The Judge Page #3

Hank, don't get on the plane.

I need you to come back,

- dad...

- I don't care, Glen.

- Stop talking and listen to me.

- I gotta to turn off the phone.

Hey, Just shut up for a second!

shut your mouth and listen for

once in your entire life!

What's it, Glen?

Sheriff, sheriff white called, called

dad down to the police station,,

asking him questions about

the damage to the car.

They think he killed...

Glen listen...Unless he killed

somebody already, you're on your own..

They found a body, Hank.

You mean judge, I can milk her, kill her,

cook her, eat her even, that's illegal?

It's a true story!

- Mr Palmer...

- Judge Palmer, deputy hanson.

Sir, did anybody other than you

have access to your vehicle?

No sir, no sir.

You gotta be shitting me! Is

this an interview? No sir, no sir.

You gotta be shitting me!

Is this an interview?

We got a witness that

put his car on route 30

heading toward Shelby road at the

approximate time of the accident.

oh boy! That's not enough for

his car to be at the scene.

Any schmuck lawyer is Gonna chew that

up and spit it out - stolen vehilcle.

You need him behind the wheel.

- Hank, let's go, pal.

- Go where?

oh!? Bobby, graduation night, the quarry,

your grand Chevy, I remember everything!

You and Kevin Thompson in the back

seat naked, huffing whippets...

Shall I continue?

I can elaborate...

- It's Just a rumor.

- Where were we?

He has been on the other side of

the bench too long, he forgets...

If you don't talk, you walk.

We don't hide behind the law here.

The damage to the front of my car...

I went to the convenient

store, last night, alright?

Every word limits his

option, keep going.

Imagine a far-away-place, Hank.

Where people value your

opinion, now go there.

No bad booze? 80% of

hit-and-runs involve liquor.

His wife Just died, why

won't he take a sip?

But you need an admission from him,

better yet, a voluntary urine sample.

There you go, fill her up.

A bladder filled with

courtesy coffee and since

he's in the John anyway,

that sort of thing...

Just might catch him off guard.

We can get everything we

need from a hair sample.

Sure can, nice work, sheriff.

Yeah, you should be proud of yourself. You

should have him for manslaughter by lunch.

Judge Palmer...We uh, we Gonna

need to impound your vehicle.

- Tell me what happened.

- I don't remember.

- Because you were drunk?

- No, because I can't remember!

don't you think I want to remember?

I can't! For

all I know, I never hit

anything or anybody!

So, I was at the liquor cabinet.

What kind of recovering alcoholic

keeps his stock in the cabinet?

No, no, no, no...'Recovered'

it's a reminder

that I'm stronger. It

holds no power over me.

Right now, that cop Hanson is

on his way to the mini mart

to ask some scared,

shitless, high school

clerk with half a joint

at his front pocket,

- if you have an alcoholic

beverage in your breath,

- did you?

- No!

- Blood shot eyes?

- No!

- Slurred speech?

- No!

They shouldn't drive together.

I'm on your side, judge,

and if this goes south and

it might, you need to

be able to say to someone

with a straight-face.

You haven't had a

drink for 28 years.

What's done is done. If you hit somebody,

it's because he swerved in front of you.

I strongly suggest you dry up

and practice that narrative.

Narrate this!

We Just need to file another

continuance, what else can I do?

Trust me, I'm Gonna be

back as fast as I can.

It's a personal matter. Yea, I'd

love to walk out of it but I can't.

Ken, hold on.

Why the hell you call me, Lisa?

Lauren?

Hi honey, what're you

doing with mommy's phone?

No, no, no, don't worry about it,

don't worry about it. What's up?

I miss you too, baby.

I'll see you soon.

Either I come home or maybe

you come here. Look,

look, we'll figure it out, don't worry.

I promise.

I'll take you shopping,

will you shop with me?

You want a cellphone? All you own?

I'll get you...

Daddy has to work.

Yep?

Hank, forensics found traces

of blood on your dad's car.

- So...?

- Deep in the grille...

- Great!

- It matches the victim.

- I'm sorry.

- It's murder two.

- Murder? So, are you a clairvoyant?

- That's not the whole of it.

He's Just a little f***ing out of his mind.

That's a rookie move, hands off.

The victim is mark Blackwell.

Pretty amazing coincidence,

don't you think?

Blackwell?

Carlinville police dept.

Joseph Palmer

you killed him!

- oh sh*t! That is Mrs. Blackwell.

- You killed my son.

Alright, alright, go

straight to the car!

- Straight in, there you go.

- When our lawyers are done with you,

I'll burn another

name in your house!

- I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am.

- Sorry? - Let's go, let's go!

You'll be! You can shovel

that man's sh*t. Come on!

Mom, let's go!

See, I recognize you!

you're no altar boy!

Why are these people so mad?

She spit on the window.

Look, dad is a judge, you know. Sometimes

he has to make difficult decisions.

There was a girl...

- What was her name?

- Hope Stevens.

There's a guy...

Mark Blackwell, your

senior, like Glen.

Hope is his girlfriend,

Just turned 16.

He took a 38 to her

house, shot the place up,

- can we talk about something else?

- I don't get it...

- Why...Why...

- He shot out at her bedroom windows,

angry over whatever

kids get angry about...

When they have been dating for...What?

6 months?

now you listen to me, he stood in

court and wept like a lost child,

said he was drunk and

would never do it again.

If he meant to hurt

her, he would have.

I believed him! I believed him.

I gave him the minimum, 30 days.

I remember the

morning he got out,

Glen and I were in the backyard,

tinkling with this...

Breaking Ball. Pitcher Was Just

starting the game, Cincinnati vs St. Louis.

But uh...

- God help us, why'd he do that?

- Blackwell...

Threw her down into

the sewage pond...

It's about 50 yards

behind her house.

All into it was is 2

feet of water. He

kneeled down on her chest

until she drowned.

Dad gave him 20 years,

he got out in April.

- Stop the car.

- Dad, come on.

Shoot the Korean, am I speaking Korean?

Stop the goddamn car!

- I need my walk.

- Leaving the scene, blood evidence,

motive...Biggest mistake in your career

and you Just happened to run him over?

I can convict you over

coffee but no, no, no,

routine is important,

close the door, go.

If the blood matches and I've

no reason to doubt it does,

then I must have clipped him.

I don't remember any of that.

'I don't remember what happened

defense' does not fly with a corpse.

We need to establish

a firm defense!

We gotta get the charges dropped and make

it all go away in the preliminary hearing

and never go to trial.

There is no way here, Henry,

this is an accident, period.

Any decent lawyer can

argue this easily.

By decent, I mean honest.

Someone from here, someone with integrity

that an Indiana judge would respect.

I retained one of the greatest

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