One Year in a Life of Crime (1989) Movie Script
1
Same place,
10 times in the eye.
You better watch
with that damn knife.
It's disgusting,
ain't it, Jon?
I don't care
if I go to jail, all right?
But I'm not gonna go
and turn myself in,
so they can just lock me
the fuck up right there.
Let 'em find me first.
You know what I mean?
You better shut up!
I told you!
I... Get in that hole.
One, two, three,
four, five.
One, two, three,
four, five, right?
$85 a piece.
I miss it out there.
You said they were
never gonna catch you.
They got lucky.
We're going to a store.
We're going to try to...
That store over there?
Yeah, that store over there.
Gonna try to, um,
load up.
What're you looking for?
Anything...
- Make some money.
- Yeah.
And if you get caught?
Go to jail.
You got a bag?
Give me some bags.
Gettin' the fuck
out of here.
Job well done.
It's not bad at all.
Not too good.
I wanted about 20 of 'em.
Well, we got, um,
sets of sheets.
Yeah?
They go for like,
you know, $12, $15.
They get it in
the street for $10.
All together, you guys are gonna
get how much money for this stuff?
- About 80 bucks.
- About $40 a piece.
- $40, yeah?
- Yeah.
- For 10 minutes' work?
- Yeah.
Beats the minimum wage!
Were you afraid you
were gonna get caught in there?
- I'm always afraid.
- Yeah.
But baby got to eat.
I got to eat.
The rent got to be paid.
Is it gonna be hard
to sell this stuff?
No, not at all.
Easy.
Where you
gonna take it?
Gonna take it
to a store down here.
- That's a queen size.
- Uh-huh.
- All right, let's go.
- We'll see you later.
Let me see the money.
- Oh, we got it.
- We got it, we got it.
Okay, you got
all your sheets.
Yeah.
The deal is sold.
Let's go, Mike.
We didn't really
make that much.
There,
here's your half.
How much...
How much did you sell for?
Well, the thing
that happened,
I didn't want to waste time
like going around
'cause I could have
made 80.
But sometimes it happens
that you just got to give it away.
- 50 bucks. We lost 30.
- We sold it for 50 bucks.
But we didn't want
to waste time
'cause that time is money.
About time you cleaned it.
Very funny.
This is Angela,
my girl.
This is my father, Ed.
Glad to meet you.
- How are you doing?
- All right.
This is...
Come over here.
This is Aaron.
Say hi.
- Who's Aaron? Hi.
- Aaron.
Aaron, hi.
My father works.
How much you make?
How much
you make an hour, Ed?
$4.10 an hour.
How much you bring home
at the end of the week?
$80 a week.
- A week.
- Peanuts.
You have to make extra money
some way to survive.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, do you think he's foolish
for working like that?
- Yes.
- Really?
That's too less.
$80 a week.
That's just enough
for his lunch
and his bus fare
to get to work.
Don't make no sense.
Don't make no sense.
Can't make more money.
You know what your
son does to make money?
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, what do
you think about it?
I don't like the idea.
- No?
- No.
He just got
out of jail.
Did 60 days
in jail.
Yeah? For what?
Uh, for possession.
Cocaine.
Yeah?
Just got out yest...
Yesterday.
He's my original teacher.
He's the best.
Number one.
- Nothin' but the best.
- Really?
Nobody can take my place.
I know that for a fact.
You really
are the best shoplifter?
Yes, I am.
Want to make some money?
Yes or no? Come on, man.
Guess so.
Okay, we're gonna go out and
make some money. Let's go.
I'll drive if you want.
You'll drive?
You've only been
out of jail one day.
Don't mean nothin', man.
Last time I got out of jail, I didn't
get two blocks away before I started...
I stole me a car
and started shoplifting.
Same town.
Let's just get the suitcase.
Suitcase, suitcase.
Excuse me. Can you
check this for me a minute?
- This one?
- This thing over here.
I don't want
to take it out.
You want me
to watch the front for you?
You see this one
right here?
Guess you want to take a
picture of what's inside, don't you?
What do you got
in there?
None of your big-eyed business.
You big-head motherfucker.
Help me.
Now you give us a 20.
You give us...
Shut it off, man.
Now we made 170.
Pass on some money.
- So 170 is, uh...
- 170, 170.
80, 85.82.
Take your piece.
80.40, 60, 80.
One, two, three
four, five.
Putting away 100
for today.
I had 200.
Now I got 300 saved.
Probably be
for my bail anyway.
Don't pay doin' it.
I'm serious!
I go out and make money,
I put it away.
It happens
all the time.
I get busted.
Got to use
all the money for bail.
Now what attracted
you two to each other?
What attracted you
to him?
My money.
You didn't have money
when I met you.
What attracted
you to her?
Nothing.
If you could wish
for one thing,
what would
you like to have?
- Me?
- Yeah.
If there's one thing
I could wish for?
Yeah.
Not no money.
To get married.
With somebody who can
use their brains for.
Wait. Oh, you're not
really married, married?
No.
I didn't know.
See, now it's not
all that bad.
That's what you'd like,
is if you... if... if
you're really married, huh?
Yeah.
I don't wish for no money.
I wish for a big business.
So I can make money.
Make my...
I'm just not gonna wish
I got money.
I want to work for it,
have my own business.
So that I can make a million.
- A big business.
- That'd make you happy?
Fuck, I'll take a million.
Buy my own business
and still have money.
What took you back
to the streets, Rob?
I'm... I'm anxious
to find out this right now.
What grabbed you?
'Cause you were
doing good here.
Well, because
it wasn't paying enough.
It wasn't paying enough.
But you
were doing good.
You had over a grand
in the bank.
Over a grand in the bank.
You were doing good, Rob.
Now I ain't got
nothin' in the bank.
That's what I'm sayin'.
- Now what you're doing, you don't have anything.
- It don't pay!
Now what I do,
I just make enough money
to put gas in my car every day,
buy a little food,
pay a little bills.
- I ain't got no...
- Another thing.
You were happier too
when you worked.
You came down here
every day
and you showed me
your bank book
and you were happy
about it.
Of course
I was happy.
Yeah,
'cause it was legit.
I said, "Sid, I got money.
I earned it."
- That's right, that's right.
- Earned it.
And it was legit, and, uh...
for a year it worked out...
You know what I was
thinking about, Sid?
If I, like, get
some money together
just to buy, like,
a big hot dog truck,
just to start me off.
And I see
a hot dog truck for sale.
It's not a truck. It's just the
back that you hook up to your car.
Even that.
Yeah, I see what you mean,
uh, the back door.
But, uh, still
you'd have to...
How you gonna
get the money for that?
Got any rich uncles?
- Any rich friends?
- Nobody.
Are you asking me
for the money?
You probably
don't got it.
If you gonna do right,
I'd give you the money.
I'd find a way.
What, do you think that these
guys are gonna be able to...
To change what they're doing,
Sid, or not?
Yeah, they'll be
able to change.
It's gotta be within them
though. Can't nobody...
I don't think anybody else
or any program will change 'em.
It'll have to be...
instilled in 'em.
What do we steal tonight?
Oh, man. Well, I want
to steal me a car.
I'mma tell you right now,
I'mma steal me a car.
When we walk back.
No, I want to do it now.
Fuck all that.
I want to
get it right now.
Go back to the house and get
me a vice grip and screwdriver.
Oh, come on, man. Why
you gotta act like that, man?
Just like that.
I don't want nobody
to get my plate, man.
- Just like that.
- Just like that.
I don't know
what's in there.
There was about
five people watching you.
- Don't mean nothing.
- Huh?
Anybody got the plate?
Anybody got the plate?
No one
was even watching.
No, don't worry
about that.
What's in the box?
- I don't know.
- Shirts. Shirts.
It's for the poor people
that ain't got money.
We... we give 'em cheap prices.
Now, we ain't taking
no food stamps now.
It got to be cash.
These are bad shirts,
like tiger.
Well, you can't be perfect
when you steal everything.
Hey, you can use them
for pajamas.
It got a zipper.
I'm giving away free shirts.
Oh, man. Oh, man.
This is so nice!
- Can I have it?
- Yeah.
Rob from the rich
and give it to the poor.
The stuff that
we threw away before,
everybody's picking
out the garbage.
That's why I did it.
So people can just take it.
I don't want to try to sell it.
Let people take it.
We always give stuff out.
Would you give this stuff away
if I wasn't filming?
Yeah, we always do,
you know?
Don't believe him.
This is his first time.
It's your first time, huh?
Ah! The first time!
I've always been
giving stuff around.
- When I can't sell 'em...
- I always give shit away.
Yeah, uh-huh.
Look, go.
Do what I said!
What're you gonna do if
you ever catch your daughter
doing anything bad?
- Whoop her ass.
- Yeah.
She looked at me.
She's not gonna do
nothing bad.
Did you ever spank him?
Yup.
You ever beat him up
when he did anything bad?
- He got a fork in my arm.
- Huh?
A fork.
He stabbed you with a fork?
When you tried to
discipline him, yeah?
- How old was I?
- Seven years old.
- Five.
- No, it wasn't that.
No, no.
He didn't spank me.
I was about five years old.
He knocked a tree.
I knocked a tree down,
so he... so he...
I had a bunny rabbit.
He grabs the bunny...
The bunny rabbit
and starts ripping
the ears off of it.
And I loved
the bunny rabbit.
So I took the fork,
I didn't know what...
All I knew, I wanted
to hurt somebody.
So I just
stabbed him,
and the fork
was sticking out.
And he's going
like this.
You still got the scar?
You got the scar
from it?
No, I don't have it.
Never rip up
your little kids' toys.
They go crazy.
A little toy they like,
never do that.
'Cause then a lot of people say
you're teaching your kid that.
- You don't throw away his toys.
- Yeah.
One time, we lived
in a big apartment building.
They had a furnace
where you throw the garbage.
I had a box of toys.
This motherfucker
takes boxes of toys;
Throwing it
down the furnace.
Why? Why would he
throw your toys out?
'Cause he was drunk.
What do you got
to say about that?
I wasn't drunk.
You was always drunk.
Was that part of the
thing that disturbed you
when you were a kid?
That your dad
was always drinking.
I was never disturbed.
- Never.
- Yeah.
What I do now,
it's of my free will.
I can't believe you just
walked out of the store with it.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
We took it out the window
and walked out.
It was
just collecting dust.
- Right.
- So we collected it.
You get nervous when you see a
cop like that after you do something?
- No.
- No.
'Cause they
don't know nothing.
If he knew,
we'd know.
We'd know if he knew.
Received probation.
I was surprised.
The prosecutor
was surprised.
I mean, shocked.
Afterwards, we both went to
the judge and said, "You know..."
The state should have, uh,
presented this as part of one indictment.
I believe they're collaterally
estopped at this point.
Therefore, I'm asking for a
dismissal of this indictment.
All right, thank you,
Mr. Kramer.
, would you be kind enough, uh, Mr.
Conker, to advise the court
when it is officially
a dismissal,
we can
close out our fine?
- Yes, Judge, all right.
- Okay, thank you.
Thank you, Judge.
So, have they dismissed
the thing against Freddie?
Well, yeah, he submitted it
for dismissal.
It will be formally dismissed
in a week probably.
It goes before the judge.
So he's not gonna
do any jail time? No.
What? How can he
get away with that?
Well, there was a screwup
in the police department and
in the prosecutor's office as well.
This is my little baby,
little girl, Elizabeth.
And this is my old lady,
Maddie.
Did she know you were
going out and robbing stuff?
Yeah, she knew I was going out
and robbing stuff.
She didn't care.
You ever talk to him
and say,
"Listen, Freddie,
you should straighten out
and stop doing
all the stealing?"
Well, yeah,
I told him that last night.
'Cause he says he's scared of getting
snagged and he's gonna get ten years.
Yeah, she told me to stop.
I'm planning on stopping,
but, um...
it's not that easy.
I'm addicted to shoplifting.
What's this?
They sell auto parts.
It's a car mall.
How many times
you been in there?
Ah, couldn't even count 'em.
So many.
I usually park my car
here on the side,
leave it like this,
leave the keys in there,
and go in there and come out.
I got a burglar alarm
to stop thieves.
- What?
- A burglar alarm to stop thieves.
That's what
you stole?
Yeah, I stole
a couple of 'em.
I got a couple of 'em
in the trunk.
This is street. This is where
they sell all the drugs and...
- Yeah?
- All the dope and all the coke and shit.
Picture them over there.
All these guys
are dealing here?
- Drug addicts.
- Yeah?
Four bags of heroin.
Yeah, don't it look good?
Wait till you see it
in the cooker.
But you're not supposed
to be taking that stuff.
You're supposed
to stop.
I know, but, um,
it's hard for me to stop,
it's not easy.
You know?
I'm gonna go get some coke
to mix with it.
Go buy me a new set.
Gonna go home
high as a kite.
$60 worth of heroin,
$20 worth of coke.
Freddie, how long
is the longest
you've lasted without
ever getting high?
I'd say a week.
I used to get high on
the first day of parole,
a couple hours later.
So, Freddie, after this,
how long is the next time
before you're gonna
have to get high?
Well, I don't have to get high
because after the first time,
I won't catch a habit,
but if I do it tomorrow
and the next day,
I'll have a habit
in three days.
Then I'll have to do it
two or three times a day.
To support my habit.
No, it's too small.
You try it here.
I haven't tried it here.
What the fuck now?
It's disgusting,
ain't it, Jon?
When did you
start taking dope?
Uh, about...
between 13 and 15 years ago.
My uncle was the first one
to turn me on.
He caught me in the shower
when I was taking a bath
one day,
and he was getting off
and he skin-popped me.
And then after that,
I never did it again.
Then a couple years later, I always
wondered what it was, you know?
So I seen this guy doing it,
and I told him, "Why don't
you turn me on? I want to try it."
And he gave me a little bit.
I tried it and I liked it.
And how long has it been
since you've been out of jail?
Uh, about a week
approximately.
I got out last Tuesday
and today is Thursday.
About a week and two days.
- Where'd everybody go?
- Where is everybody?
My old lady left.
She left me.
She went over
to her mother's house.
- Why?
- I don't know.
What, she just left
and took the kids?
- Took every fucking thing.
- Yeah, took the kids and left.
I don't know if
she's coming back or not.
You think maybe
because of the drugs?
Well, she found that
I got high one time, you know?
And, uh,
she went off on me.
I think it could be that,
you know?
But, uh, I told her I wasn't gonna
get high no more, you know?
But you did.
What can I say?
What's that?
That's my picture in jail,
when I was in jail.
I told her, you know,
if she was...
If she was gonna
do this to me,
she should have just left me
in jail, and did it to me in jail.
At least
I would have been in jail
and wouldn't have
to worry about it.
Now, I'm out here
in the street.
My wife, my kid...
Son of a bitch.
I feel like
turning to drugs.
I don't know, man.
You knew when you took
that first shot,
that it could get you
in trouble, right?
Yeah, but, uh,
I don't know why I did it.
But I did it but then I said
I wasn't gonna do it no more,
and I haven't done it no more.
It's been a week since then
and I haven't done it.
And, look, my arms are clean.
I haven't did nothing,
you know?
Rob any store
since I saw you last week?
Yeah, I robbed a couple because
I needed the money, you know?
I got to eat and live.
I can't get a job.
I tried to get a job.
I can't get a job.
You know?
I don't know what to do.
Look, Freddie,
what's gonna happen?
I mean, you keep bouncing
in and out of jail.
And every time
you bounce out,
it's always
the same deal, right?
Yup.
I tell you, man, if I go back
to jail and I get... pshhh,
a lot of time, I ain't
gonna be able to handle it.
I really ain't.
I got nobody. I wish I had
somebody to help me, man.
Hey, Sid,
what's up?
So what's the problem?
How come
you can't straighten up?
I've tried
to straight up, man.
And, hey, I'm not
even getting high...
I know what happens
on the street. I know that.
I've been out here... I've been...
Look, all my life.
I know a lot happens
out there, boy,
but you gotta...
You gotta use your mind
and get around this stuff
out here, boy.
All that... Stop throwin'
all that on you, man.
You got to
take it easy.
I am. I'm gonna try.
You're not gonna see 35!
I spent part
of my life in jail.
Close to half so far.
Since you was, what,
13, 14?
Since I was 13, 14. I got a
juvenile record for burglary.
And now, a few years,
uh, in county.
Yeah. Been down...
That's enough
to make you wanna say,
"Stop, that's it."
- "-Hey, I do. I do want to stop.
- Getting too old for this stuff I wanna change."
And I was expecting
to do the right thing
and I was expecting
to stop,
but then my old lady
left me.
You can't want it hard
enough. You can't.
Okay, Sid, I'll talk
to you next time.
All right, all right.
And, look, you be cool.
- Oh, I will.
- Take it easy.
- Stay outta trouble, man.
- I'm trying. I'm trying.
- I'm really trying.
- See you once in a while.
I wanted to know about a funeral
'cause my mother passed away.
The minimum price range
comes to about $670.
Of course, this would all
have to be paid in advance.
We can use what they call
an alternate container,
which is a cardboard box,
or we can use what
they call a wooden box.
This is a plain wooden box.
If you want cremation,
that's $85.
No way I'd get that
goddamn motherfucker
even if I rob a fuckin' bank.
Is you crazy?
Come on,
let's get out of here, man.
- Thanks anyway.
- Okay.
They tell me,
$65 to pick her up,
$50 for a cardboard casket,
$100... $90 for the makeup,
and then they say,
$500 for the burial ground.
They're talking about
thousands of dollars.
Fuck, I'mma take care
of thousands of dollars.
Fuckin' nuts!
I hadn't went
and visited her much.
I was saying,
when she dies,
then I'll regret
I should have went every day.
My mother always told me...
she didn't want me
to shoplift or do nothing wrong,
'cause she don't want me
to go to jail.
Always said that.
And told you to get married.
Even like your mother said,
Robert,
you could sit here
and break up with me
and go with somebody else,
but there ain't
no other girl
that's gonna stand
behind you like I did.
You better do what she
tells you. Marry Angela.
Will you make your
mother's wish come true?
What? Marry you?
Marry me, yeah.
Might as well.
I heard that. I heard that.
Now you gotta get married now.
I'll be the best man.
I get to be...
Grand opening.
They should have
good prices today.
We're gonna go in there
and see if we can get
some razor blades,
make some money.
Mike, Mike.
- That lady is from Harrison.
- Harrison.
Jon, Jon, Jon,
the lady who works here
is from Harrison.
She knows me. Forget it.
What are you doing with these?
Don't fuck with it.
I thought this was it.
We got boxes
of Feosol.
These go for
like $6 and $5.
I get like $2.50 a piece
for 'em.
You know, when I called her
to get the batteries,
she's seen the Feosols
on the floor.
- Well, they gone now.
- She ain't seein' no more.
She seen all the boxes
on the floor.
She ain't seein'
no more.
Seen how she started
watching you?
Damn right,
I was big as a cow, man!
You should've helped me
get the hell out.
You just
fuckin' ran around.
Oh, my God.
You get
a birthday cake from me
as your present.
Whose birthday?
Your birthday?
Angela's birthday.
Old Ang-Ang.
Cut it open, look.
Here's what I got her.
What is it?
Something for every time
she break up with me,
she can put another guy
in the book.
No, it's a book.
- A photobook?
- Photobook.
- Cost $20.
- Paid for...
Bought it.
I bought it with money.
- Congratulations.
- Earned money!
Get the fuck in here!
Get in here, god damn it!
Get in here!
I look terrible,
I just...
So what? Get in here.
I'mma beat
your motherfuckin' ass!
Get in here!
This is my girl.
Got my baby down there.
- What?
- That's right.
Are you drunk?
We fucked, fucked,
fucked.
Get me
something to drink.
- Getting married?
- Maybe.
- Getting married?
- No.
Come on, tell me, what?
No, 'cause he doesn't wanna
get married.
I said, "Maybe."
That is a paycheck!
Not yours!
- That's a paycheck.
- My girl works hard.
What? She works
and gives you all the money?
- Right.
- She doesn't give it to me.
We share it.
Hey! Shut the fuck up!
'Cause you know
you'll ruin...
Oh, my God, no!
Please!
Please.
Now shut the fuck up.
Told you!
You keep our problems to us.
You don't go screaming 'em out
in front of everybody.
I'll kill you, bitch!
What...
What're you fighting about?
'Cause she's hard-headed
and don't listen.
And she's gotta
learn to listen.
Mike, you ain't gotta hit her.
Yes, I do.
'Cause that's the only way
you concentrate.
- Rob, would you listen...
- You better shut up!
I told you!
I... Get in that hole.
Get back in that hole.
Get in there.
No, please. My God!
Get in there.
Somebody's on a phone
in here.
Now you get back in there.
- Forget your troubles.
- Come on, be happy.
Stay in there
with the door closed.
Get the cat off the bed
'cause it got fleas.
- Wait, it's hurt!
- It's hurt, Michael.
You're gonna be hurt
in a minute.
Fuck the cat!
I saw, like, how
they call this a birthday.
What, do they fight
all the time like this or not?
Who?
Mike and his girl.
Every night.
- One time with a bat.
- What's that?
This ain't no damn birthday!
One time with a bat.
He hit her with a bat?
- Why did Mike hit her?
- Yeah.
I try to stay
out of their business.
I just...
He told me that she wanted $50
to give to her mother.
But she wanted $50 to give
to her mother to hold for her,
so she has enough
for an abortion.
Mike don't want to have an
abortion. That's why he hit her.
She's tryin' to be sneaky.
She deserved it.
I enjoyed it.
I know you did
'cause you were
sitting there laughin'.
I would
never hit my girlfriend.
Oh, come on, Robert!
And you! You!
I'm not...
She hit me!
Good!
Go run into the bedroom
and cry.
Every night? How often?
Pretty much with him.
I like to, um,
always have somethin' to do.
Same place,
10 times, in the eye.
You better watch it
with that damn knife.
3-D!
Get outta here!
Did you ever see
the drop?
Rob, why do you
hit her like that?
She likes it.
He's staying happy.
I didn't even hurt you,
big baby!
Yes, you did.
She's a mean old lady.
Ange, do you like it?
When he plays around,
yeah.
But when he hurts me,
I don't like it.
'Cause when I hurt him back,
he gets all pissed.
Just like he'd be going
like this into my damn bone.
Nah-ah-ah!
No, I wanna show people.
Now, come here.
It's the bone here.
Come here.
The see the bone.
The bone here, you put your
hand and you grab it like this.
Now I tell her
to do it to me.
I tried real hard!
Look.
With two hands,
she can't even hurt me.
Whoaaa!
Wish you'd have fell.
Would've deserved it.
The only thing
that's hurtin' me
is the scrape on her nail,
that's it.
There's no scrape by my nail!
Ow, that shit hurt!
Even when I do it
to myself, that shit hurt.
That's 'cause
I'm all bony.
I don't got no meat
to cover my bones.
All right, lock the door.
Lock the door!
Everybody wound up
getting smacked.
How come you take this?
I ain't taking it.
Well, you say that,
but you took it then, right?
And you're still here
and you take it.
So like
I'm really gonna leave...
I like how you,
"Really gonna..."
I ain't saying shit.
But you all...
You, I mean...
You're gonna be here tomorrow,
you're gonna get smacked tomorrow.
Jon, you don't understand.
You don't.
Explain it to me.
Me and Robert's been
going out five years,
been livin' together for
five years, plus I had Jackie.
And he still wants more.
Yeah,
but he still smacks you around.
Not as much.
You used to get
smacked around more?
The first time he hit you,
what did you say to him?
That I hated him
and I wanted to leave him.
Yeah?
Then he said
he'd never hit me again.
He cried and he promised me
he'd never hit me again.
He did it again and again
and again and again.
And that's it,
I'm not taking no more.
No matter
how much I love him,
I'm not gonna sit around,
let myself get hit like this.
Hittin' me don't prove
that he loves me.
He can't beat love outta me.
'Cause he don't know
how to handle love.
And what're you
gonna do with yourself
when you get outta here?
Get rid of this baby.
I ain't crazy.
Whoever is watching this,
don't think I'm crazy
'cause I ain't
this fuckin' stupid.
We've only been going out
two months.
I ain't gonna take this shit
from him.
Didn't you ever
hear the saying...
"If you love a person
that much,
you'll stick behind each other
through bad and good."
Got the secret now.
You jump up and tuck.
Try it. Easy!
I can't, Rob.
I'm drunk, man!
I'm drunker than you are!
I'm gonna go get Mary,
you comin'?
Mike, what're you gonna
do tomorrow?
Tomorrow is your, uh,
arraignment.
I ain't goin' anywhere.
- Why not?
- Fuck that!
They gotta find me.
They... I'm not...
Listen, I put it like this,
I don't care
if I go to jail, all right?
But I'm not gonna go
and turn myself in,
so they can just lock me
the fuck up right there.
Let 'em find me first.
You know what I mean?
Am I right?
- Like we was talking in the car.
- Yeah.
So what?
You're just not gonna show up?
Ain't gonna show up.
What are
they charging him with?
Conspiracy to commit theft,
third-degree theft,
fourth-degree receiving
stolen property,
fourth-degree hindering
apprehension.
Um, in... light of
the crime problems we have
in the city of New York
and the county of Essex,
they're not
very serious charges.
These are, uh,
at the bottom of the scale.
So, uh, I'm... I don't know
why he's not showing up.
He's certainly not
in the courtroom at the moment.
Uh, we're gonna call
the pleading list first.
As your name is called, please
answer, "Here." Thank you.
Jeffery Robert DeVone.
No answer.
Michael W. McGrath.
No answer.
I have no idea
where Michael McGrath is.
I haven't talked to him yet.
He's been notified
to be here.
Officer, please call out in
the hall, "Michael W. McGrath."
See if he's present.
Michael McGrath?
No answer, Your Honor.
Very well. No answer
with respect to indictment
2464-8 of the 84th term,
Michael W. McGrath,
no appearance.
Mr. Prosecutor,
do you have a motion?
Yes, Your Honor, the state
would move for a bench warrant
and forfeiture of bail.
Very well.
Bench warrant will be issued
for the arrest
of Michael W. McGrath,
and whatever bail posted
will be forfeited.
If he shows up, especially
if he turns himself in,
I might be able to make a
convincing argument to the judge
to, uh,
have the bail reinstated.
And this was just
to begin the trial, right?
His trial hasn't even
started yet, has it?
- No.
- Uh-huh.
So actually what... It wasn't
smart of him not showing up today?
It was, uh, dumb
of him not to show up today.
Okay, we'll be waiting
for your call.
Don't forget,
we gotta get him into court.
It's a necessary thing.
All right, bye-bye.
That's it.
How much money you stand
to lose if Mike doesn't show up?
$1,500.
- Seriously?
- Seriously.
And his mother, how much
money is she gonna lose on his bail?
Uh, she'll lose, uh,
approximately $600.
What can I do?
It's up to him, not me.
But you're gonna lose
the money that you put up.
How much did you put up?
$600?
- 750.
- Yeah?
750, I put up.
I don't know.
Well, did you know that
he wasn't gonna show up today?
No, I didn't.
Had no idea.
- You know where he is?
- No.
I don't.
That's all the questions
you're gettin' outta me.
Okay,
but he just cost you $750.
Yep.
Kid wants to go on the run,
that's his business, not mine.
Yeah.
- So what're you gonna do?
- What am I gonna do?
- Yeah.
- I don't know.
You got half of New York
lookin' for you.
- I'll move outta New York.
- Yeah?
I'll move to the half that
ain't lookin' for me.
Okay. Right, Ange?
You think he's gonna be able
to keep himself outta jail?
Eh, if he does it slick,
he will.
Plus I got a car,
I got some money, you know?
So I'll be all right,
believe me.
I'm gonna make it.
They ain't gettin' me.
Well, we got all the information
that we possibly need
to effect an apprehension
on the above subject.
Now we just gonna have to go out
on the street and get lucky.
He's, uh, 5'9",
150 pounds.
- How're you doin'?
- All right.
What's your name?
John Doe.
Why? What happened?
You got any tattoos
on your right hand?
Not on my right,
I got one on my left hand.
Let me see it.
That's all I got.
I got Jesus Christ.
That's about it.
Show your thumb.
Thumb? No, I ain't got
nothing on it.
That's it.
Can I ask who
you're looking for?
Maybe I can help you out
or somethin', you know?
- Yeah, I know him.
- Where is he?
I don't know where he's at,
but I know him.
We're looking for Michael.
You sure he's not here now?
You can check if you want
but don't let them know
you're here. Go upstairs.
- Okay.
- You can go check upstairs.
Okay.
So that's it for today,
Len, you think?
That's all for today.
Yeah?
You got a prediction?
- We will get him.
- Oh, yeah.
We always get our man.
Michael, five cell.
Close four cell.
Motherfuckers, man.
They was waiting for me,
out in front of the house.
- Where, on 13th street, Robert's house?
- Yeah, yeah.
They chased him
for several blocks,
in fact, into a different city
to the city of.
Well, Mr. McGrath then
bailed out of the car
and, uh, they located him
hiding under the garage.
Placed him under arrest
and, uh, the rest is history.
So you just gotta
stay here then until what?
- Until whenever.
- Yeah?
How come you're crying?
I can't take this shit.
I miss it out there.
You said they were
never gonna catch you.
- They got lucky.
- Yeah.
Turn sideways,
look to your right.
All right, that's it, Mike.
Take that thing off your neck.
When can I make
a phone call?
It's been two days
and I made no phone call.
My mother and stuff
don't even know I'm here.
Okay. As soon as you're arraigned,
we'll let you make a phone call.
But we'll see if we can get you
your phone call before...
I was supposed to make it
in the police station.
Every other time
I got arrested,
I made it
in the police station.
Fine.
Before the day is out,
you'll get
a phone call, Mike.
You've been telling
me that for two days.
You'll get a phone call
before the day is out. I promise.
You're gonna help me out
when my bail comes, right?
I need you.
I... I gotta get outta here.
I gotta get out.
I'm serious.
It's just everything
went wrong at once, you know?
That's bothering me.
You stayed over there?
Mom's gonna help me out?
Mom is gonna help me out?
Michael, say goodbye,
that's it.
Okay.
Matter of State
vs Michael McGrath.
Is there anything you wish to say
by way of mitigation of punishment,
or lessening of punishment?
If so, I'll hear you now.
I lost a lot since I came in.
And I just wanna get back
out there as soon as I can
so I can, uh,
get my stuff back.
And...
I don't... I'm... I feel sorry
for what I did, believe me.
That's all.
This defendant has
an extensive juvenile record
consisting of such crimes as
larceny, eluding police,
criminal mischief,
receiving stolen property,
possession
of a dangerous weapon,
and trespassing.
Twenty-two complaints made
against this individual as a juvenile
encompassing some 39 charges.
Fourteen of those charges
were sustained.
He's been incarcerated
as a juvenile twice!
It would appear that those
periods of incarceration
did not act as a sufficient
deterrent to this defendant.
Incarceration is required
in the Court's opinion,
primarily to protect society
with the expectation
that it'll act as a deterrent
to this defendant and others,
and as punishment.
Accordingly, Michael McGrath,
on accusation 184-85,
you are hereby sentenced
to imprisonment
for a term of seven years.
On count 2
of indictment number 2464-8,
you are hereby sentenced
to imprisonment
for a term of five years.
And hereby committed to the
custody of the commissioner
of the Department
of Corrections,
and until released
in accordance with law.
Under the law, Mr. McGrath,
I must advise you
that you have 45 days
in which to file an appeal
of this sentence
if you so wish.
- Do you understand?
- Yes.
I must further advise you
that if you cannot afford
to hire your own lawyer
to take that appeal,
you may make application
for the services
of a public defender lawyer.
- Do you understand?
- Yes.
You may remove the prisoner.
Okay, okay, come on.
Can I speak
to the lawyer?
- Yeah, he's gonna be okay here.
- All right.
Michael,
you're still in jail.
Yeah. Still here.
You weren't supposed
to be in jail this long.
What have you done in jail
to keep you here this long?
I got... I broke a lot
of the penal codes, so to say.
I got caught with drugs.
I got sent back
from my halfway house
and they took a urine test.
It came back positive
for containing, uh, codeine.
Fightin'...
Not that I... you know?
"They make the rules,
I break 'em,"
that type of attitude.
Tell me which of these,
uh, rules...
you've broken
while you've been in jail?
Assaulting any person.
Assaulting any person
with a weapon.
Um, fighting with
another person.
Threatening another
with bodily harm.
Possession of... "Introduction
of a gun, firearm, weapon,
sharpened instrument,
knife, or unauthorized tool."
I mean, they've got maybe 50
rules up there for behavior in jail,
and you've broken
at least half of 'em.
Yeah, I have.
But... you know, that's the
way it goes, man, you know?
Michael, honestly,
are you ever gonna change?
Yeah!
I'm changed, man, uh...
I'm different, man.
You broke all the rules
out in the street.
You come into jail,
you break all the rules in jail.
I'm not breaking all the rules,
just some of 'em.
I'm... I'm bendin' 'em,
you know?
I'm... I'm not breaking 'em.
What's inside you
that makes you like that?
I don't know.
I don't know.
I'm just against it, man,
you know...
I've been coming to jail
since I was 13 years old.
And, like,
beat up by cops, uh...
What... What's inside you
that makes you the way you are?
A hatred for cops, I guess.
You know, authority, man.
Authority, period.
You know, I...
I don't want... I just don't like
listening to these people, man.
Okay, Hector,
you take care.
Mr. Ruiz was found with, uh,
stolen articles in his car,
approximately $700 worth
of, uh, designer towels.
He was released on bail
for a further hearing,
uh, next Tuesday
in our municipal court.
How often do you have
to have cocaine?
How often do you have
to have this?
Like, some days...
see, I say to myself,
"I'm not addicted."
You know I am, of course.
Shit, I hope I am,
after all this shit.
Wasted fuckin'
mucho cash.
He's... He's
messing himself up.
He's messing himself up
all the way.
And he knows it,
but I ain't gonna say no more.
See, I hate what he's doing
but I can't... I can't...
He... He's a grown man,
I can't tell him what to do.
What message do you think
people should get,
seeing what your life
has been like?
All right. You want a message.
Don't shoplift, get a damn job,
stay the hell off drugs,
and you'll live
a better life. Period.
And if you don't wanna
listen to that,
go ahead and steal,
go ahead and do drugs,
and watch where you'll be at.
And then you'll be like,
"I should've listened to Rob."
Don't do it!
Same place,
10 times in the eye.
You better watch
with that damn knife.
It's disgusting,
ain't it, Jon?
I don't care
if I go to jail, all right?
But I'm not gonna go
and turn myself in,
so they can just lock me
the fuck up right there.
Let 'em find me first.
You know what I mean?
You better shut up!
I told you!
I... Get in that hole.
One, two, three,
four, five.
One, two, three,
four, five, right?
$85 a piece.
I miss it out there.
You said they were
never gonna catch you.
They got lucky.
We're going to a store.
We're going to try to...
That store over there?
Yeah, that store over there.
Gonna try to, um,
load up.
What're you looking for?
Anything...
- Make some money.
- Yeah.
And if you get caught?
Go to jail.
You got a bag?
Give me some bags.
Gettin' the fuck
out of here.
Job well done.
It's not bad at all.
Not too good.
I wanted about 20 of 'em.
Well, we got, um,
sets of sheets.
Yeah?
They go for like,
you know, $12, $15.
They get it in
the street for $10.
All together, you guys are gonna
get how much money for this stuff?
- About 80 bucks.
- About $40 a piece.
- $40, yeah?
- Yeah.
- For 10 minutes' work?
- Yeah.
Beats the minimum wage!
Were you afraid you
were gonna get caught in there?
- I'm always afraid.
- Yeah.
But baby got to eat.
I got to eat.
The rent got to be paid.
Is it gonna be hard
to sell this stuff?
No, not at all.
Easy.
Where you
gonna take it?
Gonna take it
to a store down here.
- That's a queen size.
- Uh-huh.
- All right, let's go.
- We'll see you later.
Let me see the money.
- Oh, we got it.
- We got it, we got it.
Okay, you got
all your sheets.
Yeah.
The deal is sold.
Let's go, Mike.
We didn't really
make that much.
There,
here's your half.
How much...
How much did you sell for?
Well, the thing
that happened,
I didn't want to waste time
like going around
'cause I could have
made 80.
But sometimes it happens
that you just got to give it away.
- 50 bucks. We lost 30.
- We sold it for 50 bucks.
But we didn't want
to waste time
'cause that time is money.
About time you cleaned it.
Very funny.
This is Angela,
my girl.
This is my father, Ed.
Glad to meet you.
- How are you doing?
- All right.
This is...
Come over here.
This is Aaron.
Say hi.
- Who's Aaron? Hi.
- Aaron.
Aaron, hi.
My father works.
How much you make?
How much
you make an hour, Ed?
$4.10 an hour.
How much you bring home
at the end of the week?
$80 a week.
- A week.
- Peanuts.
You have to make extra money
some way to survive.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, do you think he's foolish
for working like that?
- Yes.
- Really?
That's too less.
$80 a week.
That's just enough
for his lunch
and his bus fare
to get to work.
Don't make no sense.
Don't make no sense.
Can't make more money.
You know what your
son does to make money?
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, what do
you think about it?
I don't like the idea.
- No?
- No.
He just got
out of jail.
Did 60 days
in jail.
Yeah? For what?
Uh, for possession.
Cocaine.
Yeah?
Just got out yest...
Yesterday.
He's my original teacher.
He's the best.
Number one.
- Nothin' but the best.
- Really?
Nobody can take my place.
I know that for a fact.
You really
are the best shoplifter?
Yes, I am.
Want to make some money?
Yes or no? Come on, man.
Guess so.
Okay, we're gonna go out and
make some money. Let's go.
I'll drive if you want.
You'll drive?
You've only been
out of jail one day.
Don't mean nothin', man.
Last time I got out of jail, I didn't
get two blocks away before I started...
I stole me a car
and started shoplifting.
Same town.
Let's just get the suitcase.
Suitcase, suitcase.
Excuse me. Can you
check this for me a minute?
- This one?
- This thing over here.
I don't want
to take it out.
You want me
to watch the front for you?
You see this one
right here?
Guess you want to take a
picture of what's inside, don't you?
What do you got
in there?
None of your big-eyed business.
You big-head motherfucker.
Help me.
Now you give us a 20.
You give us...
Shut it off, man.
Now we made 170.
Pass on some money.
- So 170 is, uh...
- 170, 170.
80, 85.82.
Take your piece.
80.40, 60, 80.
One, two, three
four, five.
Putting away 100
for today.
I had 200.
Now I got 300 saved.
Probably be
for my bail anyway.
Don't pay doin' it.
I'm serious!
I go out and make money,
I put it away.
It happens
all the time.
I get busted.
Got to use
all the money for bail.
Now what attracted
you two to each other?
What attracted you
to him?
My money.
You didn't have money
when I met you.
What attracted
you to her?
Nothing.
If you could wish
for one thing,
what would
you like to have?
- Me?
- Yeah.
If there's one thing
I could wish for?
Yeah.
Not no money.
To get married.
With somebody who can
use their brains for.
Wait. Oh, you're not
really married, married?
No.
I didn't know.
See, now it's not
all that bad.
That's what you'd like,
is if you... if... if
you're really married, huh?
Yeah.
I don't wish for no money.
I wish for a big business.
So I can make money.
Make my...
I'm just not gonna wish
I got money.
I want to work for it,
have my own business.
So that I can make a million.
- A big business.
- That'd make you happy?
Fuck, I'll take a million.
Buy my own business
and still have money.
What took you back
to the streets, Rob?
I'm... I'm anxious
to find out this right now.
What grabbed you?
'Cause you were
doing good here.
Well, because
it wasn't paying enough.
It wasn't paying enough.
But you
were doing good.
You had over a grand
in the bank.
Over a grand in the bank.
You were doing good, Rob.
Now I ain't got
nothin' in the bank.
That's what I'm sayin'.
- Now what you're doing, you don't have anything.
- It don't pay!
Now what I do,
I just make enough money
to put gas in my car every day,
buy a little food,
pay a little bills.
- I ain't got no...
- Another thing.
You were happier too
when you worked.
You came down here
every day
and you showed me
your bank book
and you were happy
about it.
Of course
I was happy.
Yeah,
'cause it was legit.
I said, "Sid, I got money.
I earned it."
- That's right, that's right.
- Earned it.
And it was legit, and, uh...
for a year it worked out...
You know what I was
thinking about, Sid?
If I, like, get
some money together
just to buy, like,
a big hot dog truck,
just to start me off.
And I see
a hot dog truck for sale.
It's not a truck. It's just the
back that you hook up to your car.
Even that.
Yeah, I see what you mean,
uh, the back door.
But, uh, still
you'd have to...
How you gonna
get the money for that?
Got any rich uncles?
- Any rich friends?
- Nobody.
Are you asking me
for the money?
You probably
don't got it.
If you gonna do right,
I'd give you the money.
I'd find a way.
What, do you think that these
guys are gonna be able to...
To change what they're doing,
Sid, or not?
Yeah, they'll be
able to change.
It's gotta be within them
though. Can't nobody...
I don't think anybody else
or any program will change 'em.
It'll have to be...
instilled in 'em.
What do we steal tonight?
Oh, man. Well, I want
to steal me a car.
I'mma tell you right now,
I'mma steal me a car.
When we walk back.
No, I want to do it now.
Fuck all that.
I want to
get it right now.
Go back to the house and get
me a vice grip and screwdriver.
Oh, come on, man. Why
you gotta act like that, man?
Just like that.
I don't want nobody
to get my plate, man.
- Just like that.
- Just like that.
I don't know
what's in there.
There was about
five people watching you.
- Don't mean nothing.
- Huh?
Anybody got the plate?
Anybody got the plate?
No one
was even watching.
No, don't worry
about that.
What's in the box?
- I don't know.
- Shirts. Shirts.
It's for the poor people
that ain't got money.
We... we give 'em cheap prices.
Now, we ain't taking
no food stamps now.
It got to be cash.
These are bad shirts,
like tiger.
Well, you can't be perfect
when you steal everything.
Hey, you can use them
for pajamas.
It got a zipper.
I'm giving away free shirts.
Oh, man. Oh, man.
This is so nice!
- Can I have it?
- Yeah.
Rob from the rich
and give it to the poor.
The stuff that
we threw away before,
everybody's picking
out the garbage.
That's why I did it.
So people can just take it.
I don't want to try to sell it.
Let people take it.
We always give stuff out.
Would you give this stuff away
if I wasn't filming?
Yeah, we always do,
you know?
Don't believe him.
This is his first time.
It's your first time, huh?
Ah! The first time!
I've always been
giving stuff around.
- When I can't sell 'em...
- I always give shit away.
Yeah, uh-huh.
Look, go.
Do what I said!
What're you gonna do if
you ever catch your daughter
doing anything bad?
- Whoop her ass.
- Yeah.
She looked at me.
She's not gonna do
nothing bad.
Did you ever spank him?
Yup.
You ever beat him up
when he did anything bad?
- He got a fork in my arm.
- Huh?
A fork.
He stabbed you with a fork?
When you tried to
discipline him, yeah?
- How old was I?
- Seven years old.
- Five.
- No, it wasn't that.
No, no.
He didn't spank me.
I was about five years old.
He knocked a tree.
I knocked a tree down,
so he... so he...
I had a bunny rabbit.
He grabs the bunny...
The bunny rabbit
and starts ripping
the ears off of it.
And I loved
the bunny rabbit.
So I took the fork,
I didn't know what...
All I knew, I wanted
to hurt somebody.
So I just
stabbed him,
and the fork
was sticking out.
And he's going
like this.
You still got the scar?
You got the scar
from it?
No, I don't have it.
Never rip up
your little kids' toys.
They go crazy.
A little toy they like,
never do that.
'Cause then a lot of people say
you're teaching your kid that.
- You don't throw away his toys.
- Yeah.
One time, we lived
in a big apartment building.
They had a furnace
where you throw the garbage.
I had a box of toys.
This motherfucker
takes boxes of toys;
Throwing it
down the furnace.
Why? Why would he
throw your toys out?
'Cause he was drunk.
What do you got
to say about that?
I wasn't drunk.
You was always drunk.
Was that part of the
thing that disturbed you
when you were a kid?
That your dad
was always drinking.
I was never disturbed.
- Never.
- Yeah.
What I do now,
it's of my free will.
I can't believe you just
walked out of the store with it.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
We took it out the window
and walked out.
It was
just collecting dust.
- Right.
- So we collected it.
You get nervous when you see a
cop like that after you do something?
- No.
- No.
'Cause they
don't know nothing.
If he knew,
we'd know.
We'd know if he knew.
Received probation.
I was surprised.
The prosecutor
was surprised.
I mean, shocked.
Afterwards, we both went to
the judge and said, "You know..."
The state should have, uh,
presented this as part of one indictment.
I believe they're collaterally
estopped at this point.
Therefore, I'm asking for a
dismissal of this indictment.
All right, thank you,
Mr. Kramer.
, would you be kind enough, uh, Mr.
Conker, to advise the court
when it is officially
a dismissal,
we can
close out our fine?
- Yes, Judge, all right.
- Okay, thank you.
Thank you, Judge.
So, have they dismissed
the thing against Freddie?
Well, yeah, he submitted it
for dismissal.
It will be formally dismissed
in a week probably.
It goes before the judge.
So he's not gonna
do any jail time? No.
What? How can he
get away with that?
Well, there was a screwup
in the police department and
in the prosecutor's office as well.
This is my little baby,
little girl, Elizabeth.
And this is my old lady,
Maddie.
Did she know you were
going out and robbing stuff?
Yeah, she knew I was going out
and robbing stuff.
She didn't care.
You ever talk to him
and say,
"Listen, Freddie,
you should straighten out
and stop doing
all the stealing?"
Well, yeah,
I told him that last night.
'Cause he says he's scared of getting
snagged and he's gonna get ten years.
Yeah, she told me to stop.
I'm planning on stopping,
but, um...
it's not that easy.
I'm addicted to shoplifting.
What's this?
They sell auto parts.
It's a car mall.
How many times
you been in there?
Ah, couldn't even count 'em.
So many.
I usually park my car
here on the side,
leave it like this,
leave the keys in there,
and go in there and come out.
I got a burglar alarm
to stop thieves.
- What?
- A burglar alarm to stop thieves.
That's what
you stole?
Yeah, I stole
a couple of 'em.
I got a couple of 'em
in the trunk.
This is street. This is where
they sell all the drugs and...
- Yeah?
- All the dope and all the coke and shit.
Picture them over there.
All these guys
are dealing here?
- Drug addicts.
- Yeah?
Four bags of heroin.
Yeah, don't it look good?
Wait till you see it
in the cooker.
But you're not supposed
to be taking that stuff.
You're supposed
to stop.
I know, but, um,
it's hard for me to stop,
it's not easy.
You know?
I'm gonna go get some coke
to mix with it.
Go buy me a new set.
Gonna go home
high as a kite.
$60 worth of heroin,
$20 worth of coke.
Freddie, how long
is the longest
you've lasted without
ever getting high?
I'd say a week.
I used to get high on
the first day of parole,
a couple hours later.
So, Freddie, after this,
how long is the next time
before you're gonna
have to get high?
Well, I don't have to get high
because after the first time,
I won't catch a habit,
but if I do it tomorrow
and the next day,
I'll have a habit
in three days.
Then I'll have to do it
two or three times a day.
To support my habit.
No, it's too small.
You try it here.
I haven't tried it here.
What the fuck now?
It's disgusting,
ain't it, Jon?
When did you
start taking dope?
Uh, about...
between 13 and 15 years ago.
My uncle was the first one
to turn me on.
He caught me in the shower
when I was taking a bath
one day,
and he was getting off
and he skin-popped me.
And then after that,
I never did it again.
Then a couple years later, I always
wondered what it was, you know?
So I seen this guy doing it,
and I told him, "Why don't
you turn me on? I want to try it."
And he gave me a little bit.
I tried it and I liked it.
And how long has it been
since you've been out of jail?
Uh, about a week
approximately.
I got out last Tuesday
and today is Thursday.
About a week and two days.
- Where'd everybody go?
- Where is everybody?
My old lady left.
She left me.
She went over
to her mother's house.
- Why?
- I don't know.
What, she just left
and took the kids?
- Took every fucking thing.
- Yeah, took the kids and left.
I don't know if
she's coming back or not.
You think maybe
because of the drugs?
Well, she found that
I got high one time, you know?
And, uh,
she went off on me.
I think it could be that,
you know?
But, uh, I told her I wasn't gonna
get high no more, you know?
But you did.
What can I say?
What's that?
That's my picture in jail,
when I was in jail.
I told her, you know,
if she was...
If she was gonna
do this to me,
she should have just left me
in jail, and did it to me in jail.
At least
I would have been in jail
and wouldn't have
to worry about it.
Now, I'm out here
in the street.
My wife, my kid...
Son of a bitch.
I feel like
turning to drugs.
I don't know, man.
You knew when you took
that first shot,
that it could get you
in trouble, right?
Yeah, but, uh,
I don't know why I did it.
But I did it but then I said
I wasn't gonna do it no more,
and I haven't done it no more.
It's been a week since then
and I haven't done it.
And, look, my arms are clean.
I haven't did nothing,
you know?
Rob any store
since I saw you last week?
Yeah, I robbed a couple because
I needed the money, you know?
I got to eat and live.
I can't get a job.
I tried to get a job.
I can't get a job.
You know?
I don't know what to do.
Look, Freddie,
what's gonna happen?
I mean, you keep bouncing
in and out of jail.
And every time
you bounce out,
it's always
the same deal, right?
Yup.
I tell you, man, if I go back
to jail and I get... pshhh,
a lot of time, I ain't
gonna be able to handle it.
I really ain't.
I got nobody. I wish I had
somebody to help me, man.
Hey, Sid,
what's up?
So what's the problem?
How come
you can't straighten up?
I've tried
to straight up, man.
And, hey, I'm not
even getting high...
I know what happens
on the street. I know that.
I've been out here... I've been...
Look, all my life.
I know a lot happens
out there, boy,
but you gotta...
You gotta use your mind
and get around this stuff
out here, boy.
All that... Stop throwin'
all that on you, man.
You got to
take it easy.
I am. I'm gonna try.
You're not gonna see 35!
I spent part
of my life in jail.
Close to half so far.
Since you was, what,
13, 14?
Since I was 13, 14. I got a
juvenile record for burglary.
And now, a few years,
uh, in county.
Yeah. Been down...
That's enough
to make you wanna say,
"Stop, that's it."
- "-Hey, I do. I do want to stop.
- Getting too old for this stuff I wanna change."
And I was expecting
to do the right thing
and I was expecting
to stop,
but then my old lady
left me.
You can't want it hard
enough. You can't.
Okay, Sid, I'll talk
to you next time.
All right, all right.
And, look, you be cool.
- Oh, I will.
- Take it easy.
- Stay outta trouble, man.
- I'm trying. I'm trying.
- I'm really trying.
- See you once in a while.
I wanted to know about a funeral
'cause my mother passed away.
The minimum price range
comes to about $670.
Of course, this would all
have to be paid in advance.
We can use what they call
an alternate container,
which is a cardboard box,
or we can use what
they call a wooden box.
This is a plain wooden box.
If you want cremation,
that's $85.
No way I'd get that
goddamn motherfucker
even if I rob a fuckin' bank.
Is you crazy?
Come on,
let's get out of here, man.
- Thanks anyway.
- Okay.
They tell me,
$65 to pick her up,
$50 for a cardboard casket,
$100... $90 for the makeup,
and then they say,
$500 for the burial ground.
They're talking about
thousands of dollars.
Fuck, I'mma take care
of thousands of dollars.
Fuckin' nuts!
I hadn't went
and visited her much.
I was saying,
when she dies,
then I'll regret
I should have went every day.
My mother always told me...
she didn't want me
to shoplift or do nothing wrong,
'cause she don't want me
to go to jail.
Always said that.
And told you to get married.
Even like your mother said,
Robert,
you could sit here
and break up with me
and go with somebody else,
but there ain't
no other girl
that's gonna stand
behind you like I did.
You better do what she
tells you. Marry Angela.
Will you make your
mother's wish come true?
What? Marry you?
Marry me, yeah.
Might as well.
I heard that. I heard that.
Now you gotta get married now.
I'll be the best man.
I get to be...
Grand opening.
They should have
good prices today.
We're gonna go in there
and see if we can get
some razor blades,
make some money.
Mike, Mike.
- That lady is from Harrison.
- Harrison.
Jon, Jon, Jon,
the lady who works here
is from Harrison.
She knows me. Forget it.
What are you doing with these?
Don't fuck with it.
I thought this was it.
We got boxes
of Feosol.
These go for
like $6 and $5.
I get like $2.50 a piece
for 'em.
You know, when I called her
to get the batteries,
she's seen the Feosols
on the floor.
- Well, they gone now.
- She ain't seein' no more.
She seen all the boxes
on the floor.
She ain't seein'
no more.
Seen how she started
watching you?
Damn right,
I was big as a cow, man!
You should've helped me
get the hell out.
You just
fuckin' ran around.
Oh, my God.
You get
a birthday cake from me
as your present.
Whose birthday?
Your birthday?
Angela's birthday.
Old Ang-Ang.
Cut it open, look.
Here's what I got her.
What is it?
Something for every time
she break up with me,
she can put another guy
in the book.
No, it's a book.
- A photobook?
- Photobook.
- Cost $20.
- Paid for...
Bought it.
I bought it with money.
- Congratulations.
- Earned money!
Get the fuck in here!
Get in here, god damn it!
Get in here!
I look terrible,
I just...
So what? Get in here.
I'mma beat
your motherfuckin' ass!
Get in here!
This is my girl.
Got my baby down there.
- What?
- That's right.
Are you drunk?
We fucked, fucked,
fucked.
Get me
something to drink.
- Getting married?
- Maybe.
- Getting married?
- No.
Come on, tell me, what?
No, 'cause he doesn't wanna
get married.
I said, "Maybe."
That is a paycheck!
Not yours!
- That's a paycheck.
- My girl works hard.
What? She works
and gives you all the money?
- Right.
- She doesn't give it to me.
We share it.
Hey! Shut the fuck up!
'Cause you know
you'll ruin...
Oh, my God, no!
Please!
Please.
Now shut the fuck up.
Told you!
You keep our problems to us.
You don't go screaming 'em out
in front of everybody.
I'll kill you, bitch!
What...
What're you fighting about?
'Cause she's hard-headed
and don't listen.
And she's gotta
learn to listen.
Mike, you ain't gotta hit her.
Yes, I do.
'Cause that's the only way
you concentrate.
- Rob, would you listen...
- You better shut up!
I told you!
I... Get in that hole.
Get back in that hole.
Get in there.
No, please. My God!
Get in there.
Somebody's on a phone
in here.
Now you get back in there.
- Forget your troubles.
- Come on, be happy.
Stay in there
with the door closed.
Get the cat off the bed
'cause it got fleas.
- Wait, it's hurt!
- It's hurt, Michael.
You're gonna be hurt
in a minute.
Fuck the cat!
I saw, like, how
they call this a birthday.
What, do they fight
all the time like this or not?
Who?
Mike and his girl.
Every night.
- One time with a bat.
- What's that?
This ain't no damn birthday!
One time with a bat.
He hit her with a bat?
- Why did Mike hit her?
- Yeah.
I try to stay
out of their business.
I just...
He told me that she wanted $50
to give to her mother.
But she wanted $50 to give
to her mother to hold for her,
so she has enough
for an abortion.
Mike don't want to have an
abortion. That's why he hit her.
She's tryin' to be sneaky.
She deserved it.
I enjoyed it.
I know you did
'cause you were
sitting there laughin'.
I would
never hit my girlfriend.
Oh, come on, Robert!
And you! You!
I'm not...
She hit me!
Good!
Go run into the bedroom
and cry.
Every night? How often?
Pretty much with him.
I like to, um,
always have somethin' to do.
Same place,
10 times, in the eye.
You better watch it
with that damn knife.
3-D!
Get outta here!
Did you ever see
the drop?
Rob, why do you
hit her like that?
She likes it.
He's staying happy.
I didn't even hurt you,
big baby!
Yes, you did.
She's a mean old lady.
Ange, do you like it?
When he plays around,
yeah.
But when he hurts me,
I don't like it.
'Cause when I hurt him back,
he gets all pissed.
Just like he'd be going
like this into my damn bone.
Nah-ah-ah!
No, I wanna show people.
Now, come here.
It's the bone here.
Come here.
The see the bone.
The bone here, you put your
hand and you grab it like this.
Now I tell her
to do it to me.
I tried real hard!
Look.
With two hands,
she can't even hurt me.
Whoaaa!
Wish you'd have fell.
Would've deserved it.
The only thing
that's hurtin' me
is the scrape on her nail,
that's it.
There's no scrape by my nail!
Ow, that shit hurt!
Even when I do it
to myself, that shit hurt.
That's 'cause
I'm all bony.
I don't got no meat
to cover my bones.
All right, lock the door.
Lock the door!
Everybody wound up
getting smacked.
How come you take this?
I ain't taking it.
Well, you say that,
but you took it then, right?
And you're still here
and you take it.
So like
I'm really gonna leave...
I like how you,
"Really gonna..."
I ain't saying shit.
But you all...
You, I mean...
You're gonna be here tomorrow,
you're gonna get smacked tomorrow.
Jon, you don't understand.
You don't.
Explain it to me.
Me and Robert's been
going out five years,
been livin' together for
five years, plus I had Jackie.
And he still wants more.
Yeah,
but he still smacks you around.
Not as much.
You used to get
smacked around more?
The first time he hit you,
what did you say to him?
That I hated him
and I wanted to leave him.
Yeah?
Then he said
he'd never hit me again.
He cried and he promised me
he'd never hit me again.
He did it again and again
and again and again.
And that's it,
I'm not taking no more.
No matter
how much I love him,
I'm not gonna sit around,
let myself get hit like this.
Hittin' me don't prove
that he loves me.
He can't beat love outta me.
'Cause he don't know
how to handle love.
And what're you
gonna do with yourself
when you get outta here?
Get rid of this baby.
I ain't crazy.
Whoever is watching this,
don't think I'm crazy
'cause I ain't
this fuckin' stupid.
We've only been going out
two months.
I ain't gonna take this shit
from him.
Didn't you ever
hear the saying...
"If you love a person
that much,
you'll stick behind each other
through bad and good."
Got the secret now.
You jump up and tuck.
Try it. Easy!
I can't, Rob.
I'm drunk, man!
I'm drunker than you are!
I'm gonna go get Mary,
you comin'?
Mike, what're you gonna
do tomorrow?
Tomorrow is your, uh,
arraignment.
I ain't goin' anywhere.
- Why not?
- Fuck that!
They gotta find me.
They... I'm not...
Listen, I put it like this,
I don't care
if I go to jail, all right?
But I'm not gonna go
and turn myself in,
so they can just lock me
the fuck up right there.
Let 'em find me first.
You know what I mean?
Am I right?
- Like we was talking in the car.
- Yeah.
So what?
You're just not gonna show up?
Ain't gonna show up.
What are
they charging him with?
Conspiracy to commit theft,
third-degree theft,
fourth-degree receiving
stolen property,
fourth-degree hindering
apprehension.
Um, in... light of
the crime problems we have
in the city of New York
and the county of Essex,
they're not
very serious charges.
These are, uh,
at the bottom of the scale.
So, uh, I'm... I don't know
why he's not showing up.
He's certainly not
in the courtroom at the moment.
Uh, we're gonna call
the pleading list first.
As your name is called, please
answer, "Here." Thank you.
Jeffery Robert DeVone.
No answer.
Michael W. McGrath.
No answer.
I have no idea
where Michael McGrath is.
I haven't talked to him yet.
He's been notified
to be here.
Officer, please call out in
the hall, "Michael W. McGrath."
See if he's present.
Michael McGrath?
No answer, Your Honor.
Very well. No answer
with respect to indictment
2464-8 of the 84th term,
Michael W. McGrath,
no appearance.
Mr. Prosecutor,
do you have a motion?
Yes, Your Honor, the state
would move for a bench warrant
and forfeiture of bail.
Very well.
Bench warrant will be issued
for the arrest
of Michael W. McGrath,
and whatever bail posted
will be forfeited.
If he shows up, especially
if he turns himself in,
I might be able to make a
convincing argument to the judge
to, uh,
have the bail reinstated.
And this was just
to begin the trial, right?
His trial hasn't even
started yet, has it?
- No.
- Uh-huh.
So actually what... It wasn't
smart of him not showing up today?
It was, uh, dumb
of him not to show up today.
Okay, we'll be waiting
for your call.
Don't forget,
we gotta get him into court.
It's a necessary thing.
All right, bye-bye.
That's it.
How much money you stand
to lose if Mike doesn't show up?
$1,500.
- Seriously?
- Seriously.
And his mother, how much
money is she gonna lose on his bail?
Uh, she'll lose, uh,
approximately $600.
What can I do?
It's up to him, not me.
But you're gonna lose
the money that you put up.
How much did you put up?
$600?
- 750.
- Yeah?
750, I put up.
I don't know.
Well, did you know that
he wasn't gonna show up today?
No, I didn't.
Had no idea.
- You know where he is?
- No.
I don't.
That's all the questions
you're gettin' outta me.
Okay,
but he just cost you $750.
Yep.
Kid wants to go on the run,
that's his business, not mine.
Yeah.
- So what're you gonna do?
- What am I gonna do?
- Yeah.
- I don't know.
You got half of New York
lookin' for you.
- I'll move outta New York.
- Yeah?
I'll move to the half that
ain't lookin' for me.
Okay. Right, Ange?
You think he's gonna be able
to keep himself outta jail?
Eh, if he does it slick,
he will.
Plus I got a car,
I got some money, you know?
So I'll be all right,
believe me.
I'm gonna make it.
They ain't gettin' me.
Well, we got all the information
that we possibly need
to effect an apprehension
on the above subject.
Now we just gonna have to go out
on the street and get lucky.
He's, uh, 5'9",
150 pounds.
- How're you doin'?
- All right.
What's your name?
John Doe.
Why? What happened?
You got any tattoos
on your right hand?
Not on my right,
I got one on my left hand.
Let me see it.
That's all I got.
I got Jesus Christ.
That's about it.
Show your thumb.
Thumb? No, I ain't got
nothing on it.
That's it.
Can I ask who
you're looking for?
Maybe I can help you out
or somethin', you know?
- Yeah, I know him.
- Where is he?
I don't know where he's at,
but I know him.
We're looking for Michael.
You sure he's not here now?
You can check if you want
but don't let them know
you're here. Go upstairs.
- Okay.
- You can go check upstairs.
Okay.
So that's it for today,
Len, you think?
That's all for today.
Yeah?
You got a prediction?
- We will get him.
- Oh, yeah.
We always get our man.
Michael, five cell.
Close four cell.
Motherfuckers, man.
They was waiting for me,
out in front of the house.
- Where, on 13th street, Robert's house?
- Yeah, yeah.
They chased him
for several blocks,
in fact, into a different city
to the city of.
Well, Mr. McGrath then
bailed out of the car
and, uh, they located him
hiding under the garage.
Placed him under arrest
and, uh, the rest is history.
So you just gotta
stay here then until what?
- Until whenever.
- Yeah?
How come you're crying?
I can't take this shit.
I miss it out there.
You said they were
never gonna catch you.
- They got lucky.
- Yeah.
Turn sideways,
look to your right.
All right, that's it, Mike.
Take that thing off your neck.
When can I make
a phone call?
It's been two days
and I made no phone call.
My mother and stuff
don't even know I'm here.
Okay. As soon as you're arraigned,
we'll let you make a phone call.
But we'll see if we can get you
your phone call before...
I was supposed to make it
in the police station.
Every other time
I got arrested,
I made it
in the police station.
Fine.
Before the day is out,
you'll get
a phone call, Mike.
You've been telling
me that for two days.
You'll get a phone call
before the day is out. I promise.
You're gonna help me out
when my bail comes, right?
I need you.
I... I gotta get outta here.
I gotta get out.
I'm serious.
It's just everything
went wrong at once, you know?
That's bothering me.
You stayed over there?
Mom's gonna help me out?
Mom is gonna help me out?
Michael, say goodbye,
that's it.
Okay.
Matter of State
vs Michael McGrath.
Is there anything you wish to say
by way of mitigation of punishment,
or lessening of punishment?
If so, I'll hear you now.
I lost a lot since I came in.
And I just wanna get back
out there as soon as I can
so I can, uh,
get my stuff back.
And...
I don't... I'm... I feel sorry
for what I did, believe me.
That's all.
This defendant has
an extensive juvenile record
consisting of such crimes as
larceny, eluding police,
criminal mischief,
receiving stolen property,
possession
of a dangerous weapon,
and trespassing.
Twenty-two complaints made
against this individual as a juvenile
encompassing some 39 charges.
Fourteen of those charges
were sustained.
He's been incarcerated
as a juvenile twice!
It would appear that those
periods of incarceration
did not act as a sufficient
deterrent to this defendant.
Incarceration is required
in the Court's opinion,
primarily to protect society
with the expectation
that it'll act as a deterrent
to this defendant and others,
and as punishment.
Accordingly, Michael McGrath,
on accusation 184-85,
you are hereby sentenced
to imprisonment
for a term of seven years.
On count 2
of indictment number 2464-8,
you are hereby sentenced
to imprisonment
for a term of five years.
And hereby committed to the
custody of the commissioner
of the Department
of Corrections,
and until released
in accordance with law.
Under the law, Mr. McGrath,
I must advise you
that you have 45 days
in which to file an appeal
of this sentence
if you so wish.
- Do you understand?
- Yes.
I must further advise you
that if you cannot afford
to hire your own lawyer
to take that appeal,
you may make application
for the services
of a public defender lawyer.
- Do you understand?
- Yes.
You may remove the prisoner.
Okay, okay, come on.
Can I speak
to the lawyer?
- Yeah, he's gonna be okay here.
- All right.
Michael,
you're still in jail.
Yeah. Still here.
You weren't supposed
to be in jail this long.
What have you done in jail
to keep you here this long?
I got... I broke a lot
of the penal codes, so to say.
I got caught with drugs.
I got sent back
from my halfway house
and they took a urine test.
It came back positive
for containing, uh, codeine.
Fightin'...
Not that I... you know?
"They make the rules,
I break 'em,"
that type of attitude.
Tell me which of these,
uh, rules...
you've broken
while you've been in jail?
Assaulting any person.
Assaulting any person
with a weapon.
Um, fighting with
another person.
Threatening another
with bodily harm.
Possession of... "Introduction
of a gun, firearm, weapon,
sharpened instrument,
knife, or unauthorized tool."
I mean, they've got maybe 50
rules up there for behavior in jail,
and you've broken
at least half of 'em.
Yeah, I have.
But... you know, that's the
way it goes, man, you know?
Michael, honestly,
are you ever gonna change?
Yeah!
I'm changed, man, uh...
I'm different, man.
You broke all the rules
out in the street.
You come into jail,
you break all the rules in jail.
I'm not breaking all the rules,
just some of 'em.
I'm... I'm bendin' 'em,
you know?
I'm... I'm not breaking 'em.
What's inside you
that makes you like that?
I don't know.
I don't know.
I'm just against it, man,
you know...
I've been coming to jail
since I was 13 years old.
And, like,
beat up by cops, uh...
What... What's inside you
that makes you the way you are?
A hatred for cops, I guess.
You know, authority, man.
Authority, period.
You know, I...
I don't want... I just don't like
listening to these people, man.
Okay, Hector,
you take care.
Mr. Ruiz was found with, uh,
stolen articles in his car,
approximately $700 worth
of, uh, designer towels.
He was released on bail
for a further hearing,
uh, next Tuesday
in our municipal court.
How often do you have
to have cocaine?
How often do you have
to have this?
Like, some days...
see, I say to myself,
"I'm not addicted."
You know I am, of course.
Shit, I hope I am,
after all this shit.
Wasted fuckin'
mucho cash.
He's... He's
messing himself up.
He's messing himself up
all the way.
And he knows it,
but I ain't gonna say no more.
See, I hate what he's doing
but I can't... I can't...
He... He's a grown man,
I can't tell him what to do.
What message do you think
people should get,
seeing what your life
has been like?
All right. You want a message.
Don't shoplift, get a damn job,
stay the hell off drugs,
and you'll live
a better life. Period.
And if you don't wanna
listen to that,
go ahead and steal,
go ahead and do drugs,
and watch where you'll be at.
And then you'll be like,
"I should've listened to Rob."
Don't do it!