Original subtitles

In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered

especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious

felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, who are we to judge another?

By what metric should we praise or condemn?

I may be but a lowly, lowly lawyer, but one thing that I can attest to is that

tonight's man of the hour is a consummate force of good.

Now, I'm sure that we can all agree that in a sea full of judges with oversized

egos, this guy, this guy's got the largest.

Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to join me in welcoming to the stage

your... Judge of the Year, the Honorable Lauren Feld.

Come on, give it up.

You serious?

It's a brutal world out there.

And an absolutely silent night in here. Oh, you just changed it. Oh, come on,

I'm a cop. I'm not superstitious. You'll see. So, in 03.

We almost made it through an entire shift without a piece.

And then John Munch had to open his mouth and prove to all of us that there

no such thing as a jinx.

The call came in ten seconds later.

All right, well, maybe tonight's the night.

You did double jinx. No, I did not.

What color?

Red. Crime Stoppers just sent us a tip.

Jinx.

I've learned three things in all my years on the raised bench.

Number one, looking down at the court, I know each and every one of you has a

bald spot.

Number two, looking up at you, you better remember to trim those nose

I was raped by the devil.

But most importantly, the bench is raised so that all can see justice.

He used this position for pure evil.

But in no way should a judge be viewed greater than anyone else in the court.

On November 15th, in his robing room, he tore my underwear off with his teeth.

And then he forced himself inside of me.

Like Albert Einstein said, blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of

truth.

And the aim should always be truth and justice.

The devil's day.

is a judge for himself.

No, no, this speech was great. It was great. Just the Einstein quote.

Oh, don't tell me Sonny Carisi is questioning Albert Einstein. No, I just

thought you could have gone with Francis Bacon.

Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority. Well, how about this one?

Hank Williams, mind your own business.

Congratulations.

Judge of the year.

You deserve it.

Thanks, Dominic.

All right, get him safe, too. But I think a public enemy said it better than

Einstein.

Don't believe that... No!

Why? Why?

You're okay.

Hey,

you're okay. You're okay.

I need an ambulance right now.

I'm in the Belmore Hotel in the garage.

Gunshot wound in the chest.

Send it.

All right, I got you. I got you.

Stay with me.

Stay with me, okay? Come on.

He was, uh, late teens, early 20s. He was about 5 '10". And sandy blonde hair.

He had blue eyes.

He was wearing a black jacket, blue hoodie, black jeans, white camo

Okay. And he had a gun. But he was the one who looked scared, Liv.

Thank you so much.

Hey. Hey. What did they say? What did they say? He's going into surgery, and

they think that the bullet somehow missed everything, Major. Thanks to you.

Thanks to me? The guy got shot in the chest, Amanda. I was too damn slow.

Stop it.

Thank God he's okay.

So, Corey, see, how well do you know Judge Fels? I know him really well. The

was one of my law professors.

He mentored me.

And he's married, right?

No, no, his wife died last year. He's a widower.

Okay.

What was that?

Why are you detectiving him? He didn't shoot himself.

There's an accusation.

To SVU?

Against Warren Fells? No.

No, no, no, no. And now there's an attempt on his life.

He's a good guy. No, no, no, no. Listen, listen.

I love you both.

But he didn't assault anyone.

And I trust your judgment. I trust your perception.

For what, Liv?

But if we have one motto at SVU... Never say never.

Look, you two go home. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out.

Warren Feltz, 69 years old, 12 years prosecutor.

He rose to the head of the Homicide Division, appointed by the governor to

Supreme Court, and most recently chief judge of the trial division in Queens.

And currently, he's in the ICU. He's out of surgery, but he's not up yet.

The accusation came in as an Internet tip through Crime Stoppers.

The alleged assault took place on November 15th. And Bells was the

judge for Saturday night arraignments, but nobody on the docket matches the

woman in the video.

Saturday night arraignments are known to draw certain clients out.

Hold on.

I knew I recognized something.

What?

There.

There. See your home screen?

That's the app for Midnight Page. Exactly. Midnight Page is what?

It's a marketplace for hiring escorts, so she is a sex worker.

You can filter by preferences, so female, white, net, 20s, green eyes.

You have the Midnight Page app on your phone?

Hey, buddy, if you want to catch a worm, you got to dig in the dirt.

Okay.

Okay, here she is, Elsa XXX.

Let's make a date.

I'll copy her.

Martini? Is it dry or dirty?

It's water.

Okay, good.

I don't drink either. Water. Swift.

I'm waiting on someone.

Elsa, right?

You're not in any trouble, but no one else is coming.

I made the appointment with you.

Who are you?

I'm here to help you.

It happened in his roving room.

He tore off my underwear with his teeth and then forced himself inside.

Okay, and this was on November 15th? Yes, November 15th.

Now, I gotta say, we don't have a record of you peering in Judge Felt's court

that evening.

It happened.

Okay. He forced himself inside of me.

I can see it right now happening in my head. Elsa, listen, all I want for you

justice, okay?

Can you tell me your real name?

Elsa Clark.

How do you feel about coming down to the station with me? We can file a report.

You work for him, don't you?

Judge Feltz? No, Elsa, I work for the city.

I have said all I'm going to say.

Leave me alone. Elsa.

Elsa Clark, 20 years old, from Illinois, no criminal record, current address,

Meltzer Hall Dormitory at University of New York. Okay.

So, Curry, what is your take?

You know, I don't know how else to say it other than her interaction with me

seemed rehearsed.

She said exactly what she had already said in that video. It was robotic.

I mean, it was like she was telling a story that she had heard but couldn't

remember the details.

Well, get this. There is no robing room for Saturday night arraignments.

That whole detail in her claim is bogus. Well, hang on. Even when someone gets

every detail wrong, they can still be a victim.

I mean, she did seem tense at the bar, so maybe she'll be more receptive in the

comfort of her own dorm. Yeah, maybe.

Two shows of the week.

Good night.

What's up?

Detective Bruno.

May I ask you some questions, Judge?

Talk to Sonny.

He has more info than me.

I just turned around and I'm here.

You know anybody who has a vendetta against you?

I'm deciding people's fates every day.

I guess someone wanted to decide mine.

You recognize this woman?

A girl?

What's this about?

Did you know that woman, Judge?

Sonny, is he one of yours?

The shooting may have been in reaction to an accusation that she made.

An accusation against me?

Well, I'm sure you can guess what I'm about to say.

From now on, all questions must go to my attorney.

Thanks for stopping by, Sonny. Judge, I'm just here with you. I need some shut

-eye.

Nightmare walking, psychopath talking.

Something's never changed.

Wait, is that coming from the elevator room?

Yo, police.

Clear the hall.

Drop your weapon. Hands up. Turn around.

On your knees.

Cross your ankles and interlace your fingers behind your head.

What the hell's going on in here?

So the day starts at 5 and ends at midnight?

Who's setting the schedule here?

Uh, Matt.

That's your name, right?

Mind if we talk?

I have to do the dishes.

It's my day. I don't want to get in trouble.

Who would you get in trouble with?

That kid with the gun?

Jeremy? No, he's... Or a roommate.

What's the choice?

Uh -huh. Yeah, we can see that. You got a chart and everything.

Elsa, why don't you come with me?

I have nothing more to say to you.

Okay, that kid with the gun, is he your roommate, too?

Kind of. He's... Jeremy was acting completely on his own.

Right?

Yeah.

Hey, Matt.

Look at me.

You're not in trouble.

Okay? So why don't you come with me? I just want to talk, and then I'll help

with the dishes when we're done.

I'm good.

Okay. That's obstruction.

What are you doing? Turn around.

You're arresting him? Yes, I am. I'm tired of getting stonewalled here.

I'm going to report you. Oh, go ahead. The boss already can't stand me.

Did you tell Phelps I'm here?

Come again?

The judge felt, no, I'm here.

You're going to want the death sentence.

New York's not a death penalty state.

Doesn't matter.

He runs the system.

When I heard what he did to Elsa... That's why he shot her.

His revenge for what he did to Elsa.

What he did to her was the last straw of a thousand.

What else do you do?

Aggravated soul and battery.

Trespassing, theft, extortion, money laundering.

Chugs fell.

Devil.

I'm the one that tried to stop this rate of terror.

This is November 15th in Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey. Which means that

wasn't in Manhattan on the night that she alleged it.

Do we know more about this Robbie guy that's with her? They didn't card him.

Our boy Matt from the dorm, he's having a panic attack.

What do I do?

You know, I know a lot of people use breathing exercises for anxiety attacks.

I'll get you some more water.

But this sometimes just does the trick. Can I put this on your wrist?

There you go.

That'll just sort of put you back in your body.

Feeling a little better?

Good.

Can I ask you a question? Sure.

Did Judge Phelps do anything to Elsa?

There is no evidence that supports that claim.

Do you work for Judge Foss?

I never heard his name before yesterday.

You know, if you're in trouble, I can help you.

You just look like cigarette burn.

How about if you just nod?

Did you do that to yourself?

Hey, Matt, did somebody in the dorm that you're living in do that to you?

Hmm?

You know somebody named Robbie?

Listen to me.

I'm here for you.

You're not in the dorm, and no one can hurt you here, okay?

This is my house, and I can promise you... That no one is going to hurt you

while you're here with me.

Oh, God.

What?

Hold on, hold on. Let's do this again.

Slow down your hurry, man.

Robbie Miller.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

This is Captain Curry.

Two captains. Aren't I special?

Well, you're VIP.

Not the best view in here, but we're a packed house.

Crime never stops.

Trust me, I know.

You're on speaking terms with the world of crime?

I'm not at liberty to say.

Oh.

International law.

Ah. What's your guy's clearance level?

Me? I'm just NYPD.

What about you, Cap? Oh, I never made it higher than Phi Delta at Santa College.

You're funny.

So, uh, my NOC, non -official cover, is working in construction subcontracting,

but there are certain alphabet organizations that... You mean the CIA

Okay, but we hear about your son, Matt.

Yeah, what'd the kid do this time?

Do you have kids?

You know, I spoke with the security guard at your son's dorm, and they say

you sign in every day. You live there?

Supposed to miss a visit with my kid because the plaza sells out. So how long

have you been living at their dorm?

Well, the original plan was five days, but they keep asking me to stay. Oh.

I mean, they're kids, and they like having a parental figure around.

And when you amass as much life experience as I have, passing on that

to the next generation is the least you can do.

Makes perfect sense.

And what about Elsa?

I coach her, too.

We're all accountability partners for one another.

What's my thumb being charged with?

Why do I get the feeling that you already know the answer to that?

So fascinating.

You round your head and yet you dot your eyes so precisely.

Excuse me? You're a cumulative thinker and a perfectionist.

I dabble in forensic graphology.

You're quite impressive. Yeah, and I'm getting jealous.

So I'm going to go check on Matt, and do you mind sitting tight for a second?

Anything for Matt.

Don't leave me hanging.

Wouldn't dream of it.

Another minute.

He would have tried to sell us the Brooklyn Bridge.

Robbie Miller had a contentious divorce from Matt's mom in 2004.

Robbie was only granted visitation after a forensics evaluation report. Well,

I'd love to get my hands on that.

Sealed by the court.

He was a high school dropout, okay, and then he operated the Goliath Tile

Company until 2021.

Also in 2021, he got jammed up when the Damiano family was taken down. He was

found guilty of money laundering, obstruction.

He has sentenced to four years. Released just in time to live in his son's dorm.

A welfare check was called in three months ago in the dorm room.

Okay. You get a name for the complainant? Colleen Keene, another

New York student. Great. You two track that down.

So, Matt completely shut down when the father came in. Yeah, and I bet old

Robbie was planning on that. No.

Rollins, take the kid outside, get him some fresh air.

What was it like living in the dorm, Colleen?

It's a cult.

He is running a tiny cult in the dorm room.

What makes you say that?

Me, Matt, Jeremy, Elsa, we were inseparable.

So we decided to room together this year, and all of a sudden, Robbie just,

like, appears.

Why did he stay in the dorm?

Matt said his dad needed a beat to get back on his feet. Okay.

But he was always trying to get super personal. I don't know. It just, it gave

me the ick immediately.

Your friends feel that way, too?

No.

He'd brag about how amazing he was, and they would eat it up.

And I'd say, guys, he's full of it.

He has a scar that he swears he got from a shark attack. It's an appendix scar.

And then one day, he's not on the air mattress.

Where'd he go?

Elsa's bed, which he says was for her self -improvement.

And then he comes to me and wants to talk about my virginity?

I immediately transferred to a new dorm. Okay, did you report any of this to the

university? What's you and why care?

The dorm room's paid for. All they care about is the money.

So that's when you called in the welfare check.

Hell yeah.

Those are my friends.

But they just, they stopped talking to me.

And they weren't showing up for classes, and they were barely leaving the dorm

room at all.

And then there's what he's doing to Elsa.

What's he doing?

Some guy in my psych class that he saw her on the sex worker site.

She's not that person.

I think he's forcing her to do it.

After my parents split up, my dad wouldn't let me sleep until I told him

everything my mom was saying about him.

He'd burn me if I didn't tell.

But my mom never said anything bad.

So eventually I just started making things up.

You know, just to get him to stop.

And then he'd hug me.

He'd hug me.

And it would actually make me happy.

He's been abusing you your whole life.

One day I was standing there recording.

as he put these tweezers as deep into Jeremy's ears as they could go, just so

could get him to agree that Judge Fowles should die.

He recorded his abuse?

My dad wanted evidence of how weak we were, how much control he had over us.

And I was the one who introduced him to my

friends.

You know, I can't take back the things he did to them.

Like I'm as guilty as he is. No.

I can protect you.

Go away.

We got a warrant.

Okay, we're looking for that camera.

Any SD cards?

A lot of books on coercion.

What are these?

Financial records.

Oh, my God.

You made Robbie over $200 ,000?

What?

Did he let you eat?

Hey, Bruno.

I kinda don't wanna watch all this.

Okay, that's enough.

Jeez. This poor girl.

Sleeve deprivation.

Repetitive questioning.

Torture.

This is how bad cops get false confessions.

These financial ledgers?

He forced her into prostitution on the pretense of paying for a ton of bogus

charges. Look at this. Breaking the seat on his exercise bike.

$500.

Plumber. Poor Claude's shower dream, 250.

There's at least 12 pages of accrued interest all in the last four months.

and power, the oldest motivation in the book. But what is the obsession with

Judge Feltz? I checked, and Robbie's never appeared in Judge Feltz's

Well, the good judge isn't going to be too eager to help us out.

Maybe Carisi can ask him.

We'll find out.

I'm not a victim.

I'm reclaiming my story by telling the world what Phil did to me.

So, I watched some of those videos.

Can I tell you what I saw?

I saw a man brainwashing an innocent girl.

Brainwashing?

What are you saying? Robbie's like a hypnotist? I'm saying that Robbie is

charismatic and he prays.

on young people who haven't yet formed their identities.

That's Judge Peltz. Who is he?

He visited my family when I was young. Did you know that?

Your father is an electrician, right?

In Illinois.

How confident are you that your father, the electrician,

Be friends with a judge from New York.

Yes, we lived in a small house. But that's because my dad hoarded money he

from Judge Phil.

Okay.

Okay, well, it's late.

And you must be hungry, right?

So... What, uh...

What do you want to eat?

Anything.

So is that a... Is that a hard question for you to answer?

Robbie... Robbie always chose what I ate.

No.

You are just, you are confusing me now.

My parents were corrosive, corrosive, corrosive people.

I've heard that word before.

I heard it from Jeremy.

It's his word.

His word.

When I say it, corrosive, I can hear Robbie's voice in my head.

Elsa.

I can help you.

I can help you get Robbie's voice out of your head.

So that you can hear.

Honey, this isn't personal, except it is for me.

You heard the word, lawyer.

Yeah, I heard, but charges have been dropped.

So, you're good, Judge.

Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen.

I prefer the Jeff Buckley version.

So what's with me being shot?

That's what I'm here to talk to you about.

Do you recognize that guy?

Is that Robbie Miller?

Our parents were friends.

They would sometimes come over for dinners when I was a kid.

Last I heard, he was in prison.

Does he have something against you?

I mean, after I was elevated, he reached out to see if I could pull a string or

two from money laundering charges to be dropped.

I told him I had a responsibility to report his approaching me.

And I knew he was found guilty.

That's nothing else?

That's it?

Yeah.

I haven't thought about Robbie Miller in years.

Wow, I wish I could tell you the feeling was mutual.

This is like the Sarah Lawrence case.

Hmm.

Con men praying on these kids. Except the fellow thing isn't a con. Robbie

actually believes that he's average. Because otherwise he'd have to accept

responsibility for how his own life turned out.

You know, a con man's biggest mark is himself.

Play to his weakness.

Kept you waiting.

What happened to the captains?

Oh, they got pulled into something way more pressing. I'm just a sergeant,

Rollins. Okay, well, do you know why they brought in my son?

Of course.

So do you.

I bet you're well aware that Jeremy Coleman is sitting in Rikers right now

awaiting trial.

And that kid's going to prison for years because of you.

Oh.

You're the bad cop.

I'm well -versed in the Reed technique.

But you're doing a bad job.

Your first step is you're supposed to win my trust.

Did you really think you were going to walk into this precinct and charm us

giving up information? We have you on video torturing your son and his

Well, there, you just gave up information.

But my son and my friends will testify that everything on those recordings was

consensual. Who's going to believe that?

No victims, no case.

Unless what?

You think you're going to break me?

Get me to admit something that I didn't do?

No.

I'm just here to do two things.

One, put you in cuffs.

And the other, to let you know that my husband is good friends with Judge

Then you know what he's done.

He's tried to ruin my life. Yeah, you know what? He talks about you all the

time. In fact, he's right behind that mirror right now watching you be

humiliated.

The right to remain.

You're gonna die!

Die! Die! Die!

Good night.

My father always told me he knew me better than I knew myself.

When I was 14, I opened up to him that I wasn't sure about my sexuality.

So he put a condom on a banana and shoved it down my throat, asking me if I

enjoyed that.

When I said no, he said it was proof that I wasn't gay.

And I was actually kind of relieved.

He decided for me.

And now I can see that he's sick.

My father is a twisted, deeply manipulative person.

Thank you, Mr. Miller.

No more questions, Your Honor.

Mr. Mitchell.

Matthew, who is the left? Objection. Your Honor.

This is a clear intimidation for your honor. No, Carisi, this is a clear Sixth

Amendment issue.

Traumatizing victims got nothing to do with the Sixth Amendment. My client has

constitutional right to confront his accusers. Your honor, the defendant

tortured the victims through interrogation.

Allowing him to question them will only re -traumatize them in open court.

Enough. I am not getting reversed by the appellate division on a Sixth Amendment

issue. While I would have preferred a heads up, Mr. Mitchell...

I will allow Mr. Miller to act as co -counsel, as I am required to do. But

Miller, if you even approach the line, I will shut you down and revisit this

ruling.

Did you come to me for advice?

About your life?

Everyday problems?

Yes. Did you ever ask me to stop doing these bad things that you've been saying

I've been doing?

No.

How old are you?

21.

Do you exercise?

Out loud, Matty, so the jury can hear you.

I weightlift.

So you're younger than me and a hell of a lot stronger.

Don't you think you could have tried to physically stop me from doing the things

that you didn't like?

Yeah. Who invited me to meet your friends?

I did.

Why would you do that if I was such a big bad guy?

Because you're...

I'm sorry, Dad.

I'm sorry.

We got a big problem. Oh, I'm well aware.

Do you even have a case if they all fold under a question? Nope.

But maybe we've got one last chance.

What is that?

I'm going to have to make a deal.

Do you have it in you to testify against Robbie Miller?

Faith, Faith.

Maternal, I offer you a lesser charge.

No.

No deal. Hold on for a second.

You're going away for years of your young life.

And the guy who orchestrated it all, It's going to stink. I'll testify.

I just don't want the deal.

Jeremy, as your lawyer, I have to advise you. Take the deal.

I wanted to be a lawyer.

Like you.

Robbie took any chance of that away from me.

Tell me if this is right.

In Robbie's defense, I thought you were off for saying I was bought off.

That's correct.

I could.

And I would.

So if I take a deal, I'll just hurt my testimony.

And if he gets off, I'll just keep destroying people.

Poison.

No deal.

Robbie said Judge Phelps had snipers all over the city looking to kill him.

Us too.

And you believed him?

Not at first. He would do these sessions, he called them.

And how do you understand these sessions now?

It was torture.

What would he do?

He had these pointy tweezers, and he'd put them in my ear so far that I could

feel my eardrum vibrating.

And he'd tell the same story over and over again.

Sniper.

Murderer. It would only stop when I could repeat the story back.

I think my brain started to believe it to protect me.

But I want to make it clear.

It wasn't only about the physical harm.

What do you mean?

I've spent the last four weeks in a cell.

It's the longest time I've been away from Robbie in a while.

Never have I felt more free.

Because I have my own thoughts in my head.

He tried to destroy them.

They're still there.

I'm still here.

No more questions, Your Honor.

Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Miller?

The defense has no questions, Your Honor.

Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

As to count one, sex trafficking, what is your verdict?

Guilty.

As to count two, extortion, what is your verdict?

Guilty.

Watch Matt.

I think we might do something.

At the count of three, labor trafficking.

What is your verdict?

Guilty.

Murder!

Hey, hey, come on.

Murder! I hate you! You ruined me! You ruined everything!

You ruined my life!

You didn't stop him.

Good.

That's justice.

Now that's the verdict of justice.