All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.S10E17.Black.White.and.Blue.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

by two separate
yet equally important groups,

by two separate
yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Mom, I need lunch money.

I made you a sandwich.

But I hate peanut butter.

Since when?

Since now.

Here. Bring me
some change.

Now move.

Mom!
You're gonna be late

for school again.

There's a guy here.

I gotta get to work.

A white guy.

What does he want?

Get inside. Now.

What time did you
get in last night?

8:00. We were in
till this morning.

Did you see
or hear anyone outside?

No. Our bedrooms are in the back. I was
asleep by 10:00.

Did you get
a look at the kid?

Yeah. And he's not
from around here.

Okay. If you remember anything, give me a
call. Thank you.

Turn up any witnesses?

Nothing yet.
We're still canvassing.

Any disturbance reports
in the area last night?

Some domestic disputes.

And we had some locals throwing bottles at
a squad car a few blocks up.

Brought out a few units.

We found blood on the stairs leading down
here.

Maybe he was
looking for help.

Blunt force trauma
to the back of his head.

No wallet.

Seventy cents and some car keys. Toyota.

We're gonna need plate numbers on any
Toyotas

in the area.
Okay.

Kid was smoking reefer.
I smelled it on his clothes.

Maybe he
was out partying.

Yeah. There's a drug
message for ya.

Kid was 16, 17.

Bled to death from a blow to the head.

From what?
M.E. says

probably a curb
or a step.

His shoulder was dislocated and he had
defensive injuries

on his hands
and forearms.

Kid was outmatched.

Time of death,
11:00 to midnight.

Did they run
a tox screen?

Yeah, it came up a strong positive for
marijuana.

We ran his prints. No hit.

Nothing at
Missing Persons either.

We've got LaMotte
calling all boroughs

to see if there were
any calls last night.

Did you get a read
on his clothes?

Gap polo shirt. Banana Republic sweater.
Suede jacket.

Clean-cut white kid up in Harlem, scoring
reefer.

Visiting friends, going to a poetry slam
at the sugar shack.

Whatever. He was in over his head in the
wrong place.

Call went to the 36 after midnight.
Michael Tobin.

Seventeen-year-old boy
didn't come home.

Michael went to move the car. Alternate
side parking.

I usually do it, but he just got his
license.

What time did he leave?

10:30.

After an hour, I got worried and went out
to look for him.

I found the car parked a couple of blocks
up from where I'd left it.

Michael left his wallet and cell phone in
his room.

You can have 'em if they'll help you find
him.

Well, actually, uh...

A young man was killed
in Harlem last night.

Oh, God.

It's Michael.

Oh, no! Where is he?

He's down
at the morgue.

Harlem? What was
he doing in Harlem?

We were hoping
you could tell us.

Did he know anyone
in that area?

He wouldn't go there.
It's dangerous.

The medical examiner found marijuana in
his system.

Michael went to a party
last weekend.

He said we smoked
when we were kids,

why couldn't he?

It's from this morning.
Parked near a hydrant.

I didn't think
to move it.

Have you got
an extra set of keys?

Thanks.

No sign of a struggle.

Listen, secure the area

and get CSU over here.
Right away.

Mr. Tobin, we're gonna
have to impound the car.

We need to go over it
for evidence.

Take it. I'd like
to get back to my wife.

Sure. Go ahead.

I don't remember
seeing him last night.

What about a black
Toyota 4Runner?

No. Where'd he live?

656 West End.

Last time anybody saw him he was leaving
his building around 10.30.

We saw two male blacks hanging out on that
block around then.

We circled a few times, let 'em know we
were on 'em.

What do you mean,
"hanging out"?

You know,
standing around.

What'd they look like?

Average height. Late teens, early 20s.
Dark clothes.

That the best
you can do?

Yeah. Hey, we don't make detailed notes on
every Tom, Dick and Harry.

They weren't
bothering anybody.

Then why'd you
notice them at all?

'Cause we get paid to.

We got roll call.

Thanks.

Two kids hanging around Tobin's building
at 10:30.

Yeah. Waiting for the calculus assignment.

Doesn't sound like
anybody at school.

And Michael would've told me if he was
hanging out with guys like that.

Guys like what?

You know, the brothers. I don't mean any
disrespect.

None taken. Where'd he get the stuff he
was smoking?

Do you want
to help us or not?

What's that got
to do with anything?

Maybe the guys outside
were his connection.

I don't think so.
Why not?

Look, Brad, we're not looking to make a
drug bust.

Nobody will
get in trouble?

Why, you his connection?

Well, yeah.

Can you think of anyone who'd want to hurt
him?

It didn't have
to be anyone he knew.

Mike had a knack
for pissing people off.

He never knew
when to back down.

He know anybody
in Harlem?

There's this girl
at our school. Allie.

Michael and I
were lab partners.

Was he coming
to see you last night?

I... I don't know.

"I don't know," is not going to help the
detectives, Allie.

The boy was killed
four blocks away.

Had he been here before?

No.

Uh...
Mr. Johnson,

if it's not too much trouble,
could I get a glass of water?

Sure.

So, you and Michael
were good friends?

Uh-huh.

Was he your boyfriend?

I never told my father about my
girlfriends.

I always thought it was none of his
business.

If that's the way you want it, we can
respect that.

He came here
a couple of times

when my father
wasn't home.

Was he coming
to see you last night?

No. Really.

When was the last time
you spoke to Michael?

In school yesterday.

Phone calls?

No.

I think he might've
called here.

What makes
you say that?

I was on the phone with my sister in
Baltimore when a call beeped through.

At first I thought
it was for Allie's brother.

But the boy
asked for Allie.

He said he was
a friend from school.

What time was this?

A little after 11:00.

I think he was calling from out on the
street. I heard a bus going by.

I asked him to call back
in 15 minutes.

Did he?

If he was going to visit his girlfriend, I
don't think she knew he was coming.

So, any theories
on how he got up there?

Well, we came up empty
on the cab companies,

and the token clerks on the Broadway local
didn't notice him on either end.

A hippopotamus could buy a MetroCard, and
they wouldn't notice it.

Now, the one train stops at 137th, a block
from her house.

Why would he
be at 140th?

Payphone LUDs from the area of the murder.

The call went to the Johnson apartment at
11:19,

from the corner of 141st and Broadway.
Five blocks from her place.

A block from where he was found. He was
walking toward her house.

Check any place that might've been open at
that hour.

He wasn't here.

Maybe one of your customers saw him on the
way out.

We'll need your
credit card receipts.

It's cash only.

I heard on the news
he went to Windsor Academy.

Yeah.

There's a girl that comes with her brother
sometimes.

She told me she goes
to school there.

Did she tell you her name?

Allie, I think.
She's nice looking.

Tried to ask her out once.
Bad move.

Why, she turn you down?

She didn't even
get a chance to.

Her brother got all bent out of shape.
Pulled a John Rocker on me.

How's that?

He said his sister's not going out with
some taco boy.

I called him taco boy
to make my point stick.

Did you know Michael Tobin? No.

Come on, man. He was your sister's
boyfriend.

I didn't even know she had a boyfriend.
Allie's not allowed to see boys yet.

And whose rule is that?

My father and I work hard so Allie can
make something of herself.

So you'd have a problem with her seeing
anybody.

This is stupid. Two nights ago, I was here
doing inventory.

Till when?
Midnight.

Look, I got customers waiting. Okay?

You still here?

Need to ask you a few questions, if you
have the time.

Mmm-hmm. Got as long as this cigarette
lasts.

You were here
on Tuesday night?

All of us were. The boss had us doing
inventory.

What time did
everybody leave?

Well, let me see. Clarence and me stayed
till 10:00.

And Louis stayed
and finished up.

By himself?
Yeah.

How come?
He's the assistant manager.

What? Is Louis
in some kind of trouble?

No. This is just routine.

Look, Louis is all right,
and he's great with kids.

We hear he's a bit of a hothead when it
comes to his sister.

Maybe a little
overprotective,

but all he talks about is how Allie's
gonna make it big.

Couple of weeks ago,

he went psycho on some guy dropped her off
here.

You see the guy?

No. I saw his SUV.
Black Toyota.

I like the Lexus, myself.

Well, what did Louis do?

Ran after the car, yelling if he ever saw
him around Allie again, he'd mess him up.

I was working at the store till midnight.
Then I went straight home.

Yeah, after you smashed Michael Tobin's
head against the sidewalk.

Why don't you
believe me?

You lied to us
about knowing him, Louis.

And your coworker
heard you threaten him.

I was just looking out
for my sister.

You didn't like her knocking boots with
her white boyfriend, did ya?

Yeah, okay,
but I didn't kill him.

Yeah, you see this dope
smoking punk that night,

sniffing around
your baby sister,

so you tell him
to back off,

things get a little out of hand, and he
hits his head.

That's not murder,
right, Ed?

Maybe not
even manslaughter.

It's nothing.
I was working.

How can you
do this to him?

Mr. Johnson...
My son has a good job.

He's never
been arrested.

We're decent,
hard-working people.

Sir, Louis lied about knowing Allie's
friend.

We have a witness who saw your son
threaten him.

And we understand
he has a temper.

Louis is all bark,
Lieutenant.

Now he was at work
when this happened.

No one can confirm that.

You waiting for Elijah
to come down and testify?

White boy gets killed in my neighborhood
and you treat us all like criminals.

You ought to be
ashamed of yourself.

I'm coming back
with a lawyer.

You recognize anyone from 93rd street,
Officer Smith?

No, sorry.

How'd my partner do?

He flunked too.

We really didn't
get much of a look.

Thanks.

They're not making cops
like they used to.

We need the kid's dirty laundry to test
for blood.

What? You gonna forge a judge's signature
on a search warrant?

Hey, we got motive,
no alibi.

Be nice if you could put him at the crime
scene.

Didn't see anything. 11:15, we were on a
job eight blocks away.

The area where the kid got popped, who
hangs there?

Nobody, really. That block's pretty quiet.

We heard some bottles got thrown on a cop
car near there. You involved?

Just the tail end.

Bum squad picked up a homeless guy
sleeping on the sidewalk.

When we responded, it was just some kids
giving hell to the backup units.

What kids?

From the neighborhood. It was a big
excitement over there.

It was three hours before, I
doubt they saw anything.

Hey, let us do
the doubting, all right?

Time we got there, it was already under
control.

But our local Sharpton was still out
there, preaching to the choir.

Yeah. We heard
you were on the street

Tuesday night.
Yeah.

We just wanna know if you saw this guy out
there.

His name
is Louis Johnson.

I know his name.

Any reason I should be talking to a couple
of cops

after what happened
out there?

What, you mean like
you causing a riot?

The guy those cops
rousted, JT,

he's been sleeping
out there for years.

He's kinda slow in the head. He's a nice
guy.

He never
bothers anybody.

Yeah.
Back to Louis Johnson...

These white cops kick him till he wakes
up,

throw all his stuff on the street. Now you
think that's right?

So you respond
by chucking bottles?

By any means necessary.

That right? That include killing white
kids?

I didn't kill that boy.

And I know Louis from the neighborhood.
He's a nine to five.

Probably a Republican.
He didn't do it either.

Is that a character reference
or you know something?

You get JT out of lockup, and I might.

Now why would
we do that?

I heard some guy at a party was bragging
about doing the white boy.

It wasn't Louis.

That's not much.

He said he took the white boy's Tommy
jacket and then he cut him up.

Bad news. Kid wasn't wearing a Tommy, and
he wasn't cut up.

That's what he said. He said he saw the
white boy by a pay phone,

near a Key Food,
then he followed him.

All right, we'll get JT out.
What's the guy's name?

Don't know his name. But the party was on
Hamilton,

next to the check cashing place, second
floor.

Wonder if this party
made the society page?

Hmm. The host
spared no expense.

Oh! There's our host now.

"Tony's Beverage Mart."

Our party people
lost their deposit.

Hmm.

What makes you think
it was my keg?

It's got your
sticker on it.

I had one disappear
a few nights ago.

Any idea who
disappeared it?

Not really.
Ever since I hired this guy,

I've had a couple
of things walk away.

So why's he
still working here?

It's my wife's nephew.

You know anything
about a missing keg?

I know things get lost
in this world.

You know your hands
are shaking?

Cops make me nervous.

Maybe 'cause you're
feeling guilty.

Maybe 'cause I feel like I'm getting the
third degree here.

Oh, we're still
on the first degree.

I'll give you
some friendly advice.

You ain't got
the cojones for this.

Come on, man. I've only been working here
three weeks.

I don't wanna
get fired.

Hey, worry about being a disappointment to
your family.

All right, some guy I know
invited me to a party.

I just wanted
to do him a favor.

Anybody at the party
celebrating a murder?

Murder.
Wasn't that kind of party.

There a guy at this party wearing a Tommy
Hilfiger jacket?

Yeah, yeah. He left with a chick in the
boots, and the leather dress.

Um... Seventeen,
going on Tyra Banks.

You get any names?

I think her name was Tina.

She said she lived in the projects.
Powell, some name like that.

Anyway, you couldn't
miss her. She's...

Empty apartment's good for a party. More
room for dancing.

You dance with a guy
in a Tommy jacket?

Tommy, Ralph, Enyce.

Your mother know about your social life?
Yeah.

Well, maybe we should
call her at work.

Called himself Biggie.

Kept telling me
he was big all over.

I ain't got time for that.

So why'd you leave
the party with him?

I needed a ride.

Did he mention where he got that jacket?

I was teasing him about it
being too small.

So just like that, he told me he took it
off that white boy.

Probably not a great idea to take a ride
from a guy like that.

Thanks, Dad.
Can I go now?

Now what did this
Biggie look like?

Big. Look,
I'm 20 minutes late.

You're partying
with us today.

We're gonna go downtown and look at some
mug shots.

Wait.

He gave me
his beeper number.

All right. Ask him
to meet you someplace.

What, set him up?

What's up, Tina?

Who the hell are you?

Come outside
with us, please.

I got a date.
Nice jacket.

I'd kill for a jacket
like that.

What you...
What you talkin' about?

Come on. Let's go.

Let me just holler out my girl over there
for a minute.

You can holler her out
in about 25 years.

Why'd you do me
like this, Tina?

Y'all ain't got
nothin' on me.

Yeah, except witnesses
who heard you confess.

Well, they heard wrong.

Yeah? How'd you know
the kid got stabbed?

That wasn't even
in the papers.

Only the killer knows a detail like that.

And where'd you
get his jacket, huh?

This ain't his.

That's not what
his grandma says.

She bought it for him
for his birthday.

My cousin got me this.

Now who do you think the jury's gonna
believe,

this kid's grandmother
or your cousin?

Listen. Girls at the party was dissin' my
gear for not fittin' right.

So I played like I got it
off the white boy.

They're gonna
laugh in your face.

I was just tryin' to get my props, that's
all.

Hey, how'd you know about the boy using
the pay phone?

'Cause I saw
what went down.

Couple of homies run up on this white boy
on a pay phone.

Said they was gonna bust him up, and did I
want a piece?

I said no, and I kept walking. And that's
the truth.

We need names.

Jerome and Marcus.

They hang out at the bodega on Broadhurst.

You better hope
this checks out.

Hey, Jerome.

Hey, what you want?

You're under arrest.
You must be Marcus.

Not me, man.

Police! Freeze!
Give it up, man!

Too bad your feet are faster than your
brain.

Look, hey,
watch my hand!

What'd you do to it?
I hurt it playing basketball.

What? Skin your knuckles
going up for a rebound?

Yeah. Y'all,
I wanna see a lawyer.

Story like that,
you're gonna need one.

A broken hand hardly
proves your case.

We have a witness puts him with the
victim.

Who?

You want his address, too?

Look, my client
might want to cooperate.

He doesn't want
to face the death penalty.

Why would he?

That's all we have
to say now.

Now's your chance to tell your side of it,
Jerome.

Your buddy in there is probably rolling on
you right now.

Can I talk to him?
Oh, sure.

You two get
your stories straight.

I'll just sit here and have a few donuts
while you're chatting.

How bad does it look?

He's got no alibi
and a three-page sheet.

He's going down
hard for this.

Oh, man! This is messed up! I wanna get
bail!

You can't even afford a lawyer. What kind
of bail you think you're gonna get

on a murder two charge?

Murder two?

I think I wanna
cop to it.

No, you don't.

Thing is, we didn't mean to kill one of
yours.

One of whose?

Jerome, we're done.
Now shut up!

Why'd he say,
"One of yours"?

It sounds like they were under the
impression Tobin was a cop.

Yeah. Weathers' lawyer
shut everything down

when she heard
what the charges were.

She was expecting
to hear murder one.

Any chance
they're right?

Could Tobin have
been an informant?

He's not registered
at One Police Plaza.

How about off the books?

Can we make this fast? My parents think
I'm out buying milk.

You told the detectives your friend,
Michael, wasn't in any kind of trouble.

He wasn't.

We have some evidence that suggests

he may have been working with the police
as an informant.

Where... No way!
Where'd you hear that?

You don't need
to know that.

Well, it's totally ridiculous. He would've
told me.

He didn't tell you
Allie was his girlfriend.

Yeah. I wish he had.

I just don't see it. I mean, why would
Mike be working with the cops?

He didn't even like 'em.

Any takers
on the other end?

Briscoe and Green checked with all the
special units in Harlem.

Gangs, narcotics,
anti-crime. Nothing.

It's time to talk
to Jerome Weathers.

Let's see what it'll cost us to find out
what he's talking about.

My client's got nothing to say till we
know what's on the table.

We like what he tells us,

we'll take the death penalty
off the table.

This is how it went down,
all right?

Me and Marcus saw the cops take JT away.

A few hours later,
we saw the kid.

We decided to get some payback. So we
followed him.

Marcus yoked him up
and started pounding.

And you joined right in.

Damn fool started fightin' back instead of
takin' his.

I'm serious, we didn't mean to kill him.

He fell on the steps
and hit his head.

Why him?
Because he was white?

No. 'Cause he was
workin' for the cops.

What made you
think that?

He got out of a cop car at the corner off
144th from Broadway.

You notice
any markings on the car?

NYPD.

Is that it?
Any numbers?

No. It was
down the block.

The cops let him
out of that car.

In my face. In my neighborhood. That
night.

What did they think
was gonna happen?

There was no intent,
Mr. McCoy.

Except to kick
the crap out of him.

If it turns out he's telling the truth,
man one.

Damn.

Michael Tobin got out of a patrol car in
Harlem?

According
to Jerome Weathers.

Four blocks from
where he was killed.

Do we believe
this murderer?

Remains to be seen,
but if it's true,

whatever Tobin was doing up there was
totally off the grid.

We looked under
all the obvious rocks.

Look under new ones.

Could they have been working with him
under the radar?

All informants get routed to special
units.

Yeah, and sometimes they fall through the
cracks.

Not my guys.

We're being
straight with you.

We never even
laid eyes on that kid.

10:15, they responded
to an aided call.

Yeah. Lady with chest pains.
We were there until 11:30.

An hour and 15 minutes?

The paramedics
had a hard time

convincing her to go
to the hospital.

Yeah. It's all right here
in my memo book.

Check with engine 45.
We were there.

Okay, you two
go to work.

Thank you.

That's it,
Ms. Carmichael.

Every sector car out that night's
accounted for.

Any other vehicles
signed out that night?

I already checked with the motor pool
sergeant.

If you want to look
at her log...

No, that's okay. Thanks. Will you send me
a copy?

Yeah. Now if this
fairy tale's true,

it's nobody
from this precinct.

We heard you collared two guys who fit our
description.

That's right.

If you needed us
for a line-up,

you could've put
in a notification.

Well, we wanted to hear
the whole story again.

Not much of a story.

We saw two males by the dead kid's
building.

I don't know
if we can ID 'em.

What time was that?

I don't know.
Whatever we told your guys

when they
interviewed us.

Where did you go after you observed these
two guys?

Back on patrol.

And what was
your location at 11:10?

What's this got
to do with a line-up?

Somebody saw Michael Tobin get out of an
RMP

up in Harlem just before he was killed.

Somebody who?

That's confidential.

We were in Charlie sector
all night.

Look, why would we ride around with this
kid?

Maybe you were
using him as a CI.

Absolutely not.

Then you won't mind if we look
at your memo books.

Don't you need
to go through IAB?

IAB
doesn't have jurisdiction.

This is a murder
investigation.

You got the two guys.

Whoever dropped Michael Tobin off wasn't
looking out for his welfare.

Uh...

Before we give up
any paperwork,

I think we need to get with our PBA rep.

Stay in touch.

These are the sprint
runs from the 36,

all transmissions
for the entire shift.

Got the tape cued up
if you want audio.

Thanks. Smith and Flannery were 36
Charlie.

10:45, they radioed
out for a meal.

Like they said.

But look at this.
At 11:10, they responded,

"Back in service,
will assist 36 Edward

"on a job at 96th
and Amsterdam."

Two blocks away, they didn't show up for
20 minutes.

Because they
were in Harlem?

Wait. This is strange.

Hey, Sally, could you cue up this radio
run at 8:19?

This is 36 Sergeant One. Be advised of
rapid mobilization.

Standby for units
Adam, Baker, Charlie.

Disturbance at
144 and Broadway.

Civilians and officers
involved, possible injuries.

31 Sergeant will advice.

So, Smith and Flannery were on alert for
deployment

to that free-for-all
up in Harlem.

Over the arrest
of that homeless man.

They knew all hell was breaking loose up
there that night.

And they dropped Michael Tobin right in
the middle of it.

This doesn't say that.

Their radio car was unaccounted for from
10:45 to 11:30.

We signed off to get
something to eat.

You were done with your meal at 11:10.

There's a gaping hole
in your alibi.

Which gave you
a window of opportunity

to take the Tobin boy uptown and drop him
in the middle of a war zone.

For what
possible reason?

You tell me. If they have a legitimate
explanation, we want to hear it.

Well, they don't need to
explain anything. Let's go.

You're gonna need more than this printout
and some half-baked theory.

Some kind
of practical joke?

If it is, the cops
aren't talking.

You're sure it's them?

It's the only
plausible explanation.

Can you prove it?

Their patrol car turned up negative for
prints.

We can't ID the car,
or its occupants.

We've got a good
circumstantial case.

And they're acting
guilty as hell.

All we need is another
police scandal.

McCoy.

I'll tell him.

Your secretary, Adam.
The mayor's holding for you.

She say what
it's about?

Smith and Flannery.

Get a handle
on this thing, Jack.

What?

Flannery's civilian
complaint file is clean.

He did manage to get himself a
commendation.

Smith has a commendation
and two complaints.

The first one was
for excessive force.

He pushed the girlfriend of a man he was
arresting. Dismissed.

Then his wife complained
he was abusive.

He was referred
to peer counseling.

You're not a doctor,
Lieutenant Fernandez.

We can subpoena you.
There's no privilege.

Go ahead. You really think I'd breach his
confidence?

I'm not interested
in his marriage.

Isn't there something you can tell me that
might help the guy out?

I can't get into that.

A young man
was murdered.

People expect cops
to be perfect.

You got a split second
to decide

if a guy's going for his house keys, or a
gun.

It's not easy
being on the job.

And I am sympathetic
to that, Lieutenant,

but if Smith
was coming here,

he was obviously stressed out about
something.

Between you and me,

this thing's tearing
him up inside.

They kidnapped him and dropped him in
Harlem.

What kind
of cops are they?

By all accounts, average.

Maybe something
Michael said or did

led to some
misunderstanding.

Did your son ever have any kind of run-in
with the police?

A few months ago,
he got a parking ticket.

Made a big scene.

Because he was
parked legally.

It's only natural for kids that age to
resent authority.

Especially when it's wrong.

How about at school?

His guidance counselor told us he had a
few detentions and a suspension.

For one day. He was caught out of his room
on a school trip.

You're saying
this was his fault?

That's not what
we're saying...

When the police kill a black kid, this
place goes crazy.

When it's a white kid,
you blame the victim.

Our son was murdered.

Aren't the police
supposed to protect us?

Why is the U.S. Attorney interested in a
state murder prosecution?

There are federal
implications, Mr. McCoy.

As long as the matter is being handled
judiciously,

the ball's in your court.

We're prosecuting the young men
responsible for the murder.

And the officers who violated Michael
Tobin's civil rights?

We're planning to indict them for
endangering and unlawful imprisonment.

They'll be thrown
off the force,

might even do some
felony jailtime.

That's not gonna cut it.

It'll be perceived
in certain quarters

as an underzealous
prosecution.

Perception? I thought we were in the
criminal justice business.

And the perception
of justice being done.

I'm not telling you
how to run your office.

But if the justice department isn't happy,
we're stepping in.

Not gonna happen.

It's a no-win
situation, Adam.

Let's do what
we think is appropriate

and let the chips fall
where they may.

Charge the cops with murder.
Depraved indifference.

They dropped the boy
into a minefield.

Harlem is a minefield?

How's that
going to play?

You send two black kids to state prison
for manslaughter,

and you slap
two cops on the wrists

for putting the boy
in their sights.

How's that play?

So politics as usual.

The mayor's
very concerned.

The mayor is on board
for going after two cops?

The mayor wants peace
and I'm gonna deliver it.

The police force
is out of control.

Manipulating racial distrust for their own
purposes.

I won't be part of it.

I'm with Adam on this one.

Abner Louima, Diallo.

It stops right here. Do it.

"Calendar numbers
54, 55, 56 and 57."

Top count is murder
in the second.

Well, here's an
interesting group.

My clients
plead not guilty.

Mr. Cook and Mr. Weathers
have accepted pleas

to manslaughter
in the first degree.

What's the promise?

Seven-and-a-half-to-15.

Set it down
for their allocutions.

You want bail
on these officers?

It's a murder charge,
Your Honor.

It is on paper.

Fifty thousand,
each defendant.

They're ready
to post, Your Honor.

So, the D.A.'s office

is trying to crucify
two fine police officers.

You're saying
they're innocent?

Absolutely. I mean, take a look at those
people down there.

The D.A.'s office
is playing to the mob.

Mr. McCoy? Care to comment on Mr. Riley's
claim

you're conducting a vendetta against the
police?

We're prosecuting
two individuals

who committed a crime, nothing more,
nothing less. Now if you'll excuse us.

Are these officers
being charged to pacify

the African-American
community?

I just told you
what we're doing.

Did you make a deal
with one of the men

who admitted killing Michael Tobin in
exchange for his testimony?

No comment. Now, please, let us through.

You having
fun yet, McCoy?

Is this how it's gonna go, Mr. Riley?

Trying the whole case
on the courthouse steps?

And the courtroom. I'm moving to dismiss
the indictment.

Depraved indifference murder
requires the defendant

recklessly engage in conduct which creates
a grave risk of death.

A grave risk
of death, Judge.

The people can't possibly prove that
element of the crime.

The officers knew there was a violent
disturbance at 144th and Broadway

due to a prior
radio communication.

Mr. McCoy is saying that Harlem is a
dangerous weapon.

I was under the impression it was a
neighborhood.

This is unmitigated racism.

I'll decide
what's racism here.

You have to ignore these hot-button labels
and look at the facts, Judge.

White boy in Harlem's
gonna wind up dead.

Call it what you want,
that's the People's case.

These officers made
a calculated decision.

Out of the thousands of street corners in
New York City,

they picked this one.

They may as well have painted a target on
the young man's back.

He was a target
because he was white?

Because the police branded him as a
collaborator.

They dropped him
out of their marked car

in the aftermath
of a disturbance.

It's hard to ignore that,
Mr. Riley.

You of all people, Judge...

Don't try that
on me, Mr. Riley.

Your motion is denied.

My clients want to talk.

Before or after your spin session with the
media?

You hear what they have to say, I'll keep
my mouth shut.

Now this is off
the record, right?

We're not looking to sandbag your clients
into an admission.

Now, what happened in Harlem was nothing
more

than a tragic
lapse of judgment.

If that's true, we're prepared to take it
into account.

Can you be
a little more specific?

If you can convince me
this wasn't malicious,

we'll consider man two.

It's still jailtime.

Maybe we should
just take our chances.

Earl, you got nothing to lose by putting
it on the table.

I got a bad feeling
about this, Smitty.

The kid was driving erratically, so we
decided to check him out.

There was the odor
of marijuana in his car.

We tossed him,
but he was clean.

Then the kid started giving us attitude.

Big mouth preppie
in his 40,000-dollar car.

Like he had a right
to break the law.

You know what he said?

"Why don't you go up to Harlem and arrest
some real criminals?"

Me and Smitty decided
to teach him a lesson.

We never thought...

It was just stupid.

Stupid and wrong.

What do you say, McCoy?

Man two. Five-to-10.

And you recommend protective custody?
Mmm-hmm.

Mr. McCoy,

will you tell the kid's parents we're
sorry?

You can do that yourself

when we take your plea.

Five years?

I knew you wouldn't be happy, Adam, but
it's the right thing to do.

They're responsible
for the boy's death.

They made a bad decision in the heat of
the moment.

I wanted top count here.

They're saying
it was an accident.

The same reason Cook and Weathers got
manslaughter.

Smith and Flannery
wear the uniform.

They're supposed
to know better.

For all we know, they still have the feds
to deal with.

I'm not passing the buck
to the justice department.

So you sacrifice
a couple of lambs?

Your deal is throwing
gas on a fire.

I can't go back
on my word.

This city is bigger
than your word.

The police are gonna think twice before
they pull a stunt like this again.

You go back, you tell them the deal is
off.

We had a deal.

I'm sorry.

Is that code for,
"I changed my mind"?

It's out of my hands.

Ah. So Adam Schiff
is going for the jugular.

I thought you had some juice over there,
McCoy.

It's not that simple,
Mr. Riley.

You reneging on my clients' statements,
too?

Don't worry. I won't try to admit them.

What about your boss?

I mean, if that's the way he's
playing it,

I'm moving to change
venue to Albany.

You think the Appellate Division will move
this case out of Manhattan?

Cooler heads up North, McCoy. Do you get
my drift?

They lost
the dismissal motion.

Change of venue
is a "Hail Mary."

I think it's a close call.

You try this in Albany,
they'll walk.

You really think we need the home field
advantage?

Last time an Albany
jury convicted a cop,

I had a full head
of black hair.

It's not Simi Valley.

It's not Manhattan. If there's a melting
pot, this is it.

A melting pot? It's more like a recipe for
a conviction.

Half the city
hates the cops,

the other half has never been north of
96th Street.

You moonlighting
for the PBA?

No, but enough is enough.

We're not trying this
in Albany.

The Supreme Court has held that a
defendant is entitled

to a trial that is not dominated by a wave
of public passion,

and is not overwhelmed
by press coverage.

But this is exactly what's happening in
this case, Your Honor.

On the heels of two
highly publicized

police brutality cases
in this city,

my clients are presumed to be guilty
instead of innocent.

What's the relevance of these other
matters, Counselor?

Those cases set
the tenor, Your Honor.

Let's take a look at the press coverage
that this is getting.

Two officers walking a terrified white
student down an uptown street.

They're calling it
a "Harlem field trip."

Over 1,900 references to the Tobin case in
the print media,

never mind
local radio and TV.

Any attempt to select an impartial jury in
this jurisdiction

is just a waste
of everybody's time.

Thank you.

What's different in Albany?
One thing.

The courts there are a haven for police
officers who break the law.

The fact of the matter is, this was an
equal opportunity crime.

A black cop
and a white cop

overstepped their authority
and it resulted in a murder.

Are you suggesting that this incident
doesn't arouse racial passions, Mr. McCoy?

Wherever the case is tried,

potential jurors come to jury duty with
ideological baggage.

Don't you think that this "baggage," as
you put it,

weighs a lot more
in New York City?

The point is, the passions in our
community run the gamut.

Do you dispute the point that the jury
pool in Albany

has been far less influenced by prior
events and media coverage?

No, I'll concede
that point.

But let's at least
make the attempt

to pick a fair jury in New York City
before the court orders

the drastic remedy
of changing venue.

Mr. McCoy has acknowledged the intensity

of the public clamor
that surrounds this case.

And this court would be remiss to ignore
it.

If we choose to postpone our ruling,
pending jury selection,

the attention this matter receives will
only increase.

Let's get it right
the first time.

The court will err
on the side of caution.

The matter is transferred to the Supreme
Court of the county of Albany.

Order! Order in the court!

Mr. McCoy, care to comment on the
court's decision?

There's been enough said and written about
this case.

I won't take part
in the feeding frenzy.

Do you think you can get a fair shake in
Albany?

I answered that inside.
Now, if you'll excuse me.

Wait. One more
question, please.

Springtime in Albany.

Maybe I'll meet
a nice bureaucrat.

Don't book
the reception hall yet.

There's no appeal, Jack.

There's always the intervention of a
higher authority.

You concede the point? You played right
into their hands.

I was trying to salvage a draw from a
defeat.

You needed to tell them
that a fair jury

can be selected here.
You blinked.

It may seem like that
on the cold record, Adam...

Don't humor me.
You tanked the motion

because you had to protect your own
precious credibility.

We'll talk about it when I come back from
Albany.

Nobody's going to Albany.

You're gonna get down on your hands and
knees, you're gonna make that deal.

If it was worth
five-to-10 before,

maybe it's worth
probation now.

Manhattan or not,
it's still a murder case.

A dead one.

Adam Schiff got it
right back in his face.

You underestimate me,
Mr. Riley.

You underestimate the good citizens of
Albany.

Bring your gangbanger witness up to
Volvo-land. See how far you get.

My father was a cop,
Mr. Riley.

I think I know how to reach these people.

I think they'll identify with the victim,

not your clients.

You're playing
the race card?

I'm making
an observation.

What if we don't
want a trial?

Don't get
cold feet now, Earl.

Yeah, man, don't sweat it.
This is going upstate.

Maybe that's good for you.

Forget black and white.
All these people see is blue.

Is that why you became a cop, Officer
Smith?

To hide behind
the uniform?

No, it's not.

You've already
ruined your career.

You go down
for murder,

you're looking
at 25-to-life.

What if we make a deal?

Four-to-12.

Three-to-nine.

Or we start shopping
for hotel rooms.

The Smith and Flannery file, in case the
feds come knocking.

Cook and Weathers were sentenced. The case
is off the front page.

Yeah. Till the next one.