In Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer show, it was revealed that detective Lee Lankford was responsible for witness tampering, preventing key witness Gloria Dayton from testifying in the Jesus Menendez case. However, the reason Lankford interfered was never made clear. Menendez was innocent, and Lankford's actions essentially framed Menendez for a murder he didn't commit. So why was Lankford determined to keep Gloria from testifying?
The Lincoln Lawyer is based on Michael Connelly's novel series of the same name, and season 1 closely follows the events of the second book in the series, The Brass Verdict. In that book and subsequent installments, a little more about Lankford is revealed that sheds insight on his motivations throughout the series. This gives more context to a bombshell revelation that has otherwise lacked explanation, as nothing more was heard from Lankford after his guilt was revealed in The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 finale.
Lankford didn't want Gloria Dayton to testify in the Menendez trial because her testimony would have proven Menendez was innocent, and Lankford's priority was to secure a conviction. The Lincoln Lawyer books reveal two primary reasons for Lankford's decision. First, he wanted the case to stick and didn't view Dayton as a credible enough witness to support a conviction. Second, Lankford's sole priority was finding someone to convict for the murder — not necessarily the actual guilty party — and he wasn't opposed to violating the law in pursuit of his goals.
Michael Connelly's books paint a broader picture of Lee Lankford and give a bit more insight into his behavior. His drive to close cases and secure convictions led him to regard the Lincoln Lawyer character Gloria Dayton, a sex worker who went by the name of Glory Days, as a detriment to the Menendez case. Lankford didn't believe a jury would find her credible and thought that her testimony would do more harm than good. Since he believed Menendez could be convicted of the murder he didn't commit, Lankford wanted to avoid Gloria taking the stand at all costs.
The Lincoln Lawyer books also reveal that Lankford isn't motivated by the pursuit of justice. He is determined to find suspects whom a jury could convict, close the case, and secure a guilty verdict. He is not opposed to circumventing the law, and the Netflix show has given a glimpse into this darker side of Lankford. Although Lankford is corrupt in the Lincoln Lawyer books, for the majority of the Lincoln Lawyer show, he was a helpful and resourceful aid to defense attorney Maggie McPherson. He played a key role in building her case against human trafficker Angelo Soto, and he engaged in corrupt practices only once before the twist reveal in The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 finale that he was guilty of witness tampering. Even then, his behavior was framed as a last resort to secure a conviction for a clearly guilty man who was responsible for murdering a witness. The irony is that Lankford's law-bending behavior in the Soto case foreshadowed the witness tampering reveal. Lankford was always willing to circumvent the law to secure a conviction because he was concerned with closing cases, not achieving justice.
Lankford's criminal activity goes even further later on in Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer books, and the same may be true in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2. Lankford eventually took part in another plan that involved Detective Perez, the same officer who blackmailed Gloria into not testifying for Menendez. This time, however, Lankford's plans ended in murder, foreshadowing a darker storyline in store for his character in future The Lincoln Lawyer seasons. Corruption is a theme in The Lincoln Lawyer, and Lankford is no exception to the rule. He engages in witness tampering with Gloria because she stands between him and his goal of putting an innocent man behind bars.