Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Hell's Kitchen (2018)

Philip Winchester: ADA Peter Stone

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Quotes 

• 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.