L.A. Law (TV Series)
Justice Swerved (1990)
Jimmy Smits: Victor Sifuentes
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Quotes
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Elizabeth Lafferty : I can't take this. This is just the beginning, Wayne, how are we ever going to get through this?
Wayne Lafferty : Because we will.
Victor Sifuentes : Look, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to get used to this. The press is going to be here hounding us every day. It's only going to get worse.
Lawyer John Trischuta : Don't even listen to their questions.
Elizabeth Lafferty : How can we not hear their questions? Mrs. Lafferty, did you kill your baby? Mrs. Lafferty, who is the actual murderer, you or your husband? How can I not hear those questions?
Victor Sifuentes : Look, Mrs. Lafferty, people are going to think what they're going to think, but by the end of the trial, we'll be okay.
Wayne Lafferty : Things will never be okay, Mr. Sifuentes. We haven't buried him yet, and they arrest us for murder.
Lawyer John Trischuta : Come on, Wayne.
Wayne Lafferty : Our friends look at us like they don't know us. They're not sure.
Lawyer John Trischuta : After the acquittal, they will be.
Wayne Lafferty : No, they won't.
[Wayne comforting his wife Elizabeth of their late son Steven]
Wayne Lafferty : Our little boy stays dead, no matter what. No matter what, people are going to think we did it.
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D.A. Marcia Cortwright : What made you first suspect foul play, Dr. Waibel?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Well, I notice when the baby was first bought in. It had an extensive bruises on his chest and neck.
D.A. Marcia Cortwright : Which told you what?
Dr. Sam Waibel : He told me this baby was subjected to physical trauma. It suggested child abuse.
D.A. Marcia Cortwright : And what else, Doctor?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Uh, the child also had conjunctivitis in his eyes, that's, uh, telltale sign of suffocation.
D.A. Marcia Cortwright : Well, Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty claim that their little boy just stop breathing?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Well, as the doctor who examine this child, I don't believe that. I think this baby was killed.
Lawyer John Trischuta : Move to strike.
Victor Sifuentes : Objection, no foundations, Your Honor.
Judge Walter L. Swanson : Sustained. The jury will disregard that last remark.
D.A. Marcia Cortwright : Nothing further.
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Victor Sifuentes : You've heard of sudden infant death syndrome, haven't you, Doctor?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Of course.
Victor Sifuentes : Of course. For the court, what is it, sir?
Dr. Sam Waibel : It's crib death. Uh, basically it's when it baby inexplicably just stops breathing and dies in it's sleep.
Victor Sifuentes : In fact, more babies have died of SIDS than from heart disease, cancer, cerebral palsy, and virtually all other diseases combined, isn't that right?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Yes.
Victor Sifuentes : And, Doctor, babies that died from sudden infant death syndrome are sometimes inaccurately diagnosis having been suffocated, aren't they?
Dr. Sam Waibel : It happens sometimes.
Victor Sifuentes : It happens so often that for death scene investigations that has been new legislation in California that requires police officers to take SIDS awareness training, right?
Dr. Sam Waibel : That's correct.
Victor Sifuentes : I'm going to show you statement that was made by State Senator Dan Boatwright.
[John hand in the statement to Victor]
Victor Sifuentes : Thank you, John. Are you familiar with this, sir?
Dr. Sam Waibel : Yep.
Victor Sifuentes : Could you read the last sentence on the first page here?
D.A. Marcia Cartwright : Objection, hearsay.
D.A. Marcia Cortwright : Overruled. I'll allow it. Read the line, please.
Dr. Sam Waibel : [Reading] "With our focus on child abuse, we have too many parents being treated as criminal suspects at the scene of the SIDS death."
Victor Sifuentes : Thank you, Doctor. Now, you say you saw bruises on the child's neck and chest area. Could these bruises have resulted from CPR attempts to revive the child?
Dr. Sam Waibel : I don't believe they were caused by that.
Victor Sifuentes : Is it possible, Doctor, that these bruises resulted from CPR attempts to save the baby after has stop breathing?
Dr. Sam Waibel : It's possible.
Victor Sifuentes : Thank you. Thank you, Doctor. I have nothing further.