08x21 - Whistle Stop

[bunniefuu]

- Thanks very much for coming in on such short notice.

You're sure you don't want some coffee?

- No. No, thank you.

- At this stage, we're just questioning anyone who had

recent dealings with Ms. Greer.

Please sit down.

So when did you last see her

- Uh, two days ago.

- And what were the circumstances?

- It involved a legal matter.

- Was it how you and Ms. Greer knew each other,

this, uh-- this legal matter?

- Actually, we met several years ago.

A mutual friend introduced us.

- How often did you see her after that?

- Four or five times, all social occasions.

- Were you a client?

- Uh, no, no.

Our relationship was strictly social.

- She never procured anyone to accommodate

your particular taste in women?

- What's that supposed to mean?

- We hear, when it comes to women,

you're something of a rough rider.

- What?

- Did Ms. Greer ever try to extort

money from you in exchange for keeping

your relationship secret?

- Look, I came down here voluntarily as someone who

happened to know the deceased.

If I'm a suspect, I should have damn well been told before you

started asking me questions.

- You are a suspect, Mr. Becker.

- Based on what?

- Based on the fact that you were seen leaving

Camilla Greer's home last night two hours before her body

was found.

- You want to tell us what you were doing there?

- I'm not answering any more questions.

- All right, at this point, I have

to inform you that you are under arrest for the m*rder

of Camilla Greer.

- What?

- You have a right to remain silent.

If you give up that right, anything you say

can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have a right to an attorney.

If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be

provided to you free of charge.

Now, do you understand each of these rights

as I've explained them to you?

[theme music]

[upbeat music]

- And he went down to the police station

to make what he thought was a routine statement.

They arrested him for m*rder.

- And he didn't tell you any more than that?

- No, not on the phone. - This is unbelievable.

- Has a bail hearing been set?

- The DA's office is playing games.

I'm going there this morning to see Holzman.

- You mean he might have to spend the night in jail?

- It is a distinct possibility.

- Once it's set, Ann, can you handle the bail hearing?

- Sure, the only problem is I won't be able to talk

to Arnie till this afternoon. I'm in court all morning.

- I'll go talk to him.

- Jonathan, you should talk to the police.

Find out the names of all the officers involved,

get as much as you can.

- Right.

- We may also need the services of a private investigator.

- I'll call Jinx.

- All of Arnold's active clients need

to be contacted, reassured, and signed

to other members of the firm until Arnold

is available again.

- You and I should make those calls, Douglas.

- And under no circumstances should

anyone talk to the press.

We'll issue a short statement emphasizing our support and

belief in Arnold's innocence.

- I can do that.

I have some contacts at the LA Times.

- I'll talk to the office staff.

- Good.

- There's no chance he actually did it, is there?

- We will proceed on the assumption there is not.

[chatter]

- They were thinking about--

- Uh, excuse me?

I'm looking for Ms. Iannello.

- Oh, she's over there.

- Thanks.

- OK.

Yeah, I got it all.

I'll tell him you called.

OK, bye-bye.

- Hi, I'm here about the copier.

- I thought you were coming yesterday.

- Yeah, I know. And I'm sorry.

I was hung up in traffic most of the afternoon.

- Well, somebody could have called.

- They didn't call you?

- No, nobody called.

- I apologize for that.

- Have you been here before?

- No, never.

- Oh, Benny, can you show this gentleman where the copier is?

- Oh, sure.

- Thanks.

- Thank you.

[whistling]

- Oh, Stan.

I've been looking for you.

- What's up?

- I wanna talk to you about John Rosten.

- Oh, come on, Tommy.

- There's got to be another way to do this.

- I thought we already had this discussion.

Whether we like it or not, three-strikes is the law.

- What if we reduced the charge to a misdemeanor?

One year county jail.

- The guy received $, worth of stolen goods.

How do you make that into a misdemeanor?

- I think we can figure some special circumstances.

- No, no.

- I get the conviction, John Rosten does life.

- That's right.

- Stan, he got caught with stolen building supplies.

- Before that, he committed two armed robberies.

Go for the felony, Tommy, and go for the conviction.

- He did those robberies and served

time for 'em years ago.

What happened to a little prosecutorial discretion?

- The three-strikes law is what happened.

Our job is not to redefine it, but to enforce it,

as is across the board.

No exceptions.

Go for the felony, Tommy.

[knocking]

- It's me.

- Hi.

I just called you.

I pulled some strings, and I got us

a suite at the Ventana for Friday, Saturday, and

Sunday night.

- Great.

- That was convincing.

- Oh, I just talked to Holzman.

- And he won't agree to reducing the charge against John Rosten?

- Nope.

- Are you surprised?

- I don't think I have ever gone into a trial

before where I've actually wanted to lose.

- Well, I'm sure that once you're in there,

whatever ambivalence you have will

soon give way to that well-worn k*ller instinct of yours.

- And more's the pity.

I win, and the sky goes away for life?

- Look, the guy has committed two violent felonies

in the past that we know about.

God knows how many we don't know about.

And having committed a third--

- Non-violent felony.

- A felony nevertheless.

He's got to pay the consequences.

- I hate it.

- Who's the judge?

- Oh, Arthur Bryson.

- You're not gonna be too crazy about this either.

- What?

- Remember I told you I live with a man

for a couple of years?

- Well, that man was Arthur Bryson.

- Does he know about us?

- Tommy, we have been seeing each other for three months.

The courthouse parking attendant knows about us.

- Or should I ask him to recuse himself?

- Well, see how it goes.

I really don't think it's necessary.

The relationship's been over for a while,

and we're very cordial with one another.

And as a rule, Arthur is pretty fair minded.

- Who else have you slept with around this courthouse?

- I don't think you really want to know the answer to that,

do you?

- Oh-oh, you slut.

- You slut, Your Honor.

- Ah, forgive me.

- The guys' out of town--

- Get me out of here.

- Everything's being handled.

You need to tell me what happened.

- The cops asked me to come down here for routine questioning.

I cooperated.

Next thing I know, they accused me of being

one of Camilla's customers.

- Were you a customer?

- No.

- Did the police give you any indication as to why

they consider you a suspect?

- Last night, I went to Camilla Greer's

on behalf of Frank Askoff.

I found her dead.

I left.

Apparently, someone saw me.

- You didn't report it?

- Frank hired me in large part to protect his reputation.

I didn't want to associate myself

and by extension him to a prost*tute's m*rder.

- Do you think that Frank could have k*lled her?

- I don't know.

He certainly had motive.

But knowing Camilla, he wasn't the only one.

Look, I got to talk to Frank.

- OK.

I'll let you know as soon as the bail hearing is set.

- Do we know what DA is in charge of my case?

- Someone named Belinda Fox.

Do you know her?

- Yeah, I know her.

- Sorry to keep you waiting, Leland.

- Well, there's no sense breaking with tradition

this late in life.

What have we got?

- How's the pain?

- It passes.

- Are you taking the medication?

- Nope.

- Leland.

- Well, for some odd reason, my clients and my partners

rely on me to keep a clear mind.

Now, what are we looking at?

- The biopsy came back positive, remains to be seen what

course of treatment to follow.

- But we didn't catch it early.

- You'd always like to catch it earlier.

But no, we didn't.

I'd like to schedule you for surgery.

We need to get in there and see how things stand.

How are you the week of the rd?

- Fine.

It's fine.

[whistling]

- Excuse me, is all that whistling necessary?

- Oh, forgive me.

Was I bothering you?

- Well, a little bit.

You whistle a lot, you know?

- Yeah, I do whistle a lot.

I find it relaxes me.

- Yeah, well, could be somewhat annoying to others.

- Well, that's interesting.

You know, there are those who very much enjoy it.

- Is that right? - Yeah.

You know, there was a period of time

where my dad used to whistle the theme of the movie Laura.

You know the one.

[whistling]

Over and over and over again, you

know, until I finally said to him, Dad,

you've got to expand your repertoire a bit.

You know what he said to me?

He said, Chet, when I get a song in my head,

I get a song in my head.

[whistling]

- Could you please just stop whistling?

- Sorry.

- Mr. Dorsett, on or around March , ,

did you have a conversation with the defendant John

Rosten regarding copper pipe?

- Objection.

Calls for hearsay.

- Admission against interest.

- Overruled.

The witness will answer.

- I told John that the Myatt brothers were planning

on stealing a load of copper pipe

from Stroh Snider's building supply.

I also told him that if he held it in his yard

until a buyer was found, he could make himself bucks.

- What was his response?

- Said it was OK.

- Did you actually see the pipe after it was stolen

in Mr. Rosten's possession?

- Yes, I did.

I saw it in his garage.

- I have no further questions.

- Mr. Dorsett, when you asked Mr. Rosten to hold on

to the copper piping, you made no mention of the fact

that it was stolen, isn't that true?

- Uh, no, that's not true.

- Do you have any reason to lie here today, sir?

- No.

- Isn't it true that at the time of your arrest,

you offered to testify against Mr.

Rosten and the Myatt brothers in return for leniency?

- I offered to tell the truth.

- What, if anything, did the district

attorney's office offer you in exchange for testifying?

- They would charge me with a misdemeanor.

- Are you familiar with California's three-strikes law?

- Objection.

Sidebar, Your Honor.

- Approach.

- Your Honor, the three-strikes law is irrelevant.

We all know that the jury is not supposed

to consider punishment when deciding guilt or innocence.

Ms. Krieger is only making reference

to get sympathy for her client.

- Your Honor, this law is entirely relevant.

It goes to impeach Mr. Mullaney's star witness,

who was facing his third strike when

he cut his deal with the DA.

- That true?

- Yes.

- It goes to the credibility of the witness.

The objection is overruled.

Stand back.

- Mr. Dorsett, at the time of your arrest,

you had two felony convictions, one for burglary

and one for armed robbery, correct?

- Yeah, that's correct.

- Are you aware of the fact that had you been charged

with a third felony, you'd be facing a mandatory sentence

of to life?

- Yes.

- Would it be fair to say then that you were extremely

anxious to reduce your charge to a misdemeanor

and willing to turn on people that you'd

known most of your life?

- Oh, like they wouldn't do it to me?

- I wouldn't do it to you, Albert.

- That's enough, Mr. Rosten.

- What sentence did you receive as a result of your deal?

- I got three years probation.

- I have nothing further.

- Witness may step down.

This court is adjourned for lunch until : PM.

- Mr. Mullaney, would you please give me

five minutes in the room so I can explain

to you how this all happened?

- Ms. Krieger, would you please advise

your client that this constitutes

an inappropriate communication?

- I just want you to see who I am.

I'm not the type of person you should be doing this to.

- All right, come on, John. - Sir.

- Mr. Mullaney, please, five minutes.

That's all I ask.

- Your Honor, the defense asks that Mr. Becker's

bail be set at $,.

My client has numerous ties to this community, not the least

of which is a long-standing partnership with the law

firm of McKenzie Brackman.

As such, he does not represent a flight risk.

- Respectively, Your Honor, the people disagree.

Mr Becker has the financial means and the connections

to leave this country quickly and quietly.

We ask that he be held without bail.

- Ask that counsel explain her reference to financial means

and connections, Your Honor.

- Ms. Fox.

- Mr. Becker's salary is in the high six figures,

and he owns property in Tabitha.

- Although the defendant will gladly give up his passport,

I would ask that counsel explain how she knows

these things about my client.

- He told me.

- In the context of your investigation of this case?

- In the context of a conversation

we had prior to his arrest.

- This brings us to our second motion, Your Honor.

We ask that the Court order the district

attorney's office to disqualify Ms. Fox as prosecutor

in this case.

- Why would I do that, Ms. Kelsey?

- She was recently involved in a romantic relationship

with my client, which ended rather badly.

We believe that her resulting animus makes

it impossible for her to prosecute this case

in an unbiased manner.

- Your Honor, my relationship with Mr. Becker

was inconsequential and has no bearing on this case.

These charges were brought against the defendant

because he was seen leaving the scene of the m*rder

by two investigators for the district attorney's office.

His fingerprints were found throughout the victim's house

and on the victim's body.

- And who was it that assigned the investigators to follow

him in the first place?

- I did.

- For what reason?

- Mr. Becker is the subject of an ongoing investigation

for obstructing justice.

- That is a total sham!

- Arnie.

- This woman is out to get me.

That is the only reason that I'm here.

- Ms. Kelsey, please advise your client that these outbursts

are in no way helping his case.

- I'm sure he understands that, Your Honor.

- All right.

As to this motion for disqualification,

I want supporting papers filed by both sides.

I'll take that matter under advisement.

As to the issue of bail, I do not believe that Arnold Becker

represents a flight risk.

I, therefore, am gonna set bail in this matter.

Due to the seriousness of the crime,

I'm going to order the bail be set in the sum of $,.

All right, let's call the next case, please.

- So what's the problem?

- There's no problem.

It's just I'm not sure this is the weekend to go away.

I knew you'd get out of this one.

- So what's up there exactly?

- Yes, sir, about minutes.

- What do you mean? It's Big Sur.

Haven't you ever been to Big Sur?

- No.

- We're clearing your table right now, Judge.

- Thanks, Rudy.

- It's far, isn't it?

- Only takes two hours to get there.

- You don't think it would be more relaxing to just

stay in town and sulk?

- No, I don't.

- All right.

- Look, I have a suite reserved with a hot tub

and a fireplace plus massages scheduled for both days.

I think we should take advantage of that, don't you?

- I heartily concur.

- Hi, Arthur. ARTHUR: Hi, Carolyn.

- Judge Bryson.

- Counselor.

CAROLYN: Gunther.

- Hi, Carolyn. - Good to meet you.

Tommy Mullaney.

- Judge Riddick.

It's a pleasure.

- What's it look like?

- Give me five minutes.

- I'll see you at the table.

- So where are we going?

- Ventana.

- Oh, I remember it well.

- Yes, it didn't stop raining the whole time we were there.

- Both times we were there.

- Your Honor, your table's ready.

- Good seeing you again, Carolyn.

Counselor.

- Oh, that sounds good.

- Yes, change that date.

Change that date to tomorrow.

- Arnie.

I called when I heard it on the news.

- You and everybody I ever knew.

- Well, what happened?

- I went there to make the offer.

I found her dead.

- Well, you didn't say anything to the police about me,

did you?

- Attorney-client privilege obtains.

I didn't violate your confidence.

- Well, I appreciate that.

- Attorney-client privilege does not obtain when the attorney

has to defend himself.

- Now, you mean, you're not my lawyer anymore?

- That's right.

One of the principal components of my defense

is gonna be pointing the finger at someone else.

As far as I'm concerned, whoever was in Camilla's book

is a potential suspect.

- It's gonna be hard to know who they all are.

I mean, I imagine whoever k*lled her also got rid of the book.

- Was it you, Frank?

- What do you mean?

- I mean, was it you?

- I take it you're asking me this not as my lawyer, huh?

- I'm asking you this as someone who's been arrested for m*rder.

- Look, they're not gonna make this thing stick.

I mean, if you didn't do it, they're not gonna convict you.

- Sometimes that equation doesn't hold true.

- Well, it wasn't me, OK?

It wasn't me

- So you know, I'm going about defending

myself with everything this office has to bear.

That means top-flight trial lawyers.

It means private investigators.

Whatever it takes, I will prove that I

did not commit this m*rder.

- Well, no doubt you will.

- Mr. Rosten, how did you come to have $, worth of stolen

copper pipe in your garage?

- Albert Dorsett asked me if he could keep it there as a favor.

I did not know it was stolen.

- Did he say why he needed you to keep it there?

- He said he bought the pipe for a plumbing job

and needed someplace to store it.

- Is it your testimony that he made no mention of the fact

that the pipe was stolen?

- Yes.

- Following your arrest, did you sign

this confession stating that you did have knowledge

that the pipe was stolen?

- Yes.

- Why did you sign it if it wasn't true?

- Because the cops told me they had me dead to rights

but that they could go easy on me if I was cooperative.

- Have you ever been convicted of a felony before this?

- Sidebar, Your Honor.

- Approach.

- Council is trying to slip in that he's facing

strike three, Your Honor.

I believe that to be both irrelevant and prejudicial.

- The fact that he was facing his third strike

meant that his only chance of leniency

was having this reduced to a misdemeanor.

That's what the cops promised him.

That's what they lied to him about.

- I've been advised that no promises were made.

- Counselor, whether or not your client was misled,

there's no evidence that the confession was coerced.

As such, I find testimony as to these so-called three-strikes

law are the type of sentence Mr. Rosten is likely to receive

if found guilty.

To be prejudicial rather than probative,

you're to make no mention of either one.

Stand back.

- Mr. Rosten, how long has it been since you

were convicted of a crime?

- More than years.

- You gainfully employed?

- Yes, I've been working in a hardware

store for the past years.

- Are you permitted to operate the register, handle cash?

- Yes.

- Have you ever been accused of stealing anything

while you were working there? - Objection.

- Sustained.

- OK.

I have nothing further.

- According to police records, you and Albert Dorsett

were arrested for burglary together back in .

- Objection.

Past Bad acts are inadmissible.

I move for an immediate mistrial.

- Defense counsel brought up his record on direct.

She opened the door.

- So she did.

The objection is overruled.

- But is it your testimony that knowing Mr. Dorsett's history,

you had no suspicion, no inkling at all that

the copper pipe he was asking you to look after was stolen?

- I didn't think about it.

- Were you lying when you confessed to the police?

- Yes, they told me that was the only way they could

knock it down to a misdemeanor.

- Wouldn't you agree that you have a far greater

incentive to lie today than you did

on the day you were arrested?

- I don't deserve to get life imprisonment over this, sir.

- Move to strike. - I've got two children.

- Mr. Rosten.

- A girl who's seven and boy who's nine.

- Mr. Rosten, that's enough.

The jury is instructed to disregard

the defendant's outburst.

Mr. Mullaney?

- No more questions.

[tense music]

[whistling]

- Thank you.

- Benny, have you seen Chet, the copier guy?

- I don't think he's been here today.

- Oh.

I feel bad.

- How come

- Ah, because this guy was whistling.

And he got on my nerves, so I told him to stop.

- So why do you feel bad?

- Oh, I don't know.

I guess I was a little harsh, right?

- I don't know.

- Was he obnoxious?

- No, not really.

I mean, the guy was just whistling.

- I found I liked his whistling.

- More guilt?

- Is he coming back?

- I assume so.

I mean, I don't think he finished

programming the copier.

- So when he comes back, you'll tell him you're sorry.

- Is that absolutely necessary?

- No.

- It's really up to you.

- Should have known better than to ask.

It's who he is.

- OK, I'll put a tail on him starting tonight.

- We have to be prepared for the possibility

of his leaving the country. - Yes.

And at this point, there's nothing

we can do to prevent that.

So track his movements.

- Hmm, that I can do.

- Are we looking into any of her other clients?

- I'm gonna talk to some of the girls,

see if I can start piecing together a list.

- You think it was Frank, though?

- Yes, I do.

- Well, until we have something definite,

we mustn't overlook anything.

- I wanna ride along with you when you tail him.

- What for?

- 'Cause I wanna watch him with my own eyes.

- What is it, you think, all of a sudden,

I'm gonna miss something?

- Jinx, if I can gain some insight by riding along

with you and thereby assist in my own defense,

I think it's probably time well spent.

- I'll be in front of the building at :.

- I guess there's no reason for me to come along in that case.

- Was there ever?

- Can a reasonable person look at the prosecution's evidence

and not have doubts as to Mr. Rosten's guilt?

I think a reasonable person could have strong doubts.

Mr. Rosten was in custody for five hours before he confessed.

He was scared.

And the police were telling him over and over

again that he was as good as convicted

and that it was to his advantage to confess.

And he believed them.

The only other evidence comes from a man

with two violent felony convictions who,

under the three-strikes law, is looking at a possible life

sentence if convicted, a man who would do or say

anything to get out of that.

Thanks to the DA, that man is a free man,

while the defendant, a man who has led an exemplary life

for more than years.

A man who also has two felony convictions

but stopped being a criminal long ago is sitting

here facing life in prison.

- Objection.

Move to strike.

- Objection sustained.

The defense counsel's last remarks are stricken.

The jury is instructed to disregard.

Ms. Krieger, you are treading dangerously close

to a mistrial.

- John Rosten says he did not know the pipe was stolen.

I ask you as reasonable men and women

to give him the benefit of the doubt.

- All I ask is that you look at the facts.

$, of stolen pipe was found in Mr. Rosten's yard.

By Mr. Rosten's own testimony, the man

who asked him to store the pipe, Albert Dorsett,

had been his partner in crime.

Mr. Rosten knew Dorsett was a thief, not a plumber.

He knew the pipe was stolen.

He admitted so himself in writing.

Now, that's something innocent people don't usually do.

And despite Ms. Krieger's suggestion,

there's no evidence of any kind that Mr. Rosten's

confession was coerced.

As jurors, your job is not to consider

what penalty lies ahead for Mr. Rosten if he's convicted.

My job is to present you with those facts, which I believe

prove John Rosten's guilt. Your job is to examine those facts

and make a decision.

I'm confident that having done so,

you will find John Rosten guilty.

- Remember Gene Hackman in The French Connection?

He was on the street, eating pizza,

drinking coffee, while Fernando Rey was in a restaurant.

Remember that?

- What's he doing in there?

- He's buying magazines.

- He's sure taking his sweet time.

- Would it be out of the question for me

to go over there and buy a magazine?

- Completely out of the question.

But I have an idea.

Why don't you boys go home and I'll bring you

a full report in the morning?

[camera shutter clicking]

- I gotta use the bathroom.

- There's a bar half a block up.

And try not to let him see you.

- Boy, you really know your way around this kind of thing,

don't you?

- Why are you here, Eli?

- I told you, I wanna keep an eye on Arnie.

- Right.

Now, why don't you tell me the real reason?

- What if I said that I had hoped

to rekindle the spark that used to be there between us?

- I'd say that tonight is probably

not a good night to do that.

- That's all right.

If I've managed to lay a foundation so

that rekindling might occur at a later date,

I have accomplished something.

Have I done that?

- So good to see you again.

[camera shutter clicks]

- Careful. Be careful.

- Yeah.

So what kind of massage did you schedule?

- Basic shiatsu.

- Which is what?

- You've never had a shiatsu massage?

- I've never had any massage.

- You're kidding?

- Well, not everybody has massages, Carolyn.

- You're still gonna go through with it, though, aren't you?

- Yeah. - OK, good.

[doorbell rings]

I can't believe you've never had a massage.

Arthur?

Yeah, Arthur?

- I wanna talk to you.

- OK.

- I wanna go somewhere else.

I don't wanna talk here.

- Well, this really isn't a good time.

Whatever it is, can we talk about it tomorrow?

- No, I don't wanna talk tomorrow.

I wanna talk right now.

- Uh, why don't I step out for a minute, huh?

- No.

We'll talk tomorrow, Arthur.

- Every day for the past week, this son of a bitch

has been standing in my courtroom.

I have had to look at him.

I have had to listen to him.

Up until today, I could handle it.

I think Mr. Mullaney will bear me

out when I say that I think I have been fair in my rulings

and judicial in my temperament.

When, however, I heard you were going away to Big Sur

together for the weekend, something in me just gave out.

- Arthur, pull yourself together and go home.

If you don't do that, I'm gonna have to call the police.

- Oh, isn't he capable of throwing me out?

- Are you challenging me, sir?

- Yes, sir.

Right here and now, I'm challenging you.

I want you to demonstrate how much you're

willing to risk for this lady.

- Stop it.

- Look, why don't we go outside and talk this over?

- Take your hand off me!

You have no idea how much I loved you.

- I think it's time to leave, Your Honor.

[dramatic music]

[camera shutter clicking]

- I can't imagine how terrifying it

is to actually be faced with the possibility of going to prison.

- There's still a lot that has to happen

before you reach that point.

[eli snoring]

- You know, I never told you this.

I was secretly happy when you stopped seeing Eli.

- Yeah?

Why-- why was that?

- Well, I guess I felt, if you were gonna be seeing anybody

at the firm, it should be me.

- Mm-hmm.

- One time, it was me.

- Yes, it was.

- Ever think about that happening again?

- Are you asking because you're terrified to face

the possibility you might go to prison

or because we just happened to be sitting here?

- Both.

- You're unbelievable.

And with all the stuff that you have in your mind,

you still make the time for a little action.

- That isn't an answer, Jinx.

- Here it comes.

[engine rumbling]

[upbeat music]

- Out back.

OK.

[chatter]

- What's he doing?

- Oh, my god.

- That's what he's doing.

- Do you have any inkling of this?

- No.

- Arnie, where are you going?

Arnie!

[knocking]

- Wanna roll down your window, Frank?

- What do you want?

- You and I need to have a little chat.

- Who's that?

- [STAMMERING] Just someone I know.

- Yes, someone who doesn't want to go to prison

for committing a m*rder you and I both

know that I didn't commit.

- Look--

- Bye.

- What do you want, Arnie?

- Look, would you two go back to the car for a minute?

- This is not the way to go about--

- Just give me a minute!

- What do you want?

- I want you to take a good look at yourself, Frank.

It's : in the morning.

You're in the middle of a m*rder investigation.

And you're picking up hustlers in West Hollywood?

What does that tell you?

- It's nothing I haven't known for a very long time.

- Camilla Greer was providing you with male prostitutes?

- Look, I don't wanna get into this with you, Arnie.

Now, excuse me, huh?

- You listen to me, Frank.

Whether you come forward of your own free will

or whether you're dragged forward, kicking and screaming,

you and all your secrets are coming out!

[tires screeching]

- Alex, do you know a Jimmy Burns from San Francisco?

[chatter]

- Oops.

Chet.

Oh, you're not Chet.

- Nope.

- Is Chet coming back?

- I have no way of knowing.

- Hmm.

What do you mean?

- Chet had himself a heart att*ck yesterday.

The last I heard, he was still in intensive care.

- Oh, my god.

- How well did you know him?

- I hardly know him at all.

- He was a good egg.

His whistling used to drive me crazy.

But all in all, he was a good egg.

It's all programmed and ready to go.

You shouldn't have any problems.

You want me to take you through it?

- No.

No, thank you.

[somber music]

- That's great, Nance.

- He's in with Arnie.

- So after I took off last night,

I just drove, just pretty much through instinct to the house

that I had lived in for the past years.

And Vivian allowed me to come in.

I proceeded to tell her the truth.

- It was quite a night.

- I always thought that if you're smart enough,

you could hide almost anything.

But-- but that's proven not to be the case.

- Why did you k*ll her, Frank?

- Look, I didn't start out intending to.

I-- I went over there to try to make a deal with her.

- That's what I was going over there for.

- Yeah, I know, but your heart wasn't in it.

I just thought that I could do it better.

- Why did you k*ll her?

- I realized I couldn't trust her.

I mean, no matter how much money I paid her, I--

it seemed that there'd always be that chance that--

that my secret would get out.

And realizing that, I panicked.

I, um-- I put my hands in her throat.

And before I knew what I was doing, I'd strangled her.

- Now what?

- Now I turn myself in.

- You wanna have a lawyer with you when you do that.

- Can any of you represent him?

- No.

No one here can represent him.

- We'll find you a lawyer.

- Good.

I think I wanna go home now and change my clothes

before I go down there.

Arnie, I'm sorry for what I put you through.

I'm really sorry.

- Good luck, Frank.

- Thanks.

- Has the jury reached a verdict?

- We have, Your Honor.

In the matter of the People versus John Rosten

on the charge of receiving stolen property,

we the jury find the defendant guilty.

- Your Honor, we ask that Mr. Rosten be released

on bail pending sentencing.

- I don't believe that will be necessary counsel.

I'm ready to pronounce sentence now.

I've been a judge for years now.

I can honestly say that I've never loved a job half so well.

In all the time I have been on the bench,

I judged each case based on its merits

and imposed sentences after considering the severity

of the crime and the character of the individual

who's responsible.

I considered both, and I considered them carefully.

But a new law has come into being.

And now I'm instructed not to consider anything.

My mandate is to mete out punishment based on categories.

Upon conviction of a third felony,

the defendant is sentenced to life

imprisonment, no ifs, ands, or buts, no consideration.

Well, folks, I'm not gonna do that.

I realize that as a result, in all probability,

sanctions will be imposed on me.

I suspect that come next election,

I'll be off the ballot and off the bench.

But as much as I love being here,

I can honestly say none of that matters to me.

What matters to me is that as a sitting justice,

I do that which I think is just.

It's not a matter of being heroic.

It's not a matter of being noble.

Mostly, it just lets me sleep better at night.

Mr. Rosten, despite the fact that the crime for which you

have been found guilty is your third felony,

you are sentenced to one-year probation.

The jury is dismissed with the thanks of the Court.

We are adjourned.

[dramatic music]

- Arnie.

- Hello, Belinda.

- Normally, I'd say it's great to see you.

But if you'll forgive me, right now is not a good time.

- Hmm.

We have something to talk about, you and I.

- I can't imagine what.

Askoff confessed to Camilla Greer's m*rder.

You're no longer a suspect.

- The only reason I was a suspect was because of you.

- The reason you were a suspect was

because you left the scene of a crime without reporting it.

- Look, let's cut through the crap, Belinda.

It's only you and me here.

You had me followed out of personal malice.

You were looking for anything you could find,

and this just happened to fall in your lap.

You misused the power of your office

as a way of exacting some sort of sick revenge.

- You have a pretty high opinion of yourself, don't you, Arnie?

You think every ex-girlfriend you

couldn't make a commitment to stays up

nights plotting your downfall?

- I could bring you up on charges to the attorney

general's office.

I could personally sue you for libel.

- Then why don't you?

- Because I don't want to involve myself in your life

one minute longer than I have to.

And should you decide to involve yourself any further in mine,

I won't hesitate.

I will take you on, and I will bring you down!

You wanted a commitment?

That's a commitment.

- You packed?

You miserable?

- When your friend, the judge, came over here last night,

I thought he was kind of a sad guy.

He didn't look sad today.

- Do you admire him for what he did?

- Yeah.

- He placed his own gratification

over the doing of his job.

I find that contemptible.

- His job is to administer justice.

- His job is to administer the law.

Three strikes, you're out is the law.

- It's a stinking law.

- I happen to disagree with you.

But even if I didn't, he did today what he did last night.

He took over.

He anointed himself king.

- All I can say is that I wish I had

had the courage to act on my convictions

to the extent he did.

I wish I had had the courage to anoint myself king.

- Well, I'll tell you what.

While we're away this weekend, I'll let you pretend.

[moody music]

- You wanted to see me?

- Uh, yeah.

Rosenstile is set for the th?

- Uh, I believe so.

- I don't want any more continuances in that case.

Whoever's going to handle it, I want it to go forward.

- Will do.

- Also, I have to go into the hospital in a week or so.

I'm not sure of the exact date.

- What's it for?

- I was in getting my prostate examined.

My internist found something.

- Your secretary in there, and she

said you had to sign this before I give it to the messenger.

- Could you wait outside, Benny, please?

- He said he's parked downstairs in the circle.

- It doesn't matter, Benny.

Wait outside.

- I will just be a minute, Benny.

- OK.

- Oh, my god, Leland.

- I don't want any visitors when I'm in that hospital.

- OK.

- The Bradshaw arbitration is scheduled for that week.

I'll need for you to take over.

- Fine.

- Well, that's about it.

I'll keep you posted.

- How does it look, Leland?

- Oh, we won't know until after the surgery.

- Is there anything I can do?

- Try not to lose the Bradshaw.

Would you ask Benny to come in?

- OK.

Benny.

- Can I come in now?

- Yes, you may.

Yeah.

[whistling]

Thank you.

- Is everything OK?

- Everything's fine.

- Yeah, you-- you want me to close the door?

- If you would.

[door clicks]

[theme music]

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