Law & Order Special Victims Unit s27e12 Episode Script
Hubris
1
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[BELL CLANGS]
[DISTANT SHIP HORN BLARES]
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[RAP MUSIC PLAYING ON CAR STEREO]
♪
- How much?
- You tell me.
What're you looking for?
Everything.
$ 100.
- That's a lot.
- How much you got?
♪
$ 80.
Who's your friend?
Why don't you get in the
car and stop asking questions?
[TENSE MUSIC]
- NYPD!
- Don't shoot!
- Hands on the steering wheel!
- Don't shoot!
Please! Don't shoot!
- NYPD! Hands! Hands now!
- Don't shoot!
Please, I'm married!
I'm married! I have kids!
Please, I'm begging you!
- My wife will take the kids!
- Down!
My wife
Please, I
- Hey. Hey, I'm Tracy.
- Down!
I'm a police officer.
You hurt?
Come here.
Ah!
[GROANING] Ow! Ow!
I swear I've never done this
I'm here to help you.
You're not in any trouble, I promise.
That man's not gonna
be able to hurt you.
Can you tell me your name?
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Captain.
- Hey.
Don't start.
First of all, you don't look bad.
This, you look good,
I mean, this is something.
- Oh, yeah, you can borrow it.
- Mm, thank you.
She won't tell me her name
or her age or anything, really.
But she's young
No older than 15, I think.
John's from Jersey
swears she was already
beat up when he solicited her.
She won't let the
doctor examine her?
No.
Only treated the busted lip.
But, she's in no hurry to leave.
I think she might be
ready to accept some help.
All right.
Hey, I'm Olivia.
I'm a police officer.
Ouch.
That looks like it
hurts a little bit, huh?
[SHOE THUDS]
I'll get it.
I'll get it.
Wow.
I like heels, but I don't
think I could walk in these.
You know what I brought?
I always bring socks
in case people are cold.
Feel them.
They're my favorite.
Super soft, right?
You know what else I
always have in my bag
Are these
Little makeup wipes, if you
want to take your makeup off.
They smell really good.
They're cucumber.
You got any hot Cheetos in that bag?
I'm happy to get you
some when we're done.
That wig can't be comfortable.
Let me help you.
There you go.
Oh, that thing is heavy.
Here.
Yeah, get yourself comfortable.
[BAG THUDS]
Here, I'll take it.
Ah, I'll help you with that.
Oh, you got it.
Great.
So what's your name?
Riley.
Is there somebody I
can call for you, Riley?
Mm.
How about
It's so cold in here.
I should have given you this earlier.
Take this.
There you go.
Here.
Okay, good.
[SNIFFLES]
So how old are you?
Um, I'll be 15 in
a couple of months.
Your parents around?
Um
My
My mom died when I was little.
Oh, I'm sorry.
My dad
I just don't live with him anymore.
Okay.
You in foster care?
Those lashes, are
they hard to get off?
No, not really.
Okay.
Oh.
Good, that was easy.
- So, Riley
- [SNIFFLES]
I don't know you,
and you don't know me,
but
What happened to you isn't right.
It's not fair.
And you deserve to be protected
And loved.
And I can't change the
past, but what I can do
Is I can promise you
That I'll do everything in my power,
to make sure that you
Get to be the girl that
you were supposed to be.
[SNIFFLES, VOICE BREAKS]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He said if I ever told anyone, I
I'd never see my daddy again.
Who said that?
He said I could never go home.
Please, I just
I just want to go home.
Can you just take me home?
♪
[SOFTLY] Is it okay
if I give you a hug?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
[SNIFFLES]
Oh.
I got you.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
She agreed to the physical exam.
- Oh, great.
- I'll do it myself.
- Thank you.
- Nice work.
Oh, so did she tell you
her last name or
where she lives or?
No, but, uh, ACS is
sending a social worker.
They may be able to ID her.
Oh, it would have been nice if, uh,
they checked
on the child in their care
before she was pimped out.
Look, Ash, I know you're slammed,
but I really don't want her
to go to another foster home tonight.
I'll
I'll find her a bed.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, uh, I think that's
the social worker.
Tell her I'll talk to
her after the exam?
- Don't bite her head off.
- Yeah.
You're the detective?
I'm the captain, Olivia Benson.
Vivian Parker, ACS.
- When can I talk to the girl?
- After you talk to me.
- So do you know who she is?
- I believe so.
From her age and description,
I think her name is Riley Williams.
Okay, well, is there
anything in here about her
foster father pimping her out?
- I don't think so.
- No?
Did you bother to check on Riley
since she's been placed in that home?
- I'm new to this case.
- Uh-huh.
Well, then let me
bring you up to speed.
She got lost in the system.
She's been forced into prostitution.
So I need somebody on this
case who actually gives a damn.
That's me, Captain.
I don't have to tell you
the number of cases
ACS has to cover
over 50,000 cases
and 6,000 kids in foster care alone,
and not enough hours in
the day to keep track of them.
Well, then get her out of that home
and tell me who the foster father is
so I can arrest him.
Well, that's the thing.
There isn't one.
She was placed with a single woman,
Monique Sherman.
All right, well,
I need to speak with Monique.
You weren't concerned when Riley
- didn't come home last night?
- What?
Am I supposed to tie her to her bed?
I done told that social worker
I cannot control that girl.
You told the social
worker two months ago
that everything was fine.
I don't know about that.
Look, there is a different
one every single time.
- Okay.
- That girl is a problem
always has been.
I didn't know anybody was coming over.
I would have cleaned up.
- Who's Marcus?
- Who?
The guy getting
bills at this address.
I get the wrong mail every time.
Listen, my shift is gonna start.
You need to go.
Well, there's two coffee
cups here in the sink.
And there's two phone chargers.
And a pair of size-12 work boots.
4 pairs of men's shoes.
Couple of men's jackets.
That is private.
- Monique
Where's Marcus?
You need to leave.
Somebody in this house
is forcing a child
into sex trafficking.
And if Marcus doesn't exist,
that only leaves one other person
Doesn't it?
Marcus Boyd,
42, has a rap sheet that
goes back for 20 years
gambling, theft,
and he just finished
a bid at Green Haven
last year for promoting prostitution.
Looks like his first
foray into trafficking kids.
He really wants to go down
to the bottom of the barrel.
Oh, with a record like this,
he's gonna be going
away for a long time.
And I suspect he knows
that, because he's in the wind.
So we have a car
sitting on the residence,
and Curry is with the foster
mother in case he calls.
- [CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
- And how's the girl?
Uh, she's comfortable.
Um, there's no drugs in her system.
And, uh, she can't
stay there indefinitely.
So the social worker
is trying to place her.
That was Curry. Marcus
called the foster mom.
He borrowed money for a bus ticket.
He's at the Midtown Terminal now.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER PA]
We got a hold on all outbound buses.
Got every available eye looking.
Okay. He needs ID to
buy a ticket, doesn't he?
- Unless he got it online.
- How many gates?
Over 200.
I'm sorry, Captain.
This is a tiny needle
in a 2 million-square-foot haystack.
Level 2, near the
Dunkin's. I think it's him.
We're on our way.
Clear the elevators,
and shut 'em down.
Okay, I want teams
of two at every escalator
from that level down.
Coordinate with
Port Authority officers.
Got it, Cap.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Gate 210, black jacket, gray hat.
- Going to Orlando.
- Happiest pimp on Earth.
All right, so stay here
in case he gets past us.
All right?
All right, uh, suspect is at gate 210.
Curry and I are going in.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪
Marcus Boyd?
- Don't try it, Boyd.
- Don't do it.
No.
Come on!
[PERSON GROANS LOUDLY]
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- [GRUNTING] Clear the way.
- Stop!
NYPD! Give me some room, please!
Get back!
Get back inside! Move!
Hey! Whoa, stop! Freeze!
[HORN BLARES]
[PERSON SCREAMS]
♪
Oh, my God, my leg is broken!
Man, look at you.
Thought you were dead. Lucky duck.
- Help me!
- Nah.
[GROANING]
Okay, we'll call an ambulance
in a minute.
[GROANING]
A few years ago,
the department placed
a 12-year-old with them,
and they adopted her.
Amazing family, just
really good people.
So they're okay with a teenage girl?
Raised three girls of their own.
- Okay.
- I vetted them myself
visited the home, spoke to neighbors.
They're aware of all the
circumstances with Riley.
- They want to help.
- Good. This is good news.
I-I don't know if Riley
is gonna feel that way.
I mean, she really, really
wants to go back to her father.
Dad lost custody four
years ago for abuse.
Before my time. I'm not
sure about the details.
Mm, yeah, well,
that was in the Bronx.
Back then, SVU was problematic.
Dig around, see what I can find out.
Reunification would be ideal.
Yeah, well, I think let's
get her somewhere safe first.
[VIDEO GAME BEEPING,
WHIRRING OVER CELL PHONE]
Hey, uh, excuse me, where
where's the girl that was here?
There was another girl here?
Okay.
Hey.
Anything?
One camera caught
her getting into a car
on the south side of the hospital
about two hours before you arrived.
- Okay.
- But the footage is garbage.
Could only make out that it
was a dark, late-model sedan.
How did she leave
without getting caught?
It's not a lockdown ward.
I mean, she could have
walked through the front door.
Well, I'm checking with
the rideshare companies now
between that time frame.
Cap, line two
Came in on the nonemergency line.
Guy says he's Riley's dad.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
- [PHONE BEEPS]
- Hi, this is Captain Benson.
Hello?
Hello?
Are you there?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm
I'm here.
Okay.
And you're Riley's father?
You're
Nathan Williams?
Yes, uh, Nate Williams.
Riley's here.
She just showed up on my doorstep.
Okay, Mr. Williams, is
Is Riley okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She's okay.
Uh, she says she
wants to stay with me.
I want that more than anything,
but I don't want her
to get in trouble, or me.
I-I don't know what to do.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hi.
She's, uh
She's really mad.
Okay.
- Hey, Riley.
- I'm not leaving.
You'll just have to take me to jail.
Okay, nobody's going to jail.
Honey, you know that we
cannot do it like this, right?
Nobody is listening to me.
- Why isn't anyone listening to me?
- Hey, Riley.
We all just want
what's best for you, Riley.
Then let me stay!
My dad never hurt me.
And nobody believes me.
I broke my arm playing volleyball,
and they said he did it!
The hospital reported
the injury to ACS
as suspected abuse.
The social worker
referred it to Bronx SVU.
I talked to the detective.
He said it looked like an accident,
because it was.
Then a week later, we
get pulled into Family Court,
and they said I did it,
and then they took her away.
Did you appeal the court's decision?
Yeah.
It took me two years to get a lawyer
that would even take my case.
We get to appeals court, and they say
it's over a six-year
backlog on civil cases?
And even then, I
I went to every class
they told me to go to.
I-I got a better place to live.
I talked to every social
worker that came to my door,
and it didn't matter.
T-they shipped Riley
all different places.
She missed school,
and now some man is beating her?
And putting her in the street?
♪
I would never
I didn't hurt Riley,
and nobody cares.
It's been four years.
I will never get that time back.
Riley will never get that time back!
♪
I tried, baby.
I tried so hard to get you back.
I am still trying.
[CRYING]
Can you help us?
Can you make them listen?
I don't work for Bronx SVU,
so I don't have the
authority to reopen the case,
but
I will make some inquiries.
So, no, you're not gonna help us.
I'm gonna try,
but, you know, that's
really all that I can promise
at this point.
Maybe somebody will listen to me.
But, unfortunately, uh
You can't stay here right now.
Listen, we have a family that's ready
for you to stay with them,
and they are safe, and loving.
I will not let you get
lost in the system.
[SNIFFLES]
Just until we get
all this sorted out.
- [SNIFFLES]
- If I could
I'd get on a plane with you right now,
and we'd just run away.
You know I would.
I'm so sorry, baby.
This is my fault.
[CRYING]
I will do whatever
you want me to do.
I
I'll
I'll take any test.
I'll
I'll pay any money.
Just help me get my daughter back.
[SNIFFLES, CONTINUES CRYING]
♪
The Bronx SVU
case file is pretty light.
I mean, the lieutenant
spoke with the dad, the
The school, the hospital, and Riley.
He didn't think that there
was anything criminal.
And the Bronx DA
declined to prosecute.
But, somehow, Bronx
Family Court got involved
and initiated the removal.
The social worker said
that there was already
an ACS file on Nate Williams
from when Riley was a baby.
So he had brought her into
the hospital with a high fever,
and, they looked at him for neglect.
Or, they looked at him
because he was a single dad,
low income, and Black.
Yeah, that could
absolutely be a part of it.
In New York, more than half the kids
that are removed from their homes
without a court order are Black,
even though those kids only make up
- a quarter of the population.
- Yeah, I can ask Carisi
to reach out to Bronx Family Court
He might have some contacts.
Who was the
lieutenant from the Bronx?
Uh, Delacruz.
You know him?
Oh, yeah, he got caught up
in the house cleaning over there.
They let him stay in the department,
but they busted him
down to the property room.
Okay, so he hates you or just
Intensely dislikes?
I mean, I'm not getting any
Christmas cards from the guy,
but he wasn't the worst of them.
I can have a chat.
Yeah, I remember it.
Kid busted her arm.
Hospital questioned whether
the dad could have done it.
You didn't think so?
Plenty of witnesses
to the actual injury
Collided with another kid at practice.
Dad seemed solid.
Kid's story was consistent.
I talked to my DA.
He DP'd it.
Last I heard of it.
Well, somebody at
Family Court disagreed.
They removed her from her home.
Doc at the hospital was
real insistent about abuse.
But other than this injury,
I couldn't find
anything to support that.
All I got.
I appreciate you, Javi.
Tell Ginny I said hello.
Ginny left me.
And you and me are not friends.
If they need you in Family Court,
will you testify?
You know where to find me
Down in this hellhole.
[SIGHS]
Sorry, you're with the Manhattan DA?
- The hell you doing up here?
- A favor to my SVU detectives.
Case dropped in
their lap that intersects
with one of your
clients, Nate Williams?
- Okay, and?
- And I think I got something
that's gonna help
you get his kid back.
Look, man, don't go telling
him things like that, okay?
- I don't want to give him false hope.
- Well, hold on, relax.
I didn't tell him anything, but I
Stop. Listen, I don't think
you hear what I'm saying here.
The lieutenant who
investigated is willing to speak
on your client's behalf.
He's gonna say that he didn't
find any evidence of abuse.
Okay, great.
Have him give me a call, thanks.
Wait, hold on.
Do you think your client's innocent?
Yes, I do.
I
I also know it doesn't
matter in this case.
"Doesn't matter"?
That's insane.
That's also bordering on negligence.
You get a chance to get
justice for your client, you take it.
[SCOFFS]
Have you ever spent any
time in Bronx Family Court?
- No, I haven't.
- Yeah.
You kind of feel it
hanging in the air, right?
The despair?
Yeah, the judges don't care.
They're just waiting for their
next political appointment.
Yeah, everybody treats
each other like garbage.
And the families that
walk through these doors,
they get screwed one way or another.
There is rarely a just solution.
Well, I'm telling you, here is one.
Request a new hearing.
Daughter's almost 15 years old.
She's gonna be able to testify.
Come on, pal, this is
as close to a slam dunk
as you're gonna get.
Yeah.
All right, I'll do my best.
Should come up and see for yourself.
Sit in the front row.
All right.
I've read the application,
motions, and briefs.
I've also reviewed the statements
from the investigating
detective and the police file.
Mr. Battaglia, please
call your first witness.
We call Dr. Bethany Allen.
Dr. Allen, I'll remind
you, you're under oath.
You may proceed.
Dr. Allen, you're the head
of the Child Abuse
and Neglect Department
- at St. Bartholomew's in the Bronx?
- Yes, I am.
And you reviewed
Riley Williams's case
when she was seen
in the St. Bart's Emergency
Department in 2022?
Yes, I did.
Can you explain what a
child-abuse pediatrician is?
Well, it's in the job description.
It is a subspecialty of pediatrics.
We are trained to evaluate,
treat, and prevent child abuse.
Why did you recommend
Riley be removed from the home
after evaluating her four years ago?
I made my recommendation
based on Riley's medical history
and on the injuries
she presented with.
As a newborn, Riley
developed a fever of 102.
And by the father's own admission,
he delayed getting medical
attention for three days.
By definition, um, failure to provide
necessary medical care is neglect.
And what about her broken arm?
Riley presented with a non-displaced
fracture to the ulna,
also called a "nightstick fracture."
In young women,
this injury often occurs
when someone uses their forearm
to shield their face from a blow.
And even though Riley stated
she'd been hurt playing sports?
Well, you don't need to be a doctor
to understand that children
protect their parents,
protect their abusers.
And it's up to me, and to you
And to you, Your Honor
It's up to us all to protect them.
♪
Thank you all for
your presentations.
While I understand
that the Administration
for Children's Services
has the burden of proof here,
I will say I still have concerns
for the minor's safety.
I'll review all the evidence
and have a decision in a week.
- We're adjourned.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
♪
So what does that mean?
Does that mean that she might say yes?
Honestly, it means she wants
us to wait until she says no.
Welcome to the Bronx.
Hope you enjoyed your field trip.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Dr. Allen.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Captain Olivia Benson
from Manhattan Special Victims Unit,
and I was just in court,
and I heard your testimony.
Oh, well, I'm happy to have helped.
Well, actually, you know,
I'm always looking to learn,
and I was wondering
if you might tell me
just a little bit more of how
you came to your conclusion
about Riley Williams.
Easy.
I followed the science.
Okay, but police work
supported everything
that Riley said and everything
that her father is saying.
Then the police work is wrong.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
How do you know when you're wrong?
[CHUCKLES] Well,
I appreciate the work
of law enforcement.
I do, but you are simply not capable
of making judgments at this level.
And I'm sorry if that
sounds condescending.
It does.
But I assume that's the point?
Fair.
I respect what you do.
But if we allow cops
and lawyers and judges
to interpret science, children die.
The only thing that I regret
about how I handled Riley Williams is,
I just wish I'd gotten her
out of that house sooner.
Okay, Dr. Allen,
Riley Williams was
forced into prostitution
while in foster care.
She wasn't safer.
Yes, but that is not
my responsibility, is it?
It's yours.
That's all the time I've got, Captain.
Good luck.
[SIGHS]
♪
What are our next steps?
- We don't really have any.
- Why not?
Liv, this isn't even our own county.
Now, we got the guy a new hearing,
and hopefully the judge comes back
with the, the right decision, but
We've done all that we can do here.
♪
[SIGHS]
I don't know, Olivia.
The arm fracture could
have been warding off a blow,
or it could have
happened the way the child
- and the dad described it.
- Okay, fine.
I mean, at worst, it's
It's unclear.
But, would you have taken her
out of the home based on this?
If there was a history
of neglect or abuse.
The history is high fever,
that went on too long
before the father
sought medical attention.
I don't know what you
want me to say, Olivia.
Would you have taken
her out of the house?
No, but I am just
reading the reports.
I'm not seeing the
patient or the father.
Well, neither did Dr. Allen.
She made her decision remotely
based on medical records and imaging.
So what's really bothering you here?
You know, there are only
about 350 board-certified
CAPs in the country.
Dr. Allen is one of them.
She's one of the most
respected and sought after.
But that doesn't mean that
she can't make a mistake.
And, frankly, I'm a little surprised
that you want to challenge
the medical judgment of a physician.
I know that I'm not a doctor.
I've been doing this a long time.
That's got to count for something.
And Dr. Allen is so sure
and that's a problem.
Doctors can get myopic.
They want to prove
their hypotheses so bad
that they reject any information
that doesn't conform with it.
Look, I'm not trying
to undermine Dr. Allen.
I'm not, but
But I think that there
may be an injustice here.
Obviously, if I'm wrong,
I'll let it go, but
Yeah.
That sounds just like you.
♪
Allen keeps jumping around.
For a supposedly
rising star in this field,
she keeps bouncing to new jobs.
And a small hospital in the Bronx
isn't exactly a step up.
I always wondered why.
♪
Well, Ashley wasn't wrong.
Dr. Allen has been all over.
She started her career in Chicago
and then a couple of
places in Cleveland,
three- or four-year stints,
and she spent the longest
amount of time in the Bronx.
She seems to spend half her time
giving expert testimony
and talks at medical conferences.
The last one was about
abusive head trauma
What we used to call
shaken baby syndrome.
Liv, you got a beef
with me or something?
No.
Why?
Then what's with the, uh
the boatload of subpoenas
you dumped on my desk?
Requests for medical records
from three Cleveland hospitals,
a Chicago hospital group,
employment records,
DCFS records, medical board records
all for Dr. Bethany Allen.
Yeah, I'm just
I'm looking into her.
Liv, come on, I told you, we
We did our job here.
In fact, we did more than that.
Okay, and Riley Williams is living
in a foster home indefinitely.
Unfortunately, Riley Williams
is out of our hands
That's a different department.
And I-I cannot believe
that you, of all people,
want to go after a
medical doctor on this.
Why?
Because she can't be wrong?
- That is not what I said.
- Okay.
Carisi, I've worked with CAPs before,
and it has always been a team.
So what's your plan here?
What, y-you're gonna
build a case against her?
- You gonna arrest her?
- No.
She hasn't done anything criminal.
[SIGHS] Look
I'm just trying to do
the right thing for Riley,
and for whoever else is out there.
♪
[SIGHS]
Hey, CJ, what's
What's shaking?
I got a problem.
That doctor, uh
[SIGHS] I used her in a
case six months ago
expert witness.
And I got the conviction.
You're questioning that now?
Aren't you?
Sure, I remember this
Corinne Langford.
Baby had a head injury.
Doctor couldn't rule out abuse.
Oh, what did the mother tell you?
Nothing. I tried to talk
to her at the hospital.
She said her cousin was
a lawyer or something.
Told her, never talk to the police.
Honestly, that's good advice.
And so you never
interviewed her at all?
No. Next thing I heard,
CJ got the indictment.
My usual expert
witness wasn't available.
Someone recommended
Dr. Allen, and she was incredible.
Grand jury loved her.
She diagnosed abusive head trauma.
After the indictment,
the defense lawyer wanted a deal
pled to attempted
reckless endangerment one.
Mom's in the middle
of 12 months at Rikers.
- Where's the kid now?
- ACS put him with an aunt.
I got to tell you, I don't
see what the problem is here.
The doctors in the
ER flagged it for abuse,
Allen confirmed it, and
the mom pled guilty.
My guy looked at the case later,
said he was surprised
I got the indictment
based on what he saw
Called it a gray area.
He wouldn't have called it abuse.
And the mother pled
because the lawyer said
it would have been
worse in front of a jury.
He's right.
It would have been.
All right, CJ, I
I just want to make sure that
That you're understanding
what you're starting here,
because if you open this
up, you open up everything.
- Do you understand?
- I know.
Think about what happens
when we find out a cop is corrupt.
All those cases
They get tossed, right?
So are we gonna do
that for, for doctors now?
Honestly, if even
one person is in prison
for something they
didn't do, that's too many.
So, yeah, I want to open this up.
CJ, this is not just about
guilty people walking free.
This is also about
potentially sending kids
back to their abusers.
So you better be damn sure
Because I am not
qualified to determine
if a doctor's doing
medical malpractice,
and neither are you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Then we find someone who is.
Olivia, I gave you
my five-minute opinion
on the last case as a favor to you,
and that's all I'm comfortable doing.
All right, Ash, please, will
you please just listen to me?
Hey, I wouldn't bring this
to you if it wasn't important.
This is a dangerous road.
Do you really want police and lawyers
to litigate medical diagnoses?
Doctor, this is really
because I screwed up.
I used Dr. Allen's testimony,
and, I may have put an
innocent woman in jail.
She lost custody of her baby.
I would love it if you read this file
and said Dr. Allen
was right all along.
That would make my day.
I'm not looking for
anything other than the truth.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER PA]
All right.
I'll let you know when
I have an opinion,
but if I don't find anything,
this is the last I
want to hear about it.
- Understood, understood.
- All right.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
She's the best.
She will
Give us an unbiased opinion.
So I'm gonna head to the precinct.
I'm gonna head to Rikers.
Corinne Langford never
got to tell her side of the story.
About time someone listened.
[CELL DOORS OPEN, CLOSE]
[DOOR BUZZING]
Ms. Langford, I'm CJ Jones
I remember who you are.
Good.
[SIGHS]
There have been some
developments in your case
that I wanted to tell you about.
And I wanted to ask
you some questions.
I don't have nothing to say to you.
Some new evidence
may have come to light
that could exonerate you.
So talking to me about what happened
when your son was
injured could only help.
- This, this is a good thing.
- This is good?
- I know, Ms. Langford
- You don't know!
You don't know.
You put me here.
I lost my baby because of you.
He's living with another woman
who isn't his mother because of you!
Then let me try to fix it.
♪
You want to know what happened?
My baby bumped his head
Not even hard,
and then his eyes rolled back.
And I called an ambulance,
and we went to the hospital,
the place that's supposed
to help us.
[BANGS ON TABLE]
♪
I didn't know I was
never gonna see him again.
[CRIES]
And y'all looked at me
A Black, single mother
And decided I was guilty.
And then you made me say it in court,
knowing it wasn't true.
You made me say I hurt my baby.
♪
So go ahead
Try and fix whatever you did wrong.
♪
It won't be enough.
♪
Well, I'm starting to see
why Carisi is so pissed off.
- Can't wait.
- [SIGHS]
Look, I
I don't want to arrest Allen.
I just want to make this right.
And the only way to do
that is to prove her wrong,
which we can't do
because we're not doctors.
And I'm not about to
go around telling doctors
they don't know what
they're talking about.
So what?
So we just swallow it?
- No.
- Just
Things happen,
and just collateral damage?
[SIGHS]
I could ask Carisi to convene
an investigative grand jury,
look into practices
and procedures of ACS,
make recommendations on
how they could do it better.
But the real purpose would
be putting Dr. Allen's actions
on public record.
She's used to nobody questioning her.
Let's make her give some answers.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Ash.
What happened?
She hid a test.
♪
I only caught it
because I checked the
records against Medicaid.
She tested him for
genetic clotting disorder
von Willebrand's disease.
He's got it.
- The brain bleed on the imaging
- Is from the disease.
It certainly can't be ruled out.
She took the test out of the records.
But, she ordered it.
♪
Call Carisi.
Convene a grand jury.
Dr. Mancini, would you
say that abusive head trauma,
also known as shaken baby syndrome,
is a controversial diagnosis?
No, I wouldn't.
It's only controversial
in the courtroom,
not within the medical profession.
Part of why the name changed
is because of lawyers like yourself
who questioned the
"shaken" part of it,
even questioned if
it was a real thing.
Abusive head trauma is a
more accurate description.
And can accidental head trauma
ever be mistaken for
abusive head trauma?
Sometimes.
A fall, an illness, an infection,
even some congenital disorders
can have similar symptoms.
Congenital disorders,
- like a-a genetic disease?
- Yes.
And how would a
doctor rule that out?
A blood test.
Dr. Allen, I'd like to talk to you
about your tenure up in the Bronx.
- Happy to.
- Now, you've found
a lot of child abusers.
- I have.
- By some metrics,
there was a 20% increase
in referrals to ACS
from your hospital.
We are diligent and vigorous.
How does it work up there?
Do you, um
Do you mostly call the shots?
Or do you work together as a team?
As a team with my
medical colleagues,
along with law enforcement and ACS.
And does this team ever disagree?
- No.
- Lockstep, then?
We know how to interpret information
and arrive at similar conclusions.
But what would happen if
they did disagree with you?
They wouldn't.
No, I guess they wouldn't.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, Doctor, I'd like to ask you about
one case in particular.
This is a baby boy
Jayson Langford.
Now, I know that
you've reviewed this file.
I have it here for you if
you'd like more time with it.
- I'm very familiar.
- Okay, good.
Now, you diagnosed Jayson
with abusive head trauma.
I did.
Fortunately, not fatal.
We were able to save him.
And you were able to rule
out accidental head trauma?
Yes, he had a subdural hematoma
that was interhemispheric
and bilateral retinal hemorrhaging
all strong indicators of AHT.
- Did you test for hypertension?
- Yes.
What about hypoxic
ischemic encephalopathy?
Someone's learning
their big-boy words.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Yes, I am. Yes, I am.
We did not test for that,
as it was not indicated.
Sure. Uh, what about
a blood-clotting disorder,
like von Willebrand's disease?
- Did you test for that?
- No. Same reason.
♪
Now, you have
examined this entire file,
and there is no other
possible explanation
for Jayson's injuries?
Yes, I have, and, no, there is not.
And you're aware, of course,
that you are under oath here today.
- I am.
- Thank you, Dr. Allen.
♪
Perjury?
That is an outrageous accusation.
It's an accurate one.
Your client, under oath,
said that she never tested
for a blood-clotting disorder,
but she did order that test
and deliberately concealed that fact.
Now, your lawyer will tell you
that perjury one is a class D felony.
That's punishable by up to
seven years in state prison.
- You can't be serious.
- Oh, I'm dead serious, Doctor.
You would send me to jail for this,
- a mistake?
- A mistake?
This is not a mistake.
[SIGHS]
You hid that test from the mother,
you hid it from ACS,
and you hid it from
the initial grand jury.
And then you lied about it.
Why?
Because that baby
was in imminent danger
from a mother who was
incapable of providing him
with a stable, secure environment.
The baby had a genetic disorder.
That's what caused his injuries.
Oh, you know that for a fact?
- No, you don't.
- Like you.
I can only look
at the evidence before me.
And if there's reasonable doubt
Reasonable doubt means nothing
to a dead child, Captain.
I'm on the front lines.
I am sometimes the only
chance a child has at survival.
Better safe than sorry, right?
- Better alive than dead.
- Then why hide it, Doctor?
Why change the medical records?
Why
Why lie to the grand jury?
Because they didn't
have the capacity
to understand the complexities
- of what I'm trying to do!
- No, no, no, you hid it
because you knew that you were wrong!
And here we are.
♪
- What do you want?
- Oh
I'm not interested in
seeing your client go to prison.
But the way I see it,
you got two options here.
Now, you can go forward
with this perjury trial.
You'll get convicted.
Probably gonna do two to four years.
Your medical license
that gets terminated along the way.
Or
You give up your
medical license now
No conviction
No felony record,
And more than likely,
you'll never have to
hear our names again.
♪
I need to confer
privately with Dr. Allen.
You've got an hour.
♪
Does this make children safer?
♪
Does this help anyone
but the abusers I've put in prison?
I don't know,
Dr. Allen. I really don't.
But what I do know
Is that a couple of kids have a chance
to go home to their parents now,
parents that love them.
And for that, my conscience is clear.
♪
How about yours?
♪
[DOOR CLOSES]
After considering the newly
discovered evidence in this case,
I am dismissing the charges
against the defendant.
Ms. Langford, you have my sympathy,
and I apologize for all
that you've gone through.
Adjourned.
[GAVEL BANGS]
♪
Corinne Langford
missed her son's first steps.
How awful is that?
[SNIFFLES]
All we can do is try
to do the right thing
and, when that doesn't
happen, try to fix it.
You can be proud of yourself, CJ.
She's still gonna have
to fight to get him back.
I mean, how
How long is that gonna take?
She'll have someone on the inside
Helping her out.
♪
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[BELL CLANGS]
[DISTANT SHIP HORN BLARES]
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[RAP MUSIC PLAYING ON CAR STEREO]
♪
- How much?
- You tell me.
What're you looking for?
Everything.
$ 100.
- That's a lot.
- How much you got?
♪
$ 80.
Who's your friend?
Why don't you get in the
car and stop asking questions?
[TENSE MUSIC]
- NYPD!
- Don't shoot!
- Hands on the steering wheel!
- Don't shoot!
Please! Don't shoot!
- NYPD! Hands! Hands now!
- Don't shoot!
Please, I'm married!
I'm married! I have kids!
Please, I'm begging you!
- My wife will take the kids!
- Down!
My wife
Please, I
- Hey. Hey, I'm Tracy.
- Down!
I'm a police officer.
You hurt?
Come here.
Ah!
[GROANING] Ow! Ow!
I swear I've never done this
I'm here to help you.
You're not in any trouble, I promise.
That man's not gonna
be able to hurt you.
Can you tell me your name?
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Captain.
- Hey.
Don't start.
First of all, you don't look bad.
This, you look good,
I mean, this is something.
- Oh, yeah, you can borrow it.
- Mm, thank you.
She won't tell me her name
or her age or anything, really.
But she's young
No older than 15, I think.
John's from Jersey
swears she was already
beat up when he solicited her.
She won't let the
doctor examine her?
No.
Only treated the busted lip.
But, she's in no hurry to leave.
I think she might be
ready to accept some help.
All right.
Hey, I'm Olivia.
I'm a police officer.
Ouch.
That looks like it
hurts a little bit, huh?
[SHOE THUDS]
I'll get it.
I'll get it.
Wow.
I like heels, but I don't
think I could walk in these.
You know what I brought?
I always bring socks
in case people are cold.
Feel them.
They're my favorite.
Super soft, right?
You know what else I
always have in my bag
Are these
Little makeup wipes, if you
want to take your makeup off.
They smell really good.
They're cucumber.
You got any hot Cheetos in that bag?
I'm happy to get you
some when we're done.
That wig can't be comfortable.
Let me help you.
There you go.
Oh, that thing is heavy.
Here.
Yeah, get yourself comfortable.
[BAG THUDS]
Here, I'll take it.
Ah, I'll help you with that.
Oh, you got it.
Great.
So what's your name?
Riley.
Is there somebody I
can call for you, Riley?
Mm.
How about
It's so cold in here.
I should have given you this earlier.
Take this.
There you go.
Here.
Okay, good.
[SNIFFLES]
So how old are you?
Um, I'll be 15 in
a couple of months.
Your parents around?
Um
My
My mom died when I was little.
Oh, I'm sorry.
My dad
I just don't live with him anymore.
Okay.
You in foster care?
Those lashes, are
they hard to get off?
No, not really.
Okay.
Oh.
Good, that was easy.
- So, Riley
- [SNIFFLES]
I don't know you,
and you don't know me,
but
What happened to you isn't right.
It's not fair.
And you deserve to be protected
And loved.
And I can't change the
past, but what I can do
Is I can promise you
That I'll do everything in my power,
to make sure that you
Get to be the girl that
you were supposed to be.
[SNIFFLES, VOICE BREAKS]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He said if I ever told anyone, I
I'd never see my daddy again.
Who said that?
He said I could never go home.
Please, I just
I just want to go home.
Can you just take me home?
♪
[SOFTLY] Is it okay
if I give you a hug?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
[SNIFFLES]
Oh.
I got you.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
She agreed to the physical exam.
- Oh, great.
- I'll do it myself.
- Thank you.
- Nice work.
Oh, so did she tell you
her last name or
where she lives or?
No, but, uh, ACS is
sending a social worker.
They may be able to ID her.
Oh, it would have been nice if, uh,
they checked
on the child in their care
before she was pimped out.
Look, Ash, I know you're slammed,
but I really don't want her
to go to another foster home tonight.
I'll
I'll find her a bed.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, uh, I think that's
the social worker.
Tell her I'll talk to
her after the exam?
- Don't bite her head off.
- Yeah.
You're the detective?
I'm the captain, Olivia Benson.
Vivian Parker, ACS.
- When can I talk to the girl?
- After you talk to me.
- So do you know who she is?
- I believe so.
From her age and description,
I think her name is Riley Williams.
Okay, well, is there
anything in here about her
foster father pimping her out?
- I don't think so.
- No?
Did you bother to check on Riley
since she's been placed in that home?
- I'm new to this case.
- Uh-huh.
Well, then let me
bring you up to speed.
She got lost in the system.
She's been forced into prostitution.
So I need somebody on this
case who actually gives a damn.
That's me, Captain.
I don't have to tell you
the number of cases
ACS has to cover
over 50,000 cases
and 6,000 kids in foster care alone,
and not enough hours in
the day to keep track of them.
Well, then get her out of that home
and tell me who the foster father is
so I can arrest him.
Well, that's the thing.
There isn't one.
She was placed with a single woman,
Monique Sherman.
All right, well,
I need to speak with Monique.
You weren't concerned when Riley
- didn't come home last night?
- What?
Am I supposed to tie her to her bed?
I done told that social worker
I cannot control that girl.
You told the social
worker two months ago
that everything was fine.
I don't know about that.
Look, there is a different
one every single time.
- Okay.
- That girl is a problem
always has been.
I didn't know anybody was coming over.
I would have cleaned up.
- Who's Marcus?
- Who?
The guy getting
bills at this address.
I get the wrong mail every time.
Listen, my shift is gonna start.
You need to go.
Well, there's two coffee
cups here in the sink.
And there's two phone chargers.
And a pair of size-12 work boots.
4 pairs of men's shoes.
Couple of men's jackets.
That is private.
- Monique
Where's Marcus?
You need to leave.
Somebody in this house
is forcing a child
into sex trafficking.
And if Marcus doesn't exist,
that only leaves one other person
Doesn't it?
Marcus Boyd,
42, has a rap sheet that
goes back for 20 years
gambling, theft,
and he just finished
a bid at Green Haven
last year for promoting prostitution.
Looks like his first
foray into trafficking kids.
He really wants to go down
to the bottom of the barrel.
Oh, with a record like this,
he's gonna be going
away for a long time.
And I suspect he knows
that, because he's in the wind.
So we have a car
sitting on the residence,
and Curry is with the foster
mother in case he calls.
- [CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
- And how's the girl?
Uh, she's comfortable.
Um, there's no drugs in her system.
And, uh, she can't
stay there indefinitely.
So the social worker
is trying to place her.
That was Curry. Marcus
called the foster mom.
He borrowed money for a bus ticket.
He's at the Midtown Terminal now.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER PA]
We got a hold on all outbound buses.
Got every available eye looking.
Okay. He needs ID to
buy a ticket, doesn't he?
- Unless he got it online.
- How many gates?
Over 200.
I'm sorry, Captain.
This is a tiny needle
in a 2 million-square-foot haystack.
Level 2, near the
Dunkin's. I think it's him.
We're on our way.
Clear the elevators,
and shut 'em down.
Okay, I want teams
of two at every escalator
from that level down.
Coordinate with
Port Authority officers.
Got it, Cap.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Gate 210, black jacket, gray hat.
- Going to Orlando.
- Happiest pimp on Earth.
All right, so stay here
in case he gets past us.
All right?
All right, uh, suspect is at gate 210.
Curry and I are going in.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪
Marcus Boyd?
- Don't try it, Boyd.
- Don't do it.
No.
Come on!
[PERSON GROANS LOUDLY]
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- [GRUNTING] Clear the way.
- Stop!
NYPD! Give me some room, please!
Get back!
Get back inside! Move!
Hey! Whoa, stop! Freeze!
[HORN BLARES]
[PERSON SCREAMS]
♪
Oh, my God, my leg is broken!
Man, look at you.
Thought you were dead. Lucky duck.
- Help me!
- Nah.
[GROANING]
Okay, we'll call an ambulance
in a minute.
[GROANING]
A few years ago,
the department placed
a 12-year-old with them,
and they adopted her.
Amazing family, just
really good people.
So they're okay with a teenage girl?
Raised three girls of their own.
- Okay.
- I vetted them myself
visited the home, spoke to neighbors.
They're aware of all the
circumstances with Riley.
- They want to help.
- Good. This is good news.
I-I don't know if Riley
is gonna feel that way.
I mean, she really, really
wants to go back to her father.
Dad lost custody four
years ago for abuse.
Before my time. I'm not
sure about the details.
Mm, yeah, well,
that was in the Bronx.
Back then, SVU was problematic.
Dig around, see what I can find out.
Reunification would be ideal.
Yeah, well, I think let's
get her somewhere safe first.
[VIDEO GAME BEEPING,
WHIRRING OVER CELL PHONE]
Hey, uh, excuse me, where
where's the girl that was here?
There was another girl here?
Okay.
Hey.
Anything?
One camera caught
her getting into a car
on the south side of the hospital
about two hours before you arrived.
- Okay.
- But the footage is garbage.
Could only make out that it
was a dark, late-model sedan.
How did she leave
without getting caught?
It's not a lockdown ward.
I mean, she could have
walked through the front door.
Well, I'm checking with
the rideshare companies now
between that time frame.
Cap, line two
Came in on the nonemergency line.
Guy says he's Riley's dad.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
- [PHONE BEEPS]
- Hi, this is Captain Benson.
Hello?
Hello?
Are you there?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm
I'm here.
Okay.
And you're Riley's father?
You're
Nathan Williams?
Yes, uh, Nate Williams.
Riley's here.
She just showed up on my doorstep.
Okay, Mr. Williams, is
Is Riley okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She's okay.
Uh, she says she
wants to stay with me.
I want that more than anything,
but I don't want her
to get in trouble, or me.
I-I don't know what to do.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hi.
She's, uh
She's really mad.
Okay.
- Hey, Riley.
- I'm not leaving.
You'll just have to take me to jail.
Okay, nobody's going to jail.
Honey, you know that we
cannot do it like this, right?
Nobody is listening to me.
- Why isn't anyone listening to me?
- Hey, Riley.
We all just want
what's best for you, Riley.
Then let me stay!
My dad never hurt me.
And nobody believes me.
I broke my arm playing volleyball,
and they said he did it!
The hospital reported
the injury to ACS
as suspected abuse.
The social worker
referred it to Bronx SVU.
I talked to the detective.
He said it looked like an accident,
because it was.
Then a week later, we
get pulled into Family Court,
and they said I did it,
and then they took her away.
Did you appeal the court's decision?
Yeah.
It took me two years to get a lawyer
that would even take my case.
We get to appeals court, and they say
it's over a six-year
backlog on civil cases?
And even then, I
I went to every class
they told me to go to.
I-I got a better place to live.
I talked to every social
worker that came to my door,
and it didn't matter.
T-they shipped Riley
all different places.
She missed school,
and now some man is beating her?
And putting her in the street?
♪
I would never
I didn't hurt Riley,
and nobody cares.
It's been four years.
I will never get that time back.
Riley will never get that time back!
♪
I tried, baby.
I tried so hard to get you back.
I am still trying.
[CRYING]
Can you help us?
Can you make them listen?
I don't work for Bronx SVU,
so I don't have the
authority to reopen the case,
but
I will make some inquiries.
So, no, you're not gonna help us.
I'm gonna try,
but, you know, that's
really all that I can promise
at this point.
Maybe somebody will listen to me.
But, unfortunately, uh
You can't stay here right now.
Listen, we have a family that's ready
for you to stay with them,
and they are safe, and loving.
I will not let you get
lost in the system.
[SNIFFLES]
Just until we get
all this sorted out.
- [SNIFFLES]
- If I could
I'd get on a plane with you right now,
and we'd just run away.
You know I would.
I'm so sorry, baby.
This is my fault.
[CRYING]
I will do whatever
you want me to do.
I
I'll
I'll take any test.
I'll
I'll pay any money.
Just help me get my daughter back.
[SNIFFLES, CONTINUES CRYING]
♪
The Bronx SVU
case file is pretty light.
I mean, the lieutenant
spoke with the dad, the
The school, the hospital, and Riley.
He didn't think that there
was anything criminal.
And the Bronx DA
declined to prosecute.
But, somehow, Bronx
Family Court got involved
and initiated the removal.
The social worker said
that there was already
an ACS file on Nate Williams
from when Riley was a baby.
So he had brought her into
the hospital with a high fever,
and, they looked at him for neglect.
Or, they looked at him
because he was a single dad,
low income, and Black.
Yeah, that could
absolutely be a part of it.
In New York, more than half the kids
that are removed from their homes
without a court order are Black,
even though those kids only make up
- a quarter of the population.
- Yeah, I can ask Carisi
to reach out to Bronx Family Court
He might have some contacts.
Who was the
lieutenant from the Bronx?
Uh, Delacruz.
You know him?
Oh, yeah, he got caught up
in the house cleaning over there.
They let him stay in the department,
but they busted him
down to the property room.
Okay, so he hates you or just
Intensely dislikes?
I mean, I'm not getting any
Christmas cards from the guy,
but he wasn't the worst of them.
I can have a chat.
Yeah, I remember it.
Kid busted her arm.
Hospital questioned whether
the dad could have done it.
You didn't think so?
Plenty of witnesses
to the actual injury
Collided with another kid at practice.
Dad seemed solid.
Kid's story was consistent.
I talked to my DA.
He DP'd it.
Last I heard of it.
Well, somebody at
Family Court disagreed.
They removed her from her home.
Doc at the hospital was
real insistent about abuse.
But other than this injury,
I couldn't find
anything to support that.
All I got.
I appreciate you, Javi.
Tell Ginny I said hello.
Ginny left me.
And you and me are not friends.
If they need you in Family Court,
will you testify?
You know where to find me
Down in this hellhole.
[SIGHS]
Sorry, you're with the Manhattan DA?
- The hell you doing up here?
- A favor to my SVU detectives.
Case dropped in
their lap that intersects
with one of your
clients, Nate Williams?
- Okay, and?
- And I think I got something
that's gonna help
you get his kid back.
Look, man, don't go telling
him things like that, okay?
- I don't want to give him false hope.
- Well, hold on, relax.
I didn't tell him anything, but I
Stop. Listen, I don't think
you hear what I'm saying here.
The lieutenant who
investigated is willing to speak
on your client's behalf.
He's gonna say that he didn't
find any evidence of abuse.
Okay, great.
Have him give me a call, thanks.
Wait, hold on.
Do you think your client's innocent?
Yes, I do.
I
I also know it doesn't
matter in this case.
"Doesn't matter"?
That's insane.
That's also bordering on negligence.
You get a chance to get
justice for your client, you take it.
[SCOFFS]
Have you ever spent any
time in Bronx Family Court?
- No, I haven't.
- Yeah.
You kind of feel it
hanging in the air, right?
The despair?
Yeah, the judges don't care.
They're just waiting for their
next political appointment.
Yeah, everybody treats
each other like garbage.
And the families that
walk through these doors,
they get screwed one way or another.
There is rarely a just solution.
Well, I'm telling you, here is one.
Request a new hearing.
Daughter's almost 15 years old.
She's gonna be able to testify.
Come on, pal, this is
as close to a slam dunk
as you're gonna get.
Yeah.
All right, I'll do my best.
Should come up and see for yourself.
Sit in the front row.
All right.
I've read the application,
motions, and briefs.
I've also reviewed the statements
from the investigating
detective and the police file.
Mr. Battaglia, please
call your first witness.
We call Dr. Bethany Allen.
Dr. Allen, I'll remind
you, you're under oath.
You may proceed.
Dr. Allen, you're the head
of the Child Abuse
and Neglect Department
- at St. Bartholomew's in the Bronx?
- Yes, I am.
And you reviewed
Riley Williams's case
when she was seen
in the St. Bart's Emergency
Department in 2022?
Yes, I did.
Can you explain what a
child-abuse pediatrician is?
Well, it's in the job description.
It is a subspecialty of pediatrics.
We are trained to evaluate,
treat, and prevent child abuse.
Why did you recommend
Riley be removed from the home
after evaluating her four years ago?
I made my recommendation
based on Riley's medical history
and on the injuries
she presented with.
As a newborn, Riley
developed a fever of 102.
And by the father's own admission,
he delayed getting medical
attention for three days.
By definition, um, failure to provide
necessary medical care is neglect.
And what about her broken arm?
Riley presented with a non-displaced
fracture to the ulna,
also called a "nightstick fracture."
In young women,
this injury often occurs
when someone uses their forearm
to shield their face from a blow.
And even though Riley stated
she'd been hurt playing sports?
Well, you don't need to be a doctor
to understand that children
protect their parents,
protect their abusers.
And it's up to me, and to you
And to you, Your Honor
It's up to us all to protect them.
♪
Thank you all for
your presentations.
While I understand
that the Administration
for Children's Services
has the burden of proof here,
I will say I still have concerns
for the minor's safety.
I'll review all the evidence
and have a decision in a week.
- We're adjourned.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
♪
So what does that mean?
Does that mean that she might say yes?
Honestly, it means she wants
us to wait until she says no.
Welcome to the Bronx.
Hope you enjoyed your field trip.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Dr. Allen.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Captain Olivia Benson
from Manhattan Special Victims Unit,
and I was just in court,
and I heard your testimony.
Oh, well, I'm happy to have helped.
Well, actually, you know,
I'm always looking to learn,
and I was wondering
if you might tell me
just a little bit more of how
you came to your conclusion
about Riley Williams.
Easy.
I followed the science.
Okay, but police work
supported everything
that Riley said and everything
that her father is saying.
Then the police work is wrong.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
How do you know when you're wrong?
[CHUCKLES] Well,
I appreciate the work
of law enforcement.
I do, but you are simply not capable
of making judgments at this level.
And I'm sorry if that
sounds condescending.
It does.
But I assume that's the point?
Fair.
I respect what you do.
But if we allow cops
and lawyers and judges
to interpret science, children die.
The only thing that I regret
about how I handled Riley Williams is,
I just wish I'd gotten her
out of that house sooner.
Okay, Dr. Allen,
Riley Williams was
forced into prostitution
while in foster care.
She wasn't safer.
Yes, but that is not
my responsibility, is it?
It's yours.
That's all the time I've got, Captain.
Good luck.
[SIGHS]
♪
What are our next steps?
- We don't really have any.
- Why not?
Liv, this isn't even our own county.
Now, we got the guy a new hearing,
and hopefully the judge comes back
with the, the right decision, but
We've done all that we can do here.
♪
[SIGHS]
I don't know, Olivia.
The arm fracture could
have been warding off a blow,
or it could have
happened the way the child
- and the dad described it.
- Okay, fine.
I mean, at worst, it's
It's unclear.
But, would you have taken her
out of the home based on this?
If there was a history
of neglect or abuse.
The history is high fever,
that went on too long
before the father
sought medical attention.
I don't know what you
want me to say, Olivia.
Would you have taken
her out of the house?
No, but I am just
reading the reports.
I'm not seeing the
patient or the father.
Well, neither did Dr. Allen.
She made her decision remotely
based on medical records and imaging.
So what's really bothering you here?
You know, there are only
about 350 board-certified
CAPs in the country.
Dr. Allen is one of them.
She's one of the most
respected and sought after.
But that doesn't mean that
she can't make a mistake.
And, frankly, I'm a little surprised
that you want to challenge
the medical judgment of a physician.
I know that I'm not a doctor.
I've been doing this a long time.
That's got to count for something.
And Dr. Allen is so sure
and that's a problem.
Doctors can get myopic.
They want to prove
their hypotheses so bad
that they reject any information
that doesn't conform with it.
Look, I'm not trying
to undermine Dr. Allen.
I'm not, but
But I think that there
may be an injustice here.
Obviously, if I'm wrong,
I'll let it go, but
Yeah.
That sounds just like you.
♪
Allen keeps jumping around.
For a supposedly
rising star in this field,
she keeps bouncing to new jobs.
And a small hospital in the Bronx
isn't exactly a step up.
I always wondered why.
♪
Well, Ashley wasn't wrong.
Dr. Allen has been all over.
She started her career in Chicago
and then a couple of
places in Cleveland,
three- or four-year stints,
and she spent the longest
amount of time in the Bronx.
She seems to spend half her time
giving expert testimony
and talks at medical conferences.
The last one was about
abusive head trauma
What we used to call
shaken baby syndrome.
Liv, you got a beef
with me or something?
No.
Why?
Then what's with the, uh
the boatload of subpoenas
you dumped on my desk?
Requests for medical records
from three Cleveland hospitals,
a Chicago hospital group,
employment records,
DCFS records, medical board records
all for Dr. Bethany Allen.
Yeah, I'm just
I'm looking into her.
Liv, come on, I told you, we
We did our job here.
In fact, we did more than that.
Okay, and Riley Williams is living
in a foster home indefinitely.
Unfortunately, Riley Williams
is out of our hands
That's a different department.
And I-I cannot believe
that you, of all people,
want to go after a
medical doctor on this.
Why?
Because she can't be wrong?
- That is not what I said.
- Okay.
Carisi, I've worked with CAPs before,
and it has always been a team.
So what's your plan here?
What, y-you're gonna
build a case against her?
- You gonna arrest her?
- No.
She hasn't done anything criminal.
[SIGHS] Look
I'm just trying to do
the right thing for Riley,
and for whoever else is out there.
♪
[SIGHS]
Hey, CJ, what's
What's shaking?
I got a problem.
That doctor, uh
[SIGHS] I used her in a
case six months ago
expert witness.
And I got the conviction.
You're questioning that now?
Aren't you?
Sure, I remember this
Corinne Langford.
Baby had a head injury.
Doctor couldn't rule out abuse.
Oh, what did the mother tell you?
Nothing. I tried to talk
to her at the hospital.
She said her cousin was
a lawyer or something.
Told her, never talk to the police.
Honestly, that's good advice.
And so you never
interviewed her at all?
No. Next thing I heard,
CJ got the indictment.
My usual expert
witness wasn't available.
Someone recommended
Dr. Allen, and she was incredible.
Grand jury loved her.
She diagnosed abusive head trauma.
After the indictment,
the defense lawyer wanted a deal
pled to attempted
reckless endangerment one.
Mom's in the middle
of 12 months at Rikers.
- Where's the kid now?
- ACS put him with an aunt.
I got to tell you, I don't
see what the problem is here.
The doctors in the
ER flagged it for abuse,
Allen confirmed it, and
the mom pled guilty.
My guy looked at the case later,
said he was surprised
I got the indictment
based on what he saw
Called it a gray area.
He wouldn't have called it abuse.
And the mother pled
because the lawyer said
it would have been
worse in front of a jury.
He's right.
It would have been.
All right, CJ, I
I just want to make sure that
That you're understanding
what you're starting here,
because if you open this
up, you open up everything.
- Do you understand?
- I know.
Think about what happens
when we find out a cop is corrupt.
All those cases
They get tossed, right?
So are we gonna do
that for, for doctors now?
Honestly, if even
one person is in prison
for something they
didn't do, that's too many.
So, yeah, I want to open this up.
CJ, this is not just about
guilty people walking free.
This is also about
potentially sending kids
back to their abusers.
So you better be damn sure
Because I am not
qualified to determine
if a doctor's doing
medical malpractice,
and neither are you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Then we find someone who is.
Olivia, I gave you
my five-minute opinion
on the last case as a favor to you,
and that's all I'm comfortable doing.
All right, Ash, please, will
you please just listen to me?
Hey, I wouldn't bring this
to you if it wasn't important.
This is a dangerous road.
Do you really want police and lawyers
to litigate medical diagnoses?
Doctor, this is really
because I screwed up.
I used Dr. Allen's testimony,
and, I may have put an
innocent woman in jail.
She lost custody of her baby.
I would love it if you read this file
and said Dr. Allen
was right all along.
That would make my day.
I'm not looking for
anything other than the truth.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER PA]
All right.
I'll let you know when
I have an opinion,
but if I don't find anything,
this is the last I
want to hear about it.
- Understood, understood.
- All right.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
She's the best.
She will
Give us an unbiased opinion.
So I'm gonna head to the precinct.
I'm gonna head to Rikers.
Corinne Langford never
got to tell her side of the story.
About time someone listened.
[CELL DOORS OPEN, CLOSE]
[DOOR BUZZING]
Ms. Langford, I'm CJ Jones
I remember who you are.
Good.
[SIGHS]
There have been some
developments in your case
that I wanted to tell you about.
And I wanted to ask
you some questions.
I don't have nothing to say to you.
Some new evidence
may have come to light
that could exonerate you.
So talking to me about what happened
when your son was
injured could only help.
- This, this is a good thing.
- This is good?
- I know, Ms. Langford
- You don't know!
You don't know.
You put me here.
I lost my baby because of you.
He's living with another woman
who isn't his mother because of you!
Then let me try to fix it.
♪
You want to know what happened?
My baby bumped his head
Not even hard,
and then his eyes rolled back.
And I called an ambulance,
and we went to the hospital,
the place that's supposed
to help us.
[BANGS ON TABLE]
♪
I didn't know I was
never gonna see him again.
[CRIES]
And y'all looked at me
A Black, single mother
And decided I was guilty.
And then you made me say it in court,
knowing it wasn't true.
You made me say I hurt my baby.
♪
So go ahead
Try and fix whatever you did wrong.
♪
It won't be enough.
♪
Well, I'm starting to see
why Carisi is so pissed off.
- Can't wait.
- [SIGHS]
Look, I
I don't want to arrest Allen.
I just want to make this right.
And the only way to do
that is to prove her wrong,
which we can't do
because we're not doctors.
And I'm not about to
go around telling doctors
they don't know what
they're talking about.
So what?
So we just swallow it?
- No.
- Just
Things happen,
and just collateral damage?
[SIGHS]
I could ask Carisi to convene
an investigative grand jury,
look into practices
and procedures of ACS,
make recommendations on
how they could do it better.
But the real purpose would
be putting Dr. Allen's actions
on public record.
She's used to nobody questioning her.
Let's make her give some answers.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Ash.
What happened?
She hid a test.
♪
I only caught it
because I checked the
records against Medicaid.
She tested him for
genetic clotting disorder
von Willebrand's disease.
He's got it.
- The brain bleed on the imaging
- Is from the disease.
It certainly can't be ruled out.
She took the test out of the records.
But, she ordered it.
♪
Call Carisi.
Convene a grand jury.
Dr. Mancini, would you
say that abusive head trauma,
also known as shaken baby syndrome,
is a controversial diagnosis?
No, I wouldn't.
It's only controversial
in the courtroom,
not within the medical profession.
Part of why the name changed
is because of lawyers like yourself
who questioned the
"shaken" part of it,
even questioned if
it was a real thing.
Abusive head trauma is a
more accurate description.
And can accidental head trauma
ever be mistaken for
abusive head trauma?
Sometimes.
A fall, an illness, an infection,
even some congenital disorders
can have similar symptoms.
Congenital disorders,
- like a-a genetic disease?
- Yes.
And how would a
doctor rule that out?
A blood test.
Dr. Allen, I'd like to talk to you
about your tenure up in the Bronx.
- Happy to.
- Now, you've found
a lot of child abusers.
- I have.
- By some metrics,
there was a 20% increase
in referrals to ACS
from your hospital.
We are diligent and vigorous.
How does it work up there?
Do you, um
Do you mostly call the shots?
Or do you work together as a team?
As a team with my
medical colleagues,
along with law enforcement and ACS.
And does this team ever disagree?
- No.
- Lockstep, then?
We know how to interpret information
and arrive at similar conclusions.
But what would happen if
they did disagree with you?
They wouldn't.
No, I guess they wouldn't.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, Doctor, I'd like to ask you about
one case in particular.
This is a baby boy
Jayson Langford.
Now, I know that
you've reviewed this file.
I have it here for you if
you'd like more time with it.
- I'm very familiar.
- Okay, good.
Now, you diagnosed Jayson
with abusive head trauma.
I did.
Fortunately, not fatal.
We were able to save him.
And you were able to rule
out accidental head trauma?
Yes, he had a subdural hematoma
that was interhemispheric
and bilateral retinal hemorrhaging
all strong indicators of AHT.
- Did you test for hypertension?
- Yes.
What about hypoxic
ischemic encephalopathy?
Someone's learning
their big-boy words.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Yes, I am. Yes, I am.
We did not test for that,
as it was not indicated.
Sure. Uh, what about
a blood-clotting disorder,
like von Willebrand's disease?
- Did you test for that?
- No. Same reason.
♪
Now, you have
examined this entire file,
and there is no other
possible explanation
for Jayson's injuries?
Yes, I have, and, no, there is not.
And you're aware, of course,
that you are under oath here today.
- I am.
- Thank you, Dr. Allen.
♪
Perjury?
That is an outrageous accusation.
It's an accurate one.
Your client, under oath,
said that she never tested
for a blood-clotting disorder,
but she did order that test
and deliberately concealed that fact.
Now, your lawyer will tell you
that perjury one is a class D felony.
That's punishable by up to
seven years in state prison.
- You can't be serious.
- Oh, I'm dead serious, Doctor.
You would send me to jail for this,
- a mistake?
- A mistake?
This is not a mistake.
[SIGHS]
You hid that test from the mother,
you hid it from ACS,
and you hid it from
the initial grand jury.
And then you lied about it.
Why?
Because that baby
was in imminent danger
from a mother who was
incapable of providing him
with a stable, secure environment.
The baby had a genetic disorder.
That's what caused his injuries.
Oh, you know that for a fact?
- No, you don't.
- Like you.
I can only look
at the evidence before me.
And if there's reasonable doubt
Reasonable doubt means nothing
to a dead child, Captain.
I'm on the front lines.
I am sometimes the only
chance a child has at survival.
Better safe than sorry, right?
- Better alive than dead.
- Then why hide it, Doctor?
Why change the medical records?
Why
Why lie to the grand jury?
Because they didn't
have the capacity
to understand the complexities
- of what I'm trying to do!
- No, no, no, you hid it
because you knew that you were wrong!
And here we are.
♪
- What do you want?
- Oh
I'm not interested in
seeing your client go to prison.
But the way I see it,
you got two options here.
Now, you can go forward
with this perjury trial.
You'll get convicted.
Probably gonna do two to four years.
Your medical license
that gets terminated along the way.
Or
You give up your
medical license now
No conviction
No felony record,
And more than likely,
you'll never have to
hear our names again.
♪
I need to confer
privately with Dr. Allen.
You've got an hour.
♪
Does this make children safer?
♪
Does this help anyone
but the abusers I've put in prison?
I don't know,
Dr. Allen. I really don't.
But what I do know
Is that a couple of kids have a chance
to go home to their parents now,
parents that love them.
And for that, my conscience is clear.
♪
How about yours?
♪
[DOOR CLOSES]
After considering the newly
discovered evidence in this case,
I am dismissing the charges
against the defendant.
Ms. Langford, you have my sympathy,
and I apologize for all
that you've gone through.
Adjourned.
[GAVEL BANGS]
♪
Corinne Langford
missed her son's first steps.
How awful is that?
[SNIFFLES]
All we can do is try
to do the right thing
and, when that doesn't
happen, try to fix it.
You can be proud of yourself, CJ.
She's still gonna have
to fight to get him back.
I mean, how
How long is that gonna take?
She'll have someone on the inside
Helping her out.
♪