Primal Fear Page #8

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No further questions.

Does Defence wish to cross?

- No, Your Honour.

- Court's in recess.

Bailiff, please set up for the tape.

Mr Goodman, you're excused.

Thanks for the advice.

- Mr Vail said she was your girlfriend.

- Yes, she was.

- How did you meet?

- We were both at the Savior House.

I was an altar boy,

and she was working

for Bishop Rushman.

Doing what?

Were you sleeping

with anyone else at the time?

- No, no.

- Was she?

N-n-no.

Has she been to see you, Aaron?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here.

What?

Mr Vail, are you prepared to proceed

with your first witness?

Yes, Your Honour.

The Defence calls John Shaughnessy.

The People object. Mr Shaughnessy

has never been identified as...

- Your Honour, may I approach?

- Yes, you may.

My client is on trial for his life. He

maintains there was a third person.

Can Mr Shaughnessy confirm that?

The US Constitution

takes precedence here,

permitting calling any witness

to prove innocence.

That's stated in the Sixth Amendment

and profound in Brady vs. Maryland.

Mr Shaughnessy, you sit on the board

of the Rushman Foundation?

I am an honorary board member.

Explain the nature

and purpose of this foundation.

It was founded by the late Archbishop.

Its purpose is to invest in projects

for the greater good of the community.

The greater good of the community,

OK.

Would that be true

in the case of the now bankrupt...

- ...South River Housing Development?

- Yes.

Could you tell the court why the South

River project was abandoned?

There was a difference of opinion

as to the costs.

Wasn't there also

a difference of opinion

between the investors

and the late Archbishop?

- I don't recall.

- You don't...

What kind of money

are we talking about?

How much money was invested

in this failed South River enterprise?

- 60 million dollars.

- Quiet.

60 million dollars!

Wow, that's a lot of money.

You and the Archbishop

have been friends for 20 years?

- You knew each other well.

- That's right.

- Did that tape's content surprise you?

- Yes, of course.

You've never heard any allegations

against the Archbishop?

Not that I recall, no.

Especially since you were State's

Attorney for the last 1 5 years,

you've supervised all prosecutions

in Cook County during that time,

especially the prosecutions

of prominent figures.

I also have a staff of

a thousand of the best prosecutors...

As State's Attorney

it was up to you, ultimately, to decide...

- ...who would be indicted.

- Yes.

Let me just take you back now.

Let's go back to June 1 985.

Do you recall any allegations

of sexual misconduct...

- ...against the Archbishop then?

- I don't recall that, no.

Do you recall a young man

by the name of Michael O'Donnell

who came to the felony review unit

at your office?

I have no idea

what you're talking about.

That's confusing because a document

from the Chicago Metropolitan Police

says that Michael O'Donnell spoke

to the supervisor for two weeks,

explaining sexual abuse he suffered

at the hands of Archbishop Rushman.

Isn't it also true, Mr State's Attorney,

that you then decided that your friend

was not going to stand trial

for any of it?

He owed you big time, John.

You must have been pissed off

when he pulled out of South River.

He just said, "I can't take it any more"?

He said, "No!"

You and your investors

had 60 million reasons to kill him!

- You little cocksucker!

- That's it. Witness dismissed.

- Vail, in my chambers now.

- That's for Joey Pinero, shithead.

Start looking for a job.

You think you can use my courtroom to

wage vendettas and settle old scores,

you are sorely mistaken.

I'm striking Shaughnessy's testimony

from the record as irrelevant,

and I'm holding you in contempt

to the tune of 1 0,000 dollars.

You're saying that I can't get

a fair trial in your courtroom?

Be very careful, Mr Vail.

You're on dangerous ground.

You want the cheque

made out to you?

You want me to take you off this case?

You're making a mockery of

my courtroom, and I won't allow it.

I suggest you start representing your

client and stop representing yourself.

- Can we do this later?

- No, I want to stay with this.

- I'm feeling very, very tired.

- Yeah, I know.

Why does talking

about Linda Forbes upset you?

It doesn't. Ijust...

- OK.

- I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

- You know what I can do with this?

- How the f*** should I know!

Dr Arrington, how much time

have you spent with Aaron Stampler?

- Around 60 hours.

- What did you find in your evaluation?

Mr Stampler suffers from

an acute disassociative condition.

- Multiple personality disorder.

- Objection, Your Honour.

She's only stating

what she's personally observed.

- Your Honour.

- Counsellors.

- I know what you're doing.

- Excuse us for a minute?

If he wants to question

his client's sanity...

I'm trying to establish

a medical basis for amnesia.

That's not what he's doing.

He's saying he's crazy.

- Are you?

- No, I am not.

I'll allow you to proceed

with this witness if you're very careful.

Absolutely. Yes.

Write down that he said that.

All right, where were we?

Now, could Aaron Stampler

have been present during the murder

of Archbishop Rushman...

- ...and not remember it?

- Yes, he could.

Could you explain that, please?

Stampler's state was such that his

body could be present at a homicide,

and yet his mind

would be unable to recall it.

- How would this be possible?

- This neurological mechanism...

...began with the early abuse

suffered at the hands of his father.

In defence Aaron's psyche splintered

into two separate personalities.

- Your Honour.

- I didn't say it. I did not say it...

You've been warned twice.

You wanna pursue this?

And I suggest you think long and hard

before answering.

Your Honour, just one last question.

All right, Dr Arrington...

...in your opinion is Aaron Stampler

capable of murder?

No, he's far too traumatised to

express normal anger and frustration.

He keeps his emotions repressed,

which is why he created Roy,

who is capable...

- Objection.

- That's enough, Mr Vail.

The jury will disregard this witness'

last statement, as will the court.

- Prosecutor, do you wish to cross?

- You bet I do.

Since you brought it up,

against the instructions of the court,

is multiple personality disorder

your primary area of expertise?

It's not my primary field, no.

Is forensic psychiatry

your primary area of expertise?

- No, I'm a neuropsychologist.

- I see.

So you have no forensic experience

and you're more of an academic?

Then you will forgive

this rather academic question.

I'm driving, somebody cuts me off.

I feel like killing this guy,

but I don't. Now do l?

- I would hope not.

- That's right.

Things happen to us.

People wrong us.

But we don't all invent psychopaths

to do our dirty work for us, doctor?

I'm not suggesting

you have multiple personalities.

- I'm saying Mr Stampler does.

- Yes, I know. We heard.

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