Original subtitles

(MultiCom Jingle)

(solemn music)

(crowd cheering)

(upbeat music) (crowd cheering)

(upbeat music) (whistle blowing)

(upbeat music) (players yelling)

(upbeat music) (crowd booing)

(crowd booing) (buzzer buzzing)

(upbeat music) (crowd booing)

(Shake It Up by Mark Pont)

♪ I used to find out, used to find out ♪

♪ She lived around whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

♪ She lived around now, she lived around now ♪

♪ She lived around whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

♪ When you move and you go and you shake it up and down ♪

♪ And you move and you go and you turn it around ♪

♪ The way that you move and spin it around ♪

♪ Come on pretty baby I want to take you tonight ♪

(upbeat music) (party goers talking)

- Hey Bennett, that was a bad call on the play.

- Down right criminal, you ought to arrest the ref.

- Get your new partner to do it.

- New partner, where is he?

- Coming out of the ladies room.

(upbeat music)

- I recognize her, she's from Glen Ridge right.

- She was our dispatcher, then went off to patrol

in Newark for 10 years, I can't think of a tougher job.

- You think she'd make your job a hell of a lot easier.

- Hey, just made the biggest nicotine

bust in homecoming history.

- Detective Brooks, Jack Scherzer, Doug Archer.

- Pleased to meet you.

- Hey.

- It's 'bout time they start hiring

better looking cops around here.

- I'll take that as a compliment.

- Yeah the department's changing its image.

Now a bad hair day is grounds for suspension.

- So, why you'd ever leave Glen Ridge for Newark.

- Something about being a real cop huh?

- Maybe, Newark was a little too real.

- Well the most dangerous thing

around here is writing speeding tickets.

Welcome back.

- Thanks.

(upbeat music)

(crowd cheering)

- Paul, Paul, I love you Paul!

(crowd cheering)

- They're great!

- Great, what they're losers,

they lost seven out of nine games.

- Hey Burnett, you're the loser all right.

- Clown.

(upbeat music)

- Hey.

- Hey how many times I got to tell you,

throw the ball to your own team.

- [Boy] Hey at least he completed a pass to somebody.

- This is Detective Brooks.

- Hi.

- Now I remember why everyone always

wanted to be a football player around here.

(boys laughing)

- You guys get in trouble, you deal with her from now on.

- Well I guess the crime rate's gonna go up.

(boys laughing)

- I should just arrest you all right now.

- On what charge?

- Impersonating football players.

(boys laughing)

- [Frank] Oh now I'm worry guys.

You still got the rest of the town.

(both laughing)

- [Principal] And the homecoming king is, Bryant Grover.

(crowd cheering)

- Paul, would you dance with me?

(crowd cheering)

- But there's no music.

- Oh come on, it doesn't matter.

(crowd cheering)

- No, I don't think so.

(crowd cheering)

- Hi Daddy.

- Hi sweetie, you had fun tonight?

- Oh boy it was so cool.

And I danced with a bunch of really cute guys

and I think Paul Archer has a crush on me.

(tires screeching) (sirens blurping)

- Wait here I'll be back.

- [Officer] Well what's the hurry your majesty?

- Greetings my good man, actually I was just

rushing to a little soiree with my other subject.

(kids laughing)

- Barry, you got to be very careful back there,

she may penalize you for holding.

- That's very funny officer.

- What's the problem?

- Oh just a small case of exhibitionist speeding.

- Well after that game we were running

from an alumni lynch mob.

(kids laughing)

- Not a bad idea, is it Barry?

- No sir it's not.

(upbeat music)

- [Officer] Well Barry he's gone,

you can stop kissing your pot goodbye.

Consider yourselves lucky.

- Oh tonight these boys will be getting very lucky.

(crowd cheering)

- Come on.

(crowd cheering)

(gun firing)

(buzzer buzzing)

(phone ringing)

- Looks like you guys are buying, again.

- It's great to have you back Kel.

(buzzer buzzing)

What are we eating?

- We're eating salad, the fullback there

has put on a couple of pounds since his glory days.

- Something's up at the high school.

- I overheard Carl talking about a rumor going around.

He said Leslie was involved in a group sex

type of situation two weeks ago.

- Leslie Faber.

- Yeah.

- She's the girl who was dancing alone at homecoming.

She's retarded.

- [Teacher] Tell 'em what you heard Carl.

- Supposedly she was with some guys from the football team.

- What guys?

- Well I wasn't there, but I heard it was

Paul and Chris Archer, the Scherzer twins,

Peter Quigley, and Bryant Groper.

I guess they took her to a party in the Scherzer's

basement and did things to her with a broom.

- And a baseball bat.

- Excuse me, how is that even possible?

- Carl where did you hear this?

- Kevin, he knows I work in the AV department.

He asked me to borrow a Super 8 camera because they

were gonna do it again and they wanted to film it.

- This is a bad joke.

- Why would that kid Kevin start a rumor like that?

- He was pulling Carl's leg, it's obvious.

Kevin has a sick sense of humor.

- So there's no way it could've happened?

- No chance.

The girl has problems.

Sometimes it's hard to tell.

The school system couldn't handle her,

she had to go to special ed in West Orange.

These are the good kids, they can get any girl they want.

She's in a fantasy world.

- Maybe we should talk to 'em, put nothing to it.

- Oh we got to clear it with the county prosecutors first.

(engines running)

- I was trying to get out of Newark.

- Excuse me, we're looking for the head prosecutor

for the sexual assault and rape analysis team.

- Yes, Mr. Laurino's suite is right this way.

Yo Bobby.

- Yeah.

- A couple of cops want to see ya.

- These are serious allegations.

- Well like we said, we're not

saying this actually happened.

- Well, then what are you saying?

- We're just following procedures.

I've known these kids their whole lives.

There's nothing here.

Plus, they're having a tough enough season as it is.

(horn honking)

- Well if you've known these boys their whole lives

and this is what you gotta watch out for,

you don't want anything in this

investigation to be perceived as biased.

- Hey, I've been a cop for 20 years, I know the drill.

- Mr. Laurino, we all just want the truth here.

- Please it's Bob, and we'll do

everything we can to help you.

(doorbell dinging)

- Hello Mr. Bennett, hi you're really pretty.

- Thank you, so are you.

- Evening Ros, sorry to bother you.

- Hi Frank, come in.

- We were told Leslie did some things with the boys.

Sexual things, sorry but we need to check it out.

- We know about this already.

- You do?

- Her guidance counselor called

after hearing the rumor from her swim coach.

- We asked Leslie about it, she said that absolutely

nothing happened, she made the whole thing up.

- Why would she do that?

- Somebody probably was making fun of her

and she went along with her in order to fit in.

See, she wants friends more than anything.

- So she hasn't said anything about the boys?

- Oh just that she was dancing with them at homecoming.

- We saw Leslie that night, she was dancing by herself.

- Well my daughter will say anything

in order to make herself seem popular.

- Just to be thorough, could she make a statement tomorrow?

- Okay.

- [Kelly] So you know why you're here Leslie?

- [Leslie] Uh-huh(affirmative).

Because of all the stuff that people are saying about me.

- [Kelly] I heard some boys invited you to a party.

- No, it was just Chris.

- Chris, Chris Archer.

- Paul's so handsome, Paul's my hero.

- Did Paul invite you to ...

Okay, so Chris invited you.

And who else was at the party?

- The twins.

- [Kelly] Kevin and Kyle Scherzer.

- And Peter and Bryant.

- Peter Quigley and Bryant Grover.

And Paul Archer?

And what happened with the boys?

You like this?

It's my guardian angel.

My mother gave it to me when I graduated the academy.

- What does it do?

- Protects me from the bad guys.

Just like I want to protect you.

- But these guys aren't the bad guys.

- No?

- No, they're really nice and super

handsome and really awesome football players.

- They're your friends?

Can I be your friend too?

- Yeah.

- [Doctor] There is no sign of trauma.

- If this happened two weeks ago,

would there still be some sign?

- Well it depends on how quickly she heals.

At this point there is no way to tell for sure.

You should know that she is on birth control.

- I didn't tell you because it didn't seem relevant.

- What was the purpose of putting her on birth control?

- When Leslie was 11, she was molested by an older boy.

- That was never reported to us.

- Well that was that time we were at Cape Cod.

The doctors told us at the time that it was a good idea

because a girl like Leslie, it might happen again.

- Was the boy charged?

- Yes, but he got the charges reduced because his

family had money and got a very expensive lawyer.

- Were there ever any doubts about Leslie's statement?

- No, we have always told Leslie to stay

away from strangers but not these boys

that she's known her whole life.

- We're not certain anything happened at all.

Has she still said nothing to you?

- Nothing.

But that is what happened the last time.

Excuse me.

(solemn music)

(ladies sighing)

(solemn music)

- This was her right after we brought her home.

She was adopted.

- [Kelly] Mm-hmm(affirmative).

- The adoption agency asked us if we take

a disabled child and they said that

her development was slow but that she would catch up.

But she never really got passed

being about an eight year old.

Kids used to make fun of her,

she would cry sometimes but she always

came out with a big smile on her face.

She always forgave them.

These boys were so cruel to her, she loves them.

- This whole thing is gonna destroy

these boys and their parents.

- I take it this isn't a social visit.

- The Fabers want to proceed with an investigation.

When do we bring in the boys for questioning?

- Now.

(dramatic music)

- Kevin said he want to make a movie

of Leslie doing it again.

He asked me to get a video camera from the AV department.

- You said he wanted to borrow a Super 8 camera before.

- Well yeah, he wanted to borrow a camera.

- This is serious business son.

You know what this could do to your teammates?

- Yes.

- And you admit Kevin could have been joking.

- Yeah, yeah.

So is that it, may I go?

- [Bennett] Yeah go on.

- You won't tell anyone I was here right?

- Right.

It's quite a story for somebody who wasn't there.

- [Mrs. Archer] Leslie Faber.

- Mom this is ridiculous.

- Did you ever invite her into the Scherzer's basement?

- No, never, come on, this is

Leslie Faber we're talking about.

- We've been informed that you and your friends

forced her to have sex with a bat and a broom.

- What in God's name are you talking about?

- I don't know where she gets this stuff from.

She lives in another world.

I'd never do that.

- I know.

- She's the one who's always coming down uninvited.

Leslie is always just trying to get attention and-

- Whoa, hold on Frank.

You know I can't let you talk to my boys without a lawyer.

Come on, let's go.

Honey.

- [Mrs. Archer] Have you heard what Leslie's been saying?

- [Mr. Archer] What else is new?

(dramatic music)

- Paul said she came down uninvited.

- Chris said she was never in the basement.

So we're saying, she was there.

- It doesn't mean anything happened.

If she wanted something to and it didn't,

that would give her reason to embellish the story.

- We were all hanging out downstairs when she came down.

- There were six of you there?

- No, it was around 20.

- 20.

- Yeah, the guys from the team.

- What were y'all doing?

- We were just hanging out like we always do.

I mean I was playing a video game with Barry when she--

- Barry?

Nobody else said my son was there.

- Maybe I'm not remembering it right.

- Look was Barry there or not?

(dramatic music)

- I think I better talk to my parents.

(phone ringing)

- Kyle. - Hmm?

- Don't.

(phone ringing)

- Okay.

- Still no answers at the Scherzer's,

where the hell are they?

- Some people do have lives you know.

- Sit there.

Go ahead, take his statement.

- We understand that Leslie Faber was in

the Scherzer's basement with you and some of your friends.

- Yep.

- Say yes ma'am.

- Yes ma'am, I was hanging out in

a corner playing a video game the whole time.

- What whole time?

- Tell her what happened.

- I am.

Look Leslie did some stuff.

- What kind of stuff?

- Stuff she's always doing.

I mean the girl's a freak, why do you think

she got sent to a different school.

- You tell me.

- She's always flirting and trying to act sexy.

I mean she's always showing 'em off and--

- You mean her breasts?

- Yeah.

It's not our fault she got naked.

- She was naked?

- Yeah, but--

- All right, that's enough.

Let's go.

(dramatic music)

- Since your son implicated himself, I'm gonna have to--

- Take me off the case yeah.

- Yeah, I'll supervise Detective Brooks from now on.

I'm sorry 'bout this Lieutenant.

- It's all yours Detective.

(solemn music)

- Was Leslie transferred to West Orange because of

quote, "inappropriate sexual behavior?"

- No, that wasn't her fault.

Sometimes she acts the fool, you know she acts silly

just so that she'll get friends.

- All right, we understand that before

West Orange, Leslie attended another school,

Colombia High and while Leslie was attending

Colombia High there was an incident at lunchtime.

- Well the teachers there said that some boys

said some nasty things to her and she went along

with it, just so that they would like her.

- So she was acting what, inappropriately, provocatively.

- Yes but she doesn't really understand what she's doing.

- Mrs. Faber, forgive me for the offensiveness

of this question, but I have to ask it.

Is it at all possible that your daughter

understands more about sex than you think she does?

- My daughter is a child, and if somebody touches her,

a friend, she thinks that it's a nice thing.

She doesn't think it's a sexual thing.

(customers talking)

- So nice five page report Carl.

- What?

- You weren't even there man.

You don't know how she was acting.

- I didn't tell 'em.

- You lied to the police, and now you're lying to us.

- Carl.

- You promised you wouldn't say it was me.

Everybody knows I talked.

- [Kelly] How.

- They knew my statement was five pages.

Somebody had to tell 'em.

- [Kelly] Carl!

(dramatic music)

(keys clicking)

- I mean I wouldn't even look at

Leslie Faber, you gotta be kidding me.

I got out of there fast, I didn't even

see anything anyways, with all those guys in front of me.

- Well if you couldn't see anything,

why did you get out of there fast?

- Because she's always flirting and acting nasty.

I just feel bad for her.

And now she's been running around telling lies about us.

(keys clicking)

- It's disgusting and make her sound

like a Lolita of Essex County.

- Well you know those poor boys were

defenseless against that seductress.

- Where I went to school those little

candy asses couldn't make pep score.

I mean three wins out of 18 games, please.

- We just need one person who was there that night

to admit what happened, just one.

Without that there's no case.

- I still haven't talked to the Scherzer boys,

their father won't return my phone calls.

- We're just gonna have to find another way to get 'em.

We need you to approve these arrest

warrants for the Scherzer twins.

- Every voluntary witness said she was acting provocatively.

- Yeah that's what guys say in gang rape situations.

- [Judge] Gang rape, in Glen Ridge?

From what I can see these guys wouldn't

touch this girl with a 10 foot pole.

- Maybe that's why they used a broom.

- Excuse me Detective, but you don't have

to try this case, we do, and all we got

is a rumor spread by one mentally disabled teenager.

- Who just might be telling the truth.

- Well have to take on the boys, their parents,

Glen Ridge, and the best defense attorneys in the state

and there's no way a jury will convict

without an absolutely airtight case.

And right now, we don't have one.

(dramatic music)

(solemn music)

- You know what it is, that retarded girl

spread that stupid rumor to get attention.

- What if it's not a rumor?

- Look the prosecutor doesn't want

to chase this case, so why do you?

Look Kel, you came back here to lead a better life right?

Now why would you just want to throw that away?

- Because everybody is so quick to blame Leslie

and that tells me that something

happened to her in that basement.

And it's my job to find out.

- I think you're trying to be a real cop

in a place where there is no crime.

(dramatic music)

- [Kelly] Do nothing?

(speaking faintly) (dramatic music)

- I mean look at all this sports crap.

It's like a damn altar to show how cool they are.

And all the girls bow down to them.

I mean it's like this town is been breeding

jock mutants for years, and I'm sick

of everybody kissing their butts.

I mean if some geiger, guido, or deadhead

was suspected, they'd be toast already.

- Well what makes you believe they

participated in a gang rape?

- Are you kidding me, these guys have

been into twisted stuff for years.

I mean, pornos, flashing, voyeurs.

- Voyeurs?

- Yeah, they have sex with a girl,

and their buddies hide in a closet and watch.

I mean it's completely Porky's they live for it.

- And what does everybody know about this?

- Yeah everyone knows.

Kevin stole $600 from the girls' purses

at this lame Christmas Candy Cane Ball thing,

and his daddy paid it back.

I mean nobody did anything to him.

- Why not?

- Sports, sports, sports, sports, sports.

I mean don't you get it?

Everything is sports in Glen Ridge.

At the assembly, they spent 2.5 hours honoring sports

and like 15 minutes on academics.

I mean they'll let these guys get away with murder.

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

- [Girl] One of the guys stole 35 bucks from my purse.

- [Kelly] Which one?

- I don't know, I didn't tell anyone

because I didn't want them doing anything else.

- Like what?

- Diane they're not gonna say that you said anything.

- They found out about Carl.

- I had nothing to do with that,

I don't know how that happened.

I promise you this is confidential.

- They're always shoving me, pushing me against lockers.

After band practice, they steal my flute

and make rude jokes about me playing with it.

- What do the teachers do about that?

- The guys do it when nobody's around.

Kevin likes to pull down his pants and expose himself.

They make you feel this big.

They tear your emotion right out of you.

You have to go.

(upbeat music)

- [Man] Yo Mr. Hampton, how 'bout some pie.

- Hey Mr. H.

- What's going on?

(upbeat music)

- I got an idea.

(upbeat music) (customers talking)

- Hey Detective Brooks.

♪ So many times I have wanted to be close to you ♪

(men laughing)

- [Boys] Hey!

- Here we go boys.

- [Boys] Oh, Mr. Hampton.

- You take care of yourself.

(upbeat music)

(boys laughing)

- Hey, hey, hey, who started all this?

- He did.

- Oh you know guys, this was gonna be

on the house, but now it's on you!

(guys cheering and laughing)

- [Guys] Hampton, Hampton, Hampton, Hampton, Hampton!

- Look, I know these guys are SOBs,

but I can't find anybody to tell me anything.

- There's nothing else you can do?

- Without any hard evidence or one eyewitness, I can't get

arrest warrants for the Scherzer or the Archer brothers.

- No, well if nothing happens everybody's gonna think

that Leslie made this whole thing up.

She's the one that's gonna get punished for this.

Maybe this was all just a big mistake.

- Mommy, Mommy, look what I made.

- [Kelly] Hey Leslie.

- Say hi.

- Hi.

- What you got there?

(dramatic music)

- That's me, do you like it?

- Yeah, I like it very much.

(dramatic music)

- [Psychologist] What are you doing here?

- That's me when I was five, and I'm

really happy and I'm holding a balloon.

- And this is a picture of you today?

(dramatic music)

What is the girl in the picture thinking?

- Just how life turns around in different places.

- [Psychologist] Great job Leslie.

(dramatic music)

Now I'm gonna ask you to do something

a little bit more difficult.

- The girl's face has no features except for a mouth.

In my experience with rape victims,

this would indicate that she was used in a sexual manner.

She drew a smile on this boy's face.

- That would be Bryant Grover.

- Here she didn't even draw arms and legs

on herself suggesting she was in a helpless state

when Kyle gave Kevin the broom to use on her.

- And she said that was Kevin using the broom?

- Here she claims Chris used a bat on her,

the dark shading there indicates severe trauma.

This entire sequence shows Leslie deteriorating.

By the time they used a stick on her

she appears a featureless non person.

- We never heard that a stick was used on her.

You think she made that up?

The psychologist doesn't believe

that Leslie could fabricate this.

- Is it enough to get a warrant?

- We don't know, but we have a much

better shot if you press charges.

- Yeah.

- What will the official charge be?

- Conspiracy and aggravated sexual assault.

Under New Jersey law it's equivalent to rape.

- Forgive me, I don't know how this works.

- We take this to a grand jury, and they determine

whether or not it goes on to trial.

- And will Leslie have to testify

in front of the grand jury?

- We usually do ask the victim to take the stand.

Usually but not always.

- Leslie can't refuse anyone who says they're a friend.

So what if she actually never told them no?

- Well New Jersey law protects mentally disabled victims.

Those who don't know that they have

the right to refuse sexual advances.

Now I'll argue that Leslie is incapable

of consenting to these acts and that it goes against

her nature to resist even if she could.

- Will her name get out?

- Usually the press will not identify a rape victim.

But I can't speak for the press.

All we can do is ask for their cooperation.

- And you must be prepared that the defense will do

whatever they can to expose her personal life.

But we'll do our best to protect her.

- I just feel like she's gonna be raped all over again.

(dramatic music)

(keys clicking)

We moved from Brooklyn 20 years ago.

It was all concrete back there and we thought

this was gonna be our little touch of green.

We thought it'd be safe.

- So did I.

- Leslie loves basketball.

- That's what I've heard.

- You know in ninth grade she won a game in the last second.

Fired the ball from half court.

Swish, all net.

Everybody went crazy.

But to her, beating the other team didn't matter.

All she wants is to be included, to be part of something.

- [Kelly] So you love sports huh?

- Yeah.

- Me too.

- Let's play.

- Okay.

(dramatic music)

- Did you play basketball at Glen Ridge?

- No, baseball.

(dramatic music)

- I'm not gonna beat you 'cause I like you.

- Oh okay.

Hey you're doing a great job not beating me there.

How 'bout letting me have the ball?

(dramatic music)

- [Leslie] Luck.

- Luck, come here.

Let me show you a trick.

You're a little tense, relax. (laughs)

All right, forget about everything else,

focus on the net.

- Focus on the net, focus on the net, focus on the net.

(dramatic music)

- [Kelly] That's it all right.

All right. (laughs)

(phone ringing) (dramatic music)

- Hello.

- Hello, Mr. Scherzer, it's Detective Brooks.

Bob, I finally reached you.

I need you to bring in Kevin and Kyle for questioning.

- I think you should talk to Mr. Palik

about that Detective Brooks.

- Who's Mr. Palik?

- Oh he's a big defense lawyer.

- A bigger pain in the ass.

- [Mr. Palik] Hello Detective Brooks.

- Hello sir, I need to question your clients.

- And until you have a warrant,

I'd like you to leave them alone.

- I take that as a no.

(students laughing)

- Guys, guys, check this out.

Look what was on our trophy case.

Arrest rapist jocks.

- Brain dead education leads to molestation.

- Some punk's been putting them up all over school.

- Who do you think doing's it man.

- All I know is he's a dead man.

- Whoa, whoa, don't worry about it, we didn't do anything.

He put 'em up, we take 'em down.

(doorbell dinging)

- Hi Mrs. Archer.

- Hi Leslie.

- You always look so beautiful.

- Thank you dear, are your parents here?

- We just wanted to tell you how

sorry we are about the whole incident.

- We just feel horrible about this.

- Look our kids grew up together and whatever

happens obviously it's unfortunate for everyone.

And we hope to come to some kind

of understanding so we could all move on.

- How would you suggest doing that?

- Well before the whole thing snowballs out of control,

we were thinking the boys could do

some kind of community service or something.

- Are you trying to negotiate your way out of this?

- No, no, we just thought you'd want

to get closure and move on with your lives.

- Our daughter was raped.

- Well that's what she tells you.

Look, I'm sorry, no one wants this to get ugly.

- It already has.

But now it's in the hands of the police.

(dramatic music)

- [Leslie] How much longer mom?

- [Mrs. Faber] Just a little bit.

I need a few more things.

- Well what do you need?

- I need some apples and-

- Oh, I'll get the apples.

Can I, I'll get the apples.

- All right, just be careful.

(dramatic music)

(suspenseful music)

- These are horrible, but you still don't have

one eye witness to back up her story.

- That doesn't mean it didn't happen.

- Is that a detective's intuition or a woman's?

- Both.

- Well you still don't have enough to move forward.

Even if something happened, how do

you know it wasn't consensual.

- Since when does consensual sex involve a bat and a broom?

- Leslie, Leslie get off the ground.

Come on, Daddy's waiting for us.

- Hi Mrs. Faber, I'm John.

- Hi John.

I went to elementary school with Leslie.

- Come on honey we have to go.

(bell ringing)

- [Boy] It's gonna explode.

- [Boy] I wonder who called in a bomb threat.

- [Boy] Who cares let's party.

(students cheering)

What's that?

(bell ringing)

(students talking)

- Hey Tierney!

What the hell you doing?

- You guys like making videos right?

There's a camera right there.

(students talking)

- We got an anonymous tip about an alleged rape

at Glen Ridge, would anyone care to comment on that?

- No. - It'll be okay.

Come on.

- The jocks did it but nobody's done

anything and nothing's happened.

- Why do you think that is?

- 'Cause these are the golden boys.

Nobody wants to see the good name of Glen Ridge destroyed,

but everyone knows they did it.

- You're a liar!

- [Reporter] Why is that?

- 'Cause she wanted it.

- Let's go Bennett. - No.

- It's been widely rumored that a group

of popular Glen Ridge athletes raped

a 17 year old mentally challenged girl some months ago.

- You're a liar!

- [Reporter] Why is that?

- 'Cause she wanted it!

- [Boy] Let's go Bennett.

- [Reporter] One of the accused boys

is a son of a local police lieutenant.

(dramatic music)

- Bob, you got to get Stevens to see this.

- 'Cause she wanted it.

- [Boy] Let's go Bennett.

- One of the accused boys, is the son

of a local police lieutenant, which has some people

demanding to know why the boys haven't been charged yet.

This is Bob Richards, Action News.

- Haul their asses in and book 'em.

(dramatic music)

- We have a warrant to search your house

and warrants for the arrest of Kevin and Kyle.

- Who the hell gave you permission

to just come in here in the middle-

- [Kelly] Essex County Prosecutors.

Read 'em, wake up, get your sons.

(solemn music)

- [Officer] Let's go.

(dramatic music)

(loud knocking)

(dramatic music)

- What about Paul?

- It's just Chris.

- This is absurd.

- Let's go.

(dramatic music)

(doors slamming)

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music) (reporters talking)

- I still say we should have brought 'em all in.

- We can only arrest the ones

she said actually attacked her.

- [Judge] To the charges of conspiracy to commit

sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated

criminal sexual contact, how do you plead?

- Not guilty.

- Not guilty.

- Not guilty.

- [Judge] I'm referring your case

to the prosecutor's office for possible grand jury action.

(gavel hammering)

- The three defendants who are legal adults,

were arraigned in Superior Court.

The judge set bail at $25,000.

The two younger defendants, both 17,

were arraigned in family court today.

- Not guilty.

- Not guilty.

- Both the younger boys can receive up to four

years in a juvenile correction facility if convicted.

The three adult age defenders face

a maximum of 40 years in prison.

- No. - Honey.

- The victim is a mildly retarded young woman.

- No!

How could you lie and say I'm retarded!

- Sweetheart.

- This whole thing is a sad mistake.

Leslie's had a crush on my brother ever since we were kids.

He's always felt sorry for her, I mean we all have.

She came down, we tried to get her to leave

but she was out of control.

So, I mean the saddest part about all this

is that now everyone's gonna know what she's really like.

- [Teacher] I want you to finish all of the exercise.

(dramatic music)

- The problem isn't Glen Ridge, it's the media

trying to embarrass us to get their story.

These boys are innocent until anything is proven.

- Well this whole thing has gone way out of hand.

I mean, how do you take the word of a girl like that

over a group of boys who we all know and love.

You'll see when the truth comes out.

You'll be ashamed you ever brought

your cameras into our town.

- This is such a tragedy, they're such beautiful boys

and this will scar them forever.

- She's a complete slut.

- She's a total whore.

I can't even believe she would try

and ruin the senior guys year.

- All right everybody, now calm down.

This has been a traumatic period for most of you.

We must demonstrate our solidarity and stand by our boys.

- You got to be out of your mind.

You want us to support them?

- Settle down, settle down.

Listen, we need to stand together as

a school and find a way to go on.

- How can we go on with rapists in our class.

- [Students] Yeah, how do I know they won't rape me too!

- You're too ugly to get raped, now shut up!

(students yelling)

- [Students] Oh come on!

(students yelling)

- You wanna die, you wanna go.

(students yelling)

- [Coach] Come on guys, one more lap.

- Leslie.

Hi, I'm Lisa, I'm from the New Jersey Gazette newspaper.

I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk.

- Well my parents said that I shouldn't say nothing.

- You can trust me.

I want to help.

- [Lady] A victim's story, a painful

act followed by a deep hurt.

- I know, I love this part right here, read that.

- Leslie says, "Some of it I allowed because

"I didn't think they'd like me if I didn't."

- Oh she has dug her own grave.

- Well guys they got no choice

but to let us back into school now, so.

- I hope so man 'cause this whole

thing is getting really old right.

(guys laughing)

- [Man] Sorry, but they said she wouldn't talk to me.

- [Mrs. Faber] You have no idea what it's been like.

The tabloids have been calling us,

they've been offering us gifts.

The phone rings off the hook.

- [Man] Yes I understand but we have

to make sure she doesn't do this again.

For her own protection she'll need more adult supervision.

And she'll have to come home immediately after school.

- [Kelly] You'll have to keep a constant eye on her.

- Why, I didn't do anything?

- [Mrs. Faber] oh honey, we know that sweetheart.

- No but why can everybody go outside and play but me?

- [Mrs. Faber] You'll be able to go and play.

- No I won't, and you said you were my friend.

You're not, you're a liar, you're all liars!

(dramatic music)

- Everyone was horrified at the wilding gang rape

of a jogger in Central Park several months ago,

but the kids arrested in the suburban haven

of Glen Ridge are white and upper middle class.

Privileged kids who are free on bail

after allegedly luring a retarded girl

from this park to this darkened basement

in the house directly behind me.

Earlier tonight I spoke with school superintendent

Iris Scott about this horrible tragedy.

- Most of us still don't believe

the boys could be guilty of this type of misconduct.

- Misconduct, you mean gang rape.

- A special ed student told his teacher,

the boy Carl has received counseling before.

Carl wasn't there during the alleged--

- You said his name.

- So I can't believe the statements.

- Do you know this woman?

- I've never even met her.

- What ever the outcome, the Glen Ridge arrests

are certain to intensify the public outrage

over the crime that it causes.

This is Bob Richards reporting.

- The boys are gonna get it.

The boys are gonna get it.

(phone ringing)

- Hey you wanna get on this?

(phone ringing)

Hello.

Hello.

(dramatic music)

- [Lady] Is this where the lying niggers live?

(dramatic music)

- [Leslie] Why can't I go out and play.

I want to go out and play.

- Listen to me, you cannot go outside.

- But on my birthdays I'm - I know.

allowed to do whatever I want! - Not this time.

- - I want to go out and play!

- [Mrs. Faber] Leslie, Leslie, come back here.

You cannot go out there.

Leslie, don't open that door.

- Leslie! - You can't go out there.

Oh look, there's Daddy, come on.

- Leslie, happy birthday.

(dramatic music)

- [Man] Hey Leslie!

- [Leslie] Who is there?

- Leslie! - Who is there!

- [Mrs. Faber] Honey.

Stay away from the window.

(eggs splattering)

(engine revving) (tires screeching)

(dramatic music)

- What is this the Stepford town,

no one is saying anything about these little creeps.

Why are they blaming Leslie.

- Maybe because she is the one

ruining this town with a vicious rumor.

- [Kelly] It's the truth.

- Kelly what is your problem?

You don't even have any real evidence

that these guys even did this.

- You think I wanted this case?

- Yeah, you know I think you do.

That's why you went off to Newark to be a cop isn't it?

- You don't know anything about Newark.

I wanted to make a difference.

- And did you?

- No, okay, I didn't make a difference.

- Kel, that doesn't make it okay

for you to come back here and ruin people's lives.

- It's a shocking controversy.

A group of respected high school athletes say

that she stripped and performed sexual acts,

she says it was rape.

As has been noted, this young lady is mentally impaired.

And now a new development, an attorney has come forward

to say that he represented a young man

several years ago who was accused

of similar crimes by the same young woman.

- My God what have we done.

- [Reporter] His case was settled and his client

never spent any time in jail.

This is a tremendous boost to the defense,

who have suggested the girl has been known

to be sexually promiscuous, even seductive.

- Her mother was right, they're raping her all over again.

- This is just the beginning.

- Hi.

- We need your signature on a petition.

The school board won't let the guys

graduate unless we speak up.

- You guys you got to wear a ribbon,

you got to support them.

- So, the board has commissioned an independent

judge to report on how the school

has responded in handling this incident.

- What's this about the kids passing around

a petition defending these guys?

- Almost all the seniors agree, the boys

should be allowed to attend graduation.

- My daughter didn't sign that, and she won't go if they go.

- The school board rejected the petition.

- Why, nothing's been proven against these boys.

What about the presumption of innocent--

- What about when they're found guilty?

You want your kids graduation photo with a bunch of rapists?

- The boys will not be attending graduation ceremonies.

(parents talking)

- You can't stop them from going

to the post graduation party.

- All right fellas, these kids have had to endure bomb

threats, reporters, and cameras for months okay.

So let's just try to give them a nice, safe, graduation.

Okay let's take our positions.

(students talking)

- Hey come on everybody, let's show our guys we support 'em.

Here take a ribbon.

Come on, put it on.

All right everybody, we got to put these on

to show everybody we care, whoo!

(students talking)

Come on, let's show everybody we support our guys!

- It brings to mind the saying,

through adversity comes strength.

And heaven knows the class of '89

has faced tremendous adversity these past few months.

But I am proud to say they are stronger for it.

- [Audience Member] Yeah.

(audience clapping)

- Paul Archer.

(audience cheering)

Barry Bennett.

(audience cheering)

- Yeah!

- [Principal] Carl Brewer.

(audience clapping)

(people talking)

- Kelly, hang on for a minute.

That was awful back there.

I just wanted you to know that I have nothing

to do with Carl's statement getting out, nothing.

(upbeat music)

♪ She's got a nine to five ♪

♪ A dangerous job ♪

(boys yelling) (upbeat rock music)

- I can't believe they had the guts to show up tonight.

- They act like nothing's changed.

- [Kelly] It will.

- Nothing will make a difference, you'll see.

(upbeat music)

(girl screaming)

(upbeat rock music) (kids yelling)

- Barry didn't do anything.

Nobody ever said he went near Leslie.

- I just want to question him again as a spectator okay.

- He doesn't have to come in,

but I thought as his father that you'd want him

to volunteer his version of what happened.

Let's just clear this whole thing up.

(dramatic music)

- I was disgusted and wanted her out, she wouldn't go.

So she started begging for things,

a bat, a stick, broom, whatever.

Finally someone just gave it to her.

- Who gave her the broom?

(dramatic music)

- I think it might have been Kevin or Chris.

- And did they hold it too?

- It was mainly her.

(dramatic music)

- What's this about a stick?

- I don't know, there was a bunch

of guys in front of me so I couldn't see.

(dramatic music)

- [Leslie] Thanks for getting me out of my house.

- No problem.

Thank you.

So you think you can trust me again?

- Yeah.

- Leslie, I need you to help me with something.

I think I understand everything that's happened to you,

but I don't understand the stick.

Tell me about the stick.

(dramatic music)

- Oh my lucky stick, the one I found in the park.

That's what Barry did to me.

- Why didn't you tell us about Barry before.

- I was afraid, I didn't want to get you in trouble.

Detective Bennett is her boss.

- All right tell us exactly what happened.

The whole truth this time.

(dramatic music)

- I drew the bat and the broom.

Barry used the stick.

I told him it hurt but he wouldn't stop.

(dramatic music)

- Did anyone else do anything to you?

(dramatic music)

- Paul asked me to play with him.

- Paul Archer?

(dramatic music)

Leslie, why didn't you talk about it before, why?

- Because I really like him, he's cute and handsome.

And he won't like me if I don't,

why don't you two just leave me alone?

(dramatic music)

(clock ticking) (dramatic music)

- This is insane, she's just telling more lies.

- What did he do?

- Talk to your other son.

(dramatic music)

- You promised me he wouldn't be charged.

- Lieutenant I did not, the victim IDed him as a suspect.

- Dad do something.

- This is a witch hunt, she keeps changing her story.

Who are you gonna arrest next?

- Frank!

(dramatic music)

- Not guilty.

- Not guilty.

(dramatic music)

- Mom, Mari wants me to go out for ice cream with her.

Can I go, please, please?

- Mari, that's the girl you used to play basketball with?

- Yeah, and she knows I've been

inside a really, really, long time

and she wants me to go out with her.

Can I go, please, please?

- Just make sure you're home in an hour.

- You're so sweet to hang out with me.

Not too many people like me anymore.

- Because of all the stuff that's going on?

- Yeah.

I don't think I've ever met a girl that's cool as you.

(Leslie chuckles)

Ooh, I can't stay out too long.

I got to go to court tomorrow.

- What are you gonna tell 'em?

- I'm not sure.

- [Bob] But didn't you say that you were forced

by Chris Archer and Kevin Scherzer?

- Yeah, I'm not real sure.

- [Bob] But you do remember being in the basement?

- Yeah, but I'm not real sure what happened there right now.

- She doesn't want to go up there with that.

- [Bob] Something happened.

- A girl name Mari Ferraez had a conversation with Leslie.

I think you'd find it interesting.

- [Mari] Really, would you do it again though?

- [Leslie] Yeah, I mean sex is the best thing.

- [Mari] You did have fun?

- [Leslie] Yeah, Chris Archer is one

of the sexist guys I ever went with.

- [Mari] You've done this stuff before haven't you?

- [Leslie] Yeah with a lot of guys.

- [Mari] If you had to do it all over again,

you'd go down to the basement right?

- [Leslie] If you went down with me.

(dramatic music)

- [Mari] Have you ever lied to your lawyers?

- [Leslie] Yeah one person, but if

I tell you, you can't tell anybody.

- [Mari] I promise.

- [Leslie] Barry Bennett really didn't do anything to me.

I just said it because they won't get off my back.

- [Mari] Are people telling you what to say and stuff?

- [Leslie] Yeah, all those bitches and bastards

won't, I mean I don't need these

stupid people telling me what to do.

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] Isn't that nice?

- I can't believe she said those things.

- She lied about Barry.

- And everything else.

She had fun, she enjoyed it

she love sex and she obviously hates us.

- She ain't exactly my favorite person either.

- [Bob] Did you ever talk to a

girl named Mari about the case?

- No.

- [Mari] You did have fun?

- Leslie] Yeah, and Chris Archer, he put his arm

around me and oh my god it was great.

Chris Archer is one of the sexiest guys I've ever went with.

- [Mari] Well you've done this stuff before haven't you?

- [Leslie] Yeah, with a lot of guys.

I'm very experienced, I've been

doing this stuff since I was like little.

- But she's my friend.

- No Leslie, she taped you, she

tricked you, she is not your friend!

Why did you tell her that?

- 'Cause, it's hard to explain.

She made me, she said she wanted to go down

to the Scherzer's basement and do what I did.

That's all I told her.

Barry Bennett really didn't do anything to me,

I just said it because they wouldn't get off my back.

(loud banging)

- Did Barry Bennett do anything to you or not?

- I told you he did.

- So you lied to Mari?

- She said she wanted to be my friend.

How come nobody ever wants to be my friend?

(dramatic music)

- Hi, the grand jury is reconvening.

(dramatic music)

- [Kelly] Good luck.

- Even that won't help me now.

(dramatic music)

(door slamming)

(dramatic music)

- I'm sorry.

(dramatic music)

- Here's to Mari, for showing what a liar Leslie is.

(guys cheering)

- The whole nasty nightmare is over with.

You can stick a fork in her.

- I don't want to stick anything in her.

(guys laughing)

- Hey guys, guys, here's to my bro

for getting in to Boston College.

(guys cheering)

Hey, it's only fair he got all the brains

'cause God knows I got all the looks.

(guys cheering)

- It's a matter of opinion.

- Oh damn bro, who's up for a Grand Union run?

- I heard Amy Ryan is having a party on the shore.

- Amy Ryan? - Amy Ryan?

- The skank from Canor?

Ah dude in her dreams we'd show.

- It's perfect, I mean we can get hammered.

She lives in East Orange, nobody'd know.

- [All] Yeah!

Hammered, hammered, hammered, hammered!

(upbeat music) (guys yelling)

- There's too many people here!

♪ Yeah, it'll make you crazy ♪

♪ Everybody trying ♪

♪ The answer to the call of the wild ♪

(glass shattering)

♪ Call of the wild ♪

(sirens blaring)

- [Mari] You did have fun?

- [Leslie] Yeah, and Chris Archer put his arm around me,

and oh my god it was great.

- Hey, you want to ride to the station.

It'll be hell catching a cab now.

- Oh no thanks, I'm gonna walk.

- Walk, through the shooting gallery?

Hey I patrolled these streets, you

don't go out there at night alone.

- I've been doing it for 10 years.

- It's my exercise.

- Okay, I hope you carry your Bible or a bazooka.

- Good night.

- [Leslie] Sexiest guys I ever went with.

- [Mari] You've don't this stuff before haven't you?

- [Leslie] Yeah, with a lot of guys.

I'm very experienced.

(tape rewinding)

- [Mari] As long as you tell me what to do and stuff.

(dramatic music)

- [Leslie] I'll show you the ropes.

- [Mari] Very good, 'cause you're the experienced one right?

(glass shattering)

(upbeat rock music)

(body thudding)

(guys laughing)

- [Mari] I assume you had sex with guys I know.

- [Leslie] Well I did it with the Scherzer's.

- [Mari] You did?

- [Mari] Yeah, it was fun Mari, let me tell you.

Oh my god it was great, it was so fun.

(guys laughing)

(guys yelling)

♪ You seem connected, emotions are ♪

- Yeah a lot of people like Paul Archer and can't have him.

- Yeah, I like Paul.

♪ Go on living ♪

♪ Holding out and see where it goes ♪

- She made me, she said she wanted

to go down to the Scherzer's basement and do what I did.

(upbeat rock music)

♪ Time, time, time ♪

- Yo, the cops are coming!

(upbeat rock music) (guys laughing and yelling)

♪ And in your past ♪

♪ Let this enchant you ♪

♪ Keep reaching back ♪

♪ Or can we find something new ♪

- [Boy] Good job.

♪ You say who an I chasing ♪

♪ Tell me I'm not wasting my time ♪

- This is great stuff.

- No, it's a disaster.

- No, no, no, no, the defense only played us excerpts.

When you listen to the unedited tapes,

it's clear that Mari's playing a cat and mouse game,

asking Leslie leading questions

'til she gets the answer she wants.

Listen.

- [Mari] If you had to do it all over again,

you would go down to the basement right?

- [Leslie] I'd be scareder, I don't know.

- [Mari] Say no one would ever find out about it.

No one would open their mouths, would you do it again?

- The defense believes that these boys were victimized

by Leslie Faber, that she's an insatiable seductress.

But ask yourselves if what you've just

heard could be an attempt by the defense

and Mari Ferraez to manipulate a mentally

challenged victim into saying things that aren't true.

This is a desperately lonely girl

who will do anything to get a friend.

Who will say anything to be a friend.

- The grand jury indicted Kevin and Kyle Scherzer,

Peter Quiqley, and Barry Bennet on

the charges of aggravated sexual assault,

aggravated criminal sexual contact, and conspiracy.

A trial date has now been set.

In a surprising turn, a scheme by the defense

backfired when Mari Carmen Ferraez was indicted

on charges of witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

Indictments against the other three defendants,

Chris and Paul Archer and Bryant Grover

are still pending until it is determined

whether they will be tried as juveniles

or adults. - Ros.

- I'm in here.

- Look what someone put on the front lawn.

- [Ros] Oh my god.

- It gets worse.

School officials cleared, independent

judge's report fault's victims parents.

- What?

- It says we didn't follow up on the swim coaches concerns.

- Well how do this judge know what happened?

Nobody ever questioned us, he didn't question us.

(dramatic music)

- This is not an independent judge's report.

The school hired him.

- [Bob] Yeah.

- And surprise, the school is not

held responsible for anything.

No, first Leslie is to blame and now

her parents are at fault.

Why the mass denial here?

- Well I'm not a cynic, but I gotta

say I'm not surprised at all.

I'm not surprised the parents are

rallying around their boys.

- Why not?

- Our culture is obsessed with achievement and winning.

It's not just the parents, they

pass it on to their kids.

I guarantee you these boys were brought

up to believe that winning is everything.

Dominate the weak, eventually they start to believe

that they're invincible and entitled beyond reproach.

Everyone here has strived for something and they're not

about to let a little retarded girl ruin it for 'em.

- Ruin what?

- The American dream.

(dramatic music)

- I'm taking you off the case.

You should be running your department,

not back and forth to court.

- This Glen Ridge thing just goes on and on.

- I'm reassigning Heller and Winston.

- But they don't have any experience tying rape cases.

- They'll get it on this one.

- I think you're making a big mistake.

- Look, President Bush values my judgment.

I've just taken a post in his administration,

it's my last week here.

Jim has been promoted to chief prosecutor.

- Congratulations.

- It's been good working with you Bob.

(people talking)

- [Assistant] That SOB took Bobby off the case.

- Where is he?

- [Assistant] He's not here.

- Bob.

- [Bob] Hey!

- [Kelly] Hey!

- Hey Kelly, my big brother Louis.

Louis, Kelly.

- Hi, nice to met you.

- How you doing?

- Do you want to play catch?

- Do you? - No.

(laughing)

- All right Lou, I got to talk to her for a couple

of minutes, then we'll play some catch all right.

- All right, see you in a bit man.

- He seems nice.

- He can throw a pretty good temper tantrum

when he wants to but he's actually a lot like Leslie.

He really wants to be normal but he knows just enough

to realize that there's something different about him.

That hurts.

- You always looked out for him huh?

- We looked out for each other.

It's easier now but when we were kids,

we grew up with guys like these Glen Ridge boys.

They, well kids can be real bastards sometimes.

(dramatic music)

- It must have been hard looking out for a big brother.

- It was harder on him I think.

(dramatic music)

When I got home from college, Lou and I were driving

my dad's car, Lou wasn't allowed to drive

of course, which got him mad.

He grabbed the wheel you know, he's my older

brother, why can't he drive, why can't he have some fun too?

I couldn't make him understand it you know,

'cause he's always believed that he was a normal boy.

And normal boys in the suburbs can drive.

It was tough.

I never wanted to humiliate him like that again.

- That's why you don't drive?

- Yeah, and it's good exercise too.

(dramatic music)

- They gotta be stopped Bob.

Get back on this case.

(dramatic music)

(horns honking)

- [Bob] I'd like you to reconsider Stevens decision.

- Stevens ran this office his way and I run it mine.

I've already found the right man to prosecute Glen Ridge.

- But I worked on this for three years.

- Get your ass back to work on this case Bob.

I've assigned Elizabeth Hall to assist you.

- Thank you.

- The best shot we've got at a conviction

is to go after the guys who actually raped her.

- [Bob] Well that's Chris, Kevin, Kyle, and Bryant.

And the Appellate Courts ruled they can be tried as adults.

But because Barry gave them incriminating

evidence against the others, he'll get a separate trial.

- Yeah, and now they have no choice but to let

him go and Peter Quigley and Mari Carmen Ferraez.

- Okay, what about Paul Archer, he was the bait

that got Leslie down there in the first place.

We can't let him walk.

- No one has ever said that Paul

actually penetrated her with a bat or a broom.

I think we'll lose if we don't focus on the main culprits.

- If we could cut a deal with Paul and get him

to implicate his brother, and that would

give us the goods we need to nail these guys.

- [Paul] No I won't do it.

- [Lawyer] Paul, I know this must be hard for you, but--

- Why all of sudden do you think they'll win?

- [Lawyer] I don't, as your attorney it's my duty

to tell you this is a sound plea bargain,

you're not the main culprit.

- But if I plead guilty, this will

make everyone else look guilty too.

- This is about you not spending 40 years in jail.

You won't have to implicate them.

(keys jingling)

- To the misdemeanor charge of endangering

a mentally incompetent person, how do you plead?

- Guilty.

- Mr. Archer, would you please describe

the crime to which you're pleading?

- Can I do it by questioning him?

(dramatic music)

- In the basement, did you see an act

of oral sex between Leslie Faber and Bryant Grover?

(dramatic music)

- Yeah.

- [Lawyer] Did you also see your brother Christopher

and Kevin Scherzer taking turns putting

a broomstick and a bat into her?

(dramatic music)

- Yeah.

- [Lawyer] Did you take steps to stop this?

- No.

(dramatic music)

- But we're not guilty, so let's put her

on the stand and everyone'll see what a liar she is.

- Yes I know, but Paul's testimony might

sway a jury, now do you want to risk

rolling the dice on something like that?

- No deal.

I'm not doing any jail time for that slut.

- You want to do 40 years if you're convicted?

- Dad she stripped okay, she begged for it.

We did not do one thing she didn't want us to do.

- [Boy] That's right.

- Hey listen now, any jail time

for me is gonna be a death sentence.

- Nobody's going to jail, our neighbors,

the minister, everybody's behind us.

They've donated thousands of dollars to our defense.

- Yeah I know a couple of girls who

want to give their college funds.

- [Boy] We'll win this thing.

- Absolutely, let's go to trial.

Bring it on.

(dramatic music)

(people protesting)

- Jail is where you go when you're bad isn't it?

- It's like when you do something wrong and you get

grounded, it is a punishment but it's not forever.

- I know you're my friend and if I lie in court,

I'll hurt you and I don't want to do that.

But if I tell the truth, I'll hurt my friends.

- [Bailiff] The state calls Leslie Faber.

- Hi Leslie.

Leslie on November 7, 1988, who did

you see in Carteret Park?

- A group of boys.

- Can you tell me their names?

Think, think real hard on this okay.

Put on a thinking cap and tell me

who came over and talked to you.

- Was it more than one boy?

(people talking)

- We'll come back to that question.

Do you remember what the boys said to you.

- Hi, what's up.

- And what else?

- Nothing, nothing else.

- Now Leslie, some people have said that you're retarded.

Not me Miss, but some people,

but that's not true is it?

- Lots of kids used to call me that at school.

But I don't look retarded, do I?

- No, you're perfect because you don't

want to hurt anybody do you?

- No.

- Les, who is this big guy here.

- He's a football player, he's Kyle, no wait, he's Kevin.

- [Lawyer] And you don't want to hurt him, do you?

- No, I don't wanna hurt nobody.

And I know that they don't give

a hoot about me, but I care about them.

- Leslie who was it that said

that they don't care about you?

- They did.

- Mm-hmm(affirmative).

But you've known him for a long time, all your life.

And he's always been nice to you hasn't he.

- He was, he never spent very much time with me,

but that's just he has his other friends you know.

- I know that you like him don't you?

- Yeah.

- Maybe more than like?

- Yeah.

- [Lawyer] You love him a little bit?

Maybe a lot?

- Yeah. (chuckles)

(dramatic music)

- Let's take her out.

(dramatic music)

- She was up all night.

She knows she lied.

Maybe you can say something to her.

- No, you have to.

- Hey, here.

(dramatic music)

No matters what happens in there, this is gonna protect you.

Okay, okay.

(dramatic music)

Okay.

(dramatic music)

As long as you tell the truth,

everything's gonna be okay, okay?

Okay.

(dramatic music)

- Are you able to remember who talked to you

that day in Carteret Park?

- Not really.

- Okay, do you remember what else was said to you?

- Yeah, they said if I went into the basement,

Paul would take me on a date.

- And who told you that?

(dramatic music)

- I'm not sure.

(dramatic music)

- Tell me, tell me what happened in the Scherzer's basement.

(dramatic music)

- I walked down, it was kind of romantic.

(dramatic music)

- Do you remember who took you

on this romantic walk into the basement?

- It was nobody, I don't know.

(dramatic music)

- Your Honor, I'd like to present Exhibit S-8

to help refresh the witness recollection.

(dramatic music)

- Your Honor, I have to object.

These pictures is just hearsay,

the prosecution is trying to lead the witness.

- This is somewhat unusual, but under the circumstances

I'll allow, objection overruled.

- Thank you.

Blinds please.

(dramatic music)

Leslie, who is this?

- That's me, that's my drawing.

- [Bob] When you were happy?

- Yeah, how'd you know that?

- You drew a smile.

(dramatic music)

Where you happy because you were playing with your friends?

- Yeah, everyone used to play with me then.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music) (wind blowing)

- [Bob] What happened to your smile?

(dramatic music)

(guys laughing)

- You said it was supposed to be a party.

- Well it is kind of a party.

(guys laughing)

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] Did you want to do that?

- No, but they said, "Go on, we'll be your friends."

- Who told you that?

- I don't remember.

- Next one.

Do you remember what this is?

- The broom.

(guys laughing) (dramatic music)

- Hey let's play a joke on her.

- [Boy] All right.

- Don't be scared.

(guys laughing) (dramatic music)

- Hey Kevin, maybe you should stop.

I think you're hurting her.

- I was crying to myself, but tears

were coming out of my eyes.

They made me.

- Who made you?

(dramatic music) (guys laughing)

(dramatic music)

What are they doing?

- Hurting me.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music) (guys laughing)

- That look like fun.

(dramatic music) (guys laughing)

I'll make her squeal.

(dramatic music) (guys laughing)

(dramatic music)

- Who were the boys that did this to you?

They told you not to tell didn't they?

- I made a promise.

- What did they say they'd do if you told?

- They said.

- [Boy] We'll tell your mom.

- I won't tell anybody.

- [Boy] That's good.

So we're all on the same team right?

- [Boys] Right, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

(guys laughing)

- [Boy] All right, here we go guys.

- [All] One, two, three, friends!

(guys cheering)

- [Boy] That a girl all right.

- [Boy] That a girl.

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] Why did you wait at the park?

- I thought Paul would come out for a date.

I thought he wanted to go out with me.

- Why didn't you ever tells the boys to leave you alone?

- I didn't want to hurt their feelings.

- [Bob] But did they hurt your feelings?

- Yes.

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] And were you trying not

to hurt their feelings yesterday?

- Yes.

- By lying?

- I guess I lie sometimes because I love my friends.

I love 'em as long as I can remember.

- Are any of the boys that were in the basement

in the court today?

(dramatic music)

- Yes.

- Could you point them out and tell me who they are?

- Yes.

(dramatic music)

That's Kevin,

(dramatic music)

that's Kyle,

(solemn music)

that's Bryant,

(dramatic music)

and that's Chris.

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] Thank you Leslie.

No further questions.

(dramatic music)

- Madame Forelady, what is the jury's verdict?

- [Madame Forelady] Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty.

(dramatic music)

- I sentence you to the custody of

the Department Of Corrections for an

indeterminate term, not to exceed 15 years.

You will remain free on bail until your appeals are decided.

(dramatic music)

(gavel hammering)

(dramatic music)

(people talking) (dramatic music)

- That was a hell of job Brooks.

Hell of a job.

You okay?

- (kelly sighing)

(piano music)

Never seen this happen before.

A convicted rapist walking free on bail, never.

It'll take years before they exhaust

all their appeals and serve any time.

- Part of me wants revenge 'cause

this doesn't feel like justice.

- Yeah well, if they were urban kids

they'd be in jail already.

- Are you kidding, if they were urban kids

they'd be executed by now.

- Well the only thing that matters

to me is that Leslie told the truth.

- Hey that was great.

- Yeah, you got good huh?

- Well I've had a lot of time to practice.

- Hi Mrs. Archer!

Hi!

- I guess she didn't see you.

- That's okay, I like Mrs. Archer, she's a great lady.

(dramatic music)

(children playing)

- My daughter has a good heart.

- She was raised that way.

(dramatic music)

- [Bob] Over the next four years,

all the defendants remained free on bail.

Kevin Scherzer and Chris Archer both

serving a prison term of up to 15 years,

will be eligible for parole after serving only 3.5.

Kyle Scherzer, serving prison term of up

to seven years, is now eligible for parole.

Bryant Grover, convicted of third degree

conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal sexual assault,

was sentenced to three years of probation

and 200 hours of community service.

Paul Archer, Peter Quigley, and Mari Ferraez

enter a pre-trial intervention program

and subsequently had their records expunged.

All charges against Barry Bennett were dropped.

Eventually Detective Bennett retired from

the Glen Ridge Police Department, where Detective

Kelly Brooks was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Robert Laurino continues his work as a prosecutor.

The Archers and the Scherzer's moved,

but Leslie and her parents to this day,

continue to live in Glen Ridge.

(piano music)

(Multicom Jingle)