The Judge Page #9

The judge's Cadillac reappears in

the frame approximately 5 minutes

after it left the lot.

Exact time, sheriff?

4 minutes, 45 seconds.

Ok, again. When he leaves,

oops, sorry, too far...

There we go.

Judge Palmer?

Dad!

Bailor...

You mind calling an ambulance?

Dad, talk to us.

Dad?

St. Thomas more,

I don't know which paragraph

the judge would like to...

Maybe St. Joseph because

he's the patient's...

Okay, okay, Dale...

- And St. Joseph... - Dial down the

crazy now, dial it down! / and...

Hey, you want to go to

the vending machine?

Ok. / here...

Whoa / get whatever you want.

- You've a naked lady in here.

- Yeah,

- it's a fun wallet.

- Film the vending machines, Dale.

- Look, don't look at me like that.

- don't get off on him.

Not now, don't look at

me like that, not now.

You don't know what

my life is like, ok?

Mom is gone, alright?

And dad is...

And then what are we

going to do about Dale,

huh? What, you Gonna help?

You? Really?

I'm not like you, I've been

stuck here all the time...

I understand why

you're going mental...

Hank, I've never asked for a

goddamn thing in your life!

- I'd never asked you for anything!

- Hey, I'm f***ing here...

- Yeah, but he is your father, you

should be here! - oh my god...

- I'm going crazy...

- I'd never asked for a goddamn thing, ok?

I'm asking you now! You

cannot lose this case!

Dad cannot go to prison.

don't pat me, don't pat me, I'm the

big brother here, you don't pat me.

Dad wants to see you,

Hank, not you, Glen.

- I killed the bastard.

- you're funny.

Please, don't ever say that again.

don't say that...

- I know me, I ran that man down.

- you're speculating, I know you too.

you're not capable of overriding a

life time of ethical superiority.

- I don't have the energy to fight

with you, Henry. - Then muster some.

- Do you remember hitting him?

- It's Just a matter of time.

Clocks run out! I don't

have f***ing time!

you're not taking the stand!

- Then, uh...I'll fire you and C.P.

Will do it. - you're the most...

Brutally, bullheaded

client I've ever had.

This is easy, there is no witness.

The prosecution

can't prove you hit him

any more than you can.

I'd spread reasonable

doubt all over this case.

Please, please will you Just...

let me do my job,

let me do the talking, keep

your mouth shut and win.

Yes...

But I'd to live here.

you're impossible to defend!

What happened to Reagan?

You know, the jellybeans,

and your horseshit legacy?

Ok, so, you're Gonna swear in hand

to god and lie under oath that

you remember hitting him?

I won't confess to something I

don't remember doing, okay?

- You promise?

- Yes. / thank you. / yes.

- I'll see you in court, Henry.

- I'm sorry, I Just

I'll see you in court.

I do...

Judge Palmer, you have been

on the bench how long?

- 42 years. - So how many violent

crimes have you ruled on in that time?

Objection, the defendant's history

as a judge is not relevant.

Your honor, the state has

introduced evidence, suggested

motive for the alleged crime

related to the judge's duties.

- I'm entitled to rebut that

laughable presumption. - Overruled.

It's, uh, not something

I keep track of.

But would it surprise you to learn that

you've presided over 17 murder trials,

- 434 assaults, 12,942 civil cases.

- It would not.

Did you run over any

of those folks?

- Objection!

- Rein it in, Mr. Palmer.

- Just lost your wife?

- Yes.

- How long were you married?

- 50 years.

How did she pass?

She spent the morning kneading,

she fussed over hydrangeas,

a blood clog formed at

her left leg and...

Went to her heart.

The day of the accident, what

did you do that morning?

- I buried your mother, oh, my wife.

- Tough day, how did you feel?

- Tired.

- Tired, dark, raining,

- do you remember hitting the victim?

- I do not.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Would it be fair to say that

you dislike mark Blackwell?

Yes.

Wished him ill?

I did.

Dead?

Yes.

Deputy Hanson testified

that you told him

that only you were allowed

to drive that car,

- not even you late wife.

- It's my car.

But now a man's blood,

a man that you hate

was found on a car

that only you drive

- but you don't know how it got there?

- I do not, no.

A six foot one, 220 pounds man,

that's a pretty big old

boy, on a steel bicycle

but you're in the

dark about it all?

- Objection, asked and answered.

- Overruled.

Correct.

So, on one of the worst

days of your life,

you entered the mini mart,

- you see a man you hate...

- Objection! Argumentative!

Let him finish.

You see a man you hate and minutes

later, you altered your route,

and both of you and the

man are on the same road,

at the same time, only you and

your car, with his blood on it,

and he is in a ravine, with his

kidneys ruptured and his back broken

and you don't

remember hitting him?

I do not.

So...you're telling

this court, under oath,

which I know you understand

better than most,

that a man who killed

somebody on your watch,

a man you released, who

drowned a 16 years old girl,

a man that you absolutely hate,

on the worst day of your

life and you have the

perfect opportunity to

balance the scale of justice

and your testimony is that you didn't

seize that chance and kill him?

No.

No further questions.

That is not my testimony.

Sir, how have I mischaracterized

your testimony?

Objection, he said

no more questions.

- Your honor?

- My testimony is...

That I don't remember

hitting him.

Your honor, may I

request a brief recess?

Denied.

Mr. Palmer,

judge Palmer.

Do you think you killed

him intentionally?

Objection, call for

speculation, move to strike.

Yes.

Order!

Order!

Settle down.

Thank you, your honor,

no further questions.

Redirect, judge?

Ok.

- So...You think you did it?

- Correct.

Ok, you think

but not because you

remembered hitting him?

That's right.

oh, your opinion is that you

hit him on purpose, correct?

I, I, I, uh, I Just said yes.

Why do you think you can't

remember the accident?

- My wife Just died.

- Undergoing any medical treatment?

Objection! Relevance?

- Goes to state of mind, your honor.

- Overruled.

- You and I are finally done.

- oh, we're not done.

- Yes, we're done.

- C.P., you're up. / sit down, Mr. Kennedy.

- you're done when you answer my question!

- No, no, no, no! / answer it!

No, you're not my lawyer!

you're not my lawyer!

you're on the stand as a

witness, answer my question!

I'm sound mind and body, it's

none of your goddamn business!

Sit down!

- Keep quiet!

- No, no, no! / I'm not done! Sit down!

Judge Palmer,

it's your right to seek other

counsel if you so choose

but you'll have to do so after

you completed your testimony.

Yes, sir.

I'll ask you again, undergoing

any medical treatment?

- Yes or no?

- Chemotherapy.

- For how long?

- 6 months.

Chemo? That's cancer?

- Yes...

- Prognosis?

It is advance.

- Did your doctor caution

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