All language subtitles for Law & Order (1990) - S02E19 - The Fertile Fields (720p WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

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.

( garbled radio transmission )

This damn
Indian winter, man.

That's summer, genius.

No such thing
as Indian winter.

When it's this cold
this late in the year,

it is definitely
somebody's fault.

Oh, so blame it
on the Native Americans?

You got somebody
better to blame?

The problem with the world--

crap doesn't just happen.

It's got to be
someone's fault.

Yeah, well, it keeps us
in business.

It makes a lot
of lawyers rich.

Early morning jog?

Five to two
they did something.

Well, it's too cold
to find out exactly what.

RADIO DISPATCHER:
Holding suspect
at 496 Broadway.

Are you...

Look at this.

Bobby, it's freezing
outside, man.

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.

to finish my coffee?
How am I supposed

I'm coming back as a C.P.A.
Next lifetime

No outdoor work.

a damn trash fire.
Bobby, it's

Trash my ass.

That's a body.

MAN:
So far not a whole lot.

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?

We saw the flames
from the car.

You got any witnesses?

None standing on line
to be interviewed.

He's beaten, then burned.
He had to scream.

Somebody had to hear it.

I don't know
if this means anything,

but right before
we found the body,

we saw four or five black kids
run by, heading uptown.

Could you pick them out?

The victim's name
is Ezra Shore.

He lives over
on Columbus Avenue.

I thought this only
happened in Brooklyn.

Come again?

You didn't tell him?

The dead guy was wearing

one of those Jewish
beanie things.

Son, that's called
a yarmulkah.

Captioning sponsored by
NBC/Universal

He wasn't just beaten;
he was brutalized.

The smoke clears on this,

it will be
Crown Heights revisited.

There is no evidence
that this is a hate crime, Mike.

Did you look
at these photographs?

Two uniforms on the scene
said some black kids...

Run across
the street.

You've seen this played out
before.

We jump to conclusions.

The press follows our lead.

The waters get so muddy
that we never see the bottom.

Should we treat it
like a mugging?

No. I want to treat it
like a homicide.

We play
the usuals.

Family, friends, business...

We're just spinning our wheels
we go that way.

Maybe not;
Ezra was brutalized.

That means there should
be blood all over,

but C.S.U. didn't find
near the scene.anywhere

So they killed him someplace
in the alley.ed him

But hate crimes
are crimes of fear.

The bodies usually
don't get moved.

And the fire?

Destroying evidence.

Or sending a message.

You know what
might be helpful?

If we could find out something
about the departed Mr. Shore.

WOMAN:
that killed him,re

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?

Well, 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 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.

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.

Father died 15 years ago.

Ezra never missed a beat.

He took over the business?

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 you were here
with him last night.

We 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?

Oh, sure.

He signed out lot 492,
six stones.

Worth probably ten, 12,000.

I'm sure he had
a late sales meeting.

He often visited clients

after store hours.

He'd walk around with that much
in his pocket?

In a briefcase.

It's the way
we do business.

Mind if I look?

Please.

The meeting.

Do you know
where it was or with whom?

Ezra lived for his work.

He often visited four
or five clients in an evening.

Did your brother
use this car service?

Yes. Miracle Limo.

They're over on Tenth.

...used to be I flip
through a couple of pages,

takes two seconds.

Now you got to boot
the damn machine--

whatever the hell that is.

Here you go--
Shore Diamonds.

Yesterday, pickup 9:15 p.m.,
26 West 47th.

And you dropped him?

21St and Seventh.

That's a lot
of real estate.

You got anything
more specific?

You're lucky
I got the machine turned on.

Yeah, we're lucky.

Ezra got here
at the earliest at 8:30.

So it has to be somebody
who works late.

Let's see what we got.

Interior design firm,
temp employment agency...

There's a lot of doctors.

Bringing ten G's worth
of diamonds to a checkup?
I don't think so.

An accountant?

Flanagan.

Here we go. Nah.

Summers Estate Sales,
seventh floor.

CERRETA:
Top floor, Near East Gems,
Joe Tashjian, President.

Oh, my God.

He was a nice man.

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.

I buy abroad;
I sell domestic.

Ezra bought sapphires
and rubies from me.

Bargained me down
to 15 G's.

And he left here with them?

Sure.

You want a copy?

Maybe.

Did Ezra say

where he was heading
when he left?

Tried his car service,
but he couldn't get through.

Said he'd hail a cab.

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 unprotected?

Would you prefer
he carry a piece?

I'd prefer he travel
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.

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 a number
on some homeboy's face.

LOGAN:
It says here you went after
one Reginald Beggs.

Black, 15 years old.

What happened, Caleb, hmm?

Was 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 can't beat
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 laughed
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.

You're an angel.

You got that.
Caleb Shore says

you did the number
on his old man.

So I must be lying?

The guy's going to pop you
for no reason?

You look at them guys?

They look normal to you?

Like I said,
I was just hanging,

then my head's
being smashed in.

Tuesday morning--
who were you with?

I was here with my sister,
studying.

I'm going to be a lawyer.

Some picture, Reg.

You had a nice smile.

Yeah, before
he busted up my face.

Do you mind?

I got a choice?

OFFICER:
Used to be to stay alive,

you stayed below 86th Street.

Nowadays, somebody's just
looking to step into something.

This one of the kids
you saw that day?

We weren't really looking.

What about clothes?

Anything?

They were running.

Sorry.

on 93rd...
That deli

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.

Did you hear Reggie
admit to it?

Yeah, that
and 25 other things.

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.

Maybe we do.

What size shoe
do you think Reggie wears?

Let's talk to the man
about a warrant.

You can't be serious, man.

Yo, you can't take
my Michaels, man.

Just the left one.

I got rights, man.

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.

Now, is it possible

these two prints are
from the same shoe? Yes.

Is it probable?
I'm not sure.

Which means I wouldn't be
a very good witness.

Reggie doesn't know that.

Can I borrow these two?

Y'all only doing this
because I'm black, man.

This one was lifted
out of the alley

the day that Ezra Shore
was murdered, Reggie.

So, what you want me to do?

To look at this one.

It's from your shoe.

They're the same.

It proves you were
in the alley

at the time
of the murder.

Man, go 'head with that.

We have two people who swear
you were bragging about it.

So? That don't prove nothing.

It proves
you stepped in something

and it stinks

and it's not going away.

You killed him for the jewels?

Or 'cause he was Jewish?

I ain't do anything, man.

You know what, Reggie?

I personally
don't believe you.

Yo, talk to the deli guy.

I was in there
buying cigarettes.

I ain'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.

And beating the living crap
out of him?

What was it,
baseball bats?

Bricks?

How did it feel

to crush his skull?

Yo, that's bull, man.

The hell with this punk.

25 Years
is too short for him.

All right, yo, look... yeah

but I just watched, man.

I swear, I didn't have nothing
against that dude.

And Fontaine did?

Yeah.

Says they should go back
where they came from.

CRAGEN:
Wait a minute here.

He says his buddies
did the number on Ezra

and we already know
there's no blood there?

His story may not get 100%
on the stink test

but it's a start.

I've had month-old flounder
that smelled better.

He knew the M.O.,
The beating, the fire.

Maybe he reads
the newspapers.

Granted, his facts
are a little off,

but the bottom line is,
he says he saw it go down.

Two uniforms saw four kids
running from the scene.

Reggie named three names.

If he's innocent,
he keeps his mouth shut.

Sure, sitting
in an interrogation room

without his shoes.

You check out these homeboys?

Yeah, they're clean.

What about the diamonds?

He never saw
the briefcase.

That could be his buddies.

( phone ringing )

Cragen.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

All right.

3:00.

Okay.

Everybody wants
to join the party now.

got a witness,
Yes, we've

only his facts don't jive
with our forensics report.

How far off base
is he?

With the beating
that Ezra took,

there should have been
blood splattered somewhere

and we found nothing.

Which means he wasn't
killed in the alley.

Except Mr. Beggs said

he saw the guys
do the job there.

Suppose the blood was on garbage
that was destroyed in the fire.

He could be 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...

it looks like
we're doing something.

Politics controlling
the grand jury process?

This is a political office.

Kid says he's an eyewitness.

We can put him at the scene.

This isn't the first time
we indict

and then develop
our case for trial.

You got the names
of these other kids?

Yeah.

Read them their rights.

What's up?

Fontaine Robinson,

Cyrus Tanner,
Harley Monks,

you're under arrest
for the murder of Ezra Shore.

That's harassment!

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.

Anything you do say
can be used against you
in a court of law.

Take them away.

COURT CLERK:
Docket number 776761--

People v. Fontaine Robinson,
Cyrus Tanner, and Harley Monks.

One count each,
murder in the second degree

and one count each,
robbery in the first degree.

JUDGE:
Is legal aid

representing these defendants
just for arraignment?

I'm in it
for the long haul.

Well, give me a plea.

Not guilty.

The people are serving
grand jury notice

upon the defense

and filing the same
with the court.

What do I hear on bail?

100,000 on each defendant.

They're teenagers.

It's excessive.

Would it make a difference

if the state asked for $50,000,
Miss Langstrom?

Bail set at $100,000.

Next.

Only thing this proves
is Reggie Beggs and his Hi-Tops

were in the alley
at some point.

Reggie put your boys
with him.

That makes him an accomplice--

meaning you're short
on corroboration.

The blood under
the victim's fingernail

matches Harley Monks.

It matches me and a million
others in Manhattan.

You searched
my clients' homes.

You ran their clothing
through the lab.

No baseball bats,
no blood tracks...

all show and no tell.

The grand jury will indict.

And I'll have it dismissed

before your head
hits the pillow.

With an eyewitness?
I doubt it.

Reggie Beggs went bragging

that your clients
killed Ezra Shore.

And posturing
constitutes evidence?

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.

Do you get the feeling

we're scrambling
to catch a train here?

( phone ringing )

Hello?

Uh-huh.

What's up?

( sighs )

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.

You're going to ask
Isaac about the diamonds

Ezra was carrying?

Of course, but what does that
have to do

with your client's family?

If all required duties
weren't paid

when those 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.

He's scheduled
a second witness.

He's been subpoenaed
and if he doesn't testify,

you know I can hold him
for contempt.

I also know you're not going
to do that, Ben.

ROBINETTE:
We could grant the family

transactional immunity.

That's possible, but...

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 two hours before
we settled on a price: $15,000.

How many stones
were there exactly?

TASHJIAN:
Three sapphires, one carat each.

The rubies were small,
half carat, maybe four stones.

What did Mr. Shore do with them?

He put them in his briefcase.

And 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?

Well, I know he...

Ezra had problems
in the neighborhood.

Thank you.

It was Dad, Benny, 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?

Four guys were hanging there,
the same guys as before.

They called us names--
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.

BEGGS:
I was on Amsterdam near 93rd.

I went to this deli
to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Then what did you do, Mr. Beggs?

I went outside
to look for my friends.

What were they doing?

They was
in the alley.

They was standing
over Mr. Shore.

Cyrus threw garbage on him.

Fontaine lit him on fire.

Let's back up a step.

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.

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.

Our witness changes his story
on the stand.

I had to withdraw
the murder case.

You hit a bad lie,
you don't 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?

Then we wouldn't have
some op-ed wannabe

write that we're
choosing sides.

Oh, great. Two weeks ago,

we were patsies
to 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 Writ of Mandamus petition.

Forced us to re-present
the case to the grand jury.

Who filed it?
Isaac Shore.

He 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 should I think?

That we didn't have
enough evidence.

That we relied
on the wrong witness.

Then Ezra was
the wrong victim.

it's obviously a whitewash.
Come on, Ben,

Their leaders screamed louder
than ours.

The case mysteriously
disappears.

If and when we get new evidence,

we will resubmit
to the grand jury.

Two days later, you withdraw.

STONE:
What's your implication?

It's no implication, Ben.

It's an assertion.

If you wanted an indictment,
you could have gotten one.

That's nonsense.

Then turn over
those transcripts.

Grand jury proceedings
are secret.

Then we'll proceed
with the Writ of Mandamus.

The decision to resubmit is
entirely within my discretion.

There's statutory prohibition
against releasing transcripts.

Not if I can prove to the judge

there was
prosecutorial misconduct.

ISAAC:
These boys
killed my brother.

I will not turn the other cheek,
Mr. Stone.

Well, I'll make
the transcripts available.

Thank you.

I'll send over a messenger.

You'll see them
in my office, Mr. Shore.

TOBIS:
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 1 Hogan Place.

ROBINETTE:
If the case is 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.

Let's take a look
at the grieving brother.

The past three months,
cash flow reports

show the 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 that have
to do with Isaac?

What, they bought more diamonds
than they insured?

$900,000 more.

Who prepared
the insurance lists?

Isaac.

He did the books.

Could be Isaac skimmed
from the business,

buying jewels
for his own account.

And Ezra found out...

Isaac killing his own brother...

I don't know if I buy that.

Maybe he's not in this alone.

Hmm, could be.

The discrepancies are too big
to be overlooked.

ISAAC:
The diamond market
is very complicated.

Inventory is tied
to real market value.

ROBINETTE:
You undervalued your inventory

for the purposes of insurance?

If that's what
he says he did.

I think he stole 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.

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 in 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.

Uh, Mr. Shore,
this is a mistake.

You're protecting someone.

Why?

Believe whatever you want.

That's what happened.

We gave him immunity because
he didn't want to testify
about the business.

We never mentioned
murder.

The statute covers
everything he talks
about on the stand.

We gave him immunity as quid pro
quo for his testimony; he lied.

That breaks the deal--
common sense.

Common sense has nothing
to do with it.

Man waives
his Fifth Amendment rights

by testifying.

Whether he tells the truth
or not.

It doesn't matter.
He's entitled to immunity.

You think
he killed his brother?

No, I think
he's protecting someone.

Uh-huh.

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 more.

The man's scared.

He saw what happened
to his brother.

Man is desperate enough
to steal from his own family.

Subpoena his personal records

and find out
who he owes money to.

Banks kill
with a thousand cuts

not with a whack.

Some lenders
are in a bigger hurry.

Ezra dies,
Isaac gets the business.

It's a good way
to insure prompt payment.

His bank statements look clean.

No evidence of regular payments
to anyone.

No withdrawals.

Sure it's not about money?

I didn't say that.

Remember those diamonds
Isaac bought but never insured?

They're 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 smoke and mirrors

with real money
shuffling back and forth.

So it's a laundry.

Dirty money in.
Clean money out.

With phoney 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
will have your butts out.

Your butt's going to be
in a patrol car

if you don't shut up!

Phil...

you want a Rolex?

Maybe a Cartier
for the missus?

Looks like, feels like,
sounds like.

A warehouse
full of felonies.

( speaking Armenian )

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,
Mr. Shore.

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.

You will forfeit
all the proceeds

from your illegal activities.
That's everything, sir.

Cars, homes, cash...

Ben, you'll never be able
to prove

which assets were bought
with bad money.

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.

STONE:
And what did he do
when he found out?

SHORE:
He was furious that I would risk

everything my father
had worked for.

He demanded I stop
immediately.

He just didn't understand.

What didn't he understand?

He didn't understand
I wanted to stop as well,

but Tashjian
wouldn't let me out--

that he had partners,
dangerous men.

Ezra didn't care.

He wanted to talk
to Tashjian himself.

Well, 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.

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

you would have let
three innocent boys

go to jail?

I thought after a while
the charges would be dropped.

STONE:
And when they were,

then you confessed. Why?

Because

he said
he would hurt the family.

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 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 have made you mad.

Mad enough to kill?

Objection.

Withdrawn.

Mr. Shore,
you admitted

lying to the police, right?

Yeah.

And to your attorney?

Yes.

To the district attorney?

Yes.

And you lied

to the grand jury.

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.

Isn't that correct, Mr. Shore?

Yes!

He was very compelling.
What more could they want?

If the jury doesn't believe
your eyewitness,

it's all worthless.

They will understand
Isaac's motive for lying.

They'll see he was scared.
Empathy goes a long way.

And they'll also see

he neatly avoided forfeiting
all his assets under Rico

by testifying.

You don't believe
I can win.

I believe you 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 him.

Why not?

Isaac Shore lied
to the grand jury,

to his family.

He lied to the police,
to the prosecutors.

At one point, he 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

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.

( yelling )

Quiet in the court.

( yelling continues )

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 )

( woman screams )

WOMAN:
Oh, my God.

Captioning sponsored by
NBC/Universal

Captioned by
access.wgbh.org oup at WGBH

( wolf howls )