All language subtitles for Picket Fences s04e09 Witness for the Prosecution

I can't believe it.

They told me. I heard it. But I still
can't believe it. What do you mean you

heard it? You're deaf.

He's coming.

Here.

Who's coming here?

The Pope.

The Pope.

He's coming to Rome.

He lives in Rome. No.

He's coming to this Rome.

Small town America, Rome.

When? Tomorrow.

Secret Service will be here at 3 o
'clock to go over security.

There'll be a parade.

And then I'm supposed to officially
welcome him. Wait a second.

The Pope.

The Pope? The Pope -Pope.

When? He's coming here.

Tomorrow.

We will be providing the security, but
we want to coordinate with your full

department. Can I meet him?

No. All we need to do today is seal the
manhole covers on the parade route.

Tomorrow, I'd like your men also to man
each and every garbage can along Main

Street. He'll be in a bulletproof
vehicle, but we'll position a counter

team just the same.

What about when he speaks?

He'll do that from inside the bubble.

We haven't had enough advance to secure
off the town, so there won't be any

mingling. May I speak after? No.

We apologize for the short notice and
the inconvenience, but he very much

to visit an ordinary American small
town.

And he chose here?

He thinks we're ordinary America?

I think because we're the town of Rome.

Pope John Paul.

Here? I saw a president once.

I saw Nixon, but to see a pope in
person, especially this one? You gonna

the parade? Of course I'm going.

Isn't court in session?

Not anymore, it isn't.

Why can't I meet him?

Because you can't, Kenny, so stop being
a pastor.

I'm assigned to security. I'm a lifelong
Catholic.

Shouldn't I be allowed just to say
hello?

You can say hello, but if you touch him,
you could be shot.

I've dreamed of meeting the guy.

Me too.

You, you're Episcopalian.

I know, but when I was in my 20s, I went
through this stage where I fantasized

about being with different men.

And the more remote the possibility, the
greater the fantasy.

The Pope's about as remote as you could
get.

You've had, you've had sexual fantasies
about the Pope?

Well, not this particular Pope, just
Popes in general.

That's sacrilegious.

He should burn forever.

Penny, he is a man.

I mean, what if I were standing next to
him, wearing a nice perfume, smiled and

said hello? Max.

All I'm saying is, do you think it's
absolutely impossible for the Pope to be

attracted to a woman?

Yes.

Popes are human.

Can I miss school?

They're going to close school at 11 o
'clock. Kimberly's going to come by and

get both you and Matthew.

Mom's going to be mad she missed this.

Well, that's what she gets for going to
North Carolina.

You can tell her about it when she gets
home, okay?

This is big, Dad, really big.

Oh, I know.

Could you get me a security clearance?

Hey.

Hello, Mr. Pope.

Can I shake his hand?

Yes.

Am I supposed to kiss it?

No, no, no.

What about refreshments? Should I offer
him something to eat?

No, no.

After his address, he'll adjourn to his
hotel. He's very tired.

And you don't need to be nervous at all.

He's a very friendly man.

All right.

Obviously, if anybody approaches the
vehicle, you move in immediately, okay?

Maxine? The parade is expected to last
36 minutes. The address, 12 minutes. The

commute to his hotel, 7 minutes. They'll
be taking the Rod Road route.

All those assigned to the hotel, get
there now.

Any questions?

No, sir.

Well, let's go. Move it.

You actually believe he's coming?

It's a trick. Shut up.

I wish Garrett would have been here for
this.

Father Barrett, he's dead. I know. Shut
up. All right.

Hey, look in front. I can't see behind
you.

Go ahead.

Hey, buddy, my father's the sheriff.

You see that?

Yeah. I can't believe I'm going to
trash.

This is a plum assignment.

You know, trash cans are very big with
terrorists.

Plum assignment? We're guarding rubbish.

We are making sure that no one puts a
bomb in here.

Oh, my God.

have to admit, I'm getting goosebumps.

Me too.

Ah, Kenny, Max, in case you haven't
noticed, this is it.

We're all secure here. Over.

I gotta call my mother. Remind me to
call my mother.

So are you.

He shot himself! Please!

He's my boyfriend!

He's my boyfriend!

Please! He shot himself!

Let's get him back.

Get him back.

How

many

times do I have to go over it?

And did you know he brought a gun to the
parade?

Of course not. You think I'm going to be
near the Pope when the man who's got a

gun?

But you knew he was suicidal.

I knew he talked about it, but I
certainly never... I can't believe this

happened.

Okay, tell us once again what he said
before.

Just, I love you.

We were at the parade, watching it like
everyone else.

He pulled out the revolver, said, I love
you, and then pointed it at his head.

Did you grab it before or after it went
off?

I don't know. I think it went off as

I grabbed it.

Apparently, he decided to do it at the
parade as sort of a statement of

The deceased Mr.

Farham, we've been told, was involved in
a homosexual relationship with Mr.

Spears. We've also been told that Mr.
Farham was very angry toward the

Church, which may have something to do
with his decision to end his life in

manner on this day.

We'll learn more. We'll keep you
informed. Thank you.

His parents evidently disowned him when
he came out of the closet.

They were strict Catholics. That made
him want to kill himself?

Well, it says he was married and left
his wife for Spears.

Well, so much for small -town visits.

Had to ruin it.

Could have taken your life anywhere, but
you had to ruin it for all of us.

Pope will never come back.

Just give us the call, Carter.

Single gunshot wound to the temporal
lobe, likely self -inflicted.

Ruined everything.

I was up all night with Zach.

How do you explain suicide to an 11
-year -old?

How do you explain it to anybody?

We, uh, we have a problem.

What? This is Bishop Cole.

He's traveling with the Pope.

Bishop Cole?

Hello. Won't you come in?

Yes, sir. Can I help you?

Sheriff, the incident yesterday was not
a suicide.

The Spears fellow actually shot and
killed Mr. Farrum.

It was murder.

You saw this?

Uh, no.

He did.

He who?

Pope John Paul.

He turned back to wave and he saw the
man shoot.

the other man.

He didn't know you were calling it
suicide until he read the account in

morning's paper.

But he said you've got it very wrong.

This is definitely a murder.

And we move for an immediate trial.

Absolutely no comment.

This was a suicide.

No comment. Absolutely no comment. The
man took his own life.

You don't know what you're doing. He
shot himself. This is insane.

Ben, come on. Come on. I'm going to
stick to that. Such a tragedy.

Arresting people every time a gun goes
off. This is supposed to be America.

Right. Just get on in there, Doug. I
don't get it. I do.

Who's going to commit murder in front of
thousands of people? That's ridiculous.

It would have to be a suicide.

That's what he wants us to think. He
knew everybody would be looking at the

Pope. He just didn't count on the Pope
looking back at him. Please, come on

No, Jimmy, listen.

They were standing here on the opposite
sight line from everybody else, and

everyone's looking at the Pope in the
bubble. It was perfect.

Okay, but why?

I talked to Farm's sister.

Who's Farm?

Dead guy.

Farm told his sister that if he ever
wanted to leave Spears, Spears would

him. And the sister says he was going to
leave Spears.

Oldest motive in the world.

Well... This is a local matter now,
so... Hold it, hold it. We need his

statement. Who?

What do you mean, who? Him. Who?

He's our witness.

The Pope.

He saw the crime.

You're joking.

We've got a helicopter waiting to take
him to Chicago. He's due back at the

Vatican. We can't make this arrest
without his statement.

So you want me to...

Bring the Pope here to, what, identify a
suspect out of a lineup? He is our only

witness here.

The key to this arrest.

And the trial.

He needs to testify in court.

Exciting times.

Quiet down.

All right, Judge. I can't hear anything
if you all talk.

Your Honor, I'm Gloria Boer.

Counsel to the Vatican Embassy, with the
greatest respect to our system of

jurisprudence, the idea of subjecting
the Pope to this process is completely

untenable. Why? He witnessed the crime.

I understand, but he is... I want to
hear from the Assistant Attorney

What I would submit is that we simply
videotape the deposition immediately,

subject to cross -examination, and then
we can let the pontiff resume his

travels. I object.

Why? My client has the right to confront
his accuser and... You can do that in

the deposition.

We want to do it in open court.

Videotapes are only appropriate when the
witness is not available.

Now he's here, Your Honor, and he's
available.

And once he leaves the jurisdiction, I
have no power to bring him back. So

do it now.

Tomorrow. What? Excuse me. It's a simple
case.

One witness, it's a one -day trial.

We wouldn't even need voir dire. The
Rosman jury's already impaneled on the

Tamrak robbery case.

We can switch them over, use them on
this trial.

The defense offers no objection.

Counsel. You're not serious. We are
talking about the Pope.

We're also talking about a defendant's
right to confront his accusers in a

of law.

You promise to limit your cross
-examination to half a day?

Absolutely. Your Honor. Judge. Then I
see no hardship.

You cannot subpoena the Pope.

You have a case law that says I can't?

He's a head of state.

If he doesn't testify, then a murderer
goes free.

Why don't you ask him what he wants to
do?

That's not fair. You're exploiting his
morality.

Opening argument's 10 o 'clock tomorrow.

Your Honor, if it wouldn't be too much
trouble, I'd like a lot of cameras in

courtroom. Forget it.

Agent Johnston, you can secure off the
courthouse. I can't believe you're doing

this.

Wombo against the Pope.

Eventually it had to happen.

Are you crazy?

Keep your voice down.

Why wouldn't we prefer the videotape?
He's the Pope, for God's sake!

I assume the man makes for a credible
witness.

I would also think he holds quite a
presence. I mean, the jury will be

spellbound to be in a room with him.

Ben! No!

This was stupid.

You just want to be able to have your
moment. That's all this is.

How could my defense attorney want the
Pope to appear against him in court? I

mean, it's ludicrous! If you can keep
your mouth shut for two seconds, I'll

you my strategy.

Impersonal or a tape, it doesn't matter.

The Pope?

is the Pope.

What I wanted was the Rosner jury.

By using the Pope's unavailability to
get an immediate trial, I got the Rosner

jury. What's so important about that?

Eight women, that's what.

Two were divorced, one had a child
through in vitro, and one is a lesbian.

This is the jury we want for this trial.

What, you think they're anti -Catholic?
It only takes one.

They'll never get a unanimous verdict,
this I promise you.

What about his sister, if the death
threat comes in?

It won't. I already suppressed it. How?

Hearsay. Your death threats don't come
in.

Do I testify?

I don't know yet.

The Pope's demeanor doesn't scare me.

Yours does a little.

is a fabulous honor, Your Holiness, and
we hope not to take up too much of your

time.

This is Sheriff Brock.

Hello.

Nice to meet you. This is my son,
Zachary. He's desperate to meet you.

Last year I was astigmatic.

God came to me in my palm's blood.

That's cute.

Jimmy.

This is Spears' record.

He was convicted of extortion in 1986.

Served ten months.

Not an altar boy.

Hi.

Sheriff, can we go someplace more quiet?

How you doing? My office.

Come on, Mr. Pope. We'll show you to my
father's office.

Would you stop sniffing me? I can't
believe you.

Where are we?

No other witnesses. His sister's
testimony was suppressed.

Put out a reward.

10 ,000 people. Somebody had to see it.

I hope so.

Otherwise, that case comes down to him.

The plaintiff is expected to take the
stand sometime after 11 o 'clock as the

first and perhaps only prosecution
witness.

Meanwhile, media attorney Sharon Donahue
brought yet a third motion seeking

cameras to be allowed into the
courtroom. But Judge Bone simply told

out.

Will he wear white or red?

What? The Pope.

What color team will he go with? Can you
just eat your breakfast? It's getting

soggy. I like the green.

Can we just not make a big deal out of
this, huh?

What?

Max, it's the Popemobile.

It's illegally parked.

Don't even think about it.

First you say suicide, now it's murder.

I never categorically said suicide. I
said likely self -inflicted.

And then you change your medical
diagnosis because the Vatican told you

Objection. Counsel. I factored into my
original findings the statement of the

defendant. Upon that statement being
impeached and a new eyewitness

modified my conclusion.

But the wound itself, it's consistent
with suicide.

Consistent, yes, but no more likely than
homicide.

Nice job, Carter, but you forgot to say
amen.

What? Objection. Withdrawn.

Nothing further.

The witness may step down.

Call your next witness.

Thank you, Your Honor.

The people call...

The Pope.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth,

help you God? I do. Be seated.

Your Holiness, could you please state
your name and address for the record?

Pope John Paul II, Vatican City, Europe.

Your Holiness, I call your attention to
Monday last.

Were you involved in a parade in the
Commonwealth of Rome, Wisconsin?

Yes.

Do you recall if you saw anything
unusual during the course of this

Yes. Could you tell what you observed?

This man points a gun at a man and shoot
him.

That's right to the point. I admire
that. Your Holiness, are you absolutely

it was this man?

This is the man.

I was waving at the crowd. I turned back
over my right shoulder.

The people were waving and I was waving
back.

And my eye caught a man pointing a gun.

Not at me, at another man standing next
to him, holding it to the

side of his head.

And then suddenly the man turned, facing
the gunman.

Boom. Boom? Boom.

The man went down.

Your Holiness, the defendant claims that
the deceased turned the gun on himself

and that he, the defendant, tried to
intercede. No, no, no, this is not true.

He had his arm extended with the gun.

May I show you?

Yes. Sit down.

His arm was at full length, and then the
victim turned to see, and as he

reached up to push the gun, the gun was
discharged, and it was more

like an execution.

Your Holiness, are you sure about this?
That's what you saw?

As God is my witness.

And I am yours.

Thank you, Your Holiness.

I have nothing further.

Good

afternoon,

Your Holiness.

I would like to say first that our
country...

is very honored by your visit.

Rome, Wisconsin is honored by your
visit.

My client, well, not so honored.

I also hope you understand our system is
adversary in nature, so I must be

adversary. So if I do or say anything
despicable, it's not because I'm anti

-Catholic, it's because I'm a lawyer.

So nothing I say should be interpreted
as disrespect to either you or your

prestigious position.

Thank you.

Wambaugh's being polite.

This is a bad sign.

You testified that you saw a murder take
place.

And yet I'm curious.

You didn't tell anybody about what you
witnessed until a day later.

This is true.

Because I saw the police apprehend the
criminal and I mistakenly assumed that

they considered him to be the murderer
until the next day when I saw the

newspaper. Oh, I see.

The police estimate that you were about
50 to 60 yards away at the time of the

shooting. Would that be fair?

Yes. 60 yards?

You're in a glass bubble which is
moving.

You really recognize this man's face?

I did not see his face clearly.

What I saw was his outstretched arm with
the gun.

Oh, well, forgive me. But earlier you
testified that you clearly recognized

You pointed at him.

This is the man, I am sure.

But you didn't clearly see his face.

Objection. The defendant, by his own
statement, says he was there.

Thank you, thank you. I'm just curious
as how the witness can be so determined.

Now, I noticed in the newspaper account
which you read that it referred to my

client as a homosexual.

Did this influence your decision to come
forward? Objection. Goes to bias, Your

Honor. The objection is overruled.

Do you have bias against my client
because he's a homosexual?

No. Are you more likely to consider a
person capable of evil because he is a

homosexual?

Objection. Sustained.

Do you consider homosexual acts to be
evil?

Objection. Sustained. I'm entitled to
explore bias.

This is the Pope. Well, perhaps Your
Honor would like to take a break and go

into chambers and genuflect. Objection.
You are out of order.

Please, please.

Sit down.

I should like to answer on his charge of
bias.

You may speak, Your Holiness.

The Catholic Church does not consider
homosexuality to be evil. But the

homosexual act, that is sinful, isn't
it?

A homosexual act is morally evil.

No, this is not a bias.

Any genital act outside of marriage is
wrong. Oh, I see.

So if two homosexuals get married, sex
would be okay.

No. Why not?

It is not permissible for homosexuals to
marry.

Why not?

Your Honor, this is getting into
religious debate. It has nothing to do

bias whatsoever.

I'm just trying to understand.

It's okay for heterosexuals to get
married.

but not homosexuals. And yet he says
that there is no bias.

It's because a Catholic marriage
requires a recital of vows and a

of the union.

Yes, and?

It is wrong for homosexuals to
consummate.

Why?

Because sex is morally wrong when there
is no possibility of transmitting new

life. So what about sterile heterosexual
couples?

Is it evil for them to have sex?

No. Why not?

Because it is still God's way.

Oh, but it isn't God's way for a
homosexual couple. I object. I object. I

object. Now there's three objections.

Quiet. I think I got it.

No sex without marriage. No gay marriage
whatsoever.

But there's no Catholic bias against
gays.

Does that sum it up?

You're supposed to be a guardian of the
judicial process.

What happened in there today was vile.
It was blasphemy.

He has a right to cross -examine.

That had nothing to do with the truth.

It had nothing to do with evidence, and
for you to allow it to continue, you

should be ashamed.

Get out.

We're not in a courtroom now. We're in a
house.

My house.

Get out.

You wonder why people hate lawyers, hate
the judicial process.

That was the Pope in that chair. Where's
the decency to the system?

Get the client off.

Isn't there a canon of ethics that
requires lawyers to conduct themselves

scintilla of dignity?

Nope.

You were guilty up there today, Henry.

You let it go on.

For what? To honor our system.

What a system.

What a great country we live in.

American justice at work.

How do homo sapiens have sex?

Homosexual, stupid.

Not homo sapiens.

Homosexual.

Eat your breakfast.

While only 21 % of non -Catholics would
convict, 52 % of all Protestants think

he did commit the crime, but would
nevertheless find reasonable doubt.

I say no.

Right now, the prosecution's entire
case... is a coroner who says it could

suicide, and one eyewitness from 60
yards who I think we put a dent in. But

jury might want to hear from me.

That's true, but if you take the stand,
your prior record comes into evidence,

and we don't want that.

But if I say nothing... Now, you listen
to me, young man. If you make one

mistake up there, you'll be making
license plates for the rest of your

Frankly, Ben, you don't come off so
good.

And first impressions count big in
trials.

And for what it's worth, I don't like
you.

I recommend we don't testify.

Okay. Okay.

You heard Carter Pike.

He said it could have been self
-inflicted.

What's that if not reasonable doubt?

Now, the Pope says he saw what happened.

He says he saw it with his own eyes.

But did he?

Well... It's easy to be blinded by his
celebrity.

We've all seen him on the TV. Oh, bigger
than life, his holiness.

But underneath the fancy outfits and
holy hats, he is a man.

A 75 -year -old man with 75 -year -old
eyes looking through a glass

bubble on the move with 10 ,000 people
screaming at him.

Can he really be sure what he saw?

Beyond reasonable doubt.

10 ,000 people.

And he's the only one who says he saw
what he saw.

The only one.

Reasonable doubt.

And like any man, especially older men,
he comes with his predispositions,

doesn't he?

Prejudices?

I won't call them that.

But according to this witness,
homosexual behavior.

is morally evil.

And according to this witness, divorce
is evil.

So when the Pope picked up the newspaper
and read about a homosexual divorced

man, maybe he was slightly more
predisposed to think Ben Spears

was capable of evil.

And according to this witness, maybe
some of you are morally evil too.

Well, I don't know.

Perhaps some of you had sexual relations
outside of marriage.

Maybe you had sex solely out of lust.

Maybe some of you have been divorced.

Perhaps you used contraception or had a
child through in vitro fertilization.

These are all morally evil acts
according to that eyewitness.

Now, many Catholics don't agree with
those positions, I know.

But the Pope, he's adamant. He's
convinced he's right.

just like he's convinced of what he saw.

But maybe he's not right. Maybe this
eyewitness clings to the unreasonable,

maybe this eyewitness sometimes sees
what he chooses to see and blinds

to what he doesn't want to see.

So, ladies and gentlemen, if you can't
trust the messenger, you must

reject the message.

Only one person out of 10 ,000, a person
with a bias.

Reasonable doubt?

Of course there's reasonable doubt.

This case isn't about homosexuality.

It isn't about contraception or divorce
or

Catholicism.

This is a murder case.

It is a murder case.

An eyewitness saw that man...

Point a gun at John Farham's head and
commit homicide.

An eyewitness whose testimony stands
uncontroverted.

The eyewitness is Pope.

Pope.

I know it seems... No matter how much
evidence...

We have these days. It seems like it's
very tough to get convictions.

But you have eyewitness testimony from
the Pope.

Ex parte, Henry.

I'm honored at the invite. Don't you
dare strut.

That closing argument was disgusting.

In 42 years on the bench, I've never
seen anything more prejudiced than what

just did. Are you speaking as a
Catholic? I'm speaking as a judge

the idea that what goes on in that room
should still have a shred of integrity.

Then you're a naive judge.

I had a client out there charged with
murder.

Now, if there's any distrust between
races and religion, it is my job to tap

into it. It is not your job to inflame
it. Oh, yes, it is.

Whatever I can legally do to get my
client off, I do it, because that's the

American way.

And what about your religion, Doug?

Orthodox Judaism condemns homosexuality?

Why didn't you mention that?

The Pope is not Jewish.

What's happened to you?

A year ago, you worried that you'd only
be remembered as a good lawyer.

That if you had to do it all over again,
you'd be a good man.

And I told you, you were the best man I
knew.

But that was last year.

Now I don't recognize you.

I don't recognize the person who brought
a lawsuit against Carter Pike after his

house caught fire.

I don't recognize the man who made cruel
jokes about his wife at their

anniversary party.

And I certainly don't recognize the man
who's been in my courtroom the last two

days.

You've become mean -spirited.

Your core seems to be bitter, where it
was always kind.

Great speech.

Maybe you should be Pope.

I'm the lawyer.

I don't have to win any popularity
contests.

If I win, I'm accepted.

Your wife is gone.

You have no family.

It hurt when Kimberly Brock left.

Doug, if you're looking for affirmation
in your win -loss record, you're looking

in the wrong arena.

There is no soul in lawyering.

There is no dignity in it, for the most
part.

And there certainly is no redemption.

What you did in that courtroom just now
was without honor and without

excuse.

I can no longer call you my friend.

Get out.

Will the defendant please rise?

Madam Foreman, has the jury reached a
verdict?

We have, Your Honor. What say you?

In the matter of the people of Wisconsin
versus Benjamin Spears, on the count of

first -degree murder, we find the
defendant guilty as charged.

Members of the jury, this completes your
service.

I thank you.

Take the defendant into custody.

This matter is adjourned.

I can appeal, right? I can appeal.

Yes, you can.

State court of appeals. Then what? How
high can I go?

We can appeal it to the highest
authority.

No, I don't think he'd want to take it
there.

Can I just say one thing to him?

He's a little anxious to leave town.

Father.

I just want you to know that Mr. Wamba
wasn't speaking for this community.

And he wasn't speaking for me.

Nor me.

I know this.

Goodbye,

Mr. Pope.

Goodbye.

He winked at me.

Max. He's attracted to me, I could tell.

Max. Maxine. You saw him.

He's a flirt.

Max.

That's not a word.

It most certainly is.

Peckerhead is not a real word. It's a
nickname.

Was it yours?

I'll show you. I don't give a damn what
that book says.

I'm not giving you 27 points for
peckerhead.

Pick another word.

Peckerhead.

What?

I'm sorry, Henry. I went home to my
empty house, and I started thinking,

you know, though I'm a little old, to
start, you know, to take up new hobbies.

So I try to distract myself from my
loneliness. It helps.

Naturally, you know, a trial with the
Pope.

Why, that's very good as distractions
go. I'm in the middle of a Scrabble

Your courtroom, Henry, has always been
one of integrity.

And I apologize if I compromised it. You
did.

Well, as long as you win.

You must be doing something right, so
you try to win at all costs.

But at the cost of our friendship,
Henry, that's too steep.

So I came back to say I'm sorry and to
ask you to forgive me.