All language subtitles for The Coverup 2008 720p WEB-DL AAC2.0 H.264-alfaHD.EN 23.976

With your index finger,
I want you to touch your nose.

Do it with each side.

Get your hands
out of your pockets.

Don't touch the wall.

One, two, three, four, five.

Five, four, three, two, one.

All right, very good.
Have a seat.

If it is your second DWI,

your license will be suspended
for up to a year.

I... I'm going to...
I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

You gotta go to the bathroom?

Yeah. You gonna get sick?

Nope.

All right.

Let's go, Kevin.

Shit.

Prisoner is loose
in the building.

Good morning, everybody.

KTRX AM 440, Des Moines.

It is just before 6:00 a.m.

Skies are cloudy.

And Tom Thompson,
a mechanic from Marshalltown...

¶ We walked along the shadows ¶

¶ Later in the afternoon ¶

¶ We stood like strangers ¶

¶ And the sunlight
rushing through ¶

Socrates is quoted as saying,

"Nothing is to be preferred
before justice."

It's what we seek
when we're wronged,

but like all philosophy,
this is simply a hypothesis.

Monday started out
like any other day:

Wake up, kiss my wife Nancy,
run three miles.

My mind was sharp,
my body agile.

But since I passed the bar,

I just needed a couple of easy
victories to keep me going,

to keep truth on my side.

Good morning. Hi.

Gracey. Anybody get hurt today?

Every day, boss.

You have three messages
on your desk.

Only three?

In the last year,
I had come to believe

that the only way
to keep my head above water

was to take cases

where I had to set
my own moral beliefs aside.

And here I am.

Three miles every day,

trying to convince myself
that it's all worth it.

Jury, have you reached
a verdict?

Yes, Your Honor, we have.

How do you find the defendant?

Not liable, Your Honor.

Case dismissed.

Look, I'm sorry.

They're lying,
can't you see that?

I know, I know.

Can I give you
some bus fare home?

You've got to be kidding me.

His name's Otis.

Who's that, the owner?

Yeah.

Otis.

Look at these.

Which one's real,
which one's fake?

Hmm.

Well, uh, they're both zircons.

Fuckin' worthless, man.

Come on, man.
Nobody can tell the difference.

It's like a Lincoln
from a Cadillac.

Look, we go on the road
with this shit,

we're make us a fortune.

How do you know?

Know what?

The difference between
a Lincoln and a Cadillac?

My dad drives a Cadillac,
and it ain't no fucking Lincoln.

All I'm saying is
I want us to be partners, okay?

I'll take care of you.
Don't worry about a thing.

Yeah, boy,
you don't believe me?

I don't trust you, Eric.

Who pays your bills?

Me.

Who sits up with you
all night long

when you're depressed?

Me. And, you don't trust me?

Kevin, come on?

You patronize me.

You-you... You tell me all the
things you think I want to hear,

and then you use me.

I mean, you still
haven't fuckin' paid me.

I sold two grand worth of shit
for you, and I want my cut.

All right, take it.

You sell;
Keep whatever you want.

They're fucking worthless, man!

They're zircons.
I just said that!

Come here.

Come on.

Hey, you used to be
so different.

You were still a virgin
when I met you.

Oh, fuck you, man.

Nobody's gonna see. Come on.

I'll give you your money.
I will.

Put your fuckin' dick away,
Eric.

Kevin, I'm sorry, man.

Look, it's only
your third case.

You can get your ass handed
to you in personal injury.

Wow, now I'm getting advice
from my paralegal.

Yeah, with six years experience
in the courtroom, as you know.

Besides, I only have to
pass the bar.

Iowa bar is tough.

Yeah, how many times
you take it?

Once. First to finish.

Liar.

Wow, that's not bad
for a Philosophy major.

You never did tell me
how you went

from Socrates
to the penal code.

It's not that much
of a leap, really.

I mean, it goes back
to the Romans.

Plato wrote
whole volumes of law

for the King of Syracuse
in Greece.

Law is built on theory.

Sure, what's right and wrong.

Exactly. All right,
take, for example, today.

Our client completely refused
a field sobriety test,

he refused arrest,
and he got smacked for it.

Now, do I agree
with what the cops did?

No.

It's that manipulation,
that balance of power,

that made me
want to become a lawyer.

We're the great equalizers,
Monica.

It's not my third case.

I know. Right.

It's your fourth.

Look, honestly,

you've got to
play the jury more.

Right and wrong is something
they decide in their gut.

You can't expect them
to absorb all those facts.

They need a hook, you know,
something to grasp.

The jury today
bought that cop's story.

Especially juror number four.

Yeah, well, foreman's
usually a dominant white male.

And, nobody wants to believe
that cops hurt innocent people.

Nobody. Not even me.

All right, no more
police brutality cases.

They're impossible to win.
I'm serious.

You're the boss. Yes, I am.

I got to go study
for that brutal lowa bar.

Yes, you do.

And when I pass,
I expect a raise.

Counselor, we need to win
a couple of cases first.

Don't think too much.
It's not good for you.

Thanks, appreciate that.

Nighty-night. Nighty-night.

I got it. I got your car.

Hey, look who's
home late again!

Hey, Daddy. Hey, buddy.

Where's Bert?

Bert and Clark
had a little fight.

Any blood shed?

Bert was mean to me.

Bert's in his room.

Hmm.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, you gotta
give his mommy a kiss first.

Honey, what's wrong?

What do you think?

You lost?

I'll go talk to Bert.

Okay.

Whoosh.

Tough day, partner?

What happened?

Well, we were playing cars,
and I wanted to race them

to see who was the fastest.

And I started to race them,
and Clark tried to stop me,

and I hit him.

Oh, well,
you're his big brother, Bert.

You gotta protect him,

'cause that's what
big brothers do.

Okay, bud? Okay.

I love you. Love you, too.

All right, so I am gonna
send Mommy in,

and she'll bring some milk,

but I don't want
any more fighting.

Okay? Okay.

Promise? Yes.

Okay. Good night, bud.

Good night.

The contestants came
from all over the country,

driving all sort of cars...

You talk to him?

Stu, did you talk to him?

He's okay.

He's a good boy.

Maybe Bert and Clark
shouldn't share a room.

Why not?

They fight constantly.

Yeah, well, they have to learn
how to get along;

How to make compromises.

Can you take Bert
to soccer practice on Friday?

I just...

I just thought this was
open and shut case.

I mean, now the guy
has got no job,

no income,

no car.

Hey sweetie, can't you wait
until dinner, huh?

And go put on a shirt
before you sit

down at the table, okay, hun?
Yes, ma'am.

Stop it. Get out of here.

You're going out tonight,
aren't you?

Oh, come on. You're hardly
ever home anymore.

I'm 21 years old, guys.
Don't worry.

It's my job to worry.
It's in the Mom handbook.

I'm driving up to Marshalltown.

Really? To see who?

Nobody.

¶ He's got a girlfriend
in Marshalltown ¶

No.

I mean, you know,
there are girls there,

just none of them
happen to be my girlfriend.

What do you think, Dad?

You think the girls are prettier
here, or in Marshalltown?

I think the prettiest girl
in the world

is sitting right at this table.

Right now.

Oh, you.

Hey, you really wanna drive an
hour all the up to Marshalltown?

It's an hour. It's fine.

This guy Eric lives up there.

I know him.
He owes me some money.

Then some people
are meeting up at a bar. Okay?

What?

Okay, I'll have three beers.

Four if they're lights.

I mean, you guys really think
I want another DWI?

I should hope not. Well, just...

Call... Just call, you hear?

I know.

Sure, Mom.

Hey, what about me?

What about you?

I have to hold back.

I just wanna bite him.

Not here, leave a message.

Eric, pick up!

You know what?

You know what, man?

I mean, I'd call you
a loser and a liar,

but I think you know
what a piece of shit you are.

I mean, you-you... You can't even
pay me what you owe me.

You know, what kind of fuckin'
man does that make you?

So you know what...? By the way,

I'm at the bar here by myself,
you fuckin' asshole.

Excuse me. Sorry.

Why are you so sad?

I'm not sad.

I'm Cara, with a "C".

I'm Kevin, with a "K".

You want to play some pool?

No, I'm no good at pool.

Plus, if I lost,
I'd feel really stupid.

Well, what if I let you win?

You got a girlfriend?

You know, that's
the second time

someone's asked me
that question today.

No, no, I don't.

Do you have a girlfriend?

No.

I don't have
a boyfriend either.

I-I need to... I need to go.

Oh, wait. Wait, um.

Here.

Promise you'll call?

Yeah, I promise.

Okay.

¶ All right ¶

¶ And it's believin' ¶

¶ Don't be shy ¶

¶ You know me ¶

¶ I'm on your side ¶

¶ Public deceiver ¶

¶ Take a hike ¶

¶ We don't want you
or your lies ¶

Shit. Oh, shit.

Thomas, honey, get the phone.

Hello? Yes, this is he.

Who is it?

Which hospital?

Thomas? What?

I don't understand.
What press release?

Well, what can you tell me?

Kevin! Kevin!

Beverly?

Thomas, he's not here.

Anybody get hurt today, Grace?

You have an appointment
with the Thackers.

I'm sorry, who?

Thomas and Beverly Thacker
at 10:30.

Thackers. Thank you.

Thomas and Beverly.

Hello. Hi, Beverly.

Oh, you're so young. Oh.

Thomas.

Mr. Pepper. Hi, there.

Please, have a seat.

Call me Stu. Thanks, Grace.

So how can I help you?

Well, you're
a civil lawyer, right?

You defended that fella

who allegedly was hit
by a police officer?

Yes, I work in personal injury.

But you lost the case? Thomas.

No, to be honest, yes, I did.

It's not something
I am proud of.

Well, um, our son was arrested a
few months ago for drunk driving

by the Marshalltown police.

How old is he?

He was 21.

And they took him to
Marshalltown Police Department,

and they were booking him,

and supposedly
he tried to escape custody.

How drunk was he?

Very.

Point two blood-alcohol. Yes.

They say that he ran up the
stairs, and up to the roof of

that building, and then
jumped from that building

to the building next to it,

12 feet across
and then fell 20 feet.

Excuse me, I am sorry.

Drunk, he did all this?

That's what they say, yes.

That night they flew him...
They airlifted him

to a Des Moines hospital.

The police report
said that it was just

a hair-line fracture
on the side of his head.

Um, Kevin has sustained a rather
severe injury to his brain,

due to his skull fracture.

But it's still just one injury.
That's good, right?

Kevin's in a coma,

and his chances of survival
are very low.

Survival?

Well, you said he just had
a hairline fracture.

In my opinion,
his injuries are not consistent

with the police report.

I'm very sorry.

My wife had to make a decision

that no mother
should have to make.

Eventually, we had to
take him off life support.

Now, my father
was a Des Moines police officer,

and we have a lot of respect
for the badge.

But with those doctor reports
and that hospital report.

We can't help but feel

that the Marshalltown Police
killed our son.

Why do you think
the Thackers chose you?

Maybe there isn't
much of a case.

The kid was drunk;
He made some bad decisions.

You think
you were their last resource?

Maybe.

It's not like
I got a good track record

fighting the cops.

You might surprise yourself
this time.

Wait a minute.

You think
I should take this case?

I mean, it could be
an opportunity

for you to learn
from your mistakes.

Monica, I make a lot of them.

There won't be concessions
on either side.

The defense
works for the police;

Insurance company pays for it.

So, what?
What are you getting at?

They never lose.

I've known you
for two years now,

and I've never seen you scared.

Whatever happened
to the worker's comp stuff?

Bad backs, Spinal cord injuries,
broken legs.

That stuff is easier.

Then don't do it.

Probably not worth it.

I'm gonna bribe you.

What do you really think?

I think,

you either go balls out,
or you scrap it.

But I think you need
to make a decision right now!

Is this about you,

or about the kid
that was killed?

I want my penny back.

Honey, I'm trying to work.

What?

Look, this kid was killed

at the Marshalltown
Police Department.

They found his body
in the alley.

So you think a cop did it?

I don't know.

I mean, they said he...

They said he tried to escape.

So you would be prosecuting
the whole police department?

The worse thing in the world
would be to lose a child, Nancy.

Honey, I don't want
to be negative here,

but what if
you do all this work,

you go to trial, and you lose?

Well,

then we will pack up,

sell one of the cars.

We will re-evaluate.

We will, I don't know,

we'll get a two-bedroom
apartment

like we had
after we got married.

Only this time
we have two children to support.

All right, Nancy.
I won't take the case, then.

Okay? I'll look
for something more manageable.

Okay.

Thank you.

I apologize about Beverly.

She just went shopping.

She's got the clothes bug
the last couple days.

I mean, she can spot
a sale like a hawk.

Mr. Thacker,
I wanted to talk to you

'cause I'm a little concerned.

This is the only house

that Kevin
has ever lived in, you know.

A lot of people out there today,
there's just divorces,

all kinds of things going on
with kids and families.

We worked hard
to keep this together.

You religious?

Well, um,

I believe in the truth,
wherever that leads you.

Socrates is my hero.

Socrates? Yeah.

You married? Yeah.

Kids?

Two boys.

Four and six.

A real handful,
let me tell you.

Yeah, Kevin was our youngest.

The rest are all married
and have kids of their own.

He, uh, he was a surprise.

We didn't expect him.

He used to call me old,

so I made him do
all the yard work.

What line of work are you in?

Hmm?
What line of work are you in?

Oh, I'm retired early.

I used to do maintenance
at Sears & Roebuck.

And some ancillary work at the
Des Moines Police Department.

And now I just soak up
my retirement fund.

That's a good place to be.

Not really.

I went down there,

the Marshalltown
Police Department,

and I took a look for myself.

There's no way any human being
could have made that jump.

Kevin could barely stand
on one leg without falling down.

Have you seen
his arresting officer? Dodge?

How big he is?

Sometimes, people just snap.

It must've been a struggle.
He got scared.

You're damn right
he was scared.

I was talking about the cop.

I don't care
how you wanna slice the pie.

Kevin's dead.

And that guy is still out there,
walking around.

I want to show you
Kevin's room. Come here.

¶

The day he died,
Beverly washed all his clothes,

and folded them, and put them
back in his dresser.

The Cubs was his favorite team.

Ryan Sandberg's a hell
of a second baseman isn't he?

We'll see how they do
next year.

Yeah, we sure will.

I loved Wrigley Field.

I was there for the first time
in 1938.

I think they won the pennant
that year.

That was before your time.

I want you and another car
to head downtown.

We got a real back-up
on Main Street.

Just push all the traffic
west on Elm.

All right? West on Elm.

You want me to go downtown,
Chief?

John,
I think you're a good cop,

but I got this thing
on my plate.

Seems we're being sued
by the Kevin Thacker estate.

Seems like some people
got the wrong idea

about what happened that night.

He should've ran the other way.

You know, he told me
he was gonna end it.

End what?
When I was booking him,

he said
"I might was well end it now."

And that's in the report?

No.

Ron, your stories match, right?

We did everything that we could.
Followed procedure.

Prisoner escaped;
Officer Dodge sounded the alarm.

We had no idea
where the kid was.

Yeah, I even
drove the ambulance.

You know, next time,
you just stay at the station.

He was dying. The guys
needed to be with him.

I figure I should drive.

All right.

The lawyer's coming
tomorrow morning.

As long as they treat us
with respect,

there's gonna be no problem.

We were trying
to save the kid's life.

Well, yeah, the FBI
is gonna be involved,

so just making sure
that your bases are all covered.

Fine, they'll understand
how thorough I was.

I took the pictures;
I gathered the evidence.

Well, if you're good, I'm good.

Yeah, well, to be honest with
you, I thought this was done.

Right, okay.

Ron?

Yeah, give me a minute.

I want you to put your arms
out like this,

I want you
to put your head back,

and with your index finger,
I want you to touch your nose.

Do it with each side.

Now get your hands
out of your pockets.

If it is your second DWI,

your license will be suspended
for up to a year.

I'm, I-I'm gonna...

I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

You gotta go to the bathroom?

Yeah. You gonna get sick?

Nope. All right.

So I guess you took the case?

Yeah.

Even after all we talked about?

I had to.

On the tape, Kevin asks
to use the bathroom at 1:15 a.m.

He's in the bathroom
for about two minutes.

How do you know that?

Well, because Dodge thinks
Kevin is coming back into

the interrogation room,

so he turns the camera back on.

Now Kevin doesn't come back,
so Dodge starts to panic,

he goes to search for Kevin,
and the tape is left on

for an additional
minute and 15 seconds,

then it's turned
back off again.

So it sounds like we have
a missing minute and 15 seconds.

Right, but Dodge claimed
he found Kevin unconscious

at 1:24 a.m., that gives us
a missing eight minutes.

That's enough time to stage a
fall; Do a cover-up.

That's also enough time to climb
the roof and make the jump.

Well, we're about to see

how possible that really is,
aren't we?

I'm the angel on your shoulder.

You're an angel, huh?

I have big fuckin' angel wings.

I could have made that jump.

I still got his blood
on my uniform.

Didn't wash out.

So much blood
came out of his head.

Hey, you're acting like
you've never seen blood before.

Now listen, in the future,
you follow the prisoner;

The prisoner
doesn't follow you.

You're right. It was a mistake.

Then why are you looking
so fucking scared?

I don't look fucking scared.

I think you got on a lot of
faces, but never the right one.

You're a cop; Look like a cop.

Captain.

Mr. Pepper. I'm Chief Wilson.

Stu.

This is Greg Potter,
he's our city attorney.

Greg. Stu Pepper.

This is Monica Wright,
an associate of mine.

Pleasure, ma'am.
How can we help you folks?

Just wanted to take a look
at that roof;

Maybe take some pictures.

Hope you didn't think
you were going to take

any depositions today.

No. No.

Just wanted to know
the right questions to ask.

According to their version,

the two officers
searched the basement,

then the upper floors,
but they never came up here.

So he walked across here,
no running start,

and jumped over
to the other building?

That's a really long jump.

That's very, very far.

But he does however

drop the cigarette
and lighter over there.

Why didn't they just say
that he fell?

I mean, I don't get it.

Injuries aside,
we have to prove

that Kevin was never
on that other building.

Where are you going? Hmm?

I was just getting started.

Oh, you.

Our greatest hope
for the future

are the minds and hearts
of our people,

especially our children.

We can help them build tomorrow

by strengthening our
community of shared values.

Values that help bring us
together as one people,

from the youngest child
to the most senior citizen.

For us, faith, work, family,
neighborhood, freedom...

Oh, there he is.

Mr. Pepper.

Congratulations
on your appointment.

I appreciate that,
I appreciate that.

Come on back.

Yeah, it is finally
our turn again.

We're excited.

Did you see Reagan's
State of the Union address

the other night?

"America, in the crimson light
of a rising sun,

fresh from the burning,
creative hand of God."

I guess we watched
the same show.

I helped write it.

Well, you're aware of my suit
against the Marshalltown PD?

I sure am, my friend.

I wanted to give you
a heads up on that.

I'm filing 15 counts,

and when I get
the Thackers their judgment,

I would hope that your
department would want to follow

through on the prosecution
of the men responsible.

I'll do what's best
for my department.

You do plan on
investigating the case?

We'll take a look at the case;
We will proceed from there.

Do the family a favor,

have out of town agents
do the investigation.

Don't want to risk a connection
with the local cops and

conflict of interests.

Sounds like you've been
bitten in the ass before, huh?

Yeah, that's why
I wanted to come talk to you.

You're the assistant
to the Attorney General,

and this is going to be
a high-profile case.

You know, maybe
they'll put you on TV, huh?

Be good for your practice,
right?

Sure would.

Let me know when you assign
an agent to the case.

Well, Mr. Pepper, are you asking
me or are you telling me?

Whichever answer keeps
this conversation going.

Well, I think you're asking,
so it's noted.

Good luck with your case, huh?

The only good is knowledge

and the only evil is ignorance.

I wanted to understand
Kevin Thacker,

talk to him,

but the light ahead
was beginning to fade.

My own life out of balance,

looking for a truth
while everyone else

turned a deaf ear
and a blind eye.

Just trying to keep
my head above water

was proving
more and more difficult.

All right, gentlemen,
listen up.

Any of you guys
think you can jump

from the end of the starting
block to that rope

without a running start?

Sure.

I took track and field
in high school.

Yeah?

What do I get if I make it?

You get the Dean's list,
O'Brien.

You're up, let's go.

And don't laugh,
all of you gonna get your shot.

Don't mess up! Don't mess up!

Yeah, let's see
if you can do it.

Zach.

You guys, come on.

So how do you think they'd do

with a belly full of beer and
a Police Officer on their tail?

No way.

Marshalltown PD's whole defense

hinges on this jump, Monica.

Put the swim coach
on the stand.

The field test
obviously speaks for itself.

The state medical examiner
said Kevin's body

had no other injuries
besides the trauma to the brain.

And not even a low board diver
can make that jump.

Much less Kevin Thacker.

Right, but Kevin obviously did

because of
the menthol cigarette.

That was planted. Exactly.

Okay... Okay, so what
do we have, then?

Well, that gives us the power
to convince a jury that: A,

Kevin could never
have made that jump; And B,

his injuries don't reflect
a fall of 24 feet.

He was killed by blunt force.

Kevin was drunk.
One officer found the body.

And they were in the
perfect position for a cover-up.

Yes. Monica, yes.

All right, let's
go through this again.

What do we have?
Oh, we got a lot.

Somehow, Kevin's body ends up
parallel to the building.

In order to stage the fall.

Dodge had to have
moved the body,

because of the bruises
under the arm pits.

Hey, Nance!

Bert? Clark?

Hey.

Where are the kids?

They're at my mother's.

You took them
all the way to your mother's?

God, I was in a good mood,

I wanted to share that
with my family,

and I get an empty house.

I wanted to spend
some time with you alone.

You haven't exactly
been available.

Clark has a birthday coming up,
or did you forget?

I bust my ass,
trying to make a living for you,

trying to do what's right.

That's a lawyer, Stu,
not a husband.

You know, some people
might disagree with you.

What do I get?
I get an empty fucking house!

What the hell are you doing?

Dammit. I am trying
to get this thing open.

Jesus Christ.

Fuck.

Nancy, I'm sorry.

Why did you arrest
Kevin Thacker?

He was swerving on the road.

I witnessed him
almost hit a parked vehicle.

He was pretty drunk,
so it was a good arrest.

What does a "good arrest" mean?

It means
that you follow protocol.

So, how did he act when you
took him into the station?

He was nervous.

Most are at that age.

No screaming? No crying?

None at all.

If everything
followed protocol,

how did it result in his death?

That's a good question.

Because you must have dealt
with criminals

much worse than Kevin.

Sure, I have.

Oh, and by the way, there was
a warrant out for his arrest

when I ran his license.

For what?

He didn't make a court date

two weeks prior
to the incident.

It was a speeding violation.

And I treated him
like any other offender.

But you were the last person
to see him alive.

The only mistake I made

was to give him more credit
that he deserved.

He was no criminal.

I really thought he was going
to walk back into the room,

but he didn't.

I found him unconscious
seven minutes later.

How am I supposed to
be held liable for that?

When dispatch called you,
you didn't pick up your radio.

Is that correct.

How do you know that?

Oh, I've got the logs.

Well, there was too much
interference in the building.

Interference.

Yeah, too much interference
in the building.

So, did you interview all
the relevant witnesses

and people involved?

Yes, I did.

So, it was your claim that Kevin
walked to the end of that beam

and jumped from
one rooftop to the next?

That distance; That drunk.

People do stupid things.

Look,
the long and short of it is

I did a thorough investigation,

and everyone behaved
professionally and promptly.

From the behavior
of your department,

I find that hard to believe.

We have already acknowledged

that certain procedural
mistakes were made.

Yeah, and if this is about
questioning my skills

as a detective, quite frankly,

you have no idea
what that entails.

What do you have to gain
from this case?

What do you have to gain?

Why don't you let me
ask the questions.

Besides money?

Reputation. Justice.

Look, just because you keep
a clean image, Mr. Pebble,

it doesn't mean
you're above the law.

You're putting on an act, sir,
and I think you enjoy it.

Counselor.

Do you know anything
about this kid.

Did you speak to his boyfriend?

I'm sorry?

Eric Jones. I did.

Kevin went to visit him
that night.

It was a closeted relationship.

They weren't like
flaming fags or anything.

But he was quite a character.

Now, Eric told me
that Kevin was depressed,

and had a drinking problem.

And Officer Dodge said that
the kid said he wanted to end it

during the DUI processing.

So when you're in that state
of mind, anything can happen.

Hey. All right, do me a favor,

find out
where Eric Jones lives.

Yeah. Who's our judge?

Hallow, he used to be
City Attorney.

Hello?

Hello?

Eric?

I'm the lawyer in
the Thacker case.

Did you know Kevin Thacker?

You know, I'm having
a party with myself right now,

and you two, you're just...
You're not invited, okay?

Hey, hey, listen,
we can do this two ways.

You can talk to me now,

or I can have you
officially deposed;

We'll do it
at the police station.

I already talked to the cops.

Marshalltown cops?

No, Columbo.

Eric, just a couple of minutes?

Please.

All right, fine. Back here.

So all they told me
is that he was arrested drunk

and fell off the roof.

I mean, I didn't push him or
nothing, I swear to God.

Yeah, but

he came to Marshalltown
to see you, right?

I mean, that's why he was here.

He came here first.

How do you know that?

Well, 'cause I talked to the
same cop as you,

Columbo.

I owed him some money.

He was kind of an impatient
little guy, you know.

I want my fucking money, Eric!

Kevin, God rest his soul
and all,

he's what you'd call
unpredictable.

How's that?

You never knew
what he was gonna do.

Like try to escape
from the police?

Yeah. That sounds
a lot like him.

I suppose if you were
asked that same question

in a deposition or in a court,
you'd have the same answer.

Might be worse, actually.

Are you hiding something Eric?

I'm not hiding anything, okay?

I mean, I tried
to take care of him, you know?

He would come over here,
he'd spend the night,

the kid would flip out
all night long, crying and shit.

I think he was very scared
about who he really was.

He must have been terrified

sitting in that interrogation
room, I'll tell you that.

When he died,

I couldn't go to the funeral.

I didn't want to see
his parents.

You know, Kevin,

he wouldn't have wanted me
there anyways, you know.

So, that's all
I am going to say.

You want any more,
you gotta expose me.

Depose you.

Shall we?

Yeah.

He had a gold leaf on them.

I know.

Come!

Judge Hallow?

Yes?

Stu Pepper, Your Honor.

The lawyer in the Thacker case.

Oh.

Greg.

You're here on Officer Dodge's
motion for summary judgment.

I am.

Fifteen counts, Mr. Pepper.
Very ambitious.

It is.

Your Honor, I move
for dismissal of all counts.

I'm throwing out
14 of the counts.

Why?

Insufficient evidence.

It's all circumstantial.

Didn't you learn that
in law school?

You're throwing out
14 out of 15 counts?

Okay.
What count are you keeping?

"Excessive force." Barely.

Your Honor, can I be frank?

If you must.

You used to be
city attorney, correct?

You used to be him:
Defending these guys.

Is there any chance this could
be a conflict of interest?

Are you hinting I may not be

fair and impartial, Mr. Pepper?

You've got a case to prepare,

and people to answer to.

Exactly how smart is it to piss
off the judge before the trial?

I'm not trying to piss you off.

And I'll take your one count
of excessive force,

because that's all I need
to win the case.

Thank you, gentlemen.
I will see you both in court.

But don't worry
about it getting dirty.

I have to take things to the
cleaners every once in awhile.

I like your scarf too.

Why aren't you sleeping?

I don't know.

Nance, um,
I'm not sure what to do.

I got an FBI director
that could care less,

got a judge that throws out
95% of my counts.

Same judge who used to make
his living defending cops.

Baby, I'm so sorry.

I just want you to be careful.

Think about what it means
to prosecute cop after cop.

Stu, these people
can make our lives miserable.

Yeah, but they're already
making peoples' lives miserable.

Somebody's gotta take a stand.

You don't have to
do it tonight.

Come on, let's go to bed.

All right, break it up.

Break it up, I said.

An honest man
is always a child.

But it's even simpler.

What has been lost
and what has been gained?

I was close to the Thackers,

seeing my own image
in their loss.

I never knew if I was
their last stop on a long list

that I just happened to be
at the bottom of.

I was learning that
the self-doubt, the anxiety,

sleepless nights,
time away from my own family

was to be expected
if I was going to succeed.

I had become close
to a young man

who I have never had
the opportunity to meet.

His justice
rests on my shoulders.

I can't raise the dead,
but I have to speak for them.

Jury members,
you are being asked to decide

whether excessive force
was used

during the arrest
of Kevin Thacker.

The city attorneys
will attempt to prove

that Mr. Thacker escaped custody
during his booking,

and died accidentally
during this getaway.

The attorneys for the Thackers
will attempt to prove

that the head trauma
he incurred

could not have happened
the way it was reported.

It is your charge to determine
what you believe the truth is.

Mr. Pepper, please call
your first witness.

Your Honor, I would like
to call Officer John Dodge.

Officer Dodge,

let me start out by asking
a very simple question.

Go ahead.

Do you normally
brush your teeth

before you go to work
in the morning?

Yes.

And have you ever
killed anyone?

Yes, I have.

I was in
the 25th Infantry division

at Cu Chi and Dau Tieng,
Vietnam.

And in what manner

did you perform
these killings in Vietnam?

With my rifle.
Sometimes my bayonet.

All in self-defense.

Just to be clear for the Jury.

Self-defense?

I learned to make
quick decisions

in delicate situations.

I guess that's why
I became a cop.

Quick decisions
in delicate situations.

Hmm.

What's your height and weight?

6'1", 210 pounds.

And Kevin Thacker was 5'7",
133 pounds.

That's quite a difference,
isn't it?

Well, I'm bigger
than most people,

so it's no surprise to me.

On the night
of October 29th, 1983,

did a struggle occur
in the alleyway

behind the Marshalltown
Police Department,

between yourself
and Kevin Thacker?

No, it did not.

And during that struggle,

being a man
of your size and experience,

you struck Kevin on the left
side of the head killing him.

Is that correct?

No, I did not.

I was simply trying to find
an escaped prisoner.

Prisoner is loose
in the building.

Shit.

Shit.

Call an ambulance.

From the time that Kevin
asked to use the bathroom,

to the time that
you found him unconscious,

that was approximately
seven minutes, correct?

Yes, that's right.

He was in the bathroom
for just under two minutes,

and we were walking out.

I went to turn
the video camera back on,

and then I realized
that he had fled.

After a search,

I came back a minute later
to turn the camera off,

and with the assistance of other
officers, did another search.

Well, why bother
to come all the way back

to turn the video camera off?

There was nobody
was in the room.

It was an instinct.

And we all have
certain instincts

that force us
to do certain things, correct?

Kevin Thacker
would still be alive today

if he would have just
allowed me to do my job.

Kevin had to allow you
to do your job?

I don't think it's that simple,
Officer Dodge.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Professor Daily,
can you tell the court

what a standing broad jump is?

A standing broad jump
is an event

in which the competitor
stands at a line,

and from a standing posture,
they jump as far as they can.

And what's the world's record
for such a jump?

The longest jump
is 12 feet, one inch.

And do you think anyone,
even a trained athlete,

could make such a jump?

No.

Have you done any tests
to verify this?

Yes, I did.

Several of my swimmers
jumped from a platform

similar to the one Kevin Thacker
allegedly leaped from.

Right. What were the results?

None of them were able
to complete the 12 feet.

Not even close.

Well, so in light of your test,

if those athlete's
lives depended

on jumping those 12 feet,

how many
would still be alive today?

None of them.

I mean, unless they had wings,
you know.

Thank you.

I'm a medical doctor,

specializing
in forensic pathology.

I've taught the subject
for the past 12 years

at the Wisconsin State
Medical School,

and was a coroner
for over 20 years.

No, Kevin Thacker's autopsy
was done by the county coroner.

Mr. Thacker died from a
contrecoup injury to the brain.

The two types of injuries
are a coup and contrecoup.

Since the brain floats
in the fluid of the skull,

and is subject to movement,

in a coup injury,
the skull would hit an object,

such as a fall, and the brain
hits the side of the skull

where the impact occurred.

In Kevin's injury,
an object hit the skull,

not the reverse,
producing a contrecoup injury.

This forces the brain to
the other side of the skull.

In his case: Blunt object
hitting the left temporal bone

causing bleeding
in the right temporal lobe.

Doctor, did the autopsy report

reveal any other injuries
to Kevin, at all?

There was bruises
underneath his armpits,

but other than that, no.

The defense claims that Kevin
died from a fall of 24 feet

onto an asphalt surface.

Well, bluntly put,

that would defy both
medical and biological science.

It's outrageous, really.

He would have multiple bruising
where the impact occurred,

other bone fractures,
damages to his organs,

which Mr. Thacker did not have.

Thank you, Doctor.

Dr. Booker, how long have you
been a state medical examiner

and what does that job entail?

Well, I specialize

in comprehensive
medical examinations,

primarily postmortem.

And for five years,
I've worked as an expert witness

for the police department.

And in your expert opinion,
from what height can a person

hit the ground
without sustaining injury?

A body can fall
from as high as six stories

without sustaining injury.

Six stories. Thank you.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Cross examine, Mr. Pepper.

Um, let me get this straight.

Now, you just testified

that a body can fall
six stories

without sustaining an injury.

Is that correct?

Yes, yes.

If there's an equal,
instantaneous transference

between the body
and the ground.

Right.

Well, now what is that?

Can you demonstrate
that for us right now?

Let's just say, three feet.

And you choose
which side you land on.

No.

Why? Are you afraid
of getting hurt?

Okay, lets say two feet.

One foot?

Objection. Your Honor,

if Mr. Pepper
wants someone to fall,

let him demonstrate it himself.

Sustained. Mr. Pepper.

Can you tell me what this is?

That's a physics equation.

Force equals mass
times acceleration.

Now, based on this equation,

can you tell me at what force.

Kevin's body
hit the ground with?

No. No, I can't.

Why not?

Look,
I'm a medical examiner, okay?

I'm not good at math.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

The court room

is one of the most
unpredictable places on earth.

You never know
exactly what you're up against.

You just hope
you can inspire that jury.

I've known Officer Dodge
for six years;

Detective Pebble for ten.

How would you describe
Officer Dodge?

Well, he's a big young man,
but he's certainly not a bully.

He's just an officer
that comes to work every day,

and goes about
his business quietly.

And Detective Pebble?

Oh, Detective Pebble is simply

the best cop
I've ever worked with.

Chief Wilson, have
you ever known Officer Dodge

to have a problem
with his temper?

The young man had some
difficulties in Vietnam,

but since I've known him,

he's made hundreds of arrests
without incident,

all of them good.

Chief, would you please
tell this court your opinion

on the theory that Kevin
Thacker's death was a cover-up.

No, no. Not in my department.

Simply there wasn't
enough time.

I mean, you take this arbitrary
video tape of the ordeal,

one to seven minutes.

There's not enough time
in there to concoct a cover-up.

Thank you, Chief Wilson.

No further questions
at this time, Your Honor.

Mr. Pepper?

Well, actually,
the time frame is quite clear.

Dodge sounded the alarm

at 1:17 a.m.,

that's from your station logs,

and Dodge discovered
the body at 1:24 a.m.

That's seven minutes.

Should we allow the court to
have seven minutes of silence

right now, just to understand
how long that actually is?

That's not even
30 seconds, Chief.

Do you really think that
this couldn't have occurred?

Not on my watch;
Not in my department.

Detective Pebble, how long have
you known Officer John Dodge?

Ten years.

And just to be clear
for the court,

it was you who investigated
the death of Kevin Thacker?

Yes, I did.

Did you investigate whether
John Dodge committed a crime

on the night
of October 29th, 1983?

No.

Well, why not?

No crime was committed,
except by Kevin Thacker.

You never,
not even for a moment,

considered the culpability
of Officer Dodge?

There's no evidence
to support that.

Where were you
during the booking?

Somebody was getting beat up
across the street,

I was on a radio call for that.

But, I returned shortly after
the ambulance was called.

And, where was Officer Dodge?

He was with the victim.

Who notified Kevin's parents?

The Des Moines PD.

Why didn't you do
the notification?

Because I was busy collecting
evidence and statements

with respect to Mr. Thacker's
unfortunate fall.

Really? Well, what
did that consist of?

Talking to the parties involved;
Interviewing them.

That's when I found out
about Kevin's mental state

during the arrest.

Turns out
the boy was broken-hearted.

How could you possibly be aware
of Kevin's mental state?

Because I interviewed
his boyfriend.

His boyfriend said he had
showed up at Marshalltown...

Detective,
Kevin's sexual orientation

is not on trial here,

your colleague John Dodge is.

Look, I'm not going
to allow you

to dance around this
any longer.

I want you to tell the court,
beat by beat,

moment by moment,
what happened?

Prisoner is loose
in the building.

So he did all this,
while intoxicated,

leaping like
a world-class athlete,

dropping the cigarette
and lighter,

and falling 24 feet,
only sustaining one injury.

Yes, it appears that way, yes.

After Kevin was taken
to the hospital,

why did have his clothes
ordered back to the station?

To be used as evidence.
I already told you that.

And to allow you to fabricate
your version of the events.

You had time
to plant the cigarette,

and create the evidence, because
it didn't matter, detective.

Kevin Thacker
was never on that roof.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Thank you
for being here, Mrs. Thacker.

I don't think anyone
in this room would argue

that this is a very tough thing
for you to do.

It hasn't been easy.

Will you please tell the court

a little bit about Kevin?

What he was like.

Sure.

Kevin was a good son.

Very good son. Funny, smart.

He was going
to community college.

Did...?

Did Kevin have
a drinking problem?

I think he was just young,
acting his age.

Maybe a little lost at times.

You know, he may have had
some issues with alcohol,

but I think more
he just never knew exactly

where to direct his attention.

And what will you miss most

about Kevin?

Objection, Your Honor.
Relevance.

Trying to make
the deceased a person,

not just a name, Your Honor.

Overruled.

You can answer, Ma'am.

I'll miss sitting at the table
with him, after dinner,

just the two of us, talking.

I used to give him the business
about putting on his shirt,

and he'd never listen to me.

He'd just say,
"We're done eatin', Ma. Relax."

Believe it or not,
I'll miss worrying about him.

It's just,
after you give birth,

it becomes ingrained in you.

It's just like a part of you,
as long as you live.

That worry
is just always there.

I'll miss that.

And, what else will you miss?

Everything.

Everything that would've
come after.

Sorry.

Thank you, Beverly.

Hey, guys.

Hey, Mike. How are you?

Stu?

I want to tell you
how much I appreciate

your work on this case.

And I wish
Kevin could have met you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

You have
a difficult task today,

and I'd like to start off
by thanking you

for your time and attention

in this crucial case.

Your task today is difficult

because I'm asking you
to believe

that the people
you have been taught to trust

are the same people responsible
for the death of Kevin Thacker.

Now, if you asked me
a year ago,

if I believed something
like this could be be possible,

I'd have had a hard time
believing it too.

But I'm learning.

I'm learning that, inherently,
we were put on this Earth

to protect one another.

There's an old saying:

"Absolute power
corrupts absolutely."

We've all heard that statement.

And it trickles all the way down
the power chain,

from a president
to a meter maid.

To make those who think
they're above the law

be fearful of its consequences.

Checks and balances.

That sounds like
a pretty good idea to me.

What do you think?
I mean, there's history here.

Going back to the Middle Ages,

the Spanish Inquisition,
police states,

and the creation of laws.

New laws had to be passed

to keep the abuse of power
in check.

The Fourth Amendment protects us
from search and seizure,

and the Fourteenth Amendment
gives us our rights.

I never knew Kevin Thacker.

But I've gotten to know
his parents pretty well.

And I've spoken personally to
everybody involved in this case.

And, I learned that Kevin

was really no different
than any of us.

He was a young man,

trying to find his way in life.

And Kevin, like us all,

had to face the consequences
of his decisions.

And that is not
an easy thing to do.

The consequence
to Kevin's decisions

on the night of October 29th

cost him his life.

But if you look at
the bigger picture,

it didn't have to.

It didn't have to.

Kevin died
while under the supervision

of the Marshalltown
Police Department.

There was not a soul in sight,
except for Officer Dodge.

Now, you've heard the details
of this case several times.

The standing broad jump,
the intoxication,

the press release prior
to notifying his own parents,

and the nature
of the single injury

that is not consistent
with a fall of 24 feet.

You are in the throws
of a cover-up.

The corruption of power
by those who believe

that they are above law.

But let me assure you,

no police department
wants bad blood on their hands,

so you have to reconcile
yourselves to one simple fact

regarding the police
and the world that we live in.

These things do happen.

Lady Justice is blindfolded,

but that is to remind us
that it is up to all of us

to keep our eyes wide open.

Thank you so much.

Stu?

Have you reached a verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor.

"We, the jury,
find Officer John Dodge

"liable for the wrongful death
of Kevin Thacker,

and award $980,000
to his estate."

Guess what?

Did somebody pass the bar?

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Might have a little competition
on your hands.

Monica, I, uh...

I just have to thank you.

I couldn't have done this
without you.

Oh, it's nothing.

Counselor.

Counselor.

The unexamined life
is not worth living.

My victory took
nearly a year of my life,

of my family's life.

You begin to understand
your own personal limits.

What you are willing to trade
for that victory.

For the first time, I felt
that I was good at my job.

You can still find my name
in the Yellow Pages

along with everybody else.

A personal injury lawyer.

Sometimes I just have to smile.

There he is,
the man of the hour.

I wish you would've called.

I'm just heading out
for an off-site meeting.

I just wanted to
grab a quick word with you.

Hey, congratulations
on that victory.

Well, to be honest, sir,
the real victory would be

to have the offenders
punished in some way

other than
the city's pocket book.

I wanted to offer my services
free of charge

to help expedite that
in any way possible.

Yeah, I think
we have that covered.

Have you assigned an agent
to investigate the case yet?

Yes, I have.

I thought about
your very kind advice,

but I decided
to put somebody on it

I'm a little more
comfortable with.

Appearances and what not.
I'm sure you understand.

Who did you assign to the case?

Ben Higgins.

Doesn't he do undercover work
for Marshalltown cops?

Let me
tell you something, okay?

You did a good job,
nobody's denying that.

But you have to know
when to walk away,

when to move on.

And very frankly,
fucking with my department

doesn't help that along.

"Kevin Thacker
and the Marshalltown Police,

"for ten counts
against Mr. John Dodge.

Dismissed."

They're gonna be late.

Hello?

Beverly? It's Stu, hey.

Thomas there?

Yes, hi, Stu. Hold on.

Hi, Stu.

Hey.

Look, I'm really sorry
to bother you on Christmas Eve.

We got some bad news.

Hallow threw it out.

Threw what out?

In civil cases,

the law gives the judge
the power

to overturn the jury verdict.

Now that's bullshit.

What?

The judge threw the case out.

Well, what are we gonna do?

We appeal it to the State
Supreme Court for a reversal

and get the original
verdict reinstated.

I can't let it go.

I'm in this for the long haul.

I'm right there with you.

Listen,
you have a good holiday,

and I'll talk to you
after the new year.

God bless you.

Thank you. Thank you, Thomas.

¶ I went walking
down the road ¶

¶ The road for the blind ¶

¶ For a long, long time ¶

¶ I walked alone ¶

¶ Down that lonely road ¶

¶ No place to go ¶

¶ I was the sea
as cold as I could be ¶

¶ I was anything but free ¶

¶ As far as I could see ¶

¶ I was anything but me ¶

¶ I was all on my own ¶

¶ Without myself ¶

¶ I found myself
without a home ¶

¶ As hard as a stone ¶

¶ But truth be told ¶

¶ I was the storm ¶

¶ The storm of storms ¶

¶ So now you know ¶

¶ I was the sea ¶

¶ Cold as I could be ¶

¶ I was anything but free ¶

¶ As far as I could see ¶

¶ I was anything but me ¶

¶ I was all on my own ¶

¶ Without myself ¶

¶ Think about the way ¶

¶ You have to fight ¶

¶ When you're always right ¶

¶ Think about the rose ¶

¶ With too many thorns ¶

¶ No one will stand
by your side ¶

¶ No one stands by your side ¶

¶ No one will stand
by your side ¶

¶ I walked alone ¶

¶ I found myself
without a home ¶

¶ As hard as a stone ¶

¶ But truth be told ¶

¶ I was the storm ¶

¶ The storm of storms ¶

¶ So now you know ¶

¶ Without my soul ¶

¶ All on my own ¶

¶ I was the sea ¶

¶ Cold as I could be ¶

¶ I was anything but free ¶

¶ As far as I could see ¶

¶ I was anything but me ¶

¶ And me alone ¶

¶ I was all on my own ¶

¶ Without my soul ¶

¶ I went walking
down the road ¶

¶ The road for the blind ¶

¶ For a long, long time ¶