All language subtitles for Law & Order s17e14 Church.eng

NARRATOR:
In the criminal justice system

the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Hi, how are you?

Nice sermon, Reverend.

Very powerful. Especially the part
about the homosexuals being unholy.

Ask me, they should all die!

While, I concur that God did not intend
for man to lie with another man,

as Christians we must find
forgiveness in our hearts.

Forgiveness?
I don't think so.

You guys are
the first to arrive.

Hmm, maybe we'll get a
bowl of soup or something.

The only thing you're gonna get
here is a dead 25-year-old

named Jeff Cantwell.

What time was
the shot?

About 10:15.

No forced entry.

ED: Single shot. Close range. Side
of the head. Looks self-inflicted.

Take a look at this.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind as
with womankind. It is abomination."

Mmm-hmm. Leviticus.

You think this is a suicide note?
He's gay and he hates himself?

I don't know, maybe.
I'll take the back.

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking if this dude wanted
to shoot himself in the head,

he would have used left hand.

What about the gun?

It's unlicensed and the
residue test was negative.

Well, that doesn't mean for sure
Cantwell didn't pull the trigger.

Well, the odds just
went way down.

Does he have
any priors?

None. He's a struggling actor. Bit parts
here and there, nothing to speak of.

But according to the M.E. he had alcohol
and marijuana in his bloodstream.

Wives? Girlfriends?

Boyfriends. Just spoke to his mother.
He's been out a couple of years.

Well, did she say if
he was seeing anyone?

She lives in Dayton, Ohio.
They weren't very close.

Anything else?

On the dresser there was a Bible
open to this anti-gay passage,

"A man shall not lie with
a man as with a woman."

Is it Cantwell's Bible?

We're assuming it is. The
shooter could've put it there.

Well, now that's
a crazy thought.

We're checking
it for prints.

All right, continue your canvass.
See what you can find.

CASSADY: How well did you
know him?

I moved in ten months ago.
We became friends right away.

Did he have a boyfriend?

I don't think so.

Good-looking young actor in New
York, he wasn't dating anybody?

(SIGHS) He wasn't into
the whole party scene.

He took his career
pretty seriously.

He was always taking a class, writing
a script, working on a friend's play.

I mean, doing what we out-of-work
actors do to keep from going crazy.

Well, did he have any financial
problems or personal problems?

Not that I know of.

Did he go to church a lot?

I don't know.

How about his mood?
Was he depressed? Upbeat?

Upbeat, definitely. He had a big
audition this week for a new TV show.

Really?

Yeah, his friend Chris is some
big shot writerfproducer.

Do you know Chris' last name?

Borrato. Chris Borrato.

We worked together on a movie I wrote
about five years ago called Tragic Man.

Piece of crap frankly, but,
you know, it got made.

Anyways, Jeff and I have been
friendly ever since.

So you were gonna audition him
for your new TV show?

Yeah. Poor guy needed a break. I
mean, he's not exactly Brando,

but he's a good guy.
I figured, why not?

When was the last time
you two talked?

On the phone.
Day before he died.

He mention any problems
or arguments or anything?

No. We talked about
the role of Jake Falls,

a 26-year-old lawyer, married
to his college sweetheart,

struggling with his meaningless
middle-class existence.

Did Jeff have a boyfriend?

Last dude I remember him with is
some banker named Mike Gorman.

He worked for Goldman Sachs,
I think.

Was he religious?

Last week he asked me if I heard of
something called the New Promise Church.

The New Promise Church?

Yeah, I just rolled my eyes.
I mean, please, you know?

Enough already with the
spiritual journey thing.

ED: Wow, I guess religion
really pays off.

PATTY:
Can I help you?

Hi, we need to speak
to your minister.

Reverend Sterling, the senior pastor,
is giving a sermon in Tampa today.

Okay, is there someone
else we could to?

Mr. Jepson, the CEO,
is here.

The CEO?

Hmm.

What can I do for you folks?

Hi. Listen, we believe that a
member of your church was murdered.

Really? I had no idea.
That's terrible.

Who is it?

His name was Jeff Cantwell.

I'll have to check
our database.

We have over
150,000 members.

No, I'm sorry, but I don't see
the name Cantwell in our files.

How many churches
do you have?

In the Tri-State area, 15.
Nationwide, 125.

That's a lot of churches.

If you sell a quality product,
people will buy it.

"If you are lost, confused, homosexual,
we can help you find salvation

"through God's loving spirit."
(CELL PHONE RINGING)

(SIGHS) Maybe Cantwell
was trying to cure himself.

Well, maybe. Cantwell's ex-boyfriend
just got back from London.

I haven't seen Jeff in about six months. We've
talked a few times, but that's about it.

How long did you two date?

About six months, maybe less.

It wasn't very serious.

Was Jeff born-again
by any chance?

Not that I know of. No.

What about you?
You into religion?

Reform Jew. Passover
dinner, temple on Yom Kippur.

Was he uncomfortable
with his sexuality?

Uncomfortable? No, he was
the gayest man I've ever met.

He was proud, strong,
active in gay causes.

So he wouldn't be the type to try
and cure himself through religion?

God, no, no.
No pun intended.

Did Jeff have any enemies?

Enemies? The only one I can think of is
his ex-agent. They hated each other.

CASSADY: Why?

Well, Jeff claims that he stole an
idea from a screenplay he'd written.

Agent denies it, of course,
but Jeff sued him anyway.

He sued over that?

Turns out the idea he claims was stolen is
about to be made into a $100 million movie.

Look, I'm sorry Jeff's dead, I am. But I gotta
be honest with you. He was a pain in the ass.

(LAUGHS) Were you concerned
that his lawsuit

was gonna screw
up that $100 million movie?

(SCOFFS) Oh, please! Jeff's
script was a joke, okay?

A gay romantic comedy? About
three actors from Queens?

The movie in pre-production is
a Wall Street murder thriller.

Only thing the same is,
both written on paper.

When was the last
time you saw him?

Few months ago,
when I let him go.

You let him go?

He wasn't booking jobs,
I had no choice.

Do you read the Bible?

(LAUGHS) I read the Daily
Variety and the New York Post.

Where were you the night
Cantwell was killed?

At the Knicks game with a client. On the
floor, three seats away from Spike.

The agent's alibi checks out.
So what now?

We start all over again. We check his calls,
his e-mails, see if we missed anything.

Just got off the
phone with TARU.

Turns out Cantwell has five
different e-mail addresses.

VAN BUREN: And? Well, on the night
of the murder at 9:30 p.m.,

there was an e-mail sent to jlove@toomail.net,
one of Cantwell's addresses.

"Can I see you
tonight, sweetie?"

Who sent it?
Uh, steve-o@gbc.bz.

Well, let's find out who Steve-O
is and pay him a visit.

(STAMMERING) I don't normally...
I'm not the kind of guy...

Look, look,
I work 20 hours a day!

I'm old, tired, fat. I mean,
what am I supposed to do?

Hit all the clubs in Chelsea,
with all the beautiful people?

Oh, I'd clean up down
there, huh?

"Hi, I'm Steve,
the fat accountant.

"Wanna drop some X, maybe
dance all night?"

Please.

What are you trying to say,
Mr. Franklin?

Well, I found his photo on
this website.

BootyBoys.bz.

I figured, what the hell?
Have some fun, right?

So I e-mailed him,
but he didn't respond.

"BootyBoys"?
Yeah.

Check it out for yourself.

So Jeff Cantwell
was an escort?

You mean J-Love.

Well, are we sure J-Love and the chubby
accountant never hooked up that night?

Positive. He got off work at 10:00, and went
to the Silver Spoon Diner on Second Avenue.

He have a receipt?

No, but he used his corporate Amex.
Time of payment was 10:36 p.m.

All right. Look through
Cantwell's e-mail correspondence.

See if he had any connection
to a religious organization.

That open Bible
wasn't a coincidence.

Well, the incoming e-mails aren't that
interesting. "You're hot, wanna hook up?"

"You bring the meth,
I'll bring my ass. Deal?"

"How much to lick your knee?"

Well, the outgoing ones are a whole
lot better, I can promise you that.

Oh, yeah? Yeah, listen to this.
This is from Jeff Cantwell

to a Norm S. "I know who you are and your
name's not Norm. You're a hypocritical pig

"who deserves to be outed, to be
exposed for the fraud that you are.

"You make me sick. Never call me again,
faggot. That's right, dude, you're gay.

"G-A-Y. Deal with it."

We know who this Norm S. is?

Get this. The Reverend James
Sterling, New Promise Church.

Can I help you?

We need to speak with Reverend Sterling.
About what?

Is he home? I'm his wife,
perhaps I can help.

You can help by answering the question.
ls your husband home?

Hi there! I'm Reverend
Sterling, how can I help you?

Detective Green, Detective Cassady. We
to speak with you for a few moments.

All right. Darling, would
you give us a few minutes?

All right.
Thank you. Come on in.

Do you know someone
named Jeff Cantwell?

Coffee?

Can't say that the name rings a
bell, but in my line of work

I meet lots of wonderful
people all the time.

You ever exchange e-mails
with someone called J-Love?

It's possible. But I get hundreds
of e-mails every day. Please.

From wonderful people?

Yes.

And you don't recall an e-mail
addressed J-Love?

I'm afraid I don't, no.

Have you ever used the
services of a gay escort?

That's preposterous.

Where were you last
Tuesday night?

If you would be kind enough to let
me know what this is all about,

I might be able to be
more helpful.

Someone killed Jeff Cantwell last Tuesday.
We're trying to figure out who.

Clear enough?

How is the family coping
with the tragedy?

Where were you
Tuesday night, Reverend?

I'd love to continue this discussion, but
I feel I may need to consult an attorney.

You almost sounded innocent.

Yeah, all right, you all have a nice day.
And may the Lord be with you!

CASSADY: Well, so now what?
Let's go talk to Mr. CEO again.

You think he's involved?

He stands to lose a lot
if this church disappears.

So, where were
you last Tuesday?

During the day I was
in Erie, Pennsylvania,

talking to various members
of our congregation.

That night I had dinner with our
board directors in Pittsburgh.

Can you provide proof? I'll have
my secretary pull the receipts.

Was Reverend Sterling with you?
No.

Do you know where he was?

No, I don't monitor
his schedule.

What do you think Sterling would do if someone
threatened to tell the world he was gay?

Excuse me?

Hypothetical question.

JEPSON: Reverend Sterling
is a wonderful man.

He and his wife, Dawn,
have created a church

that embraces the forgotten, the
disadvantaged, the disgraced.

Everyone except the gays.

Excuse me?

Well, you don't seem to
exactly embrace homosexuality.

It's not that
we don't embrace it.

We just don't believe that God intended
for a man to be with another man.

What about Sterling? He ever enjoy the company
of another man every once in a while?

He's happily and faithfully
married to a terrific woman.

Thank you for your time,
Mr. Jepson.

I'm no Bible thumper, just a mother
of two looking to make a living,

and these religious folks pay well. What
I'm saying is, I don't wanna get fired.

We understand.
It's just between us.

Good. A year ago there was a rumor going
around that Reverend Sterling was involved

with a male member of the congregation.
A young kid, about 18 or 19.

Do you know
the kid's name?

I can find out.

Yeah, I know
Reverend Sterling.

Were you ever
involved with him?

What's that supposed to mean?
Did you date?

No. Why are you protecting him?

I'm not.

Look, we think that Reverend Sterling
may have been involved in the murder

of a young gay male.

We're just trying to get an
idea of what he might be like

when he's not standing at the altar
preaching, you what I'm saying?

(sums)

He's a fraud,
that's what he's like.

He spends his days yapping about
Jesus, purity, and family values,

and then his nights he's snorting
meth and screwing gay boys.

He's a poser. He's a
self-righteous, self-hating poser.

Okay, let's try this again.
Did you two date?

Yeah. For about
three months.

CASSADY:
Was he ever violent?

Once. He hit me in the face.

Why?

I said I loved him.

In fact, the Bible demands that
we be fruitful and multiply.

�But from beginning God
made them male and female.

�For this cause shall a man leave his mother
and his father and cleave to his wife,

�and they twain shall be one so they
are no more twain but one flesh."

So how can we, as the descendants
of God and His teachings,

bless the union of two men?

The answer, my friends,
is we cannot.

It is degrading, it is unholy, and most
importantly, it is against God's will.

Leviticus 18:22 states, �Thou shalt not
lie with mankind as with womankind,

"it is an abomination."

Nice to hear from our old
pal Leviticus again.

What date did this
piece run on CNBC?

November 17.

And when did Cantwell send
Sterling the e-mail? November 18.

Cantwell sees Norm, his lover of a year
or so on TV, dogging gay marriage,

he gets pissed, fires off an e-mail
threatening to out him. Sterling freaks out.

And shoots Cantwell in the head
before he has a chance to out him.

Hey, good news. The Reverend
owns three licensed handguns,

so we had his fingerprints on file. CSU found
a positive match in Cantwell's bedroom.

What about the gun?
Nothing.

And the Bible?
No. Nothing.

It's still enough for
a search warrant.

My husband is a minister!
A man of God!

Do you really think he'd be involved in
the murder of a homosexual prostitute?

Look, why do you hate us so
much? Why?

Is it because we have the
courage to worship the Lord?

Because we believe in the sanctity of
marriage? Because we renounce homosexuality?

Lieu', there you are. We found trace evidence
of the victim's blood in the front seat

of Sterling's car.

Are you sure it's a match?
Positive.

Arrest him. Hey, Ed,
make this one public.

I want that hypocritical
preacher to feel some pain.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

James Sterling?
Step back, please?

You're under arrest for
the murder of Jeff Cantwell.

It's all right, everyone.
Nothing to worry about.

"So shall they fear the name
of the Lord from the west."

ED: You have the right
to remain silent...

"And the glory from
the rising of His son!"

...you say can be used against
you in a court of law.

"When His enemy shall come in like
a flood, the spirit of the Lord

"shall lift up a standard
against him."

ED: Do you understand these
rights as I read them to you?

Brothers and sisters,
lam innocent! Innocent!

�Docket number MM,
People v. James Sterling,

"charge is
Murder in the Second Degree."

How does the defendant plead?

Not guilty.

Bail?

People request $1,000,000.

Due to the gravity of the crime and
the defendant's financial means,

we believe he's a flight risk.

Your Honor, Reverend Sterling has
informed me that he will not post bail.

He is the Senior Pastor
of the New Promise Church

and wants to be remanded, so that
he may provide fellow inmates

with much-needed spiritual
and religious guidance.

Is that true, Mr. Sterling?
You want to go to jail?

Yes, Your Honor,
I'm looking forward to it.

If you want it,
you got it, baby.

The defendant is hereby
remanded! Next case.

CLERK: "Docket number
0385726."

Asking to go to prison so he
could save thou fellow man?

He sure knows how
to generate press.

What, you're not buying the
Reverend's altruistic motives?

He's a businessman,
not a preacher.

He and his wife have created
a religious empire.

An evangelical Starbucks. Wouldn't surprise
me if they went public sometime soon.

Probably a hell of
an offering, too.

125 churches,
150,000 members,

not to mention merchandising
and licensing division.

Fifty million dollars
in sales last year alone.

Sounds to me like motive.
Super-conservative, anti-gay preacher

kills a man looking to out him
to save profitable conglomerate.

What kind of evidence
do we have?

Victim's blood
in the defendant's car.

Threatening e-mail from
the victim to the defendant,

a phone call to the victim on the
night of the murder from a payphone

one mile from
Sterling's home.

His fingerprint
at the crime scene.

(LAUGHS) What's
Sterling's defense?

Your guess is as
good as mine.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Sterling's attorneyjust called.
They want to meet today.

I knew Jeff Cantwell.
Not well, but I knew him.

But our relationship wasn't sexual,
as you suggest, it was spiritual.

I was trying to help
Jeff cure his demons.

CONNIE: You were
trying to fix him?

I was trying
to save him.

What happened the night of the murder, Mr.
Sterling? Reverend Sterling.

What happened on the
night of the murder?

We spent a few hours together.
Talking about God, life, family.

But Jeff wasn't doing too well.
He was distraught, frustrated.

He wanted to embrace the Lord and give up
his life of indulgence and immorality,

but he couldn't. And
it was destroying him.

I could see it in his eyes.

See what?

Defeat. When I left that night he said, "I
would rather be dead than to live a life

"of impurity and degradation."

I told him to stay strong, to
maintain his faith in Jesus.

Are you saying that he killed himself
because he couldn't cope with being gay?

Yes.
I don't believe you.

I did not kill that man. I swear
to the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Please, save your hollow
invocations for the jury.

Last night I watched one of Sterling's
inspirational videos. Only cost $19.99.

And?

Meyers was right, Sterling
knows how to talk. And sell.

I didn't agree with anything he said, and
still I wanted to donate half my salary.

That's why we need to limit his ability
to preach from the witness box.

What do you mean?

The less he gets to talk about
trying to save Cantwell, the better.

Unless the person confessing waives the
privilege, a clergyman shall not disclose

communications made to him in his
capacity as a spiritual advisor.

You're trying to prevent the defendant
from discussing the content

of his conversations
with the deceased?

The defendant is a clergyman, his
defense is that he knew the victim,

but not in a sexual capacity, only spiritual.
If that's the case, he shouldn't be allowed

to disclose the content of those
spiritual communications.

First, Mr. McCoy has no standing to
invoke the deceased's privilege.

Unfortunately, Mr. Cantwell is dead
so he can't invoke it himself.

Second, the priest-penitent privilege is
statutory, and there's nothing in the statute

suggesting that privilege
survives death.

Nor does it state
that it doesn't!

Third, my client has a constitutional
right to a fair trial.

If he can't talk about his conversations
with Cantwell, we can't present our case.

I agree with Ms. Meyers.
This is a murder trial.

The defendant should have the
ability to present his defense,

and if he needs to disclose the
content of certain conversations

with the deceased, so be it.

I first met Jeff a year ago.
He came to one of my sermons.

Afterwards, he approached me
and asked for my help.

Help with what?

To conquer the wanton and malignant
spirits devouring his soul.

Could you be
more specific?

Mr. Cantwell wanted to
denounce his homosexuality

and live out the life
that God intended.

I was determined that I was going
to help him achieve that objective.

MEYERS: How many times
did you meet him?

Twice a month.
Sometimes more.

Why'd you spend so
much time with him?

Why? Because he needed it. He was
depressed. Confused. Suicidal.

Suicidal?

Yes. About five months ago we were in my
car when he tried to slit his own wrists.

Luckily, I managed to get the blade
from him and stop the bleeding.

MEYERS: Did you take him
to a hospital?

No. The wounds weren't that deep,
and I able to bandage it myself.

Were you with Mr. Cantwell
the night he died?

Yes, in the afternoon. He'd
been drinking and doing drugs.

He said he wanted
to kill himself.

What did you do?

Read the Bible with him. And I tried my
best to talk him out of his depression.

What time did
you leave?

Around 6:00.
Was he alive?

Yes.

Where'd you go after that?

To my office in Peekskill
to prepare a sermon.

I worked until about 9:30
and then I drove home.

Make any phone
calls that night?

Called my wife, on her cell phone, I believe,
to let her know that I was running late.

Defense exhibit 22.

Phone records relating to Reverend
Sterling's Peekskill office.

As you will see, a call was made to his
wife's cell phone at 8:20 p.m. that night.

What time did you get home
that night, Reverend Sterling?

Around 10:00. I watched a little TV
with my wife, and then we went to bed.

Reverend, did you kill
Jeff Cantwell?

Absolutely not.

Nothing further.

When you talked with Detectives Cassady
and Green, how come you didn't tell them

that you were in Peekskill, working,
on the night of the murder?

I thought it was
a waste of time.

They were clearly only interested
in one thing. That was humiliation.

When don't want to hear the truth, Mr.
McCoy, there's no point in speaking it.

Did anyone see you
in the church at Peekskill?

I don't believe so, no.

And you didn't make any phone
calls or send any e-mails

from your office after 8:20
that night, correct?

Like I say, I was busy
preparing an important sermon.

And yet you were willing
to drive into Manhattan

earlier that day to meet
with Jeff Cantwell.

Well, helping other people is so much
more important than writing a sermon.

Is that what you were doing
with Jeff Cantwell? Helping?

Yes.

Not having sex?

No. I am not a homosexual.

People's 32, Your Honor. This is
an e-mail sent by Jeff Cantwell

to a norms@pqmail.net.

That's an e-mail account that's
charged to your personal credit card.

Would you please read it?

"I know who you are
and your name's not Norm.

"You're a hypocritical pig
who deserves be outed,

"to be exposed
for the fraud that you are.

"You make me sick.
Never call me again, faggot.

"That's right, dude, you're gay.
G-A-Y. Deal with it."

But you never had sex
with a man, correct?

No. Never.

Nothing further.

Did you have sexual relations with Mr.
Sterling?

Yes.

How many times?

Twenty, 30 times.

You're positive that's the
man you had sex with?

Yes.

Nothing further.

You don't have any pictures or video
of this so-called sexual relationship?

No.

So you expect the jury to
just take your word for it?

Yes.

You're an honest man?

Yes.

Was that why you were arrested for larceny
last year? 'Cause you're an honest man?

I was working in a restaurant and my manager
was screwing me out of some money so...

So you stole?

(SCOFFS) Yes.

Are you a member
of the ACLU?

Yes.

Do you believe that men should
be able marry other men?

I do.

Is that why you're lying about
having sex with Reverend Sterling,

to make
a political statement?

To humiliate him because
he's against gay marriage?

That has nothing
to do with it!

Nothing further.

CONNIE: Just because you steal
50 bucks from a register

and vote Democratic doesn't mean you
can't ID a guy you had sex with.

I'm more concerned about that
call he made to his wife at 8:20.

Peekskill to Chelsea,
if there's no traffic,

takes about
an hour and forty minutes.

So if he left immediately
after that call,

he's in the city around 10:00.

Yeah, it gives him
15 minutes to park the car,

walk to Cantwell's
apartment and kill him.

There's still plenty of time, but
definitely cutting it close.

If Sterling actually
made that call.

I'm on my
way to Peekskill.

Yeah, I was working
that night.

Did you see
Reverend Sterling?

Yeah.

You're sure?

Sure I'm sure.
It was around 9:30.

I was vacuuming the hallway
he walked right by me.

Only the sixth time
I've ever seen him.

Did he say anything?

He said hi. Even knew my name.
Called me Gino.

Did he say anything else?

He asked me how
to get to Bedford.

Bedford?

Right, Bedford. Said he had to
visit someone in the hospital.

Be careful what
you wish for, Jack.

What are you
talking about?

Sterling has the perfect alibi
for the night of the murder.

What are you
talking about?

The church janitor is positive he saw
Sterling at the church around 9:30.

9:30 in Peekskill?

Yeah, and it gets
even better.

At 9:30, he drove to St.
Anne's Hospital in Bedford.

He was there from 10:00 to 11:00
on the night of the murder.

Signed in at 10:06,
left at 11:02.

He was visiting a Mary Billings,
age 75, breast cancer.

Call Meyers right away,
tell her what you found.

Set up a meeting
for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Maybe Sterling will tell us why
he's burying his own alibi.

Your client ready to tell us
what the hell is going on?

"I can only hope that the
Lord will find understanding

"in his almighty heart and forgive me
for taking the life of another man."

I don't get it.

We find proof that
Sterling's innocent,

tell his attorney,
and he kills himself?

Just doesn't
make any sense!

Sure it does.

What am I missing
here, Jack?

Sterling was covering for the person
who really did kill Cantwell.

His wife.
His wife?

Take Sterling out of
the equation,

the evidence points to
only one person. Her.

Blood in the car,
no credible alibi,

desire to save the church and a phone
call on the night of the murder

from a payphone
near her home.

So why does Reverend
Sterling commit suicide?

He knows that
we know the truth.

Did the only noble thing
he could think of.

Kills himself, takes
the blame for the murder.

Go ahead and arrest her.

What's your objective,
Mr. McCoy?

To destroy my church? To further
humiliate me and my congregation?

The truth.

The truth is my husband
killed that man Cantwell.

He even said so
in his damn suicide note.

I don't believe
him or you.

(sums)

What are you looking
for, Mr. Jeffers?

Well, for starters, a
little respect, Mr. McCoy.

My client just lost her husband, and the
very day that he is pronounced dead,

you arrest her for a murder
that he's already confessed to!

We don't believe
his confession.

A preacher doesn't
lie in a suicide note.

Unless he's trying
to protect his wife.

Okay. And you think you can
get ajury to believe that?

They won't even consider it. Motion
to exclude his suicide note.

A suicide note is
inadmissible hearsay.

Correct, but this is
a dying declaration.

The dying declaration exception
applies only to homicide victims.

The law does not
address suicide.

It should.

I'm not too interested
in "shoulds," Mr. Jeffers.

What I'm saying, Your Honor,
is the note should fit

within the residual
hearsay exception.

People don't write lies
moments before they die.

I can't cross-examine
a suicide note, Your Honor.

I agree.
Your Honor, there...

The suicide note
is out, Mr. Jeffers.

The good news is
the suicide note's out.

Bad news is they have
three jailhouse witnesses

who claim Sterling admitted
to murdering Cantwell

at a prayer meeting the night
before he hanged himself.

Which means you're gonna
have to convince ajury

that a preacher's final sermon,
his final confession, was a lie.

Not an easy task.

The evidence
is pretty solid.

What about this cancer patient at St.
Anne's? Did she see Sterling?

No. She's pretty heavily medicated.
Morphine and fentanyl.

She's been in and out of consciousness
the last couple months.

Does anybody remember seeing
Sterling at the hospital that night?

No.

So the only evidence that you have that
he was there is from the sign-in log?

Right.

We'll be okay, Arthur.

Yeah, well, maybe it's
my Southern roots,

but I tend to think a lot of people are
probably gonna believe Reverend Sterling's

deathbed confession, whether
or not it was a bunch of crap.

And that'll make them wonder what
we're doing trying the killer's wife

for a crime that he's
already confessed to.

I get it, Arthur.
We need more evidence.

Like I explained to your associate, I
have nothing to say on this matter.

This matter is a murder trial, which
means your involvement isn't optional!

It's mandatory.

It's not that I don't wanna cooperate.
I just don't know anything. I'm sorry.

So?

That's a pretty political
sermon, don't you think?

Especially in light of
the fact that it was given

three days before
the general election?

CONNIE: All that talk about
electing a leader who understands

traditional values?

Asking the congregation to vote for
two ultra- conservative congressmen?

What is that
rule again, Jack?

Once a church is considered
a political organization,

it loses its
non-profit status?

I believe that's right.

CONNIE: You brought in 35
million in donations last year.

Plus another 50
in merchandising.

That would be one hell
of a tax bill.

Dawn's dedicated her entire
life to this church.

She was terrified that
Cantwell was gonna destroy it.

She wasn't gonna
allow him do that.

Did she tell you she
was going to kill him?

No! She didn't
get specific.

Only thing she said was, "I'm not gonna
let that deviant ruin my church."

The People call
Scott Jepson.

May I approach,
Your Honor?

Mr. Jepson is my client's
spiritual advisor.

Any conversations between them
pertaining to the alleged murder

are protected
under New York law.

Mr. Jepson is a former marketing
executive, not a clergyman.

He is the CEO of
a 150,000-person church.

Clearly he is a religious man
and someone who a congregant

might seek out
for spiritual guidance.

Your Honor, Mr. Jeffers is trying to
hide behind the cloak of spirituality

to avoid
incriminating testimony.

There is no requirement that a spiritual
advisor be an ordained minister or a priest.

I agree with
Mr. Jeffers.

Your Honor!

I'm not going to sit here
and attempt to parse

who's a minister and who's not, Mr.
McCoy! End of discussion.

Religion tends to make
judges nervous nowadays.

Religion? Is that what you think
this New Promise church is?

I don'tjudge
what others believe.

These guys are frauds, Arthur!

CEOs, licenses, convention
centers, videotapes.

This is a business,
not a church.

Got your Irish up, huh?

So tell me, can we win the
case without this CEO Jepson?

It won't be easy. Dawn
Sterling's a terrific liar.

Yeah. Too bad
she's not our witness.

My husband was scared that
Cantwell's lies and accusations

would undercut all of
our hard work.

But most of all, he was worried about
the members of our congregation.

What do you mean?

He was concerned about where they'd turn
for guidance if our church was destroyed.

Did your husband ever discuss
killing Mr. Cantwell?

Objection! Marital privilege.
Overruled.

The defendant is attempting to
disclose confidential communications.

Overruled. Confinug Mrs.
Sterling.

James told me that the only
way he could save our church

was to kill the man
threatening to ruin it.

He felt that by killing one
to save 150,000 was worth it.

JEFFERS: What time did your
husband come home that night?

DAWN: 11:45.

And what was his mood like?

Nervous, scared.

And what about
his appearance?

He was disheveled

and there was blood
on his pants.

"The blood of human
sacrifice," he said.

How come you didn't
tell the police?

Because...

I loved my husband!

More than anything
in the world!

JEFFERS: Nothing further.

That's all for today.

Review every document
we have one more time.

We need to find some dirt.

According to my friend
at the FBI,

Dawn Sterling from Rye,
New York, used to be

Maryann White from
Atlanta, Georgia.

She changed her name in 1991.

Hmm.

With good reason,
I hope.

Yeah, well, she was arrested
for cocaine possession in 1990

and solicitation in 1991.

Dawn Sterling
was a prostitute?

According to
Georgia state records.

I think my cross-examination
just a got little stronger.

Why bother?

What do you mean?

Well, why not use it?
Push her into a guilty plea.

Based on this?

Sterling's whole life
is this church, right?

If the congregation found out
that she used to be a hooker,

that they've been praying with
a whore the past ten years,

there's no way
it'll survive.

Look, I know that you wanna use this
information and cross the hell out of her

and blow up
the church,

but it's not gonna ensure
we get a guilty verdict.

Couldn't care less
about her damn church.

That's why you refused to refer to
Reverend Sterling as "Reverend."

We don't have
a very strong case, Jack.

Doesn't mean we can't win.

Okay, fine.
Let's give Sterling a choice.

Plead guilty and we will keep
the hooker thing a secret,

or finish the trial, tell the world
the truth, church goes bye-bye.

Or it gets even stronger!

The darker the past,
the brighter the redemption.

If she thought being a hooker
would help her church,

she would have told the
congregation a long time ago.

JACK: It's up to you,
Mrs. Sterling.

Murder Two.
Fifteen years.

Forget it.

I wasn't talking to you!

We're destroying them, okay?

There's no way that
a jury can convict you.

Ajury might not,
but her congregation will.

You underestimate the human
capacity to forgive.

Killing a gay man your enlightened
membership might forgive you for.

But turning tricks?
I don't think so.

People make mistakes.

True Christians
understand that.

Then tell us to
go to hell.

Excuse me?

I'm happy to resume the trial
and cross-examine you.

I'm a good person, Mr. McCoy.

Maybe not then, but now.

Because of this church.

Is that why you killed
Jeff Cantwell?

Yes.

Murder Two, fifteen years.

Yes or no, Mrs. Sterling?

Yes.

You don't mean that.

I am not gonna let Mr. McCoy,
or anyone else for that matter,

destroy my church.

We can win this trial.

The church and
my congregation,

that's all I care about.

(sums)

I wanna plead guilty.

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