All language subtitles for Law and order S14E22 - Gaijin

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.

[Woman] The most important
thing is to stay calm.

Easy for you to say. If I
screw up, someone could die.

Eighty-six percent of incomings
are non-emergencies.

[Line Rings] 911 Operator.
This call is being recorded.

[Man, Japanese Accent]
Help! Help! I need help!
What?

My wife isn't breathing.
I'm sorry, sir. I can't understand.

Please...
Please send ambulance!

His accent.
I can't understand his accent.

Sir, where are you?
Uh, wait...

Jay... Jay and Staple... Jay and Staple!
Sir, listen to me.

Stay with your wife. We have an
ambulance on the way.
Tamiko, please!

[Man] Couple of Japanese
tourists got shot and robbed

Wife took one in the face. Husband tried to wrestle
the guy for the gun got blasted in the arm.

You get a description of the perp?
Black male, between 20 and 30.

That's it? Height, weight?
He was rambling in Japanese.

He's in shock.
Yeah, I would be too.

What'd the shooter make off with?
Wife's purse, cash and jewelry.

Where'd it go down?
Over there.

C.S.U. on the way?

Should be here any minute.
I found a couple of casings.

Looks like a .22.

If we get lucky,
maybe we'll find the slugs.

We might find the one
that winged the husband.

The other's still in the wife's skull. No exit wound.
That'll wreck your vacation.

The bullet entered her right cheek at point blank range,
just below the eye, then ricocheted around the brain.

Is she gonna make it?
The damage is extensive.
We'll know more the next few days.

What about her husband's condition?

Bullet went through his upper arm. just missed the
brachial artery. He should be okay. Lucky guy.

Any chance we could speak to him?
Keep it brief. I'll get you the room number.

You'll contact us
if Mrs. Yoshida comes out of it?

Frankly, that's a big “if.”

Tamiko wanted to see Ground Zero,

so we went there first.

I don't know how, but suddenly we are lost.

We stop to look at map...

I'm sorry.

Mr. Yoshida, I know this is difficult for you,

but we need you to tell us
exactly what happened.

Street was empty.

Suddenly, a man comes over.

He ask, what time is it?

I look at my watch...
10 minutes past 11:00.

I look up. I see he is pointing gun.

Can you describe him?

Black man.

Big. Black hat.

What kind of hat?

Soft, you pull down.

Like a stocking cap?

Anni uh, baggy black,

like clothes you wear to exercise.

Can you say how tall he was?

About two meter.

Like you.
So what happened after he pulled the gun?

I give him money,

but he said he wanted her necklace.

Tamiko, her English is no good.

She was confused.
Her brain freeze.

I told her...
[Japanese]

I told her to give it to him,

but she couldn't remove...

- [Japanese]
- Uh, the clasp?

I see his face getting very mad.

Then bang! Tamiko fall.

He pull the necklace off.

So much blood everywhere.

I tried to take the gun.

We fight, then bang!

My arm, here, hurt so much.

Then he ran away.

Did you see where?
I don't know.

There was a van.

I think a red van.

I was holding Tamiko
to see if she was breathing.

Then I hear him drive off.

My wife was always afraid
to come to United States.

So many guns, so much violence.

I told her she could not live
like a flower in a bubble.

I told her New York was great city.

A great city.

[Lennie] The husband's a club owner in Tokyo.
Wife's a model

Apparently they're fairly well
known over there. Celebrities.

They here on business?
Mm-mmm. Vacation. It was the wife's first time.

They decided to pay a visit to Ground Zero,
got lost on the way back to the hotel.

Welcome to the Big Apple.

She had a little over a grand in her purse.

Nice clothes, expensive jewelry.
Invitation for a robbery.

What do we have so far?

Well, we got a sketch artist to work
up a description with the husband.

It's kinda vague.
The husband was in shock.

Well, circulate it citywide.

We're pulling files on similar M.O.'s
with that general description.

What about that red van? Any make or model?
No specifics.

And there were
no other witnesses?

It's a commercial district, downtown on a Sunday.
The place ain't exactly hoppin'.

Makes you wonder
what the perp was doing there.

You think that he followed them?

Innocent tourist gunned down in the street?

That's shades of Miami
in the '90s.

I remember that. What, like, 12
tourists got killed in a single year?

Let's hope the press
doesn't run with that ball.

Well, if he was trolling for tourists,
maybe someone saw him along the way.

We'll retrace their steps
first thing in the morning.

Excellent.

I heard about those poor Japanese tourists.
It's a damn shame.

This the guy?
Yeah. Witness described
him as between 20 and 30 years old.

You say that he might be local?

'Cause I'm out on the streets every day with
Perry here, and the face doesn't ring a bell.

The crime took place right over there,
Sunday morning, around 11:00 a.m.

Oh, 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning...

I was uptown having Perry groomed.

Sorry.
Thanks, anyway.

Good luck.

Hey. Let me guess. You got a full
description and the dude's license plate.

They're closed on Sundays.

But the manager told me there's a building
maintenance company a couple of blocks from here.

Guess what they drive.
Red vans?

[Laughs]

We do maintenance and renovation. Mostly office buildings.
Weekends are our busiest time.

We're looking for a black driver
between 20 and 30 years old.

He would've got on the road
around 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

What's this all about?
A couple of tourists were shot near here.

Yeah, I heard about that.

One of them described the assailant
as a black man driving a red van.

So you think it's one of my men.

You're crazy.
Look, man, we're just running
down the leads we got right now.

I got guys been with this outfit goin' on 10
years, never had no trouble with any of 'em.

Then you won't mind if we go
inside and ask a few questions.

I loaded up,
left here around 11:00 a.m.

10:58, to be exact.

You didn't happen to notice an Asian couple
a few blocks north of here, did you?

My stop was in Brooklyn. Headed south
from here on the West Side Highway.

What'd you say your name was?
Carlisle Davis.

Carlisle Davis.
What time did you leave?

I'm not sure. They were having trouble loading the
driver in front of me. Held me up a few minutes.

Says you clocked out
of the loading dock at 11:20.

Gentlemen, appreciate your time.

Uh, the driver ahead of you that they were
having trouble with... what was his name?

Tom Walker.
I don't see his card here.

We got him
out of the dock okay.

But he called in later
with engine trouble.

Says he left at 11:07.

Where was he headed?
The Bronx.

Right time,
right direction.

I heard the siren behind me.

I just figured it was a speedin' thing.
I don't know anything about a shootin'.

A speeding thing?

Jerk in a Lexus
cut me off on Hudson.

He must have been doing 90.

And where were you headed?

To the Bronx.
Some bank building.

But you never made it.

Tsk-tsk.
Had engine trouble along the way.

Gee, it sounds like
it just wasn't your day.

Stopped at a garage
over on 10th.

West 40s.
All right. We need a name.

It was one of those
chain places.

You got a receipt?
Yeah, I think so.

But, uh... “But, uh" what?
You misplaced it?

Come on, Tom. If you're gonna lie,
at least be a little creative.

I'm not lying.
Then give us the name of the garage.

We'll call over there
and confirm your story.

Okay. I didn't have engine trouble.

I been working double shifts for three weeks.
I needed to take a little personal time.

So you lied to your boss.

It was my lady's birthday.
I went over there to drop off her present.

Really? What'd you get her?

Vacuum cleaner.

[Laughing]

And they say romance is dead.
Hey, I asked her what she want.
That's what she said.

All right.
We need her name and a number.

Does my boss
have to know about this?

Your boss is the least
of your problems now.

And all this time I been
buying my girl jewelry and lingerie.

Anybody stupid enough to buy their girlfriend
a vacuum cleaner for her birthday...

Listen, the hospital pronounced
Tamiko Yoshida 30 minutes ago.

Damn.

Well, we're gonna go try the girlfriend
to see if Walker's story holds up.

That can wait.

Right now we've got a suspect
who fits the description...

driving a red van
two blocks from the crime scene.

Let's put him in a lineup,
see if Mr. Yoshida can I.D. him.

And, Ed, make sure to give Mr. Yoshida
condolences from the city of New York.

[Woman Speaking Japanese]

Detectives.

This is Akiko Shindo. She's writing an
article about Tamiko for the Tokyo Sun.

Sorry to interrupt.
Not at all. I was just leaving.

[Japanese]
[Japanese]

It's a big story in Japan.

My wife was very popular.

Sir, my partner and I would like to express
condolences on behalf of the city of New York.

We're really sorry for your loss.

Just find the man who did this.

Actually, that's the reason we're here.

We have a suspect in custody.

Already you found the man
who shot my wife?

We'd like you to come down to the
station to see if you can identify him.

Right now?

I was making arrangements
for my wife's...

We know this is
a bad time for you, but...

I'm sorry but, uh,
it's all happening so fast.

[Ed] We can give you
a ride if you like.

Okay. I'll go with you now.

[Lennie] So, you recognize
anybody there, Mr. Yoshida?

I don't want to make mistake.

We don't want you to make a mistake
either, so take your time.

Very confusing.

Angle was different.

Everybody turn to the left.

I'm not sure.

I'm not so good with faces.

It all happened so fast.

Now turn to the right.

I'm sorry. I cannot be sure.

Well, the lineup
Just went down in flames.

Walker's story checks out. He's not our guy.
Cut him loose.

Lieutenant.
Wait.

Councilman Murphy's on line two.
He says he'll wait. Fine.

I got everyone from the Neighborhood Watch
to the mayor breathing down my neck.

His Honor's involved?
The story was picked up
by the national press, CNN.

The problem is if it isn't Walker,
we're staring at a blank wall.

Then fill in the damn blanks.
It's gotta be something somewhere.

This guy Walker... didn't he mention
something about a car speeding on Hudson?

A sedan.
We're looking for a red van.

The husband said
he saw the perp drive off in it.

“There was a van.
I think a red van.

I was holding Tamiko to see if she was
breathing, and I hear him drive off."

“I hear him drive off."

Well, then he didn't actually see
the guy get in the van?

[Knocking]
[Van Buren] Yes?

Thank you.
So, this speeding car...
you thinking perp or witness?

Either would do at this point.
[Sighs]

Japanese ministry
just issued a travelers' advisory.

"In light of recent criminal violence,

“the ministry
urges all Japanese citizens...

to defer all nonessential travel
to New York, New York, U.S.A."

The crime scene's here.

The Lexus speeds by Walker on
Hudson, heading north towards...

The Holland Tunnel. It's three blocks away.

Now with Sunday morning traffic,
he could be in Jersey in minutes.

The tunnel has security cams.

You said Holland Tunnel, right?

Yeah. Sunday morning
between 11:10 and 11:20.

Jersey-bound Lexus.

Okay.

Here's the tunnel.

We don't have video at that location, but I
can give you still images. Whatever you got.

How many cars you think
we gotta look through here?

Sunday morning, 10-minute period...
about 200.

Two hundred?
Two hundred?

Hey, you're lucky
it wasn't rush hour.

So, Mr. Ito,
we understand you own a Lexus.

That's right.

Did you take the car into Manhattan
this past Sunday?
No, we stayed home.

[Japanese]
Did anybody else drive the car?

Our grandson borrowed it.

We don't use the car a lot.
Sometimes Bobby borrows it.

When did he
bring it back to you?

[Mrs. Ito] Monday. He even
took it to the car wash.

Is this your grandson?

Looks like he's running out
of room for those tattoos.

To the younger generation, it's fashionable.
Body art. Self-expression.

Did your grandson
drive the car into Manhattan?

He went to Trenton,
not Manhattan.

I don't understand why
you are asking all these questions.

This is just a routine follow-up
to a stolen car,

but since you've cleared everything up,
we're gonna be on our way.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

So, you wanna tell me what the
bum's rush was all about?

You check out the tats on the grandson?
Yeah, the grandma said that's body art.

That's yakuza insignia.
Yakuza?

Yeah, Japanese gangsters.
Yeah, I know what yakuza are.

But how does a kid from New Jersey
get hooked up with them?

In the '80s, they had a foothold in Hawaii
selling crystal meth and guns.

Then they got into gambling and
prostitution in Vegas and California.

Over the past few years, they've built up
a small presence here on the East Coast.

Did you ever have any run-ins with
them when you were with the gang unit?

Uh-uh. They were pretty much
under the radar back then.

And we can connect Bobby Ito
to yakuza how?

Take a look at his sheet.

Robbery, assault,
narcotics, possession.

His last bust
was a drug deal in '02.

He was collared along with two
known yakuza members from Japan.

And where is young Mr. Ito now?

His super says that he hasn't
been in his apartment since Sunday.

We have a detail
staking out his place.

Japanese victims, Japanese gang
member speeding away from the scene.

It'd have to be
an awfully big coincidence.

We're still working on the details, but Mr. Yoshida's
nightclub in Tokyo... it's in the Ginza district,

which is yakuza territory.

So, yakuza tries to take him out,

and Yoshida fingers a fictitious
black assailant as the shooter.

Which gets him off the hook. He's
certainly not gonna testify against them.

I don't think they have witness
protection in Japan.
[Cell Phone Rings]

Hello?

Listen, can you hold onto him if he tries to leave?
We'll be right there.

All right, man, thanks.

Bobby Ito just showed up
at his apartment.

[ Knocking On Door]

Bobby Ito?
New York City police.

Hey! Hey, hey!
Hold it right there! Hold it!

Taking a little trip somewhere?
Going to visit my cousin in L.A.

Yeah? You got a taxi waiting for you
down at the bottom of the fire escape?

Hey, Ed, look at this.
A .22.

That's not mine.
You guys planted it.

You know, that's really original.
I never heard that before.

[Ed] You said you were home all
day on Sunday. What'd you do?

Watched TV, slept.

That's funny, 'cause the cameras at the Holland Tunnel
put you three blocks away from the crime scene...

minutes after the shooting.

It wasn't me.

I don't know who this is.

That's the woman you gunned down. She died yesterday.
I didn't shoot anybody.

You should have made sure her husband was dead too.
Now he's gonna be able to identify you.

No, he won't,
'cause I wasn't there.

They had to wait until she was dead
to mg the slug out of her skull.

Turns out it was from
a .22 Smith &Wesson.

Same kind of gun you were trying
to jump out of the window with.

Lennie, how long do you think it's gonna
take before Ballistics makes a match?

You know, it'd be a lot better for you
if you came clean now.

Look, we know the man you shot...

has ties with the yakuza in Japan.

So, if they're behind this,
we can tell the D.A. that.

Maybe get you a deal.

I can't talk about that.

You can't talk about it,
or you don't want to talk about it?

Which is it, Bobby? Cause
there's a world of difference.

I want a lawyer.

You're making a big mistake, man.

Wouldn't be the first.

[TV: Man Speaking Japanese]
[Knock On Door]

Ito lawyered up.
Yakuza's got him running scared.

Look who's back in Tokyo.

[Woman Translating]
New York is a jungle,
and its inhabitants are animals.

[Translator] I blame the gun-crazy
U.S. culture for my wife's death.

The city of New York must pay

Too bad Yoshida didn't stick around
to see the guy who did it pay.

[Translator] Tamiko was proud of Japan.
This would never happen
in a civilized country like Japan.

My client's
being railroaded.

The police recovered
the murder weapon at his apartment.
We can put him at the scene.

I'm familiar
with the evidence.

Then why did you ask
for this meeting?

My client has some information
which I think you'll find
rather interesting.

What kind of information?

The kind that could get him
a reduced sentence...
say, uh, 15 to life?

We don't have time for games,
Mr. Lawford.

[Sighs]

Hiroji Yoshida paid my client
to murder his wife.

He contacted Mr. Ito
through a mutual friend in Tokyo.

Blame it on the husband.
I like that. It's got a nice ring.

Especially since he's not here
to contradict you.

No, it's the truth, man.

[Southerlyn]
Can you prove it?

Two days before the shooting,

my client met Yoshida
at a diner near his hotel.

They went over the details.
Yoshida gave him five grand
for the job.

The police found $300 on you
when you were arrested
Where's the rest of the money?

Spent it.

Did Mr. Yoshida happen to mention
why he wanted his wife dead?

I didn't ask. I just did the job.
We don't have all the particulars.

But word on the street is...

Yoshida owed big-time
to one of the oyabun in Tokyo.

Analogous to
one of the Mafia bosses.

He's into gambling, Yoshida.

How much did Yoshida
owe the yakuza?

A hundred million yen.

- I left my currency converter
back at the office.
- A million bucks, give or take.

He's the one who got shot, right?

I saw his face on the news and I was, like
“Hey, I served that guy pancakes.”

When was he here?
A few days before the shooting.

I'm not usually into Japanese guys,
but he was really cute.

Not to mention a huge flirt.

It's always the married ones, right?
He told you he was married?

I saw him take a woman's picture
out of his wallet and show it
to the other Japanese guy.

Figured it had to be his wife or girlfriend.

Either way, he was off-limits.

What did this other guy look like?
Young Japanese-American guy.

Kinda scary looking, actually.

He had all these tattoos
all over his arms, wall-to-wall.

What's this about, anyway?
I thought the police
were after a black guy.

Ms. Chen, do you mind
coming down to the precinct
to view a lineup?

Sure. No problem.

I'm off at 2:00.

A waitress at the diner confirmed
that she saw Ito and Yoshida
eating breakfast together.

She's sure it was Ito?
She just picked him out of a lineup.

Independent corroboration
that Ito and Yoshida met.

That's enough to prove conspiracy.
Motive?

The New York City Coroner
just got a request for Tamiko Yoshida's
death certificate...

from Nippon Life Insurance
in Tokyo.

They needed it to pay out
the $3 million policy...

her husband took out on her
four months before the murder.

So he could pay off
his gambling debt.

Ain't love grand?

Make a deal with this Ito character
and get over to the Japanese consulate
to talk extradition.

Isn't there a risk
that they'll tip off Yoshida
or leak the story to the media?

Tell the consul
I'm relying on his discretion.

You will excuse me if your theory
is a bit difficult to digest, Mr. McCoy

Actually, it's a more than a theory
at this point.

I came here to discuss
the possibility...

of extraditing Mr. Yoshida
to the United States.

Where he will be tried
for the murder of his wife.

Presumably, yes.

And this request comes
personally from Mr. Branch?
Yes, it does.

I do not know how familiar you are
with Japanese law.

I know when a Japanese national
commits a crime overseas
he can be tried in japan.

So why go through all the trouble
and expense of extradition?

Because this is a circumstantial case,

and Japanese courts
give more weight to physical evidence
than American courts.

Also, Japan has no law against
merely conspiring to commit a crime.

Well, I respect your position.

And?

And I am certain a satisfactory solution
will be arrived upon... in time.

[Branch] Allow me to translate.

Yoshida's ours,
and there's no way in hell
we're gonna cooperate with you.

The Japanese don't have
a close relationship
to the word “No.”

Problem is,
if he's acquitted in japan,

the double jeopardy provision
of the U.S.- Japan extradition treaty...

prevents us from getting
a shot at him when they're through.

I don't want us
to have a shot at him.
I want us to have the shot.

We may not have a choice,
Arthur.

Damn it!
What this man did is outrageous.

He picks our city... my city...
to murder his wife in;
then he turns around and blames it on us.

I'm angry, too, but unless you have
the 82nd Airborne on your payroll,
I don't see how we're gonna get him.

We hoist him on his own petard.

The press.
Yoshida's a national hero in Japan.

We announce that we've
apprehended his wife's killer
and need him to make an I.D.

The Japanese public'll
be expecting him
to jump on the next plane.

To honor his wife's memory.

I just love it when I get
a flash of good, old-fashioned
American ingenuity.

The New York City Police Department
today apprehended a suspect...

in the shooting death
of Tamiko Yoshida.

[Reporters Shouting]
Yes, sir. You.

Uh, what can you tell us
about the suspect?

This composite sketch...

was based upon a description
given to us by Mr. Yoshida.

We're withholding
the name of the suspect
for the time being.

[Reporters Shouting]
Mr. Branch!. Mr. Branch!
Yes.

What evidence
do you have against him?

We have physical evidence
tying him to the crime,

the motive of which
appears to have been robbery.

But, of course,
we're also very hopeful...

that Hiroji Yoshida,
the victim's husband,
as the only eyewitness,

will be able to return to New York
immediately to identify the suspect
as the assailant

[Reporters Shouting]
Mr. Branch! Mr. Branch!

Let me take this opportunity also
to say this.

The City of New York is deeply saddened
by the murder of Mrs. Yoshida,

and we're very much looking forward
to the return to New York of Mr. Yoshida...

and hope that this will be
the beginning of the redress
of this grave wrong...

and to ensure that justice
is done in this case.

Thank you all very much.
[ Reporters Shouting Questions]

Mr. Branch,
may I have a word?

Of course, Lieutenant.
What can I do for you?

With all due respect, sir,

I find this approach
troubling.

It's okay.

We're out of options.
We gotta get this guy back here
to answer for what he did.

I understand that, sir.
But let me ask you something.

Have you ever been stopped
for driving in the wrong neighborhood?

No.
Well, I have.

And what the public just saw
was another black face
connected to a terrible crime.

I hear what you're saying, Lieutenant,
but I really think that this will work.

The truth will come out,
and everybody will know
that he lied about what happened.

And if it doesn't?

Well, I guess the people of New York
will get a chance to weigh in on that
next election.

[Reporters Murmuring Shouting]

Mr. Yoshida.
Mr. Yoshida. Mr. Yoshida.

What was your reaction
when you heard police had apprehended
a suspect in your wife's death?

Relief. Also sadness.

Nothing can bring Tamiko back,
but I'm glad the man who did this
will pay for his crime.

Yeah, so are we.
Detectives.

We wanted to
welcome you back personally.

Yeah. We brought you a gift
from the city of New York.
You like jewelry?

I don't understand.
Bracelets.

Hiroji Yoshida, you're under arrest for
the murder of Tamiko Yoshida.

You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can be used against you
in a court of law.

You have the right
to an attorney.

[Clerk] Docket ending 972.

People of the State of New York
v. Hiroji Yoshida.

Charge is murder in the first degree
and conspiracy in the second degree.

How do you plead?

[Yoshida] Not guilty, ma'am.
Ms. Southerlyn?

The defendant hired a hit man
to shoot his wife while they were
sightseeing here in Manhattan.

The People cooked up
that little fantasy, Your Honor.

The truth is Mr. and Mrs. Yoshida
were both victims
of a brutal armed robbery.

The People seek remand.
The defendant is a foreign national
with absolutely no ties to this jurisdiction.

He's a flight risk.
Your Honor, my client
shouldn't even be in this jurisdiction.

He was lured here from Japan
through fraudulent conduct
on the part of the district attorney's office.

After he fled the United States.

He wasn't fleeing.
He was simply returning home
to bury his wife's ashes.

Sounds like an argument between
the U.S. and Japanese governments.

Also sounds completely irrelevant
to these proceedings.

Defendant is remanded.
[Gavel Bangs]

No matter how you spin it, counselors,
this little deception is a new low,
even for your office.

I can cite case after case
permitting law enforcement to use trickery
to obtain confessions.

Why not to compel presence?

Because you can't use trickery
to do an end run
around extradition treaties.

You not only duped my client,
you also misled every person who viewed
that so-called press conference.

I don't need a lecture on morality
from you, Mr. Olson.

We're here because your client
killed his wife.

I did not kill my wife
[McCoy] No.

- You paid someone else to do it.
- That is a lie.

If your case hinges on the testimony
of a career criminal
who cut a deal to save his own skin...

We have an eyewitness
who can put the shooter, Bobby Ito,
with Mr. Yoshida.

A witness?

She saw them
eating together at a restaurant
two days before the murder.

Two men sharing a meal
I'm sure Mr. Yoshida has
a perfectly viable explanation.

Can he also explain why he purchased
a $3 million life insurance policy on his wife...

just a few months
before her death?

[Whispering]

I, uh, obviously haven't had
enough time to review
all the details with my client.

I'll see you in court.

The question is, which court?

Motion to change venue.

[Olson] Your Honor, my client
cannot possibly receive a fair trial
in any of the five boroughs.

Public opinion
is clearly against him.

Mr. Yoshida stages a murder,
fabricates a story, blames the city,
enflames public opinion,

and now he raises the possible back/ash
as a basis for change of venue?

The point is, my jury pool
is made up of the very people
he bad-mouthed.

Mr. Olson, where would you
propose I move this case,
were I so inclined?

Any location
other than New York City.

Upstate someplace.

Where they share Mr. Yoshida's
low opinion of New York City.

Counselor, relax.
It wasn't just a hypothetical.

Change of venue is reserved for cases
that present a bias so pervasive...

that it cannot be overcome
in the normal process of jury selection.

Your Honor,
my client is presumed innocent,

and as such is entitled
to an unbiased jury.

That's what voir dire is for.

Mr. Roberts, have you heard
anything about this case
before today?

Of course.
On the news.

Based on what you've heard or read,
have you formed an opinion
about the facts in this case?

My wife says I don't have
much of an opinion
about anything.

If the evidence against the defendant
proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt,

would you have any problem
voting guilty in the jury room?

Not one bit.
Thank you.

How about you,
Mrs. Nickerson?

Have you read or seen anything
on the news about this case?

Yes, I heard about it.
Poor woman.

Mrs. Nickerson, do you think
you'd be able to weigh
the evidence impartially...

and make a determination...

not whether Mr. Yoshida
accused a black man of killing his wife,

but whether he hired
a hit man to do it?

Innocent until proven guilty.

But I would like to know
why he accused a black man
in the first place.

[McCoy]
Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Ms. Talbot, have you
followed this case in the press?

Yes.

Based on what you've seen or read,
have you formed an opinion about it?

No. I try not to prejudge.

Thank you.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Mr. Roberts, you said
you'd heard about this case.

What did you hear, exactly?

When it happened,
I heard on the news that he said
a black guy did it.

- How did that make you feel?
- Like I was glad I was in Queens that day.

I'll bet it did.
Thank you.

Mrs. Nickerson, were you surprised
to hear that Mr. Yoshida
had been arrested in this case?

Surprised?
I suppose so, yes.

But it wasn't the first time you'd heard
about a black man being accused
of a crime he didn't commit.

Unfortunately, no.

Susan Smith did the same thing.
So did that fella up in Boston.

Charles Stuart?
Mmm.

Would you say
you felt a bit weary?

That would be a good description
of howl felt, yes.

Mrs. Lovell, what about you?

Have you read or heard
about this case?
No.

Actually, I haven't.
I hate the news. It's depressing.

But you've gathered
from listening here today...

that Mr. Yoshida has blamed
a black man for killing his wife.

Yes, that's what it sounds like.

You said you find the news
“depressing.”

Racism, violence, politicians lying.

I'd rather watch the Discovery Channel.
Thank you.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Mr. McCoy, do you have
any challenges for cause?

Juror Number One,

Juror Number Five...

and Juror Number Nine.

[Judge]
Mr. Olson do you have
any challenges for cause?

Juror Number Four,
Juror Number Six...

and Juror Number Eight.

Your Honor,
may we approach the bench?

Approach,

Your Honor, the People have
a reverse Batson application.

Mr. Olson has excluded
all the African-American jurors
seated on the panel.

And Mr. McCoy
has excluded the only Asian.

I think it was obvious to this court
that Juror Number Nine had
a poor grasp of the English language.

That was the basis of my challenge.
Of course it was.

Let's discuss this in chambers.

The media has stirred up
all kinds of racial resentment
against Mr. Yoshida,

which I believe has necessarily
influenced the impartiality
of the jurors I've challenged.

In other words, these black jurors are lying
when they say they can consider
the evidence on the merits.

Not lying, Jack.
Kidding themselves.

The fundamental question is,
can my client receive a fair trial...

from jurors whose prejudices
have been inflamed by
the media coverage of this case?

Interesting point.

Is this court prepared to rule...

that the courts
can assume a person's bias
based on their skin color?

No, but this court
is prepared to rule...

that in a case...

where a potential juror
likens the defendant to Susan Smith...

and another states he's glad
he was in Queens that day,

there's a genuine issue
of whether they can be fair,
regardless of their skin color.

Where does it stop?

If counsel has his way,
there couldn't be a single
person of color on this jury.

My primary concern
is not only with Batson,
but with fundamental fairness.

Defense challenges for cause
will stand.

I served him breakfast
at a diner where I waitress.

I remember the tattoos on his arms.
Was Mr. Ito alone?

He was with Mr. Yoshida.

I saw Mr. Yoshida give him
a photograph of a woman.

Did you get a good look
at this photograph?

Close enough to see that
she was a young Asian woman.

Very pretty.

Thank you, Ms. Chen.

Ms. Chen,

would it be fair to say that...

you've waited on thousands of people
in the time you've worked at the diner?

Yes.
Yet all these many months later,

you clearly remember
Mr. Yoshida.

- He must have made quite an impression.
- I saw him on the news a few days later.

Have you ever met anyone who was on TV?
No, I haven't.

Isn't it possible
that you got mixed up,

that Mr. Yoshida's face looked familiar
not from the diner,

but from the extensive news coverage
this case received?

[Ms. Chen]
I don't think so.

May I remind you, Ms. Chen
that a man's life is at stake.

Are you 100% sure
that you're not mistaken?

I don't think any of us
can ever be 100% sure of anything.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Mr. Ito, how old were you...

when you first became a member
of the Japanese criminal organization
known as the yakuza?

I was 13, after my father died.

Mr. Ito, you have tattoos
covering your entire upper body.
Isn't that correct?

Correct. Body murals.

Could you show the court...

your forearms, please?

What is the significance
of these body murals?

They show which clan
I belong to in yakuza.

It's an old tradition.

Can you tell us the first time
you had contact with Mr. Yoshida?

A yakuza in Japan called me.

He said there was a man in Tokyo
who would contact me
about doing a job for him.

A few weeks later,
Mr. Yoshida called me.

When did you actually meet Yoshida?
At the diner.

Two days before the shooting?
Right.

What was the purpose
of that meeting?

Mr. Yoshida wanted me to kill his wife
and make it look like a robbery.

He told me to shoot her in the head,
him in the arm.

[McCoy] To kill her and not him.

That's right.

Did you two discuss
a location for this shooting?

I suggested the spot.
Sundays it's deserted, no witnesses.

Did Mr. Yoshida say why
he had chosen New York City...

over, say, Tokyo
to kill his wife?

He said that black people
commit so much crime in New York
the police can't keep up.

Thank you.
Nothing further.

Let's put our cards
on the table, Mr. Ito.

Murder for hire.

- You could have been indicted
in this case for first-degree murder.
- That's right.

But instead, you plead guilty
to a reduced charge
of second-degree murder.

Yeah.
And agreed to testify
against Mr. Yoshida.

This isn't your first time
in a courtroom, is it?
No.

In fact, you have
three prior criminal convictions,

all involving illegal activities
tied to the yakuza,

a known criminal organization.

If you say so.

No, Mr. Ito.

The People of the States
of New York and New Jersey say so.

[Olson]
Mr. Yoshida, can you tell the court
who shot you and your wife?

Mr. Ito.

And you're sure about this?
Tamiko and I were sightseeing.

We stop to look at map, Mr. Ito appear.

He said he had a message from Tokyo.

Then he shoot us.

Why did you tell the police
a black man did it?

I'm very sorry about that.

I was scared.

I know if I say it was a yakuza
they would kill me.

So you lied because you were afraid
of reprisals from the yakuza?

Yes.

When Mr. Ito told you
that he had a message from Tokyo,
what did you understand him to mean?

My nightclub in Tokyo is a big success.

Big profit.
Yakuza wanted a percentage.

I said no.
Tamiko was a warning.

[Olson]
Why didn't they just shoot you?

If I was dead,
I could not run the business
and make money for them.

Before the morning of the shooting,
had you ever seen Mr. Ito before?
Never.

Then how do you explain
the testimony of the waitress?

People make mistake.

She's Chinese. Maybe she think
all Japanese people look alike.

Mr. Yoshida,

did you hire Bobby Ito
to kill your wife?

I did not.

I loved Tamiko with all my heart.

I still do.

[Olson]
Nothing further.

You say your nightclub in Tokyo
is very profitable.

What's the state
of your personal finances?

I put my money
back into my business.

Do you owe anyone money?
The bank.

What about the yakuza?
Objection.

Sustained.

Your wife was only 28 years old
when she was murdered.

Yes.
How would you
describe her health?

She was healthy.

Your Honor, People's exhibit 14.

This is a life insurance policy
from Nippon Life that you took out
four months before the murder.

Do you recognize it?

Life insurance for Tamiko.

The equivalent of $3 million
for a young, healthy woman?

She asked for it.
She was a very successful woman.

So you didn't take out that policy
to pay off a gambling debt to the yakuza?

Objection! Speculation.
[Judge Sommers] Sustained.

Mr. Yoshida,

you've just admitted
that you lied to the police.

Why should we believe you now?

Because I am telling the truth.

I loved my wife.

You told the police a lie.

You continued to tell that lie.

You got up in front of news cameras,

feigning outrage
against the city of New York.

- I am telling the truth now.
- Only after being tricked
into coming back from Japan.

Yakuza killed my wife
as a warning to me.
That was the truth.

And now that
you're being charged with murder,
you're interested in the truth?

Nothing further.

I guess you won't be joining us
for the bar association gala tonight.

I'm hoping for a verdict.

You said that two days ago.

Olson called.

They're willing to plead
to murder two.

Yeah? Well, tell him
he's got a better chance
of catching a bat in a fly trap.

We might have a hung jury, Arthur.

The man made a cynical
and heartless decision
to murder his wife for money

The fact that he tried
to exploit racial divisions
makes it even more heinous.

I agree.

I have faith in this jury...

and the good sense
of New Yorkers.

[Judge Sommers]
Ha ve you reached a verdict
in the death of Tamiko Yoshida?

We have, Your Honor.

On the first count of the indictment,
murder in the first degree, how do you
find the defendant, Hiroji Yoshida?

We find the defendant guilty.

And on the second count,
conspiracy in the second degree,
how do you find the defendant?

[Foreperson]
We find the defendant guilty

[Judge Sommers] Jury is dismissed
with the thanks of the court.

Short date for sentence.

Seems kind of fitting
after trashing this country,

Mr. Yoshida will probably get to
spend the rest of his life here.

We got the right guy,
but Arthur was playing with fire.

When we arrested Yoshida,
the truth came out.

You know how newspaper retractions
are always on an inside page...

in small print?

You ever wonder how many people
see the front page story...

and miss the follow-up correction?

[Howling]