All language subtitles for Law & Order (1990) - S02E17 - Sisters of Mercy (720p WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

In the criminal justice system

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.

See you later, Louie.

Yeah.

Catch you
tomorrow.

You don't even give a damn,
do you?

Do you?

What do you want me to do
about it, huh Maggie?

Like I got a lot of control
over your life.

I'm not going back there.

Where you going
to go, huh?

Oh...

thanks for the invitation.

You just can't start flopping
all over the place.

That's not
what I'm talking about.

All right, look, let's get out
of here

and we'll figure something out,
all right?

Oh... so you can just dump me
on the street?

Maggie...

you just...

Or maybe I'll just go away
and die, huh?

Maggie!

How about I do
everybody else a favor

and blow it off right here!

Or maybe I'll just
do everybody else!

Maggie...

Give me the gun.

Why?

Fine.

Do whatever the hell you want.

Now, don't you go!

MAN:
Look out!

Why did your girlfriend
try to kill you, Danny?

She wasn't trying
to kill me, man.

The gun just went off.
It was an accident.

You were
arguing.

Nine people saw
her shoot at you.

She was drunk, man.
She didn't...

Hey, her eyeballs are going
through the ceiling.

That ain't drunk.

Danny...

unlicensed gun.

Criminal possession three
or four.

Felony or misdemeanor.

Maybe she took
a little meth.

What's
a little?

I don't know.

Five or six hits.

Your treat?

I don't know where
she could have got it.

This better
be the truth.

Boyfriend said
she did six hits of meth.

Only I.D. we found.

LOGAN:
Corson, Maggie.

Issued at Haven House.

Catholic drug rehab center.

Maggie?

Maggie?

I've got nowhere to go.

Captioning sponsored by
NBC/UNIVERSAL

Look, this is ridiculous.
She's 16. She was stoned.

If you want to arrest somebody,
arrest the creep she was with.

That's already been done.
Now listen, as for Maggie

accident or not,
she still has to be arraigned.

And after that I can I take her
back to Haven House?

That's up to
the judge.

Oh, look, it was a relapse.

It happens.
I mean, she is an addict.

She's making
a difficult transition.

No one is doubting you.
You're just telling

the wrong people.
She's got to be arraigned.

Great.

Are you really a...?

A nun?

Yes, Detective, I am.

So, I guess I would
call you "sister."

Call me
whatever you want.

Sister?

Has somebody called
Maggie's parents?

She ran away from home
three years ago.

I doubt she's homesick.
Anyway, she's been

in our custody for a year.

She's our
responsibility.

I thought nuns had curfews.

That went out
with the penguin suit.

Maggie, when you're arraigned

you'll either be placed
in a juvenile ward

or back at Haven House.

Chances are, you'll get
a compassionate judge

and you can go back
to the house.

Maggie?

Get her out of here!

I don't want
her near me.

Maggie...

Please get her out!

Let's go have a talk.

Maggie,
what's the problem?

It doesn't have to leave
this room.

Maggie?

Last night we were
in the shower.

You and who?

Sister Bettina.

All right,
why were you in the shower?

I was sick.

She said I'd feel better
if I had a hot shower.

Mm-hmm. Okay.

And what happened then?

She, uh...

she had her hands on me.

She put her hands
all over me.

Okay, okay.
All right.

CERRETA:
but she gave meeasy,

the whole play-by-play--
the what, where how--

everything Sister Bettina
did to her.

You ask the nun about it?

We didn't give her the
specifics, but as far as Maggie

being flipped out, she says
she doesn't know why.

You think this girl
was credible?

She seemed really frightened
about going back.

Hey, man, she's a meth head.

You know, this could be a
fabrication.

Could be she wanted
to be kicked out.

But if she wants out,
there are better

ways to go than a molest charge.

She's young, she's speeding.
Who says she needs easy choices?

Meaning?

Come on, this is the first time

we seen a false accusation
on a molest and a rape charge?

But there's also
the other side, Mike.

Where is the girl now?

Manhattan Psychiatric.

The D.A. dropped her down to

criminal possession four
and a gun charge.

Has she talked to anyone else
about the molest?

Only her roommate.
We have a call in

to the executive director of
Haven House.

Let's see if we can't dodge

the inevitable uproar
on this one, okay?

MAN:
the first I heard about this.

Maggie's roommate,
Maria Barragan,

brought it to my attention.

I sent for Maggie,
but she had already disappeared.

Did you have a chance to speak
to Sister Bettina?

This morning, after she got
back from the hospital.

She's pretty stunned.

What's your take on this?

I wish I had one.

Maggie Corson can be quite...

Lacking
in the credibility department?

Look, all of these kids
have been on the street.

Survival became a lot
more important than honesty

some time ago for most of them.

So your first instinct on this
would be that Maggie's lying.

If Maria hadn't seen them,
I would have to say

it sounds incredible, given
Sister Bettina's reputation.

Wait a minute.

Maria is the roommate.

She saw Sister Bettina
and Maggie together?

She said she saw them
in the shower.

I guess it was around 1:00.

Maggie puked
all over herself.

Sister B. showed up
and took her to the can.

Mm-hmm.
Did you follow them?

No, I just waited

but, like, Maggie
wasn't coming back.

I got worried,
so I went looking.

I heard the water running
in the shower

and I saw Sister B.
touching and kissing Maggie.

Now, where, uh...?

Where, exactly,
did she kiss her?

On her face
and on her shoulder.

Was Maggie dressed
or undressed?

Undressed.

And Sister Bettina?

She had on
this blue bathrobe.

Did you see
anything else?

No. I went back
to my room

and pretended
I was asleep

and Maggie came back
by herself.

She was crying.

She said Sister B.
messed with her.

What exactly did she say?

She said Sister B.
put her fingers... you know.

She was wigged out.

She didn't want me
to tell anybody.

But you told Mr. Powell.

Sister B. is a freak.

She shouldn't be
pulling that crap.

All right, Maria,
let's get specific.

You said you got worried

when Sister Bettina took Maggie
to the bathroom.

Why was that?

She'd come on to me before.

She put her hand
on my leg, you know,

and she said she loved me.

She was always saying
she loves me.

That's what I mean--
she's a freak.

Obviously, Maria's mixed up.

She says she's pretty sure
of what she saw.

Maria practically grew up
on Times Square.

I mean there, somebody touches
you, it only means one thing.

She's been with us
for only three months.

She hasn't had time
to rearrange her thinking.

This "hugs, not drugs"--
do you take that literally?

I mean, do you have
any physical interaction

with these girls?

It's just a figure of speech.

And you'd be surprised how far
the proper amount of affection

will go with these kids.

Maria nay have
her signals crossed,

but that still leaves Maggie.

That one I can't figure out.

I always got along well
with Maggie.

I don't know what happened.

Maybe she's working
something out.

Maybe she thinks I let her down.

But you don't deny being in the
shower with her that night?

She had stomach flu

and she'd thrown up
all over herself.

I helped her wash up.

With a shower
at 1:00 in the morning?

A sponge bath
would be less suspicious?

LOGAN:
I may be wrong. I just
don't think she did it.

You think clergy
can't trip over
their vows?

It happens. I read the same
news reports you do.

I just don't think
this is one of those cases.

You got to admit, Phil,
it's not the usual profile.

Just because it's
female on female
and it's rare

doesn't mean
it doesn't happen.

Yeah, I know--
anybody's capable of anything.

That's rule number one.

Look, I'm just saying this:

If I was to take
odds on this...

An ex-altar boy
wagering?

I confess.

We used to lift the wine
once in a while.

Not us--
wafers, unblessed.

OLIVET:
Have you ever been afraid

of Sister Bettina?

Afraid? No.

Before the night
in the shower

did you ever feel she
was interested in you
in a sexual way?

No.

I thought she was
just being nice to me.

But...?

I guess I didn't
pick up on it.

I thought
she was different.

Different than...?

Everybody.

Everybody who uses you.

The night that Sister Bettina
touched you

you were very sick,
weren't you?

You had the flu?

Mm-hmm.

Did you have any bad dreams?

Are you saying

maybe I hallucinated
the whole thing?

I know what she did to me.

I know how she made me feel.

And how is that?

When things happen
to you on the street

you expect it, you know?

But if it happens to you
at Haven House...

I was supposed
to be safe there.

I really trusted her, you know?

I know she did it.

I know how it feels.

Why? Has it happened
to you before?

For three and a half years.

Sometimes
twice a week.

I was eight when it started.

My mother never believed me.

"No husband of mine
would ever do that," she said.

"He loves you.

He's your stepfather."

OLIVET:
It's not about sex.

It's about trust and betrayal.

She was betrayed by her
stepfather, and then she was

betrayed one step further by a
mother who refused to hear her.

So Sister Bettina is what--
a kind of surrogate mother?

Maggie was trying to rebuild.
Sister Bettina had become

a figure
she was starting to trust.

This thing blew apart
her whole world.

You don't think her story
could have been rehearsed?

I think this girl
was blindsided

by someone she never even
perceived as a threat,

either emotionally
or genderwise.

There's a lot
of pain there.

I don't think
it's an act.

Great.

So we move on a nun.

I'll get a warrant.

Does Sister Bettina

have anything else in storage
in the building?

Aside from
her office, no.

I keep thinking

I'll get struck by lightning
doing this.

SISTER:
She should be
allowed to be here.

I don't know why
she's being treated
like a criminal.

I'm sure she understands these
men are just doing their job.

Sister Bettina

has always been
above reproach.

What exactly are you guys
looking for?

A lot of people
in molestation cases

they keep diaries,
might have photographs

you never know.

Sometimes they save something

from the encounter
as a sort of a souvenir.

Phil.

"M. Corson."

Vomit?

CERRETA:
She said she was
sick that night.

Matching set.

We showed Maggie these garments.
She identified them

as the ones she was wearing
last Monday night.

Sister Bettina may have kept
them as an encounter trophy.

Or she simply intended
to get them washed.

There's a laundry hamper
in the shower room.

She could just as well
have left them there.

Whatever you want to read into
it, it's subjective evidence.

It's still a nun's word against
the say-so of two street kids.

What, too bad they're not
seniors at Riverdale?

Well, what about
this Sister Bettina?

Anything there?

She grew up in... Hollis.

Joined a convent at age 20.

She's been at Haven House
for eight years.

Eight years
supervising teenage girls?

If she does have a predilection

this might not be
her first time.

POWELL:
I never heard a complaint
about her.

Never heard a rumor, either.

You worked with her
for how long?

I've been here six
years.

Anybody ever complain
to the archdiocese?

Had that happened

I would have heard
about it.

You're not the clergy.

No, but 70% of our funds
come from the church.

Wait a minute.
That should give them

more incentive
to bury a thing like this.

Not for Bettina.

Why not?

Sister Bettina aligns herself

with what the church calls
non-traditional nuns--

outfits like the women's
ordination movement

women as priests, birth control.

If the church had a reason
to get rid of her

I'm sure they would have.

How about on the outside?

You know anything
about her private life?

No, I have no idea.

You ever meet
any of her friends?

Well, at fund-raisers.

There was a woman--

um... Anne Houston.

She worked at the Queens
Family Shelter.

I think they still talk,
like, every other day.

You ever read
Catcher in the Rye?

Save the children--
that's Tina.

Have you ever
heard any gossip

or complaints about her?

You mean, why would
a normal woman

choose to live
in a community of nuns?

We've talked about her vows,

we've talked about sex.

Tina always said she redirects
her energy into her work.

Did she get along
with the kids?

Did you ever see
any misunderstandings?

Maybe an incident
of some kind?

Look, she ran day care
for three years.

Everybody loved her.

You want testimonials?

There will be a line
around this block.

Everybody knows
these charges are crap.

Why did she leave?

She was on loan from the
church, and they found out

the shelter was providing
birth control counseling

so they yanked her.

Do you have any idea why this
girl would accuse her?

What difference does it make?

She's been accused, labeled.

How is she going to shake that?

Olivet's report

the clothes,
the eyewitness--

most of it seems
to support Maggie's story.

Except for the fact
that Sister Bettina

practically walks on water
according to all her friends.

I'm waiting for ideas.

We've got to get off the dime
one way or the other.

The archdiocese
wants it dropped.

They both seem to be telling
the truth.

Fellas, there are
no tie breakers.

If we're not sure she did it,
we kick her.

ROBINETTE:
Sister Bettina offered
to take a polygraph.

It's not admissible, but at
least we'll know

if we're
on the right track.

MAN:
Are you 34 years old?

BETTINA:
Yes.

Is your father's name Michael?

Yes.

Were you
in Maggie Corson's room

the night of February 9?

Yes.

Did she have
a stomach flu?

Yes.

Did you sexually molest
Maggie Corson on that night?

No.

Did you kiss Maggie Corson
on that night?

No.

Did you tell the police
the truth

about the events
on the night of February 9?

Yes.

Are you telling the truth now?

Yes.

She passed on direct questions
about the molestation

but her answers on the details
registered as false--

questions like whether or not
the girl had stomach flu.

She could have been nervous.

She also failed the question

of whether or not
she was telling the truth.

On the whole, the results
classify as deceptive.

Or inconclusive,
depending on your mind-set.

Either way,
she's hiding something.

Reason enough to charge her.

Polygraph tests are
inadmissible. You gonna sell

this to the grand jury
and then not use it?

We have a victim's complaint,
eyewitness, opportunity.

I don't foresee a problem.
I would like to see

that she has a chance to
surrender.

We'll call her.

I want her R.O.R.

Are we sure we want to be
perceived as giving her
preferential treatment?

To all intents and purposes,
Sister Bettina is indigent.

You see her as a flight risk?
I don't.

Um... this is my lawyer,
Francine Hughes.

From the archdiocese?

No, she's just
an old friend.

May I see the warrant?

My client declines
to answer any questions.

Fine.

It's a beautiful morning,
isn't it?

Yeah.

Francine explained the results
of the lie detector test.

I'm sure she also told you
that polygraph results are
nonadmissible as evidence.

Yes, and if it were up to me,
I wouldn't be here today,

but Francine
insisted

that I tell you what happened.

That night, Monday,
Maggie didn't have the flu.

She was drunk.

When I found her, she
could hardly stand up.
She was covered in vomit.

I helped her wash up,
and then put her to bed.

Then I hid her clothes
in my room.

I didn't want anyone to know
she'd been drinking.

That's not the first time
she was drunk at the house.

She'd been caught
twice before.

She came to us by a special
dispensation of the court.

A third report of drinking
and they'd pull her out.

You'd protect her
even at the risk
of going to jail?

If Maggie
were thrown out,
she'd be lost.

Sooner or later, she'd end up
back on the streets.

Do you have any idea what
her life expectancy would be?

Do you know
how many street kids die

from AIDS or drugs?

How many are beaten,
raped?

We can't take it on faith
that Maggie was drunk.
We need corroboration.

My client is ready
to take another polygraph.

We need more than that.

She's lying.

I can't believe
you're buying into it.

We ran tests on the clothes
you threw up on.

We know how much
you drank that night.

Now listen to me.

You lie in court,
that's perjury.

So I was drunk.

Big deal.

She still messed with me.

You had a lot
to drink, Maggie.

How much do you
really remember?

I know she took me
into the shower.

I know that.

What else are you sure of?

I don't know.

I... was in the shower...

I can't remember.

What do you mean
you can't remember?

I guess I passed out.

What you told the police--
did you make that up?

It happened.

Maria saw it

and she told me.

She told me everything.

She saw it.

Maybe it was the morning after
when she told me

what Sister B. did to her.
But she blacked out.

She doesn't remember
what happened.

You told police

that Maggie described
in graphic detail

what Sister Bettina did.

I saw them in the shower, okay?

I saw what was going on.

But you lied.
Maggie didn't tell you anything.

And now ita's only your word
that anything happened at all.

Isn't that right?

Maria, are you happy
at Haven House?

Do you want

to go back on the street?

Then I don't understand
why you would make up
a story like this.

What do you mean?

If they believe this story--

if people think girls are
being molested at Haven House

what do you think that does
to the reputation of the house?

But it was only Sister B.

In the public mind,
they're the same.

They'll withdraw their support.

Without funds,
Haven House closes,

and where do you think
you'll be?

That's not true.
You're just trying to scare me.

Maria, did you see

Sister Bettina
molest Maggie?

I don't want to hurt
anybody else.

I just wanted them
to get rid of her.

Why? What did she do to you?

She knew.
She asked me about it.

He'd think I told.

Told what?

Mr. Powell.

Me and him.

Powell initiated
the relationship

one month after Maria
arrived at Haven House.

He put her in a position
where she would do his errands

and get excused
from the scrub work.

She still could have said no.

He said he'd put her on the
street if she didn't go along.

Sister Bettina uncovered this?

She had no idea.
She asked her about the errands.

She was concerned the other
girls might get envious.

It was a perfectly innocent
question, but Maria thought

the worst-- that her secret was
out and she'd be the one to go.

So when she saw
Sister Bettina in the
shower with the girl

she jumped at the chance to
discredit her.

Any way to corroborate
her story?

I talked to Powell's secretary.
She confirmed that

Maria spent a lot of time alone
with Powell in his office.

Did you file
a motion to dismiss?

Yes, on the way over,
but I think

we ought to go after Powell.

For what? Rape?

She said that Powell
didn't physically force her

to have relations
with him.

The girl was 17 at the time.

You got no statutory charge.

He's in a position of authority
over teenage girls.

He's abusing it.

A civil case, maybe.

Criminal court?
I don't see it.

Suppose it's not the first
incident?

He's been on the job
six years.

You think it's the first time
he's succumbed to temptation?

I'd sure like to know the answer
to that question

before we make up
our minds.

Go.

This whole thing sucks.

I can't believe she
would do that to me.

You didn't know she was
involved with Powell?

No.

If he hit on her,
she could have told me.

He ever try anything with you?

Maybe when I first got there.

He'd come into your room

at the wrong time...

call you into his office,

ask you stupid questions.

But I just stayed away from him.

A lot of girls fall for it?

Everyone thought
he was pretty much of a joke.

Except this
one girl.

What about her?

I don't know
for sure

but I heard talk
about her and Powell.

We have the cancelled checks
he sent you, Ms. Morrill.

He's not giving you
that money

out of the goodness
of his heart.

What...? Do I have
to give the money back?

As far as we can tell

it legitimately belonged
to Jack Powell.

If he gave it to you,
it's yours to keep.

When I was at the house,
we had this thing going.

A sexual relationship?

Couple of times a week.
That's all.

How old were you?

15 when it started.

What was in it for you?

I didn't have to work
in the kitchen.

He'd have me do errands

let me go to the movies...

Seems hardly worth it now.

Did he ever threaten
to hurt you if you didn't
go along with it?

He said if I told anyone,
I'd have to leave the house.

At the time,
I didn't have anywhere to go.

How long has it been
since you left?

Three years ago.

Since then, Powell's been
giving you $200 a month

for what, just to
keep your mouth shut?

He would have preferred
I lose it.

Ms. Morrill, would you
be willing to repeat

what you just told me
to the grand jury?

You mean, go to court?

Look, nobody knows about this--

nobody...

and I'm not going
to change that.

ROBINETTE:
She was 15.

Statute of limitations
hasn't run out.

We could force her
to testify

but her husband
thinks the kid is his.

That leaves
only Maria Barragan.

With a possible charge
of rape one.

Rape one? But Powell never
threatened Maria.

With no forcible
compulsion...

An adult male
with the power

to send a girl
back to the streets

demands that she
have sex with him.

That's not forcible
compulsion?

There's no physical threat, no
threat death or physical injury.

I'm willing
to take the chance
to make the case.

Get me a slot
in the grand jury.

We're going for an
indictment for rape
in the first degree.

ATTORNEY:
You're way off base
on this, Ben.

Jack Powell has spent
his entire life

working selflessly
for the public good.

He's raised hundreds
of thousands of dollars

for charities.
For crying out loud!

Did he tell his contributors
about the afternoons

he spent with Maria Barragan?

It was an indiscretion,
not a crime.

Maria's 17. She's an adult.
She consented.

We're not charging you
with statutory rape, Mr. Powell.

We're charging you
with rape in the first degree.

I didn't force her.

I didn't have to.

She said
you threatened

to expel her from Haven House.

Twice, for curfew and drugs.

Then you do admit you threatened
to expel her?

Yes, with good reason.

Legitimate reason in whose mind?

Look, Ben, didn't the episode
with Sister Bettina

tell you anything?

Maria Barragan's a liar.

She'll say anything
to get what she wants.

And what she wants
is to stay alive

and in her mind, that means
staying at Haven House.

A lie like this
does not serve
her best interests.

Maybe we can work something out.

Sexual abuse three, pleads nolo,
one year community service.

A "b" misdemeanor?
This is more than

a traffic violation.

Without proof
of forcible compulsion

you have no case.

Motion to dismiss.

See you tomorrow, 2:30

Judge Reisman's chambers.

ATTORNEY:
Maria Barragan

was blowing kisses
for nickel bags

long before she ever heard
of Jack Powell.

Which is hardly relevant.
It sure as hell affects
her credibility.

That's a matter for the jury.
Not for me.

Even if you look at the facts
in a light most favorable

to the prosecution
the indictment has still failed

to make a prima facie case
for rape one.

The statute is
clear-- it requires

threat of death
or physical injury.

Your Honor, we intend to prove
in court that it was reasonable,

under those circumstances,

for Maria Barragan to fear for
her life.

She wasn't seduced.

She submitted.

She consented, for God's sake.

My instinct tells me

you're asking me
to stretch the law

to places it shouldn't go.

However, I'm going

to reserve my decision

on defendant's motion
to dismiss until

after trial.
Your Honor...

Charge stays for now.

We go to trial right away.

Reisman reserved decision.

It's a minor miracle.

So we're halfway there.

We present a compelling case...

Don't fool yourself.
Reisman's no ground-breaker.

Read his decisions.

If there's no precedent,
it doesn't fly in his court.

So why didn't he dismiss?

Who knows?
Could be waiting

for the jury to acquit.

Then he doesn't have
to make a decision.

Could be he's ready
to make new law.

I wouldn't bet on it.

You talked to McCarter?

He wants a slap on the wrist.

Well, maybe you ought to start
slapping.

What do you suppose a trial like
this is gonna cost the state?

Even if you
convince a jury

Reisman snaps his fingers,
sets aside the verdict.

Adam, since when does cost
have anything to do with it?

Since the state
is on the verge of bankruptcy.

It's a no-win, my boy.

Reisman goes your way

we got the appeal
to worry about.

A trial of any sort puts Haven
House out of business.

Adam, he raped
a 17-year-old girl.

Did he?

Statute says physical harm.

It doesn't say
put her in a situation

where she could get hurt.

But it's all in the victim's
state of mind.

Maria's fears were real.
If he had threatened

to throw her out
on the expressway...

He didn't threaten anything.

She's a kid, Adam.

To her

Times Square is
just as dangerous.

The law doesn't
read that way.

Maybe it should.

BARRAGAN:
When I was 12

my mother ran away.

STONE:
And your father?

I never knew him.

A complete bio, Your Honor,
is hardly relevant.

It's relevant
to the victim's state of mind.

It's the defendant's
state of mind that's at issue.

The defendant took advantage
of the victim's fear.

I think it's necessary to show
the derivation of that fear.

I'll allow it.

STONE:
After you were abandoned,
where did you live?

In Port Authority

until Sister Bettina
found me.

Did you prefer Haven House
to the streets?

They didn't beat me,
or anything.

The sisters--
they cared about me.

And Mr. Powell?

He liked me fine.

McCARTER:
Your Honor, we've
established already

that the defendant
and this witness

had sexual relations.

We don't need a play-by-play,
Mr. Stone.

Maria, please describe
for the court

the circumstances

leading up to your
first sexual encounter

with Mr. Powell.

I was in his office.

He started
touching me.

He said
he could make me feel good

and he could make my life easy.

I told him I wasn't interested.

But you did sleep with him.

He said he would have me thrown
out of the house if I didn't.

You believed him?

He showed me a form.

Please describe the paper
I just handed you.

It's the form they use when they
throw you out of Haven House.

Was that the form
Mr. Powell handed you?

No, the one he showed me
had my name on it.

So you willingly

slept with him?

I was scared.

Of the streets?

I've been there.

It's better than going back.

Anything is.

That's why I lied
about Sister Bettina.

I thought if anyone found out...

Thank you.

REISMAN:
Your witness.

Have you ever been arrested,
Miss Barragan?

Objection.

If we're giving bios

let's give
the unabridged version.

Overruled.

Miss Barragan?

Three times.

What were the charges?

Prostitution.

So you were a whore?

Your Honor!

All right.
Enough of that,
Mr. McCarter.

The Haven House
isn't all fun and games.

You have to earn your keep.

There's cooking,
washing clothes, cleaning.

Isn't that right?

It's part of the rehab.

Isn't it true, Miss Barragan,
that when you first started
working for Mr. Powell

most of your chores
were eliminated?

Yes.

What kind of work
did you do for Mr. Powell?

I filed papers,
answered phones.

Hell of a lot easier
than scrubbing toilets.

Your Honor...

Uh, withdrawn.

When you were out on the street,
Miss Barragan,

you sold your body for money,
isn't that true?

I had to eat.

Oh, I understand.

You were trying
to make your life easier.

That's what a whore does.
Your Honor...

Weren't you trying to do that
with Mr. Powell--

trying to make your life easier?

Objection!

Miss Barragan?

REISMAN:
Sustained.

That's enough,
Mr. McCarter.

POWELL:
I've worked for non-profits
all my life.

I don't know, maybe
there are some people

who think I'm too caring.
If I minded my own business

I wouldn't leave myself
open to...

all kinds of problems.

When did you first come in
contact with Miss Barragan?

She was a new girl.

There's a routine
first interview.

I liked her attitude.

She was very bright, eager.

I needed someone to run errands.

It began
as a non-sexual relationship.

Yes.

But then she began
to put out signals

as if she were interested
in me.

What kind of signals?

I don't know.

Like... the way
she'd look at me.

MCCARTER:
To what did you
attribute her interest?

POWELL:
I'm not really sure.

Certainly not because I have
some magnetic effect on women.

Maybe it was because
I was nice to her,

or maybe she thought

she could get something
out of me.

What did you do
about these advances?

I put her off,

but she was
very persistent.

I'm not proud I slept with her.

Maybe this was bound to happen.

I spend a lot of time
with these girls, and...

in a way, they're trained
to deal with men sexually--

to use sex to get
what they want.

It was stupid of me to give in
to that.

Did you ever
threaten Maria?

Overtly
or implicitly?

No, never.

She'd been victimized enough.

Did you intimidate her?

That's what I don't understand.

I'm probably the only guy
she was ever with

who actually cared for her.

I felt I was
very kind with her.

I can't understand

why Maria would say
she was afraid of me.

No further questions.

Mr. Powell, do you recognize
the name Marjorie White?

She was with us for a while.

We caught her dealing
to the other girls.

Did you throw her
out of the house?

She was dealing drugs.

All right.

Alberta Gaines?

She was expelled for violence.

STONE:
Rosa Valdez,
was she expelled?

Yes.

Do you know what happens
to these girls

that are expelled?

Sister Bettina tries
to keep track of them.

Do you know what happened
to Rosa Valdez?

I believe she died of AIDS.

Alberta Gaines?

Um... an overdose.

Marjorie White died, too?

Yes.

Raped and stabbed 12 times

by six members of a gang.

Of all 18 girls expelled
in the past six years

three have died of AIDS,
five of drug overdose

one of exposure,
two murdered

and the rest
just disappeared.

Isn't that true?

Yes.

So, isn't it reasonable

under these circumstances
for Maria Barragan

to fear for her life when you
threw her out on the street?

Objection.

Sustained.

Did she ever say she was afraid
of leaving Haven House?

I ne... Listen, when these girls
have been on the street

long enough they become
hardened, tough.

They're not afraid of anything.

So if you're beaten up enough,
you lose your fear?

You learn how to survive.

Until someone kills you.

STONE:
The law says that if Jack Powell
never placed Maria Barragan

in fear of death
or physical injury

he cannot be convicted
of rape in the first degree.

He didn't wrestle her
to the ground.

He didn't put a gun to her head.

He simply said:

Have sex with me

or I'm throwing you
back out on the street.

Case dismissed?

Maybe.

But what did that threat
mean to Maria?

Another broken arm?

AIDS instead of hepatitis?

A bullet
instead of a razor blade?

More rapes?

More beatings?

And more than anyone,

Jack Powell knew

that his threat contained
the weight of all those things.

When he threatened to remove her
from the one safe harbor

in her sad, young life

he put her in fear for her life
and her physical well-being.

And he didn't put a gun
to her head.

No, he showed her another way
he could hurt her.

WOMAN:
Were you expecting
a guilty verdict this quickly?

I can't anticipate
the mind of a jury,

but I'm very grateful.

MAN:
What about the mind
of Judge Reisman?

Do you think
he'll dismiss It?

I think we met
the burden of proof.

If he dismisses,
do you have a plan
how to proceed?

Yes, we do.
Mr. Stone.
Mr. Stone!

Okay, you convinced a jury

but it doesn't
mean a thing

till Reisman rules
on the motion to dismiss.

With his history,
I wouldn't hold my breath.

Our knowledge of rape and power
has grown.

The law should reflect that.

Right now you got leverage.
Use it or lose it.

Now, I say call McCarter,
work out sentence.

You think my case was that weak?

No, I just think that the
judiciary

isn't as open-minded as you.

( phone buzzes )

Robinette.

Hold on.

McCarter's looking for you.

He wants to talk
about sentencing.

You can still lose it.

No deal.

( sighs )

Be seated.

After listening to the evidence
and reading Counsel's briefs

I find that the prosecution
has met its burden

with respect to the charge
of rape in the first degree.

Defense motion to dismiss
denied.

The jury verdict
of guilty stays.

( gavel pounds )

Get out your sound bite, Ben.

Yeah, nothing sells
like sex.

Don't sell yourself short.

Everybody loves a winner.

Yeah.

There will probably
be a reversal on appeal.

Probably. But maybe
the legislature

takes a look,
rewrites the law.

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