Privileged vs Homeless - Law & Order

The court fights over whether a homeless man should be judged for his crimes in the same way as those more privileged than him.
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From Season 14, Episode 11 "Darwinian" - After a hit-and-run victim is left to die, the shocking circumstances of the case leave McCoy and Southerlyn determined to get the driver on a murder charge.
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[@7249xxl]

The actor that played the homeless man is amazing.

[@bchristopher7584]

for real man. would love to see more of his work. fantastic emotion. got me choked up for sure

[@Hartwik]

This actor is the best actor. You should see him in 1984.

[@douglasducoteclown228]

He nailed it!

[@efuller3333]

sad to see this role didn’t lead to more roles, it seems.

[@7249xxl]

@@efuller3333 Christopher Donahue

[@rabbitsfoot8]

"I lost it all...you don't know what that feels like...to be a failure..to go to bed on a wet piece of cardboard..wondering how did this happen to me" ..I felt that. Fantastic acting as usual

[@stephanieflores277]

It's still an issue to this day. Shelters are temporary but it would be nice of they can help these ppl learn skills to help themselves

[@janetmerner3731]

@@stephanieflores277 Some people have mental health issues it is not skills we need it is our fellow man to show some compassion. Next month I will probably be homeless, I do not have the money to pay first and last months rent I am on disability I usually save up but my current landlord decided to sell the house I live in only three months after I moved in. I can't save the up the money in only three months. I am not ashamed of having mental health issues because I was as a civilian thrown under the bus by the Canadian armed forces in 1991 in an incident involving radar leased from an American defense contractor and I was was dragged under the bus by the US Department of the Navy between 1991 and 1995. I went to the Americans for help in 2012 and they tortured me for months.

[@mikebasil4832]

@@janetmerner3731 I’m so sorry that all that happened to you, Janet.

[@magnus33john]

It's easy to judge from the outside but it's one hell of a lot harder when you see them for who they are. That was one hell of acting job by anyone's standards.

[@rabbitsfoot8]

@@magnus33john it was.. brilliant even

[@renko9067]

This actor’s performance is the most moving one I’ve seen. Sadly, I don’t think his career took off like it should have. One of the best-written Law & Order episodes ever.

[@Kronos0999]

Lol

[@stuartschiffman2581]

He's mostly a stage actor.

[@ishikawagoemon4397]

It's sad since alot of people look away from these homeless people like they don't exist. Ever since the pandemic started, I can't imagine what they been through out there

[@gorbashs6500]

Well the sad part is that even when you do look at them and even try to help, they will get agressive, hostile or bash you head in for your vallet :(

[@cslantz4020]

@@gorbashs6500 the sad part is that that isnt every homeless person. some people do bad things. some people do good.

[@WorkDayPegasus]

@@cslantz4020 cslantz, how is it sad that not every homeless person is aggressive, hostile or will bash your head in for a wallet? That's a GREAT thing that not every homeless person does that. It's not a sad thing. It's great that there are good people as well!

[@cslantz4020]

@@WorkDayPegasus i agree. and i was pushing forward the notion that it is sad that people like Gorbashs will think such things.

[@higunner00]

@@gorbashs6500 Well, homeowners and bussiness owner and just shitty people in general will do the same so is not inherent of homelessness

[@kathrynadkisson8964]

I like how he called the guy human at the end. So much emotion on both sides

[@MsWiccanpriestess]

@Kathryn Adkisson McCoy did come off a little privileged, I remember this episode Mr. Edgars was I believe found not guilty.

[@lostinthestorywithjeremymi9385]

@@MsWiccanpriestess No, he was found guilty.

[@michaeldorosh5047]

McCoy was saying it to take away the man's excuse for assaulting his victim. It was intended for the jury, to see the defendant as responsible for his crime.

[@mr.berardine1694]

@@michaeldorosh5047 McCoy is the villain in this episode.

[@gorbashs6500]

@@mr.berardine1694 why? If you kill someone you are the bed person. Only excuse is, if it is someone worse than you.

[@BB-tt6fl]

The homeless man is Christopher Donahue, who is a stage actor. Unfortunately, this was his last TV show, film credit on imdb, which only showed 3 total. Wish there was more, as you can tell from this role he’s a great actor.

[@Loveroffood41]

In the immortal words of CS Lewis comes this quote: experience is a brutal teacher but you learn my god do you learn. EDIT:Thank you for the likes.

[@THISWEEKINHUMANdotcom]

You can't live the dream without, living the nightmares.

[@throttleblipsntwistedgrips1992]

Reference to trench warfare in WW1?

[@AlexKS1992]

I don’t know who said this but here’s this, “Pain is a good teacher but a bad friend”.

[@75flash]

How you apply it and Whether or not you’ll get the chance to apply what you’ve learned is a huge question mark though

[@DeepGreenLimeshark]

I love how he knows he has to stay acting as a prosecutor, has to stay on point with his case, but knows what he just heard is not something he can respond to any further. So he says: "Sounds Human to me." tells him that he sees him, sees his issues, sees who he is but also stays on point for his own job. It's straying dangerously close to that line, but it's done so well and I love it. This show lost it's character over the years, but these old ones? These will ALWAYS be amazing to go back and watch.

[@obliviouz]

No, you missed McCoy's genius. The entire argument was whether the accused was a human, and so should be judged as one, or as lesser, and so should be held to a lesser standard. The homeless person made McCoy's argument for him: He was every bit a human, he feels and he despairs, and he suffers as a human. *And by that same token* - he ought to be judged as one. That's why McCoy didn't go any further, he didn't need to: The argument was already won: The homeless person is still human, and should be judged as a human.

[@armanvranka7520]

Yeah u totally missed the point of this line of questioning big hoss

[@petervaczovsky9211]

Having been there, I can relate. Been homeless, slept behind dumpsters that block the wind when it's 20 degrees and the snow's falling; seen how people turn their backs when you ask for a cigarette; went everywhere I could find, even fast-food places, looking for a job. That's when the recession was on, NOBODY was hiring. Unless you've been there, you'll never know.

[@martinsusanto510]

one thing I don't understand, you were homeless, but why you're asking for cigarette instead of food or necessity? (blanket, or other things that is essential). I'm sorry, I will also turn my back if some homeless ask me for cigarettes, but I will buy them food if that's what they need.

[@petervaczovsky9211]

@@martinsusanto510, like I said, unless you've been homeless you'll never know. You're made to feel like you're trash, you're some freak that doesn't even deserve to live. I fought against that and finally got out of it. Others, almost seems like they want to be that way. Go figure.

[@martinsusanto510]

@@petervaczovsky9211 I see... I'm happy for you then that you manage to get out of that. Great fight.

[@isaac3736]

If you don't mind sharing your story with a stranger on Internet, how did you manage to straighten out your life?

[@petervaczovsky9211]

@@isaac3736, I had a plan in mind and it worked. Not saying I didn't pay a price or two, had to expect that. Only that's how it is. When someone sees you're willing to pay a price for what you want to do and you don't care what the price is, your plan, such as it is, and was for me, will work. Tough to describe, it's different for every person.

[@lucianmartin3389]

What separates the privileged from the homeless is one bad day. One bad day where everything we love, own, and subconsciously take for granted gets stripped away from us and is seen as nothing more than vermin. This episode makes me see how we should be grateful and appreciative for what we DO have and that there are people who have it far worse than us.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Sadly, so true. There but for the grace of God....

[@henrywilson2136]

One Bad Day is also what separates The average citizen from the Joker.

[@robertfergusson5367]

Been there, done that. Was fortunate enough to get into a program that got me back on my feet.

[@victorstein24]

It isn't one bad day. It is a series of bad days. Bad months. Bad years. A day does not make a man what he becomes. Mental health and homelessness are issues that need helped. People drinking wine over dinner at a fancy restaurant most of us couldn't enter, disparity causes despair.

[@marcushoward6560]

Someone drinking a bottle of wine over dinner they paid for with their own money, at a fancy restaurant, has never had, nor ever will have, a single shred of impact on how *I* live *MY* life. @@victorstein24

[@MrALPHA318]

Never again. I'm never going to take anything for granted again. Not matter how rough things get.

[@gorbashs6500]

I would like to belive you. But we are all humans... Three months from now you will forget all about this video, and be too busy with live to remeber it.

[@youcantmakemetosuscribe4745]

@@gorbashs6500 and someday he will be full gratefullness again , Up n down ,up n down till the day we die

[@gorbashs6500]

@@youcantmakemetosuscribe4745 Exactly. :)

[@CriticalSurvival0]

​@@gorbashs6500 naah i come back to twin peak moments all the time to humble myself again. people dont just forget.

[@hal900x]

That actor got his one shot as guest on the show and boy, he took it.

[@dcomp420]

And in the end nobody learned a thing and the homeless stayed homeless Goodnight kids

[@maosama3695]

Nah he's in prison with free food and free medical care.

[@Maniac742]

Why wouldn't the homeless stay homeless?

[@LaFonteCheVi]

@@maosama3695 "Food"

[@LaFonteCheVi]

@@Maniac742 Responsible societies uplift and shelter the homeless. Not abandon them. It is better for everyone.

[@maosama3695]

@@LaFonteCheVi ? Prison food isn't that bad though. I can say it's actually better than what they serve in American school. Probably because American prisons are privately owned.

[@destinythomas5537]

What did he expect a homeless man to show up to court in? His best suit?

[@amyinalaska2823]

Usually the defense dresses the defendant up for court-often there are funds available to the public defenders office for cases like this.

[@GAshoneybear]

I was about to say this. Our Salvation Army periodically donates suits and dresses for homeless people who have to go to court.

[@commanex]

Thats literally the point of the argument. Mccoy says that its against decorum AND that the defense is using his appearance to skew the jurors into looking at him more as downtrodden, thus making them pity him as a homeless person first instead of judging his actions.

[@sonrouge]

One of the witnesses, also a homeless man, was cleaned and dressed up.

[@Wimpymind]

He was wearing his best suit. What do you mean?

[@hestiaa9354]

I wonder if the reason why so many people ignore the homeless is due to terror-because most of us are balancing on a razor’s edge and just one stiff breeze could cause us to slip off and get cut and we could end up like the guy in that episode.

[@sitdowndogbreath]

Don't forget most new apartment complexes now require you to make 3 times the rent

[@AlexKS1992]

Or it could that they’re on drugs and they will rob you of murder you. Not every bum is like this guy in the video.

[@obliviouz]

Or maybe because they might kill you for a piece of orange. That'd be reason enough not to risk interacting with them.

[@TheBatugan77]

@@sitdowndogbreath It used to be four.

[@sitdowndogbreath]

@@TheBatugan77 for what what state is this?

[@Orion3741]

Powerful acting by the man who portrays the homeless accused. And a brutal reminder that we are all vulnerable. This scene reminds me of the movie "Falling Down", starring Michael Douglas. A movie about a man who has become redundant. That same man experiences a meltdown. And then it gets ugly. Real fast. A brutal reminder that we are all vulnerable.

[@gtw4546]

More vulnerable than we know. For those from small families, every sibling death puts you one step closer - but it also makes us even more appreciative of our kin.

[@ryang54712]

I love this episode. Powerful stuff. I feel bad for this guy. He really had it rough and this happens to him. It’s bittersweet to think he went to jail where they give him food and shelter. The acting in this scene was spot on.

[@DorvellTStewart]

The closing scene of this episode really drives that point home as well; I don’t remember if the conversation was between McCoy and Serena, Mccoy And Arthur or all three of them together, but McCoy said something like “We’re taking him out of one jungle and putting him in another.” Really wish this clip had included the closing arguments, the verdict and the final scene.

[@Durhandoni80]

I don´t feel bad for him at all. There are many many homeless, but this one is a murder.

[@ryang54712]

@@Durhandoni80 but he has remorse. U can see it

[@lucianmartin3389]

Yeah, to the privileged, jail and prison are hell. But to the homeless, it's a blessing.

[@harrisonhurst6480]

​@@lucianmartin3389 Prisons are awful. "3 hots and a cot" is a myth. Prisioners die all the time due to neglect.

[@trippinballs101]

I heard stories where when homeless have finally lost hope they get on the nearest highway out of town and just roll the dice and walk ... and walk ... and walk ... like a drone till they find a wood, lay down; and pass on...

[@Stormkrow280]

You can live without hope, but I wouldn’t recommend it, hope is not an endless ocean, it’s a well, and if all you have is hope but no payoff then eventually that well will dry up and you are left with nothing but misery. The famous quote of “where there’s life there’s hope” is backwards, it should be “without hope, there’s no life”

[@danielk5780]

"The problem doesn't go away if you throw more money at the problem." In this particular case, it does. In Germany, we have a social safety net and work- and health-insurance. If there is an accident at work, insurance pays for your treatment until you're recovered. After six weeks being sick, the insurance takes over paying your wages until you're recovered. Then you can get back into your job. You can't be fired from your job for being sick, much less if you've been injured in a work-related accident. If you can't recover, there is something called disability-insurance, that's part of the insurance your employer is mandated to pay for. They will probably not pay your entire wages, but you'll get good money out of it and can for sure make a living if you add a decent side-job. People that get hurt at work don't become homeless in Germany. That's what we pay taxes for.

[@oceanberserker]

That sounds beautiful, my guy.

[@CainEverest]

Yeah it's almost as if investing in people actually makes most of these problems go away *stares at corporations and the 1%*

[@ajc-ff5cm]

This is true of the US as well, but it depends on who you work for and what insurance you have.

[@bored1ca]

@@ajc-ff5cm you might want to watch Michael Moore's film Sicko because Health Insurance in the US is a myth.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Thank you. A better system than we have in the US. In America, it is just, tough luck. This is not a liberal or a conservative issue. I am, btw, a pro-Trump Republican. Maybe we should spend more money on American citizens and less on illegal migrants-who are put up in hotels free of charge.

[@alcd6333]

Most L&O episodes are strong, but this one is very relevant. Homelessness in the US is a tragedy and there is no "one size fits all" remedy. Instead of political parties blaming one another, it's time to brainstorm effective methods to treat those mentally ill and addicted and institute responsibility and work ethics for others. And that's just for starters.

[@PokeMageTech]

Fairly sure one side demonizes them while the other suffers from “Not In My BackYard”.

[@haven_lady675]

Not just the US. Japan, Canada, Russia, etc. It's a worldwide epidemic. It's even sadder if it's women, elderly, and kids. They are vulnerable.

[@1337penguinman]

We shut down the mental institutions in the 70s and a lot of those people have nowhere else to go and are basically incapable of caring for themselves to any reasonable standard. Combine that with substance abuse and that's where 95% of the problem comes from.

[@whitearabianhorses]

At the very end, McCoy and Southerlyn are talking, and McCoy says, “Don’t get me wrong: he killed somebody over an orange, he deserves to be punished for it.” Southerlyn: “. . . But. . .?” McCoy: “We just moved him from one jungle to another.” Very chilling and solemn.

[@EthanMandelson]

This and ER were the best shows, they really picked their cast well, no other shows compare to these at all!

[@americannomadnews5370]

The trial at the end where he gives his testimony is one of the best representations of what it's like to be homeless that I've seen in Media, and I've been homeless since 2012.

[@sitdowndogbreath]

If you don't mind me asking what started that

[@ALPHADARKFANG]

if ur homeless howd u get internet

[@catsundre2904]

@@ALPHADARKFANG Internet cafes dude

[@shalashaska9946]

He's a nomad. There's a difference.

[@TheBatugan77]

@@catsundre2904 They're not free, dude.

[@Tanzenergise]

"homeless first an a human being second" you know the writers wanted him to sound like a complete fist magnet.

[@connorbestbarlow1043]

Love how he makes it sound like it’s either one or the other

[@greywolf0167]

this homeless man problably one of the best actors i have seen in a long time and the writers did a great job

[@supernerd2333]

This hit close to home for me. I was almost crying at the end. Good stuff.

[@ValdezJu]

Why would Brisco & Green quote the police usage of the derogatory terms 'skell or lice-head' in their report? The answer is; they wouldn't!

[@GAshoneybear]

That part annoyed me. The only detective throughout the show run I could see doing that was Curtis, and even that would be be pushing it.

[@neville1103]

That was one hell of a scene. The actor that played the homeless man killed that part.

[@I_Love_my_adblock4408]

Fred Thompson (Arthur) was an outstanding actor, so was the man who played the homeless man.

[@Roonlovesfish3874]

The acting is superb. Law and Order is brilliant.

[@Durhandoni80]

Thx, Mccoy for showing, that because just someone is homeless, doesn´t mean that defines his human qualities.

[@LadyB_20]

I don't know which side to lean on more but this is a reality that is well conveyed in the actors part. Just amazing, you could feel the weight.

[@TheMistressMisery]

I'd imagine if you have any kind of compassion or empathy that the defendant is the one to be on the side of. No question.

[@matthewhoward6106]

@@TheMistressMisery He killed someone though. Where's the compassion for the dead?

[@nano15j]

@@matthewhoward6106 Empathy is key here. He killed someone that is true and that was wrong. But empathy would tell us that we cannot judge a person living in such, sub-human circumstances the same way we would judge someone that lives well, especially considering what such an environment does to a person's psyche. In an ideal society, he would still go to jail but jails would be set up as a transitioning facility for persons who are "a danger to society and themselves" to help them overcome and change rather than a stigmatized punitive system.

[@matthewhoward6106]

@@nano15j So what should we do? Try to rehabilitate the man into society after he took the life of another? We can't rehab that dead man, and we certainly can't fix his circumstances in the least. If you really believe that this man cannot be held responsible for his actions, then we have nothing further to discuss. Every average intelligence human being has the ability to understand that killing a person under most circumstances is wrong. At no point should we accept that his actions were not his own.

[@nano15j]

@@matthewhoward6106 I didn't say that he shouldn't be held responsible. Rather that his case should be viewed considering the context and his mental state at the time. Also why cant his circumstances, or the circumstances of the millions of people in the US that are homeless, or live in similarly desolate conditions be improved? You are so quick to judge this man (albeit he is fictional) for his actions as an individual but chose to ignore the actions of society that let this man and many others live in such inhuman conditions.

[@erinleafty6273]

This is one bay is one criminal in law and order I actually feel bad for because being homeless is a living nightmare and the actor portraying the homeless man did an excellent job portraying his character

[@kevinxiao0]

Something I don't think was mentioned enough in this episode is that he didn't take out his frustration on the privileged. He took it out on another homeless person. And that is scarier than I like to think about.

[@Ragitsu]

Keep people on the same social stratum fighting one another.

[@thefuturist8864]

When the police officer says he didn’t intervene because he didn’t know who started it, it seemed pretty clear that in actual fact he just didn’t care. Perhaps he saw the two homeless people, fighting, as examples of who he needs to protect everyone from, rather than people he needs to protect.

[@beccablueeyes99]

To get a job you need to be clean and well presented and spend money to have a printed copy of your resume along with being able to send an online version with an application. So you need access to the internet. You also need an email address and a phone number. So again, you need a phone and money to pay the phone bill. You have multiple applications and even if you do get the job, you need a bank account, money for public transport to get there on time unless you live in a park nearby. You will need shoes and at least 2 of each item of clothing so you can clean 1 while wearing the other, so you need some kind of soap and a safe place to dry your clothes. You won’t be able to take your merger belongings with you to work, so you would need a safe place to store them, which is unlikely. You need bank info and multiple ID’s for the company because of tax and misc employment records. You usually don’t get paid until you have worked for 2-4 weeks. During that time you will still be scrounging for food and money, just in the limited hours that you aren’t working. So, without current ID, bank account, clean clothes, access to regular water, soap and a toothbrush along with work appropriate clothing and shoes and a way to explain the gap in your work history along with trying to find food and a safe place to live along with how to get to the places you need to be, it sounds like you are stuck in a pit with walls that crumble every time you try to pull yourself out. But sure, why don’t you just get a job?

[@Stratigic_Cheese_Reserve]

I bet the Writer patted themselves on the back after finishing this script, then stepped over a Homeless person on their way home.

[@flightevolution8132]

Oh Mr. High and Mighty, what are you doing for the homeless?

[@maxpowerii7368]

@@flightevolution8132 what are you doing? OP is right...writers love to incorporate ideas of social justice issues in their writings while simultaneously profiting from their high positions in a system that creates said issues.

[@buttofthejoke]

@@maxpowerii7368 They bring out stories like this, this becomes a conversation, this results in people standing for elections with possible solutions, then people can vote for them and make changes, that is how democracy works. What do you expect the writer to do? Because they don't have a solution to this, they should just write another La La Land? Art has changed the world, be it making people realize issues about discrimination, wars, sexual assaults, environment, success or failures. This scene would help people look at homeless a bit different from thinking of them as just a bunch of lazy people. Those people vote, for school budget, for social safety nets, for healthcare etc etc. So yes, they did much much better than a KZbin keyboard warrior.

[@maxpowerii7368]

@@buttofthejoke yeah liberal democracy is a sham and a puppet show. Art is the last preserve of the selfish and cowardly rebel who wants the kudos with none of the necessary sacrifice.

[@themanonthepan]

@@maxpowerii7368 you're literally brainwashed LMFAO keep on throwing buzzwords around 5 year old

[@johnmccrossan9376]

Yes this backstory is tragic, yes homelessness is a real issue but let's not forget this man murdered another human being, and a mentally ill human being at that, because he felt entitled to that man's orange. "Slamming his face into the ground" key word being slamming, that is to say slamming repeatedly. He was aware and he was sane, disturbed and under high stress but fundamentally this man killed without a good reason and he knew it was wrong, he's guilty.

[@horsepuncher95]

Well yeah 100%, but the overarching message in this ep is about how someone can in a first world country be in such a dire situation as this. Where you feel you need to kill a man for an ORANGE. Still guilty and must be held accountable of course, but there is something fundamentally broken about how homeless tend to be treated in us anglophone societies

[@johnmccrossan9376]

@@horsepuncher95 sorry my mistake, I confused this guy and Roland kirk there was a somewhat similar episode

[@horsepuncher95]

@@johnmccrossan9376 Not a problem at all no need for apologies

[@obliviouz]

@@horsepuncher95 He didn't need to kill another man for an orange.

[@PokeMageTech]

But the man also flipped out over being ASKED.

[@Chemdawg2009]

That defense backfired tremendously.

[@babibabu7766]

I wonder if there was universal healthcare in America would he be homeless in the first place. He would not have been in debt if healthcare was free after he had the construction site accident, which makes you wonder how many people are in the same situation that he was in right now!

[@Loveroffood41]

It definitely brings up a million different questions

[@H1delta]

The maga hatters would never allow it. They're against helping the poor, the down trodden, people of color, and foreigners from poor countries. What they don't understand is by helping this people who they despise, they help themselves and the country. Short sighted, they are. When you lose empathy for other people, you lose your humanity. And when you lose your humanity, it disqualifies you from membership in the human race. Pity.

[@jamieroark5769]

The vast majority (99.9%) of the American population would be strongly against Universal Healthcare.

[@sonrouge]

There's no such thing as a free lunch. And people are in debt from healthcare because of the government's constant meddling in the healthcare industry. Among other things, this meddling jacks up demand without doing a thing to up supply.

[@babibabu7766]

@@sonrouge What demand and supply? Healthcare is a human right and should be accessible to everyone without crippling them with debt. There should be no for-profit institutions when it comes to healthcare.

[@HermioneSharman15]

I swear, Serena and Arthur's feud only got worse from this point till season 15. It's like writers had run out of ideas to sell in the 'Order' format.

[@aaronburgin1442]

Or that they were looking for a way to write her off.

[@Deborahtunes]

I thought it was very poignant in this...

[@michaeldorosh5047]

I wonder if the current crop of television shows would ever have a sympathetic character utter the phrase "limousine liberal" in earnest.

[@obliviouz]

@@michaeldorosh5047 It's no wonder the Dems are always over-confident about their chances. Because Hollywood doesn't tell it as it is anymore. The concept of the "limousine liberal" is almost the entire explanation for the Dems' failures over the past 20 years - they've focused so much on virtue signalling and identity issues they've lost sight of the actual people. Like Serena here - she thinks working at a soup kitchen one day a year actually makes her better, like it makes a difference. Yeah- as much difference as a tweet today does.

[@metalltitan]

We had a sorta famous homeless guy in the city I studied in. Amazing guy to talk to when drunk. But that was the point. He was always drunk or stoned out of his mind. Sometimes you wish you could help but watching him... he completely lost hold over his existence.

[@maxpaschke2297]

I agree with everything the homeless man says, because thats exactly what it's really like to live out on the streets, it a constant struggle to survive!

[@americannomadnews5370]

Hospitals will often treat the homeless incredibly badly in fact I've had them lie to me. When it comes to the homeless some of the people that those who read this me live right next door to have the same kind of job pay their bills smile wave go by this is the same people who will take the most vulnerable person at the worst point part of their life judge them and kick them. The people who do these things have jobs just like anybody else in every industry every Nation and every city in nearly every business are these people who will abuse someone who cannot defend themselves well they treat you with courtesy and friendliness. That's part of what it's like to be homeless

[@zachdillenger5468]

In the end, I felt Mccoy was wrong here, yes the guy was wrong for killing the other dude but he didn't hit him to kill him, he didn't intend to kill him. The world he lived in is different than the one Mccoy lived in, like it or not. Weakness gets you killed or attacked. Not to mention Hospitals do not like Homeless people. US Hospitals are private and used to make money, sure they help people....but only if you got insurance or a big fat wallet. They wouldn't have helped that homeless guy anyways, they just would have kicked him out and been like "we looked him over, he seemed fine". The charge IMO wasn't justified, just another example of Mccoy not caring about the fine details and just wanting to win his case, which makes him a real POS in a way.

[@Tommy92gunner]

Stone > Mccoy, but anyway murder is murder, intent means nothing, you kill someone you're GOING to pay, and the defending justifiying his kill to be "alpha" these animals don't deserve life in our nation, you raise your hand against me, your life is forfit, criminals are running around FREE and the left are ALLOWING it. Douchebags keep making excuses as to why they "lose everything" *THEY CHOSE TO THROW IT AWAY* I don't care what excuse they say, THEY CHOSE TO BE H O M E L E S S, and the law will NOT tolerate it as an excuse to commit crime.

[@gaptainkinyutv9786]

So should he be allowed to murder freely? Or do you think he should of had a lesser charge

[@zachdillenger5468]

@@gaptainkinyutv9786 a lesser charge while what he did was wrong, his circumstances weren't what a normal person would face nor did he intend to kill the guy

[@thomasaitken1345]

The dead can't speak. But their murderers can pull on your heart strings for sympathy

[@srsusansummers3070]

Good remark

[@JSolar590]

It sucks that his family kicked him out.

[@gutz1981]

Welcome to what its like being a man in society. The media say "Privileged" a lot to describe men. Why do you think those men may make more money at a job than a woman? Because a lot of them work double shifts. Weekends. Overtime. Anything to keep their jobs. When we men lose it, we lose it all. Women for the most part are more protected by our society. In a divorce 9/10 they get the house, the cars, alimony, the kids. When a woman fails at something, their is usually a safety net to let her try again. When a man fails, there is no net. We walk a tight rope every day. We are heroes as long as we don't fall. Once we do, the show is over an no one wants us. We don't get a net and left to either die or crawl away.

[@zammmerjammer]

@@gutz1981 And who makes society that way...? (Hint: it ain't women)

[@derzz]

@@gutz1981 what a weird way to tell us youre a misogynist

[@andreyromashchenko8967]

@@derzz what a weird way to tell us that you don't understand the word "misogynist".

[@SimonKnight1023]

@@derzz I think that’s the best way actually. lol

[@terrynasonisasupervillain9017]

I love law and order and in Rotterdam Netherlands there is crime too

[@Barrythebarnabas]

5:00 he has a point. Lots of people virtue signal so they can feel better about the fact they don’t really contribute to their communities or civilization as a whole. They don’t actively choose to do good, selfless things, they’re just not doing bad things so when compared to actual good people they feel mediocre because not being evil doesn’t make you a saint. Just like volunteering at a soup kitchen once a year doesn’t make you a humanitarian

[@isabellamccann7395]

He is 100% right. I'm in a shelter at the moment. As I faced eviction on my own, feeling like a failure, I wondered," How did this happen to me?" 😭 "You think I chose this for my life?" 😭

[@vaporhtrail4350]

This guy deserves an emmy

[@BWS891]

I live paycheque to paycheck, and am so scared that one day that I'll be homeless because I've lost my job and can't afford a place to live. This really drove home that it could happen to anyone

[@mrt094]

"Limousine Liberals." Nice one.

[@dlf7789]

too bad its usually red ties in red corvettes. Liberalism is the least wealthy next to leftism of the political ideologies in america, if you want to make money its easier made in the GOP.

[@neverlimb5931]

@@dlf7789 LMAO ok bro... you are poor like the rest of us

[@dlf7789]

@@neverlimb5931 wut?

[@TISOA_1173]

@@dlf7789 Yes, money is easier made if you support the party who doesn't follow "Ladder cutting". Ladder cutting is described as climbing up in rank,, whether that be in financial ground or social standings, but cut the way up behind you to prevent your hierarchical area from becoming bloated by other people. Why do you think Bezos, Gates, or the Walton family support increasing taxes to pay for social programs? It's because their money has already been made and taxed, if they keep running their multi-billion dollar businesses at a net neutral in capital, they are set for life. If you want to make money follow fiscally conservative ideals. If YOU want to be the only one with money, follow fiscally liberal ideals.

[@dlf7789]

@@TISOA_1173 except none of those people are taxed nearly as much as the lower and middle class. You also forget about the fact of political racketeering. The best solution is to tax and" liquidate" the wealthy and redistribute their assets amongst the state and public projects to refurbish homing facilities and farming.

[@emoteen011]

the entire scene where they are debating the validity of the case while at a restaurant two wine glasses per person, is rich if you ask me. its like the situation is lost on them that they can't see privileges.

[@colin8696908]

I guess that makes it ok to kill someone over an orange.

[@burnaboy8434]

​@@colin8696908They literally neither said nor implied anything like that. Cool straw man though. Edit: Typo

[@zoebellanfante5017]

They need love they need compassion they need to be treated with some respect too it’s sad to see people have no other choice but to live on the streets 🙏🏾

[@Mr_Myers_]

"Why didn't you get a job?" Its really, REALLY not that simple sometimes.

[@jeremykershaw]

Gotta admit, the defense has a convincing case

[@Joeh1154]

Unless you're the relative of the victim.

[@gideonjones8088]

I haven't seen the full episode, maybe I'm missing something important, but how? To me the entire defense sounds like "Oh it's so awful being homeless, his life is too sad for him to be guilty." He says he couldn't walk away without risking becoming a target to others. Well, too bad, that's not a good enough excuse to commit a crime.

[@Deborahtunes]

@@gideonjones8088 ~ 👍 He seems to want it both ways. Expecting pity from people after committing a crime. Then when it's suggested to go to a shelter (or to help himself), those places aren't good enough, for him, because of the crazies druggies and thieves ({oh my} - sorry, couldn't resist). I've been homeless in the past, and had far less options than the character in this episode. But I never gave up on my future. I picked myself up, found another place to live, and have never looked back. It's all in what a person is willing to do. The person here, decided to do nothing for himself. While still acting as if he deserved more than the other people in his position...

[@popcorn8153]

@@Deborahtunes so your argument is that it was easy for you so people must be overreacting about being homeless?

[@Deborahtunes]

@@popcorn8153 ~ No, you are way off. Where did I say it was easy for me? I said I did what I had to do to pick myself up and move on. I DIDN'T sit around and act as if I was better then the other homeless people around me. Which is exactly what this character here did...

[@obliviouz]

"The court fights over whether a homeless man should be judged for his crimes in the same way as those more privileged than him." - that's a stupid question. The video asks us if they should be treated more leniently. Would people agree with treating them more harshly? Discrimination, better or worse, is not to be accepted. And it's all besides the fucking point. He didn't choose to be homeless? Fine. He chose to assault and attack another person.

[@samjones6046]

He's right about one thing, if he let that go, the consequences in the future could be dire.

[@obliviouz]

@@samjones6046 You don't get to kill someone to protect yourself unless it's to protect yourself from that person in self defence. That actually makes it worse, far worse, because it means it was premeditated and planned and thought out. Not lashing out, not a schizophrenic break, but conscious and deliberate.

[@vincentfichtler7758]

​@@obliviouzplus the homeless man could have just walked away from the delusional guy after refused to share but he didn't.

[@eagleeye5189]

Pretty clear example of how the law just isn't sufficient to deal with homeless issues. You say they're people, yet the way they live is animalistic; not because they're animals, but because they're forced to survive. You think a guy like this can get a job? Try walking into even the most basic place--a McDonald's, a mall, etc--dressed like he is, looking like he is. They'll chase him out before he can get an interview. The prosecutor wants it both ways. He wants to be able to treat the homeless like people, but not for compassion, rather, for punishment. To treat them the same as anyone else while ignoring the circumstances that break them, the environment that strips away their personhood, makes them feel like they have to survive in the wild despite being surrounded by people doing better than them.

[@teowes7528]

The fantastic thing about this show is how every episode feels real. I'm sitting here typing out what his lawyer should have done knowing full well the character had a script. LOL.

[@korrde]

The ending was weak. McCoy said nothing to rebut what the homeless man said. And it felt like he knew he had nothing to really come back with.

[@milamberarial]

He wasn't trying to rebut what the accused said. He was rebutting the defense attorney's strategy. She was trying to make the case that a homeless person like him can't be judged by the same rules other people are judged by. That the lifestyle he is living doesn't allow for him to do things the way you are supposed to. Thats what the "should we treat you like animals then" part was all about. By showing that the guy is as human as anyone else in the courtroom is, he is also showing that the defense's argument isn't valid. He is human. He has to be judged according to the law, not a different system. Nobody can legally blame a dog for fighting with another dog, even if one of them dies. But humans are judged by the law. If he is human in mindset, desires, fears, etc, then he is subject to the law. They didn't have to prove he killed the guy, he had already confessed to that. They had to prove that he isn't subject to a different law than the rest of humanity in that city.

[@lithara5302]

I can understand now why some homeless people choose jail. A murder sentence wouldn't be worth it, but a few years of food and a bed plus the small amount they can make working, or finishing/starting an educational goal sounds way better than the streets.

[@insertclevername4123]

Of all the episodes I've seen of this show and all the performances, this one has always stuck with me. Just gutting. (And it's funny--the show has such confidence in the rightness of its main characters that the cops and DAs usually get the "undercut the perp's argument" last line, but this time it just feels unspeakably cruel, even though they probably didn't plan it that way.)

[@fbispecialagentfrancisyork457]

I never got the sense that this show always believe its main characters to be in the right. It trusted the audience to know that there were times where the zeal for prosecution could be misplaced.

[@louiscypher4186]

You gotta love this comments section, "oh think of the poor homeless man" That's exactly why he gets convicted the jury thought of the poor defenceless homeless man he mudered. Ask yourself why you empathize with a murderer instead of his victim.

[@sonnyp3228]

And the sad part are the people who question and judged them are the people have every thing in life, from wine and dine in 5 star restaurant, live in 4 bed room and 3 car garage. possessed every toys or gadgets in world have to offer even they don't even know what s that for.

[@bryanm64]

Yeah, was this a jury trial? If it's supposed to be a jury of your peers, shouldn't it be composed of homeless people? I bet they'd love to earn min. wage for a few days.

[@thomasdevine3716]

This is why Law & Order is so great even the side characters are unbelievable

[@setaside2]

Having been homeless three times in my life, I couldn't even look at the man while he was screaming in the stand. All I could do was clutch and fold inward. I know that desperation. This country, built on the poisonous PR that is rugged individualism, the idea that promotion of better civics and social welfare is weakness, that taking care of your neighbor as you would like to be taken care of is laziness, parasitism... We've been raised wrong and we vote against enlightenment and the raising of the quality of life of the greater whole because of it.

[@billlarussa5908]

"This country, built on the poisonous PR that is rugged individualism" BOO HOO HOO. You're just looking for an excuse to be lazy. And you wonder why you've been homeless multiple times. Maybe look inward, champ.

[@GabesEdtiz]

Sorry about that, man. I hope you’re doing better now 🙏🏽

[@setaside2]

@@GabesEdtiz thanks, man. I appreciate you. Ba weep grannah weep ninny bong.

[@josefajoe4138]

I love how he acts so awesome

[@friskecrisps8038]

"One day a year? So you and all the other limousined liberals can look at yourself in the mirror" He's got a point. Volunteering one day a year to make yourself feel good doesn't help a lot. On the other, I doubt he's done any volunteering himself and expects other people to do all of it for him and then badgers volunteers for not doing enough.

[@Yasuda9000]

I was just watching this episode an hour.

[@allways28]

Rats eating your fingers while you sleep. Man that’s rough

[@deandrebrown4521]

This actor did a phenomenal job

[@michaeljensen2013]

I grew up in NYC and have seen homeless/helpless people. It's so much worse today. Politicians have the power and money to help but they lack the desire or fortitude. Just the other day I watched a clip someone made, think it was "a walk down Kensington avenue, Philadelphia". It was just 2 minutes long but it was overwelmingly sad. I suggest you check it out..

[@luvlylady55]

wow..his acting is so good..so real.. and it most likely represents the truth as to what homeless people go thru..how they feel?? its truly sad..

[@farquadshmoogle9120]

i forget when i first saw this episode and scene. it really touched me hard. this scene is one of the main reasons i give to the homeless whenever i can. Bc it is true, not like that life was planned or chosen, they had misfortune and ending up homeless was the result. and remember, it could happen to anyone. one day you could be on top having millions, but you have those millions in stock, house, car, possessions. stock crashes, there goes those millions of dollars.

[@Tarotlynx]

She was right. It's just discrimination to demand someone wear a suit when they don't have any chance of owning or storing one just because you're in court.

[@emmetpbyrne]

Have to say McCoy was heartless in this one.

[@BDTXIII]

I understand he is doing his job, but no need for harsh criticism on the poor defendant.......

[@AlexKS1992]

Cry me a river.

[@GabesEdtiz]

@@AlexKS1992 only tears I’m shedding are ones of laughter at your sheer lack of sympathy 😂

[@gigafreckle]

McCoy was pretty brutal in the court room as it’s his job as a prosecutor to get a conviction. However, there’s a scene not in this clip as they’re leaving the courthouse where he says, “At least he’ll have plenty of food and shelter” Southerlyn replies, “careful, Jack. It almost sounds like you have sympathy.” “Don’t get me wrong, we are just moving this man from one jungle to another.” I think that showed that McCoy wasn’t completely heartless

[@DorvellTStewart]

You’d think a more conservative leaning person like Arthur would be more inclined to actually want to help the homeless, considering a good percentage of homeless people are veterans… You know, the people they say we should all support?

[@MasterGhostf]

conservatives are against helping people, its the whole movement. Conservatives are to benefit the rich, it has been since 1700's France, where the philosophers first took place.

[@sidwulf6859]

@@MasterGhostf Actually this has nothing to do with conservatives and liberals. This has nothing to do with just the United States either. This is a problem all over the world, and it’s a problem for humanity really. Unfortunately, there is no system of government currently in power that can resolve this issue. Our thinking hasn’t evolved far enough to make such a system.

[@override367]

conservatives hate veterans in any circumstance where they aren't convenient political props

[@PR--un4ub]

@@override367 Watch a veteran support gay or trans rights and you will see conservatives turn on that veteran in an instant.

[@WarsawHess88]

​​@@PR--un4ubwatch a white liberal support blacks who vote Democrat one minute then turn into a Klan member when they vote Republican.

[@johnhatter7852]

5:04..."Limousine liberals"...haven't head that one in a while LOL

[@johnhatter7852]

*heard*

[@habs798693]

4:47 One of Arthur's best lines. Totally busts Serena.

[@juliantapia1407]

Yeah, but he also exposes his own disinterest in helping anyone else in those instances regardless of context

[@rabbitsfoot8]

I think they were both kinda right...I can see both points of view...it's why the problem is so hard to solve. How do you help someone who doesn't want your help but yet you know they need it? I've tried to help homeless people so many times but sometimes they just don't want your help

[@juliantapia1407]

@@rabbitsfoot8 that's because you can't really help them one on one unless you have a lot of time to invest, and even then that's still just one person, and only if they aren't plagued by serious drug or mental health issues that can't be easily solved anyway. For the most part it's working on getting elected officials to focus on the issue through funding and legislation that can help groups get a hand back into society

[@rabbitsfoot8]

@@juliantapia1407 yes I agree..tbh its kinda crazy that we still have a significant homeless population in this country...it's a sad issue. I live in Austin Texas and its a very bad problem out here

[@juliantapia1407]

@@rabbitsfoot8 it's growing worse all over, the divide between the rich is still growing and the middle class is shrinking. A lot of govt overhaul is required and part of that should be taxing the rich more than they have been.

[@Spock0987]

So health living costs destroyed yet another individual.

[@michaelnally2841]

I have never been homeless and I hope to never wind up homeless. But I can’t imagine what it’s like. There’s homeless shelters and soup kitchens to help them but they’re basically bandaids. There’s some programs in to help homeless people get back on there feet such as temporary places to stay until they can get a job, and afford a place of their own. I admittedly don’t know the exact conditions for it but I imagine you have to at least stay sober, show proof of getting a job, etc.

[@matchstyx3460]

Annnnnnd here we go… my feed now belongs to the SVU algorithm…

[@NeSeeger]

thats how the algorithm gets you

[@Ricky_Spanishh]

This isn't SVU though...

[@matchstyx3460]

@@Ricky_Spanishh I get law order CI and SVU, mostly SVU

[@goldenvulture6818]

A jail or a prison is a jungle filled with tigers

[@Lorscia]

I am sorry but I am European and I have no clue how the law system works in the US, so I need to point out something here. at 1:50-2:22 McCoy object about how the accused is dressed to transmit a sense of pity to the jury, stating is a tactic of the opposing counsel. Thing is, I am absolutely sure he would have used the same tactic if the roles were inverted, which makes him hypocrite. If he use that tactic during a process I would have object, saying that McCoy complained about it in a previous case and because of this he took a public stand about this issue, therefore he can't do it. In general, lawyers who makes public stands by stating something during a trial must stick with that statement for the rest of their career. If not they are just hypocrites.

[@JonBlondell]

Great acting.

[@TheDarkMaster1989]

This was one of the first episodes of L&O I ever watched. Still think it's a great episode.

[@billedefoudre]

What you call a bad night, having one nightmare, I call it a tuesday morning, in an endless eternity of suffering and doom.

[@valmid5069]

"Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more. "They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is *Ignorance.* This girl is *Want.* Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!" *"Have they no refuge or resource?"* cried Scrooge. *"Are there no Prisons?"* said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. *"Are there no workhouses?"* The bell struck Twelve” *-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol*

[@BeerNecessities727]

It's called bondage...bound by evil. I feel for this character as I have been through something similar. I really need to find the rest of this. ✝

[@thefuturist8864]

I’ve not experienced homelessness, but people I know who have say that among the many problems they face is lack of sleep, sometimes to dangerous levels. Even one night of no sleep can bring on symptoms similar to schizo-affective disorder, so if it’s likely that this man has lived on the streets for a long time it’s equally likely that his mind is stressed and tired and not at all functioning well. We live in a society where there needs to be some basic rules of conduct, but we tend to apply these rules to everyone without thinking about whether they’re in a position to follow them.

[@TheKamilkrawczak]

What a fantastic performance.

[@RolandanceVarner]

I just went to the courthouse in Atlanta. While parking my car, I saw a homeless man underneath a bridge living amongst rats. This is a true story. I said to myself we have to take our jobs seriously.

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

0:52 I've heard that line before

[@juliantapia1407]

There's no real winner here. Arthur's more conservative standard lack of compassion or action vs Serena's token attempts at placating guilt to appeal to more liberal sensibilities. All the while virtually nothing actually gets done to affect lasting improvements for the homeless or the mentally ill.

[@sonrouge]

Justice won. The guy was found guilty.

[@juliantapia1407]

@@sonrouge that does nothing to fix the bigger issues that were brought up. Homelessness and mental health issues

[@nathaniels9141]

@@juliantapia1407 How do you help someone that doesn't want your help and fights you when you try to give them help? Just keep throwing money at the problem? California gave homeless people 90 in hotels with hygiene supplies and food with counselors. Very few were able to turn their life around. The majority stole everything for drugs and then had to be forcefully evicted after 90 days. So what do we do just keep putting them into hotels?

[@juliantapia1407]

@@nathaniels9141 that's a bigger and more expensive issue, taking the time and money required to get people clean or properly medicated so that they can Want to be proactive again (excluding those who don't need that much assistance). Things have gotten worse over the years, and it requires more of everything than it would've years back. You can't help everyone, it's impossible, but not knowing how many just need some assistance and instead writing them all off as lost causes isn't the way to go either

[@lossmoss7378]

@@nathaniels9141 Weirdly enough, throwing money at problems with v little in the way of a system or a plan and then blaming ppl who are suffering may not be the solution you are looking for. Maybe consider real structural change.

[@MarkArandjus]

Homeless guy actor has a really nice soft voice.

[@zacharyboyd7493]

Incredible acting. That dude needs a show

[@colin8696908]

what he's not telling you about feeling like a failure is that for some people that turns into rage and manifests itself as unstable behavior and acts of violence.

[@miked7745]

What was the verdict at the end of the episode?

[@TheOmegaRiddler]

The thing that bothered me about this scene is that it made me want the "good guys" to lose because they acted like assholes.

[@johnflaherty9595]

I recall being struck...uh, impressed...with Law & Order when it came on. Thought-provoking. Yet over time, I have been disgusted by the show's mentality, it's hypocrisy. In this case, we're intended to decide that a man shouldn't be account for violence...because he's homeless. Yet even McCoy points out how the man remains human. So, ...is a human being responsible for actions or not? If the homeless cannot make their own choices, the only solution would be death. ..Embrace another Holocaust. If the homeless CAN make their own choices, ...perhaps he ought be convicted. Perhaps he can learn to take care of himself in prison. One of Law & Order's serious down sides tended to be the will to make a bad case inspire even worse law.