All language subtitles for Law and order S19E04 - Falling

In the criminal justice system

the people are represented
by two separate
yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Carlos, get some help
with that, buddy.

Are you
in charge here?

At the moment.

I live in the building
across the street,

and the jack-hammering
at 2:00 a.m.,
it has to stop.

Okay,
I'll pass it on.

You want to give him
a hand with
those bags, please?

Yeah, I'm sure
you'll pass it on.

What more
am I supposed to do?

The guy you talked to
said he'd pass it on.

He only said that
to get rid of me.

Gee, I wonder why
he'd want to say that.

Excuse me?

It was a joke,
a totally lame joke.

No, Rob, it wasn't

Oh, my God,
the crane!

His name's Carlos.
Carlos Lazaro.

Was he operating
the crane?

No. Nobody was
using the crane.

He must've just
been walking by.

What about
Carlos' next of kin?

His wife, she's sick
in the hospital.

The rest of his family,
I don't know.

He's from
the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Hardy,
what went through
your head

when you got the call about
today's crane collapse?

This is
the greatest tragedy

ever to happen
to the Hardy Organization.

Everyone at the Hardy
is committed to safety,

and this site
was no exception.

I'm Wayne Hardy.
This is my project.

I'm Detective Lupo,
this is Detective Bernard,

we're Homicide
with the two-seven.

Homicide? What do we need
homicide detectives for?

You don't,
but he does.

And until we know
what happened, sir,
this is a crime scene.

This kind of thing
never happens
on a Hardy project.

I build luxury
condominiums.

Premium materials,
premium workmanship
top to bottom.

Right, I've read
your ads.

Who was running your
site this morning?

You met him,
the junior foreman,
Gary Talbot.

Mr. Nolan, it says here
in your final bid
for this project

that you were going
to use a T-65 crane.

That's right.

That one out there
looks to be a T-35.

That's a lot smaller,
isn't it?

T-35, he's right.

Turns out the job needed
a smaller crane,

so that's what
we used.

And that's what
we billed for,
Mr. Hardy.

You can check
the invoices.

I don't need to
see the invoices.

This is my fifth
project with Carl.

Hmm. This is our first.

So, you don't mind,
we'll take those invoices.

You know,
I use T-35s all the time,

and this one
was 100% safe.

But don't take
my word for it.

The city inspector
said so, too.

Twenty-three years
I'm inspecting sites
in this city,

never had a serious injury
on my watch and now this.

Homicide detectives
to boot.

Just standard procedure,
Mr. O'Connor.

There was nothing wrong
with that crane.

I got all the papers
right here.

All right,
take your time.

We're not
going anywhere.

The Buildings Department
said they logged

over two dozen complaints
about that site.

You followed up
on less than
half of them?

Well, it was always
the same thing.

Noise complaints
from the neighbors

about some night work
at the site.

I issued three
separate violations.

Yeah, and the complaints
kept coming?

Didn't that tell
you something?

There were
no safety issues
at that site, okay?

This was a freak accident.

The crane was anchored
to the building
with steel collars

on the sixth,
ninth, twelfth
and fifteenth floors.

When the collars failed,
the crane came down.

Okay. Do we have any idea
which one failed first?

Uh, yeah. This one
on the ninth floor,

the point
of greatest stress.

Once it went,
the rest of them popped
like buttons on a shirt.

So why'd this one fail?

Uh, well, this might've
something to do with it.

The T-35 has
a load bearing capacity
of six tons per lift.

These work logs show
it lifting six and a half,

seven, even eight tons.

An average of
7.96 tons per lift.

You do that
long enough...

Yeah, something's
got to give.

Overloading the crane,
running nightshifts,

sounds like
someone was in a hurry
to finish that building.

Well, yeah,
time is money.

So, maybe it was
worth a little money

to have somebody
look the other way.

The forensic accountant
is very anxious
to talk to you.

Great. After a morning of
forensic engineering,

nothing beats a little
forensic accounting.

Hey,
what you got?

Gentlemen,
hold on to your hats.

These petty
cash receipts
don't add up.

The petty cash
that the construction
company keeps

in a safe
on the site.

Last week
it was short $3,660.

The week before that,
short $5,700.

If somebody
was getting bribed,

maybe that money
was coming from here.

Who was in charge
of the petty cash?

Foreman Gary Talbot.

You can't receipt
every out-of-pocket expense

on a $200 million
building.

And anyway,
I'm not the only one

with access to
the petty cash.

The night shift
has its own foreman.

We noticed you guys
were pulling

a lot of overtime
on top of
the night shifts.

You under
a lot of pressure
to finish the job?

Yeah. There's
always pressure.

What about these seven
and eight ton loads
on the T-35?

Oh. The crane
wasn't my area.

But I can tell you
that whatever we did
on that site,

we got written approvals
from the inspector
every step of the way.

Where would we find
those approvals?

I got them.
I got copies
of everything.

I've been in construction
long enough to know

it's a pass-the-buck
kind of business.
Uh-huh.

Honey, can you come
and help me with Lacy?

Sure. My daughter.

That's fine.

Guy's right.

Faxes from the city inspector,
approving the nightshifts,
heavier loads.

Check this out.

The number that this
was faxed from

doesn't match the number
on the cover sheet.

6-3-1 area code.

A city inspector faxing
from the Hamptons,
on a weekday afternoon.

Nice work
if you can get it.

Can we help you
with those?

Uh, no, it's okay.

Get back in the house
with your mother.

Go on.

Friend of my wife's
family lent us the
place for the week,

but now it's,
you know,

time to get back
to the real world.

That friend.
It wouldn't happen to be

Hudson River Rentals,
would it?

Because they said your wife
took a three-month lease
at $15,000 a month.

Nice ride,
fancy boarding school
for your daughter...

My partner and I,
we're starting to think

that we got
the wrong city job.

Hmm.

Come on, guys.
Can't we do this
tomorrow?

Nah. Turn around.

I spent 20 years
watching guys
take bribes

and get promoted
while doing it.

That's not me.

Right. You is the guy
that took bribes,

but never made it
to supervisor.

Eddie, you have
200,000 in expenses

that we can
trace back to you.

And no legitimate
income to cover it.

And now there's a body.

I just wanted...
I never meant...

Yeah, remorse
is good, Eddie.

Remorse with a confession
is even better.

Or this crane thing
falls on you.

Nolan, the contractor,

he's the one who
first approached me

about approving
the smaller crane
and the heavier loads.

Who made the payments?

The foreman.

Talbot?

No, the night foreman.
Talbot wasn't in the loop.

Who else was?

The big guy, Wayne Hardy.

He offered to make
sure I got assigned
to his next project

if this one
came in on time.

What do you think
about these charges?

Biggest miscarriage
of justice.

I pity his cellmates.

Something's
not adding up.

The missing money
from the petty cash

what we thought
the night foreman was using
to bribe O'Connor?

The night foreman said
he used money he got
straight from Nolan.

Maybe the petty cash
was being used to
pay off someone else.

Well, these two have to be
arraigned by tomorrow,

and you know how the D.A.
Hates surprises.

"Who needs math?"
I told my teachers,
I'm going to be a cop.

Don't feel bad.
I said the same thing
about biology

and I spend half my life
looking at autopsies.

Here. The contents
of the pockets of
that crane fatality.

Carlos Lazaro.

I've been trying
to track down
his next to kin.

Let me tell you,

directory assistance
in the Dominican Republic

is just as screwed up
as here.

Wait, isn't his wife
in a hospital in Queens?

Yeah,
but she's non-responsive,
some sort of coma.

I can relate. My wife's
nonresponsive, too.

Good night, fellas.

If I ever start talking
like that, shoot me.

Lupes,
it's the hospital bill

for the care
of Mr. Lazaro's wife.

Check out the record
of payments.

Got one for $3,660,

and another one
for $5,700.

The same amounts missing
from the petty cash.

Yeah, that money
was in a safe in the
construction office.

Hard to believe
a day laborer like Carlos
could get away with that.

That leaves the foreman
Gary Talbot.

You buy him as
some kind of Robin Hood,
stealing to help Carlos?

No, no, no, no, no.
Nobody's that nice,
not even Robin Hood.

There's been no change
since they brought her in
four weeks ago.

My first thought
was an overdose,

but her tox panel
came back clean.

So how did Mrs. Lazaro
end up in a coma?

Well, I found chlorine
in her lung tissue,

so my best guess
is she drowned.

Are you sure?
The 911 printout said

her husband came home
from work

and found her passed out
in the living room.

This was a dry drowning.

It's basically a delayed
reaction drowning.

The patient inhales water
not enough to kill them
right then and there,

but it starts
this chain reaction
in the lungs which,

absent medical
intervention,

ultimately
results in death,

or as with Mrs. Lazaro,
a persistent coma.

So during this
chain reaction,

she's what,
walking around
like normal?

Walking around, yes.
Normal, no.

Her behavior would've
become increasingly erratic

until she lost
consciousness.

Can you pinpoint exactly
when she inhaled
the chlorinated water?

My best guess is
it happened 10, 12 hours

before she landed
in my E.R.

Dr. Graber, Dr. Kellen
is looking for you.

Good luck.
All right. Thanks.

So sad about
her husband.

He was here every day
after work. Every day.

He ever talk about how
she might've drowned?

No.

She ever have
any friends visit her?

Her neighbors,
the first week.

Since then
it's just been her husband
and sometimes this guy Gary.

Gary? How often
does he come?

Every week.
Thursdays. Late.

He says
he's a family friend.

It's such a shame.
Amelia's so beautiful.

Thursdays are when
the payments were
made for her care.

Robin Hood
or Robin Creep.

You know, if Talbot
was stealing to pay
for her hospital bills,

maybe he had something to
do with putting her here.

Guilt makes people do
extraordinary things.

All due respect,
Lieu., nice as you are,

I just don't
see you stealing
from the company till

to pay for
my wife's hospital care,
assuming I had a wife.

Who said I was nice?

So, what are
we suspecting?

Talbot had something
to do with this woman's
near drowning?

Maybe they had
a lot more to do
with each other.

So, now,
we have Talbot

and Carlos's wife
having an affair.

They're kicking back
in the motel hot tub,

maybe one of them
starts making plans
for the future.

Things got ugly
from there.

Amelia ends up
in the hospital with
a lung full of water

while Talbot ends up
with a heart full of remorse.

So the crane falling
on Carlos had nothing
to do with this.

Not unless Talbot
pulled the crane down
on top of him.

These are two
unrelated crimes.

So one of them was
just a swimming accident.

Listen, Talbot is
an important witness
against the city inspector,

and the D.A. Doesn't
want us messing
with that case.

You telling us
to bury this?

Open a new one.

First item,
search Lazaro's home.

I've never seen Amelia
with any man except Carlos.

No other man.
She loved him.

So, did you see her
the day she got sick?

Sí, in the elevator.

I thought
she was drunk,

she didn't remember
what floor she living.

She said she don't
feel so good,

so I tell her
go to a doctor.

Amelia ever
go swimming?

No. I think Amelia
is afraid of the water.

Yeah?
Why do you think that?

Well, there is this pool
over here in the park.

It's not deep,
it's for kids.

One time the wind
take her hat
into the water.

She was afraid
to go in.

She ask my son
to get it.

I have to go.

Hey, Lupes, you got
Talbot's number on you?

Is that Amelia's phone?

Yeah, a prepaid
no ID cell phone,

with two numbers
in the address book.

One for Carlos
and the other
for Talbot.

How cozy.

I don't know about
the missing money.

It probably went in
that city inspector's
pocket.

No, no, no.
See, we know
where it went.

It all matches up.

The missing money
and the money that
you paid to the hospital.

That I paid?

The nurses
recognized you, Gary.

All right, look.
Carlos was having
a hard time

and they were talking
about shipping Amelia back
to her own country...

Don't even waste
your breath,

because we found this
adorable little phone
in Amelia's purse.

It's prepaid,
no ID, untraceable.

Perfect for people
having extramarital affairs.

No. I love my wife.

That's it.
I'm not talking
to you guys anymore.

We know the truly
involved parties

are either dead
or in a coma,

on even how well Talbot
covered his tracks.

It's going to be hard
proving he was having
an affair.

There's always
Talbot's wife.

Every morning's
the same.

Gary would've
been helping me
with Lacy.

But Tuesday,
four weeks ago,
how would I remember?

That was the day
that the wife

of one of your
husband's employees
was found in a coma.

Amelia Lazaro.

That name mean
anything to you?

Amelia Lazaro?
Why are you asking?

Because
your husband's number
was found on her phone.

Yeah, I gave her
that phone,

with our number
programmed on it.

And why would
you do that?

Because she worked
for us a few days a week,
helping out with Lacy.

Any reason your husband
wouldn't have mentioned
that to us?

Amelia doesn't
have any papers.

We were paying her
under the table.

Did you know that your
husband was visiting her
in the hospital?

Well, why wouldn't he?
She worked for us.

Well, we think
your husband was paying
for her medical bills

with the money
he was stealing
from his work.

You see,
in our experience,

that goes
above and beyond

what someone would do
for an employee,

unless there was
something else
going on between them.

I don't know
what you mean.

She just helped us out with
our daughter, that's all.

If you don't mind,
I have to take Lacy
to the doctor.

Oh, these are
water-wings, right?

That's what they're called.
They're cute.

You... You take your
daughter swimming?

It's water therapy.

Water therapy.
That means Talbot
has access to a pool,

which may be where
the chlorinated water in
Amelia's lungs came from.

Except Talbot
alibis for the 12 hours

before Amelia
dropped into a coma.

He was pulling
double shifts

at Wayne Hardy's
luxury salt mine.

Well, that leaves
Mrs. Talbot.

She may have
gotten into it
with Amelia

if she suspected
her husband was
cheating on her.

It might not have
been the first time.

A divorce petition
Gary Talbot filed
last year.

It was withdrawn
a couple of months later.

Sounds like this guy
was just itching to
get out of his marriage.

Mmm-hmm. And Sandra
knew damn well why.

Well, the question is,
can we put Sandra
with Amelia

on the day she went
into a coma?

We can do
better than that.

9:26 a.m.,
Sandra charged
two MetroCards

at the 86th and Lex station,
near their apartment.

Two MetroCards,
one for her and Lacy,
the other for Amelia.

There you go.
Half an hour later

there's a purchase
at a deli
on Union Square.

And 90 minutes
after that,

a charge at a drugstore
at 18th and Park.

An hour and a half
in a three block radius.

Is there
a swimming pool there?

Right.

The Michael Phelps wannabes
clear out by 10:00.

Mrs. Talbot had permission
to bring her daughter in
between 10:00 and 11:00,

when there was nobody
here to complain
about the kid screeching.

What about this woman?
You ever see her with them?

Sure. Yeah, the maid,
the helper, whatever.

She didn't
like the water,

so she'd stand
on the edge of the pool,

hand Mrs. Talbot towels,

help the little
girl in and out

of the wheelchair,
things like that.

Do you remember
the last time that
they were here?

Maybe about
four weeks ago?

Sure. Yeah,
the helper fell
in the pool.

How did that happen?

I... I didn't see.
I was here,

I heard some arguing
and then a big splash.

What was
the argument about?

I can't hear anything
from in here,

way too much echo
bouncing off the tiles.

That big splash,
could it have been

the little girl
or Mrs. Talbot?

I guess
it could've been,

but when I went out
to the pool,

they were bone dry
and the helper
was standing there

soaked and crying,
so you tell me.

Nobody saw Sandra Talbot
push her in the pool.

Yeah, but there's
circumstantial evidence,

there was a big splash,
Amelia was soaking wet.

And everybody knew
she was afraid of water,

so it's not like
she just dove in.

Well,
even if Mrs. Talbot
pushed her in,

she got out
and walked away.

Yeah,
but it doesn't matter.

If she hadn't been
pushed into the pool
in the first place,

she wouldn't be
in a coma right now.
It's attempted murder.

Mrs. Talbot,
you're under arrest...
What are you doing?

...for the murder
of Amelia Lazaro.
She didn't do anything.

- Hey!
- It's time to go.

It's okay, baby.
I'll take care of this.

Lacy, Mommy will
be right back.

Mr. Talbot,
stand back.
No!

Mr. Talbot.

She's done nothing!
Mommy will be right back,
okay, honey?

I'll take care of her, baby.
It's okay. Don't worry.

Honey.

"Docket number 42641.

"People v. Sandra Talbot.
Attempted murder
in the Second Degree,

"Assault in
the First Degree."

We plead not guilty
and request ROR.

For a Class A1 felony?

This was a slip-and-fall.

Well, Mr. Goodwin
can argue that to a jury.

Your Honor, my client's
nine-year-old daughter
has static encephalopathy.

She can't move, eat,
or go to the bathroom
without assistance.

My client's
husband has to work
to support the family,

there is no other help.

My client needs
to be home.

She put her caretaker
in a coma
and now she begs mercy

because she has
no caretaker?

You both overshot
the mark, counselors.

Bail is set at $200,000.

Next up.

You know 200 grand's
out of their reach.

Well, then lower
your retainer.

You have no eyeball witness,
a motive you can't prove,

and a link between
the alleged act
and the victim's coma

that's more
science fiction
than medical fact.

What are you
looking for?

Assault two,
suspended sentence.

Assault one.
She does five years.

The whole idea of a plea
is to keep Mrs. Talbot
with her daughter.

Our idea is to give
Amelia Lazaro justice.

Your client knew
about the affair

and she tried to drown
the other woman.

Now, she has to
answer for that.

Our first pretrial
discovery request.

An application for
all evidence the police
seized from the pool.

See you.

From a crane collapse
to a jealous wife.

The cops just
followed the facts.

This is where
they led us.

To a crime with no witnesses
and no forensic evidence.

Not quite.

The defense asked us
to produce a float pole
from the pool.

I had the police
check it,

and they found Sandra's
prints on one end of the pole

and Amelia's partials
on the other.

Her lawyer's going to argue
Sandra used the pole

to fish Amelia
out of the water
after pushing her in.

It's mitigation.

It's worse than that.
They'll argue renunciation.

Sandra Talbot had
a change of heart

after trying to
drown Amelia.

She could get away
scot free.

Renunciation's no defense
if it's motivated

by a fear of getting caught.

Amelia didn't
drown right away.

Sandra was worried
somebody'd walk in,
so she fished her out.

Good luck proving that.

Gary Talbot is a key
witness in our crane case.

Try not to
muddy that up.

We need to retrace Sandra
and Amelia's steps

after they left
the Rec Center,

find anyone they talked to.

I already told
the police what I know.

We talked to other people
who saw Amelia that day.

A subway employee
from the 96th
street station

said that she was having
trouble breathing.

Like I told the police,
she was sick.

The police also said
you told her
to go to see a doctor.

Yes. That's what
she should have done.

That's what
I don't understand,
Mrs. Escobedo,

why didn't she?

I don't know.
She was confused.

So you noticed that
she was in trouble,

and of course offered
to call 911 for her.
Didn't you?

She didn't want no help.

You said
she was confused.

Why would you
listen to her?

She say her boss tell her
don't go to the doctor.

She say her boss
tell her...

La migra. La migra.

So I listen to her.

Maybe I was wrong.

Sandra pulled her out
of the pool.

That's renunciation.

Penal Code Section 4010.
"Renunciation must be
complete."

Simply put, Mrs. Talbot,

your lawyer can't
argue renunciation

if you talked Amelia
out of seeing a doctor.

I'm heartbroken
about Amelia.

If I really thought
that she really
needed a doctor...

Look, Sandra can't go
to prison. Please.

What if...
What if my client was
covering for someone?

I'm listening.

Their daughter is
on anti-spasm pills,

but she didn't
get her meds
that morning.

She spasmed
and kicked Amelia
into the pool.

An accident?
Then why hide it?

The Talbots receive
thousands in city aid
for Lacy's care.

If they're negligent,
that aid can be revoked.

They'd have to
institutionalize her.

Stop it right now.

Lacy's been through
so much.

I won't victimize her
to help myself. I can't.

The truth right now
or she takes her
chances with a jury.

Amelia and I
argued about Gary.

I got angry,
I pushed her,

but I swear I wasn't
trying to kill her.

I just...

If I could take it
all back, I...

My daughter's
a sick little girl
who needs her mother.

Don't take me
away from her, please.
I'm begging you.

Assault two.

Suspended sentence,
provided a portion
of Gary's salary

goes to Amelia's
long-term care.

And Mrs. Talbot
will allocute.

I think we can
all live with that.

Suspended sentence?

Pushover.

I confronted
Amelia about Gary.

We began to argue.

Amelia admitted
that she and Gary
had been together.

I lost my temper.
I pushed her
into the pool.

Knowing she
couldn't swim.

Yes. She was
struggling
in the water.

I got scared.
I helped her out.

And what did you do?

I told her
to leave my family,
my husband, alone.

All right.

Mr. Cutter,
are the People satisfied?

Mr. Cutter?

Judge, permission
to inquire?

Mrs. Talbot,
how did you learn
about the affair?

Amelia... Amelia was
giving Lacy a bath.

She left her phone
in the kitchen.

It started to ring.
I saw it was Gary.

He left her a message.

I'd given her the phone,
I'd programmed it,

I knew the code
for the voicemail,
so I...

I found the message.

He was meeting her
after work.

So you confronted her
that day?

No.

Then the next day?
You confronted Amelia
the next day?

Yes.

When you took Lacy
to the pool?

Yes.

Your Honor,
is there a point
to this examination.

She's already admitted...
Your Honor,
at this point

the People are
withdrawing their plea offer
and stand ready for trial.

But we have a deal.

Had a deal,
Mr. Goodwin.

It's the District Attorney's
prerogative.

Give it a date, Freddie.

Pushover, my ass.

Pulling the plug
in the middle
of an allocution,

I hope you didn't
snatch defeat from
the jaws of victory.

We checked Amelia's
cell phone records.

There was no call from
Gary Talbot that day,
or any other day.

But the night before
Amelia drowned,

she made a call to
a Dr. Lucas Ziering.

He's an endocrinologist.
It was a one minute call.

It was after hours,
she left a message. And?

And the next morning
Sandra Talbot got a call
from Dr. Ziering.

She was on the phone
for 20 minutes.

An hour later
she shoved Amelia
into the pool.

And you think something
about that call upset Sandra?

I just don't think
she tried to kill her
over an affair.

I turned up
a police report filed

by Doctor Ziering,
about anonymous threats

left on his
office voicemail.

It's dated at two weeks
before Amelia was pushed
into the pool.

Maybe that's what
Amelia's call
to Ziering was about,

she was leaving
another threat.

A threat about what?

Bird in the hand, Mike.

Next time a defendant wants
to plead guilty, let them.

This is for Dr. Ziering.

What you are doing
to Lacy Talbot is
against God's plan.

You cannot
change her nature.

It's evil and you will
burn in hell if you do this.

Lacy's mom recognized
their caretaker's voice.

I... I told Sandra that
if these calls persisted,

I could no longer
treat their daughter,

and she said
she would speak
to the caretaker.

What did she mean,
changing Lacy's nature?

How were you
treating her?

The Talbots approached me
about restricting

their daughter's
physical development.

Meaning what?

Estrogen therapy
to permanently stunt
the child's growth.

And the removal
of her breast buds,

womb and ovaries,
so that her sexual
organs never mature.

Surgery and drugs
to keep her a child?

Is this treatment approved?

It's very controversial.

In fact,
I'm not the first doctor
that the Talbots came to.

They're desperately
concerned about
their daughter's welfare.

I told them
that they have
to be discreet,

or we're going to get
these kooks butting in.

What happened after
you got another call?

I told Mrs. Talbot that
I could no longer provide
Lacy's treatment.

How did she react?

She begged me
to reconsider.

But I... I couldn't.
I just couldn't
risk the publicity.

She became furious,
started screaming at me,

and I had to
hang up on her.

It... I'd hoped that
she would understand.

Don't worry, Doctor,
I think she found someone
else to vent her anger on.

I got nothing
to say to you.

Right now,
we need you to listen.

We told you...
There was no affair.

It was about
your daughter.

Amelia interfered,
she threatened your doctor.

I don't want to
talk about this.

Well, somebody needs
to talk to us

if your wife expects
any leniency.

Why? So you can
scare off the next doctor

who'd even consider
helping us?

My little girl will
never walk or talk.

And if she grows up
in this condition...

Right now,
she's an angel.

She's our little angel.

We can't imagine
what it's like,

the strain it must
put on your marriage.

We also know you filed
for divorce last year.

Yeah.
I looked down the road
and it was all black.

Everything would get worse
the older she got.

And I couldn't
handle it.

We worked through it.

Is that when you
came up with the idea
for this treatment,

to keep her a child?

I think you should
leave now.

Mr. Talbot, I would...

We do not need
your condemnation
or anybody else's.

This is our private business,
so you just butt out.

We traced a payment
the Talbots made

right before
Sandra was arrested
to a Dr. Connor Dunning

at Emmanuel
Children's Hospital.

I think she lined up
another doctor

to do this operation
on their daughter.

That explains
why Mrs. Talbot

won't speak the truth
in open court.

Their first doctor
got skittish.

She doesn't want
to scare off this one.

I'm moving to stop
the procedure.

On what basis?

It's an assault on
a handicapped child.

I don't know
if I would go that far.

What would you call
disfiguring this poor kid,
tearing out her uterus,

forcing hormones
into her veins
to stunt her growth?

I mean, look,
I've read up on this,
I talked to doctors.

No one knows
what the long-term
effects are,

assuming Lacy even
lives to find out,

because the hormones
might cause a blood clot
that kills her.

The procedure's not
medically necessary,

it's all for
the parents' convenience,
to save their marriage.

What does any
of this have to do

with our prosecution
of Sandra Talbot?

One assault's
to cover another,
this one on a child.

It's all part of the same
criminal enterprise.

It's a stretch.
She was ready to plead.

On false grounds.

You're splitting hairs.

What, so we don't
have an obligation
to pursue the truth?

Lacy Talbot's treatment
isn't our concern.

We have a victim.
Amelia Lazaro.

If Mrs. Talbot
doesn't want to come
clean, empanel a jury.

But this office focuses
on established crimes.

We're amending
the complaint

to add a charge
of conspiracy to
assault Lacy Talbot,

unindicted coconspirator,
Gary Talbot.

Overt act,
payment for the surgery.

Mike, were you not here
when Jack said focus
on established crimes?

If the judge buys my argument
that the operation is a crime,

then Jack won't
have anything to
complain about, will he?

You just want to stop them
from doing this procedure
on their daughter.

I don't have kids,
and I am not in
the Talbots' shoes,

but I'm not convinced.

Stick around.

Mister Cutter tanked a plea
and now he realizes his case
is a loser,

so he trumps up a charge
that Mrs. Talbot is trying
to assault her child.

It's a legitimate charge
based on newly
discovered facts.

These facts
don't even come close to
establishing an assault.

They establish
that there's a plan

to cause serious
injury to a child.

Mr. Cutter,
I agree the procedure's
ethically questionable.

That does not mean
it's a crime.

But I will give you
a chance to change my mind.

The procedure's untested.

It's benefits are
highly speculative.

The surgery will
be painful for Lacy
and the recovery long.

And complications from
the estrogen therapy
can't be discounted.

Dr. Peller,
are there other reasons

why your hospital's
ethics committee refused
to sanction this procedure?

It's a slippery slope.

Keeping Lacy small
might make her easier
to care for.

But then why not amputate
her legs to make her more
portable?

Remove her larynx
to stop her from crying?

So you're saying
that the convenience
of the parents

shouldn't be
a relevant factor?

In my opinion,
it is clearly outweighed
by the dignity anyone,

especially a disabled child
must be accorded.

She needs love, not surgery.

Before I agreed to
perform the procedure,

I spent hours
with the Talbots

watching them
interact with Lacy.

Their commitment to
her quality of life

and their love
for her is obvious.

But removal of her breasts,
uterus and ovaries

seems unwarranted,
doesn't it?

Actually, no.

Lacy's never
going to give birth,
breastfeed or have sex,

so those organs
are unnecessary.

And removing them eliminates
the potential for cancer
or emotional confusion.

Dr. Dunning,
would you say

that medicine's role
is to cure sickness?

Well, that's one formulation.

But that's not what
this procedure does,
right?

There's nothing wrong with
Lacy Talbot's sex organs
requiring their removal.

Nothing inherently
dangerous

about her growing
into an adult.

The procedure
doesn't address

sickness by that
narrow definition, no. But...

Thank you.

Money's tight.
Part-time help for Lacy
is all we can afford.

Since we can't pay
the going rates,

the people we use
aren't properly trained.

How much does
your daughter's care

and treatment
cost you a month?

Nearly $6,000.

The city chips in
about $2,000 a year.

We're out of pocket
on the rest

because Medicaid
won't pay

unless we put her
in an institution.

Is that an option
you've considered?

Absolutely not.

We're a family and
families stay together
no matter what.

And I know without
the round-the-clock care
we give her,

she can't survive.

Would you ever
intentionally harm Lacy?

No. I'd die
for my daughter.

If you had
a million dollars
to pay for caretakers,

would you still consider
this procedure for Lacy?

Yes. It's going to
improve her life.

And yours, too, right?

It'll reduce
your workload.

Make her easier
to lift, to feed?

It's about keeping our angel
where she belongs at home

and in the arms
of the family
that loves her.

By keeping her small.
But if she matures
into a grown woman,

then you'll have other
inconvenient things
to worry about,

her menstruation,
her sexuality...

No, it's not about
those things.

She won't be so cute
and cuddly anymore.

It's not about that.

We won't be able
to care for her at home,

we won't be able to
bring her with us,
to include her...

You'd need more caretakers,
special equipment,
a bigger home.

Yes.

It would be
too expensive.

Yes. We couldn't do it.

But you wouldn't
want Lacy to grow up

even if you had
all the money in the world.

You'd still put her
through this procedure.

That's what
you just said.

You wouldn't feel
the same way about her

if she grew up, would you?

It's easier
to love her now,

when she's small,
like a doll. Isn't it?

I love her,
I do love her.
My angel...

All right, Mrs. Talbot,
you're excused.

I have no doubt
the Talbots are motivated

by love and concern for Lacy.

On the other hand,
Mr. Cutter has demonstrated

that this inquiry
cannot begin and end
with a parent's intentions.

On balance,
the court is
not satisfied

the elements of
assault on the child
have been made out.

The motion to amend
the complaint is denied.

I hope that now the parties
can reach an agreement
on a plea settlement.

Goodwin has agreed
to a meeting.

I got to tell you, Mike.

I think the judge
made the right call.

Ever since
she pushed Amelia
into that pool,

Sandra Talbot's done nothing
but lie and obfuscate.

And now her reward's
a green light
to maim her child?

It's not our business
anymore.

Besides, there are
no clean hands here.

Sometimes it's hard
to know where justice is,

but you have to
do something.

You just have
to try and save
who you can save.

Assault two,
suspended sentence,
five years probation.

Same terms for
Amelia Lazaro's care.

And there's more.

I want her agreement
that she won't consent

to the procedure
with her daughter.

Like hell we will.
He can't do that,
can he?

No, he can't.
Mr. Cutter,
are you kidding me?

Take it or leave it,
Mrs. Talbot.

Or we go to trial
and you go to prison.

I can't be away
from her.

You want to tell me
what this is?

I'm guessing
you already know.

No operation.
No hormone therapy.

You've attached
an illegal stipulation
to a plea.

You violated
Mrs. Talbot's rights.

The judge will
repudiate this document.

I can sell him on it.

I'm repudiating it.

You've gone completely
off the reservation here.

Just imitating the master.

People v. Willach,
the Munchausen-by-proxy case.

Did you forget you made
enforced sterilization

a condition of a plea
for a woman
who killed her babies?

I remember.

I also remember the judge
reaming me out for it.

He was right.

You followed your instincts.
I'm following mine.

It's what we both
get paid for.

You get paid
to follow orders.

The court didn't
buy the argument

the Talbots are
assaulting their daughter,

it's time to turn
the page, Mike.

I have an executed
plea agreement.

I'm moving forward.

You want to
take the case away,
that's your call.

I have real reservations
about this stipulation,
Mr. Cutter.

Parents' control and care
of their children

is a right protected under
the 14th Amendment.

That right
isn't absolute.

It gives way
to a compelling
State interest,

like protecting a minor.

I believe I have already
ruled on that, Mr. Cutter.

You ruled
that the operation
isn't a crime.

That doesn't mean the State
still can't take an interest
in stopping it.

Mr. McCoy?

Permission to approach?

I've just been made
aware of the substance

of the plea agreement
in this matter.

Then you know
it attempts to impose
a questionable stipulation.

My office doesn't sanction
that stipulation
and we'll remove it.

I'd like to apologize
to the Court
and Mrs. Talbot

for this error
in judgment.

With the removal
of the stipulation,

the court has no objection
to this plea agreement.

We may proceed
with the allocution.

People v. Willach.
I overstepped back then.

One day you'll thank me
for yanking your leash,
Mike.

Sometimes I wish
someone had been there
to yank mine.