[The suspicious burning of a Latino nightclub, 'El Cielo', leads to the deaths of 53 people, and is quickly determined to be arson. ]
“Heaven” · Season 2, Episode 10
In this episode: Paul Robinette (2), Don Cragen (2), Mike Logan (1), D.A. Adam Schiff (1), Defense attorney (1)
[Logan and Cerreta interrogate a hungover suspect.]
Where'd you go after that?
CChuey
No se.
No se? Or won't se?
What is less than square one?
The entire city is enraged at the deaths of people who, normally, they wouldn't have time of day for.
[The arsonist reveals being hired to burn the nightclub.]
DADefence Attorney
If he goes to jail, whoever hired him will kill him.
[Robinette picks him up and pins him against the wall]
Listen, man: you don't go to jail and there are about 500 family members happy to kill you, you know what I'm saying?
CPCesar Pescador
El Cubano, he told me to send them a message. 'A few of them burn, so what?' he said. 'there's a lot more where that came from.' A lot of Salvadoreans in that club. And they...got the message. They got the message.
Why would a man in the position to help his people do something like that? What the hell happened to 'give me your huddled masses?' What the hell happened to this city?
JWJudge Waxman
This is a difficult decision. It brings the rights of the individual to head-on conflict with legitimate governmental requirements. However, I'm inclined to grant the people's limited request.
PPescador
What?! [gets out of his seat] This is worse than Castro, man!
[everyone in the courtroom goes berserk as the judge continuously bangs his gavel]
PPescador
You can't cut my leg without my say-so! I'm not going to no hospital! I'm not going to no hospital!
JWJudge Waxman
All of you, sit down! Quiet in this courtroom! Quiet! I said quiet, or I'll clear the court! [bangs gavel again] Excuse me! [bangs again, silencing the crowd] Excuse me, Mr. Pescador. We can and will. Now, sit down! [Pescador sits down] The defendant will submit forthwith to the surgical procedure, which shall be conducted in the manner consistent with this court's written ruling.
Attempted homicide?! Those 53 people are homicides. They're dead.
AAttorney
He didn't mean to kill anyone, Paul!
Don't tell me you're even thinkin' about negligent homicide. Now, look, if he's only a messenger boy, he'd better start namin' names, or he's goin' down alone.
AAttorney
He says if he goes to prison, the man'll have him killed.
[Robinette pins Pescador against the wall]
Listen to me, man! You don't go to jail, there's about 500 grievin' relatives out there who'd be happy to kill you! You hear what I'm sayin'?!
PPescador
I'll take my chances with them.
This is a ridiculous exercise. No matter what, he's goin' down. We send him upstate, downstate, it doesn't matter. Somebody'll get him. This is not a perfect world, Cesar, but then, you already know that.
[Pescador tries to stand up on his incapacitated leg, but cannot and hits the ground]
PPescador
It ain't fair! You know, that assassin didn't even pay me. I get nothing for the deal.
What assassin? And what's the deal?
AAttorney
Tell him, Cesar. Tell him!
PPescador
A lot of people give the Cubano a lot of money for their micas. 5, 6,000 cash. And then they find out they're bogus. A bunch of paper, man. So they start making noise.
What kinda noise?
PPescador
Lot of lawyers telling them, "Hey. You got rights, too". So the people, they want to turn the Cubano in. So he come to me, and he says, "Cesar, Cesar, I tell you what to do. You send those people a message. You put the fear of God into them".
By burning down the club?
PPescador
It was supposed to be a warning! Like what they do in El Salvador. The Cubano, he says, "So some people burn, then so what? There's a whole lot more where they come from." The people in El Cielo... Lot of Salvadorans. They got the message. They got the message.
[Robinette helps him back onto his wheelchair]
The Cuban. What's his name?
PPescador
Guerra. Domingo Guerra. He owns a club himself. The Del Mundo. Del Mundo.
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