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- Come on, sleepy head.

You've got 15 minutes.

Wake up, wake up, wake up.

l'm not hearing you.

[children speaking indistinctly]

[gun cocks]

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- Morning.

- There you go.

Eat it all up.

- Mama, Sharonda wants peanut butter.

- You finish your cereal?

Okay, go ahead.

You talkin' foryour sister.

Sharonda got a mouth.

All right.

[glass shatters]

- Ooh.

- Oh, come on, baby.

lt's all right.

Oh, calm your nerves, baby.

lt ain't nothing but an oldjar.

- All right, guys, let's mount up.

Let's look sharp and be safe, okay?

- Good morning, Sheriff.

How are you?

- Morning, Commander.

- Morning, boss. - Howyou doing?

- Ready to rock.

- Yeah. Your men here?

- They're right here, ready to go.

- Good, l got 28 names on this list.

- Pick it up, pick it up.

We got to get to Grandma's house.

Running late. Come on.

Come on, now.

Fixyour sister's shirt.

Now, watch yourself.

Where you at, Sherice?

- Hey, Dee.

- Hey, Gladys.

Come on. Come on.

Go to Grandma.

Bye, y'all. - Bye.

l love you, Mommy. - Bye, baby.

- Good morning, glories. Come on.

- Hey, Mama. - Hey, girl.

Come on up here.

Grandma goty'all some grits.

- All right, you guys behave in there.

- The Gore campaign is counting on liberal interest groups,

especially those on environmental fronts,

to warn their constituencies Bush could win.

- Another apparentlywarm day for November,

with temperatures topping out in the mid 60s.

Traffic on the southbound 84 continues to be slow

due to roadwork near exits.

[horn blares]

- George W. Bush hammers on his charge thatAl Gore--

- Morning, Ben.

Some coffee?

- Please. Thanks, Dee.

- As a uniter in chief.

- He scares the elderly for political gain.

- Good morning.

Howyou doing now? Want some coffee?

- Yes, please.

- Did you getyour hair done?

- Sure did.

- lt looks good.

We get a hair show this weekend.

Texas championship, grand prize: $5,000.

- You going with Lavosha again?

- Mm-hmm.

We've been practicing for months.

l'm hoping to win enough to start up atjunior college.

- Oh, good luck to you, honey.

- Thankyou.

Thankyou. l'll be right back.

[helicopter blades whirring]

- Mobile units on the way.

- Rogerthat.

- Grandma, can l go see Andres?

- Mm-hmm.

Sherice, take him my good bowl there.

Hold itwith both hands.

My grandma gave me that from Alabama.

- Bye-bye, Grandma.

- Bye-bye.

- All units in position.

- Go on your command.

- Go, go, go.

- Go, come on, everyone!

Go!

- On your knees!

[people yelling]

- Police! Warrant!

On the ground!

- Stay here.

No, stay here.

Sherice!

Come here, girl!

[bowl shatters]

[screaming]

Sherice, baby, it's okay.

Come here.

- We got one jumping the east fence.

- Rogerthat.

- Huh!

[people struggling]

- Hold up!

- Stay right here.

[helicopter blades whirring]

Ah!

- The Gore campaign calls it the closing argument.

The vice president laid out what he believes

is the best case for a Gore presidency.

- Yo, Dee, can l get a refill?

- Sure thing, Julie.

Don't need anything else?

- No.

- Are you Dee Roberts?

Dee Roberts?

- Excuse me. What did l do?

Will you tell me what l did?

- What's going on?

- What did l do? You got to tell me.

- Dee?

- l think--l think it's my parking tickets.

l'm sorry, Doreen.

- Parking tickets? This is ridiculous.

l'll pay the parking tickets.

- Just back away, ma'am.

- l said, "l'll pay the parking tickets."

- l said, "Step away, ma'am."

[siren wails]

[radio chatter]

- We got Roberts, and we're inbound.

- Rogerthat.

[metal door clanging]

- Dee?

- Gladys? - You kidding me.

All of us in this tiny shit hole?

[door slams]

- Uh, when do l get my phone call?

l got to call my kids.

[buzzer sounds]

[gunshots]

- Theywas running like cockroaches

from a burning torch.

- No one figured on the U-Hauls.

You would've loved it.

Surprised 'em all.

- Beckett still using the helicopter?

- Of course. He loves that thing, man.

Scares the shit out of 'em.

- Mm.

You know, you been watching too many cop shows.

You knowthat?

Anybody get hurt?

- No.

Cuts and bruises. That's about it.

Nothing serious.

- Hey, Mama. - Hey.

- Howyou doing?

- l'm fine.

- How are the girls?

- You know, the raid scared 'em, but they all right.

Dee, you ain't done nothing

to get all caught up in this mess, have you?

l mean, somebody said that theywas looking foryou.

- Mama, you know l don't have nothing to do with that.

- l knowthat. l know.

- lt's my parking tickets.

l got $782.

- $782?

Good Lord.

Girl!

Hell, you can buy a car forthat much money.

- l know, Mama.

l'm sorry.

Mama, l'm scared in here.

Can you help me out of here?

l'll payyou back. l promise.

- When you seeing thejudge?

- Tomorrow morning.

- Tomorrow.

l'll find it,

l guess, you know...

- Thankyou, Mama.

Oh...

Um, tell the girls that l will be there tomorrow.

l love you.

- l love you.

Don'tworry, girl.

- Bye.

[dial tone]

[train bell dinging]

[train horn blares]

- Does the county have a recommendation on bail,

Mr. Beckett?

- The county sees Mr. LeRay as a flight risk, Your Honor.

We'd like bail to be set at $50,000.

- So ordered.

- Mr. LeRay, the court appoints Mr. David Higgins

as your lawyer,

sets bail at $50,000,

schedules a preliminary hearing on your case for March 23rd.

[gavel pounds]

- There's your mother.

- Are you Ms. Dee Roberts?

- Yes, sir.

- Are you aware ofthe charges

that are being brought againstyou

by Harmon County, Miss Roberts?

- l think l'm here for my parking tickets.

- Miss Roberts, you're charged with distributing narcotics

in a school zone.

- ls that correct, Mr. Beckett?

- lt is, Your Honor.

- That can't be right.

l never had anything to do with drugs.

- l take that as a not guilty plea.

Can you afford an attorney, Miss Roberts?

- No, sir.

- Does the county have a recommendation on bail,

Mr. Beckett?

- Well, selling drugs in a school zone

is a very serious charge, Your Honor.

County recommends bail

at $70,000.

- Miss Roberts, the court appoints

Mr. David Higgins as your lawyer,

sets bail at $70,000,

schedules a preliminary hearing on your case for March 23rd.

[gavel pounds]

- Diane, get down from there.

- And hurry up.

- Alma. - Hey, Darrell.

- Heard about Dee.

Figured l'd better come get the girls.

Hey. - Hi, Daddy.

- Guess what l got. Look.

- He's got candy.

[horn honks] - Hey!

- Yeah. Come on.

Let's get out of here.

Come on. We go bye-bye.

We going bye-bye.

- You know Dee got custody.

- Dee's injail.

- She ain't staying.

- That's notwhat l hear.

- Hello, Miss Roberts.

l'm David Higgins,

the lawyer appointed by Judge Pryor

to representyou.

And this is Robert Foster, assistant district attorney.

- Miss Roberts, you've been indicted by a grand jury

as a drug dealer.

And the district attorney's

been gathering information for months.

He has a very strong case.

- There must be some kind of mistake.

- Miss Roberts, l would advise you to be silent.

Mr. Foster'sjob is to build a case againstyou.

- You can ask anyone.

l don't have anything to do with drugs.

- Miss Roberts, you're only hurting yourself.

Mr. Foster, were drugs found on Miss Robert's person

when she was arrested?

- Apparently not.

- At her place ofwork?

ln her home?

Does she have any record as a drug dealer?

- The Harmon County Drug Task Force

has conducted an extremely impressive operation.

lt convinced the DA.

lt convinced the grandjury.

And frankly, David, ifyou saw it,

it'd convince you.

- Miss Roberts, how many children do you have?

- Four.

Sherice is eight, Sharonda's five,

Laquisha's four, Tanya's two.

But l never done any drugs,

and l wouldn't--

- Mr. Foster,

could l speakwith you alone for a minute, please?

- Certainly.

[indecipherable speech]

- Miss Roberts, you have a verytalented lawyer.

And against my betterjudgment,

he has convinced me to offeryou a plea bargain.

- Miss Roberts, despite what Mr. Foster

believes to be the strength of his case,

because your record is relatively clean

and due to the nature--

- And because ofthe age and the needs ofyour children.

- He's prepared to offeryou a plea.

- lfyou plead guilty

to felony possession with intent to distribute,

you can go home today

with a ten-year suspended sentence

and a small fine.

- But l never sold any drugs.

- Then post bail. We'll set a court date.

- $70,000?

Oryou can stay injail and awaityour pretrial hearing

in... end of March.

- That's almost six months.

l can't do that.

What am l gonna do about my kids?

- l'm sorry the burden your behavior has imposed

on your children, Miss Roberts.

That is why l'm prepared to offeryou a plea.

But be under no doubt,

ifyou don't take the plea,

we will prosecute you to the fullest extent ofthe law.

Good-bye, David.

- What's he mean by "the fullest extent ofthe law"?

- 16 to 25 years.

[toiletflushing]

- Be careful the shityou hear from the public defender.

- Mm-hmm.

- Did he tell you, ifyou plead, you a felon?

No more food stamps,

no AFDC, no welfare,

no Medicare foryou oryour kids,

never again.

- Can't get ajob.

Can'tvote.

You girls in the project?

Then they throwyou out.

That's government housing.

- ♪ Mm, mm, mm, mm ♪

♪ Mm, mm, mm ♪

[somber piano music]

♪ ♪

♪ Mm, hm, mm ♪

♪ Mm, mm-mm ♪

♪ Mm ♪

♪ Mm, mm ♪

- l don'twant to be late.

[knocking on door]

[loud hip-hop music playing]

[knocking on door]

- Who's out there?

- Miss Alma Roberts.

l came to get my granddaughters for church.

- Yay.

[child crying]

- Are they ready?

Oh, come on, baby.

Don't push her.

Come on, sweetie.

Come here, pumpkin.

[child crying]

- Her diaper is full.

- She ain't bothered by it.

- l'm bothered by it.

- lt bothers you, you change it.

- l'll come by when l want them back.

- That's great.

Darrell, that'sjust great.

Come on, y'all.

- ♪ Glory ♪

♪ Our Lord ♪

- You don't think she might've been

mixed up with drugs, do you?

- Heck no.

Dee ain't no angel, but she sure ain't no drug dealer.

- Sherice is fighting. - What?

- Grandma, Sherice is fighting.

- What's going on? Come here.

- Let go! Ow!

- Cut that out!

Don'tyou push her!

Sherice!

Acting like that in your Sunday clothes.

Quit it! Stop it!

- Come on. Stop that this instant.

- Hey, hey.

- This is what the Lord expects from you on the Sabbath?

Sherice, Chantrelle, what's wrong?

- She grabbed me.

- 'Cause you called my mama a drug dealer.

- Your mama is a drug dealer.

- Oh, oh, wait a minute!

- Stop that now.

- Come on, not anotherword

from either one ofyou, not anotherword.

Did y'all see this here?

Y'all see this here?

This thing done tricked down to the children.

Now, l wonderwhere they got thatfrom.

Half of our congregation

is in trouble with the law,

some that did wrong and some that didn't.

Sherice...

Chantrelle...

l wantyou...

- Lord, have mercy.

- Thanks, Gladys.

- Dee Roberts.

- How l look?

- You look great.

- Thanks.

- Dee?

Dee! - Ten minutes.

- There she is. l see her.

- Hey, Mama.

- Hey, say hi to your mama.

- Hey, babies.

- Hey, Mama.

- Do you see her? Come here, sweetie pie.

- Ah.

- You look good, Dee.

- Look at my hair, Mama.

l am not looking good.

But look aty'all,

how prettyyou are in your Sunday dresses.

- Yeah, we been to church.

- What happened to Sherice?

- Oh, she okay.

Shejust got into a little scuffle.

- Here, let me talk to her.

- Come on, Sherice.

Come on up so your mom can see you.

Come here. Can you see her?

Come on up here so you can see her.

- Hey, baby.

- Hey, Mama.

- What happened to you?

- Nothing.

- Mm-mm.

l can see something happened.

Come on.

- They said you were staying in here for life.

They say we're gonna be homeless.

[children crying]

- Everybody, calm down, calm down.

This is all right. lt's all right.

You are not gonna be homeless.

They crazy, 'cause your mama,

your mama's coming home.

She's coming home real soon,

ain'tyou?

- Mm-hmm.

- They offeryou a plea?

- l didn't do anything, Mama.

- Dee, everybody pleas,

and nobody ever's guilty.

- l'd be a convicted felon, Mama.

- You'd be home with yourgirls.

- They'd throw me out the apartment.

l'd lose myfood stamps,

the money for Sharonda's medicine.

- You gonna lose all that anyway ifyou go to prison.

- Didn't you always say, "The truth will setyou free"?

- [scoffs]

Girl, that's in the afterlife.

God care about the truth.

The DA don't give a... [whispers] shit...

about the truth.

He'd lock niggers up tilljudgment day.

- Time's up.

- Dee?

Darrell has been coming by to get the girls.

So you think about that when you thinking on what to do.

- He still with Claudia?

- Mm-hmm.

- Mama, don't leave the girls alone with her.

- Dee, l am doing the best l can.

- Mama-- - He is their daddy.

- Mama, do not leave them alone with her.

Promise me, Mama. - Think about that plea.

- Mama? Mama?

Mama, you knowwhat she's done--

- Say bye to your mama.

- Bye, Mama.

- Bye.

- Oh, babies, bye.

- Love you.

- Bye, babies.

Bye, babies. l love you, Mama.

- Dee! - Bye!

- Bye, Dee. We love you.

Come on, baby.

Let's get out ofthisjail.

They love to see blackfolks up in this place.

- To the desk and he said,

"You know how many times l've been through this with you?

"l'm gonna tell you right now, you gonna have to arrest me,

'cause l don't give a shit"--

- Excuse me.

Do y'all know where l mightfind Judge Pryor?

[knocking on door]

- Judge Pryor?

- Yes, Sam?

- l have someone here who'd like to speakwith you.

- Yeah, come on in.

- Appreciate it.

- And l think the U.S. Supreme Court--

- We-- we've counted all the votes.

We counted them on election day.

- We haven't counted them. - The machine...

- Hey, y'all.

- Hi, Alma.

- Girl, howyou doing?

- This is what l called y'all about.

- Girl, how Dee doing? We sure miss her.

- She-- she all right.

Thejudge say he'll lower Dee's bail

if enough folks sign this here.

lt sayyou have never seened her doing or selling drugs.

That color's sure looking good on you, girl.

- l love it. l love it.

- l think l want to bump it up, though.

- Give Dee our love.

- And tell herwe sure miss her around here, okay?

- Y'all know l will.

Tamika, l need you to sign.

[chatter]

- Listen up. Listen to me now.

Listen to me.

Year afteryear,

we have endured these raids on our community.

And l, for one, have had enough.

So l put in a call to my old friend

Joe Fischer up at Baylor Law School.

Professor Fischer has a long history

offighting forwhat's right here in Texas.

And we thank him forthat.

[applause]

Well, Joe didn't let us down,

'cause next thing l know,

l'm talking to a Mr. David Cohen at the ACLU.

Mr. Cohen, thankyou.

Thankyou for coming.

- Thankyou, Reverend.

My associate Byron Hill and l

appreciate your inviting us here tonight.

What's happening in Melody is happening all over our country.

Drug taskforces use military tactics

to terrorize poor people.

And drug laws selectively target people of color.

Meanwhile, federal money goes to the counties

that convict the most people.

And plea bargains are aggressively pushed

to hasten those convictions.

Now, can anyone guess what percentage

ofthe criminal cases in our country

are settled by plea bargains?

Just guess.

How manyfolks never see ajury oftheir peers?

- Half.

- 95%.

For most people, the penalties of not taking the plea

are so frightening that even ifthey're innocent,

they plead guilty.

- My son James got arrested up in the projects.

- Uh-huh.

- Can you help him post bail?

- The ACLU does not post bail money.

Butwe do offer legal advice

and expert testimony.

- Young man, l'm grateful foryour offer,

but l don't know that an ACLU Yankee lawyer

can help my child with no Texasjury.

- Look, he's here, and he wants to help.

'Cause there ain't no way my son gonna get a fairtrial

as long as Beckett cuts the calls.

Now, the DAwants Brian to take an eight-year plea.

lf he doesn't, they're pushing for25 years.

- The storyyou're telling is exactlywhywe're here.

- Our oldest boy fought charges three years ago.

He didn't stand a chance.

He's in for 15 years.

- Yeah, yeah, something really exciting and fun.

- [baby talk]

- Count to 17.

- That could be fun.

Well, do you want to start it, or shall l?

- l'll start it, Big Bird.

- Okay, you start.

- One... - Two...

- Tanya, come on, so l can change your diaper, girl.

Come on.

- Three? - Three!

Yeah, three!

Then we have, um...

four!

- Come on, Tanya. Your diapergot to be full.

- [laughing]

- Five!

- Texas law says a grandjury

can indict them on the word of a single informant.

- So all l have to do is accuse you...

- And then l can be indicted and arrested,

and l'm told to take the plea, or else.

- And this system is an abomination.

Poor blackfolks are easy pickins.

- Butwe can change the system.

We're gonna hit this DA really hard.

- Up in the city,

a DA may not be a big deal,

but down here,

he rules like a king.

Beckett's been the DA for nine years.

White folks vote for him 'cause he keeps the town quiet.

Blackfolks...

half of 'em are too lazy to vote,

and the other half can'tvote 'cause they're felons.

l'll find you your lead plaintiff,

but they gonna be in for a hell of a ride.

- Roberts.

Your lawyer's here.

- You got what l been asking for?

l really need 'em.

- You too good to wad up toilet paper like everybody else?

Let's go.

- DA's playing hardball with us.

He says he might withdraw his plea offer

ifyou don't take it soon.

Look, l've learned a little bit about their case.

All right, the DA has an informant

and audio tapes of people selling him drugs.

The informant claims he bought crackfrom you.

The tapes confirm it.

And two police offers say theywitnessed the whole thing.

lt's pretty strong stuff, Miss Roberts.

- lt's bullshit.

[gunshots]

- Sam Conroy?

- Yeah.

- Hi, l'm David Cohen with the ACLU.

Joe Fischer up at Baylor told me l mightfind you here.

Do you have a second?

There's a case l'd like to discuss with you.

- Girl, anyone that can make Laquathia lookthat good

is a damn genius.

- Youjustjealous.

- [chuckles]

- Gladys Williams?

Come on, you're going home.

- Going home? Gladys?

- l took the plea.

l'm sorry.

l'mjust not as strong as you are.

- Don't-- don'tworry about it.

Gladys, you got to do whatyou think is right.

So you know...

All right.

- Bye, girl.

- Say hi to my babies.

- Leona?

- Hey.

l gotyour medication.

How are you feeling?

- l'm good.

Thankyou.

- [mumbling]

- What are you reading?

You've been snortin' and sputterin' overthere

for an hour.

- Well, this background on a case

Joe Fischer recommended me for.

- Joe Fischer? - Yeah.

- Well, that's flattering.

- Well, l suppose.

Butwhat it is is that the ACLU

is trying to sue Calvin Beckett

and a whole lot of other people,

including your employer, the sheriff,

'cause ofthe raids down in Melody.

They're claiming it's a racial thing,

racial bias.

- You think it's true?

- Maybe.

Probably.

Maybe.

Butyou know, racist intent is very hard to prove.

And l mean, l got to work down here.

l don'twant to get tagged with the ACLU people.

That's...

- So you're not gonna do it?

- l don't know.

l don't know.

[buzzer sounds]

[indecipherable speech]

- l didn't order apple pie.

l ordered tuna on rye.

The pie rhymes with the rye.

- Oh.

[door opens]

- Mama!

- Oh.

[laughing]

Come here. Come to your mommy.

- They got me watching Sesame Street,

and l don't like that show.

- [laughs]

- Here's the sweetie one.

Oh, Tanya.

- Oh.

- Thatyour mama?

- [laughing]

- l told you she was coming back.

Yeah.

- Where Sherice at?

Mm.

You been brushing this?

[chuckles]

Looks like it need a little bit of a treatment.

Mind ifwe work on it tonight?

You been scared l wasn't coming home?

lt's okay, baby.

l'm here now, okay?

l'll never...

ever leave you again.

l won't let anything happen to you.

All right, baby?

- Let there be no doubt,

while l strongly disagree with the court's decision,

l accept it.

- [clears throat]

There she is.

- Whole system's crazy, Dee.

Take the Mexicans.

No one else will work in the kitchen.

But ifyou hire them,

government comes and busts for hiring illegals.

- Doreen, l need myjob back.

- Dee, how manyyears you been working here?

Six? - Seven.

- Dee, afterthe police came and gotyou,

they came back...

twice.

First time, looking for drugs in your stuff.

And then a week later,

to talk to me about the papers on my guys in the kitchen.

l can't be fighting with the DA.

- Don'tworry about it.

- Please, take it.

- Don'tworry about it. - Take it.

Please.

- Thankyou.

- You're welcome.

- Um...

l'm sorry.

- Me too.

- So did you get a chance to read the material

that l gave you?

- What do you need local counsel for?

Doesn't the ACLU have enough lawyers?

- We need insight into the localjustice system.

- lt's simple.

The DA decides what he wants,

the cops go and get itfor him,

and thejudges bless what they have done.

- Are you hostile toward this case for some reason,

Mr. Conroy?

- Mr. Cohen, when Joe Fischer recommended me to you,

did he tell you, before l became a lawyer,

l'd been a drug cop forten years

and that l trained the taskforce officers

you're planning on suing?

- Mr. Fischertold me you were a man of principle,

a fair man.

Does what happened atArlington Springs

seem fairto you?

- Not much seems fairto me these days,

Mr. Cohen, so l deal in practicalities.

You're asking me to sue everybody l ever met

for racial discrimination.

Now, you know where we are down here?

You might as well ask me to stick a shotgun up my ass

and blow my head off.

- Well, that's very colorful.

l apologize forwasting yourtime.

- You don't have to be sorry.

You'rejust doing whatyou think is right,

and despite how it may look, so am l.

But l got to live down here.

You're gonna be able to go back where you come from.

l'm gonna askyou again.

Why do you want local counsel?

- We intend to file very quickly.

To handle discovery, depositions,

and a trial,

l need somebodywho knows howto navigate shit down here,

somebody to whom witnesses and a localjury can relate.

l thinkwe both know that isn't me.

- [chuckles]

Well, that's a sensible answer there, Mr. Cohen.

[sighs]

Who is your plaintiff?

- Hello. ls your mom home?

- Who's that, Sherice?

- Hi, are you Dee Roberts?

- Mm-hmm.

- Hi, l'm David Cohen with the ACLU,

and this is Sam Conroy.

Reverend Sanders suggested thatwe come talk to you.

- Reverend Sanders?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Bye, babies.

Get into Mommy's room.

Got a visitor.

Sharonda, make sure your sisters keep quiet, all right?

All right.

- So, Miss Roberts,

what has happened to you and others here in Melody

is simplywrong.

The ACLU wants to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

And we plan to sue the district attorney,

the county,

the drug taskforce,

and the policemen involved in the raids.

We'd like to do it in your name.

- Are you kidding me?

You want herto sue Calvin Beckett?

- Yes, ma'am.

- Y'all must be the ones doing drugs

ifyou think my daughter's gonna sue the DA

and Harmon County, Texas.

- Would y'all excuse me for a second, please?

- Huh.

Hey.

Mm-mm. Mm-mm.

Since when did you start smoking?

- Since l spent 21 days injail.

- l can't believe Reverend Sanders sent them round here,

talking about sue Beckett.

You can't beat Beckett.

- l would need to.

He wants to put me in prison for 16 years.

- Beckett don't care nothing aboutyou.

You take the plea, he will leave you alone.

You stay to yourself,

he ain't gonna botheryou never again.

- Why should l have to keep to myself?

l did not do anything.

- Dee, it ain't always aboutyou.

You got kids to take care of.

- Mama, these police been raiding these projects

since l was a kid.

Nowthey done started on my kids.

Look at Sherice in there.

lt scared her halfto death.

You think it's gonna stop 'cause l plead guilty?

- Excuse me.

Why is that any ofyour business?

- Afterwhat they done to me, Mama,

they made it my business.

- Dee!

Dee, wait a minute! - No, Mama.

l want to help. - Great.

- May l?

- Please.

- Miss Roberts, l know Calvin Beckett.

l know him personally.

And filing this suit against him,

it may make him change his plans.

But more than likely,

he's gonna come afteryou even harder.

He may come afteryou very hard.

You need to rememberthatyou still have criminal charges

pending againstyou.

- He's right.

- [mumbling]

He ain't gonna leave me alone unless l plead guilty.

And l ain't doing that.

So...

what exactly do you need me to do?

- So why does it seem such a hard choice, Sam?

- Well, it makes me take sides.

lt'll seem kind of like a political thing, doesn't it?

And l'm not a political person.

You knowthat.

And l mean,

well, okay, l'm gonna sue the district attorney down here.

l mean, the establishmentwould be done with me, wouldn't it?

And Leona has been sick.

And we can't afford--

- Then why are you thinking about doing it at all?

- Hey, did you knowthat when l was in high school,

l was in West Louisiana,

and used to work at a town pool out there?

And blacks and whites werejust beginning to swim together.

The idea wasn'tvery popular with anybody at that time.

And one afternoon,

l was out there,

and there were two blacks in the pool,

and there was one black man in the shower room.

ltwas in the pool house

where l was mopping down the floor in there.

And this white man comes in and he says,

"Sam, get out of here."

And l said, "Well, l work here.

l'm mopping up the floor. What do you"--

And he said, "Get the hell out of here."

And l said, "l can't do that.

l'm notfinished mopping up."

And he pulled out a tire iron and said,

"Boy, you getyour ass out of here right now."

And l did.

And as l'm running out,

all these men come running in.

They're carrying metal rods, sticks, pipes.

And as l'm running out, l heard, you know,

the sound...

And, um...

man died that night.

Couple weeks later,

the FBl came to my house.

And theywanted to know what l'd seen.

- What did you tell them?

- l didn't say anything.

l knew who those men were,

and l didn't say anything.

- Lavosha.

- Hey, Dee, girl.

Baby, howyou doing?

lt's so good to see you.

- Mm, l'm...

[chuckles]

- There.

Awhole newyou.

- Wow, thankyou, Vosha.

l promise, when l get a newjob...

- Mm-mm.

Don'tworry about it. lt's on me, honey.

Anytime.

- Thankyou so much.

- Aw, sweetie.

- This is good.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Well, okay.

Well, it's nice to meetyou, Miss Roberts.

Do you thinkyou could start next Monday?

- Can l start sooner?

- We'rejust gonna do a background checkfirst.

You know, arrest record and all that stuff.

But it shouldn't take long.

- ltwas nice to meetyou.

- Nice to meetyou.

- No.

- Look...

- No, we're not hiring at the moment.

No.

- l'm a hard worker.

You won't have to pay me much.

- l'm sorry.

- l'll do dishes, bus tables, anything.

- No. - Come on.

- l said no.

- [speaking over intercom]

Combo special, number23.

- [speaking Spanish]

Here, everybody has to do everything:

clean the bathrooms,

scrub the dishes,

and go to the warehouse to get supplies.

Thanks.

- That's all rightfor me.

- lt's minimum wage, no benefits.

- That's okay.

- [speaking Spanish]

All right, we'll try itfor a month.

- Thankyou.

l'll do a goodjob.

You'll see.

Lookwhat l got. - Mama!

- [laughing]

Lookwhat l got.

- Christmas tree!

We got a Christmas tree!

- We got a Christmas tree!

Who's gonna help me decorate?

- Me!

- The whole truth and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

- l do.

- Mr. Porter,

on August the 14th, did you buy drugs from the defendant?

- Yes.

- And did anyone witness this?

- Yes.

Well, no-- not exactly.

l recorded it on a tape recorder

that the police had gave me.

Are you sure there were drugs?

- Yes.

- How are you sure?

- Well, l tasted them.

And when l brought them to the police,

they put them on a little piece ofglass

and put the stuff on it and it turned--

- Mr. Porter, thankyou.

That'll be all for now.

- Mr. Porter, have you ever been in a mental institution?

- Objection, Your Honor, this is--

- Overruled.

- Mr. Porter, l repeat,

have you ever been in a mental institution?

- Yes.

- And who sentyou there?

- He did.

- Mr. Beckett?

- Yes.

- And were you afraid--

- l guess wejustfound ourfirst deposition.

- Your Honor, l move we recess for lunch.

- Court is adjourned until 1:00 p.m.

- Well, hey, Sam.

- Hello, Calvin.

How are you?

- Calvin Beckett. l don't believe l knowyou.

You visiting?

- David Cohen. l'm gonna be here for a while.

- Well, l'll be seeing you around.

- l lookforward to that.

[train horn blares]

- Hey, Mama.

Hey, Grace.

- Hello, sweetie.

- Whatyou doing here so soon?

l wasn't expecting you. Everything all right?

- Yeah, everything's okay. Where's Sherice at?

- She at basketball.

- Where the girls at?

Mama?

- That's their daddy, Dee.

Here, watch her for a minute.

Dee!

That's their daddy!

Dee!

Grace, get the girls' bag.

Dee!

Wait a minute!

- Darrell, bring my girls out here right now!

- Dee!

[pounding on door]

- Darrell, l knowyou hear me!

Darrell!

- Betterforyou to staywith your daddy.

Your mama going back tojail soon.

- Claudia.

- She gonna be gone for a real long time.

- Claudia, you so much as lay a hand on my girl--

- Yeah, whatyou gonna do, huh?

l got Laquisha in my arms right now, Dee!

Holding hertight. Ooh-hooh-hoo.

- l'm gonna kill you! Open this damn door!

- Holding hertight.

- Yeah, she's out of control.

Apartment 213. She's here right now.

Hey, hey, hey, hey!

- Darrell, ifyou do not bring my children out here right now--

- Hold it now!

- Oh.

- Dee, wait!

Dee!

Dee Roberts, theywill throwyour butt

back injail in a heartbeat.

- You let him take them!

You let me get them back!

- You best listen to your mama, Dee.

- Uh-huh.

- You know whatfriends l got.

Police gonna be here in a minute.

You better stay away from my truck, though.

Hey! - l want my girls!

- All right, nowget offthat truck.

You know l need thatforwork.

Damn it! Are you outyour God damn mind?

- l said l want my girls, Darrell!

- Get off my truck!

- Dee!

- Come on now, Dee. You knowyou can't do--

Hey! - l'm counting to three!

l want my damn kids back!

- Knock that shit off!

You better not.

- Two! - Dee, cool yourself down.

- Three!

Come on, Darrell! Come on!

l want my damn kids!

- Dee!

- Stop!

- Goddamn it!

[siren whoops]

- l want my damn kids.

Come on!

- Dee, get offthat truck!

- l want my girls.

- You scaring them kids. Come here.

- Go on and take 'em.

Take 'em!

- Don't cry, baby. Baby, l'm sorry.

Come here, baby.

- l'mjust trying to protect them

from your insane bullshit anyway.

- What?

Look at my Goddamn truck.

- You knowthe drill, Miss Alma.

- Look at this shit. - Come on.

- You don't have to cuff her.

- Get my girls out of here.

- l got 'em.

Dee, l'm gonna come and getyou.

- lt's not like l won't have 'em back soon anyway.

Bitch.

- Your mothertold Darrell she'd fix his car

if he dropped the charges.

- Did she tell you that Claudia's

an accused child molester?

- No one can blame you for protecting yourgirls.

But destroying Darrell's car justwasn't smart.

- Worked, didn't it?

- Dee, we get hundreds of letters everyweek

from people who need help,

people, frankly, just as deserving as you.

We have the resources for one major case on this issue,

and l chose you.

l need you to stay out oftrouble.

Can you do that?

Thankyou.

- 35,000 people at eight official balls

paying between $100 and $200 a pop.

- l don't know him thatwell,

but l know him well enough to say l know him...

- Hello, Dee. - Hello.

- Have a seat.

- Congratulations.

You made the paper.

- Yeah, lucky me.

- l just spoke to David Higgins.

He should be here any minute.

Did he listen to that tape with you?

- Right there injail.

Wasn't nothing but a lot of crackling

and some men arguing.

Not a woman's voice on the tape.

- Oh, speak ofthe devil.

Hello, David.

Have a seat.

l thinkyou know Dee.

David Cohen, David Higgins.

- l'm here because of George Bush...

- ljust can'tfind it.

- Are you telling me you lost the tape?

- Well, did you call the DA about a copy?

- lt seems theirs is missing too.

- Okay, what about the arrestwarrant

that Dee gave you?

- Well, l'm sure we'll find it sooner or later.

- Oh, come on, David.

You can't really expect us to believe this bullshit.

- Well, l don't really care what you believe.

- Mr. Higgins, at the very least,

you're guilty ofgross dereliction

ofyour responsibilities.

And you may verywell be guilty

of criminal obstruction ofjustice.

- You be very careful whatyou say, Mr. Cohen.

As Sam can tell you, down here,

you make enemies for life.

Miss Roberts, let me give you some free advice.

You take the plea.

You do a little time on probation,

and you go back to yourfamily in peace.

Be careful you don't get sent away

just so some self-important asshole

can play civil rights lawyer.

- Well, thatwentwell.

[knocking on door]

- l'll get it.

- Hi.

ls your mommy here?

Would you tell herthat Mr. Moss

from Child Protective Services is here.

[camera clicks]

Miss Roberts, our office has received a number of complaints

from the girls' father, a Mr. Darrell Hughes.

He claims you're negligent and abusive.

- Do you see them, Mr. Moss?

Do they look abused?

- Well, that's what we're here to evaluate.

Here is your notice for a custody hearing

before the district attorney.

- Calvin!

- Calvin, care to comment on thejury's decision?

- Thejury made a mistake.

Mr. Green should never have been acquitted.

l'm convinced he's guilty, and he should be injail.

- Did the ACLU lawsuit have anything to do

with your decision to drop the charges

against the other defendants?

- Look, since thejury made cleartoday

that they do not consider Mr. Porter a credible witness,

l'm forced to drop the charges against everyone we arrested

in the sweep in Melody.

Make no mistake,

l'm certain everyone was guilty as sin.

Just can't prove it...

this time.

- What about the people who already pled guilty?

- What about them?

They pled guilty.

They're guilty.

- ls there gonna be... - Calvin!

- Dee, that's great news.

- Mm.

But he said l'm guilty.

- Doesn't matter what he said.

The charges are dropped.

- Whatyou think, David?

- Well, it's good news foryou.

And your suit and thejury's verdict

have forced Beckett to change his plans.

But the system isn't changing.

He could raid Arlington Springs tomorrow

and start all over again.

He's not even throwing out the convictions

of people like Gladys,

who pled guilty under duress.

- Excuse me.

What does this have to do with Dee?

- She filed the case against Beckett.

lf she quits, the case is over.

- So you expect her to keep going?

Whatyou think?

- lf Dee wants to drop the case, now's the time to do it.

Butwhat David's saying is true.

Beckett's not gonna change.

The system's not gonna change.

- Y'all crazy.

Dee got a custody hearing in front ofthis man.

- Would y'all please stop talking about "Dee"

like l'm not here?

Just... l don't know.

- Dee?

There's a lot riding on this,

but it's yourfamily,

your life.

This has got to be your decision.

l'm your lawyer.

l'll do whatyou want.

- Hello, Miss Roberts.

- Hello, sir.

- Cisco around?

- He's in the kitchen.

- Hey, Cisco, how are you?

- Hey, Dee.

[door opens]

- [stammers]

[crying]

[knocking on window]

So theyjust up and threwyou out?

- [coughs]

That's the law.

Didn't think itwould happen,

but it did.

- Gladys, you can staywith me.

l got a little bit of room.

- Thankyou.

ltwouldn'twork anyhow.

They'djust throwyou out too ifthey catch you.

[crying]

- Gladys.

- [crying]

- Our case has been assigned to Judge C.W. Belmont.

He's as strict law and order as they come.

Hasn't ruled against the police in over 15 years.

- How many times has Beckett appeared before him?

- At least a dozen times in the lastfive years alone.

- Then he's conflicted.

We move for a change ofvenue.

- That's nevergonna happen.

No.

Beckett knows the system.

Belmont getting this case is no accident.

We gonna have to win this thing before it evergoes to trial.

- Uh.

They came in the middle ofthe night,

two ofthem.

crack!

One ofthem put a gun to my head,

told me l was a worthless piece of shit

and scum like me deserved to die.

ljust laid there and took it.

The next day, they took me over to Mr. Beckett's office,

and l was real ready to cooperate.

- Mr. Porter, what happened

afteryou were taken to Mr. Beckett's office?

- He told me about,

that l know l could get 60 years and...

he was real tired of seeing me.

So he was gonna watch for my no-good drug-head ass family.

- So he threatened you and yourfamilywithjail terms?

- Yes.

- Did he threaten you with bodily harm?

- He told me he'd make a phone call

and get the biggest-dicked son of a bitch he could find--

excuse my language, y'all, but these his exactwords:

"l'm gonna getyou locked up,

"and l'm gonna make a phone call

"and get the biggest-dicked son of a bitch l can find

to screwyou every dayforthe rest ofyour natural born life."

- Those were his exactwords?

- Thatwas his words to me, yes.

- Are you uncomfortable, Mr. Porter?

- Well, l said l didn'twant him here.

- Who are you referring to?

- Him.

- Let the record show

that Mr. Porter has pointed at Calvin Beckett.

- l'm always gonna be here, Eddie.

That's my right.

l ain't going anywhere.

- l was given a list of names.

- By Beckett?

- Yeah.

He had them right there.

- Mr. Porter, was Dee Roberts' name on the list

the DA gave you?

- Uh, l don't remember.

- Oh, come on, Mr. Porter.

Did you put Dee Roberts' name down as a drug dealer

because your cousin Claudia asked you to?

- l-l-l can't remember.

- Butyou do know who Claudia is, right?

You...

She's-- she lives with Darrell Hughes.

- l know her. She my cousin, yeah.

- Boy, did you put Dee Roberts' name down

because your cousin Claudia asked you to or not?

- l don't know.

Look, all they needed was five more names,

and they didn't care who theywas.

- Mr. Porter, my name is Mark Shelby.

Mr. Porter, generally, would you saythat you tell the truth?

- l try to,

unless l feel like l'm in danger

or l got to protect myself.

- Mm-hmm.

And were you telling the truth

when you testified under oath at the Green trial?

'Cause the truth you're telling today

is not exactly the same truth you were telling back then.

So l'mjust trying to figure out what about today's truth

is true.

- Well, he had me locked up then.

He could've did anything he wanted to do to me.

But now l got to do what's right,

'cause the truth will setyou free.

- Which truth we talking about,

the truth you told before orthe truth you're telling now?

'Cause l'm a little confused by all that.

Mr. Porter,

you ever had any mental problems?

- Yeah.

- Could you tell me what type?

- l was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia,

and l can't remember the other one.

- That's all right, Mr. Porter.

That's probably enough.

Now, you understand thatwe're embroiled in a lawsuit here.

And these plaintiffs are seeking damages.

And ifthese allegations are proven,

a lot of police officers, some good men,

not being police officers anymore.

- ls there going to be an end to this cascade of rhetoric?

- l'mjust trying to determine if Mr. Porter here

truly comprehends the seriousness

ofthese allegations,

allegations thatwere broughtforth

by a paranoid schizophrenic

that can't remember what else he is.

- l understand the seriousness ofthis whole situation.

l understand the seriousness of people being incarcerated.

l understand the seriousness of people's lives

being changed forever and affected.

l understand the seriousness

of not being able to sleep good at night

'cause you worried about somebody coming to your house

and harming you oryourfamily members.

l understand a lot.

And l know my life will never be the same.

- They'll destroy Porter on the stand.

- Well, we need to turn his unreliability back against them.

- We need a change in venue.

- The motion is denied.

- But the district attorney

has appeared before you 16 times.

Surely, a change in venue would result in a fairertrial.

- The motion has been denied.

ls there something about the word "denied"

thatyou don't understand, Counselor?

- No, Your Honor.

- Good.

- Did you hold a gun to Eddie Porter's head

and threaten to kill him

if he didn't help you with your drug cases?

- No.

- Did you give him crack cocaine...

- No.

- So he could make drug buys foryou?

- Absolutely not.

- Did you suspect he was using drugs?

- No.

- Did you test him?

- No.

- You think Eddie Porter is mentally stable?

- Objection.

My client's not a psychiatrist.

- You go ahead and answerthe question.

- l still can't believe you're doing this.

- Well, here l am.

Now please answerthe question.

- Look, l can answer any question

y'all want to throw at me, okay?

Just 'cause l didn't go to law school

doesn't mean shit.

Eddie Porter is crazier than a $3 bill, okay?

He wouldn't know which way the skywas

unless l pointed him up to it.

The shit that boy did--

l mean, l had to walk him through every single step

every time.

- Then why'd you trust him as a confidential informant?

- Mr. Arnold, you were a combined

county drug taskforce commander in November of2000,

were you not?

- Yes.

- Was the drug taskforce racist in its design?

- Absolutely not.

- l'd like to enterthis as exhibit 5.

lt comes from yourfiles.

And it's dated a month before the raid atArlington Springs.

Are those the folks whom you arrested that day?

- Most ofthem.

- Do you knowthem?

- Most ofthem.

- Could you tell us each person's race?

- Black--

African-American.

Black, don't know,

black, black, black, black.

l believe black.

Black, don't know,

gonna assume black,

black, black,

assume black again,

black, black, black, black,

black, black, black, don't know,

black.

- Ms. Lloyd, l warned you last time.

- What?

He ain't fit to take the kids.

All right, the first chance he has to go to a bar,

he'll leave their ass hungry.

- True, but l'm not gonna leave the children with you either.

They're gonna have to go to a group home.

- Look, l got a house.

They belong with their mama.

- Miss Lloyd? - What?

- This is not a debate society.

You're done here.

- Those are my kids.

They belong with their mama.

- Thankyou very much.

- Next case. - Here you are, sir.

- Hughes versus Roberts.

- Dee.

- She's violent.

She's abusive.

Just last month,

she was arrested for a criminal attack.

- The attack was on his truck

because he kidnapped my girls.

- Well, they my children too.

- l've never abandoned my daughters.

l was injail, and l left them with theirgrandmother,

my mother, who's an excellent caregiver.

- Well, Miss Roberts, you do seem to have

a rich and varied relationship with the law.

Larceny, criminal attack,

repeated disturbances ofthe peace.

- You mean where l'm screaming 'cause he's beating me?

- An arrestfor selling drugs in a school zone.

- Those charges have been dropped.

- Mm.

One can see why Mr. Hughes is concerned.

- lf he is so concerned,

maybe he should make some of his child support payments.

- l do pay child--

it's called "child support" not "Dee support."

l payfor my children.

- Or stop seeing a woman

who's been convicted for child molesting.

- All right, now, you knowthat's not true.

Mr. Hughes, if l want any more inputfrom you,

l will askfor it.

You seem to have a point, Miss Roberts.

Perhaps these girls shouldn't be with Mr. Hughes either.

Unfit parents are why the state has homes for children,

after all.

- l am not an unfit mother.

Now, ifyou want to hurt me because l'm suing you,

go ahead and do it.

But so help me God, ifyou hurt my children...

l'm not an unfit mother.

- [sighs]

- l have a report here from CPS lnspector Moss.

Hm.

Based on that, l am leaving the children with you for now.

But, Miss Roberts,

do not assume that l will be so lenient next time.

Next case.

- Do you think itwill help?

- Help?

- The lawsuit.

Will it really help?

- Will it-- Dee?

An African-American man has a better chance

of being charged for a crime than graduating college.

The system is so fundamentally broken...

Oh, God, l don't know.

Yes.

l think it'll help.

l hope it'll help.

Are you readyfortomorrow?

- l'll be fine.

Thankyou.

- l should be thanking you. l don't...

l don't know howyou have the strength to keep going.

- l have help.

- All right.

Shall we?

- Miss Roberts, do you have ajob?

- No.

- Are you currently seeking employment?

- Yes.

But it's hard because ofthe drug thing.

- So you have no source of income?

- But my mama's helping me out.

- Sounds to me like you could use some money.

l bet a big old fat settlement checkfrom my clients

would come in handy, wouldn't it?

What do you think, guys?

- Objection. ls that a question?

- [chuckles]

l knewthatwas coming.

Speaking ofthat drug thing,

you'd been arrested before, hadn'tyou,

and since.

- Yes.

- Now, it seems to me that the more you do something,

the more used to it you get,

the less stressful it should become.

- Oh, come on, Mark. What are you do--

are you asking a question,

or is this a monologue?

- Just an observation, Sam.

Tell me about yourfirst arrest.

- ltwas fortheft.

ltwas a very long time ago.

- You were guilty?

- Well, yes, but-- - You were guilty.

So your second arrest,

thatwas for selling drugs in a school zone.

We know all about that, don'twe?

- Those charges were dropped.

- What about this most recent arrest?

Tell me about that.

- ltwas for criminal mischief.

l busted up Darrell's truck

so he would give me my girls back.

- You were guilty ofthat one too?

- Those charges were dropped.

- Butyou were guilty. - Objection.

Mr. Shelby, this is not a court of law,

and you're not ajudge.

- Uh, who's this guy Darrell?

- Darrell Hughes, he's the father

of my two youngest kids.

- But l thought you had four children.

- l do have four children.

- The oldest two have differentfathers.

- Fathers, like plural?

- [laughs] Damn, woman.

How many different men have you had sexwith

in the past eightyears, huh?

- Objection!

- You okay?

- Uh-huh.

Seen better days.

- Well, you're doing good.

Remember, they'rejust as afraid ofyou as you are ofthem.

- [sighs]

- All right, let's get back to these multiple fathers

we were talking about before the break.

Now, we know about Darrell Hughes,

butwhat can you tell me about the othertwo?

Where do they currently reside?

- They're in prison.

- Both ofthem?

- Mm-hmm.

- Why? Whatwere they convicted of?

- Oh, l don't know; l believe drugs.

- Drugs.

What kind of drugs?

- Cocaine.

- Cocaine. Crack cocaine?

Would you mind repeating thatforthe record?

- Crack cocaine.

- That's the same drug thatyou were arrested for dealing,

was it not?

- Well, l didn't do that.

- Yeah, so you say. - Objection!

Miss Roberts is not on trial here.

- Well, Counselor, forgive me,

but l'mjust having a tough time trying to understand

why it is that this arrest has caused Miss Roberts

so much mental duress.

l mean, it seems to me like she and herwhole family

have been in and out ofjails and prisons

and police stations herwhole life long.

So what is it about this particular arrest

that is so different?

- Mr. Shelby--

- l'll tell you what made this arrest so different.

l've only spent one night injail before this.

l was 16 years old,

was arrested for stealing diapers and milkfor my babies.

l did it. They kept me for one night.

l knew l was getting right out.

To be locked up for21 days

awayfrom my girls,

not knowing if l was gonna get out to see them again,

21 days in a cage...

l may not have all your schooling,

but it seems pretty different to me.

- Judge Belmont has decided

that Beckett only has to answer our questions forthree hours.

Any more time would be wasting the DA's time.

- We knew he was gonna give him a lot of room.

- Dee, it is atrocious after what they've putyou through.

- Mr. Hill,

ifyou were Beckett's lawyer, whatwould you do?

- Uh...

l'd destroy Porter's credibility right from the start.

l mean, he's nuts.

Nothing he says can be believed,

and he's our only source of information

as to what reallywent on.

l'd argue that having the police rely on him as an informant

was a mistake but an honest one.

- All right, what about the numbers?

All white cops, all black targets.

- Coincidence.

lt's a result ofthe drug they chose to go after,

crack cocaine.

Feds target it. Why can't the taskforce?

And, Dee, l'd go afteryou.

l mean, reallywork on you,

suggest thatyou're just a desperate crack mother

trying to score a monetaryjudgment

by playing the race card

against a hardworking group of public servants.

The police made some mistakes.

They have a toughjob.

Occasionally, they'll make mistakes.

They're only human.

Should we really punish them fortrying to protect us?

- Well, there you have it.

lt'll work too.

We'll never get anywhere with Belmont

by criticizing the cops.

We have to prove that Beckett was motivated by racist intent.

- How can you prove racist intent?

- You look at a person's history.

You interview his coworkers, his family,

people who know him well.

Butwe've tried everyone.

No one is gonna say anything about Beckett.

- There's Julie's car.

She's a regular at the coffee shop.

Thankyou, Julie.

- lt's about time somebody said something.

- Just a second now.

- Okay?

- We're good.

- Are you ready, Mrs. Beckett?

- Yes.

- All right,

now, this one's gonna be a little bit harder.

- Used fractions...

[pounding on door]

- Come on, it's me!

Open up the door, Dee.

l knowyou in there. Come on.

[pounding on door]

- Darrell, go home.

- Dee, open the door.

Come on.

[pounding on door]

- Stop knocking on my door, come on.

Stay there, Sherice.

- Hey.

- You drunk.

- l came to get the girls.

They need theirfathertoo.

- Look, you heard what the man said.

They need to be with their mother.

Mm-mm. Go home. Good night.

- Come on, now, listen to me.

Look, think about it. Hear me out.

lfwe got back together,

then they could have us both.

- Mm-mm.

No, we been through this already, Darrell.

No. - Dee, don't be like that.

- Darrell, go home.

Darrell! - Come on!

Don't come into my--

Go to your room, Sherice!

Get to your room right now.

- Give me two seconds to talk!

Give me my girls!

- 2-4-- - Go ahead, call 'em.

l don't care.

Come on, man, we're getting out of here.

- Please come as soon as you can.

lt's an emergency.

Darrell, please!

- Let's go. - Don't do this, Darrell.

- Come on, get out myway!

- l'm not-- - Get off me!

- Stop it! Get out my house!

- Hey, have you lost your Goddamned mind?

- Mama! - Put that baby down!

- Whatyou gonna do with that?

- l will knockyou out.

- Well, hell, old lady, swing!

- Come on, step into it.

- Whatyou gonna do with that, huh?

- l'm gonna knockyour head off!

- Go ahead, go ahead!

- Yourgirls are looking atyou, Darrell.

- l wish you would. - Go ahead, swing!

- l'll knockyou out, Darrell!

- Get off me!

- You know Beckett ain't gonna charge me!

You know Beckett ain't gonna charge me!

You know Beckett ain't gonna charge me, Dee.

l'll be back!

- Come on.

- l know.

l know, sweetie.

l'm here with you.

- Hey.

- l'm here with you.

- Come on, Dee.

All right, here we go.

- So sorry l'm late.

Had a rough night.

- lt's all right. Sam's already there.

- You okay, Dee?

- l'm fine.

David,

l have an idea.

[engine turns]

- Three hours, Sam.

Thejudge said you get three hours with me.

Nine minutes is over.

- [mumbles]

- Sam, there's no need to be uncivil, is there?

After all, we used to be friends.

We still have to be together for2 hours and 50 minutes.

- Sorrywe're late.

Mr. Beckett, you're aware that the videotape we're taping

will become part ofthe public record?

l'm gonna take your silence as assent.

Before we begin, Mr. Beckett,

l'd like to introduce my associate,

Mr. Byron Hill.

Mr. Hill will be conducting your deposition.

- Good morning.

Mr. Beckett, is ityour regular practice

to indict someone based on the word of a single informant?

- Regular practice all across Texas.

- And is it also your practice to give the informant

a list of people you want to find guilty?

- Objection.

Question assumes my client gave such a list.

- Mr. Beckett, do you frequently use informants

with a history of...

mental instability?

- We use informants that knowthe drug dealers.

This list rarely includes Baptist preachers,

Jewish rabbis,

orwise-ass lawyers.

- Please mark this as exhibit 5.

- Mr. Beckett, these are your drug arrest records

forthe pastfive years.

Now, Harmony County is less than half black.

Why do you think over 85% ofthe taskforce arrests

are of black people?

- Must be that it's them doing all the drugs.

40 minutes left, boy.

- Mr. Beckett,

even black people can tell time.

Calvin...

You don't mind if l call you that, do you?

You seem to have a problem with us black people.

- Objection.

- To what? Thatwasn't even a question.

- You ever call blacks "niggers"?

Answerthe question.

Mr. Beckett, you are under oath,

and you have an obligation to respond.

- l don't remember.

- You never said it?

- l don't remember ever saying it.

- What's your relationship like with your ex-wife?

- Don't have any kind of relationship.

What the hell kind of a question is that?

- She seems to have a better memorythan you do, Calvin.

- My name is Elizabeth Beckett.

And l'm competent to testifytherein.

- How'd your ex-husband feel about black people?

- Oh, he hated them.

Calvin hated them.

He even hated the children.

lfthey came in ouryard,

he'd go out there and scream at them.

- You think his views affect his behavior as a DA?

- He thought that people wanted convictions.

He thought that the feds wanted convictions.

Calvin would say that,

"Who betterto convict than the lazy-ass niggers?"

- He referred to black people as "niggers"?

- Yes.

Yes, he did.

Yes.

- Now, uh, you remember her, right?

Ex-wife?

That's your ex-wife.

You want to see whatyour daughter has to say,

or has your memory returned?

Let's see what your daughter has to say.

- My name is Julie Beckett.

l'm 22, and l'm competent to testify herein.

- Right, okay, Julie,

did yourfather ever express any hostilitytoward black people?

- Oh, yeah, never even tried to hide it, you know?

Him and JerryArnold,

theywould, like, sit around and drink beers and shit.

And theywould always say,

"The onlyway to save ourtown

is to blow Arlington Springs up."

Theywould say shit like,

"Make the nigger cockroaches burn,"

shit like that, you know?

- So how'd he feel when he found out

that you were dating a black man?

- Oh, he was-- he was so angry,

like, crazy angry.

He started chasing me down, okay?

He chased me down,

and he started whipping me with his belt.

l mean, he was just going crazy, you know,

like, saying shit to me like,

"You're nothing but a dirty nigger-loving whore,

dirty nigger-loving whore, dirty nigger-loving whore."

- What the fuck are you doing

when they're over here whipping me?

- Mr. Beckett, do you ever call blacks "niggers"?

- Oh, ofcourse l call them niggers,

you uppity piece of shit.

Can't think of anyfolks down here

that don't call you people niggers.

Yet race has nothing to do with whom you prosecute as DA?

- Sam, Byron.

He practically ordered them to settle.

There's no way he wanted that tape

played in a Texas courtroom.

lt's over.

- [laughing]

Hey!

[laughing]

- Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, my gosh, we did it.

[laughing]

- Well?

- Let's get out of here.

- l want to go...

- Hm.

- Can you believe that?

lsn't he yours, Dee?

- They've offered to disband the drug taskforce

and to give each ofthe accused a small settlement.

- What about Gladys?

- She's no longer a felon,

so she can move back into Arlington Springs.

- And our arrest records?

- Expunged.

- And Beckett?

- Dee, we did everything we could.

Beckett will have to face the voters.

But that's the best we could do.

Thejudge was firm on that,

that Beckett's future be decided by the voters.

- Will this stop the raids?

- l think so.

l really think so.

[radio chatter]

- Sam?

- Yeah.

- ls everything all right?

- Yeah, yeah.

Everything's all right.

- Now, in our congregation,

there is a woman that has struggled

and suffered

and prevailed,

notjustfor herself

butfor us all.

Now, l'm gonna have to call out Dee Roberts.

Dee Roberts,

l'm asking you to stand up

and accept ourwarmest thanks.

Come on, y'all.

[cheers and applause]

Yeah.

- ♪ l wish l knew how itwould feel ♪

♪ to be free ♪

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♪ all the chains holding me ♪

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♪ Say 'em loud ♪

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♪ Remove all the bars ♪

♪ that keep us apart ♪

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♪ what it means to be me ♪

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♪ like a bird in the sky ♪

♪ How sweet itwould be ♪

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♪ and look down at the sea ♪

♪ Then l'd sing 'cause l know, yeah ♪

♪ not sing 'cause l'm known, yeah ♪

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♪ how itfeels ♪

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♪ Lord, Lord, Lord ♪

[foreboding instrumental music]

♪ ♪

[woman vocalizing]