08x10 - He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "L.A. Law"...

Hello?

-DOUGLAS: You're? -Jane Halliday.

I'm Douglas Brackman.

This is Ann Kelsey, Jonathan Rollins,

and Arnold Becker.

Why did you ask me to Lunch, Mr. Becker?

I was very impressed with you the other day.

I was hoping I could interest you in the field of matrimonial law,

working directly under me, so to speak.

I just wanted to let you know I'll be recusing myself

from any cases in which you're the prosecutor.

Well, why?

Because I find you extremely attractive.

You do?

Yes, I do.

Are you involved with anyone?

No.

Do you find me attractive?

Yeah.

I'd like to make a date right now

but I think we ought to let the dust settle

on the Turner case, don't you?

Yeah, I do.

So...

I'll be in touch.

Okay.

This food is great!

What'd you say the name of this restaurant is?

-The Talpa. -The Talpa.

I want to remember that.

Are you planning on coming here with someone else?

[chuckles]

Would you rather I didn't?

I'd rather that every time you came here,

you came here with me.

Mm-kay?

Enjoying your dinner, judge?

Do I know you?

You know my cousin, Walter Stovick.

You gave him three to five and you gave it to him for nothing.

Hey, this really isn't the time or place for this, is it?

That's okay, Tommy.

First of all, I don't give three to five for nothing.

Second of all, you're out of line.

Now, I suggest you go back and finish your meal

and we'll finish ours.

Should I tell you what my cousin's kids are going through?

I'm going to ask you one more time to move away from this table.

Why? Is there a law against interrupting a judge's dinner?

There's a law against harassment.

There's also a law against

threatening an officer of the court.

And if you insist upon making the further mistake

of becoming physically violent,

you'll be arrested and prosecuted.

And in the end, you'll be in prison

long after your cousin comes home.

Now that being the case,

I suggest you go back to your table.

♪♪

♪♪

I'm not going to do it, Douglas.

Not going to do what?

I'm not going to use an appointment book

and a calendar from a bail bondsman

just because we get them for nothing.

It's a new calendar year.

And I thought rather than buying expensive new ones,

we could make use of the ones we're given.

I want an expensive new one.

That's one of the few benefits of the passage of time.

A memorandum, no less.

He sent us all a beautiful memorandum about it.

Tressman vs. Freeling.

That's mine, in depositions.

We're representing Ed Freeling whose girlfriend

is suing him for sexual fraud.

Meaning what?

She claims that he represented that he was a cop,

and with that understanding

she entered into an intimate relationship.

When he turned out not to be a cop,

-she felt defrauded. -What?

Sounds like precedent setting stuff.

I'll say. If you lose, every man who ever lied to a woman

to get her in bed will be facing a court date.

Why is everyone looking at me?

Why indeed, Arnold?

Are you suggesting that I'm guilty of sexual fraud?

I didn't hear anyone suggest anything.

I know what you're thinking.

It's written all over your faces.

I think you're jumping to an altogether

wrong conclusion, Arnie.

Of course, there are those of us

who remember your claiming to be

a direct descendant of Czar Nicholas.

That was an honest mistake.

I have Russian ancestry,

I thought that somewhere there was a Romanoff in my family.

Was it an honest mistake when you

claimed that Simone de Beauvoir

was going to be a houseguest?

That was a joke.

And I know you were completely sincere

about your Bible studies.

I was sincere, I was utterly sincere.

I wouldn't worry about it, Arnie.

Whether Ann loses or not.

I wouldn't give it another second's thought.

I think we best make sure that Ann gets

all the help that she needs.

Yeah.

So, Mr. Escala, I understand

we're here to discuss a criminal matter.

Yes.

Our son Luis was involved in a robbery.

But he wants to turn himself in.

I work with a woman, Mrs. Calderon.

She said when her son Manuel was arrested

for dr*gs, you were his lawyer.

-Manny Calderon, yeah. -Yes.

And she said that you made it

so he didn't have to go to prison.

We were hoping you could make a similar arrangement for Luis.

Mm-hmm.

There are mitigating circumstances that would point to probation

as the likeliest sentence.

Luis has no prior conviction.

The g*n he used was a starter p*stol.

He was drunk and

he was induced to steal by loansharks

to whom he owed money.

Something tells me I'm not the only lawyer in the room.

Ramon is in his second year of law school.

Stanford.

Good school.

And I suspect you're probably right

about the mitigating circumstances.

But I need to hear the details of the robbery from Luis.

And I'm sure you understand why

that conversation should be private.

To protect the attorney client privilege.

We should go outside.

Mr. Morales...

I think I should mention,

my wife and I don't have a great deal of money.

Let's not worry about that now.

-Thank you. -You bet.

What happened?

[clears throat]

I, uh...

I held up a convenience store.

-When? -Last night.

Anybody get hurt?

No.

Good. Where's the starter p*stol?

I stashed it in the bushes outside the store.

Any chance your fingerprints are on it?

No. I had on gloves.

What about witnesses?

I had a bandana over my face.

But when I drove off, I saw the cashier

had written down my license.

The car is registered to you?

To my father.

Why did you do it, Luis?

I was with some guys who I owed money to.

I was drunk.

You could sit tight, you know.

You could just sit tight and see what happens.

No. I don't want the cops coming to my parent's house.

My parents are honest people

and I don't want them to lie because of me.

It's my responsibility.

Okay, you're sure this is what you want to do?

Yeah.

You just give me the best deal you can, huh?

You live in Beverly Hills, Miss Tressman?

Yes, I do.

You met Mr. Freeling at Peachey's bar and grill.

That's in Silver Lake, isn't it?

That's correct.

That is a long way to go for a drink.

Is the food particularly good there?

That's not really relevant, is it?

It was my friend's idea.

She thought it would be fun.

I take it they have entertainment.

It's a cop bar, okay?

I know that, you know that.

-He knew that. -I never said I was a cop.

So it was just you and your girlfriend out for a little excitement.

An adventure.

Do you want me to say I went there to meet a policeman?

Yes, I did. I went there to meet a cop.

What I got was him.

You subsequently initiated a relationship with Mr. Freeling, did you not?

I don't know who initiated what.

Whoever initiated it, the two of you went out

for a period of over three months.

-Did you not? -Yes.

He took you to the fights, to hockey games.

To the race track.

Had you ever been to places like that before?

No, I hadn't.

I also hadn't been on a stakeout before, either.

And for two weeks every night, we would tail some guy

all over the city that Mr. Freeling said

he was sitting on.

You would have sexual relations with Mr. Freeling

in the front seat of his car

while you were on these stakeouts, would you not?

Yes, I would.

Would you do so willingly?

Does the concept of false pretenses count for anything?

He willingly took advantage of the fact

that at heart, I am a very trusting person.

You went out looking for an adventure,

and you found one.

Ultimately the only thing you were missing was a uniform.

The only thing I was missing was the man.

Yes, I was stupid. Yes, I was gullible.

I willingly made a fool of myself.

I willingly accommodated him sexually.

All I ask for in return

was that he be the man he said he was.

I would have settled for half.

Look, the midterm for robbery is three years.

I'll recommend two, okay?

I assume you mean probation.

Christmas is over, Morales.

I'm not handing out presents.

Tish, my client came in voluntarily.

He has no priors, he's willing to make restitution.

The cops had his plate number,

he was going to get nailed, and he knew it.

Two years in.

We both know the judge will give him probation.

Why waste everyone's time with a sentencing hearing

when we're both just going through the motions?

Look, we've been getting all sorts of heat

for cutting deals that are too soft.

It might just be a matter of going through the motions,

but I've got to do it.

I've got to go through the motions.

People vs. Escala.

Daniel Morales representing Mr. Escala, Your Honor.

Your client's charged with robbery

under the California Penal Code

section , how does he plead?

Guilty, Your Honor.

Miss Nida, is there an agreed upon recommendation?

No, Your Honor.

I assume you'll want a sentencing hearing?

Yes, Your Honor.

Sentencing to take place in superior court department .

See the probation department about preparing a report.

Application for bail, Your Honor?

I'm listening.

Mr. Escala has no priors, has ties to the community,

has shown his willingness to cooperate

by surrendering voluntarily.

That being the case, we ask he be released

OR pending sentencing.

Miss Nida?

No objection.

Mr. Escala is to be released on his own recognizance

until such time as he is sentenced.

Call the next case.

People vs. DePaul.

So, no deal?

No deal.

Does this mean a hearing?

Sign right there. Yeah, we'll go before a judge

and present our reasons why Luis should be treated with leniency.

Okay.

You know, being a judge might not be so bad.

Nothing else, you get an office close to the court.

Do you want the job?

No thanks.

[knocks]

Come in.

I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Honor,

but there's a Mr. Di Stefano here to see you?

He says it's important and it can't wait.

Tell him I'll see him tomorrow, Kevin.

I'm going to be leaving here as soon as I'm finished speaking to Mr. Mullaney.

Oh, I think you might want to hear what I have to say, Your Honor.

Before I file my appeal.

We can finish this later.

No, actually, what I have to say concerns you both, Mr. Mullaney.

With the judge's permission, you might want to stay.

I have a dinner reservation at :, I'll give you five minutes.

Thank you.

I'm here to ask you to grant a mistrial

in the Rick Turner r*pe case

and to disqualify yourself from any new trial.

And why would I want to do that?

With all due respect, Your Honor,

you and Mr. Mullaney have been observed conducting

an other than strictly professional association.

Now, it is my contention that the two of you

were carrying on a romantic liaison

during the trial and my client was the victim of judicial bias.

First of all, that is not true.

And second of all, your client was convicted by a jury.

The judge made evidentiary rulings that were

highly prejudicial to my client.

So that's it?

No, as a matter of fact, it's not.

I want to know if I get my mistrial, judge.

Make a formal motion, Mr. Di Stefano

and I'll rule on it.

Okay. Here's what I do first thing tomorrow.

Number one, I file a complaint about you to the judicial qualifications committee.

Number two, I file a complaint about him to the district attorney's office.

I said good day.

You know, the two of you might have had the affair, Your Honor,

but it was my client that got screwed.

I'll see you in court.

How the hell does he know about us?

How do people know anything about anybody?

Someone sees something and they make assumptions.

Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're half-right.

It doesn't matter.

Well, what do you mean it doesn't matter?

Carolyn, even if his motion doesn't go anywhere,

you can bet that the press is going to pick up on it.

Tommy, don't worry about anything.

Nothing's gonna happen.

Okay?

Mr. Freeling, I take it you are not a member

of the Los Angeles Police Department?

Right.

You ever been a member of any police department anywhere?

At one time I thought about taking the test for the

Mahwah, New Jersey police department.

But you didn't.

I was young, I wanted to do a lot of things I didn't do.

What do you do for a living, Mr. Freeling?

I run and manage a franchise food service operation.

To be more specific?

I run a Dunkin' Donuts.

Oh, I can't believe I was that stupid.

But when you met my client, you represented otherwise.

I was at a bar, I had a couple of drinks.

I told her a story.

People do that in bars.

if they gave out polygraphs with every Mai Tai,

dating as we know it would disappear from the known world.

But this wasn't just a story in a bar.

For the next three months, you actually lived out this lie.

I thought we were having a good time.

Was I wrong?

You carried a g*n, did you not?

It was a fake g*n just like the badge was a fake badge.

Both were strictly placebos.

That's the right word, isn't it?

-Close enough. -Okay.

Did you ever feel the need to warn this woman

while you took her on your make believe stakeouts

that if anything were to happen,

you couldn't do anything about it?

I'd never let anything happen to her.

If you encountered v*olence you would have...

what?

Pulled your placebo?

Can we save the sarcasm for the courtroom?

I told you her what she wanted to hear.

So it was under the guise of being a policeman

that you persuaded my client to have sexual relations with you?

[scoffs]

Didn't take much persuading.

That came out totally wrong.

This was not an effort on my part

to get her to go to bed with me.

What exactly was it, Mr. Freeling?

It was a love affair, Mr. McDermott.

Two lonesome souls who found each other.

A beautiful classy broad, and a hard-bitten cop

who'd long since given up such a thing was possible.

Ed?

Mr. Freeling, you're not a cop.

You make donuts for a living.

That's a detail, my friend.

Do you have any further questions, Mr. McDermott?

No, I... I think we're done.

Mr. Bardach, would you describe the events that took place

on December th, ?

I was standing behind the counter at the convenience store where I used to work.

Around : in the morning, this guy with a mask

over his face comes in, points a g*n at me

and tells me to empty out the register.

What did you do?

I emptied out the register.

And what then did he do, sir?

He took the money and then he, he walked back to the refrigerator case

and took out a beer.

He had me open it for him.

He stood there drinking it with the barrel of the g*n

pushed up against my ear.

Would you describe for us, sir,

how this incident has affected you?

It made it impossible for me to continue working outside the house.

Now I... I stay at home.

I do phone sales from my kitchen.

I wasn't the first time that I was held up.

It wasn't the first time that I had a g*n pointed at me.

But I don't remember ever being as scared.

This guy wasn't doing it for the money.

He was doing it because he wanted to.

-Objection. -He wanted to see me beg.

-Objection. -Objection sustained.

I have no further questions.

Did Mr. Escala strike you at any time, sir?

No.

Did he tie you up or restrain you in any way?

No.

Did he thr*aten you with retribution

if you should go to the police or testify?

No, he didn't.

Are you aware of the fact that the g*n he used

during the robbery was actually a starter p*stol?

I'm aware of it now.

I wasn't aware of it then.

Is it likely, sir, that an experienced thief

would risk capture by standing around drinking a beer

in the middle of a robbery?

Maybe not, but I looked into his eyes.

And let me tell you something:

he's dangerous.

There was no doubt in my mind

that he would have k*lled me just to watch me die.

How would he have k*lled you if he was holding a starter p*stol?

That's okay, Mr. Bardach, you don't have to answer.

I have no further questions.

[knocks] Come.

I really appreciate you seeing me on such short notice, Leland.

You don't need any notice around here, Tom.

What seems to be the problem?

I'm dating a judge.

-Ah. -Carolyn Walker.

A problem.

A couple of weeks ago,

I tried a r*pe case in front of her.

Now, nothing was going on between us at the time.

I got a conviction, fair and square.

And?

Yesterday, the defense attorney came to Carolyn's chambers

and accuses us of misconduct during the trial.

He's filing a motion for mistral claiming judicial bias.

Can he make a case?

Well, that's what I wanted to know.

You've been around the courthouse a lot longer than I have.

What kind of problems are we looking at here?

For her or for you?

For both of us.

She's a lot more vulnerable than you are.

Judges have to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

So what do I do?

Start by going through the transcripts of that trial,

brief each and ever ruling the judge made,

and keep as low a profile

as possible romantically speaking.

If I need representation, can I come to you?

Absolutely.

Thanks.

I assume you know that a prosecutor who gets involved with a judge

is walking through a minefield as well.

Oh, I know, Leland.

The problem is that I'm already involved.

[knocks]

Hi.

A moment?

Sure.

It seems to have become a standing joke around here

that Arnold Becker lies whenever and however

it serves his purposes to do so.

I... I'd like to know if you share in that view.

I couldn't really say, I don't know you as well as the others.

Based on how well you do know me.

Tell me if you think it's true.

Based on how well I do know you...

I think there are probably times when

you are somewhat less than sincere.

Like when?

Like when you expressed an interest in the Bible

because you wanted to go to bed with me.

Are those things mutually exclusive?

Well, I think in your case,

uhh... one led me to question the legitimacy of the other.

My desire for spiritual guidance was sincere.

My desire for you was sincere.

Yes, I want to feel the presence of God in my life.

Yes, I want to see you naked.

Why can't those concepts exist simultaneously?

Maybe they can,

although I should say you have a better chance

of accomplishing the former than the latter.

You're humoring me, Jane.

You don't believe for one split second that I could be

sincere about my religious feelings.

That's okay.

Might I suggest, however,

that your cynicism is blinding you to the true nature

of a fellow pilgrim?

Is it?

Yes, it is.

Whatever I may be, I am not cynical.

My eyes tell me when to trust a person,

and when not to.

My eyes look into their eyes and based on that

I have an unerring ability to know when someone is sincere.

Would that your Christian heart allowed you to do the same.

Mrs. Escala, in the last few months,

how often have you seen your son Luis?

He lives with us. I see him every day.

Did you see him the night of the robbery?

Yes, I heard him crying downstairs

with my husband and Ramon.

He said he committed this crime.

How did you react?

I didn't believe it.

Did Luis say why he did it?

He said he owed money to some men.

They said they were going to k*ll him unless he paid them that night.

He got drunk and he robbed the store.

Did he say how he came to owe money to these men?

He said he felt guilty about not being able

to contribute more for the rent and the food.

Luis is a simple boy.

He does what people tell him to do.

These men offered to loan him money,

and he took it.

They said to rob the store, and he did it.

He's never been in trouble before in his life, Judge.

Not until now.

I'll keep that in mind.

I have nothing further.

Is it possible, Mrs. Escala, that your son committed

this crime for the same reason that most people commit crime,

because it beats working for a living?

Luis does work for a living.

It was just the circumstances he was in.

He was afraid he was going to be k*lled.

Tell me, have you ever seen the men who your son claims

-told him to rob the store? -No.

-Do you know their names? -No.

Mrs. Escala, have you considered

that Luis may have invented these men

in an attempt to reduce his responsibility for the robbery?

No.

Mrs. Escala, assuming what you're saying is true,

how can we be assured that the next time

Luis falls into debt, he won't react in the same way?

We will take care of him. My husband, my son and me.

If he needs money, we will give it to him.

I promise, Your Honor, I promise to God

this will never happen again.

Miss Nida?

I have nothing further.

On the evening of September th of last year,

I was called to investigate a .

Illegal trespass.

The two of them were parked in front of the house

of a Mr. Takayoto who had called in a complaint.

Would you describe for us what they were doing?

The were engaged in activity of a sexual nature.

Did Miss Tressman appear to be participating willingly

in these activities?

He's in no position to testify to that.

Did Miss Tressman complain that Mr. Freeling had

forced her to do anything against her will?

No, she did not.

You arrested both Mr. Freeling

and Miss Tressman, is that right?

-Right. -What was the charge?

Indecent exposure.

.. Misdemeanor.

So Mr. Freeling wasn't arrested for impersonating an officer.

-No, he was not. -Why?

While in my presence, he never represented himself

to be a police office.

Did you at any time take Mr. Freeling for a police officer?

Not for a moment.

What about the clothes and the car

and the overall demeanor?

He's a buff.

I run in to guys like him all the time.

They learn a few words, they try to buddy up to you.

Generally, they're harmless.

But no way would I take this guy for a cop.

I beg to differ.

In most respects, I'm indistinguishable from a cop.

Ed, will you let me handle this?

Hey, pal, in no respect are you anything like a cop.

Can we wrap this up?

-Why do you say that? -'Cause you're soft.

It just so happens I am not soft.

You wouldn't last minutes on the job.

Your problem is you're living in a fantasy world.

You're not a cop.

You're never going to be a cop, that's that.

I have nothing further, Detective.

You're a big boy, Ed. Get over it.

Ever since he was nine, Luis has worked to help support the family.

Because he did that, I didn't have to work.

I could concentrate on school.

How would you describe your relationship

with your brother growing up?

Luis was my protector.

And when he couldn't be there,

he made sure there was someone else

to look out for me.

Was it necessary to have a protector?

When you grow up in the [speaks Spanish]

and you're skinny and asthmatic and good at school,

believe me, it was necessary.

And what kind of influence

if any did your brother have on you?

When I was , I thought about joining a g*ng.

Luis said he'd b*at the crap out of me if I did.

I told him that he had nothing to say about it

because he himself was in a g*ng at the time.

How did he respond?

He got jumped out of the g*ng.

He got jumped out of the g*ng.

Tell us about that, what does it mean to be jumped out?

It's like a reverse initiation.

They tie your hands behind your back

and all the g*ng members get to take their best sh*t.

When they brought him back, I thought he was dead.

His eyes were all swollen shut.

He couldn't walk.

Well... I never had anything to do with gangs after that.

How do you feel about your brother, Ramon?

I love him.

And I owe him more than I can ever hope to repay.

No further questions.

Mr. Escala, do you consider your brother to be a violent person?

No, I don't.

But as a g*ng member,

wouldn't it be fair to assume

that Luis took part in such activities as fights,

violent initiations, perhaps drive-by sh**t.

He joined the g*ng for his own protection.

The truth is, Luis was never much of a fighter.

Really?

As recently as two years ago,

you brother was arrested and charged with an as*ault.

Are you familiar with that incident, Mr. Escala?

They dropped those charges.

You witnessed that incident, didn't you, Mr. Escala?

I caused it, Miss Nida.

I had just gotten a scholarship to Stanford.

My picture was in the paper.

We were at a neighborhood bar celebrating

when this drunk starts in on me.

Calling me [speaks Spanish]

so the guy starts getting physical.

Luis takes him down.

-So it wasn't Luis' fault. -That's right.

And last week, when your brother terrorized and robbed a store clerk,

that wasn't his fault either.

My brother is not a criminal.

Your brother pleaded guilty to a crime,

that makes him a criminal.

Objection, the prosecutor's making speeches.

I have nothing further.

[knocks]

Yeah, come in.

Ah, here filing your complaint with my boss, Mr. Di Stefano?

No.

No, I'm not, I'm uh...

I'm here to apologize.

About yesterday in Judge Walker's chambers.

My accusations were out of line.

You seemed pretty sure of yourself at the time.

I was obviously mistaken.

See, Rick Turner, Steeple Records,

they're big clients for my firm.

No one was very happy I lost the case.

I... was upset.

I'm sorry.

Apology accepted.

Good, um...

And uh, as far as I'm concerned,

we can act as though none of this ever happened?

-Okay. -Okay.

Do you have a minute?

Sure.

Maybe your... religious impulses

and your sexual impulses

can exist side by side.

Maybe the same is true for me.

What do you mean?

There are thoughts in my head.

There's desire.

I have sexual desire.

And I'm curious about doing things

that good Christian girls don't do.

Things that they shouldn't even think about.

Like, uh...

What kinds of things?

Before I could even say those words,

I'd have to let go a little.

Let go a lot.

I'd need to lose myself.

I'd need to... I don't know what I would need.

I would need a drink.

That's not necessarily a bad idea.

Alcohol can be very helpful in allowing us to

free ourselves of that which holds us back.

What kind of drink should I have?

Vodka martini.

Well, then, I think that what we should do

is go some place and I could have

four or five or six Vodka martinis

and then we could see where that takes us.

Oh, let's go right now. Let's go right now, Jane.

Let's not think about it, let's not discuss it.

Let's put what I see to be a very brilliant plan into motion.

And as you say, see where it takes us.

Arnold?

Yeah?

You know how you say that your eyes

can tell when a person's being sincere?

Yes. I remember saying that.

How your eyes looking into their eyes,

based on that, you can always tell?

Let's talk about this more at the bar, okay?

Have you ever been to Musso and Frank?

Well, I think you should have your eyes checked.

They're not as reliable as you think they are.

[knocks]

Yeah.

Hi.

Ed, we're not due in court until tomorrow.

I don't think I want to go to court.

You pretty much have to be there.

I want to settle.

Wait a minute.

We have a better than even chance

of getting this case dismissed before it ever goes to trial.

I don't care.

I did what she said I did.

I pretended to be something I'm not.

Well, that doesn't necessarily make you liable for damages.

I think it does.

I think it makes me a fraud and a fake.

I have no right asking you or anyone else

to help keep me from paying for that.

The only real asset I have is the donut shop.

I want to give it to her.

Ed, I am not endorsing what you told that woman,

but I don't think it warrants putting yourself into financial ruin.

[chuckles]

You know...

somewhere along the line I probably could have become a cop.

I could have taken the test, and gone on the job

and found out what I was made of.

I could've seen how I did when confronted with physical danger.

When I didn't know what was on the other side of a door,

whether I would have panicked and run away,

or chambered a round and gone in.

I didn't do that, Ann.

I never found out.

I chose a comfortable, predictable way of life

selling coffee and donuts

and curling up in my beddy at night.

Just pay the woman.

Pay her whatever she wants.

[knocks]

Ramon, what are you doing here?

I'm worried about Luis.

Why is that D.A. so intent on putting him away?

That's her job.

Do you think he'll go to prison?

I don't know.

They shouldn't be thinking about sending him to prison.

It was always a possibility.

Not in my mind.

In my mind, it was never a possibility.

I never would have agreed to let him do this, otherwise.

Agreed to let him do what?

Luis is innocent. I robbed the store.

You?

I never meant for it to happen like this.

Wait, wait a minute, you let your brother

take the wrap for you?

It wasn't my idea.

Whose idea was it?

My parents, who do you think?

A conviction would wipe out my chances of ever becoming a lawyer.

Why'd you rob a store, Ramon?

Where do you come from, Morales?

Mission Hills.

Mission Hills.

That's a nice neighborhood.

Maybe you going to law school wasn't such a big deal.

Well, for me it was a big deal.

I had everyone from the city councilmen

to the abuelitas in the park watching my every step.

Planning my future.

Like I belonged to them.

Like they each owned a piece of me.

From grade school on, I was the one who had to get the As.

I was the one who had to be the class president.

Captain of the team, valedictorian.

And I was.

I got the scholarships, the pictures in the paper,

everything they wanted I did.

I can't do it anymore.

Why did you rob the store, Ramon?

Because I had to do something

to tell my parents and my teachers to get the hell off my back.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

You come clean.

You go to the judge and tell him exactly what happened.

-I want to. -You have to.

That's the only way you're going to be able to live with yourself.

Your Honor, with no disrespect intended toward Mr. Morales,

this smacks of a ploy.

It's not a ploy.

Ramon is ready to confess.

When?

He'll be here in an hour.

Your Honor, I think that the timing and the circumstances

cast considerable doubt on the reliability

of such a confession.

Well, that may be.

When an officer of the court tells me

someone has confessed to him personally,

I have to take that seriously.

Meantime, I want a thorough review of all the evidence in this case.

Lets' ascertain if anything ties the younger brother to the crime.

I want the report by the end of the day.

-Mr. Morales? -Yes, Your Honor?

As soon as the youngest Mr. Escala arrives,

get him in here.

Thank you.

[knocks]

I just had a very weird visit from Michael Di Stefano.

What was weird about it?

He apologized for accusing us of having an affair

during the Turner trial?

Well, it was a false accusation.

He should have apologized.

And you didn't have anything to do with this change of heart?

-Of course I did. -What'd you do?

Well, I called one of the senior partners at Mr. Di Stefano's firm.

That's all it took, one phone call from you?

Is that an abuse of authority in your opinion?

No, I didn't say that.

Because I can assure you that I am scrupulously honest

in my judicial and my personal life.

Carolyn--

I regard integrity as almost above anything else.

Carolyn, you don't have to defend yourself to me.

I don't have a problem with you being able to pick up the phone

and do what you did.

-You don't? -No.

As a matter of fact, I like it.

What gives, counselor?

If you have a minute, I think we can settle this thing.

Always willing to listen to reason.

-Where to? -In here.

You guys wait out here.

Hi.

How's it going?

Fine.

Your collar?

Just handing him off.

Where you guys work out of, Rampart?

Do I know you?

You might have seen me around.

Don't light that, sir.

Sorry.

I'll take him from here.

All right, let's go.

[grunting]

All right, come on. Hands behind your back.

Nice move.

Anytime.

Ah!

Good morning.

I take it you've apprised everyone of your decision?

Ramon's only decision is to return to his classes tomorrow.

What does that mean?

It means that whatever Ramon might

have said to you yesterday,

you misunderstood.

You're going to let them do this?

What kind of lawyer do you expect to be?

What kind of a person are you going to be?

Mr. Morales...

How are you going to get through your life doing this?

Mr. Morales, you want to talk to someone,

talk to me.

Okay.

You think my wife and I aren't in agony over making this decision?

We love our sons equally!

For years, we have struggled to give them a chance for something.

Ramon is that chance.

So what, you just sacrifice Luis?

Oye, didn't you hear my father?

What difference is it gonna make?

Having committed a crime's not going to change my life.

But its going to turn his life upside down.

Nobody's forcing me, Morales.

I want to do this.

And if it doesn't matter to me,

why should it matter to you, huh?

Because I'm your lawyer, and I know you're innocent.

Judge McGrath's waiting.

Luis.

See ya, pa.

Okay.

Let's go, then.

You have to sign the deed and the franchise agreement.

Am I the red arrows or the blue ones?

Red.

-[knocks] -Come in.

Hi.

Oh, the papers won't be ready for a few more hours, yet.

-I told your attorney-- -I've changed my mind.

How so?

I don't want his donut franchise.

I don't want anything.

What do you mean?

Well, when I found out that I had been fooled,

that you weren't who you said you were,

I was angry and I wanted revenge.

And that is no longer the case?

[sighs]

The way I feel now is...

If I got fooled, then I deserved to get fooled.

So...

I'm sorry for putting you through all this.

Maybe I should start to go to therapy again.

Find out why this is so important to me.

Can I venture an opinion about what it was

that was so important to you?

Sure.

This city is a human sewer.

Every day there are those of use who go out there

prepared to do battle

against that element which would cause us harm.

In addition to being a beautiful woman,

you happen to be a citizen.

The thin blue line is all there is to keep you safe.

Um, Ed, I think...

No, Ed... Ed, you made me feel safe.

The whole time I was with you.

And then again when you stopped that guy in the courthouse.

You made me feel safe.

Boy, was that a stupid move.

What do you mean?

That building was full of real cops.

That guy had no chance of escape

an no-one was in danger, so why did you put yourself

in the middle of all that?

It's what I do.

Miss Tressman, am I right in assuming

that you're interested in dropping this action?

Yeah.

In that case, I'll draw up papers to that effect.

Fine.

Can I buy you a cup of coffee?

Sure.

My unit's downstairs.

My mother got this on th Street. She gave it to me.

-It's really pretty. -Thank you.

Sign here.

Not very nice.

Excuse me?

What you did was not very nice.

What did you do?

In the case of people vs. Escala,

I have reviewed all relevant materials

presented in this matter

and find no evidence of fraud as charged by the defendant's attorney.

Absent a more compelling set of proofs,

I have no choice but to accept Mr. Escala's plea

and pass judgment accordingly.

Your Honor, as I do not believe

in my client's guilt,

and as I'm convinced that a fraud is being perpetrated

on this court, I would ask the court's permission

to withdraw as defense counsel.

Permission granted.

Mr. Escala, do you wish to have time to retain new counsel

or proceed without an attorney?

To proceed, Your Honor.

Rise for sentencing.

Mr. Escala, based on the testimony presented,

I find the evidence of mitigating circumstances

in your case to be slight at best.

But before I sentence you,

do you have any legal cause

to show why judgment should not be pronounced against you?

No, Your Honor.

Very well.

For the charge of robbery, I hereby sentence you

to three years in the state penitentiary.

Bailiff, take charge of your prisoner.

Judge, can you please allow us a moment before you take him?

I'm sorry, mijo.

I didn't know this would ever happen.

It's okay, apa.

Your mother and I will come and visit you every week.

Now, if there's anything you need, we'll bring it to you.

If there's anything we can do for you, we'll do it.

Don't, apa!

Please.

Everything's gonna be okay.

I could never be as proud of anyone as I am of you right now.

I love you, mijo.

I love you, too, apa.

♪♪ [theme]