Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Season 2, Episode 16 - Jacob's Ladder - full transcript
Monica goes to the wrong place to help someone, so the other angels are not able to help her. Monica is arrested for selling drugs and is put in an insane asylum since people think she is crazy. While at the home, she helps another patient.
What are you doing here?
I don't know, but I'm
sure glad to see you.
What kept you?
What are you saying?
Do you know where you are?
Well, yes.
"801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville."
Terry Hayman...
Though he doesn't much
look like a kindergarten
teacher to me.
For heaven's sakes!
801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois.
Not Jacksonville, Florida.
Honestly, am I
my angel's keeper?
Come on, let's go!
Terry Hayman is standing
in the middle of her bedroom
at this very moment, packing!
And you've got to get there
before she leaves her husband
and runs off with the tax man!
Well, that's funny.
I could have sworn
that I heard "Florida."
And if anybody
needs an angel... Tess.
Something tells me
he needs to start
with a housekeeper.
Are you coming?
Every day is a chance
to start over, my friend.
Police! Freeze!
Don't move or we shoot!
Hold it right there!
I said "Freeze!"
Drop it!
Drop it! Put your hands up!
I-I'm sorry... if I'd known
the bag was important, I'd...
Shut up! Keep your
hands above your head!
We know what you're doing now!
Hold still!
I don't know who she is!
I haven't done anything, man!
Just shut up!
Okay, lady!
You are under arrest.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you
in a court of law.
♫ When you walk down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden, heavy load ♫
♫ I will rise and I
will walk with you ♫
♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun
don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time, I tell
you I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♫
So, this, uh, Tess,
is your partner.
I guess she's really
more of a supervisor.
Supervisor?
Sounds like you've got
quite an organization going.
Well, you have to be
organized in this business.
Of course, I wasn't
too organized tonight.
So, were you
delivering or picking up?
Picking up?
Were you picking up
for Tess or dropping off?
Well, I-I, um... I was
meeting her there.
Well, actually, I wasn't
meeting her there.
You see, I was
supposed to meet her
at 801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois,
not Florida.
You see? I wrote it down.
But I... I forgot to
put down the state.
It gets so confusing,
you know...
States, borders, countries...
It's such a human thing.
I know I should pay
more attention, but...
it's so hard to take borders
seriously in my work.
You've got no I.D.,
no known address,
no yellow sheet, no
fingerprints on file...
no nothing.
How long have you
and Tess been running
your little drug operation?
Oh, you think I'm a drug person?
Yeah, well... call me crazy.
Maybe it was the two kilos
you were holding when we met.
Oh, but I didn't know
what was in that bag, sir.
Been there, heard that, Monica.
No, you see, the man looked
so miserable lying there.
I just thought I would
tidy up a wee bit.
You know, before I
left for Illinois and...
cheer him up.
You were going to Illinois.
Jacksonville.
I told you... I got
the states confused.
See, there's a woman
named Terry waiting for me
at 801 Cedar Street.
She needs me right now.
She's a kindergarten teacher.
Who knows how many
lives this could change?
I hope this isn't going
to go on much longer.
I just pray that
Tess went on ahead.
Monica, do you understand
that you've been arrested
on a charge of drug trafficking?
Yes... well, I do now.
Thank goodness we
got that straightened out.
Look, lady, we
don't have anything
straightened out here!
Now, let's forget
this fairy tale
about Illinois and
the wrong house
and Tess, the mystery chick.
What were you doing
at Bobby Shore's house
holding two kilos of cocaine?
Are you a dealer or a buyer?
I'm not either.
Dealer or buyer, Monica?
I-I was there because... Yeah?
Because I'm an angel.
How long have you been an angel?
All of my life.
How long is that?
Forever.
Have you sold drugs forever?
No!
An angel would
never, ever do that.
So, you're not an angel
when you were selling drugs.
Yes... no.
Do you understand
why you're here?
Yes, I do.
Very good. Could you tell me?
Because I didn't leave
when Tess told me to.
And who's Tess?
Well, she's an angel, too.
Like you?
No.
She's taller.
Case dismissed.
Next case, please.
Case number 96-20664-CFA,
People v. Melina Karan.
Prostitution, possession
of a controlled substance,
resisting arrest.
Will counsel approach
the bench, please?
All right, so what
are we talking?
I've got an assault coming up.
But he was just breaking
into a candy machine.
They can't send him up for that.
Carter? Hmm.
He was going to drop that candy
machine on somebody's head.
But he didn't. Oh,
for God's sake,
the man was shot
down over the DMZ.
Now, no one understands
what kind of hell
we were going through out there.
But I will tell you what:
You drop the charges on Carter
and I will give you the warrant
and Diaz pleads battery
on the St. Marks girl.
Battery? Rape?
You can't prove it.
I'm gonna try, counselor.
Case dismissed. So... Next case!
Let's move this along, please.
Case number 96-206
75-CFA, People v. Monica Doe.
Charged with possession
of cocaine for sale
with intent to distribute...
I'm gonna put this one
away. I'll talk to him later.
Uh, I've got a date.
This offer runs
out at, uh, 4:00.
Hard to believe you
got a Purple Heart.
I had to replace the one I lost.
Oh.
Ms. Monica Doe?
You have no last name?
Uh, not officially, Your Honor.
Do you have a lawyer
here to represent you?
Um...
Yes, I do, sir.
And... where is he... or she?
He's right here, sir.
Oh, Sam!
I'm so glad to
see another angel.
They sent someone
from Special Services.
It must be pretty serious, huh?
I'm not here to
represent you, Monica.
What?
You went to the wrong address.
You set a serious chain
of events into motion.
Now, all we can
do is just stand back
and watch it play itself out.
Sam, there's something
very wrong here.
I can't seem to do
anything except be here.
All of my special
gifts are gone.
And you're the first contact
I've had from
anyone in the realm.
And the last for
a while, I'm afraid.
What?!
Ms. Doe, have you
any representation?
Uh, I guess not, Your Honor.
God turns everything
around all the time,
so something good
got to come out of this.
I just can't tell you
when, that's all.
And remember...
He'll never leave
or forsake you.
Hey, just because you're
stuck in human form,
doesn't mean
you're not an angel.
Well, of course, I'm an ang...
Ms. Doe, you have
no visible means of support,
no counsel present...
and the court will, therefore,
appoint a public defender
to represent you.
Thank you very much, Your Honor.
No matter what happens,
never forget who you are.
Never.
Is there a public
defender or someone
from Legal Aid present
in the courtroom?
Is that Stone back there?
Why, yes, Your Honor.
That's Jake Stone.
Uh, Your Honor,
I'm not really here...
uh, I mean, in a
formal capacity...
Stone, you're on this case.
Your Honor... To
the bench, counselor.
This is pretty cut
and dried, Stone.
Hello.
Okay, defendant was arrested
during a SWAT operation.
She was found carrying two kilos
and she denies any
connection with this.
And get this: She, uh...
thinks she's an angel.
Psychiatric?
Two evaluations. Both concur.
State will recommend
release to state
mental on a five to 15
with a "guilty
but mentally ill."
That nuts, huh?
As my ex-mother-in-law's
fruitcake.
Has anyone told her this?
Jake, just make the
motion. Let's get out of here.
Well, you know, it's
a funny habit I have,
but I actually like
to meet the people
I'm gonna help commit
to a mental institution.
Careful... you're gonna
start taking home rapists
and lost puppies pretty soon.
You've got two minutes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Ms. Doe... Monica.
Oh, it's awfully nice of you
to jump into the fray like this.
Yeah, well, it's going
to be a very short fray.
Look, they've got you cold here.
Now, if you plead innocent,
you're going to go to trial
and the jury will send
you up for 15 years to life.
Life?!
That could be awfully
long in my case.
Right, right, but if you plead
"guilty but mentally ill," see,
then that nice judge
over there, he will let you
go to the state mental hospital
where you'll only have to spend
maybe five years, 15 tops,
and then, you get
to get all better.
Better?
Well, they'll help you handle
some of your... problems.
My problem is that
no one believes me.
Well, that certainly is
one of your problems, yes.
But you believe me, don't you?
I mean, you're my lawyer.
Well, being your lawyer doesn't
mean I have to believe you.
As a matter of fact, I don't
believe most of my clients.
Or anybody else,
for that matter.
You must be a very unhappy man.
Your Honor, sir... Uh,
Monica... Mr. Judge.
Um... You see, I'm not crazy
and I don't want to be put away.
I just want a fair
chance at a trial
so I can tell my side of things.
I know who and what I am.
Ms. Doe, you have the right
to a competency hearing,
if you wish. No, no, no!
But if you are then
declared competent,
you must stand trial,
and frankly, the evidence
against you is heavy.
I know, but I'm not crazy.
Stone?
Believe someone, please.
Once.
Your Honor, my client...
and I...
move to contravert
the findings of the state.
Oh, come on.
Okay... hearing to establish
competence will be held
The prisoner is remanded
to the custody of the state
mental hospital until then.
Next case.
God bless you, Jacob Stone.
Look, don't start with
me. You are not an angel.
Let go of me! Let go of me!
Be nice, Sadie.
Right here. All right, sit.
Hey, Rosie, I got an
angel here for you.
He will give you angels
to watch over thee.
Don't worry. We
get all types here.
I think we've even got
a couple celestial
types like yourself.
Here we go.
Claire, got a roommate for you.
Thought you wouldn't mind
bunking with a coworker.
Mayday! Mayday!
It's nothing personal.
She says that all the time.
Claire, Claire, calm down.
This is Monica, and she's going
to sleep in this
bunk right over here.
There's nothing to worry about.
She's an angel,
too, just like you.
Is Claire an angel?
Well... yes,
Monica. Yes, she is.
See, she thinks she's an angel
and you think you're an angel,
so you two have a lot in common.
Oh, Mayday.
Mayday, Mayday.
Uh, that is my jacket.
So it is.
I thought your stool
would be marked
by a plaque or something.
Yeah, I know I only have
four days before the hearing,
and your office
hasn't turned over
the discoveries on Monica Doe.
Mm, Monica the angel.
Did you hear about this?
I want that discovery
in the morning. Oh, done.
You should listen
to the arrest tapes.
They're very entertaining.
Sorry I'm late. Hi, Sue, Harry.
Hi. Helen.
Listen, thanks for coming.
Why don't you sit
right over there, okay?
I didn't know shrinks
made house calls.
Ha.
So what's the rush?
Um, I have a competency
hearing on Thursday,
and I need you to
evaluate her and testify.
Thursday? And
you're calling me now?
It just happened.
A woman gets arrested
in a drug dealer's
house, holding two kilos.
She says she's at the right
address, but wrong state.
Wrong state?
You can't commit somebody
for getting bad
grades in geography.
She says... she's an angel.
And you're going to defend that?
All I have to do is prove that
she's competent to go to trial.
I'm beginning to
wonder if you are.
You know, the funny thing is
I'm positive I heard
"Jacksonville, Florida."
It's very disturbing,
because I've never made
a mistake like that before.
I have made mistakes.
Angels... real angels...
Are not perfect, actually.
You know, Claire...
it's okay for you to admit
that you're not a real angel.
God will love you
just the way you are.
Mayday, Mayday.
Oh, bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Over there.
I'll be here if you need me.
Thanks.
Oh, Rosie, come on.
Try your eggs, hon.
Monica, this is Dr. Shraeder.
She's going to talk to you
for a couple of minutes.
Who are you?
What do you want from me?
Why don't you leave me alone?
Go on. Go away!
Well, she wasn't
like this yesterday.
Well, maybe she was
acting nice yesterday.
An angel one day,
and the next day she's...
Always remember who you are.
Never forget.
Just because you're
stuck in human form
doesn't mean
you're not an angel.
You don't know
what you're dealing with here.
I could break you like that!
Monica, have they
given you medication?
Yes.
Help me.
I specifically asked them
to hold up on the
meds until you saw her.
Well, they obviously didn't.
And I cannot give you
an accurate evaluation
till she's off the meds.
It's a really strange
reaction, though.
Okay, look, if I can
get a court order,
how long till you
can talk to her?
It depends on what they
doped her up with, and when.
Maybe 24 hours.
24 hours?
24 hours?
It's too late.
I'll be long gone by then.
Uh, excuse me, sir.
What does that look like to you?
I'm sorry to bother you.
No, not at all. Let's see.
Well, it's a hand.
"801 Cedar, Jacksonville."
That's a tough neighbourhood.
Eh... Evidence?
Client of mine.
Says she's an angel.
An angel?
Imagine that.
There's nothing like a
good, hot cup of Joe.
Haven't heard
that since the army.
Korea.
'Nam... well, Saigon at the end.
That must be a hard thing
to carry around with you.
Harder thing to let go of.
Maybe you should ask
your angel to help you.
She's nuts.
Then why are you defending her?
I'm drawn to the impossible.
With God, all
things are possible.
You know, I've met a lot of
men who do not believe in angels,
but... I've never met a
man who didn't want to.
Thought I'd find you here.
Hey, hey.
Just a guess.
Yeah, yeah. Sit down. Ellen...
this is, um...
Uh, do you still drink
that watery pink stuff?
A glass of Zinfandel
and another here.
Yes, she told me about this.
You talked to her already.
Yeah, I stopped by after work
just to see if the
meds had worn off.
What do you think?
Well, Jake, I'll give
you my honest opinion,
but I'm going to
tell you up front
that I don't want
to testify for her.
What happened?
Nothing. Once she was off
the psychotropics, she was fine
and I mean fine.
I've never met a more
sane person in my life.
Except she thinks
she's an angel.
She's either the craziest
person in the world
or she's who she says she is.
So are you honestly telling
me you think she's an angel?
No, I'm saying that there's
nothing else about her
that makes her delusional
except that she
thinks she's an angel.
She makes more
sense than my plumber
and he thinks he's
going to win the lottery
on April Fool's Day, 1999.
Who's delusional?
What are you saying?
Is she competent?
Take away the angel factor? Yes.
But I'm not going to stand
up in court and say that.
I would be laughed
out of the business.
All you have to say
is that she
understands the charges
and that she can
assist in her defence.
Her defence is being an angel.
You try to prove that,
you'll be out of a job, too.
You're going to lose this, Jay.
How do you know?
Nobody wants
this to come to trial.
Nobody wants those
kind of headlines.
"Webster Declares
'Heavenly Visitor' is Competent.
Will DA Prosecute or
Persecute Lost Angel?"
Nobody wants
this to go to trial.
I got to go.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Nobody wants
this to go to trial.
I was supposed to meet
her at 801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville,
Illinois, not Florida.
See? I wrote it down.
My hearing is tomorrow, Claire.
Oh, Mayday.
I won't be coming back here.
I just wanted you to know
that I'm glad I met you and...
Bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
I instructed Sergeant Hennessy
to break down the door.
As we entered the apartment,
I observed a Caucasian
male jump towards the window,
and a Caucasian
female holding Exhibit A.
And can you
identify that female?
Yes, ma'am.
There she is.
Your Honor, please
let the record show
that Detective Cates has
identified the defendant,
Monica Doe.
Did you then
interrogate the suspect?
Yes, ma'am. She
admitted to having
the cocaine in her possession
at the time of her arrest.
What else were
you able to ascertain
during your interrogation?
Well, she, uh, refused
to give a last name,
she had no identification,
and she kept saying
she was an angel.
What did you do
at the conclusion
of your interrogation?
Well, we booked
her and I notified
the psychiatric evaluation unit.
Thank you, Detective Cates.
Your witness.
Detective Cates, was Ms. Monica
Doe's name on your warrant?
No, sir.
Were you surprised
to find her there?
Yes, sir.
Did she offer any explanation?
Well, she said she was
at the wrong address.
That she was supposed
to be at 801 Cedar
in Jacksonville, Illinois.
That's right. To do what?
Well, she said, uh...
she and someone she identified
as Tess were supposed to appear
as angels to a
kindergarten teacher, uh...
who was going to
leave her husband.
Uh-huh.
And did you check out her alibi?
That she was an angel?
I had her, I had the cocaine.
I'm not interested in Illinois.
I'm interested in
the State of Florida.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Cheney, call
your next witness.
Uh... Dr. A.C. Arnovitz.
Ah, he was awfully nice.
I enjoyed our little chats.
That's nice.
Dr. Arnovitz, did you
examine Monica Doe?
Yes, I have.
And in your expert
opinion, is she competent
to understand the
charges against her?
Monica Doe suffers
from delusions
and hallucinations,
as well as an
altered sense of self.
In her delusional state,
believing that she is an angel,
it is my opinion that
she might very well
consider herself above the law.
No!
That's not true. We
always honor the law.
Counsel... restrain your client.
Um, you're not helping.
What treatment
would you recommend
for someone
diagnosed as delusional?
Stringent pattern of
psychotropic drugs
in a psychiatric hospital.
So, you would not recommend
incarceration in a prison?
In her naive state,
incarceration could
put her life in jeopardy.
Thank you, Doctor.
There's nothing further.
Excuse me, Doctor.
I have a few questions.
Um...
Now, in your opinion,
incarcerating Ms. Monica Doe
would put her life in jeopardy?
Yes.
But a stringent pattern
of psychotropic drugs in a
mental institution would not?
No, of course not.
What happens when
a schizophrenic patient
takes psychotropic drugs?
Many become more
balanced and able to connect
in a healthy
manner with reality.
And what happens to a person
who is not psychotic
who takes them?
A mentally stable person
might become slightly depressed.
Otherwise, nothing.
Nothing?
So when Ms. Monica Doe
was given the medication,
what was her reaction?
Feel free, Doctor,
to consult your notes.
Well, uh...
I didn't personally
examine Monica Doe
after administering...
So you don't know?
You don't know whether
Monica Doe's reaction
to psychotropic drugs was that
of a normal human being or not?
No.
Thank you very much, Doctor.
That was very helpful.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Ms. Cheney?
Prosecution rests, Your Honor.
Your Honor,
I'd like to call
Dr. Ellen Shraeder
as my first witness.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
I do. Be seated.
Your Honor, Dr. Shraeder was
subpoenaed this morning
so I would ask the
court to declare her
a hostile witness.
Dr. Shraeder...
have you examined Monica Doe?
Yes, extensively.
And in your expert opinion,
what is her mental state?
I found her to be
responsive, lucid, alert.
Okay, Doctor, let me pose
a hypothetical situation here.
If Monica Doe had said that
she were instead a, um... plumber,
and not an angel,
is there anything
in her behaviour
that would lead you to
believe that she is insane?
No.
So if we substitute
the word "plumber" for "angel,"
and if Monica Doe
had said that she went
to the wrong address to
fix a toilet instead of a soul,
would you still
consider her delusional
or just directionally impaired?
I would not consider
her delusional.
Thank you.
Oh, uh, Doctor, I have
one more question:
Do you believe
in angels yourself?
No, I do not.
But you could not, however,
prove that they do not exist?
Your Honor, this
witness is not an expert
in... angel-ology.
Who is?
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Oh, no questions.
I would like to call Teresa
Hayman, Your Honor.
Mrs. Hayman, please.
Witness is excused.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth,
Who's that? So help you God?
I do.
Would you state
your full name and
address, please?
Teresa Marie Hayman,
801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois.
Terry... Uh, how
are you employed?
I'm a kindergarten teacher
for Washburn Elementary.
And Ms. Hayman,
please tell the court
what happened to you on March 2?
I was planning to leave my
husband for someone else.
I packed... and I
walked out the door.
There was a cab waiting outside.
The driver of the
cab was a woman
named Tess.
And she was holding something.
It was a drawing my
four-year-old had made...
Of my family.
I don't know how she got it.
Then, there was a light.
I don't know where
it came from...
but it was beautiful.
It filled the cab.
It was all around me.
Then Tess spoke to me.
She told me things I knew...
but I'd forgotten.
Like... my husband loved me...
my children loved
me... God loved me.
I cried.
Then I walked back into my home.
And did this, um, "Tess"
offer you any
explanation for all of this?
Yes.
I-I know this sounds crazy...
but she said that
she was an angel
and that she was sorry
that she wasn't there sooner,
but she was filling
in for another angel
who had been...
How did she put it?
Um, detained.
And did she identify
this other angel?
Tess called her Monica.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Thank heavens Tess made it.
Your Honor, may we approach?
Oh, Your Honor, I
move that we strike
this witness's testimony
from the record
because it is totally,
completely immaterial
to the competency of Monica Doe.
Your Honor, it is
completely relevant
to establishing
the credibility of my client.
As an angel?
Jake, I'm not going to retry.
Miracle on 34th
Street in my courtroom.
This is not about Santa Claus.
This is about the life
of a young woman.
Now if you will allow me
to put Monica Doe on the stand,
I can prove to you that
she completely fulfills
the competency requirements.
She understands the
charges against her.
Yes, I do.
Possession with
intent to distribute.
Mandatory 15 to
25 years in the pen.
She can assist in
her own defence.
Are you telling me
that if she goes to trial
you'll put angels
on trial, as well?
And are you telling me
that you don't want
this to go to trial
because of what, you
don't believe in angels?
In God we trust, but angels
we're not so sure about?
Oh, this is going
to be some trial.
I need to think about this.
Step back.
The witness is excused.
Counsel, I've decided
to examine the defendant myself.
Ms. Doe...
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do... so help me God.
Be seated.
Ms. Doe, a moment ago
you repeated the formal
charges against you.
Now I'd like you to
tell me what they mean.
Yes, of course.
Well... Detective
Cates and these fellows
dropped in on the man in the bed
and they arrested
him and me, too,
because I was holding a bag
that they said had drugs in it.
They thought I was
going to sell the drugs
to the man in the bed.
Were you?
No, of course not.
That would be crazy.
Which is kind of funny,
'cause that's what
the doctors think I am.
But, of course, I'm not.
But you think you're an angel.
Well, I am.
So if I didn't think I was,
then I would be crazy.
Why is it when you talk
to God, you're praying,
but when God talks
to you, you're nuts?
Court is adjourned for one hour.
All rise.
Shouldn't have
taken this case, huh?
You're toying with
this girl's life, Jake.
Oh, stop. Just say "good job."
Go have a drink.
Webster's coming
back in one hour.
He's going to entertain
a motion to dismiss
because he would
rather drop the charges
than put angels on trial
in front of the whole world.
Which means we
are going to win this.
And you, Ms. Doe, are
going to walk right out of here.
Great.
Anywhere we can
get a cup of coffee?
I didn't think that
angels drank coffee.
Now, how would you know?
You don't even believe in them.
No, I don't.
It means a lot, you getting
me out of all this trouble.
But it would mean so
much more if you did it
because you believed
that I am who I say I am.
In some strange way,
I feel like I've failed.
Could we get a cup
of coffee, please?
Thank you.
Back in 'Nam, I used to pray
for angels all the time.
We all did.
I heard guys screaming for them,
I heard children
begging for them,
but, uh... they never showed up.
No, uh, no angels in Saigon.
How do you know?
Because if an angel
had seen what I saw,
they would have
put a stop to it.
God... abandoned us.
So you believe in God?
Hmm, yeah, I believe in Him
just enough to hate the guy.
You blame God for the
evil created by others?
Yeah, I blame Him for
not putting a stop to it.
Sometimes things
get set in motion
and they just have to play out.
I'm learning that.
God's timing is not our timing.
Cut the angel crap.
Know what an angel looks like?
They look like Claire.
Claire?
She was a nurse in Saigon.
I don't know where
she came from,
but whenever we needed her, bam!
She was right here.
Out of nowhere.
It's the fall of Saigon...
It's the last day
and everybody is
scrambling to the rooftops,
trying to get to the choppers
before the Cong came in.
I mean, it's everything
you could possibly
imagine hell to be.
People are screaming
and climbing over
each other terrified.
Everybody trying to
get to the choppers,
and there's one seat
left and it's Claire's.
And she gives it up
for a little Vietnamese
orphan that I want to
take back to the States
so that I can adopt her.
Her name was May Ling,
but we used to call her Mayday
because she was
always getting in trouble.
Mayday?
I was the last one to
go up the rope ladder.
I'm pulling Mayday up behind me.
I had a firm grip on that kid.
The crowds are desperate
and, bam, somebody
grabs ahold of her ankle
and starts dragging
her down and...
the copter's going up so
fast, I can't hold on to her,
and the next thing I know,
she's... she's plunging
a hundred feet down.
She died?
No, see, that's
the amazing thing.
She never hit the ground.
Claire shows up out of
nowhere and caught her.
The last thing I see...
is Claire holding
Mayday and smiling.
I was sent there to kill.
Claire was sent
there to save lives,
and she chose to
do that to the end.
Now, that, Monica,
is a real angel.
I know.
Now I know.
Court is in session.
The Honourable Judge
Stanley Webster presiding.
All rise.
Be seated.
Look at that face.
He's going to drop the charges.
I can tell. I'm good at this.
Case number 20675.
People v. Monica Doe.
The court has considered.
Ms. Doe's rather interesting
explanation for her presence
during a police action.
However, the court
also acknowledges
the state's inability
to disprove her explanation.
Good start.
As the court cannot disprove
the existence of angels,
it cannot therefore
use angelhood
as its sole basis for
determining sanity.
Other than confessing
to be an angel,
Ms. Doe meets the requirements
for competency standing trial.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
However, the court is also aware
that Ms. Doe's
name did not appear
on the original warrant,
an oversight that will certainly
be questioned at the trial.
As well as the
investigating officer's failure
to follow up on Ms. Doe's
references to an
identical address in Illinois,
which, thanks to Mr. Stone,
has shed disturbing light
on these proceedings.
Therefore, the court
will entertain a motion
to drop all charges.
Uh, I so move, Your Honor.
No objection, Your Honor.
Let the record show
that all charges are...
No. No, Your Honor.
I don't want to go free.
What? Are you crazy?
Maybe.
Maybe I am.
Your Honor, please,
I want to go back
to the mental hospital.
Ms. Doe, are you
requesting to be committed?
Yes, sir.
I want to plead crazy.
Your Honor...
Do you understand that
you could not be released
for five to 15
years, even longer?
Yes, sir.
But believe me, it's
the right thing to do.
But remember when I said
I thought I heard "Florida,"
even though it was Illinois?
It's over, Monica.
Well, I'm not sure what I heard.
I mean, maybe I made a
mistake, but God is using it
to make something
wonderful out of this.
Maybe it was a
mistake that I came here,
but now He's given
me a new purpose.
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to hear it.
I'm going back
in to help Claire.
Claire?
She's my roommate
in the hospital.
She's an angel, too,
and she needs me now.
You are insane.
I don't expect
you to believe me,
but I really am an angel.
And I thought I
had to prove that,
but proving it doesn't matter.
I just have to behave like one.
Then why did you put
me through all of this
if all you had to do was
behave like an angel?!
I mean, if you are not
insane, if you are just confused
or overly zealous,
then you are throwing
your life away!
There's no greater love
than to give your
life for your friend.
I learned that from Claire.
So did you.
Thank you for all
your help, Jake.
Whether you believe it or not,
God has used you for
something very beautiful.
And then she said...
God had used me for
something wonderful.
And then she went back.
Very strange woman.
She's not a psychotic,
she's not an angel.
I don't know.
Any chance... I mean,
what if she were?
An angel?
She would click her heels
three times and fly away.
No, not if she were needed.
Not if God had
another agenda for her.
I never thought of you as
the type to believe in God.
I never thought of Him
as the type to believe in me.
Stop drinking.
Go home, go to bed.
I'm late for a
dinner appointment.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
Come over here and sit with me.
Tess, where have you been?
Filling in for Monica.
Paris, Cuba, Illinois.
How is she doing?
You trained her very well, Tess.
She just made a
tremendous sacrifice.
So we're back on track?
She was never off track.
No kidding?
It would be so nice to know
these things in advance.
If You know what I mean.
Jake... No, no, no.
No happy-hour jokes. Promise.
Bartender.
If anyone deserved
a drink, you do.
Thanks.
I was just leaving.
Well, I can't say that I'm
glad to see you back here,
but I bet Claire is, aren't you?
Hasn't said a
word since you left.
When was Claire
committed, Peter?
Oh, it was before my time.
Uh, she came back, uh...
they told me they brought
her back here from 'Nam.
Uh, one of the last groups
of POWs or something.
Mayday.
I know all about
May Ling, Claire.
Where is she now?
Don't know.
I don't know what
happened to her, either.
But I know she's in God's
hands, and so are you.
Oh, Claire, I don't know
what you saw in Vietnam
when the Americans left,
but I know it's why
you're here right now.
Mayday. Mayday.
Tell me about the little girl.
Go on.
I know you can.
I had her in my arms.
They were burning the city.
There were flames...
and men with guns took her away.
I couldn't find her.
I failed. I failed.
I lost Mayday.
And God turned His back on me,
and now I've forgotten who I am.
No, that's not true.
It's you who have
forgotten who God is.
He would never
turn His back on you.
Nothing... not
death or life or war
not the past, the
present or the future...
No one... no
creature on this earth
can ever separate
you from God's love.
And nobody knows
that better than an angel.
You are an angel,
aren't you, Claire?
I'm an angel, too.
And I've been sent
here to take you home.
And I'm going to stay right
here until you are ready.
I can't find my way
back to heaven.
Just reach up.
Reach up like you
did for May Ling,
and He will take you
the rest of the way.
I know He will.
Claire.
Jake.
I have a message for you, Jake.
I was supposed to deliver it
a long time ago
in the helicopter,
but I chose to stay behind.
God used me anyway,
to catch May Ling.
Jake, oh, Jake.
God loves you,
and He knows all the
secrets of your heart.
The horrors of the
war you had to endure,
you mustn't blame Him for.
But you've allowed the past
to come between you and God.
Turn the past over to God.
He's strong enough to take it.
And give Him your future, too.
And Jake, He'll make
you strong enough to live it.
Uh... I-I always knew
they were angels.
Yeah, I think I did, too.
So this is where it all started.
Um... 801 Cedar.
Yeah, but it looks very
different now, of course.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I mean,
after Bobby was convicted
of smuggling drugs,
everything was
probably confiscated
and sold off at auction.
It's a state law.
Well, I hope the new
tenants are happier here.
And cleaner.
Oh, they will be, baby.
The whole building's
going to be turned into
the Home For Orphans and
Child Survivors of Trauma.
Oh, that's wonderful.
Well, this is the
good part, right here.
Executive Director
May Ling Gustafson.
May Ling?
Is she in this country?
She's in this city.
Oh!
See?
It's a miracle.
They happen every day.
I guess they do.
Dedicated to a man named
Jake and an angel named Claire.
They served their
country, their God,
and many children
with all they had.
May we here do the same.
I don't know, but I'm
sure glad to see you.
What kept you?
What are you saying?
Do you know where you are?
Well, yes.
"801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville."
Terry Hayman...
Though he doesn't much
look like a kindergarten
teacher to me.
For heaven's sakes!
801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois.
Not Jacksonville, Florida.
Honestly, am I
my angel's keeper?
Come on, let's go!
Terry Hayman is standing
in the middle of her bedroom
at this very moment, packing!
And you've got to get there
before she leaves her husband
and runs off with the tax man!
Well, that's funny.
I could have sworn
that I heard "Florida."
And if anybody
needs an angel... Tess.
Something tells me
he needs to start
with a housekeeper.
Are you coming?
Every day is a chance
to start over, my friend.
Police! Freeze!
Don't move or we shoot!
Hold it right there!
I said "Freeze!"
Drop it!
Drop it! Put your hands up!
I-I'm sorry... if I'd known
the bag was important, I'd...
Shut up! Keep your
hands above your head!
We know what you're doing now!
Hold still!
I don't know who she is!
I haven't done anything, man!
Just shut up!
Okay, lady!
You are under arrest.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you
in a court of law.
♫ When you walk down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden, heavy load ♫
♫ I will rise and I
will walk with you ♫
♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun
don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time, I tell
you I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♫
So, this, uh, Tess,
is your partner.
I guess she's really
more of a supervisor.
Supervisor?
Sounds like you've got
quite an organization going.
Well, you have to be
organized in this business.
Of course, I wasn't
too organized tonight.
So, were you
delivering or picking up?
Picking up?
Were you picking up
for Tess or dropping off?
Well, I-I, um... I was
meeting her there.
Well, actually, I wasn't
meeting her there.
You see, I was
supposed to meet her
at 801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois,
not Florida.
You see? I wrote it down.
But I... I forgot to
put down the state.
It gets so confusing,
you know...
States, borders, countries...
It's such a human thing.
I know I should pay
more attention, but...
it's so hard to take borders
seriously in my work.
You've got no I.D.,
no known address,
no yellow sheet, no
fingerprints on file...
no nothing.
How long have you
and Tess been running
your little drug operation?
Oh, you think I'm a drug person?
Yeah, well... call me crazy.
Maybe it was the two kilos
you were holding when we met.
Oh, but I didn't know
what was in that bag, sir.
Been there, heard that, Monica.
No, you see, the man looked
so miserable lying there.
I just thought I would
tidy up a wee bit.
You know, before I
left for Illinois and...
cheer him up.
You were going to Illinois.
Jacksonville.
I told you... I got
the states confused.
See, there's a woman
named Terry waiting for me
at 801 Cedar Street.
She needs me right now.
She's a kindergarten teacher.
Who knows how many
lives this could change?
I hope this isn't going
to go on much longer.
I just pray that
Tess went on ahead.
Monica, do you understand
that you've been arrested
on a charge of drug trafficking?
Yes... well, I do now.
Thank goodness we
got that straightened out.
Look, lady, we
don't have anything
straightened out here!
Now, let's forget
this fairy tale
about Illinois and
the wrong house
and Tess, the mystery chick.
What were you doing
at Bobby Shore's house
holding two kilos of cocaine?
Are you a dealer or a buyer?
I'm not either.
Dealer or buyer, Monica?
I-I was there because... Yeah?
Because I'm an angel.
How long have you been an angel?
All of my life.
How long is that?
Forever.
Have you sold drugs forever?
No!
An angel would
never, ever do that.
So, you're not an angel
when you were selling drugs.
Yes... no.
Do you understand
why you're here?
Yes, I do.
Very good. Could you tell me?
Because I didn't leave
when Tess told me to.
And who's Tess?
Well, she's an angel, too.
Like you?
No.
She's taller.
Case dismissed.
Next case, please.
Case number 96-20664-CFA,
People v. Melina Karan.
Prostitution, possession
of a controlled substance,
resisting arrest.
Will counsel approach
the bench, please?
All right, so what
are we talking?
I've got an assault coming up.
But he was just breaking
into a candy machine.
They can't send him up for that.
Carter? Hmm.
He was going to drop that candy
machine on somebody's head.
But he didn't. Oh,
for God's sake,
the man was shot
down over the DMZ.
Now, no one understands
what kind of hell
we were going through out there.
But I will tell you what:
You drop the charges on Carter
and I will give you the warrant
and Diaz pleads battery
on the St. Marks girl.
Battery? Rape?
You can't prove it.
I'm gonna try, counselor.
Case dismissed. So... Next case!
Let's move this along, please.
Case number 96-206
75-CFA, People v. Monica Doe.
Charged with possession
of cocaine for sale
with intent to distribute...
I'm gonna put this one
away. I'll talk to him later.
Uh, I've got a date.
This offer runs
out at, uh, 4:00.
Hard to believe you
got a Purple Heart.
I had to replace the one I lost.
Oh.
Ms. Monica Doe?
You have no last name?
Uh, not officially, Your Honor.
Do you have a lawyer
here to represent you?
Um...
Yes, I do, sir.
And... where is he... or she?
He's right here, sir.
Oh, Sam!
I'm so glad to
see another angel.
They sent someone
from Special Services.
It must be pretty serious, huh?
I'm not here to
represent you, Monica.
What?
You went to the wrong address.
You set a serious chain
of events into motion.
Now, all we can
do is just stand back
and watch it play itself out.
Sam, there's something
very wrong here.
I can't seem to do
anything except be here.
All of my special
gifts are gone.
And you're the first contact
I've had from
anyone in the realm.
And the last for
a while, I'm afraid.
What?!
Ms. Doe, have you
any representation?
Uh, I guess not, Your Honor.
God turns everything
around all the time,
so something good
got to come out of this.
I just can't tell you
when, that's all.
And remember...
He'll never leave
or forsake you.
Hey, just because you're
stuck in human form,
doesn't mean
you're not an angel.
Well, of course, I'm an ang...
Ms. Doe, you have
no visible means of support,
no counsel present...
and the court will, therefore,
appoint a public defender
to represent you.
Thank you very much, Your Honor.
No matter what happens,
never forget who you are.
Never.
Is there a public
defender or someone
from Legal Aid present
in the courtroom?
Is that Stone back there?
Why, yes, Your Honor.
That's Jake Stone.
Uh, Your Honor,
I'm not really here...
uh, I mean, in a
formal capacity...
Stone, you're on this case.
Your Honor... To
the bench, counselor.
This is pretty cut
and dried, Stone.
Hello.
Okay, defendant was arrested
during a SWAT operation.
She was found carrying two kilos
and she denies any
connection with this.
And get this: She, uh...
thinks she's an angel.
Psychiatric?
Two evaluations. Both concur.
State will recommend
release to state
mental on a five to 15
with a "guilty
but mentally ill."
That nuts, huh?
As my ex-mother-in-law's
fruitcake.
Has anyone told her this?
Jake, just make the
motion. Let's get out of here.
Well, you know, it's
a funny habit I have,
but I actually like
to meet the people
I'm gonna help commit
to a mental institution.
Careful... you're gonna
start taking home rapists
and lost puppies pretty soon.
You've got two minutes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Ms. Doe... Monica.
Oh, it's awfully nice of you
to jump into the fray like this.
Yeah, well, it's going
to be a very short fray.
Look, they've got you cold here.
Now, if you plead innocent,
you're going to go to trial
and the jury will send
you up for 15 years to life.
Life?!
That could be awfully
long in my case.
Right, right, but if you plead
"guilty but mentally ill," see,
then that nice judge
over there, he will let you
go to the state mental hospital
where you'll only have to spend
maybe five years, 15 tops,
and then, you get
to get all better.
Better?
Well, they'll help you handle
some of your... problems.
My problem is that
no one believes me.
Well, that certainly is
one of your problems, yes.
But you believe me, don't you?
I mean, you're my lawyer.
Well, being your lawyer doesn't
mean I have to believe you.
As a matter of fact, I don't
believe most of my clients.
Or anybody else,
for that matter.
You must be a very unhappy man.
Your Honor, sir... Uh,
Monica... Mr. Judge.
Um... You see, I'm not crazy
and I don't want to be put away.
I just want a fair
chance at a trial
so I can tell my side of things.
I know who and what I am.
Ms. Doe, you have the right
to a competency hearing,
if you wish. No, no, no!
But if you are then
declared competent,
you must stand trial,
and frankly, the evidence
against you is heavy.
I know, but I'm not crazy.
Stone?
Believe someone, please.
Once.
Your Honor, my client...
and I...
move to contravert
the findings of the state.
Oh, come on.
Okay... hearing to establish
competence will be held
The prisoner is remanded
to the custody of the state
mental hospital until then.
Next case.
God bless you, Jacob Stone.
Look, don't start with
me. You are not an angel.
Let go of me! Let go of me!
Be nice, Sadie.
Right here. All right, sit.
Hey, Rosie, I got an
angel here for you.
He will give you angels
to watch over thee.
Don't worry. We
get all types here.
I think we've even got
a couple celestial
types like yourself.
Here we go.
Claire, got a roommate for you.
Thought you wouldn't mind
bunking with a coworker.
Mayday! Mayday!
It's nothing personal.
She says that all the time.
Claire, Claire, calm down.
This is Monica, and she's going
to sleep in this
bunk right over here.
There's nothing to worry about.
She's an angel,
too, just like you.
Is Claire an angel?
Well... yes,
Monica. Yes, she is.
See, she thinks she's an angel
and you think you're an angel,
so you two have a lot in common.
Oh, Mayday.
Mayday, Mayday.
Uh, that is my jacket.
So it is.
I thought your stool
would be marked
by a plaque or something.
Yeah, I know I only have
four days before the hearing,
and your office
hasn't turned over
the discoveries on Monica Doe.
Mm, Monica the angel.
Did you hear about this?
I want that discovery
in the morning. Oh, done.
You should listen
to the arrest tapes.
They're very entertaining.
Sorry I'm late. Hi, Sue, Harry.
Hi. Helen.
Listen, thanks for coming.
Why don't you sit
right over there, okay?
I didn't know shrinks
made house calls.
Ha.
So what's the rush?
Um, I have a competency
hearing on Thursday,
and I need you to
evaluate her and testify.
Thursday? And
you're calling me now?
It just happened.
A woman gets arrested
in a drug dealer's
house, holding two kilos.
She says she's at the right
address, but wrong state.
Wrong state?
You can't commit somebody
for getting bad
grades in geography.
She says... she's an angel.
And you're going to defend that?
All I have to do is prove that
she's competent to go to trial.
I'm beginning to
wonder if you are.
You know, the funny thing is
I'm positive I heard
"Jacksonville, Florida."
It's very disturbing,
because I've never made
a mistake like that before.
I have made mistakes.
Angels... real angels...
Are not perfect, actually.
You know, Claire...
it's okay for you to admit
that you're not a real angel.
God will love you
just the way you are.
Mayday, Mayday.
Oh, bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Over there.
I'll be here if you need me.
Thanks.
Oh, Rosie, come on.
Try your eggs, hon.
Monica, this is Dr. Shraeder.
She's going to talk to you
for a couple of minutes.
Who are you?
What do you want from me?
Why don't you leave me alone?
Go on. Go away!
Well, she wasn't
like this yesterday.
Well, maybe she was
acting nice yesterday.
An angel one day,
and the next day she's...
Always remember who you are.
Never forget.
Just because you're
stuck in human form
doesn't mean
you're not an angel.
You don't know
what you're dealing with here.
I could break you like that!
Monica, have they
given you medication?
Yes.
Help me.
I specifically asked them
to hold up on the
meds until you saw her.
Well, they obviously didn't.
And I cannot give you
an accurate evaluation
till she's off the meds.
It's a really strange
reaction, though.
Okay, look, if I can
get a court order,
how long till you
can talk to her?
It depends on what they
doped her up with, and when.
Maybe 24 hours.
24 hours?
24 hours?
It's too late.
I'll be long gone by then.
Uh, excuse me, sir.
What does that look like to you?
I'm sorry to bother you.
No, not at all. Let's see.
Well, it's a hand.
"801 Cedar, Jacksonville."
That's a tough neighbourhood.
Eh... Evidence?
Client of mine.
Says she's an angel.
An angel?
Imagine that.
There's nothing like a
good, hot cup of Joe.
Haven't heard
that since the army.
Korea.
'Nam... well, Saigon at the end.
That must be a hard thing
to carry around with you.
Harder thing to let go of.
Maybe you should ask
your angel to help you.
She's nuts.
Then why are you defending her?
I'm drawn to the impossible.
With God, all
things are possible.
You know, I've met a lot of
men who do not believe in angels,
but... I've never met a
man who didn't want to.
Thought I'd find you here.
Hey, hey.
Just a guess.
Yeah, yeah. Sit down. Ellen...
this is, um...
Uh, do you still drink
that watery pink stuff?
A glass of Zinfandel
and another here.
Yes, she told me about this.
You talked to her already.
Yeah, I stopped by after work
just to see if the
meds had worn off.
What do you think?
Well, Jake, I'll give
you my honest opinion,
but I'm going to
tell you up front
that I don't want
to testify for her.
What happened?
Nothing. Once she was off
the psychotropics, she was fine
and I mean fine.
I've never met a more
sane person in my life.
Except she thinks
she's an angel.
She's either the craziest
person in the world
or she's who she says she is.
So are you honestly telling
me you think she's an angel?
No, I'm saying that there's
nothing else about her
that makes her delusional
except that she
thinks she's an angel.
She makes more
sense than my plumber
and he thinks he's
going to win the lottery
on April Fool's Day, 1999.
Who's delusional?
What are you saying?
Is she competent?
Take away the angel factor? Yes.
But I'm not going to stand
up in court and say that.
I would be laughed
out of the business.
All you have to say
is that she
understands the charges
and that she can
assist in her defence.
Her defence is being an angel.
You try to prove that,
you'll be out of a job, too.
You're going to lose this, Jay.
How do you know?
Nobody wants
this to come to trial.
Nobody wants those
kind of headlines.
"Webster Declares
'Heavenly Visitor' is Competent.
Will DA Prosecute or
Persecute Lost Angel?"
Nobody wants
this to go to trial.
I got to go.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Nobody wants
this to go to trial.
I was supposed to meet
her at 801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville,
Illinois, not Florida.
See? I wrote it down.
My hearing is tomorrow, Claire.
Oh, Mayday.
I won't be coming back here.
I just wanted you to know
that I'm glad I met you and...
Bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
I instructed Sergeant Hennessy
to break down the door.
As we entered the apartment,
I observed a Caucasian
male jump towards the window,
and a Caucasian
female holding Exhibit A.
And can you
identify that female?
Yes, ma'am.
There she is.
Your Honor, please
let the record show
that Detective Cates has
identified the defendant,
Monica Doe.
Did you then
interrogate the suspect?
Yes, ma'am. She
admitted to having
the cocaine in her possession
at the time of her arrest.
What else were
you able to ascertain
during your interrogation?
Well, she, uh, refused
to give a last name,
she had no identification,
and she kept saying
she was an angel.
What did you do
at the conclusion
of your interrogation?
Well, we booked
her and I notified
the psychiatric evaluation unit.
Thank you, Detective Cates.
Your witness.
Detective Cates, was Ms. Monica
Doe's name on your warrant?
No, sir.
Were you surprised
to find her there?
Yes, sir.
Did she offer any explanation?
Well, she said she was
at the wrong address.
That she was supposed
to be at 801 Cedar
in Jacksonville, Illinois.
That's right. To do what?
Well, she said, uh...
she and someone she identified
as Tess were supposed to appear
as angels to a
kindergarten teacher, uh...
who was going to
leave her husband.
Uh-huh.
And did you check out her alibi?
That she was an angel?
I had her, I had the cocaine.
I'm not interested in Illinois.
I'm interested in
the State of Florida.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Cheney, call
your next witness.
Uh... Dr. A.C. Arnovitz.
Ah, he was awfully nice.
I enjoyed our little chats.
That's nice.
Dr. Arnovitz, did you
examine Monica Doe?
Yes, I have.
And in your expert
opinion, is she competent
to understand the
charges against her?
Monica Doe suffers
from delusions
and hallucinations,
as well as an
altered sense of self.
In her delusional state,
believing that she is an angel,
it is my opinion that
she might very well
consider herself above the law.
No!
That's not true. We
always honor the law.
Counsel... restrain your client.
Um, you're not helping.
What treatment
would you recommend
for someone
diagnosed as delusional?
Stringent pattern of
psychotropic drugs
in a psychiatric hospital.
So, you would not recommend
incarceration in a prison?
In her naive state,
incarceration could
put her life in jeopardy.
Thank you, Doctor.
There's nothing further.
Excuse me, Doctor.
I have a few questions.
Um...
Now, in your opinion,
incarcerating Ms. Monica Doe
would put her life in jeopardy?
Yes.
But a stringent pattern
of psychotropic drugs in a
mental institution would not?
No, of course not.
What happens when
a schizophrenic patient
takes psychotropic drugs?
Many become more
balanced and able to connect
in a healthy
manner with reality.
And what happens to a person
who is not psychotic
who takes them?
A mentally stable person
might become slightly depressed.
Otherwise, nothing.
Nothing?
So when Ms. Monica Doe
was given the medication,
what was her reaction?
Feel free, Doctor,
to consult your notes.
Well, uh...
I didn't personally
examine Monica Doe
after administering...
So you don't know?
You don't know whether
Monica Doe's reaction
to psychotropic drugs was that
of a normal human being or not?
No.
Thank you very much, Doctor.
That was very helpful.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Ms. Cheney?
Prosecution rests, Your Honor.
Your Honor,
I'd like to call
Dr. Ellen Shraeder
as my first witness.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
I do. Be seated.
Your Honor, Dr. Shraeder was
subpoenaed this morning
so I would ask the
court to declare her
a hostile witness.
Dr. Shraeder...
have you examined Monica Doe?
Yes, extensively.
And in your expert opinion,
what is her mental state?
I found her to be
responsive, lucid, alert.
Okay, Doctor, let me pose
a hypothetical situation here.
If Monica Doe had said that
she were instead a, um... plumber,
and not an angel,
is there anything
in her behaviour
that would lead you to
believe that she is insane?
No.
So if we substitute
the word "plumber" for "angel,"
and if Monica Doe
had said that she went
to the wrong address to
fix a toilet instead of a soul,
would you still
consider her delusional
or just directionally impaired?
I would not consider
her delusional.
Thank you.
Oh, uh, Doctor, I have
one more question:
Do you believe
in angels yourself?
No, I do not.
But you could not, however,
prove that they do not exist?
Your Honor, this
witness is not an expert
in... angel-ology.
Who is?
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Oh, no questions.
I would like to call Teresa
Hayman, Your Honor.
Mrs. Hayman, please.
Witness is excused.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth,
Who's that? So help you God?
I do.
Would you state
your full name and
address, please?
Teresa Marie Hayman,
801 Cedar Street,
Jacksonville, Illinois.
Terry... Uh, how
are you employed?
I'm a kindergarten teacher
for Washburn Elementary.
And Ms. Hayman,
please tell the court
what happened to you on March 2?
I was planning to leave my
husband for someone else.
I packed... and I
walked out the door.
There was a cab waiting outside.
The driver of the
cab was a woman
named Tess.
And she was holding something.
It was a drawing my
four-year-old had made...
Of my family.
I don't know how she got it.
Then, there was a light.
I don't know where
it came from...
but it was beautiful.
It filled the cab.
It was all around me.
Then Tess spoke to me.
She told me things I knew...
but I'd forgotten.
Like... my husband loved me...
my children loved
me... God loved me.
I cried.
Then I walked back into my home.
And did this, um, "Tess"
offer you any
explanation for all of this?
Yes.
I-I know this sounds crazy...
but she said that
she was an angel
and that she was sorry
that she wasn't there sooner,
but she was filling
in for another angel
who had been...
How did she put it?
Um, detained.
And did she identify
this other angel?
Tess called her Monica.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Thank heavens Tess made it.
Your Honor, may we approach?
Oh, Your Honor, I
move that we strike
this witness's testimony
from the record
because it is totally,
completely immaterial
to the competency of Monica Doe.
Your Honor, it is
completely relevant
to establishing
the credibility of my client.
As an angel?
Jake, I'm not going to retry.
Miracle on 34th
Street in my courtroom.
This is not about Santa Claus.
This is about the life
of a young woman.
Now if you will allow me
to put Monica Doe on the stand,
I can prove to you that
she completely fulfills
the competency requirements.
She understands the
charges against her.
Yes, I do.
Possession with
intent to distribute.
Mandatory 15 to
25 years in the pen.
She can assist in
her own defence.
Are you telling me
that if she goes to trial
you'll put angels
on trial, as well?
And are you telling me
that you don't want
this to go to trial
because of what, you
don't believe in angels?
In God we trust, but angels
we're not so sure about?
Oh, this is going
to be some trial.
I need to think about this.
Step back.
The witness is excused.
Counsel, I've decided
to examine the defendant myself.
Ms. Doe...
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do... so help me God.
Be seated.
Ms. Doe, a moment ago
you repeated the formal
charges against you.
Now I'd like you to
tell me what they mean.
Yes, of course.
Well... Detective
Cates and these fellows
dropped in on the man in the bed
and they arrested
him and me, too,
because I was holding a bag
that they said had drugs in it.
They thought I was
going to sell the drugs
to the man in the bed.
Were you?
No, of course not.
That would be crazy.
Which is kind of funny,
'cause that's what
the doctors think I am.
But, of course, I'm not.
But you think you're an angel.
Well, I am.
So if I didn't think I was,
then I would be crazy.
Why is it when you talk
to God, you're praying,
but when God talks
to you, you're nuts?
Court is adjourned for one hour.
All rise.
Shouldn't have
taken this case, huh?
You're toying with
this girl's life, Jake.
Oh, stop. Just say "good job."
Go have a drink.
Webster's coming
back in one hour.
He's going to entertain
a motion to dismiss
because he would
rather drop the charges
than put angels on trial
in front of the whole world.
Which means we
are going to win this.
And you, Ms. Doe, are
going to walk right out of here.
Great.
Anywhere we can
get a cup of coffee?
I didn't think that
angels drank coffee.
Now, how would you know?
You don't even believe in them.
No, I don't.
It means a lot, you getting
me out of all this trouble.
But it would mean so
much more if you did it
because you believed
that I am who I say I am.
In some strange way,
I feel like I've failed.
Could we get a cup
of coffee, please?
Thank you.
Back in 'Nam, I used to pray
for angels all the time.
We all did.
I heard guys screaming for them,
I heard children
begging for them,
but, uh... they never showed up.
No, uh, no angels in Saigon.
How do you know?
Because if an angel
had seen what I saw,
they would have
put a stop to it.
God... abandoned us.
So you believe in God?
Hmm, yeah, I believe in Him
just enough to hate the guy.
You blame God for the
evil created by others?
Yeah, I blame Him for
not putting a stop to it.
Sometimes things
get set in motion
and they just have to play out.
I'm learning that.
God's timing is not our timing.
Cut the angel crap.
Know what an angel looks like?
They look like Claire.
Claire?
She was a nurse in Saigon.
I don't know where
she came from,
but whenever we needed her, bam!
She was right here.
Out of nowhere.
It's the fall of Saigon...
It's the last day
and everybody is
scrambling to the rooftops,
trying to get to the choppers
before the Cong came in.
I mean, it's everything
you could possibly
imagine hell to be.
People are screaming
and climbing over
each other terrified.
Everybody trying to
get to the choppers,
and there's one seat
left and it's Claire's.
And she gives it up
for a little Vietnamese
orphan that I want to
take back to the States
so that I can adopt her.
Her name was May Ling,
but we used to call her Mayday
because she was
always getting in trouble.
Mayday?
I was the last one to
go up the rope ladder.
I'm pulling Mayday up behind me.
I had a firm grip on that kid.
The crowds are desperate
and, bam, somebody
grabs ahold of her ankle
and starts dragging
her down and...
the copter's going up so
fast, I can't hold on to her,
and the next thing I know,
she's... she's plunging
a hundred feet down.
She died?
No, see, that's
the amazing thing.
She never hit the ground.
Claire shows up out of
nowhere and caught her.
The last thing I see...
is Claire holding
Mayday and smiling.
I was sent there to kill.
Claire was sent
there to save lives,
and she chose to
do that to the end.
Now, that, Monica,
is a real angel.
I know.
Now I know.
Court is in session.
The Honourable Judge
Stanley Webster presiding.
All rise.
Be seated.
Look at that face.
He's going to drop the charges.
I can tell. I'm good at this.
Case number 20675.
People v. Monica Doe.
The court has considered.
Ms. Doe's rather interesting
explanation for her presence
during a police action.
However, the court
also acknowledges
the state's inability
to disprove her explanation.
Good start.
As the court cannot disprove
the existence of angels,
it cannot therefore
use angelhood
as its sole basis for
determining sanity.
Other than confessing
to be an angel,
Ms. Doe meets the requirements
for competency standing trial.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
However, the court is also aware
that Ms. Doe's
name did not appear
on the original warrant,
an oversight that will certainly
be questioned at the trial.
As well as the
investigating officer's failure
to follow up on Ms. Doe's
references to an
identical address in Illinois,
which, thanks to Mr. Stone,
has shed disturbing light
on these proceedings.
Therefore, the court
will entertain a motion
to drop all charges.
Uh, I so move, Your Honor.
No objection, Your Honor.
Let the record show
that all charges are...
No. No, Your Honor.
I don't want to go free.
What? Are you crazy?
Maybe.
Maybe I am.
Your Honor, please,
I want to go back
to the mental hospital.
Ms. Doe, are you
requesting to be committed?
Yes, sir.
I want to plead crazy.
Your Honor...
Do you understand that
you could not be released
for five to 15
years, even longer?
Yes, sir.
But believe me, it's
the right thing to do.
But remember when I said
I thought I heard "Florida,"
even though it was Illinois?
It's over, Monica.
Well, I'm not sure what I heard.
I mean, maybe I made a
mistake, but God is using it
to make something
wonderful out of this.
Maybe it was a
mistake that I came here,
but now He's given
me a new purpose.
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to hear it.
I'm going back
in to help Claire.
Claire?
She's my roommate
in the hospital.
She's an angel, too,
and she needs me now.
You are insane.
I don't expect
you to believe me,
but I really am an angel.
And I thought I
had to prove that,
but proving it doesn't matter.
I just have to behave like one.
Then why did you put
me through all of this
if all you had to do was
behave like an angel?!
I mean, if you are not
insane, if you are just confused
or overly zealous,
then you are throwing
your life away!
There's no greater love
than to give your
life for your friend.
I learned that from Claire.
So did you.
Thank you for all
your help, Jake.
Whether you believe it or not,
God has used you for
something very beautiful.
And then she said...
God had used me for
something wonderful.
And then she went back.
Very strange woman.
She's not a psychotic,
she's not an angel.
I don't know.
Any chance... I mean,
what if she were?
An angel?
She would click her heels
three times and fly away.
No, not if she were needed.
Not if God had
another agenda for her.
I never thought of you as
the type to believe in God.
I never thought of Him
as the type to believe in me.
Stop drinking.
Go home, go to bed.
I'm late for a
dinner appointment.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
Come over here and sit with me.
Tess, where have you been?
Filling in for Monica.
Paris, Cuba, Illinois.
How is she doing?
You trained her very well, Tess.
She just made a
tremendous sacrifice.
So we're back on track?
She was never off track.
No kidding?
It would be so nice to know
these things in advance.
If You know what I mean.
Jake... No, no, no.
No happy-hour jokes. Promise.
Bartender.
If anyone deserved
a drink, you do.
Thanks.
I was just leaving.
Well, I can't say that I'm
glad to see you back here,
but I bet Claire is, aren't you?
Hasn't said a
word since you left.
When was Claire
committed, Peter?
Oh, it was before my time.
Uh, she came back, uh...
they told me they brought
her back here from 'Nam.
Uh, one of the last groups
of POWs or something.
Mayday.
I know all about
May Ling, Claire.
Where is she now?
Don't know.
I don't know what
happened to her, either.
But I know she's in God's
hands, and so are you.
Oh, Claire, I don't know
what you saw in Vietnam
when the Americans left,
but I know it's why
you're here right now.
Mayday. Mayday.
Tell me about the little girl.
Go on.
I know you can.
I had her in my arms.
They were burning the city.
There were flames...
and men with guns took her away.
I couldn't find her.
I failed. I failed.
I lost Mayday.
And God turned His back on me,
and now I've forgotten who I am.
No, that's not true.
It's you who have
forgotten who God is.
He would never
turn His back on you.
Nothing... not
death or life or war
not the past, the
present or the future...
No one... no
creature on this earth
can ever separate
you from God's love.
And nobody knows
that better than an angel.
You are an angel,
aren't you, Claire?
I'm an angel, too.
And I've been sent
here to take you home.
And I'm going to stay right
here until you are ready.
I can't find my way
back to heaven.
Just reach up.
Reach up like you
did for May Ling,
and He will take you
the rest of the way.
I know He will.
Claire.
Jake.
I have a message for you, Jake.
I was supposed to deliver it
a long time ago
in the helicopter,
but I chose to stay behind.
God used me anyway,
to catch May Ling.
Jake, oh, Jake.
God loves you,
and He knows all the
secrets of your heart.
The horrors of the
war you had to endure,
you mustn't blame Him for.
But you've allowed the past
to come between you and God.
Turn the past over to God.
He's strong enough to take it.
And give Him your future, too.
And Jake, He'll make
you strong enough to live it.
Uh... I-I always knew
they were angels.
Yeah, I think I did, too.
So this is where it all started.
Um... 801 Cedar.
Yeah, but it looks very
different now, of course.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I mean,
after Bobby was convicted
of smuggling drugs,
everything was
probably confiscated
and sold off at auction.
It's a state law.
Well, I hope the new
tenants are happier here.
And cleaner.
Oh, they will be, baby.
The whole building's
going to be turned into
the Home For Orphans and
Child Survivors of Trauma.
Oh, that's wonderful.
Well, this is the
good part, right here.
Executive Director
May Ling Gustafson.
May Ling?
Is she in this country?
She's in this city.
Oh!
See?
It's a miracle.
They happen every day.
I guess they do.
Dedicated to a man named
Jake and an angel named Claire.
They served their
country, their God,
and many children
with all they had.
May we here do the same.