Barrio Barrister (F-5)
For Barrio Barrister (F-1) click here. For BB (F-4) click here.
Note: My father, Paul Weeks, was a reporter for The Los Angeles Times and knew Wayne Satz and Ruben Salazar — as well as Chief Davis (who eventually became a state senator for California). I met Wayne Satz while working at ABC TV. He won a Peabody Award for his expose of LA Police, but died of a suddent heart attack in his apartment at an early age. Ruben Salazar was known as one of the most important voices for the Mexican American community. He was killed when a policeman shot him in the head with a tear gas torpedo designed for exploding through barriers.
INT. ELDER MIGUEL’S LAW STUDY, WHITTIER — DAY
Mason is sitting across from Elder Miguel, who begins to split an avocado.
MASON
Is that why you decided to get into law?
Elder Miguel hacks into the pit with his knife, drawing it out.
ELDER MIGUEL
That was just an example of things that happened routinely. The school walk outs lead by Sal Castro*, demonstrations, and just things that would happen to us walking down the street in the barrio. But — I think it was the volunteer work I did at the Police Malpractice Center that got me to change my whole direction in life. There I worked for one of the bravest men I ever knew, Art Garcia. No relation.
*For more on the school walk outs, click here.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. POLICE MALPRACTICE CENTER OFFICE — NIGHT
We see ART GARCIA in a wheel chair. CAM zooms back through open door to outer room, revealing Miguel seated at desk, interviewing MR. CHAVEZ(40). Miguel (26) has been reviewing notes.
ELDER MIGUEL (V.O.)
Art Garcia was paralyzed. His speech was impaired-so I used to interview the victims of police brutality for him.
MIGUEL
Was she just momentarily dazed or was she actually hospitalized?
MR. CHAVEZ
(incredulous)
Her skull had been cracked! She wound up with forty-two stitches! Her beautiful face will never be the same. I hate those pigs.
MIGUEL
Well, they aren’t all pigs. You know, my dad was a cop for awhile in Tijuana.
MR. CHAVEZ
(angrily)
They’re pigs and anyone who supports a pig is also a pig.
MIGUEL
Uh, okay… how old?
MR. CHAVEZ
She just turned sixteen.
CROSS FADE TO:
INT. POLICE MALPRACTICE CENTER OFFICE — ANOTHER NIGHT
A man, 20’s, heavily bandaged around the lower part of his face, writes on a pad. Miguel reads off the pad.
MIGUEL
…Pushed you to the pavement….grabbed hair…slim, uh, slammed open mouth…on edge of curb…stamped…
The man stops him, shakes his head, points to paper.
MIGUEL
Stomped…stomped back of head…again…again…again…
Miguel looks away. Recomposes himself.
MIGUEL
Until…not…one…
(very softly)
tooth left. Mr. Ruiz…I’m sorry… you’re….you’re bleeding again.
The man covers his bandaged mouth with a hand as if embarrassed. Miguel is overcome with feeling for the man’s condition.
ELDER MIGUEL (V.O.)
That was the moment I changed from premed to law.
INT. ELDER MIGUEL’S HOME OFFICE — PRESENT — DAY
MASON
It’s unbelievable people do that.
ELDER MIGUEL
What is? This isn’t the only country where police have gotten away with murder. Literally. And there are people who will always support them in it, no matter what they do nor how bad they get. But if you only hear the cops version of things as the press normally operates, how would you know any better? This distortion of the truth got hammered at us every day.
INT. PARKER CENTER — DAY
News cameras and reporters have gathered for a statement by Police Chief Ed Davis, (early fifties).
(Subtitle): LA Police Chief Ed Davis 1969
CHIEF DAVIS
I have been concerned not only by the rise in unlawful acts occurring in our city, often by people not far removed from the wild tribes of Mexico, but by members of the press themselves who have made our men in blue the butt of vicious, unfounded attacks that hurts morale and undermines our mission to protect and to serve.
We see RUBEN SALAZAR, 41, taking notes.
CHIEF DAVIS
We have also been carefully looking at the participation of known communists to be involved in this rash of demonstrations designed to tear apart our communities.
Several newspersons try to get his attention.
CU WAYNE SATZ,ABC CORRESPONDENT,BEARDED, THIN, 30’S.
(Subtitle): Wayne Satz, ABC-TV.
WAYNE SATZ
Chief Davis! Chief Davis, is Hayden White correct in claiming that LA cops enrolled at UCLA to spy on students and faculty?
CHIEF DAVIS
(almost spitting it)
The one and only Mr. Satz.
(looks about)
Channel 7 is the perfect example of what I have been talking about: “yellow electronic journalism”.
Not one allegation of police brutality has proven to be true since I came into office this year.
WAYNE SATZ
When you investigate yourselves that’s easy. Since you came into office this year, new choke holds have resulted in fifteen deaths and KABC has repeatedly been denied the list of officers involved in shootings over the past two years. Why?
CHIEF DAVIS
(sneering)
This is not your private interview, Mr. Satz. Let’s give someone else a chance.
REUBEN SALZAR
Chief Davis?
(Subtitle): Ruben Salazar, weekly columnist for the LA Times and News Director of KMEX radio.
CHIEF DAVIS
Yes?
RUBEN SALAZAR
Ruben Salazar, LA TIMES.
CHIEF DAVIS
(sneering)
You can tell Bill Thomas, (note: editor) he’s public enemy number one.
Laughter from crowd.
RUBEN SALAZAR
(reading from notes)
The SENTINAL says, quote “A day doesn’t go past without physical evidence of beatings in the black community by LA cops, led by a chief who has shown an unbelievable contempt for our Negro and Mexican American communities.” How does that square with your assertion there have been no allegations of police brutality?
CHIEF DAVIS
Since when does the TIMES get its news from a Negro paper? There have been no substantiated assertions from any credible sources.
You know, you keep eating enough watermelon, Salazar, you gonna turn a little red yourself. I stand by my statement. Real Americans always stand by blue no matter who… Salazar, huh?.
He scribbles something on a piece of paper.
INT. ELDER MIGUEL’S LAW STUDY — PRESENT — DAY
Option: We hear Elder Miguel V.O. over close up of Wayne Satz face suddenly being pummeled with bullets — on a police target.
ELDER MIGUEL
Did you know that Chief Davis had Wayne Satz’s face put on all the targets at the police shooting practice ranges? He also used our taxes to make bumper stickers he had placed on squad cars saying “Satz sucks”.
MASON
Incredible.
ELDER MIGUEL
Davis had been in the FBI for awhile. The FBI has committed crime after crime and never been held accountable. Mostly because Hoover had files on everyone, and everyone was afraid of him. Unchecked power. My friend, Skip Glenn, once did the longest case of its kind in history up until then in Ventura where the FBI colluded with known murderers to frame Paul Skyhorse and Richard Mohawk, leaders in the American Indian Movement. When he proved what happened, they made up another case against them back East — but nothing ever happened to the FBI who conspired with murderers to frame AIM leaders for murder in Ventura.
MASON
Did you marry Rosalinda?
ELDER MIGUEL
No. I married a woman named Gloria. She never was cut out to be the wife of an activist though. She gave me my first son, Michael, may he rest in peace. I remember when my Dad helped Gloria and I celebrate Michael’s birthday once in City Terrace.
EXT. CITY TERRACE — DAY
A stick swings at a piñata. Don Miguel, yanks the supporting string. Miguel and GLORIA watch from a park bench. MICHAEL brings the stick to Miguel who then pretends to swing wildly at the piñata but falls down when he misses it causing the children to laugh. He runs about pretending to hit kids, then conks himself on the head. He gives the stick to one of the younger children, and secretly signals his father to not pull the strings as hard. The piñata breaks, children scramble. Miguel prevents the stick from hitting any children. Michael brings candy to share with his parents and grandpa who fawn on him. A patrol car cruises slowly past like a shark. On the back bumper is a sticker reading “Satz sucks.”
For Barrio Barrister (F-6) click here.
