Presumed Innocent Page #4

The doctors found 23 healed fractures

from old wounds.

Victim of his own beloved mother.

I need your help.

Your wife called.

Why don't you fire her?

Civil service. They're here forever.

Why don't you give this to Nancy.

You haven't had experience with kids.

Nancy's not available.

And, besides,

I'd like to try this case myself.

With your help.

Outline it for me.

About a month ago...

...the mother brought him

into the West End Pavilion Hospital.

The boy was unconscious

from severe head injuries.

She said he fell.

The doctor says...

...the head wounds were too symmetrical

to be the result of a fall.

He told me...

...he was treating a child whose mother

had crushed his head in a vise.

We have any proof it was the mother?

You got the vise?

Just the testimony of the child.

When he sees the mother in

the courtroom, he'll recant. An iffy case.

I've examined him several times and...

...l think he's begun to trust me.

Look, how many child abuse cases

does this office handle in a year?

Over a thousand.

Every one of them terrible.

Every one of them heartbreaking.

But I can't stop everything else

to take care of one case.

You're going to have to get somebody else

to help you.

You don't like me, do you?

I think you've turned out to be

a damn good prosecutor.

You're angry I didn't have to go

through the channels like everyone else.

Clearly, you're not like everyone else.

You think I got this job because

I f***ed some fat-cat friend of Raymond's.

Look, it's late....

Come on, I'll drive you to your ferry.

This is not the way to the ferry.

I want you to meet somebody.

Wendell, this is Rusty Sabich.

He's a very important man in our office.

He's going to help me

when we go to court.

Remember what I told you about court?

Yeah.

Now, tell me.

There's a judge and some nice people.

They're called a jury.

And you're gonna ask me questions.

About what?

About what happened.

When?

When I got hurt.

What else did I tell you?

You said that if I told what Mommy did...

...the judge and the nice people

will protect me...

...and Mommy wouldn't hurt me anymore.

Do you think you can do that?

Answer my questions in court?

And tell what Mommy did to you?

I think you can.

Mommy will be there.

She can't hurt you.

She can't even talk to you.

You'll be completely safe.

You promise?

I promise.

His father got to him last night.

Told him God would put him in hell

if he testified against his mother.

He's terrified.

If you're not ready, we'll ask the judge

for a couple more days.

No.

We've got to do it now

or we'll lose him for good.

Your mommy took you to the hospital

because you were hurt.

What part of you was hurt?

My head.

How was it hurt?

Wendell, how did you hurt your head?

I don't remember.

Have you ever seen this?

Yes.

Where?

-In the cellar.

-At home?

Yes.

Did somebody put your head inside it?

Wendell?

What did you say when somebody

put your head in the vise?

You told me you screamed

when your head was put in the vise.

Remember?

You told me.

"l promise...

"...l'll be a good boy.

"l'll be a good boy."

Did somebody answer?

Mommy.

Mommy said I was a bad boy

and I deserved to die.

And then what did Mommy do?

She made it tighter and tighter.

On your head?

She hurt my head.

My mommy hurt my head.

No further questions, Your Honor.

The doctors have told us...

...that the wounds...

...that Wendell suffered

could not have come from a fall...

...as the defense would have you believe.

The police told us they found a vise

at the home of the defendant.

Medical experts have testified...

...that the size and the shape

of the jaws of that vise...

...exactly match the size and the shape

of the wounds to the little boy's head.

And this evidence is clear...

...and uncontested.

But the most compelling evidence

in this trial...

...comes not from doctors,

or police officers...

...or other expert witnesses.

The most damning testimony...

...comes from an abused

and frightened child...

...who overcame his fear and his pain...

...to tell you, in his own words...

...what really happened.

If you're to remember nothing else

as you begin your deliberations...

...remember Wendell's words:

"My mommy hurt my head."

"My mommy hurt my head."

"My mommy hurt my head."

Congratulations.

It's gonna be so good.

You're still in love with her.

It was never love.

What was it, then?

It was never love.

What did she have

to make you feel so much?

Ladies and gentlemen...

...Raymond Horgan.

Thank you. Thank you.

I wanted to come down

and say a few words...

...before I call Mr. Della Guardia

and congratulate him on his victory.

No, no, no. Come on.

Of all the wonderful things

that have happened to me in 12 years...

...the best has been...

...knowing and working with all ofyou.

Wait till you hear what's going down.

It's strange.

Someone's f***ed up over at the Hall.

It's way wrong.

-Why?

-I get a message.

I'm supposed to be in the chief's office

By Molto.

No discussion. Interview.

It's like they're after me, right?

Another thing. When I came back tonight...

...they took all the receipts

of the evidence I inventoried on Polhemus.

No questions asked.

Sounds like you're off the case.

Sure. Fine, but figure this in.

I'm at the North Branch before 5:00,

going through the microfilm.

All of this hits by 6:00, 6:30.

Look what I picked up

while I was out there.

The case number matches

the complaint number...

...that was missing

when you saw Kenneally.

Five years ago. Bingo.

And look who's listed

as Leon's probation officer.

"Carolyn Polhemus."

Wait. Here's the best.

Who do you think was the deputy

handling the case?

Tommy Molto.

You keep this because I don't know

what the f*** is happening with me.

Tommy Molto.

Tommy Molto once worked here,

but we think he might be dead.

Raymond's inside.

We've been waiting for you.

Rusty.

Molto and Delay...

...have questions about

the Polhemus investigation.

This should not be handled this way.

You should speak with Rusty alone.

What's this about?

You were at Carolyn's apartment

the night she was killed.

Bullshit.

What was it, a Tuesday night?

Barbara was at the university.

I was babysitting.

Keep your f***ing mouth shut.

We got the fingerprint results...

...the ones that you could never remember

to ask for.

They're your prints all over the bar glass.

Yours, Rozat K. Sabich.

Five feet from where the woman

was found dead.

Or maybe you didn't remember

that all county employees get printed.

This is absurd.

The phone records

you told Lipranzer not to get?

We had the phone company

pull them this morning.

You were calling her all month.

There's a call from your house

to hers that night.

My God, you're serious.

Tommy, for Christ's sake!

Sabich.

I want you to know one thing. I know.

Sure you do.

Go ahead, play cool. I know.

You killed her. You're the guy.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, you're right. You're always right.

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