Original subtitles

Honey, are you alright if I drive?

I'm alright, I'm alright.

One more drunk driving ticket and you'll lose your license.

Denise, you're a regular guardian angel.

You got a whip for that?

2-0 or I hang up my spurs.

Arden, be reasonable, please.

Now don't do this. Please don't do this.

LA-15 Mary 4, multiple 1183 at Grand and Highland. Lower 1141, 1185.

All right.

My leg.

I think it's busted.

Take it easy. Paramedics are on their way. Oh, do something.

Do something.

Take it easy. You're going to be fine. Just take it easy.

Yeah, okay.

Keep calm, will you?

You okay?

I... I... I guess.

Thanks.

I needed that.

Arthur Holmes.

Right?

Small world, huh? Small for some people.

I don't know what happened.

Must have been the sirens and lights. My wife's got a perfect driving record. You

must have confused her.

Turn around and put your hands on your head.

Hey, Baker, I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Yeah, well, that doesn't go for the both of us.

I'm arresting you for driving under the influence.

I wasn't driving.

You have the right to remain silent.

You have the right to call your attorney.

Why won't you believe it? My husband had too much to drink. That's why I was

driving.

How'd our wrong way do score yesterday?

You won the scholarship.

Yeah, would you believe 0.28?

Oh, that's what I call self-involved.

Well, with his record, the computer ought to click him right off the road.

Yeah, maybe.

Holmes' wife is sticking by her story that she was at the wheel.

This could be one of those dead-to-rights fish that got away, John.

Well put.

Theodore Stern, Esquire, counselor at law?

Yeah, the one and only.

He's waiting to talk to you right now, this very minute.

We got a court date tomorrow with the clan of Sterns. Yeah, Stan West leaving

the scene of reckless driving.

Uh-uh. He wants to jawbone about your report on another guy.

The wrong way driver.

All right, fellas, how's it going?

Business as usual.

And a tough business it is, too. In my book, Motor Officers of the Elite.

You guys know that.

Listen, John, I was going over this arrest and accident report on Arthur

Holmes, and I was wondering, you want to change anything?

Nope.

I can sense the frustration you guys must feel having to deal with these

crazies every day, but... Yeah, well, there are good days and bad days.

Honestly, John, you don't want to go to court on this one. I think your

frustration has affected your judgment.

Arthur Holmes was driving.

Look, Art's had a little bad luck lately. Another drunk driving conviction

could mean his license.

Believe me, we know that.

Okay, okay, loud and clear. I guess this is what court is all about, huh?

As a matter of fact... We'll see you in court tomorrow on the Stan West case.

Hey, Frank, give me a break one day at a time.

You guys are awfully edgy today.

Innocent till proven guilty, remember?

Oh, right, and the guilty deserve the best defense possible, right?

You're very retentive.

Yes, and the innocent don't deserve you putting the chronic drunks back on the

road. Yeah, well, I wish I had time to debate jurisprudence with you, John, but

I got 20 minutes to make Santa Monica court, and I don't want to have to break

any laws to do it. Keep up the good work, guys.

They always smile when we play hardball.

an energy crisis when you're a teenager unless you have a ladder on your sweater

i

see

your driver's license please

I mean, there's not even one ticket on that license.

Congratulations.

That's pretty good for two and a half weeks.

Look, I know what we were doing was looking dangerous, but I mean, I am an

experienced driver. I was in complete control until I saw you.

I believe you.

You? And that's what makes it so dangerous.

There's not a new driver on the road who doesn't think he's, uh... Excuse me.

She's living a charmed life.

It'll never happen again.

Glad to hear it.

Is he always such a grouch?

You're lucky you caught him on a good day.

Thanks for nothing.

of Safian, King, Jamison, Cole, Harper, Lawrence will be held in courtroom 204.

The aforementioned cases will be heard here.

I don't get it.

Excuse me. We're supposed to be here today for the Stan West case?

Oh, yeah. The West case was granted a last minute continuance. Attorney's

request.

It'll come up again next week.

Now, that is rich.

Officers, can I help you?

Uh, excuse us, Your Honor.

Hope you weren't inconvenienced by that continuance, I mean, on such short

notice. No.

To tell you the truth, I was a little curious.

Well, let's just say it provided a needed lesson for some chipped friends

of mine.

Yours, too, I might add.

Pleasure's all mine.

Well, it was an easy matter, you know, because of your clean record.

Now, listen, we go on trial the 19th, so I wanted you to drive like Mr. Clean

till then, okay?

I'm as good a driver as anybody.

Hey, all I'm saying is another run-in with the gendarmes isn't going to help

your case. That's all I'm saying.

I told you to stop.

I'm not taking anything off anybody.

Yeah, yeah, I remember, okay? But just as your attorney, I want to give you my

best shot, okay?

Let's stop by the hospital so I can verify the injuries from my reports.

Yeah, I need to check in for a little observation myself This

is

gonna take a while so I'm gonna when you're through, you know, I'll be okay

What one?

Well, they're beautiful, but between me as a parent and no parents at all, I

think they're better off just where they are.

So what's happening?

John's here following up on some injury reports, and I'm here to say hi, and

when are we going to get together?

I don't know.

With this new maternity ward they're building, our facilities are so

disrupted, I honestly haven't had time to think.

How about this weekend?

Okay. Call me.

And you know what?

I'll bet you paid a good one.

All Gutierrez's note says is Deputy D.A.J.R. Dugan requests you to drop in.

I don't remember crossing paths with Dugan. Must be new in the office. Just

wants to get acquainted.

Yeah.

Hi.

Janice Dugan. Hi. John Baker.

Frank Poncherello.

Hi, I'm sorry everything is such a mess in here, but my superior got kicked

upstairs, and now I've got to get tuned in to all his cases.

We think we have an ocean of paperwork.

Well, you guys just make the first wave.

And lucky me, I've inherited seven cases prosecuting clients of Ted Stern.

Now I know why you call us.

Arthur Holmes and Stan West?

Well, something is funny with the Holmes case.

Stern is taking it to trial in a hurry.

Now, what's he know that I don't know?

Have you seen the record?

If we ace him this time, he gets to ride the bus, right?

That's right.

So he and his wife pulled a switch routine.

Now, did you actually see the switch or surmise it?

Well, look, by the time we had checked for injuries, Arthur Holmes' wife was

behind the wheel.

But he was driving. I observed him seconds before the crash.

Oh, brother.

Stern is going to have fun with us.

Now, the question is, do we reduce or go for nothing?

I say we take what we can get.

Wait a minute. Stern's trying to put him back out on the streets.

There's no justice in that. And I'm not serving the public unless I try to

prevent it.

The trial will not be pleasant.

Who asked for pleasant?

Why don't we talk about Stan West?

Reckless driving?

And trying to leave the scene?

That's the first violation, right?

I can hear Stern now.

Clean record.

Frightened. Flood the scene in panic.

Unless we give him some heat, might as well tell him it's okay.

Look, arrest report is better than an accident report.

I hear you.

Thanks a lot.

There's been an accident.

The construction crew has broken a gas main. Now there'll be an evacuation van

at the east exit.

No siren, but make it snappy.

Burbank is ready for you.

Just call us the Stork Express.

Hey, buddy, come on, move it.

Fucking traffic!

to you fella

Get some help. I'll see to the babies.

Anybody hurt?

No. Here, hold this one. Yes, ma'am.

Oh, my gosh.

15 Mary 5, 1183.

Eastbound, Jefferson at Normandy.

1142 1184 1185 now now now

Here you go, Barney. Latch on to one.

They're so tiny.

Who's are they?

No one.

These are orphans and foundlings.

Can you get us some transportation? We need to get them out of here.

Well, there's my cruiser, and Turner's right behind me.

Hey, listen, we're only five minutes from Central.

Why don't you have a hospital unit meet us there?

Good. I'll call in and tell Gutierre.

Now, hold it. Wait a minute.

Let's surprise them.

Excuse me.

Look, I've got a buddy soprano here.

Where can I put these?

I'll go check on our transportation.

Where can I put these?

Easy.

Easy.

Well, hello there. What's your name, huh?

Colin. It can't talk. It can try.

We had to get him off the freeway, Sarge.

Nice baby.

Come on, Sarge, you know more about babies than the rest of us.

Well, uh, there's no one foolproof way to sue the baby.

Now, take Jed here.

He's attempting the, uh, swinging approach.

Brixa, the more traditional rocking method.

And, uh, Bonnie is, uh... Having little success with the ever-popular bouncy

-bouncy technique motion.

And John's funny face method will work sometimes.

Punches TLC.

But when all else fails... I

try a little swaying motion.

Okay.

Listen, uh, we'd like to talk to you a little bit about... about the accident.

Oh, uh, okay.

I think the car that hit us was cut off.

The guy that caused it all got away, and he was a real maniac.

What kind of car?

Uh, T-bird.

Shiny, a sort of silvery color.

Did you get a license number?

It was one of those personalized plates.

It started with B-A... Oh, it had two A's, but not together.

B-A something A.

Like B-A-L-A?

Yeah, something like that.

Balance? Could have been.

Yeah, silver color fits.

Oh, it's him, man. You know it's him.

Reckless and leaving the scene.

Stan West.

Did the silver car hit your van or was it some other car?

Oh, I don't know. It all happened so fast.

Okay, all we need is a dent or a smudge of transferred paint.

Who is it?

Highway Patrol.

Mr. West, I'm Officer Poncherello. Yes, I remember you.

Is anything wrong?

There was a bad accident at Pershing and Grand a little while ago.

Oh. Has anybody heard?

We have witnesses that state they saw your car there.

Then leave the scene.

Well, I just came in from Glendale. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my car.

Ah, it's clean.

Non-contact hit and run with serious injury is a felony.

Look, whatever it was, my car was not involved.

But I'll be glad to cooperate in any way.

Well, that's reassuring, Mr. West.

Thank you.

What's that supposed to mean?

Hi, John. Hi.

I asked to have you call me.

Oh, yeah, I was passing by and I noticed the light on in your window, so... So

what's up?

I wish he hadn't gone pressing Stan West on that random accident.

Ted Stern was in here threatening a complaint.

Hey, now, wait a minute.

We had a partial description that pointed directly at West. We called on

him. We did not press.

Can you prove that West caused it?

No, not yet.

Then lay off him, John.

Leaning on him at this point, for whatever reason, is only going to help

Stern's posture in court.

On a case that we already have.

John!

Hey, look, Janice.

Nothing personal.

But I'm just out there doing my job.

And I don't feel like apologizing for that.

Do you want to go out tonight or don't you?

Yes.

All right.

Maybe we need a new department policy.

I mean, if I make an enforcement stop, perhaps I should say to the man, may I

please have the name of your attorney so I can ask for your driver's license? A

bottle of Rubisco Reserva, please.

Look, I'm sorry I called it a random accident.

But even if Stan West is guilty, it's still a separate issue.

Oh, yes, separate for you, maybe, and separate in the courts, but for us, no.

That's fine, thank you. But to us, it's the same guy doing it over and over

again. And you people keep putting him out on the streets. Whoa, whoa, whoa,

wait. Don't take it out on me.

I'm on your side.

I'm talking about Ted Stern.

Look, John, there's a fine line between prosecution and persecution.

We all stand on that line.

You, me, Ted Stern, the judges, the jury.

If I give Ted Stern the advantage of a technicality, he's going to take it.

It's his job to defend to the best of his ability whether or not I do my job

well.

Innocent until proven guilty.

Our system may have its faults, but it is the best one going.

Listen, I agree with you as long as it remains a system of laws.

But when Ted Stern and technicalities take over, I mean, that's the day I turn

in my uniform.

This is really good.

You know, I am so naive about wines.

How did you learn to order?

Well, that's no big secret.

Every expert has their system. Mine is when I want an Italian wine, I go to an

Italian restaurant.

That's great.

Cheers to you.

Cheers.

Hey, what's the deal with this guy Stan West?

We arrested him. What, last month?

And we're going to go to court on it soon.

No, no, I mean, what happened yesterday?

Oh, we, um...

Follow the lead that took us to him, but, um, might have hurt the case's

pending, right?

Yeah, something like that.

The guy's wound too tight. He does a Jekyll and Hyde act when he gets behind

the wheel.

Talk to Poncherello's theory?

Well, it fits.

It's some kind of a compensation, getting even with the world.

Did you say that the guy drives a T-Bird?

See? She thinks I'm right. I didn't say that.

Yeah, silver color, 78, personalized plates, uh, balance, accountant.

Yeah, who thinks?

He's Mario Andretti.

I think I stopped that dude.

Thin bill, thick glasses?

Yeah, but his name wasn't West.

Wait a minute.

Who was telling me Turner?

Turner was telling me a guy he stopped up in the 7B that was like that.

Williams. What?

Hey, Sarge. How you doing? Sorry.

Uh, that's interesting.

The rest of it fits like a glove.

I could look it up, but I'm pretty sure my stop's name is Williams.

That's funny. DMV said Stan West.

Had a clean record.

Yeah, real funny.

Why don't one of you call Sacramento and ask him to chew on Mr. West's identity?

Bogus paper?

Wouldn't be the first time.

After I arrested Mr. Holmes, I read him his rights, and then he was transported

to the Van Nuys station for a breathalyzer test.

And the results?

Well, he was tested twice, as required by law.

0.27, 0.28.

Now, for the record, is that high?

Point one zero is drunk.

Legally drunk.

No further questions.

Officer Baker, would you say it's harder to make an identification of someone in

a moving vehicle or a vehicle that's standing still?

Harder in a moving vehicle.

And harder still when you yourself are moving?

Depends on the circumstances.

Yet you maintain that Arthur Holmes was driving the vehicle in question.

I do.

Would you tell us again... Who you saw behind the wheel when the car was

standing still? Denise Holmes.

How do you explain that?

Well, why my partner and I were checking for injuries. They switched places.

Oh, they switched places. You saw them switching places.

I know what I saw before we began the pursuit.

I hope you know what you didn't see as well.

Did you see them switching places?

No.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Fence calls Denise Holmes.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to hurt anybody.

Now, Denise, I know this is very hard for you. One more time, could you tell

the court who was behind the wheel?

I was.

It was me driving.

My husband had had too much to drink, and it was me.

It was my fault.

Now, if the court pleases, in light of the overwhelming testimony, I think we

can conclude that Officer Baker made a serious mistake, and I ask for dismissal

of the charges against Arthur Holmes.

Counselor? Your Honor, the state is willing to drop charges of driving under

the influence if the defendant will plead guilty to public intoxication.

Mr. Stern?

Your Honor, client so pleads.

Arthur Holmes, please rise.

Court finds you guilty of public intoxication.

Fine, $62.50.

Well, another case that didn't make it through the fan blades.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Frank, John, it seems DMV is finding your Stan West a slippery individual.

He's hot?

Oh, more like radioactive.

CII has a hunch he has a very creative way of settling his traffic sites.

His license was clean. I made the call myself.

Stan West is an alias, the latest of, well, the total count's not in yet.

I wonder if Ted Stern knows he'll be defending a master criminal.

Well, if he doesn't, I know a good time to tell him.

Go get him.

Hi, Ponch.

Glad I caught you.

I guess I just wanted to say sorry we lost Arthur Holmes.

I tried my best, but... I guess Ted Stern bent that fine line you were

talking about, right?

Could be his client was innocent.

Hey, look, I'm always ready to admit I'm wrong when I'm wrong.

Well, then where are you coming from?

Oh, where am I coming from? The pavement, the freeways, the madhouse out

there trying to save some lives.

But half the time when we go to court, somebody says that we're incompetent or

that we're untruthful or both. And this time the court believed him.

John, it isn't personal.

In court, no.

It's all bloodless, abstract.

That's why you don't know where I'm coming from.

Wow.

I love you.

Now can we talk about the Stan West case?

Oh, can't we have a truce?

We may have a surprise for you.

Really?

Let's have it. It wouldn't be a surprise if we told you, would it?

Oh, come on.

Officer Baker, could you please tell the court the findings of the DMV

investigation of Stan West?

Stan West exists only on paper.

Only on paper?

Stan West is one of 22 aliases the defendant uses in order to avoid

prosecution on at least as many code violations.

Uh, not in evidence.

Offered in evidence, Your Honor.

Stan West, Stanley Wesley.

Wesley Jones, Carl Williams.

We get the picture.

Also offered our depositions from a CII graphical analyst and fingerprint

experts showing that all 22 temporary license applications were filled out by

the same person.

That man.

The state moves for an order to hold, um... Uh, Eugene Stanley Eagleton, to

the best of our knowledge.

So ordered.

The witness may step down now.

The best breaks in the world don't mean diddly.

I knew it.

What do you say?

Time to go?

Oh, yeah, right.

Hey, everybody.

We have to go.

Move.

Hey,

Art, let me get you a cup of coffee. Just a minute.

No, thanks. Keeps me awake.

It's okay.

I'm gonna drive.

Sure, honey.

Ain't she a doll?

Terrific girl.

Thanks a lot.

Bye-bye.

What'd you embarrass me like that for in there?

Do we have to go through this over and over again?

Take it or leave it. Get in or walk.

Okay, but tomorrow we're gonna go get some help.

This is it.

Oh, no, we're almost home, too.

All right, clean.

This never happens to me when I'm alone, Denise.

Can't we just stop and face it?

Be proud of me, then, would you?

Hold back. He's going to do something crazy.

Mary 3, 1097, 1183, Lincoln and Bayview, rolling 1141.

Mary 3, 1097, 1183, Lincoln and Bayview, rolling 1141.

Thank you.

It's no good, man. Leave me alone, would you? Leave me alone.

Can you hear me?

Can you hear me?

Please, can you hear me?

Mission accomplished.

They'll be so glad to get to their new home.

Now, they'll fuss and cry for a while, but... There.

There we are. See?

Skate and sway.

Skate and sway.

It's the Couture method.

There we go.

Yeah.

Thank you.