Original subtitles

Hey, what side?

I keep forgetting.

I was afraid somebody would ask me that.

Hey, you know, they ought to give us a course in that, man.

Undergrads wear them on one side.

Weak grown -ups on the other.

No jazz, man, but which side?

Yours goes on the left side.

Hey, thanks, man.

Hey, Marty, you're going to be glad to be getting rid of us, huh?

Oh, yeah, it's a bad, you know, sloppier than any other class.

Congratulations.

Thanks, man. Good luck. Hey, Marty, take it easy, huh?

Later. Hey, let me know where you guys end up. I'll send you some clients.

Right on.

Yeah, right,

yeah. Okay.

Here he is.

Mark Sanger.

Under such exquisite pressure, the student population has never been

are their demands greater.

Nor have they ever been such a target for criticism, a lot of course the

economic vice of which all institutions find themselves in.

Martin Chadman.

Congratulations. You're under arrest.

John, what am I supposed to do?

Education is never really

through.

Rules and laws are telling everybody what

to do.

They meant for good people.

People like me and you.

Life is for learning.

People still burning each other.

Can't you see?

My life has been awakened by an early morning

sun.

I will have crossed over rivers and mountains before

the day.

You would like something? I'd like some rest, which is a little impossible with

you clanging around.

I'm sorry.

I couldn't sleep. Too keyed up, I guess.

How about a piece of that cheese?

On a slice of bread, if you don't mind.

Too keyed up about what?

You're not the first to graduate from law school.

Hey, I'm the first in my family.

Bread's a little stale.

Just some shopping tomorrow.

I'd think you'd be devoting yourself to some more important things.

Like what?

Well, your future.

Well, I haven't taken my law exams yet.

But you'll want a clerk somewhere, won't you?

Yeah, I guess.

Well, since you brought it up.

You have any good offers?

So far I've heard from two or three law firms, but I'm not sure whether they

want me.

Are they trying to kiss up to you? Of course they want you.

They know you to be reasonably bright, except in the morning.

You're a man with whom they can work well, good scholastic record, and with

excellent references.

Mine.

What do you know?

Mark Sanger.

LLB.

They've been good years, Mark.

Hey, I am going to take my time to decide which clerkship I accept.

I know most of the firms in town. I could help you with that.

Uh, no, sir.

I will do it on my own, by myself.

Of course you will. You should do it by yourself, all by yourself.

And you can start by seeing Tom Ryan at the DA's office.

For what? You have an interview there at 10 o 'clock tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the cheese.

Hey,

thanks. And besides that?

Well, you'll be doing everything that the rest of us don't want to do.

But don't knock it.

You'll get to learn the ins and outs of preparing a case for court.

You already know the beginnings of cases. You've been in on enough of them.

But here is where we pick up where the chief leaves off.

Now, the easiest way for you to see what goes on is to follow a case with me.

So I pulled one that might have special interest for you.

The suspect was employed by your school, as a matter of fact, Martin Chapman.

Marty, what did he do?

Suspicion of burglary and grand theft.

$6 ,000 in deposits on caps and gowns from a safe at the university.

One previous conviction, similar crime.

M .O. is the same.

He can't account for his whereabouts on the night the safe was cracked.

Hello, Marty.

My name is Tom Ryan. I'm the deputy district attorney.

Do you know Mr. Sanger?

No, Mark.

Marty.

Have a seat.

You've been advised of your rights, and you signed a waiver.

Yes.

What say we talk about it a little?

Well, I don't know what you want me to say.

Well, you could say that you did it.

Save yourself the expense of a lawyer and a whole lot of trouble.

But I didn't do anything.

Marty, do you have someone to defend you?

I don't have any money for a lawyer.

Well, how about the public defender?

It's your privilege, but I'm trying to help you.

You know you did it.

So why not save yourself the hassle of going through a whole trial?

Because I didn't do anything wrong.

Well, it seems like you said the same thing on your application for your job,

that you never did anything wrong.

But you forgot to mention the four years that you spent in jail.

Yeah, but I had to lie. They wouldn't hire me if I told them... Look, Mr.

Chadman, this is your last chance to plead guilty.

Okay, you have it your own way, but I want you to remember this.

You're going to be prosecuted.

And you're going to be found guilty.

And when you do, I want you to think back on this moment when you had a

to cooperate and you blew it.

Well, you think I was a little rough on him?

A little.

Presumption of guilt?

Presumption of conviction?

Not really.

Look, if I can save the expense of a trial by scaring him into an admission

guilt, why not?

Suppose he's not guilty.

Well, suppose he is.

Now, look it, Mark.

Our job is not only to get a conviction, it's also to save taxpayers money where

we can.

Okay, what's the next step?

Well, we prepare for preliminary hearing.

There's obviously enough evidence to have made the arrest.

We just assigned a couple of our detectives to tie up the loose ends and

them stick.

You know, like tools are used. There's movements on the night of the burglary.

Even so, you know, everything is still sort of circumstantial, isn't it? Yeah,

for now.

But the funny thing about investigations, though, usually a lot of

show up.

Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.

Hey, I'll do that. I said

I had it.

And I said I'd get it.

Why didn't you let it go? I am not helpless.

I'll get the broom.

I got a sponge.

All right, you got a sponge.

I guess I'll make some chili.

Hey, Chief, why don't we eat out tonight?

Because I do not want to get dressed.

You don't have to get dressed. I'll get your jacket.

I am perfectly capable of dressing myself.

And dinner is on me. I did the damage.

No, it was my fault.

I was grabby.

And it's my treat. I said I would pay and... Oh, forget it.

Let's have a drink. No, no!

I can do things for myself.

Nobody said you couldn't. Then allow me to do things for myself.

Well, who is stopping you? All right!

anything for me.

I am capable of taking care of myself and I will pour the drinks.

How is Ryan?

He's fine.

You think he'd like the office?

Well, I followed him on a case today. A man I know, but it didn't seem fair.

What doesn't seem fair?

Well, Top detectives from the DA's office, investigation.

They have a lot of heavy machinery being pushed against the poor guy.

Now, the whole county backs up Ryan, but who backs up Marty?

I get the feeling that you want to help Marty.

Well, I know him. I mean, if a guy was going to steal, would he do it in his

backyard?

What does Ryan have?

A lot of circumstantial evidence and a previous conviction.

What was taken?

Six thousand dollars, cap and gown money, but they didn't find a dime on

Well, it's not surprising. He could have hidden it. Yeah, Chief, I know that. I

know it. But I just don't believe that he could have done it.

Well, then do something about it.

Like what?

You could... That is up to you.

How about your toolbox?

Can anybody have gotten in it?

No. I always keep it locked when I'm not using it.

Mike, I feel so rotten, I can't... I know.

All my kids are cruel. What are they going to think?

They're sure to think I'm guilty once all this stuff comes out about the other

time. It's not the healthy case, either. It's different. I was desperate.

As my wife was dying, I had no money. There was no one I could ask for it, so

I...

Didn't do any good.

She died anyway when I was in prison.

Marty, I'm one of your kids, too.

And I don't think you're guilty.

What?

Mark Sanger.

I talk to you on the phone?

Oh, yes, yes, of course. Come on in.

Uh, you're interested in the Martin Chapman case.

Uh, well, I don't know that I can tell you very much about it. I just got it.

Uh, what's the procedure?

Study the case, talk to him, see if we can dig up something to dispute the DA's

argument. Hey, that's not a lot, is it? Well, the public defender's office

doesn't have the resources that the DA has.

Oh, we do have an edge.

They have to prove that Chapman is guilty.

I'm meeting with the deputy DA in a little while to see what his case

Chapman is.

You're welcome to sit in if you like.

Hi.

Coffee?

Floating it.

Mark? No, thanks.

Well, later.

I don't think you'll be able to help your man much this time.

Never mind the M .O. and the previous conviction, Tom. Just give me some hard

facts. All right.

Locke was forced with a thin steel blade like a broken hacksaw.

Found a number of them in Chapman's toolbox.

So? He's a custodian. He'd have a blade for a hacksaw. With wood splinters that

stuck to one?

Not from forcing a door. He's got keys.

And by using them, he would point a finger at himself.

He forced entry to cover for himself.

Is that all you got?

No. The safe was drilled.

Chapman has a drill.

Money was put in some sort of a bag or a soft container. It dropped out of the

window, second floor.

He figured he recovered it later.

Any sort of footprints under the window?

It looked like he wore tennis shoes.

But you didn't find them on him, right?

Maybe he threw them away.

Did you identify the kind of drill used on the safe?

Yeah, it looked like quarter inch.

Home workshop stuff.

A custodian used a half inch rig.

Fluorescent powder. What's that about?

Oh, he dusted the dial with it, then lit it with an ultraviolet lamp so he could

see without putting on the lights.

Fluorescent powder, ultraviolet light. I mean, Marty is a simple custodian.

Now, where would he know about things like that?

I don't know, Mark.

But he did four years for using it last time.

Store.

Refile.

Store.

Hey, you were just in time.

Hey, Chief, I need to talk to you.

I'm concerned something more interesting than what I'm doing.

Look, if a guy just was saved with fluorescent powder, you know, for black

light, now wouldn't some of it get on him?

Even if he threw his clothes away, wouldn't there still be traces on his

and shoes?

For a time, yes.

Okay. How does a defense attorney go about getting the police to run a black

light check on a defendant to show that there's no fluorescent powder anywhere?

This late after the crime, he doesn't. It would have worn off or he could have

removed it. Your black light wouldn't prove a thing.

doesn't always appear to be one way and then suddenly everything is different.

Maybe you shouldn't be trying to put the pieces together.

I mean, it's really not your case now, is it?

Yeah.

Yeah, we sold some to a guy.

Usually we sell it 100...

Well, can you describe him to me?

Uh, I don't know. It was a couple weeks ago.

Yeah, but was he tall, short, old, young?

Oh, yeah, he was young. I remember that.

You sure?

Yeah, couldn't be more than 25, 26.

And you can't remember what he looked like?

Well, he was black.

He was black?

Uh, he wore these dark glasses, had on some blue jeans, sweater.

And he was wearing, like, tennis shoes.

Hey, can I use your phone?

Yeah, I hope so.

Chief Ironside's office.

Brian, let me speak to the chief.

I'm sorry, Mark, he's not in.

Well, call the mobile operator and touch me through.

I don't think he can be reached for, well, another hour or so anyway.

Don't worry, it works.

Yes, sir, Chief.

I was just surprised, that's all.

At what?

Just surprised.

My position, Mr. Feldman, should have no bearing on my driving score.

Erratic lane changing.

Cornering too close.

Sudden stops.

Driving through amber light.

Very plainly, I do not pass the test.

How long have you been practicing, Chief?

Obviously, not long enough.

However, I shall return.

Well, who drives home, you or me? Me.

I need to practice.

I had every confidence.

Every confidence.

It'll get worse.

It'll only take a couple of minutes. I'm sorry, I'm doing court right now. Yeah,

but I've got something in the Chapman case.

Yes.

I know, Ruth. I'm leaving.

Hey, did you hear what I said?

Look, why don't you walk along?

That fluorescent thing is a bomb.

So, I've been checking out a chemical plant.

You know where they make this from?

A fluorescent powder.

I found a place where they sold a small quantity to a young man.

Young? Interesting.

Hey, is that a lead medicine?

There could have been a young accomplice.

Who's that he on anyway?

A good defense anticipates the prosecution's arguments, Ma.

Besides, it's not our job to prove someone else did it. It's our job to

the prosecution is wrong.

For instance, when Ryan throws the hacksaw blade with splinters into the

we can prove that Chapman had to force a jam door three days before the

burglary. Hey, you can.

Well, unfortunately, that's the only one of Ryan's points I've been able to

knock holes into.

Well, Marty told you why he lied about his previous record. Won't that help?

No, no, no.

Uh, the personnel director had found out about Chapman's record. He already had

given him a month's notice.

Look, Mark, I have four other cases on the docket today. If you want to sit in,

you're welcome. Might be good experience.

Hey, wait a minute. What the personnel director did, now won't that be good for

us? I mean, it's clear why Marty lied.

Sure it is. Sure it is. But that's not how Ryan is going to use it.

I heard Angry Man, about to be fired, steals $6 ,000.

Not only does he have enough to live on for a while, but he gets revenge on the

university.

And that, Mark, is motive.

Telephone calls.

Mr. Ryan from the District Attorney's Office. Mr. Father from the Public

Defenders. Mr. Schwartz from Schwartz, Johnson & O 'Neill. Mr. De La Rosa from

De La Rosa, Federal & Williams.

Mr. Arno from Whitsitt, Bacon & Foster.

You're very much in demand.

Sounds like it.

Your enthusiasm is overwhelming.

Mark, you still haven't told us what sort of law you want to practice.

De La Rosa, Feddo, and Williams are corporation lawyers, aren't they? Yes.

Schwartz, Johnson, and O 'Neill?

International law.

That sounds good.

Flying to France, Japan, Fiji?

You know what kind of law I am interested in. Yeah, but which side?

Prosecutor or defender?

Well, he spent a lot of time with the defense on this little case he's been

following. There is nothing little about a case when a man is innocent.

You're convinced of that?

Yes. Why?

Because... Because I said it before. Too many things don't fit.

As far as your defense is concerned?

Yes. What about the prosecution?

I guess it fits for them.

Then you don't have much of a defense, do you? We would if we had more facts.

Get them.

Fine. What time is my appointment with the commissioner?

It's right about now.

Hey, Chief, I'll take care of it. No need!

I can't work for him the rest of my life, now can I?

Nobody said you should.

Well, then why do I feel like I should?

I don't know. Why should you?

And all he's done for me.

Mark, you know the Chief as well as I do. You hand him a package of gratitude

and he'll bring you with it.

Look, he doesn't want to tie you down.

Well, then why does he treat me as if I've already gone?

You're really bugged, aren't you?

Where are you going?

You're the chief. If you need facts, get them.

What do you mean, chase down a clue?

What do you think we do around here to make a living? You chase down clues to

support the prosecution.

You've been around long enough to know we gather evidence. If it points to a

suspect, we arrest him. Then it goes to the DA.

Hey, but suppose you handed over the wrong suspect.

I mean, it can happen, can't it?

Yeah.

Well, I'm telling you that you did.

Oh?

And you can prove this, of course.

Yeah, I have a lead on another suspect.

Okay, who is it?

I don't know.

You don't know.

Then how do you know there's another suspect?

The man at the chemical plant saw him.

I heard all about that from Agent Father at the PT office.

Hey, you did?

Yeah, he turned the information over to us. Just the way he's supposed to. All

right, Reese, what'd you do about it?

Nothing.

What do you mean, nothing?

There'll be a preliminary hearing in a few days. If Chapman is bound over for

trial, then we'll see what happens.

Meaning that you won't do anything about it until you see whether he's convicted

or not. As far as I'm concerned, if he's convicted, he's guilty. There is no

other suspect.

Why run the department ragged unless it's necessary?

Do you have any idea how many man hours it would take? The paperwork involved?

Do you know how many cases come across this desk at any given... Look, if

Chapman is acquitted, then we'll go to work on it. But not before.

Lieutenant, thank you.

Thank you very, very much. You have given me a view of police work that I

seen in a long time.

Mark, come back here.

Where you going?

I am going to just shake this all out of my head. I am going where there's some

good people, some celebrating people, some laughing people.

I'm going to relax. I am going to go and unwind and just hang loose before

I tear this building down.

I got all hung up. Hey, yeah, well, you hear, baby, that's all that counts. Oh,

wow, this was a bring your own thing, ain't it, sir?

Hey, man, there ain't no big thing. Come on, man, look here.

These folks got enough chow to feed an army. Excuse me, brother.

We don't need no more chow, man. You know, we need it for folks to eat what

got. Give us some wine, bro.

How big this?

Where's the lady?

Hey, man, like I said, I was all hung up. Didn't have a chance to call

but I figured that you might have something for me.

Jack.

Say, uh, you digging?

No. Huh?

Knocking on the door like the rest of us, not asking a man for a job, huh? For

real. You know, one minute you a student, man, and the next minute you

unemployed. Ain't there a way to go?

Hey.

You want one? No, I'll take that later.

Hey, look here. You got any prospects, man?

No, it's a choice between the DA's or some public defender.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward defender right now.

Why?

There ain't no money in it, man. I thought you would come out in it, man.

Yeah, either plays against plays to start, you know, to clear it.

Mm -hmm, yeah. The Lawrence of Criminal Law.

But look here, I want to tell you something.

If you get a client, And if the cat go to prison, he ain't going to pay you,

right? And if the cat get out, more than likely he going to spit on you. Yeah,

but that's something you got to deal with.

You got to deal with it, brother.

Not me.

Like what?

Like helping people.

Oh, yeah, like Robin Hood and Ivanhoe and all them other do -funny dudes.

Ain't nobody ever said how them cats made a living, though, baby.

Brother, some people need help.

If they pay their money, they will get the help.

What about the people without money?

What about them?

See, you just proved my point, man.

You will starve to death.

You know, you say that because you don't know anybody in a jam right now.

Oh, yes, you do.

Marty. Marty Chapman.

Now, he's broke. He's in a jam. What do you think about helping him?

I wouldn't touch him with a ten -foot pole.

Why not?

My cat is guilty.

Guilty?

You seem awful sure about a case that hasn't even come to court yet.

Hey, look, Mark.

The police came on campus that night asking about Marty's whereabouts.

Now, Marty said he was gone, but I saw him then.

Roger. You sure?

I'm reasonably sure, yeah.

Anybody else have any positive ideas?

You know what? You don't sound like no lawyer now, baby. You're sounding like a

cop.

What is this?

I'm driving. Be coming.

Well? With you at the wheel?

I am a licensed driver in the state of California.

Since when?

Since yesterday.

Well, it took two tries, but... Chief, let me drive.

Look, for five years I had the guts to ride with you. Now get in!

a good time last night?

It was okay.

You sound like it was a lot of fun.

Yeah, I guess it's me. I have too much on my mind to relax.

You can't say I blame you.

You have a pretty tough decision to make.

Yeah. I thought I knew exactly what it was I wanted to do.

Maybe you're too wrapped up in the Chapman case.

Yeah, maybe.

The preliminary hearing's day after tomorrow. It should be settled by then.

Chief, suppose he's bound over for trial.

And he gets a trial.

His defense?

No way.

Adrian Father is a clever man.

But he doesn't have what he needs to work with.

Made out quite well for a lot of years, Mark.

Yeah, but there are a couple of new things that ought to be checked out.

You're saying Father hasn't done a good job?

As far as he's able, he has, but he's so loaded down he doesn't have time to...

Chief, do me a favor. Drop me off at United Chemicals.

You hire a guy with a strong back to stack these things and he can't count.

Get one that can fill an order, right?

He poops out before his morning coffee break. Mr. Moore, can't you... I told

you, there ain't nothing I can add to what I already said. Yes, sir, but

sometimes people can see something and not know what they see. If I saw it, I'd

know it. A little detail, sir, that was overlooked, maybe.

Look, all I remember is this kid came in here and I had to stop what I was doing

and bag him a one -pound order.

Did he have it here?

Yep. Well, where was he standing?

Can you show me exactly?

Now, let's see.

I stacked it for him right here. He was looking over my shoulder. Careful, that

stuff sticks to anything it touches. Fluorescent powder?

Mm -hmm. What about the floor? Same stuff?

Yep. Dusty place.

Gotta wear one of these when we're bagging.

Now, that's for sure all I can remember.

Think that'll do you? I gotta get back to work. Mr. Moore, just one more thing.

What about the car? I want you to think real hard about that.

Well, I sure can't remember what make it was, if that's what you mean.

Putting out so many different models now, I can't keep track of them all.

just anything.

A dent, a scratch, paint.

The deal is... It was a small car.

Foreign -made, I think.

Old. Sort of a brown color. Just what I told you.

Well, a bumper sticker.

A travel sticker. Sticker, yeah.

What kind? Where?

On his windshield.

If we don't ring the bell here, we've got

983 more chances.

No tennis shoes in there. Hit it, Ed.

Everything's okay. This is Chief Hindsight, Sergeant Brown.

Hello.

Come on in.

Mark's talked quite a bit about you. You too.

Roger, you reported seeing Marty Chapman on campus the night of the burglary.

No, I said I thought I saw him.

Well, I just wanted to double check.

You were the only one who said you thought you saw him.

Well, you know, I guess nobody else did.

Pretty big campus.

Roger, I'd like to see your tennis shoes.

Tennis shoes?

Why?

What's going on, Mark?

Just get the shoes.

Oh, man, uh -uh.

Not until you tell me what this is all about.

Look, you don't have a search warrant, man.

I know my rights.

After three... years of law school, I imagine you do.

You also have the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney.

What is this, man?

A bust?

You guys go around busting people you think are guilty of a crime?

Look, man, what kind of evidence do you have to sustain what you're talking

about? You found traces of the powder in your locker.

Roger, what for?

Look, I didn't spend none of the coin. I'll give it all back.

It's no good.

Well, why not, man? They'll have their money back. Nobody will be out of a damn

thing. Marty Chapman has got something.

Man, this is no misdemeanor.

All right, listen.

Hey, look, listen to me.

You can't do this.

I mean, my whole life goes right down the drain.

Look, I won't be admitted to the bar.

That's three years of my life.

Three years of my life.

Going for nothing.

What do I tell the people, man?

How do I explain to them?

Chief, can't we work something out?

I don't see how we can, Roger.

You don't understand.

All in me is... I bathe

every penny I got, man.

In the barrel and... Work my fingers to the bone.

I figured, look, if I...

I'd just get just a little bit of money, man, you know, just one time, so I'd

have a little time to breathe, you know.

Roger! Roger, that won't help! Stay away from me, let it help me!

Look, you make one mistake, now don't make another.

Don't you come any closer.

I mean it, stay over there.

Try not to land on anyone when you're hit.

If you're going to do something as stupid as that, don't do any more damage

necessary. It ain't stupid.

Just so you won't have to face anyone.

So you won't have to explain.

I don't want to go to prison.

Prison doesn't last forever.

Start over.

You can start fresh.

Everybody's expecting me to make some of my life.

Roger, the top of the class.

you think listen everybody i'm important to them you still are you're

important to us

How does he start over again?

How did you...

Must

be awfully hard liquor.

Did I wake you? No, I was doing my calisthenics.

Nightcap.

Why not?

What's on your mind?

You saw it happening, didn't you?

I mean, me getting involved in a law case and acting

like I'm a policeman doing police work.

You? Working like a policeman?

The worst part is I enjoyed it.

Good experience. Be of value in your law career.

Vice versa.

What does that mean?

I've just made up my mind.

A cop with a law degree.

That ought to count for something.

Yeah. When you're directing traffic, you'll be able to quote legal statutes

authority.

Who said I was going to be directing traffic the rest of my life? So maybe

got your eye on the commissioner's job.

So what's wrong with that?

Mark.

I remember a young man who wanted nothing to do with being a cop.

I think he said, the law studied me pretty close.

Now, I intend to study it for a while.

You went after it.

You worked hard.

Now you've got it.

You sure being a cop is the way you want it?

Why not?

Okay, two weeks and three days exactly.

Two weeks and... Before the next class at the police academy starts, I'm making

the opening speech. I'll be seeing you. Goodnight.