Law & Order (1990) s03e02 Episode Script
Conspiracy
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.
The jury in Los Angeles delivered us a clear message.
Black people are on their own.
No justice, Except for what we do for ourselves.
No prosperity, except what we create with our own hands.
Well, I'm here to tell you that I welcome that message because we, as a people, are not without resources.
The Jews did for their own.
The Koreans do for their own.
Now is the time to do for our own.
Anger is a force for change.
But not if it blinds us.
The road ahead is filled with distractions.
Hate for the white man is a distraction.
And we are better than that.
And I I am here to tell you, believe me, brothers and sisters, we will have the last word.
Marcus! Stand back.
Stand back.
Marcus, lift up your hand.
Police! Move! Get out of the way! Move! Push the door! Push the door! So, what happened? Tate caught two in the chest.
His people took him to St.
Luke's.
This guy who ran away.
Did you get a good look at him? The shooter? White, dark hair.
His gun was a.
38.
You see him use it on Tate? I didn't see him shoot.
Talk to anybody who did? No, sir.
Then we're just assuming.
Where was I? Where the hell were you? If you cops had been on the stick, Marcus would still be alive right now.
I wouldn't know about that, but if you'd answer my question.
I was watching the side door, like I was supposed to, and all I seen was this white Coming at me with a gun.
Then what'd you do? I went for my steel, but the sucker got me first.
I'll need your weapon for ballistics.
Check his permit.
Yes, sir.
Instead of harassing my ass, why don't you go after the white dude that killed Marcus? Excuse me.
Eight bodyguards, eight guns.
Once the shooting started, all the youngbloods got in on the act.
The bomb was an M60 in the trash can.
Just loud enough to make a diversion.
It worked.
I haven't found anybody who saw the actual shooting.
The suspect's described as tall, short, fat, thin, dark hair, blonde hair.
One thing everybody agrees on: White, white, very white.
Tells you something.
Yeah, summer's here.
We wanted to coordinate with you before we released any information.
Dr.
Reid, police.
Doctor, you worked on Marcus Tate? Two chest wounds.
Time of death: 11:37.
You recover any slugs for us? No.
One was a through-and-through.
The other one lodged near the spine.
Real pinball.
Hit all the vitals.
Where's the body now? Upstairs, sixth floor.
Did you post security guards? Tate came with his own posse.
Terrific.
Mrs.
Tate's wishes She's with the body in room 602.
So, is it okay to release the information? Yeah, go ahead.
You start the riot.
Is Mrs.
Tate in there? We'd like to talk to her.
You people aren't welcomed here.
We don't need an invitation, my friend.
Maybe if you just told her we're here.
Why don't you bring a black cop down here to talk to us? Sorry, but we're as good as you're gonna get.
They want to talk to Satima, Mr.
Books.
I'm sorry, gentlemen.
Mrs.
Tate is in no condition to speak with anyone.
Are you a relative, Mr.
Books? No, I'm the Executive Director for the African-American Congress and in-house legal counsel.
Good.
Then you know we have to talk to all witnesses as soon as possible.
She's in no condition to speak with anyone.
Now I assure you, it would be simpler if you can find someone that he can talk to.
The last time I looked, the badge only came in two colors: Silver and gold.
And that means, one way or another, he is gonna talk to us.
Mike.
We'll be in touch, Mr.
Books.
The body mustrt be moved till the ME gets here.
I read papers, I know their politics, and they're freaking racists.
We're talking damage control, Mike.
So they say "fetch," and we bark and run? No.
We don't go parading around in hoods, either.
Here's some bedtime reading.
I bet you didn't know the Jews were responsible for the crack epidemic up in Harlem.
The AAC's not exactly mainstream.
Mainstream enough to elect three councilmen.
As long as their grandstanding doesn't interfere, I don't care how we get their cooperation.
Get me something more than "suspect described as a white male.
" Okay.
The patrolman saw a white male with a.
38.
One of Tate's men was shot in the leg by a white male with a.
38.
Ballistics? We can't match that bullet with anything found in Tate.
This is getting better every minute.
Did anybody actually see Tate getting shot? Tate's wife was there.
Bodyguards.
But unless Phil and I change our racial persuasion, nobody's talking to us.
AAC is up on Lenox, right? I'll talk to Malone in the 28, see if he can't kick open a few doors.
AAC.
May I help you? I was just ahead of Marcus six, eight feet.
Where was the man with the gun? Just inside the entrance hall.
So you were watching him? Just keeping an eye out.
Was he the only white face in there? There's always a few white faces at the rallies.
Mostly protestors.
But if they just want to come in and listen then we don't pay them any particular attention.
Got it.
All right, there was an explosion.
What did you do? I turned toward Marcus, then I saw a white face come out of the crowd.
How close was he? About 10 feet to my left.
He had the gun out, he shot Marcus.
Two shots, then he booked.
I tried to grab him, but the crowd was crazy.
I saw him shoot Harlans, then he was gone.
What did this guy look like? Brown hair.
About 35, 40.
You ever seen him before? Hey, I don't know.
All you white boys look alike.
Um, ahem.
This is a very emotional time for us, Detective.
Do you have anything on this man? Ballistics? Only the slug from Mr.
Harlans' leg.
The slug from Mr.
Tate was unusable.
He had eight bodyguards.
Expecting company? Marcus didn't fear any man.
Only God.
The guards were my idea.
Pretty fatalistic for a lawyer.
I was a a punk with a do-rag when Marcus pulled me out of the gutter.
This man saved my life.
If it were up to me, he would have been wearing a bulletproof vest.
Sounds like not everybody was in his fan club.
When you speak your mind, you incite controversy.
We get threatened all the time: KKK, Aryan Nation, Sons of Abraham.
Well, I guess what goes around comes around.
It took Malcolm 25 years to gain respect.
I figure 10 for Marcus Tate, but his message will get through and the AAC will be stronger for his martyrdom.
If you had just heard his speech.
He wanted to work with the white community.
And now they've killed him.
His reputation Marcus was pragmatic.
The acquittals in LA, the looting and the self-destruction.
He realized that an outsider cannot invoke change.
And the night of the shooting? Yes.
He finished his speech.
Roland said the side alley was blocked, so we were going to use the front door.
You were with your husband? Walking right behind him.
There was an explosion, then shots.
Did you see the man who shot your husband? He was standing there, holding a gun, staring.
People were pointing at him.
Do you have any idea who this man could have been? Mmm-mmm.
But I'll never forget that face.
A lone gunman.
High-profile target.
You don't just get up one day, go shoot a public figure.
You stalk him.
Look for a chink in his armor.
If white-boy got close to Tate this time, maybe he's been there before, and maybe somebody might have seen him.
Or taken his picture.
After all, Tate makes for good copy.
I'll tell you what, next time I'm gonna buy stock in Kodak.
These guys must burn 10 rolls for every picture they run.
Ah-huh.
You got something? The beard.
Here, look.
Is this the same guy? Let me see something.
Come here.
Look.
Look at this.
How's that? Is that better? And right there? They could be triplets.
Or just bad lighting.
One way to find out.
These men were all photographed at AAC rallies in the past year.
As you can see, they don't all look alike.
You recognize any of them? From these? Yeah.
You're just going through the motions.
Here we go again.
Darryl Gates here to whup me good.
Mr.
Cook, once we get this guy in custody, you can make all the speeches you want.
Until then, just look at the damn pictures.
This one.
He lost the beard, but he kept the eyes.
You've seen him before? Yeah, I think so.
I don't know who he is, but he's been around.
Thank you, Mr.
Cook.
Mrs.
Tate.
We think the suspect stalked your husband before the shooting.
Ma'am, these men were photographed at your husband's speeches this past year.
Now one of them might be the man you saw.
That's him.
That's the man with the gun.
You're absolutely sure of that? I'm absolutely sure.
Two for two.
African Episcopal Church, Harlem, May 7.
LaSalle Hall, downtown, May 28.
Jackson Auditorium, Harlem, July 26.
We have photos of rallies outside the city at the same time period.
No sign of our guy.
Oh, lucky us.
One of our approximately eight million locals.
What do you think, about, uh, The beard is trimmed, the clothes are clean.
He's middle class.
Jewish? Tate wasrt exactly poster boy for B'nai Brith.
Somewhere in the five boroughs, somebody's gotta love this face.
We go public with a picture, our guy's gone forever.
Mikey, what about this here? What is this writing? What's that? L-A-C? L- A-C-R Lacrosse? Varsity shirt.
Yeah.
R- S-T.
Amherst.
Joe College.
Okay, let's go.
Say he's in his late 30s.
That would make him what, class of '75, '76? That is if he actually graduated.
Is it just me, or did everybody look like Charlie Manson then? No, they only became criminals after they got their Wall Street haircut.
I got it.
Gotcha.
Here.
Well, hello, Mitchell Koblin.
Class of '74.
Varsity lacrosse.
Debating club.
Voted most likely to join the Weather Underground.
I bet his parents are very proud.
Koblin.
Koblin.
Koblin.
Harvey, Lawrence, Robert.
No Mitchell.
Alumni directory.
Right here.
Koblin, Mitchell.
Yes, that's Mitchell.
He shaved his beard last April.
What do you want with him? He may have been witness to a crime.
Well, is he all right? We haven't been able to talk to him yet.
Whers the last time you saw your son? My birthday, last month.
Did you talk to Sandy? His wife.
Where can we reach them now? They live on the Upper West Side.
Does your son currently belong to any political organizations? What? We checked his resume.
In the '70s, he was a little left of center.
He had some arrests for assault and weapons violations.
Mitchell was cleared of all that.
Wait.
What the hell do you really want? He was present at the murder of Marcus Tate.
It was a rally.
Hundreds of people.
He was armed with a.
38 caliber revolver.
That's ridiculous.
You want to talk to us, talk to our attorney.
We're gone.
I can't believe Mitchell would do that.
I mean, he sometimes Mrs.
Koblin, if you could just tell us where we could find him.
Mitchell and I are divorced.
He moved out last February.
His parents didn't mention it.
He was too embarrassed to tell them.
We were the dream couple.
You know, all the colors bleeding into one.
Did Mitchell ever talk to you about Tate? Nothing.
But Mitchell might not have bought every word out of Tate's mouth.
So he killed him? He respected Marcus, his ideas, and he insisted I do the same.
Mitchell wanted to get me in touch with my black roots.
Come again? Mitchell and I For nine years, we shared the same bed for different reasons.
I thought I was getting Gramercy Park and Mitchell wanted Harlem? And I obliged.
It turned him on.
It was like the blacker I got, the more he wanted me.
It was sick.
I wanted to rub his nose in it, so I got a job at AAC.
You worked for the Tate organization? Since last year, as a bookkeeper.
It was a mistake.
Why is that? He accused me of sleeping with every man at work, including Marcus.
What about the day Marcus Tate was shot? Did you see Mitchell there? I was downstairs counting receipts.
I heard screams.
By the time I got upstairs, everything was over.
You have any idea where we can find him? Last I heard, he was teaching summer school at I.
S.
134 in the South Bronx.
Mitchell taught Current American History.
Very up guy.
The kids used to love him.
What, did he confiscate their guns? He got laid off at the end of last term.
The budget came up short, they said.
Somebody wanted to redecorate their offices.
I don't doubt it.
Now he substitutes.
But the guy's fried.
Sits at the front of the class thinking what, I don't even wanna know.
You seen him this week? No, last week.
He taught a couple of days.
You know where he's living now? We reached him at the Mers Athletic, downtown.
Excuse me.
No job, the wife dumped him.
Last time I got dumped, I put my fist through a door.
This guy gets his ya-yas out with a gun.
Mr.
Koblin has been a guest since late July, paid advance through August.
Bet he'll be checking out sooner than that.
His key is here.
He is not in his room.
Excuse me.
There's the gymnasium.
Koblirs an ex-jock, ain't he? Koblin.
Well, well, well.
Mitchell Koblin.
Mitchell Koblin, you're under arrest, for the murder of Marcus Tate.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you can't afford one, one will be provided for you.
Do you understand these rights? You guys are nuts! I didn't kill anyone! He asked you a question, Mitchell.
Yeah yeah, I understand my rights.
Then shut up and lie still! How could he possibly know anything about this murder, when he had nothing to do with it? If he was there.
I didn't hear him say he was.
We have eyewitnesses.
Who to believe? That's why we have trials, Mr.
Cerreta.
Det.
Cerreta.
She put you up to this, didn't she? That slut's trying to frame me! Mitch, that's enough.
You seem to be very angry about this.
Want to tell me about it? Are you investigating a murder here, or a divorce? If one leads to the other, both.
Political assassinations as crimes of passion.
You're going to make a lot of conspiracy buffs unappy.
Let's just see what we have here, okay? Here.
What about these? Tate's schedule and the rally announcements, Mitchell.
What were these things doing in your room? Fine, we're not denying he was at the rally.
To see his wife, nothing more.
What about this? This is an article about Tate.
You have written here in the margin, "typical Jew baiting.
" And here, "hate-mongering crap.
" Seems to me you had a bone to pick with Mr.
Tate.
And that constitutes intent? You must be lining up suspects from here to Plattsburgh.
You're missing the big picture, Paul.
My guy is a patsy.
He didn't kill Tate.
Come on, Mitch.
His speeches stretching back One for two on ballistics.
The slug from Tate's unusable, but the one from the bodyguard's leg is a conclusive match with Koblirs.
38.
The big picture just got smaller.
"Docket Number 319167.
"People v.
Mitchell M.
Koblin.
"The charges are: Murder in the second degree, "attempt to commit murder in the second degree, "criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
" How does the defendant plead? Not guilty, Your Honor, on all counts.
Due to the highly volatile nature of the crimes charged, the State feels denying bail will be in the best interest of all concerned, including the defendant.
Civil liberties, burden of proof, my client hasn't been convicted of anything.
I'm all for civil liberties.
I'm also for keeping him around to enjoy them.
So you can try him on baseless charges? With all due respect, your logic escapes me.
It's you who's called upon to provide the logic, Counselor, and it's you who hasn't met that burden.
The defendant will be held without bail pending trial.
Your Honor Counselor, judicial discretion is a wonderful thing.
Next.
Gary Lowenthal? Yes, sir.
His politics made a left turn at Haight-Ashbury.
What's he doing defending Tate's murderer? Koblirs parents are probably coughing up $400 an hour.
Pays for a lot of pro bono.
Something Koblin knows all about.
Koblin was arrested for assaulting a cop at a political protest.
Legal aid pled him down to menacing.
Unfortunately his politics matured from rocks to bullets.
If anything, the mars politically psychotic.
His bio begins with the SDS and ends with the JDL.
And Tate's been called an anti-Semite for years, right? Only he'd eased his position.
Recently he made public overtures to the Jewish community.
Koblin had to know that.
I think we're looking at a silver platter here.
We have witnesses, ballistics.
We don't need motive.
The service should always include a silver spoon.
If a jury has any doubts, motive puts them over the edge.
I'm supposed to get into a political debate with the man? I don't want Gary Lowenthal tap-dancing his way into an acquittal, and a soon-to-be major motion picture.
Get me a motive.
Koblirs whole world was collapsing.
He'd lost his job, he was lying to his family about his divorce.
Murder is a hell of a nice bandage.
A loner.
An outsider.
His life was about getting his wife back.
He worshipped her, she worshipped Tate.
He killed Tate because his wife dumped him? Eliminate the competition? A cry for attention? Displacement? Do unto Tate as you thought Tate was doing unto you.
Pick your pathology.
So if we put his ex on the stand, she should give us all the motive we need, right? He was always there, wherever I went.
It got so bad, I had to get somebody to walk me home.
He swore he was going to catch me.
Catch you doing what? With Marcus.
Were you, in fact, having an affair with Marcus Tate, Mrs.
Koblin? Mrs.
Koblin? Yes.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Has my client ever done anything that would indicate to you he was a violent man? No.
So he never hit you, or even threatened to hit you? No.
Did you ever hear him threaten to kill Marcus Tate? No.
Well, I certainly admire his self-control.
If my wife Objection! Withdrawn.
Tell me, Mrs.
Koblin, to your knowledge, was yours the only extramarital affair Marcus Tate was engaged in? No.
Is it possible, Mrs.
Koblin that other husbands were not possessed with the same self-control as yours? Objection.
We had just left the stage.
There was a big explosion.
Then guns, shooting everywhere.
Mr.
Books screamed: "He shot Marcus.
" And I saw Koblin holding his gun.
And what happened next? I saw Marcus on the ground.
His mouth was full of blood.
I covered him with my body.
I rode with him to the hospital.
His head was in my lap, his hand clenched to mine.
He never opened his eyes.
His grip never let up.
They took him into the hospital, but I knew Thank you.
Just before the explosion, you said you were leaving the auditorium.
Were you walking beside your husband? I was right behind him.
So before the explosion you didn't actually see Mr.
Koblin in the hallway? No.
You heard the gunshots, then you fell to the ground.
Yes.
But it's true, isn't it, Mrs.
Tate, that you never actually saw who it was that shot your husband? He had a gun.
I saw it.
Yes, but we've heard testimony that a lot of people had guns that night.
Isn't it possible that one of them shot Objection! Mr.
Lowenthal, would you please refrain from speculation? It's true, isn't it, Mrs.
Tate, that your husband received a lot of hate mail? The world is filled with racists.
So if someone disagrees with your husband, he's a racist? Your Honor I didn't say that.
Tell me, Mrs.
Tate, uh, were there black men who disagreed with your husband's philosophies? Uh, relevance, Your Honor? As a matter of fact, within your own organization there were men who believed Marcus Tate, betrayed the principles of the AAC.
Some of them, perhaps, the same men, who were carrying guns that night.
People may disagree with my husband, Mr.
Lowenthal.
But there isn't one member of the AAC who wouldn't die for him.
Your Honor All right.
Approach.
It's America, remember? The defense is allowed to present any defense it deems proper.
Proper, yes.
Irrelevant, no.
An alternative motive is irrelevant? When they confuse and mislead a jury, yes.
The fact is The fact is you're attempting to blind the jury with mere suspicion.
Do you have any direct evidence that someone else in the hall was responsible for the murder? No.
Then Mr.
Stone's objection is sustained.
Remember, Counselor, contempt is solely within my discretion.
All right.
No further questions.
I was standing right next to Marcus.
Yeah, I heard the explosion.
I saw the bastard pull his gun.
You're referring to the defendant? Yeah.
I was almost face to face with him.
So you're positive it was Mr.
Koblin who shot Marcus Tate? I was two, three yards away.
Yeah, I saw him.
Thank you.
You were, at most, you saw him pull his gun, you saw him shoot.
That's what I said.
One hell of a bodyguard, aren't you, Mr.
Cook? Objection.
We can do without the sarcasm, Counselor.
When you were face to face with the defendant, was that before the explosion? Yeah.
So out of all the people outside the auditorium, you chose to focus on Mr.
Koblin.
Was it because he looked suspicious? Yeah, he did.
My job is to protect Marcus.
From suspicious-looking people, or from suspicious-looking white people? Objection.
Withdrawn.
True or false, Mr.
Cook: The defendant had the only white face in the crowd that night? That's right.
In fact, the sole reason you focused on Mr.
Koblin was because he's white.
I said he looked suspicious.
And you're suspicious of white men, isn't that right? Objection.
Sustained.
So you were suspicious, and it wasrt because he was white.
What was it, then? Because he had curly hair? Because he had a big nose? They talk liberal, but they hire us to clean their toilets.
Who are you referring to? Are you talking about the people who own banks? Who own the housing where you live? Your Honor Am I one of those people, Otis? That damn Jew killed Marcus, and all you Jew lawyers gonna let him walk? Mr.
Cook, please sit down.
It is clear this witness did not see the shooter.
He saw a white Jew, and his prejudice did the rest.
It may be clear to you, Counselor.
Now, change your line of questioning, or have a seat.
No more questions.
Thank you, Your Honor.
You should've stopped it.
The man killed Marcus, now he seems like the victim.
The jury will see past that.
What if they don't? That man gets off, and those LA riots will look like a pillow fight.
And you'd endorse that? I look for justice inside the courtroom.
Others may not be quite so enlightened.
No, I didn't agree with everything Marcus said.
But I respected him, the work he was doing.
So you did not, in fact, go to the rally to kill him.
I went to the rally to see my wife.
She was trying to avoid me, but I knew she'd be there.
So I thought I'd catch her and speak to her on the way out.
When you heard the explosion, what did you do? I was scared.
I pulled my gun.
Then I saw Otis screaming and pointing at me, so I ran.
And that's when you saw the security guard, Harlans.
Aiming his gun at me.
So you shot him? He was gonna shoot me.
Tell me, sir, why didn't you get rid of your gun after the shooting? Why would I? I knew a bullet from my gun didn't kill Marcus Tate.
No further questions.
Mr.
Koblin, why did you think it necessary to carry a gun to the rally? I traveled up to Harlem by subway.
I was just being safe.
You teach in the South Bronx, isn't that right? I'm a substitute teacher.
And you commute by subway, is that right? Yes.
Tell me, sir, do you carry a gun in the classroom? That's different.
Of course, it is.
Marcus Tate isn't likely to show up at I.
S.
134.
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Uh, Mr.
Koblin, do you love your ex-wife? Very much.
Yet she slept with Marcus Tate, right? You hounded her.
I admit I was a little crazy.
Jealousy's not a crime.
You'd do anything to get her back, right? Not anything.
John Hinckley's a nutcase.
I'm just a little A little crazy.
be in and out by now.
He had our witnesses tripping over their own testimony.
He may have confused the jury.
Yeah, that's his special talent.
He needs only one out of 12, but I suppose he's pushing for a mistrial.
On all four burners.
Don't fight it.
At least you'll know his M.
O.
On retrial.
The facts speak for themselves, Adam.
And Lowenthal's two-step notwithstanding, I think the jury will convict.
Yes? Thanks.
Time to find out.
The first count of the indictment: Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
How do you find? Guilty.
Second count: Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
On the third count: Attempt to commit murder in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
And the last count: Murder in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
Will you quiet down in this court? Every black pseudo-politico from Binghamton to Brighton Beach, has been screaming for my head.
Word on the street is "no justice, no peace.
" At least the weapons charge The weapons charge is a thorn in his paw.
He'll be out in less than a year.
You talk to the jury? The foreman said we never connected Koblirs gun to the murder.
Otis' testimony was unreliable.
And the burden of proof had nothing to do with it.
Lowenthal made the trial a showcase for black racism, the jury bought it.
They couldn't see the facts through their fears.
The Constitution guarantees an impartial jury, not a jury with thick skin.
Before we start blue-penciling the Sixth Amendment, maybe we ought to press the rewind button.
I want you to double-check every word of that trial transcript.
Fifth Amendment.
Double jeopardy.
I'm not talking about murder.
Mississippi.
Three dead civil rights workers.
A Federal case.
I want to establish a case of civil rights violation.
Maybe we can feed the Feds a lay-up.
Lowenthal pulled one rabbit out of his hat.
Even if we make a Federal case against Koblin, there must be more in there.
Maybe it wasrt a rabbit.
Hey, you're not saying that Koblin didn't shoot Tate.
Well, we're not in Simi Valley.
things that adversaries overlook.
Like what? Maybe Lowenthal was right about trouble at the AAC.
What about the jealous husbands? We go after everyone whose wife slept with Tate? We go after the person who's conveniently evading the truth.
Koblirs ex says that he bothered her at work.
She had to be escorted home.
Now, if you need protection over there, who do you ask? A bodyguard.
Right.
Otis? Right.
And if it was Otis, he's gotta be lying about not recognizing Koblin.
And it could be he's lying about a lot more than that.
I didn't think he was going to hit me.
I just didn't want to be hassled.
So I asked Otis to walk me home.
Did Mitchell approach you when you left the building? Like the storming of the Bastille.
They almost came to blows.
Otis and your husband? Was it true what Mr.
Lowenthal said about internal dissension at the AAC? I'm hardly a member of the inner sanctum.
You let Koblin walk.
You screwed up.
So why not? Blame it on the niggers.
They must have done something.
Mrs.
Tate, if there was any infighting at the AAC There wasrt.
We have reason to believe Otis Cook was involved.
Scrub all you want to, Mr.
Robinette.
It doesn't come off.
The fact is that Mr.
Cook lied to us.
He told police that he didn't know Mr.
Koblin.
Sandra Koblin told us that they almost came to blows a month ago.
She has no reason to lie.
Neither do I.
She knows what happened, Adam.
But there's no way she's gonna play show-and-tell with us.
You agree? You were there, Paul.
You saw her.
I saw a woman protecting an organization she believed in.
And she's protecting a man who killed her husband.
If there's a chance that she's covering after the fact, then she's part of the conspiracy.
Arrest her.
A hunch is evidence? No.
But maybe a few hours behind bars, she'll give us some.
Let me talk to her.
We spent our lives building the AAC.
You think I'm gonna help you destroy it? Am I looking at Coretta King, or a woman scorned? Caesar's wife should be pure, Mr.
Robinette, not Caesar.
Otis Cook may have been involved.
You don't want justice? I was Michelle Perkins, dreaming of becoming a sorority sister in Alpha Rho at Vassar, until the President handed me a mirror.
Maybe you should look in that mirror before talking to me about justice.
Whoa, whoa.
Wipe away the rhetoric and all I see is a woman protecting the man who killed her husband.
And I see a man manipulated into turning on his own people.
My people aren't murderers.
Back of the bus died a long time ago.
Words on a page.
Look into the hearts of the men you drink coffee with every morning.
That bus has a long way to go.
Protecting Otis won't get you there any quicker.
I will not allow the tragedy of my husband's death to undermine all that I've done.
If you're right, those men will receive justice, but on my terms.
If you withhold evidence, the law says you're a co-conspirator.
We do what we have to, Mr.
Robinette.
So it was Otis.
I checked the police report.
Mrs.
Tate said, Roland Books redirected them towards the front door of Nation Hall.
Yeah, something about the police blocking the back alley.
I checked with the police.
There were two cars on the scene.
Both in front.
The question is, why? Tate was moderating his politics.
Maybe Books didn't agree.
Books lied.
Otis lied.
So they'll never make Eagle Scout.
You gotta have proof for a conviction.
You try them, we lose, hang my picture next to David Duke's.
No direct evidence, no trial.
So let's get Books and Otis in here.
We have nothing to pressure them with.
Mrs.
Tate won't talk.
They don't know that.
Talk about hi-tech lynchings.
If they're paying you by the head, Stone, don't expect a paycheck this week.
If that were true, Mr.
Johnson, I'd be happily out shopping for a Rolex.
We know that your client and Otis Cook killed Marcus Tate, and I assure you, we'll put them both in prison.
Marcus Tate was a beacon.
He wasrt blinded by a thousand points of light.
There was only one.
And you want it shining on you.
The mere fact that we're here means you don't have enough to convict.
If you're looking for a confession, Counselor, you better clean your bifocals.
It's not coming.
Maybe not from your side of the table.
You lied about Koblin.
Maybe I got a bad memory.
Lt'll buy you a couple in Attica for perjury and obstruction.
That's just the beginning.
You're implying that my client was somehow involved in this? I'm saying he pulled the trigger.
He talks to me about Books, and Why don't you go prosecute a jaywalker? Life's tough, Otis.
It's a lot tougher when you're stupid.
Books sold out Tate.
You think he's gonna think twice about you? I didn't kill the man.
You can squeeze as hard as you want, brother.
You'll get nothing.
We know that Otis lied.
He was merely putting nails in Koblirs coffin.
The man did kill Marcus.
That's not what the jury thought.
Otis wanted justice.
The system has seams, he feared it.
And you proved him right.
Mitchell Koblin was acquitted because we couldn't link his gun.
And what if Mitchell Koblin was black? You think your precious jury would have overlooked the missing bullet? Mr.
Stone, please, I'm not ignorant.
I can see what you're doing.
It's CYA time.
You couldn't convict Koblin so you need scapegoats, preferably black ones.
Maybe he was acquitted because he was innocent.
Mr.
Lowenthal painted a sexy picture, a coup d'etat in front of hundreds of people and a bevy of cops.
The jury bought it because they wanted to, because the idea of a lone gunman that can assassinate a leader rocks the comfort zone.
And a conspiracy is more palatable? Hollywood puts out a film based on nothing, on hearsay, and it grosses hundreds of millions of dollars.
Go ahead, Mr.
Stone, prosecute me.
Maybe the world will sleep a little better for it, but you won't get a conviction.
We both know that.
He's right.
We couldn't even get an indictment.
Maybe Books wasrt involved.
It wasrt Koblin and it wasrt Books.
Then who? There were a couple of hundred people there.
The beauty of conspiracy.
Hell, blame it on the CIA.
They haven't been fingered in years.
These are their stories.
The jury in Los Angeles delivered us a clear message.
Black people are on their own.
No justice, Except for what we do for ourselves.
No prosperity, except what we create with our own hands.
Well, I'm here to tell you that I welcome that message because we, as a people, are not without resources.
The Jews did for their own.
The Koreans do for their own.
Now is the time to do for our own.
Anger is a force for change.
But not if it blinds us.
The road ahead is filled with distractions.
Hate for the white man is a distraction.
And we are better than that.
And I I am here to tell you, believe me, brothers and sisters, we will have the last word.
Marcus! Stand back.
Stand back.
Marcus, lift up your hand.
Police! Move! Get out of the way! Move! Push the door! Push the door! So, what happened? Tate caught two in the chest.
His people took him to St.
Luke's.
This guy who ran away.
Did you get a good look at him? The shooter? White, dark hair.
His gun was a.
38.
You see him use it on Tate? I didn't see him shoot.
Talk to anybody who did? No, sir.
Then we're just assuming.
Where was I? Where the hell were you? If you cops had been on the stick, Marcus would still be alive right now.
I wouldn't know about that, but if you'd answer my question.
I was watching the side door, like I was supposed to, and all I seen was this white Coming at me with a gun.
Then what'd you do? I went for my steel, but the sucker got me first.
I'll need your weapon for ballistics.
Check his permit.
Yes, sir.
Instead of harassing my ass, why don't you go after the white dude that killed Marcus? Excuse me.
Eight bodyguards, eight guns.
Once the shooting started, all the youngbloods got in on the act.
The bomb was an M60 in the trash can.
Just loud enough to make a diversion.
It worked.
I haven't found anybody who saw the actual shooting.
The suspect's described as tall, short, fat, thin, dark hair, blonde hair.
One thing everybody agrees on: White, white, very white.
Tells you something.
Yeah, summer's here.
We wanted to coordinate with you before we released any information.
Dr.
Reid, police.
Doctor, you worked on Marcus Tate? Two chest wounds.
Time of death: 11:37.
You recover any slugs for us? No.
One was a through-and-through.
The other one lodged near the spine.
Real pinball.
Hit all the vitals.
Where's the body now? Upstairs, sixth floor.
Did you post security guards? Tate came with his own posse.
Terrific.
Mrs.
Tate's wishes She's with the body in room 602.
So, is it okay to release the information? Yeah, go ahead.
You start the riot.
Is Mrs.
Tate in there? We'd like to talk to her.
You people aren't welcomed here.
We don't need an invitation, my friend.
Maybe if you just told her we're here.
Why don't you bring a black cop down here to talk to us? Sorry, but we're as good as you're gonna get.
They want to talk to Satima, Mr.
Books.
I'm sorry, gentlemen.
Mrs.
Tate is in no condition to speak with anyone.
Are you a relative, Mr.
Books? No, I'm the Executive Director for the African-American Congress and in-house legal counsel.
Good.
Then you know we have to talk to all witnesses as soon as possible.
She's in no condition to speak with anyone.
Now I assure you, it would be simpler if you can find someone that he can talk to.
The last time I looked, the badge only came in two colors: Silver and gold.
And that means, one way or another, he is gonna talk to us.
Mike.
We'll be in touch, Mr.
Books.
The body mustrt be moved till the ME gets here.
I read papers, I know their politics, and they're freaking racists.
We're talking damage control, Mike.
So they say "fetch," and we bark and run? No.
We don't go parading around in hoods, either.
Here's some bedtime reading.
I bet you didn't know the Jews were responsible for the crack epidemic up in Harlem.
The AAC's not exactly mainstream.
Mainstream enough to elect three councilmen.
As long as their grandstanding doesn't interfere, I don't care how we get their cooperation.
Get me something more than "suspect described as a white male.
" Okay.
The patrolman saw a white male with a.
38.
One of Tate's men was shot in the leg by a white male with a.
38.
Ballistics? We can't match that bullet with anything found in Tate.
This is getting better every minute.
Did anybody actually see Tate getting shot? Tate's wife was there.
Bodyguards.
But unless Phil and I change our racial persuasion, nobody's talking to us.
AAC is up on Lenox, right? I'll talk to Malone in the 28, see if he can't kick open a few doors.
AAC.
May I help you? I was just ahead of Marcus six, eight feet.
Where was the man with the gun? Just inside the entrance hall.
So you were watching him? Just keeping an eye out.
Was he the only white face in there? There's always a few white faces at the rallies.
Mostly protestors.
But if they just want to come in and listen then we don't pay them any particular attention.
Got it.
All right, there was an explosion.
What did you do? I turned toward Marcus, then I saw a white face come out of the crowd.
How close was he? About 10 feet to my left.
He had the gun out, he shot Marcus.
Two shots, then he booked.
I tried to grab him, but the crowd was crazy.
I saw him shoot Harlans, then he was gone.
What did this guy look like? Brown hair.
About 35, 40.
You ever seen him before? Hey, I don't know.
All you white boys look alike.
Um, ahem.
This is a very emotional time for us, Detective.
Do you have anything on this man? Ballistics? Only the slug from Mr.
Harlans' leg.
The slug from Mr.
Tate was unusable.
He had eight bodyguards.
Expecting company? Marcus didn't fear any man.
Only God.
The guards were my idea.
Pretty fatalistic for a lawyer.
I was a a punk with a do-rag when Marcus pulled me out of the gutter.
This man saved my life.
If it were up to me, he would have been wearing a bulletproof vest.
Sounds like not everybody was in his fan club.
When you speak your mind, you incite controversy.
We get threatened all the time: KKK, Aryan Nation, Sons of Abraham.
Well, I guess what goes around comes around.
It took Malcolm 25 years to gain respect.
I figure 10 for Marcus Tate, but his message will get through and the AAC will be stronger for his martyrdom.
If you had just heard his speech.
He wanted to work with the white community.
And now they've killed him.
His reputation Marcus was pragmatic.
The acquittals in LA, the looting and the self-destruction.
He realized that an outsider cannot invoke change.
And the night of the shooting? Yes.
He finished his speech.
Roland said the side alley was blocked, so we were going to use the front door.
You were with your husband? Walking right behind him.
There was an explosion, then shots.
Did you see the man who shot your husband? He was standing there, holding a gun, staring.
People were pointing at him.
Do you have any idea who this man could have been? Mmm-mmm.
But I'll never forget that face.
A lone gunman.
High-profile target.
You don't just get up one day, go shoot a public figure.
You stalk him.
Look for a chink in his armor.
If white-boy got close to Tate this time, maybe he's been there before, and maybe somebody might have seen him.
Or taken his picture.
After all, Tate makes for good copy.
I'll tell you what, next time I'm gonna buy stock in Kodak.
These guys must burn 10 rolls for every picture they run.
Ah-huh.
You got something? The beard.
Here, look.
Is this the same guy? Let me see something.
Come here.
Look.
Look at this.
How's that? Is that better? And right there? They could be triplets.
Or just bad lighting.
One way to find out.
These men were all photographed at AAC rallies in the past year.
As you can see, they don't all look alike.
You recognize any of them? From these? Yeah.
You're just going through the motions.
Here we go again.
Darryl Gates here to whup me good.
Mr.
Cook, once we get this guy in custody, you can make all the speeches you want.
Until then, just look at the damn pictures.
This one.
He lost the beard, but he kept the eyes.
You've seen him before? Yeah, I think so.
I don't know who he is, but he's been around.
Thank you, Mr.
Cook.
Mrs.
Tate.
We think the suspect stalked your husband before the shooting.
Ma'am, these men were photographed at your husband's speeches this past year.
Now one of them might be the man you saw.
That's him.
That's the man with the gun.
You're absolutely sure of that? I'm absolutely sure.
Two for two.
African Episcopal Church, Harlem, May 7.
LaSalle Hall, downtown, May 28.
Jackson Auditorium, Harlem, July 26.
We have photos of rallies outside the city at the same time period.
No sign of our guy.
Oh, lucky us.
One of our approximately eight million locals.
What do you think, about, uh, The beard is trimmed, the clothes are clean.
He's middle class.
Jewish? Tate wasrt exactly poster boy for B'nai Brith.
Somewhere in the five boroughs, somebody's gotta love this face.
We go public with a picture, our guy's gone forever.
Mikey, what about this here? What is this writing? What's that? L-A-C? L- A-C-R Lacrosse? Varsity shirt.
Yeah.
R- S-T.
Amherst.
Joe College.
Okay, let's go.
Say he's in his late 30s.
That would make him what, class of '75, '76? That is if he actually graduated.
Is it just me, or did everybody look like Charlie Manson then? No, they only became criminals after they got their Wall Street haircut.
I got it.
Gotcha.
Here.
Well, hello, Mitchell Koblin.
Class of '74.
Varsity lacrosse.
Debating club.
Voted most likely to join the Weather Underground.
I bet his parents are very proud.
Koblin.
Koblin.
Koblin.
Harvey, Lawrence, Robert.
No Mitchell.
Alumni directory.
Right here.
Koblin, Mitchell.
Yes, that's Mitchell.
He shaved his beard last April.
What do you want with him? He may have been witness to a crime.
Well, is he all right? We haven't been able to talk to him yet.
Whers the last time you saw your son? My birthday, last month.
Did you talk to Sandy? His wife.
Where can we reach them now? They live on the Upper West Side.
Does your son currently belong to any political organizations? What? We checked his resume.
In the '70s, he was a little left of center.
He had some arrests for assault and weapons violations.
Mitchell was cleared of all that.
Wait.
What the hell do you really want? He was present at the murder of Marcus Tate.
It was a rally.
Hundreds of people.
He was armed with a.
38 caliber revolver.
That's ridiculous.
You want to talk to us, talk to our attorney.
We're gone.
I can't believe Mitchell would do that.
I mean, he sometimes Mrs.
Koblin, if you could just tell us where we could find him.
Mitchell and I are divorced.
He moved out last February.
His parents didn't mention it.
He was too embarrassed to tell them.
We were the dream couple.
You know, all the colors bleeding into one.
Did Mitchell ever talk to you about Tate? Nothing.
But Mitchell might not have bought every word out of Tate's mouth.
So he killed him? He respected Marcus, his ideas, and he insisted I do the same.
Mitchell wanted to get me in touch with my black roots.
Come again? Mitchell and I For nine years, we shared the same bed for different reasons.
I thought I was getting Gramercy Park and Mitchell wanted Harlem? And I obliged.
It turned him on.
It was like the blacker I got, the more he wanted me.
It was sick.
I wanted to rub his nose in it, so I got a job at AAC.
You worked for the Tate organization? Since last year, as a bookkeeper.
It was a mistake.
Why is that? He accused me of sleeping with every man at work, including Marcus.
What about the day Marcus Tate was shot? Did you see Mitchell there? I was downstairs counting receipts.
I heard screams.
By the time I got upstairs, everything was over.
You have any idea where we can find him? Last I heard, he was teaching summer school at I.
S.
134 in the South Bronx.
Mitchell taught Current American History.
Very up guy.
The kids used to love him.
What, did he confiscate their guns? He got laid off at the end of last term.
The budget came up short, they said.
Somebody wanted to redecorate their offices.
I don't doubt it.
Now he substitutes.
But the guy's fried.
Sits at the front of the class thinking what, I don't even wanna know.
You seen him this week? No, last week.
He taught a couple of days.
You know where he's living now? We reached him at the Mers Athletic, downtown.
Excuse me.
No job, the wife dumped him.
Last time I got dumped, I put my fist through a door.
This guy gets his ya-yas out with a gun.
Mr.
Koblin has been a guest since late July, paid advance through August.
Bet he'll be checking out sooner than that.
His key is here.
He is not in his room.
Excuse me.
There's the gymnasium.
Koblirs an ex-jock, ain't he? Koblin.
Well, well, well.
Mitchell Koblin.
Mitchell Koblin, you're under arrest, for the murder of Marcus Tate.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you can't afford one, one will be provided for you.
Do you understand these rights? You guys are nuts! I didn't kill anyone! He asked you a question, Mitchell.
Yeah yeah, I understand my rights.
Then shut up and lie still! How could he possibly know anything about this murder, when he had nothing to do with it? If he was there.
I didn't hear him say he was.
We have eyewitnesses.
Who to believe? That's why we have trials, Mr.
Cerreta.
Det.
Cerreta.
She put you up to this, didn't she? That slut's trying to frame me! Mitch, that's enough.
You seem to be very angry about this.
Want to tell me about it? Are you investigating a murder here, or a divorce? If one leads to the other, both.
Political assassinations as crimes of passion.
You're going to make a lot of conspiracy buffs unappy.
Let's just see what we have here, okay? Here.
What about these? Tate's schedule and the rally announcements, Mitchell.
What were these things doing in your room? Fine, we're not denying he was at the rally.
To see his wife, nothing more.
What about this? This is an article about Tate.
You have written here in the margin, "typical Jew baiting.
" And here, "hate-mongering crap.
" Seems to me you had a bone to pick with Mr.
Tate.
And that constitutes intent? You must be lining up suspects from here to Plattsburgh.
You're missing the big picture, Paul.
My guy is a patsy.
He didn't kill Tate.
Come on, Mitch.
His speeches stretching back One for two on ballistics.
The slug from Tate's unusable, but the one from the bodyguard's leg is a conclusive match with Koblirs.
38.
The big picture just got smaller.
"Docket Number 319167.
"People v.
Mitchell M.
Koblin.
"The charges are: Murder in the second degree, "attempt to commit murder in the second degree, "criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
" How does the defendant plead? Not guilty, Your Honor, on all counts.
Due to the highly volatile nature of the crimes charged, the State feels denying bail will be in the best interest of all concerned, including the defendant.
Civil liberties, burden of proof, my client hasn't been convicted of anything.
I'm all for civil liberties.
I'm also for keeping him around to enjoy them.
So you can try him on baseless charges? With all due respect, your logic escapes me.
It's you who's called upon to provide the logic, Counselor, and it's you who hasn't met that burden.
The defendant will be held without bail pending trial.
Your Honor Counselor, judicial discretion is a wonderful thing.
Next.
Gary Lowenthal? Yes, sir.
His politics made a left turn at Haight-Ashbury.
What's he doing defending Tate's murderer? Koblirs parents are probably coughing up $400 an hour.
Pays for a lot of pro bono.
Something Koblin knows all about.
Koblin was arrested for assaulting a cop at a political protest.
Legal aid pled him down to menacing.
Unfortunately his politics matured from rocks to bullets.
If anything, the mars politically psychotic.
His bio begins with the SDS and ends with the JDL.
And Tate's been called an anti-Semite for years, right? Only he'd eased his position.
Recently he made public overtures to the Jewish community.
Koblin had to know that.
I think we're looking at a silver platter here.
We have witnesses, ballistics.
We don't need motive.
The service should always include a silver spoon.
If a jury has any doubts, motive puts them over the edge.
I'm supposed to get into a political debate with the man? I don't want Gary Lowenthal tap-dancing his way into an acquittal, and a soon-to-be major motion picture.
Get me a motive.
Koblirs whole world was collapsing.
He'd lost his job, he was lying to his family about his divorce.
Murder is a hell of a nice bandage.
A loner.
An outsider.
His life was about getting his wife back.
He worshipped her, she worshipped Tate.
He killed Tate because his wife dumped him? Eliminate the competition? A cry for attention? Displacement? Do unto Tate as you thought Tate was doing unto you.
Pick your pathology.
So if we put his ex on the stand, she should give us all the motive we need, right? He was always there, wherever I went.
It got so bad, I had to get somebody to walk me home.
He swore he was going to catch me.
Catch you doing what? With Marcus.
Were you, in fact, having an affair with Marcus Tate, Mrs.
Koblin? Mrs.
Koblin? Yes.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Has my client ever done anything that would indicate to you he was a violent man? No.
So he never hit you, or even threatened to hit you? No.
Did you ever hear him threaten to kill Marcus Tate? No.
Well, I certainly admire his self-control.
If my wife Objection! Withdrawn.
Tell me, Mrs.
Koblin, to your knowledge, was yours the only extramarital affair Marcus Tate was engaged in? No.
Is it possible, Mrs.
Koblin that other husbands were not possessed with the same self-control as yours? Objection.
We had just left the stage.
There was a big explosion.
Then guns, shooting everywhere.
Mr.
Books screamed: "He shot Marcus.
" And I saw Koblin holding his gun.
And what happened next? I saw Marcus on the ground.
His mouth was full of blood.
I covered him with my body.
I rode with him to the hospital.
His head was in my lap, his hand clenched to mine.
He never opened his eyes.
His grip never let up.
They took him into the hospital, but I knew Thank you.
Just before the explosion, you said you were leaving the auditorium.
Were you walking beside your husband? I was right behind him.
So before the explosion you didn't actually see Mr.
Koblin in the hallway? No.
You heard the gunshots, then you fell to the ground.
Yes.
But it's true, isn't it, Mrs.
Tate, that you never actually saw who it was that shot your husband? He had a gun.
I saw it.
Yes, but we've heard testimony that a lot of people had guns that night.
Isn't it possible that one of them shot Objection! Mr.
Lowenthal, would you please refrain from speculation? It's true, isn't it, Mrs.
Tate, that your husband received a lot of hate mail? The world is filled with racists.
So if someone disagrees with your husband, he's a racist? Your Honor I didn't say that.
Tell me, Mrs.
Tate, uh, were there black men who disagreed with your husband's philosophies? Uh, relevance, Your Honor? As a matter of fact, within your own organization there were men who believed Marcus Tate, betrayed the principles of the AAC.
Some of them, perhaps, the same men, who were carrying guns that night.
People may disagree with my husband, Mr.
Lowenthal.
But there isn't one member of the AAC who wouldn't die for him.
Your Honor All right.
Approach.
It's America, remember? The defense is allowed to present any defense it deems proper.
Proper, yes.
Irrelevant, no.
An alternative motive is irrelevant? When they confuse and mislead a jury, yes.
The fact is The fact is you're attempting to blind the jury with mere suspicion.
Do you have any direct evidence that someone else in the hall was responsible for the murder? No.
Then Mr.
Stone's objection is sustained.
Remember, Counselor, contempt is solely within my discretion.
All right.
No further questions.
I was standing right next to Marcus.
Yeah, I heard the explosion.
I saw the bastard pull his gun.
You're referring to the defendant? Yeah.
I was almost face to face with him.
So you're positive it was Mr.
Koblin who shot Marcus Tate? I was two, three yards away.
Yeah, I saw him.
Thank you.
You were, at most, you saw him pull his gun, you saw him shoot.
That's what I said.
One hell of a bodyguard, aren't you, Mr.
Cook? Objection.
We can do without the sarcasm, Counselor.
When you were face to face with the defendant, was that before the explosion? Yeah.
So out of all the people outside the auditorium, you chose to focus on Mr.
Koblin.
Was it because he looked suspicious? Yeah, he did.
My job is to protect Marcus.
From suspicious-looking people, or from suspicious-looking white people? Objection.
Withdrawn.
True or false, Mr.
Cook: The defendant had the only white face in the crowd that night? That's right.
In fact, the sole reason you focused on Mr.
Koblin was because he's white.
I said he looked suspicious.
And you're suspicious of white men, isn't that right? Objection.
Sustained.
So you were suspicious, and it wasrt because he was white.
What was it, then? Because he had curly hair? Because he had a big nose? They talk liberal, but they hire us to clean their toilets.
Who are you referring to? Are you talking about the people who own banks? Who own the housing where you live? Your Honor Am I one of those people, Otis? That damn Jew killed Marcus, and all you Jew lawyers gonna let him walk? Mr.
Cook, please sit down.
It is clear this witness did not see the shooter.
He saw a white Jew, and his prejudice did the rest.
It may be clear to you, Counselor.
Now, change your line of questioning, or have a seat.
No more questions.
Thank you, Your Honor.
You should've stopped it.
The man killed Marcus, now he seems like the victim.
The jury will see past that.
What if they don't? That man gets off, and those LA riots will look like a pillow fight.
And you'd endorse that? I look for justice inside the courtroom.
Others may not be quite so enlightened.
No, I didn't agree with everything Marcus said.
But I respected him, the work he was doing.
So you did not, in fact, go to the rally to kill him.
I went to the rally to see my wife.
She was trying to avoid me, but I knew she'd be there.
So I thought I'd catch her and speak to her on the way out.
When you heard the explosion, what did you do? I was scared.
I pulled my gun.
Then I saw Otis screaming and pointing at me, so I ran.
And that's when you saw the security guard, Harlans.
Aiming his gun at me.
So you shot him? He was gonna shoot me.
Tell me, sir, why didn't you get rid of your gun after the shooting? Why would I? I knew a bullet from my gun didn't kill Marcus Tate.
No further questions.
Mr.
Koblin, why did you think it necessary to carry a gun to the rally? I traveled up to Harlem by subway.
I was just being safe.
You teach in the South Bronx, isn't that right? I'm a substitute teacher.
And you commute by subway, is that right? Yes.
Tell me, sir, do you carry a gun in the classroom? That's different.
Of course, it is.
Marcus Tate isn't likely to show up at I.
S.
134.
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Uh, Mr.
Koblin, do you love your ex-wife? Very much.
Yet she slept with Marcus Tate, right? You hounded her.
I admit I was a little crazy.
Jealousy's not a crime.
You'd do anything to get her back, right? Not anything.
John Hinckley's a nutcase.
I'm just a little A little crazy.
be in and out by now.
He had our witnesses tripping over their own testimony.
He may have confused the jury.
Yeah, that's his special talent.
He needs only one out of 12, but I suppose he's pushing for a mistrial.
On all four burners.
Don't fight it.
At least you'll know his M.
O.
On retrial.
The facts speak for themselves, Adam.
And Lowenthal's two-step notwithstanding, I think the jury will convict.
Yes? Thanks.
Time to find out.
The first count of the indictment: Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
How do you find? Guilty.
Second count: Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
On the third count: Attempt to commit murder in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
And the last count: Murder in the second degree.
How do you find? Not guilty.
Will you quiet down in this court? Every black pseudo-politico from Binghamton to Brighton Beach, has been screaming for my head.
Word on the street is "no justice, no peace.
" At least the weapons charge The weapons charge is a thorn in his paw.
He'll be out in less than a year.
You talk to the jury? The foreman said we never connected Koblirs gun to the murder.
Otis' testimony was unreliable.
And the burden of proof had nothing to do with it.
Lowenthal made the trial a showcase for black racism, the jury bought it.
They couldn't see the facts through their fears.
The Constitution guarantees an impartial jury, not a jury with thick skin.
Before we start blue-penciling the Sixth Amendment, maybe we ought to press the rewind button.
I want you to double-check every word of that trial transcript.
Fifth Amendment.
Double jeopardy.
I'm not talking about murder.
Mississippi.
Three dead civil rights workers.
A Federal case.
I want to establish a case of civil rights violation.
Maybe we can feed the Feds a lay-up.
Lowenthal pulled one rabbit out of his hat.
Even if we make a Federal case against Koblin, there must be more in there.
Maybe it wasrt a rabbit.
Hey, you're not saying that Koblin didn't shoot Tate.
Well, we're not in Simi Valley.
things that adversaries overlook.
Like what? Maybe Lowenthal was right about trouble at the AAC.
What about the jealous husbands? We go after everyone whose wife slept with Tate? We go after the person who's conveniently evading the truth.
Koblirs ex says that he bothered her at work.
She had to be escorted home.
Now, if you need protection over there, who do you ask? A bodyguard.
Right.
Otis? Right.
And if it was Otis, he's gotta be lying about not recognizing Koblin.
And it could be he's lying about a lot more than that.
I didn't think he was going to hit me.
I just didn't want to be hassled.
So I asked Otis to walk me home.
Did Mitchell approach you when you left the building? Like the storming of the Bastille.
They almost came to blows.
Otis and your husband? Was it true what Mr.
Lowenthal said about internal dissension at the AAC? I'm hardly a member of the inner sanctum.
You let Koblin walk.
You screwed up.
So why not? Blame it on the niggers.
They must have done something.
Mrs.
Tate, if there was any infighting at the AAC There wasrt.
We have reason to believe Otis Cook was involved.
Scrub all you want to, Mr.
Robinette.
It doesn't come off.
The fact is that Mr.
Cook lied to us.
He told police that he didn't know Mr.
Koblin.
Sandra Koblin told us that they almost came to blows a month ago.
She has no reason to lie.
Neither do I.
She knows what happened, Adam.
But there's no way she's gonna play show-and-tell with us.
You agree? You were there, Paul.
You saw her.
I saw a woman protecting an organization she believed in.
And she's protecting a man who killed her husband.
If there's a chance that she's covering after the fact, then she's part of the conspiracy.
Arrest her.
A hunch is evidence? No.
But maybe a few hours behind bars, she'll give us some.
Let me talk to her.
We spent our lives building the AAC.
You think I'm gonna help you destroy it? Am I looking at Coretta King, or a woman scorned? Caesar's wife should be pure, Mr.
Robinette, not Caesar.
Otis Cook may have been involved.
You don't want justice? I was Michelle Perkins, dreaming of becoming a sorority sister in Alpha Rho at Vassar, until the President handed me a mirror.
Maybe you should look in that mirror before talking to me about justice.
Whoa, whoa.
Wipe away the rhetoric and all I see is a woman protecting the man who killed her husband.
And I see a man manipulated into turning on his own people.
My people aren't murderers.
Back of the bus died a long time ago.
Words on a page.
Look into the hearts of the men you drink coffee with every morning.
That bus has a long way to go.
Protecting Otis won't get you there any quicker.
I will not allow the tragedy of my husband's death to undermine all that I've done.
If you're right, those men will receive justice, but on my terms.
If you withhold evidence, the law says you're a co-conspirator.
We do what we have to, Mr.
Robinette.
So it was Otis.
I checked the police report.
Mrs.
Tate said, Roland Books redirected them towards the front door of Nation Hall.
Yeah, something about the police blocking the back alley.
I checked with the police.
There were two cars on the scene.
Both in front.
The question is, why? Tate was moderating his politics.
Maybe Books didn't agree.
Books lied.
Otis lied.
So they'll never make Eagle Scout.
You gotta have proof for a conviction.
You try them, we lose, hang my picture next to David Duke's.
No direct evidence, no trial.
So let's get Books and Otis in here.
We have nothing to pressure them with.
Mrs.
Tate won't talk.
They don't know that.
Talk about hi-tech lynchings.
If they're paying you by the head, Stone, don't expect a paycheck this week.
If that were true, Mr.
Johnson, I'd be happily out shopping for a Rolex.
We know that your client and Otis Cook killed Marcus Tate, and I assure you, we'll put them both in prison.
Marcus Tate was a beacon.
He wasrt blinded by a thousand points of light.
There was only one.
And you want it shining on you.
The mere fact that we're here means you don't have enough to convict.
If you're looking for a confession, Counselor, you better clean your bifocals.
It's not coming.
Maybe not from your side of the table.
You lied about Koblin.
Maybe I got a bad memory.
Lt'll buy you a couple in Attica for perjury and obstruction.
That's just the beginning.
You're implying that my client was somehow involved in this? I'm saying he pulled the trigger.
He talks to me about Books, and Why don't you go prosecute a jaywalker? Life's tough, Otis.
It's a lot tougher when you're stupid.
Books sold out Tate.
You think he's gonna think twice about you? I didn't kill the man.
You can squeeze as hard as you want, brother.
You'll get nothing.
We know that Otis lied.
He was merely putting nails in Koblirs coffin.
The man did kill Marcus.
That's not what the jury thought.
Otis wanted justice.
The system has seams, he feared it.
And you proved him right.
Mitchell Koblin was acquitted because we couldn't link his gun.
And what if Mitchell Koblin was black? You think your precious jury would have overlooked the missing bullet? Mr.
Stone, please, I'm not ignorant.
I can see what you're doing.
It's CYA time.
You couldn't convict Koblin so you need scapegoats, preferably black ones.
Maybe he was acquitted because he was innocent.
Mr.
Lowenthal painted a sexy picture, a coup d'etat in front of hundreds of people and a bevy of cops.
The jury bought it because they wanted to, because the idea of a lone gunman that can assassinate a leader rocks the comfort zone.
And a conspiracy is more palatable? Hollywood puts out a film based on nothing, on hearsay, and it grosses hundreds of millions of dollars.
Go ahead, Mr.
Stone, prosecute me.
Maybe the world will sleep a little better for it, but you won't get a conviction.
We both know that.
He's right.
We couldn't even get an indictment.
Maybe Books wasrt involved.
It wasrt Koblin and it wasrt Books.
Then who? There were a couple of hundred people there.
The beauty of conspiracy.
Hell, blame it on the CIA.
They haven't been fingered in years.