Harry's Law (2011–2012): Season 2, Episode 10 - Purple Hearts - full transcript

Voluntary manslaughter, three years.

That is a gift, you know it.

Here's our problem.
Our client is convinced she didn't do this.

I will never get her to admit

to an intentional homicide.

Well, then I suggest
you get her to a doctor, Harry.

We've already gotten her to seven.

And they pretty much say the same thing:

she likely blocked it out.

I think I can sell her

on negligent homicide.
I'll still give you



the three years, Ben. Why do you care?

I care because negligent
homicide is a mockery.

She just so happens
to accidentally kill her baby

who just so happens to be
suffering from anencephaly?

Look, you want her off
the street, I get that.

But come on.

She belongs in a hospital, not a prison.

You know, I really don't believe that.

She murdered a child.

We've got a sympathetic client here.

We could easily get up there
and argue the virtues

of physician-assisted suicide.

What are you doing?

I'm offering you guys three years



for an intentional homicide.
Why are you not jumping at this?

Because even if we were inclined

to jump, the client won't.

And you told her
she could get 25-to-life?

We ran that by her, yeah.

She needs treatment, Ben.

I'm not in the treatment business.

Just prison.

So what now?

Well, we may be forced
to withdraw as counsel.

The day before the trial?

Well, she's gonna have to testify.

We can't willingly put
her on the stand to lie.

She wouldn't be lying if she
thinks she didn't do it.

TOMMY: It's crooked.

Your other alternative is

to challenge her competency.

It won't fly, she's already

passed every competency test.

CASSIE: Well, then you need
to read her the riot act now.

We already did.

(thud, grunt)

(elevator bell dings)

Oh, hello. We can go right in my office.

Maybe you should tell them, Cassie.

- But I barely know them.
- Shh.

ADAM: You moved the ladder.

No, I didn't.

Well, you shook it then.

Okay, look, If we try
to argue to the jury

you didn't cause your baby's death,

we will lose.

It's that simple.
I don't know how else to put it.

But it's the truth.

You remember Cassie Reynolds?

I asked her to cast a fresh eye on this.

She has something she'd like to say.

Tell them what you'd like to say.

When the nurse passed your son
to you, he was alive.

And when she took him from you...

he was not.

The child died in your hands.

There is no dispute.

And the cause of death was a broken neck.

What are you saying?

She's saying your wife
is going to prison, Blake.

The baby was only three days old.

The neck is so fragile. It could've...

There's no medical evidence to support

that it could've just broken.

There could've been a fracture
that we didn't know about.

Or some... some genetic defect.

We haven't been able to find a doctor

who will support that either.

Look, if you acted somehow to
relieve the child's suffering...

She didn't do that.

My wife would never willingly
cause the death of our child.

A human life is sacred, Mr. Richard.

Every life, no matter what, it is sacred.

I can maybe sell a jury a mercy killing.

But if we go in there claiming
you didn't do this...

- She didn't.
- I'm talking to your wife right now.

The prosecutor cannot prove she
did this because she didn't.

She didn't.

I didn't.

Harry's Law 2x10 - Purple Hearts
Original air date December 7, 2011

OLLIE: He's totally controlling her.

Maybe she knows she did it,

she's just afraid to admit
it to her husband.

Have you been able to
talk to this woman alone?

Once, but I think
I'm gonna have to try again.

Tommy, if I could ask...

What?! I was just helping him... balance.

Are you okay?

No.

Tommy, I don't know what's gonna happen,

but it's possible
that the husband and wife

are gonna need to get separate counsel.

- Are you available?
- I am.

Thank you. And, Adam,
would you do some research

on active euthanasia, where the
law currently stands in Ohio?

I can tell you now it's illegal.

Yeah, just do the research
all the same, will you?

- Ollie?
- Yeah?

I may need you to get in
the husband's face a little.

- Done. What else?
- Could just fix the star

on top of the tree?

(elevator bell dings)

Hello, hello, hello!

Is somebody having a birthday?!

ALL: She is!

Happy birthday, Harry.

Happy birthday, Harry!

You got me a clown?

That new bakery on Fourth is
having a promotion; free clown

with the purchase of a birthday
cake. I couldn't resist.

You got me a discount clown.

Now, before we get to that

scrumpdiliumptious cake...

Oh, look what I did there.

Let me just pick that up.

Wow!

Well, thank you, little lady!

Now who wants to see a magic trick?

You could saw me in half.

Look what we have here. A heart!

Isn't she pretty?
Now the thing about hearts

though, is sometimes they get broken.

Yes, a heart can get broken,
and it gets torn.

But if a good little birthday
girl will just blow on

the pieces, maybe they'll go
back together!

Now who's a good girl, huh?
Who's a good girl?!

Who's a dead clown?

Okeydokey, I'll do it myself.

Let's see here.

And we put the heart back together!

Yay!

Good as new.

Okay, wrap it up, clown.

Look what we have here. A heart!

Now the thing about hearts is...

I already did that, didn't I?

A heart... uh...

Something's up with the clown.

Are you okay?

Not really, no.

(elevator bell dings)

Over here, Ms. Korn.

Get back, get back, get back.

(reporters clamoring)

HARRY: We're a little bit early.

Why don't we wait in the witness
room until we're called.

Blake, can I talk to you for a sec?

Listen, I know you love your wife,

but if you're covering for her...

I'm not.

When you left to go home,
you know for a fact

the baby was still alive?

Absolutely. I kissed him good night.

Absolutely.

All right, Julie,
I'm gonna cut to the chase.

We don't have time for any more
crap, you get me?

What do you mean?

Some of our shrinks think you
blocked this whole thing out,

others thought maybe not so much.

You know what I'm thinking?

You did this and you know you did it,

but you're afraid to say so
in front of your husband.

That's not true.

- Shouldn't we go inside?
- Oh, no, we're fine.

I just want to go over some
body language things.

A few dos and don'ts in the courtroom.

Yeah. I'd like to go in there, please.

We've got a shot here,
but only if you come clean.

If you lie, you go to prison.

Why can't we go inside?

Because I need your full attention here.

This is important.

Not so fast.

Not so fast!

What's, what's going on here?

What's going on is Harry needs

to talk to her client in private.

What the hell's going on?

What's going on is I think it's
possible your wife is afraid

to tell the truth, and what's
got her afraid is you.

What? Tell her that's not true.

Honey...

is this true?

No.

(door closes)

Okay, look, honey...

God forgives.

And if you did this,

to spare our baby suffering,

God will certainly forgive that.

I'll forgive that.

Is that what happened?

Honey, it's okay.

Is that what happened?

I promise I was just holding him.

I didn't do anything.

I was just holding him.

I could never...

Let's just try it on the elements.

This is by no means a slam dunk,

but a baby's neck is fragile,
he was three days old.

Let's just go with accident.

Accident? We haven't got one
single witness.

Yes, we do. Her.

She was the only one there.

All we need is reasonable doubt.

We keep her out of jail, then we
get her into treatment.

An accident.

Dr. Robbins and I examined
the baby just prior

to passing him to Mrs. Cassidy.

His organs were functioning,
his vitals were within range.

He was a tough little customer,
given his deficit.

So what happened after you gave
the child to the defendant?

I drew the baby's blood.

Dr. Robbins continued on his rounds.

I took the sample down to the lab,

and I returned about ten minutes later.

What did you find?

Well, Julie, um, the defendant,
she was holding the baby.

I noticed he looked slightly cyanotic.

That's when the skin takes on
a bluish tint

due to lack of oxygen.

What did you do?

I took him from Julie.

He was clammy, his limbs were flaccid.

I called a Code Blue,
but I knew he'd expired.

And other than the defendant,

had anyone else gone into the baby's room

after you and Dr. Robbins had left?

Not to my knowledge.

Mr. Cassidy was in the room earlier,

but the baby was alive
after he'd gone home.

Thank you, ma'am.

What was the medical condition
of this baby?

He was born with anencephaly.

Which means what?

He had no cognitive
or emotional functions.

He's blind, deaf, couldn't
swallow, blink or cry.

His only movements
were involuntary reflexes.

Yes.

I'm told of cases where doctors
with anencephalic babies,

doctors have been known

to pinch the nostrils shut.

Have you heard of that?

I have heard of that happening.

HARRY: Mercy killings.

NURSE: Yes.

Did you think it's possible
that my client

committed a mercy killing here?

I don't know.

I don't get the idea
that you condemn her.

In your mind, was it a tragedy
that this baby died?

Probably not.

OLLIE: What the hell was that?

HARRY: Relax.

We were going accident,
not mercy killing.

- I realize that, but...
- Then what the hell was that?

Ollie, would you please
stop yelling at me?

We have plenty of time
to establish our theory.

I feel it's important
that the jury understand

from the get-go
that this death was a blessing.

If we can diffuse their sense of horror,

then it could color

the whole trial in our client's favor.

But, Harry, you likely
just confused the jury.

OLLIE: Couldn't you have at least

just asked her if it
could've been an accident?

No, I couldn't, because I don't think

we'd have liked her answer.

My goal here was to get the jury to think

that this death
wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

(knocks)

What's that?

Bear spray.

You expecting a bear?

It's like industrial-strength
pepper spray, okay?

In case we get attacked by a gang.

Mr. Clown, Tommy Jefferson...
we met last night

at the party.

- Oh. You want your money back?
- No, no.

It isn't that. We just came because...

Why does he have, bear spray?

It's for gangs.

We couldn't help but think

something was wrong last night,

and we just came to see if you're okay.

- You've upset him.
- I can see that.

No, no, it's, uh...

it's just, uh...

Just what?

We were in Kandahar province.

Six of us were on patrol.

An IED went off.

My head slammed against
the side of the Humvee.

Two guys were killed, one guy lost a leg,

and the other two had shrapnel wounds.

Seemed like I was the lucky one.

They even started calling me Lucky.

But, uh, for days afterwards,

I started getting these headaches.

I'd get dizzy.

I had trouble walking.

Did you see a doctor?

Yeah. They said I had a concussion,

a mild traumatic brain injury.

See, I used to work toward my ETA cert

with, uh, precision instruments...

uh, gyrocompasses, things like this.

I was really good.

But now...

Now you're a clown.

I can't concentrate on things.

I get the headaches or, uh...
or my thinking gets clouded.

Have you had any medical treatment?

Yeah, they gave me some meds
for the headaches.

They help a little, I guess.

See, last night was about, uh...

when I was looking at that heart...

(chuckles)

See, I never got the Purple Heart.

But you were injured in combat.

Yeah, but when I got hurt...

eight months ago... something like that...

they had this policy called
the "no more John Kerrys."

- The hell is that?
- "No more John Kerrys."

Some people claimed
John Kerry's wounds were not

serious enough
to deserve the Purple Heart.

The Army stopped giving them out

for what they called minor injuries.

Yeah. Thing is, I served with guys

that lost arms and legs,

had to have surgery
to remove shrapnel and bullets.

I guess I just figured,

compared to them, I didn't deserve it.

But then I looked it up
in the regs... the... the list

of injuries that you can
get the Purple Heart for...

it turns out I should have gotten it.

"Concussion injuries caused as a result

of enemy-generated explosions."

ADAM: Did you apply for
it... the Purple Heart?

Yeah. I was turned down.

I know it shouldn't mean anything.

It's not like a lousy medal's
going to pay the rent.

It shouldn't matter.

But it does.

My father...

he would always say, "Make your
life count for something."

He'd say, "I don't care
what you do, Dave."

"You know, just make sure
it adds up to..."

"something."

I'm a clown.

I can't hold a job.

I can't think well.

I got hurt in a war that...

nobody wanted or seems to care about.

Yes, I want that medal.

I want to hold it in my hand,

you know, and I want to look at it

and feel proud

and know that my country is proud of me.

And know that...

that what I did...

it counted.

It counted.

The infant's head was twisted

sharply and suddenly to the left,

causing the vertebral artery
to burst, resulting in

a massive hemorrhage
at the base of the brain.

Death was instantaneous.

Could it be possible

that the neck was twisted accidentally?

- No.
- It's not possible

that somebody picked up the baby

and didn't support his head,

or his neck got caught in a blanket?

No, this was no accident.

Thank you.

Doctor, you can state
to an absolute medical certainty

that this event wasn't caused
by an inadvertent movement?

Well, no one can state anything

to an absolute medical certainty,

- but the...
- Thank you, Doctor.

And, uh, in fact, if
Mrs. Cassidy was dozing...

I mean, people experience

jerking motions in their sleep
all the time, don't they?

I don't think that's what happened.

You know that didn't happen?

No, but I have performed
over a thousand autopsies,

- and what I think really happened...
- Wow.

That's a lot.

Ever get one wrong?

- Beg your pardon?
- Have you ever been mistaken?

Yes, but...

Thank you, Doctor.

And if I put six different
pathologists up here,

who all say that this death
could have been caused

by an accidental jarring of the neck,

would you say they're lying?

(chuckling): I'd say they were wrong.

Would you say they were lying?

No.

- I wouldn't say they were...
- Thank you, Doctor.

That's all.

Mr. Fraser, redirect?

No, Your Honor.

The witness may step down.

The State calls any one
of these six pathologists.

Ms. Korn's choice.

- Excuse me?
- One of your

six pathologists...
whichever one you want.

I'm calling one.

Or am I just calling a bluff?

Your Honor, may we approach?

- He can't do that.
- Why not?

HARRY: First of all, these pathologists

are not on your list or mine.

- You can't...
- What, what, you need notice?

They're your doctors.

I move for a mistrial.

- Oh, come on.
- He cannot do this.

Ms. Korn, you played
a little fast and loose.

He caught you.

Motion for a mistrial

is denied.

Step back.

Oh, shut up.

We're going to have
to put you on the stand.

Okay.

No, not okay, because you come off

as a person in total denial.

Here are our theories, Julie.

It could have been an accident.

It could have been an act committed

- in a dissociative state.
- No.

- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- Julie, stop it.

I know who you are as a person
couldn't have done this,

which means, if you physically did do it,

you were acting outside yourself,

and that's what a dissociative state is.

We have to allow the jury
to conclude you did it,

and yet set you free

because you didn't possess the intent.

You mean insanity.

It's a form of it.

It's a psychotic break of sorts.

It's a variation of insanity.

But it's not the truth,
because I didn't do it.

Okay.

But you have to let me
argue it just the same.

We suggest... could be an accident,

could be a dissociative act.

We have to give the jury
both options here.

You have to trust me.

(sighs)

So what do I say?

You just tell the truth.

That's all you do.

Tell the truth as you know it.

We need to get him his Purple Heart.

I know some of these vets,

they have no money, no dignity,

they can't get work, they've got nothing.

Now, this thing may seem,
like, just symbolic

to you and me, but to them,
it's a validation

that what they did counted,
that their life means something.

We need to get Dave
his Purple Heart right now.

Today.

(sighs)

Tommy, I've done some checking.

This is not easily accomplished.

These things can fall

into bureaucratic sinkholes for years.

And I'm going to bring
up a principle now,

one that I know you hold dear,

if not sacrosanct...

Dave the Clown can't pay.

I don't care. It's Christmas!

It's that special time of year

when we don't despise our fellow man.

- Uh...
- We'll do it pro bono.

We need to get the clown
his Purple Heart.

I never had an ultrasound done
because, frankly,

there was nothing either I or my husband

would have done should there...

be a problem.

And there was a problem, wasn't there?

Yes.

When did you learn
that your baby had anencephaly?

Un, when he was born.

I noticed some looks exchanged

between the doctor and the nurses.

It was so quiet. I...

The baby was quiet.

He, uh...

he didn't make a sound.

(sniffling)

I first thought he was dead.

He wasn't dead.

But he was very, very ill.

Would it be fair to say you went

into a little shock when you learned?

Yes.

Turning to the night of his death...

were you holding your baby?

Uh...

The truth is, it was... it was difficult

for me to hold him or...

It was just too upsetting.

But Eileen, the nurse,
she encouraged me to.

She said that it would help
lower his stress hormones,

and help regulate his temperature.

- So you were cradling him?
- Yes.

Were you supporting his head?

I thought so. I...

It was the middle of the night.

I might have drifted off
to sleep a little,

but I most certainly did not
twist his head.

According to certain witnesses,

when your baby was discovered to be dead,

you didn't react.

You just stared back
rather expressionless.

I didn't know what to think,

or feel.

You didn't know how to feel?

Julie, your child had just died.

My child was anencephalic.

The doctor said he would have
the existence of a house plant.

The only life that he could have had

would have been one of suffering.

Did you grieve for your son?

I grieved for my son.

Did I grieve over his death?

I've never denied that his death
was most likely a blessing,

only that I had anything to do with it.

WOMAN (over phone): - He needs to fill out...
- No, no, no, no, no, I told you,

he filled that out already.

WOMAN (over phone): Form 149?

Yes, Department of Defense Form 149,

Application for Correction
of Military Record.

I'm holding a copy in my hand right now.

- Name please?
- David Kerwin.

Kerwin with one "N."

- Please hold.
- No, don't put me on hold again!

(dial tone) Damn it!

This is how the terrorists
are going to win.

They'll land on our shores,

somebody will call the army to report it.

They'll be put on hold
and we'll all be killed.

The appeal process seems easy enough,

except it involved miles of red tape.

Here's something.

If you've been awarded the Purple Heart,

you get expedited treatment
at the V.A. hospital.

Which is another reason to get it.

And here's a story about
a guy in California

who just received his
Purple Heart a few months ago.

He'd been hit by a grenade,
tore open his arm.

September, 1951 in Korea.

Let's talk to your captain, Maybe
he'd reconsider and recommend you.

That would be difficult.

Dead?

No, no, but he's in Afghanistan.

Has he got a wife?

Ugh, you're sick.

What?

You're sick.

I'm sick? You're sick.

Has he got a wife?

First of all, my condolences
for your tragedy.

That tragedy,

if I understand you correctly,
being his birth,

not his death.

My sympathies.

Sir,

you are prosecuting me.

I'm sitting in a courtroom,
being charged with murder,

primarily at your doing.

Please, have the decency not to pretend

that you feel any sympathy for me.

Fair enough.

Let's agree to be honest
with each other. Sound good?

When we speak of tragedy here,

we're not just talking
about the child's, but yours.

And perhaps your greatest
hardship would have been

had this little boy gone on living.

Your insurance covered the hospital,

but there was a cap on nursing care.

This child would need 24/7

home care.

You couldn't afford it,

which meant that it would've
had to be you.

You'd have to monitor his vitals,

change his feeding tube,

suction his mouth every 30 minutes

because he couldn't swallow his own spit.

Your life as you knew it
would effectively be over.

You'd go bankrupt.

Statistically speaking,
you'd probably get divorced.

Not to mention the emotional toll.

So much hardship...

which could all be fixed
with one quick twist of a neck.

You know the funny thing?

How clinically efficient
this broken neck was.

I mean, the baby died instantly.

Now, I know as a devout Catholic,

that you don't believe in euthanasia.

But if one did, wow,

a snap of a neck was probably
the most humane method.

By the way, uh,
do you believe in euthanasia?

I don't mean to assume.

- Do you?
- Uh, no.

No.

Did you ever inquire about euthanasia?

I d... didn't inquire about euthanasia, no.

You never asked Dr. Robbins
whether it would be better

for your child to die?

I was in shock when I asked that.

I was looking at my child as...

As a house plant?

You asked Dr. Robbins,

"How is it we help cancer
patients die with morphine?"

"Why can't we just
give him some morphine?"

Your Honor, approach?

First of all,

this is privileged doctor/patient...

It is not; not when it speaks
to harm caused to the child,

and the nurse was there, so privilege...

Second, this is unfair
surprise. If he had...

The information was within
the defendant's control.

Oh, crap! Your Honor, this is crap.

Well, as far as crap goes,

it seems to be of the winning variety.

Your Honor, this will
so prejudice the jury...

Step back, Counsel.

Okay, so where were we?

Oh, yes. We were discussing

your discussing killing your baby.

Objection!

That I'll sustain.

You spoke with your doctor

about giving your baby a morphine drip.

I was emotionally wrought.

I was a mother looking at suffering,

the suffering of my baby,
and I... I wanted...

Yeah.

Yes.

And I really don't believe

that this was about bankruptcy

or finances or money.

I don't.

This was about mercy.

Wasn't it, Julie?

Your baby suffered from anencephaly.

He would never live
a normal life, if any life.

It was ungodly for any child
to exist like this.

And when you twisted his neck,
it was about mercy.

Wasn't it?

I did not twist my baby's neck.

Don't everybody
shout out ideas all at once.

I think we should recall
the nurse, so we can at least

put whatever comments Julie made
to the doctor in context.

Or call the doctor himself.

The doctor is the one
who turned her into the police;

we can't trust that he'll be sympathetic.

But the nurse, we can.

Maybe it's time to plead this thing out.

With a plea, you could be
out in three years.

If we go to verdict and
you lose, you could face 20.

Honey, maybe...

But here's the rub.

The judge cannot legally accept the plea

without being sure you understand it,

and that you're sincere about it.

So he will ask you, "Do you admit"

"to taking the life of your child?"

And you'll have to say, "Yes."

But that would be a lie.

Can't she just say

it's possible she did it by accident?

No, because if it's an
accident, there's no intent.

She'd have to admit to the
crime, which includes intent.

I c... I can't.

I... I just can't.

- Honey...
- I'm sorry, Blake.

I can't say I killed my baby.

I just can't say that.

Okay, we'll recall the nurse

to address Julie's comments
to the doctor,

and then we'll call our doctors
to argue disassociative state.

And we'll keep going.

Any other ideas? Ollie?

Cassie? Am I missing something?

Well, maybe just the obvious...

she's innocent.

Harry, if she doesn't have
the necessary criminal intent,

under the law, she is innocent.

I don't think our case is in the toilet.

I really don't.

Hi, honey. How are you?

Hi, sweetheart.

Hey, where are you?

I don't see the fridge
with the kids' drawings on it.

Well, I'm not at home.
I'm in a lawyer's office.

What the hell for?

Is everything all right?

Everything's fine.

The lawyer's name is Tommy Jefferson.

And... (shrieks)

Hello, Captain. Uh, Tommy Jefferson.

It's an honor, sir.

What's going on?

You remember Corporal Dave Kerwin?

Lucky? Sure I remember him.

Well, Dave hasn't been so lucky
since he's been back, sir.

Hey, Captain.

Hello, Dave.

Do you remember when Dave was wounded?

Very well.

Two men killed,

one lost a leg,
two others needed surgery,

and Dave.

Dave was also wounded, Captain.

A concussion.

Minor traumatic brain injury.

An injury that's clearly eligible

for the Purple Heart
under military rules.

Yes, I know that now.

You know that now?

Mr. Jefferson, as I'm sure

you're aware,
there's been a big dust-up over

this whole Purple Heart thing.

I don't want to argue
about the past with you.

Dave, have you got the medical paperwork

that establishes your injury?

He does.

Then when I receive a copy of that,

I will reverse my previous decision

and recommend you for the Purple Heart.

(chuckles)

Just like that?

It was a mistake.

One I'm willing to fix.

Is my wife still there?

Yes.

Well, that cuts through it.

God, I can't believe it.

We'll get the document

to your captain by PDF

and get on it.

How long you think it'll take?

Ah.

Hey!

We're gonna PDF the document

to you as soon as we get off.

How soon before you can respond?

Have you filled out DD Form 149,

Application for Correction
of Military Records?

Well, yes, but I thought once
you changed your recommendation,

we didn't need that anymore.

Oh, no, this still has to go
through all the channels.

You get that form going, I'll send

my change of recommendation
up the chain of command,

and then we'll see where we are.

Any idea how long that will take, sir?

No, sir.

Can I talk to my wife?

That could take forever.

Do not despair.

That guy from the Korean War...

he got hung up with DD Form 149.

- I read it.
- Dave.

I'll kick whatever ass I need to.

CAPTAIN: - I wish I was there, too.
- We'll make this happen.

I'll be home soon.

Hey, Dave.

What are you up to these days?

- You working at all?
- Ah, ah!

Uh, y-yes, sir.

Yeah, I have a job.

That's fantastic. What line of work?

Precision instruments?

Man, you could build anything,
I remember your hands.

Precision?

No, sir.

I'm a clown.

Come again?

I'm a clown.

Oh.

Oh.

Adam?

- Rachel.
- Really?

Hey.

Okay.

45 seconds?

That's it? Are you kidding me?

I know he's busy, but 45 seconds?

I'm not complaining,
I am grateful, I'm just...

45 seconds is more than enough.
Thank you, Rachel.

45 seconds? Tommy.

I got an audience with
Congressman Michael Barnes.

What? You did?

(thud) Only for 45 seconds, but...

- Let's go.
- No, just me.

Rachel said she got me
an audience of one,

specifically me.

- Specifically not you.
- When?

10:15, which means I got to go.

Access to treatment,

support services, especially
when it comes to brain injuries.

I don't think I need to tell
you the shocking statistics.

Fully one-third of our
veterans are homeless.

6,000 commit suicide every single year.

Their unemployment rate
is through the roof,

and since I only have 45
seconds, I would love for you

to actually pay attention for some of it.

I'm listening, keep talking. I multitask.

- Now, listen, call John...
- These DD forms are known to get tied up

in bureaucratic thickets.

The captain has changed
his recommendation,

so the only thing that would

hold this up is this lousy form, and...

Damn it, Senator!

These Purple Hearts... they
may seem like just something

to hang on a wall,

but they mean a lot more to the soldiers.

They remind them that their
sacrifice was worth something

to this country, and...

and it should mean something to you.

- Alan?
- Adam.

- We're done here. It's done.
- It's done?

Tell your soldier he's gonna
get his Purple Heart.

And I'd like to get his number, please.

I'd like to call him and
personally thank him

for his sacrifice.

I'll get you that number!

You were present when my client
made these comments

to Dr. Robbins about the morphine drip?

I was.

Did it alarm you?

Not at all. I felt it was only natural.

- Natural?
- She was a grieving mother.

Her grief was over
the suffering of her child.

And you didn't think it
reflected any homicidal intent?

No.

And, Nurse O'Malley,

I'm just curious about the morphine drip.

I mean, we do it for
suffering older people,

with cancer patients.

Why not anencephalic babies?

Well, we do not technically
help people to die.

That would be illegal.

We couch the morphine drip

under "pain management," and
the morphine is for pain.

It just so happens it shuts down

the respiratory system and causes death.

It's a perverted distinction

without a difference,
but it is what it is.

- So why not do it with these babies?
- We probably should.

But these babies don't appear
to be suffering any pain.

But often they do die as infants.

Is that because doctors are

running around pinching nostrils?

No. It's because the baby's nutrition

and hydration are cut off.

Nutrition and hydration.

We starve them to death?

EILEEN: Yes.

That sounds a... a little inhumane.

I mean, isn't it ridiculous

we would euthanize a suffering dog,

but for a human being,
we starve them to death?

- Objection.
- Sustained.

When we discontinue
nutrition and hydration...

is this painful?

We don't know.

But the organs dry up.
They shrivel and shrink,

and one by one, they close down.

- It can't be a lot of fun.
- So...

if my client did this...
I'm not saying she did,

but if she did, if she twisted the neck...

that would be more humane.

Probably, yes.

We certainly can't
advocate that mothers...

I mean... how could we

even rely on them
to know how to snap a neck

in such a clinical way as
to cause instantaneous death?

I mean, that seems like something

only a medical professional would know.

Don't you agree, Nurse O'Malley?

Wouldn't you agree, Nurse O'Malley?

Throughout this whole proceeding,

there's only been one given...

that the child died in my client's arms.

But what if he didn't?

And if not by my client's hand,
then whose?

You were the only other person
to hold the child that night.

Come to think of it, it was your
idea that Julie hold the child.

You woke her up just
before 4:00 to do so...

middle of the night,
very few others around...

and then, as you took
the infant from her... snap.

Just one little jerking twist

and no more suffering.

The D.A. was right.

This was a mercy killing.

He just had the wrong angel of mercy.

Didn't he, Eileen?

You've gone a little quiet.

Did you kill that baby, Eileen?

Eileen.

Did you kill that baby?

I'd like to speak

to an attorney, please.

(gasping)

(murmuring)

(clamoring)

That was exciting.

(all sigh)

Is it really over?

It will be, and they'll question her, but

the D.A. has indicated

either way he'll dismiss it.

There's no way he can
make anything stick against you.

Thank you.

Thank you for believing in me.

You can thank Cassie.

She's the one who said
we could be missing

the obvious... that you're innocent...

and it got me thinking.

I figured, if not you, then who?

And I rolled the dice.

Julie, I owe you a big apology.

I, I didn't believe you.

But I do now.

(sobbing)

- A month?
ADAM: - Five,

six weeks at most.

(laughing)

I don't know what to say to you both.

"Thank you" just doesn't
seem like enough.

Dave, listen.

My father,

may he rest in peace,

cranky old bastard.

(chuckles)

World War II hero.

In late 1943 he was with the Fifth Army

in the Bernhardt Line offensive.

He took a bullet to his leg,

and for that, they gave him

this.

Thing was...

he died before he got it.

Because the paperwork got lost,

he...

he never got to, uh,

to wear something that he would have...

Let's call this a loaner, shall we?

When you get yours, give this one back.

Until then, my father would be proud

that you wore it.

Soldier.