Philip Winchester credited as playing...
ADA Peter Stone
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: All three women reported, but not a single arrest was made.
- Peter Stone: Was there any corroboration? Witnesses? Rape kits?
- Odafin Tutuola: If Liebowitz would have done this in Manhattan, we'd have his ass in a 6x8 cell.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Now, the only constant was this ADA, Chris Hodges. He caught all three cases, but he declined to prosecute each time.
- Peter Stone: What do we know about him?
- Odafin Tutuola: Boy wonder prosecutor in Brooklyn. Big in the Me Too movement.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Yeah, he runs some kind of victims advocacy group.
- Odafin Tutuola: Rumor is he's gunning to run for Kings County D.A.
- Peter Stone: I'm Peter Stone. I'm with the Manhattan D.A.
- ADA Hodges: Ben's kid, right?
- Peter Stone: Right.
- ADA Hodges: I saw your father speak at a few CLE programs.
- Peter Stone: Yeah, he, uh... he loved a captive audience.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Andrew Liebowitz, stand up. Put your hands behind your back.
- Andrew Liebowitz: Whoa, what's wrong with you? I'm still out on bail.
- Peter Stone: Yeah, not anymore.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Yeah, your pal here was wearing a wire.
- Andrew Liebowitz: You son of a bitch.
- Olivia Benson: Well, you're next, counselor.
- ADA Hodges: Well, you believe that scumbag?
- Olivia Benson: I believe Bethany. Your little rape partner corroborated her.
- Andrew Liebowitz: Don't you dare come near me. Don't you dare touch me.
- Odafin Tutuola: I'm gonna do more than that if you don't put your hands behind your back.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Separate cars?
- Odafin Tutuola: Yeah, that's a good idea.
- Amanda Rollins: Kayla told him no, but she refuses to say it was rape.
- Peter Stone: What's Liebowitz saying? Did he admit to pressuring her?
- Odafin Tutuola: He insists it was consensual, but no cameras, no witnesses.
- Amanda Rollins: She's not gonna testify against him.
- Peter Stone: And without a complaining witness, I can't move forward.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Well, hold on. Now, Liebowitz has no priors, but he does pop up on three separate 61s.
- Odafin Tutuola: Here in Manhattan?
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: No, Brooklyn SVU. These all happened in the past four years.
- Amanda Rollins: Well, he's got a wine bar in Park Slope.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Yeah, three separate employees accused him of sexual assault.
- Peter Stone: All right, talk to them. See if we can stir the pot.
- Olivia Benson: I cannot believe that Hodges of all people didn't move forward with these charges. Read this.
- Peter Stone: He's convinced all three cases are losers.
- Olivia Benson: There are no perfect witnesses. That goes with the territory.
- Peter Stone: Fin and Carisi tell me he's strong on women's issues.
- Olivia Benson: Well, he made a name for himself busting a Russian sex trafficking ring. They even tried to kill him. But a garden variety prosecution of Liebowitz? This is a no-brainer.
- Peter Stone: Until you get an acquittal. And that's all people remember.
- Peter Stone: To have any chance at trial, I have to convince Kayla to testify.
- Olivia Benson: No arm twisting, Peter.
- Peter Stone: Oh, don't worry. I've been watching someone who's pretty damn good at this.
- Peter Stone: I'm Peter Stone. I work with Lieutenant Benson.
- Kayla Morgan: What is it with you people?
- Peter Stone: We found three additional victims, Kayla. They all worked at Liebowitz's wine bar in Brooklyn.
- Kayla Morgan: Great. So have them be your poster girls.
- Peter Stone: I can't prosecute those cases. They'll testify to support you, but I need you to open the door.
- Kayla Morgan: And I need to keep my job.
- Peter Stone: You need to take care of yourself. Do you really think he won't do this again?
- Kayla Morgan: I can handle it now.
- Peter Stone: Well, maybe you won't have to since he already has your panties in his trophy case.
- Peter Stone: There's no way Kayla's going to go this alone now.
- Olivia Benson: So, can you appeal?
- Peter Stone: The appellate division justices would laugh in my face.
- Olivia Benson: So we're dead in the water.
- Peter Stone: I'm afraid so.
- Olivia Benson: Look, I understand why Kayla won't go toe to toe with the man who raped her, but Chris Hodges? Chris Hodges is the go-to prosecutor for Brooklyn SVU.
- Peter Stone: Look, there were some problems with those disclosures.
- Olivia Benson: But with all three of them? There's gotta be more to it.
- Peter Stone: Some prosecutors talk a good game. But the bottom line is whether they win or lose.
- Olivia Benson: But not Chris Hodges. That's not his reputation. Peter, maybe... maybe you need to dig a little deeper.
- Peter Stone: Olivia, I...
- Olivia Benson: I'm telling you, something's not right here.
- ADA Hodges: If that thing back in high school comes up...
- Andrew Liebowitz: What thing?
- ADA Hodges: At that party. Bethany something.
- Andrew Liebowitz: Oh, you mean the girl who wouldn't let you screw her?
- ADA Hodges: Emily's friend. The girl you practically raped.
- Andrew Liebowitz: That was you, man.
- ADA Hodges: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. At the fancy townhouse.
- Andrew Liebowitz: Yeah, we got her drunk on tequila shots, and you tried to rip her pants off.
- ADA Hodges: What are you talking about? I had to pull you off of her.
- Andrew Liebowitz: No, bro, you were the one who was into that girl.
- ADA Hodges: What are you, crazy?
- Andrew Liebowitz: You're thinking of some other girl we did at some other party.
- ADA Hodges: My god. You're out of your mind.
- Peter Stone: [eavesdropping] Now we have Hodges.
- Olivia Benson: Yeah, and guess what? Mr. Me Too is a serial predator. Okay, guys, go. Two collars. Go.
- Peter Stone: My office is investigating a chef named Andrew Liebowitz.
- ADA Hodges: What'd he do now?
- Peter Stone: Same thing he did here, apparently. Why did you decline to prosecute?
- ADA Hodges: Liebowitz is a real piece of work. I wish we could have gone after him, but all three of my complainants had issues.
- Peter Stone: My cops thought they seemed pretty credible.
- ADA Hodges: You know, late disclosures, no rape kits, drug and alcohol problems, uh, prior sexual relationships. We can't waste time and money on cases we'll never win, right?
- Peter Stone: Still, Liebowitz seems like he pushes the meaning of consent.
- ADA Hodges: Well, look, I hope you fare better than I did. Let me know what I can do to help.
- Peter Stone: It's about power, Kayla. He's gonna keep raping the women who work for him until somebody stands up and stops him.
- Kayla Morgan: I don't think that I...
- Peter Stone: I can't imagine how difficult this is, Kayla. My sister was murdered by the people I was prosecuting. I have to wake up every morning and convince myself that it wasn't my fault. And the only way I can do that is if I believe I can stop it from happening to somebody else.
- Kayla Morgan: I used to love my job at Far Rockaway. My coworkers are my friends. I'm finally making decent money.
- Peter Stone: And Andrew took all that away from you. Nobody should have to pay that price.
- Kayla Morgan: I'm supposed to get paid tomorrow.
- Peter Stone: You don't have to go in. We can arrest him tonight if you're on board.
- Kayla Morgan: These other women, they're not gonna back out?
- Peter Stone: No. No, I promise.
- Kayla Morgan: [after a moment of consideration] Okay. Do me a favor. Send the cops tomorrow during my shift. I wanna see this go down.
- Judge Edward Kofax: How do you plead, Mr. Liebowitz?
- Andrew Liebowitz: Not guilty.
- Judge Edward Kofax: People want bail?
- Peter Stone: Absolutely. The charge is forcible rape. We're asking for $2 million.
- Regina Carter: That's punitive. This is a classic he said/she said.
- Peter Stone: The People intend to introduce evidence that the defendant is a serial predator. There are three prior rape allegations in Brooklyn.
- Regina Carter: Those charges were never filed.
- Peter Stone: The People intend to introduce them to establish his modus operandi.
- Judge Edward Kofax: Ah, Bill Cosby all over again. We'll hold a Molineux hearing in my chambers to determine the admissibility of this testimony. Bail is set at $1 million, cash or bond.
- Peter Stone: Three employees in the defendant's Brooklyn wine bar came forward with sexual assault complaints against him. Their accounts are nearly identical.
- Judge Edward Kofax: How so?
- Peter Stone: These women were plied with alcohol or marijuana after closing time as a prelude to these assaults.
- Regina Carter: A little wine or weed before sex is hardly a one-of-a-kind criminal signature.
- Peter Stone: After the attacks, the defendant took an undergarment from each of the victims. You know, as a memento.
- Regina Carter: You're getting warmer, Mr. Stone, but you're still missing the big picture. Modus operandi evidence is admissible to prove the identity of a suspect. This isn't a whodunnit. It's a what happened.
- Peter Stone: The fact that he did the same thing on three - now four - separate occasions demonstrates a common scheme or plan on the part of the defendant.
- Regina Carter: No, it's an attempt to demonstrate my client's propensity to behave badly.
- Regina Carter: The ulterior motive behind Mr. Stone's ploy is to have the jury convict Mr. Liebowitz, not for the allegations in this complaint, but for his prior acts.
- Judge Edward Kofax: Why weren't these three cases prosecuted in Brooklyn?
- Peter Stone: You'll have to ask the Brooklyn D.A.
- Judge Edward Kofax: Mr. Stone.
- Peter Stone: [reluctantly] There were apparently questions about the complainants' credibility.
- Judge Edward Kofax: And why would I allow them to testify here?
- Peter Stone: It's up to a jury to decide whether to believe them.
- Judge Edward Kofax: Yes, but first it is up to me to decide if the prejudicial effect of this testimony outweighs its probative value. I rule it does.
- Peter Stone: At least let me call one of the Brooklyn women.
- Judge Edward Kofax: All three witnesses are excluded.
- ADA Hodges: What brings you to Brooklyn?
- Peter Stone: Andrew Liebowitz.
- ADA Hodges: Oh, seriously?
- Peter Stone: You kicked all three cases in the complaint room.
- ADA Hodges: [sipping his drink] Mmm. Well, I told you. They were all buyer's remorse.
- Peter Stone: Maybe you let a grand jury make that call.
- ADA Hodges: Well, maybe I should look at some of the cases you declined to prosecute.
- Peter Stone: What aren't you telling me?
- ADA Hodges: You know something, Stone? If I wasn't such a big fan, maybe I'd tell you to get the hell out of my happy hour. You had one of the best pick-off moves I ever saw. Three variations in your look to first. Four different home counts. That dummy move when you came set at the letters... forget about it.
- Peter Stone: You're more than just a casual observer.
- Bartender: Ah, Chris pitched in high school.
- ADA Hodges: Three years on varsity.
- Bartender: Go Seahorses, huh?
- ADA Hodges: Uh, close me out, Davey, while I hit the head.
- Peter Stone: Seahorses, huh? It's about as intimidating as the Mud Hens.
- Bartender: Far Rockaway High. In Queens. Chris grew up out there.
- Peter Stone: Liebowitz and Hodges went to high school together.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: That's why Hodges 86ed the prosecutions?
- Peter Stone: They lived around the corner from each other. Hodges' mom said they used to drive to school together every day.
- Amanda Rollins: I'm bumping on this. Hodges is all about victims' rights.
- Odafin Tutuola: Don't believe the hype, Amanda.
- Amanda Rollins: He even spoke at the Women's Day March.
- Odafin Tutuola: That just makes him a hypocrite.
- Amanda Rollins: So he'd risk his entire political career to help out this high school buddy of his?
- Odafin Tutuola: Maybe there's something more to this.
- Peter Stone: Did Hodges' name pop on any of Liebowitz's social media accounts?
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: No, nothing.
- Amanda Rollins: Where are you going with this?
- Peter Stone: Well, this doesn't get us over the hump, but we know Liebowitz is a habitual offender.
- Amanda Rollins: So there must be other women that he victimized besides the three in Brooklyn.
- Peter Stone: He opened his Manhattan restaurant in 2013. Kayla can't be the first woman he assaulted in that wine cellar.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: There's not a single complaint in our database.
- Odafin Tutuola: Maybe they're getting paid not to disclose. We should run full-court press on Liebowitz's financials.
- Peter Stone: Right, social and corporate. Anything over three digits that isn't his mortgage.