Character Relationship Map: Presumed Innocent

Characters

• Raymond Horgan (played by Brian Dennehy) — protagonist

  Raymond is the district attorney and Rusty Sabich's superior. He assigns Rusty to investigate Carolyn Polhemus's murder, but later admits having had an affair with Carolyn. After losing office, he sup...

• Sandy Stern (played by Raúl Juliá) — supporting

  Sandy is a highly regarded defense attorney hired by Rusty Sabich. He builds the defense around the possibility that Rusty was framed, exposes weaknesses in the forensic evidence, and reveals miscondu...

• Judge Larren Lyttle (played by Paul Winfield) — supporting

  Judge Larren Lyttle presides over Rusty Sabich's murder trial and openly dislikes Tommy Molto. He refuses to delay proceedings when important evidence disappears, but ultimately dismisses the charges...

• Leon Wells (played by Leland Gantt) — minor
• Carolyn Polhemus (played by Greta Scacchi) — supporting

  Carolyn is a prosecutor and Rusty Sabich's former lover whose rape and murder initiate the central investigation. Her relationships with Rusty, Raymond Horgan, and Judge Larren Lyttle become important...

• Nico Della Guardia (played by Tom Mardirosian) — supporting

  Nico is Raymond Horgan's rival in the district attorney election, supported by Tommy Molto. After winning the election, he joins Molto in accusing Rusty Sabich of Carolyn Polhemus's murder. Sandy Ster...

• Tommy Molto (played by Joe Grifasi) — supporting

  Tommy Molto is the acting head of the homicide division who leaves to join Nico Della Guardia's rival campaign for district attorney. After the election, he helps accuse Rusty Sabich of Carolyn Polhem...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Raymond Horgan → Judge Larren Lyttle (Professional Compromised Colleague)

  Sandy reveals that Raymond knew Lyttle was taking bribes and still believed Lyttle deserved another chance because he was a brilliant judge.

• Tommy Molto → Leon Wells (Professional Case Supervisor)

  Wells states that Molto was in charge of the case involving the public indecency charges.

• Judge Larren Lyttle → Carolyn Polhemus (Romantic Former Lover)

  Sandy later reveals that Lyttle also had a sexual relationship with Carolyn.

• Raymond Horgan → Carolyn Polhemus (Romantic Former Lover)

  Raymond admits that he had a brief relationship with Carolyn. His affair also led him to show her improper favoritism.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Sandy Stern → Tommy Molto (Conflict Defense Opponent)

  Sandy repeatedly presents Della Guardia and Molto as participants in a frame-up.

• Sandy Stern → Nico Della Guardia (Conflict Defense Opponent)

  Sandy's defense argues that Della Guardia and Molto framed the prosecutor.

• Sandy Stern → Judge Larren Lyttle (Conflict Adversarial Advocate)

  Sandy repeatedly references the bribery case to unsettle Lyttle during the trial.

• Leon Wells → Carolyn Polhemus (Unknown Criminal Intermediary)

  Wells admits that Carolyn acted as a go-between when he bribed Judge Lyttle.

• Judge Larren Lyttle → Leon Wells (Conflict Corrupt Beneficiary)

  Leon Wells admits that he bribed Judge Lyttle to dismiss public indecency charges against him.

• Tommy Molto → Judge Larren Lyttle (Conflict Mutual Antagonist)

  Judge Lyttle is described as sharing a mutual hatred with Molto.

• Nico Della Guardia → Raymond Horgan (Conflict Political Rival)

  Nico runs a rival campaign and wins the election for District Attorney after Raymond's position is challenged.

• Nico Della Guardia → Tommy Molto (Alliance Campaign Ally)

  Tommy leaves his position to join Nico Della Guardia's rival campaign.

• Raymond Horgan → Tommy Molto (Conflict Political Opponent)

  Tommy leaves the homicide division to join the rival campaign of Nico Della Guardia, opposing Raymond's political position.

• Sandy Stern → Raymond Horgan (Conflict Cross-Examiner)

  Sandy forces Raymond to admit that the prosecutor never confessed to an affair with Carolyn and that Raymond's own affair caused improper favoritism.

Story Analysis

A murder prosecution exposes political corruption, compromised justice, and the difference between legal acquittal and moral truth.

Plot Progression

1. A Murder Behind the Office
2. Election Turns the Case
3. Evidence Under Pressure
4. Corruption in the Record
5. Justice Without Closure