Hill Street Blues (1981–1987): Season 3, Episode 1 - Trial by Fury - full transcript

Coming tonight on
Hill Street Blues...

Rosa Lombardy.

Her name in Christ,
Sister Anna Carmela.

Raped, beaten with fists
and a blunt instrument,

mutilated.

Get me out of here!

You guys did it.

I'll shut up and wait
till my mouth gets here.

Take your time, Sister.

I don't know.

You will be signing
a death warrant.



Call the judge.

Item 7. Stakeouts.

As I was saying, Item 7.

Stakeouts continuing
are Hertle Avenue Market,

Ten Planets Video Arcade
opposite Massey High School,

and in concert with our brothers
from the Treasury Department,

Ramirez Check
Cash, 140th and North.

We also begin an operation at
the Allen Street bus terminal...

concerning the
commercial activities of, uh,

gay gentlemen of pleasure
in the depot men's room.

In this regard, I call to your attention
the currently voguish brown-bag maneuver,

in which one of two caballeros
sharing a men's room stall...

stands with his feet
in a shopping bag...

Thus convincing passing
law enforcement agents...



the stall has only a single
and legitimate tenant.

Would that we could address
our problems of urban blight...

and inflation as resourcefully
as we satisfy our passions.

Item 8.

For those of you double-shifted at
the Dee Dee Cleveland concert...

at Memorial Auditorium tonight
are listed on the upstairs board.

Be aware that for
reasons unknown,

vandalism and theft, among those leaving
Ms. Cleveland's concert in the past,

have tended to
focus on shoe stores,

especially those dealing
in your more exotic...

and reptilian styles of
contemporary footwear.

Alligator, lizards.

Item 9 is a memo
from Chief Daniels...

Regarding profanity...

in our dealings with
the civilian populace,

which memo is also
posted on the upstairs board.

People, I recognize downtown's tendency
to be unrealistic in these matters,

but consider a complaint I took
yesterday from a elderly woman...

who had been rendered assistance with
a stolen vehicle by one of our uniforms.

Here was one of our own, going the
extra mile in the performance of his duty,

yet he was so accustomed
to certain patterns

of speech, that in
arriving at the scene,

he cheerfully
inquired, and I quote,

"So, what the bleep's
wrong with your car, ma'am?"

Said bleep allegedly causing
complainant a severe episode of migraine.

Now, I've assembled some
terms you might try substituting...

for the swear
words in question...

as you move through
your daily routine.

Now, they won't come
trippingly to your tongue at first,

but with time and usage, you could
find them becoming second nature.

Your recourse to obscenity
will then be fresh and vital...

when you encounter those
situations and individuals...

for whom only
obscenity will suffice.

Now, the officer in question
could have used the word "heck."

Other more suitable
terms... Drat, shoot, fudge...

Instead of the more common expletive
usually associated with your street patois.

- Fudge patois.
- Yeah, fudge patois.

Item last. Starting today, and
continuing for the next six weeks,

Sergeant Esterhaus will not be supervising
the activities of the front desk.

He will instead be
conducting an experimental,

six-week orientation class for
senior cadets at the police academy.

In his absence, his duties
upstairs will be divided between...

Officer Schnitz and
Sergeant Goldblume.

I will, however, continue to
deliver the morning roll call.

That's it. Let's roll!

And, hey, let's be
careful out there.

And, people,

let's show a little restraint
in defacing the chief's memo.

God, it's hot! You know, I
could rub ice cubes all over you.

It's not enough they issue a new
procedure every goldarned week,

it's not enough that we're up
to the seat of our pants in policy,

in everything from personal
hygiene to choke holds.

Will you get outta
my way! Excuse me!

Now, they're trying to
regulate my expression!

Tell 'em to fudge off. Morning,
Lieutenant. That's easy for you to say.

Bates, Coffey, robbery-shooting.
A bodega at 4139 Jefferson.

Hill, Renko. Domestic beef.
9260 106th Street, apartment five.

Let's go! You'll have to wait.

They're not gonna regulate
my facilities. Ah, your facilities!

Don't look at me like
that, sweet-face boy.

Use it! Why are we so stern?

Last name first. DuBois.

First name? Blanche.

Dispatch. We have a 9-11.

Armed robbery in progress.

See surplus store, corner of
People's Drive, 124th Street.

Somebody's trade
got a little rough, huh?

Some of us know
how to incite passion.

Can't you change that to lascivious
carriage? It's a tonier kind of bust.

You were soliciting, pit breath.

I've never tricked for anyone
I wouldn't have done gratis.

- Belker.
- Mickey, it's Mom.

Hi, Ma.

Ma, come on. So what if he was
on the lawn. He likes the fresh air.

Well, it's warm, see?

Okay, so he
forgot to put 'em on.

Next time you'll lay 'em out
where he can see 'em better.

He did what? He
peed on the oak tree.

No, he didn't! Yes, he did.

On Mrs. Caridi's oak tree?

He was sleepwalking.
He's senile.

Don't say that.
Don't use that word!

He was sleepwalking and he
had to make water and that's all.

He does not think he's a dog.
That's probably a deep cough.

I'm not gonna... We are not gonna
speak if you continue to say that word.

Senile, senile, senile!

I'll talk to you later. I
will call you later on.

Give my love to Pop.

So, feed him!

Put it down there for him.

How old is he? None
of your business!

He's 82.

Senility is nothing to be ashamed
of, you know. He is not senile!

It's part of life.
Will you button it?

My grandmother was senile.
She had such fun on her birthdays.

She'd open her
present, then drift off.

Then look down, see her present,
and get happy all over again.

That's what my father does
with his breakfast cereal.

Frank. Frank.

I have a tax audit this afternoon.
The I.R.S. has called me.

Receipts? Yes.

Frank, I'm really worried.

Rosa's sister bought us a lottery
ticket in New Hampshire last summer.

We won $2,500. Now
she won't talk to us.

And you didn't
report the income.

The man at the service
said they'd never check.

And this is just the
tip of the iceberg.

He said deduct a
portion of our rent.

He said don't declare what
Rosa made selling dress patterns.

Is he gonna go with you to the
audit? That's what they advertise.

Their office says they
are trying to find him.

Morning, Frank, Ray. Morning.

I have a tax audit this afternoon.
It's probably just routine.

Oh.

Iverson got 18
months. Who is Iverson?

He didn't file a return for seven
years, Howard. Who is Iverson?

He's a lieutenant, midtown.

They let him do his
time on the weekends.

All right! I cheated
with Rudy. I'm that way!

I'm a creature of passion. But
am I worth going to prison for?

Am I worth murder?

Rudy! Rudy!

It's the police, Carl! Do
you want them to shoot you...

like a dog because of me?
Nobody's gonna be shot, ma'am.

Just tone down your
language. Is it the police?

Yes, sir. It is the police.

Oh, my goodness! Sir,
just take it easy, okay?

My head's stuck!
Get me outta here!

Now, Carl, give me that hammer.

Ow! He's steppin' on my hand!

Get off his hand, Carl.

Now, will everybody
please take a minute...

and tell me what it is
that is happenin' here.

I came home to find
my wife, that slut there,

in my bed with my former best friend,
Rudy, who I'm gonna bust up real bad!

Give me the hammer, Carl! You
haven't hurt anybody yet. Now, come on!

Now, cousin, can
you tell me how it is...

that you happened to get your
melon wedged in here like this?

I don't know. He slipped
climbin' outta the window.

I want him outta my bathroom!

He will get outta your bathroom, if
you give that hammer to Officer Hill.

I'm not worth being
killed for! Ma'am, please!

Give the hammer
to Officer Hill here!

Attaboy, Carl. Way to go.

Did he give him the hammer?
Yeah, I got the hammer, sir.

Will you forgive me,
sugar? Take it easy, okay?

Now, what we
have to do here is...

Be careful now. Don't do that!

I can't breathe.
I can't breathe!

I think we got a
problem here, son.

Let's get a little room
here. Excuse me.

He gave everything.
He didn't fight.

Why did they shoot him?

Would you like to sit down?

Do you remember anything else
at all about the way they looked?

They're white. They have...

I don't see them very well.

Mrs. Rodriguez, there are
gonna be some detectives...

that are gonna come back
in a little while to talk to you.

There's gonna be some men also
that will try to get some fingerprints.

So you're gonna
have to keep the store

closed and just don't
touch anything at all.

You catch them?

Do you have someone
to come stay with you?

My children will
be home for lunch.

We got a call for
Saint Mary's Church.

Sounds pretty
bad. Crowd control.

Get back.

Get outta the way!

Keep it clear!

Get down!

Get back!

Can we just get a word with you?

Captain Furillo.

Lieutenant Calletano.

Uh, Rosa Lombardy.

Her name in Christ is
Sister Anna Carmela.

Thirty-eight. Raped, beaten
with fists and blunt instruments.

Mutilated.

And thighs with a knife.

Multiple internal injuries.
Shock and severe hemorrhaging.

Multiple skull fractures.

The M.E. thinks probably
drugs with the level of violence.

- Witnesses?
- Sister Agnes looked out
the convent window.

Saw a couple of guys
running away from the sacristy.

She didn't see much, Frank.

Get her down to the station.

I want a house-to-house
of streets facing the church.

Question the priest. Any
assaults or burglaries...

on or near the premises with
Sister Anna being harassed.

Get a list of all the parishioners.
I want everybody questioned.

The inventory of what was
taken as quickly as you can. Ray.

Excuse me, please. Excuse me.

Get your hands off that car,
please! Thank you very much.

Get me out of here fast,
Ray. I think I'm gonna be sick.

Leo! Leo!

Would you please escort the press to
the outside of the building? Thank you.

Howard, take your
men outside, would you?

There are the makings
of a first-class mob.

Alf! Alf! In my office.

Alf, I want a list of everybody with an
M.O. for church busting in the last decade.

I wanna know who's been
arrested for loitering in churches,

for disrupting church services,
or for vandalizing churches.

I wanna know everybody who's
been dealing in religious artifacts...

or anything vaguely
connected with church services.

I want a list of sex offenders with
a history of this kind of violence.

I'll go through Division first,
then put in a B.C.I. request.

Do it. Good. Keep a
line open to the labs...

because when the evidence comes
in, we want to match it up with names.

Right. Ray, call
all the pawnshops.

Tell 'em we want anything
that comes in from a church.

And even if they're not
sure, have 'em call in.

And contact all the religious
leaders in the community.

That means every denomination.
This crime is gonna make them ugly,

and we'll need all the help we can get
keeping the hysteria at a manageable level.

All right.

Captain, we just got word from the
hospital that Sister Anna's in surgery.

They expect it to take
several hours. Keep me posted.

Hold it, hold it.

That's gotta be Sister Agnes.

Tell 'em to run her through the
mug books. But not here, in private.

Use Interrogation. Right.

Yes. Yes!

Well, get me a supervisor
or somebody with authority.

- I came to bail out Eddie Graig.
- Come over this way.

Just tell your superior
that I am unable to make...

the 4:30 appointment
to audit my tax return.

Because I'm a police
officer and there is a crisis!

That's no excuse, sir. What
do you mean that's no excuse?

Does a man have to
be dying in his bed?

You wouldn't do
that to me. You can't!

This is the United
States of America!

You can?

Maricon.

Cost me money...
Money and aggravation!

I'm tempted to leave him out
in the rain and just let him melt!

Ramon, I want to go home.

Tell me. Who's gonna buy
you in this condition, huh?

If I had known that there would
be a downtown in the apparatus,

I would let the city come
down and take care of the tab.

Who are you, toe jam?

Not so close, Rover. I didn't
have my typhoid shots this year.

Ramon Hernandez. He's
bailing out... I asked him!

Please don't get involved. Don't
tell me where to get involved!

My, my, my.
Personal involvement.

I see Eddie has soothed at least one
savage breast with his boyish charms.

I asked you a
question, mincemeat!

I'm his business manager.
And I'm gonna take him home.

Right, Eddie?

Come here!

Don't look at me!
Look at yourself!

What do you say,
a young Dietrich?

You keep laughing, pal.
You're killing yourself.

I should tell you about some of the
things I've seen happen to your types.

You wouldn't laugh so much.

And that hair bag out there
is bleeding you to death!

Ramon is my only
friend. Like hell he is!

You seem like a pretty good guy.
Why do you keep degrading yourself?

It's what I do.
Then stop doin' it!

Clean up your act, for
God's sake! You're so dear.

You were right. I should've
kept outta this. Come on.

Sister Agnes, this is
Captain Furillo. Sister.

I'm afraid I'm not being
much help, Captain.

You're doing fine,
Sister. Just keep looking.

They were running away,
Captain. I hardly saw them.

None of these faces
means anything.

Don't be too hard on yourself,
Sister. These things take time.

We'll find these men, and I
swear to you, they'll be punished.

I saw the things that
they did to her body.

It will be a hard
memory to live with.

But I know Sister Anna
has already forgiven them.

I wish I could.

The damn bolts are frozen solid!

You wouldn't believe how often
these things happen, you know?

And you can lose 'em. They can strangle
on you. It ain't as simple as it looks.

I don't know why you
don't try refined olive oil.

Petroleum jelly and
shampoo is the best we've got.

Not saying it works every time.

How are you doing
there, Rudy, bro?

I'm sick, I'm nauseous
and I can't breathe.

If this doesn't work, we're gonna
have to call the fire department.

I want him outta here! I
want him out right now!

Carl, would you, please!

Are you guys ready to do
somethin' about this here?

- I'm ready. You ready, Larry?
- I'm ready. How about you?

You ready? Yeah. I'm ready.

Terrific! Everybody's
ready. Come on over here.

Now pull a hold
of here on his leg.

Now, on the count. Yeah.

One, two, three.

Okay, it's coming. No, it's not!

He's turning blue!

- Hey, the guy
ain't breathing!
- Watch it! Watch it!

Watch it!

He's going to die!

I can't help myself.
I love that face!

I'm gonna be sick!

Why don't you go outside
and play, okay? Good.

Now, can you go into more detail
about what they were wearing?

What do you mean? Were
their shirts long or short-sleeved?

Did they have cuffs
on their pants? Styles?

You're gonna get hurt up there.

What about their general
appearances? Any scars? Acne?

Bad teeth? Was one taller
or shorter than the other?

Come on, man. Hey, man,
where's the damn Forensics?

- Saint Mary's.
- Here.

Go on. Hey, don't touch
anything back there.

Be a good guy now. Come on, man.

Hey, let's just do
our job, eh, babe?

Hey, man, we're
wastin' our time.

The scene's been trampled
on by half the neighborhood.

I can get a better suspect
description outta Helen Keller,

and Forensics is
tied up till next Easter.

It's a write-off, man.
Well, you tell her that, huh?

You think I like it any better
than you do? Now let's face it.

On the homicide hit parade, this
ain't exactly number 10 with a bullet.

Now we can stay here and
waste time and play games,

or we can move on to
something more promising.

Cost efficiency,
right, J.D.? You got it.

- Results, my man.
- 767.

767. See citizen at 1754.

I told 'em I had to go and
get the jeweler's scale.

And I went in the back
and I called the station.

I heard what happened up
at Saint Mary's this morning.

And then when I came
back out here, they was gone.

Saint Mary's? Two guys,
about 10 minutes ago.

They came in here and tried to pawn
some religious stuff. More like eight.

Soon as he goes to use the phone,
they get jumpy, take off and split.

Yeah, they went that way.

Straight ahead, on foot. I
saw them, the two of them.

The tall one had a black
fishnet shirt and gray pants.

The other, jeans and a gray
sweatshirt. I'll radio for backup.

A ripped gray sweatshirt.

Yeah. They couldn't
have gotten very far.

Okay, thank you, sir.

Two possible suspects from Saint Mary's
in the vicinity of Van Buren and Utica.

Two black males
between 20 and 25.

We're approaching 132nd
and Lynwood. Clear up here.

Unit 2203, in the vicinity
of Utica and 138th is clear.

That's 30 seconds per block.
That's four or five minutes.

They could be all the way
to Dexter Avenue by now.

- Hold it. Get back.
I think we got it.

That's them.

All right. Let's punch
it. 2202. We got 'em!

They're going North on Utica, west of
Elmwood. They're goin' down an alley.

Just south of Jefferson.

Come on. Move back. Move
back. Give 'em some room.

Who are they? Can you
give me some names?

Let's imagine there's a line here.
We're not gonna go beyond this line.

Was it clean? Were they
advised? Oh, yeah. Right away.

What'd they say? They're virgins.
They found the stuff in an alley.

Henry, show Sister
Agnes the church stuff.

Then arrange a lineup.
We'll wait for their lawyers.

And how long you lived there?

A couple of months!
Get outta my face!

Or what? Or I'll spit in it!

Hey, you spit in my face, Celestine,
and I'll break both your arms!

Now, why'd you beat up
the sister? What sister?

Hey, where's my lawyer
at? He's on the way.

Now, I already told you, you
don't have to tell us anything,

unless you figured your buddy,
Gerald, is giving you up to my partner.

Giving me up for what? Man,
we tried to move some equipment.

Talk about we got over some nun.

What do you mean, "got
over"? Raped her. Whatever.

Nobody here said rape.

Well, beat her up! Hey,
where's my damn lawyer?

Hey, ape, check
our sheet, brother.

We did some breakin' in, but
never nothin' like this here...

what you're sayin'
with this sister.

Was it you who robbed
those other churches?

Maybe we did, maybe
we didn't, you know?

I have to check with my lawyer.

Hey, but I definitely say we
didn't do nothin' with this other job.

You tellin' me your partner
couldn't do violence?

You talkin' about a fight?
Celestine's... I mean, he's bad!

He'd take on that
cowboy dude, you see?

But he wouldn't be messing
with no religious nun.

No good, Gerald. You guys did it.
Celestine may have been in front.

Do you want to
help yourself out?

Yeah, I'll help
myself out, Jack.

I'll shut up and wait till my
mouth get here. Move off me!

Frank, we got a positive I.D. from
Sister Agnes on the church items.

Good. Did Chesley get the search
warrant for their rooming house?

He's on his way over there.
Are we ready in Lineup?

I got Bates waiting with the
sister. We'll need a lab report.

Belker's working on that.
Tell him to kick some butts.

Frank. Can we get something
on the arrest, Captain?

Ralph Mancuso,
this is Captain Furillo.

Hi. How are you?

We're here to see Celestine
Grey and Gerald Chapman.

I'm gonna be doing affiliate
work with Miss Davenport's office.

As you probably know, the public
defender isn't permitted to defend...

Yes, I know. Multiple suspects.

I'd like to go on record. That's a
frightening group of people outside.

They think your clients have
committed a frightening crime.

They'll need extra protection
going to arraignment.

They'll get it. But first, I want
them in lineup. Lineup for whom?

For the sister who saw
the suspects fleeing.

We've already connected your
people with the goods. Excuse me.

All the way to the end. Hit
your marks. Face forward.

Get your head up, number five.

Number four, take your hat off.

Take your time, Sister.

Turn to your left, profile.

I don't know. I'm sorry.

I was too far away and
they were running so fast.

Frank.

Damn! She died without
regaining consciousness.

Captain, the lab reports
are a little sketchy.

They had to operate. That didn't
help too much with the forensics.

Did they give us anything?
Just the blood type.

The attacker was type "0," for whatever
that's worth. Do they know how many?

No. Are we gonna
lose these guys?

I'm worried when we
bring them out, Frank.

Howard says there are 200 people
in the streets and more coming.

Get some backups
from Jefferson Heights.

When are they gonna take 'em
downtown? What's it to you, son?

I got a right to ask. What,
you protect 'em? Yeah, we do.

Frank.

I don't have to fly my colors for
you to know I'm a law and order man.

Howard. Frank, I
believe in justice,

swift and sure.

I've been willing to put my
body on the line to deliver it.

What's your problem, Howard?

I have been standing
out there getting pelted...

by what I suspect to
be a pretty fair fraction...

of this week's dairy and
vegetable purchases on the hill.

And I have been
asking myself, why?

We're bringing in reenforcements from
the Heights. That's not the point, Frank.

If I wanted someone
to interpose themselves

between those pulsing
masses and these savages,

I would just as soon it were me.

After all, my eaters
are family men.

Frank, the question is,
why? Why should any of us?

Howard... Frank, I know.

I know.

It's blasphemy. But
doggone it, Frank.

When I think of that poor nun,
when I think of these miscreants,

when I contemplate
their endless sojourn

through the futility of
that judicial process,

Frank, I think to myself,

lets us provide that mob...

with the lumber and the tools
and the picture of the scaffold,

and then we'll throw open
the prison gates and let...

those two subhuman savages...

be consumed by the monster
that they have created.

One man's opinion,
without tears.

Thanks for the input, Howard.

Eggplant?

No. Leo, I need
a visitor's pass.

We know two men are in custody,
but as yet we have no names,

or if in fact the police intend
to make formal charges.

Where's Lieutenant Calletano?
I think he's in the squad room.

Right there. Thank
you very much.

So what's it like out front? They're
not too keen on the judicial process.

Lieutenant Calletano? Yes.

I'm Donald Murphy. I'll be going
with you to the I.R.S. this afternoon.

I don't understand.
Where is Mr. Owens?

He's no longer with the company.

But I've had a quick look at your
return. Everything seems fairly in order.

But you don't know about the
lottery ticket or dress patterns.

How can you go with
me? What dress patterns?

I didn't declare some extra
income. Mr. Owens said not to.

Well, that's a definite infraction.
I must remind you, Lieutenant,

that we don't accompany
you as legal advisors.

I want to see Mr. Owens.
So does the F.B.I.

There are warrants out for
his arrest for interstate fraud.

They think he's in
Paraguay or Bolivia.

Oh, Madre Mia.

I don't know. I guess
your return looks in order,

providing the I.R.S. hasn't found
out about the additional income.

What would they do
to me? Excuse me?

If they know, what
will happen to me?

Yeah, I'm a little
curious about that myself.

This is my first
week on the job.

Kinda moonlighting, if
you know what I mean.

Primarily, I sell
biodegradable soap products.

Lieutenant, have you ever held a
handful of ordinary laundry detergent?

There's a burning sensation.
That's the phosphates.

Phosphates.

I am not going.

Lieutenant, I'm told the I.R.S.
does not take kindly to no-shows.

Get out. Get out!

Just search it again, Alf,
and then come back in.

Yeah, and the vicinity of
the building too. Right. Okay.

Oh, Joe, have Leo
call the D.A.'s office.

Hello. And tell Bernstein not to
leave for the grand jury till I get there.

Captain, this is Mrs. Eladio
Rodriguez. Her husband...

I'm sorry for your loss.
Where are your men, Captain?

I wait for the detectives to come
back. I wait for who takes fingerprints.

I want who killed my husband
to be caught! Mrs. Rodriguez...

I know the sister is attacked
today. Did the sister support a family?

Does she have beautiful
hands like my Eladio had?

Mrs. Rodriguez, will you please
talk to Detective Goldblume?

He'll help you.

Joe will fill you in.
Do what you can.

Detective Goldblume
is gonna help.

Get your hands off
me! Man, get off me!

Would you please...

Excuse me. Ow!
You're on my foot.

Get off me, man!

Frank! Frank!

What is going on here?
Fay, I'm on my way out.

Look out! He's got a gun!

You're trying to kill me!
You're trying to kill me!

Get him into Interrogation now!

Everybody out. The press.
Everybody out. Right now!

Bates, get somebody
on the front door.

Don't let anybody through
unless it's connected with a case.

And frisk everyone. Anybody
hit? No. I think he shot high.

You okay? Frank, um...

You know, I just came by to ask you
about Frank Jr.'s school registration.

Well, see, they want
to skip him a grade.

Well, I'm real happy about it.

Well, I was thinking, you know,

maybe he should stay
with his own age group.

Fay, could we talk about
this some other time?

He did so well on his
achievement test and...

I was so proud. Oh, my
God, Frank. I'm bleeding.

You just caught
some flying glass.

I don't think it's serious, but
you're going to the hospital anyway.

Ray. Ray! Can you stand?

I think so. I'll call you at
the hospital. You all right?

I'm sorry. I heard she died.

For the grand jury, we are
gonna need the arresting officer,

the officers who recovered
the religious articles...

and one of the
articles themselves.

- We can have
an indictment by 6:00.
- Don't go to the grand jury.

Don't go? We've got a whole
city screaming for action on this.

I know you can get an indictment
now, but what about down the road?

We have no weapon, no forensics.
No one to place them at Saint Mary's.

And all they have for
priors are low-rent B&E's.

You search their
place yet? Nothing in it.

No prints in the church either.

So, come on. You take six
months, you build a case.

Irwin, I have a lot of wrapping
with nothing in the package.

You know as well as I do, what we don't
have today isn't gonna get better tomorrow.

They did it, didn't they?

Frank, if you're holding
something back from me...

I'm not holding anything
back. Of course they did it.

I watched these
guys in Interrogation.

For an hour and a half the hairs
on the back of my neck stood up.

So? So, I need a
confession, now.

If we indict for murder without
it, they go right into protective.

Their lawyers are around
them like armor plate,

and six months from now we
don't have a confession or a case.

But consider the
alternative. What alternative?

We charge them with what
we have... stolen property.

We set the bail accordingly and they'll
have an interesting choice, won't they?

Are you kidding? Frank,
there's a lynch mob out there.

I know there's a lynch mob
out there. I think I can use it.

You will be signing
a death warrant.

Call the judge.

Mrs. Bernstein, look what
your son Irwin is doing.

Twenty-six on the calender.
Gerald Chapman and Celestine Grey.

Charged with one 40.20 misdemeanor...
possession of stolen property.

Mr. D.A., your application?

Your Honor, in view of the relative
lack of seriousness of the crimes charged,

the People are
not asking for bail.

Defendants may be released
on their own recognizance.

Defense counsel?

Very reasonable. Reasonable?

Judge, my client was
shot at this afternoon.

My client's name is in every
newspaper connected to a heinous crime.

Look at this courtroom,
infested with vultures.

I demand protective
incarceration for my client.

As you know, Miss Davenport,
it's not the purpose of bail...

to protect defendants from
matters not before this court.

D.A.'s request granted.
Released on recognizance.

Judge, is the court unaware there
may be mob contracts on my client's life?

Miss Davenport, this is a
tribunal of rules and procedures.

If your client were
charged with a felony,

he could elect to remain in
custody under C.C.P. 3606.

But since we only
have a misdemeanor...

Why only a misdemeanor, Judge?
Can you answer me that? Why?

The items taken from the church
are very possibly of felony value.

Are you going to let the
D.A. avoid the intent of 3606...

by connivingly charging
only a misdemeanor?

Don't let her start with that
technical stuff, Judge! Give 'em to us!

Your Honor, rather than
overtax the Corrections

Department with a
needless incarceration,

the People have decided
simply to drop the charges.

The defendants, though
they remain prime suspects

in a capital crime
are free to go.

Free to go? Your
Honor, this is a travesty.

I petition for police
protection for my client.

You'll have to speak to
Captain Furillo about that.

Charges dismissed
on motion of D.A.

For the record
then. For the record!

The district attorney and the police
department have clearly conspired...

to dismiss the
charges in this case...

in order to coerce a confession
of murder by my client...

or his codefendant.

So what we have here...

is a neat little exercise
in legalist vigilantism.

What got you into
their bed, Your Honor?

A little letter of
the law in one ear,

a little good of the
community in the other?

Miss Davenport, before
you extend your speculations,

I'm going to suggest that
you reflect on the fact...

that there is no longer
a case before this court.

And then count
whatever it is you count...

when you're trying to
regain your self-control.

In the interim, this
court is adjourned.

And don't you ever,

when you come before this bench,

ever speak like
that to me again,

or I'll throw you in jail.

You railroading bastard!

Captain, my client has advised
me he would like to talk with you.

Second degree murder with
no recommendation for leniency.

Captain, you're
talking 25-to-life.

You work the numbers,
counselor. No leniency.

But we do get the name
change and the federal facility.

Standard change of identity.
Maximum security federal penitentiary.

But he rolls all the way over,
confession plus testimony.

Gerald?

It was Celestine
who said to do it.

She wouldn't let us.

She locked us out of the room.

And Celestine, all
loaded and jumpin' bad...

Get the stenographer.

These are about what
happens to some people when,

you know, they get senile.

They're from the library. You
can keep them for 60 days.

Thank you.

May I call you by
your first name?

Sure.

Mick, it looked like Living
With Forgetting was the best.

I think one of the chapters...
It's about not being ashamed.

I put a bookmark.

You look good.

I thought about what you said
before about degrading myself.

- No more bus station men's
rooms for Eddie Graig.
- Attaboy.

I'm gonna work the men's
room at the Hotel Excelsior.

I want you to know that what
you did tonight frightens me.

I understand. Do you?

This is the kind of crime
that tears a city apart.

It brings out but savage
in thousands of people.

It has to be dealt with very quickly.
So the book goes out the window.

I went by the book. I pushed
a little hard at the bindings.

That's a crock of the well-known
article, Furillo. You bulldozed...

I did what I've seen you do for your
clients 50 times. I used every resource.

Furillo, I'm a public defender.

I play a role in a system
of checks and balances.

And other people are supposed to
play theirs with the same kind of energy.

You with your jungle justice
threw that all out of whack today.

Gerald Chapman would've
confessed to killing Abraham Lincoln...

to avoid that mob tonight.

I can live with
what I did, Joyce.

I went by my instincts
and they were right.

Under these
circumstances, I'd do it again.

You can trust your
instincts, Frank.

Maybe even I can
trust your instincts.

But I don't want to trust
everybody's instincts.

I want there to be rules,
and I want them obeyed,

especially by people who
wear badges and guns.

You perverted the law tonight,

and you're so damned happy
about snagging your confession,

you don't even
begin to see it yet.

Please see it, Frank.

How's Fay? Is she all right?

I talked to her. She has a
couple of stitches in her head.

Yeah, she's all right.

Frank, I don't think I
want to be with you tonight.

I understand.

Gerald not only gave a confession, he
gave the location of the murder weapon.

There's no mistake
here. These are the killers.

Is that where you make
your stand finally, Frank?

With the oldest
excuse in the world...

The end justifies the means?

Frank, on the Rodriguez
robbery-homicide.

I went over there with Mrs.
Rodriguez. No witnesses.

No way we're gonna
get an ongoing S.I.D.

Let's at least try,
first thing tomorrow.

I'll do my best, but
we're really jammed.

I don't think we're gonna
make this one, Frank.

Frank. Oh, Ray. How'd it
go with the I.R.S. today?

I called the district manager
and explained our situation.

I will see him tomorrow
afternoon at 4:30.

The men are proud of
what you did today, Frank.

Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.