All language subtitles for Law and order S20E14 - Boy on Fire

In the criminal justice system

the people are represented
by two separate
yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Fourteen out of 20.

I suck at math.

You just need
to practice more.

Fourteen out of 20.
What's the percentage?

Seventy? That's
passing, right?

Don't shoot for passing,
Moses. Shoot for 100.

Now, come on. Look
at question four again.

I know you know
how to do that one.

B?

Right on the nose, my man.

Keep it up, and you'll
be coming here to school
with me next year.

But what would you do if you
were in my shoes? Invest it?

Five years working on Wall
Street and you don't know?

Look, the company
I worked for nearly
destroyed the world economy.

I'm probably
the wrong guy to ask.

Hey.

What is that?
A garbage fire?

Damn kids.

I got it.

24 Eddie to Central K.
Be advised we have a 59

in a vacant lot
at 115th near Madison.

I think we can put it out.
Just show us 84
at this location.

What's that smell?

Damn.

Some kids ran off when
we turned the corner.

Some kids?

We didn't realize
what it was. We thought
it was garbage burning.

Every available body
in the 23 and the 25
is out canvassing right now.

Yeah, well, you might
want to join them.

All right, well, get this
into evidence. Thanks.

What have you got?

They found an empty
can of paint thinner
up the block.

Somebody was painting
their flower box.

Cesar Ramirez, 16.

School ID from
Sunrise Academy, it's
a couple of blocks that way,

one of those new
charter schools.

Trying to help kids
in lousy neighborhoods.

Give them a better
education to break
the cycle of violence.

Looks like they've got
a little ways to go.

Who would do
this to my baby?

Who? Who?

We're very sorry,
Mrs. Ramirez.

He was such a good boy.

You know, he didn't
argue with anyone,
not even his own father.

I made him come right home
from school. No staying
on the streets.

Never went nowhere
we didn't know
where he was going.

And he was
at school last night?

Yes! He was helping
other students.

He was at that school
only a year, and already
he was so good

he could be a tutor.

We found him
on 115th near Madison.

That's not on
a straight route home.

I called him last night
to see where he was,

but his phone went
to a message.

There was no phone
when we found him.

Is that why they
killed my boy?

For a phone?

We don't know, sir.

Can you think
of anything else?

Was he having any
problems at school?

No, no, no, not there.

That was the whole point.

That school...

We waited in line all night
to sign him up.

When he got here,
Cesar was reading
below grade level.

By the end of his first year,

he scored in the top 10%
on his English Regents Exam.

He was headed toward
a four-year college.

That's pretty impressive.

A lot of these kids
have the potential.

We take a holistic approach,

keep them busy
after school, coordinate
with social services.

Did Cesar need help
along those lines?
Social services?

No. His parents were
doing their part.

They kept him out
of trouble and were smart
enough to get him in here.

Do your students have
any issues with kids
from the public schools?

We're officially
a public school, too.

We just get to operate
with our own rules
and private support.

One of our donors
has offered a reward,

$25,000 to find
who did this.

We understand Cesar was
tutoring someone last night.

We open our library to other
children in the community

and encourage our
students to help them.

Is one of those charts
a tutoring log?

No, but I can pull one up.

Thanks.

Man... Cesar.

He was really
nice to me.

Did you see anyone with him

after he finished
tutoring you last night?

He just came outside
with me, like always,
while I waited for my mom.

That boy was waiting
with Moses when I got there.

He seemed like a good one.

Moses was so cut up
this morning

about what happened,
I let him

stay home from school.

It's not fair.

Cesar never hurt anybody.

He just helped.

I'm going to the corner
for a Dr Pepper.
You want one, Mo?

Nah. I'm good.

I'll get you one anyway.
Cheer you up.

It's hard growing up in
a neighborhood like this

and getting along with
everybody. I know.

Can you think of anyone
who may have had a beef
with Cesar?

One time, this kid
stepped to Cesar while
we were waiting for my mom.

A girl was with us.
I think Cesar liked her.

A girl?

Yeah.

So the kid tells Cesar
to just leave her be,

but she was just talking
to us till my mom got there.

You know this kid's name?

No, but he goes to Burr,
where my brother goes.

Aaron Burr High?
Pretty rough place.

That's where all the kids go,

except the ones that
got into that new school.

This girl, do you
know her name?

Jolie.

She goes to Burr, too.

But she's always at
the library at Sunrise.

Yes,
I've heard about the murder.
Everyone's talking about it.

Anyone talking
about who did it?

Most of these kids
worship at the Church
of Don't Snitch.

Has word gotten out
about the reward?

Yeah, $25,000?

Keep that where I can't
see it or lose it, Kalani.

You know you shouldn't
even have it at school.

You know what kind
of reward was offered

when one of my sophomores
ran into some gang
crossfire last fall?

Zero.

Nobody cares about
the ones left behind.

Edison.
Yeah.

Did you find Jolie
Henderson for me?

Oh, yeah.
She's in there.

This way.

Jolie.

Jolie Henderson,
Officers Lupo and Bernard.

Uh, hi. You know
why we're here?

About that Sunrise kid
who got killed.

We heard you knew him.

Enough to say hi. I saw him
at their library a lot.

It's a lot nicer than ours.
No offense, Ms. Woodside.

You were there last night.

Yeah. I saw him,
but we didn't talk.

You have any idea where
he went when he left?

Home, I guess.
I don't know.

We heard a boyfriend
of yours had words
with Cesar a while back.

Who, Jay? Jay is
not my boyfriend.

He thought
he was my boyfriend.

Is he jealous? Possessive?

Stupid.

He saw me with Cesar one
night, just standing there,

doing nothing,
and he wants to trip.

I set him straight
the next day.

I was not his to trip over.

I've got class. Can I go?

Yeah. Uh, what's
this Jay's last name?

Spivey.

Thank you.

Maybe we should
talk to Jay Spivey
while we're here.

All right.

Edison, can you tell me
where Jason Spivey
is right now?

Not here.
Marked absent today.

Look, the only place
I've been
the past three days

is this couch
and that bathroom.

You sure about that?

I got the swine flu.

You don't believe me,
you can hit up my doc.

We may do that.

I mean, I don't go around
firing people up anyway,
you know?

I mean, I didn't like
Cesar, but, damn...

And what those kids
did to him was sick.

You know, hitting him
with a stick when he's
already flaming up.

How'd you know
about that? Hmm?

You got a magical view
of 115th Street
from your couch?

No.

I heard some kids talking.

They came here
to keep me company.

They said that they saw
a video going around
of what happened to Cesar.

And they saw it on
somebody's cell phone.

Yo, can I get that remote
right there, man?

Jay Spivey's friends
aren't sure whose cell
phone they saw it on.

They said it was being
MMS'd from one to another.

When I was a kid, we would
trade dirty magazines,
not snuff films.

Well, any sign
of that video online?

Well, not on
any of the major sites.

It might not have
been uploaded yet,

just floating around
on a bunch of phones.

Well, there's a rule
against having
cell phones in school.

In theory. But at Aaron Burr,

if kids keep them
out of sight, they
don't enforce it.

Well, they should.

Separating a bunch of kids
from their cell phones?

We're going to need
reinforcements.

Hey.
What are you doing?

Taking your cell phone.
You'll get it back later.

Since when
that's been a rule?

Maybe if you learned
how to read,
you could look it up.

Yeah? Maybe
you need to learn
some lesson yourself.

Aren't you going
to be late for class?

You think this is enough?

We found it on three
of the phones.

The quality leaves
something to be desired.

All right.

Tell me when you're ready.

We're ready.

Stay on the ground.

This apparently
originated on
the victim's phone.

They got it away from him
and started shooting.

Yeah, but can you do any
better on the faces?

We already took
a shot at enhancing.

If it was just
a little lighter.

Oh, God! Help me!
Help me! Help me!

Be careful what
you wish for.

Can you stop it?
That sweatshirt.
Zoom in?

ABHS Pep... Pep Band.

That old school spirit.
Keep going, but slow.

Whoa. Whoa, whoa,
whoa. Yeah.

Dude looks
like a lady.

She doesn't
want any part of this.

She knows him.

Maybe we know her, too.

I checked with the office.
Jolie's not in the band.

Well, 15, 20 girls.

Which one you figure
wore their sweatshirt
to the murder?

You take woodwinds,
I'll take brass?

What about percussion?

Snare drum. Front row.

Looks like the brother
of the boy Cesar
was tutoring.

Wonder what happened
to his sweatshirt.

Hey, Moses' brother.

Yeah?

Hey. How y'all doing?

All right. Maybe
you can help us out.

Any of the girls
in the band had a beef
with Cesar Ramirez?

Or hang with
someone who did?

Nah. Probably most of them
didn't even know him.

I only knew him
through Moses.

You stayed home
from school the day
after he was killed,

just like your brother
Moses did, because
he was so upset.

Were you upset, too?

I was keeping Moses
company, bucking him up.

I'm his big brother,
you know.

Sure.

Big game tonight?

Morningside. We don't
have a chance.

You give up on team spirit?

You're not wearing
your sweatshirt.

I lost it last week.

Thirty bucks for a new one.
You believe that?

You sure you didn't
give it to someone?
Maybe a girlfriend?

I just told you, I lost it.
What are you getting at?

Just trying to
rule something out.

Where were you last Tuesday
night, when Cesar got killed?

Here. After-school
volunteer.

You can check with
the office if you
don't believe me.

What do you think?

That I am still a dead-eye
with my half-court shot.

Oh!
All right!
You got some skills!

Abel Dolan? Yeah.

Edison, can you give me
that sign-in sheet, please,
for the after-school?

Uh... Tuesday, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, here.
Edison and Abel.

They were painting over
some graffiti. I know,
I was here late myself.

They did good work.

The taggers did good work,
had this place looking tight.

Would you get me
a seat at the game?
Yeah, sure.

All right.

They're good kids.
They just don't know it.

Did you catch Abel
on the snare drum?
He's really coming along.

Yeah. Those four guys,
they didn't do the graffiti,

but you had them clean it up?

Yeah. Campus beautification.

I try to get them to
feel a sense of pride
for their school,

so every student
gives at least
one night a semester.

Even students that
don't go here?

Check this out.
Cesar Ramirez.

He signed in on the 21st,
also the 11th and the 6th.

But look who else
signed up on those nights.

Jolie Henderson.
Yeah.

Who said she
barely knew him.

Do you have her address?

Yeah, Jolie Henderson.

Uh, 115th Street, looks
like just west of Madison.

Uh, and the murder
occurred on 115th Street,
just east of Madison.

Yeah, between her place
and Cesar's school.

Wait, do you think
that Jolie could have
been there that night?

Can you get her exact
address, please?

Thank you.

He didn't
walk me home.

I don't know where
he went. I told you.

Did he ever
walk you home?

No. It wasn't like that.

So, every time you
stayed after school,

he just happened to show up?

To wash windows.
I didn't even
always see him.

I bet he didn't wash
windows for just any girl.

He had a nice smile.

I didn't know him.
I got to go.

The reward just drew a tip.

Someone saw Edison Treadwell
with Cesar's cell phone
after the murder.

Edison,
the principal's helper?

Yeah, who was doing campus
beautification with Abel Dolan
at the time of the murder.

Or was he?

You know, I'm beginning
to take this personally.

You're fishing again,
at my school, my kids.

That poor kid, he didn't
even go to school here.

Have you checked
at the Sunrise Academy,

or are they too
busy to see you?

Simple question.

Are you sure Edison Treadwell
was here the night
Cesar was murdered?

Simple answer. Yes.

We have a tipster
that says otherwise.

Well, you have a tipster
that wants to make $25,000,
or mess with Edison.

These kids do have
enemies, you know.

If you don't mind,
can I please get
back to the game?

Because we're
finally winning.

This is something we've been
listening to. It's a call
to the reward tip line

about the murder of Cesar.

We thought you
should hear it, too.

Crime Stoppers,
how can I help you?

Hi, um. I think I know
something about Cesar Ramirez,
the kid who got burned.

Okay. What do you know?

I saw this guy I know
messing with Cesar's
cell phone yesterday.

I know it's Cesar's
because I saw Cesar with it.

His name's Edison Treadwell.

Is that good enough
for the money?

We really need the money.

That's you, isn't it, Moses?

Nah, that ain't me.

Child!
It isn't.

It's one thing you want
to lie to these cops.

But you gonna sit there
and lie to me?

You think I don't
know your voice?

All the talking you do?
Look at me when
I'm talking to you.

Okay. It's me.
But it's not true
about Edison.

You didn't see Edison
with Cesar's phone?

No. I lied.

I wanted my mom
to have the money.

She works too hard.
I never see her.

Please, we need the money,
don't we, Mama?

And Moses wept.

Wasn't that Jesus?

Yeah, him, too.

So, what do you think?
Was the boy lying when
he made the call,

or when he talked to you?

I vote for number two.

He saw Edison with Cesar's
phone and made his call,

but by the time we got there,
his brother got to him.

His brother, the one with
the missing sweatshirt

who's on the alibi list
at the high school?

Yeah. If that list
was doctored, it could be
a list of the murderers,

Edison and Abel and
two of their friends.

And a high school principal
is covering for them?

No. She's covering
for her school. It's one
of the worst in the city,

it's on the short list
for being taken
over by the state.

While the Sunrise Academy
is everybody's darling.

So she lies for her students
when they beat up students

from Sunrise Academy
and burn them alive?

Well, that girl would
know, Jolie Henderson.

I think Cesar was
walking her home

when he ran into trouble,
maybe some kids from Burr

who didn't like seeing
a charter school kid
with one of their girls.

I say we go talk
to her again.

Van Buren.

All right. I got it.

Where is she?

Okay, thanks.

I'll go talk to Jolie.
She's been raped.

Hello, Jolie.

My name is Lieutenant
Van Buren. I work with
Detectives Lupo and Bernard.

Are they taking good
care of you here?

You know, the detective
from Special Victims Unit

says that you
don't want to talk.

She said there was
more than one boy.

And we will catch them,
all of them. I promise you.

I just need you
to talk to me.

Jolie...

Did it happen
because of Cesar?

Because they don't want
you to talk about that?

I didn't see them.

I don't know anything. Just...

Just leave me alone.

It was a gang-rape.
A witness saw
three boys running away.

This witness happen
to see which three boys?

No. Too dark.
And there's no DNA.

The rapists wore condoms.

They planned it.
We think it was some
of the boys who attacked

Cesar Ramirez, that Jolie
was there when it happened

and they were afraid
that she might talk.

These boys, they all
have an alibi for
the time of the murder?

The only one who
doesn't is Jolie.

Have you searched
her apartment?

No probable cause.

If you can sell your theory

that the gang-rape was
committed to silence
an accomplice,

which makes her
an accomplice...

Probable cause.

We use what happened
to her to back our
way into a warrant?

Damn lucky for us
she was gang-raped.

Nobody's saying that.

Just get the warrant.

Why are you looking here?
Nothing happened here.

My daughter was violated.
Why aren't you finding
the animals who did that?

Look, we're trying
to do that, Mr. Henderson,

but your daughter
isn't able to help us...

What are you
looking for here?

Ma'am.

Is this your daughter's?

No, I don't think so.

There's a tear
in the shoulder,
and this...

Looks singed.

Yeah.

Help me!
Help me! Help me!

There. He brushes against
her left sleeve,

exactly where the sweatshirt
we found has burn marks.

So Jolie was there.

Or the sweatshirt was.

Theoretically, Jolie could
have been hiding it for a
girl who wore it that night.

Come on. We know
what happened.

Yeah, but we still
can't prove it.

We could always
arrest Jolie for murder.

That might persuade her
to talk.

Under the circumstances,
Mike, that's not exactly
my favorite way to go.

Well, I'm open to other ideas.

Moses Dolan. You know,
the kid Cesar was tutoring.

He called in a tip,
and then retracted it.

Somebody pressured him.
Maybe we can
pressure him back.

He's studying. You can't
talk to him unless I say so,
and I don't say so.

Look, we'll only
be a few minutes.

He already told
the police he made
it up about that phone.

He's sorry,
and that's that.

Then, Mrs. Dolan,
Mrs. Dolan...

Maybe you can help us? Uh,

have you ever seen

this sweatshirt?

A lot of kids have those.

We thought it might
be Abel's. It has a rip
in the shoulder, there.

He's a big guy.
Maybe he burst a seam?

Now you're asking about Abel?

You think he's mixed
up with this?

We don't know, Mrs. Dolan.

Well, I do. He's a good boy.
He's going to go to college,

to be a businessman.

Sometimes parents don't
know their children as well
as they'd hope to.

Last year, he failed
a course he needs
to graduate,

but he would not give up.
He's taking it over
in night school,

every Tuesday
and Thursday night.

Every Tuesday night?
Including last Tuesday?

He never misses.
At a community center
up in Mott Haven,

7:00-9:00.

So, Abel Dolan couldn't
have murdered Cesar
on Tuesday night

because he was busy
beautifying Aaron
Burr High School

and he was at
a night school class
in Mott Haven.

Well, maybe
he has an evil twin.

Two alibis, it's an
embarrassment of riches.

Well, if he was
at night school, that means
he wasn't at Aaron Burr,

and maybe the other
boys weren't either.

We can use one alibi
to break the other.

Abel seemed
like a good kid to me,

but he doesn't come anymore.

He dropped the class
last month.

It's a required course.
Did he give up on graduating?

No. He told me that
he didn't need to
take it over after all,

that he'd just found out
that he'd passed
the first time.

What? He thought
he'd failed, but
he'd actually passed?

Did he read
the letter
grade wrong?

No. He did fail.

But there are circumstances
where a failing grade can
be changed to passing.

What were the circumstances
in Abel's case?

I don't know.

Was the change warranted?

Not based on anything I saw.

Who can make these
retroactive changes?

His principal.
Ms. Woodside.

Here. It's Abel Dolan's
grade report
from last spring.

English 3, F. But then,
it's marked "CR"
for "Credit Recovery."

That means he passed.

Was any reason given?

Yeah. Home instruction.

We met Abel's mother.
I don't think so.

And check out Edison
Treadwell's transcript.

Fails sophomore math,
makes it up in summer school,

and then gets credit
for passing it twice.

Courtesy of
Principal Woodside again?

All four boys she's giving
an alibi to have benefited
from altered transcripts.

Not to mention dozens
of other students
at that school,

maybe even hundreds.

If Abel and his friends
knew what Woodside was doing,

maybe they asked for
a little favor in exchange
for keeping their mouths shut.

Giving them a bogus alibi?

You think she'd cop to that?

Let's ask her nicely.

If that doesn't work...

One of my students was
just brutally raped,

and you are harassing me
about a year-old transcript?

Not just one. You've been
manipulating grades, test
scores, and graduation rates

to make this school
look better than it is.

I can support any
adjustment I've made
by the letter or spirit

of sound educational
policies.

Do you think the mayor
would agree?

Or the Department
of Education?

They'd split this school
into six charter schools

and make you assistant
principal of some middle
school in Staten Island.

You know, with
all due respect,

you really don't know
what you're talking about.

All we want to know
is the night Abel Dolan
and his friends

were painting over graffiti,

are you sure you can
vouch they were here
the whole time?

Yes, I'm sure.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

Well, actually,
we won't excuse you.

Detectives?

Martha Woodside,
you're under arrest.

What for?

Grand larceny.

Grand larceny?
What did she steal?

Well, how about a decent
education for her students?

Their integrity,
their potential.

I don't think there's a law
against stealing potential.

So we'll make
the one we have fit.

Look, we need some
leverage over this woman

to make her tell us
what happened the night
of the murder.

If this gets kicked to
the Department of Education,

it'll disappear into
a bureaucratic maze
for 20 years.

So we won't let that happen.

Your Honor,
this is a matter for review

by the Department
of Education, not
a criminal prosecution.

The grand larceny statute
was concerned with
the theft of property.

The People don't even
allege that my client
stole any property.

More than
two million dollars of
educational funds

were funneled to
her school on the basis
of performance records

that were effectively
forged by Ms. Woodside.

That money didn't
go into her pocket.

It went for the benefit
of the students, who,
if Mr. Cutter is correct,

needed that extra help
it bought even more
than anyone suspected.

A $10,000 performance bonus
Ms. Woodside received
did go into her pocket.

That was for improving
her school's graduation
rates from 32% to 57%,

a remarkable achievement.

Why, it's not quite so
remarkable if it's based
on bogus course credits.

Excuse me, but these people
don't know anything about
running a high school.

Ms. Woodside...
No. It's just some
kind of tactic

to try to get me to
help them scapegoat
some of my students

for a murder and a rape
that they can't be bothered
to actually solve.

Ms. Woodside,
let your lawyer
do the talking. Okay?

Your Honor,
this is simply
the wrong forum.

I refer you to Section 3020
of Education Law

and its provision
for hearing boards.

Those boards are notoriously
lethargic and inefficient,
Your Honor.

I believe some people would
say the same thing about us.

I am dismissing
the grand larceny charge

pending a review and
a resolution of the matter
under the Education Law.

Nice try, Mr. Cutter.

She said we were
after her students
for murder and rape,

but we never told her
we suspected them in the rape.

Maybe she did.

So, that principal
flunked you again.

She won't give it up.
She's sticking to her
alibi for our suspects.

It doesn't even
make sense anymore.

If they were blackmailing
her by threatening
to go public

with her grade tampering,
we've done that now.

The Department of Education
is investigating.

So what's she protecting?

Her ego?

Maybe
her conscience.

She said her students
were rape suspects
during the motion hearing,

but Detectives Lupo
and Bernard never
told her that.

But they were in her office
when they realized that Jolie
Henderson had lied to them.

They asked Woodside
for Jolie's address
so they could talk to her.

A few hours later
she was raped.

You think the principal
tipped the murderers to rape
the girl to keep her quiet?

No, not necessarily
meaning to. I mean,

if she believed
those boys were innocent

and she told them,
you know, "Good news.

"The police have found
a witness who can clear you."

She didn't realize
what she was doing.

But now she does.

And she feels guilty,
or she's afraid
she's criminally liable.

Either way,
she doesn't
want to talk.

Nobody wants to talk.

The rape victim
is still scared silent?

Maybe you've been asking
them both too nicely.

Convene a Grand Jury.

I remind you that
you are under oath

and there are criminal
penalties for perjury.

I understand.

Then please tell us of
any conversations you had

with your students concerning
the murder of Cesar Ramirez.

I had many conversations,

because I opened my door
for anyone who wanted
to talk about it,

who needed reassurance.

Did Abel Dolan
need reassurance?

Or Edison Treadwell,
or Marvin Coyne,
or Andy Mews?

Not that I recall.
Nothing stands out.

Do you recall altering
the transcripts for
those four boys

to give them better grades?

Well, I'm constantly
adjusting transcripts
for a variety of reasons.

That's part of my job.

And those constant
adjustments of yours are
currently under investigation

by the Schools Department,
aren't they?

I expect to be
fully exonerated.

So, did any of those boys,
all of whom benefited from
your grade adjustments,

come to you after
the murder of Cesar Ramirez

and ask you to
give them a false alibi?

No.
So they didn't threaten

to go public with your
grade manipulations?

We don't threaten one another
at Aaron Burr High School.

We are all working together
in a very difficult situation.

Our students have been
labeled losers,
and they know it.

Right. And they get blamed
for things, don't they?

For anything bad that
happens in the neighborhood.

Yeah, all the time.

So when Cesar Ramirez
was burned to death,

the police automatically
assumed that some
of your students did it.

As usual.

So did some of your students
come to you and say they were
being scapegoated again,

as usual, and asked
you to get the police
off their backs

by giving them an alibi?

I don't need to lie
for my students.

Is that a yes or a no?

It's a no.

Did you tell those boys
that the police
had identified

Jolie Henderson as
a potential witness
to the murder

and that they were
going to talk to her?

Oh, here we go.

First they're murderers,
and now they're rapists?

What you are going
to accuse them of next?

I think you would defend them
whatever I accused them of.

Because I trust them,
when no one else does?

Because I work
with them, when no
one else wants to.

Charter schools,
magnet schools,

they take all
our best students,

and then we're blamed
for having the worst.

Kids from poverty,
from broken families,
a hundred years of neglect,

and we have to get them
ready for college with
just a few hours a day.

Some charter school
that gets $20 million
from Bill Gates

and they get a few students
into Dartmouth, it makes
front page news.

You want to know what
the real success stories are?

When a student from Aaron
Burr, who couldn't even read
in the ninth grade,

manages to graduate
and get a job at
an auto parts store

instead of becoming
a drug dealer.

That's a success story,
our success story.

But no one cares,
no one wants
to hear about it.

Jolie, we're ready.

This isn't right.

One of us should be able
to go in there with her.

It's not allowed, sir.

Why are you people
doing this?

Jolie?

Ms. Woodside.

How are you?

I'm going to be okay,
Ms. Woodside. I'm going
to be back in class.

I won't let you down.

I can't believe you're
dragging her in there after
what she's been through.

It was dark, and

I closed my eyes,

and somebody knocked me down.

And somebody else
got on top of me and...

Before you closed your
eyes, Jolie, you must
have seen something.

Did you hear anything?

Were they the same boys
who attacked Cesar Ramirez?

I don't know
who did that to Cesar.

Weren't you with him
when it happened?

No.

But you were friends
with him, weren't you?

A little.

I mostly saw him
at the library when
he was tutoring Moses.

You must have talked to him
there, otherwise how would
you know Moses' name?

I know Moses'
brother from school.

Abel Dolan.

How well did you know him?

We're in the same grade.

Did you ever go out with him?

We hung out some.

Was he jealous
of you and Cesar?

No. Not Abel.

So, it wouldn't have
bothered him to see you
walking home with Cesar?

He wasn't that into me.

He had tickets to see
a Jay concert at the Garden
on my birthday,

and he took
his brother instead.

Moses?

It was all about
being the big brother.

Moses was supposed
to go to Cesar's house
for dinner once,

and Abel said no.

He didn't even like Moses
going to the tutoring.

He said Moses should
just go to Aaron Burr,

like us.

Abel was a loser kid
from a loser school.

He saw Moses
going another way,

studying hard to get
into the charter school,

being mentored by a smart
kid there, getting invited
to the smart kid's house.

So, maybe Abel wasn't
jealous over Jolie,
he was jealous over Moses.

Yeah, I mean, he was
losing his little brother.

Maybe that's what sparked it.

Well, if Abel feels that
strongly about his brother,

there might be a way
to appeal to him.

You think Abel's going
to listen to anything
we have to say?

Probably not. But we
know someone he trusts.

So, what? Did the Grand Jury
indict him, or are
you arresting him?

No. The Grand Jury's
in recess,

but we think we have a shot
at getting a confession.

Why would he confess?

Because he's guilty.

This is
your opportunity to
tell us the truth.

I told you the truth.
I didn't do nothing.
It's all right.

He can't see you.
What do you
want from me?

Come on, man.
Only three boys
raped Jolie, Abel.

We don't think
you were one of them.

Then why is he here?

We do think he was
one of the boys that
attacked Cesar Ramirez.

You saw him walking
with Jolie, didn't you,
you and your friends?

He was wearing
his foolish little
charter school uniform,

the same uniform that
your brother wants to wear,

because he wants
to be like Cesar,

not like you.

Did you say something
to Cesar about that?

Did he smart-mouth
back to you?

You're making all that up.

Abel, you don't need
to respond to this.

Your little brother
was telling the truth

when he called about
the reward, wasn't he?

Leave my brother out of this.

He didn't even know
what he was talking about.

What are you saying?
Your brother's stupid?

He's not stupid,
and I'm not stupid either.

Abel, stop. Now.

If he's not under
arrest, we're leaving.

Give us a minute.

Funny. He didn't mention
that alibi you gave
him this time.

Will you stop
talking about that?

One of those boys
is going to break.

They always do. It's just
best all around if it's Abel.

Why?

There's a $25,000
reward on the table.

So?

Abel's brother claimed
that reward, and then
changed his story.

If he could get that
money for his college fund,

one good thing would
come out of this.

Abel might see things that
way, if we can get someone
to talk some sense to him.

Why haven't you considered
that he's innocent?

They're all innocent?
What...

Maybe you're wrong.

Tell him not to confess
if he's innocent.

Tell him to do
whatever's right.

Me?

You care about those kids,
all of them. We've seen that.

Just talk to him.

Hey, Abel.

Ms. Woodside?
Who's she?

My principal.

How do you do?

How you doing, man?
Good.

All right?
Yeah.

We have to be sure
everything we're saying
is totally the truth.

I don't know, Ms. Woodside.

Yeah.

Yeah, I was thinking,

too, how many times you start
out thinking you're doing
just the right thing.

And then, uh, I don't know,
you end up doing something
else completely.

You lose your way.

You lose perspective.

Maybe we should have this
conversation somewhere else.

Actually,

I think we're in exactly
the right place.

What about you, Abel?

What's going on in there?

Can somebody tell me
what's going on?

Principal Woodside is
just talking to your son.

No police in there?

No police. Would you
like a cup of coffee?

We can get you something.

Mrs. Dolan, would you
send Moses in here
for a moment?

Ms. Woodside,
what is going
on in there?

I'm sorry, Mrs. Dolan.

I'm really sorry.

Go ahead, son.

Do it.

I know who killed Cesar.

What are you talking
about, Moses?

Abel told me, Mama.
He told me to tell them.

Tell them what?

What is happening here?

He did it.

Him and his friends.
They did it. He told me.

No, no, no, no!
No, no, no, no!

Don't take him!
Abel! No, Abel!

Don't take him
from me, please!
Abel, don't go! Abel!

So Moses gets the reward?

He gave us his brother,
and his brother
gave us the rest.

Abel and his friends ran
into Cesar with Jolie.

They already hated the kids
from the charter schools,

and some of the boys
were jealous over Jolie.

Abel was upset over Moses.

And Cesar made the mistake
of being a smart guy,

and trying to
impress the girl.

Bad mistake.

Well, with Abel talking,
Jolie will, too.
It's all over.

We're negotiating pleas
for both the murder
and the rape.

What about the principal?

Riding a desk in Schools
Administration until

they figure out
what to do with her.

You could prosecute her
for lying to the Grand Jury.

Well, she...
She helped us in the end.

Is that enough extra credit
to make up for an F?

Now you're grading like she did.