Law & Order “Legacy” was a fast moving case that felt familiar somehow…Haven’t we done this once before where a parent was charged for something his/her child did? I had this feeling of déjà vu while watching it, but still enjoyed it.
At some point in time I think the racial tensions between Bernard and Cosgrove will come to a head. In this episode, Cosgrove and Bernard don’t see eye to eye on critical race theory; Cosgrove thinks it’s the parent’s job to teach this, but Bernard thinks white kids need to understand what it’s like growing up in America. Cosgrove also brings up the use of the “n” word and Bernard counters “There is never a good reason for white person to use that word – EVER.” Both detectives are seeing these issues through their own eyes, but I think Bernard is doing his best to try to widen Cosgrove’s view.
Cosgrove has taken to whistling when he wants to get Bernard’s attention. Bernard doesn’t seem bothered by it so maybe this is just a simple idiosyncrasy on the part of Cosgrove, or is it a demeaning way to “summon” Bernard?
Price doesn’t think that school shootings will stop until they send a message to those who are enabling the shootings. I don’t disagree, but it seems like they really didn’t have too much evidence on the father to get that guilty verdict. All it took was showing that the father gave the son the gun at some earlier time and then recently told him to stand up for himself. That seems thin to me. Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t see where the father actually told him to use the gun against that bully. I would have thought they’d need more that what the son had inferred, and that testimony eventually got thrown out!
Here is the recap:
While they discuss the school’s censorship of books, two teachers stumble on the body of Henry Gleason, head of the school, who has been shot. Bernard and Cosgrove investigate. Security cameras have been wiped of video. Computer analysts has traced an electronic footprint to a 14 year old at the school, Dylan West. They get a warrant and visit the home, getting the kid’s computer and also find some of Henry’s belongings in his room.
In interrogation, Dylan explains he took the things as part of a dare and wiped the video so he could not be seen. He did not shoot Henry. His father vouches for his alibi. They hear from Dylan’s father that half the parents disliked Henry.
While they go to question one of the parents, the detectives debate critical race theory. They then question Mrs. Whalen who they heard was very upset with Gleason. She says she was just upset about an "extra time" scam that kids are using to fake learning disabilities to get extra time for exams. She denies killing him and has an alibi as she was in Washington DC. She gives them a name of another angry parent.
Back in the school they speak with a woman about a parent, George Pratt, whose son was recently expelled for violating the school’s anti-racism policy by being part of a group singing a racist song. Pratt is fighting to get Ethan reinstated.
In interrogation with his lawyer, the detectives speak with Pratt, who has a carry permit and owns several guns. He thinks Gleason was the problem and denies killing him. He was talking with another parent.
Later, they find Pratt’s story checks out. Dani finds video footage from across the school and they see one person who looks like they have blood on their jacket who is fleeing the scene. Later, Cooper Young is in interrogation with his mother and she discourages him from talking but he clearly wants to say something.
Dixon wants a little more before they charge him and Cooper seems to want to talk. They decide to hold him, have tech look at his electronics, and find a motive.
They go back to the school and hear Cooper punched another student so he was suspended from the soccer team. They look at his locker and find a drawing in it from another student showing a kid holding a gun, asking Cooper to meet him in homeroom after the play. They now believe someone else was there when Gleason was killed.
They discuss this with Cooper, in interrogation with his mom and lawyer. Cooper explains that Bennett Richardson put that drawing in his locker, a punk who thinks he owns the world. They got into a fight on the soccer field and thinks he wanted a rematch. He didn’t think he’d have a gun, he thought he was just flexing. He explains that Bennett pulled out the gun and said he was going to kill him. Cooper tackled him and tried to grab the gun and Gleason came in and saw the gun and the gun went off. Bennett shot him in the chest. Then Bennett turned to him and he thought he was going to kill him, but Bennett took off. He tried to help Gleason but he was hurt real bad, that is how he got the blood on his jacket.
With a search warrant in hand, Bernard and Cosgrove search Bennett’s home and find two rounds of live ammo, 9mm, and see violent drawings. They arrest him for Gleason’s murder to the protests of his parents.
Later, in Jack McCoy’s office, Price and Maroun discuss the case. The pistol belonged to Bennett’s grandfather. They discuss the evidence and whether to charge Bennett as an adult and McCoy and Price agree to go that route.
At Supreme Court Trial Part 12 on Monday, April 11, the issue with charging Bennett as an adult is argued by Price and Bennett’s lawyer, Quinn. It is decided to charge him as an adult. Quinn asks for bail and the parents assure they will pay for any costs to be sure Bennett makes trial. Bail is set at $4 million.
Later. Maroun tells Price Bennett admits he shot Gleason but they filed a notice for an affirmative defense – justification. He claims Bennett brought it on the school as Cooper was bullying him and was in fear for his life. Price thinks this was revenge. He says the gun going off was an accident. Price thinks he may not have intended to shoot Gleason but the intent transfers to him just the same. Price says they must shore up their theory this was premeditated, Maroun adding his artwork was filled with rage.
Maroun speaks with an Art teacher at Davenport Academy and sees the dark, violent drawings. He was told the school would deal with it. Bennett confronted the teacher and cut him with a box cutter, and he thinks it was intentional. Bennett’s father said he would get Bennett help, and gave the teacher $100,000 to keep it quiet. While there, Maroun gets a phone call and quickly exits.
At Downing hospital on Monday, April 11, Price and Maroun hear that Bennett has attempted suicide but it was more like a cry for help. His parents arrive and confront Price and Maroun. Quinn talks with Price and Maroun and says Bennett will have a competency test and thinks he is not fit to stand trial.
Later, at the precinct, Bennett speaks with a psychiatrist while Price and Maroun watch. He says he didn’t mean to kill anyone. He said his father told him to fight back, grow up, be a man. It’s what he thought he wanted him to do. Price thinks his father demanded he do it. It was his grandfather’s gun, w ho have it to his dad and his dad gave it to him on his 17th birthday.
Back at the DA’s office, Jack and Price discuss that Bennett was found competent. Price says the father urged Bennett to see retribution and wants to go after Bennett’s father as an accomplice. There is no precedent, however. They can’t do it without Bennett’s testimony and Jack tells Price to talk to Bennett’s lawyer and see if they can work something out.
Price and Maroun discuss this with Quinn and Bennett and eventually talk him into testifying against his father, but only if he gets immunity.
They later discuss this with McCoy and Maroun thinks the case against Bennett is stronger and his father’s weaker. Price thinks locking up kids is not a deterrent to school shootings and they need to send a message and hold more people accountable. Jack says his job is to follow the law and get justice for the victims. Price think he can win the case and Jack gives him the go ahead.
Price and Maroun deliver the immunity papers to Quinn and Bennett. Bennett is still reluctant and Price explains what happens if he doesn’t testify or if he lies on the stand. They ask him a few questions so he can see how it will go. They discuss the drawings and says his father saw them and just hired him a boxing coach and taught him how to shoot guns.
In Supreme Court Trial Part 34 on Tuesday, April 26, Bennett testifies about his father telling him to stand up for himself, fight back, and regain his power. He thinks his father meant that he shouldn’t let anyone push him around. His father knew he had the gun – he gave it to him – and when asked about getting the bullets from his dad, he balks and won’t answer. He says he doesn’t care. He’s taken off the stand. Richardson’s attorney says that all of Bennett’s testimony should be stricken from the record and the judge agrees. He instructs the jury to disregard everything Bennett said and they can’t consider it in deliberations. Price is stymied but looks over to Bennett’s mom.
Later, Price and Maroun speak with Bennett’s mom and asks her to testify, and make the choice between her son in prison or her husband. But she does choose, agreeing to get on the stand.
In the judge’s chambers, the defense and prosecution argue spousal privilege and Price argues the father abused Bennett by urging him to use a gun. The judge denies the defenses motion to quash and Mrs. Richardson can testify.
With Mrs. Richardson on the stand, they mention the box cutter incident and settlement. They knew Bennett was troubled but thought it was a phase. John does not believe in therapy and tried to get Bennett into sports. Guns were the one thing Bennett enjoyed. She may not have agreed with John’s decisions but knew he was a good father and loved Bennett. Price says John gave his emotionally unstable son a handgun and when his son got into a dispute with another boy, his father urged him to be a man and stand his ground and as a result, he took the gun to school and killed Henry Gleason. She agrees. Under cross, the defense brings out that John never told him to kill anyone and John was not anywhere near the school when Gleason was shot.
The jury returns a verdict of guilty and John is taken away in cuffs. Price stops where Bennett and his mom are sitting and she tells Price to go to hell. He walks off. As Bennett is consoled by his mother, we fade to black.
