All language subtitles for Law and order S10E09 - Sundown

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.

Good morning, Mrs. Hallenbeck.
Time for us to...

Mrs. Hallenbeck?

Did they take
my mother already?

She wasn't supposed
to go till 9:30.

Must be down the hall
somewhere.

Isn't it your job
to keep track of the patients?

Your mother's around, darling.
We'll find her.

Marjorie Hallenbeck,
53, Missus.

There are two deep bruises on the
torso, this one on her head.

Caused by what?

Looks like somebody punched her twice.
She fell, hit her head.

ED: Which one's fatal?

Head wound knocked her out.
I doubt if it killed her.

Best guess now
is internal bleeding.

How long would that take?

A minute, a day. I won't
know till the autopsy.

Time of death?

Given the temperature and lack of
rigor, within the last five hours.

So she was lyin' here since 3:00
a.m., and nobody found her?

She could've been
lyin' here longer than that.

We can't check every
square inch of the place.

What was she in for?

Lymph node biopsy
and some tests.

Anybody notify the family?

Father and daughter were
here when we found the body.

They're waiting in
Mrs. Hallenbeck's room, 1284.

Was anybody on patrol
here last night?

Watkins. He didn't see
anything out of the ordinary.

What, he forget his glasses?

We have excellent security.

Yeah, so I see.

You want to talk to Watkins?

That would be nice.

She comes in for a biopsy,
and they manage to kill her?

That's why they call it
managed care.

She checked herself in
yesterday afternoon.

My dad and I
visited her last night.

How could this have happened?

What time did you leave?

A little after 11:00.

Did you buy something from
the gift shop at 7:42?

No, we didn't get here
till almost 9:00.

A couple of magazines
and some candy.

Maybe your mother bought them?

Uh, I don't know.

You both came in together
and left together?

Yes.

Mr. Hallenbeck, was you
wife still in the solarium

when you left her?

My dad's in shock. Did you
find my mother's jewelry?

Wedding ring was on her finger.

Not that. The stuff that's missing.
The cross, the earrings,

the watch my dad gave her?

Beaten to death.
Jewelry missing.

One antique gold cross
on a neck chain,

expensive watch with her
initials engraved on the back,

and a pair of diamond
earrings with gold filigree.

Mrs. Hallenbeck
checked in yesterday.

Family says nobody but them
knew she was going in.

Then start with
the hospital staff.

LaMotte's
checking them for priors.

There's nothin' in her room
except her overnight bag,

a couple of magazines, and a receipt
from the hospital gift shop.

Jewelry worth a lot?

To Bill Gates, no. To a
janitor makin' 1350 an hour,

ten, 12 grand
sounds pretty good.

Well, who wears
10, 12 grand in a hospital?

Well, the daughter says the
gold cross was an heirloom.

Mom almost never took it off.

Why was the victim in the solarium
in the middle of the night?

Insomnia?

We don't know when it was.

The family
they left around 11:00.

The attack could have been
any time after that.

Well, you said she died
between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m.

M.E. at the scene
differentiated between

time of attack
and time of death.

Well, nail it down.

RODGERS: Victim had a lot
of superficial bruising.

Injuries looked worse
than they were.

What looks worse than dead?

(SIGHS) Somebody'd found her
earlier, she wouldn't be dead.

What killed her?

Ruptured spleen.

How long did it
take her to die?

I won't know until I
determine the clotting rate.

(PHONE RINGING)

Rodgers.
Yeah, right here.

Your lieutenant.

What's that
on your phone, brains?

It's egg salad maybe.

You got another phone?

When will you know what time
Mrs. Hallenbeck was attacked?

Tomorrow morning. Maybe earlier.
ED: Green.

Right now, I gotta get a javelin
out of somebody's chest.

All right. Yeah. What made you
go into this line of work?

Free javelins.

Okay, later.

LaMotte got a hit
on an orderly.

Two burglary priors, and he was
workin' that ward last night.

ED: Vic Fazioli?

Hey, uh, my P.O. told me
to get a job, I got a job.

I'm clean.
You got the wrong party.

You mind if we come in?

Yeah. See, I'm leavin'.
I got a date.

You got a date? Where you
takin' her, the opera?

It's cold outside.
You might need a jacket.

Here, or at the precinct.

Let's work somethin' out, okay?

I take the stuff back,
you forget about it.

I won't do it again, I swear.

Okay, show us the jewelry
and we'll consider it.

What jewelry?

I'm guessin' this did not
come from D'Agostino's.

This has gotta be a first.

Somebody stealin'
hospital food.

(CHUCKLES) Imagine that.
Third conviction, 20-to-life

for 300 pounds
of Very Young Early Peas.

Not to mention the jewelry.
And the murder.

I don't know what you
guys are talkin' about.

I'm just stockin' up
for the winter.

Yeah, you and my chipmunk.

I thought only good boys
ate their peas.

But I'm telling you,
he was tall,

and good-looking
and great hair.

Comin' out of Room 1284?

Yeah.
At 8:30?

Give or take.

How was he dressed?

Expensive.
In a dark gray suit,

a real nice tie,
and a gold stick pin.

You see the patient,
Mrs. Hallenbeck?

I... I saw a woman in a
nightgown, 50, 55. That her?

Okay, well, she was
tryin' to get rid of him.

Look like he was botherin' her?

No, they seemed to
like each other fine.

She just wanted him to go. I mean, maybe
she had to use the john or somethin.

Yeah, it's a cute story, Vic,
but let's move on.

Where were you after 11:00?

Not at the hospital.
I left at 9:45.

Your time card says
you punched out at 11:08.

No, no. You see,
the kitchen closes at 9:15,

so, 9:20, I'm down there loadin'
up cans in a laundry cart.

Then what?

I rolled the cart to my van, I
loaded it up, I took the cart back,

I asked the guy to punch me out at 11:00.
I left at 9:45.

Who punched you out?

Look, I don't want to
get him in trouble, okay?

You or him. Take your pick.

Curtis Brown backs up
Fazioli's story.

He says he saw him
drive off at around 9:45.

And punched him out at 11:08?

So it wasn't Fazioli.

Yeah.

I can't believe this.
My kid's laptop.

The computer company from hell
sent it back without repairing it.

I told you.
Those gizmos...

I heard you the first time.

Is there any chance Fazioli
was telling the truth

about the man he saw leaving
Mrs. Hallenbeck's room?

ED: Might account for the receipt
from the hospital gift shop.

So what? This Mr. X left
before the family showed up.

Left her room. May not
have left the hospital.

And then what? He hung around
for two and a half hours

so he could go
back up and kill her?

Listen, before we figure out
his itinerary,

why don't we find out
if he exists?

Two nights ago,
right before I closed up.

Two magazines
and a Kit Kat bar?

Phillip Greitz. He gave me
the flower from his lapel.

Told me my husband
was a lucky man,

and I told him I was a widow
He gave me his card.

"Philip Greitz, Esquire.
International Patent Law."

No address or phone number.

Everything about him
said window dressing.

I assumed the card was
part of the show.

I have no idea who he is.

Michael?

No.

Does the name Philip Greitz
mean anything?

My father's still in shock.
He can't help you.

Lisa.

Our father has Alzheimer's.

Michael.
I know all Mom's friends.

My brother lives in Brooklyn.
He's got kids.

He's never here.

So you were home
the night your mother died?

Yeah. My wife's parents
were visiting.

With all due respect, is it possible
your mother had a special friend?

(SCOFFS) God knows
she needed one.

LISA: Stop it!

What makes you say that?

Mom wouldn't betray
my father. She wouldn't.

This man was seen coming
out of your mother's room

shortly before you
and your father got there.

And based on that, you think
she was having an affair?

It's ridiculous.

Lisa's having a hard time accepting
the situation, but she's got a point.

How so?

Well, between taking care of
my father and keeping house,

I don't see how my mother would
have found time to have an affair.

You make her sound like
such a saint.

She found time to go to that stupid
support group two nights a week.

That support group was the
only thing that kept her sane,

and you know it.

She should have been with Dad instead of
talking about him with a bunch of strangers.

It wasn't right.

ED: Three Philip Greitzes
in our database.

One of them's too young
to be our guy,

and the woman at the gift shop

didn't recognize the other two.

We found four more
in the tri-state area.

Our man's not among them.

What about from the other end?

Family says Mrs. Hallenbeck
hasn't had much of a social life

since her husband
started goin' downhill.

Well, she met Greitz somewhere.

How far gone is the husband?

About halfway
to the vegetable patch.

The family's already been torn apart
by Mr. Hallenbeck's condition.

Now this.

Mrs. Hallenbeck went to an
Alzheimer's support group

two evenings a week?

That's our next stop.

Do you recognize this man?

Looks like Philip Greitz.
He was in Marjorie's group.

Why are you asking about him?

Do you know where
we can find him?

You don't think he killed her?
Nice man like that?

Uh, Philip, lives at
"203 East 20th Street."

I don't think so.
That's the Police Academy.

Can we have a copy
of that file?

I suppose so.
I won't be needing it anymore.

Why not?

He dropped out about six weeks ago.
Said his wife had died.

Oh. my...

Marjorie stopped coming to
group about that same time.

Lisa Hallenbeck says
her mother went out

every Tuesday
and Thursday evening,

like she was goin to the group.

We pulled her
credit card receipts.

The opera. Thursday night seats
for the season. 1200 bucks.

Dinner at LeCirque 2000 every
Tuesday night, six weeks in a row.

Charges at Barneys for ties,
men's dress shirts.

Diamond cuff links
from Tiffany's.

Yeah, the cuff links can't be for her husband.
He'd stick 'em in his ears.

These people wealthy?

They're comfortable. Mr. Hallenbeck's
on a generous pension.

They got respectable savings.

Gone in 30 seconds
at this rate.

Five weeks ago Mrs. Hallenbeck
ran up $10,000 charge

to a place called Romantic Getaways.
Gotta be a travel agency.

For 10 grand, you shouldn't
have to come back.

Well, Mrs. Hallenbeck
booked a luxury stateroom

on the Queen Sophia.

That's the flagship of the
Stafford-Kensington cruise line.

It doesn't come cheap.

Passage for two?

She and her husband.

Did you happen to meet
Mr. Hallenbeck?

Yes, he picked up the tickets.

He's very friendly.
We chatted.

What about?

Well, he saw I had on
a Dolce & Gabbana,

so we talked about
men's fashions.

This him?

Yes.

What'd he do?

You got an address for him?

Probably Gracie Mansion.

642 East 87th Street.

That's the same
as Mrs. Hallenbeck.

You want me to write that down?

No, it's okay, we got it. Did he
ever happen to come back again?

Maybe leave a phone number?

A fax. He wanted me to fax some
information on the ship's activities.

He was interested
in ballroom dancing.

Please tell me
you kept the fax number.

Yes, that's Mr. Greitz. He had an account here.
He closed it about a week ago.

How did he pay?

Cash. I can't imagine why the
police are looking for him.

He is so not a criminal.

Did he, uh, leave you an
address or a phone number?

He was staying with a friend.

Didn't want to tie up the phone
with his personal calls.

Very considerate of him.

He was just the nicest man.

So he got faxes here. Did
you deliver them anywhere?

Oh, no. He picked them up.

He ever use your fax
for outgoing?

Uh, wouldn't that
be privileged?

Uh, no.

I don't know anyone
named Philip Greitz.

Maybe you never met him.
He sent you a couple of faxes.

This looks like Eric.

There must be some mistake.

What's Eric's last name?

DeChagas. So why are you
calling him Philip Greitz?

What does Mr. DeChagas do?

He imports antiques and fine
art from Europe and Asia.

All right. Can you tell us
how you met Mr. DeChagas?

My husband had cancer.
I went to a support group.

And Mr. DeChagas was there because
his wife was dying of cancer?

That's right.
At Sloan-Kettering.

What is this about?

(SIGHS) Mrs. Wynnick,
we think that this man

preys on wealthy women
in support groups.

Oh, no, that's not possible.

You have no idea how kind
Eric is, and generous.

Otherwise, why would
he have given me this watch?

Does that watch have the initials M.H.
engraved on the back?

Why, yes. It was his mother's.
Her name was Mary Helen.

Well, I hope
you've got another one,

because that one was
stolen off a corpse.

Lisa Hallenbeck ID'd
the watch as her mother's,

but there's no prints on it
except for Mrs. Wynnick's.

And I take it there wasn't any

Mrs. DeChagas
at Sloan-Kettering?

Big surprise.
This guy's good.

His trail's colder than dead.

Well, there can't be
more than a thousand

support groups
in New York City, gentlemen.

Oh, yes, certainly I know him.
This is Dr. Gary Kennit.

Doctor this time.

Are you sure? Because we've
talked to a lot of people

who think that maybe they might have
seen him somewhere, sometime...

I've never had a member so
supportive of the other poor souls.

You don't forget
a man like Gary.

Why are you looking for him?

The Mayor wants
to give him a medal.

What night does he come here?

Oh, he hasn't come
for a few weeks now.

He, uh, called to tell me
that his wife had passed on,

and to thank me for my help.

What address did he give you?

No address.

Any of the women members go
missing in the last few weeks?

Well, Gloria Blumberg's
been absent.

We'll take her address.

Guy's juggling at least
three lady friends.

Must be putting
somethin' extra in his tank.

Jealous?

You think true love can't
happen twice, but then it does.

It's amazing.

That mean you're still
seeing Dr. Kennit?

Of course.

What is it you want
to talk to him about?

We think he has
some information for us.

Do you know
where we can reach him?

I'm afraid he's somewhere
over the Atlantic right now.

It's so tragic.
First his wife dies,

then his brother gets killed in a
car accident outside of Paris.

I bet you paid his airfare.

Oh, poor man.

He'd maxed out
his credit cards.

ED: First class?

Of course.
He'll pay me back.

BRISCOE: What airline?

British Airways to Paris.

What time was the flight?

Uh, four hours ago.

Yeah. Thank you, very much.
He never got on the plane.

He's traded his ticket
for one to St. Kitts.

Sure. No passport requirements,
no extradition treaty.

And a plane that doesn't leave
for an hour and a half.

May I help you?

We'll be discreet.

Mr. Greitz?

I'm sorry, I'm Dr. Kennit.

And about 17 other people.
Is this your bag?

Yes, it is.

You mind if we look in it?

Gary, what's this about?

Ma'am, would you excuse us
for a minute?

Well, I...

Did I hear a yes?

What happens if I say no?

Pretty much the same
as if you say yes.

Then go ahead.

My late wife's jewelry.

Uh-huh.
Minus the watch.

You're under arrest for the
murder of Marjorie Hallenbeck.

You have the right
to remain silent.

You also have the right to an
attorney unless you actually are one.

He refuses to tell us
his real name, Your Honor,

and he doesn't
have an attorney.

I've had a long day,
Ms. Carmichael.

What about his fingerprints?

Nothing came up
on the computer.

Mr. Rumer...

Uh, sorry, Judge.
Uh, I have an appointment.

You'll be a little late.

Met your new client, John Doe.

Mr. Doe,
I'm postponing arraignment

until the police
can determine your identity.

Until such time,
I'm remanding you to custody.

That won't be necessary,
Your Honor.

Mr. Weiss. Do I take it you're
representing our Mr. Doe?

May I have a moment?

My client's name
is Raymond Quinn,

and he pleads not guilty
to the charges.

He's committed no crime.
I ask he be ROR'd.

CARMICHAEL:
Remand, Your Honor.

Mr. Quinn was apprehended
fleeing the country.

He was traveling
on a round-trip ticket.

Which he could have cashed
in once he got to St. Kitts,

and lived happily ever after
with no fear of extradition.

Bail is set at $500,000.

Judge, Mr. Quinn
is virtually indigent.

Really?
Who-S paying your fees?

Mr. Quinn has
generous friends.

Let them pony up his bail.

Marjorie realized
it was foolish

to have her jewelry
at the hospital,

and she gave it to me
for safekeeping.

To you instead of
to her family?

How exactly
did that come about?

A husband with Alzheimer's,
a grasping daughter,

a son who couldn't
make time to help her.

Is it so odd
she'd rather I had it?

So you could give it
to your other lady friends.

You told the police you left Mrs. Hallenbeck's
room around 8:30 that evening.

And I had the jewelry
with me at that time,

so obviously, I didn't need to
come back and kill her for it.

CARMICHAEL: Lisa Hallenbeck
says her mother had the jewelry

when she and her father
were there.

That was after
you say you left.

She's mistaken.

JACK: She's mistaken?

We're supposed to take
your word for it?

A jury is supposed to take
your word that he killed her?

Where's your evidence?

For starters,
your client's bad character.

Maybe by your
narrow-minded standards.

I'll entertain murder two.

Not a chance.

Mr. Quinn romances lonely
women who buy him gifts.

I have five of them so far

who'll testify that his
passions are far from violent.

We need to dig deeper.

Find women who are less...

Stupid?

Romantic.

It'd also be nice to find
someone beside the daughter

who can say Mrs. Hallenbeck still had
her jewelry after Mr. Quinn left.

No, she just had on her wedding
ring, no other jewelry.

How can you be sure?

Because I noticed her pendant,

and asked her about it earlier.

She said it was her great-grandma's
and got passed down.

When you saw
she wasn't wearing it later,

did you ask her where it was?

She said it was safe.

You're positive about the time?

A little before 9:00,

just before her husband and
her daughter came to visit.

CARMICHAEL: Mr. Hallenbeck,
do you remember

when you went to visit
your wife at the hospital?

Yes. Lisa and I went
to see her.

Then she died.

Yes, sir, I'm sorry.

Was she wearing her jewelry
when you saw her?

The gold cross that was
handed down to her?

She loved that cross, you know.

Wore it almost all the time.

Was she wearing it that night?

She never would have
given it to just anyone.

Did she tell you that
she gave it to someone?

You're pretty.

Mother would look better
with hair like yours.

His mother died 20 years ago.

Stop interrupting.
I'm talking to a pretty girl.

Mr. Hallenbeck...

You're pretty...

Mother would look better
with hair like yours.

He's sundowning.

I'm sorry?

It's the sundown effect. He
gets worse as the day wears on.

It's kind of like the
lights slowly goin' out.

Would it be better if I
came back in the morning?

You could try.

Did you know about
your mother's affair?

No. But I did notice
a change a few weeks ago.

She seemed lighter,

like some weight had been
lifted off her shoulders.

Did your sister know about
your mother and Mr. Quinn?

No, I doubt it. She'd have been
after me to do something about it.

What could she
expect you to do?

Make sure that Mom didn't
run off with that man.

Make sure Lisa
didn't get stuck with Dad.

Make sure Mom didn't
fritter away their savings.

Money was a big worry?

Yeah, sure.

Lisa was afraid taking care
of Dad would bankrupt us.

And now? Did your mother
have life insurance?

Yeah. Why?

Marjorie said her daughter
was having a hard time

accepting the
Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Lisa was very close
to her father.

And how did Lisa
feel about her mother?

Well, Marjorie never said
anything bad about her.

But?

I got the impression there was
some tension between them.

What about?

It would be a guess.

That's fine.

Marjorie knew
the time was coming

when she was going to have to
put her husband in a facility.

Well, isn't there
in-home care?

It's just too hard
on the family after a while.

A 60-year-old man
whose diapers need changing,

who can't remember who you are,

who gets angry because he thinks
you stole his tricycle...

The man she married was
disappearing before her eyes.

And Lisa had a problem
putting Mr. Hallenbeck away?

Marjorie thought
it would become an issue.

So this Casanova
killed her for her jewelry,

or the daughter
killed her for what exactly?

CARMICHAEL: Life insurance.

Seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars,

split equally between
Michael and Lisa Hallenbeck.

Big policy.

She upped it after
the husband was diagnosed.

Didn't want him to bankrupt
the kids if she died.

A woman in her 50s.
Stiff premium.

Her son said
she felt it was worth it.

So what are we assuming here?

The nurse had no reason to lie.

She says the jewelry was gone by
the time the family came to visit.

Wrong man in custody.

We haven't been able to find anyone
who's seen any violence in Mr. Quinn.

Lisa Hallenbeck seems unstable,

extremely attached to her
father, angry at her mother.

And don't forget
about the money.

Speculation.

Enough to cast doubt
on Quinn's guilt.

Have the police talk
to Lisa Hallenbeck.

Why won't you listen?
She had the jewelry on.

Somebody killed her for it
after my dad and I left.

Lisa, there was nobody there
but you and your father.

That's not true. There were
nurses and other patients.

It could have been anybody.

But it wasn't just anybody.
It was somebody with a motive.

Tell us what happened, Lisa.

We went to my mother's room.

She said, "Why don't we go sit
in the solarium?" So we did.

Is that when you noticed she
wasn't wearing her jewelry?

Yes.

Did you ask her about it?

She said she'd
taken it off and put it

in the nightstand drawer
in her room.

I said I was going to
get it and bring it home,

and she stopped me.

She said she'd given it
to a friend for safekeeping.

Did you ask what friend?

Yes. She said it was
none of my business.

What happened after that?

How many times
did you hit her, Lisa?

You did hit her, didn't you?

We're gonna ask your father.

How long you think it's gonna
take us to get it out of him?

Leave him alone! He's sick!

Maybe you're hopin' he forgot.

You son of a bitch, stop it!

We'll stop it when you
tell us what happened.

All right!
I hit my mother, okay?

I didn't mean to kill her!

What did you hit her with?

My fists.

(CRYING) She fell
and hit her head.

I didn't know
she was still alive.

I would've...

I would've gotten help,
but Dad was getting upset.

Why did you run?

I thought about Dad.
If I went to jail...

I'm all he has now.

So what's the charge?

Man one.

Are you kidding?

Heat of the moment,
unpremeditated crime of passion.

Not to mention the money.

And the strain of
caring for her father.

If she intended
to kill her mother,

she wouldn't have
used her fists.

Maybe she didn't.
Final autopsy report.

Center of one bruise,
there's a darker impression.

This says
it's perfectly square.

Doesn't sound like
any fist I ever saw.

The M.E. say what it was?

Just a square.
Little over half an inch.

If Lisa Hallenbeck picked something
up and used it as a weapon,

man one's undercharging.

RODGERS: It's not a blunt
object somebody picked up...

(SIGHING) It's a ring.

Sorry, oversights happen when you let the
late shift do the finishing touches.

Lisa Hallenbeck wears
a small sapphire.

It'd have to be
the Star of India.

Can you get him to take his
hands out of his pockets?

Why?

We need to see his hands.

Oh, my fingernails
are dirty again.

They just keep getting dirty
no matter what I do.

Nice ring.

It's my dad's.

Mr. Hallenbeck, we're going to have
to take you down to the precinct.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What're you talking about?

I'm gonna put these on you.

It won't hurt.
It's just routine.

You son of a bitch! No one
told you you could touch me!

Dad! What makes you
think you can...

Dad, Dad!
What are you doing?

BRISCOE: My God...

MICHAEL:
Hey! Take it easy!

ED: You're under arrest
for the murder of your wife.

My dad says I have to be
home before dark.

ED: You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say can and
will be used against you...

Sole count is murder
in the second degree.

Can we get a plea, Counselor?

On behalf of my client,
not guilty.

People on bail?

The defendant killed his wife
in a jealous rage, Your Honor.

People ask remand.

PAULSEN: My client suffers
from Alzheimer's.

He's not capable of the kind
of premeditated assault

Ms. Carmichael
attributes to him.

What is he capable of?

Well, like most
Alzheimer's patients,

he's prone to
uncontrolled fits.

He's irrational.

He reacts only to
the crossed wires in his head.

I have an affidavit
from Phelps at Johns Hopkins

and scientific studies
published in leading journals.

Planning to interpose mental
disease as a defense, Ms. Paulsen?

That would be premature
at this time.

Then, save it
for the trial judge.

Until then, the defendant
doesn't look like

he's going anywhere,
Ms. Carmichael.

Bail is set at 150,000.

His wife was having an affair.

She and the daughter had a
tiff about it in front of him.

Did he grasp what was going on?

We were hoping
you could tell us.

Where was the daughter while
he was killing her mother?

She says she went to her mother's
room to look for the jewelry.

A nurse confirmed
seeing her in the hallway.

How long was she gone?

Four or five minutes.

And it was all over
when she got back?

All but the dying.

So, for all you know, Mr. Hallenbeck
thought his wife was an alien demon.

We're not trying to rail road him, Emil.
We just need to know.

Alzheimer's patients
have good days and bad days.

Good days,
they're almost normal.

Bad days...

What were the injuries
to the victim?

These bruises on her arms indicate
he grabbed her from behind.

Two hard punches
to the solar plexus...

So he must have
spun her around.

She went down, hit her head
on the corner of the table.

Happened fast.

Were there any other injuries
after she was on the floor?

No. The attack stopped.

So much for
the uncontrolled fit.

Maybe. What'd he do after?

Did he panic?
Did he try to get help?

We don't know.

Well, then I'm sorry,
I can't help you

unless I can get a sit-down
with Mr. Hallenbeck.

I'll talk to his lawyer
and arrange it.

(SIGHS)

I was at the hospital.
Marjorie was there.

And your daughter?

Lisa wanted to know
about the jewelry.

Boy, was she mad.

What about you?
Were you mad?

She said she deserved
some happiness.

Who did?

Your wife was happy with somebody else.
Were you jealous?

Do you know
where they'll put me?

I have some problems, you know.

What kind of problems?

I keep forgetting things.

(SIGHS)

Does that frighten you?

Why did you hit your wife?

She gave the watch
to her boyfriend.

It was her watch, wasn't it?

I gave her that watch!

She gave it to some
damn bastard gigolo!

She had no right!
Supposed to be with me!

Take care of me!

After you hit her,
did you go for help?

No.

(SIGHS)

I, uh, left the room.

Lisa was standing
in the hallway.

Did you ask her to go for help?

I didn't.

I just told her that...

I want to go home.

Skoda says
Mr. Hallenbeck understood

what was happening
in the solarium.

He knew his wife
was seeing another man.

So he was sane
at the time of the killing.

Is he fit to stand trial?

In Skoda's opinion, he's in the
intermediate stages of the disease.

It could be as much as eight to
10 years before he's incompetent.

Jury's gonna see a pathetic
old man with Alzheimer's.

Make a deal.

JACK: Man one, six-to-12.

No jail time.

Misdemeanor assault?
Not possible.

It was unpremeditated.

I talked to both the children.

Mr. Hallenbeck was
a controlling man

long before he got Alzheimer's.

Everything had to be
done his way.

I've talked to them, too. He was never
violent, never physically abusive.

Did you read
Dr. Skoda's report?

There's nothing new.

Read it again.

Skoda says Hallenbeck
was capable of lucid rage,

and was rational
at the time of the attack.

Man one, or we go to trial.

Assume you convince a jury,

where you going to put him?

State prison.

Where he'll be at the mercy
of every maggot in the system.

All prisons in the State of New
York have a hospital ward.

I'll give you
the benefit of the doubt

and assume
you've never seen one.

In the meantime, here's
some, uh, light lifting.

What's this?

Motion to dismiss
in the interests of justice.

On what basis?

The Eighth Amendment.

Putting an Alzheimer's patient
in a prison hospital ward

is tantamount to cruel
and unusual punishment.

Seems like a stretch.

Well, what do they do with
Alzheimer's patients in prison?

Whatever it is, I can't see how
it could be cruel or unusual.

We're underfunded, understaffed,
and overcrowded...

We have no
Alzheimer's specialists,

and we're not likely
to get one.

Alzheimer's patients need to
be in familiar surroundings

with people who
care about them.

Here, they have no contact
with their families,

no one who has one-on-one
time for them, no privacy.

You have any Alzheimer's
cases here now?

Eleven, with more on the way.

I've been trying for months to get
them moved someplace more appropriate.

Try to understand. We're
really doing the best we can.

(PEOPLE SHOUTING)

It's revolting, Jack.

You walk in, and the stench
knocks you back six feet.

There's screaming and babbling.

It's like you've entered
the fourth circle of hell.

There are a dozen men
strapped down to beds,

wearing nothing
but dirty diapers.

Half of them are crying, and the
others are spouting gibberish...

There are two nurses and
three orderlies per shift.

It's the most appalling
place I've ever seen.

Where are the doctors?

A doctor comes by once a week.

And for some kinds
of emergencies,

a psychiatrist wanders
through there once a month

if they're lucky.

What would this kind of
setting do to Mr. Hallenbeck?

Sixty-year-old man in diapers
chained to his bed,

with no privacy, no dignity, nobody
with time to take care of him?

What do you think?

And if he's found not guilty
by reason of insanity?

Then the options improve.

Better facilities,
more personnel.

More humane all around.

Prison wards aren't
deliberately inhumane.

I'm not blaming
the Department of Correction.

Things are just marginally
better on the outside.

But 20 years from now, when the baby
boomers reach their golden years...

We're just seeing
the tip of the iceberg.

Good luck.

Thanks for the editorial.
Now, how about a solution?

Good luck.

We should let Hallenbeck
take the insanity plea

and send him somewhere livable.

He isn't legally insane.

And he did commit homicide.

Unpremeditated.

I'm not talking about
letting him go.

You didn't see this place.
You have no idea.

Do I hear a soft side
scratching toward the light?

Jack...

I don't see a way out, Abbie.

But if you think you can work
something out, be my guest.

CARMICHAEL: One option might
be a determinate sentence

to be served in some kind of
halfway house.

PAULSEN: How much time?

Six years.

A halfway house?
What does that mean?

Would he just
have to sleep there?

No. He'd be subject to the same
rules as if he was in prison.

No, no. Dad has to be
at home with me.

I told you what I want. They're
not taking him away from me.

Next option?

We're trying to work out
a humane situation here.

It's already on the table. You
don't oppose his insanity plea.

Even though
he was legally sane?

That's neither here nor there.

Incarceration is not an option.

Why? Because
he's old and pitiful?

Send him where you send everybody
else who kills people.

Why should he rate
all this consideration?

Michael, Dad can hear you.

I don't care, Lisa. I am so sick and
tired of making excuses for him.

He never gave a damn
about Mom or me or you.

And she finally takes one step
away from him, and he kills her.

You never liked him.

You always took Mom's side.

He didn't mean to kill her, and
he had every right to be mad.

He's a jerk, and he's
never been anything but.

He deprived my kids of a grandmother
that they needed and loved.

And you want to
deprive them of a grandfather.

Wake up, Lisa.

If you think I would ever let him near
my kids again, you've lost your mind!

Okay, if the law says
that he's sane,

your shrink says that
he's competent,

why are we here, huh?
What's the problem?

What the hell's the matter
with you people?

Compassion?

If he weren't sick,
I'd say fry him.

They're all sick,
one way or another.

What makes him different?

Well, let's see.
Oh, yeah. Alzheimer's.

Abbie, you tried.

The daughter refuses to let go.

What do you want to do?

Sleep on it.

Shall I tell you again
what the prison ward is like?

We'll factor it in, Abbie,

but we're not basing
our decision on that alone.

All right,
it's been a long day.

Should've gone
to Sing Sing yourself.

The conditions under which a
prisoner is forced to live,

whether in prison or hospital,

cannot violate
the Constitutional ban

on cruel and
unusual punishment.

Whether those conditions
are the product of

design or neglect
doesn't matter.

The mere existence of intolerable,
inhuman circumstances

triggers the ban.

If convicted, my client will
be forced into a prison system

that cannot provide
the care he needs.

Worse, once his disease fully
overwhelms his faculties,

he will be housed
in such execrable conditions

as to hasten not only his mental
and physical deterioration,

but his death under
appalling circumstances.

Whatever his transgressions,
nobody deserves such a fate.

There's a time for justice
and a time for mercy.

The Criminal Procedure Law provides
for the dismissal of charges

even where the elements of
the crime are not in dispute

in certain cases
in the interest of justice.

This is such a case.

The Eighth Amendment does not
prohibit capital punishment,

or solitary confinement,
or hard labor.

As long as the punishment is not meant
to inflict pain for pain's sake,

the Eighth Amendment
doesn't apply.

Mr. Hallenbeck will receive the
same punishment as other prisoners.

The same food,

he will share
the same living conditions,

and get the same level
of medical care.

Mr. Hallenbeck is the victim
of a terrible disease.

He faces
a grim future in prison,

but it's a future
largely of his own making.

He was sane when he killed his
wife in a fit of jealous rage.

He's responsible for his crime,

and he's responsible
for his punishment.

Instead, he wants this court
to excuse his brutal act.

But society and the law demands
punishment for murder.

It was wrong of Mr. Hallenbeck
to kill his wife

just because
he felt sorry for himself.

And it would be wrong for this court
to turn a blind eye to his crime

just because
we feel sorry for him.

I find the application of Charles
Hallenbeck for dismissal of the charge

of murder in the second
degree is not without merit.

Mr. Hallenbeck is
facing that dark night,

which in some ways
is worse than death.

By the nature of his condition,
he will face it alone.

That being said,
I cannot determine that

subjecting Mr. Hallenbeck to
atrial and possible conviction

is violative of the
Constitutional prohibition

against cruel
and unusual punishment.

At this time, he is of sufficiently
sound mind to assist his attorney,

and to understand the nature of
the proceedings against him.

The motion is denied.

McCoy.

If Mr. Hallenbeck doesn't
want to go through a trial...

I'm willing to knock it down,

but he has to do
some prison time.

You offered time
in a halfway house.

Yes. Six years.

That's not fair. If he
hadn't gotten sick, then...

Lisa, please.
It's all over.

(SIGHS) We'll take it.

We were at the hospital...

My wife was, uh, was telling
my daughter about the jewelry.

Mr. Hallenbeck?

Is it August already?

Hot in the summer.

Will the People inquire?

Mr. Hallenbeck,
in the hospital,

did you punch your wife
with your fists?

Yeah, I did that.

Why?

She didn't want me anymore.

Oh, I'm a sick old man.

(CRYING) She didn't want me.

Is that why you killed her?

You were angry that
she might leave you?

She had no right.
I needed her.

I needed her!

The plea is satisfactory
to the People.

Mr. Hallenbeck, in accordance with
the terms of your plea agreement,

you are hereby sentenced
to a term of six-to-12 years

and remanded to the custody of
the Department of Correction.

I have to go away now.

Lost her father twice.
Lousy deal all around.

The law went
as far as it could.

Lisa Hallenbeck
wanted all or nothing.

One day, we might all wish
we had a kid like that.