01x22 - Westwood

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Law & Order: LA". Aired: September 29, 2010 – July 11, 2011.*
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American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles.
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01x22 - Westwood

Post by bunniefuu »

In the city of Los Angeles,

the people are represented

by two separate yet equally
important groups...

The police, who
investigate crime,

and the district attorneys who
prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

- Whoo!
Yes.

- Superstar, you too good
for the old neighborhood?

- Never.
- You're ready for a rematch.

- Uh, I should go.
I have early practice tomorrow.

- Ah, what'd I say?
Miss big sh*t.

- Little sis.
- Javy.

- Go on.
Get out of here.

Te quiero.
Te quiero.

Bye, guys.

♪ ♪

Show them how it's done.

Put on some pressure, coco.
Get in there.

Come on!
Let's go, let's go.

Nice! Gomez, yes!

That's it for today, ladies.
Good job.

- Hey, baby.
- Baby. You okay?

Yeah.

There's a body down here!

Hey, kelsey, come on.

Clear out. Everybody-
John, back them up.

- Drag marks all the way
from the road.

Somebody drove
the body here and dumped it.

It's a closed campus.

You need a parking permit
to drive on.

- Looks like
some major blunt-force therapy.

We have a name yet?

- Got no I.D., no wallet,
keys to a Honda,

$23, breath mints, comb.

Throw in a condom, you got
a frat-boy survival kit.

- Maybe not
your usual fraternity.

Check out the ink
under the blood here-"la raza."

- Latino homeboy.
- Got a hit on the prints-

javier Gomez,
one arrest-

a residential burglary
when he was 17.

- Address in east L.A.,
no known g*ng affiliations.

He's a high-school dropout.

- Well, he finally got
into college.

I saw him yesterday morning.

I made him eggs
before I left.

I clean houses.
I was gone all day.

- Did Javy work?
- Day-labor jobs, like me.

But he, uh-he pay his way.

- Anything else-
dr*gs, gangs?

- No, no, no.
Javy have one arrest...

As a kid.

Javy was so loving.

As a little boy,
he was always talking.

"Mama, listen to this,

mama..."

- Javy have a reason
for being at UCLA?

- Our daughter Malia
is a student there.

- She's on a, uh,
soccer scholarship.

She's the team's star player.

- Hmm.
She and Javy were close?

They adored each other.

Javy worked
so Malia could practice.

The day she got into college,
Javy cried.

- She doesn't know
that Javy is dead.

- I don't know why
he would have been on campus.

He never just showed up.

- When was the last time
you talked to him?

Two days ago.

I went home.
We played a pickup game.

Hey.

Oh, I got here
as fast as I could.

I'm so sorry, Malia.

- Yeah.
Eric, this is the police.

Eric's my boyfriend.
- Hi.

- Did Javy know anybody else
at UCLA?

No, just Eric and me.

You three were tight.

- Javy was awesome.
We'd hang out.

Sometimes he'd come
to our soccer games.

Sometimes we'd grab a beer
in his neighborhood.

- East L.A.'s
pretty far from here.

Where did you grow up, Eric?

- Brentwood,
but it's not like that.

My dad makes coat hangers
for a living.

- Eric's Spanish
is better than mine.

- Maybe he came to UCLA
to see you last night?

No. We were out with my dad.

We walked around westwood,
got a pizza.

Somebody broke your window?

- Last week
somebody threw a rock.

- It was probably some drunks.
- Okay.

If you think
of anything else-

and again, we're really sorry
about your brother.

- I called campus security about
the broken window right away.

I'm her r.A.
I took it seriously.

And I told Malia to keep
a record of these incidents.

- She had more than one?
- Graffiti on her door.

- What kind of graffiti?
- "Slut," "whore."

It's not her fault.
She is being cyberbullied.

- By who?
- I don't know.

There's a website-
big sluts on campus.

Campus security
is investigating.

- Javy's car turned up parked
two blocks from campus.

Slim pickings-
a food wrapper from el pecas,

a picture of Javy and Malia,
and a parking receipt

the day he was k*lled
from a garage

on Colorado Avenue
in Santa Monica.

I hope you got something.
- The autopsy report-

time of death
between 8:00 and 11:00 P.M.

Coroner found splinters
in the wounds-white ash.

- College boys
are a real class act.

I found your website-
big sluts on campus.

- So this is what
I have to look forward to.

- Well, the images
are definitely photoshopped.

Malia Gomez's headshot is
from her frendspace page,

pasted on to what can
only be a p*rn star's body.

A smear campaign?

- Maybe they have
something else in common.

Put their names
through a news search.

- Malia and three other girls
signed a petition

to challenge the university's
compliance with title ix.

They claimed
that women's sports

aren't getting their fair share
of the athletic budget.

- Yeah, that would take money
away from men's sports.

Jocks wouldn't be
too happy about that.

Great.

Sports, testosterone,
and rage.

- Yeah, I know
about the website.

People were pissed that
Malia signed that petition.

She was getting
anonymous threats.

- And anonymous rocks
through her window.

- We didn't think it had
anything to do with Javy.

- For future reference,
Eric, leave the thinking to us.

Did Javy know about the threats
or the website?

- Uh, maybe. He was
always searching the web

for news
about Malia's games, so...

- If the college wasn't
in compliance with title ix,

which of the men's teams
would be the first to go?

- Well, uh,
rumor is it's baseball.

I should go.

There's a mass tonight
for Javy.

- The splinters in Javy's
wounds were white ash.

- The wood of choice
for baseball bats.

- Look,
that petition is bull.

We lost men's swimming
and diving-

teams with
16 olympic gold medalists.

It's bad for the U.S.A., man.
- Patriotism-

that explains the red, white,
and blue thongs on your website?

- Free speech-
it's not illegal.

- Cyberbullying is.
And so is m*rder.

And where were
you Friday night?

- I was at work.
I tend bar in westwood.

You can check with my boss.

- Any of your buddies
on the baseball team

ever talk about Javy Gomez?
- No.

You don't help us, Gus,

title ix is gonna be
the least of your problems.

- Look, I swear I don't know
anything about that m*rder.

And the website
was just a-a joke.

I told that to the other guy.

What other guy?

- This black guy,
like, six foot.

He looked like a cop.

He came by the bar
where I work a week ago

asking questions
about Malia Gomez.

What kind of questions?

Like was she really a slut?

I don't know-I think he was
trying to dig up dirt on her.

- Did you get a name
or who he was working for?

- No, but the-the tv
above the bar was on,

and the-the traffic report
showed an accident on the 10.

He was bitching about
getting back to Santa Monica.

Stay.

Sounds like
a private investigator.

- Javy parked at a building
on Colorado in Santa Monica

the day he was k*lled.

- Javy Gomez-
name doesn't ring a bell.

And I've never seen him before.

You do know I'm not
the only P.I. of color in town.

- Yeah,
but you're the only one

with an office on Colorado,
Mr. Davies.

And our witness
I.D.'D your license photo.

- People think
they recognize me all the time.

- What about
the name Malia Gomez?

That ring any bells?
- Can't say that it does, no.

- Normally a person
would be curious

why we're asking
about someone...

Unless they already know
the answer.

- Okay, then.
Why do you ask about her?

- Her brother Javy parked
in your building two days ago.

That night he ended up dead.

In the profession,

that's called
a distracting coincidence.

You got the wrong man.
I do corporate work.

That's where the money is.
- We can get a warrant.

We're giving you a chance
to do this the easy way.

- You guys could get a warrant,
you'd have one, right?

What ever happened
to professional courtesy?

I want to hit that guy
with a bat.

Before you do that.

Excuse me?

Have you seen this man, uh,
Friday night around 2:00 A.M.?

He would've come up
from the garage.

- Yes, sir, he came up
to the desk-

Gomez or something.

He wanted to go up
to, uh, Davies investigations,

but they told me
not to let him up.

He had a fit.

Thanks.

We got a p.I.
Checking on Malia,

we got Javy
checking on the p.I.

He was looking out
for his sister.

- Brotherly love
got him k*lled.

No. Javy never said anything
about a private investigator.

Did any neighbors mention
someone asking about Malia?

- Her high-school coach
told me a man from UCLA came by

asking questions.
- What about in particular?

- How she grew up,
when she started to play soccer.

He said UCLA was giving her
some kind of award or something.

Permiso.

- Eric and Malia tell me
that maybe a baseball player

k*ll Javy?

- We're not sure
about that, Mr. Gomez.

- I need to know
who m*rder*d my son.

- The whole school
is so proud of Malia.

And that's what I told
the man from UCLA.

- This man.
- Mr. Davies.

Uh, he was nice at first,

and then he asked
if Malia was ever in trouble.

- You didn't like
that question.

- Malia ran with a girl g*ng
her junior year,

but Javy got her back on track.
- Well, how he do that?

- Got her a job tutoring
English in Guadalajara

that summer-
really boosted her self-esteem.

She bought her parents a car
with the money she saved.

Mr. Davies was very interested
in that story.

- How did he get her
the job in Mexico?

- The Latino community center
on 3rd street.

Well, I should get
back to my girls.

Thank you.

Money for a car-

I had no idea
tutoring in Mexico paid so well.

- And there's one employer
in Guadalajara

that pays top dollar-
drug cartels.

Well, sure it was a legit job.

Malia-she tutored English
at a church school down there.

So it should be no problem

finding the people
who wrote her paychecks.

- Well, we don't really
keep records.

- Didn't you and Javy
set up the job?

- Well, it wasn't
anything illegal.

It's not what you're thinking.
She played soccer.

- Soccer?
For a Mexican league?

- Well, soccer's
huge down there.

It's a private company.

They owned a couple stadiums,
concessions.

It's big money.

- She got paid
to play professionally?

- Yeah, Javy thought
it'd be good for her.

- This guy from UCLA-
did you tell him she played pro?

No.

Javy told me
not to tell anybody.

He made a big deal of it.
- Well, I can see why.

If she got paid to play,
it'd violate ncaa rules.

She'd lose her scholarship.

- You tell Javy this guy
was sniffing around?

Yeah, Javy freaked.

You know,
I told him it was okay,

that this guy Davies was cool.

- Davies saw that
the u.W.U. Was a supporter

of the community center.

He said he did some work
for the union.

- Carl Davies-
to know him is to hate him.

- Really? He told the folks
at the community center

he did some work for you.
- More like worked us over.

The last ten union grievances
we negotiated-

Davies was hired
by management to dig up dirt

on the shop stewards.

- He told people
he's working for UCLA.

That'd be a big step up for him.

Davies is a hired g*n
for manufacturers.

- Like companies
that make coat hangers?

- That's right.
Kentner hangers and racks.

Why, you know Bob Kentner?

- He has a son,
plays soccer for UCLA?

- That's Kentner-
a real piece of work.

Last time we had a strike,

he pulled a baseball bat
out of the car

and walked
right through the picket line

carrying the bat-
a tough guy.

- A private investigator?
Uh, that makes no sense.

My dad wouldn't do that.

- Is he concerned
about Malia's background

or her parents
being immigrants?

- Who take care
of their kids.

Her mom works, like,
80 hours a week cleaning houses.

- Eric's dad's
always been nice to me.

Is that what
they're talking about?

- Yeah.
Mr. Kentner ever meet Javy?

- At soccer games.
They got along fine.

- Your dad have
a problem with Javy?

- He's overprotective of me,
especially since mom d*ed,

but he would never do
anything to hurt Malia.

- Javy said
it would be all right,

that what I did in Mexico
wouldn't matter.

In fact, it does matter.

What if someone
was gonna tell UCLA?

What do you think Javy
would've done?

- It's like I told you,
Malia and me were with my dad.

He stopped by my fraternity.

- You remember
what time that was?

- You know,
I don't really, so...

Look, we got to get
to class, so...

- I'm sorry.
Can I go now?

- They're holding out.
- Big-time.

You guys are barking.

I never hired anyone to snoop
on my son's girlfriend.

- So you don't know
Carl Davies?

No, I didn't say that.

I've used him before,
but it was business.

- We get a warrant
for his records,

that story gonna hold up?

Look, guys,
I love my son.

I've worked my ass off
so he could have everything.

I don't want him
having to tell people

he makes hangers
for a living.

- And you don't want him
marrying a girl from the barrio.

I want him to be happy...

Like his mom and me-

married 30 years,
in love till the day she d*ed.

- You don't think Eric
and Malia are in love?

- I think it's tough for kids
to know what love is these days.

It's all about flash
and thongs.

- What, you're talking
about the website?

You know about that?
- That was terrible.

There's no excuse
for that kind of harassment.

Malia is a sweet girl.

- What about her brother, Javy?
You ever meet him?

Not that I can recall.

- Malia said you did
at soccer games.

- Well, maybe I did.
I don't remember.

- Last Friday night-
where were you?

- Are you asking me
for an alibi?

Yep.

- I met my son
at his fraternity.

Malia, him, and me went out
for pizza in westwood, okay?

I got a business to run.

Dena...

- You have a class ring.
You go to UCLA?

- Yeah. Not a crime
as far as I know, right?

- Bob Kentner is not
only a UCLA alum.

He was an athletic booster.

He was on campus
Friday night for a meeting.

He didn't mention that.

Javy was dumped from a car,

if Kentner has
an alumni parking pass,

we're in business.

- Mr. Kentner swiped his
parking pass in

at 7:45 P.M.,

swiped out at 10:08.

- What kind of access
do alumni pass holders have?

- They can drive
anywhere on campus.

Detectives.

Looks like a tooth.

Javy was missing a mouthful.

- I want to talk to my son.
- After you're booked.

Listen, call Eric.

Tell him everything's
gonna be okay.

And stop your crying.

Tough guy.

People V Bob Kentner,
one count of m*rder.

- How do you plead?
- Not guilty.

- People on bail?
- Five million, judge.

Mr. Kentner
has ample means to flee.

- My client's owned
a business here for 30 years.

He has a solid alibi.
- He's alibied by his own son.

And by the victim's sister.

There's no physical evidence
tying my client to the crime.

- The victim's blood and teeth
were found in proximity

to the defendant's
parking space at UCLA.

- In a structure accessible
to thousands of permit holders.

My client is not concerned
about proving his innocence.

- He should be.
Bail is set at 5 million.

- S.I.D. Came up empty
on Kentner's car and residence-

no bat, no blood, no DNA
connecting him to Javy.

And Eric and Malia

still insist he was with them
the night of the m*rder.

- Does Eric know
his father hired a p.I.

To check out his girlfriend?
- No, Eric doesn't believe it,

if I'm the dad,
I wouldn't tell him.

It's a sure way
of losing your kid.

Time to open Eric's eyes.

- We subpoenaed
the private investigator.

Your dad hired him
to look for dirt on Malia.

- He was going to get
her thrown out of school

and sent back to east L.A.

He wanted to break you two up.

It wouldn't matter.

I told him, me and Malia-
we love each other.

- You were paid to play
soccer professionally.

UCLA hears that,
your scholarship gets revoked.

- No, Javy cleared that
with the athletic department.

He filled out that part
of my application.

- We checked with admissions.
Javy didn't clear anything.

- That's why Javy
confronted Eric's dad.

He couldn't risk your
getting kicked out of school.

- Javy found out
what your dad was up to.

Now, you know how he felt
about his sister.

- He would have done
anything for her.

- Right. So he confronted
your dad in the garage.

Things got out of hand.
- No, that's not true.

- Your dad b*at Javy with
the baseball bat from his car.

That's not what happened!

No, you got it all wrong.

- Javy was k*lled
defending you, Malia.

Eric's dad k*lled him.

- No, he was
with us in westwood.

- Maybe I should talk
to my dad's lawyer.

- You don't need to talk
to his lawyer.

You need to tell us
the truth, Eric.

Oh, God.

My dad said that he was getting
into his car

when Javy showed up.

He thought that my dad
had insulted Malia's parents

at a soccer game.

He said that Javy
was all worked up,

and he reached into his pocket
like he was gonna pull a g*n,

and my dad hit him
with the bat to protect himself.

He hit him,
and he k*lled him.

What else did your dad say?

He said that he panicked

when he realized
Javy didn't have a g*n.

So he put the body
in the trunk, and he dumped it.

He's my dad.
I had to believe him.

I got to get out of here.
- Hold on. Take it easy.

- I got to go talk to my dad.
- Sit down.

We need you to wait
until we get your statement.

- I'm not lying. He was with us,
just like we told you.

- Eric just told us
the truth, Malia.

His father lied to him.

You can stop protecting
him now.

- No, I love Eric.
I can't hurt his dad.

We know he k*lled Javy.

We know
it wasn't self-defense.

I didn't know
what to believe.

I knew Javy had a temper,

and if he thought someone
had insulted our parents...

I love Eric so much.

And we thought
if we stuck together,

everything would be okay.

- We're not interested
in a plea.

Whatever reason Javy Gomez
had for confronting my client

doesn't change the fact that
he was in fear for his life.

His life?

The victim had a fractured jaw,
broken neck, broken ribs.

The coroner counted
ten separate blows.

- My client believed
Mr. Gomez had a g*n.

- While you believed you were in
imminent danger of being sh*t,

you had the time
to reach into your car

and retrieve
your baseball bat?

- You don't need
to answer that.

- What were you really
afraid of, Mr. Kentner-

losing your son's love?

Did Javy thr*aten to tell Eric

what you'd done
to his girlfriend?

- Look, Eric's all
I have since my wife d*ed.

He's my boy...

My only child.

- Your only child
is about to testify

against you on the stand.

- If you get
that testimony in.

- Yeah, I was pretty scared.
I'd lied to the police.

- Did you understand
you didn't have to talk

to the police or Mr. morales?

- Not really, no.
I felt like I had to.

- Did you understand
that you could leave the room

at any time?
- No.

I wanted to talk to you.
They wouldn't let me.

I wanted to talk to my father.

The detective said
I had to stay where I was.

- When you asked
to speak to your father,

you were in
a pretty agitated state, yes?

Yeah.

- And detective winters
used words like,

"hold on, take it easy," when
he asked you to sit, didn't he?

- Yes, but he put
his hand on me.

I just felt
like I couldn't leave.

- All right,
the witness may step down.

- Eric clearly believed he was
in a custodial interrogation.

He invoked his right to counsel
and was denied.

- "A," he asked to speak
to his father's lawyer.

"B," he was there
as an alibi witness.

And, "c," to make it perfectly
clear, he is not a suspect.

We're prepared to offer him
full immunity.

- It's a little too late,
Mr. morales.

The police should have read him
his rights.

Defense motion is granted,

and the boy's testimony
is suppressed.

Malia?

I can't talk to you now.

- Let's go, Eric. We need to
post your father's bond,

get him home.

His father is going home.

We still have a solid case.

- But no evidence.
His son cannot testify.

- Mr. and Mrs. Gomez,
I assure you,

we will get a conviction.

This isn't your fault.

- I was there
in the room with the kid.

- Self-defense
won't hold water.

The jury will see that.

Without Eric's statement,

we might not get
past reasonable doubt.

Morales.

- Bob Kentner-
two sh*ts to the chest.

Paramedics called it
at the scene.

His son.

- He was inside the house,
heard yelling then the sh*ts,

came outside,
saw taillights driving away.

- S.I.D. Found
a .22 in the hedges.

- Detectives, picked up
a suspect running a red light

five blocks from here.

It was self-defense.

- Mr. Gomez. You drove to
Mr. Kentner's home with a g*n.

- At first,
yes, I want revenge.

I drive up,
see Kentner in his garage.

I get out of my car.

- Where was the g*n?
- In my hand.

I told Kentner
he should pray to God

for what he do to my son.

He say since his wife die,
he never pray.

I realize I-I'm no k*ller,

I put the g*n in my pocket
and walk away.

And then he pick up a shovel,
and he hit me...

Right here.

See?

I run, but he keep coming.

I- I fall,

crawl back to my car.

He say,
"I'm gonna k*ll you,"

so I sh**t him.

Show us how.

I- I was next to my car...

Like this...

Then I sh**t.

And then I hear him yell,
"I k*ll you."

So I sh**t him again.

I knew what he'd done
to my boy.

I don't want to die.

I was upstairs,

and I heard my dad yelling.

I couldn't make out the words,

and then I heard
Mr. Gomez shout, "no, no."

I ran down the stairs,
but it was too late.

- At the scene,
you didn't say

it was Mr. Gomez's voice
that you heard.

- Well, I didn't recognize
the voice at first.

- But you did once you
saw him in custody?

- Don't you think
that I wish it wasn't him,

that none of this
had happened?

- There is evidence
supporting Gomez's story.

The footprints heading
back down the driveway,

dirt on his pants
from kneeling down,

and the bruise-
consistent with the shovel.

- Ballistics tells
a different story.

The b*llet entered
straight through,

not at an upward angle

consistent
with the sh**t standing.

- Gomez told us
he was kneeling.

He lied to make himself
look less culpable.

- Kentner did hit Gomez
with the shovel.

- Ah, it's mitigating
circumstances.

It's not self-defense.

So we charge him.

- Gomez drove over there
bent on revenge, and he got it.

We charge him.

- You really want to put this
to a jury?

A m*rder*d son
gets a lot of sympathy.

Yeah, it does.

- 15 to life?
You got to be kidding me.

This was clearly self-defense.
- Well, there was a fight maybe,

but your client lied
about the sh**ting.

Kentner k*lled my son.

He was trying to k*ll me.

- Lo siento
por lo que Paso a Javy.

But that doesn't give you
the right to do what you did.

This goes to trial,
you could get 50 to life.

This is a good deal.
- I don't need favors from you.

- You went to the house
with a g*n to demand respect.

So take it.

Don't hide
behind self-defense.

That's what he did
to your son.

No.

See you in court.

I had to try.

- How much do you owe
this family?

You asked him to trust you

that you'd get justice
for his son.

He didn't.

He didn't see any reason to.

There was only one person
my father listened to

when he was in a mood...

My mother.

My husband is a fool.

He's only made things worse.

- We can offer him a deal,
Mrs. Gomez.

It's better than going to trial.
- But he was defending himself.

- We don't believe that's true.
- He was so angry.

I never should have let him
out of the house.

He said he was just going
to take Malia home.

- He didn't say
what he was going to do.

He just dropped me off.

- Mrs. Gomez,
talk to your husband.

He'll listen to you.
- He won't.

He wants everybody to hear

how he sh*t the man
who m*rder*d his son-

his chance to be a hero.

- He was trying to defend
the family.

When you talk, people listen.

You don't know what it's like

in this neighborhood
for a man to be nothing.

- I know.
I grew up here-

five blocks away
in Boyle Heights.

My parents had
the same Madonna-

pride of place,
center of the mantel.

I will pray to her...

For my son, my husband.

That is all I can do now.

Machismo-

for the guys who don't get
out of the neighborhood,

that's all they
have to hold on to.

- What about the women?
- The flip side, marianismo-

women who are subservient,
docile,

allowing the men to be macho.

- Hmm.
Jorge didn't have that at home.

His wife's the breadwinner.

He's lucky to find work
three days out of five.

Papi, viejo Verde?

You don't know
what to do with that.

I can help you out.

- You need a lesson
in respect?

Mamalo, guey.

- I was in my old room
on the second floor,

and I heard an argument outside,
kind of muffled.

And I went to the window.

I couldn't see anything,
and then I heard my dad yelling

in that threatening voice
he uses

when he gets really angry.

- Eric, limit your answers
to what you did

and saw and heard
that night, okay?

Now, what happened next?

- I heard
a second voice shouting,

"no, no."

I ran to the stairs,

and I looked out the window
on the landing,

and I saw my dad in the driveway
with a shovel.

And he yelled,
"I'll k*ll you, you spic."

And he wound up to swing, and he
hit a tree branch pretty hard.

Hold-hold on a second.

You saw your father
swing a shovel?

- That's right,
but he hit a branch.

- You didn't mention this
to the police, did you?

Or at the
preliminary hearing?

I'm not making this up.

I- I just didn't think
it was important,

so I forgot
until a few days ago.

- You saw your father
through the window

just before he got sh*t,

and this is
something you forgot?

Yes.

- Is there anything
else you forgot?

No.

I heard sh*ts.

I ran outside.
Dad was on the ground.

No more questions.

- When you saw your father
from the window,

did you also see Mr. Gomez?

- No, I just saw my father.
He was all angry.

- And you had seen him
angry before

in other circumstances.

Yes, after my mom d*ed,

he started getting angry
all the time.

When the union striked
against him, he really lost it.

And if those security guards
hadn't pulled him away...

- And how did you feel
when your father was accused

of b*ating Javy Gomez
to death?

I felt inside like...

He could've done it.

He had that anger in him.

Thank you, Eric.

- Your honor,
we request a recess.

Yes, I thought you might.

The witness is excused.

Court is adjourned.

Call the detectives.

- The view from the stair window
is blocked by the balcony-

no way Eric could see
his dad swing that shovel.

- But there
is a gash in the tree,

and the lab found sap
on the shovel blade.

- If Kentner was swinging
his shovel like a madman,

it helps Jorge's claim
of self-defense.

- But Eric didn't see it.
- Jorge might have.

He's been in jail, but he could
have gotten word

out to Eric through Malia.
- That's a big detail.

If Jorge saw it, you think
he would have told us.

- Can I see
the crime scene photos?

The confrontation started
in front of the garage.

Kentner comes at Jorge
with his the shovel.

He's at the tree,
ready to swing.

Jorge's on his knees.

He's crawling
towards his car...

Here.

He's down on the ground
with his back to Kentner.

- He couldn't see
Kentner hit the tree.

- If Eric and Jorge
didn't see it...

- Jorge tested positive
for gunpowder residue, correct?

On his hands.

Just his hands.

- Bob Kentner come after me
with a shovel.

He hit me on the shoulder.
I- I fall down.

I tried crawling
back to my car,

but he come up behind me,

yelling, swinging the shovel,
and he hit a tree.

- And what did you do?
- I was on the ground.

I take my g*n out of my pocket.

I- I hold it like this.

Maybe I stand up a little,
and Kentner has the shovel up.

So I...

sh**t...

Twice.

I thought he was going
to b*at me to death...

Same way he k*lled my son.

Thank you, Mr. Gomez.

- When Mr. Kentner came at you
with a shovel,

you were frightened...

Trying to save your life,
is that right?

- Yes, I thought
he was going to k*ll me.

- So you crawled away as fast
as you could back to your car,

where you'd be safe.
- Yes, to my car.

- On your knees,
away from Mr. Kentner.

Yes.

So, if he was behind you,

how did you see him hit the tree
with his shovel?

Well, I, um...

I hear it hit the tree.

You heard it...

With Mr. Kentner yelling

and you screaming,
"no, no, no"?

I'm sorry. I-

my-my English-
sometimes I-I get confused.

- Yeah, my father
used to do that-

pretend he didn't
understand the language

when he didn't want
to answer the question.

Withdrawn.

- I-I know it happened.
He saw it.

You mean Eric Kentner.

He saw it from the window
on the staircase landing.

Yes, like-like he say.

People's 31, your honor.

This is a photograph
taken from the window

on the staircase landing.

Mr. Gomez, can you see
the driveway or the tree?

No.

- So, if Eric couldn't see it,
was there maybe

someone else at the scene
who might have told him?

No, it was me and Kentner.

He tried to k*ll me.
I sh**t him.

- Yeah, over your shoulder,
like this.

Yes.

- You hands were tested
for g*nsh*t residue,

were they not?
- Yes.

They say when you sh**t,

gunpowder go everywhere-
on the hands.

- On the clothes.
- Yes.

People's 32.

This is the photograph
of the g*nsh*t-residue tests.

Would it surprise you
to learn

that there was no g*nsh*t
residue on your shirt?

- Yes, but they find it
on my hands.

But not on your shirt.

See, there would have been
residue on your shirt,

if you sh*t him
over your shoulder...

Like this.

Did someone else sh**t the g*n,
Mr. Gomez?

- No, I did.
I sh**t it.

- Someone else
sh*t Mr. Kentner

the same person
who saw him hit the tree.

- No, that is wrong.
It was me, only me.

- No further questions,
your honor.

At this time,
the people would like to call

an additional witness.

No, no, stop, stop.

I- I-I take the deal.
15 years, I go to jail.

- Your honor, I need
a moment with my client.

- I want the deal right now!
I k*lled this man!

- Quiet, Mr. Gomez.
Step down.

- Judge, please, please.
Please, let me go to jail,

please, please.

- Against my advice,
Mr. Gomez is willing to accept

your original offer
of 15 years to life

in exchange for a guilty plea.

Are you sure, Mr. Gomez?

- I am sure.
That's what I want.

I invited your family here,

so they'd understand
it's your decision.

Yes, I decide.

- With this plea,
there's no guarantee of parole.

He's a 53-year-old man.

He could die in prison.

- You don't have to do
this, papa.

No more trial.

- You could be without a husband
for the rest of your life.

Malia will go on
with her own life,

but you'll be alone
on anniversaries, birthdays-

every night, an empty house,
no one to hold you.

- You should have used
your head before you got a g*n.

Did you think that
would bring back our son...

That it would make you a man?
- Leave him alone.

Malia, no.

- No, she can't talk
to you that way.

- Because he's still your
father, isn't that right, Malia?

No digas nada.

- He is the man
of the house...

The man who took care of you,
who made you feel safe,

the man
who's protecting you now?

Malia.

What is he saying?

Mama, you're wrong.

He is a man.

Malia, silencio, por favor.

- I know you want to protect me,
but I can't.

- No.
- I can't let you, papa.

No.

- I can't let you go
to prison for me.

I turned my back
on my family once.

I won't do it again.

Malia, what are you doing?

Don't blame Eric.

I asked him to lie
to help my father.

I was there.
- No.

No.

- I saw Mr. Kentner
hit the tree.

No.

Oh, my God, no.

Oh, please, no.

I'm so sorry, Eric.

My father
was driving me home.

He was so angry.

I saw he had a g*n.

He wouldn't tell me
what he was going to do,

but I could guess.

I wouldn't leave the car.

I begged him to give me the g*n,
but he wouldn't listen.

We got to Mr. Kentner's house,

but...

My papa couldn't do it.

He's a gentle man.

He turned away
and gave me the g*n.

But then Mr. Kentner hit him
with a shovel,

called him a spic.

He looked up at me.

He said I didn't deserve
his son,

that Eric
was too good for me.

He was just looking at us.

He wasn't afraid.

I wanted him to be afraid.

I wanted to make him feel
like Javy must have felt.

I had the g*n.

I sh*t him.

My papa took the g*n
from me.

He told me to run away...

That he'd protect me.

I knew that I was giving up
everything-

soccer...

UCLA...

Eric...

My whole life.

But I couldn't let
that man get away

with what he'd done
to my family.

- Are the people satisfied?
- We are, your honor.

- Pursuant to a plea agreement
for the charge of manslaughter,

I sentence Malia Gomez

to a term of 11 years

to be served
in a facility determined

by the department
of corrections.

We are adjourned.

- Long day.
You want to grab a drink?

- No, I thought I'd go
and have some dinner

with my father.
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