Do You Know the Muffin Man? (1989) - full transcript

(gentle energetic music)

(gentle brooding music)

(gentle upbeat music)
(group cheering)

- [Kendra] Come on, hit it right, bud.

- [Ellis] Come on Big Ted, you're due.

- [Kendra] Come on,
big guy, you can do it!

Swing at it!

(group groaning)
(group clapping)

- Ah, it's okay, you got it.

- Two way, run on anything!

Hey come on, Big Ted.



You're due, buddy, you're due.

Keep your eye on the ball.

- Wait for yours, Ted.

(ball thuds)
(group cheering)

- Beautiful

Go!

Keep going, keep going!

- Go, keep going!

Keep going!

(group cheering)

Yay!

- That's my idea of a home run. (laughs)

- Look I know what you hear out there,

but drugs aren't cool.



Cigarettes aren't cool.

And alcohol isn't cool.

One hit of crack and you
can be hooked for life.

Nicotine'll give you lung cancer.

Alcohol will wrap that car

you worked so hard to earn
around a telephone pole.

Now, thanks.

Lets hit some of the myths

that you're hearing
out in the parking lot.

- Officer?

- Yeah.

- I never hit on any myths
before, am I gonna get hooked?

(group laughing)

- No, myths are safe, Stu.

It's reality you gotta watch out for.

(group oohs)

(dog panting)

- Dear, God, for what
we are about to receive

make us truly thankful.

Keep Mom, and Dad, and
Teddy, and Rex safe.

And lead the Seahawks safely
out of the second division.

Amen.

- The blue item on the top of your head.

Thank you.

Did you stop by the car place today?

- Yeah.

Sign said body shop the guys
were all wearing Rolexes.

- Great.
- I think I'll make

a few more phone calls.

- [Kendra] Thank you.

- You know I stopped by
the teachers' lounge today.

- Unwinding under after
another grueling day

behind the slide projector.

- Hey, watch yourself young man.

- Brendan Cassidy said, "You
were fighting over cigarettes."

- Yeah, I led with my jaw again.

Forget it.

May I be excused?

- Kendra, I'm the chairperson

for the Tiny Tots fundraiser this year.

- I know, we got the invitation.

- It should be a fun evening.

- Helen, we'd love to do
something for the school

but I just started temping again,

and Roger isn't much of dancer.

(Helen laughing)

- Maybe I can hit you up for
the garage sale this spring.

- Great.

It's a deal.
- Good.

You know who turned me down flat?

- Who?
- Miriam Stossburg.

- Josh's mom?

- Sunday night she gets Alex
up out of bed at 2:00 am,

he meets them at the ER.

You know what it was?

- What?

- Gonorrhea.

It was Josh.

(traffic humming)

(police radio chattering)

(car door bangs)

- Hi, Rog.
- Hey.

(car door clicks)

(car door bangs)

(phone ringing)
(group chattering)

- Morning, Roger.

- [Receptionist] Summerton
Police, may I help you?

- I think I'm in love.

- Who's she?

- Miriam Stossburg.

- About Tiny Tot?

- She wanted to a file a compliant.

I had to talk her out of it.

- What kind of compliant?

- Would you believe sodom?

She had nothing but the kid's word on it.

- Don't you think it
oughta be in investigated?

It's our kids' school.

- The chief has know the
Richardsons for 25 years,

believe me they're solid.

Wanna know the real story?

Stossburg just broke
up with her boyfriend.

He runs some sort of
art gallery in Portland.

Mrs. Richardson thinks he raped Josh.

- Did you talk to this guy?

- I called a buddy of mine in vice.

They're checking him out.

- What happens at Tiny Tot
while they're checking?

- Innocent until proven guilty.

- Come on.

How about this new teacher?

- George Olin took a voluntary blood test.

No trace of any form of VD.

(birds chirping)
(Teddy laughing)

(Melinda laughing)

- How we doing?

- About five minutes.

- Perfect.

- Dr. Wells redid all the tests,

there was no screw up.

- Well, can you get
gonorrhea any other way?

- Not that I know of.

The only place Josh goes is Tiny Tot.

- (scoffs) It's a preschool
for crying out loud.

There's gotta be a reasonable explanation.

(Melinda laughing)

- Okay, you two, dinner's almost ready.

Melinda, you wanna go wash your hands?

There you go.

Bear, is there anything
you wanna tell me about?

- Nope.

- Like about school?

- No.

What are we having for dinner?

- Hamburgers.

- Pickles?

- Baby dills, the kind you like.

- Yummy.

- I heard Josh is sick.

Has he been at school?

- [Teddy] No.

- [Kendra] Do any of the
teachers make you uncomfortable?

- No, they're nice.

- How about Mr. George?

- He plays baseball with us.

- Does anyone at school
touch you in a bad way?

- Like we talked about?

- Like that.

- Nope.

(dog barking)

(group chattering)

- You guys wanna eat these on the swings?

- Ooh.
- Yeah.

- Yay.
- All right.

Go for it guy.
- Sounds good to me.

- [Roger] Mm-hmm.

- Thank you.

- Did you talk to Melinda?

- She's love school.

Everything's great.

- Did you talk to Teddy?

- Yeah, he's fine.

I could tell if there was something.

(boat engine whirring)

(dog barking)

- Mrs. Stossburg, officially I'm not here.

- But unofficially you'd
wanna see if you buy.

- Well, I've been doing some research.

Sexual abuse in preschools
is very, very rare.

- Really, then why do the
police wanna cover it up

when it actually happens?
- Now nobody wants

to cover anything up.

The chief has been playing golf

with the Richardsons for years now.

Lot of questions.

- The other detective ask more-

- No, no, I'm not a
detective, just a parent.

- Okay, then as a parent what about you?

What do you believe?

- (sighs) Well, I guess
I have a lot of trouble

stomaching the idea that any grownup

wants to have sex with a child.

- What they're saying
about me isn't true, okay?

I don't have any boyfriends.

I wish that I did.

- Well, couldn't have been George Olin,

he doesn't have the disease.

- It happened during nap time.

They gave Josh something funny tasting.

They put it in his fruit juice.

He woke up in the back of a van.

Now he was groggy but he still
remembers them taking them.

- [Roger] Who?

- The Richardsons.

The chief's golfing buddies
drove my son to a motel room.

There was a man there
that Josh didn't know.

He was very fat.

He took pictures of Josh.

- Is that all?

- Fat man raped him.

- So you're not saying
that the Richardsons

had sex with Josh?

- The Richardsons watched.

- (sighs) All right,
look our investigation

didn't locate a van.

Josh is the only kid who's
told a story like this.

- Could your son make
up something like this?

(traffic humming)

- [Radio Host] KOSH, radio
of Summerton, Oregon.

Give us 10 minutes
we'll give you the news.

Coming up shortly we have sports.

But first how about that weather report.

(radio host chattering)

(button clicks)
(birds chirping)

(gentle brooding music)

(tires screeching)
(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

(brooding music)

(knob jiggling)

(baby crying)

- [Susan] Does this hurt?

It hurts, huh?

Well, you just relax now.

I'm gonna make it all better, okay?

There you go.

Now how's that?

- Hi, can I help you?

- Oh, yes.

Um, I was just wondering if
I could visit my son's class.

- Oh, sure.

What's his name?

- Teddy Dollison.

I think he's in Mavis's class.

- Yeah, they're still out in the yard.

- Oh, great.

Um, we haven't met yet,
I'm Kendra Dollison.

- Oh, George Olin.

I'll show you.
- Great.

♪ Muffin man ♪

♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪

♪ The muffin man ♪

♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪

Hey, Arthur.
- I think he's over there.

- Thank you.

♪ The muffin man ♪

Hi, Bear.

- Hi, Mom.

- Is okay if I come to visit?

- Wanna see me hang from a bar?

- Sure.

- Kendra, what a nice surprise.

- Hi, Mavis.

I just thought I'd stop
and see how Teddy's doing

if that's okay with you?

- Of course it is.

There you go, Teddy.

Getting lots of good feedback at home?

- Oh, well, Teddy seems a
little bored with school.

- I hear that all the time.

Why aren't they reading

and what about their time tables?

We just don't push at Tint Tot.

- Well, I'm not complaining.

- See you have to realize
the important thing

right now is socialization.

And you don't have anything to worry about

as far as Teddy is concerned.

He's making lots of friends.

- That's good.

Everybody seems to be having a good time.

I was a little surprised to
find the front door locked.

- You never know who's gonna
walk in off the street.

Come on, let me show you
some of Teddy's art work.

- Great.

(group chattering)

So any news on the collision shop front?

- Yeah, Otto's Golden Hammer
will do it for 1800 bucks.

- For bodywork or orthodonture?

So how was school?

- Boring.

- Boring?

Honey, did anybody unusual
ever pick Josh up after school?

- No.

- Well, like maybe somebody
Josh's mom was seeing.

- Mom, he said, no.

- Do I have to eat all these carrots?

- Well, you wanna hit home runs?

- If I eat my carrots will
you buy me a catcher's mitt?

- Uh-uh.

Catcher's mitt you gotta eat parsnips.

- Teddy, are there any new
men teachers at school?

- Mom, what is it with you?

You don't believe anything Teddy says.

- Of course I do.

I'm just interested in school.

- Parents, gotta watch 'em, Ted.

Jeff Woodbeck's mom took him

into the drug store to discuss condoms.

- (laughs) She didn't.

- No, she did.

Then she cut off his allowance

when he knew what aisle they were in.

(Roger laughing)

(upbeat music)

(host chattering)

- Turn it off, Sandy.

- [Sandy] What do you got against

the National Geographic Society?

(host chattering)

- Since when did Bob Hope

start doing National Geographic specials?

- Brooke Shields is an educated woman.

- She's cuter than you are, honey.

From you Princeton's
going to expect homework.

(remote clicks)

(Teddy humming)

Okay, mister, time for bed.

Robbie, what happened to you?

- Ah.
- Oh.

Are you sure there isn't
anything you wanna tell mommy?

- A kid at school said, "A
catcher's mitt only costs $30."

- [Kendra] He did?

(lips smacking)

Night, night, little bear.

- What about first baseman's mitt?

- You would tell Mommy if-

- I like school.

I like boring stuff.

- Goodnight, sweetie.

- [Teddy] Goodnight, Mom.

(door bangs)

(horn honking)
(police radio chattering)

- Okay, I'm gonna go to the cash machine,

so you guys get to surprise him.

Now remember no fast food.

- Okay.
- He gets to pick

the place he likes.

- All right.
- Okay.

- Goodbye.
- See ya.

(car door bangs)

(horn honks)

(phone ringing)
(group chattering)

(brooding music)

- [Man] Hi, Sandy and Teddy.

- I've got a witness.

I'm so sorry.

Stay calm.
- Do you know

the other parents?

The mommies and daddies?

Can you tell us more about the blood?

Where did it come from?

- [Ellis] Sweetheart, what do you mean

you were covered in blood?

(phone ringing)

It's gonna be all right, I promise you.

Okay?

- Hey.

- [Teddy] Happy Birthday.

- Oh, thanks.

What are you guys doing here?

- Why, why is Melinda here?

- Dad, what's going on?

Why are Teddy's teachers here?

- Is Melinda going to jail?

- No, we don't put kids in jail.

- Dad, what she saying?

- Why don't you guys go wait

in the interrogation room, okay?

Sandy, keep the door shut.

- [Arthur] Hi, Teddy.

(police radio chattering)

(phone ringing)

(police radio chattering)

(doors banging)

- Is Melinda gonna have to wear handcuffs?

- Dad told you they
don't arrest little kids.

- Then why is she still here?

(siren wailing)

(group chattering)

- [Sandy] Paula's taking her home now.

- Okay, go home.

Kendra will go with you, all right?

- Come on, let's go.

(group chattering)

(insects chirping)

Teddy.

Honey, wake up.

Teddy, wake up, honey.

I need to talk to you.

You gotta tell me truth, Bear.

What Melinda said happened
at school did you see it?

(Teddy sighs)

Honey, look at me.

Teddy, look at me.

Did you see anyone do
anything bad to Melinda?

- The teachers are nice, Mom.

- Did you see anyone hurt any of the kids,

any of the kids at all?

- No.

- Goodnight, little bear.

- Goodnight.

(door creaking)

- What happens if
Melinda wakes up tomorrow

and changes her story?

What happens then?
- Melinda isn't

making up a story.

- Tiny Tot has been open for years,

why would the Richardsons suddenly

start something like this?
- Okay, okay,

so what's it gonna take to
get you to believe the kids?

- I'm the one who believes.

Teddy says, "That Josh and
Melinda are making up a story."

I believe my son.
- You're, you're

not being rational.

- Rational?
- There's-

- Don't talk to me about rational.

People don't do things
like this to children.

- Okay, what, so it's-
- It's rational.

- A coincidence that,
that Josh and Melinda

just make up stories

that the exact same four
people molested them.

- And Teddy didn't know.

- Melinda said, "It's been
happening for a long time

in a small house."

How could he not have known?

- Then why won't he tell me about it?

- I don't know.

You think a four-year-old could
make something like that up?

Even about the baby powder?

(fingers tapping)

(door clicks)

- Get dressed, Teddy.

And Beth will show you the toy drawer.

- Come on, Teddy.

(door bangs)

- His blood tests are all normal.

- So he's all right?

- There are laceration
scars on his rectum.

- The scars could come
from a lot of things.

- Kendra, Teddy's been raped.

- God.

(group chattering)

- [Martha] Well, if you've been through

what Teddy's been through

would you wanna tell people about it?

- [Kendra] Dr. Billington,
we're his parents.

It's been six weeks.

- [Martha] He's making real
progress in his therapy.

- You mean he's talking to you?

- There are nonverbal ways for a child

to tell a therapist what's wrong.

I have to warn you the healing process

can take a long time, years even.

It can put the family under stress.

And no one's ever done
a longitudinal study on-

- Come on, Martha, what's he told you?

- I want you to see one
of Teddy's drawings.

- [Roger] What does it mean?

- [Martha] We're not sure.

(birds chirping)

(car doors clicking)

(car door bangs)

(car door bangs)

(brooding music)

- They aren't here anymore, Bear.

- [Roger] They're gonna be
in jail for a long time.

- Aunt Mavis?

Uncle Arthur?

Mr. George?

Ms. Susan?

- They're gone.

Bear, lots of kids have told.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

Nobody is gonna hurt you.

Honey, nobody is gonna know you told.

Remember what Daddy said?

They're all in jail.

- They'll find out.

- Nobody'll know but us.

It's our secret.

(Teddy grunts)

Mavis, gave it to him.

She brought it to the house
just as he started school.

(water splashing)

There's nothing to be afraid of.

There are no more secrets.

- They said, "You'd die if I ever told."

- Oh, honey, you're
never gonna have to worry

about anything like that again I promise.

- Which one of them hurt you?

- They all did.

Ms. Susan took pictures.

- While they did what?

- Mr. George liked to play a game.

- [Kendra] Tell us about the game.

- I swear they're going to jail.

They're never gonna hurt you,

and they're never gonna hurt us.

(rain pattering)

- Look at the cars.

- Guess tonight we find out

how many victims there really are.

Ready?

- Yep.

- [Roger] Go.

(car door clicks)
(car door bangs)

- Because we didn't want you to read

about these indictments for
the first time in the papers.

So here it is, tomorrow
the district attorney

will announce indictments
against two defendants,

Mavis and Arthur Richardson

on 37 separate counts of child
molestation and sexual abuse.

- What about the other two?

- We've elected not to indict

either Ms. Larrimer or George Olin.

- Ms. Larrimer raped my daughter.

- What do you have to do
around her to get indicted?

- Your daughter is only two.

A two-year-old is not a good witness.

You have to realize that we
wanna make cases we can win.

There just wasn't enough evidence

against the other two teachers.

- Are you telling us you let them walk?

- They've left the community, yes.

- Oh.

- [Crowd Member] Oh, how could you?

- In the absences of an indictment

they're entirely within their rights.

- That's crap, Bernstein.

I ran NCICs on all four of these freaks.

Susan Larrimer has a record.

She was tried in Kentucky
for molesting a retarded kid.

- And she was acquitted.

It isn't a crime to be
accused of a felony.

- Yeah, but you've gotta
admit somebody screwed up.

How did she get a job at Tiny Tot?

- Didn't any body from the
licensing board check this woman?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Look, you entrusted your
children to these people,

the defense is gonna harp on that.

Nobody including you knows what
a child molester looks like,

so don't go after all the
people who should have known,

you should have known.

(group chattering)

(group chattering)

Listen, listen, we need
your children as witnesses.

The defense is gonna try

to destroy their credibility on the stand.

If you don't support your children,

if you don't help them testify

you have no prayer of
getting a conviction, none.

And I promise you every
person in this room

is gonna wanna give up
before this trial is over.

(group chattering)

- Mr. Bernstein, our
son is ready to testify

against George and Susan.

- Which one is your son?

- Teddy Dollison.
- Right, he's almost five.

He's very bright, make a good witness.

- Look, I don't know how much you know

about courtroom strategy-

- No, I know that you're missing evidence.

Teddy talked about photographs.

- No, I'm not talking about evidence.

I'm taking about pedophilia.

The average person doesn't wanna believe

that adults have sex with children.

Now jurors are average people,

which means that a
prosecutor has gotta stay

below their threshold of credibility.

- Mr. Bernstein, Susan
and George raped my son.

- What are you saying?

Are you saying that Teddy

doesn't have the right to accuse them?

- No, I'm saying that Teddy unfortunately

is one of only four kids who
have made specific allegations

against George and Susan.

- Wait, you have four witnesses
and that's not enough?

- Three of them are two-year-olds

who won't do me any good on the stand.

That leaves me with one.

And the simple truth is
most of the witnesses

we have today will drop out before

this trial is over.
- Teddy will not drop out.

- Look, I know you wanna get these people.

I feel the same way.

But the bottom line is convictions.

I have got to make a case I can win.

- All right, so what if we
find Susan and George, right?

What if there are
photographs or videotapes?

- These people are not dumb.

If there ever were
photos there aren't now.

- All right, what if there were?

- Then we'd reexamine the
situation pretty fast, okay?

(traffic humming)

- Ken.

- What?

- (sighs) Nothing.

Couldn't you see it?

- See what?

- That it was going on.

- It happened at nap time.

They kept the doors locked.

There were lookouts.

There was nothing to see.

- Couldn't you see it in his eyes?

- You saw him at breakfast.

You saw him every night at dinner,

couldn't you see anything?

- Well, I'm not his mother.

Mothers are supposed to know
when things are going on.

- So this is all my fault.

- It's my fault.

- No, it's their fault, they did it.

- Ah, you heard Bernstein,
we should have known.

(sighs) God, I keep going through this

over and over in my mind.

You know what did I miss?

I mean how could Teddy keep
something like this inside him?

You know?

I mean how did it happen that one day

(melancholic music)

and I'm off doing somethin' for myself,

you know, I'm, I don't
know I'm eating a danish,

and these people are raping our baby.

You know I never consciously
wanted to hurt anybody before.

I wanna find these people,

I wanna beat their faces into a pulp.

And then I'm gonna tell
Teddy that I did it.

(Kendra crying)

(phone ringing)
(group chattering)

Can't let them get away.

- Susan and George?

Case is too weak.

- Not, not if we find some hard evidence.

Now why'd they'd take pictures, huh?

There's gotta be some kind of
pornography connection, right?

So we go down to Portland, start there.

- Hold on, hold on, look,
I'm the detective trust me

it's just not worth wasting time on.

- Hey, I got nothing but time.

- You're very good at what you do, Roger.

- But I'm not a detective, right?

- No, that's not the real problem.

- It's not real to you

because Susan and George
didn't hurt your kid.

- No.

(sighs) The real problem is they're gone.

(traffic humming)
(birds chirping)

(group chattering)

(Roger chattering)

- I don't think so.

- You have to believe the kids.

We've been through this before.

- I'm telling you you're in trouble.

You don't want me, you
don't want me to have to.

- [Marvin] Have to do what, Steve?

(group chattering)

- You and Kendra don't
believe that nonsense.

- No, we think Josh
Stossburg got gonorrhea

from the Tooth Fairy.

- Josh was raped by his
mother's boyfriends.

- Yeah, see that's your story.

Teddy said, "He saw it happen at school."

Said, "He saw Susan taking
pictures of George raping Josh."

- That's ludicrous.

Susan is a master teacher.

She supervised George while

he was doing his practice teaching.

I've known them both for years.

- What's it's like, Arthur?

- Huh?

- Watching.

- Did Teddy tell you all this

before or after his treatment
with Dr. Billington?

- What's Dr. Billington
got to do with anything?

- She debriefed all 37 victims didn't she?

- Doesn't prove anything.

- She cooked it all up, Roger.

Every sordid lie.

- Who's the fat man?

- [Stephen] I told you, no conversations!

(group chattering)

- [Reporter] Excuse me,
sir, can you just give a.

- [Man] Hang on.

- No!

No!

(Teddy screaming)

Stay away!

Stay away!
- Honey, honey, honey.

Teddy, Teddy, Teddy, wake up, sweetie.

Wake up, calm down, it's
all right, it's all right.

Calm down.

It's okay, it's good.

- It's all right, Teddy.

It was just a bad dream, you're all right.

- Yeah.

Okay, sweetie, calm down.

Go back to sleep.

(traffic humming)
(group chattering)

(group chattering)

(sultry music)

- [Woman] Hi.

- [Man] Hi, I'm looking
for some young girls.

(man chattering)

(woman chattering)

- You got any idea who we call

if you need something even younger?

- Take it from a guy who's
worked a lot of vice tours

this is a waste of time.

- Listen, you told me
about the pedophile rings

we gotta get inside one.

- The right one.

How do we know the Richardsons

didn't sell their stuff
in San Francisco or LA?

- Well, copy down some
phone numbers anyway.

- Can I help you guys?

- Yeah, we're staying in
a hotel around the corner.

Room service doesn't have
what we're looking for.

- Which is?

- Uh, young boys.

Four, five.

- Everything in my store is legal.

- Come on, man, we'll pay the fray,

just tell us who to call.

- You sleazy creep.

What are you gonna do next?

Show me your damn snapshots?

I don't want your money.

Sex with kids makes me puke.

- What snapshots?

- What snapshots?

You sick weirdos, get out of my face.

(group chattering)

- Then Uncle Arthur took
off the baby's clothes.

- And you're sure you saw this, Melinda,

with your own eyes?

Because it's very important

you don't tell me things you heard,

just what really happened to you.

- It was my day to be the baby.

- Okay.

Show me what Uncle Arthur did to the baby.

- I called our insurance company.

For group therapy they pay less than half.

I'm gonna have to go
back to work full-time.

You know anybody who's looking

for a secretary or a receptionist?

Paula, are you all right?

Feel sick?

- I looked at her last night
while she was sleeping.

- Nightmares?

- I watched her all night.

Since the minute I found out

she hasn't been out of my sight.

(birds chirping)

- Yes, George and I
were in the same class.

I was supposed to call him
about the alumni magazine.

Uh-huh.

No, but that's the address that I have.

Do you have anything more recent?

Well, I thought I might try the preschool

where he did his practice teaching.

Is that in your records?

I see.

Okay.

Thank you.

- I feel like I live in a
phone company commercial.

- I have to call every
preschool in Connecticut.

- [Kendra] Why?

What makes you think he went back east?

- Well, as Arthur said, "George and Susan

met practice teaching
while he was in college."

He went to the Connecticut Institute

for Early Childhood Development.

- Well, before you do that

then will you call these people for me,

and tell them I'm on my way?

- Sure, who's this?

- That's a meat packing
plant, nine bucks an hour.

They said, "If they like me
they might make it permanent."

- Hey, it's not gonna be permanent.

I love you.

- Bye.
- Bye.

(group chattering)
(group clapping)

(bat thuds)

- Fag!
- Shut up!

- [Woman] Hey, watch it.

Cut it out you guys.

- Hey, come on, guys.

Come on.
- Play.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey.

(hat thuds)

(group cheering)

(group chattering)

- What'd he call you?

- What's a fag?

- A guy's who's gotta be tough to survive.

Hey, next time he gets on base spike him.

- [Man] Okay, come on, come on.

- [Crowd Member] Come on now.

(insects chirping)
(dog panting)

(dog whining)

- What kind of school's open
in the middle of the night?

Go to bed.

- I'm getting closer.

- You think I like playing
den mother to my father?

This kind of responsibility could warp

an adolescent's basic oedipal drives.

- I reached a guy who knows George

who thinks he teaching at
a school near New Haven.

(group chattering)

(lock clicking)
(door clicks)

- Do anything until you finish it.

- Hey.

- Found him.

He's teaching at a
preschool in Bridgeport.

(door bangs)

- You didn't go to work today?

- Called in sick.

- I wish I had known.

Teddy could have stayed here with you.

- Hey, I like the meat place.

- You eat too much salami, buddy.

- Are you going?

- Yeah, I got a ticket on the red eye.

- Will you be back before
I tell what I saw in court?

- Wouldn't miss that.

- He's gotta make sure Mr. George

doesn't hurt anymore kids, Teddy.

- Daddy, don't go near him.

- We don't let people
hurt us in this family.

- Come on, Teddy.

- So how'd you pay for the ticket?

- Plastic.

- Okay, say you get lucky.

Say George does keep photos of the kids.

Say Bernstein decides to reindict.

What happens then?

- Then we get them all.

Show Teddy they can't spit in our faces.

- And how long is that gonna take, Roger?

Don't give it to me years,
give it to me in nightmares.

Or better yet maybe insults.

- You know how many kids one
person can abuse in a lifetime?

- What about our kid, Roger?

People avoid me in the market.

Can't afford to fix our car.

Even Teddy's friends have
started calling me names.

- Okay, fine, you don't
want me to go, I won't go.

(Kendra sighs)

(plane engine roaring)

- [Announcer] Flight 147. (chattering)

- Roger.

- Hey.
- Ernie Ronay.

- Yeah, Ernie, how are you?

- Fine, and you?
- Is he still in town?

- Yeah, and doesn't suspect a thing.

- All right, good.

I'll start watching this
place this afternoon.

- We've done better than that.

We put a policewoman in there undercover.

- How'd you manage that?

- I had talk with the owner.

- Did you mention George?

- No way.

I just said, "That we had tip

about somebody abusing
kids in our schools."

- You said child abuse.

- She doesn't want abuse at her school.

- Ernie, did you ever handle
a case like this before?

- Never even heard of anything
like this around here.

- Let's get going.

(birds chirping)

(tires screeching)

(car doors clicks)

(car doors banging)

On time, come on.

♪ The itsy bitsy spider
climbed up the water spout ♪

♪ Down came the rain ♪

♪ And washed the spider out ♪

♪ Out came ♪

Mr. George is sick today.

♪ And dried up all the rain ♪

♪ And the itsy bitsy spider
climbed up the spout again ♪

Well, he still hasn't
cleaned out his desk.

- Maybe he really is sick.

- If he keeps snapshots
they'd be in his apartment.

Do you have the address?

- [Ernie] Yeah.

- All right, let's get over there.

- It'll take a couple hours
to get another warrant.

- Hey, sarge, take a look at this.

It's his address book.

- [Ernie] With phony names.

Want it?

- I want everything.

(knuckles tapping)

- Mr. Orlin, police.

Open up, sir.

Open it.

(lock clicking)

(door bangs)

He's gone.

(door bangs)

- [Marvin] Now Melinda, how
often did you play baby nursery?

- [Melinda] Every
Thursday during nap time.

- Mm-hmm.

Then did Aunt Mavis play too?

- [Melinda] She changed
the baby's diapers.

- And you were the baby?

So then Aunt Mavis took your clothes off?

And what did Uncle Arthur do?

- He powdered the baby's bottom.

- With baby powder from a can?

- On his fingers.

- [Marvin] And then what did he do?

- The bad thing.

- Now Melinda, can you tell us

where Uncle Arthur put his fingers?

- I don't wanna tell.

- Okay.

Can you tell us then if
the game hurt the baby?

- It hurt the baby's vagina.

- Melinda, how does a five-year-old
know a word like vagina?

- Women have them.

- But how do you know, Melinda?

- It's one of Dr. Billington's words,

and Mommy told me what it means.

- Ah, one of Dr. Billington's words.

- Objection, Your Honor, argumentative.

- Sustained.

- Melinda, does your family own a VCR?

You know a machine to play movies?

Answer my question, Melinda.

Do Mommy and Daddy watch movies on a VCR?

- We all do.

- Then isn't it possible
that you got these ideas

from some of the video
cassettes Mommy and Daddy watch?

- That's a lie!

We've never watched an
X-rated movie in our lives.

- You're not on trial here, Mrs. Stockman.

- Melinda isn't either.

- [Judge Allen] Mr. Stockman.

- How can you let him badger her

while they're glaring at her?

You're just as bad as the people

you're supposed to be judging.

- Mrs. Stockman, please.

- Melinda, did you first
hear about grownups

abusing children from Dr.
Billington or from your mother?

- My mommy didn't do anything.

- Then why is she trying
to coach you, Melinda?

What are you two trying to hide?

(group chattering)
(gavel tapping)

(man coughing)

- 10 minute recess.

(gavel thuds)

(birds chirping)

(car door clicks)

(car door bangs)

(trunk clicks)

- Mom, you didn't finish.

What happened to Melinda today in court?

- Pugliotti confused her.

She couldn't remember a thing
she said on her deposition.

Sandy, can you help me with that?

Get the door.

- She was gonna be one
of the best witnesses.

- I know.

She cried a lot.

She wasn't sure of things.

It was a mess.

- Can I ride my bike before dinner, Mom?

- Did you clean your room?

Remember what we said
you don't ride your bike

'til you clean your room.

Teddy, Sandy, go around
the side of the house.

- I'll do it later.

I'm gonna go over to Mikey's.

- [Kendra] Around the side of the house

right now both of you.

(gate bangs)

(traffic humming)

(door clicks)

- [Cab Driver] Thanks.

(group chattering)

- You don't have to worry,
honey because you never lie.

- Hey!

- Dad, they killed Rex,
they're gonna kill you.

- No, no, no, what happened
to Rex was an accident.

- He was poisoned.

- No, no, now come on, Teddy.

Momma thinks that, uh, he must have gotten

into that stuff we use
on snails in the garden.

- No, Dad, it's 'cause you
went to find Mr. George.

- But I never saw him, Teddy.

He was gone before I got there.

Hey, he doesn't know you told.

- Are you sure?

- I'm sure.

Okay.

- Come on, Ted, I'll buy you some gum.

Come on.

- Go with Sandy.

(Roger sighs)

- I don't get it, he's
convinced the Richardsons

are the ones who killed Rex.

- What the guys in the lab say?

- Well, the autopsy showed
it was rat poisoning.

- Here we go, judge is coming in.

How'd it go back east?

- He took off before
we could get anything.

- Too bad.

Okay, big guy, let's do it.

(group chattering)

- [Reporter] Could you turn around for us?

Could you smile?

(group chattering)

Okay, come around then.

- Remember what we talked about, Bear.

Just get up there and tell the truth.

Nobody can hurt you now.

- All right, remember Mr.
Bernstein's our friend now.

You just answer his questions
in a nice loud voice, okay?

(camera clicking)
(group chattering)

(brooding music)

- Don't look at her, Teddy,

just us, that's why we're here.

(man coughing)

- [Clerk] The Honorable
Clinton C. Allen presiding.

All rise.

- You need to stand up, honey,

to show respect for the judge.

(gavel thuds)

Teddy.

Teddy.
(group chattering)

- [Roger] Hey!

- Teddy?

Teddy?

Teddy?

Teddy?

Teddy, honey, what's wrong?

Sweetie, nobody is gonna hurt you.

We would never let anybody hurt you.

Sweetie, what is it?

What is it?

- They we're right.

- Who was right?

- Aunt Mavis and Uncle Arthur.

They said, "If I told a man
would be here to punish me."

- A man?

Who?

- A man in a black robe.

- No, Bear.

No, see they knew that
there'd be a man in black robe

but he's the judge.

He's your friend.

- No, Dad, people who wear
black are servants of Satan.

- Servants of Satan.

Black robes, dead rabbits.

I think maybe Teddy was right about Rex.

(group chattering)

- Dad, you know don't you?

- Why you're scared?

Sure do.

- No, that they have magic powers.

- Now, listen, Bear, they're not devils

or whatever they told you they are, okay?

They don't have any magic powers.

- Then why are we going home?

- Because they're sick.

They're bad.

- Are you scared of them?

What they did was bad.

It wasn't the kids, it
was them, right, Mom?

- Hey, you still wanna
tell them that in court?

- It wasn't the kids.

- Now, Teddy, you said, "That
baby nursery was a bad game."

Did anyone tell you baby
nursery was a bad game?

- Dr. Billington.

- Ah, Dr. Billington again.

Dr. Billington told you,

"That you were bad to play the game."

- No, she said it was a bad game,

but she didn't say we were bad to play it.

- So you told Dr.
Billington about the game

and she told you what to say here today.

- Objection, Your Honor.

He's twisting the facts.

- Goes to state of mind, Your Honor.

- Rephrase the question, Mr. Pugliotti.

- Teddy, can you tell the difference

between what's true and what's false?

- Yes.

- In baby nursery

were Mr. and Mrs.
Richardson really doctors?

- No.

- [Stephen] What about Dr. Billington?

- Yes.

- What would you say if
I told you Dr. Billington

isn't really a doctor?

- She isn't?

- She's not a medical doctor no.

Now what about the Easter Bunny, Teddy,

is the Easter Bunny real?

- Objection, Your Honor.

The Easter Bunny is irrelevant.

- Goes to the witness's
credibility, Judge.

- I'll allow it.

- Is the Easter Bunny real?

- Yes.

- Did Uncle Arthur ever
dress up in a rabbit costume?

- Yeah, at Easter.

- Was he really the Easter Bunny?

- No.

- Well, if Dr. Billington
wasn't really a doctor

how can you be sure Uncle Arthur

wasn't really the Easter Bunny?

Who are you looking at, Teddy?

Is someone coaching you now

the way Dr. Billington coached

every alleged victim in this case?

- Objection, Your Honor!

The boy is looking at his parents.

- Sustained.

Mr. Pugliotti, you are
treading on thin ice here.

- I believe the relevance
will be apparent, Your Honor.

What it boils down to is this,

a lot of the time you
don't know if a grownup

is telling you the truth or not.

- No.
- And you get confused.

- Yes.
- Don't you?

- No, yeah, yeah.

- Now wasn't it really other kids

that you played doctor
with and not your teachers?

- I don't know!

- Leave him alone!

- [Judge Allen] Mr.
Dollison, let Mr. Bernstein

do the objecting.

- What kind of man are you?

He's a child!

- A child you put on the stand.

- No, a child they put on the stand!

- Why won't you let me
tell what really happened?

- It's late.

Recess.

Reconvene in my chambers in 10 minutes.

(gavel bangs)

(group chattering)

(door clicks)

Ah, Melinda.

Teddy.

Whoops.

I'd like to try something different.

Sit down.

Melinda, why don't you sit in my chair,

and Teddy, you stand right here like,

like Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Pugliotti do.

Now what we're about to
do is off the record.

That means it not part of
the trial it's just for me

'cause I, I'm confused about something.

Melinda, you said, "That
Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mavis

stood over you and killed a rabbit."

And then Teddy later you said,
"The rabbit was still alive."

Well, which is it, dead or alive?

- Both.

- Judge, this is what I'm talking about.

They have no-
- Steve, be quiet, okay?

How can something be both dead and alive?

- Satan.

- Who's Satan?

- The devil.

- Satan makes the rabbit die

and then brings him back to life?

- Aunt Mavis told us.

- There was always a new
rabbit the next morning.

- Why does Satan do this?

- 'Cause we're bad.

- The rabbits good and if
we're good and we tell.

- What will happen?

- Robbie will tell Satan
and Satan will punish us.

- Satan?

Robbie Rabbit?

Let's get serious here.

- Mrs. Richardson gave each
of the kids a stuffed rabbit.

- A toy so?

- The toy was actually a totem.

An evil eye watching them.

- An evil eye?

Come on, Marv, who's your
next witness gonna be a bat?

- You watch your tone
of voice with me, okay?

- [Stephen] This whole
case is gross fabrication.

- Be quiet both of you!

I have what I need.

I want you to come back to court on Monday

and tell the jury exactly
what you told me, okay?

(traffic humming)

- Ellis, come on wait!

- Melinda is not going back on that stand.

- Ellis, we're not gonna stop now.

- What, what you wanna take on satanist?

Huh, people like the Manson gang?

Uh-uh, no thank you.

- Teddy needs Melinda.

- I'm sorry.

- What about what they did to Melinda?

- What about what you're
doing to these kids

by putting 'em on the stand?

- Ellis, you want Arthur
and Mavis to go free?

- I wanna keep my daughter alive.

(reporter chattering)

- Anything at all?

(camera clicks)

- We're down to just three witnesses,

Teddy, Jennifer, and Josh.

Now what's clear to me
from our side bar yesterday

that the judge is as ticked
with Pugliotti as we are.

I can see the same thing
in the juries' eyes.

And your three kids are our only hope.

We can't afford to lose any of them now.

- So when are you gonna tell
the jury about the satanism?

- Satanism wasn't the way to go a year ago

it's not the way to go now.

- Wait a minute, you mean

you, you knew about this all along?

- Black robes, killing bunnies, your dog,

I had a pretty good idea.

- You didn't think that was relevant?

- I talked to a lot of other prosecutors,

everybody says the same thing,

"Juries cannot deal with satanism."

- Oh, yeah, juries can't deal with it,

well, you know what kids don't
deal with it so well either.

- Miriam.

- You know what I can't believe

that you decided this on your own.

You know that stinks.

- You can't run a criminal
prosection by committee.

- Okay, you can't run it
without witnesses either.

- All right, wait, wait, wait.

What if we can get one of
them to cut a deal with us?

- They take oaths.

They ID their relatives for the group,

and that way if somebody rats

they know there'll be reprisals.

- So you admit this is real?

- It's not a question of what I believe.

I mean look at the Presidio
case, El Paso, West Point.

The same stories keep cropping
up all over the country.

This many satanic ritual abuse cases

there's gotta be something out there.

- All right, then tell the jury that.

- Look, we're doing the best we can.

I just can't make any promises.

- You're telling us
that we're going to lose

after you put Josh on the stand

so that Pugliotti could, could,

could rape him all over again.

My son is starting to stutter.

He's in a five a week therapy.

You know he could be in
that for several years,

and all this time you know those-

- Miriam.

(sighs) Josh probably won't
have to testify again.

- You're right, Bernstein,
you're damn right he won't.

Look I'm sorry.

- Let's go.

(door bangs)

- Teddy can't do this alone.

(Roger sighs)

(teapot whistling)

- You want some mint tea?

- You agree with Mom?

You're just giving up.

- Bernstein hasn't got anymore witnesses.

It's over.

- Just like that.

We don't let people hurt
us in this family you said,

but what the hell, right?

- All right, look, you saw
what it's doing to him.

- You have to understand

these people killed our dog-

- Hey, shh.
- Remember that?

- You'll wake everybody up.

- I didn't think you
were such a damn wimp.

You're always backing out.

- Hey.

- And you want Teddy to
grow up just like you.

- Hey, that's enough.

- No, it's not!

You can't back out.

You're letting him down!

You're letting everybody down!

You can't let this happen again!

- All right, now listen,

you've been a good brother to Teddy,

you got him through the trial,

you've done everything a
brother possibly could do.

- No!

Don't touch me, all right?

You don't understand anything!

Don't you get it?

- Get what?

- It's all my fault.

Me, mine.

I screwed it all up.

And Teddy, he.

- Sandy, it's not your fault.

- Please don't touch me, all right?

- All right.
- Just leave me alone.

- All right, Sandy, you're
right I don't understand.

- I can't, I just can't.

I knew, I knew.

And the reason I knew

is because the same thing happened to me.

If I told you what they
did to me at Tiny Tot

Teddy would still be fine.

- Wait a minute, what do you
mean what they did to you?

George and Susan weren't even there.

- The Richardsons were.

- Oh, my God.

- Once I was out of there nobody else knew

and nobody was hurt I
just wanted to forget.

To pretend it never happened.

I'm sorry, but I just couldn't tell you.

- Why?

- I was so ashamed, Mom.

- Honey, it wasn't your fault.

- I was different from the other kids.

Mavis told me, "That I was special."

"Her special kid."

- You mean she threatened you?

- She made me lie on the
table, then she, she.

- She raped, honey.

It's okay, 'cause she did
that to the other kids.

- Mom, you don't understand.

She did it with me more
than with the other kids

because I was special.

- [Kendra] No, you weren't, honey.

- Mom, you still don't
understand what made me special.

It wasn't just that I'd done it with her.

Mavis told me, "That I liked it."

Mom, I hated it.

I always hated it.

I was afraid, that's why I let Teddy down.

I had to lie nude on the alter.

The alter was inside a
pentagram inscribed in a circle.

The other kids would hold the torches.

Mavis would stand in the center

of the circle holding the knife.

First she would slit a rabbit's throat.

Then I had to whisper these chants

and call her by her satanic name.

Then she would raise her robe
and underneath she was naked.

Then I had to do it with her.

- He's your witness.

He can stand up to Pugliotti.

- Sandy, you wanna wait out
in the hall for a minute.

(door clicks)

(door bangs)

(Marvin sighs)

It'll never fly.

- (scoffs) So what do you think that we,

you know we go tell our son
to go on the stand and lie?

- No, uh, I think that you
know these people are guilty.

- [Roger] So polygraph him.

- Come on, Roger, you know

that polygraph results are unreliable.

- Oh, cut through it, Marv.

Do you believe Sandy yes or no?

- Why did he wait 10 years?

- The woman bent his mind.

She convinced him that he liked
what she was doing to him.

She laid guilt on a four-year-old child.

Now wouldn't you have
kept quiet about that?

- Pugliotti'll scream perjury.

- So what?

Sandy wants to testify against this woman.

"Stand up and help your children
tell the truth," you said.

Are you the one in the end

who's gonna end up burying the truth?

- All I'm saying, Kendra,
is, is it gonna help?

- (scoffs) Is it gonna help?

No, not a hell of a lot.

It may kill him to get on that stand

and tell what she did to him.

But it's better than keeping it

bottled up inside of him
for the rest of his life.

- Okay, I'll put him on the stand.

(insects chirping)

(door clicks)

- Bear.

Teddy.

Wake up.

- It's still dark.

- I know, but now listen,

Sandy said, "That in the ritual

they made you use satanic names."

You know their special names.

- Let me sleep.

- Bear, listen, Susan's name what was it?

- Ms. Susan's name?

- [Roger] Yeah, Bear, think.

- Aunt Mavis was Ms. Virgo.

Ms. Susan was, I don't remember.

- Bear, right, Bear, what name
did Virgo call her friend?

All right, she's standing above the alter,

now what name did she make you whisper?

- Isis.

- What are you doing?

(computer beeps)

- This is a file the police
found in George Olin's office.

(computer beeps)

- Who's Isis?

(birds chirping)
(boat horn blowing)

(group chattering)

(phone ringing)

- [Lt. Dineen] You wanted to see me?

- Roger Dollison.

- I've got a staff
meeting in five minutes.

- All right, I'll wait 'til it's over.

- Why wouldn't you tell my
secretary what this is about?

- I've got the address of a woman

who I think is sexual abusing
kids in your jurisdiction.

- We've got procedures in place

for taking child abuse claims.

- I've been through this in Connecticut.

I wanna extradite this woman.

I can only do it if I
catch her in the act.

Now I know how.

If it's gonna work it's
gotta be kept quiet.

Just you and me.

- What you go around
the country doing this?

Yeah, I know they're all cute.

- This one's my son.

- Sandy, these crimes
happened to you 10 years ago.

Are you sure not you're
not just telling us

about things you heard?

- Until last weekend I never talked

to anyone about this stuff.

- [Marvin] Why?

- I was ashamed.

- That you were forced to
have sex with the Richardsons?

- That I never told anyone
what went on at that school.

- [Marvin] But you left
the Tiny Tot preschool

to start kindergarten,

why didn't you tell your parents then?

- The Richardsons knew my
dad was a police officer.

Mrs. Richardson's said,
"If the police ever came

to the school she would
have known it had been me,

and I have to watch my parents
have their hearts cut out."

(group gasping)

- Have their hearts cut out.

And you believed them?

- I'd seen them kill cats
and rabbits that way.

I knew they'd do it.

- Did the Richardsons ever tell
you why they killed animals?

- It gave them power to kill things

that were innocent and good.

- Sandy, you haven't
told us one single detail

that your brother hadn't
already mentioned.

How many sessions with Dr.
Billington did you have?

- I've never met Dr. Billington.

- Oh, come on, Sandy,

alters, pentagrams, murdered bunnies,

curved daggers.

- Athames.

- What?

- They're called athames.

Call Dr. Billington back and ask her

if she knows what they're called.

- These are exactly the same stories

Dr. Billington fed the children.

- The rituals didn't change.

They happened to me and my friends.

They happened to other
kids 10 years later.

- The rituals?

Rituals?

Are you saying that my
clients were involved

in something other than
what the prosecution

has characterized as games and
psychological manipulation?

- Your clients are satanist.

They told us so.

They're proud of it.

- Let me get this straight.

You're saying that my clients
are pedophiles, and pimps,

and pornographers, and devil worshipers.

- I saw them kill rabbits

and pour the blood over little kids.

You can call them anything
you wanna call them!

They call themselves satanists!

- Do you think this jury

will buy that cheap horror film story?

Is Geraldo gonna rush in her now

and interview people with
hoods over their heads?

Do you seriously expect
this jury to believe

that these two gentle people,

three college degrees between them,

residents of this community
for a quarter of century

have committed crimes
that we wouldn't believe

at a drive-in movie?

(laughs) Sandy.

Sandy, who put you up to this?

Your father?

- Nobody put me up to anything.

- No, no, it didn't matter

that the prosecution's
case was falling apart.

No, you expect us to believe

that last weekend you just decided to talk

about things that you haven't mentioned

for the last 10 years.

- They killed my dog.

They threatened my brother.

They told me, "I enjoyed being raped."

- You're lying.

- Well, that's not what
they lie detector said.

- Your Honor, I move that
last remark be stricken.

Polygraph results are inadmissible.

- What about the truth?

(traffic humming)
(birds chirping)

(car door clicks)

(car door clicks)
(car door bangs)

(car door bangs)

(gate clicks)

(gate bangs)

(lock clicking)

(door clicks)

- Police.

Anybody home?

(door bangs)

(oven door bangs)

(door bangs)

- Anything?

- Not a thing.

How about you?

- No.

She sure likes music.

CDs, cassettes.

Hey.

How come she's got records if
she doesn't have a turntable?

- [Stephen] Are you a
pedophile, Mrs. Richardson?

- No, sir.

- Did you, or your husband,
or any member of your staff

ever have any sort of sexual relations

with any student at
the Tiny Tot preschool?

- No, sir.

- Then we have a mystery here don't we?

Why are all these people

saying all these incredible
things about you?

Will you tell us why you
think this has happened?

- Objection, Your Honor.

Counselor is asking the
witness to speculate.

- I'll allow the witness
to try if she chooses

to put the charges against her

into some kind of rational perspective.

- Thank you, sir.

Your Honor, my husband and I

don't deny touching those children.

You know when you're
running a nursing school

you spend a lot of time wiping runny noses

or drying tears, putting on bandaids.

But not once has a parent

ever accused us of anything improper

until Josh Stossburg
developed venereal disease.

And, and then what did we do?

Did we behave suspiciously?

No.

Did we run?

No.

We voluntarily took medical tests.

And as you know we all tested negative.

(traffic humming)
(birds chirping)

(police radio chattering)

- If we're gonna do it, let's do it.

- [Roger] Well, yesterday while you

were waiting for the warrant

I was over here watching the place.

- Then what are we waiting for?

- Janitor.

While it's going on

he's there more than 30
feet from that alarm bell.

- I don't like the quiet.

Why isn't anybody having recess?

How do we know they're not doing it now?

(ominous music)

- On April 15, 1987,

Miriam Stossburg met with
Dr. Martha Billington

of the Children's Therapeutic
Institute Incorporated,

a for profit corporation.

Mrs. Stossburg told Dr. Billington

"That we had molested her son,"

to cover up the fact that
Mrs. Stossburg's lover

had actually sodomized him.

And then Dr. Billington
convinced those children

in this, this atmosphere of hysteria

whipped up by the press in a small town

that we had abused them.

This is witch hunt.

Unfortunately the witches

only exist in Dr. Billington's mind.

- [Lt. Dineen] What time is it?

- [Roger] 12:30 exactly.

Right on schedule.

- Why bother to lock the gates?

- You got it.

(car doors clicks)

(car door bangs)

(car door bangs)

Hey, pal.

You got a bathroom I can use?

- It's nap time, we don't disturb

the children during nap time.

- I'm a police officer.

Step back, step back!

(ominous music)

Got him?
(brooding music)

(camera thuds)

(voices chattering)

(door clicks)

Police.

- You're under arrest.

You have the right to remain silent.

- Drop it!
- And it will be used

against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney.

If you cannot afford an attorney.

(group chattering)

- We're rehearsing a play.

- Ms. Larrimer, you have testified
in stomach-turning detail

about several instances
of child molestation

in which you say my clients were involved.

Now I ask you, did the district attorney

promise you anything in
return for this testimony?

- Unconditional immunity from prosection.

(group chattering)

- So you would smear my
clients, say anything at all

in order to get the deal
Mr. Bernstein promised?

- Objection, Your Honor.

Argumentive.

- [Judge Allen] Sustained.

- I'm telling the truth.

- A person like you, sure you are.

- Objection!

- Granted.

Mr. Pugliotti, please.

- Well, since you're telling
the truth, Ms. Larrimer,

one last question.

The prosecution's last witness testified

about certain occult practices.

Are my clients satanists?

- No, sir.

(group chattering)

- Nothing further, Your Honor.

- I apologize to you
for some of the grizzly

unthinkable things that I have made you

listen to in this court room.

Little children should not be asked

how it feels to be raped or sodomized.

They could have been
your children or yours.

Could have been yours.

They could have been mine.

If just listening was painful for us

think how much more painful it
was to live through the acts

that these children described.

Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest to you

that these 37 children do belong to you.

Those children had the courage to stand up

and tell you the facts.

Now you must have the courage
to show these defendants

that decent men and women

will not tolerata the kind of behavior

that they have shown.

By your verdict you can show the children

that they're not alone.

For all of us believe the children.

- Mr. Bernstein, the man who
has just put Susan Larrimer,

the one self-confessed child abuser

in this case back on the street,

has just asked you to
believe the children.

Believe the children

when you've heard them
describe day trips in a van

to visit a fat man on the moon.

Believe the children who
talked about sinister rabbits

marching by torch light
through a gothic cathedral.

Believe the children who use such

obviously adult words
as penis, vagina, anus.

Believe that these children
have vivid imaginations.

Yes, believe they are the unwitting dupes

of a paranoid therapist.

Yes.

Believe that they were
abused by my clients.

No way.

The law demands that you
deliver a not guilty verdict

if you have even a reasonable doubt

as to the suspect's guilt.

Ladies and gentlemen, no reasonable person

could avoid doubts
about some of the things

these children have told you.

Accordingly you have no choice

you must acquit my clients.

- And finally ladies and gentlemen,

bear in mind as you deliberate

that the defendants are guilty

only if you find them so absolutely,

conclusively, beyond a reasonable doubt.

Take all the time you need.

You may retire.

(gavel thuds)

(group chattering)

- Thank you, Steve.

- No problem.

- [Marvin] Thanks, kiddo.

- So?

- I don't know, Rog.

- Come on, now what is?

I mean something on their faces?

- I just think it's gonna
be hard to find 12 people

who have no reasonable
doubts in a case like this.

I don't know I'll see you later.

- Okay.

Thanks.

- Mavis said, "They'd never go to jail."

- Yeah.

Well, even if they do go to jail, Bear,

it won't be for enough years
to pay for what they did.

- Then why did we do it?

- 'Cause we knew what they did was wrong.

- And we had to say so.

- That's right.

You all set?

- Yep.

- Got your lunch?

- Yep.

- And you got your pencils?

Is that everything?

- Got your baseball glove?

- There's baseball in kindergarten?

- Yeah, you think do
arithmetic all the time?

- I didn't bring it.

- Ah, well, guess you'll
have to use this one.

- Dad, thanks.

(gentle music)

- Okay, partner.

Okay, you have fun.

- [Teddy] Thanks, Mom.

- [Kendra] Buh-bye, honey.

- Good one.

See ya.

- Bye, hon.
- Bye.

- Sandy.

Be sure he finds his classroom.

- No, Mom, I was gonna
put him in my locker.

(boy laughing)

(door bangs)

(group chattering)

(gentle brooding music)

- If you weren't sure

they were going to jail why'd you tell?

- Dad says, "They may
be out in four years."

Even if I didn't testified they said,

"Some day they'd come for me."

They said, "They'd tell
me the evil I had to do."

- And did they come for you?

- In a way when they found you.

So the evil would have been to
let them destroy our family.

Keeping quiet would have
meant they owned us.

- Nobody owns us.

(gentle music)

(gentle brooding music)

(gentle music)

(gentle energetic music)