Touched by an Angel (1994) s02e16 Episode Script
Jacob's Ladder
1 ( siren wailing in distance ) ( man snoring ) ( dog barking, people shouting ) What are you doing here? I don't know, but I'm sure glad to see you.
What kept you? What are you saying? Do you know where you are? Well, yes.
"801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville.
" Terry Hayman Though he doesn't much look like a kindergarten teacher to me.
For heaven's sakes! 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
Not Jacksonville, Florida.
Honestly, am I my angel's keeper? Come on, let's go! Terry Hayman is standing in the middle of her bedroom at this very moment, packing! And you've got to get there before she leaves her husband and runs off with the tax man! Well, that's funny.
I could have sworn that I heard "Florida.
" And if anybody needs an angel Tess.
TESS: Something tells me he needs to start with a housekeeper.
Are you coming? Every day is a chance to start over, my friend.
( Snoring continues ) Police! Freeze! Don't move or we shoot! Hold it right there! I said "Freeze!" Drop it! ( Gun cocks ) Drop it! Put your hands up! I-I'm sorry if I'd known the bag was important, I'd Shut up! Keep your hands above your head! We know what you're doing now! Hold still! MAN: I don't know who she is! I haven't done anything, man! OFFICER: Just shut up! Okay, lady! You are under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
â« When you walk down the road â« â« Heavy burden, heavy load â« â« I will rise and I will walk with you â« â« I'll walk with you â« â« Till the sun don't even shine â« â« Walk with you â« â« Every time, I tell you I'll walk with you â« â« Walk with you â« â« Believe me, I'll walk with you.
â« So, this, uh, Tess, is your partner.
I guess she's really more of a supervisor.
Supervisor? ( Chuckling ) Sounds like you've got quite an organization going.
Well, you have to be organized in this business.
Of course, I wasn't too organized tonight.
So, were you delivering or picking up? Picking up? Were you picking up for Tess or dropping off? Well, I-I, um I was meeting her there.
Well, actually, I wasn't meeting her there.
You see, I was supposed to meet her at 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois, not Florida.
You see? I wrote it down.
( laughs ) But I I forgot to put down the state.
It gets so confusing, you know States, borders, countries It's such a human thing.
I know I should pay more attention, but it's so hard to take borders seriously in my work.
You've got no I.
D.
, no known address, no yellow sheet, no fingerprints on file no nothing.
How long have you and Tess been running your little drug operation? Oh, you think I'm a drug person? Yeah, well call me crazy.
Maybe it was the two kilos you were holding when we met.
Oh, but I didn't know what was in that bag, sir.
Been there, heard that, Monica.
No, you see, the man looked so miserable lying there.
I just thought I would tidy up a wee bit.
You know, before I left for Illinois and cheer him up.
You were going to Illinois.
MONICA: Jacksonville.
I told you I got the states confused.
See, there's a woman named Terry waiting for me at 801 Cedar Street.
She needs me right now.
She's a kindergarten teacher.
Who knows how many lives this could change? I hope this isn't going to go on much longer.
I just pray that Tess went on ahead.
Monica, do you understand that you've been arrested on a charge of drug trafficking? Yes well, I do now.
Thank goodness we got that straightened out.
Look, lady, we don't have anything straightened out here! ( Sighs ) Now, let's forget this fairy tale about Illinois and the wrong house and Tess, the mystery chick.
What were you doing at Bobby Shore's house at 3:00 a.
in.
This morning holding two kilos of cocaine? Are you a dealer or a buyer? I'm not either.
Dealer or buyer, Monica? I-I was there because Yeah? Because I'm an angel.
MAN: How long have you been an angel? MONICA: All of my life.
How long is that? Forever.
Have you sold drugs forever? No! An angel would never, ever do that.
So, you're not an angel when you were selling drugs.
Yes no.
Do you understand why you're here? Yes, I do.
Very good.
Could you tell me? Because I didn't leave when Tess told me to.
And who's Tess? Well, she's an angel, too.
Like you? No.
She's taller.
JUDGE: Case dismissed.
( gavel bangs ) Next case, please.
BAILIFF: Case number 96-20664-CFA, People v.
Melina Karan.
Prostitution, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest.
Will counsel approach the bench, please? WOMAN: All right, so what are we talking? I've got an assault coming up.
But he was just breaking into a candy machine.
They can't send him up for that.
Carter? Hmm.
He was going to drop that candy machine on somebody's head.
But he didn't.
Oh, for God's sake, the man was shot down over the DMZ.
Now, no one understands what kind of hell we were going through out there.
But I will tell you what: You drop the charges on Carter and I will give you the warrant and Diaz pleads battery on the St.
Marks girl.
Battery? Rape? You can't prove it.
I'm gonna try, counselor.
JUDGE: Case dismissed.
So JUDGE: Next case! Let's move this along, please.
Case number 96-206 75-CFA, People v.
Monica Doe.
Charged with possession of cocaine for sale with intent to distribute I'm gonna put this one away.
I'll talk to him later.
Uh, I've got a date.
This offer runs out at, uh, 4:00.
Hard to believe you got a Purple Heart.
I had to replace the one I lost.
Oh.
JUDGE: Ms.
Monica Doe? You have no last name? Uh, not officially, Your Honor.
Do you have a lawyer here to represent you? Um Yes, I do, sir.
And where is he or she? He's right here, sir.
Oh, Sam! I'm so glad to see another angel.
They sent someone from Special Services.
It must be pretty serious, huh? I'm not here to represent you, Monica.
What? You went to the wrong address.
You set a serious chain of events into motion.
Now, all we can do is just stand back and watch it play itself out.
Sam, there's something very wrong here.
I can't seem to do anything except be here.
All of my special gifts are gone.
And you're the first contact I've had from anyone in the realm.
And the last for a while, I'm afraid.
What?! JUDGE: Ms.
Doe, have you any representation? Uh, I guess not, Your Honor.
SAM: God turns everything around all the time, so something good got to come out of this.
I just can't tell you when, that's all.
And remember He'll never leave or forsake you.
Hey, just because you're stuck in human form, doesn't mean you're not an angel.
Well, of course, I'm an ang JUDGE: Ms.
Doe, you have no visible means of support, no counsel present and the court will, therefore, appoint a public defender to represent you.
Thank you very much, Your Honor.
No matter what happens, never forget who you are.
Never.
JUDGE: Is there a public defender or someone from Legal Aid present in the courtroom? Is that Stone back there? Why, yes, Your Honor.
That's Jake Stone.
Uh, Your Honor, I'm not really here uh, I mean, in a formal capacity Stone, you're on this case.
Your Honor To the bench, counselor.
This is pretty cut and dried, Stone.
Hello.
Okay, defendant was arrested during a SWAT operation.
She was found carrying two kilos and she denies any connection with this.
And get this: She, uh thinks she's an angel.
Psychiatric? Two evaluations.
Both concur.
State will recommend release to state mental on a five to 15 with a "guilty but mentally ill.
" That nuts, huh? As my ex-mother-in-law's fruitcake.
Has anyone told her this? Jake, just make the motion.
Let's get out of here.
Well, you know, it's a funny habit I have, but I actually like to meet the people I'm gonna help commit to a mental institution.
Careful you're gonna start taking home rapists and lost puppies pretty soon.
You've got two minutes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Ms.
Doe Monica.
Oh, it's awfully nice of you to jump into the fray like this.
Yeah, well, it's going to be a very short fray.
Look, they've got you cold here.
Now, if you plead innocent, you're going to go to trial and the jury will send you up for 15 years to life.
Life?! That could be awfully long in my case.
Right, right, but if you plead "guilty but mentally ill," see, then that nice judge over there, he will let you go to the state mental hospital where you'll only have to spend maybe five years, 15 tops, and then, you get to get all better.
Better? Well, they'll help you handle some of your problems.
My problem is that no one believes me.
Well, that certainly is one of your problems, yes.
But you believe me, don't you? I mean, you're my lawyer.
Well, being your lawyer doesn't mean I have to believe you.
As a matter of fact, I don't believe most of my clients.
Or anybody else, for that matter.
You must be a very unhappy man.
( Stammers ) Your Honor, sir Uh, Monica Mr.
Judge.
Um You see, I'm not crazy and I don't want to be put away.
I just want a fair chance at a trial so I can tell my side of things.
I know who and what I am.
Ms.
Doe, you have the right to a competency hearing, if you wish.
No, no, no! But if you are then declared competent, you must stand trial, and frankly, the evidence against you is heavy.
I know, but I'm not crazy.
Stone? ( Sighs ) Believe someone, please.
Once.
Your Honor, my client and I move to contravert the findings of the state.
Oh, come on.
Okay hearing to establish competence will be held next Thursday afternoon in this court at 1:00 p.
in.
The prisoner is remanded to the custody of the state mental hospital until then.
( Gavel bangs ) Next case.
( Bailiff reads case number ) God bless you, Jacob Stone.
Look, don't start with me.
You are not an angel.
WOMAN: Let go of me! Let go of me! ( Screams ) Be nice, Sadie.
( Screaming ) ATTENDANT: Right here.
All right, sit.
Hey, Rosie, I got an angel here for you.
He will give you angels to watch over thee.
Don't worry.
We get all types here.
I think we've even got a couple celestial types like yourself.
Here we go.
Claire, got a roommate for you.
Thought you wouldn't mind bunking with a coworker.
Mayday! Mayday! It's nothing personal.
She says that all the time.
Claire, Claire, calm down.
This is Monica, and she's going to sleep in this bunk right over here.
There's nothing to worry about.
She's an angel, too, just like you.
Is Claire an angel? Well yes, Monica.
Yes, she is.
See, she thinks she's an angel and you think you're an angel, so you two have a lot in common.
( Whimpering ) Oh, Mayday.
Mayday, Mayday.
Uh, that is my jacket.
( Chuckles ) So it is.
I thought your stool would be marked by a plaque or something.
( Chuckles ) Yeah, I know I only have four days before the hearing, and your office hasn't turned over the discoveries on Monica Doe.
Mm, Monica the angel.
Did you hear about this? JAKE: I want that discovery in the morning.
Oh, done.
You should listen to the arrest tapes.
They're very entertaining.
Sorry I'm late.
Hi, Sue, Harry.
Hi.
Helen.
Listen, thanks for coming.
Why don't you sit right over there, okay? I didn't know shrinks made house calls.
Ha.
So what's the rush? Um, I have a competency hearing on Thursday, and I need you to evaluate her and testify.
Thursday? And you're calling me now? It just happened.
A woman gets arrested in a drug dealer's house, holding two kilos.
She says she's at the right address, but wrong state.
Wrong state? You can't commit somebody for getting bad grades in geography.
She says she's an angel.
And you're going to defend that? All I have to do is prove that she's competent to go to trial.
I'm beginning to wonder if you are.
MONICA: You know, the funny thing is I'm positive I heard "Jacksonville, Florida.
" It's very disturbing, because I've never made a mistake like that before.
I have made mistakes.
Angels real angels Are not perfect, actually.
You know, Claire it's okay for you to admit that you're not a real angel.
God will love you just the way you are.
Mayday, Mayday.
( Door opens ) Oh, bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
( Woman grunting loudly ) Over there.
I'll be here if you need me.
JAKE: Thanks.
ATTENDANT: Oh, Rosie, come on.
Try your eggs, hon.
Monica, this is Dr.
Shraeder.
She's going to talk to you for a couple of minutes.
Who are you? What do you want from me? Why don't you leave me alone? Go on.
Go away! Well, she wasn't like this yesterday.
SHRAEDER: Well, maybe she was acting nice yesterday.
An angel one day, and the next day she's MONICA: Always remember who you are.
Never forget.
Just because you're stuck in human form doesn't mean you're not an angel.
You don't know what you're dealing with here.
I could break you like that! Monica, have they given you medication? Yes.
Help me.
I specifically asked them to hold up on the meds until you saw her.
Well, they obviously didn't.
And I cannot give you an accurate evaluation till she's off the meds.
It's a really strange reaction, though.
Okay, look, if I can get a court order, how long till you can talk to her? It depends on what they doped her up with, and when.
Maybe 24 hours.
( laughing ) 24 hours? 24 hours? It's too late.
I'll be long gone by then.
Uh, excuse me, sir.
What does that look like to you? I'm sorry to bother you.
No, not at all.
Let's see.
Well, it's a hand.
"801 Cedar, Jacksonville.
" That's a tough neighbourhood.
Eh Evidence? Client of mine.
Says she's an angel.
An angel? ( laughs ) Imagine that.
There's nothing like a good, hot cup of Joe.
Haven't heard that since the army.
Korea.
'Nam well, Saigon at the end.
That must be a hard thing to carry around with you.
Harder thing to let go of.
Maybe you should ask your angel to help you.
She's nuts.
Then why are you defending her? ( laughs ) I'm drawn to the impossible.
With God, all things are possible.
You know, I've met a lot of men who do not believe in angels, but I've never met a man who didn't want to.
Thought I'd find you here.
Hey, hey.
Just a guess.
Yeah, yeah.
Sit down.
Ellen this is, um Uh, do you still drink that watery pink stuff? A glass of Zinfandel and another here.
Yes, she told me about this.
You talked to her already.
Yeah, I stopped by after work just to see if the meds had worn off.
What do you think? Well, Jake, I'll give you my honest opinion, but I'm going to tell you up front that I don't want to testify for her.
What happened? Nothing.
Once she was off the psychotropics, she was fine and I mean fine.
I've never met a more sane person in my life.
Except she thinks she's an angel.
She's either the craziest person in the world or she's who she says she is.
So are you honestly telling me you think she's an angel? No, I'm saying that there's nothing else about her that makes her delusional except that she thinks she's an angel.
She makes more sense than my plumber and he thinks he's going to win the lottery on April Fool's Day, 1999.
Who's delusional? What are you saying? Is she competent? Take away the angel factor? Yes.
But I'm not going to stand up in court and say that.
I would be laughed out of the business.
All you have to say is that she understands the charges and that she can assist in her defence.
Her defence is being an angel.
You try to prove that, you'll be out of a job, too.
You're going to lose this, Jay.
How do you know? Nobody wants this to come to trial.
Nobody wants those kind of headlines.
"Webster Declares 'Heavenly Visitor' is Competent.
Will DA Prosecute or Persecute Lost Angel?" Nobody wants this to go to trial.
I got to go.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Nobody wants this to go to trial.
MONICA ( on tape ): I was supposed to meet her at 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois, not Florida.
See? I wrote it down.
My hearing is tomorrow, Claire.
Oh, Mayday.
I won't be coming back here.
I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I met you and Bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
OFFICER: I instructed Sergeant Hennessy to break down the door.
As we entered the apartment, I observed a Caucasian male jump towards the window, and a Caucasian female holding Exhibit A.
SUE: And can you identify that female? Yes, ma'am.
There she is.
SUE: Your Honor, please let the record show that Detective Cates has identified the defendant, Monica Doe.
Did you then interrogate the suspect? Yes, ma'am.
She admitted to having the cocaine in her possession at the time of her arrest.
What else were you able to ascertain during your interrogation? Well, she, uh, refused to give a last name, she had no identification, and she kept saying she was an angel.
What did you do at the conclusion of your interrogation? Well, we booked her and I notified the psychiatric evaluation unit.
Thank you, Detective Cates.
Your witness.
Detective Cates, was Ms.
Monica Doe's name on your warrant? No, sir.
Were you surprised to find her there? Yes, sir.
Did she offer any explanation? Well, she said she was at the wrong address.
That she was supposed to be at 801 Cedar in Jacksonville, Illinois.
( Whispers ): That's right.
To do what? CATES: Well, she said, uh she and someone she identified as Tess were supposed to appear as angels to a kindergarten teacher, uh who was going to leave her husband.
Uh-huh.
And did you check out her alibi? That she was an angel? I had her, I had the cocaine.
I'm not interested in Illinois.
I'm interested in the State of Florida.
Thank you very much.
Ms.
Cheney, call your next witness.
Uh Dr.
A.
C.
Arnovitz.
Ah, he was awfully nice.
I enjoyed our little chats.
That's nice.
Dr.
Arnovitz, did you examine Monica Doe? Yes, I have.
And in your expert opinion, is she competent to understand the charges against her? Monica Doe suffers from delusions and hallucinations, as well as an altered sense of self.
In her delusional state, believing that she is an angel, it is my opinion that she might very well consider herself above the law.
MONICA: No! That's not true.
We always honor the law.
JUDGE: Counsel restrain your client.
Um, you're not helping.
SUE: What treatment would you recommend for someone diagnosed as delusional? Stringent pattern of psychotropic drugs in a psychiatric hospital.
So, you would not recommend incarceration in a prison? In her naive state, incarceration could put her life in jeopardy.
Thank you, Doctor.
There's nothing further.
Excuse me, Doctor.
I have a few questions.
Um Now, in your opinion, incarcerating Ms.
Monica Doe would put her life in jeopardy? Yes.
But a stringent pattern of psychotropic drugs in a mental institution would not? No, of course not.
What happens when a schizophrenic patient takes psychotropic drugs? Many become more balanced and able to connect in a healthy manner with reality.
And what happens to a person who is not psychotic who takes them? A mentally stable person might become slightly depressed.
Otherwise, nothing.
Nothing? So when Ms.
Monica Doe was given the medication, what was her reaction? Feel free, Doctor, to consult your notes.
Well, uh I didn't personally examine Monica Doe after administering So you don't know? You don't know whether Monica Doe's reaction to psychotropic drugs was that of a normal human being or not? No.
Thank you very much, Doctor.
That was very helpful.
No further questions, Your Honor.
JUDGE: Ms.
Cheney? Prosecution rests, Your Honor.
JAKE: Your Honor, I'd like to call Dr.
Ellen Shraeder as my first witness.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.
Be seated.
Your Honor, Dr.
Shraeder was subpoenaed this morning so I would ask the court to declare her a hostile witness.
Dr.
Shraeder have you examined Monica Doe? Yes, extensively.
And in your expert opinion, what is her mental state? I found her to be responsive, lucid, alert.
Okay, Doctor, let me pose a hypothetical situation here.
If Monica Doe had said that she were instead a, um plumber, and not an angel, is there anything in her behaviour that would lead you to believe that she is insane? No.
So if we substitute the word "plumber" for "angel," and if Monica Doe had said that she went to the wrong address to fix a toilet instead of a soul, would you still consider her delusional or just directionally impaired? I would not consider her delusional.
Thank you.
Oh, uh, Doctor, I have one more question: Do you believe in angels yourself? No, I do not.
But you could not, however, prove that they do not exist? Your Honor, this witness is not an expert in angel-ology.
Who is? No further questions, Your Honor.
Oh, no questions.
I would like to call Teresa Hayman, Your Honor.
BAILIFF: Mrs.
Hayman, please.
JUDGE: Witness is excused.
BAILIFF: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Who's that? So help you God? TERESA: I do.
Would you state your full name and address, please? Teresa Marie Hayman, 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
( Quietly ): Terry Uh, how are you employed? I'm a kindergarten teacher for Washburn Elementary.
And Ms.
Hayman, please tell the court what happened to you on March 2? I was planning to leave my husband for someone else.
I packed and I walked out the door.
There was a cab waiting outside.
The driver of the cab was a woman named Tess.
And she was holding something.
It was a drawing my four-year-old had made Of my family.
I don't know how she got it.
Then, there was a light.
I don't know where it came from but it was beautiful.
It filled the cab.
It was all around me.
Then Tess spoke to me.
She told me things I knew but I'd forgotten.
Like my husband loved me my children loved me God loved me.
I cried.
Then I walked back into my home.
And did this, um, "Tess" offer you any explanation for all of this? Yes.
I-I know this sounds crazy but she said that she was an angel and that she was sorry that she wasn't there sooner, but she was filling in for another angel who had been How did she put it? Um, detained.
And did she identify this other angel? Tess called her Monica.
JAKE: Thank you.
No further questions.
Thank heavens Tess made it.
Your Honor, may we approach? Oh, Your Honor, I move that we strike this witness's testimony from the record because it is totally, completely immaterial to the competency of Monica Doe.
STONE: Your Honor, it is completely relevant to establishing the credibility of my client.
As an angel? Jake, I'm not going to retry.
Miracle on 34th Street in my courtroom.
This is not about Santa Claus.
This is about the life of a young woman.
Now if you will allow me to put Monica Doe on the stand, I can prove to you that she completely fulfills the competency requirements.
She understands the charges against her.
MONICA: Yes, I do.
Possession with intent to distribute.
Mandatory 15 to 25 years in the pen.
She can assist in her own defence.
Are you telling me that if she goes to trial you'll put angels on trial, as well? And are you telling me that you don't want this to go to trial because of what, you don't believe in angels? In God we trust, but angels we're not so sure about? Oh, this is going to be some trial.
I need to think about this.
Step back.
The witness is excused.
Counsel, I've decided to examine the defendant myself.
Ms.
Doe BAILIFF: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Yes, I do so help me God.
Be seated.
Ms.
Doe, a moment ago you repeated the formal charges against you.
Now I'd like you to tell me what they mean.
Yes, of course.
Well ( clears throat ) Detective Cates and these fellows dropped in on the man in the bed and they arrested him and me, too, because I was holding a bag that they said had drugs in it.
They thought I was going to sell the drugs to the man in the bed.
Were you? No, of course not.
That would be crazy.
Which is kind of funny, 'cause that's what the doctors think I am.
But, of course, I'm not.
But you think you're an angel.
Well, I am.
So if I didn't think I was, then I would be crazy.
Why is it when you talk to God, you're praying, but when God talks to you, you're nuts? Court is adjourned for one hour.
BAILIFF: All rise.
JAKE: Shouldn't have taken this case, huh? You're toying with this girl's life, Jake.
Oh, stop.
Just say "good job.
" Go have a drink.
Webster's coming back in one hour.
He's going to entertain a motion to dismiss because he would rather drop the charges than put angels on trial in front of the whole world.
Which means we are going to win this.
And you, Ms.
Doe, are going to walk right out of here.
Great.
Anywhere we can get a cup of coffee? I didn't think that angels drank coffee.
Now, how would you know? You don't even believe in them.
No, I don't.
It means a lot, you getting me out of all this trouble.
But it would mean so much more if you did it because you believed that I am who I say I am.
In some strange way, I feel like I've failed.
Could we get a cup of coffee, please? Thank you.
Back in 'Nam, I used to pray for angels all the time.
We all did.
I heard guys screaming for them, I heard children begging for them, but, uh they never showed up.
No, uh, no angels in Saigon.
How do you know? Because if an angel had seen what I saw, they would have put a stop to it.
God abandoned us.
So you believe in God? Hmm, yeah, I believe in Him just enough to hate the guy.
You blame God for the evil created by others? Yeah, I blame Him for not putting a stop to it.
Sometimes things get set in motion and they just have to play out.
I'm learning that.
God's timing is not our timing.
Cut the angel crap.
Know what an angel looks like? They look like Claire.
Claire? She was a nurse in Saigon.
I don't know where she came from, but whenever we needed her, bam! She was right here.
Out of nowhere.
It's the fall of Saigon It's the last day and everybody is scrambling to the rooftops, trying to get to the choppers before the Cong came in.
I mean, it's everything you could possibly imagine hell to be.
People are screaming and climbing over each other terrified.
Everybody trying to get to the choppers, and there's one seat left and it's Claire's.
And she gives it up for a little Vietnamese orphan that I want to take back to the States so that I can adopt her.
Her name was May Ling, but we used to call her Mayday because she was always getting in trouble.
Mayday? I was the last one to go up the rope ladder.
I'm pulling Mayday up behind me.
I had a firm grip on that kid.
The crowds are desperate and, bam, somebody grabs ahold of her ankle and starts dragging her down and the copter's going up so fast, I can't hold on to her, and the next thing I know, she's she's plunging a hundred feet down.
She died? No, see, that's the amazing thing.
She never hit the ground.
Claire shows up out of nowhere and caught her.
The last thing I see ( laughing ) is Claire holding Mayday and smiling.
I was sent there to kill.
Claire was sent there to save lives, and she chose to do that to the end.
( Voice breaking ): Now, that, Monica, is a real angel.
I know.
Now I know.
Court is in session.
The Honourable Judge Stanley Webster presiding.
All rise.
Be seated.
Look at that face.
He's going to drop the charges.
I can tell.
I'm good at this.
BAILIFF: Case number 20675.
People v.
Monica Doe.
The court has considered.
Ms.
Doe's rather interesting explanation for her presence during a police action.
However, the court also acknowledges the state's inability to disprove her explanation.
Good start.
As the court cannot disprove the existence of angels, it cannot therefore use angelhood as its sole basis for determining sanity.
Other than confessing to be an angel, Ms.
Doe meets the requirements for competency standing trial.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
However, the court is also aware that Ms.
Doe's name did not appear on the original warrant, an oversight that will certainly be questioned at the trial.
As well as the investigating officer's failure to follow up on Ms.
Doe's references to an identical address in Illinois, which, thanks to Mr.
Stone, has shed disturbing light on these proceedings.
Therefore, the court will entertain a motion to drop all charges.
Uh, I so move, Your Honor.
No objection, Your Honor.
Let the record show that all charges are No.
No, Your Honor.
I don't want to go free.
What? Are you crazy? Maybe.
Maybe I am.
Your Honor, please, I want to go back to the mental hospital.
Ms.
Doe, are you requesting to be committed? Yes, sir.
I want to plead crazy.
Your Honor Do you understand that you could not be released for five to 15 years, even longer? Yes, sir.
But believe me, it's the right thing to do.
( Glass clanks ) But remember when I said I thought I heard "Florida," even though it was Illinois? It's over, Monica.
Well, I'm not sure what I heard.
I mean, maybe I made a mistake, but God is using it to make something wonderful out of this.
Maybe it was a mistake that I came here, but now He's given me a new purpose.
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to hear it.
I'm going back in to help Claire.
Claire? She's my roommate in the hospital.
She's an angel, too, and she needs me now.
You are insane.
I don't expect you to believe me, but I really am an angel.
And I thought I had to prove that, but proving it doesn't matter.
I just have to behave like one.
Then why did you put me through all of this if all you had to do was behave like an angel?! I mean, if you are not insane, if you are just confused or overly zealous, then you are throwing your life away! There's no greater love than to give your life for your friend.
I learned that from Claire.
So did you.
Thank you for all your help, Jake.
Whether you believe it or not, God has used you for something very beautiful.
JAKE: And then she said God had used me for something wonderful.
And then she went back.
Very strange woman.
She's not a psychotic, she's not an angel.
I don't know.
Any chance I mean, what if she were? An angel? ( laughs ) She would click her heels three times and fly away.
No, not if she were needed.
Not if God had another agenda for her.
I never thought of you as the type to believe in God.
I never thought of Him as the type to believe in me.
Stop drinking.
Go home, go to bed.
I'm late for a dinner appointment.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
( laughs ) TESS: Come over here and sit with me.
Tess, where have you been? Filling in for Monica.
Paris, Cuba, Illinois.
How is she doing? SAM: You trained her very well, Tess.
She just made a tremendous sacrifice.
TESS: So we're back on track? She was never off track.
No kidding? It would be so nice to know these things in advance.
If You know what I mean.
( Chuckles ) SUE: Jake No, no, no.
No happy-hour jokes.
Promise.
Bartender.
If anyone deserved a drink, you do.
Thanks.
I was just leaving.
Well, I can't say that I'm glad to see you back here, but I bet Claire is, aren't you? Hasn't said a word since you left.
When was Claire committed, Peter? Oh, it was before my time.
Uh, she came back, uh they told me they brought her back here from 'Nam.
Uh, one of the last groups of POWs or something.
( Softly ): Mayday.
I know all about May Ling, Claire.
Where is she now? Don't know.
I don't know what happened to her, either.
But I know she's in God's hands, and so are you.
Oh, Claire, I don't know what you saw in Vietnam when the Americans left, but I know it's why you're here right now.
( Softly ): Mayday.
Mayday.
Tell me about the little girl.
Go on.
I know you can.
I had her in my arms.
They were burning the city.
There were flames and men with guns took her away.
I couldn't find her.
I failed.
I failed.
I lost Mayday.
And God turned His back on me, and now I've forgotten who I am.
No, that's not true.
It's you who have forgotten who God is.
He would never turn His back on you.
Nothing not death or life or war not the past, the present or the future No one no creature on this earth can ever separate you from God's love.
And nobody knows that better than an angel.
You are an angel, aren't you, Claire? I'm an angel, too.
And I've been sent here to take you home.
And I'm going to stay right here until you are ready.
I can't find my way back to heaven.
Just reach up.
Reach up like you did for May Ling, and He will take you the rest of the way.
I know He will.
Claire.
Jake.
( Trembling breath ) I have a message for you, Jake.
I was supposed to deliver it a long time ago in the helicopter, but I chose to stay behind.
God used me anyway, to catch May Ling.
( Sobbing ) Jake, oh, Jake.
God loves you, and He knows all the secrets of your heart.
The horrors of the war you had to endure, you mustn't blame Him for.
But you've allowed the past to come between you and God.
Turn the past over to God.
He's strong enough to take it.
And give Him your future, too.
And Jake, He'll make you strong enough to live it.
( Jake gasps ) PETER: Uh I-I always knew they were angels.
Yeah, I think I did, too.
So this is where it all started.
Um 801 Cedar.
Yeah, but it looks very different now, of course.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I mean, after Bobby was convicted of smuggling drugs, everything was probably confiscated and sold off at auction.
It's a state law.
Well, I hope the new tenants are happier here.
And cleaner.
Oh, they will be, baby.
The whole building's going to be turned into the Home For Orphans and Child Survivors of Trauma.
Oh, that's wonderful.
Well, this is the good part, right here.
Executive Director May Ling Gustafson.
May Ling? Is she in this country? She's in this city.
Oh! See? It's a miracle.
They happen every day.
( Cooing ) I guess they do.
MONICA: Dedicated to a man named Jake and an angel named Claire.
They served their country, their God, and many children with all they had.
May we here do the same.
What kept you? What are you saying? Do you know where you are? Well, yes.
"801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville.
" Terry Hayman Though he doesn't much look like a kindergarten teacher to me.
For heaven's sakes! 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
Not Jacksonville, Florida.
Honestly, am I my angel's keeper? Come on, let's go! Terry Hayman is standing in the middle of her bedroom at this very moment, packing! And you've got to get there before she leaves her husband and runs off with the tax man! Well, that's funny.
I could have sworn that I heard "Florida.
" And if anybody needs an angel Tess.
TESS: Something tells me he needs to start with a housekeeper.
Are you coming? Every day is a chance to start over, my friend.
( Snoring continues ) Police! Freeze! Don't move or we shoot! Hold it right there! I said "Freeze!" Drop it! ( Gun cocks ) Drop it! Put your hands up! I-I'm sorry if I'd known the bag was important, I'd Shut up! Keep your hands above your head! We know what you're doing now! Hold still! MAN: I don't know who she is! I haven't done anything, man! OFFICER: Just shut up! Okay, lady! You are under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
â« When you walk down the road â« â« Heavy burden, heavy load â« â« I will rise and I will walk with you â« â« I'll walk with you â« â« Till the sun don't even shine â« â« Walk with you â« â« Every time, I tell you I'll walk with you â« â« Walk with you â« â« Believe me, I'll walk with you.
â« So, this, uh, Tess, is your partner.
I guess she's really more of a supervisor.
Supervisor? ( Chuckling ) Sounds like you've got quite an organization going.
Well, you have to be organized in this business.
Of course, I wasn't too organized tonight.
So, were you delivering or picking up? Picking up? Were you picking up for Tess or dropping off? Well, I-I, um I was meeting her there.
Well, actually, I wasn't meeting her there.
You see, I was supposed to meet her at 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois, not Florida.
You see? I wrote it down.
( laughs ) But I I forgot to put down the state.
It gets so confusing, you know States, borders, countries It's such a human thing.
I know I should pay more attention, but it's so hard to take borders seriously in my work.
You've got no I.
D.
, no known address, no yellow sheet, no fingerprints on file no nothing.
How long have you and Tess been running your little drug operation? Oh, you think I'm a drug person? Yeah, well call me crazy.
Maybe it was the two kilos you were holding when we met.
Oh, but I didn't know what was in that bag, sir.
Been there, heard that, Monica.
No, you see, the man looked so miserable lying there.
I just thought I would tidy up a wee bit.
You know, before I left for Illinois and cheer him up.
You were going to Illinois.
MONICA: Jacksonville.
I told you I got the states confused.
See, there's a woman named Terry waiting for me at 801 Cedar Street.
She needs me right now.
She's a kindergarten teacher.
Who knows how many lives this could change? I hope this isn't going to go on much longer.
I just pray that Tess went on ahead.
Monica, do you understand that you've been arrested on a charge of drug trafficking? Yes well, I do now.
Thank goodness we got that straightened out.
Look, lady, we don't have anything straightened out here! ( Sighs ) Now, let's forget this fairy tale about Illinois and the wrong house and Tess, the mystery chick.
What were you doing at Bobby Shore's house at 3:00 a.
in.
This morning holding two kilos of cocaine? Are you a dealer or a buyer? I'm not either.
Dealer or buyer, Monica? I-I was there because Yeah? Because I'm an angel.
MAN: How long have you been an angel? MONICA: All of my life.
How long is that? Forever.
Have you sold drugs forever? No! An angel would never, ever do that.
So, you're not an angel when you were selling drugs.
Yes no.
Do you understand why you're here? Yes, I do.
Very good.
Could you tell me? Because I didn't leave when Tess told me to.
And who's Tess? Well, she's an angel, too.
Like you? No.
She's taller.
JUDGE: Case dismissed.
( gavel bangs ) Next case, please.
BAILIFF: Case number 96-20664-CFA, People v.
Melina Karan.
Prostitution, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest.
Will counsel approach the bench, please? WOMAN: All right, so what are we talking? I've got an assault coming up.
But he was just breaking into a candy machine.
They can't send him up for that.
Carter? Hmm.
He was going to drop that candy machine on somebody's head.
But he didn't.
Oh, for God's sake, the man was shot down over the DMZ.
Now, no one understands what kind of hell we were going through out there.
But I will tell you what: You drop the charges on Carter and I will give you the warrant and Diaz pleads battery on the St.
Marks girl.
Battery? Rape? You can't prove it.
I'm gonna try, counselor.
JUDGE: Case dismissed.
So JUDGE: Next case! Let's move this along, please.
Case number 96-206 75-CFA, People v.
Monica Doe.
Charged with possession of cocaine for sale with intent to distribute I'm gonna put this one away.
I'll talk to him later.
Uh, I've got a date.
This offer runs out at, uh, 4:00.
Hard to believe you got a Purple Heart.
I had to replace the one I lost.
Oh.
JUDGE: Ms.
Monica Doe? You have no last name? Uh, not officially, Your Honor.
Do you have a lawyer here to represent you? Um Yes, I do, sir.
And where is he or she? He's right here, sir.
Oh, Sam! I'm so glad to see another angel.
They sent someone from Special Services.
It must be pretty serious, huh? I'm not here to represent you, Monica.
What? You went to the wrong address.
You set a serious chain of events into motion.
Now, all we can do is just stand back and watch it play itself out.
Sam, there's something very wrong here.
I can't seem to do anything except be here.
All of my special gifts are gone.
And you're the first contact I've had from anyone in the realm.
And the last for a while, I'm afraid.
What?! JUDGE: Ms.
Doe, have you any representation? Uh, I guess not, Your Honor.
SAM: God turns everything around all the time, so something good got to come out of this.
I just can't tell you when, that's all.
And remember He'll never leave or forsake you.
Hey, just because you're stuck in human form, doesn't mean you're not an angel.
Well, of course, I'm an ang JUDGE: Ms.
Doe, you have no visible means of support, no counsel present and the court will, therefore, appoint a public defender to represent you.
Thank you very much, Your Honor.
No matter what happens, never forget who you are.
Never.
JUDGE: Is there a public defender or someone from Legal Aid present in the courtroom? Is that Stone back there? Why, yes, Your Honor.
That's Jake Stone.
Uh, Your Honor, I'm not really here uh, I mean, in a formal capacity Stone, you're on this case.
Your Honor To the bench, counselor.
This is pretty cut and dried, Stone.
Hello.
Okay, defendant was arrested during a SWAT operation.
She was found carrying two kilos and she denies any connection with this.
And get this: She, uh thinks she's an angel.
Psychiatric? Two evaluations.
Both concur.
State will recommend release to state mental on a five to 15 with a "guilty but mentally ill.
" That nuts, huh? As my ex-mother-in-law's fruitcake.
Has anyone told her this? Jake, just make the motion.
Let's get out of here.
Well, you know, it's a funny habit I have, but I actually like to meet the people I'm gonna help commit to a mental institution.
Careful you're gonna start taking home rapists and lost puppies pretty soon.
You've got two minutes.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Ms.
Doe Monica.
Oh, it's awfully nice of you to jump into the fray like this.
Yeah, well, it's going to be a very short fray.
Look, they've got you cold here.
Now, if you plead innocent, you're going to go to trial and the jury will send you up for 15 years to life.
Life?! That could be awfully long in my case.
Right, right, but if you plead "guilty but mentally ill," see, then that nice judge over there, he will let you go to the state mental hospital where you'll only have to spend maybe five years, 15 tops, and then, you get to get all better.
Better? Well, they'll help you handle some of your problems.
My problem is that no one believes me.
Well, that certainly is one of your problems, yes.
But you believe me, don't you? I mean, you're my lawyer.
Well, being your lawyer doesn't mean I have to believe you.
As a matter of fact, I don't believe most of my clients.
Or anybody else, for that matter.
You must be a very unhappy man.
( Stammers ) Your Honor, sir Uh, Monica Mr.
Judge.
Um You see, I'm not crazy and I don't want to be put away.
I just want a fair chance at a trial so I can tell my side of things.
I know who and what I am.
Ms.
Doe, you have the right to a competency hearing, if you wish.
No, no, no! But if you are then declared competent, you must stand trial, and frankly, the evidence against you is heavy.
I know, but I'm not crazy.
Stone? ( Sighs ) Believe someone, please.
Once.
Your Honor, my client and I move to contravert the findings of the state.
Oh, come on.
Okay hearing to establish competence will be held next Thursday afternoon in this court at 1:00 p.
in.
The prisoner is remanded to the custody of the state mental hospital until then.
( Gavel bangs ) Next case.
( Bailiff reads case number ) God bless you, Jacob Stone.
Look, don't start with me.
You are not an angel.
WOMAN: Let go of me! Let go of me! ( Screams ) Be nice, Sadie.
( Screaming ) ATTENDANT: Right here.
All right, sit.
Hey, Rosie, I got an angel here for you.
He will give you angels to watch over thee.
Don't worry.
We get all types here.
I think we've even got a couple celestial types like yourself.
Here we go.
Claire, got a roommate for you.
Thought you wouldn't mind bunking with a coworker.
Mayday! Mayday! It's nothing personal.
She says that all the time.
Claire, Claire, calm down.
This is Monica, and she's going to sleep in this bunk right over here.
There's nothing to worry about.
She's an angel, too, just like you.
Is Claire an angel? Well yes, Monica.
Yes, she is.
See, she thinks she's an angel and you think you're an angel, so you two have a lot in common.
( Whimpering ) Oh, Mayday.
Mayday, Mayday.
Uh, that is my jacket.
( Chuckles ) So it is.
I thought your stool would be marked by a plaque or something.
( Chuckles ) Yeah, I know I only have four days before the hearing, and your office hasn't turned over the discoveries on Monica Doe.
Mm, Monica the angel.
Did you hear about this? JAKE: I want that discovery in the morning.
Oh, done.
You should listen to the arrest tapes.
They're very entertaining.
Sorry I'm late.
Hi, Sue, Harry.
Hi.
Helen.
Listen, thanks for coming.
Why don't you sit right over there, okay? I didn't know shrinks made house calls.
Ha.
So what's the rush? Um, I have a competency hearing on Thursday, and I need you to evaluate her and testify.
Thursday? And you're calling me now? It just happened.
A woman gets arrested in a drug dealer's house, holding two kilos.
She says she's at the right address, but wrong state.
Wrong state? You can't commit somebody for getting bad grades in geography.
She says she's an angel.
And you're going to defend that? All I have to do is prove that she's competent to go to trial.
I'm beginning to wonder if you are.
MONICA: You know, the funny thing is I'm positive I heard "Jacksonville, Florida.
" It's very disturbing, because I've never made a mistake like that before.
I have made mistakes.
Angels real angels Are not perfect, actually.
You know, Claire it's okay for you to admit that you're not a real angel.
God will love you just the way you are.
Mayday, Mayday.
( Door opens ) Oh, bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
( Woman grunting loudly ) Over there.
I'll be here if you need me.
JAKE: Thanks.
ATTENDANT: Oh, Rosie, come on.
Try your eggs, hon.
Monica, this is Dr.
Shraeder.
She's going to talk to you for a couple of minutes.
Who are you? What do you want from me? Why don't you leave me alone? Go on.
Go away! Well, she wasn't like this yesterday.
SHRAEDER: Well, maybe she was acting nice yesterday.
An angel one day, and the next day she's MONICA: Always remember who you are.
Never forget.
Just because you're stuck in human form doesn't mean you're not an angel.
You don't know what you're dealing with here.
I could break you like that! Monica, have they given you medication? Yes.
Help me.
I specifically asked them to hold up on the meds until you saw her.
Well, they obviously didn't.
And I cannot give you an accurate evaluation till she's off the meds.
It's a really strange reaction, though.
Okay, look, if I can get a court order, how long till you can talk to her? It depends on what they doped her up with, and when.
Maybe 24 hours.
( laughing ) 24 hours? 24 hours? It's too late.
I'll be long gone by then.
Uh, excuse me, sir.
What does that look like to you? I'm sorry to bother you.
No, not at all.
Let's see.
Well, it's a hand.
"801 Cedar, Jacksonville.
" That's a tough neighbourhood.
Eh Evidence? Client of mine.
Says she's an angel.
An angel? ( laughs ) Imagine that.
There's nothing like a good, hot cup of Joe.
Haven't heard that since the army.
Korea.
'Nam well, Saigon at the end.
That must be a hard thing to carry around with you.
Harder thing to let go of.
Maybe you should ask your angel to help you.
She's nuts.
Then why are you defending her? ( laughs ) I'm drawn to the impossible.
With God, all things are possible.
You know, I've met a lot of men who do not believe in angels, but I've never met a man who didn't want to.
Thought I'd find you here.
Hey, hey.
Just a guess.
Yeah, yeah.
Sit down.
Ellen this is, um Uh, do you still drink that watery pink stuff? A glass of Zinfandel and another here.
Yes, she told me about this.
You talked to her already.
Yeah, I stopped by after work just to see if the meds had worn off.
What do you think? Well, Jake, I'll give you my honest opinion, but I'm going to tell you up front that I don't want to testify for her.
What happened? Nothing.
Once she was off the psychotropics, she was fine and I mean fine.
I've never met a more sane person in my life.
Except she thinks she's an angel.
She's either the craziest person in the world or she's who she says she is.
So are you honestly telling me you think she's an angel? No, I'm saying that there's nothing else about her that makes her delusional except that she thinks she's an angel.
She makes more sense than my plumber and he thinks he's going to win the lottery on April Fool's Day, 1999.
Who's delusional? What are you saying? Is she competent? Take away the angel factor? Yes.
But I'm not going to stand up in court and say that.
I would be laughed out of the business.
All you have to say is that she understands the charges and that she can assist in her defence.
Her defence is being an angel.
You try to prove that, you'll be out of a job, too.
You're going to lose this, Jay.
How do you know? Nobody wants this to come to trial.
Nobody wants those kind of headlines.
"Webster Declares 'Heavenly Visitor' is Competent.
Will DA Prosecute or Persecute Lost Angel?" Nobody wants this to go to trial.
I got to go.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Nobody wants this to go to trial.
MONICA ( on tape ): I was supposed to meet her at 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois, not Florida.
See? I wrote it down.
My hearing is tomorrow, Claire.
Oh, Mayday.
I won't be coming back here.
I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I met you and Bye-bye, angel.
Bye-bye.
OFFICER: I instructed Sergeant Hennessy to break down the door.
As we entered the apartment, I observed a Caucasian male jump towards the window, and a Caucasian female holding Exhibit A.
SUE: And can you identify that female? Yes, ma'am.
There she is.
SUE: Your Honor, please let the record show that Detective Cates has identified the defendant, Monica Doe.
Did you then interrogate the suspect? Yes, ma'am.
She admitted to having the cocaine in her possession at the time of her arrest.
What else were you able to ascertain during your interrogation? Well, she, uh, refused to give a last name, she had no identification, and she kept saying she was an angel.
What did you do at the conclusion of your interrogation? Well, we booked her and I notified the psychiatric evaluation unit.
Thank you, Detective Cates.
Your witness.
Detective Cates, was Ms.
Monica Doe's name on your warrant? No, sir.
Were you surprised to find her there? Yes, sir.
Did she offer any explanation? Well, she said she was at the wrong address.
That she was supposed to be at 801 Cedar in Jacksonville, Illinois.
( Whispers ): That's right.
To do what? CATES: Well, she said, uh she and someone she identified as Tess were supposed to appear as angels to a kindergarten teacher, uh who was going to leave her husband.
Uh-huh.
And did you check out her alibi? That she was an angel? I had her, I had the cocaine.
I'm not interested in Illinois.
I'm interested in the State of Florida.
Thank you very much.
Ms.
Cheney, call your next witness.
Uh Dr.
A.
C.
Arnovitz.
Ah, he was awfully nice.
I enjoyed our little chats.
That's nice.
Dr.
Arnovitz, did you examine Monica Doe? Yes, I have.
And in your expert opinion, is she competent to understand the charges against her? Monica Doe suffers from delusions and hallucinations, as well as an altered sense of self.
In her delusional state, believing that she is an angel, it is my opinion that she might very well consider herself above the law.
MONICA: No! That's not true.
We always honor the law.
JUDGE: Counsel restrain your client.
Um, you're not helping.
SUE: What treatment would you recommend for someone diagnosed as delusional? Stringent pattern of psychotropic drugs in a psychiatric hospital.
So, you would not recommend incarceration in a prison? In her naive state, incarceration could put her life in jeopardy.
Thank you, Doctor.
There's nothing further.
Excuse me, Doctor.
I have a few questions.
Um Now, in your opinion, incarcerating Ms.
Monica Doe would put her life in jeopardy? Yes.
But a stringent pattern of psychotropic drugs in a mental institution would not? No, of course not.
What happens when a schizophrenic patient takes psychotropic drugs? Many become more balanced and able to connect in a healthy manner with reality.
And what happens to a person who is not psychotic who takes them? A mentally stable person might become slightly depressed.
Otherwise, nothing.
Nothing? So when Ms.
Monica Doe was given the medication, what was her reaction? Feel free, Doctor, to consult your notes.
Well, uh I didn't personally examine Monica Doe after administering So you don't know? You don't know whether Monica Doe's reaction to psychotropic drugs was that of a normal human being or not? No.
Thank you very much, Doctor.
That was very helpful.
No further questions, Your Honor.
JUDGE: Ms.
Cheney? Prosecution rests, Your Honor.
JAKE: Your Honor, I'd like to call Dr.
Ellen Shraeder as my first witness.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.
Be seated.
Your Honor, Dr.
Shraeder was subpoenaed this morning so I would ask the court to declare her a hostile witness.
Dr.
Shraeder have you examined Monica Doe? Yes, extensively.
And in your expert opinion, what is her mental state? I found her to be responsive, lucid, alert.
Okay, Doctor, let me pose a hypothetical situation here.
If Monica Doe had said that she were instead a, um plumber, and not an angel, is there anything in her behaviour that would lead you to believe that she is insane? No.
So if we substitute the word "plumber" for "angel," and if Monica Doe had said that she went to the wrong address to fix a toilet instead of a soul, would you still consider her delusional or just directionally impaired? I would not consider her delusional.
Thank you.
Oh, uh, Doctor, I have one more question: Do you believe in angels yourself? No, I do not.
But you could not, however, prove that they do not exist? Your Honor, this witness is not an expert in angel-ology.
Who is? No further questions, Your Honor.
Oh, no questions.
I would like to call Teresa Hayman, Your Honor.
BAILIFF: Mrs.
Hayman, please.
JUDGE: Witness is excused.
BAILIFF: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Who's that? So help you God? TERESA: I do.
Would you state your full name and address, please? Teresa Marie Hayman, 801 Cedar Street, Jacksonville, Illinois.
( Quietly ): Terry Uh, how are you employed? I'm a kindergarten teacher for Washburn Elementary.
And Ms.
Hayman, please tell the court what happened to you on March 2? I was planning to leave my husband for someone else.
I packed and I walked out the door.
There was a cab waiting outside.
The driver of the cab was a woman named Tess.
And she was holding something.
It was a drawing my four-year-old had made Of my family.
I don't know how she got it.
Then, there was a light.
I don't know where it came from but it was beautiful.
It filled the cab.
It was all around me.
Then Tess spoke to me.
She told me things I knew but I'd forgotten.
Like my husband loved me my children loved me God loved me.
I cried.
Then I walked back into my home.
And did this, um, "Tess" offer you any explanation for all of this? Yes.
I-I know this sounds crazy but she said that she was an angel and that she was sorry that she wasn't there sooner, but she was filling in for another angel who had been How did she put it? Um, detained.
And did she identify this other angel? Tess called her Monica.
JAKE: Thank you.
No further questions.
Thank heavens Tess made it.
Your Honor, may we approach? Oh, Your Honor, I move that we strike this witness's testimony from the record because it is totally, completely immaterial to the competency of Monica Doe.
STONE: Your Honor, it is completely relevant to establishing the credibility of my client.
As an angel? Jake, I'm not going to retry.
Miracle on 34th Street in my courtroom.
This is not about Santa Claus.
This is about the life of a young woman.
Now if you will allow me to put Monica Doe on the stand, I can prove to you that she completely fulfills the competency requirements.
She understands the charges against her.
MONICA: Yes, I do.
Possession with intent to distribute.
Mandatory 15 to 25 years in the pen.
She can assist in her own defence.
Are you telling me that if she goes to trial you'll put angels on trial, as well? And are you telling me that you don't want this to go to trial because of what, you don't believe in angels? In God we trust, but angels we're not so sure about? Oh, this is going to be some trial.
I need to think about this.
Step back.
The witness is excused.
Counsel, I've decided to examine the defendant myself.
Ms.
Doe BAILIFF: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Yes, I do so help me God.
Be seated.
Ms.
Doe, a moment ago you repeated the formal charges against you.
Now I'd like you to tell me what they mean.
Yes, of course.
Well ( clears throat ) Detective Cates and these fellows dropped in on the man in the bed and they arrested him and me, too, because I was holding a bag that they said had drugs in it.
They thought I was going to sell the drugs to the man in the bed.
Were you? No, of course not.
That would be crazy.
Which is kind of funny, 'cause that's what the doctors think I am.
But, of course, I'm not.
But you think you're an angel.
Well, I am.
So if I didn't think I was, then I would be crazy.
Why is it when you talk to God, you're praying, but when God talks to you, you're nuts? Court is adjourned for one hour.
BAILIFF: All rise.
JAKE: Shouldn't have taken this case, huh? You're toying with this girl's life, Jake.
Oh, stop.
Just say "good job.
" Go have a drink.
Webster's coming back in one hour.
He's going to entertain a motion to dismiss because he would rather drop the charges than put angels on trial in front of the whole world.
Which means we are going to win this.
And you, Ms.
Doe, are going to walk right out of here.
Great.
Anywhere we can get a cup of coffee? I didn't think that angels drank coffee.
Now, how would you know? You don't even believe in them.
No, I don't.
It means a lot, you getting me out of all this trouble.
But it would mean so much more if you did it because you believed that I am who I say I am.
In some strange way, I feel like I've failed.
Could we get a cup of coffee, please? Thank you.
Back in 'Nam, I used to pray for angels all the time.
We all did.
I heard guys screaming for them, I heard children begging for them, but, uh they never showed up.
No, uh, no angels in Saigon.
How do you know? Because if an angel had seen what I saw, they would have put a stop to it.
God abandoned us.
So you believe in God? Hmm, yeah, I believe in Him just enough to hate the guy.
You blame God for the evil created by others? Yeah, I blame Him for not putting a stop to it.
Sometimes things get set in motion and they just have to play out.
I'm learning that.
God's timing is not our timing.
Cut the angel crap.
Know what an angel looks like? They look like Claire.
Claire? She was a nurse in Saigon.
I don't know where she came from, but whenever we needed her, bam! She was right here.
Out of nowhere.
It's the fall of Saigon It's the last day and everybody is scrambling to the rooftops, trying to get to the choppers before the Cong came in.
I mean, it's everything you could possibly imagine hell to be.
People are screaming and climbing over each other terrified.
Everybody trying to get to the choppers, and there's one seat left and it's Claire's.
And she gives it up for a little Vietnamese orphan that I want to take back to the States so that I can adopt her.
Her name was May Ling, but we used to call her Mayday because she was always getting in trouble.
Mayday? I was the last one to go up the rope ladder.
I'm pulling Mayday up behind me.
I had a firm grip on that kid.
The crowds are desperate and, bam, somebody grabs ahold of her ankle and starts dragging her down and the copter's going up so fast, I can't hold on to her, and the next thing I know, she's she's plunging a hundred feet down.
She died? No, see, that's the amazing thing.
She never hit the ground.
Claire shows up out of nowhere and caught her.
The last thing I see ( laughing ) is Claire holding Mayday and smiling.
I was sent there to kill.
Claire was sent there to save lives, and she chose to do that to the end.
( Voice breaking ): Now, that, Monica, is a real angel.
I know.
Now I know.
Court is in session.
The Honourable Judge Stanley Webster presiding.
All rise.
Be seated.
Look at that face.
He's going to drop the charges.
I can tell.
I'm good at this.
BAILIFF: Case number 20675.
People v.
Monica Doe.
The court has considered.
Ms.
Doe's rather interesting explanation for her presence during a police action.
However, the court also acknowledges the state's inability to disprove her explanation.
Good start.
As the court cannot disprove the existence of angels, it cannot therefore use angelhood as its sole basis for determining sanity.
Other than confessing to be an angel, Ms.
Doe meets the requirements for competency standing trial.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
However, the court is also aware that Ms.
Doe's name did not appear on the original warrant, an oversight that will certainly be questioned at the trial.
As well as the investigating officer's failure to follow up on Ms.
Doe's references to an identical address in Illinois, which, thanks to Mr.
Stone, has shed disturbing light on these proceedings.
Therefore, the court will entertain a motion to drop all charges.
Uh, I so move, Your Honor.
No objection, Your Honor.
Let the record show that all charges are No.
No, Your Honor.
I don't want to go free.
What? Are you crazy? Maybe.
Maybe I am.
Your Honor, please, I want to go back to the mental hospital.
Ms.
Doe, are you requesting to be committed? Yes, sir.
I want to plead crazy.
Your Honor Do you understand that you could not be released for five to 15 years, even longer? Yes, sir.
But believe me, it's the right thing to do.
( Glass clanks ) But remember when I said I thought I heard "Florida," even though it was Illinois? It's over, Monica.
Well, I'm not sure what I heard.
I mean, maybe I made a mistake, but God is using it to make something wonderful out of this.
Maybe it was a mistake that I came here, but now He's given me a new purpose.
Well, that's great.
I'm glad to hear it.
I'm going back in to help Claire.
Claire? She's my roommate in the hospital.
She's an angel, too, and she needs me now.
You are insane.
I don't expect you to believe me, but I really am an angel.
And I thought I had to prove that, but proving it doesn't matter.
I just have to behave like one.
Then why did you put me through all of this if all you had to do was behave like an angel?! I mean, if you are not insane, if you are just confused or overly zealous, then you are throwing your life away! There's no greater love than to give your life for your friend.
I learned that from Claire.
So did you.
Thank you for all your help, Jake.
Whether you believe it or not, God has used you for something very beautiful.
JAKE: And then she said God had used me for something wonderful.
And then she went back.
Very strange woman.
She's not a psychotic, she's not an angel.
I don't know.
Any chance I mean, what if she were? An angel? ( laughs ) She would click her heels three times and fly away.
No, not if she were needed.
Not if God had another agenda for her.
I never thought of you as the type to believe in God.
I never thought of Him as the type to believe in me.
Stop drinking.
Go home, go to bed.
I'm late for a dinner appointment.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
( laughs ) TESS: Come over here and sit with me.
Tess, where have you been? Filling in for Monica.
Paris, Cuba, Illinois.
How is she doing? SAM: You trained her very well, Tess.
She just made a tremendous sacrifice.
TESS: So we're back on track? She was never off track.
No kidding? It would be so nice to know these things in advance.
If You know what I mean.
( Chuckles ) SUE: Jake No, no, no.
No happy-hour jokes.
Promise.
Bartender.
If anyone deserved a drink, you do.
Thanks.
I was just leaving.
Well, I can't say that I'm glad to see you back here, but I bet Claire is, aren't you? Hasn't said a word since you left.
When was Claire committed, Peter? Oh, it was before my time.
Uh, she came back, uh they told me they brought her back here from 'Nam.
Uh, one of the last groups of POWs or something.
( Softly ): Mayday.
I know all about May Ling, Claire.
Where is she now? Don't know.
I don't know what happened to her, either.
But I know she's in God's hands, and so are you.
Oh, Claire, I don't know what you saw in Vietnam when the Americans left, but I know it's why you're here right now.
( Softly ): Mayday.
Mayday.
Tell me about the little girl.
Go on.
I know you can.
I had her in my arms.
They were burning the city.
There were flames and men with guns took her away.
I couldn't find her.
I failed.
I failed.
I lost Mayday.
And God turned His back on me, and now I've forgotten who I am.
No, that's not true.
It's you who have forgotten who God is.
He would never turn His back on you.
Nothing not death or life or war not the past, the present or the future No one no creature on this earth can ever separate you from God's love.
And nobody knows that better than an angel.
You are an angel, aren't you, Claire? I'm an angel, too.
And I've been sent here to take you home.
And I'm going to stay right here until you are ready.
I can't find my way back to heaven.
Just reach up.
Reach up like you did for May Ling, and He will take you the rest of the way.
I know He will.
Claire.
Jake.
( Trembling breath ) I have a message for you, Jake.
I was supposed to deliver it a long time ago in the helicopter, but I chose to stay behind.
God used me anyway, to catch May Ling.
( Sobbing ) Jake, oh, Jake.
God loves you, and He knows all the secrets of your heart.
The horrors of the war you had to endure, you mustn't blame Him for.
But you've allowed the past to come between you and God.
Turn the past over to God.
He's strong enough to take it.
And give Him your future, too.
And Jake, He'll make you strong enough to live it.
( Jake gasps ) PETER: Uh I-I always knew they were angels.
Yeah, I think I did, too.
So this is where it all started.
Um 801 Cedar.
Yeah, but it looks very different now, of course.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I mean, after Bobby was convicted of smuggling drugs, everything was probably confiscated and sold off at auction.
It's a state law.
Well, I hope the new tenants are happier here.
And cleaner.
Oh, they will be, baby.
The whole building's going to be turned into the Home For Orphans and Child Survivors of Trauma.
Oh, that's wonderful.
Well, this is the good part, right here.
Executive Director May Ling Gustafson.
May Ling? Is she in this country? She's in this city.
Oh! See? It's a miracle.
They happen every day.
( Cooing ) I guess they do.
MONICA: Dedicated to a man named Jake and an angel named Claire.
They served their country, their God, and many children with all they had.
May we here do the same.