History Recap / LawAndOrderS1E11OutOfTheHalfLight

Astrea and her mother fail to appear at the hearing and are charged with contempt of court. Despite the judge (herself African-American) denouncing Eaton and encouraging the Crawfords to testify, Stone fears that if they go to jail they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won. Finally, the Crawfords' priest convinces Mrs. Crawford to speak to Robinette. When Astrea got pregnant, she felt she had to lie about being raped so her violent father would let her have an abortion. Eaton accuses Robinette of being a traitor to their race and says that, whatever the truth of Astrea's case, it was his chance to push for racial justice. Robinette rebukes Eaton's view that he could achieve this by undermining the legal system or further polarizing black and white Americans against each other. Later, Robinette questions whether he has really "sold out" to a corrupt system; Stone tells him to listen to his own conscience.

* EveryoneHasStandards: While Congressman Eaton certainly has few qualms about exploiting the rape case to attack racism within the police department, it is suggested at the end that he thought it was a genuine case of rape and wouldn't have become involved had he learned earlier that it was a hoax, and that by the time he did learn the truth he was in too deep to back out without losing credibility.

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Astrea wanted one, but because of this trope her father wouldn't permit it unless she had been raped.

* AbusiveParents

!!!This episode contains examples of:

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Eaton is one, viewing the case as a rare opportunity to focus public attention on police corruption and racial equality.

* HilariousInHindsight: Robinette's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech given the path his career takes when he leaves the DA's office later in the series.

Astrea and her mother fail to appear at trial and are charged with contempt of court. Despite the judge (herself African-American) denouncing Eaton and encouraging the Crawfords to testify, Stone fears that if they go to jail they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won. Finally, the Crawfords' priest convinces Mrs. Crawford to speak to Robinette. When Astrea got pregnant, she felt she had to lie about being raped so her violent father would let her have an abortion. Eaton accuses Robinette of being a traitor to their race and says that, whatever the truth of Astrea's case, it was his chance to push for racial justice. Robinette rebukes Eaton's view that he could achieve this by undermining the legal system or further polarizing black and white Americans against each other. Later, Robinette questions whether he has really "sold out" to a corrupt system; Stone tells him to listen to his own conscience.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found unconscious in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is disoriented and unable to speak to police, but writes that she was attacked by white cops. She had been missing for three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family waited so long to report her disappearance. Congressman Ronald Eaton, whose platform focuses on civil rights, soon gets involved with the case. He vows to bring Astrea's case to national public attention, and accuses the police of covering up the truth in order to protect white officers.

Eaton rapidly turns the public against the NYPD and portrays Astrea as the victim of a systemic racist conspiracy, despite evidence mounting that she may have lied about being raped. Stone is forced to ask for a grand jury hearing and Eaton admits he is not interested in finding Astrea's attackers; he wants to use her case to bring down the careers of the most senior figures in the justice system. When Astrea and her mother fail to appear at the hearing, Robinette has them sentenced for contempt of court. Despite the judge (herself African-American) denouncing Eaton and encouraging the Crawfords to testify, Stone fears that if they go to jail they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won.

Finally, the Crawfords' priest convinces Mrs. Crawford to speak to Robinette. She confesses that her husband has been violently abusing Astrea. When Astrea got pregnant, she believed the only way her father would let her have an abortion was if she lied about being raped by white police. In exchange for the Crawfords' testimony, Robinette has the charges against them dropped; issues a gagging order against the media; and assigns a social worker to protect Astrea from her father's violence. Eaton accuses Robinette of being a traitor to their race and says that, whatever the truth of Astrea's case, it was his chance to push for racial justice. Robinette rebukes Eaton's view that he could achieve this by undermining the legal system or further polarizing black and white Americans against each other. Later, Robinette questions whether he has really "sold out" to a corrupt system; Stone tells him to listen to his own conscience.

Finally, the Crawfords' priest convinces Mrs. Crawford to speak to Robinette. She confesses that her husband has been violently abusing Astrea. When Astrea got pregnant, she believed the only way her father would let her have an abortion was if she lied about being raped by white police. In exchange for the Crawfords' testimony, Robinette has the charges against them dropped; issues a gagging order against the media; and assigns a social worker to protect Astrea from her father's violence. Eaton accuses Robinette of being a traitor to their race and says that, whatever the truth of Astrea's case, it was his chance to push for true justice. Robinette rebukes Eaton's view that he could achieve this by undermining the legal system or further polarizing black and white Americans against each other. Later, Robinette questions whether he has really "sold out" to a corrupt system; Stone tells him to listen to his own conscience.

Eaton rapidly turns the public against the NYPD and portrays Astrea as the victim of a systemic racist conspiracy, despite evidence mounting that she may have lied about being raped. Stone is forced to ask for a grand jury hearing and Eaton admits he is not interested in finding Astrea's attackers; he wants to use her case to bring down the careers of the most senior figures in the justice system. When Astrea and her mother fail to appear at the hearing, Robinette successfully has them sentenced for contempt of court. Despite the judge (herself African-American) denouncing Eaton and encouraging the Crawfords to testify, Stone fears that if they go to jail they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found unconscious in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is unwilling or unable to respond when Greevey and Logan try to speak to her; but Logan gives her a pen and paper and asks her to tell him who hurt her. In response, she writes "WHITE COPS." A rape kit is delayed because she is so disoriented. Astrea had left home three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family would leave it so long to report her missing. Greevey and Logan trace Astrea's boyfriend Jordan Hill, who denies that he saw her during the three days she was missing. Hill was arrested on minor charges shortly before her disappearance, and police records confirm she was with him at the time of his arrest.

With the police having no evidence and no witnesses, Ronald Eaton gets involved with the case: an African-American Congressman whose platform focuses on racism and civil rights. He vows to bring Astrea's case to national public attention, and accuses the police of covering up the truth in order to protect white officers. Cragen wants to bring Astrea in for questioning and charge Eaton with obstruction if he objects, but Logan warns him against being seen to treat the victim of the case as a suspect.

Eaton claims sanctuary for Astrea inside a former church building and holds a public protest outside; attracting huge press attention. Cragen sends Greevey and Logan inside to speak to Astrea, with the agreement not to arrest anyone or try to remove her. Logan gets into an argument with Eaton, and Astrea becomes hysterical and collapses. She is taken away in an ambulance. Because of the subsequent backlash, Stone pulls the police off the case. However, a rape kit conducted by the FBI comes back negative. Stone says that Eaton has put the entire legal justice system on trial and the public will now never believe the results of the investigation. He insists on trying to reason with Eaton.

Eaton agrees to meet Stone at Astrea's hospital bedside, but refuses to divulge his plans for the case. Stone rebukes him for using Astrea as a political pawn, and Eaton admits he isn't interested in catching her attackers; he wants to bring down the careers of the most important figures in the NYPD. Stone and Eaton are questioned by the press as they leave the hospital. Stone publicly reveals that the FBI's rape kit was negative, and when Astrea was first brought into the emergency room she showed no signs of exposure (as she should have if she had been left outside on the night in question.) Eaton repeats his assertion that the entire investigation is built around systemic racism.

Stone and Robinette approach Schiff to ask for a grand jury, since there is now no choice - Eaton will always ensure that the public rejects the result of the investigation. Their last hope is to get the truth from Jordan Hill. Despite forensic evidence suggesting otherwise, Hill continues to deny that he spent time with Astrea whilst she was missing. Stone decides to subpoena Hill to appear at the grand jury hearing, along with Astrea's mother and Eaton.

At the hearing, a pathologist testifies that Astrea's case has some hallmarks of a false rape allegation. Eaton denies influencing the Crawfords to refuse to co-operate with the police. When Astrea and her mother fail to appear in court, Robinette successfully petitions the court to issue the maximum sentence for contempt. The judge, who is African-American, rejects the attempts of the Crawfords' lawyer and Eaton to imply she is conspiring with the police against black Americans. She encourages the Crawfords to testify rather than serve their sentence. Stone fears that if Astrea and her mother go to jail, they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won.

The Crawfords' priest convinces Astrea's mother to speak to Robinette. Mrs. Crawford confesses that Astrea became pregnant through her relationship with Hill, but was afraid to tell her abusive father the truth. Astrea believed the only way he would let her have an abortion was if she lied about being raped by white police. Robinette strikes a deal with the family that if Astrea and Mrs. Crawford testify at the hearing, the city will drop the charges against them and he will arrange a gagging order against the media. He also assigns a social worker to protect Astrea from her father's violence.

Eaton accuses Robinette of being a traitor to his own race. Eaton accepts that Astrea lied but says that the end justifies the means: whatever the truth of the matter, Astrea's case was his chance to push for racial justice. Robinette rebukes Eaton's view that he could achieve this by undermining the legal system or further polarizing black and white Americans against each other. Subsequently, as Robinette promised, a gagging order is served and the charges against Astrea and her family are dropped. He questions whether he has really "sold out" to a corrupt system; Stone advises Robinette to listen to his own conscience.

With the police having no evidence and no witnesses, Ronald Eaton gets involved with the case: an African-American Congressman whose platform focuses on racism and civil rights. He vows to bring Astrea's case to national public attention, and accuses the police of coveirng up the truth in order to protect white officers. Cragen wants to bring Astrea in for questioning and charge Eaton with obstruction if he objects, but Logan warns him against being seen to treat the victim of the case as a suspect.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found unconscious in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is unwilling or unable to respond when Greevey and Logan try to speak to her; but Logan gives her a pen and paper and asks her to tell him who hurt her. In response, she writes "WHITE COPS." A rape kit is delayed because she is so disoriented. Astrea had left home three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family would leave it so long to report her missing. Greevey and Logan trace Astrea's boyfriend Jordan Hill, who denies being with Astrea during the three days she was missing. Hill was arrested on minor charges shortly before her disappearance, and police records confirm she was with him at the time of his arrest.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found injured in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is unwilling or unable to respond when Greevey and Logan try to speak to her; but Logan gives her a pen and paper and asks her to tell him who hurt her. In response, she writes "WHITE COPS." A rape kit is delayed because she is so disoriented. Astrea had left home three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family would leave it so long to report her missing. Greevey and Logan trace Astrea's boyfriend Jordan Hill, who denies being with Astrea during the three days she was missing. Hill was arrested on minor charges shortly before her disappearance, and police records confirm she was with him at the time of his arrest.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found injured in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is unwilling or unable to respond when Greevey and Logan try to speak to her; but Logan gives her a paper and pen and asks her to tell him who hurt her. In response, she writes "WHITE COPS." A rape kit is delayed because she is so disoriented. Astrea had left home three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family would leave it so long to report her missing. Greevey and Logan trace Astrea's boyfriend Jordan Hill, who denies being with Astrea during the three days she was missing. Hill was arrested on minor charges shortly before her disappearance, and police records confirm she was with him at the time of his arrest.

An African-American teenager named Astrea Crawford is found injured in the street, with racial slurs written across her body. She is unwilling or unable to respond when Greevey and Logan try to speak to her; but Logan gives her a paper and pen and asks her to tell him who hurt her. In response, she writes "WHITE COPS." A rape kit is delayed because she is so disoriented. Astrea had left home three days prior to being found, and Greevey questions why her family would leave it so long to report her missing. Greevey and Logan trace Astrea's boyfriend Jordan Hill, who denies being with Astrea during the three days she was missing.

Eaton agrees to meet Stone at Astrea's hospital bedside, but refuses to divulge his plans for the case. Stone rebukes him for using Astrea as a political pawn, and Eaton admits he isn't interested in catching her attackers; he wants to bring down the careers of the most important figures in the New York legal justice system. Stone and Eaton are questioned by the press as they leave the hospital. Stone publicly reveals that the FBI's rape kit was negative, and when Astrea was first brought into the emergency room she showed no signs of exposure (as she should have if she had been left outside on the night in question.) Eaton repeats his assertion that the entire investigation is built around systemic racism.

At the hearing, a pathologist testifies that Astrea's case has some hallmarks of a false rape allegation. Eaton denies influencing Astrea and her parents to refuse to co-operate with the police, and Stone warns that he will be forced to order the Crawfords' arrest if they do not testify. When Astrea and her mother fail to appear in court, Robinette successfully petitions the court to issue the maximum sentence for contempt. The judge, who is African-American, rejects the attempts of the Crawfords' lawyer and Eaton to imply she is collaborating with the police to oppress black Americans. She encourages the Crawfords to testify rather than serve their sentence. Stone fears that if Astrea and her mother go to jail, they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won.

The Crawfords' pastor agrees to convince Astrea's mother to meet with Robinette. Mrs. Crawford confesses that Astrea became pregnant through her relationship with Hill, but was afraid to tell her abusive father the truth. She believed the only way he would let her have an abortion was if she lied about being raped by white police. Robinette strikes a deal with the family that if Astrea and Mrs. Crawford testify at the hearing, the city will drop the charges against them and he will arrange a gagging order against the media. He also assigns a social worker to protect Astrea from her father's violence.

At the hearing, a pathologist testifies that Astrea's case has some hallmarks of a false rape allegation. Eaton denies influencing Astrea and her parents to refuse to co-operate with the police, and Stone warns that he will be forced to order the Crawfords' arrest if they do not testify. When Astrea and her mother fail to appear in court, Robinette successfully petitions the court to issue the maximum sentence for contempt. The judge, who is African-American, rejects the attempts of Eaten and the Crawfords' lawyer to imply she is collaborating with the police to oppress black Americans. She encourages the Crawfords to testify rather than serve their sentence. Stone fears that if Astrea and her mother go to jail, they will be seen as martyrs and Eaton will have won.