Law & Order True Crime (2017): Season 1, Episode 8 - The Menendez Murders: Episode 8 - full transcript

Have you come to a decision?

We went over all the evidence but
we just couldn't reach a consensus.

We're at a complete deadlock.

Then I have no choice
but to declare a mistrial.

The public is
losing faith in us.

I'm taking you off the case.
David will handle the retrial.

Leslie, I can't
do another trial.

My daughter has changed
so much in the last four years

and I feel like
I've missed it all.

I have three calls tonight.

All right. I'll connect you.



Thanks, Norma.

Your Honor, a motion to
exclude testimony about

the Menendez family
history is before you.

Your motion is granted.

You can't do that. My defense
is built on imminent fear.

We're adjourned.

- Look, look. Look at me. Right there.
- Look. Ah, num, num, num.

Good boy.

Mommy loves you so much.

Boy, the grosser it
looks, the more he loves it.

A man after my own heart.

No, wait. Turn that up.

Martha Shelton of
Falls Church, Virginia

has been Lyle Menendez's
phone pal for the last year.



Shelton recorded those
calls and what she claims

is on those tapes could send Lyle
Menendez to the death chamber.

Lyle told me that,

"We have half the jury snowed. And
now we just have to snow the other half."

Oh, I don't believe this.

He called his brother Erik a
"weakling who only shot up a bookcase."

Do you know this woman?

I know of her. She raised
money for Lyle's defense.

The jury never would
have come back hung.

Lyle, I hope you get
what you deserve.

I never said any of that!

Maybe I said we showed
half the jury. But that's all.

This woman says she has tapes.

Lyle, if there is any chance that you told
her something that could hurt you or Erik

you must tell us now.

She's just mad because I didn't
send money for her to come visit me.

Martha Shelton? I'm Steven Calos
from the city prosecutor's office.

These gentlemen
are from Los Angeles

and they have a search warrant for
some tape recordings of Lyle Menendez.

They found three
tapes in a storage bin.

My source says they contain calls
between Martha and Lyle and with you.

Oh, that sneaky little mouse.

Well, that little
mouse has a record.

She served time at the Virginia
State Penitentiary for check fraud.

Mr. Conn refuses to supply us
any discovery about Miss Shelton.

Not even a transcript
of the tapes they seized.

He's even being cute about whether he
plans to call Miss Shelton as a witness.

Mr. Conn, cards on the table, is
she going to be a witness or not?

Miss Abramson, you will
address your comments to me.

Mr. Conn is the prosecution planning
on calling Miss Shelton as a witness?

At this point no, Your Honor.
But this is an ongoing investigation.

See. Right there,
he's being cute.

If he admits he plans on calling
this fraud artist as a witness,

he needs to let us hear
what's on those tapes.

Your Honor, there's the law and
then there's Miss Abramson's rhetoric.

Counsel for the defense
labels everyone a witness.

Your Honor, perhaps you should review
the tapes and tell us what's on them.

Mr. Conn, I order you to turn over the
tapes for my review. We're adjourned.

The tapes are a bust. There's
nothing relevant on 'em. Just gossip.

Nothing about snowing half the
jury. Martha's been blowing smoke.

Maybe she's holding out on us.

You're getting back on a plane with
an arrest warrant. That'll smarten her up.

The police arrested me
for obstructing their case.

They want me to pull something
out of the air that'll help them.

Well, I'm sorry, I
don't have anything.

The thing about "snowed the
jury," Lyle was just joking around.

You know, when Lyle's not murdering
people, he's a pretty likeable guy.

So ends her fifteen minutes.

Well, there's plenty more
where she came from.

Lyle and Erik have dozens
of pen pals, and phone pals.

Any one of 'em could blow up in our
face. I don't want any more surprises.

I don't remember
everyone I talked to.

Mostly, it was one call, to thank
them for thinking of me and Erik.

And the ones you
talk to regularly?

Norma Novelli has their
numbers. She's my switchboard.

I call her and she places
the long-distance calls.

There's only one person
I'm serious with. Anna.

Who's Anna?

Anna Eriksson. We're engaged.

It's a secret.

And we're gonna get married
no matter what happens.

Well, congratulations.

I warned Lyle about Martha.

She's just common trash, looking
for a little glitter in her tawdry life.

You ever listen in on his calls?

No. I wouldn't be a
trustworthy person if I did.

But sometimes the girls call
me to put them in touch with Lyle.

I screen out the
troublesome ones.

Keeper of the gate. Thank you.

I have two things in life,

my newsletter for the inmates,
and Lyle. We talk every day.

I'm the only person who's
not family who visits him.

You find out who your
friends are when you're in jail.

You can say that again.

I see some overseas calls here.

Yes. Sweden.

That's a girl he talks to a lot, Anna,
she sometimes visits family in Stockholm.

Right, Anna
Eriksson, his fiancée.

His fiancée?

Yeah.

Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah.
She's a model. Uh, very pretty.

I'll just, uh, see about
getting you some cookies.

Anyone ever tell you
you have a big mouth?

Miss Novelli befriended Lyle
Menendez four years ago.

For the last two and a half years,
she's recorded her calls with him.

These tapes contain
explosive new information

about the guilt of Lyle
and Erik Menendez,

statements we feel the jury in
the upcoming trial should listen to.

Let me give you a small
example of what's on these tapes.

This is from a tape
recorded during the first trial.

Lyle says to Miss Novelli, quote,
"Norma, buy me a yellow sweater.

Ever see a violent man wearing
a yellow sweater?" Close quote.

What other gems
might be on those tapes?

I don't know. It's three years. I
didn't know she was taping me.

She has always
been in my corner.

Did you ever give her
a reason to think that

you might have a
romantic interest in her?

No. Why?

I let slip that you
were engaged to Anna.

Oh, God. I'm sorry.

Is this bad?

What do you mean, "nothing"?

How can there be "nothing" on
two and a half years of tapes?

It's just Lyle mouthing off.

There's no evidence relating to the murders
or the motive. The tapes are useless.

Maybe not.

Abramson doesn't know what's on
those tapes. Maybe we can bluff her.

Into doing what?

Into keeping Lyle off the stand.

Think about it.

Didn't Novelli say she wanted
to publish those tapes as a book?

If she could find
a publisher. Why?

Thanks to court TV,
they're celebrities.

That makes them targets
for all these lonely women.

Poor little boys preyed
upon by rapacious women?

Their abuse derailed
their development.

They don't have a baseline for
making good judgments about people.

They did pick you to be their lawyer,
so their judgment can't be that bad.

Well, let's not
count our chickens.

Good evening. More
Menendez Mania today

as Dove Books announced it will
publish the explosive transcripts

of Norma Novelli's phone
conversations with Lyle Menendez.

The book promises sensational
revelations about the Menendez murders.

Everybody's cashing in.
Gotta love this country.

Well, I gotta wonder just how
explosive those transcripts are.

Your buddies in publishing, can
they find out about this book deal?

Specifically what?

How much Dove
paid Norma Novelli.

The book was Lyle's idea,
to show the other side of him.

I asked him permission
to tape our calls.

He said yes but he didn't
want his lawyers to find out.

I understood why when I
heard some of the things he said.

I found them very distressing.

Thank you, Miss Novelli.

So, you and Lyle were going to
write this book together, is that right?

Yes. Lyle said, "When we do our
book, I'd like to go on tour with it."

Oh. That's nice. So you and Lyle
have some kind of a written contract?

No. Not in writing. It
was a verbal agreement.

So you have it on tape?

No.

Hours and hours and hours of recordings
and Lyle never said he agreed to be taped?

No, I... I don't think so.

We've heard Mr. Conn refer
to your recordings as explosive.

And you've called
them "distressing."

How much is Dove Books paying you to
publish this "explosive distressing" book?

Twelve thousand
five hundred dollars.

That's it?

Well, now that's distressing.

No more questions.

You may step down, Miss Novelli.

Your Honor, Miss Novelli's
recordings are a clear violation of

California law requiring the
consent of both parties being taped.

I don't agree.

As an inmate in a
correctional institute,

Mr. Menendez had no expectation
of privacy in his communications.

I'm going to admit the
tapes into evidence.

Without knowing what's on them?

I am willing to bet
that Dove Books

would've paid a whole lot more
than a measly twelve thousand bucks

if those tapes contained any "explosive"
evidence relating to the murders.

Mr. Conn?

Your Honor, we're not
finished with our review

but there's plenty of material to
impugn Lyle Menendez's credibility.

Well, if the tapes are to be admitted, it
should just be to rebut Lyle's testimony.

Mr. Conn? Very well then.

The tapes can only be
admitted as rebuttal evidence

in the event that
Mr. Menendez testifies at trial.

Good going.

I don't know. I'm not actually
sure we won anything.

- Not guilty.
- Not guilty.

No way. Unbelievable.

He got away with it!

O.J.

The bluff worked.

If Abramson puts
Lyle on the stand,

she runs the risk of having those
tapes blow up in her smug face.

This is a disaster.

McMartin, Rodney
King, and now O.J.

This office is a laughing
stock. We need a win, David.

Well, some of that's
up to Weisberg.

The O.J. verdict is a direct answer
to the Rodney King acquittals,

the case Weisberg fumbled.

Don't they have to tell us
what's on Norma's tapes?

Only if they use
them at trial, and they

don't have to decide
until after you testify.

I don't know, I...

Testifying about all
that stuff about my Dad

and Mom, it was hard
enough the first time.

Frankly, it's risky to
put you on the stand.

You make any mistake, no matter how
small, they're gonna drag out those tapes.

Even your comment
about the yellow sweater

could be enough to
turn the jury against you.

So, you don't think
he should testify.

No. No, I don't.

So the jury won't hear
from Lyle about the abuse.

So, it'll be up to you,
Erik, to tell the story.

And I know you can do it.

I can do it. Good.

I will be right there with you.

I hope he's up to it.

Well, I just hope it's enough.

Without the family's testimony, or the
testimony about the psychological abuse...

All right. Quit reminding us how
much Weisberg has screwed us.

It's not about to end. Did you see
this op-ed about the O.J. verdict?

It draws a straight line right back
to Rodney King and Weisberg.

Dollars to donuts,
Garcetti's behind it.

Everyone.

This is Anna. Lyle's fiancée.

I'm so happy to meet you all. Lyle's
told me how much you mean to him.

You're just as pretty
as Lyle said you were.

Thank you.

All rise.

Be seated.

Good morning.

Bring in the jury.

Here we go.

We thought our parents were
gonna come out and kill us.

So, we went down the hallway.

Uh, we opened the doors.

They were standing. And...

And we shot them.

Mr. Menendez,
after all the abuse

that you've described
over these last weeks,

do you feel you were
justified in killing your parents?

I was not.

Were you in fear
when you killed them?

Yes.

Why did you kill them?

Because I thought
they were gonna kill me.

Why then don't you think you
were justified in killing them?

Because...

Because they were my parents.

And there were no
guns in that room,

and I realize that now,

that it was a horrible mistake.

Your Honor, we object to defense's
use of "imperfect self-defense."

It does not apply in this case.

I was wondering the same thing.

Your Honor, this is the
same case as the first trial,

when you allowed
imperfect self-defense.

Now, that the case is going to the
jury, is not the time to reconsider.

I want to talk about the
requirement that the defendant

must believe the lethal
threat to him is "imminent."

Yes, that's the requirement to
precipitate the use of deadly force.

Well, it's not for the defendant
to decide what "imminent" means.

Your Honor, imperfect self-defense allows
for the defendant's unreasonable belief

that the lethal
threat is imminent.

I don't think there's substantial
evidence of imminent danger

to justify instructing the jury
on imperfect self-defense.

You...

Your Honor, we have
built our entire case on this.

The jury has heard us build up
to this for the last four months.

What the defendant said does
not constitute imminent Danger.

So the Court is saying that
the belief that at any second

people could come out of a
room, guns blazing, and shoot you

is not fear of imminent danger?

Is that what the
Court is saying?

For the application of imperfect
self-defense, that is not imminent danger.

Now let's move on.

No. Your Honor, we can't...

Miss Abramson, I do not want to hear
any more from you on this. Moving on.

Okay. I will prepare the final instructions
and read them to the jury accordingly.

We the jury find
Joseph Lyle Menendez

guilty of murder in the first degree of
Jose Menendez and Mary Louise Menendez

in violation of section 187-A of the
penal code of the State of California.

We the jury find
Erik Galen Menendez

guilty of murder in the first degree of
Jose Menendez and Mary Louise Menendez

in violation of section 187-A of the
penal code of the State of California.

Thank you. The jury can
return to the jury room.

Court will recess.

We will reconvene in an hour to discuss
the scheduling of the penalty phase.

This is not over. Not by a long
shot. Okay. We can still fight.

Well, now their lives really
are in imminent danger.

They transferred us to a more secure
unit. They put us on suicide watch.

And we have to
wear leg chains now.

Yeah. It's a whole new ball game
now that you've been convicted.

I am sorry. I have
let you both down.

Don't say that. We
know you didn't.

We just want to know what's
gonna happen to us. Yeah.

One way or the other,
it's... It's okay with us.

But we've been waiting six
years, and we just want to know.

Well, don't give up.

Your family's finally
gonna get a chance to

tell the jury what kind
of young men you are,

what your childhood was like,

everything that Weisberg
kept out of the trial

can now be said in
the penalty phase.

The people who love you
are gonna fight for your lives.

But you have to fight too.

Mama!

Ma.

Mama.

The sky opened up, Marta.

Oh.

It's just a bad dream, Mama.

Look. Looky. Looky.

God was calling for us.

I saw Jose,

Kitty... I saw Christ himself.

Did you see everything, Mama?

Yes.

And did you ask God for forgiveness?
For making Jose the man that he was?

Go back to sleep, Mama.

My son is flying in tonight.
He's ready to testify.

My daughters have been
waiting months to speak to the jury.

Well, now they'll
have their chance.

Marta, there's some points in
your testimony I need to clarify.

Let's go into my office. Okay.

Joan, is there something
else you want to tell me?

My father was a violent man.

Our home was chaos...

And Kitty was just a child.

She was molested. By
someone in the family.

Oh God.

It changed Kitty. I don't think I
ever saw her truly happy again.

Took only two verses of Yellow
Submarine to get him back to sleep.

How's your opening coming?

You know, I can't stop thinking
about what Kitty's sister told me.

Kitty's own abuse explains why she
would allow her sons to be abused,

even why she
abused them herself.

To quote Philip Larkin, "Man
hands on misery to man."

Until somebody breaks the cycle.

One way or the other.

It is an extraordinary task

that our law puts in your hands.

I don't have any idea what
it's like to make a decision

to take another person's life.

I haven't a clue.

Even though I'm a murder
lawyer, this is, in fact,

only the second time in my career that
I've ever actually had a penalty phase.

So I'm not particularly
expert, uh, at even arguing it.

And people have said,
"Just speak from your heart."

Uh, frankly, my heart is
too full of Erik Menendez.

I've been his
lawyer for six years.

I care about him. I
make no bones about it.

And if I try to speak
from my heart, frankly,

I don't think I will
talk very effectively.

So, now, our task is to show you

that this is not a case
where the interests of society

or of your own conscience

would be served by
imposing a death verdict.

These things are not
decided by computers.

Let's get on to the opening.

Your Honor, may I please speak?

No. We've had enough
references to matters

outside the purpose of
the opening statement.

Yes, Your Honor, I am simply
trying to explain to the jury that...

Either you'll make your opening
statement in conformity with my direction,

or you won't make a statement.

Erik and Lyle were
adorable boys.

I used to hug them
and... And play with them.

Kitty would say to
me, "You're so lucky to

have girls. I'm stuck
with these two boys."

She would say that
right in front of them.

She was very
negative towards them.

Was your brother also very
negative in how he talked to his sons?

Jose laughed at Erik all the time,
because he wasn't as strong as Lyle.

He would call him weak, idiot,
crybaby in front of everybody.

Erik was only eight,
he would start crying.

Did you notice a change in
Erik's personality at this time?

When he came to stay at my
house, in my son Andy's room,

he would lock the door
at every opportunity.

He told my son,

"Andy, you don't know how lucky
you are to have locks on your doors."

It was a family gathering.

Lyle was five, he
was running around.

Jose just grabbed
him by the arm.

He said something to
Lyle that I couldn't hear.

Did you see Lyle's reaction?

He wetted himself. He looked
very pale. He didn't say a word.

Jose marched him to his room. I didn't
like that at all. So I followed them.

When I entered the bedroom, Jose
was punching Lyle in the upper abdomen.

Lyle was gasping for air.

Was the punch with an open hand?

No, ma'am. Fist closed.

When I first saw Erik, he had
a whole cluster of symptoms.

He felt the abuse was his fault,

he felt worthless and stupid and

maybe if he was killed, somebody
would say something nice about him.

But he's not that
way now, is he? No.

He's had a lot of
treatment. A lot of support

from his extended
family, his friends.

And I think that he's
been reparented by you.

What does re-parenting mean?

Erik never had the
kind of parenting that,

praise God, most of us have had.

Then in comes somebody who really cares
about him, who sees him almost every day.

Erik took that nurturing and
got stronger, less out of control.

What is your opinion about his
potential for doing positive things?

I think the prospect
is excellent.

He's interested in reaching out
to the child-abuse community,

to tell other victims to ask for help
instead of taking the path of destruction.

Are you saying, Doctor, that Erik alleged
that his mother threatened to kill him?

It was more statements like,
"You're the cause of all the problems,

"I wish you were never born."

Uh-huh.

Let me direct you to, uh, page 35 of the
notes you made during Erik's treatment.

Can you tell us what the, uh,
first line at the top there says?

It says, "I couldn't stand being around
my mother. Thought I didn't love her."

My copy of your notes doesn't say
"thought." It just says "Didn't love her."

That's interesting.
It says "thought"

here in my notes
but not on your copy.

So it's obviously something I
wrote when I reviewed my notes.

I made maybe two dozen changes.

Uh-huh.

Doctor, when did you, uh, add
the word "thought" to your copy?

I was going over my notes with
Miss Abramson, preparing to testify.

You were modifying
the notes of your original

interview of Erik,
with Miss Abramson?

Well, at her request. To clarify and
eliminate material that was prejudicial.

Objection, the
witness misstates.

The material had already been
ruled inadmissible by the Court.

Overruled.

This line of questioning is irrelevant
since he already has the original notes.

Overruled, Miss Abramson.

Your Honor, I ask the Court
to inquire of Miss Abramson

why she tampered
with Dr. Vicary's notes...

Objection! ...and
improperly withheld evidence

from the prosecution.

Deputy, take the jury out.

I object to Mr. Conn's

characterizations. We
didn’t withhold anything.

The prosecution
has the original notes.

Miss Abramson, I want
information from you

about the history of these
notes from Dr. Vicary.

Your Honor, I am prepared
to answer your questions

about Dr. Vicary's
notes in chambers,

without the prosecution present.

I am not interested in
giving Mr. Conn information

he would not
otherwise be entitled to.

That is not a response.

Open court is not the
appropriate forum for this inquiry.

These matters will be dealt with in
open court. I want your response now.

What does he want me to do, plead
the Fifth? I didn't do anything wrong.

It doesn't matter what you say.
He's gonna burn you with the jury.

Miss Abramson.

Again, I will answer your questions
about Dr. Vicary's notes in chambers.

You persist on defying me.

Let's bring the jury back in.

Your Honor, the last thing
the jury heard was Mr. Conn

accusing Miss Abramson
of tampering with evidence.

We ask that you
instruct the jury

that there was no misconduct
on Miss Abramson's part.

I can't give that instruction.

And that the jury is not to infer
that she did anything improper.

I can't give that instruction because Miss
Abramson refuses to answer my questions.

You're putting the defendants
at an unfair disadvantage

by allowing this cloud to
hang over Miss Abramson.

I'm ready to bring
the jury back in.

No, Your Honor.
One moment. Please.

Okay. Weisberg's
leaving us no choice.

He's treated you like
crap the entire trial.

He's made sure that you're
damaged goods in the eyes of the jury.

I will save you the trouble of
asking. You want me to step down.

For Erik and Lyle's sake.

I know.

Your Honor, uh, since the Court
will not instruct the jury as requested,

defense counsel has no
choice but to ask you to

remove Miss
Abramson from the trial.

Motion denied.

But Your Honor,
she... I said denied.

Miss Abramson is
not going anywhere.

What the hell is he doing?

You know, it's not enough
to torpedo your credibility,

he wants you to stay in front
of the jury to humiliate you.

I don't give a damn about that.
There's only one thing that matters.

Can I still be an effective
advocate for my client?

And if we really believe that
I've been tainted by this BS,

then there's really only
one thing we can do.

Barry, you've gotta deliver
the closing to the jury for Erik.

Approach, Your Honor?

The Court has left us
no choice but to keep

Miss Abramson from
further addressing the jury.

I will be delivering the closing
argument on behalf of Erik Menendez.

Your choice, Mr. Levin.

We'll bring the jury back in.

Counselors, you can
return to your seats.

Back to your seat,
Miss Abramson.

I just came home to change.

I have to go right back to the office
to work with Barry. Is Aidan asleep?

Yes.

I know that look, Les.
Something happened?

Yes. Weisberg succeeded
in shutting me up.

For a nothing
technicality, he shut me up.

What do you mean, shut you up?

He made it impossible for me to
give my closing statement to the jury!

It's what I do best.

Oh. God damn it,
it's what I do best!

Well, Conn's argument,
his only argument,

is gonna be that Erik and
Lyle lied about everything.

So you just have to show the
jury that that argument is ludicrous.

To tell you the truth, Les, I...

I mean I haven't given
a closing in a while,

let alone in a capital case.
I mean, this should be you.

It is what it is.

Weisberg didn't silence
me, he silenced Erik and Lyle,

just like their parents
silenced them.

You know, it wouldn't hurt to remind
the jury that you were a Marine and a cop,

so you don't come off
like some bleeding heart.

Oh. Oh.

What's the matter?
You all right?

- Oh, it's just a...
- It's a nosebleed.

It's nothing. I... I get
'em from time to time.

Well, at our age,
nosebleeds aren't nothing.

Barry, are those bruises?

Oh. What did you do?

No, it's... It's a new thing.

I bruise really easily.

I... I got 'em all over.

Well, have you seen a doctor?

Yeah. They don't
know what's going on.

I'll get some tests
done when this is over.

I get a little tired sometimes
but I'll... I'll be okay tomorrow.

Well, yeah. I know you
will. You'll... You'll do great.

The jury's gonna love a
handsome devil like you.

Yeah.

Erik lied. Plain and simple.

And so did his brother. So did
Marta Cano and the other relatives.

These two healthy young
men were not abused,

and there is no good
reason for these murders.

If you carefully balance
each of the aggravating factors

against the country club abuse
defense that these defendants presented,

no, it's like weighing
bricks and feathers.

These are the bricks over here

The horror of this crime,
that tilt the scales this way,

against the feathers over here of
too much tennis and not enough hugs.

Erik and Lyle Menendez
deserve the death penalty.

You won't be giving them
anything they didn't earn.

Mr. Conn would
like you to conclude

that Erik and Lyle
are cold-blooded killers

whose just reward
is the death penalty.

They showed no mercy, so
they're entitled to no mercy.

The victims are dead,

so they need to die.

That's revenge.

And in a court of law, you don't
impose the death sentence for revenge.

Excuse me.

Look, I was in military combat in Vietnam
and I was a police officer with the LAPD.

In war and on the street

and in a courtroom there
exists a code of conduct

for the humane treatment
of our fellow man.

You can't shoot someone
who's surrendering.

You... you cannot walk out onto the
battlefield and shoot the wounded enemy.

And a police officer
doesn't shoot the pursued.

Now, in the decision
that you must make,

you can be firm
but compassionate

You can be strong and merciful.

These are not
weaknesses. Mmm-mmm.

These are strengths.

Now, the decision you
make is irreversible.

If you vote for the death penalty,
Erik and Lyle will be executed.

It's done.

I beg you. Please, please
spare these young men.

It's a decision you
will never, ever regret.

Thank you very much.

You know, if they end up on death
row it'll be the same old, same old.

Everyone I've ever met on
the row was molested as a kid.

What are you
gonna do after this?

Retire. Be with my family.

You know, you should put yourself up
for a judgeship. You'd get a lotta support.

That is never gonna
happen, Barry.

Why is that?

I had a client twelve years ago, a junkie
who sold a dime bag to an undercover.

I tried to plead him out,
but the DA wanted hard time.

So my guy goes to prison.
Except he's a diabetic.

And when he doesn't get his
medication in prison, he died.

So I wrote a letter to the DA
congratulating him for being the first DA

to get the death penalty for
the sale of a dime bag of heroin.

Ever since, the DA's
office has blocked

my nomination for judgeship
every time my name's come up.

Yeah.

They're right. I
shouldn't be a judge.

I would have to be impartial.

I don't wanna be impartial.

The world is filled with
people walking around

being impartial while
disaster is striking.

I don't wanna be one of them.

I'm glad I'm not
in that jury room.

Not that I'm against the death
penalty, but all that mitigation.

Really? You buy that?

I mean, the mental abuse,
sure, but the sex abuse?

I know. But those pictures.

I mean you know what you'd do if you
found someone with pictures like those.

You'd arrest them.

Yeah. Those pictures.

It can't be right to
kill your parents.

It just can't. There
had to be another way.

Will the defendants rise?

We the jury, having found Erik Galen
Menendez and Joseph Lyle Menendez

guilty of first-degree murder
with special circumstances,

fix the penalty at life
imprisonment without parole.

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, thank
you for your service. Court is adjourned.

We will file for a new trial, we'll
appeal. This is not the end of the road.

No. It's okay, Leslie.

Now we know what's ahead

and we're okay with it.

It's better than it
was before, at home.

It really is better.

All I'm asking for
is a call from you

to delay their transport back
to prison for fifteen minutes.

Why?

So Lyle can marry his fiancée,
with Erik as his best man.

You're joking.

No. I have a judge lined up to perform the
service, we can use an empty courtroom.

Out of the question.

Your clients aren't going
anywhere except prison.

Judge Weisberg, is your heart so
full of malice towards these boys

that there isn't room for
even this small kindness?

Are you accusing me of bias?

Get out. Get out of my chambers.

Many of us felt that if we'd heard
about the family history during the trial,

we never would have convicted
them of first degree murder.

Judge Weisberg showed remarkable
patience. This is a victory for justice.

Thank you.

Judge Brown agreed to meet us at my
office. Okay We will get you married, Anna.

Thank you.

I'll be back.

Leslie,

I wanted to thank you on behalf of the
family for everything that you have done.

Oh, thank you.

I, uh, don't feel I did enough.

I... I wanted to ask you, Marta,

you were the only one who never
doubted the boys about the sex abuse.

Why is that?

You can never tell anybody
what I'm about to tell you,

not as long as
my mother is alive.

When Jose was five,

my father would go on long trips
and my mother was very lonely.

She would take Jose into her bed and
make him do things to her, sexual things.

That's why I never doubted that
Jose did the same to his sons.

It's a sickness that
my mother gave to him.

I...

Lyle Menendez, take you, Anna,
to be my wife to have and to hold,

for better or worse,
for richer or poorer, in

sickness and health,
until death do us part.

I, Anna Eriksson, take you, Lyle, to
be my husband, to have and to hold,

for better or worse,
for richer or poorer, in

sickness and in health,
until death do us part.

Anna, you made such
incredible sacrifices. I adore you.

I now pronounce
you man and wife.

You may kiss each
other in your mind's eye.

Lyle? Sweetie,
how are you feeling?

It's the best day of my life.

I'll see you in the next place.
Erik? Did you hear everything?

Yes, Aunt Terry. I'm
so glad you're there.

And... Lyle...

Adios, Lyle.

Bye, little brother.

Thank you. I'll see you guys.

Really, guys? Outside my house?

Just a couple of questions, Leslie.
How do you feel now that the trial is over?

It'll never be over for me,

because I will never sever ties
with Erik and Lyle or their family.

The legal part is over but
the human part continues.

Is it true, you'll be retiring?

Might be. What're
you going to do?

Uh, spend some time with my
husband and my lovely little boy.

Maybe open a toy store. Okay.
That's it. Bye-bye. Farewell!

A toy store? Leslie!

Is there anything
else you can tell us?

Come on, guys. It's family time. What
part of "farewell" don't you understand?