Original subtitles

We were going to dinner 45 minutes ago.

You go ahead.

Tess, you gotta stop doing this. Doing what?

Burying yourself in your work, skipping meals, pretending like Asher Roth never

happened.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, don't try to blame Arthur for your caseload.

You volunteered for most of this work.

I'm not hunkering.

Well, I am going to eat, and you are coming with me.

After dinner, you can come back here, and you can work yourself blind if you

feel like it. Okay, okay, enough.

Let's go.

Hi, Tess.

Hi.

I didn't expect you till Friday.

Something came up.

Did it?

If I take your key, how will you get in?

I had another one made.

Maggie, it's really cold in here.

Well, maybe one of us could light a fire.

Baron versus Good Shepherd Adoption Services.

Ready, everyone?

Miss Dalton?

Your Honor, my first witness was to have been the plaintiff, but Mr. Baron is

unable to appear at this time.

And why is that, Counselor?

Mr. Baron, are you aware of the charges being filed against you?

My client has nothing to say to you, Miss Conklin.

Well, he said enough when he called 911 and confessed to killing his son.

Confessed? Did the dispatcher Mirandize him?

Since when do spontaneous statements get Mirandized?

The boy was shot twice at point-blank range.

The weapon was registered to Mr. Barron, and his fingerprints were found... What

about manslaughter?

No. The best you're gonna get on this is murder, too.

Come on.

You put him away for life and Maggie Zombrow makes sure he stays broke?

No, thanks. We'll see you in court.

What about Maggie Zombrow?

She's representing the adoption agency which cursed Mr.

Barron with his son.

The same adoption agency Mr. Barron is now suing.

Or didn't you know that?

What do we pay civil servants for?

I thought you were in court.

Hello, Bruce.

You look like you're in a good mood.

I've never seen you in a good mood.

Please, sit down.

Now that you've been reinstated to the bar, that means you'll be bringing in

clients, which means you'll be bringing in money.

Which means I can pay you back faster.

That means you can pay me back faster and get out of here.

That's not what I meant.

I think we understand each other, Bruce.

I'd like you to familiarize yourself with this case.

The adoption thing?

I've read all this stuff. I know it cold.

Did you know that Mr. Barron was arrested for murdering the boy he

adopted?

What does that do to the case?

It makes it more interesting.

I'd like you to sit in with me.

Really?

Really.

Huh.

Okay.

Tess ripped into me like it's my fault that you have a civil case that affects

her case. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to know that, huh?

Uh... Can you pay attention to me, please?

Instead of that, while I'm ranting?

Tess ripped into me like it's my fault that you have a civil case that... Okay,

you're listening. I'm sorry.

Man, you're scary.

You're cute.

I am wise to your tricks, Umbro.

First you tell me that I'm cute.

Then you get me into bed, and pretty soon I'm forgetting why I'm mad at you

in the first place. Why are you mad at me? Because this is all your fault. Oh.

Oh, yes.

Oh, yes. If you hadn't so shamelessly thrown yourself at me, we would not be

together. And if we were not together, then Tess wouldn't expect for me to know

everything that's going on in every one of your cases.

Why is she upset?

Does she have a weak case against George Barron? Hell no.

George Barron called 911 and said, I just shot my son.

Did he say why?

Like, Tess thinks I'm betraying her.

If I had known your case was tied to ours, I'd have told her. It's no big

secret.

Do you have a motive for the killing?

What I have is a pretty big suspicion that you are pumping me for information.

Counselor.

You want to see me, Arthur?

The Public Defender's Office is appealing this conviction, people versus

cleater, domestic violence. I want you to handle it.

This isn't her case.

It is now.

Burke prosecuted this case, Arthur.

He's the one that screwed it up. Why don't you let him clean up the mess? I

did not screw it up. You're here as a courtesy, Burke.

It's a matter of writing and filing a brief. There will be no oral arguments.

Why should you have to do his work for him?

This is not open for discussion, people.

This is an appeal that will be fought on briefs. She writes a better brief than

Burke does. That's it. That's all. Let's move on.

Yeah.

Apology accepted. Now, so you know, Maggie does not tell me what is going on

with her cases.

You've not said one word to me about Asher since the night he left. What is

there to say?

Well, you could say I miss him. You could say he hurt me.

You could say, gee, I hope that guy rots in hell.

You could say, hey, maybe I'll go visit him in Tel Aviv.

Maybe... I know how to

conduct an investigation.

So do it.

Surely you understand that I can't talk to you. No, ma'am.

I don't understand.

This is a criminal matter that takes priority over the civil suit.

George Barron is suing this agency for $5 million, detective.

That's about all the priority we can stand.

I got nothing to say to you people.

Trying to find out what happened.

So you can put George Barron in the pen?

The kid's the one they should have locked up, and the Barron's kept trying

to help him.

He poisoned my cat.

So they killed him?

Don't try to make this simple, mister, because it isn't. The Barons are good

people, and they suffered enough.

Why don't you just leave him alone?

This is Barron. Yes.

I'm Detective Cobb. The visitor carries on.

Excuse me?

You don't have to talk to me, but... But you'd like me to help you put my husband

away.

I just want to know what happened to your boy.

You just want to know?

In 25 words or less?

How about if I sell you a blender?

But someone crossed the wires, so the blades jump out and slice off your

hands. But I won't tell you about the cross wires, and I won't take the

blender back.

I thought we were talking about a kid here.

Human being. Yeah, that's what he told us, too.

I'm glad the system is finally so concerned.

Mr. Barron's not guilty plea is entered. The people may be heard on bail.

We don't believe Mr. Barron represents a threat.

However, we ask that bail be high enough to inhibit flight.

We ask $200,000.

Your Honor, my client has no record.

He's involved in a civil procedure in this very courthouse which requires his

presence.

50,000.

100,000. This court stands adjourned until 2 p.m.

Zip. Zero.

Nothing. The kid had no friends. The neighbors wouldn't talk to me. And Mrs.

Barron almost slammed the door in my face.

The kid did not go to public school.

He did not play Little League baseball or soccer.

He was adopted when he was four, and the Barons tried to get the adoption revoked

when he was 12.

Up to eight years?

Well, maybe they thought the kid had a long warranty.

I think he was a little bit more than your average discipline problem.

Go downstairs and find out. Yes.

You were the Baron family therapist for the last four years. What made them come

to you? Well, Jeff was always a difficult child, but at the onset of

adolescence... I don't need an explanation.

I want to know what happened.

He rode his bike on through the expressway and he was injured.

After having a violent argument with George Barron? Yes, but his behavior had

been... Did these arguments occur regularly?

Jeff would push and push until they did.

George often had to restrain him. He used physical force against an

adolescent boy? Only when pushed beyond the limits of endurance.

I see.

They had the patience of Job, Miss Zombrow.

They hung in there through the tantrums and the physical attacks. Thank you,

Miss Curtis.

Anyone else would have bailed on Jeff.

They're saints.

They loved that boy.

And how did they show their love?

Was it when they tried to have the adoption revoked?

Was it when George Barron took his gun and shot the boy to death?

No objection, Miss Dalton.

I'd be inclined to sustain.

Why should I object if defense counsel wants to make my case for me?

Good Shepherd Adoptions gave this boy a clean bill of health. Nothing further.

And his violent and uncontrollable behavior destroyed the very fabric of

the baron's lives. Your Honor. You opened the can, Miss Zombrow.

You haven't gotten very far.

Possibly because you left me so little to work with.

Who knew some moron would appeal it?

It was a clean conviction test. There's no basis for appellate review.

There must be something.

And if you'll go to your own office and do your own work, maybe I can have the

time to find out what it is.

Ms. Kaufman, I understand you'll be handling the Cleeter appeal.

Oh, even though it was Mr. Burke who originally short-weighted the scales of

justice in this case.

Mr. Burke is impervious to insults, and he was just leaving.

It's Mr. Claytor.

Milton Claytor.

It's his wife who's in prison.

She's the subject of the appeal.

The Milton Claytor whose wife beat him to a pulp? Very same.

I'm a little confused, Mr. Sizemore.

Well, Miss Kaufman, Mr. Claytor feels that he was largely at fault for Miss

Claytor doing what she did to Mr. Claytor, if you get my drift.

But he was in the hospital for 45 days. Miss Claytor is a formidable woman when

crossed.

Apparently so.

And cross her he did.

Did you not, Milton?

Took her life savings, pitiful as it was, and gambled that pittance away on a

single roll of the dice.

Well, if you stole money from her, then she could have... That's all by the way,

Miss Kaufman.

The reason I'm here, the reason I stand before you today, is to show you that

Mr. Cleeter harbors absolutely no animosity against Miss Cleeter, even

though... She left him with a noticeable limp and several very permanent scars.

If the victim of this marauding can find it within his heart to forgive the woman

who attacked him, oh, Miss Kaufman, surely the state can do the same.

She's the only woman who ever... You miss her so terrible, Miss Kaufman.

The truth is, Mr. Sizemore, I haven't had the time to study the materials.

What's the basis for the appeal?

Well, that's just a grind, Shane.

I mean, you not having time at all.

I would surely hate for you to miss the filing deadline.

Here.

Ta-ta.

So, you're reduced to having to watch my civil case to get information on

your criminal complaint?

Maybe.

Or maybe I just wanted to watch you, Meg.

This for you.

It's yours.

So, did you learn anything watching me? Anything you could use?

I learned that I have a hard time watching you without wanting to get you

alone somewhere.

Preferably in a room with a bed.

I often have the same reaction to watching you.

And I learned you don't like relish.

I missed you, Meg.

What?

I'm not allowed to say I missed you?

You just startled me.

You've never said anything like that before.

Well, this kind of reaction I get, I may never say it again.

When we came to our residential facility, we discovered that Jeff's

birth mother was an alcoholic.

We diagnosed him as a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. Someone damaged by his

mother's drinking.

Shortly thereafter, he attacked one of the other children.

We had no choice but to send him home after that.

No choice.

Jeff could be sweet.

And then something, anything, set him off. And he'd shriek for hours

like a wounded animal. I saw him hit Lucy Barron.

More times than I can remember.

I tried to hold him like they told me to, but he'd just keep

hitting.

He was in such agony, like some demon was locked inside him.

At school, he tried to cut other children with broken glass.

They threw him out when he's dead.

I'm fire.

I think we've heard enough.

For one day.

Court adjourned.

I had a woman who was accused of beating up her husband, so I excluded women from

the jury, because you broads always side with each other.

You had a good case, and you blew it with a stupid trick. Hey, I got a

conviction.

A conviction that's being appealed, and rightly so.

The same you broads do stick together. Arrest, William Burke. Come on.

Quitting time.

What? Quitting time. It's an old Anglo-Saxon expression.

You need to get to stop working and do something else for a few hours.

When we're finished, we'll quit.

What, are you going to work all night, Tess?

So I don't have to go home, be alone?

Don't push it.

You're the one who's pushing it, Tess.

You're not dealing with your emotions.

They're mine, not yours.

Great. At least tell me where we're going.

Hello?

We're closed.

No, you are not.

You are still on county time for two more minutes.

She'll bust you for that, too.

Don't you people ever go home? Apparently not. What you got for us on

the George Barron case?

The kid was unconscious when he was shot.

He took or was given at least 60 milligrams of Valium.

He was asleep?

You see it sometimes in mercy killings. The mother, father, husband or wife

don't want their loved one to feel pain.

Feel free to avail yourself of these county facilities.

Good night.

Night.

It's definitely premeditation.

The question is why.

It doesn't matter.

I know that it probably doesn't matter legally, but George Barron is not a

psycho.

Makes you wonder why.

He killed him.

Yes, he did.

Put him down like an old dog.

Miss Kaufman?

The state would like to revise the charges against George Barron to murder

in the first degree.

What are you running for, Counselor?

Fetal alcohol syndrome was first identified in 1973.

Essentially, the unborn child is poisoned by his mother's consumption of

alcohol. This creates a wide range of problems, but almost always mental

retardation and emotional disturbance.

And in Jeff Barron's case?

Typically misdiagnosed. No outward physical defect, but he exhibited a

destructive behavior and no ability to distinguish between right and wrong.

Is there any chance that he would have recovered?

The damage done in the first three months of pregnancy is irreversible.

There for life.

There's no training program, no medication, no operation?

Nothing. He would have needed a caretaker every moment till he died.

Thank you, doctor.

Jeff Barron was a very expensive proposition.

Their insurance was canceled. They ran through their savings. Had to take a

second mortgage on the house.

And this was all...

before he got thrown out of the residential school so the choice was you

go to jail where you spend six grand on a kinder

gentler setting now that's six grand that they didn't have so they killed him

i think my mama died a hard time too yes

we are talking apples and oranges here

I am sure that your parents were glad to spend money on your school.

Did your parents tell you that they couldn't afford to have more kids?

I knew.

And I felt guilty about it.

Yeah, but see, you worked it out. Jeff Barron couldn't.

He burned down the garage. He killed the neighbor's cat. He tried to do...

They only tried to get the adoption revoked when they realized that nothing

would ever work.

Parents aren't allowed to give up.

Not ever.

You can look at every law book in the world.

You won't find anything that justifies excluding women from a jury just because

the defendant is female.

Well, I guess there are lots of countries women are excluded from all

aspects of public life.

And I would say that existence in those places is considerably diminished.

Wouldn't you?

I mean, I know that the DA's office does not want to open a big can of

worms here.

God knows what other appeals this might spark.

So I understand your position, Miss Kaufman. Honestly, I do.

Shh.

But I would just think that an intelligent woman such as yourself would

be having a hard time justifying what Arthur is making you do here.

Moon, my light.

Why didn't you use your key?

Well, you're kind of touchy sometimes, and I'm never quite sure what kind of

reception I'm going to get. A receptive one.

Wait a minute.

Am I the only one who thinks there's a problem here?

You must be.

Maggie, you don't think that we're kind of like on a treadmill, you know, going

around and around, not getting anywhere?

Where is it that you would like us to get to?

Well, I would like us to be on the same side of the wall, Maggie.

I can't even tell you I missed you without you getting all weird about it.

How do you shut me out?

I'm sorry.

I didn't realize this was such a grind for you. Thank you for letting me know.

Wait.

Excuse me.

From the very beginning, you have been the one who's up, down.

You're the one who's hot, cold. This rollercoaster ride is...

Wear me out.

I thought it was a treadmill.

Maggie, I need you to let me inside the wall. So far, all we've been doing is

circling each other. Like Sharma. Damn it, don't walk away from me.

What, you think I was going to hit you?

You just cringe like a scared little animal.

No, I... No.

No. That is not good enough for me, Maggie. I need more. I want more. You

need... You want... What do you want then, huh?

Okay, what do you need?

Come on!

Tell me!

Tell me, damn it!

I can't do this!

It's too hard!

It's not worth it to you.

I do it by myself.

I would hear my mother crying long after it was over.

Long after my father had passed out.

She always cried so quietly.

I think she was afraid.

That he would wake up and start hitting her again.

My brother and I would try and stay out of his way the best we could.

And sometimes it works.

A neighbor called the police once.

come in.

My father went outside and talked to them.

And they turned around and got back in their car and

drove away.

And my father came back in the house. He was furious.

I tried to get away from him, but he grabbed me by the arm and he yanked me

around.

me with his fist.

And he broke

my cheekbone.

Have you heard enough?

Or shall I go on?

Mr. Stock, this is the tape of a call made to you on the night of the murder.

911. Please, I need an emergency vehicle.

Well, what purpose? I just shot my son.

Did the caller identify himself?

Later, yes.

He said he was George Barron, 121 Wilcox Road.

Nothing further.

For what purpose? I just shot my son.

Mr. Stock, did the defendant sound distraught when he placed this call?

Objection. Speculation and conclusion.

Your Honor, the prosecution's case rests on premeditation. I'm trying to

establish my client's emotional state.

The witness is a dispatcher, not a psychiatrist.

He can't tell if a caller is upset.

I'm going to allow it, Ms. Kaufman.

Don't overextend the language, Mr. Grendalski.

No lunch?

It's your turn to break.

I'm sorry.

We were up kind of late, weren't we?

Feel better?

Did I help to talk?

Yeah, I did.

Thanks.

Can we try this again now?

What?

I missed you, Maggie.

You're having fun, aren't you?

Say it.

I missed you, Dickie.

Yeah, I sold this one to that guy on January the 17th.

And do you recall anything about his behavior?

Typical first-time buyer.

Nervous, serious.

Lots of questions about ammo, the safety catch, and the killing range.

The killing range? Yeah, you know, how close he needed to be to stop someone.

You mean to kill someone?

Yes, ma'am.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Prosecution rests.

Thank you. You may step down.

Mr. Grendelsky, is Vince ready to proceed?

Yes, Your Honor.

Then please call your first witness.

The defense calls Officer Frank Atchison.

Officer?

Now, Officer Atchison, you've testified to attending to several neighborhood

watch meetings in the Woodlawn neighborhoods recently.

Why was that?

An increase in burglaries, even some armed robberies. The residents were

concerned.

And did you meet the defendant, George Barron, in the course of these meetings?

I did. He talked to me for quite a while.

About what?

About whether or not he should buy a handgun to protect his home and family.

And how did you advise him? I told him, with proper security, I thought it would

be a good idea.

Why didn't you know?

Because I didn't question every cop in the precinct. The defense did.

Well, Baron probably told his lawyer about it, Tess.

No one has the time to question every cop in a precinct.

I do not spend all my time with Maggie Zombrow.

My love life has nothing to do with my work.

And I do not need to be here 18 hours a day, Tess, to try to hide from my

personal problems. No. No one would talk to me. No one.

Why am I defending myself?

Baron's defense is crap.

You have a smoking gun here and a confession. I mean, what the hell else

do you need?

I do not need you telling me how to do my job.

And I sure as hell don't need this attitude.

You let me down!

I did not let you down!

I am not the problem here, Tess, damn it!

You've got to stop doing this.

You've got to slow down long enough to look at what you're doing yourself. Get

out!

What? Get out!

Fine.

You work yourself to death.

know what to do.

I don't know how to break through to her.

You're pretty good at breaking through to difficult women.

Yeah.

Why should I be the guy to keep doing it, Maggie?

You know, women are supposed to be the ones who spew their feelings out all

over everybody.

Uh-uh. Oh, no. Not the women I'm involved with.

Maybe I should just carry a crowbar around with me.

Would you be happier working with a robot, sleeping with a bimbo?

I'd get more rest.

Does she have a point?

About job preference?

No.

No, she does not. This is about her, not me.

I think this is about you, too.

You've been her best friend for a long time.

And now, suddenly, because of me, you're not there for her like you used to be. I

am there for her, Maggie.

And she knows it.

Yes.

Mr. Sizemore has won the appeal.

And he seems to be here to try to talk us out of refiling the case.

Mr. Cleeter also seems to have strong opinions in this matter. Though Mr.

Sizemore has been reluctant to allow him to express it. Why, I don't know.

Well, Miss Kaufman, you remember I told you that Mr. Cleeter feels that Miss

Cleeter has suffered enough over this little misunderstanding that arose

between them. But it goes much deeper than that, Miss Kaufman. He's teetering

upon the abyss of his despair. This has been a long, happy marriage between

two very kindred souls.

Please let me have my Shirley back, lady.

Is there a problem here?

Between the two of you? Something I should know about?

Guess not.

Miss Witten, you were the caseworker in the Barron adoption in 1982, correct?

Yes, I was. Were you aware at that time that Jeff Barron's mother was an

alcoholic? She was a hopeless, abusive drunk who later committed suicide. It

was hard not to notice.

And did you inform the Barrons of this fact?

I was told not to.

It was against agency policy.

And why was that?

Would you adopt a child you knew was damaged beyond repair?

So this particular adoption agency routinely denied information to adoptive

parents? Yes.

Did you agree with this policy? I did not. I was fired for informing

prospective parents that a particular child was mentally disturbed.

Nothing further.

Are most adoptions a perfect fit?

Most adoptions work out fine.

Especially when the prospective parents are given all of the available

information. I see.

Had a diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome been made on Jeff prior to

adoption? No. Why not?

Everyone thought he was just emotionally troubled because of his early childhood.

A condition a loving family might ameliorate.

Yes. So, based on the best available information, there was no need to tell

the Barons about Jeff's mother's alcoholism, because it might confuse the

adoption process.

Raising children is difficult enough. It's not fair to deny information to

prospective parents.

Are you saying if you knew everything about a child's history, you could

guarantee how he'd turn out?

Of course not. They're not cars. But you... After the baby came,

Jeff got more and more...

He couldn't turn off the anger like it was physical and it had to come out

through violence.

He knew I was afraid and... He fed on it.

Thank you, Mrs. Barron.

Mrs. Barron, did your husband ever... Did he ever discuss killing Jeff with

you? No.

Have you ever mentioned killing Jeff?

Asked and answered.

Mentioned and discussed are not the same thing. Your Honor. I want to answer the

question. Mrs. Barron, do you understand that... I want you to understand.

What do you want us to understand, Mrs. Barron? I want... I wish you could

feel what we, George and I, felt like every day.

Getting the reports of vandalism, assaults, arson.

Watching that child destroy himself and finally realizing there was nothing we

could do.

On Christmas, Jeff locked me and the baby in a room and started a fire. We

were lucky to get out the window.

We had no more money for treatments.

We were afraid to sleep at night.

No, my husband never mentioned or discussed killing Jeff.

But I saw him on his knees praying to God for the courage to end his misery.

And we find that the defendant, Good

Shepherd Adoption Service, was a proximate and legal cause of damages to

the Barron family.

The jury finds the total amount of damages suffered by the plaintiff to be

three million dollars.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant please rise?

Is the verdict unanimous?

It is, Your Honor.

And how do you find?

Your Honor, we find the defendant, George Barron, guilty of murder in the

second degree.

Thank you.

The jury is excused.

Sentencing will be February 8th at 10 a.m.

Court is adjourned.

Congratulations.

It's okay, John. I got your phone.

It's your leash.

It's your dog food.

What else?

Can I come in?

Sure.

Yeah, I'm, uh... going over to Maggie's.

You need something, Tess?

Yes. Yes, you have been rough on me.

Losing me?

This is about losing Asher Roth, Tess, not me.

But you and Maggie... Me being with Maggie has nothing to do with the way

that I feel about you.

How do you feel about me? I think you know how I feel about you, Tess.

But this, you and me, it's not going to work if you're not

willing to talk to me.

I like having you here.

Well, that should work out okay.

I like being here.

And that's one of the big reasons.

You don't... You don't think that I'm... That I'm too... Too what?

Too soft, clinging and mousy?

I was headed more towards aggressive, overbearing, and pushy. Maggie's ombro?

Pushy? No, I'm serious.

What are you doing, Maggie?

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, I sound just like my mother.

Trying to figure out who you want me to be.

Trying to fit myself to you.

Well, that's not altogether a bad thing.

Two-way street.

Not for everybody.

My mother just kind of disappeared behind my father's definition of her.

I'm not trying to define you.

I am just trying to be with you.