Original subtitles

She's never done this.

Stayed out all night.

Something's happened.

We're looking for her, Marjorie.

She's in trouble, I know it.

She tried to buy a six -pack, but come on, she looks 16.

Come in. Blue Camaro matching the description.

Appears to be unoccupied.

Sometimes we argue, she runs out, but she always comes back, you know.

Then I seen her talking to this guy, 30, maybe older.

I seen her give him the money.

Then he comes in and buys the beer.

License plate 332.

Yellow Victor X -ray.

Affirmative. I called all her friends. They haven't seen her. This isn't right.

I seen him get in her car.

Then they drove off together.

She is not a runaway.

We fight, but she is not a runaway.

Blood on the seat and floor.

Send forensics and call Carter Pike. Maybe he can... Please help us.

The guy looked normal.

I've retrieved what appears to be a right middle or ring finger.

Female.

Severed at the second joint.

Here we go.

The suspect drives a brown pickup, older model, dented driver's side door, last

seen just before midnight. I want the finger. It could be a post -mortem

incision. He won't let me have it. Give him the finger.

Thank you.

Looks like a struggle in the car. A lot of blood.

Stuffed everything inside and out. Check this off, dude. The tracks.

Impound the car.

Make a guess.

A lot of blood.

Probably dead.

God. All right.

God. Yes, God.

He's teaching the kids creationism. Wait a minute. Wait. Wait a minute. Who?

Harold Sawyer. He's a fifth grade teacher. Your Zachary is in his class.

And he's being taught that God created man.

Why are you coming to me?

Because Michael Oslo wouldn't give us an appointment.

And you're on the school committee. My son is Jewish, and I don't want the New

Testament being driven down his young, impressionable throat.

Well, that's a lovely image, Bernie, but I'll tell you what.

I'll set up a meeting with the school committee and this Mr. Sawyer, and I'll

find out what he's teaching. Well, if it's God, he should be arrested.

Absolutely. No, absolutely.

This is not something that can be shown. The school committee will keep it in

there for hours.

One question, please.

No, there has been no arrest, ma 'am. Are there any leads?

Yes, we do have some leads, but I can't... Is Abram still dead? I don't

do know there has been foul play. The investigation is ongoing.

You gave Carter Pike the finger.

For pathology.

I'll let you know as soon as we have something.

John Emanuel just called from his store. The brown pickup's back. The guy's

inside shopping. Take all units. Get that guy.

Tell them nothing.

I didn't do anything.

He hasn't been arrested yet.

I'm going to ask him a few questions.

How silly of me.

This will be exciting. I can feel it.

Yes, I got into her car and we went off and had a few beers together.

It's a crime to provide alcohol to 16 -year -olds, Mr. Latham. It's a crime to

have sex with them as well.

But trust me, that was the plan.

What happened?

We parked somewhere on a quiet road.

We drank a beer and then we kissed a little.

I tried for more.

Much more.

And? She said no.

We wrestled and got a little grabby, but that was it.

Then she drove me back to my car, let me out, and I never saw her again.

That was the end of it.

I want to go back to the beginning.

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

That's what Jennifer said.

And your teacher told you to read that?

Yes. But it's a giant myth.

It is?

We come from monkeys.

A male ape got a homo erectus. For a female ape, he had a bald baby who could

stand up straight.

And that's how man began.

I saw it on Nova.

Oh, I see. But, um, now, Zach, your teacher told you that God created man?

Isn't true.

Is it?

I didn't do anything.

How long do I have to keep saying that? Until you tell us the truth.

Maybe I should get a lawyer.

Can I have a lawyer?

You want a lawyer?

You really want a lawyer?

You see, Brian, this is the wrong town to be picked up in for kidnapping a

I didn't kidnap her.

It doesn't matter.

A 16 -year -old girl is missing, maybe dead, and somebody's going to get

Now, you're a drifter with a criminal record who was last seen with her. Use

your head!

Now you ask for a lawyer?

Maybe we should turn you loose and let the mob outside deal with you.

You can't do this. We can do whatever we want.

We're the cops.

Max. No.

He needs to hear this.

You're not going to get a fair trial. Someone is going to pay for what

to that girl.

Now, if you're the only suspect that we offer up, it's going to be you.

Innocent or not.

I want a lawyer.

Nice.

Charge him with kidnapping.

On what? We haven't got... If we let him walk, he'll fly.

Book him and hold him.

Nothing.

Go ahead. You got a client.

I knew it.

Very exciting.

Premortem incision. She was still alive when this was cut off. Please don't

shake that.

Here's the thing. There was a lot of blood in that car. It didn't just come

this. Fingers don't bleed like that. Stop shaking it at me. My bet, the girl

dead. But it is premortem. She could be alive. But if so, where is she? Not with

him. We've got him.

What's your point?

He was back at that store buying groceries. Maybe it's a kidnapping.

Maybe she's locked up somewhere. In which case, holding him puts her life in

jeopardy. She probably has no access to food or water. She could have a limited

air supply.

I'd release him. We're not releasing him.

Well, then you damn well better get him to tell you where she is. She could be

dying as we speak.

Let me beat it out of him. No. What if Carter's right? You know what it's for.

It's unconstitutional, and you know it. The Constitution isn't doing Susan any

good. Give me two minutes with the guy.

That's a direct order.

Deputy Stewart, do you know where she is?

We have no information as to the welfare or location of Susan Ingram.

What about the medical findings?

We know that the finger was cut off while the victim was still alive,

the second joint. Is it true you used it to pick your nose?

All right. On what grounds did you arrest Latham?

I will not discuss the investigation other than to say that we're very

with our progress. Our field units have done an outstanding job.

We're dead.

Nothing in the guy's truck. It's suspicious.

No prints of hers anywhere.

There's nothing forensic.

Hey, Wombat's put me on this aramid, so what do we got?

What do we have?

The girl was last seen getting into his car. His prints were all over the beer

cans.

That's it?

He was arrested three years ago on the same charge.

He tried to abduct a 15 -year -old girl at knife point, but the charges were

eventually dropped.

Kick him.

What? We've got nothing to arrest him on. I'm not kicking him. You cannot call

suspect without evidence. I can't make that statement. You tell her parents.

tell the judge to wait probable cause.

Such loud voices.

Shut away.

I have to see my client. Looks like the news is good.

I want to give him a polygraph.

Jimmy, I'm shocked.

The man may have killed a 16 -year -old girl.

No polygraph.

And I don't want you even talking to him.

You cannot teach creationism in the school.

I'm not proffering strict creationism. I'm suggesting a moderate creation

that God had something to do with man's evolution. But you can't do that.

Look, all I'm doing is encouraging the students to ask questions. There are

questions about evolution.

We can't scientifically prove the ape -to -man mutation.

You're suggesting the possibility of a divine being, and that is directly

against the Supreme Court's mandate. Hey, those kids are coming into my class

confused.

Zachary Brock included.

I'm letting them know it's okay to be confused.

Religion and science don't have to be mutually exclusive. They can coexist.

I see no cause for alarm in this man's teachings.

Funny thing.

I'm not feeding them Adam and Eve, but I won't eliminate God from the creation

process. How can any teacher responsibly do that?

And don't tell me to.

Nobody's telling you that.

Just teach your course, Mr. Sawyer, but be aware of our concerns.

My lawyer said not to talk to anybody.

Do you want me to go?

I'll go.

I'm not going to ask you anything about what happened.

That's a promise from me to you.

Then why are you here?

I'm here as a Catholic.

I see you carry this cross in your truck.

You're Catholic too, aren't you? So?

So.

Okay, I understand you a little.

Oh, well.

There's wrong and there's wrong, Brian.

If you killed her, I'm not saying you did.

I don't care if you did.

I'm saying even if you did.

God forgives everything.

People repent.

He forgives.

But there is one thing this girl needs.

Her parents need.

And yeah, maybe God needs.

Let her be buried.

Every Christian deserves that.

No matter how good or how evil.

Every Christian should be put at peace.

I'm not asking you to admit to nothing.

Just... We've been looking everywhere for this girl.

We can't find her.

I didn't do anything.

I don't care if you did.

I need to go someplace just to relax.

Perhaps you know a place I could go.

To help me out.

Make things right.

In the name of God.

She deserves a Catholic funeral.

Tell me some place to go.

Where I can relax.

parents, Brian.

Tell me some place where I can go.

There's a pond about six miles back the other way

behind some old farm.

It looked peaceful.

Maybe it's a good place to relax.

I told you.

Just like that.

I didn't lay a hand on him.

We've got it!

They're locked to weigh it down.

Stay back.

I got it. Get that gurney ready, huh? Ready? One, two, and three.

It's my job.

I don't care.

If Wambaugh wants to represent scum like that, I don't want you working for him.

But if I'm going to be working for a lawyer, I'm going to be working for

defendants. How can you defend this man?

I'm an assistant.

I'm not even a paralegal.

And you?

Letting this guy teach creationism?

He's not pushing Christianity.

It's strictly academic.

So I'd like you to think.

What?

He's Catholic.

He's Jesuit trained. He's smart.

If he wants to sneak in creationism, he's clever enough to guise it in

What?

It's pretty racist.

Excuse me?

You distrust the guy because he's Catholic. That's racist.

It's politically correct to hate Christians.

I don't hate Christians.

Do too.

And I'm not anti -Catholic.

I'm against teaching God in the school. Would you keep your voice down, Jimmy?

No, and I won't be lectured to by any of you.

Freedom of religion means the freedom not to believe too.

And maybe I just don't feel like believing tonight.

Jimmy. I'm sorry.

I just saw a 16 -year -old wrapped in a tarp. Where was God for her?

Where was he for Susan Ingram's or her parents?

If that's the work of the Almighty, then to hell with him.

He didn't mean that.

Just eat.

I think he did mean it.

Me too.

He was just upset.

He saw that girl and he was just still upset about it. That's all.

But if God has a purpose for everything, Then he did that to Susan Ingram on

purpose.

You can't look at it that way. Why not?

We're supposed to give him credit for all the good stuff.

I think it's easier to just not believe in him at all.

Unless it was the devil who did it to Susan Ingram.

There's no such thing as the devil.

The Catholics believe in the devil.

Well, they're wrong.

Maybe they're wrong about God, too.

They probably are.

Look. It doesn't make any difference.

It's not like if you believe in him, he'll protect you.

The Ingrams are Catholics.

Susie Ingrams wore the cross.

Look how she ended up.

Bye, Mom. Bye, Mom. Bye, guys. Have a good day.

I'm almost 18 years old.

I have a part -time job.

And the top priority in my life can no longer be making my parents proud. I beg

your pardon?

How dare you or Dad try to tell me to quit working for Wamba?

I knew Susie Ingrams. You didn't.

How dare you tell me how to feel?

I'm sorry.

What if Latham was wheeled into your office with a gunshot wound?

You wouldn't try to save him because he's guilty?

Well, it's not quite the same thing, but again, I apologize.

Oh, and you better go to the arraignment today.

Why?

I can't tell you why. I made a promise.

But you'll want to be there.

What's going on?

It has nothing to do with me, but I made a promise that I wouldn't tell.

So just go to court.

Don't you ever talk to the police.

I just thought that... I don't want to know what you thought, and I don't care

how you knew where the girl was.

You tell me nothing, you tell the police nothing.

Any chance of you walking free, you got to keep your mouth shut.

You understand?

Yes. You dug yourself a nice grave.

Now I got to get you out.

Guard!

Time to go to court.

Case number 42123, People versus Brian Latham.

charges of murder in the first degree.

Douglas Wambo for the defendant.

Wave reading, plead not guilty, and ask that the bail be set at... No bail.

Preliminary hearing, October 3rd. Hold on just a second, Your Honor.

I have a motion to dismiss all charges.

What a surprise.

There is no probable cause to connect Mr. Latham to the crime except that he

into the girl's car.

Your Honor.

He knew where the body was hidden. He directed the police to go there. That

statement was coerced without counsel. The statement was voluntary.

Deputy Lacos told the suspect that if he didn't want to talk, he didn't have to

talk. Deputy Lacos prevailed on my client's Christian sympathies.

He asked that my client locate the body so Susan Agrins could have a Catholic

burial and... Is that what happened?

I wasn't informed of the content of the conversation, Your Honor. I only know

that it was voluntary.

Deputy Lacos, step up here.

Your Honor, I would first like to confer with Deputy Lakos before... Denied.

Your Honor.

Denied.

What did you say to the defendant?

Just that, you know, that she should get a burial service.

I didn't ask him to admit anything.

Just point it to the body.

Your Honor, I had asked that they not speak to my client. Your Honor, it was a

voluntary conversation.

It was a conversation designed to elicit an incriminating response.

It amounts to an interrogation outside of counsel in violation of the

defendant's Sixth Amendment rights.

That would mean that the discovery of the body and all the physical evidence

contained therein would be fruits of a poisonous tree and therefore

inadmissible.

I may have no choice but to dismiss the charges.

Mr.

and Mrs. Ingrams, I'm deeply sorry.

Put the defendant back in lockup.

I'll take this matter under advisement.

Let's go.

We'll reconvene at two tomorrow, at which time I'll make my ruling.

Everybody get out.

Your Honor, I have another matter.

I'm so pleased.

Send them in.

I'm representing Zachary Brock.

A student currently enrolled in Rome's public school system.

What's going on?

We are filing suit against the Rome School Committee, and we are seeking a

restraining order against teaching creation at the schools.

Excuse me?

Harold Sawyer, a biology teacher.

is teaching the book of Genesis.

Such a horrible week for the Constitution.

Your Honor, may I be heard?

Who are you?

Harold Sawyer, the teacher in question.

I'm not an attorney, but I'm well aware of the Supreme Court's ruling in Edwards

v. Aguilard, and... He's a wild Christian, Judge.

I'm no such thing.

All right.

Quiet.

Zachary.

You went to Mr. Wambaugh and asked him to stop this?

Yes.

Why?

It's Catholic dogma.

I see.

What's dogma?

It's bad.

God shouldn't be at schools.

He's a joke.

Why do you think that?

Look what happened to Susie Ingrams.

There can't be a God, so they shouldn't be teaching him in school.

Check him to your office. I'll see you there.

Okay. How could you not tell me this? I gave you a clue.

No comment. I have nothing to say about it.

What the hell is going on?

Don't worry. We're on top of it.

We're back to being dead.

Kenny didn't use force. The guy willingly talked. The man said he didn't

talk without a lawyer. You get him to talk with a Christian burial speech?

There's a Supreme Court case exactly on point. But this can't be happening. The

guy committed murder. Now he's going to walk? He won't walk, damn it!

There's forensics on the body. We can put together... Why isn't it fruits? We

are dead.

Your father and I are on that school committee. Do you think it's a nice

to sue your parents?

We love you, we take care of you, and you sue us ex parte. What were you

thinking about?

The Jews.

Zachary, there's nothing anti -Jewish about creationism.

I am very disappointed in you, young man.

Well, you should read the complaints.

He's seeking trouble damages.

And Sinai Temple. Plus, four sets of parents have joined your little lawsuit

now.

It's snowballing. You go straight home, Zachary, and you wait for us there.

Yeah. No street hockey, no wiffle ball. Inside and wait.

If you retaliate, Mr. Wombat says I got a silver -white claim.

Never mind.

I don't know whether to be proud of him or completely mortified. That is the

kind of insanity religion breeds. No, no, this is the kind of insanity that

parenting breeds.

Jimmy, I want to start taking them to church. I don't just mean funerals and

Easter. I mean every Sunday on a regular basis.

We talked about this. We talked about this ten years ago.

Things have changed now. Kids kill each other. Our own children have been

victims of violence. We can't...

They need something.

I never thought I'd hear you lobbying for the church. Well, I never thought

I would hear my younger son say that God is a joke.

They get that from us. You're wrong.

We don't get anything from you.

That's the problem.

Matthew and Zach come to me about religion.

I don't know what to tell them.

Last year when I was kidnapped and Matthew was shot,

Did you pray to God?

Mom?

Yes, I did.

Daddy, did you?

Yes.

Why do you admit it like it's a dirty secret?

What's so wrong with letting us know that you pray to God?

I pray to him a lot, Kimberly.

But I don't know if he's there.

Other than being a human creation to give us hope, I don't know if he's

How can you say that?

I don't know.

You told me once, the day I was born, that you looked at

me.

And you knew right then there was a higher power.

What happened?

I don't know.

You lied to me. You said if I told you where she was, you'd help me.

You said you'd help. I did help you.

Maybe not in this life.

But I helped you.

I told you not to talk to my client.

You went behind my back.

It was a bigger issue. Aside from it being against the law, it was

to me. I have a relationship with your department.

You betrayed my trust. I can live with it. I can't.

You want to play hard, Kenny?

I'll embarrass you.

Take my word on that.

Your Honor, get out. We just want one moment of your time. No, no, no. You get

out of this room right this minute. Just hear us out before... I will not hear

you. I don't know how you got this far.

But if you're not out that door, I'll lock you both up for contempt of court.

Now get out of this room right now without another word. Go.

You brought them here.

I'll see you disbarred. Do it.

I'm not a particularly proud member of the system right now.

Brewer is right on point. We both know it. The man legally should walk.

I... I can't look her parents in the eye.

And you can't either.

The answer isn't to break the law.

Or to come crying to me.

We're officers of the court.

We go by the law.

Period.

Yeah.

I mean, we can't go against the Constitution.

That'd be sacrilege.

Did Latham have any scrape marks?

Two, on the neck.

I found skin under the fingernail. DNA should match it up.

Doesn't matter.

This whole body is illegal evidence, poisonous fruit.

What? We can't use any of this?

No. We found the body after the illegal confession, which makes all of your

findings probably inadmissible. Judge Bone already said so.

That's madness!

What kind of people do this?

And how do we stop them? We can't even question suspects.

How can we stop them? Kenny. We can't stop them. Look at them.

Kenny. The guy that did this is going to go free because of me.

They expect us to be lawyers.

The guy's doing the killing. They don't have to be lawyers, but we have to know

all the technicalities or we lose them.

Look.

The guy that did that is going to walk because of me.

Hey.

Susan Ingram gets a burial because of you.

Her parents get to put her at peace because of what you did.

She was dead.

No matter what.

She gets a Catholic burial only because of you.

What's going on?

I did a little reading on evolution last night.

There are gaps.

Transitional fossils haven't been found.

The missing link is still missing.

Evolution may not be perfect, but he still can't teach God. It is against the

Constitution. The Establishment Clause says we can't do anything to advance or

inhibit religion.

Exactly. Good judge.

Well, if you teach strict evolution, you're suggesting the absence of a God.

To suggest his impossibility would be inhibiting religion.

That's a violation of the Establishment Clause, too.

Your Honor, as a lawyer, I obviously object.

But also, as a Jewish man right here... Mr. Sawyer's motives are secular. I

don't care.

As a Jewish citizen here in this town... Talk to me as a citizen, period.

You see the expressions on the faces in this town?

On the children?

One of our teenagers was brutally murdered.

The news is full of tragedy.

Our kids need something to cling on to.

To offer the suggestion of a higher power to them, that can't be all bad.

Our children need hope.

I don't disagree with that.

But religion is a parent's job, not a school's. The parents aren't doing the

job.

Are they?

How did you feel to see your son march into the courtroom?

Embarrassed.

Imagine. For his religious anxieties, he felt it easier to hire a lawyer,

to face a judge, than to face his own parents.

Well, I don't think it was that he couldn't face us, Judge. It was just he

probably thought he wouldn't get much help. We're a little wobbly on the

subject.

And you're not alone.

Here's the bottom line.

Mr. Wormwell's right.

If I authorize the teaching of creationism, the appellate courts will

me with cannons.

Even worse, I could get love poems from Orrin Hatch.

What I'd like to do is let Mr. Sawyer quietly teach his class.

I'd like this case to be dropped.

So I'm talking to the parents and the lawyer to help me out.

We'll talk to Zachary.

And you.

I need you to let it go.

I'll be watching to make sure he stays secular.

But okay.

You're telling me he'll go free?

I think so. I'm sorry.

I'm okay. I'm sorry. You get your hands off me, huh?

Maybe we should go see Joe Brown. You're going to stay right here.

We're going to fix this.

I'm going to go to the bathroom. When I come back, the three of you are going to

tell me the brilliant plan you've devised to keep that bastard in jail.

got to figure it out!

the paramedics.

It's going to be okay.

Tell them the bullet exited and you lost a lot of blood. Check the blood volume.

Keep this across your chest.

Don't move it. You'll be okay.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

It's my fault.

I didn't yell at her. Susie never would have... Stop it, John. It isn't your

fault. Stop it. Please forgive me, okay?

I'm so sorry. Time to go to the hospital.

Let them take care of you. You be in that courthouse.

You hear me?

You be in that room. One of us has to be there. I'll go.

I'll go.

Okay, go. Take him. Got it. Let's go.

Coming through.

You had to, Kenny.

You would have killed the guy you had to.

The court will come to order.

If a defendant says he doesn't want to speak without his lawyer, that is it.

There is an exception.

If the defendant waives his right to counsel and chooses to speak anyway,

the statement is admissible.

But the relinquishment of his right to counsel must be intentional and

voluntary.

Unfortunately, that's where God comes back into play.

The Supreme Court has also held that a God -fearing religious person

may lack capacity to waive counsel when his free will has been compromised

by his faith.

So, If Mr. Latham revealed the whereabouts of the body in keeping with

his Christian sympathies, I am supposed to set him free.

Well, here's a novel idea.

I'm going to hold that a person can be deeply religious and yet

still be competent.

Imagine that.

Mr. Latham.

You allegedly killed and murdered a 16 -year -old girl.

I don't give a damn what the Supreme Court says.

I don't care that the police botched a constitutional technicality.

If the police screw up on procedure, then damn it, let's start punishing the

police.

I'm a strong believer in the Bill of Rights.

And I know we need to fend off government and police abuse, which is

But if you really want to find dogma in America today, it's not in religion.

It's in blind devotion to the Constitution.

Criminals go free while we throw civil rights parades.

I'm sick of it.

I'm sick of the judicial system being more about winning and losing than it is

about the truth.

This is not a happy day.

Get out.

Did I miss something?

What happened?

I don't know.

But something tells me it's only the beginning.