in UnREAL, Entourage, and Boston Legal.

At the first hearing, Dana Berg asserts to the judge that Mickey is a threat to the witnesses and has the intention of fleeing, leading to the $5 million bail instead of the recommended $2 million bail. In court, she also uses information illegally obtained by deputies from privileged phone calls between Mickey and his co-counsel. The question of whether she knew about it or not is up for debate in the book, but it’s not out of character for her to knowingly use the details. This mistake results in Mickey getting out on bail with an ankle monitor.

However, Mickey is forced back into jail after just six months when Dana adds a special circumstance to the charges. If we believe The Lincoln Lawyer’s main character, she only took this step in order to reset the clock since he refused to waive his right to a speedy trial. Considering she takes this step at the last minute but then drops the death penalty, that seems extremely likely.

Ultimately, all these moments characterize Dana Berg as a no-holds-barred prosecutor who has no qualms ing morally dubious legal loopholes or even breaking the rules altogether. If The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 were to remove Mickey’s time behind bars, Dana would seem less ruthless and more like a person with a lawfully good alignment who’s determined to get justice for victims.