History Recap / LawAndOrderS3E5WeddedBliss

!!!This episode contains examples of:

* HonorableMarriageProposal: Lena's grandmother pressured her to marry Amendariz so the family looked "respectable."

* SpousalPrivilege: Averted when the judge holds Amendariz doesn't have it and Lena may testify against him.

Logan and Cerreta investigate after three bodies are found washed up in identical circumstances. Ira Bender was an inspector who'd been investigating illegal sweatshops; the other two victims, Eduardo and Maria Carranza, worked at a factory he visited. The detectives find the factory abandoned but follow a trail to Royalty Fashions and its owners Ellis and Betty Drake; who use undocumented labor. They are arrested along with their former employee Rudy Amendariz.

* HappilyAdopted: The Ellises claim this is their relationship with Amendariz, whom they took in as a homeless teen.

* CinderellaCircumstances: Eduardo and Maria, who were middle school-aged children, were toiling in a sweatshop in a vain attempt to raise money for their family in Mexico.

* SpousalPrivilege: Averted when the judge holds Amendariz doesn't have it and Lena may testify against him.
* YourCheatingHeart: Betty and Amendariz had an affair, which is eventually enough to push Ellis to testify against them.

The Drakes are clearly afraid of Amendariz, and all attempts at a plea deal fail. The judge rules that Amendariz' wife Lena could testify, but she is also too scared. When taunted over an affair Betty had with Amendariz, Ellis agrees to testify against them. He says Amendariz came up with the idea of imprisoning workers in the sweatshop. Amendariz then killed Bender, and later the Carranzas when they tried to escape. However, Amendariz' lawyer spins this to suggest Ellis committed all the murders himself. Upon speaking to Lena's grandmother, Stone and Robinette realize Amendariz wanted to use her house for something. The bodies of all the imprisoned sweatshop workers are found buried in her yard.

Logan and Cerreta investigate after three bodies are found washed up in identical circumstances. Ira Bender was an inspector who'd been investigating illegal sweatshops; the other two victims, Eduardo and Maria Carranza, worked at a factory he visited. The detectives find the factory abandoned but follow a trail to Royalty Fashions and its owners Ellis and Betty Drake; who use undocumented labor. The Drakes' former employee Rudy Amendariz owns a club where the Carranzas used to hang out; at the time of working for the Drakes, he was convicted for stabbing an inspector. He and the Drakes are arrested.

Logan and Cerreta investigate after three bodies are found washed up in identical circumstances. Ira Bender was an inspector who'd been investigating illegal sweatshops; the other two victims, Eduardo and Maria Carranza, worked at a factory he visited. The detectives find the factory abandoned but follow a trail to Royalty Fashions, which uses undocumented labour. The owners, Ellis and Betty Drake, claim they vacated the factory building a long time ago. They deny they employed the Carranzas, but evidence suggests otherwise. The Drakes' former employee Rudy Amendariz owns a club where the Carranzas used to hang out; at the time of working for the Drakes, he was convicted for stabbing an inspector. He and the Drakes are arrested.

The Drakes are clearly afraid of Amendariz, and all attempts at a plea deal fail. The judge rules that Amendariz' wife Lena could testify, but she is also too scared. When taunted over an affair Betty had with Amendariz, Ellis agrees to testify against them. He says Amendariz came up with the idea of imprisoning workers in the sweatshop. Amendariz then killed Bender, and later the Carranzas when they tried to escape. However, the defense spins this to suggest Ellis committed all the murders himself. Upon speaking to Lena's grandmother, Stone and Robinette realize Amendariz wanted to use her house for something. The bodies of all the imprisoned sweatshop workers are found buried in her yard.

The Drakes are clearly afraid of Amendariz, and all attempts at a plea deal fail. The judge rules that Amendariz' wife Lena could testify, but she is also too scared. When taunted over an affair Betty had with Amendariz, Ellis agrees to testify against them. He says
Amendariz came up with the idea of imprisoning workers in the sweatshop. Amendariz then killed Bender, and later the Carranzas when they tried to escape. However, the defense spins this to suggest Ellis committed all the murders himself. Upon speaking to Lena's grandmother, Stone and Robinette realize Amendariz wanted to use her house for something. The bodies of all the imprisoned sweatshop workers are found buried in her yard.

Stone is concerned that in the event of a re-indictment, the defense could just pin all the murders on Ellis. The Brooklyn DA now wants the case since the bodies were found in Brooklyn, where Lena's grandmother lives. Schiff orders Stone to cut a deal with Amendariz and the Drakes. With the threat of putting Lena's grandmother on the stand, and showing the jury the bodies buried in her yard, the defense agrees to one count of murder and a 25-year sentence for each defendant.

* ChainedToABed: How Amendariz imprisoned people in the sweatshop.

* CinderellaCircumstances: Eduardo and Maria, who are mentioned as being middle school aged, were toiling in a sweatshop in a vain attempt to raise money for their family in Mexico.

* TheIllegal: Eduardo and Maria Carranza.

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