22x16 - Deadline

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Law & Order". Aired: September 1990 to May 2010.*
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Detectives and prosecutors work to solve crimes and convict perpetrators.
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22x16 - Deadline

Post by bunniefuu »

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.

[TENSE MUSIC]



[FLOORBOARDS CREAKING]

Hello?

[GRUNTING]

[CLATTERING]

Detective.

Oh, Detective. Welcome back.

Yeah, good to be back.

- Most part.
- Mm-hmm.

Vic looks familiar. Stabbed?

There appear to be two wounds
on the side of the torso.

Based on the location,
I'm guessing punctured lungs.

Looks like a cyclone tore through here.

- He put up a hell of a fight.
- Yeah.

Whoever the k*ller was, they
did not leave here unscathed.

Is that a Pulitzer?

Awarded for local reporting
to Jacob Ackerman.

My dad used to read him every day

when he covered the city
for "The Guardian."

- No one reported like he did.
- Detectives.

Found the vic's phone
over there in the hallway.

He dialed . Didn't press send.

There's no sign of forced entry?

No, neighbor who called it in

said the door was wide open
when he got here.

Thank you, Officer.

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking our vic saw
something through the window,

and then went outside to check it out.

He interrupts
someone vandalizing his house.

They have words. It gets heated.

Yeah, he goes back inside

to get his cell phone to call the cops.

k*ller follows him in. Fight ensues.

Ackerman ends up dead.

[EXHALES SHARPLY]

I read his website every morning.

Only unbiased news source
you can find these days.

Man was a legend.

Now, he's a headline.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]



I was taking Otto, my dog, for a walk

when I saw someone bolt
like a bat out of hell

out of Jacob's house.

Can you describe the person you saw?

I didn't get to see his face.
It all happened so fast.

How about any details
on what they were wearing?

A big ski jacket,
and they had a winter hat on.

Can you describe the jacket?

Like, dark green.

And it had really bright,
fluorescent orange accents.

Could you tell if the suspect
was a man or a woman?

Honestly, I couldn't say for sure.

How about height?

I don't know. Maybe ' ", ' ".

Thank you so much for your help.

If you remember anything else,
give us a call.

Great, we're looking for a shortish man

- or a tallish woman.
- Yeah.

And if they were all bundled up,

the door cams aren't gonna be much help.

- Sir, behind the tape.
- You have to let me through.

- This is my father's house!
- Hey, sir?

Hey, sir. How can we help you?

Who did that?

What's going on?

Um, I hate to tell you this,
but there's been an incident.

- And your father was att*cked.
- Oh, my God.

Unfortunately, he didn't survive.

- We're very sorry.
- I'm sorry.

Oh, the son of a bitch! I knew it!

You knew it?

What do you mean? You know who did this?

Yeah, Lamar Cordell.

The podcaster?

He prides himself
on being controversial.

He's not controversial. He's hateful.

He was pushing some nonsense on his show

about the Jews being responsible

for the oppression of Black people.

My father wrote an op-ed
calling him out over it.

And I'm guessing Cordell
didn't take it too well.

A few days ago, he sent my father a DM

saying he was gonna do to him
what the Jews did to Jesus.

Seriously?

Of course Ackerman
would weaponize his lies

to get the cops to come after me.

[SCOFFS] Mm-mm-mm.

This is America, y'all, in ,

where the free-thinkers

who've red-pilled themselves
from the sheep, well...

Will you just answer the question?

Did you thr*aten Jacob Ackerman's life?

I am the victim here.

Look, Ackerman and his tribe

are trying to stop people from
learning the unsanctioned truth

of what they've done to us, my brother.

Oh, no.

I am not your brother in this, OK?

Your brand of crazy, that's all you.

I hate to break the news to you, buddy,

but when it comes to being a victim,

Ackerman's definitely got you b*at.

- How's that?
- He was m*rder*d this morning.

And you happened to thr*aten
to do that to him

three days ago, brother.

Well, I didn't mean it literally.

Look, I wasn't gonna k*ll him.

I was... I was saying
I was gonna make him a martyr

for his cause.

Well, that clears that up.

Look, the more he and I fought,

the more people paid attention.

More attention brings in clicks,

and more clicks, more money.

Look, I don't believe
half the things I say.

But that's how the game is played.

Oh, so you're saying
you two were friends?

No, I needed him.

Like I stated, he's good for business.

OK. Where were you
: a.m. this morning?

Here, like every other day.

The keypad entry system
at the recording studio

confirms Lamar Cordell was there

- at the time of the m*rder.
- So he's not our k*ller.

He's just a guy pretending
to want Ackerman dead

for clickbait.

ME's report says the Kn*fe used

to k*ll Ackerman likely
had a - or -inch blade

with a serrated edge.

That's a hunting Kn*fe. That's hardcore.

Cordell might not have believed

the anti-Jewish hate he spewed,

but his comments fired up
a lot of people who do.

I found a ton of online hate
directed at Ackerman.

Fantastic. Hundreds of suspects.

- Love that.
- Gets worse.

Two days ago, Ackerman was doxxed

by an anonymous poster on
an anti-Semitic Reddit thread.

Listed Ackerman's home address.

Say what you want
about sticks and stones,

but words today can definitely k*ll you.

Forensics didn't find
a second blood type

at the crime scene, but they did find

a partial print on the spray paint can.

Belongs to a guy by the name
of Lucas Hobbs, years old.

He's got plenty of priors too...

Aggravated as*ault, harassment...

And a known association
with the Wolves of Vanguard.

I'm guessing that's not a
nature enthusiast organization.

No, it is a white
supremacist militia group.

Lucas Hobbs, how you doing?

Hey, come on.

Police!

Oh, no. Not today, sweetheart.

- [GRUNTS]
- Get over here.

Lucas Hobbs, you're under arrest.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say...

You think you can stop us,
but you can't.

This is a movement.

Revelation is coming.

I think you mean incarceration.

Come on, we got your fingerprints

on the spray paint can.

So?

So Ackerman come outside

while you were defacing his property.

You guys have words?

When did they, uh, saddle you with him?

About six months ago.

Dream come true. Thanks for asking.

Be careful.

Never trust one of them with a g*n.

You know, I'm about this close

from letting you walk free

just so I can find you in the street

and finish this conversation,
just you and me.

Well, that's good with me.
You just let me know.

As much as I would love
to see that conversation,

we're not gonna let you go.

So you either tell us
your side of the story

or we'll skip to the good part
when we charge you with m*rder.

I told you already, I didn't k*ll him.

I just tagged his house.

I wanted to expose how these
Zionists control the media.

Yeah, but, you see,
the Zionist you were exposing

wound up dead.

That's his problem, not mine.

I never even saw the guy.

Say what you want,

but I didn't k*ll that Jew reporter.

[KNOCKS AT DOOR]

We got video of Hobbs

on the subway platform
near Ackerman's brownstone

boarding a Bronx-bound train

ten minutes before
Ackerman's neighbor called .

And he wasn't wearing a green jacket,

as your witness described.

So he's telling the truth.

Yeah, it looks that way.

Well, that clears him of the m*rder,

but he's still guilty of a hate crime.

Book him on making graffiti
and criminal mischief

and anything else you can think of.

- Happily.
- And start digging

into Ackerman's personal
and professional life,

and see if anything else was going on

that might have
made somebody want to k*ll him.

Jacob and I left our newspaper jobs

five years ago to start Endnote.

Purer journalism
without the profiteering.

Lofty mission.
Tough business model, though.

Our business is doing well.

We're in the process
of selling a majority stake

to an investment firm in Sweden.

And things between you
and Ackerman were good?

Yeah. Yeah, of course.

I just... I just still haven't
processed that he's gone.

You know, we read
some of the text messages

you sent to Ackerman last week.

You know, what did you
call him, a selfish prick?

And an arrogant boomer.

And we know that Ackerman wanted

to pull the plug on the deal,
and that made you furious.

So I sh*t off a bunch
of angry text messages.

We needed that deal.

So why did Ackerman try to t*nk it?

Because he's a purist.

When Jacob heard that the buyer wanted

to skew our coverage to the far left,

reposition us as the
liberal "Fox News," he balked.

But the good news for you is,

now that Ackerman is out of the picture,

you're free to do whatever
you want with the company.

I didn't k*ll Jacob.

Just the same, where
were you yesterday morning?

At home with my family.

It was my son's birthday.

All right.

Can you think of anyone else

that might have a problem with Ackerman?

Any confrontations?

Any threats that you know about?

He has been a little
distracted the past few weeks.

'Cause of all the hate
he's getting online?

Because he was spending a lot
of time with a younger woman.

Jacob and I were close for years.

He was the first person to
hire me right out of college.

He was my mentor.

I understand you were
spending a lot of time

- with him lately.
- Yeah.

We were working together on an article.

So your relationship
was strictly professional?

Yes, absolutely.

What were you two working on?

- Something really big.
- Big how?

A few months ago, six people d*ed

in a fire in the Myers-Hamilton House.

- It's a public housing project.
- I remember that.

The fire doors didn't deploy
like they should have, right?

And the official story

is that the fire doors didn't activate

because of a mechanical malfunction.

But the unofficial story?

Apparently, Ackerman uncovered

that the fire doors
at the housing project

were supposed to be serviced

two months before the fire broke out,

but that didn't happen

because the contractor
the city paid to do the work,

a company called SiteShield,
doesn't actually exist.

What do you mean it doesn't exist?

Phony address.

The phone number listed
is to a florist in Queens.

$ million was paid out of a city budget

to a shell corporation.

Meaning someone's
embezzling millions of dollars.

And as a result, six people burn alive?

Yeah.

What if Ackerman was getting close

to figuring out
who was behind the embezzling?

Hell of a motive.

And this reporter,

McAllister, she know who's involved?

She said that Ackerman
traced the money trail

back to Patricia Simonian's office,

but she has no proof that
she was personally involved.

Patricia Simonian?
As in the deputy mayor?

Yeah, she hands out the city contracts.

Just got off the phone
with Simonian's assistant.

She hasn't been able
to reach her since Saturday...

The day before Ackerman was m*rder*d.

All right, guys.

You got to find her.

- [KNOCKS AT DOOR]
- NYPD!


NYPD!

[DOOR UNLOCKS]

NYPD!

Police!

Frank.

[SIGHS] Yeah.

Neighbors don't report seeing
or hearing anything unusual

the past few days.

Didn't see anyone coming
or going from the apartment.

Well, I did see a camera in the lobby.

Check with the building manager.

Have him pull footage
from the last four days.

Thanks.

No sign of a break-in.

So there's a chance she knew her k*ller.

- What you got?
- Cause of death

appears to be blunt force trauma.

Something heavy.
Multiple blows to the head.

Obviously, she's been dead a while,

but any estimate on exactly how long?

It's been a couple days.

I mean, based on the signs
of putrefaction I'm seeing,

I'd say sometime late Saturday
night or early Sunday morning.

That was before Ackerman was k*lled.

Are you confirming that she was k*lled

sometime before : a.m. Sunday?

She's definitely been here
longer than that.

Well, that rules her out
as Ackerman's k*ller.

These two murders have to be connected.

So Ackerman's investigating
the embezzlement of city funds,

and he suspects the
deputy mayor of being involved.

And then, somehow they both
end up m*rder*d hours apart.

Odds of this being a coincidence?

Zero.

This is video from Simonian's lobby

at : p.m., Saturday night.

Oh, she let him in.

Look at their body language.
She knows him.

Look at that jacket, height, build.

The guy matches the description

of the suspect
from the Ackerman crime scene.

Half an hour later,
the same person leaves alone.

And look,
he's clearly holding something.

Likely the m*rder w*apon.

OK, so this confirms

we're looking for one k*ller
for both homicides.

And the question is, who's got
motive to m*rder both victims?

Ackerman was investigating SiteShield.

And Simonian is the one who
approved the city-wide contract

for SiteShield.

Julia McAllister was working
on the article with Ackerman.

If the k*ller knows that...

OK, let's get her
into protective custody ASAP.

[DOOR OPENS]

We'll have an officer posted
outside the door at all times

and two officers
in a patrol car outside.

How long do I have to stay here?

Until we find out who's responsible

for the embezzlement.

Whoever it is, they're murdering

anyone they think is connected to you,

which puts you in danger.

I need to check on someone.

Who might that be?

When Jacob figured out
that the deputy mayor

might somehow be involved
with SiteShield,

I gave him the contact info

of someone I thought
might have some information,

someone who had
come through for me before.

And why didn't you tell us
this yesterday when we spoke?

I was protecting my source.

And I wasn't even sure if
Jacob had connected with them.

- If you tell us who they are...
- No.

They are an anonymous source.
That's the whole point.

Please, just let me make a call,

and I'll find out
who was behind SiteShield.

So that's our embezzler.

[ENGINE STARTS]

Looks like he's heading north.

The onramp's up ahead.

He could be making a run for it.

That looked like a rolling stop to me.

[SIRENS BLARING]

License and registration, please.

What did I do?

You rolled through that stop sign, sir.

License and registration.

- What are you...
- Please. Now.

That's quite a shiner
you got there, uh, Mr. Costa.

- How'd you get that?
- Excuse me?

Simple enough question.

[SCOFFS] What the hell's going on here?

- Step out of the vehicle.
- What?

Step out of the vehicle now, sir.

Hands on the roof.

[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]

I have no idea
what you're talking about.

Don't lie to us, David.

We know you embezzled city money

and that you got into an
argument with Patricia Simonian

two days before she was m*rder*d.

And unfortunately for you,

a third party
overheard that conversation.

We know that you're
the one behind SiteShield,

and that makes you responsible

for the six people
who d*ed in that fire.

I've never even heard of that company.

Jacob Ackerman contacted

the deputy mayor Saturday afternoon.

And she got spooked

that a reporter
was poking around, didn't she?

And you realized
that she was a liability.

So you went over
to her place that night,

and you k*lled her.

And then you went to
Ackerman's to finish the job.

But he put up a fight, didn't he?

I'm not gonna say another word

until my attorney gets here.

[KNOCKS AT DOOR]

That's fine, Dave.

Because you know what that sound means?

It's the signal
that we got our search warrant.

[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]

Find anything?

No green jacket.

You got to be kidding me.

About?

It's right out in the open.

No way.

[WHISTLES]

Third from the top.

He can't be that stupid.

Come on.

There.

It's faint, but it's definitely blood.

Wow.

David Costa and Deputy Mayor Simonian

were co-conspirators
in an embezzlement scheme

that led directly
to the deaths of six people

in a public housing unit fire.

And Jacob Ackerman
was working on an article

that would have exposed their crimes,

so Costa k*lled Ackerman
and the deputy mayor

to keep the truth from being discovered.

And you have evidence to back this up?

DNA tests confirm
that blood on the Kn*fe

found at David Costa's home
belongs to Ackerman.

And while they didn't
find a jacket or hat

that matches the description
of our witness,

they did find this
on Costa's social media.

It's the same jacket
from the surveillance footage.

You can prove motive, means,

and you've got him in possession

of the m*rder w*apon.
What's the problem?

Well, our evidence
in the Ackerman case is strong.

But we don't have much, if anything,

tying him to Simonian's m*rder.

Then separate the cases. [PHONE BUZZES]

Hold off on Simonian's
until you have more evidence.

And in the meantime, move
for trial on the Ackerman case.

Costa's attorney just filed a motion.

They want to suppress the m*rder w*apon.

It's our contention that
the search warrant in this case

was defective.

Mr. Price, what was the basis

for probable cause in your affidavit?

The defendant has a clear motive,

and detectives observed
cuts and bruises on his face

during a routine traffic stop.

Ah, yes, two seasoned
homicide detectives

suddenly morph into traffic cops.

They pulled him over for a rolling stop.

This is laughable.

The police circumvented my
client's constitutional rights

with a trumped-up, unverifiable,

alleged traffic violation.

They were within their rights.

No, they exploited a technicality

and violated the spirit of the law.

I tend to agree. It's an overreach.

And since the stop is where they noticed

the cuts and bruises which in
turn led to the search warrant,

the Kn*fe is fruit
of the poisonous tree.

Defense's motion to suppress is granted.

You been able to find anything

in Costa's personal finances
that ties him

- to the embezzlement?
- Negative.

And I've requested information
on SiteShield's account,

but the bank in Panama where
the company receives the funds

is citing the privacy of their clients.

And we have no jurisdiction
to challenge it.

Which is why Costa was
funneling the embezzled funds

through them in the first place.

You lost the m*rder w*apon.

This was supposed to be
the case you could win.

I still can.

Ackerman was on the verge

of exposing SiteShield's responsibility

for the six deaths
in the Myers-Hamilton fire.

And as the person
behind the shell company,

David Costa had the most to lose.

Without documentation

tying Costa to the shell corporation,

you can't even prove he was involved

in the embezzlement scheme.

I can do it through Julia McAllister,

Ackerman's colleague.

She was writing the article
with Ackerman.

She can testify to
how he came to suspect Costa.

Good.

But you still need to play
to the jury's emotions.

Remind them that
the defendant has a lot more

than just Jacob Ackerman's
blood on his hands.

This was not an accident.

What happened to the people
in that building was horrific...

To be b*rned alive.

And the tragedy is their deaths
could have been avoided.

Ms. McAllister, what did
you and Jacob Ackerman discover

in the course of your reporting
on the Myers-Hamilton fire?

The city hired a company
called SiteShield

to install fire safety doors
in that building.

Turned out it was a shell corporation,

and they never did the work
they were paid to do.

- How much were they paid?
- Over $ million.

And were you able to determine

who was behind SiteShield?

Yes, I found a source

who had firsthand knowledge
of the situation.

And what did the source tell you?

Objection. Calls for hearsay.

May I be heard?

I'll see counsel in chambers.

Where are you going with this,
Mr. Price?

The witness will testify
that she has a source

who told her that
they overheard a conversation...

- This is hearsay.
- Hold on.

What is the proffered testimony?

The witness' source
overheard a conversation

between the defendant and
Deputy Mayor Patricia Simonian.

The defendant admitted
that he was behind SiteShield

and that he was aware

that Jacob Ackerman
was about to expose him.

I agree with Mr. Hollins.

It's an admission of guilt

- by the defendant...
- Actually, Your Honor...

And therefore, an exception to the...

- This is double hearsay.
- Double?

McAllister isn't even the one

who claims to have overheard
this so-called confession.

We have no proof
this source even exists.

Can you verify
who Ms. McAllister's source is?

Unfortunately, no, Your Honor.

The source only agreed
to speak with Ms. McAllister

under the promise of anonymity,

and she's exercising
her First Amendment right

to protect their identity.

I understand that puts you in a bind,

but I need confirmation
this person is real.

Without that, I can't allow
Ms. McAllister's testimony.

I need the name of your source.

I will do everything I can
to limit their exposure.

And we can request
a closed-door hearing.

I can't. I'm sorry.

Ackerman was your friend, right?

Your mentor.

And you're OK
letting his k*ller walk free?

No, I'm not OK with that.

Not even close.

But I can't reveal my source.

I-I just can't.

Jacob would understand too.

He's the one who taught me
the importance of integrity.

You live and die as a journalist

based on your word.

I'm sorry.

I can't help you.

Can you describe the person you saw

running away from Jacob Ackerman's home

on the morning of January th?

He was wearing
this big, green puffy jacket.

Was there anything unique
about the jacket?

It had a bright, fluorescent
orange liner and hood.

Mr. Fulcher, this is

a picture of David Costa

taken a week before the m*rder.

Is the jacket he's wearing in this photo

the same as the one you're describing?

Yes, that's it. No question.

Thank you. Nothing further.

Mr. Fulcher, by your own admission,

you never saw
this person's face, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

In fact, you told police

that you couldn't even tell
if the person that you saw

was a man or a woman.

That's true.

So what you saw was
a person in a ski jacket

running down the street.

He or she was running out of
Jacob's home wearing that coat.

But what you can't say
beyond a reasonable doubt

is that my client...

Had anything to do with this m*rder.

No, I guess not.

No further questions.

The prosecution is making
a lot of noise about a jacket.

Do you, in fact,
own a green and orange parka?

I did, but I donated it to the Goodwill

a week before the m*rder.

Your Honor, I'd like to offer
a receipt of this donation

and ask that it be marked exhibit .

So you're not the person
Stephen Fulcher saw

fleeing the scene
of Jacob Ackerman's m*rder?

Absolutely not. I'd never even heard

of Jacob Ackerman before I was arrested.

Thank you.

Your cell phone location data puts you

within a -block radius
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone

on the morning of the m*rder.

- How do you explain that?
- I went out for a run.

You live in Queens.

Jacob Ackerman lived
in the West Village.

Well, I like to explore
different parts of the city.

You familiar with a company
called SiteShield?

Your Honor, we're venturing
into dangerous waters.

Anything else, Mr. Price?

The idea that anyone would travel

over a body of water
and across two boroughs

to jog at : a.m. on a Sunday morning,

it's ludicrous.

But I saw the jurors' faces.

They were entertaining it.

No one likes the idea

of condemning a man to life in prison.

Credible or not,

reason to doubt
gives them reason to acquit.

I don't see how we come back from this.

Then maybe it's time to reach out,

- discuss a plea.
- Maybe not.

I just got a call from an attorney

representing Lucas Hobbs.

The neo-n*zi?

The guy who spraypainted
Ackerman's brownstone

the morning of the m*rder.

What did his lawyer want?

I was watching the news,

and they did a story on your trial.

I recognize that guy you're prosecuting.

You know David Costa?

I saw him the morning of the m*rder.

[SIGHS] Where exactly did this happen?

On Ackerman's block,
just a few houses down.

After I tagged his house,
I was headed back

to the subway to go home,
and he bumped into me.

So I shoved him, told him
to watch where he was going.

Mm, and you remember what he looks like,

even though it was months ago?

Yeah, I'm not gonna forget his face.

He pulled a Kn*fe on me.

He said that if I knew
what was good for me,

I'd watch where I was going.

What did this Kn*fe look like?

Blade was about yay big.

The handle was kind of gold.

Had, like, pearl and stuff all in it.

You notice anything else
about the blade?

Um, did it have a straight edge?

No, it was serrated.

Why didn't you mention this to police

when they questioned you?

Because I'm not a snitch.

Not for free, anyway.

My client is currently being held

on an aggravated as*ault charge.

We heard.

att*cked a Jewish woman
in broad daylight,

completely unprovoked.

Mr. Hobbs maintains his innocence.

And he would be happy
to help in your case

in exchange for your help with his.

What did you have in mind?

A dismissal.

He put a young woman in the hospital,

and you want a free pass?

That, or I don't testify.

Are you certain Lucas Hobbs
is even telling the truth?

Did he really see the defendant
at the m*rder scene?

His description
of the Kn*fe was spot-on.

And those details
were never made public,

so either he is omniscient

or he saw Costa holding the Kn*fe

a block from the m*rder scene.

But, Jack, look at this.

Hobbs brutally assaulted
a -year-old Jewish woman

when he overheard her
speaking Hebrew with a friend,

and he wants all charges dropped

in exchange for his testimony.

We're talking about
a m*rder case here, Nolan.

Yeah, I understand that.

I was prepared to offer him

more leniency than he deserves.

But what he did,

he shouldn't be allowed
to walk away scot-free.

This isn't about what
he deserves or doesn't deserve.

It's about getting justice
for Jacob Ackerman.

At what expense?

Sarah Khahiri,
the young woman Hobbs att*cked,

has a fractured spine from
when he stomped on her back.

She needs surgery
to have her jaw reconstructed.

What happened to her is horrific.

But she's still alive.

Mr. Ackerman is not.

I'm just not comfortable

giving a neo-n*zi
a get-out-of-jail-free card.

I'm not.

Especially with all
the recent anti-Semitic att*cks

and the hate out there,

there's a bigger picture
to take into account here.

I have no more tolerance
for hate crimes than you do,

and I'm all for adhering to principles,

but not to the exclusion
of trying to win a m*rder case.

So you're demanding
that I put this r*cist, Hobbs,

on the stand?

Can you win without him?

I don't know, but I'm not sure

if it's worth winning like this.

Tell that to Jacob Ackerman's son

and the families of the six
people who d*ed in that fire.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned,

but if the cost of convicting someone

responsible for eight deaths,
including three children,

is cutting a sweetheart deal
with a white supremacist,

I'd take that deal all day long.

But this is your case.

You're the one who needs
to live with your choices,

not me.

And how can you be certain, Mr. Hobbs,

that the man who pulled a Kn*fe on you

right outside
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone

that morning was the defendant?

I got a really good look at him.

He got right up in my face.

He was all amped up.

I could see it in his eyes that
he didn't just have a Kn*fe,

he was willing to use it.

Nothing further for this witness.

Mr. Hobbs, you were initially
questioned by detectives

as a suspect in the m*rder
of Jacob Ackerman,

is that not correct?

Yeah, but I didn't do it.

But you didn't mention anything to them

about seeing someone
with a Kn*fe that morning,

did you?

No.

So you knew Ackerman got stabbed,

and you now are claiming
that you saw someone

brandishing a Kn*fe outside his home,

but you didn't think
that information was pertinent?

I don't really have the best
relationship with the police.

Well, that's putting it lightly.

In fact, you were charged

with vandalizing Ackerman's house

with anti-Semitic graffiti,
isn't that correct?

Yeah.

And you've been charged

with several other crimes
since then, haven't you?

Objection. The witness is not on trial.

- Sustained.
- We'll try another way.

Um, Mr. Hobbs,
are you currently on trial

for the as*ault
of a -year-old Jewish girl?

I'm innocent.

And is your testimony here today

in exchange for the district attorney

giving you a full dismissal
of that case?

Yes, it is.

I have no further questions.

Any redirect, Mr. Price?

Mr. Hobbs, you are a member
of the Wolves of Vanguard,

an organization that's associated

with the neo-n*zi party, correct?

Yeah.

So when someone kills

a prominent Jewish figure
like Jacob Ackerman,

if anything, you're more likely

to lie to protect them,
not incriminate them.

Isn't that fair to say?

If I'm being real with you,

I hate that I'm testifying
against that guy.

I got no beef with him.

But I saw what I saw.

He was there, and he had a Kn*fe.

[TENSE MUSIC]



Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

On the charge of m*rder
in the second degree,

we find the defendant, David Costa...

guilty.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Hey. It all worked out, huh?

I appreciate you keeping up
your end of the bargain.

It was a one-time deal.

You commit any crimes moving forward,

I will make sure you are prosecuted

to the maximum extent of the law.

Good doing business with you.

You made the right call.

I'll see you tomorrow.

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