Ted Crawford quotes from Fracture (2007)

Ted Crawford

Knowledge is pain.

Ted Crawford

You look closely enough, you'll find that everything has a weak spot where it can break, sooner or later.

Ted Crawford

Nicely done, Willy. Truly. A regular chain of evidence. Great stuff. Vivid. Heartbreaking. The victim cries out from beyond the grave. Yeah. Jurors love all that sort of crap, don't they? I bet you don't even need a confession anymore, do you, Willy? I tell you what, though, old sport. Let's make you a new one just in case. The real deal, all the juicy details. You can get your rocks off on that, then, can't you? Huh? I shot my wife in the face, right there. She didn't look so pretty after that. And l stood there looking down at her... and l watched her eyes go all empty. I could smell the blood and the shit. Smelled like metal. And the look on his face! He was trying to get her back to life and l was pissing myself laughing... because I took both the bastards out with one **** bullet. Yeah. And now you've got your little bullet, haven't you? Got what you want. So bring it all on, kiddo. Bring it all into court. Except you can't, can you? Let's see, now, first year law, double jeopardy. I went to trial, you lost. Oh, pity about that. It doesn't matter what you do now. It doesn't matter what you know. I mean, she could come back from the dead, you see... and testify, spill the beans, and it would mean... nothing. So you can't touch me... ever.

Your wife? Is she OK?

Ted Crawford

I don't think she is. I shot her.

Mr. Crawford, you have been charged with section 664 slash 187 of the California penal code: Attempted murder. Do you waive further reading of the complaint and complete statement of rights?

You do.

Ted Crawford

I do. But, I... I want...

And do you wish to enter a plea at this time?

Ted Crawford

Yes, not guilty. But I also want to waive my right to counsel and to represent myself.

Surely you won't have trouble finding an attorney, Mr. Crawford?

Ted Crawford

No, but I want to do it myself.

Your Honor, if I can have a moment with my client.

Ted Crawford

I'm not your client. Try and keep up, will you?

Uh, Mr. Crawford, you're facing some very serious charges here. I strongly urge you to retain counsel.

Ted Crawford

That's very kind but I believe I'm within my rights.

Be aware that lack of counsel will not be grounds for an appeal.

Ted Crawford

Oh, I understand. I understand.

People have an objection, Mr. Beachum?

Willy Beachum

Well, Your Honor, we have a verbal and signed confession. So, I would strongly advise Mr. Crawford to get a competent attorney to try and negotiate a plea.

That's pretty damning evidence, Mr. Crawford. You wanna reconsider?

Ted Crawford

Absolutely not.

Willy Beachum

Huh. It's gonna turn into a circus.

I appreciate your concern for the dignity of the court, 007. Unfortunately, the man is a tax-paying citizen and entitled by our constitution to try and manipulate the legal system like everybody else.

Willy Beachum

I'm not going to play any games with you.

Ted Crawford

I'm afraid you have to, old sport.

Ted Crawford

You know, my grandfather was an egg farmer.

Willy Beachum

This isn't going to be about your "rough childhood", is it?

Ted Crawford

No, I used to candle eggs at his farm. Do you know what that is? You hold an egg up to the light of a candle and you look for imperfections. The first time I did it, he told me to put all the eggs that were cracked or flawed into a bucket for the bakery. And he came back an hour later, and there were 300 eggs in the bakery bucket. He asked me what the hell I was doing. I found a flaw in every single one of them – you know, thin places in the shell; fine, hairline cracks. You look closely enough, you'll find that everything has a weak spot where it can break, sooner or later.

Willy Beachum

You looking for mine?

Ted Crawford

I've already found yours.

Willy Beachum

What is it?

Ted Crawford

You're a winner, Willy.

Willy Beachum

Yeah. Well, I guess the joke's on me then, isn't it?

Ted Crawford

You bet your ass, old sport.

Willy Beachum

Did Mr. Crawford seem confused, intoxicated, or impaired in any way?

No, not at all. He knew exactly what was going on.

Willy Beachum

Detective Nunally, what did Mr. Crawford say?

He said: 'It was like I just suddenly snapped. I got the gun and I shot my wife. I shot her in the head'

Ted Crawford

Objection.

I'm sorry, Mr. Crawford, did you say something?

Ted Crawford

Yes, I wish to object.

On what grounds?

Ted Crawford

I don't know...

Willy Beachum

Your honor...

Ted Crawford

Um, I don't know what, uh, you'd call it, but, uh, they... It wasn't the first time it happened either... but, um. I, um, I don't know the, uh, legal terminology.

Well, why don't you try to explain it in layman's terms.

Ted Crawford

Um... **** the victim. [following uproar in court] Well, you said layman's terms!

Willy Beachum

Your honor!

Ted Crawford

I'm sorry, your honor, but what would you call it, legally, when the officer who arrested you was having sexual intercourse with your wife? You know, I think it's objectionable. It's rather disgusting is what I think, but uh... I dunno; maybe I'm wrong!

Willy Beachum

This is getting out of hand, Your Honor. He just provoked my witness with an outrageous allegation …

Ted Crawford

My dick has evidence.

Excuse me?

Ted Crawford

My dick, my private investigator. I call him Dick. Perhaps I should call him as a rebuttal witness, because since the tragedy, he's dug up hotel records and witnesses that confirm that my wife and Mr. Nunally were having an affair. My dick is good.

Willy Beachum

Your Honor, so what if he was?

Mr Beachum.

Willy Beachum

Even if he was...

Your witness was intimate with the victim and assaulted the defendant during the arrest.

Ted Crawford

Actually, while trying to obtain my so-called confession.

Yes.

Willy Beachum

Oh, come on.

Ted Crawford

Is that a legal argument, "Oh, come on"?

Willy Beachum

Don't make me come across this table 'cause I will...

Ted Crawford

I just want...

Willy Beachum

Your Honor, he dictated and signed his confession at the station long after the incident, all right?

Ted Crawford

In fear for my life, since my wife's lover who had just beaten me, was in the room with his friends, and the other officers.

Was Detective Nunally present during Mr. Crawford's interrogation?

Willy Beachum

Uh... he... he... he may have been, I don't know.

Because if that is indeed the case, the confessions, both of them, are out. If Nunally was there, Mr. Crawford was under duress. The confessions and any evidence gathered while Mr. Nunally was present will all have to be excluded as "fruit of the poisonous tree."

Willy Beachum

This... This is insane.

Ted Crawford

That's the Bible, isn't it? The fruit of the tree and all that? It's Matthew. Or is it Mark?

Willy Beachum

He set all this up. This is a setup.

I'm sorry, Mr. Beachum, but I am not going to allow coerced confessions in my courtroom.

Ted Crawford

Your Honor, do you think I could go home now, with Thanksgiving around the corner?

Willy Beachum

Unbelievable.

Don't push it, Mr. Crawford.

What I want to do is I'm going to give Mr. Beachum a few days to come up with some new evidence, and if he can't then maybe you can go home. So we will reconvene on Monday morning. I think that's all.

Ted Crawford

Thank you, Your Honor.

Ted Crawford

You really need to be nice to me now, Willy.

Willy Beachum

Why?

Ted Crawford

Because... what's left of a life depends on a machine powered by a cord that leads to a plug in an electrical outlet... and I decide when it gets pulled. That's why.