Law & Order (1990) s06e08 Episode Script
Angel
In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups, the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
It's been three years.
I haven't talked to her since she moved.
She is your mother, Leah.
She could call me, too.
You know that's not the point.
You obviously feel guilty about it.
Remember, in the end, all we have is our faith and our family.
I'll try, I guess.
Good.
Now we should pray.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God, Rachel.
Leah, what is it? Somebody took Rachel.
Leah, Leah, what? What? She's gone! My baby! Priest said that they were in confession.
The kid was in the carriage right outside.
And nobody heard anything? It's a church.
You're supposed to keep quiet.
This is Father Carner.
It's unbelievable.
Nothing like this has ever happened here before.
And this is where the carriage was? Nobody's touched it.
Good.
Take it down to Forensics.
How long were you in here? Not long.
Maybe five minutes.
Leah never has much to confess.
And you didn't see anybody else, huh? As far as I know, the church was empty.
Thanks, Father.
Do you think there's any chance Who would do this? I always leave Rachel there.
I never thought that anything could happen.
Was anyone else here, Leah? Did you find her? I'm sorry.
You're going to find her, right? You're not going to let anything happen.
Father.
Kidnap a kid from a church? How many Hail Marys does that get you? Somehow, I don't think this guy was counting.
She was wearing her navy-blue dress, the one with the frills around the collar and a white hat.
Oh, God, it's all my fault.
I never should have left her alone.
Are we gonna just sit here? Some pervert's got my kid.
We've got our guys out canvassing the neighborhood, Mr.
Coleman.
Well, he could be out of state already.
Now, Leah, you didn't see anybody following you? I don't think so.
Where were you before church? We went to the playground, and then we went to the market.
Now, Leah, this is important.
When you got to the church, was there anyone hanging around outside? I don't know.
I can't remember.
Oh, wait a minute.
When I got there, I sat waiting for Father Carner, and then when I went in to confess, there was someone in the back row.
Good.
Now, did you see what he looked like? He was young, maybe Okay, Leah, I'll tell you what we're gonna do.
You're gonna describe this guy to a sketch artist, okay? Please find Rachel.
How could someone leave their kid alone? Hey, she was in a church.
She actually believes in that "Do unto others" stuff.
She says she saw a Puerto Rican man in the back row.
It's not in Sluizer's report.
Well, she just remembered.
What, you think she's lying? I wouldn't turn my back on my kid in this city.
There is another possibility.
Get off it.
You saw the girl.
She was hysterical.
You're not gonna find her baby in a car at the bottom of some lake.
Talk to the priest.
Maybe he can help with the man in the back row.
Sure, we have Puerto Rican members.
We also have Cubans, Mexicans, Venezuelans, but none of them I know.
They're all good people, right? No.
But we're a small congregation.
Leah knows them all.
She was very active.
Was? Raising a child alone, it takes a lot of time.
What do you mean alone? We just met her husband.
She and Keith are separated.
I've been counseling them.
We're close to getting their marriage back on track.
Did their problems have anything to do with their daughter? Oh, you don't suspect Keith? Look, Leah is a good mother.
Keith knows that and respects it.
She lets him see Rachel as often as he likes.
They're good kids.
They just got married too young.
Yeah, she's a good mother, except she lost her baby.
He's a good father, but he can't stand to live with his family.
All I know is my girls aren't getting married till they graduate from college.
Hey, I'm too young to get married, and I'm a grandfather.
Before church, she went to the market up on 88th.
Maybe someone up there saw something.
Puerto Ricans? What else is new? This morning, I don't know, around 11:00, a young girl came in with her baby.
You remember that? Sure.
Leah.
That baby of hers is a real cutie.
Shame she's got to grow up in this cesspool.
Do you remember anybody paying special attention to them? Let's see.
I probably sold Ricardo his first six-pack by then.
You got a last name? We're not that close.
He didn't rape her, did he? This Ricardo, he's trouble? Show me one who's not.
They want to break off from the US of A, I say let them.
Besides Roberto Clemente, what the hell good are they, anyhow? Yeah, well I guess your boy, Newt's gonna take care of them, huh? Damn right.
So where can we find Ricardo? Around the corner.
OTB.
He's the one with the 12 earrings.
Thank you for coming in, Mrs.
Coleman.
You caught the man? We'd like you to take a look and see if you recognize anybody, all right? I don't know.
I'm not sure.
It was kind of dark inside the church.
Take your time.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Rey, why don't you see Mrs.
Coleman out? Well, it's been fun as always, Lieutenant.
I assume you have no further use for me or my client? The canvass is coming up goose eggs.
Why don't you give the husband another look? Do you think Rachel's okay? It's hard to say.
I mean, she could be dead, right? We shouldn't talk like that, Leah.
Do you have any children? Three girls.
Then you do understand.
Listen, if I were in your position right now, I don't know what I'd be doing.
Praying.
You'd be praying.
Yeah, you're right.
Look, Leah's not perfect, but she was always a good mom.
I mean, she was patient, she never lost her temper, and she spent every second with Rachel.
Didn't leave much time for you, huh? Are you trying to say something? You're a young guy, maybe you'd rather be out hitting the clubs instead of home changing diapers, huh? So I take my own kid? Does that make sense? Some people would pay a lot of money for a healthy little girl.
You know what? You're sick, man.
I mean, maybe I wasn't the best husband or father, but I'd never do anything to hurt either one of them.
The kid's pretty worked up.
I don't think he had anything to do with it.
What about the mother? She can barely talk.
You know, everybody says they saw the carriage, but I don't remember anybody saying that they saw the baby in the carriage.
A stranger lifts up a sleeping eight-month-old, you're gonna hear some wailing.
Not if he covers her mouth.
So we're nowhere.
So we start over.
Go back to the scene.
What the hell? Oh, wonderful.
I'm so glad they're finally done with O.
J.
So, I'm begging whoever it was who took Rachel to bring her back home to us.
And I'm begging everyone else, please pray with us.
Please light your candles and pray with us.
Mrs.
Coleman, is it true the police are looking for a Puerto Rican male? A man resembling this picture is wanted for questioning.
Please, I want my daughter home.
This isn't a good idea, Father.
I thought the publicity would It's the last thing we want.
I've been advised we'll have to end now.
Mrs.
Coleman, one more question.
How did I look, Rey? Where is that? Got it.
Thanks.
Mass hysteria time.
Anything worthwhile? Since the Coleman's town meeting, every nutjob in the city who ever got a bad taco is pointing the finger.
Lieutenant? Listen, I've been thinking, what if I took Leah on a walk-through of her morning before the kidnapping? Not so confident anymore in the grieving mother? Well, maybe something will spark her memory.
All right, Mrs.
Dichter.
Yeah, we'll get somebody there right away.
Now, this could be something.
Landlady says her Hispanic tenant suddenly became a daddy.
No wife, no girlfriend.
Check it out.
Take Profaci.
Remind the girl to stay away from the press.
Albert's a good tenant.
Clean, quiet, rent on time.
Couple of cats, but I can live with that.
And you're sure he's single? Oh, Albert's definitely single.
An artiste, if you get my drift.
But who am I to judge? And you saw the baby, Mrs.
Dichter? Well, I saw him carrying a box of Pampers.
I don't know much about those people, but you tell me.
Now, you're gonna tell me what a single guy's doing with all this stuff? Alternative lifestyle or no.
Do you know where Mr.
Martinez works? Well, what the hell do you want us to do? I mean, it's the second day.
You guys don't even have a suspect.
And now you may have scared off the guy who did this.
Oh, my God.
It was Father Carner's idea.
He thought getting the whole community working together would be good.
Look, Leah, I have an idea.
It could be helpful.
Anything.
I want you to walk me through your morning before you went to the church.
You might see something or remember something.
What the hell.
I mean, I'll go nuts just sitting here.
No, I think it's better if it's just me and Leah.
She's my daughter, too, you know.
Well, that's why you should stay here.
Maybe somebody'll call.
This is where we sat.
My mom used to bring me here.
Was there anything out of the ordinary here that day? Just the kids playing, like always.
I can't wait for Rachel to grow up.
I'm going to teach her how to ride a bike, like my dad taught me.
I just taught my oldest.
What's her name? Olivia.
That's pretty.
Take a look.
Oh, she's beautiful.
Second grade spelling champ.
You're so lucky.
Well, she can be a handful.
Sometimes I feel like Oh, you don't mean that.
I love her, but my wife's the one with all the patience in my family.
Next stop, the market, right? Right, and what time was that, ma'am? Okay, thank you.
Here, this looks iffy, but give it a shot.
Albert Martinez is a negative.
It was his sister's kid.
She won an all-expense-paid trip to Atlantic City for the week.
He's watching the kid.
You took his word for it? It was a boy, Lennie.
You sure? I walked in, he's changing the kid right in front of me.
I think I can tell the difference.
I bought some cereal.
Mr.
Cox was up front.
Do you remember any other customers? No, it was pretty empty.
There was a black man over there, near the dairy case.
I bought some milk.
I remember one time, when I was a kid, I pulled everything out of the refrigerator, and I dumped it onto the floor.
What'd your mom do? Not a lot.
I did, however, get a smack in the head from my dad.
You're kidding.
It was nothing.
I always got a little smack on the head when I was out of line.
That's wrong, Rey.
What your father did is very wrong.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child.
" That's what the Bible says.
Besides, I know my dad loved me, and I turned out okay, didn't I? My baby screams, and I never hit her.
Keith never hits her.
My parents never hit me.
Well, we were just brought up different, that's all.
I should get back to Keith.
He must be out of his mind.
Okay.
Okay, we're almost done.
And this is important.
Where did you go next? The coffee shop up the street.
When I was 10, my mom used to drag me to church every Sunday.
It's not punishment, you know.
Hey, my buddies were all out playing ball.
Believe me, it was torture.
I like the singing.
Yeah? I got kicked off the choir.
Couldn't carry a tune.
The part I hated the most, confession.
It's the only road to absolution.
Yeah.
You know, it's kind of funny.
What I did was I'd make up stories.
You know, I cheated in school, I stole money from my pops.
Father Mike actually fell for it.
You lied to your confessor? Well, don't tell me you never left anything out.
No.
I'd feel too guilty.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess I'm the same way.
Every week, I'd go back, and I'd tell Father Mike the truth.
Was he mad? I think he was disappointed more than anything else.
That's where he was sitting.
Are you sure? Can we go? Why don't Why don't we sit down for a minute, okay? Hmm.
I like it when it's quiet like this.
Really helps you think better.
I made my first communion here.
My dad invited the whole neighborhood.
And I cried at Rachel's baptism.
Do you think there's any chance? The more time that passes, the less likely it is.
I'm sorry.
I don't blame you.
Do you think she's dead? You know what bothers me? If she is, you know, poor Rachel, she She should have a Christian burial.
We should pray.
You take your time.
I'll wait for you outside.
Oh, no.
Please stay with me.
My baby's in heaven.
Tell me.
I made sure she'd be all right for heaven.
How did she die? A pillow.
She couldn't breathe.
Where is she, Leah? Oh, my little angel.
She deserved the best, you know.
Smothering your own baby and then cremating her? Makes me wish I went to art school.
Never underestimate the depravity of American society.
The good news about this one is it should be over nice and quick.
You're not thinking of dealing this down? A dead baby, a solid confession, any lawyer with an ounce of lucidity will take 25-to-life and run.
Who do we have? Ross Fineman, Legal Aid.
Never heard of him.
That's good.
He didn't put up much of a fight on bail.
Good sign.
Or else he saw the mob outside the courthouse, and he figured that Coleman would be safer in Rikers.
Yes? Send him in.
Five minutes, tops.
Hello.
Hi.
Mr.
McCoy, it's an honor.
The pleasure is mine, Mr.
Fineman.
Ross.
Two years in misdemeanors, and now this.
It's unbelievable.
Hell of a way to cut your teeth.
I guess Bernstein figured I couldn't screw up too bad.
So, what do you say, Jack? How does man one sound? Not very good.
A few more homicides, you'll find some cases are not dealable.
Well, I thought I'd give it a shot.
You know, if you're gonna lose, might as well be on the front page.
Make my mom proud.
My motion to exclude Leah Coleman's confession.
You're kidding.
Hey, I got to at least look like I'm doing something, no? An affidavit from Detective Curtis, Your Honor.
The defendant offered her confession of her own volition.
Granted, this is all new to me, but as I understand it, Detective Curtis never read my client her rights.
I seem to remember that failure to do so constitutes an irrebuttable presumption that a confession was involuntary.
Only if it's the result of an interrogation.
Detective Curtis never asked the defendant if she killed her child.
Now, I'm no expert, but I think in Innis, the Supreme Court requires Miranda warnings whenever a person is subjected to direct questions or its subjective equivalent.
Blanche Gelfant down at Brooklyn Law taught us that includes any words or actions that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.
Blanche taught you well, Mr.
Fineman, but tell me, what did the arresting officer here do? He took my client, an extremely religious woman, to her church and said, and I quote, "Your daughter is entitled to a Christian burial.
" Now, that sounds to me like it was intended to provoke an incriminating response.
Mrs.
Coleman confessed in her own church.
No reasonable person could think that she wasn't free to walk away.
After four hours of continuous dialogue, who knows what a reasonable person might think? Well, I consider myself fairly reasonable.
I will hear testimony on the custody issue Thursday morning.
He came to my apartment.
He told me we were going to retrace my steps.
Was your husband there? Yes.
But Detective Curtis said he should stay behind.
And did he? Yes.
And then where did you go? First we went to the park.
We sat on the bench and talked.
Did he ask you questions? Yes.
Did you ever say you wanted to go home? Yes, I said I should be with Keith, my husband.
And what did Detective Curtis say? He said this was important.
He said that we should go to the church.
Now, Leah, this is very important.
Did you feel free to leave Detective Curtis at any time? No.
He was a policeman.
He said that it was important that I go with him.
Thank you.
Did Detective Curtis tell you why he wanted you with him? He said that maybe I would remember something to help find Rachel.
So you never thought he considered you a suspect.
I didn't think about it.
In all the time that you spent with Detective Curtis, did he ever ask you if you killed Rachel? No.
You testified that you were with him for nearly four hours.
In all that time, did he ever leave you alone? He wanted to, but I asked him to stay, so that we could pray together.
So had you not stopped him, you would have been free to go on your way.
Yes.
Now, who is Ross Fineman? Legal Aid.
This is his first homicide case.
Hate to be here when he actually learns what he's doing.
We won the motion, Adam.
Coleman's confession is admissible.
Yep.
Now we get to hear all about how the girl was abused by some drunken lesbian who's watching too much television.
Mr.
Fineman hasn't indicated that there would be any sort of diminished capacity testimony.
In this case, I doubt if an abuse excuse would fly anyway.
Considering we got a bunch of Einsteins on our jury.
No.
But the Oprah-fication of America ended when the Menendez brothers weren't convicted.
The pendulum has swung, Adam.
People don't care about why anymore, they just care about what.
Just get this over with before the pendulum swings back.
On Tuesday, October 3rd, Leah Coleman woke up at about 7:30 in the morning.
Like any other day, she showered, dressed, ate a bowl of cereal.
And just as she would on any other day, she fed her baby, Rachel, put her in her carriage and went downstairs to run her daily errands.
But, ladies and gentlemen, this wasn't just any other day because on this particular Tuesday, in October, Leah Coleman went down to the basement of her building.
She held a pillow over the face of her eight-month-old daughter until she could no longer breathe.
She opened the door to the furnace and placed Rachel inside.
Then she locked the door and went on her way.
How do I know this? She told us, in her own words, that's how.
Your opening, Mr.
Fineman? The Defense reserves its opening statement until the State finishes its case in chief, Your Honor.
Objection.
It's my discretion to set the order of trial, Counselor.
You do have good cause, Mr.
Fineman? Well, it's a bit embarrassing, Your Honor, but it seems that I'm not I'm not quite prepared.
Call your first witness, Mr.
McCoy.
The Crime Scene Unit found ashes and a baby's wool cap in the furnace.
It wasn't burned? No.
It must have fallen off when the baby was put into the chamber.
What did you find in the hat? We found several strands of hair.
What did you do with the hair, Dr.
Hayashi? We compared them with several strands of hair we took from her crib.
And what did you find? They were an exact match.
Thank you.
Cross-examination, Mr.
Fineman? The Defense has no questions for this witness, Your Honor.
She took me to the basement, told me she smothered her baby.
I asked her where the victim was, she opened the furnace door.
Did you ask her how her baby ended up in the furnace? I did.
She told me she put her there.
What did you do then, Detective? I informed her she was under arrest, I read her her rights, and I took her back to the 27.
Did she ever say why she had killed her baby? I asked her several times, and all she said was that her baby deserved the best.
Thank you.
Cross, Mr.
Fineman? No, Judge.
The People rest, Your Honor.
Fine.
We are in recess until tomorrow morning, at which time I assume the Defense will begin its case.
Five witnesses, no cross examination.
Hell, he didn't even object.
Somehow, I don't attribute that to your fine lawyering.
Maybe he knows he has no case, Adam.
Maybe he didn't want to waste the court's time.
A fiscally responsible defense attorney.
I heard Johnnie Cochran waived his fee.
I wouldn't put Mr.
Fineman in that league.
He sat there scribbling on his legal pad.
He looked bored.
Probably writing his first screenplay.
Yes.
On Tuesday morning, October the Leah Coleman killed and cremated her eight-month-old baby.
A mother killing her baby.
It makes you wonder.
What kind of a woman could do such a thing? She's never been involved in any sort of criminal activities before.
I checked.
She wasn't brought up by abusive parents.
I checked that, too.
You'll hear witness after witness tell you what a good person she is and how much she loved her baby.
She loved little Rachel more than she loved herself.
She has no reason whatsoever for wanting her baby dead.
So why did this terrible thing happen? What kind of God would sit by and let such a horrendous thing happen to one of his children? Believe me, I've thought about this long and hard, and as far as I can see, there is only one reason.
There is one reason only why a tragedy this outrageous could have happened, ladies and gentlemen.
God wanted it to.
Objection.
So I want you not to look at what my client did, but at what God did.
And remember, if you convict Leah Coleman, you are questioning the will of God.
Your Honor.
In my chambers.
His opening was irrelevant, inflammatory and prejudicial, not to mention comical.
The law allows me to offer any defense that I see fit.
Any relevant defense.
Oh, I see.
God isn't relevant? Not in a courtroom, it's not.
Begging your pardon, but I think you should all listen to the oath before a witness takes the stand.
Your Honor, the canons require me to represent my client with zealousness.
Within the bounds of the law.
You can't raise something in opening argument you can't possibly prove during your case.
Or did you miss that day in Blanche's class? Nice try, Mr.
Fineman.
Artful but inadmissible.
I assume you'll declare a mistrial.
I think that's a bit extravagant.
I will instruct the jury to disregard the Defense's opening in its entirety.
Well, if that's the case, I'd like to change the plea to not guilty by reason of mental defect.
Out of the question.
The statute requires 60 days notice for an insanity plea.
I didn't know that.
Look, Your Honor, it's my first homicide trial.
I screwed up.
You can't hold that against my client.
Legal incompetence as a defense at trial? You're kidding.
What can I say? I'm out of my league.
Look, Your Honor, if you don't allow the change, my client will have an appeal on Sixth Amendment grounds.
She'll win, too, because I'll sign affidavits enumerating the 12 grievous errors I've already made.
Either you are a brilliant strategist, Mr.
Fineman, or you are the biggest jackass ever to set foot in my courtroom.
I will allow the change of plea, but, please, no more surprises.
Don't worry, Jack, your expert can examine the defendant and testify on rebuttal.
Okay, Mr.
Fineman, the party's over.
She's depressed.
She's suicidal.
She should have done us all a favor.
Are you kidding? That would be too cruel, leaving her child without a mommy.
She actually said that? Did the girl know what she did was wrong, Liz? In some sort of abstract way, yeah.
So you'll testify that she was legally sane at the time of the murder? Yes.
But? You've been in front of enough juries, Jack.
I've got to tell you, a mother killing her own baby without any motive whatsoever, it makes you wonder.
Do I have to explain the law to you, Claire? Crazy is not the same as legally insane.
Jack, I'm just saying that what Leah Coleman did is incomprehensible to me.
The jury's got to feel the same way.
If she isn't sick, who is? Then what are we doing here? Jack No, Claire, substitute psychology for morality, and our jobs become obsolete.
But, Jack, this is an extreme case.
A jury is going to want to know why she did what she did.
Maybe she was just downright bad.
You actually believe that? With all due respect for your profession, Liz, I think it's been overplayed in the courtroom.
So people are just good or bad, period.
It's better than healthy or sick.
Deny evil, you deny responsibility.
Open up the jails.
Send everyone to a shrink.
We got married when we finished high school, and we were together until maybe four months ago.
And what happened? I don't know.
Maybe we were too young.
She spent all her time with Rachel.
I needed a wife.
Was Leah a good mother? She was the best.
She quit her job to stay home.
She'd sit up all night with Rachel if she was sick, or crying, or something.
That's why I can't believe Thank you, Mr.
Coleman.
During the years that you lived together, did Leah ever seek psychiatric help? No.
Did you ever suggest that she should? I never What? You never thought she needed it? I'm not a doctor.
How would I know? When was the last time you saw her before the death of your daughter? The day before.
We took Rachel to the zoo.
And you didn't notice anything wrong with your wife at that time, did you? Well, maybe.
I didn't really, I mean, she was If you thought she was sick, Mr.
Coleman, why would you have left her alone with your daughter? She loved Rachel so much.
Look, I hate her for what she did.
She had to be crazy.
Leah was a regular member of our congregation.
She attended mass every Sunday.
She always appeared to be a good mother.
In recent months, did you notice any strange behavior on her part? In retrospect, yes.
It was during the Susan Smith episode.
She overreacted.
Broke down in tears in my office.
"How could she kill her own babies?" And how did you console her? I told her that everything that happens is for the best, that Susan Smith's babies were now in heaven with God.
She found enormous comfort in that.
You've known Leah for how long, Father? Nearly 15 years.
And would you say, basically, that she is a good person? Without a doubt.
That's why this is all so shocking.
"Susan Smith's babies are now in heaven with God.
" Was that a license to do whatever you want? That's not what I meant, for the life of me.
I was trying to rationalize a horrendous event.
In other words, you were searching for some kind of good coming out of this terrible tragedy? It's a bit simplistic, but yes.
For a lot of us, it's the only conceivable way to go on in the face of such misfortune.
The only way to reconcile a benevolent God with all the evil in the world.
Yes.
So, what, in some way, everything is a part of God's plan? We're not that fatalistic, Mr.
McCoy.
You should know that.
God gave man free will.
That's right.
Man is free to choose between good and evil.
That's why there's a heaven and a hell, right? That's correct.
So tell me, Father, is everyone in hell psychologically disturbed? Beating up on a priest, hell of a way to win a case.
I was trying to make a point.
That God is impotent, sitting on the sidelines with his fingers crossed, hoping that man will do the right thing? And as Leah Coleman proved, sometimes he doesn't.
For a reason, not because she's innately bad.
Evil is learned.
Look at a newborn.
Babies are not born good, they're born innocent.
This is murder trial, not a theodicy seminar.
You got sandbagged by a rookie.
Excuse me.
Did you ever think that Mr.
Fineman had all this planned from the start? His ridiculous opening, late insanity plea And after Fineman's shenanigans, the jury might believe that she's better off in a hospital.
I believe she knew what she was doing when she killed her daughter.
I also believe she knew it was wrong, and therefore I believe she deserves to rot.
Good.
Now go and prove it.
What were you thinking when you smothered Rachel? Nothing.
I mean, I don't remember.
It was like I was in a trance.
You said that you were feeling badly in the weeks before the murder.
What exactly did you mean? I was all by myself.
It was just me and Rachel, and I couldn't work or go to school.
We didn't have much money.
Your husband supported you, didn't he? Keith worked in a tire store.
We didn't have enough.
This depressed you? I wanted the best for my baby.
It wasn't just the money, you know.
What was it, Leah? It's just this city.
This world.
I look around Tell us, Leah.
I go to the store, and somebody tries to steal my pocketbook.
My neighbor, Mrs.
Gorfitz on the third floor, they killed her for her Social Security check.
She was 76 years old, and they raped her, and they killed her.
And the police caught the men, and they couldn't even put them in jail.
I once saw a boy, he was no more than 14, slash another boy's throat for an ounce of dope.
Terrorists are trying to blow up the World Trade Center.
Schools have metal detectors.
Families are stocking their own weapons and forming their own armies.
What kind of a world do we live in? There's so much hate and suffering and distrust.
It's not gonna go away.
Is that what you meant when you told Detective Curtis that Rachel deserves the best? Why should she have to see this? Now she's in heaven with God.
Thank you, Leah.
Doesn't the Bible tell us not to kill, Mrs.
Coleman? I am already suffering for what I did.
So now you know what you did was wrong? Yes.
Did you know it was wrong when you woke up that morning? Yes.
Did you know it was wrong when you ate your cereal? Yes.
He's badgering, Your Honor.
Sit down and shut up, Mr.
Fineman.
Overruled.
And you will address the court from now on, Mr.
McCoy.
Let me ask you this, Mrs.
Coleman.
Is God happy about what you did? He has my Rachel.
That's what he wanted.
That's what Father Carner said.
He wanted it? I see.
Mr.
Fineman was right.
This was all God's will, after all.
I'd say that was pretty selfish of him, wouldn't you? No.
Why not? The God you describe sounds like he's sitting around heaven, he gets bored, so he arranges for you to kill your child.
No.
God is not like that.
God is good and benevolent.
Benevolent? He makes you murder your eight-month-old daughter That was me! Rachel was screaming, but I did it anyway.
So you do remember what you did.
And you knew it was wrong.
You know what that means, Mrs.
Coleman.
That means you're guilty as sin.
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Madam Forewoman, have you reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor.
On the sole count of the indictment, murder in the second degree, how do you find? We find the defendant, Leah Coleman, guilty.
To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd pull that one off.
What can I say? Freud's out, the devil's in.
Admit it, Jack, you were a little tough on that priest.
When you're raised by the Jesuits, you end up obedient or impertinent.
I didn't order this.
It's on the gentleman at the bar.
Take it back.
Can't forgive anyone, huh? No, I can't.
Besides, that was bourbon.
I'm drinking Scotch.
These are their stories.
It's been three years.
I haven't talked to her since she moved.
She is your mother, Leah.
She could call me, too.
You know that's not the point.
You obviously feel guilty about it.
Remember, in the end, all we have is our faith and our family.
I'll try, I guess.
Good.
Now we should pray.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God, Rachel.
Leah, what is it? Somebody took Rachel.
Leah, Leah, what? What? She's gone! My baby! Priest said that they were in confession.
The kid was in the carriage right outside.
And nobody heard anything? It's a church.
You're supposed to keep quiet.
This is Father Carner.
It's unbelievable.
Nothing like this has ever happened here before.
And this is where the carriage was? Nobody's touched it.
Good.
Take it down to Forensics.
How long were you in here? Not long.
Maybe five minutes.
Leah never has much to confess.
And you didn't see anybody else, huh? As far as I know, the church was empty.
Thanks, Father.
Do you think there's any chance Who would do this? I always leave Rachel there.
I never thought that anything could happen.
Was anyone else here, Leah? Did you find her? I'm sorry.
You're going to find her, right? You're not going to let anything happen.
Father.
Kidnap a kid from a church? How many Hail Marys does that get you? Somehow, I don't think this guy was counting.
She was wearing her navy-blue dress, the one with the frills around the collar and a white hat.
Oh, God, it's all my fault.
I never should have left her alone.
Are we gonna just sit here? Some pervert's got my kid.
We've got our guys out canvassing the neighborhood, Mr.
Coleman.
Well, he could be out of state already.
Now, Leah, you didn't see anybody following you? I don't think so.
Where were you before church? We went to the playground, and then we went to the market.
Now, Leah, this is important.
When you got to the church, was there anyone hanging around outside? I don't know.
I can't remember.
Oh, wait a minute.
When I got there, I sat waiting for Father Carner, and then when I went in to confess, there was someone in the back row.
Good.
Now, did you see what he looked like? He was young, maybe Okay, Leah, I'll tell you what we're gonna do.
You're gonna describe this guy to a sketch artist, okay? Please find Rachel.
How could someone leave their kid alone? Hey, she was in a church.
She actually believes in that "Do unto others" stuff.
She says she saw a Puerto Rican man in the back row.
It's not in Sluizer's report.
Well, she just remembered.
What, you think she's lying? I wouldn't turn my back on my kid in this city.
There is another possibility.
Get off it.
You saw the girl.
She was hysterical.
You're not gonna find her baby in a car at the bottom of some lake.
Talk to the priest.
Maybe he can help with the man in the back row.
Sure, we have Puerto Rican members.
We also have Cubans, Mexicans, Venezuelans, but none of them I know.
They're all good people, right? No.
But we're a small congregation.
Leah knows them all.
She was very active.
Was? Raising a child alone, it takes a lot of time.
What do you mean alone? We just met her husband.
She and Keith are separated.
I've been counseling them.
We're close to getting their marriage back on track.
Did their problems have anything to do with their daughter? Oh, you don't suspect Keith? Look, Leah is a good mother.
Keith knows that and respects it.
She lets him see Rachel as often as he likes.
They're good kids.
They just got married too young.
Yeah, she's a good mother, except she lost her baby.
He's a good father, but he can't stand to live with his family.
All I know is my girls aren't getting married till they graduate from college.
Hey, I'm too young to get married, and I'm a grandfather.
Before church, she went to the market up on 88th.
Maybe someone up there saw something.
Puerto Ricans? What else is new? This morning, I don't know, around 11:00, a young girl came in with her baby.
You remember that? Sure.
Leah.
That baby of hers is a real cutie.
Shame she's got to grow up in this cesspool.
Do you remember anybody paying special attention to them? Let's see.
I probably sold Ricardo his first six-pack by then.
You got a last name? We're not that close.
He didn't rape her, did he? This Ricardo, he's trouble? Show me one who's not.
They want to break off from the US of A, I say let them.
Besides Roberto Clemente, what the hell good are they, anyhow? Yeah, well I guess your boy, Newt's gonna take care of them, huh? Damn right.
So where can we find Ricardo? Around the corner.
OTB.
He's the one with the 12 earrings.
Thank you for coming in, Mrs.
Coleman.
You caught the man? We'd like you to take a look and see if you recognize anybody, all right? I don't know.
I'm not sure.
It was kind of dark inside the church.
Take your time.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Rey, why don't you see Mrs.
Coleman out? Well, it's been fun as always, Lieutenant.
I assume you have no further use for me or my client? The canvass is coming up goose eggs.
Why don't you give the husband another look? Do you think Rachel's okay? It's hard to say.
I mean, she could be dead, right? We shouldn't talk like that, Leah.
Do you have any children? Three girls.
Then you do understand.
Listen, if I were in your position right now, I don't know what I'd be doing.
Praying.
You'd be praying.
Yeah, you're right.
Look, Leah's not perfect, but she was always a good mom.
I mean, she was patient, she never lost her temper, and she spent every second with Rachel.
Didn't leave much time for you, huh? Are you trying to say something? You're a young guy, maybe you'd rather be out hitting the clubs instead of home changing diapers, huh? So I take my own kid? Does that make sense? Some people would pay a lot of money for a healthy little girl.
You know what? You're sick, man.
I mean, maybe I wasn't the best husband or father, but I'd never do anything to hurt either one of them.
The kid's pretty worked up.
I don't think he had anything to do with it.
What about the mother? She can barely talk.
You know, everybody says they saw the carriage, but I don't remember anybody saying that they saw the baby in the carriage.
A stranger lifts up a sleeping eight-month-old, you're gonna hear some wailing.
Not if he covers her mouth.
So we're nowhere.
So we start over.
Go back to the scene.
What the hell? Oh, wonderful.
I'm so glad they're finally done with O.
J.
So, I'm begging whoever it was who took Rachel to bring her back home to us.
And I'm begging everyone else, please pray with us.
Please light your candles and pray with us.
Mrs.
Coleman, is it true the police are looking for a Puerto Rican male? A man resembling this picture is wanted for questioning.
Please, I want my daughter home.
This isn't a good idea, Father.
I thought the publicity would It's the last thing we want.
I've been advised we'll have to end now.
Mrs.
Coleman, one more question.
How did I look, Rey? Where is that? Got it.
Thanks.
Mass hysteria time.
Anything worthwhile? Since the Coleman's town meeting, every nutjob in the city who ever got a bad taco is pointing the finger.
Lieutenant? Listen, I've been thinking, what if I took Leah on a walk-through of her morning before the kidnapping? Not so confident anymore in the grieving mother? Well, maybe something will spark her memory.
All right, Mrs.
Dichter.
Yeah, we'll get somebody there right away.
Now, this could be something.
Landlady says her Hispanic tenant suddenly became a daddy.
No wife, no girlfriend.
Check it out.
Take Profaci.
Remind the girl to stay away from the press.
Albert's a good tenant.
Clean, quiet, rent on time.
Couple of cats, but I can live with that.
And you're sure he's single? Oh, Albert's definitely single.
An artiste, if you get my drift.
But who am I to judge? And you saw the baby, Mrs.
Dichter? Well, I saw him carrying a box of Pampers.
I don't know much about those people, but you tell me.
Now, you're gonna tell me what a single guy's doing with all this stuff? Alternative lifestyle or no.
Do you know where Mr.
Martinez works? Well, what the hell do you want us to do? I mean, it's the second day.
You guys don't even have a suspect.
And now you may have scared off the guy who did this.
Oh, my God.
It was Father Carner's idea.
He thought getting the whole community working together would be good.
Look, Leah, I have an idea.
It could be helpful.
Anything.
I want you to walk me through your morning before you went to the church.
You might see something or remember something.
What the hell.
I mean, I'll go nuts just sitting here.
No, I think it's better if it's just me and Leah.
She's my daughter, too, you know.
Well, that's why you should stay here.
Maybe somebody'll call.
This is where we sat.
My mom used to bring me here.
Was there anything out of the ordinary here that day? Just the kids playing, like always.
I can't wait for Rachel to grow up.
I'm going to teach her how to ride a bike, like my dad taught me.
I just taught my oldest.
What's her name? Olivia.
That's pretty.
Take a look.
Oh, she's beautiful.
Second grade spelling champ.
You're so lucky.
Well, she can be a handful.
Sometimes I feel like Oh, you don't mean that.
I love her, but my wife's the one with all the patience in my family.
Next stop, the market, right? Right, and what time was that, ma'am? Okay, thank you.
Here, this looks iffy, but give it a shot.
Albert Martinez is a negative.
It was his sister's kid.
She won an all-expense-paid trip to Atlantic City for the week.
He's watching the kid.
You took his word for it? It was a boy, Lennie.
You sure? I walked in, he's changing the kid right in front of me.
I think I can tell the difference.
I bought some cereal.
Mr.
Cox was up front.
Do you remember any other customers? No, it was pretty empty.
There was a black man over there, near the dairy case.
I bought some milk.
I remember one time, when I was a kid, I pulled everything out of the refrigerator, and I dumped it onto the floor.
What'd your mom do? Not a lot.
I did, however, get a smack in the head from my dad.
You're kidding.
It was nothing.
I always got a little smack on the head when I was out of line.
That's wrong, Rey.
What your father did is very wrong.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child.
" That's what the Bible says.
Besides, I know my dad loved me, and I turned out okay, didn't I? My baby screams, and I never hit her.
Keith never hits her.
My parents never hit me.
Well, we were just brought up different, that's all.
I should get back to Keith.
He must be out of his mind.
Okay.
Okay, we're almost done.
And this is important.
Where did you go next? The coffee shop up the street.
When I was 10, my mom used to drag me to church every Sunday.
It's not punishment, you know.
Hey, my buddies were all out playing ball.
Believe me, it was torture.
I like the singing.
Yeah? I got kicked off the choir.
Couldn't carry a tune.
The part I hated the most, confession.
It's the only road to absolution.
Yeah.
You know, it's kind of funny.
What I did was I'd make up stories.
You know, I cheated in school, I stole money from my pops.
Father Mike actually fell for it.
You lied to your confessor? Well, don't tell me you never left anything out.
No.
I'd feel too guilty.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess I'm the same way.
Every week, I'd go back, and I'd tell Father Mike the truth.
Was he mad? I think he was disappointed more than anything else.
That's where he was sitting.
Are you sure? Can we go? Why don't Why don't we sit down for a minute, okay? Hmm.
I like it when it's quiet like this.
Really helps you think better.
I made my first communion here.
My dad invited the whole neighborhood.
And I cried at Rachel's baptism.
Do you think there's any chance? The more time that passes, the less likely it is.
I'm sorry.
I don't blame you.
Do you think she's dead? You know what bothers me? If she is, you know, poor Rachel, she She should have a Christian burial.
We should pray.
You take your time.
I'll wait for you outside.
Oh, no.
Please stay with me.
My baby's in heaven.
Tell me.
I made sure she'd be all right for heaven.
How did she die? A pillow.
She couldn't breathe.
Where is she, Leah? Oh, my little angel.
She deserved the best, you know.
Smothering your own baby and then cremating her? Makes me wish I went to art school.
Never underestimate the depravity of American society.
The good news about this one is it should be over nice and quick.
You're not thinking of dealing this down? A dead baby, a solid confession, any lawyer with an ounce of lucidity will take 25-to-life and run.
Who do we have? Ross Fineman, Legal Aid.
Never heard of him.
That's good.
He didn't put up much of a fight on bail.
Good sign.
Or else he saw the mob outside the courthouse, and he figured that Coleman would be safer in Rikers.
Yes? Send him in.
Five minutes, tops.
Hello.
Hi.
Mr.
McCoy, it's an honor.
The pleasure is mine, Mr.
Fineman.
Ross.
Two years in misdemeanors, and now this.
It's unbelievable.
Hell of a way to cut your teeth.
I guess Bernstein figured I couldn't screw up too bad.
So, what do you say, Jack? How does man one sound? Not very good.
A few more homicides, you'll find some cases are not dealable.
Well, I thought I'd give it a shot.
You know, if you're gonna lose, might as well be on the front page.
Make my mom proud.
My motion to exclude Leah Coleman's confession.
You're kidding.
Hey, I got to at least look like I'm doing something, no? An affidavit from Detective Curtis, Your Honor.
The defendant offered her confession of her own volition.
Granted, this is all new to me, but as I understand it, Detective Curtis never read my client her rights.
I seem to remember that failure to do so constitutes an irrebuttable presumption that a confession was involuntary.
Only if it's the result of an interrogation.
Detective Curtis never asked the defendant if she killed her child.
Now, I'm no expert, but I think in Innis, the Supreme Court requires Miranda warnings whenever a person is subjected to direct questions or its subjective equivalent.
Blanche Gelfant down at Brooklyn Law taught us that includes any words or actions that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.
Blanche taught you well, Mr.
Fineman, but tell me, what did the arresting officer here do? He took my client, an extremely religious woman, to her church and said, and I quote, "Your daughter is entitled to a Christian burial.
" Now, that sounds to me like it was intended to provoke an incriminating response.
Mrs.
Coleman confessed in her own church.
No reasonable person could think that she wasn't free to walk away.
After four hours of continuous dialogue, who knows what a reasonable person might think? Well, I consider myself fairly reasonable.
I will hear testimony on the custody issue Thursday morning.
He came to my apartment.
He told me we were going to retrace my steps.
Was your husband there? Yes.
But Detective Curtis said he should stay behind.
And did he? Yes.
And then where did you go? First we went to the park.
We sat on the bench and talked.
Did he ask you questions? Yes.
Did you ever say you wanted to go home? Yes, I said I should be with Keith, my husband.
And what did Detective Curtis say? He said this was important.
He said that we should go to the church.
Now, Leah, this is very important.
Did you feel free to leave Detective Curtis at any time? No.
He was a policeman.
He said that it was important that I go with him.
Thank you.
Did Detective Curtis tell you why he wanted you with him? He said that maybe I would remember something to help find Rachel.
So you never thought he considered you a suspect.
I didn't think about it.
In all the time that you spent with Detective Curtis, did he ever ask you if you killed Rachel? No.
You testified that you were with him for nearly four hours.
In all that time, did he ever leave you alone? He wanted to, but I asked him to stay, so that we could pray together.
So had you not stopped him, you would have been free to go on your way.
Yes.
Now, who is Ross Fineman? Legal Aid.
This is his first homicide case.
Hate to be here when he actually learns what he's doing.
We won the motion, Adam.
Coleman's confession is admissible.
Yep.
Now we get to hear all about how the girl was abused by some drunken lesbian who's watching too much television.
Mr.
Fineman hasn't indicated that there would be any sort of diminished capacity testimony.
In this case, I doubt if an abuse excuse would fly anyway.
Considering we got a bunch of Einsteins on our jury.
No.
But the Oprah-fication of America ended when the Menendez brothers weren't convicted.
The pendulum has swung, Adam.
People don't care about why anymore, they just care about what.
Just get this over with before the pendulum swings back.
On Tuesday, October 3rd, Leah Coleman woke up at about 7:30 in the morning.
Like any other day, she showered, dressed, ate a bowl of cereal.
And just as she would on any other day, she fed her baby, Rachel, put her in her carriage and went downstairs to run her daily errands.
But, ladies and gentlemen, this wasn't just any other day because on this particular Tuesday, in October, Leah Coleman went down to the basement of her building.
She held a pillow over the face of her eight-month-old daughter until she could no longer breathe.
She opened the door to the furnace and placed Rachel inside.
Then she locked the door and went on her way.
How do I know this? She told us, in her own words, that's how.
Your opening, Mr.
Fineman? The Defense reserves its opening statement until the State finishes its case in chief, Your Honor.
Objection.
It's my discretion to set the order of trial, Counselor.
You do have good cause, Mr.
Fineman? Well, it's a bit embarrassing, Your Honor, but it seems that I'm not I'm not quite prepared.
Call your first witness, Mr.
McCoy.
The Crime Scene Unit found ashes and a baby's wool cap in the furnace.
It wasn't burned? No.
It must have fallen off when the baby was put into the chamber.
What did you find in the hat? We found several strands of hair.
What did you do with the hair, Dr.
Hayashi? We compared them with several strands of hair we took from her crib.
And what did you find? They were an exact match.
Thank you.
Cross-examination, Mr.
Fineman? The Defense has no questions for this witness, Your Honor.
She took me to the basement, told me she smothered her baby.
I asked her where the victim was, she opened the furnace door.
Did you ask her how her baby ended up in the furnace? I did.
She told me she put her there.
What did you do then, Detective? I informed her she was under arrest, I read her her rights, and I took her back to the 27.
Did she ever say why she had killed her baby? I asked her several times, and all she said was that her baby deserved the best.
Thank you.
Cross, Mr.
Fineman? No, Judge.
The People rest, Your Honor.
Fine.
We are in recess until tomorrow morning, at which time I assume the Defense will begin its case.
Five witnesses, no cross examination.
Hell, he didn't even object.
Somehow, I don't attribute that to your fine lawyering.
Maybe he knows he has no case, Adam.
Maybe he didn't want to waste the court's time.
A fiscally responsible defense attorney.
I heard Johnnie Cochran waived his fee.
I wouldn't put Mr.
Fineman in that league.
He sat there scribbling on his legal pad.
He looked bored.
Probably writing his first screenplay.
Yes.
On Tuesday morning, October the Leah Coleman killed and cremated her eight-month-old baby.
A mother killing her baby.
It makes you wonder.
What kind of a woman could do such a thing? She's never been involved in any sort of criminal activities before.
I checked.
She wasn't brought up by abusive parents.
I checked that, too.
You'll hear witness after witness tell you what a good person she is and how much she loved her baby.
She loved little Rachel more than she loved herself.
She has no reason whatsoever for wanting her baby dead.
So why did this terrible thing happen? What kind of God would sit by and let such a horrendous thing happen to one of his children? Believe me, I've thought about this long and hard, and as far as I can see, there is only one reason.
There is one reason only why a tragedy this outrageous could have happened, ladies and gentlemen.
God wanted it to.
Objection.
So I want you not to look at what my client did, but at what God did.
And remember, if you convict Leah Coleman, you are questioning the will of God.
Your Honor.
In my chambers.
His opening was irrelevant, inflammatory and prejudicial, not to mention comical.
The law allows me to offer any defense that I see fit.
Any relevant defense.
Oh, I see.
God isn't relevant? Not in a courtroom, it's not.
Begging your pardon, but I think you should all listen to the oath before a witness takes the stand.
Your Honor, the canons require me to represent my client with zealousness.
Within the bounds of the law.
You can't raise something in opening argument you can't possibly prove during your case.
Or did you miss that day in Blanche's class? Nice try, Mr.
Fineman.
Artful but inadmissible.
I assume you'll declare a mistrial.
I think that's a bit extravagant.
I will instruct the jury to disregard the Defense's opening in its entirety.
Well, if that's the case, I'd like to change the plea to not guilty by reason of mental defect.
Out of the question.
The statute requires 60 days notice for an insanity plea.
I didn't know that.
Look, Your Honor, it's my first homicide trial.
I screwed up.
You can't hold that against my client.
Legal incompetence as a defense at trial? You're kidding.
What can I say? I'm out of my league.
Look, Your Honor, if you don't allow the change, my client will have an appeal on Sixth Amendment grounds.
She'll win, too, because I'll sign affidavits enumerating the 12 grievous errors I've already made.
Either you are a brilliant strategist, Mr.
Fineman, or you are the biggest jackass ever to set foot in my courtroom.
I will allow the change of plea, but, please, no more surprises.
Don't worry, Jack, your expert can examine the defendant and testify on rebuttal.
Okay, Mr.
Fineman, the party's over.
She's depressed.
She's suicidal.
She should have done us all a favor.
Are you kidding? That would be too cruel, leaving her child without a mommy.
She actually said that? Did the girl know what she did was wrong, Liz? In some sort of abstract way, yeah.
So you'll testify that she was legally sane at the time of the murder? Yes.
But? You've been in front of enough juries, Jack.
I've got to tell you, a mother killing her own baby without any motive whatsoever, it makes you wonder.
Do I have to explain the law to you, Claire? Crazy is not the same as legally insane.
Jack, I'm just saying that what Leah Coleman did is incomprehensible to me.
The jury's got to feel the same way.
If she isn't sick, who is? Then what are we doing here? Jack No, Claire, substitute psychology for morality, and our jobs become obsolete.
But, Jack, this is an extreme case.
A jury is going to want to know why she did what she did.
Maybe she was just downright bad.
You actually believe that? With all due respect for your profession, Liz, I think it's been overplayed in the courtroom.
So people are just good or bad, period.
It's better than healthy or sick.
Deny evil, you deny responsibility.
Open up the jails.
Send everyone to a shrink.
We got married when we finished high school, and we were together until maybe four months ago.
And what happened? I don't know.
Maybe we were too young.
She spent all her time with Rachel.
I needed a wife.
Was Leah a good mother? She was the best.
She quit her job to stay home.
She'd sit up all night with Rachel if she was sick, or crying, or something.
That's why I can't believe Thank you, Mr.
Coleman.
During the years that you lived together, did Leah ever seek psychiatric help? No.
Did you ever suggest that she should? I never What? You never thought she needed it? I'm not a doctor.
How would I know? When was the last time you saw her before the death of your daughter? The day before.
We took Rachel to the zoo.
And you didn't notice anything wrong with your wife at that time, did you? Well, maybe.
I didn't really, I mean, she was If you thought she was sick, Mr.
Coleman, why would you have left her alone with your daughter? She loved Rachel so much.
Look, I hate her for what she did.
She had to be crazy.
Leah was a regular member of our congregation.
She attended mass every Sunday.
She always appeared to be a good mother.
In recent months, did you notice any strange behavior on her part? In retrospect, yes.
It was during the Susan Smith episode.
She overreacted.
Broke down in tears in my office.
"How could she kill her own babies?" And how did you console her? I told her that everything that happens is for the best, that Susan Smith's babies were now in heaven with God.
She found enormous comfort in that.
You've known Leah for how long, Father? Nearly 15 years.
And would you say, basically, that she is a good person? Without a doubt.
That's why this is all so shocking.
"Susan Smith's babies are now in heaven with God.
" Was that a license to do whatever you want? That's not what I meant, for the life of me.
I was trying to rationalize a horrendous event.
In other words, you were searching for some kind of good coming out of this terrible tragedy? It's a bit simplistic, but yes.
For a lot of us, it's the only conceivable way to go on in the face of such misfortune.
The only way to reconcile a benevolent God with all the evil in the world.
Yes.
So, what, in some way, everything is a part of God's plan? We're not that fatalistic, Mr.
McCoy.
You should know that.
God gave man free will.
That's right.
Man is free to choose between good and evil.
That's why there's a heaven and a hell, right? That's correct.
So tell me, Father, is everyone in hell psychologically disturbed? Beating up on a priest, hell of a way to win a case.
I was trying to make a point.
That God is impotent, sitting on the sidelines with his fingers crossed, hoping that man will do the right thing? And as Leah Coleman proved, sometimes he doesn't.
For a reason, not because she's innately bad.
Evil is learned.
Look at a newborn.
Babies are not born good, they're born innocent.
This is murder trial, not a theodicy seminar.
You got sandbagged by a rookie.
Excuse me.
Did you ever think that Mr.
Fineman had all this planned from the start? His ridiculous opening, late insanity plea And after Fineman's shenanigans, the jury might believe that she's better off in a hospital.
I believe she knew what she was doing when she killed her daughter.
I also believe she knew it was wrong, and therefore I believe she deserves to rot.
Good.
Now go and prove it.
What were you thinking when you smothered Rachel? Nothing.
I mean, I don't remember.
It was like I was in a trance.
You said that you were feeling badly in the weeks before the murder.
What exactly did you mean? I was all by myself.
It was just me and Rachel, and I couldn't work or go to school.
We didn't have much money.
Your husband supported you, didn't he? Keith worked in a tire store.
We didn't have enough.
This depressed you? I wanted the best for my baby.
It wasn't just the money, you know.
What was it, Leah? It's just this city.
This world.
I look around Tell us, Leah.
I go to the store, and somebody tries to steal my pocketbook.
My neighbor, Mrs.
Gorfitz on the third floor, they killed her for her Social Security check.
She was 76 years old, and they raped her, and they killed her.
And the police caught the men, and they couldn't even put them in jail.
I once saw a boy, he was no more than 14, slash another boy's throat for an ounce of dope.
Terrorists are trying to blow up the World Trade Center.
Schools have metal detectors.
Families are stocking their own weapons and forming their own armies.
What kind of a world do we live in? There's so much hate and suffering and distrust.
It's not gonna go away.
Is that what you meant when you told Detective Curtis that Rachel deserves the best? Why should she have to see this? Now she's in heaven with God.
Thank you, Leah.
Doesn't the Bible tell us not to kill, Mrs.
Coleman? I am already suffering for what I did.
So now you know what you did was wrong? Yes.
Did you know it was wrong when you woke up that morning? Yes.
Did you know it was wrong when you ate your cereal? Yes.
He's badgering, Your Honor.
Sit down and shut up, Mr.
Fineman.
Overruled.
And you will address the court from now on, Mr.
McCoy.
Let me ask you this, Mrs.
Coleman.
Is God happy about what you did? He has my Rachel.
That's what he wanted.
That's what Father Carner said.
He wanted it? I see.
Mr.
Fineman was right.
This was all God's will, after all.
I'd say that was pretty selfish of him, wouldn't you? No.
Why not? The God you describe sounds like he's sitting around heaven, he gets bored, so he arranges for you to kill your child.
No.
God is not like that.
God is good and benevolent.
Benevolent? He makes you murder your eight-month-old daughter That was me! Rachel was screaming, but I did it anyway.
So you do remember what you did.
And you knew it was wrong.
You know what that means, Mrs.
Coleman.
That means you're guilty as sin.
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Madam Forewoman, have you reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor.
On the sole count of the indictment, murder in the second degree, how do you find? We find the defendant, Leah Coleman, guilty.
To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd pull that one off.
What can I say? Freud's out, the devil's in.
Admit it, Jack, you were a little tough on that priest.
When you're raised by the Jesuits, you end up obedient or impertinent.
I didn't order this.
It's on the gentleman at the bar.
Take it back.
Can't forgive anyone, huh? No, I can't.
Besides, that was bourbon.
I'm drinking Scotch.