Terror in the Family (1996 TV Movie)

Barta Heiner: D.A. Pearlman

Quotes 

• D.A. Pearlman : You're not in a position to withdraw the charges.

  Cynthia Marten : But we're her parents.

  D.A. Pearlman : She assaulted you with a weapon.

  Cynthia Marten : She had a knife, but she wasn't going to use it.

  D.A. Pearlman : I'm talking about the telephone. The knife enters into it, but...

  Todd Marten : Look, we know she has problems. And we're going to get her whatever help she needs.

  Cynthia Marten : We think she's on drugs, maybe cocaine.

  D.A. Pearlman : There were no drugs found in her system. But whether there were or not, what I see here is a pattern of physical abuse. That's a crime.

  Cynthia Marten : Physical abuse? That's ridiculous. We--We're her parents.

  D.A. Pearlman : We're seeing more of this every day.

  Todd Marten : Can't believe this.

  D.A. Pearlman : We used to see it primarily in immigrant families, where the parents don't know the language and the children have all the power.

  Cynthia Marten : That's not us.

  D.A. Pearlman : I'm just saying that this seems to happen when those roles get reversed. When the children become the survival figures for their parents.

  Cynthia Marten : We're good parents. We have a good family. And we want Deena to come home.

  D.A. Pearlman : And I'm asking you to help me hold her accountable for what she did. I know that's hard. This is the only place in our entire justice system where the victim is asked to help prosecute someone they want to defend.