Law & Order (1990) s23e01 Episode Script
Freedom of Expression
1
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.
Oh, I can feel it. It's gonna happen.
It's just a matter of time.
I know it's crazy right now
and there are all sorts of
rumors swirling.
No, it's more than that.
People are already digging into
my research.
Every article,
every book I ever published.
One missed quote.
One overlooked source.
They can't accuse you of plagiarism
if you're not a plagiarist.
Sure, they can. That's what's happening.
It's how the bastards get their payback.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right here.
- Hey!
- Hold on.
Get away from there.
Yo, what you gonna do? [CHUCKLES]
- Better leave, bro.
- Hey!
- I'm calling the police!
- Whatever.
- Mind yourself.
- Uh-huh.
What is going on? Are you OK?
Go ahead, bro.
Oh, it's just a bunch of kids.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Unbelievable.
What is it?
Nothing.
I, uh
I just need a hot shower.
Want a hot cup of tea?
That sounds delightful.
[GRUNTS]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Nate?
Nate, are you OK?
[GASPING]
Nathan?
[PHONE BEEPS]
[GROANING]
Nathan?
♪
Nathan?
I love you.
♪
911, what's your emergency?
I think something horrible
just happened to my husband.
[POLICE SIREN WAILING]
Feels good to be back in the game.
Yeah, I bet.
My first homicide case
in almost three years.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
You want to say it?
What have we got?
Two knife wounds to the chest.
Name is Nathan Alpert.
Business card in his wallet
says he's the president
of Hudson University.
President, big job.
Still had his wallet, huh?
Watch and cell phone, too.
"Traitor"?
Sounds personal.
- Any witnesses?
- One.
He was across the street,
heard some commotion.
Looked over and saw someone tall, thin,
in a camo parka, running west.
All units, a man in a military-type
camouflage jacket
was just seen walking east
on Lispenard
between Church and Broadway.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[POLICE SIREN WHOOPS]
[TIRES SCREECH]
♪
Police. Don't move.
I can move wherever I want to move.
Hey, hey, hey. Drop the attitude.
We just want to talk to you. All right?
- Knife.
- Hey, hey.
You got to stop moving
and put that knife down
for your safety and ours.
You understand what I'm saying?
Stop moving and put down that knife.
I didn't do nothing,
so I ain't dropping nothing.
Drop that knife or I will shoot you.
Hey, Vince, stand down.
Nobody needs to get shot tonight, right?
Just put the knife down.
Put down that knife or I will shoot you!
♪
- Take him down to the 2-7.
- Got it. Come on.
Hey, man. Don't ever do that again.
Do what again?
Play the hero like that on my tab.
No.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I don't know anyone with that name.
And I don't know any presidents.
Oh.
How about that knife?
You know that knife?
It has blood on it.
- Your jacket does too.
- Found the jacket in the trash.
Knife was in the pocket.
That's the truth.
- The inconvenient truth.
- Inconvenient?
- How's that?
- I know how y'all roll.
Love putting Black men in prison
for crimes they don't commit,
for thoughts they never had,
for lives they never lived.
I'm not sure I understand
what you're saying, Jordan.
I'm saying I know Tupac is alive
and that the government is hiding him.
Um, hang tight for a second, Jordan.
We're gonna
we'll be right back.
Best I can tell, he's telling the truth
about the jacket, not Tupac.
So Tupac is definitely dead,
and that's definitely not his jacket.
Which means it's probably not his knife.
And likely not his lip balm, either,
especially with a fancy name
like "Paradies," Paradise?
All right, let's get
the evidence over to the lab.
I'm gonna go talk to Jordan,
try to get him some help.
And I'm sorry to say, you two need to go
and notify President Alpert's wife.
OK.
- Vince.
- Yeah.
I'm glad you're here.
Yeah, me too.
Thanks for looking out.
Oh, thank you.
I, uh, was on the phone with him
when it happened.
I
I heard him die.
I am so sorry, ma'am.
We just have a few questions for you.
If that's OK.
Ms. Alpert, um, could you tell us
what you and your husband were
talking about on the phone?
He thought, uh, people were
beginning to delve
into his research to look for
examples of plagiarism.
Popular tactic these days.
What kind of mood was he in?
Uh, paranoid.
Frustrated.
Exhausted.
It's been a long few months.
He was under a microscope.
There was so much pressure
about what to say,
about what not to say.
You're referring to
the Israeli conflict.
Nate was a
a firm believer in free speech.
He didn't
he didn't think it was his job
to articulate
his personal opinions.
He thought it might disrupt
campus discourse.
I can't imagine what you're
going through.
We just have one more question
that would be really helpful.
Do you know where your husband was
earlier this evening,
prior to calling you?
[SIGHS] I'm not sure.
I don't
he's so busy, I don't
I really never know where he is.
You can ask Nicole.
She's my husband's chief of staff.
She'll know.
Hi there.
Do you know where President Alpert was
earlier this evening?
He was at a party
to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of the student newspaper.
And you didn't notice anything unusual?
No arguments, no problems, altercations?
It was a wonderful event.
For the most part.
For the most part? What do you mean?
Toward the end of the night,
a guest confronted Nate.
Started yelling at him.
Things got pretty heated, so Nate left.
He didn't want to ruin the event.
And what about the man
he was arguing with?
He left, too, a few minutes later.
This hothead have a name?
♪
That's ridiculous.
There was no heated altercation.
- We had a conversation.
- About what?
There have been accusations
that members of my team
have been hazing the younger players.
And Alpert, being a progressive,
cancel first, ask questions later
type of president,
has retained a law firm
to investigate the allegations.
And?
I called him several times,
but he's ignoring me,
so I went to the party
to talk to him in person.
But Alpert didn't want to talk about it.
And that was it?
No physical confrontation?
[SIGHS] Look.
I didn't respect the man, but
I sure as hell didn't kill him.
Hey.
Lacrosse coach's story check out?
Yeah, found some surveillance footage.
He and Alpert argued for a few minutes,
and then they walked off
in separate directions.
Look, we need to find a lead,
something, anything, fast.
This Alpert appears to have
a lot of important friends.
He's got a lot of important enemies too.
I spoke to his chief of staff
again last night.
She confirmed that Coach Herlihy
was going to get fired.
That got me thinking about all the other
pissed off university
employees that got let go.
And?
Currently, there are 24
wrongful termination lawsuits
naming Hudson and Alpert as defendants.
Well, that's a hell
of a lot of suspects.
Yeah, but only one of them got slapped
with a restraining order.
Two days ago a guy by the name
of Professor Phillip Klein.
All right. Track him down.
See if he happened
to be in lower Manhattan
last night around 9:30 or so.
I think that's our guy.
Yeah, I think so.
Phillip Klein, a word, please.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Hey, hey, whoa.
Hey, where you going?
Sorry. I just
I don't want to go to jail.
- Go to jail for what?
- For fighting anti-Semitism.
What are you talking about?
From the river to the sea.
Right, that's code
for destroying Israel.
It's vile. You're the police.
You you are arresting people
for tearing down posters,
for trying to remove
this filth from the city.
We're here to talk about Nathan Alpert.
You know him?
Of course, I know him. Why?
He's dead.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Well, that's good news.
Oh, that's good news?
Well, a little bad news
you're gonna come with us to the 2-7.
What kind of a relationship
did I have with Alpert?
A terrible one.
- Shall I continue?
- No. We get it.
The question is, why?
What triggered all the rage?
Son of a bitch fired me
for having the audacity
to suggest that someone born a man
shouldn't be allowed to compete
in women's athletics,
regardless of how they identify.
A college campus is a place
to debate, express opinions.
But not here, not these days.
You express the wrong view,
you're canceled.
Unless, of course,
you're talking about Israel.
Yeah, on that topic,
you can say whatever you want.
The more hateful, the better.
I don't blame you for being upset.
I don't even blame you
for threatening to kill him.
Yeah. We read the restraining order.
I didn't mean it literally.
I was sitting at home watching the news,
reading about Israel. I-I
I lost my mind.
- I threatened Alpert.
- What about last night?
Did you lose your mind again,
around 9:30 p.m.?
This is you leaving
your apartment at 9:14, yeah?
And this is also you
coming back home at 9:42.
Now, what were you doing
for those 30 minutes?
I took a walk up to Union Square Park,
then came home.
I stopped at a bodega
a few blocks from my apartment,
bought some aspirin.
If you let me grab my phone,
I can show you the receipt.
Be our guest.
Here, 9:34 p.m.
OK.
So who else hated Alpert?
Everyone,
especially the Jewish community.
- Alpert is Jewish.
- Exactly.
He refused to issue a statement
after the October 7th terrorist attack.
George Floyd, Alpert issued a statement.
Roe v. Wade, statement.
Hamas slaughters innocent Israelis,
no statement.
And then things, they just
they got worse.
Last month, this pro-Palestinian
student group hosted
a film symposium on campus,
and the movies were disgusting.
They were full of anti-Semitic tropes.
Alpert said that
the filmmakers had a right
to express their views.
So you're saying the Jewish community
is pissed off at Alpert 'cause of this.
Yes.
Well, do you know anyone
in that community
who actually wanted to hurt him?
Hurt him? No. Fire him, yeah.
There was a group of influential donors
demanding that he resign.
But Alpert wouldn't budge.
He told 'em all to go to hell.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
That's you outside Alpert's
home the day he was murdered.
We were supposed to meet
for lunch, but he wasn't there.
I guess he got called into some
sort of an emergency meeting.
Lunch?
From the articles I read, you and Alpert
didn't like each other very much.
Now you're lunch buddies?
No.
Nate was a good man.
He just wasn't a great leader.
So what was the purpose of lunch?
To persuade him to ban this hateful
pro-Palestinian student group.
The one that put on the film symposium?
They're vile.
But Alpert said
they had a right to present
whatever films they wanted.
It was all about freedom of expression.
Didn't something like that
happen at the University
- of Pennsylvania?
- Uh-huh. But this was worse.
I had a private detective do
some digging into these kids.
Wow. Private detective. I'm intrigued.
Please, what did he find?
Video of a student praising Hamas
for their courage on campus
at the film symposium.
That was a bridge too far
even for Alpert.
Finally, agreed to get rid
of these idiots.
So you met with Alpert that day?
Yeah, I was still trying to
get him to release a statement
regarding the October 7th attack.
Better late than never.
But he wouldn't do it.
Said he didn't care how many
donors he pissed off.
Son of a bitch had his principles,
I'll give him that.
OK, well, in the interest
of moving along here,
where were you last night at 9:30 p.m.?
At Madison Square Garden watching
the Knicks get their ass kicked.
♪
Man, I am pretty sure that social media
is the worst thing ever invented.
Yep.
That and cashew milk.
Mm. You don't know what
you're missing, brother.
Nut milk is the best milk.
Hey, man, I gotta ask
what happened with Cosgrove?
I knew him a little bit back in
the day; he was a good cop.
Great cop.
He just got jammed up.
On what?
Being too honest about things
people aren't too honest about
these days.
Yeah, it is not a great time
to have an opinion, is it?
It is not.
Hey, you ever hear of Chloe Esper?
- Yeah, the actor.
- Yeah, I guess so.
She's a student at Hudson.
And founder of the
pro-Palestinian student group
Geller was talking about.
13 million followers,
and some very aggressive opinions
on what's going on in Gaza.
Looks like she just posted
a new video too.
Well, let's check that out.
Yeah.
Hudson University
president Nathan Alpert
is a coward and a puppet
of the Zionist regime.
His decision today
to ban our student group
is filled with hate
and proves that his goal
is to help the Israel regime
oppress and slaughter
innocent Palestinians.
In short, he is a traitor.
Traitor, huh?
Can I help you?
Looking for Chloe Esper.
May I ask what this is about?
No, you may not.
Chloe? Hi.
I'm Detective Riley.
This is Detective Shaw.
Like to ask you a few questions.
Let me guess.
You saw the video I posted.
We sure did.
You said some pretty horrible things.
I spoke the truth. My truth.
Your truth?
Because you have some unique insight
into the situation?
My mother was born in Gaza,
lived there until she was 22.
And I still have family there, so
I know how people are treated
over there,
even before this war, but now it's
it's beyond horrific.
Innocent people are dying every day.
I-I know it's a very tough situation,
and I can see why you're so passionate.
And angry.
You think I killed President Alpert?
We saw the video you made.
You called him a traitor.
Yeah, because he wanted
to destroy this organization.
He was gonna ban us from campus,
just because a bunch
of rich donors were offended
that we sponsored
a Middle Eastern film symposium.
Where were you
Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m.?
I'm not going to answer that.
If you're innocent, it's in
your best interest to do so.
- Please leave.
- You heard what she said.
You have no right to harass her.
No one's harassing anybody.
What's going on?
- Is there a problem?
- No, ma'am.
We just wanted to talk to one
of your students here.
Sounds like
she doesn't want to talk to you.
This won't take long.
She doesn't want to talk to you.
- Just a few simple
- You have no right
coming in here, harassing my students.
So I'm going to ask you one more
And I'm gonna tell you one more time,
nobody's harassing anybody,
so just relax.
There's no need
for this type of attitude.
Don't you dare spin this around on me.
You come here to our home
without a warrant,
accusing my students of
No one has accused anyone
of anything, okay.
- This is all very stand
- Riley. Riley.
Um
the lady has a point.
Thank you for your time.
You see the lip balm on Chloe's desk?
Paradies.
[SIGHS]
What the hell just happened?
What'd you do to those students?
Excuse me?
My phone has been ringing
off the hook
Chloe Esper's agent,
her lawyer, her publicist.
Social media is on fire.
Chloe posted that we were harassing her,
that we're in the pocket
of the Israeli government,
that we're trying
to silence the opposition
to the war crimes
that are happening in Gaza.
Lou, I promise you, all we did
was ask some questions.
And I can promise you,
I have not been in touch
with anybody
from the Israeli government.
Hey, check it out.
Just found video from the
Paradies boutique near campus.
That looks like the same camo
parka the killer was wearing.
Can you find another angle of that?
Need to get a better look at that face.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Detectives.
What the hell are you guys doing here?
I don't wanna talk to you.
And we don't wanna talk to you.
Cameron Lawson.
Do not move. Do not move. Do not move.
Don't move. [STUDENTS CLAMORING]
You're under arrest for murder.
Murder? That's a lie!
We'll see about that.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- Out of the way.
- Out of the way.
- Leave him alone.
- Hey, back up.
- Leave him alone.
Back up! Everybody back up.
- You can't do this.
- Officers!
Everybody back up.
Order. [GAVEL BANGS]
Order in this courtroom. [GAVEL BANGS]
Order!
People versus Cameron Lawson,
charging murder in the second degree.
How do you plead, sir?
Not guilty.
- Question on bail?
- There is.
The defendant was a member
of a student organization
at Hudson University, which sponsored
a film symposium rife with insensitive
and offensive content.
After one of the screenings,
he toasted Hamas
for its courage in executing
the horrific October 7th attack
on Israel.
As a result, university president
Nathan Alpert chose to dismantle
the student organization.
This enraged the defendant.
So he lay in wait and,
without warning or provocation,
- he stabbed Mr. Alpert to death.
- Objection.
Let Miss Maroun finish.
The defendant's parka
was found near the crime scene
covered in the victim's blood.
The murder weapon was in the pocket
along with some lip balm,
which contained
the defendant's DNA.
The people seek remand.
Now.
My client is a 20-year-old history major
who lives on the Upper East Side.
He's not a terrorist or a murderer,
and he's certainly not a flight risk.
Moreover, the government's case is weak.
They can't put my client anywhere
near the scene of the crime
because he wasn't there.
He's innocent.
Bail is set at $1 million.
[GAVEL BANGS]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I'm surprised the judge granted bail.
I'm surprised you described
the content of those films
- as offensive and insensitive.
- As opposed to?
Hateful and malicious.
I'm not going to debate adjectives.
[CHUCKLES] You chose them.
I know you have family in Lebanon.
I don't want to talk about that, Nolan.
There's no point.
It's not in the best interest
of the case.
I think it's better to ignore
politics and personal opinions
and direct our energy towards the case,
and getting justice for Nathan Alpert.
Right now, that means finding a way
to put Cam Lawson near the crime scene.
This is from a surveillance camera
a few blocks from the German boutique
that you and Cam both frequent.
All I see is someone getting into a car.
Well, we believe that's Cam Lawson.
- Why?
- His jacket.
He's not the only guy in Manhattan
who owns a camo parka.
He's the only guy in Manhattan
with a camo parka getting into
a car registered in your name.
Where are you going with this?
This is Cam getting out of
your vehicle 20 minutes later,
a block from where Alpert was murdered.
You can't even see his face.
You need to tell us
what you know, Chloe, now.
This is not a movie.
You only get one take.
And you better get it right.
Unless she tells us everything
that really happened,
we're gonna charge her with
being an accomplice to murder.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
OK. Fine.
I
I ran into Cam outside
my boyfriend's apartment.
He asked for a ride and I said yes.
That's it. That's all I know.
He tell you what he was
planning to do that night?
- No.
- [SIGHS]
Where'd you go
after you dropped him off?
To dinner with my agent
♪
Chloe Esper's alibi check out?
Still waiting to hear back
from the restaurant manager
and her agent.
[PHONE BUZZES] Uh, wait a second.
The manager of the restaurant
confirms Chloe was there.
All right, so Chloe wasn't at
the crime scene.
No, but she's pissed off,
that's for sure.
She's blowing up social media
right now, as we speak.
She did a livestream with
Nasser, that professor.
Cam Lawson is my dear friend,
and he's a good person and
a true believer in our cause,
and he's being framed by
the New York Police Department
and the Manhattan District
Attorney's Office.
They're trying to punish Cam
for having the courage
to speak out.
Well, this is not surprising, of course,
since both organizations
have close ties to Israel.
The American government is
trying to squelch dissent
and obscure what's really
happening in Gaza.
And trying to hide the fact that Israel
are repressing innocent men,
women, and children.
So take a stand.
Voice your outrage!
This is the only way
we can change the status quo.
Wow. That's subtle.
"Chloe needs to condemn Hamas
first, then worry about Gaza."
"Chloe Esper is a self-promoting
anti-Semite."
"Rot in hell."
She's definitely passionate.
She's passionate and irresponsible.
No.
She's just a kid.
A kid with a massive platform,
trying to give voice to all her
anger and frustration.
No, it's more than that.
Maybe, but
she believes what she believes.
- And you agree with her?
- No!
I most definitely don't.
But that doesn't mean that
what she's saying is crazy.
Like it or not,
she's the queen of the far left.
They are begging her
to take center stage,
to be the mouthpiece
of the Palestinian cause.
They want her to be a martyr.
A young photogenic martyr.
And she's taking the bait.
I just think she's a lot less
naive than you do.
Either way, we need a gag order.
Chloe and her friends are
polluting the jury pool
with all this hyperbole
and misinformation.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
The righteous will not be silenced.
The oppressors will not prevail
because you will not let them.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Thank you, everyone, for coming out
So much for the gag order.
And now, some words from Chloe Esper.
[CHEERING]
Thank you, Professor Nasser,
for your inspiration.
And thank you, Cam Lawson,
for your commitment to the cause.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
This guy's about
to stand trial for murder,
and he's up there putting on a show.
Will you fight for a free Palestine?
[CHEERING] From the river to the sea!
[CHEERING]
It's a reflection of our hope
for a free Palestine.
[GUNSHOTS]
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
Shooter, brown jacket, gray hat.
I see him.
Move, move!
- Chloe.
Chloe.
Chloe. Chloe.
Hey, Chloe. Can you hear me?
Chloe. Chloe.
We need an ambulance!
Stop! Stop!
[INTENSE MUSIC]
Hey, hey!
On the ground! Stop!
[GRUNTING]
Stay down!
Hey, drop it!
Drop the gun, Professor Klein!
Put it down.
Drop that gun, Phillip.
Hey.
My college roommate, he's dead.
They killed him.
They killed his whole family.
You need to drop that gun.
They're trying to destroy us.
Never again.
No, never again.
Hey, listen, listen,
listen, listen to me.
- No, never again.
- Listen to me. I get it.
You're trying to protect your people.
You're trying to be a good person.
I get that. I get that.
But this is not how you do it.
Nobody else needs to die today.
Look at me.
I need you to put the gun down. Come on.
Drop the gun.
Drop the gun or I will shoot you.
Drop the gun!
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[GUNSHOTS]
♪
He's dead.
♪
Riley,
just want to thank you for
- I appreciate you.
- Yeah.
I wasn't expecting him to
You OK?
Yeah, I think so.
I never shot anyone before.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Chloe didn't make it.
Two more dead bodies
in the name of free speech.
When did expressing your beliefs
become so fraught?
When it comes to Israel and Palestine,
forever.
The court gave us two days
to see if we can still make a case,
so let's dig in.
Chloe was the only witness
who could put Cam near the crime scene.
I know.
So we need to find a different way.
♪
What about her boyfriend?
What do you mean?
Well, she was leaving his place
when she ran into Cam that night, right?
Yeah.
So talk to him.
Maybe he knows something.
♪
[POLICE SIREN BLARING]
I want to help. I do.
But, like I said,
I didn't see Cam that night.
Who else were they hanging out with?
This history professor, Kendra Nasser.
They're both obsessed with her
and her extreme
pro-Palestinian propaganda.
Wait, what do you mean?
Before they met her, they barely talked
about all this,
but she brainwashed them.
She started preaching and manipulating.
She's hardcore too.
She thought October 7th was justified.
I mean, I support innocent Palestinians,
but come on.
That was a flat out act of terror.
We found this video of Cam in the lobby
of Kendra Nasser's apartment
an hour after the murder.
This is the two of them
walking into her apartment.
So what are you suggesting?
That she may have indoctrinated him,
used him to do her bidding.
Based on this?
There's more.
Police executed a search warrant
at Nasser's apartment today.
They found a knife missing
from her cutlery set
the exact same type of knife
that was identified
as the murder weapon.
Sounds to me like it was her idea.
Sounds to me like you're gonna need
a lot more evidence.
Talk to the defendant.
See what he has to say.
If your theory is right,
we'll give him a deal.
A deal?
No.
No. He stabbed Alpert in the chest twice
and dropped a card on his body
calling him a traitor.
That is murder all day long.
But you just said that you believe
- Nasser manipulated him.
- She did.
Then she's more culpable.
I agree, but Cam still
needs to pay for what he did.
He killed the Jewish president
of a university
for political reasons.
Think about the optics.
Let me worry about the optics.
You worry about the case.
Talk to the defendant.
See if he's willing to cooperate.
♪
Professor Nasser
is a leader, a visionary.
She's the only person
who tells the truth
- no matter the consequences.
- Cameron, please.
She treats me like an adult.
She sees me.
What are you talking about,
she sees you?
What the hell is wrong with you?
OK. Enough.
Let's hear what Mr. Price has to say.
We're offering you a lifeline, Cam.
In a few months,
Nasser won't even remember your name.
She'll have moved on
and found another young, cute disciple.
Tell them what happened.
Tell them how she convinced you
it was the right thing to do.
Is that what happened?
Did she tell you to kill Alpert?
[TENSE MUSIC]
If you cooperate, I will recommend
you serve 10 years.
If not, you're looking at life.
It's now or never.
♪
Anyone who tells you October
7th was a terrorist attack
is categorically wrong.
- It was but a necessary step
- Detectives.
Kendra Nasser, hands behind your back.
You can't do this!
You have the right to remain silent.
- Leave her alone.
- Let her go!
It means you've got the freedom
to keep your mouth shut.
Good luck with that, Detective.
She has the right to speak the truth.
Back up, everybody. Back up, please.
Hey, what are you doing to her?
Take a seat. Take a seat.
Mr. Lawson, could you please
tell the members of the jury
about your relationship
with the defendant.
She was my professor.
Did you have a relationship with her
outside of the classroom as well?
She was also my mentor.
So you still feel
a strong affinity towards her?
Yes.
Permission to ask leading questions.
Go ahead.
Did the defendant invite you
to private study sessions in her home?
Yes.
Sometimes it was just
the two of you late at night.
Yes, sometimes. So what?
And she served you wine,
talked about the plight
of the Palestinians.
It's important.
And we both feel passionately
about that.
And, ultimately, the defendant
urged you to kill
Hudson University president
Nathan Alpert, didn't she?
Well, she may have suggested it,
but it's not like she forced me to.
The defendant also told you where Alpert
would be that night, correct?
I could have found him on my own.
She was angry that Alpert banned
the Palestinian student organization,
so she told you where he would be.
She gave you a knife from her kitchen.
I can't remember how I got it.
It came from her kitchen.
Well, she may have
given it to me, but
May or did?
Did.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Nothing further.
♪
Professor Nasser wasn't with you
when you killed President Alpert?
That's correct.
You committed this murder alone.
You, not Professor Nasser,
plunged that knife
- into Alpert's chest.
- Yes.
It was just me.
And she never told you
to kill Alpert ever. Correct?
Like I said, she suggested that
But she never told you.
- Correct.
- Nothing further.
So, to be clear, she suggested
that you kill Alpert,
and then she gave you a knife.
♪
Yes.
Nothing further. People rest.
The Jewish elite will stop at nothing
- in order to silence me.
- Why?
They're terrified of Middle Easterners
with a platform and a brain.
So they'll do anything they can
to squelch free debate and expression,
including these baseless charges.
Professor Nasser, you believe
this is a political prosecution?
That's for the jury to decide.
The defendant's beliefs about
this case are irrelevant.
See?
I can't even speak my truth
in this courtroom.
Sustained. Next question.
Did you conspire with Cam Lawson?
- I did not.
- Give him a knife?
Tell him to kill Nathan Alpert?
Absolutely not.
Thank you.
You use people
young, malleable students
to fight your holy war.
That's a lie.
A number of your students
have been cited
for tearing down posters
of Israeli hostages,
for engaging in hateful,
anti-Semitic speech.
Two of them even threatened
to hurt Jewish students,
as they left the campus Hillel House
I have no knowledge of this.
None.
Look, my lectures are emotional
and convincing based on facts.
If students decide to take action
based on these facts, based on
their own moral constitutions,
there's nothing I can do.
You directed Cam Lawson
to kill Nathan Alpert.
You gave him a knife.
You told him where Alpert
would be that night.
That's not true.
And when he was done
carrying out your wishes,
he came to your home
where you comforted him.
He told me what
he had done after the fact.
And I was proud of him.
♪
Proud?
That a young man
killed a college president?
♪
Yes.
♪
Nothing further.
♪
Please rise.
In the matter of
People v. Kendra Nasser,
has the jury reached a verdict?
Yes, we have, Your Honor.
How do you find?
We find the defendant
not guilty.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING]
[GAVEL BANGING]
I'd like to thank the jury
for your service.
You are now excused.
♪
My son is going to prison for 10 years,
and that woman walks free?
♪
Did you convince him to kill
President Alpert?
- Miss Nasser, what is
- Miss Nasser.
Do you plan to return
to Hudson University?
No comment.
Did your lectures encourage violence?
No comment.
Miss Nasser.
At the very least, it's over.
It'll never be over.
That's the problem.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
Oh, what? You think it's OK
to kill innocent Jews?
Go to hell!
♪
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.
Oh, I can feel it. It's gonna happen.
It's just a matter of time.
I know it's crazy right now
and there are all sorts of
rumors swirling.
No, it's more than that.
People are already digging into
my research.
Every article,
every book I ever published.
One missed quote.
One overlooked source.
They can't accuse you of plagiarism
if you're not a plagiarist.
Sure, they can. That's what's happening.
It's how the bastards get their payback.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right here.
- Hey!
- Hold on.
Get away from there.
Yo, what you gonna do? [CHUCKLES]
- Better leave, bro.
- Hey!
- I'm calling the police!
- Whatever.
- Mind yourself.
- Uh-huh.
What is going on? Are you OK?
Go ahead, bro.
Oh, it's just a bunch of kids.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Unbelievable.
What is it?
Nothing.
I, uh
I just need a hot shower.
Want a hot cup of tea?
That sounds delightful.
[GRUNTS]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Nate?
Nate, are you OK?
[GASPING]
Nathan?
[PHONE BEEPS]
[GROANING]
Nathan?
♪
Nathan?
I love you.
♪
911, what's your emergency?
I think something horrible
just happened to my husband.
[POLICE SIREN WAILING]
Feels good to be back in the game.
Yeah, I bet.
My first homicide case
in almost three years.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
You want to say it?
What have we got?
Two knife wounds to the chest.
Name is Nathan Alpert.
Business card in his wallet
says he's the president
of Hudson University.
President, big job.
Still had his wallet, huh?
Watch and cell phone, too.
"Traitor"?
Sounds personal.
- Any witnesses?
- One.
He was across the street,
heard some commotion.
Looked over and saw someone tall, thin,
in a camo parka, running west.
All units, a man in a military-type
camouflage jacket
was just seen walking east
on Lispenard
between Church and Broadway.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[POLICE SIREN WHOOPS]
[TIRES SCREECH]
♪
Police. Don't move.
I can move wherever I want to move.
Hey, hey, hey. Drop the attitude.
We just want to talk to you. All right?
- Knife.
- Hey, hey.
You got to stop moving
and put that knife down
for your safety and ours.
You understand what I'm saying?
Stop moving and put down that knife.
I didn't do nothing,
so I ain't dropping nothing.
Drop that knife or I will shoot you.
Hey, Vince, stand down.
Nobody needs to get shot tonight, right?
Just put the knife down.
Put down that knife or I will shoot you!
♪
- Take him down to the 2-7.
- Got it. Come on.
Hey, man. Don't ever do that again.
Do what again?
Play the hero like that on my tab.
No.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I don't know anyone with that name.
And I don't know any presidents.
Oh.
How about that knife?
You know that knife?
It has blood on it.
- Your jacket does too.
- Found the jacket in the trash.
Knife was in the pocket.
That's the truth.
- The inconvenient truth.
- Inconvenient?
- How's that?
- I know how y'all roll.
Love putting Black men in prison
for crimes they don't commit,
for thoughts they never had,
for lives they never lived.
I'm not sure I understand
what you're saying, Jordan.
I'm saying I know Tupac is alive
and that the government is hiding him.
Um, hang tight for a second, Jordan.
We're gonna
we'll be right back.
Best I can tell, he's telling the truth
about the jacket, not Tupac.
So Tupac is definitely dead,
and that's definitely not his jacket.
Which means it's probably not his knife.
And likely not his lip balm, either,
especially with a fancy name
like "Paradies," Paradise?
All right, let's get
the evidence over to the lab.
I'm gonna go talk to Jordan,
try to get him some help.
And I'm sorry to say, you two need to go
and notify President Alpert's wife.
OK.
- Vince.
- Yeah.
I'm glad you're here.
Yeah, me too.
Thanks for looking out.
Oh, thank you.
I, uh, was on the phone with him
when it happened.
I
I heard him die.
I am so sorry, ma'am.
We just have a few questions for you.
If that's OK.
Ms. Alpert, um, could you tell us
what you and your husband were
talking about on the phone?
He thought, uh, people were
beginning to delve
into his research to look for
examples of plagiarism.
Popular tactic these days.
What kind of mood was he in?
Uh, paranoid.
Frustrated.
Exhausted.
It's been a long few months.
He was under a microscope.
There was so much pressure
about what to say,
about what not to say.
You're referring to
the Israeli conflict.
Nate was a
a firm believer in free speech.
He didn't
he didn't think it was his job
to articulate
his personal opinions.
He thought it might disrupt
campus discourse.
I can't imagine what you're
going through.
We just have one more question
that would be really helpful.
Do you know where your husband was
earlier this evening,
prior to calling you?
[SIGHS] I'm not sure.
I don't
he's so busy, I don't
I really never know where he is.
You can ask Nicole.
She's my husband's chief of staff.
She'll know.
Hi there.
Do you know where President Alpert was
earlier this evening?
He was at a party
to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of the student newspaper.
And you didn't notice anything unusual?
No arguments, no problems, altercations?
It was a wonderful event.
For the most part.
For the most part? What do you mean?
Toward the end of the night,
a guest confronted Nate.
Started yelling at him.
Things got pretty heated, so Nate left.
He didn't want to ruin the event.
And what about the man
he was arguing with?
He left, too, a few minutes later.
This hothead have a name?
♪
That's ridiculous.
There was no heated altercation.
- We had a conversation.
- About what?
There have been accusations
that members of my team
have been hazing the younger players.
And Alpert, being a progressive,
cancel first, ask questions later
type of president,
has retained a law firm
to investigate the allegations.
And?
I called him several times,
but he's ignoring me,
so I went to the party
to talk to him in person.
But Alpert didn't want to talk about it.
And that was it?
No physical confrontation?
[SIGHS] Look.
I didn't respect the man, but
I sure as hell didn't kill him.
Hey.
Lacrosse coach's story check out?
Yeah, found some surveillance footage.
He and Alpert argued for a few minutes,
and then they walked off
in separate directions.
Look, we need to find a lead,
something, anything, fast.
This Alpert appears to have
a lot of important friends.
He's got a lot of important enemies too.
I spoke to his chief of staff
again last night.
She confirmed that Coach Herlihy
was going to get fired.
That got me thinking about all the other
pissed off university
employees that got let go.
And?
Currently, there are 24
wrongful termination lawsuits
naming Hudson and Alpert as defendants.
Well, that's a hell
of a lot of suspects.
Yeah, but only one of them got slapped
with a restraining order.
Two days ago a guy by the name
of Professor Phillip Klein.
All right. Track him down.
See if he happened
to be in lower Manhattan
last night around 9:30 or so.
I think that's our guy.
Yeah, I think so.
Phillip Klein, a word, please.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Hey, hey, whoa.
Hey, where you going?
Sorry. I just
I don't want to go to jail.
- Go to jail for what?
- For fighting anti-Semitism.
What are you talking about?
From the river to the sea.
Right, that's code
for destroying Israel.
It's vile. You're the police.
You you are arresting people
for tearing down posters,
for trying to remove
this filth from the city.
We're here to talk about Nathan Alpert.
You know him?
Of course, I know him. Why?
He's dead.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Well, that's good news.
Oh, that's good news?
Well, a little bad news
you're gonna come with us to the 2-7.
What kind of a relationship
did I have with Alpert?
A terrible one.
- Shall I continue?
- No. We get it.
The question is, why?
What triggered all the rage?
Son of a bitch fired me
for having the audacity
to suggest that someone born a man
shouldn't be allowed to compete
in women's athletics,
regardless of how they identify.
A college campus is a place
to debate, express opinions.
But not here, not these days.
You express the wrong view,
you're canceled.
Unless, of course,
you're talking about Israel.
Yeah, on that topic,
you can say whatever you want.
The more hateful, the better.
I don't blame you for being upset.
I don't even blame you
for threatening to kill him.
Yeah. We read the restraining order.
I didn't mean it literally.
I was sitting at home watching the news,
reading about Israel. I-I
I lost my mind.
- I threatened Alpert.
- What about last night?
Did you lose your mind again,
around 9:30 p.m.?
This is you leaving
your apartment at 9:14, yeah?
And this is also you
coming back home at 9:42.
Now, what were you doing
for those 30 minutes?
I took a walk up to Union Square Park,
then came home.
I stopped at a bodega
a few blocks from my apartment,
bought some aspirin.
If you let me grab my phone,
I can show you the receipt.
Be our guest.
Here, 9:34 p.m.
OK.
So who else hated Alpert?
Everyone,
especially the Jewish community.
- Alpert is Jewish.
- Exactly.
He refused to issue a statement
after the October 7th terrorist attack.
George Floyd, Alpert issued a statement.
Roe v. Wade, statement.
Hamas slaughters innocent Israelis,
no statement.
And then things, they just
they got worse.
Last month, this pro-Palestinian
student group hosted
a film symposium on campus,
and the movies were disgusting.
They were full of anti-Semitic tropes.
Alpert said that
the filmmakers had a right
to express their views.
So you're saying the Jewish community
is pissed off at Alpert 'cause of this.
Yes.
Well, do you know anyone
in that community
who actually wanted to hurt him?
Hurt him? No. Fire him, yeah.
There was a group of influential donors
demanding that he resign.
But Alpert wouldn't budge.
He told 'em all to go to hell.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
That's you outside Alpert's
home the day he was murdered.
We were supposed to meet
for lunch, but he wasn't there.
I guess he got called into some
sort of an emergency meeting.
Lunch?
From the articles I read, you and Alpert
didn't like each other very much.
Now you're lunch buddies?
No.
Nate was a good man.
He just wasn't a great leader.
So what was the purpose of lunch?
To persuade him to ban this hateful
pro-Palestinian student group.
The one that put on the film symposium?
They're vile.
But Alpert said
they had a right to present
whatever films they wanted.
It was all about freedom of expression.
Didn't something like that
happen at the University
- of Pennsylvania?
- Uh-huh. But this was worse.
I had a private detective do
some digging into these kids.
Wow. Private detective. I'm intrigued.
Please, what did he find?
Video of a student praising Hamas
for their courage on campus
at the film symposium.
That was a bridge too far
even for Alpert.
Finally, agreed to get rid
of these idiots.
So you met with Alpert that day?
Yeah, I was still trying to
get him to release a statement
regarding the October 7th attack.
Better late than never.
But he wouldn't do it.
Said he didn't care how many
donors he pissed off.
Son of a bitch had his principles,
I'll give him that.
OK, well, in the interest
of moving along here,
where were you last night at 9:30 p.m.?
At Madison Square Garden watching
the Knicks get their ass kicked.
♪
Man, I am pretty sure that social media
is the worst thing ever invented.
Yep.
That and cashew milk.
Mm. You don't know what
you're missing, brother.
Nut milk is the best milk.
Hey, man, I gotta ask
what happened with Cosgrove?
I knew him a little bit back in
the day; he was a good cop.
Great cop.
He just got jammed up.
On what?
Being too honest about things
people aren't too honest about
these days.
Yeah, it is not a great time
to have an opinion, is it?
It is not.
Hey, you ever hear of Chloe Esper?
- Yeah, the actor.
- Yeah, I guess so.
She's a student at Hudson.
And founder of the
pro-Palestinian student group
Geller was talking about.
13 million followers,
and some very aggressive opinions
on what's going on in Gaza.
Looks like she just posted
a new video too.
Well, let's check that out.
Yeah.
Hudson University
president Nathan Alpert
is a coward and a puppet
of the Zionist regime.
His decision today
to ban our student group
is filled with hate
and proves that his goal
is to help the Israel regime
oppress and slaughter
innocent Palestinians.
In short, he is a traitor.
Traitor, huh?
Can I help you?
Looking for Chloe Esper.
May I ask what this is about?
No, you may not.
Chloe? Hi.
I'm Detective Riley.
This is Detective Shaw.
Like to ask you a few questions.
Let me guess.
You saw the video I posted.
We sure did.
You said some pretty horrible things.
I spoke the truth. My truth.
Your truth?
Because you have some unique insight
into the situation?
My mother was born in Gaza,
lived there until she was 22.
And I still have family there, so
I know how people are treated
over there,
even before this war, but now it's
it's beyond horrific.
Innocent people are dying every day.
I-I know it's a very tough situation,
and I can see why you're so passionate.
And angry.
You think I killed President Alpert?
We saw the video you made.
You called him a traitor.
Yeah, because he wanted
to destroy this organization.
He was gonna ban us from campus,
just because a bunch
of rich donors were offended
that we sponsored
a Middle Eastern film symposium.
Where were you
Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m.?
I'm not going to answer that.
If you're innocent, it's in
your best interest to do so.
- Please leave.
- You heard what she said.
You have no right to harass her.
No one's harassing anybody.
What's going on?
- Is there a problem?
- No, ma'am.
We just wanted to talk to one
of your students here.
Sounds like
she doesn't want to talk to you.
This won't take long.
She doesn't want to talk to you.
- Just a few simple
- You have no right
coming in here, harassing my students.
So I'm going to ask you one more
And I'm gonna tell you one more time,
nobody's harassing anybody,
so just relax.
There's no need
for this type of attitude.
Don't you dare spin this around on me.
You come here to our home
without a warrant,
accusing my students of
No one has accused anyone
of anything, okay.
- This is all very stand
- Riley. Riley.
Um
the lady has a point.
Thank you for your time.
You see the lip balm on Chloe's desk?
Paradies.
[SIGHS]
What the hell just happened?
What'd you do to those students?
Excuse me?
My phone has been ringing
off the hook
Chloe Esper's agent,
her lawyer, her publicist.
Social media is on fire.
Chloe posted that we were harassing her,
that we're in the pocket
of the Israeli government,
that we're trying
to silence the opposition
to the war crimes
that are happening in Gaza.
Lou, I promise you, all we did
was ask some questions.
And I can promise you,
I have not been in touch
with anybody
from the Israeli government.
Hey, check it out.
Just found video from the
Paradies boutique near campus.
That looks like the same camo
parka the killer was wearing.
Can you find another angle of that?
Need to get a better look at that face.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Detectives.
What the hell are you guys doing here?
I don't wanna talk to you.
And we don't wanna talk to you.
Cameron Lawson.
Do not move. Do not move. Do not move.
Don't move. [STUDENTS CLAMORING]
You're under arrest for murder.
Murder? That's a lie!
We'll see about that.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- Out of the way.
- Out of the way.
- Leave him alone.
- Hey, back up.
- Leave him alone.
Back up! Everybody back up.
- You can't do this.
- Officers!
Everybody back up.
Order. [GAVEL BANGS]
Order in this courtroom. [GAVEL BANGS]
Order!
People versus Cameron Lawson,
charging murder in the second degree.
How do you plead, sir?
Not guilty.
- Question on bail?
- There is.
The defendant was a member
of a student organization
at Hudson University, which sponsored
a film symposium rife with insensitive
and offensive content.
After one of the screenings,
he toasted Hamas
for its courage in executing
the horrific October 7th attack
on Israel.
As a result, university president
Nathan Alpert chose to dismantle
the student organization.
This enraged the defendant.
So he lay in wait and,
without warning or provocation,
- he stabbed Mr. Alpert to death.
- Objection.
Let Miss Maroun finish.
The defendant's parka
was found near the crime scene
covered in the victim's blood.
The murder weapon was in the pocket
along with some lip balm,
which contained
the defendant's DNA.
The people seek remand.
Now.
My client is a 20-year-old history major
who lives on the Upper East Side.
He's not a terrorist or a murderer,
and he's certainly not a flight risk.
Moreover, the government's case is weak.
They can't put my client anywhere
near the scene of the crime
because he wasn't there.
He's innocent.
Bail is set at $1 million.
[GAVEL BANGS]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I'm surprised the judge granted bail.
I'm surprised you described
the content of those films
- as offensive and insensitive.
- As opposed to?
Hateful and malicious.
I'm not going to debate adjectives.
[CHUCKLES] You chose them.
I know you have family in Lebanon.
I don't want to talk about that, Nolan.
There's no point.
It's not in the best interest
of the case.
I think it's better to ignore
politics and personal opinions
and direct our energy towards the case,
and getting justice for Nathan Alpert.
Right now, that means finding a way
to put Cam Lawson near the crime scene.
This is from a surveillance camera
a few blocks from the German boutique
that you and Cam both frequent.
All I see is someone getting into a car.
Well, we believe that's Cam Lawson.
- Why?
- His jacket.
He's not the only guy in Manhattan
who owns a camo parka.
He's the only guy in Manhattan
with a camo parka getting into
a car registered in your name.
Where are you going with this?
This is Cam getting out of
your vehicle 20 minutes later,
a block from where Alpert was murdered.
You can't even see his face.
You need to tell us
what you know, Chloe, now.
This is not a movie.
You only get one take.
And you better get it right.
Unless she tells us everything
that really happened,
we're gonna charge her with
being an accomplice to murder.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
OK. Fine.
I
I ran into Cam outside
my boyfriend's apartment.
He asked for a ride and I said yes.
That's it. That's all I know.
He tell you what he was
planning to do that night?
- No.
- [SIGHS]
Where'd you go
after you dropped him off?
To dinner with my agent
♪
Chloe Esper's alibi check out?
Still waiting to hear back
from the restaurant manager
and her agent.
[PHONE BUZZES] Uh, wait a second.
The manager of the restaurant
confirms Chloe was there.
All right, so Chloe wasn't at
the crime scene.
No, but she's pissed off,
that's for sure.
She's blowing up social media
right now, as we speak.
She did a livestream with
Nasser, that professor.
Cam Lawson is my dear friend,
and he's a good person and
a true believer in our cause,
and he's being framed by
the New York Police Department
and the Manhattan District
Attorney's Office.
They're trying to punish Cam
for having the courage
to speak out.
Well, this is not surprising, of course,
since both organizations
have close ties to Israel.
The American government is
trying to squelch dissent
and obscure what's really
happening in Gaza.
And trying to hide the fact that Israel
are repressing innocent men,
women, and children.
So take a stand.
Voice your outrage!
This is the only way
we can change the status quo.
Wow. That's subtle.
"Chloe needs to condemn Hamas
first, then worry about Gaza."
"Chloe Esper is a self-promoting
anti-Semite."
"Rot in hell."
She's definitely passionate.
She's passionate and irresponsible.
No.
She's just a kid.
A kid with a massive platform,
trying to give voice to all her
anger and frustration.
No, it's more than that.
Maybe, but
she believes what she believes.
- And you agree with her?
- No!
I most definitely don't.
But that doesn't mean that
what she's saying is crazy.
Like it or not,
she's the queen of the far left.
They are begging her
to take center stage,
to be the mouthpiece
of the Palestinian cause.
They want her to be a martyr.
A young photogenic martyr.
And she's taking the bait.
I just think she's a lot less
naive than you do.
Either way, we need a gag order.
Chloe and her friends are
polluting the jury pool
with all this hyperbole
and misinformation.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
The righteous will not be silenced.
The oppressors will not prevail
because you will not let them.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Thank you, everyone, for coming out
So much for the gag order.
And now, some words from Chloe Esper.
[CHEERING]
Thank you, Professor Nasser,
for your inspiration.
And thank you, Cam Lawson,
for your commitment to the cause.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
This guy's about
to stand trial for murder,
and he's up there putting on a show.
Will you fight for a free Palestine?
[CHEERING] From the river to the sea!
[CHEERING]
It's a reflection of our hope
for a free Palestine.
[GUNSHOTS]
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
Shooter, brown jacket, gray hat.
I see him.
Move, move!
- Chloe.
Chloe.
Chloe. Chloe.
Hey, Chloe. Can you hear me?
Chloe. Chloe.
We need an ambulance!
Stop! Stop!
[INTENSE MUSIC]
Hey, hey!
On the ground! Stop!
[GRUNTING]
Stay down!
Hey, drop it!
Drop the gun, Professor Klein!
Put it down.
Drop that gun, Phillip.
Hey.
My college roommate, he's dead.
They killed him.
They killed his whole family.
You need to drop that gun.
They're trying to destroy us.
Never again.
No, never again.
Hey, listen, listen,
listen, listen to me.
- No, never again.
- Listen to me. I get it.
You're trying to protect your people.
You're trying to be a good person.
I get that. I get that.
But this is not how you do it.
Nobody else needs to die today.
Look at me.
I need you to put the gun down. Come on.
Drop the gun.
Drop the gun or I will shoot you.
Drop the gun!
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[GUNSHOTS]
♪
He's dead.
♪
Riley,
just want to thank you for
- I appreciate you.
- Yeah.
I wasn't expecting him to
You OK?
Yeah, I think so.
I never shot anyone before.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Chloe didn't make it.
Two more dead bodies
in the name of free speech.
When did expressing your beliefs
become so fraught?
When it comes to Israel and Palestine,
forever.
The court gave us two days
to see if we can still make a case,
so let's dig in.
Chloe was the only witness
who could put Cam near the crime scene.
I know.
So we need to find a different way.
♪
What about her boyfriend?
What do you mean?
Well, she was leaving his place
when she ran into Cam that night, right?
Yeah.
So talk to him.
Maybe he knows something.
♪
[POLICE SIREN BLARING]
I want to help. I do.
But, like I said,
I didn't see Cam that night.
Who else were they hanging out with?
This history professor, Kendra Nasser.
They're both obsessed with her
and her extreme
pro-Palestinian propaganda.
Wait, what do you mean?
Before they met her, they barely talked
about all this,
but she brainwashed them.
She started preaching and manipulating.
She's hardcore too.
She thought October 7th was justified.
I mean, I support innocent Palestinians,
but come on.
That was a flat out act of terror.
We found this video of Cam in the lobby
of Kendra Nasser's apartment
an hour after the murder.
This is the two of them
walking into her apartment.
So what are you suggesting?
That she may have indoctrinated him,
used him to do her bidding.
Based on this?
There's more.
Police executed a search warrant
at Nasser's apartment today.
They found a knife missing
from her cutlery set
the exact same type of knife
that was identified
as the murder weapon.
Sounds to me like it was her idea.
Sounds to me like you're gonna need
a lot more evidence.
Talk to the defendant.
See what he has to say.
If your theory is right,
we'll give him a deal.
A deal?
No.
No. He stabbed Alpert in the chest twice
and dropped a card on his body
calling him a traitor.
That is murder all day long.
But you just said that you believe
- Nasser manipulated him.
- She did.
Then she's more culpable.
I agree, but Cam still
needs to pay for what he did.
He killed the Jewish president
of a university
for political reasons.
Think about the optics.
Let me worry about the optics.
You worry about the case.
Talk to the defendant.
See if he's willing to cooperate.
♪
Professor Nasser
is a leader, a visionary.
She's the only person
who tells the truth
- no matter the consequences.
- Cameron, please.
She treats me like an adult.
She sees me.
What are you talking about,
she sees you?
What the hell is wrong with you?
OK. Enough.
Let's hear what Mr. Price has to say.
We're offering you a lifeline, Cam.
In a few months,
Nasser won't even remember your name.
She'll have moved on
and found another young, cute disciple.
Tell them what happened.
Tell them how she convinced you
it was the right thing to do.
Is that what happened?
Did she tell you to kill Alpert?
[TENSE MUSIC]
If you cooperate, I will recommend
you serve 10 years.
If not, you're looking at life.
It's now or never.
♪
Anyone who tells you October
7th was a terrorist attack
is categorically wrong.
- It was but a necessary step
- Detectives.
Kendra Nasser, hands behind your back.
You can't do this!
You have the right to remain silent.
- Leave her alone.
- Let her go!
It means you've got the freedom
to keep your mouth shut.
Good luck with that, Detective.
She has the right to speak the truth.
Back up, everybody. Back up, please.
Hey, what are you doing to her?
Take a seat. Take a seat.
Mr. Lawson, could you please
tell the members of the jury
about your relationship
with the defendant.
She was my professor.
Did you have a relationship with her
outside of the classroom as well?
She was also my mentor.
So you still feel
a strong affinity towards her?
Yes.
Permission to ask leading questions.
Go ahead.
Did the defendant invite you
to private study sessions in her home?
Yes.
Sometimes it was just
the two of you late at night.
Yes, sometimes. So what?
And she served you wine,
talked about the plight
of the Palestinians.
It's important.
And we both feel passionately
about that.
And, ultimately, the defendant
urged you to kill
Hudson University president
Nathan Alpert, didn't she?
Well, she may have suggested it,
but it's not like she forced me to.
The defendant also told you where Alpert
would be that night, correct?
I could have found him on my own.
She was angry that Alpert banned
the Palestinian student organization,
so she told you where he would be.
She gave you a knife from her kitchen.
I can't remember how I got it.
It came from her kitchen.
Well, she may have
given it to me, but
May or did?
Did.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Nothing further.
♪
Professor Nasser wasn't with you
when you killed President Alpert?
That's correct.
You committed this murder alone.
You, not Professor Nasser,
plunged that knife
- into Alpert's chest.
- Yes.
It was just me.
And she never told you
to kill Alpert ever. Correct?
Like I said, she suggested that
But she never told you.
- Correct.
- Nothing further.
So, to be clear, she suggested
that you kill Alpert,
and then she gave you a knife.
♪
Yes.
Nothing further. People rest.
The Jewish elite will stop at nothing
- in order to silence me.
- Why?
They're terrified of Middle Easterners
with a platform and a brain.
So they'll do anything they can
to squelch free debate and expression,
including these baseless charges.
Professor Nasser, you believe
this is a political prosecution?
That's for the jury to decide.
The defendant's beliefs about
this case are irrelevant.
See?
I can't even speak my truth
in this courtroom.
Sustained. Next question.
Did you conspire with Cam Lawson?
- I did not.
- Give him a knife?
Tell him to kill Nathan Alpert?
Absolutely not.
Thank you.
You use people
young, malleable students
to fight your holy war.
That's a lie.
A number of your students
have been cited
for tearing down posters
of Israeli hostages,
for engaging in hateful,
anti-Semitic speech.
Two of them even threatened
to hurt Jewish students,
as they left the campus Hillel House
I have no knowledge of this.
None.
Look, my lectures are emotional
and convincing based on facts.
If students decide to take action
based on these facts, based on
their own moral constitutions,
there's nothing I can do.
You directed Cam Lawson
to kill Nathan Alpert.
You gave him a knife.
You told him where Alpert
would be that night.
That's not true.
And when he was done
carrying out your wishes,
he came to your home
where you comforted him.
He told me what
he had done after the fact.
And I was proud of him.
♪
Proud?
That a young man
killed a college president?
♪
Yes.
♪
Nothing further.
♪
Please rise.
In the matter of
People v. Kendra Nasser,
has the jury reached a verdict?
Yes, we have, Your Honor.
How do you find?
We find the defendant
not guilty.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING]
[GAVEL BANGING]
I'd like to thank the jury
for your service.
You are now excused.
♪
My son is going to prison for 10 years,
and that woman walks free?
♪
Did you convince him to kill
President Alpert?
- Miss Nasser, what is
- Miss Nasser.
Do you plan to return
to Hudson University?
No comment.
Did your lectures encourage violence?
No comment.
Miss Nasser.
At the very least, it's over.
It'll never be over.
That's the problem.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
Oh, what? You think it's OK
to kill innocent Jews?
Go to hell!
♪