Law & Order 1x11

1. by two separate yet equally important groups:

2. the police, who investigate crime

3. and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.

4. These are their stories.

5. Come on, babe.

6. Riles.

7. Come on.

8. Oh, my God.

9. What do we got?

10. 16-year-old found next to a Dumpster.

11. Disoriented, racial stuff scrawled all over her.

12. Raped?

13. Not sure yet, I'd say more than likely.

14. She's been pretty unresponsive so far.

15. You get the EMT results?

16. They're just finishing up.

17. Got a name?

18. Astrea Crawford.

19. Thanks.

20. Excuse me.

21. Who's at the scene?

22. Patrini and Hanson.

23. Anybody get pictures of that?

24. Hey, hey.

25. You want to hold on to those?

26. We're going to need to bag them.

27. Astrea?

28. I'm Sergeant Greevey.

29. This here is Detective Logan.

30. We're here to find out what happened to you.

31. It's okay.

32. It's all right.

33. Astrea, can you open your eyes?

34. Mm-mm.

35. I think you can if you try.

36. No one here's going to hurt you.

37. They can't help you if you don't tell them what happened.

38. Now, come on, open your eyes.

39. You did it once before.

40. Come on.

41. Okay.

42. Okay, that's a start.

43. Sweetheart, do you know who attacked you?

44. Mm-hmm.

45. Can you tell us who it is?

46. Mm-mm.

47. Astrea, I'm going to give the nurse my pad.

48. She's going to hold it for you.

49. What I want you to do

50. is to write down who did it.

51. What?

52. Captioning sponsored by NBC/Universal

53. No discernible contusions.

54. Traumatized, disoriented.

55. EMT's original Glasgow coma was off.

56. It should be ten to 12.

57. Did you administer a rape kit?

58. I didn't see any bleeding or bruises in the perineal.

59. Humor me. Just do one.

60. She hasn't stated she's been raped.

61. She hasn't stated that she hasn't been either.

62. Dr. Kirtchey, you're wanted in emergency.

63. Dr. Kirtchey, you're wanted in emergency.

64. FBI should be notified

65. at least to cover the civil rights vios.

66. Media catches a sniff... whew.

67. If these guys turn out to be ours, I want them fast.

68. You order a kit?

69. Yeah.

70. Good, what else?

71. I requested a rape intervention specialist.

72. She's already there.

73. What about parents?

74. Mother arrived just as I was leaving.

75. Mike's with her and the specialist now.

76. Nothing more from the girl?

77. No.

78. I figure to give her a day to let her calm down.

79. I just knew something bad had happened this time.

80. She stay away from home before, ma'am?

81. Usually only for a night if things were bad at home.

82. Were things bad?

83. We just didn't want her seeing this particular boy.

84. Who is that?

85. Don't know.

86. Only, um... Hill?

87. Mike.

88. Excuse me.

89. Anything?

90. She didn't even file a missing persons report

91. until last night.

92. Three days?

93. One of my kids is 15 minutes late

94. and I go through the roof.

95. Are you finished here?

96. I'd like to get her with her daughter.

97. How long can you stay with her?

98. Long as it takes.

99. If she comes out with anything at all—

100. location, names— even if it sounds like nonsense, call us.

101. I know the drill, Sergeant.

102. And when the press comes sniffing around on this,

103. nothing goes to them that might jeopardize this investigation.

104. In other words, don't say anything.

105. I didn't know she was gone.

106. They pretty much keep to themselves.

107. You don't know of any fights or arguments

108. they may have had lately?

109. Why? You ain't got none in your house?

110. Ma'am, do you know a young man

111. last name Hill that Astrea

112. was supposedly seeing?

113. Never heard.

114. You know any of the friends she hangs out with?

115. I got enough taking care of my own.

116. She did used to run with this girl down the hall,

117. but they moved— the projects up on 109th.

118. You know her last name?

119. Hardison? Leona, I think?

120. This one fits.

121. Leona Hardison.

122. Hey, hey, come on.

123. I just want to ask you a few questions.

124. I don't talk to the man.

125. You know Astrea Crawford?

126. Maybe.

127. You know she's been missing?

128. What kind of missing?

129. Attacked missing.

130. Maybe raped missing.

131. So you say.

132. You don't seem too upset by that.

133. Me and her, we don't hang no more.

134. Still...

135. No still, Bill.

136. We fell out.

137. Over a guy?

138. Do I look like I would lose a guy to her?

139. You know her friend Hill?

140. Yeah.

141. You want to give us his first name?

142. Jordan.

143. So where can we find Mr. Jordan Hill, Leona?

144. Well, if he's out of jail,

145. he be doing community service.

146. Remember a kid named Jordan Hill?

147. You got to be kidding.

148. Any given day, I get 175 actives.

149. If it ain't multiple homicide,

150. best I can domaybe is notes on the day of the bust.

151. If we're lucky, we get them to run through

152. the day or days prior to the crime,

153. see where they screwed up.

154. You saw Hill after the arraignment.

155. Yeah, I managed to slide him into a detox space.

156. He ever mention anything about a girl named Astrea Crawford?

157. Sorry.

158. Ba-bing.

159. He says he spent the early afternoon with her

160. the day he was arrested.

161. That's him over there.

162. Got a good job here, Jordan.

163. 500 hours of community service?

164. Hell of a job.

165. What do you want?

166. Seen Astrea lately?

167. Why, is she in trouble?

168. When was the last time you saw her?

169. Four or five days.

170. I want to know if Astrea's okay.

171. Where was that?

172. Some hang on 103.

173. Specifically what day, Jordan?

174. I don't know.

175. Hey, hey, don't grease us, okay?

176. I am not in the mood.

177. Now was she with you

178. the day you got busted in the sweep?

179. I don't know.

180. You know, we pulled your yellow sheet, Jordan.

181. Now the last time you got busted for crack,

182. you got a nice, little program.

183. Courts are full of people

184. who'd like to take your place.

185. Mike, Mr. Hill's had a tough week.

186. Give me your hand.

187. What?

188. Give me your hand.

189. Remember the day, Jordan, and call me.

190. Before quitting time.

191. in this dump? ested

192. Snow cone in hell we find anything

193. to place her in here.

194. Might as well call forensics in anyway.

195. What do you expect to find, Max?

196. This place is going to be a nightmare for a team.

197. They got prints in here going back to the Civil War.

198. Maybe we'll get the goods

199. on the guy who killed Lincoln.

200. Anyway, it's all we got.

201. Procedure.

202. Let's go see if the girl's calmed down any.

203. Dr. Miller, 3541. Dr. Miller, 3541.

204. I'm sorry, gentlemen, there are no visitors at this time.

205. Consider your job well done.

206. You got a second?

207. The family has hired itself an advisor.

208. Everything's got to run through him at this point.

209. What?

210. You may have some trouble

211. getting statements out of the girl.

212. Why's that?

213. Are you familiar with the good Ronald Eaton?

214. Congressman Ronald Eaton?

215. Great.

216. No crime scene,

217. no physical evidence, no witnesses,

218. holes appearing by the hour, a mute vic

219. and now we've got "Mr. Civil Rights Sound Bite"

220. putting on his makeup.

221. housekeeping to 409. Housekeeping to 409,

222. Problem, Detective?

223. Sergeant Greevey.

224. This is Detective Logan.

225. Yes, I have problems

226. when prevented from doing my job, Congressman.

227. I suffer the same frustrations, Sergeant.

228. Meaning?

229. My concern is with the girl—

230. that her cries for justice are not steamrolled

231. by the old white boy power structure.

232. Well, it's a little premature

233. to be shouting cover-up, isn't it?

234. Premature.

235. Yeah.

236. How many black homicide cases

237. does your precinct not clear every year, Detective?

238. And how many white cases?

239. You've seen the numbers.

240. Don't tell me what premature is.

241. And you think withholding pertinent information

242. in this case is going to change all that?

243. I think it will get the attention

244. of state and federal authorities.

245. The FBI's already been notified

246. about any potential civil rights violations.

247. That just means they'll be looking over your shoulder.

248. I want them staring you in the face.

249. Keep away from us.

250. We don't need no help from no white cops here.

251. Lester, please.

252. Excuse me.

253. Oh, uh...

254. One "G" in Logan, am I right?

255. Yeah. Why?

256. Hate for you gentlemen

257. to see your names misspelled in the papers.

258. Dr. MacKenzie, 2943, Dr. MacKenzie...

259. Messengered in this morning.

260. Eaton wants a photo array.

261. All the white cops

262. working or residing on the Upper West Side?

263. He can't be serious.

264. This guy's got stones, huh?

265. Except for his mouth, the good congressman's got squat.

266. If there are wrong cops in this precinct,

267. I want them as bad as he does.

268. But I will be damned if he's going

269. to put every cop on the force on trial for this.

270. What if he goes over your head?

271. Probably already has.

272. But, until I hear differently,

273. we conduct this like any other investigation.

274. We got anything on the parents?

275. Model citizens.

276. Mother's an X-ray technician.

277. Father's a cab driver, deacon of his church.

278. Not even a traffic ticket.

279. What about the FBI?

280. They're monitoring, waiting on results from the rape kit.

281. When's that girl due to be released?

282. Tomorrow morning.

283. I want her in here before noon for questioning.

284. With or without Eaton?

285. Without. He is not her lawyer.

286. He has a problem with that, he takes an obstruction charge.

287. Let him see what his spin doctors can do with that.

288. Ooh, man...

289. You care to elaborate on that, Detective?

290. I'm just wondering how much gas this fire can take.

291. Meaning what?

292. Meaning she's the victim

293. and we're treating her like a suspect.

294. Let's keep this low profile.

295. I don't want you guys out of the car

296. unless a riot's about to start.

297. She already told you once.

298. She's not here.

299. Mr. Crawford, come on, we just want to ask a few questions.

300. The longer we wait,

301. the greater the chances of her forgetting details.

302. Good, I'm glad to see

303. you've got her best interests at heart.

304. The congressman told us

305. that you'd be coming here to get her.

306. Told us that you would grind her up,

307. so you could bury her story.

308. He told us...

309. It's okay, baby. It's okay.

310. Mrs. Crawford, I'm sure

311. that whatever Congressman Eaton told you

312. was well-intentioned, but...

313. Well, you can't get to her now.

314. You can't touch her.

315. The police raped my baby.

316. Killed her inside.

317. He told us that you'd be coming here

318. with your filthy hands to protect your own.

319. Well, you can't get her!

320. She's safe now. Do you understand?

321. You can't get her.

322. She's safe, you hear?

323. You satisfied?

324. You think you got some kind of license

325. to come and do this kind of crap?

326. To rip open people's lives?

327. The parents don't trust the police.

328. Of course not.

329. That's because Eaton's involved.

330. I give the bastard an hour

331. to have the press out in full force.

332. Didn't know you knew the man.

333. Since the King assassination.

334. Back when he was Uhuru Eaton.

335. Staged a sit-in at City Hall.

336. Demanded 100 buses

337. to take people to the funeral.

338. Not the worst reason in the world to have a sit-in.

339. That's what I thought, right up until he told me

340. he was going to burn the place down

341. if he didn't get exactly what he wanted.

342. Things got out of control.

343. People got hurt.

344. The man is dangerous.

345. See what... what's-her-name, the rape specialist's got, huh?

346. I'm out of the loop.

347. Your choice?

348. Let's just say I'm not about to jump on Eaton's bandwagon.

349. Where's he taking this thing you think?

350. Off the record?

351. I'm sure he's got some sort of political agenda.

352. He always does.

353. Whether Astrea was raped or not

354. has taken a back seat.

355. You don't know if she was raped?

356. You got the lab reports.

357. You tell me.

358. End of business today.

359. Something happened to her,

360. but I'll be surprised if the kit comes back positive.

361. All right, suppose, for whatever

362. dime-store psychology reason, it is a hoax.

363. She had to stay somewhere for three days.

364. I know where you're going, Max,

365. and if you're thinking the boyfriend,

366. I'm telling you, the crack house will get us nowhere.

367. Even if we're lucky with forensics,

368. I doubt they'll be able to time-frame it.

369. At best, it will be weak circumstantial evidence.

370. How about we just get on the board

371. before we start second-guessing evidence we don't have.

372. So, Max, I was up till 2:00 in the morning last night

373. watching one of those old Chaplin films.

374. Modern Times?

375. No wonder you drag your butt until noon.

376. What do you want?

377. Only had half the bed.

378. You still dragging things home?

379. Hey, this one's different, man, really.

380. She's an NYU film student.

381. She's really, really smart.

382. Right, let me guess.

383. She wears a lot of black.

384. She likes cops.

385. She says it makes her feel connected to real life.

386. Oh, she loves guns.

387. Oh? Snub-noses too?

388. Max, Captain Cragen just called.

389. Said, quote,

390. "Get in. It's really hit the fan."

391. where Congressman Eaton our live mini-cam,

392. Baptist church a sanctuary. has declared the former

393. So Eaton has no legal grounds?

394. No. Sanctuary doesn't apply,

395. and it certainly doesn't apply

396. if the building isn't even a church.

397. But that doesn't change people's perceptions.

398. It used to be a church.

399. You yank her in for questioning now,

400. we'll have a massive backlash on our hands.

401. What?

402. Yeah, put him through.

403. Max, what the hell is going on?

404. Ten minutes.

405. I think we better get over there.

406. You've heard the expression

407. "taking the law into your own hands."

408. These are your hands.

409. Is this a government of the people?

410. No!

411. Are you the people?

412. Yes!

413. Then you are the government.

414. Three rings.

415. Eaton's doing his Barnum imitation.

416. 3:00— Just in time for the evening news.

417. Why don't we lose the squad cars,

418. and downplay the entire thing.

419. That solve your perception problem?

420. I say we go on up and haul her butt in.

421. If we don't, it's gonna look

422. like he's got a jackpot on the names

423. and the entire force is on the run.

424. Eaton has named cops?

425. Teal and Rudolph,

426. couple of night shift uniforms from 73.

427. Don't know them.

428. I'm advising you not to go in, Captain.

429. Max, I want you to go make the congressman an offer.

430. Let him know you're here only to talk.

431. You're offering to hear Astrea's side of the story

432. but it's got to come from the girl, nobody else.

433. You know him.

434. You should go talk to him.

435. Max, I hate the man.

436. Captain...

437. Forget it.

438. I want you to go on in

439. but no arrests, no removal for questioning.

440. You're making a mistake.

441. those changes were not prompted by apathy

442. by laziness, by acceptance of the status quo.

443. Those changes were prompted by

444. a call to action.

445. We're not here to take her in.

446. We just want to hear her side of the story.

447. Astrea's presence here signifies her recognition

448. that any relief

449. that she is to receive

450. will have to come from a higher authority.

451. I cannot stop them from entering this church,

452. but I will lay down my life

453. to protect the rights of black women everywhere.

454. Be it from you, from your uniformed brethren

455. or an entire city.

456. Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!

457. Do you hear it?

458. That is the sound of rage, gentlemen.

459. And it's a rage that will be louder in 24 hours

460. and louder than that in 48.

461. And that is the fault

462. of the New York City police department,

463. which doesn't even have the sensitivity

464. to send a black investigator up here.

465. But it's also the fault

466. of corrupt and crumbling black officials

467. who will sell their very soul

468. in the betrayal of their own people.

469. It will not stop

470. until the fires of oppression

471. have been quenched.

472. Until the racial iniquities

473. and the sexual abuses of white...

474. Stop! Stop it!

475. Astrea, do you want to talk to us?

476. The child is traumatized.

477. I won't allow her to be badgered.

478. Stay out of this!

479. Mike.

480. Understand something, Detective.

481. You are dangerously close to a civil suit.

482. Oh, that's fine, Congressman,

483. but, while you're hunting around for some ink,

484. what about her case?

485. Hey, hey, come on now.

486. Let's please stick to the point.

487. We're getting nothing...

488. You're getting nothing?

489. You got no business here.

490. You're just trying to break her emotionally.

491. I can't do this! I don't want to hear it, please!

492. Oh, my God! Oh, my God.

493. Oh, my baby.

494. Oh, God...

495. What's going on, Detective?

496. No comment.

497. How come white cops are here to interrogate her

498. when there have been accusations made

499. that white cops raped her.

500. The department has no comment

501. other than to state that we were there only to listen.

502. We did not ask Miss Crawford

503. to accompany us to the station.

504. There aren't any black uniforms.

505. What message is the city trying to send

506. to the black community, Detective?

507. Terrific. Exactly what we need.

508. You saw the statement.

509. We did not go in to take her out.

510. The statement? The statement means nothing

511. when she's carted off in an ambulance.

512. She accuses white cops, I don't even see...

513. You don't come into my office and accuse my people.

514. Use your head!

515. You jumped into this

516. like it's some by-the-numbers rape.

517. It's a whole collection of unverified accusations,

518. news flashes and sound bites.

519. Fine! You got anything under your hat besides speeches?

520. Yeah. Your people are yanked off this case as of now.

521. This is no longer a police matter.

522. "Police drive Crawford girl to breakdown."

523. Nothing like starting in your own end zone.

524. Nine yards in.

525. Cragen's office called last night.

526. The two uniforms Eaton named have substantiated alibis

527. for the time in question.

528. Did you see this?

529. The FBI's rape kit results. No indications.

530. Gynecological tests, forensics— all negative.

531. She faked it.

532. Well, at this point, all we know is what's on paper.

533. Do you think Eaton's willing

534. to stake his political future on this?

535. If this plays out, he's a genius.

536. He goes from gang member to rabble-rouser to congressman

537. to spokesman for the entire black community.

538. He's an urban Horatio Alger.

539. Go militant, young man.

540. Or it turns south

541. and he loses credence on both sides of the track.

542. Do you see any indication of him turning south?

543. The whole burden of proof is on us.

544. He's put the whole system on trial.

545. So this isn't enough then.

546. We don't disprove a cover-up,

547. every minority in this city will assume that Eaton is right,

548. no matter how many of those lab reports we publish.

549. So how do we counter the momentum?

550. Call Eaton.

551. Interesting place for a meeting.

552. I thought you should see firsthand

553. what it's all about.

554. Maybe the cobwebs will fall.

555. From my eyes?

556. From your heart.

557. My best wishes for the girl's health aside,

558. I didn't come here for a speech.

559. I know that, Mr. Stone,

560. or I wouldn't have agreed to see you.

561. Nurse Kent to nurses station. P.A.:

562. to nurse's station three. Nurse Kent

563. You want to know where I'm planning on taking this.

564. You want me to give you a free glimpse of the future.

565. Look, it's fairly obvious you have a private agenda.

566. Of course I have an agenda.

567. Your system isn't serving the African-American population.

568. Let's dial this back a second.

569. Does your system have any evidence

570. that the rape was committed?

571. Because my system has found nothing

572. to suggest a crime actually took place,

573. nor do I have access to the victim.

574. And you won't.

575. I believe Astrea completely, but...

576. if I give you what she's got,

577. I run the risk of it being squashed.

578. Do you think I don't know

579. how many people would like to see this thing disappear?

580. Even if there was a cover-up,

581. the press has made that impossible at this stage.

582. That's not a risk I'm willing to take.

583. We've come too far.

584. Yeah, but you are willing to risk

585. the emotional health of a teenager

586. and my ability to try the perpetrators?

587. I'm only here to help the Crawfords.

588. Look, you want to do

589. your Martin Luther King imitation, be my guest,

590. but don't think for one second that I'm giving up.

591. I don't care if Astrea's

592. black, white, yellow or polka-dotted.

593. If she was raped, I'll find the cops,

594. I'll prosecute them and I'll convict them.

595. White cops?

596. Black girl?

597. If?

598. Who are you kidding?

599. You don't want me to find them, do you?

600. Why shoot rats when you can go big-game hunting?

601. And whose heads do you want on your wall?

602. Cragen's...

603. the police commissioner's...

604. yours.

605. There he is.

606. Will you give us a statement, Mr. Stone?

607. We are trying to investigate a crime

608. without any assistance from the alleged victim.

609. Alleged? Does that mean the D.A.

610. does not believe Astrea Crawford's story?

611. The temperature on the three nights in question

612. was in the low 30's,

613. yet emergency room personnel found no evidence of exposure.

614. The FBI, not the NYPD, ran a rape kit,

615. the results were negative.

616. You can draw your own conclusions.

617. Why was the request for a photo array denied?

618. The police have adhered to normal investigative procedure.

619. What if the girl had been white?

620. Would you have released the photos of black cops?

621. ADA Stone and I have just concluded

622. a lengthy meeting on the Crawford attack.

623. Unfortunately, Mr. Stone's myopic view of the case

624. only served to dampen

625. any hopes I had harbored of a fair investigation

626. into the action of this city's law enforcement officers.

627. Do you believe the D.A. is capable

628. of an impartial investigation, Congressman?

629. I believe there's a tacit agreement

630. running through the power structure of this city.

631. If Astrea Crawford had been white

632. and her attackers black...

633. That's not the point, Adam.

634. I know the facts, you do, he does.

635. I'm certain Eaton knows the facts.

636. But the press, and thus the public

637. hear what he wants them to hear.

638. Is he lying?

639. I think he believed her at first.

640. But even if he doesn't believe her now,

641. it's too good an opportunity for him to let go.

642. Every move we make rings cover-up.

643. We go too slow, we're dragging our feet.

644. Too fast, we're after the girl.

645. I can read a lousy hand.

646. What do you want to do?

647. I want a grand jury impaneled.

648. I want to run it.

649. The last shot out of the gun.

650. If it doesn't turn there...

651. We're dead, I know.

652. But we're face down as it is.

653. It could get worse before it gets better.

654. The one hope is the boyfriend

655. if he admits that she was with him.

656. I'll take a shot.

657. That's different than what you told your youth officer.

658. Plus you told the police

659. you had seen her a few days previous.

660. Maybe.

661. Which is it?

662. All I know is I didn't see her

663. the three days before I got busted.

664. We have hair and fibers samples from the crack house

665. that say otherwise, Jordan.

666. I don't care. I didn't see her.

667. Has anyone spoken to you about the three days?

668. Some.

669. Eaton?

670. My nephew does not lie, Mr. Robinette.

671. And certainly not to a man

672. as esteemed as Mr. Eaton.

673. Thank you, ma'am.

674. That's very helpful.

675. If he told Mr. Eaton that's what happened,

676. then that's what happened.

677. I'll be in touch with Jordan

678. if I need him for the grand jury.

679. I'm assuming you'd be willing

680. to state the same under oath?

681. You got that right.

682. Watch your mouth, young man.

683. You going to subpoena him?

684. No, he'd lie.

685. We'd prove he perjured himself,

686. he'd lose his work program.

687. What for?

688. The faint rumblings of a heart in there?

689. No, that's a brain

690. and it's decided to subpoena Miss Crawford.

691. Talk about backlash.

692. What choice have we got?

693. If we don't let her testify, they'll scream cover-up.

694. When we do, what do you think Eaton'll scream then?

695. I don't know.

696. We'll find out.

697. I think I'll subpoena him, too.

698. In your expert opinion, Miss Wilkes, would you say

699. there are characteristics most often associated

700. with false allegations of sexual assault

701. in the Crawford case?

702. There are certain characteristics

703. that are present in this case

704. that tend to appear more often in false allegations

705. than in the case of true sexual assault.

706. In the Crawford case, specifically,

707. are there any physical characteristics

708. that match the established guidelines

709. for false allegations?

710. Yes, there were.

711. Would you list them, please?

712. Miss Crawford's damage to her clothing

713. was inconsistent with that of her injuries.

714. Writing on the body is also very common in false allegation

715. as is self-mutilation.

716. And probably most important of all,

717. the expected laboratory findings of rape are absent.

718. The district attorney's office,

719. in an attempt to fracture our resolve,

720. has issued subpoenas

721. for myself and my clients, Astrea Crawford and her mother.

722. I've agreed to testify

723. only to show the vicious indifference

724. within this city's lily-white power structure

725. as young Astrea Crawford's cries for justice go unheeded.

726. So upon hearing of Miss Crawford's

727. alleged rape in the papers,

728. you contacted her family with an offer of your services?

729. My help to a constituent, Mr. Stone.

730. I supply no services.

731. And this help was in the form of a suggestion

732. to Miss Crawford and her family

733. that they not cooperate

734. with the duly constituted authorities

735. in this investigation?

736. I embraced the family's hope for justice.

737. Only in subsequently bonding together as a whole,

738. our desires for justice for Astrea, the individual

739. were only surpassed

740. by those issues lying on the larger plane.

741. Which are?

742. Four centuries of oppression, Mr. Stone.

743. We became front-line activists in the struggle

744. to uproot a system of injustice through this particular case.

745. Congressman, the purpose of this grand jury

746. is to determine whether a particular crime

747. has been committed

748. and if so, is there an attempt to bury it

749. as has been charged in various public forums by yourself.

750. Therein lies the problem, Mr. Stone,

751. for the real agenda here

752. should be the American system of justice

753. and its treatment of black Americans

754. versus that of whites.

755. For better or for worse, it's the only system we've got

756. and circumventing it, sir,

757. no matter how noble the perceived ends,

758. cannot be justified.

759. If you persist in preventing Miss Crawford and her family

760. from testifying before this jury,

761. I have no other alternative, sir,

762. but to go to warrant for their arrest.

763. We must have the truth, sir.

764. Not only for the black community,

765. but for every one of the citizens of this city.

766. You leave me no other option.

767. Then you'll have to excuse me, Mr. Stone,

768. for I can find no justifiable reason

769. to become a party

770. to this mockery of truth and equality.

771. Your Honor, as the evidence clearly establishes,

772. defendants were served subpoenas

773. ten days previous to notice of grand jury appearances.

774. They have, as the evidence shows,

775. willfully and deliberately failed to appear.

776. The people request immediate determination of contempt

777. and ask the court to impose

778. maximum sentence provided by law.

779. Mr. Gaines?

780. The defendants' stated position

781. has been clear on this issue for some time, Your Honor.

782. The DA's issuing of said subpoenas

783. was a clear attempt to break the resolve

784. of this girl's stance on racial justice.

785. Spare me the diatribe, Counselor.

786. This is a hearing, not a trial.

787. While there is, unfortunately,

788. much truth in the stated position

789. that minorities in this city

790. often fall onto uneven terrain

791. within the court system,

792. that is not reason enough for your clients to ignore

793. the lawful mandates of this court.

794. Is it your intention

795. to show any pertinent information

796. in the defense of this contempt citation?

797. Apparently none that would do any good, Your Honor,

798. as it is becoming readily apparent

799. that the court's mind is already made up.

800. Tread lightly, Mr. Gaines.

801. I'm becoming annoyed.

802. Given the legal document submitted by the People

803. and the lack of any substantive defense,

804. this court finds both defendants guilty of contempt.

805. You are hereby sentenced as follows:

806. Mrs. Thelma Crawford

807. $250 fine along with 30 days incarceration.

808. Miss Astrea Crawford, 30 days in a suitable juvenile facility.

809. At the end of that time

810. or before if they wish to cooperate,

811. I will see them in this courtroom.

812. Your Honor, request incarceration be delayed

813. until immediately after the next grand jury date,

814. so that defendants can reflect upon the court's decision?

815. So ordered.

816. Yes, Mr. Gaines?

817. Congressman Eaton would like to make

818. a brief statement, Your Honor.

819. With all due respect to Congressman Eaton,

820. he has no business in this court, Mr. Gaines.

821. Justice silenced is justice denied, Your Honor.

822. Congressman Eaton, go ahead, sir.

823. Your Honor, for the record, I'd like to state

824. an overwhelming sense of disappointment

825. at the court's handling of this affair.

826. Excuse me.

827. Sir.

828. Yours and Mr. Gaines' clear implication

829. is that I have been sitting here oppressing black Americans

830. and I will not have it.

831. And while I'm on the subject,

832. this court would like to advise the defendants.

833. In my legal opinion

834. you have had reprehensible and irresponsible advice

835. from their retained counsel.

836. I hope you take what time has been granted

837. to fully examine the situation and purge the contempt citation.

838. This court does not relish

839. having you spend one hour in jail

840. for what it perceives to be

841. the self-serving actions of others.

842. If Eaton convinces the girl and her mother

843. to be martyrs and take the 30 days,

844. we're dead in the water.

845. Suppose Angela Wilkes' theory is right—

846. that this thing started as a child's fib.

847. Do you think you could prove

848. that Eaton took the ball, orchestrated for the media,

849. and keep the mother and the girl out of it?

850. I don't think that will fly.

851. It would be like a witch hunt.

852. We're jumping around looking for a villain,

853. and I actually think Eaton might still believe the girl.

854. We may have one more shot.

855. Give me the day.

856. Why me?

857. Because he'll see you.

858. Just your presence will diffuse the situation.

859. I'll do the talking.

860. Paul, I just know the man

861. from the rubber chicken circuit.

862. I know I can cut this short.

863. He's got to be feeling pressure at this point.

864. If I can provide him with a graceful exit,

865. he might take it.

866. Or he eats you for lunch,

867. holds you up to the press as a "Tom Messenger"

868. sent by the white establishment.

869. So what?

870. So what, we sit back and watch him tear the city in half?

871. He's already set back race relations 30 years.

872. I work with these people.

873. I know how they feel.

874. There is no cover-up.

875. You know me.

876. You think I'd be a party to it?

877. It's unbelievable.

878. I become a lawyer, turn down Wall Street,

879. go into the one area I think I can help

880. and everybody thinks I'm a damn Oreo.

881. Excuse me, Father.

882. Maybe there's another way.

883. Have you talked to the mother?

884. Eaton's got his hand in her back.

885. She's talking, but he's pulling the strings.

886. The Crawford's are parishioners.

887. If I can get her to talk to you alone...

888. I'll take a run at her.

889. Mr. Robinette?

890. You okay?

891. Yeah.

892. Father Warren said you wanted to talk to me?

893. How about we go get some coffee?

894. I can't stay long.

895. This thing has gotten...

896. I don't know what to do.

897. It's gone too far.

898. Did it happen?

899. Did any of it happen?

900. She's pregnant.

901. The Hill boy.

902. But we're Catholic.

903. She was terrified.

904. Her daddy, he has a terrible temper.

905. She wanted to have an abortion.

906. She thought by saying that white cops raped her

907. that she would...

908. He'd let her have it.

909. I never thought it would get this big.

910. And this is a part of it?

911. I had to tell him the truth.

912. That's not the point.

913. Yeah? You give me the view

914. from where you sit, Mr. Jives DA.

915. and you tell me I got no reason to be up behind this?

916. I'm saying there's no reason to go on with it.

917. I'm giving you an out.

918. The city will drop the cross charges

919. and the gag order will work both ways.

920. No quotes, no finger pointing from anybody, including us.

921. It will just disappear from the papers?

922. No fuel, no fire, Mr. Crawford.

923. The press will print other people's speculations,

924. but they're not going to print their own.

925. Look, I don't know what you need me for?

926. She's already agreed to it.

927. It won't work unless everyone's in agreement.

928. And Eaton?

929. That will be my problem.

930. Fine.

931. I'm sending a social worker by.

932. Look, we don't need any more help from you.

933. That's not an option, Lester.

934. You beat her again,

935. I'll come at you every way I know how.

936. If what you're telling me is true,

937. you may be the most simple-hearted,

938. down-the-river-nigger ever to wear a tie.

939. You want to call them?

940. They won't pick up the phone.

941. Don't you have any sense of connection to your people?

942. Cut the crap, Congressman.

943. There are no cameras here.

944. The thing was a hoax.

945. It's over.

946. Let it go.

947. A hoax?

948. You know that now.

949. I know that now.

950. But does it really make a difference?

951. What do you think the point of all this madness was?

952. Besides the obviously self-serving aspects?

953. How long do you think it will be again

954. before an entire society

955. is focused on an issue of racial equality?

956. Ends justifying the means.

957. You look me in the eye

958. and you tell me this system is just, this system is equal.

959. At times the system stinks, Eaton.

960. I know that as well as you do.

961. But don't for one damn minute tell me

962. that your self-aggrandizing polarization

963. is going to solve the problem.

964. Don't tell me that tearing down a 200-year-old justice system,

965. no matter how flawed,

966. is going to alter the consciousness of a society.

967. We're past the separate drinking fountain stage.

968. We're past legal discrimination.

969. We're at the hearts and minds stage.

970. And believe me,

971. there's no quick fix.

972. Your intentions might have been good,

973. but your execution stunk.

974. Another zombified soul

975. casts his vote for order rather than justice.

976. Negative peace over positive peace.

977. Paraphrasing Martin Luther King's thoughts

978. won't lend credence to yours.

979. King walked with the angels.

980. You slide in slime on your belly to get what you want.

981. So you said we're out and they agreed to what?

982. Gag orders all around.

983. We drop the cross complaints...

984. Drop the... What the hell does that get us?

985. Get us?

986. It's not the best deal on the surface, but it's livable.

987. It'll work, it'll help the press deflate themselves.

988. Cops were named, records maligned...

989. What? You want no casualties?

990. Six months, the people will know it was a hoax.

991. It'll be back page news.

992. He'll live with it.

993. By morning, he'll probably love it.

994. You think I sold out?

995. Does it matter what I think?

996. If it does, I'll tell you,

997. but it's something you got to decide for yourself.

998. You-got-to-shave-yourself- in-the-morning speech?

999. Maybe. You think of yourself as a black lawyer,

1000. or a lawyer who's black?

1001. Depends on the context.

1002. You made a decision based on something from within.

1003. You live with it, you examine it.

1004. It's all you got.

1005. Think by morning I'll come to love it?

1006. No, but I don't think you'll have any problem

1007. with the guy in the mirror.

1008. I'll see you tomorrow.