History Recap / LawAndOrderS10E10LocoParentis

* RatedMForManly: Telford says he just wanted his son to learn to "be a man"; but his idea of that goes far beyond any reasonable level.

When a teenage boy named Chris Skinner is found murdered, evidence points to a classmate, John Telford; who had bullied the victim at school. John is obsessed with violence and pornography, and owns a large stash of weapons, all with the approval of his parents. He is charged with Chris's murder after the murder weapon is found in his room, but the defence quickly gets key evidence suppressed, and a vital witness is too afraid of John to testify. With the People’s case greatly weakened, Schiff proposes they charge John's father Robert Telford as a co-defendant. Telford had encouraged his son's interest in violence and purchased illegal weapons for John, including the murder weapon - a specialist blade used in martial arts.

Despite the unprecedented nature of the case, [=McCoy=] proceeds with charges against Telford for murder on the grounds of reckless indifference. He highlights the fact that Telford procured weapons for John, and ignored complaints from other parents of John bullying their children. In his defence Telford claims that he was simply teaching John how to "be a man." John had also been a victim of school bullying and had been violently mugged on the street, so Telford wanted him to be able to protect himself. Telford's wife now offers to testify against him in return for reducing John's charges to manslaughter. She is afraid that her younger son will become violent too because of his father's influence. Under pressure from his mother, John claims that he killed Chris in self-defence, and then Telford helped him dispose of the body. Telford reluctantly accepts a plea deal as an accessory to manslaughter.

When a teenage boy named Chris Skinner is found murdered, evidence points to a classmate, John Telford; who had bullied the victim at school. John is obsessed with violence and pornography, and owns a large stash of weapons, all with the approval of his parents. He is charged with Chris's murder after the murder weapon is found in his room, but the defence quickly gets key evidence suppressed, and a vital witness is too afraid of John to testify. With the People;s case greatly weakened, Schiff proposes they charge John's father Robert Telford as a co-defendant. Telford had encouraged his son's interest in violence and purchased illegal weapons for John, including the murder weapon - a specialist blade used in martial arts.

Despite the unprecedented nature of the case, [=McCoy=] proceeds with charges against Telford for murder on the grounds of reckless indifference. He highlights the fact that Telford procured weapons for John, and ignored complaints from other parents of John bullying their children. In his defence Telford claims that he was simply teaching John how to "be a man." John had also been a victim of school bullying and had been violently mugged on the street, so Telford wanted him to be able to protect himself. John's mother insists her husband is lying, and the trial is adjourned. Mrs. Telford now offers to testify against her husband in return for reducing John's charges to manslaughter. She is afraid that her younger son will become violent too because of Telford's influence. Under pressure from his mother, John claims that he killed Chris in self-defence, and then his father helped him dispose of the body. Telford reluctantly accepts a plea deal as an accessory to manslaughter.

Despite the unprecedented nature of the case, [=McCoy=] proceeds with charges against Telford for murder on the grounds of reckless indifference. He highlights the fact that Telford procured weapons for John, and deliberately ignored complains from other parents of John violently bullying their children. In his defence Telford claims that he was simply teaching John how to "be a man." John had been bullied himself and had been violently mugged on the street, so Telford wanted him to be able to protect himself. John's mother insists her husband is lying, and the trial is adjourned. Mrs. Telford now offers to testify against her husband in return for reducing John's charges to manslaughter. She is afraid that her younger son will become violent too because of Telford's influence. Under pressure from his mother, John claims that he killed Chris in self-defence, and then his father helped him dispose of the body. Telford reluctantly accepts a plea deal as an accessory to manslaughter.