Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 2, Episode 19 - The Fertile Fields - full transcript
A corpse of a badly burned Jewish jeweler is found in an alley. Initial evidence suggests that it could be a hate crime performed by a group of black youths, but a business motive is later uncovered.
Narrator:
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.
(police radio chatter)
It's a damn Indian winter.
That's summer, genius.
No such thing
as Indian winter.
Yeah? When it's this cold
this late in the year
it is definitely,
definitely somebody's fault.
Ah, so blame it
on the Native Americans?
You got somebody else
better to blame?
The problem
with the world today...
crap doesn't just happen.
It's gotta be someone's fault.
Yeah, well it keeps us
in business.
Makes a lot of lawyers rich.
Early morning jog?
Five to two
they did something.
It's too cold to find out
exactly what.
(police radio chatter)
Look at this.
It's freezing outside.
What harm could it do?
There's smoke,
maybe there's fire.
Could be a medal
of honor in this.
- Hey, you coming?
- In and out. In and out.
How am I supposed to finish
my morning coffee?
Next lifetime
I'm coming back as a CPA.
No outdoor work...
no work at all before 9:00 a.m.
Come on, Bobby,
it's a damn trash fire.
Bobby:
Trash my ass.
That's a body.
Man:
So far, not a whole lot.
The flame burned evenly...
hardly touched the skin.
Multiple bruises, fractures,
all from a blunt object.
Still, your clothes
are on fire,
you're going to be
doing a rain dance.
This guy was probably
dead before they torched him.
We've also got
a mess of footprints.
See if you can size it.
You caught it?
Just saw the flames
from the car.
- You got any witnesses?
- None standing in line
to be interviewed.
He's beaten, then burned.
He had to scream.
Somebody had to hear.
Look, I don't know
if this means anything,
but a minute or two
before we found the body,
we saw four or five black kids
run by heading uptown.
Yeah, could you
pick 'em out?
The victim's name
is Ezra Shore. He lives
on Columbus Avenue.
I thought this crap
only happened in Brooklyn.
Come again?
You didn't tell him?
The dead guy, he was wearing
one of those... those Jewish
beanie things.
Son, that's
called a yarmulke.
(theme music plays)
He wasn't just beaten,
he was brutalized.
Listen, the smoke
clears on this it's gonna be
Crown Heights revisited.
There is no evidence that this is
any kind of a hate crime, Mike.
Did you get a look
at these photographs?
Two uniforms on the scene
said a bunch of black kids...
Run across the street.
Come on, you've seen
this play out before.
We jump to conclusions,
the press follows our lead,
the waters get so muddy
we never see the bottom.
What do you want to do,
treat it like a mugging?
No, I want to treat it
like a homicide.
We play the usuals.
Family, friends,
business...
But we're just spinning
our wheels we go that way.
Maybe not, Mike.
As you said,
Ezra was brutalized.
That means there should
be blood all over.
But CSU didn't find blood spatters
anywhere near the scene.
So they killed him someplace else
and dumped him in the alley.
Right, but hate crimes
are crimes of fear.
They're spontaneous.
The bodies usually don't get moved.
- And the fire?
- Destroying evidence.
Or sending a message.
You know what might be
helpful here?
If we could find out
a little something
about the departed
Mr. Shore.
It wasn't the fire that killed him.
It was the beating.
Blood-oxygen analysis,
he was dead before they torched him.
You think there were
more than one?
Angle of blows
to the head,
chest... broken vertebrae
in the spine... yeah, I'd say so.
Yeah, that or a Mack truck.
Did he put up a fight?
He didn't go gentle.
Defensive wounds
on the hands and arms.
Fingernail scrapings...
we got some dried blood.
Enough to tell a story?
Not enough to DNA, sorry.
But one of them was type AB.
Hey, that narrows it down.
Well, this is just
a preliminary, Mike.
Ezra called me from the store.
It must have been
around 6:00.
That was the last time
you talked to him?
He said he would be
working late with Isaac.
"Go ahead," he said.
Eat without him.
- Isaac?
- His brother.
What business is your
husband in, Mrs. Shore?
Jewels...
diamonds mostly.
He has his own store
on West 47th Street.
Was business good?
I don't understand.
Well, sometimes if there's
a problem with cash flow,
one might be induced to borrow
money from the wrong people.
My husband did
very well, Detective.
One shouldn't
be saying Yizkor
for a man of 45.
It's the prayer
for the dead.
Do you have any
idea who...?
Well, there was something.
Every now and then
they hassled me and Ben
on the way back from school...
these black kids.
It's no big deal.
- The police should know
everything, Caleb.
- Now they do.
Now, is there a possibility
that your husband was carrying
the jewelry on him, when...?
Anything that would
relate to the business,
you would have to ask Isaac.
He's probably at the shop
closing up right now.
Our father died
15 years ago.
Ezra never
missed a beat.
He took over the business?
Yes. I was independent.
I thought I didn't
need the family.
I learned the hard way.
Six years ago,
Ezra took me in.
Rachel said that you were
here with him last night.
Went over inventories
till maybe about 8:00.
And then?
I left.
If I knew it was going
to be the last time...
We had words.
Had a disagreement over...
purchase orders.
Did he ever carry
the stones on him?
Sure.
He signed out lot 492.
Six stones...
worth probably...
10... 12,000.
I'm sure he had
a late sales meeting.
He often visited clients
after store hours.
You telling me he'd
walk around with that
much in his pocket?
In a briefcase.
It's the way
we do business.
- Do you mind if I look?
- Please.
The meeting...
you know where it was
or with whom?
Ezra lived for his work.
He often visited four or five
clients in an evening.
Your brother use
this car service?
Yes, Miracle Limo.
They're over on 10th.
Used to be you flip
through a couple of pages...
takes two seconds.
Now you've got to boot
the damn machine.
Whatever the hell that is.
Here you go,
Shore Diamonds.
Yesterday,
pick up 9:15 p.m.,
26th West 47th.
- Cerreta: And you dropped him?
- 21st and 7th.
That's a lot of real estate.
You got anything more specific?
Hey, you're lucky I got
the machine turned on.
Yeah, we're lucky.
(elevator bell rings)
Ezra got here
at the earliest at 8:30.
So it has to be
somebody who works late.
See what we got.
Interior design firm,
temp employment agency,
public relations company.
It's a lot of doctors.
Bringing 10 Gs worth of diamonds
to a check-up? I don't think so.
- An accountant?
- Flannigan. Nah.
Here we go,
Summers Estate Sales.
7th floor.
Cerreta:
Top floor, Near East Gems.
Joe Tashjian, President.
Oh my God.
He was a nice man.
I guess I should
call on the family.
Yesterday, Mr. Tashjian,
did you have a meeting
with Ezra Shore?
A meeting, no.
A battle, yes.
You don't talk to Ezra Shore,
you butt heads.
He showed up quarter to 10:00.
Haggled for maybe two hours.
So you bought
his diamonds?
I'm an importer, Detective.
I buy abroad, I sell domestic.
Ezra bought sapphires
and rubies from me.
Bargained me down
to 15 Gs.
- And he left here with them?
- Sure.
- You want a copy?
- Maybe.
Did Ezra say where he
was headed when he left here?
Tried calling his car service
but he couldn't get through.
Said he'd hail a cab
on the corner.
The jewels,
they weren't on the body?
I don't want to be
crude or anything
but the sapphires and the rubies...
they weren't paid for yet.
$10,000 in diamonds,
another 15 in sapphires
and rubies,
and this guy travels
around unprotected?
Do you prefer
he'd carry a piece?
I'd prefer he traveled
by armored car.
Wouldn't have mattered.
You rob someone, you take
the money and run.
You don't hang out
for a beating and a barbecue.
My call is
they were after Ezra.
The diamonds were gravy.
Whatever.
They took the jewels.
We find the jewels,
we find our guys.
We got some lines out
on the local pawns.
13 wedding rings,
half-a-dozen watches,
some gold earrings.
No sapphires, no rubies,
no unmounted diamonds.
Did Ezra Shore have
a kid named Caleb?
- Yeah, why?
- He's in holding.
Seems he did quite a number
on some homeboy's face.
Says here you went after
one Reginald Beggs,
black, 15 years old.
What happened,
Caleb? Hmm?
Is this one of the kids
who bothered you before?
Yeah, sure.
Problem is two witnesses say
you were all over him.
No provocation, nothing.
Caleb, all you have to do
is tell us the truth
and we can help you out.
It's as simple as that.
You know you can't go beating
on every black kid in the city.
What do you want?
The guy killed Dad.
He told you this?
It's all over
the neighborhood.
Those guys were laughing
about Dad dying in an alley.
Laughing doesn't mean
he killed him.
The son of a bitch said
he liked burning him.
He said I was next.
What do you want me to do?
You hassling me and it's
my face that's busted up.
- You're just a perfect
angel, ain't ya?
- You got that!
Caleb Shore says it was you
who did the number
on his old man.
Oh, so I must
be lying then.
Well, tell me this, Reg,
the guy's gonna pop you
for no reason?
You look at them guys?
They look normal to you?
Look, like I said,
I was just hanging.
Next thing you know,
my head's being smashed
into the sidewalk and my nose
ain't attached to my face.
Tuesday morning,
who were you hanging with?
I was here
with my sister...
studying!
I'm gonna be a lawyer.
That's some picture, Reg.
- You had a nice smile.
- Yeah, before he busted up my face.
You mind?
I got a choice?
(police radio chatter)
Used to be you want
to stay alive, you stay
below 86th Street.
Nowadays somebody's just looking
to step into something up there.
This one of the kids
you guys saw that day?
We weren't
really looking.
Well, what about clothes?
Anything?
They were running. Sorry.
That deli
on the corner of 93rd.
Guys like to hang there.
They don't bother me...
my customers. I let them hang.
Mm-hmm.
Is this one of them?
Two packs a day.
Tries to get me to sell him beer.
- The day of the murder?
- Couldn't say.
- You believe that stuff?
- We can be convinced.
It's talk. All these kids
are looking for juice.
- 15 and they need a rep.
- Did you hear Reggie admit to it?
Yeah, that
and 25 other things.
Okay, thanks a lot.
Well, it corroborates
Caleb's story.
It might just be talk.
At least we know Reggie
hangs in the neighborhood.
We got nothing to put
him in that alleyway, though.
Maybe we do.
What size shoe do you
think Reggie wears?
Let's talk to the man
about a warrant.
Yo, you can't be serious, man.
Yo, you can't take
my Michaels, man.
Not both of them, son,
just the left one.
Yo, I got rights.
And we got a warrant.
So give us the shoe now
or you come downtown,
we run it through some tests
and you're out of there.
- With my shoe?
- Depends what we find.
You see this here?
It's kind of blurry...
lighter than over here.
Whoever wears this shoe
over-pronates when he walks.
It's worn away...
uneven.
Similar wear patterns here.
Unfortunately they're
not fingerprints.
What's this?
Running shoes tend
to pick up more pebbles,
glass, et cetera,
et cetera.
Now, is it possible
these two prints
are from the same shoe?
Yes.
Is it probable?
I can't say for sure...
which means I wouldn't be
a very good witness.
Reggie doesn't know that.
Can I borrow these two?
Yo, you're only doing this
because I'm black.
This one was lifted
out of the alley
the day that Ezra Shore
was murdered, Reggie.
So what you want
me to do?
I want you to look
at this one.
It's from your shoe.
Logan:
They're the same.
It proves you were in the alley
at the time of the murder.
Man, go ahead with that.
We have two people who swear
you were bragging about it.
So? That don't
prove nothing.
Yeah, it proves you
stepped in something, Reg.
And it stinks real bad
and it's not going away.
What'd you do?
You killed him for the jewels?
Or 'cause he was Jewish?
Yo, I ain't do anything.
You know what, Reggie?
I personally don't believe you.
Yo, talk
to the deli guy.
I was in there
buying cigarettes.
I didn't know
what was going down.
Who was it, Reggie?
I am talking to you.
Fontaine, man.
Yo, crazy, man.
And Cyrus and Harley.
I came out the store,
they was lighting
him on fire, man.
And beating the living
crap out of him?
What was it?
Baseball bats?
Bricks?
How'd it feel when
you crushed his skull?
Yo, that's bull, man.
To hell with this punk.
25 years is too short
for him.
Yo, look...
yeah, but I just
watched, man.
I swear, I didn't have
nothing against that dude.
And Fontaine did?
Yeah.
He said they should
go back where they came from.
Wait a minute here.
He says his buddies
did the number on Ezra in the alley
and we already know
there's no blood there?
His story may not get 100%
on the stink test, but it's a start.
Mike, I've had month-old
flounder that smelled better.
He knew the MO,
the beating, the fire.
Yeah, so maybe he reads
the newspapers.
Granted, his facts
are a little off,
but the bottom line is
he says he saw
it go down.
We got two uniforms who saw
four kids running from the scene.
Reggie named three names.
If he's completely innocent,
he keeps his mouth shut.
Sure, sitting in a police
interrogation room without
his shoes.
You check out
these homeboys?
We ran their names
and they're clean.
What about the diamonds?
He says he never saw the briefcase.
That could be his buddies.
(phone rings)
Cragen.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
All right, 3:00.
Okay.
Everybody wants
to join the party now.
Cragen:
Yes, we've got a witness.
Only his facts don't
exactly jive with our
forensics report.
How far off-base is he?
With the beating
that Ezra took,
there should have been
blood splatters somewhere,
and we found nothing. Zip.
Which means he wasn't
killed in the alley.
Except Mr. Beggs
said he saw the guys
do the job on the spot.
Suppose the blood
was on garbage
that was destroyed
in the fire.
Could be the kid's
telling the truth.
Well, we've applied
for warrants.
Maybe we'll find
the briefcase or the jewels.
Look, this is not
the only dance on my card.
Typical case, your office
wouldn't even be involved yet.
It's not a typical case.
Ben, I want you to present
this to a grand jury.
There's no way we convict.
Even a mediocre lawyer
gets this tossed.
I'm not talking
about a conviction.
I'm talking about
an indictment.
We get a bill, at least it looks
like we're doing something.
Politics... controlling
the grand jury process?
This is a political office.
The kid says
he's an eyewitness.
We put him at the scene.
This isn't the first time
we get an indictment
and then develop our case
before trial.
You got the names
of these other kids?
Yeah.
Read them their rights.
Turn around!
Fontaine Robinson,
Cyrus Tanner, Harley Monks,
you're under arrest
for the murder of Ezra Shore.
- Who is that?!
- That's harassment!
- Sue us!
- You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
one will be provided for you.
You have the right to remain silent.
If you waive that right,
anything you do say
can and will be used
against you in a court of law.
Take 'em away.
Clerk:
Docket number 776761.
People versus
Fontaine Robinson,
Cyrus Tanner
and Harley Monks.
One count each,
murder in the second degree.
And one count each,
robbery in the first degree.
Is Legal Aid representing these defendants
just for the arraignment?
I'm in it for
the long haul, Your Honor.
Well, give me a plea,
Ms. Langstrom.
Not guilty.
The people are serving
grand jury notice upon the defense
and filing the same
with the Court.
So noted.
What do I hear on bail?
100,000 on each defendant.
Under the circumstances,
Your Honor,
they're teenagers,
it's excessive.
Would it make a difference
if the state asked
for $50,000,
Ms. Langstrom?
Bail is set at $100,000.
Next.
Crumbs don't make
a loaf, Ben.
Only thing this proves
is that Reggie Beggs
and his high-tops were
in the alley at some point.
And Reggie put
your boys with him.
Fine, at best that would
make him an accomplice...
meaning you're
short on corroboration.
The blood under the victim's fingernail
matches Harley Monks'.
It also matches me
and a couple million
others in Manhattan.
Look, you searched
my client's homes,
you ran their clothing
through the lab,
and you came up
with goose eggs...
no baseball bats, no blood tracks.
All show and no tell.
It's enough for the grand
jury to indict.
And I'll have it dismissed
before your head hits the pillow.
With an eyewitness?
I doubt it.
Reggie Beggs went bragging
on the street
that your clients
killed Ezra Shore.
And posturing
constitutes evidence?
Look, you think I don't
know what you're up to?
You and Schiff can put on
your happy faces for the press.
But I'm telling you now,
you go the distance on this,
you can expect a civil rights
suit against the city.
You get the feeling we're scrambling
to catch a train here?
(phone rings)
Hello?
Uh-huh.
What's up?
All right.
Isaac Shore and his lawyer...
they want to meet with us
before the grand jury.
Now you come to us?
The grand jury starts
in 15 minutes.
Ezra was my brother.
Believe me, I want to help.
But I have to visit
my rabbi before I do anything.
It's a matter
of Talmudic law.
There may be a prohibition against
incriminating family members.
Isaac, we've got
three teenagers
suspected of killing
your brother.
How in the world
do you expect...
They were also
charged with robbery.
I assume you're going to ask Isaac
about the diamonds Ezra was carrying
when he left the store.
Of course, but what does that have to do
with your client's family?
Let's assume for a moment
that all the required
duties weren't paid
when those particular diamonds
entered the country.
Mr. Shore's heirs could be
liable for substantial fines.
Give me a couple of days,
we'll check with the rabbi.
It's probably
much ado anyway.
He's scheduled
as second witness.
He's been subpoenaed.
And if he doesn't testify,
you know I can hold him
for contempt.
Yes, I also know
you're not going to do that, Ben.
We could grant the family
transactual immunity.
That's possible, but...
It means whatever
you say on the stand,
no matter how much
you incriminate them,
they can't be charged.
So even if the Talmud
prohibits it...
You're perfectly
in the clear.
Only, tell me, Ben,
are you going to put
Caleb on the stand?
All right, fine.
They both have immunity.
Tashjian:
It was a good two hours
before we settled
on a price... $15,000.
How many stones
were there exactly?
Three sapphires,
one carat each.
The rubies were small.
Half carat, maybe four stones.
And what did Mr. Shore
do with them?
He put them in his briefcase
with his diamonds.
Then what did he do?
He left.
I assume he was
going home to his family.
Isaac:
I know from the ledger
Ezra signed out lot 492.
What was the value
of the diamonds in lot 492?
Retail, maybe $10,000.
Did your brother often
take diamonds from the store?
If he had
business that evening
or early the next
morning, yes.
Mr. Shore,
do you have any idea
who might have
killed your brother?
(clears throat)
Well, I know
Ezra had problems...
in the neighborhood.
Thank you.
It was just Dad,
Bennie, and me.
We got to the park
on 100th.
We used to cut through,
but since the black kids started
hassling us, we go around.
What happened on that
particular day?
These four guys
were hanging there.
The same guys
that we'd seen before.
And they called us names.
You know, Yid, kike.
Stone:
Then what happened?
Caleb:
Dad yelled at them
and he said that...
he'd kick their butts
if they didn't lay off.
I was on Amsterdam
near 93rd.
I went to this deli
to buy a pack of cigarettes.
And then what did you do,
Mr. Beggs?
I went outside
to look for my friends.
And what were
they doing?
They was in a alley.
They were standing
over Mr. Shore.
Cyrus threw
garbage on him.
Fontaine lit him
on fire.
Now, let's back up
a step, Mr. Beggs.
You left the deli,
you went to the alley.
What was the first
thing you saw?
Like I told you,
they lit him on fire.
Mr. Beggs, you testified
under oath
to the police...
that you saw your friends
beat Mr. Shore
and then
set him on fire.
I was scared, man.
I didn't know what to do.
Young man,
are you now telling me
that that was a lie?
Look...
I had to tell
them something.
I seen Fontaine
start the fire, that's it.
That man was already dead
when I got there.
But you also
told Caleb Shore
that your friends
killed his father.
That was just air, man.
You just made this up?
It's like...
I was just trying...
it's about getting juice.
You know, like,
people think you wasted a man,
they step aside
when you walk by.
Do you know what perjury is,
Mr. Beggs?
I'm sorry
we lit him up.
I'm sorry I lied.
You don't believe me,
that's up to you.
A witness changes his story
on the stand, I had to withdraw
the murder case from the grand jury.
I had no choice.
You get a bad lie,
you don't pick up the ball,
walk off the course.
There's no way
the grand jury would indict.
Even if I finished presenting,
they'd "no bill" the kid. Then what?
And then we wouldn't have
some Op-Ed wannabe
write that we're
choosing sides.
Oh, great. Two weeks ago
we were patsies of the Jewish lobby,
now it's the black caucus.
30 years ago, blacks and Jews were
marching together in Selma, Alabama.
Now it's every man
for himself.
You're named as respondent
in this petition for a writ
of mandamus.
Force us to re-present
this case to the grand jury.
Who filed it?
Isaac Shore.
He also wants us to release
the grand jury transcripts.
He's angry. He wants justice.
Talk him out of it.
There was no conspiracy...
no gentlemen's agreement.
The case simply fell through.
My brother was
beaten and burned.
The police have
the boys that did it!
You let them go!
What am I supposed to think?!
That we didn't have enough evidence.
We relied on the wrong witness.
Or that Ezra was
the wrong victim?
Lawyer:
Come on, it's obviously
a whitewash.
Their community leaders
scream louder than ours,
the case mysteriously
disappears.
If and when
we get new evidence
we will resubmit
to the grand jury.
Then what?
Two days later you withdraw?
Stone:
What's your implication?
It's no implication, Ben.
It's an assertion.
We all know if you
wanted an indictment,
you could've gotten one.
- That's nonsense.
- Prove it.
Turn over
those transcripts.
Grand jury proceedings
are secret.
Fine, then we'll proceed
with the writ of mandamus.
And you'll lose.
The decision to resubmit
is entirely within
my discretion.
There's a statutory prohibition against
releasing transcripts.
Not if I can prove
to the judge
there was prosecutorial
misconduct.
These boys killed
my brother.
I will not turn
the other cheek, Mr. Stone.
All right, I'll make
the transcripts available.
Thank you.
I'll send over a messenger.
No, you'll see them
in my office, Mr. Shore.
Mr. Shore has
two families to feed.
We're talking almost
a day's worth of reading.
Who's it going to hurt?
I'll bend the rules
for your client, Mr. Tobis,
I won't break them.
You want to read those transcripts?
Come to One Hogan Place.
The case is summarily withdrawn
from the grand jury.
Isaac's got a legitimate gripe.
Reading the transcripts
is the only way
to convince himself
nothing funny went down.
Exactly, so it shouldn't
matter where he reads them.
Unless someone else wants
to see the transcripts...
the real killers.
Could be this case
has nothing to do with race.
Diamonds. Money.
Greed is always
a good place to start.
Stone:
Let's take a look
at the grieving brother.
The past three months,
cash flow reports show
that Shore Jewelry
bought over $3 million worth
of diamonds.
Not bad in a recession.
Only, during
the same period,
they only carried
2.2 million in insurance.
- What's this have to do with Isaac?
- I'm getting there.
- They bought more diamonds
than they insured?
- $900,000 more.
- Who prepared
the insurance lists?
- Isaac.
He did the books,
too, right?
It could be Isaac was
skimming from the business.
Buying jewels for his own account
with company money.
And Ezra found out?
Isaac killing
his own brother?
I don't know
if I buy that.
Maybe he's not
in this alone?
Hmmm, maybe.
The discrepancies are
too big to be overlooked.
The diamond market
is very complicated.
Inventory is tied
to real market value.
You expect us to believe
you undervalued your inventory
for the purposes of insurance?
If that's
what he says he did.
What I think he did
was steal large sums of money
from his brother.
You think Isaac
killed his brother?
Robinette:
He had motive
and opportunity.
We can make a case.
Stone:
All the evidence points
to you, Mr. Shore.
But we know
you didn't do it alone.
So speak up, and maybe
we can work something out.
Nice try.
Come on, Isaac.
Mike, wait.
I'd like to talk
to my attorney in private.
Almost 20 minutes.
You think Tobis will
let him talk or what?
25 years at Attica,
I think he'll cough up a name.
His lawyer is just
plugging up the loopholes.
I want to say this
for the record.
My client still
has immunity
deriving from his appearance
before the grand jury.
Whatever he says,
you can't touch him.
I'm the one,
Mr. Stone.
I killed Ezra.
I did it alone.
Mr. Shore,
this is a mistake.
You're protecting
someone, why?
Believe whatever
you want.
It's what happened.
We gave him immunity
because he didn't want to testify
about the business.
- We never mentioned the murder.
- The statute covers anything
he talks about.
We gave him immunity
as quid pro quo for his testimony.
He lied.
That's got to break the deal.
- Common sense.
- Common sense has
nothing to do with it.
The man waives his Fifth Amendment
rights by testifying.
Whether he tells
the truth or not.
It doesn't matter.
He's entitled to immunity.
Do you think
he killed his brother?
No, I think he's
protecting someone.
Uh-huh, all right,
then we threaten him
with perjury.
The idea of four years
in Attica
should scare the hell
out of him. He'll talk.
The alternative might
scare him a lot more.
I don't think he's
protecting a friend.
- The man's scared.
- I can't say that I blame him.
- He saw what
happened to his brother.
- The man is desperate enough
to steal from his own family.
Subpoena his
personal records
and find out
who he owes money to.
Adam, banks kill
with a thousand cuts,
not with a whack on the head.
Some lenders are
in a bigger hurry.
Ezra dies,
Isaac gets the business.
It's a very good way
to insure prompt payment.
His bank statements
look clean.
No evidence of regular
payments to anyone.
No withdrawals.
So it's not
about money?
I didn't say that.
Remember the diamonds
Isaac bought but never insured?
They were all purchased
from Joseph Tashjian.
$300,000 worth of sapphires
and rubies each month.
A month later, they were
sold back to Tashjian
at a $10,000 mark-up.
And you don't think Tashjian
is stupid about money?
I don't think the diamonds exist.
It's all paperwork...
smoke and mirrors...
with real money
shuttling back and forth
through bank transfers.
So it's ready
to fluff and fold.
It's a laundry.
Dirty money in, clean money out.
With phony receipts
to make it all look kosher.
They're laundering over
$4 million a year.
The Shore brothers get
$10,000 off every resale?
Their fee for laundering
Tashjian's money.
Tashjian's was the last
place Ezra went.
I'll get a warrant.
Half an hour, my lawyer'll
have an injunction.
- Your butts'll be out of here.
- In a half an hour,
your butt's going to be
in a patrol car if you
don't shut up!
Phil.
You want a Rolex?
Or maybe a Cartier
for the missus?
Looks like,
feels like, sounds like.
A warehouse
full of felonies.
(curses in
foreign language)
Mr. Tashjian produced
counterfeit goods
without the benefit of a license from the
copyright holder.
- He smuggled them into the country.
- It has nothing to do
with my client.
It does under
federal conspiracy laws.
Laundering profits
from an illegal enterprise.
That's tax fraud
and racketeering.
You gave me immunity.
State, not federal.
You don't have a patch
of ground to stand on.
We know Joseph Tashjian
killed your brother.
You don't realize...
my family.
Mr. Shore,
what you don't realize
is we are talking
about racketeering charges here.
You will forfeit
all the proceeds
from your illegal activities.
That's everything, sir.
Cars, homes, cash...
You're blowing smoke, Ben.
You'll never be able
to prove which assets
were bought with bad money.
We don't have to. The burden
of proof is on your client.
We will strip
your family bare.
Ezra took me
into the business.
He paid me as much
as he could.
I don't blame him.
But it wasn't enough
for my family.
So when Joseph Tashjian...
asked me to help him
with his money,
I thought,
"Who could get hurt?"
So your brother Ezra
had no idea
the business was
laundering money?
Not for a whole year.
He rarely looked
at the books.
He trusted me.
And what did he do
when he found out?
He was furious
that I would risk
everything my father
had worked for.
He demanded
that I stop immediately.
He just didn't understand.
What didn't he understand,
Mr. Shore?
He didn't understand...
that I wanted
to stop as well.
That Tashjian
wouldn't let me out.
That he had partners...
dangerous men.
Ezra didn't care.
He wanted to talk
to Tashjian himself.
I warned him.
I told him, "Please!"
I begged him.
Around 9:00 he got a car
and went over to Tashjian's
office anyway.
Stone:
And what did you do?
I followed him.
Please tell the Court
what happened
at Joseph Tashjian's.
Everything
got out of hand.
I tried to calm Joe down,
but he was...
he was ranting
like a crazy man.
He blamed me.
Said we were trying to run him
out of his business.
Tashjian... took a cane.
He was acting
like an animal,
like a savage.
Again and again,
bashing Ezra's head,
his body.
(sobs)
There was
so much blood...
and he
just kept beating...
and beating...
and I just watched.
He killed my brother
and I just watched.
Mr. Shore, why didn't you
tell the police?
I was scared.
So scared that you would've let
three innocent boys go to jail?
Those black boys,
I thought after a while
the charges would be dropped.
And then when they were,
then you confessed
to the crime. Why?
Because he said he
would hurt the family.
He said he would
kill my children, Ezra's children.
Mr. Stone, my family,
that's all I have.
No more questions.
Who owns Shore's Jewelry?
Ezra. My father
gave him the business.
And how much
did Ezra pay you?
$60,000 a year.
And how much money
did you earn last year
from Mr. Tashjian's
money laundering operation?
About $140,000.
And your brother wanted
to take that away, huh?
Must've made you mad.
- Mad enough to kill?
- Objection!
Withdrawn.
Mr. Shore, you admitted
lying to the police.
- Isn't that right?
- Yeah.
- And you lied to your attorney?
- Yes.
- And you lied
to the District Attorney?
- Yes.
And you even lied to the grand jury,
isn't that right?
I was trying to protect my family.
What did you expect me to do?
Do you at all feel responsible
for your brother's death?
- It's possible.
- You confessed to his
murder, didn't you?
If it weren't for you,
your brother would be alive today.
Isn't that correct,
Mr. Shore?
Yes!
Robinette:
He was very compelling.
What more could they want?
If the jury doesn't
believe your eyewitness,
it's all worthless.
Stone:
I think the jury'll understand
Isaac's motive for lying.
They'll see he was scared.
Empathy goes a long way.
And they'll also see
that he neatly avoided
forfeiting all his assets
under RICO by testifying.
You don't believe I can win,
do you?
I believe that you've got
a hell of a mountain to climb
in your summation.
Isaac's lack of credibility
translates
into reasonable doubt.
The jury could find Tashjian
technically not guilty.
We all know
he killed Ezra Shore.
Our knowledge is
a long way from proof.
One witness,
that's all they have.
The victim's brother.
If you fully believe
Isaac Shore is telling the truth,
convict.
Why not?
Isaac Shore lied
to the grand jury,
he lied to his family,
he lied to the police,
to the prosecutors...
at one point
he actually confessed...
to having killed him.
Of course, he could be
telling the truth now.
Sure, it's possible
Joseph Tashjian murdered
Ezra Shore.
You may even think
it's probable.
But in that case,
there's only
one thing you can do.
Your duty is clear.
You must return a verdict
of not guilty...
because in this system,
probably is not
good enough.
You must be convinced
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Isaac Shore has told
so many lies
that it would be
unreasonable
not to doubt
his testimony.
Yes, Isaac Shore should
have come forward immediately
and said that, "Joseph Tashjian
savagely murdered my brother."
And he should have stood up
in the grand jury
and said, "Those three boys
are innocent.
Joseph Tashjian's the killer."
But he didn't do that.
Was he immoral?
Was he evil?
Isaac Shore was terrified.
He'd eyewitnessed
an unspeakable horror...
the brutalization
of a family member.
And it was
his greatest fear
to ever see
that happen again.
So why would Isaac Shore
concoct a story like this?
The fears of Isaac Shore,
they don't make his testimony
any the less credible.
And they certainly don't
make Joseph Tashjian
any the less guilty.
Joseph Tashjian is guilty
of murder in the second degree.
On the sole count
of the indictment,
murder in the second degree,
how does the jury find?
We find the defendant
not guilty.
(crowd murmuring,
shouting)
Quiet in the court.
My father is convinced
everyone is motivated
by fear.
Mine thinks it's greed.
- What do you think?
- That Isaac fell victim to both.
- (gunshot)
- (screaming)
I got it!
I got it!
Man:
Calm down!
All right, everybody, enough!
Are you all right?
Is everybody okay?
(crowd shouting)
(theme music plays)
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.
(police radio chatter)
It's a damn Indian winter.
That's summer, genius.
No such thing
as Indian winter.
Yeah? When it's this cold
this late in the year
it is definitely,
definitely somebody's fault.
Ah, so blame it
on the Native Americans?
You got somebody else
better to blame?
The problem
with the world today...
crap doesn't just happen.
It's gotta be someone's fault.
Yeah, well it keeps us
in business.
Makes a lot of lawyers rich.
Early morning jog?
Five to two
they did something.
It's too cold to find out
exactly what.
(police radio chatter)
Look at this.
It's freezing outside.
What harm could it do?
There's smoke,
maybe there's fire.
Could be a medal
of honor in this.
- Hey, you coming?
- In and out. In and out.
How am I supposed to finish
my morning coffee?
Next lifetime
I'm coming back as a CPA.
No outdoor work...
no work at all before 9:00 a.m.
Come on, Bobby,
it's a damn trash fire.
Bobby:
Trash my ass.
That's a body.
Man:
So far, not a whole lot.
The flame burned evenly...
hardly touched the skin.
Multiple bruises, fractures,
all from a blunt object.
Still, your clothes
are on fire,
you're going to be
doing a rain dance.
This guy was probably
dead before they torched him.
We've also got
a mess of footprints.
See if you can size it.
You caught it?
Just saw the flames
from the car.
- You got any witnesses?
- None standing in line
to be interviewed.
He's beaten, then burned.
He had to scream.
Somebody had to hear.
Look, I don't know
if this means anything,
but a minute or two
before we found the body,
we saw four or five black kids
run by heading uptown.
Yeah, could you
pick 'em out?
The victim's name
is Ezra Shore. He lives
on Columbus Avenue.
I thought this crap
only happened in Brooklyn.
Come again?
You didn't tell him?
The dead guy, he was wearing
one of those... those Jewish
beanie things.
Son, that's
called a yarmulke.
(theme music plays)
He wasn't just beaten,
he was brutalized.
Listen, the smoke
clears on this it's gonna be
Crown Heights revisited.
There is no evidence that this is
any kind of a hate crime, Mike.
Did you get a look
at these photographs?
Two uniforms on the scene
said a bunch of black kids...
Run across the street.
Come on, you've seen
this play out before.
We jump to conclusions,
the press follows our lead,
the waters get so muddy
we never see the bottom.
What do you want to do,
treat it like a mugging?
No, I want to treat it
like a homicide.
We play the usuals.
Family, friends,
business...
But we're just spinning
our wheels we go that way.
Maybe not, Mike.
As you said,
Ezra was brutalized.
That means there should
be blood all over.
But CSU didn't find blood spatters
anywhere near the scene.
So they killed him someplace else
and dumped him in the alley.
Right, but hate crimes
are crimes of fear.
They're spontaneous.
The bodies usually don't get moved.
- And the fire?
- Destroying evidence.
Or sending a message.
You know what might be
helpful here?
If we could find out
a little something
about the departed
Mr. Shore.
It wasn't the fire that killed him.
It was the beating.
Blood-oxygen analysis,
he was dead before they torched him.
You think there were
more than one?
Angle of blows
to the head,
chest... broken vertebrae
in the spine... yeah, I'd say so.
Yeah, that or a Mack truck.
Did he put up a fight?
He didn't go gentle.
Defensive wounds
on the hands and arms.
Fingernail scrapings...
we got some dried blood.
Enough to tell a story?
Not enough to DNA, sorry.
But one of them was type AB.
Hey, that narrows it down.
Well, this is just
a preliminary, Mike.
Ezra called me from the store.
It must have been
around 6:00.
That was the last time
you talked to him?
He said he would be
working late with Isaac.
"Go ahead," he said.
Eat without him.
- Isaac?
- His brother.
What business is your
husband in, Mrs. Shore?
Jewels...
diamonds mostly.
He has his own store
on West 47th Street.
Was business good?
I don't understand.
Well, sometimes if there's
a problem with cash flow,
one might be induced to borrow
money from the wrong people.
My husband did
very well, Detective.
One shouldn't
be saying Yizkor
for a man of 45.
It's the prayer
for the dead.
Do you have any
idea who...?
Well, there was something.
Every now and then
they hassled me and Ben
on the way back from school...
these black kids.
It's no big deal.
- The police should know
everything, Caleb.
- Now they do.
Now, is there a possibility
that your husband was carrying
the jewelry on him, when...?
Anything that would
relate to the business,
you would have to ask Isaac.
He's probably at the shop
closing up right now.
Our father died
15 years ago.
Ezra never
missed a beat.
He took over the business?
Yes. I was independent.
I thought I didn't
need the family.
I learned the hard way.
Six years ago,
Ezra took me in.
Rachel said that you were
here with him last night.
Went over inventories
till maybe about 8:00.
And then?
I left.
If I knew it was going
to be the last time...
We had words.
Had a disagreement over...
purchase orders.
Did he ever carry
the stones on him?
Sure.
He signed out lot 492.
Six stones...
worth probably...
10... 12,000.
I'm sure he had
a late sales meeting.
He often visited clients
after store hours.
You telling me he'd
walk around with that
much in his pocket?
In a briefcase.
It's the way
we do business.
- Do you mind if I look?
- Please.
The meeting...
you know where it was
or with whom?
Ezra lived for his work.
He often visited four or five
clients in an evening.
Your brother use
this car service?
Yes, Miracle Limo.
They're over on 10th.
Used to be you flip
through a couple of pages...
takes two seconds.
Now you've got to boot
the damn machine.
Whatever the hell that is.
Here you go,
Shore Diamonds.
Yesterday,
pick up 9:15 p.m.,
26th West 47th.
- Cerreta: And you dropped him?
- 21st and 7th.
That's a lot of real estate.
You got anything more specific?
Hey, you're lucky I got
the machine turned on.
Yeah, we're lucky.
(elevator bell rings)
Ezra got here
at the earliest at 8:30.
So it has to be
somebody who works late.
See what we got.
Interior design firm,
temp employment agency,
public relations company.
It's a lot of doctors.
Bringing 10 Gs worth of diamonds
to a check-up? I don't think so.
- An accountant?
- Flannigan. Nah.
Here we go,
Summers Estate Sales.
7th floor.
Cerreta:
Top floor, Near East Gems.
Joe Tashjian, President.
Oh my God.
He was a nice man.
I guess I should
call on the family.
Yesterday, Mr. Tashjian,
did you have a meeting
with Ezra Shore?
A meeting, no.
A battle, yes.
You don't talk to Ezra Shore,
you butt heads.
He showed up quarter to 10:00.
Haggled for maybe two hours.
So you bought
his diamonds?
I'm an importer, Detective.
I buy abroad, I sell domestic.
Ezra bought sapphires
and rubies from me.
Bargained me down
to 15 Gs.
- And he left here with them?
- Sure.
- You want a copy?
- Maybe.
Did Ezra say where he
was headed when he left here?
Tried calling his car service
but he couldn't get through.
Said he'd hail a cab
on the corner.
The jewels,
they weren't on the body?
I don't want to be
crude or anything
but the sapphires and the rubies...
they weren't paid for yet.
$10,000 in diamonds,
another 15 in sapphires
and rubies,
and this guy travels
around unprotected?
Do you prefer
he'd carry a piece?
I'd prefer he traveled
by armored car.
Wouldn't have mattered.
You rob someone, you take
the money and run.
You don't hang out
for a beating and a barbecue.
My call is
they were after Ezra.
The diamonds were gravy.
Whatever.
They took the jewels.
We find the jewels,
we find our guys.
We got some lines out
on the local pawns.
13 wedding rings,
half-a-dozen watches,
some gold earrings.
No sapphires, no rubies,
no unmounted diamonds.
Did Ezra Shore have
a kid named Caleb?
- Yeah, why?
- He's in holding.
Seems he did quite a number
on some homeboy's face.
Says here you went after
one Reginald Beggs,
black, 15 years old.
What happened,
Caleb? Hmm?
Is this one of the kids
who bothered you before?
Yeah, sure.
Problem is two witnesses say
you were all over him.
No provocation, nothing.
Caleb, all you have to do
is tell us the truth
and we can help you out.
It's as simple as that.
You know you can't go beating
on every black kid in the city.
What do you want?
The guy killed Dad.
He told you this?
It's all over
the neighborhood.
Those guys were laughing
about Dad dying in an alley.
Laughing doesn't mean
he killed him.
The son of a bitch said
he liked burning him.
He said I was next.
What do you want me to do?
You hassling me and it's
my face that's busted up.
- You're just a perfect
angel, ain't ya?
- You got that!
Caleb Shore says it was you
who did the number
on his old man.
Oh, so I must
be lying then.
Well, tell me this, Reg,
the guy's gonna pop you
for no reason?
You look at them guys?
They look normal to you?
Look, like I said,
I was just hanging.
Next thing you know,
my head's being smashed
into the sidewalk and my nose
ain't attached to my face.
Tuesday morning,
who were you hanging with?
I was here
with my sister...
studying!
I'm gonna be a lawyer.
That's some picture, Reg.
- You had a nice smile.
- Yeah, before he busted up my face.
You mind?
I got a choice?
(police radio chatter)
Used to be you want
to stay alive, you stay
below 86th Street.
Nowadays somebody's just looking
to step into something up there.
This one of the kids
you guys saw that day?
We weren't
really looking.
Well, what about clothes?
Anything?
They were running. Sorry.
That deli
on the corner of 93rd.
Guys like to hang there.
They don't bother me...
my customers. I let them hang.
Mm-hmm.
Is this one of them?
Two packs a day.
Tries to get me to sell him beer.
- The day of the murder?
- Couldn't say.
- You believe that stuff?
- We can be convinced.
It's talk. All these kids
are looking for juice.
- 15 and they need a rep.
- Did you hear Reggie admit to it?
Yeah, that
and 25 other things.
Okay, thanks a lot.
Well, it corroborates
Caleb's story.
It might just be talk.
At least we know Reggie
hangs in the neighborhood.
We got nothing to put
him in that alleyway, though.
Maybe we do.
What size shoe do you
think Reggie wears?
Let's talk to the man
about a warrant.
Yo, you can't be serious, man.
Yo, you can't take
my Michaels, man.
Not both of them, son,
just the left one.
Yo, I got rights.
And we got a warrant.
So give us the shoe now
or you come downtown,
we run it through some tests
and you're out of there.
- With my shoe?
- Depends what we find.
You see this here?
It's kind of blurry...
lighter than over here.
Whoever wears this shoe
over-pronates when he walks.
It's worn away...
uneven.
Similar wear patterns here.
Unfortunately they're
not fingerprints.
What's this?
Running shoes tend
to pick up more pebbles,
glass, et cetera,
et cetera.
Now, is it possible
these two prints
are from the same shoe?
Yes.
Is it probable?
I can't say for sure...
which means I wouldn't be
a very good witness.
Reggie doesn't know that.
Can I borrow these two?
Yo, you're only doing this
because I'm black.
This one was lifted
out of the alley
the day that Ezra Shore
was murdered, Reggie.
So what you want
me to do?
I want you to look
at this one.
It's from your shoe.
Logan:
They're the same.
It proves you were in the alley
at the time of the murder.
Man, go ahead with that.
We have two people who swear
you were bragging about it.
So? That don't
prove nothing.
Yeah, it proves you
stepped in something, Reg.
And it stinks real bad
and it's not going away.
What'd you do?
You killed him for the jewels?
Or 'cause he was Jewish?
Yo, I ain't do anything.
You know what, Reggie?
I personally don't believe you.
Yo, talk
to the deli guy.
I was in there
buying cigarettes.
I didn't know
what was going down.
Who was it, Reggie?
I am talking to you.
Fontaine, man.
Yo, crazy, man.
And Cyrus and Harley.
I came out the store,
they was lighting
him on fire, man.
And beating the living
crap out of him?
What was it?
Baseball bats?
Bricks?
How'd it feel when
you crushed his skull?
Yo, that's bull, man.
To hell with this punk.
25 years is too short
for him.
Yo, look...
yeah, but I just
watched, man.
I swear, I didn't have
nothing against that dude.
And Fontaine did?
Yeah.
He said they should
go back where they came from.
Wait a minute here.
He says his buddies
did the number on Ezra in the alley
and we already know
there's no blood there?
His story may not get 100%
on the stink test, but it's a start.
Mike, I've had month-old
flounder that smelled better.
He knew the MO,
the beating, the fire.
Yeah, so maybe he reads
the newspapers.
Granted, his facts
are a little off,
but the bottom line is
he says he saw
it go down.
We got two uniforms who saw
four kids running from the scene.
Reggie named three names.
If he's completely innocent,
he keeps his mouth shut.
Sure, sitting in a police
interrogation room without
his shoes.
You check out
these homeboys?
We ran their names
and they're clean.
What about the diamonds?
He says he never saw the briefcase.
That could be his buddies.
(phone rings)
Cragen.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
All right, 3:00.
Okay.
Everybody wants
to join the party now.
Cragen:
Yes, we've got a witness.
Only his facts don't
exactly jive with our
forensics report.
How far off-base is he?
With the beating
that Ezra took,
there should have been
blood splatters somewhere,
and we found nothing. Zip.
Which means he wasn't
killed in the alley.
Except Mr. Beggs
said he saw the guys
do the job on the spot.
Suppose the blood
was on garbage
that was destroyed
in the fire.
Could be the kid's
telling the truth.
Well, we've applied
for warrants.
Maybe we'll find
the briefcase or the jewels.
Look, this is not
the only dance on my card.
Typical case, your office
wouldn't even be involved yet.
It's not a typical case.
Ben, I want you to present
this to a grand jury.
There's no way we convict.
Even a mediocre lawyer
gets this tossed.
I'm not talking
about a conviction.
I'm talking about
an indictment.
We get a bill, at least it looks
like we're doing something.
Politics... controlling
the grand jury process?
This is a political office.
The kid says
he's an eyewitness.
We put him at the scene.
This isn't the first time
we get an indictment
and then develop our case
before trial.
You got the names
of these other kids?
Yeah.
Read them their rights.
Turn around!
Fontaine Robinson,
Cyrus Tanner, Harley Monks,
you're under arrest
for the murder of Ezra Shore.
- Who is that?!
- That's harassment!
- Sue us!
- You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
one will be provided for you.
You have the right to remain silent.
If you waive that right,
anything you do say
can and will be used
against you in a court of law.
Take 'em away.
Clerk:
Docket number 776761.
People versus
Fontaine Robinson,
Cyrus Tanner
and Harley Monks.
One count each,
murder in the second degree.
And one count each,
robbery in the first degree.
Is Legal Aid representing these defendants
just for the arraignment?
I'm in it for
the long haul, Your Honor.
Well, give me a plea,
Ms. Langstrom.
Not guilty.
The people are serving
grand jury notice upon the defense
and filing the same
with the Court.
So noted.
What do I hear on bail?
100,000 on each defendant.
Under the circumstances,
Your Honor,
they're teenagers,
it's excessive.
Would it make a difference
if the state asked
for $50,000,
Ms. Langstrom?
Bail is set at $100,000.
Next.
Crumbs don't make
a loaf, Ben.
Only thing this proves
is that Reggie Beggs
and his high-tops were
in the alley at some point.
And Reggie put
your boys with him.
Fine, at best that would
make him an accomplice...
meaning you're
short on corroboration.
The blood under the victim's fingernail
matches Harley Monks'.
It also matches me
and a couple million
others in Manhattan.
Look, you searched
my client's homes,
you ran their clothing
through the lab,
and you came up
with goose eggs...
no baseball bats, no blood tracks.
All show and no tell.
It's enough for the grand
jury to indict.
And I'll have it dismissed
before your head hits the pillow.
With an eyewitness?
I doubt it.
Reggie Beggs went bragging
on the street
that your clients
killed Ezra Shore.
And posturing
constitutes evidence?
Look, you think I don't
know what you're up to?
You and Schiff can put on
your happy faces for the press.
But I'm telling you now,
you go the distance on this,
you can expect a civil rights
suit against the city.
You get the feeling we're scrambling
to catch a train here?
(phone rings)
Hello?
Uh-huh.
What's up?
All right.
Isaac Shore and his lawyer...
they want to meet with us
before the grand jury.
Now you come to us?
The grand jury starts
in 15 minutes.
Ezra was my brother.
Believe me, I want to help.
But I have to visit
my rabbi before I do anything.
It's a matter
of Talmudic law.
There may be a prohibition against
incriminating family members.
Isaac, we've got
three teenagers
suspected of killing
your brother.
How in the world
do you expect...
They were also
charged with robbery.
I assume you're going to ask Isaac
about the diamonds Ezra was carrying
when he left the store.
Of course, but what does that have to do
with your client's family?
Let's assume for a moment
that all the required
duties weren't paid
when those particular diamonds
entered the country.
Mr. Shore's heirs could be
liable for substantial fines.
Give me a couple of days,
we'll check with the rabbi.
It's probably
much ado anyway.
He's scheduled
as second witness.
He's been subpoenaed.
And if he doesn't testify,
you know I can hold him
for contempt.
Yes, I also know
you're not going to do that, Ben.
We could grant the family
transactual immunity.
That's possible, but...
It means whatever
you say on the stand,
no matter how much
you incriminate them,
they can't be charged.
So even if the Talmud
prohibits it...
You're perfectly
in the clear.
Only, tell me, Ben,
are you going to put
Caleb on the stand?
All right, fine.
They both have immunity.
Tashjian:
It was a good two hours
before we settled
on a price... $15,000.
How many stones
were there exactly?
Three sapphires,
one carat each.
The rubies were small.
Half carat, maybe four stones.
And what did Mr. Shore
do with them?
He put them in his briefcase
with his diamonds.
Then what did he do?
He left.
I assume he was
going home to his family.
Isaac:
I know from the ledger
Ezra signed out lot 492.
What was the value
of the diamonds in lot 492?
Retail, maybe $10,000.
Did your brother often
take diamonds from the store?
If he had
business that evening
or early the next
morning, yes.
Mr. Shore,
do you have any idea
who might have
killed your brother?
(clears throat)
Well, I know
Ezra had problems...
in the neighborhood.
Thank you.
It was just Dad,
Bennie, and me.
We got to the park
on 100th.
We used to cut through,
but since the black kids started
hassling us, we go around.
What happened on that
particular day?
These four guys
were hanging there.
The same guys
that we'd seen before.
And they called us names.
You know, Yid, kike.
Stone:
Then what happened?
Caleb:
Dad yelled at them
and he said that...
he'd kick their butts
if they didn't lay off.
I was on Amsterdam
near 93rd.
I went to this deli
to buy a pack of cigarettes.
And then what did you do,
Mr. Beggs?
I went outside
to look for my friends.
And what were
they doing?
They was in a alley.
They were standing
over Mr. Shore.
Cyrus threw
garbage on him.
Fontaine lit him
on fire.
Now, let's back up
a step, Mr. Beggs.
You left the deli,
you went to the alley.
What was the first
thing you saw?
Like I told you,
they lit him on fire.
Mr. Beggs, you testified
under oath
to the police...
that you saw your friends
beat Mr. Shore
and then
set him on fire.
I was scared, man.
I didn't know what to do.
Young man,
are you now telling me
that that was a lie?
Look...
I had to tell
them something.
I seen Fontaine
start the fire, that's it.
That man was already dead
when I got there.
But you also
told Caleb Shore
that your friends
killed his father.
That was just air, man.
You just made this up?
It's like...
I was just trying...
it's about getting juice.
You know, like,
people think you wasted a man,
they step aside
when you walk by.
Do you know what perjury is,
Mr. Beggs?
I'm sorry
we lit him up.
I'm sorry I lied.
You don't believe me,
that's up to you.
A witness changes his story
on the stand, I had to withdraw
the murder case from the grand jury.
I had no choice.
You get a bad lie,
you don't pick up the ball,
walk off the course.
There's no way
the grand jury would indict.
Even if I finished presenting,
they'd "no bill" the kid. Then what?
And then we wouldn't have
some Op-Ed wannabe
write that we're
choosing sides.
Oh, great. Two weeks ago
we were patsies of the Jewish lobby,
now it's the black caucus.
30 years ago, blacks and Jews were
marching together in Selma, Alabama.
Now it's every man
for himself.
You're named as respondent
in this petition for a writ
of mandamus.
Force us to re-present
this case to the grand jury.
Who filed it?
Isaac Shore.
He also wants us to release
the grand jury transcripts.
He's angry. He wants justice.
Talk him out of it.
There was no conspiracy...
no gentlemen's agreement.
The case simply fell through.
My brother was
beaten and burned.
The police have
the boys that did it!
You let them go!
What am I supposed to think?!
That we didn't have enough evidence.
We relied on the wrong witness.
Or that Ezra was
the wrong victim?
Lawyer:
Come on, it's obviously
a whitewash.
Their community leaders
scream louder than ours,
the case mysteriously
disappears.
If and when
we get new evidence
we will resubmit
to the grand jury.
Then what?
Two days later you withdraw?
Stone:
What's your implication?
It's no implication, Ben.
It's an assertion.
We all know if you
wanted an indictment,
you could've gotten one.
- That's nonsense.
- Prove it.
Turn over
those transcripts.
Grand jury proceedings
are secret.
Fine, then we'll proceed
with the writ of mandamus.
And you'll lose.
The decision to resubmit
is entirely within
my discretion.
There's a statutory prohibition against
releasing transcripts.
Not if I can prove
to the judge
there was prosecutorial
misconduct.
These boys killed
my brother.
I will not turn
the other cheek, Mr. Stone.
All right, I'll make
the transcripts available.
Thank you.
I'll send over a messenger.
No, you'll see them
in my office, Mr. Shore.
Mr. Shore has
two families to feed.
We're talking almost
a day's worth of reading.
Who's it going to hurt?
I'll bend the rules
for your client, Mr. Tobis,
I won't break them.
You want to read those transcripts?
Come to One Hogan Place.
The case is summarily withdrawn
from the grand jury.
Isaac's got a legitimate gripe.
Reading the transcripts
is the only way
to convince himself
nothing funny went down.
Exactly, so it shouldn't
matter where he reads them.
Unless someone else wants
to see the transcripts...
the real killers.
Could be this case
has nothing to do with race.
Diamonds. Money.
Greed is always
a good place to start.
Stone:
Let's take a look
at the grieving brother.
The past three months,
cash flow reports show
that Shore Jewelry
bought over $3 million worth
of diamonds.
Not bad in a recession.
Only, during
the same period,
they only carried
2.2 million in insurance.
- What's this have to do with Isaac?
- I'm getting there.
- They bought more diamonds
than they insured?
- $900,000 more.
- Who prepared
the insurance lists?
- Isaac.
He did the books,
too, right?
It could be Isaac was
skimming from the business.
Buying jewels for his own account
with company money.
And Ezra found out?
Isaac killing
his own brother?
I don't know
if I buy that.
Maybe he's not
in this alone?
Hmmm, maybe.
The discrepancies are
too big to be overlooked.
The diamond market
is very complicated.
Inventory is tied
to real market value.
You expect us to believe
you undervalued your inventory
for the purposes of insurance?
If that's
what he says he did.
What I think he did
was steal large sums of money
from his brother.
You think Isaac
killed his brother?
Robinette:
He had motive
and opportunity.
We can make a case.
Stone:
All the evidence points
to you, Mr. Shore.
But we know
you didn't do it alone.
So speak up, and maybe
we can work something out.
Nice try.
Come on, Isaac.
Mike, wait.
I'd like to talk
to my attorney in private.
Almost 20 minutes.
You think Tobis will
let him talk or what?
25 years at Attica,
I think he'll cough up a name.
His lawyer is just
plugging up the loopholes.
I want to say this
for the record.
My client still
has immunity
deriving from his appearance
before the grand jury.
Whatever he says,
you can't touch him.
I'm the one,
Mr. Stone.
I killed Ezra.
I did it alone.
Mr. Shore,
this is a mistake.
You're protecting
someone, why?
Believe whatever
you want.
It's what happened.
We gave him immunity
because he didn't want to testify
about the business.
- We never mentioned the murder.
- The statute covers anything
he talks about.
We gave him immunity
as quid pro quo for his testimony.
He lied.
That's got to break the deal.
- Common sense.
- Common sense has
nothing to do with it.
The man waives his Fifth Amendment
rights by testifying.
Whether he tells
the truth or not.
It doesn't matter.
He's entitled to immunity.
Do you think
he killed his brother?
No, I think he's
protecting someone.
Uh-huh, all right,
then we threaten him
with perjury.
The idea of four years
in Attica
should scare the hell
out of him. He'll talk.
The alternative might
scare him a lot more.
I don't think he's
protecting a friend.
- The man's scared.
- I can't say that I blame him.
- He saw what
happened to his brother.
- The man is desperate enough
to steal from his own family.
Subpoena his
personal records
and find out
who he owes money to.
Adam, banks kill
with a thousand cuts,
not with a whack on the head.
Some lenders are
in a bigger hurry.
Ezra dies,
Isaac gets the business.
It's a very good way
to insure prompt payment.
His bank statements
look clean.
No evidence of regular
payments to anyone.
No withdrawals.
So it's not
about money?
I didn't say that.
Remember the diamonds
Isaac bought but never insured?
They were all purchased
from Joseph Tashjian.
$300,000 worth of sapphires
and rubies each month.
A month later, they were
sold back to Tashjian
at a $10,000 mark-up.
And you don't think Tashjian
is stupid about money?
I don't think the diamonds exist.
It's all paperwork...
smoke and mirrors...
with real money
shuttling back and forth
through bank transfers.
So it's ready
to fluff and fold.
It's a laundry.
Dirty money in, clean money out.
With phony receipts
to make it all look kosher.
They're laundering over
$4 million a year.
The Shore brothers get
$10,000 off every resale?
Their fee for laundering
Tashjian's money.
Tashjian's was the last
place Ezra went.
I'll get a warrant.
Half an hour, my lawyer'll
have an injunction.
- Your butts'll be out of here.
- In a half an hour,
your butt's going to be
in a patrol car if you
don't shut up!
Phil.
You want a Rolex?
Or maybe a Cartier
for the missus?
Looks like,
feels like, sounds like.
A warehouse
full of felonies.
(curses in
foreign language)
Mr. Tashjian produced
counterfeit goods
without the benefit of a license from the
copyright holder.
- He smuggled them into the country.
- It has nothing to do
with my client.
It does under
federal conspiracy laws.
Laundering profits
from an illegal enterprise.
That's tax fraud
and racketeering.
You gave me immunity.
State, not federal.
You don't have a patch
of ground to stand on.
We know Joseph Tashjian
killed your brother.
You don't realize...
my family.
Mr. Shore,
what you don't realize
is we are talking
about racketeering charges here.
You will forfeit
all the proceeds
from your illegal activities.
That's everything, sir.
Cars, homes, cash...
You're blowing smoke, Ben.
You'll never be able
to prove which assets
were bought with bad money.
We don't have to. The burden
of proof is on your client.
We will strip
your family bare.
Ezra took me
into the business.
He paid me as much
as he could.
I don't blame him.
But it wasn't enough
for my family.
So when Joseph Tashjian...
asked me to help him
with his money,
I thought,
"Who could get hurt?"
So your brother Ezra
had no idea
the business was
laundering money?
Not for a whole year.
He rarely looked
at the books.
He trusted me.
And what did he do
when he found out?
He was furious
that I would risk
everything my father
had worked for.
He demanded
that I stop immediately.
He just didn't understand.
What didn't he understand,
Mr. Shore?
He didn't understand...
that I wanted
to stop as well.
That Tashjian
wouldn't let me out.
That he had partners...
dangerous men.
Ezra didn't care.
He wanted to talk
to Tashjian himself.
I warned him.
I told him, "Please!"
I begged him.
Around 9:00 he got a car
and went over to Tashjian's
office anyway.
Stone:
And what did you do?
I followed him.
Please tell the Court
what happened
at Joseph Tashjian's.
Everything
got out of hand.
I tried to calm Joe down,
but he was...
he was ranting
like a crazy man.
He blamed me.
Said we were trying to run him
out of his business.
Tashjian... took a cane.
He was acting
like an animal,
like a savage.
Again and again,
bashing Ezra's head,
his body.
(sobs)
There was
so much blood...
and he
just kept beating...
and beating...
and I just watched.
He killed my brother
and I just watched.
Mr. Shore, why didn't you
tell the police?
I was scared.
So scared that you would've let
three innocent boys go to jail?
Those black boys,
I thought after a while
the charges would be dropped.
And then when they were,
then you confessed
to the crime. Why?
Because he said he
would hurt the family.
He said he would
kill my children, Ezra's children.
Mr. Stone, my family,
that's all I have.
No more questions.
Who owns Shore's Jewelry?
Ezra. My father
gave him the business.
And how much
did Ezra pay you?
$60,000 a year.
And how much money
did you earn last year
from Mr. Tashjian's
money laundering operation?
About $140,000.
And your brother wanted
to take that away, huh?
Must've made you mad.
- Mad enough to kill?
- Objection!
Withdrawn.
Mr. Shore, you admitted
lying to the police.
- Isn't that right?
- Yeah.
- And you lied to your attorney?
- Yes.
- And you lied
to the District Attorney?
- Yes.
And you even lied to the grand jury,
isn't that right?
I was trying to protect my family.
What did you expect me to do?
Do you at all feel responsible
for your brother's death?
- It's possible.
- You confessed to his
murder, didn't you?
If it weren't for you,
your brother would be alive today.
Isn't that correct,
Mr. Shore?
Yes!
Robinette:
He was very compelling.
What more could they want?
If the jury doesn't
believe your eyewitness,
it's all worthless.
Stone:
I think the jury'll understand
Isaac's motive for lying.
They'll see he was scared.
Empathy goes a long way.
And they'll also see
that he neatly avoided
forfeiting all his assets
under RICO by testifying.
You don't believe I can win,
do you?
I believe that you've got
a hell of a mountain to climb
in your summation.
Isaac's lack of credibility
translates
into reasonable doubt.
The jury could find Tashjian
technically not guilty.
We all know
he killed Ezra Shore.
Our knowledge is
a long way from proof.
One witness,
that's all they have.
The victim's brother.
If you fully believe
Isaac Shore is telling the truth,
convict.
Why not?
Isaac Shore lied
to the grand jury,
he lied to his family,
he lied to the police,
to the prosecutors...
at one point
he actually confessed...
to having killed him.
Of course, he could be
telling the truth now.
Sure, it's possible
Joseph Tashjian murdered
Ezra Shore.
You may even think
it's probable.
But in that case,
there's only
one thing you can do.
Your duty is clear.
You must return a verdict
of not guilty...
because in this system,
probably is not
good enough.
You must be convinced
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Isaac Shore has told
so many lies
that it would be
unreasonable
not to doubt
his testimony.
Yes, Isaac Shore should
have come forward immediately
and said that, "Joseph Tashjian
savagely murdered my brother."
And he should have stood up
in the grand jury
and said, "Those three boys
are innocent.
Joseph Tashjian's the killer."
But he didn't do that.
Was he immoral?
Was he evil?
Isaac Shore was terrified.
He'd eyewitnessed
an unspeakable horror...
the brutalization
of a family member.
And it was
his greatest fear
to ever see
that happen again.
So why would Isaac Shore
concoct a story like this?
The fears of Isaac Shore,
they don't make his testimony
any the less credible.
And they certainly don't
make Joseph Tashjian
any the less guilty.
Joseph Tashjian is guilty
of murder in the second degree.
On the sole count
of the indictment,
murder in the second degree,
how does the jury find?
We find the defendant
not guilty.
(crowd murmuring,
shouting)
Quiet in the court.
My father is convinced
everyone is motivated
by fear.
Mine thinks it's greed.
- What do you think?
- That Isaac fell victim to both.
- (gunshot)
- (screaming)
I got it!
I got it!
Man:
Calm down!
All right, everybody, enough!
Are you all right?
Is everybody okay?
(crowd shouting)
(theme music plays)