Courted Page #4

Down the hall on the left

is the living room,

bedroom on the right.

Excuse me.

The bedroom or the dining room?

- Dining room.

- No, bedroom.

- No, I say.

- You said to the right.

Hold on... Excuse me...

The court would like to know

whether you hear the neighbors

from your house.

- Lots of shouting, crying.

- Crying, shouting.

Even at night... it's nonstop.

From morning to night,

we hear crying.

The shouting...

Parents shouting.

We're drained, stressed.

- Every night?

- Night too.

It's day and night.

You lost sleep over it?

No doubt about it.

So, you're Martial Beclin's

half-brother.

That's right.

How many years apart are you?

Nine years.

Did he treat you like a half-brother

or like a normal brother?

Like a brother.

You never felt half-brothers.

Never. He considers me

a brother and likewise.

He was always fair with me.

Always like a brother.

He was always there for you.

For you,

he hasn't many shortcomings.

Very few.

None.

How rare to find a person

with no shortcomings.

What gave you the impression

that you were protected

by your brother.

He's everything to me.

He always supported me.

He took on the role...

of my father.

For me, he's like my father.

How did you see

his relationship with Jessica Marton?

They were a tight couple.

- What united them?

- Their daughter.

That's right.

For me, he shouldn't be here.

Really?

He could never kill his daughter.

- Fine.

- He shouldn't be here.

Thank you, sir.

The last witness was heard.

We'll resume

after a 15-minute recess.

What I really don't understand

is his lawyers' attitude.

It's total nonsense.

Always on the phone, in and out.

His client means jackshit.

It's not just that.

We have a defendant who won't talk.

They say nothing

like it's normal.

Lawyers say

clients are their worst enemies.

Better a client who keeps quiet

than one who blabbers on

and who, with one word,

can destroy their case.

Do you want to meet

after the hearing

in the place you had lunch today?

They planned it. A tactic.

Not necessarily.

- He's waiting till tomorrow.

- Why tomorrow?

The investigating officers testify.

Defense will plead forced confession.

The defendant turned himself in

for having accidentally

killed his child.

After 7 hours of questioning,

he admits he possibly kicked her too.

As if by chance.

By chance, after a 7-hour grilling.

That's their case.

5 minutes.

I'll tell the presiding judge.

So they made him confess.

No idea. I wasn't there.

It's what they'll claim.

Your Honor?

We're starting in 5 minutes.

Thanks, Pauline. I'm coming.

Right away.

If you like.

Do you swear to cooperate

with the court as best you can?

- Say "I swear".

- I swear.

It's called pyloric stenosis.

Can you explain to the jury

where the pylorus is

and what it does?

The lower portion of the stomach

shrinks.

Food makes it difficultly

through the intestines.

It has no particular function.

The pylorus is just

a part of the stomach.

Let's understand.

The lower part. It's a muscle.

And so?

What happens in the system...

Food has a hard time

making it through the intestines.

Is it painful?

Not only is it painful,

but it causes projectile vomiting

after each feeding.

The anterior fontanel connects

the frontal bone to the parietal ones

hardens between 18 and 36 months.

Until then,

the child's skull is very fragile.

So for you the child died

from a kick to the head.

I can't answer so categorically.

Meaning that for you...

I don't exclude

that the child could have died

from opening a door violently,

which banged her head.

But the hypothesis of blows

suffered from a shoe

is also perfectly plausible.

She could also have hit

a table corner.

No questions from the jury?

Thank you, Dr. Mignaret.

Court is adjourned

until tomorrow at 9:30.

- Something else to sign.

- Tomorrow.

- Okay?

- See you.

Have a nice evening.

I didn't make you wait too long?

I sat to the side. I didn't want...

Didn't want what?

To be seen together.

A circuit court judge

meeting a juror...

Not circuit court.

Criminal court.

It's not very common.

Not very wise either,

but not against the law.

What's that?

Chablis.

- Mineral water, please.

- Right away.

Anyway, I...

I wanted to thank you

for seeing me again.

Your hip doesn't hurt anymore?

I try not to let it show.

When it rains, I feel some pain.

But overall, I get by normally.

If I got mugged,

I might have a hard time

catching the mugger.

But I was never...

a running champ.

But there's one thing

I can't stand since my accident.

Stairs.

I can't stand stairs anymore.

To such an extent that...

I only visit friends

who live on the ground floor

or who have elevators.

A new way of choosing friends.

No better or worse than another.

- Mineral water.

- For me.

When you came,

did you know I'd be presiding?

I had no idea.

What if you'd known?

It would have changed nothing.

You wouldn't have pulled a sickie?

"Pull a sickie"

means to call in sick.

Get an excuse or a note

from a doctor.

Everyone told me to.

The head doctors...

- Interns I work with.

- Nice mentality.

A friend who was a juror

told me about her experience.

She said it was incredible.

Very powerful.

She was curious to know how...

people like you, judges, lawyers,

don't feel overwhelmed.

We're armored.

At night I shut it off.

You keep thinking

about your patients?

Yes.

Always.

If I don't, others do it for me.

The hospital calls.

Or I call IC

to see if everything's okay.

Thank God...

defendants don't call me from cells.

Not that they don't all have phones.

I'm unlisted. Red list.

Red list?

Always red!

What do you mean?

Your scarf, your gown...

Yes, my scarf and gown.

Where does the red scarf come from?

- What do you mean?

- You always wear it?

Why? It bothers you?

I don't like it much.

It's exhibitionistic.

Exhibitionistic?

This is the first time

I've been called an exhibitionist.

Arrogant, okay, I understand.

But exhibitionistic, no.

My wife says I only wear it

to annoy people.

She's right.

It's just that

I don't know how to dress.

I never could.

So this scarf

gets me off the hook.

People look at it, not me.

It's less to stand out

than not to be seen.

On the other hand,

you're always elegant.

Even in your white smock,

you're still very elegant.

Why didn't you answer my letter?

What would it have changed?

But you did get it?

Yes, I got it.

Since I never got an answer,

I asked you to dinner.

Remember?

I was too shy to ask you out alone,

so I asked Dr. Malar along.

Remember? That awful Dr. Malar.

He blabbered on all night.

House in Corsica, jet-skis, pool.

Awful man, that Dr. Malar.

He did the surgery on you.

Not a reason

to inflict his wife on us.

She was a real idiot.

She never shut up.

An entire dinner...

about her delivery

without an epidural.

Remember?

I kept thinking

the next time she says "placenta"

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