All language subtitles for Law and order S19E01 - Rumble

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.

That was pretty decent.

Yeah? Well, I can't wait
to see you in action.

Okay, so let's do this.

Hauser,
are you working MDX?

Yeah.

You see what's happening?
You still want
those puts at 38?

No, uh, scratch
the ticket.

Todd, you look
like hell, man.
Are you okay?

Yeah, just, uh, stay away
from that falafel guy
on Water Street.

All right.

Cause of death
was catastrophic
internal bleeding.

He staggered
in a little after 4:00,

vomited at the
admissions window
and collapsed.

His vitals had flat-lined
by the time we got him
on the table.

That bruising's fresh,
and his forearms are swollen.

Probably from defending
himself from whoever beat
the crap out of him.

Expensive shoes,
nice shirt.

Flip him.

Back of his shirt
and the seat of
his pants are all torn up.

Whoever kicked his ass
had him down
on the ground.

But not a mark on his face.
They didn't want it
to be obvious.

Todd Hauser.
There's an address
on Rivington.

He worked
at Wasserman Gardner.

A stock broker,
beaten to death
in the middle of a work day.

In this economy,
this is the kind of thing
that might catch on.

Todd was hunched
over his desk

all afternoon yesterday,
holding his stomach.

I asked if he was okay.

He just said keep away
from the falafel cart
on Water Street.

I thought you guys never
left your desks
when the market's open.

We don't.
Todd snuck out at lunch.

He was carrying
rollerblades.

I thought he went blading.
We play in a street hockey
league on Saturdays.

Trust me, this was no
blading accident.

If somebody hurt him,
Todd would've told me.

Did he have any
other past-times?

Drugs, gambling.

No.
Are these the skates
you saw him with?

Yes.

These wheels are brand new.
Triangle Board and Skate,
off Union Square.

He brought in
his skates yesterday.

He wanted more traction,

so we swapped out
his wheels for 82A's.

Okay, what did he
look like
when he came in?

When he dropped off
his skates
or when he came back?

We'll take both.

The first time he was fine,
but he came back like
an hour later,

and, man, he was
dragging ass.

His girlfriend brought him
some cold packs.

His girlfriend,
what did she look like?

She's Asian.
She's hot.

I don't know her name,
but she always wears
a Pixies t-shirt.

So, you've
seen her before?

A few times,
over on the Square,

handing out comps for
the Grand Street Ballroom.

He hit on me in
Union Square yesterday.

We hung out a little,
but I'm not his girlfriend.

He's not my type.

Well, you liked him enough
to buy him cold packs
at the skate shop.

Oh, that?
It was the least
I could do.

He tripped over
one those metal things,

you know, that they
put around the trees.

No kidding?

So he did all of this
falling over one of
those little metal things?

Oh, God.
What's wrong with him?

He's dead.

Somebody beat the living
daylights out of him.

Well, I don't know
anything about that.

Look, I gotta go.
I'm gonna be
late for class.

Whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa.

What did you take
my picture for?

In case you lied
to us, Donna.

We'll need it for
the wanted poster. Look.

Pixies t-shirt and all.

Wanted poster?
That's a new one.

The girl checked out,
no beefs with the law.

Lives in a dorm at NYU,
major in Victorian Literature.

With a minor in lying.

Find some hook
into that girl
and bring her back in.

Sorting through your
photo collection?

Yeah. No, this is
Todd Hauser's Blackberry.

CCS broke the password.

Check out
this e-mail blast
he got this morning.

"It's on.
Union Square, 3:00 p.m."

Union Square?
That's where Todd's
troubles started.

Yeah. This message
was CC'd to
a couple dozen people.

Yeah, including her.
"Surfer Rosa."

Right there.
It's a Pixies album.

Yeah, the girl was wearing
a Pixies t-shirt.

Well, whatever's on
at 3:00 p.m.,
the girl's a part of it.

You've got 20 minutes
to get to Union Square.

Yeah, over here, man.

Dude,
are you ready for this?

Feels like something's
about to go down.

Yeah.

Yo! Here we go!
It's show time!

All right.
Keep those punches down.
No shots to the face.

A street fight
with a referee.

Yeah. Maybe this is how
Todd got his ass kicked.

Look at this over here, man.

Come on.
Hit him harder.

Hey, look.
It's our friend.

I see.

Come on, man,
above the waist.

Nothing in the face.
That's what I told you!

You all right?

We got to stop this.
Yeah.

You sure?
You sure? You sure?

Hey, you going to
do your job?

Oh, yeah. Sorry.

All right.
Hook 'em both up.

For what?

Just do it.

All right, all right.
Let's stop this.

Hey, come on, man,
this ain't fair.
They both want to fight.

You too, Don King.
Come on.
You're coming with us.

Aren't you supposed
to be in class? Let's go.
Let's take a ride.

We got rules.
No head or face shots,
nothing to the groin area.

If you're some kind of pro
or you got training,
you've got to tell.

What's in it for you?

I give lessons
to some of
the younger dudes.

And these lessons,
they don't come for free.

You got a problem with
capitalism, move to Cuba.

We got a problem
when somebody
gets beat to death.

You recognize him?

Yeah. Yeah, he was
out there on Tuesday.

Got whopped big time.

By who?

Nobody gives their name.

I didn't mean to lie.
I just didn't want
to get in trouble.

Yeah. Well,
you are in trouble.

So, why don't you
tell us what happened?

You know, I think
she liked watching Todd

get the life
beat out of him.

No way, I didn't...

And the guy
who killed him
is her boyfriend.

That's insane.
No, no, I like
the sound of this.

You liked watching
your man kill someone,
didn't you?

In fact, you probably
set the whole thing up.

Yeah, she probably
played Todd.

Made him fight.

Unless you want
a charge of conspiracy
to commit assault,

you better help us
find this person.

Okay. I think I saw him
in one of the videos.

On the Internet.

Hang on, this is a good one.
Watch what happens.

Did you see that?
He puked!

You should see about
getting some counseling.

You see the guy
we're looking for?

No, maybe
in the next one.

Oh, wait,
that's him!

Which one?

Him, with the hard hat.

Construction
workers on break.

They can't be
more than a few
blocks from the Square.

Whatever happened
to just watching
pretty ladies walk by?

You're looking for Vince.
He's the guy working
that steel over there.

Thanks.

Hey, Vince?
Detective Lupo.

This is Detective Bernard.

We'd like to talk to you
for a second.

What's up, fellas?

You know him?

Yeah, we mixed it up
at Union Square
a few days ago.

Is that yuppie dip
trying to press
charges or something?

No, you beat him
till his kidneys burst.

Maybe you want
to pay a fine.

Hey, he challenged me.

Come on, this is bull
and you know it.

Oh, yeah?
That's your opinion.

Us, we're charging you
with murder.

Murder? What? No way!

We'll show you
the autopsy pictures.

You can order a set
for your scrapbook.

Ralph, Larry,
you see what's going on?

They're arresting me
for fighting that guy.

My buddies aren't
going to let this go.

Lupo and Bernando,
remember those names, Ralph.

Bernard.
Lupo and Bernard.

Why's everybody
so hostile?

You got the guy, right?
This guy, Vince Fonsella?
That's what we heard.

You're charging him
with murder?

Well, we're still
sorting that out.

What's to sort out?

Look, I'm sorry,
Mr. Hauser,
about your brother,

but the fact of
the matter is that
he consented to the fight.

He didn't consent
to be killed.

Do you believe this!
They're blaming Todd.

We heard this Vince guy,
he kept beating on Todd
even after Todd tapped out.

Tapped out?

Surrendered.
It's supposed
to end the fight.

All right, Mr. Hauser,
you're not in your firehouse.

Where did you hear
he tapped out?

The Internet.
Somebody posted a comment
where they have fight videos.

Well, we'll look into that.

Yeah, yeah, that's great.
You do that.

Well, if Todd tapped out,
he withdrew his consent.

That ups the charge to
second degree assault,
maybe murder.

Those law classes
are paying off.

We still need a witness
to corroborate.

Well, the comments
were posted
on the Internet anonymously.

If you can subpoena
the ISP's.

Sure, and maybe
I'll get them
three months from now,

but I have to arraign
Vince Fonsella
within 24 hours.

So, I need you guys
to dig up everything
you can by then.

Anything we get,
you get.

And next time,
before you arrest someone,

try bringing the ball
forward a little more.

I don't like
playing catch-up.

"Docket number 08863.

"People v. Vincent Fonsella,
Assault in the Third Degree
and Disorderly Conduct."

Assault?
He killed my brother!

Oh, come on, sit down!

Quiet!

Quiet!

How do you plead
Mr. Fonsella?

Not guilty.
The victim challenged
my client to a fight.

This was mutual combat,
a sporting event.

Your Honor,
the People request remand.

For a misdemeanor
assault?

Mr. Fonsella resides
with his wife and children.

He's had the same job
for seven years.

Pending witness
confirmation,

we expect to indict
for murder.

I don't see a murder charge
on the piece of paper
in front of me right now.

Cross your T's
before you get here,
Ms. Rubirosa.

The defendant is released
on his own recognizance.

Hey, you can't let him go!
Hey, say something, lady!
Do your job!

Get them all out of here!
Get them out!

The big guy tackled Todd
to the ground.

He was on top of him.
I couldn't see
what Todd was doing.

I don't know
what you want from me.

You want me to say
he tapped out?

We want the truth.

I am telling the truth!

They were
blocking my view.

And you, the fight junkie,
you didn't move
to get a better look?

All right, put her in holding
while I talk to the D.A.
About obstruction.

No, no, please.
Just let me think.

So, you were standing
behind Vince's buddies.

Maybe they said something.

Well, they didn't say anything
about Todd tapping out.

One of them just said
that he pulled
a Roberto-something.

A Roberto Duran?
Yeah.

He said Todd
pulled a Roberto Duran.

"No más, no más."
He gave up.

Sounds like somebody
saw him tap out.

Who said this about Todd?

An Italian guy,
long hair.

I never said nothing
about Roberto Duran.

Hey, you know what?
You already got Vince,
so why are you harassing us?

Because the guy
Vince killed was trying
to tap out of the fight.

And you all saw it.

Come on, guys,
whatever happened to,

you know,
playing by the rules?

Hey, nobody
saw a tap-out.

Whoa!

All right,
construction site's
a dangerous place.

You and your girlfriend
might want to take off.

I got nothing to say.

Do unto others.

You wind up dead,
you'd want someone
to speak out, right?

I ain't no martyr.
I got a family.

Vince's cousin owns
this outfit.

I snitch,
I won't be working.

Then don't snitch, then.

Just let us know if
we're on the right track
with this tap-out.

Vince saw the tap-out.

He said he just
wanted to get in
a few last shots

before the ref
stopped the fight.

Wait, wait, but the ref
didn't stop the fight?

He was busy rapping
to some girls.

Vince just kept wailing
on that guy.

Put me in court,
I'll deny it.

I assume this
meeting means that

you've come
begging for a deal.

We don't
need to beg.

A witness says
Todd Hauser tapped out.

I know 20 guys
who say he didn't.

Our witness also said
you saw the tap-out
but continued the assault.

We're offering your
client Man One.

Not a chance.

This was a consensual
competition
between two amateurs.

On the other hand,
Mr. Gates,
I'm a professional,

and if you insist
on going to trial,
I'll ask for 20 years.

Criminally negligent homicide.

My father used to talk about
the bare-knuckle street fights
during the Depression.

But they were fighting
for money to feed
their families.

These guys, they're
feeding their egos.

With police officers
cheering them on
from the sidelines.

Command's excuse
is that because
the fights are consensual,

all they can do is
issue tickets for
disorderly conduct.

If the police won't
shut this down, we will.
We need to make an example.

Except the victim
in this case did challenge
the defendant to a fight.

But then he threw in
the towel. Isn't that
what your witness said?

We used the witness
to leverage the plea,
but he won't testify.

Anyway, between
the spectators and the girl
who egged on Todd Hauser,

there's enough
blame here to go around.

That's a fine,
mealy-mouthed sentiment.

If negligent homicide
is the best
you can do, take it.

But make sure
Mr. Fonsella does jail time.

Bernard, check this out.

Fonsella's high school
yearbook.

Vincent Fonsella was
in the Golden Gloves
boxing club

at his high school.

Undefeated,
his senior year.

Something Fonsella
forgot to tell Hauser.

Deal is, if you're
a trained fighter,

you're supposed to tell
the other guy.

How the hell
did you miss this?

I thought you'd be happy
we found it.

We gave Fonsella a plea
on the assumption
he was untrained.

This makes him liable
for second-degree murder

instead of the
slap-on-the-wrist
we agreed to.

This plea was
predicated on the belief

that the fight
was consensual.

Since the defendant
misrepresented
his skill level,

the victim's consent
was fraudulently obtained.

We're moving to void
the plea agreement.

Todd Hauser played
college hockey.
He wasn't a pushover.

I agree.

In the street,
you take your opponent
as you find him.

Since the defendant knew
that he'd do harm
to Mr. Hauser,

he can't plead
to negligence.

I'm not clogging my calendar
because the D.A.'s office
didn't do its homework.

The court accepts
the defendant's plea
to Negligent Homicide.

Over our objection.

So noted.

The People will be
requesting
the maximum, four years.

Don't get your hopes up,
Mr. Cutter.

I'm leaning against
giving jail time.

Negligent Homicide?
What the hell is that?

Todd Hauser's brother.

Mr. Hauser,
the case isn't over yet.

That's not what
the judge said.

You guys screwed up.

I understand how you feel.

Understand?
My kid brother was lying
with his face on the pavement,

his guts filling up
with blood,

getting beat to death
while people cheered.

And the animal
that did it to him

is gonna walk
because of you.

Probation for a murder.

Well, we all came up
short on this one.

We? I don't see your boss
sitting here eating crow
with the rest of us.

He knew it was
a dicey case to begin with.

Looks like it still is.

Yeah.

Let's go.

Witnesses said they were
20 or 25 combatants.

They were still fighting
when we got here.

We got two dead,

a third may not make it,
12 injured.

They weren't
messing around.

It's okay, we're right here,
Reggie. We're right here.

Okay, come on.
We'll follow Daddy.
Let's go. Come on. Up.

Todd Hauser's buddies
mixed it up
with Fonsella's crew.

Fonsella is
one of the dead.

We have six
in custody so far.

The injured are at the E.R.
We're headed over there
now to make arrests.

Justice by other means.

I got nothing
to say about it.

We're hearing
Fonsella's guys
started this.

Is this true?

I told you.
Nothing to say.

Put him under arrest.
As soon as he's patched up,
take him down to the station.

There you go.

They started dissin' Vince
when we left court.

I thought we were going to
throw it down right there,

but the cops
were all around.

Then one of
the gel heads says,

"We settle this,
6:00 p.m.,
East River Field."

Yeah, and that's
where you went.

Hell, yeah.

And you brought weapons?

No comment.

They did, too.

No one leaves here
without giving a
statement to a detective.

Yes, I'm still holding
for the Chief of Detectives.

Hey! You can't hook
them up together.

All right. Come on!

Can I help you?

They told me
to give a statement.

Were you a witness?

My husband.
My husband...

Yes, I'm still here.

Um...

Tell the Chief
I'll call him back. Yes.

What happened
to your husband?

We were in the park
with our son.

And all these men
showed up.

It all happened so fast.

My Reggie got hurt.
They just told me he was...

He was...
He was...

I'm so sorry.

Why were they fighting?
Can you tell me?

Why did they fight?

"Case 363421.

"People v. Jason Kimmel,
Ralph Ricci et al.
Riot in the First Degree."

Quiet!
Quiet!

These are the
East River brawl all-stars?

Uh, Your Honor,
I object to your
characterization.

Mr. Reardon,
since you're the best
dressed lawyer here today,

I'm appointing you
spokesman
for this motley crew.

They're all pleading
not guilty, I assume.

Absolutely, Your Honor.

Your Honor,
we're requesting
remand across the board.

These defendants
engaged in a brawl

that left three dead
and 12 injured.

There are different
levels of culpability here.

We're still sorting
that out, Judge.

When you're able to identify
who did what, we'll talk.

Bail is set at $10,000
per defendant.

A mallet, a crowbar,
a hatchet,
it's the gangs of New York.

Open warfare
because we put a thug
back on the street.

We did the best
we could with what we had.

We let this case
get away from us.

Charge every last
one of them with murder.

It was
a free-for-all.

We can't prove
which defendant
attacked which victim.

It's too early
to tap out, Mike.

Hey, Lupo found
a video of the brawl
on the Internet.

Yeah.
That's... Right there,
that's Jason Kimmel,

and that's Neil Whitman
from Todd Hauser's work.

And that is Adam Neville,
from Todd's hockey team.

And now,
we have them on video
killing Fonsella.

Let's get them
remanded immediately.

Unless we know who shot that,
we're gonna have a problem
getting it into evidence.

Well, who posted it
on the Internet?

He calls himself
"I Was There."

I don't think
he's in the phonebook.

Yeah. According to our
computer guys,

"I Was There" set up
a phony account,

and uploaded the video
at an Internet cafe,

so there's no way
to track it.

Did you show me this video
just to annoy me?
This is our best evidence.

No judge is going to allow
something we just found
on the Internet.

Plus, we don't have
the original and we can't
demonstrate who made it.

Except, the defense
doesn't know that.

No doubt
that's your client.

No doubt he's helping
his friends commit murder.

What's your offer?

He pleads to Man One.
Ten years.

I didn't know Jason was
going to go off like that.

But once he did go off,
I didn't see you lift
a finger to stop him.

That guy killed our friend.
We were upset.

Upset? You win the prize
for understatement,
Mr. Whitman.

Ten years and he testifies
against his accomplices.

Look, I'll testify.
But please...

I don't belong in prison.

You've got this
damning piece of video,

yet you're
offering us Man One.

Why is that?

Well, we're not looking
for blood.

We understand
this crime was
driven by emotion.

But ten years?
McCoy's practically
giving away the store,

and an election year
to boot.

Yes or no,
Mr. Reardon?

This video,
you've got a problem
with it, don't you?

You don't know
who shot it.

It's not
the only evidence.

Your client's accomplices
have agreed
to testify against him.

Maybe you can scare them
with this video.
I'm moving to exclude it.

Since the People cannot
authenticate this video
or even tell us who made it,

I'm excluding it.

In that case,
we move to dismiss
the murder charges

against
all three defendants.

Last chance, Mr. Cutter.
Do the People have any
admissible evidence

tying the defendants
to this murder?

At this point, no.

The murder charges
are dismissed
without prejudice.

I will be happy
to reinstate the indictment

when the District Attorney
gets his act together.

This brazen violence
has truly shocked our city.

We're appealing
to the public
for any information

that will lead
to the conviction
of those responsible.

In particular,

we ask the person
who made the video
of Vincent Fonsella's murder

to step forward
and identify himself.

Mr. McCoy,
the video clearly identifies
Mr. Fonsella's assailants

and yet your office
hasn't managed to indict
anyone for murder.

That's why
we're out here today.

Mr. McCoy, wasn't
your office negligent

when it allowed Fonsella
to remain free?

That was a judge's
decision, not ours.

But didn't you
allow him to plead
to a reduced charge?

He pled guilty
to a felony homicide.

He got no favors.
I think we're done here.

Mr. McCoy,
should you decide to run,

why should New Yorkers
support your bid

for another term
as their D. A?

Watch what I do.
That's your answer.

I am not doing that again.

This office begging
for help, looking weak
and ineffectual.

Well, we won't look
so weak once we get
our convictions.

If we get them.

Right now,
that depends on some
amateur cameraman

growing a spine
and stepping forward.

Failing that, we'd better
figure out a way
to prosecute these hooligans

before other gangs
get the idea that

they can have a bloodbath
and get away with it.

I did some research,
and under Article 490,

we can charge them
with terrorism.

That statute was written
six days after 9/11
to prosecute acts of war.

Nice try, Connie.

As I recall,
it was worded
pretty broadly.

How would you
apply it here?

It applies if
an individual's intent

is to disrupt
government institutions

or to intimidate
the public through
acts of violence.

And these people
rioted because
they didn't like the way

the criminal justice system
did its business.

It was a rumble, Jack.
A grudge match.

In a public park,
with hatchets
and lead pipes.

They terrorized
and killed innocent people.

Charging three brawlers
with terrorism isn't justice.

I'm not charging
just these three.

I'm charging them all.
We created this problem.
We're going to fix it.

Jack, the terrorism
statute carries
an automatic life sentence.

You think
every one of those
people deserve that?

A jury will decide
who deserves what.

You just get me
the indictments.

Unhappy with how
a case was prosecuted,

they engaged
in mass vigilantism.

With the intent to
subvert the authority
of the District Attorney,

they organized a riot
in a public park.

So prosecute them
for rioting.

This indictment
is an insult

to the real victims
of real terrorist attacks.

There were
real victims here,

innocent bystanders
killed and injured.

You're on the razor's
edge, Mr. Cutter,

but if you can
sell it to a jury...

Of course, he'll sell it.

Judge, he'll scare
the pants off the jurors,

simply by uttering
the word "terrorism."

The acts these defendants
are accused of are
what will frighten the jury.

The District Attorney
is putting forth
an intriguing theory.

See if you all can agree
on a trial date.

We survived a motion
to dismiss,
that's half the game.

Just because
I can parrot
the party line,

doesn't mean
I buy into it.

All of the weapons
had multiple sets of
fingerprints on them.

There was no way to tell
who was holding what, when.

All we have to go on
is the video, which
we can't use, right?

It doesn't matter.
The good thing about
the terrorism statute

is that we don't have to
connect an individual
to a specific weapon.

So, the defendant
who yelled insults

pays the same price
as the one who used this.

We're calling that
a good thing.

You throw in with a gang,
you own what they do.

I grew up in Compton.
We could've used
a law like this.

The Bloods
and the Crips
are not terrorists.

And neither are a bunch of
hardhats and day traders
with anger issues.

But it sure makes
a hell of a sound bite

when you're running
for election.

I see.

A few law school
classes, Detective,

and all of sudden,
you're an expert
on jurisprudence?

Maybe not, but I do have
one credential you don't.

I spent four years
chasing actual terrorists.

All the more reason
I need you to testify.

At the end of the day,
we all want the same thing
for the city.

Safe streets,
freedom from fear.

That's funny.

When a cop
stretches the rules,
we get slammed.

When you do it,
we're supposed to
hear the angels sing.

I'll testify in your
terrorism trial about
what I saw and what I heard.

But if you try to use
my resume to sell your case,

you won't like what you hear.

Look, I'll talk to him.

Take Detective Lupo off
the witness list.

I guess that's easier
than deciding
if he has a point.

It was a nice evening,
so we took our son,
Willie, to the park.

Reggie was going to
throw a football with him.

When we got to the park,

we saw some men
coming towards us
from Houston Street.

And what happened next,
Mrs. Hodges?

Another group of men
came from the other side.

They were carrying
bats and pipes.

Before we knew it,
they started to fight.

Reggie pushed
Willie and me away.

And then one of them
started hitting him

with a tire iron
for no reason.

Another one
started punching him.

Reggie went down,
there was blood
all over him.

Willie saw his father
beaten to death by this...

This mob.

No more questions.

I'm very sorry
for your loss.

Now, you testified

that you wait tables
at a restaurant
on Vesey Street, downtown.

Were you working there
on 9/11?

Yes, I was.

So you must remember
what it was like that day.

I'll never forget it.

I saw people jumping
from the towers.

Do you remember how you felt?

Like we were in a war,
but...

"Like we were
in a war."

Thank you.
No further questions.

We recovered
three baseball bats,
two metal pipes,

a bike chain,
two tire irons,
a piece of rebar,

a mallet, a hatchet,
three pocket knives, a wrench.

What else did you observe?

A lot of
terrified people were
trapped in that park

once the fight
broke out,

people in the neighborhood
who had seen the violence.

Nothing further.

Detective, when you
interviewed the defendants,

did they express
any political views

or any desire to disrupt
any government institutions?

Some of them said
they weren't happy

about the way
the justice system worked.

So they made
no political statement.

Public violence is
a political statement.

Move to strike.

I grew up running to school
through the alleys,

so gang-bangers
wouldn't jump me.

The answer is stricken.
My whole
neighborhood

was paralyzed in fear.
Detective!

The jury will disregard
the witness's answer.

No more questions,
Your Honor.

Redirect, Your Honor.

Detective,
you claim that
the neighborhood

where you grew up
was the target
of terrorists.

Why would you say that?

Gangs had set up a nation
within a nation.

A violent criminal nation
with no regard for our laws.

When you have little kids
too scared to go to sleep,

and widowed young mothers

too scared to comfort
their babies,

that's terrorism.

Thank you, Detective.

After the judge let
Vince Fonsella go,
I was pretty steamed.

I was on my way home
and I got a text message

saying that something
was happening over
at the ball fields.

I thought, maybe,
one of my brother's buddies
was going to fight Vince.

What, in fact,
happened when you
got to the field?

There was a bunch of guys
yelling at each other,
Vince's guys and our guys.

But if you've ever seen
a hockey fight,
everybody talks smack,

guys swing their sticks,
sometimes two guys
even throw punches...

But I figured that'd be
the worst case scenario.

What happened?

It got out of hand.
I heard this crack,

and there was this guy
on the ground
with his head split open.

And then...

I'm sorry

innocent people got hurt.
I...

Nobody deserved to die
because of what happened
to my brother.

But we were not trying
to make a statement.

We were just hurt
and angry, and stupid.

I've served six years
in the Fire Department,

I've run into buildings
to save people.

I work with guys who
lost friends in the towers.

I'm willing to be punished,
but to call me a terrorist!

And send me
to jail for life?

That doesn't make sense.

You run into burning buildings
and save people for a living,

and in your spare time
you get into street fights

where innocent people
are killed?

I told you,
we were angry.

Now, you invoked
the memory

of the brave
men and women

who went up
into those towers
seven years ago.

Do you think
they felt scared,
even terrified?

Yeah, sure.

But they didn't give in
to their feelings,
they did their duty,

just as much as
you failed to do yours.

Objection.
Withdrawn.

Mr. Hauser,
when the fight broke out,

why didn't you try
to stop it or call 911?

I don't know.

And if you wanted to
punish Vince Fonsella,

did you consider filing
a wrongful death suit?

Lot of good
that would've done.

You don't have
much faith in our
justice system, do you?

If you guys hadn't let
Vince Fonsella go,

none of this
would've happened.

So maybe next time,
we'll think twice

before we make a deal
with a killer?

That's right.

Maybe next time,
the courts
won't be so quick

to release a murderer.
That's the lesson
here, isn't it!

Yeah. That's the lesson.

So, that's your
political statement,

the message of
your violent behavior.

So, I guess you did
have a point after all,
didn't you, Mr. Hauser?

Serious crimes
were committed
on those ball fields.

But for reasons known only
to the District Attorney,

no individual defendants
have been charged
for those specific crimes.

Whether it was
a botched investigation

or for political
considerations,
we can only speculate.

But the police
and the prosecutors

can't parse out
who did what to whom.

So instead,
they want you to do
their jobs for them.

They want everyone
who participated
to be convicted of terrorism.

This was a street fight
between men who had
nothing on their minds

except dumb payback.

And these charges
are nothing but
political posturing

by an ambitious prosecutor.

Justice requires you
to acquit these defendants.

Make no mistake,

these acts were an attack
on institutions we hold dear.

Their street fight
was nothing less
than an attempt

to substitute
their brand of justice
for our system of due process.

By bringing their fight
to a public park
and daring anyone to stop it,

they would erode
the public's confidence
in the government's ability

to protect its citizens.

Their behavior
meets the criteria
of a terrorist act.

Every day,
we're subjected to
public acts of violence.

Bare-knuckle punch-outs
in Union Square,

teenage girls
battering each other
on Internet videos,

no-holds-barred
extreme fighting
on prime-time.

It's violence
you can't escape now.

Violence that brutalizes us,

excites us and terrifies us.

And we've seen
what the end of
this road looks like.

It's a soccer stadium
filled with people

forced to watch men
in black turbans
conduct mass executions.

And that's why
you need to find
these defendants guilty

of what, I concede,
is a severe charge.

Because when
we no longer believe
we live in a safe society,

then we live in terror.

Five days.
It shouldn't take
that long to acquit.

Don't sell yourself short.

You gave them
something to chew on.

Rubirosa.
I really don't want
any credit here.

This was your idea.

Okay,
I'll come right over.

The court officers just
broke up a fist fight
in the jury room.

Great. Maybe we can
watch it on the Internet.

Are you happy now?

This case has put
the whole city on overload.

Maybe you should re-read
your summation.

Something had to be done,
something out of the ordinary.

Out of the ordinary,
like when the Russian mob
killed A.D.A. Ricci,

and you suspended
habeas corpus?

Crossing the line
was one thing when
Adam Schiff had your back.

Now, you're out there
all by yourself.

That doesn't bother me.

No, it just makes you
more stubborn.

The jury's at
each other's throats,

what if they hang
on the verdict?

Or worse,
what if they do acquit?

You're gonna look
like a fool,

not to mention
what it'll do

to the credibility
of this office.

Jack, you made your point.

You proved
you'll protect this city
come hell or high water.

Now, prove you have
the wisdom to back down

when you're doing
more harm than good.

We hear there
might be an offer?

You heard right.

So, McCoy's
regained his sanity.

It's all or nothing.

The three defendants
who beat
Vince Fonsella to death

plead to Murder Two,
20-to-life.

The other defendants
take two counts of Man One,

five years to run
consecutively.

I'd have to do 10 years?
I didn't even kill anybody.

Well, right now,
you have a life sentence
hanging over your head,

so you can whine about it
or you can cut your losses.

Even though the terrorism
charges were dropped,

this plea bargain
is a just and fair
resolution of a case

that was controversial
and hard-fought.

In the end, the people of
our city will rest easier

knowing that mob violence
will not be tolerated,

and that justice
will prevail over
those who engage in it.

I'd also like to express
my gratitude

to Assistant District
Attorney, Michael Cutter,

who tried this case
and who brought
sense and reason

to bear on the outcome.

Thank you.

Mr. McCoy,
do you have plans to join
the Obama administration?