(→Synopis: It is spelled "Ngai") |
m (→Synopis: clean up, typos fixed: excecuted → executed, restaraunt → restaurant, thier → their (3), vacent → vacant, likley → likely, their are → there are) |
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The beating death of a restaurant owner leads Briscoe and Green to thrill-seeking teenagers; Lewin is forced to decide if 18 years old is too young for the death penalty. |
The beating death of a restaurant owner leads Briscoe and Green to thrill-seeking teenagers; Lewin is forced to decide if 18 years old is too young for the death penalty. |
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==Synopis== |
==Synopis== |
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− | Two guys discover a body in an underground stariway leading to a |
+ | Two guys discover a body in an underground stariway leading to a vacant apartment. Detectives[[Lennie Briscoe|Lennie Briscoe and]] [[Ed Green]] investigate and find the victim with the back of his head bashed in. The man is wearing a Chinese food takeout uniform. They find out he was likely to lock up his bike then he was killed. |
− | Briscoe and Green head to the store where the victim Thomas Ngai worked. His wife says they have been married for almost twenty years and owned the |
+ | Briscoe and Green head to the store where the victim Thomas Ngai worked. His wife says they have been married for almost twenty years and owned the restaurant for almost ten years. While Briscoe talks to the wife Green talks to the daughter of Ngai. |
− | Back at the 27th, Lt. [[Anita Van Buren]] gets the info on the case so far. Green believes that the doer knew the apartment was empty and had access to a telephone to call in the order of food. Briscoe says that the other Chinese places got orders but they delivered |
+ | Back at the 27th, Lt. [[Anita Van Buren]] gets the info on the case so far. Green believes that the doer knew the apartment was empty and had access to a telephone to call in the order of food. Briscoe says that the other Chinese places got orders but they delivered their food. Green then tells Van Buren forensics says traces of the sewer were found. Suggesting a homeless man. |
Green and Briscoe talk with neighbors near the scene about the homeless guy. They also talk with tenats describing the creepy homeless man. Fifties, white etc. They say that the police took him once and he came back pissed saying he fought for the country and he can't sleep in a doorway. Suggesting he served in the Army. |
Green and Briscoe talk with neighbors near the scene about the homeless guy. They also talk with tenats describing the creepy homeless man. Fifties, white etc. They say that the police took him once and he came back pissed saying he fought for the country and he can't sleep in a doorway. Suggesting he served in the Army. |
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− | At the 1 Police Plaza we find |
+ | At the 1 Police Plaza we find there are dozens of prints at the scene. They get info and learn about the homless veteran suspect. His name is Marvin Warner he was discharged from the Army. Green gets a phone call and tells Briscoe that they (the Ngai's) did get a food order on Friday (the day of the murder) and the food was not delivered. |
And that Ngai's daughter took the order. They cops speak with the daughter and scare her into giving information. She is supposed to take call-back numbers but she forgot. They get a note saying where the address of the order was placed and go back to the precinct. |
And that Ngai's daughter took the order. They cops speak with the daughter and scare her into giving information. She is supposed to take call-back numbers but she forgot. They get a note saying where the address of the order was placed and go back to the precinct. |
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EADA [[Jack McCoy]] is there when Briscoe says this kid was more than just there and involved. McCoy believes that they are all guilty and to arrest all of them for the murder of Thomas Ngai. Briscoe and Green arrest Heather Russo for the murder of Thomas Ngai. |
EADA [[Jack McCoy]] is there when Briscoe says this kid was more than just there and involved. McCoy believes that they are all guilty and to arrest all of them for the murder of Thomas Ngai. Briscoe and Green arrest Heather Russo for the murder of Thomas Ngai. |
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− | At court the judge gives them high bail. Since they cannot charge the teens with first-degree murder only Mitch can be charged because Mitch is 18. McCoy, and [[Abbie Carmichael]] plan |
+ | At court the judge gives them high bail. Since they cannot charge the teens with first-degree murder only Mitch can be charged because Mitch is 18. McCoy, and [[Abbie Carmichael]] plan their trial. Some say Mitch did it and Mitch says others did it. McCoy and Abbie talk to Simms and threaten him and give a deal. If he was just there six months and probation if he was involved 5-15. |
Simms says that they were smoking and drinking when Pete said that he was hungry. It was Mitch's plan to call and steal the food and when he came: Mitch and Pete knocked him down with a blanket and when Ngai tried to get up Pete and Mitch hit him. Though he was still arrive. Then another blow came and killed him. McCoy said that Mitch had to kill him because they say his face and they all drove back to Queens. |
Simms says that they were smoking and drinking when Pete said that he was hungry. It was Mitch's plan to call and steal the food and when he came: Mitch and Pete knocked him down with a blanket and when Ngai tried to get up Pete and Mitch hit him. Though he was still arrive. Then another blow came and killed him. McCoy said that Mitch had to kill him because they say his face and they all drove back to Queens. |
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Mitch then pleads guilty with a life sentence promise. McCoy fights this and Mitch's lawyer tries to stop McCoy. McCoy says Mitch is ruining the law by choosing his own sentence. McCoy convinces the judge and she says Mitch CAN'T plead guilty. |
Mitch then pleads guilty with a life sentence promise. McCoy fights this and Mitch's lawyer tries to stop McCoy. McCoy says Mitch is ruining the law by choosing his own sentence. McCoy convinces the judge and she says Mitch CAN'T plead guilty. |
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− | McCoy and Nora talk and Nora says considering the evidence she will not take the needle. McCoy goes up with the staff with Nora to discuss it. Some believe that an innocent man being |
+ | McCoy and Nora talk and Nora says considering the evidence she will not take the needle. McCoy goes up with the staff with Nora to discuss it. Some believe that an innocent man being executed is wrong but nothing says thus guy did not do it. Abbie says prior crimes of violence should still be used. More DAs agree that there should be a death penalty and some are against it. One says letting a white kid not getting death can make the DA's office look racist against the Asian community. |
Abbie and Nora talk about the case. Nora says she likes using books instead of computers. Abbie and Nora talk about the death penalty use of minors and Abbie mentions him benig an adult. Seeing his mugshots Nora says it looks like he doesn't even shave. Abbie says in Texas those who commit brutal acts should be punish. Nora at a press conference say that they will take up the death penalty. |
Abbie and Nora talk about the case. Nora says she likes using books instead of computers. Abbie and Nora talk about the death penalty use of minors and Abbie mentions him benig an adult. Seeing his mugshots Nora says it looks like he doesn't even shave. Abbie says in Texas those who commit brutal acts should be punish. Nora at a press conference say that they will take up the death penalty. |
Revision as of 22:29, 26 September 2013
"Teenage Wasteland" | ||
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← | L&O, Episode 11.12 | → |
Production number: E1315 First aired: 7 February 2001 | ||
Written By Barry Schindel & Aaron Zelman Directed By Constantine Makris |
Plot
The beating death of a restaurant owner leads Briscoe and Green to thrill-seeking teenagers; Lewin is forced to decide if 18 years old is too young for the death penalty.
Synopis
Two guys discover a body in an underground stariway leading to a vacant apartment. DetectivesLennie Briscoe and Ed Green investigate and find the victim with the back of his head bashed in. The man is wearing a Chinese food takeout uniform. They find out he was likely to lock up his bike then he was killed.
Briscoe and Green head to the store where the victim Thomas Ngai worked. His wife says they have been married for almost twenty years and owned the restaurant for almost ten years. While Briscoe talks to the wife Green talks to the daughter of Ngai.
Back at the 27th, Lt. Anita Van Buren gets the info on the case so far. Green believes that the doer knew the apartment was empty and had access to a telephone to call in the order of food. Briscoe says that the other Chinese places got orders but they delivered their food. Green then tells Van Buren forensics says traces of the sewer were found. Suggesting a homeless man.
Green and Briscoe talk with neighbors near the scene about the homeless guy. They also talk with tenats describing the creepy homeless man. Fifties, white etc. They say that the police took him once and he came back pissed saying he fought for the country and he can't sleep in a doorway. Suggesting he served in the Army.
At the 1 Police Plaza we find there are dozens of prints at the scene. They get info and learn about the homless veteran suspect. His name is Marvin Warner he was discharged from the Army. Green gets a phone call and tells Briscoe that they (the Ngai's) did get a food order on Friday (the day of the murder) and the food was not delivered.
And that Ngai's daughter took the order. They cops speak with the daughter and scare her into giving information. She is supposed to take call-back numbers but she forgot. They get a note saying where the address of the order was placed and go back to the precinct.
They discuss what they have: the perp knew about the empty apartment, he did place in the order but that does not rule out the homeless guy. Warner's priors include lotiering and they use that arrest photo out in the neighborhood to find him. They also got beat coppers looking out. If he's a veteran he might be at a V8 hospital.
They visit Carol Warner the sister of Marvin Warner. They talk and she says she don't know where Marvin is. Briscoe mentions his Army service and coming back. Carol says he likes to panhandle at a bodega and Briscoe and Green head to the bodega and find him. They bring him in for questioning.
He says he is innocent and did not commit any crime. Briscoe and Green taunt him with chocolate desserts on a plate. Briscoe and Green say his blanket was on the vic's head and how hard it was for him to trade a warm blanket for cold Chinese food. Warner then says his blanket was stolen by teenagers. Warner says it was a girl and four guys. Green gives him the chocolate and says the girl had keys to the apartment.
They discuss the case with Van Buren and say it might be a thrill-murder. They talk with the tenat and brake into the apartment. They find trash and food wrappers all over. They then talk to a guy the manager gave keys to. He says he left at 7:00 and got home at 8:00. He says a kid came over looking for a guy named "Mitch" or "Mike". They go and talk to a man who used to have the apartment.
They say Mitch is the boyfriend of a girl named Heather Russo who never returned the keys. Briscoe and Green interrogate her outside of Heather's high school. They speak to Heather's grandparents. They say that Heather may have been at Kevin's old apartment. They get the name Mitch Reagen.
They check out Reagen's car and talk with a woman possibly Mitch's mom. They get access into the car and Green opens the trunk while talking to Mrs. Reagen. Then Briscoe pulls out a snowpea. Which is a type of Chinese food!
At the precinct they speak with Mitch who says he never was at the apartment. They present the evidence they have to Mitch and they fool him into naming Chris Donnell. They show him a gross picture and say the lab is checking out all DNA and stuff and Mitch then says it wasn't him. Him, Heather, Peter Franco, Nick Simms, and Chris Donnell didn't have any money for the food and that Pete hit him. He put the blanket on Ngai's head for respect.
EADA Jack McCoy is there when Briscoe says this kid was more than just there and involved. McCoy believes that they are all guilty and to arrest all of them for the murder of Thomas Ngai. Briscoe and Green arrest Heather Russo for the murder of Thomas Ngai.
At court the judge gives them high bail. Since they cannot charge the teens with first-degree murder only Mitch can be charged because Mitch is 18. McCoy, and Abbie Carmichael plan their trial. Some say Mitch did it and Mitch says others did it. McCoy and Abbie talk to Simms and threaten him and give a deal. If he was just there six months and probation if he was involved 5-15.
Simms says that they were smoking and drinking when Pete said that he was hungry. It was Mitch's plan to call and steal the food and when he came: Mitch and Pete knocked him down with a blanket and when Ngai tried to get up Pete and Mitch hit him. Though he was still arrive. Then another blow came and killed him. McCoy said that Mitch had to kill him because they say his face and they all drove back to Queens.
McCoy and Abbie wants the death penalty against Mitch. Abbie brings up a prior assault and they want the death penalty but DA Nora Lewin doesn't want that. McCoy tries to persade Nora by saying that someone with drugs can just get rehab.
Mitch then pleads guilty with a life sentence promise. McCoy fights this and Mitch's lawyer tries to stop McCoy. McCoy says Mitch is ruining the law by choosing his own sentence. McCoy convinces the judge and she says Mitch CAN'T plead guilty.
McCoy and Nora talk and Nora says considering the evidence she will not take the needle. McCoy goes up with the staff with Nora to discuss it. Some believe that an innocent man being executed is wrong but nothing says thus guy did not do it. Abbie says prior crimes of violence should still be used. More DAs agree that there should be a death penalty and some are against it. One says letting a white kid not getting death can make the DA's office look racist against the Asian community.
Abbie and Nora talk about the case. Nora says she likes using books instead of computers. Abbie and Nora talk about the death penalty use of minors and Abbie mentions him benig an adult. Seeing his mugshots Nora says it looks like he doesn't even shave. Abbie says in Texas those who commit brutal acts should be punish. Nora at a press conference say that they will take up the death penalty.
At a trial just for the death penalty McCoy and Mitch's lawyer go at each other. McCoy already got a guilty verdict but must convince the judge to give the death penalty. Mitch is calling his mom as a witness. At the trial McCoy talks to the M.E. which makes Mrs. Ngai cry but she doesn't make a scene. Soon thanks to McCoy the jury agrees to use the death penalty against Mitch. Which makes Mitch's mom cry out.
Cast
Main cast
- Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe
- Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
- Angie Harmon as A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael
- Dianne Wiest as Interim D.A. Nora Lewin
Guest cast
- Danny Burstein as Lester Rosenfeld
- Danielle Carin as Heather Russo
- Lynn Chen as Jenny Wu
- Alex Feldman as Mitch Regan
- Ken Garito as Kevin Russo
- Murphy Guyer as Defense Attorney Leslie Stanton
- John Heffernan as Marvin Warner
- Leslie Hendrix as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers
- Wai Ching Ho as Mrs. Ngai
- Audrie J. Neenan as Judge Marilyn Haynes
- Giulia Pagano as Mrs. Russo
- Lou Bonacki as Mr. Russo
- Brenda Pressley as ADA Shannon Hayes
- John Ramsey as Judge Walter Schreiber
- Molly Regan as Mrs. Regan
- Jason Ritter as Nick Simms
- Don Sparks as ADA Lawrence Donato
- Michelle Stern as Heather Russo's Attorney
- Jo Twiss as Carol Warner
- Kay Walbye as Neighbor
- Pete Simpson as CSU Officer
- Dennis Paladino as Super
- Clayton LeBouef as Attorney #1
- Sharon Hope as Judge
- Cesar De León as Painter #1
- Brennan Brown as Forensic Technician
- Erin Dilly as Emily
- Lou Sones as Clerk
- Gregory Zaragoza as Joseph
- Courtney S. Bunbury as Juror (uncredited)
References
Tommy Ngai
Quotes
(After Mitch Regan says the killing was an accident)
“ | Charge him with murder. A person doesn't lose the back of his skull unless the killer intends him to. | ” |
–Jack McCoy |
(Discussing seeking the death penalty for 18-year-old Mitch Regan)
- Nora Lewin: What should be the standard to take the life of a teenager?
- Abbie Carmichael: Where I come from, it's where the crime committed is so vicious, so cruel, he forfeits the right to get any older.
- Nora Lewin: Where I come from a person can't forfeit that right. We can only take it from him.
(Lewin addressing the press regarding her decision on the death penalty.)
- Nora Lewin: My decision today continues this office's decision of objectively applying the laws of this state to the cases it's charged with prosecuting in this great city. Ours is an island but we are not untouched by the national debate or its dictates concerning the death penalty. That being said, my decision goes against my personal feelings, but as District Attorney, I took an oath to uphold the law which includes applying the death penalty fairly with due process of law. To do otherwise would be to substitute my own judgement for the judgement of those the people elected to make such decisions. Accordingly, I am forced to conclude that notice to the court of our intention to seek the death penalty in the case of the People versus Mitch Reagan is appropriate.
(Last words)
- Nora Lewin: With any luck, we'll be able to strap him to a gurney before he's 21. God help us all.
Background information and notes
Background information and notes
The story was inspired by the Jin-Shen Liu case, in which a Chinese deliveryman was lured to his death by five Queens teenagers. In the real-life case, none of the teenagers were charged above murder-two, and therefore none were facing the death penalty.
The sentencing issue mentioned towards the end of the episode eventually led the repeal of the death penalty in New York in 2004, three years after the episode aired. As portrayed in the episode, in New York law, when a defendant was facing jury sentencing in a death penalty case, the jury were only able to choose between two options - life without parole, or the death penalty. In addition, judges were legally obliged to inform the jury that if they were deadlocked and could not make a decision beween the two, then the judge would have to impose a mandatory third sentence - 25 to life with the possibility of parole. This provision was criticized as it was feared that many jurors would be 'scared' into going along with the death penalty as they did not want to take the risk of the killer ever getting out on to the streets. In 2004, the New York Court of Appeals ruled this provision unconstitutional, effectively ending the death penalty in New York. (see People v LaValle)
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"Teenage Wasteland" Law & Order Season 11 |
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