- 22 hours ago
Law & Order (1990) Season 25 Episode 20
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00No! Someone, please! We're trapped!
00:14Anyone here?
00:16Please, watch out!
00:18Come out of here.
00:25I need you to calm down. We're gonna get you out.
00:28I need you to stand back!
00:34Come on, come on, let's go. We don't have much time.
00:37Go with them, we'll get you out.
00:38Yeah, we'll see you. Let's go. Come on.
00:41One's coming out!
00:45Anybody in there?
00:50I still crawled up!
00:51Back to him!
00:58It was a backdraft! You've been trained for this!
01:01Sorry, Cap.
01:02In this job, there's no second chances.
01:05Yes, sir.
01:07No!
01:10It's Clint Braddock, captain of this ladder company.
01:14I'm guessing this is the murder weapon.
01:15Halligan Tool. Fireman's best friend.
01:18Not today.
01:19Were you the first on the scene?
01:20Yeah.
01:21Call came in a little after midnight.
01:23One of the firefighters who was staying in the house came down and found him dead.
01:25Call 911.
01:27Everyone else was upstairs asleep.
01:29You know how many people were in the house?
01:30Nine.
01:31Not including the captain.
01:32They're all still here.
01:33I've got unis taking their statements.
01:34Any signs of forced entry?
01:35No.
01:36But the back door to the kitchen was standing wide open when we arrived.
01:39Hey, Vince.
01:40This is our guy.
01:41Braddock.
01:43He was at ground zero on 9-11.
01:45He had a team in the tower, too.
01:48He was a real life hero.
02:15He was a real life hero.
02:16He did look pretty well.
02:37We responded to a 1075.
02:39That's a structural fire.
02:41It was an apartment building.
02:42But things got pretty intense.
02:44And you're the one to call 9-1-1?
02:45Mm-hmm.
02:47All right, can you tell us what happened?
02:48When we got back, everyone was pretty tired.
02:51You never know when the next call's gonna come.
02:54So we all went to bed.
02:55But Cap, he stayed up.
02:56He said he had some work to do.
02:58What time was that?
03:00Around... 10.30, maybe.
03:03But I couldn't sleep.
03:05My adrenaline was still pumping from the fire.
03:07Anyways, around midnight, I heard what sounded like shouting.
03:11And downstairs, I got up to see what was going on.
03:14Did you see anything or anyone suspicious?
03:16No.
03:17Well, Cap wasn't in his office.
03:20So I came downstairs and saw that the back door was open.
03:24It was freezing.
03:25That's when I knew something was wrong.
03:27So I searched the house.
03:30And I found him.
03:34Do you know of any problems he was having?
03:36Anyone who might have wanted to hurt him?
03:38No.
03:39The man wasn't just a legend.
03:41It was the real deal.
03:43He saved my life.
03:45Last night.
03:48Spoke to the other eight firefighters who were at the station last night.
03:51They all gave sworn statements that they were asleep and didn't hear or see anything unusual.
03:55Unhelpful.
03:56Also, the same thing about Braddock, too.
03:58He was a hero.
03:59Everybody loved him.
04:00Okay.
04:00Extra unhelpful.
04:01But still, any one of them could be a killer.
04:03Well, theoretically.
04:03But there's this.
04:05Security footage from the back entrance of the station shows Braddock letting somebody in at around 11.26 p.m.
04:11No angle on the person's face?
04:13Uh-uh.
04:13Because of the hood and the jacket, you can't tell if it's a man or a woman.
04:16But check this out.
04:1720 minutes later, they leave at the same door.
04:19Now that's 16 minutes before the 911 call.
04:22So it looks like Braddock knew his killer?
04:25I mean, what about the murder weapon?
04:26Any prints?
04:27Dozens.
04:27They all track back to members of Braddock's ladder company.
04:30Which tracks.
04:31Zoom in.
04:33Mystery person's wearing gloves.
04:34So, how does a guy beloved by everybody end up with his head bashed in?
04:39I wouldn't say everyone.
04:40Going for his text messages.
04:42Looks like he was going for a pretty nasty split from his wife.
04:45Sounds promising.
04:46Then it gets better.
04:47Braddock had a sub with divorce papers yesterday afternoon.
04:54Our understanding is that the two of you were having some mental problems.
04:58You mean he was leaving me?
05:00We read his text messages.
05:02You seemed pretty upset.
05:04Because I didn't want a divorce.
05:06Because I loved him.
05:08I would never.
05:13I had an affair.
05:16It was a mistake.
05:17I begged him to take me back, but he couldn't.
05:21I hoped it may be worth time.
05:23But no.
05:25Where were you last night?
05:26Around midnight?
05:29I was a mess.
05:31About the divorce papers.
05:32So I had a few girlfriends over.
05:34We drank some wine and watched a movie.
05:35We'd like to get those friends contacts, if that's alright.
05:39Can you think of anyone who had issues with your husband?
05:45Wait, yes.
05:46Actually, the day before yesterday, a man came by the house.
05:50I don't know what it was about, but he and Clint got into a fight on the front lawn.
05:54You know who the man was?
05:55No, he'd already taken off by the time I came out.
05:57I asked Clint what was going on, but he didn't want to talk about it.
06:01I noticed the doorbell cam on the way in.
06:03Does that work?
06:06Candace Newman's friends all back up an alibi.
06:09Apparently, they watched the notebook.
06:11Oh, God.
06:11So she's a glutton for punishment.
06:13And what about this guy she claims got into an altercation with Braddock?
06:17Yeah, I got the footage right here.
06:22Can we hear what they're arguing about?
06:24Too far away from the camera to make it out, but wait for it.
06:28Our Vic threw the first punch?
06:29The only punch.
06:30Level the guy with one swing.
06:31So maybe our mystery man showed up at the station to even the score?
06:35Well, he used the truck's plates to pull the DMV records.
06:37Belongs to a Steven Del Vecchio.
06:3952, lives in Yonkers.
06:40What's the connection with Braddock?
06:42Del Vecchio was a 30-year FDNY veteran assigned to Braddock's Ladder Company
06:45until two months ago when he retired.
06:48Okay.
06:49Well, let's find out why things got physical between these two.
07:02Theo.
07:06Did I smoke?
07:07NYPD, is anyone in there?
07:09The engine's running.
07:10It's not smoke, it's exhaust.
07:14Find the door open.
07:21You got it?
07:22Got it.
07:22All right, let's go.
07:23All right, set up.
07:24Yeah.
07:25Watch his head.
07:26I got it.
07:27All right.
07:27Hey, Steven?
07:31Steven?
07:32Hey, we need an ambulance.
07:341461 Elmhurst.
07:35Caucasian male, unconscious, spastic carbon monoxide poisoning.
07:38Hey, hey, hey.
07:40Hey, can you hear me?
07:41Huh?
07:42Hey.
07:43Steven?
07:43Steven?
07:44All right?
07:46I'm sorry.
07:47Hey, hey.
07:47It's okay.
07:48It's okay.
07:48I'm so sorry.
07:49It's all right.
07:49All right.
07:49Stay with me.
07:50All right?
07:50We got you.
07:52I can't live with what I've done.
07:54I can't take the guilt.
08:01He's lucky you found him when you did.
08:03I'm not sure he'd agree with you.
08:04Right.
08:05So, because this was a suicide attempt, we're required to hold him for a 72-hour observation
08:09period.
08:09I get it, but we like to talk to him now.
08:11Is he awake?
08:12He is, but I'd really rather you wait until after the social worker has had a chance to
08:16assess him.
08:16Yeah, that's not going to happen.
08:17He's been through a lot today already and in his state.
08:20Listen, we're investigating a murder, so if he's coherent, he's fair game.
08:24I don't understand.
08:26Clint's dead?
08:26Don't waste our time here, Steve, man.
08:28I'm serious.
08:29I didn't know.
08:29Then why did we find you in your garage trying to take off for good?
08:33I don't want to talk about it.
08:36You already did, Steven.
08:37You don't remember?
08:37You confessed?
08:39You said you couldn't live with what you had done, that you were sorry?
08:41I was talking about something else.
08:44Yeah, sure you were.
08:45You know you're in Braddock with beefing and then he knocked your ass out.
08:47You saw the video, so what?
08:49You show up the next day to get some payback?
08:51Maybe things went a little too far, maybe you swung a little too hard.
08:54You don't understand.
08:55Clint was one of my best friends.
08:57We worked together for over 25 years.
08:59I don't know about you, but my best friend never punched me in the face.
09:02That's probably because you never done anything as bad as I did.
09:07I was having some money trouble, so a buddy of mine set me up with a doctor who was helping
09:12guys like me, guys who are at ground zero, get some extra cash.
09:16You worked 9-11?
09:17Yeah, I was with Clint.
09:19It was a nightmare.
09:20It was everything you would imagine, but worse.
09:23That's why the World Trade Center Health Fund covers treatment for PTSD.
09:27You didn't have PTSD, did you?
09:33A few months ago, Clint figured out what was going on.
09:36Out of respect for our friendship, he didn't turn me in, but I had to agree to stop taking
09:40the cash and retire.
10:09Even worse, he said we were done as friends.
10:10Braddock's out.
10:11He was there until last call, drowning his sorrows in whiskey.
10:14Yeah, but we could charge him with fraud.
10:45You're stealing from the health fund.
10:45I'm just sneaking out.
10:46I'm just leaving.
10:46Well, after you just left, Captain Braddock was found with his head cracked open.
10:50I'm aware.
10:51So it looks like you were the last person to see him alive.
10:54He can't have been the last person because he was fine when I left.
10:57I'm telling you the truth.
10:58I went to the firehouse to discuss something work-related with him.
11:01Well, if you're discussing something work-related, then why all the cloak and dagger?
11:03I mean, meaning at midnight.
11:06We were discussing a delicate matter, friend to friend.
11:11Why not come forward when you find out he got killed?
11:13There was no point.
11:14I don't know anything.
11:16So I just kept my mouth shut.
11:19So what did you come to see Captain Braddock about that evening?
11:24Three weeks ago, there was an electrical fire at a jewelry store in the Diamond District.
11:28Braddock's company put out the fire.
11:30Jenker was the marshal assigned to oversee the case.
11:32Mostly just due diligence stuff, you know.
11:34Determining cause, assessing damage, stuff like that.
11:37But during the course of his investigation, Jenker discovered that a $500,000 diamond necklace
11:42that had been reported lost in the fire had actually been stolen.
11:45And that Braddock and his crew were the only ones that had access to the scene.
11:49Okay, but why was Jenker at the fire station that night?
11:52To give Braddock a heads up.
11:54You know, friend to friend that one of his guys might be a thief.
11:57He gave Braddock a file and then he took off.
11:59According to Jenker, when he left, Braddock was still very much alive.
12:02We have the security footage.
12:03We know no one else entered the fire station that night.
12:06So if Braddock was alive when he left...
12:08The murderer was already in the firehouse.
12:14These are the nine firefighters that were staying at the station the night of the murder.
12:17Cross-checked them against the prints we pulled from the murder weapon.
12:20Narrowed the list down to these five.
12:22Any of them worked the jewelry store fire?
12:23All five of them.
12:25We reviewed their statements, didn't find any inconsistencies or obvious omissions.
12:29That's interesting.
12:30What?
12:31According to this personnel file, one of these guys has a prior felony conviction.
12:38There you go.
12:39Served three years for burglary.
12:41Seems like a good place to start.
12:44Diego Peralta.
12:46He's the one who found the body and called 911.
12:50Told you everything I know.
12:51I heard arguing, so I came downstairs.
12:53Right, yeah.
12:54You saw the back door open.
12:55You found the body.
12:56We know all that.
12:57We want to talk to you about something else.
12:58You worked the fire at Powell Brothers Jewelers a few weeks back, right?
13:03Why are you asking about that?
13:05You know anything about a necklace that got burned up in the fire?
13:08Pretty expensive one.
13:09Worth about 500 grand.
13:11So the people that look into this kind of thing,
13:13they think that maybe the necklace wasn't destroyed in the fire,
13:16but that it was actually stolen.
13:18By one of the firefighters.
13:22So we think maybe Braddock talked to you,
13:23maybe you got upset.
13:28I want a lawyer.
13:32And we got phones down at the station.
13:34You can call one from there.
13:35Come on.
13:37Clammed up the second we asked him about the jewelry store fire.
13:40As his captain, Braddock would have known about his prior burglary conviction,
13:43so once he got word the necklace was stolen...
13:45Braddock confronts him, Peralta panics, grabs a halogen, strikes Braddock to keep him from reporting him.
13:50And then calls 911 and pretends he found him dead.
13:53Can we prove that Peralta stole the necklace?
13:55No.
13:56We looked into his finances, but there's nothing suspicious.
13:59We need more to charge.
14:03But given his criminal history,
14:05we might have enough probable cause to get a search warrant.
14:11How can you just come into our home like this?
14:14You have no right.
14:15Sorry for the intrusion, man, but as you can see from that doctor in there...
14:17I don't care what this says.
14:18You're wrong.
14:19Dee would never.
14:20Mommy?
14:22Amy, Siano.
14:23Mommy?
14:24Hi.
14:27What's happening?
14:28Nothing, baby.
14:29These nice people are just helping Mommy look for something.
14:32Where's Daddy?
14:34He's at work.
14:35Putting out fires?
14:36That's right.
14:37Come on, let's go outside and play.
14:43Hey, sign of the necklace?
14:45Nothing yet.
14:47I'm being honest, I'm hoping that maybe we got this wrong.
14:50I found this in the dumpster in the building's basement.
14:57So much for getting it wrong.
15:06Guess what we just found at the bottom of your trash sheet, Diego?
15:09The FDNY file about the fire at the jewelry store?
15:14No, the one that says that that very expensive necklace didn't burn up in the fire?
15:18Braddock's buddy gave him that file the night he was killed.
15:20Yeah, right before, actually.
15:22Which means the only way it ends up at your place is if you took it.
15:25It's got blood on it, too, so we're having to test it.
15:28We both know it's going to be Braddock's.
15:31So now this, Diego.
15:33This is your opportunity to come clean and confess.
15:36And maybe we can work something out with the DA, get him to go easy on you.
15:39Don't say anything.
15:40Look, my client has already told you everything he knows.
15:42Judges take these things into consideration when it comes to sentencing.
15:45I mean, you don't cooperate now.
15:47Your criminal record...
15:48But he has nothing more to say.
15:51Lab confirmed it was Braddock's blood on the file.
15:56Book him.
15:57Stand up, please.
16:00Diego Peralta, you're under arrest for murder.
16:06How does the defendant plead?
16:08Not guilty, Your Honor.
16:10I'll hear you on bail, Ms. Moran.
16:12Your Honor, the defendant brutally murdered a national hero,
16:16crushing Captain Clint Braddock's skull with the same tool Braddock used to save an untold number of lives.
16:21Your Honor, we believe that the defendant killed Braddock to cover up another crime he had committed,
16:25a theft of a diamond necklace worth $500,000 from the scene of fire.
16:31Is he being charged with that as well?
16:32Not at this time, but we believe that he has access to the necklace
16:36or the monies he received from selling the necklace, which makes him a flight risk.
16:40As such, the people request remand.
16:42My client has access to zero funds because he didn't steal anything,
16:45nor is he guilty of murder.
16:47He's in fact the victim here.
16:49Excuse me?
16:50He's the victim.
16:52Meaning what?
16:53A meaning that Mr. Peralta did, in fact, kill Clint Braddock.
16:57But he did so because he was in fear for his life.
17:01This isn't murder, Your Honor.
17:03It's self-defense.
17:11They're saying Peralta didn't steal the diamond necklace.
17:14Braddock did, and Peralta was going to turn him in, which prompted Braddock to attack him.
17:18So they're looking to shift blame to the victim and take advantage of the fact that the dead guy can't
17:22defend himself.
17:22That's our case.
17:23It's strong.
17:24Peralta found the body and lied to detectives about what happened on the night of the murder on two separate
17:29occasions.
17:29And when police searched Peralta's home, they found evidence that had gone missing from the crime scene with the victim's
17:34blood on it.
17:35Is there any evidence to support his self-defense theory?
17:38Any reason to think Braddock might have stolen a necklace or gotten violent with Peralta?
17:41No.
17:41Braddock's reputation was beyond reproach.
17:44It was not so much as a blemish on his record.
17:46The defendant, on the other hand, served three years in fish kill for burglary.
17:49Since when does the FDMI hire ex-cons?
17:52It started in 2016.
17:53They relaxed admission standards to boost diversity, give deserving felons a second chance, but Peralta cheated the system.
18:00How so?
18:00The program is only open to people with one felony conviction.
18:03Peralta has two, but one of them was sealed because he was 15 at the time.
18:07Let's get it unsealed.
18:08We already did.
18:10Third degree assault.
18:12Third degree?
18:13This guy was beaten to a pulp.
18:16Prosecutor pushed for first degree, but the victim didn't want to move forward,
18:19so they gave him a deal.
18:20So the defendant has a history not only of stealing, but of physical violence.
18:23See if the judge will allow it.
18:29You're suggesting that Mr. Braddock's death somehow resembles an assault my client committed against a bodega owner in 2009?
18:35That bodega owner caught the defendant stealing burner phones for his street gang.
18:39The actual assault occurred when the bodega owner attempted to alert law enforcement.
18:45Not quite following the logic.
18:47People intend to prove that the defendant murdered Clint Braddock for precisely the same reason.
18:52Tempting to report the defendant's criminal behavior to the authorities.
18:55To do that, we need to establish how the defendant reacts to this specific provocation.
19:00So the state intends to prove my client's animus towards snitches?
19:02Uh, Ms. Mattows may think this is a joke, but the people don't.
19:06Your Honor, this is propensity evidence in disguise.
19:09Mr. Price is trying to use the stigma of my client's juvenile record to launder the facts of the case
19:14to fit the people's narrative.
19:15And they're not just doing it to the jury.
19:17They did it with the search warrant.
19:19Excuse me?
19:20I move to exclude the evidence from the search of Mr. Peralta's home.
19:23On what grounds?
19:24As I said, the search warrant improperly relied on my client's criminal history to establish probable cause.
19:30So any evidence obtained pursuant to the warrant should be suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree.
19:34Ms. Mattows is conveniently ignoring that the affidavit also points out that Peralta was present on the night of the
19:40murder and lied to police in his initial interview.
19:42So in conjunction with that other evidence, his priors are fair game to establish probable cause.
19:50Hmm.
19:51I'm denying both motions.
19:53Evidence related to the warrant's search is admitted.
19:56The defendant's prior convictions are not.
20:04Detective Riley, you found this case file while executing a search warrant in the defendant's home, correct?
20:10Yes, we found that in a dumpster inside his building.
20:12Can you please explain for the court the contents of this file?
20:15It's an assessment by Fire Marshal Julian Jenka that a diamond necklace had been stolen from the scene of a
20:21fire at a jewelry store.
20:23Captain Braddock had that on him at the time of the murder.
20:25Detective Riley, when did you first speak to the defendant?
20:28At the scene.
20:28He's the one who found Braddock's body.
20:30What did he say?
20:31He said that he found Captain Braddock dead and called 911.
20:35Didn't say anything about killing Captain Braddock in self-defense?
20:38No, he did not.
20:39Matt did say that Captain Braddock had saved his life earlier that night at the scene of a fire.
20:45Nothing further.
20:47Detective, you testified that you searched Mr. Peralta's home.
20:50Did you find the stolen necklace in question?
20:52No.
20:53And I assume that you explored the possibility that he had already sold it.
20:57Did you find any irregular cash deposits made to his bank account or cash in his mattress or the ceiling?
21:04No.
21:05And yet, prosecution is claiming that Mr. Peralta committed this murder to cover up his theft, even though there is
21:11absolutely no evidence that he in fact stole the necklace.
21:14Just because we didn't find it doesn't mean he didn't take it.
21:16No, true.
21:16But here's the thing that's so disturbing here.
21:19You never bothered to investigate my client's version of events.
21:22You never searched Captain Braddock's home.
21:24To be clear, we didn't even hear your client's version of events until after he was charged with murder.
21:28And we did look into it.
21:30We found no evidence whatsoever pointing to Braddock.
21:32But you never searched his home.
21:34Didn't have a cause to.
21:35Nothing further.
21:38You visited Captain Braddock on the night of the murder, correct?
21:41Yes.
21:41I was investigating a taxpayer fire at Powell Brothers Jewelry near 47th and 5th.
21:46It was knocked down by Braddock and the defendant's station.
21:49I found some troubling evidence that I needed to discuss with Captain Braddock.
21:53What evidence was that?
21:55Some missing merchandise.
21:57Most notably, a very expensive necklace that was comprised of gold and diamonds.
22:02Basic structure fire can vaporize a diamond and melt gold,
22:05but where they kept this particular necklace was outside of the hot spot.
22:08So someone must have taken it.
22:09Not just someone.
22:11Based on everything, the only time it could have gone missing was when Braddock's company had the place locked down.
22:16So that's why you met with Captain Braddock on the night of the murder?
22:18Yeah.
22:19This kind of thing could stain the department.
22:22Braddock was a friend.
22:23Figured we'd put our heads together and get ahead of this thing.
22:26Convinced the thief to come forward.
22:28Minimize punishment.
22:29Protect the department.
22:30Well, everybody wins.
22:32When you spoke that night, what did Captain Braddock say?
22:35He said I was full of it.
22:37Didn't believe any of his guys would dishonor the department like that.
22:41Only came around when I showed him the evidence.
22:43Then what happened?
22:45He said he'd look into it.
22:47And I left.
22:49Thank you, Marshal Jankin.
22:50Nothing further.
22:52When Captain Braddock said that he would look into the theft,
22:55he never mentioned my client by name, did he?
22:57No.
22:58As far as you know, the thief could have been any one of the firefighters that tended to the fire
23:02that day.
23:04Including Captain Braddock.
23:07Yes, I suppose.
23:08But there's no way Braddock would be involved.
23:09You're an investigator, Marshal.
23:10You follow evidence.
23:12I'll ask again.
23:13Based on the evidence that you collected,
23:15is it possible that Braddock could have stolen the necklace himself?
23:19Yes, it's possible.
23:22Nothing further.
23:24Let me direct, Your Honor.
23:26Marshal Jankin.
23:27Can you tell us how long Captain Braddock served in the FDNY?
23:3227 years.
23:33And in all that time, was there ever so much as a hint of impropriety?
23:39No.
23:39As part of your investigation, did you review the personnel files of the men in Captain Braddock's fire station?
23:44Yes, of course.
23:45How long had the defendant worked in the FDNY?
23:48Six months.
23:49Six months.
23:50And in these six months, a $500,000 necklace just so happens to disappear...
23:56Objection, Your Honor.
23:57Good drawing.
23:58The only brother, Your Honor.
24:01Prosecution rests.
24:04Mr. Price, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's something you need to know.
24:09I'm pregnant.
24:11I can only imagine that must make all of this even more difficult.
24:15No, you don't understand.
24:16We have a son, Anthony.
24:18Diego wasn't around when he was born.
24:20He was in prison.
24:21It broke him.
24:22So he turned himself around.
24:23He tried to do good.
24:24He wanted to be a role model for Anthony and others.
24:27That's why he became a fireman in the first place.
24:29I'm sorry, miss.
24:29We really shouldn't be talking.
24:31Diego knew I was pregnant.
24:33He wouldn't have done anything to risk going back to prison and missing the birth of his second child.
24:38There's no way he did what you're accusing him of.
24:43He did his time.
24:45He paid his debt.
24:47But why won't you believe him?
24:59Her heart goes out to her.
25:01Two months ago, she had this beautiful family, beautiful life.
25:06Now it's on fire.
25:08Sorry if I'm not intended.
25:09Look, I get it, but she took a flyer on the wrong guy.
25:14Meaning what?
25:16You want to build a nice, happy family.
25:19Don't marry a guy who likes to commit crimes.
25:24Plant and I were friends for over 25 years, so I have no interest in helping you.
25:28Your Honor, permission to treat the witnesses hostile?
25:31So granted.
25:32Mr. Delvecchio, on the afternoon of February 27th, you had an altercation with Clint Braddock, didn't you?
25:37Objection.
25:38Your Honor, relevance.
25:39It speaks to the reasonableness of my client's self-defense claim.
25:42We're establishing he wasn't the only person Clint Braddock attacked.
25:45You want to imply that the victim in this case is the one with the propensity for violence?
25:49Sure, carefully, Mr. Price.
25:51Your Honor, the incident in question happened mere days before Mr. Braddock's death.
25:54It speaks to his state of mind at the time of the incident.
25:57Objection overruled.
25:58Answer the question, Mr. Delvecchio.
25:59We got into a fight, yeah.
26:01Yeah, but he didn't attack me.
26:02No?
26:03What would you call this?
26:10Wasn't as bad as it looked.
26:11I understand why you want to protect your friend, Mr. Delvecchio, but the fact is he assaulted you, didn't he?
26:17Yes.
26:17And two days later, he did the same thing to my client.
26:21Someone he didn't have 25 years of friendship with to hold him back.
26:26Nothing further.
26:28Mr. Delvecchio, we saw in the video that Captain Braddock punched you.
26:31Did he hit you again after that?
26:32No, just the one time.
26:34Outside of this incident, did you ever know him to be violent towards you or anybody else?
26:39No.
26:42What were you two arguing about that day?
26:50I stole money from the World Trade Center Health Fund, and Clint knew about it.
26:58Truth is, I deserve worse.
27:05Nothing further, Your Honor.
27:08The witness is excused.
27:09Miss Matos?
27:12Miss Matos?
27:14The defense calls Diego Peralta.
27:24I was sleeping.
27:26Captain Braddock woke me up.
27:28He brought me downstairs.
27:30Asked about the jewelry store fire.
27:32Wanted to know what I remembered about Overhaul.
27:35What did you say?
27:37Braddock and me were the last two in sight.
27:39We swept the northeast corner of the building, and we're on our way out.
27:44When he said he left this thermal imaging camera behind.
27:47Told me to wait while he doubled back.
27:51Was only gone a minute.
27:53And then we left.
27:55And how did Mr. Braddock react?
27:57Told me I was misremembering.
27:59That he didn't leave the thermal camera.
28:02And that we were together the whole time.
28:04And he said that people were going to be asking questions.
28:08And we needed to have our stories straight.
28:12But that's when I realized what was really going on.
28:14Which was what?
28:16He wanted me to give him an alibi.
28:19But I couldn't do that.
28:22I liked the captain.
28:24But I couldn't risk losing everything I have.
28:28Not for anyone.
28:31How did Braddock respond?
28:33He got mad.
28:36Reminded me he saved my life.
28:38Which is true, but...
28:40To be clear, that Braddock confessed to stealing the necklace.
28:44Not at first.
28:45But then...
28:47He told me he got MS from breathing in debris at Ground Zero.
28:50But the health fund wouldn't cover the cost of his treatment.
28:54Said it wasn't fair.
28:55And that insurance had reimbursed the store anyway.
28:59That it was a victimless crime.
29:01I guess he felt like he was owed something.
29:04But you didn't budge.
29:06No.
29:07Then he started waving this vial in my face.
29:11Said he could make it look like it was me who took the necklace.
29:16But it would be his word against mine.
29:19I didn't know what to do.
29:22So I tried to leave.
29:23And go upstairs.
29:25But Braddock grabbed me.
29:27And we started shoving.
29:29And then he grabbed the halogen.
29:31And I...
29:36I wrestled it away.
29:38And...
29:39And he came at me again.
29:47That's when you hit him?
29:49Yes.
29:52I wish I could take it back.
29:56And I'm sorry.
30:00But he gave me no choice.
30:04I thought he was gonna kill me.
30:08So why not just say that to the police?
30:11I panicked.
30:12I knew he was right.
30:15No one would believe the truth coming from me.
30:18So I grabbed the file and I stashed it with my stuff.
30:22And then I opened the back door and...
30:25To make it look like someone ran out.
30:27And I called 911.
30:31I know lying was wrong.
30:35But I was scared.
30:38And I thought I had no choice.
30:47Nothing further, Your Honor.
30:52Court will stand in recess until tomorrow.
30:55We'll reconvene at 9 a.m.
30:57He was convincing.
30:59Especially when he said no one would believe the truth coming from him.
31:02Well, now we get to ask why.
31:04You open the door.
31:05Now we get to walk through it.
31:11Brother was right.
31:13I just spoke with a probiotic neurologist.
31:16A few months before the murder,
31:18he was diagnosed with early stage multiple sclerosis.
31:21Really?
31:22Yeah.
31:23Well, in his estimation, it was environmental.
31:26A result of Braddock's work at Ground Zero.
31:28But since the science isn't there to prove it yet,
31:31the health fund denied him benefits.
31:32And yet no one else in Braddock's life knew about this?
31:36His wife?
31:37His friends?
31:38Must have chosen to keep it a secret.
31:40Right, so he kept it from everyone in his life.
31:43But Peralta?
31:48Which means...
31:49That means there's some merit to Peralta's version of events the night of the murder.
31:55Yeah, I suppose.
31:58But he could have phoned out before.
32:00Or he could have overheard a conversation with a doctor.
32:04I mean, he'd seen a medical pill.
32:10You good?
32:13Yeah.
32:14Fine.
32:15I'll see you tomorrow.
32:27I didn't know you had a bottle stashed in here.
32:30I mean, he came to the office.
32:35Something bothering you?
32:40The idea that Braddock stole the necklace has never made any sense.
32:48But now we know he was staring down a mountain of medical debt as a result of his service.
32:54Doesn't mean he committed grand larceny.
32:56No.
33:00But earlier today, Peralta's wife asked me why I didn't believe his story.
33:05And if I'm being honest, it's because I knew about his prior convictions.
33:12He also lied to the police.
33:14Yeah, it's a thing a person might do, knowing how we tend to treat ex-felons.
33:19That's true.
33:21But we both know the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
33:26And other than the two felonies years ago, he's been a solid citizen.
33:30He was a model inmate, parolee, he mentored at-risk kids.
33:33He was making the most of his second chance.
33:36That's past behavior.
33:38That's recent past behavior, which is more predictive than distant past behavior.
33:44And I didn't take any of that into consideration.
33:50You think Peralta's telling the truth?
33:53Not sure.
33:54How can we know for sure?
33:55We can't.
33:56We weren't there.
33:58All we can do is present the evidence and let the jury decide.
34:01Right.
34:01We present the prior convictions.
34:03We paint him out to be an inveterate criminal and let the jury nail his ass for the cross.
34:07Look, this job would be easy if we knew what really happened, but we don't.
34:10We usually never do.
34:12So we follow the law.
34:15We play every card we have, just like the defense does.
34:18And we let the 12 people who don't have a horse in the race make the decision.
34:22Yeah, I get it.
34:23Trust me.
34:27But if every sentence is a life sentence, what's the point of rehabilitation?
34:37Okay.
34:40If you feel this strongly, dismiss the case.
34:45I can't do that.
34:47It's like I said.
34:47I just...
34:49I don't know.
34:52Then you have to do what you have to do.
34:54I don't know.
35:23Mr. Peralta, you testified that you lied to the police because you knew that no one
35:29would believe your story.
35:32Why wouldn't they believe you?
35:33I don't know.
35:35Is it because you have a prior conviction for aggravated assault?
35:39I'm responding to direct testimony, Your Honor.
35:41Objection overruled.
35:42Or was it because of your prior conviction for burglary?
35:51Yes.
35:53I've done things in my past that I'm not proud of, and I take full responsibility for my actions.
36:04I pay my debt to society, but once you've done time, there's no such thing as benefit of the doubt.
36:18Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, these are photographs of Mateo Ortiz.
36:23These were taken shortly after the defendant assaulted him for signaling a police officer when he caught Mr. Peralta shoplifting.
36:30It was a long time ago.
36:32I was 15, an angry kid in a bad neighborhood.
36:37I got mixed up with the wrong people.
36:39You were 24 when you were convicted of burglary, and you did it again, didn't you?
36:43But your captain figured it out.
36:45He confronted you.
36:45No.
36:46Mr. Peralta, isn't it true that you lied to the police because you are the one who stole the necklace?
36:51Then you murdered Captain Braddock to keep him from reporting.
36:54That the same man who did this to Mateo Ortiz did this to Clint Braddock.
37:08Nothing to say, Mr. Peralta.
37:11What's the point?
37:13Your Honor, please instruct Mr. Peralta to address the court.
37:17I said, what's the point?
37:20I've already told you the truth, and you've already decided that you don't believe me.
37:30Nothing further.
37:45Madam foreperson, has the jury reached a verdict?
37:48We have, Your Honor.
37:50In the charge of murder in the second degree, we find the defendant, Diego Peralta, guilty.
38:00You didn't do this, would you?
38:01You just know that.
38:02I know, mi amor.
38:03You just know that.
38:04Anthony, be strong, okay?
38:05I love you.
38:06I love you more than anything.
38:07You make sure he knows that.
38:08You make sure he knows that I'm innocent.
38:09I promise.
38:09Tell him, please.
38:10I promise.
38:11Tell her.
38:11You tell her, baby.
38:13I will.
38:14You tell her.
38:34The victim was in the U.S. Navy.
38:37The judge is jamming us at every turn.
38:39You think he's corrupt?
38:41You're trying to fix this damn thing.
38:42No idea what you're talking about.
38:44I'm coming for you.
38:46Law and Order, next Thursday on NBC and Peacock.
38:49No one leaves this house.
38:51College reunion.
38:52A lot of alcohol.
38:54Somebody in this house assaulted her.
38:58Who would you bet on?
38:59SVU.
39:01New next on NBC and Peacock.
39:03Oh, oh, oh.
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