All language subtitles for The.Coverup.2008.WEBRip.x264-YTS.MX-YIFY-English

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

Do it with each side.

All right, 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.

Oh.
I, I'm gonna,

I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

You gotta go to the bathroom?

Yeah.

- You gonna get sick?
- No.

All right.

Let's go, Kevin.

Oh, 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 a lot
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.

♫ Till I pass by

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 gotta 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.

You know, 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 fuckin' 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 tell me all the things
you think I wanna 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.

Kevin, 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.

Jeez.

Look, it's only
your third case.

Man, 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.

Mm-hmm.

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

You know, 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 wanna
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.

I mean, 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 gotta go study for
that brutal Iowa 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 know, 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, night, bud.
- Night.

The contestants came

from all over the country,
driving all sort of cars...

Did 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,

and 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,
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.

I mean, this guy Eric
lives up there, I know him.

He owes me some money.

And 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,

call, you hear?
Okay, I know.

Sure, Mom.
Hey, what about me?

What about you?

Yeah, I have to hold back.

I 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 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 wanna 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.

♫ Oh

♫ 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 ♫

♫ Do you believe it

♫ You're just saying

Shit.

Oh, shit.

♫ Do you believe in love

♫ Do you believe in love

♫ Do you believe in love

Thomas, honey, get the phone.

Hello?

Yes, this is he.
Who is it?

Which hospital?

- Thomas?
- It's him.

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.

Ahem, 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, 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.

- 0.2 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.
Feet across.

And fell 20 feet.

Um, excuse me,
I'm sorry, drunk?

He did all this?

- It's what they say.
- That's what they say, yeah.

That night they flew
him, they airlifted him to

- Des Moines.
- A Des Moines hospital.

Yeah.

The police report said

that it was just a
hairline 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.
- Huh?

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 workers' 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.

Smile.

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 wanna
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, um, retired early.

I used to do maintenance
at Sears & Roebuck.

And some ancillary work at the
Des Moines Police Department.

Well, 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 wanna show you
Kevin's room, come here.

Come on.

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.

Ryne 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.

All right, well,
if you're good, I'm good.

Yeah, well, to
be honest with you,

I thought this was done.

Right, okay.

Ron?

Yeah, gimme 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.

All right, get your hands
out of your pockets.

If it is your second DWI,

your license will be
suspended for up to a year.

Oh.
I, I'm gonna

I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

You gotta go to the bathroom?

Yeah.

- You gonna get sick?
- No.

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 am the angel
on your shoulder.

You're an angel, huh?

I have big
fuckin' angel wings.

I could have made that jump.

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 gonna take
any depositions today.

No, no, just wanted to know
the right questions to ask.

According to their version,

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.

Hmm.

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 wanna 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 wanna 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 gonna 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.

How you doing?

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?

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.

Come on.

Now, that's right.

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 armpits.

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'm 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?

That 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
than he deserved.

He was no criminal.

I really thought he was gonna
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.

And he was kind of 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'd come over here,
he'd spend the night.

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

And 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 wanna see his parents.

You know, Kevin,

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

So, that's all I am gonna 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.

15 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 this 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 a while.

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.

Wow, 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 people's lives miserable.

Somebody's gotta take a stand.

You don't have to
do it tonight, hmm?

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'd like to
call Officer John Dodge.

Officer Dodge, let me
start out by asking you

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 Da Nang, Vietnam.

And in what manner

did you perform these
killings in Vietnam?

With my rifle,
sometimes my bayonet.

All in self-defense.

Oh.

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.

Ah, Kevin.

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 athletes' 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, a 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, uh, let me
get this straight.

Now, you just testified that
a body can fall six stories

without sustaining
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?

I mean, let's just
say, three feet.

And you choose which
side you land on.

No.

Why?

Are you afraid of getting hurt?

Okay, let's 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 have known Officer
Dodge for six years,

Detective Pebble for 10.

How would you
describe Officer Dodge?

Well, he's a big young man,

but he's certainly not a bully.

He's just a 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.
- Thank you.

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.

Shall 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?

10 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 brokenhearted.

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 gonna 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 about Kevin?

What he was like.

Sure.

Kevin was a good son, very
good son, funny, smart.

He was going to
community college.

Um...
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.

Sorry.

Thank you, Beverly.

Hey, guys.

Hey, Mike, how are you?

Stu?

Ah, all right, all right.

I wanna 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 consequences 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
throes 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.

Oh, my god.

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,

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.

Hey, 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 10 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.

And 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 it alone ♫

♫ Down that lonely road

♫ No place to go

♫ 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 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

♫ And me alone

♫ 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