Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – Accomplice Liability

By starrymag | April 10, 2025

By: Kaylyn Bell

 

 

Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and Amanda (Kelli Giddish) meet ADA Camille Rourke (Stacey Farber) who is processing the robbery Carisi was witness to. She informs them that she will be offering the defense a deal of fifteen years for felony murder of the deli clerk, Ali, and a few years for armed robbery. Carisi asks why Deonte (Keith Machekanyanga) isn’t receiving charges for rape one, because Tess (Paige Herschell) deserves justice too. She says she was directed not to prosecute it because it was the weakest charge, and they should be happy that Deonte is getting fifteen years.

In the precinct Fin (Ice-T) and Velasco (Octavio Pisano) update Captain Benson (Mariska Hargitay) that they still have not been able to locate Tess after her mother reported her missing. Benson suggests her friend, Elizabeth (Tori Khalil), who was with her at the deli, may know where she is. Fin explains they spoke with Elizabeth on the phone, and she said she had a falling out with Tess. Carisi offers to go talk to Elizabeth because he’s worried about Tess, but Benson tells him she’ll take Amanda.

Rourke arrives at Rikers. Deonte’s lawyer, Counselor Vaughn (Juan Pablo Raba), says fifteen years is not good enough and claims his client was under duress to participate in the robbery. Rourke says she may be able to decrease the robbery charge, but the murder charge is non-negotiable. Deonte asserts he didn’t shoot the deli guy, and Rourke asks what he doesn’t understand about accomplice liability. He continues that Carisi told him it would be self-defense to shoot Boyd, and she asks why he’s surprised a lawyer lied during a hostage standoff. She warns them that if it goes to trial, he could get life. Vaughn assures Denote that if they had any substantial evidence, they wouldn’t be offering a deal.

Elizabeth tells Benson and Amanda that last time she saw Tess, she seemed to be self-medicating, and she noticed after Tess left that she stole her laptop. Benson asks if she has a tracker on it, and Elizabeth directs them to a sketchy area of Jersey.

The squad arrives at the location of the laptop, and Amanda says they are probably looking for room 1C as its resident, Marquis (Miles Dausuel), has previous drug charges. As they enter, they find Tess unconscious from an overdose.

Benson and Amanda arrive at the hospital to check on Tess. She asks them to let her go back and they say they can’t do that but assures her that she’s safe. Tess replies, “It doesn’t feel like it” and turns away so they tell her they’ll come back later. 

Fin and Velasco meet Benson at the hospital and update her that they’ve arrested Marquis for possession, but he’s already been bailed out. Amanda explains that Tess is eager to get back to him, and Fin says it’s the drugs talking. Benson emphasizes that it’s important they watch her until she’s detoxed, and Velasco offers to do it.

Benson and Amanda meet up with Carisi, and he asks if Tess is going to be able to testify. They explain that it’s hard to tell right now since she’s in the early stages of withdrawal and is unable to think clearly. Carisi informs them that the defense has filed a motion to exclude his testimony, so if they succeed, they’ll need Tess more than ever.

In motions court, Vaughn asserts that Carisi’s testimony must be excluded because, as a prominent ADA, his testimony will prejudice the jury.

Carisi arrives at the hospital after court and informs Benson and Amanda that the judge denied the motion. Marquis enters, demanding to see Tess when the doctor calls for nurses as Tess starts seizing. They are able to stabilize her, and the doctor informs them that they should be past the worst.

Carisi ambushes Rourke, who is out for dinner, to talk about the case. He tells her that Tess had a close call today and pleads for her to talk to Tess and hear her story before deciding not to charge the rape. He also asks that, while interviewing potential female jurors, she ask about their experience with sexual assault. Rourke tells him that Vaughn thinks he has a personal vendetta against Deonte, and Carisi replies maybe he does because of the guns. She asks what he means by that. He explains that Boyd only got out of prison a few hours before the robbery, so Deonte had to be the one to supply them; therefore, everything that happened in the deli is his responsibility.

Benson and Amanda speak with Tess again. They tell her that nobody knows what she went through in that cooler, and it might help her to get it out. Benson explains that pain like that gets worse unless you do something about it. Tess asks what she can do, and Benson suggests she face his accomplice on the stand. Tess asks why if he didn’t rape her, and Amanda points out that he had a gun and could’ve stopped Boyd but chose not to. They encourage her to tell her story on the stand with Elizabeth and Carisi, because if they stick together like they did before, then maybe all three of them can take their power back.

Benson meets Rourke at the courthouse to prep her testimony. Benson thanks Rourke for going ahead with the rape charge. She says her bosses aren’t thrilled, but she prepped Tess this morning, and she’s a compelling witness. She does warn Benson not to get her hopes up because a conviction on the charge is more than a long shot.

Rourke preps Amanda next, and when asked to relive the moment she didn’t know if it was Carisi who had been shot, Amanda breaks down crying. She apologizes and explains that she wasn’t sure if she’d see her husband again, and she’s still not sure if she has yet because he won’t be free until they win the case.

Benson finds Carisi alone in the courtroom. He tells her that Rourke is worried Vaughn is going to try and rattle him but, he’s confident he’ll stay collected. She says that’s a great thing because they really need to win the case, not just for Tess and Elizabeth, but for him. She reminds him that he’s a victim too.

Benson and Amanda check on Tess, who is ready to be discharged. Tess says she’s feeling better, and Elizabeth offered for her to stay with her. They explain that that’s a great option for after the trial, but they need to be separated for now, so they got her a hotel room. Benson lets her know that they’re all looking out for her.

In his opening statement, Vaughn paints Deonte as a hero, contending that Deonte was lacking intent, and the facts will show that his only intent was to end a hostage standoff by shooting Boyd in the defense of others.

Benson testifies to establish that Deonte did nothing to intervene in the rape. Elizabeth testifies next, but when it’s time for Tess to take the stand, she is unable to be found. Rourke asks the judge (Victoire Charles) for a continuance while Velasco gets security to open Tess’ hotel room. She isn’t there or with Marquis, so they locate her other sellers. They find her sobbing on the floor holding drugs. She tells them that she didn’t take anything, but she wanted to and that she can’t face Deonte in court. Velasco tells her that they’re going to get her the help she needs, but she needs to tell her story.

Tess testifies to her experience, reiterating that Deonte just watched her get dragged into the cooler and did nothing to intervene during the 40 minutes that Boyd had her.

Carisi is called to the stand next. He admits that he told Deonte that killing Boyd would be self-defense. Vaughn asks Carisi if his real anger is at himself for escalating the situation by forcing himself back in the deli. He starts to get frustrated and says he was just protecting his friend, an NYPD captain, from a rapist. Vaughn asks if he’s always this hot-headed. As Carisi walks past Deonte to exit, he smiles, and Carisi starts yelling at him. The judge threatens to hold Carisi in contempt.

Rourke asks what the hell happened, and he exclaims that he saw Deonte smile at him, and it was like he was right back in the deli. He asks what they do now, and she tells him he doesn’t do anything, as this is not his case. She leaves, and Amanda enters to check on Carisi. He points out that Deonte is a follower, so there must have been someone in Rikers telling him what to do. He says that he let Deonte get in his head, so they have to find a way to get into his.

Amanda takes Fin to visit Jay Goldstein (Jon Sklaroff), a fake lawyer awaiting a murder trial for killing his mother. She explains that Deonte was working his case with Jay before Vaughn. Jay is happy to help and didn’t even ask for anything in return, so Amanda suspects he took offence to being ditched by Deonte. 

Deonte takes the stand. He testifies that Boyd pulled out two guns and proposed they rob Elizabeth and Tess. He says Boyd told him he had a choice as his “ride or die,” and he took that to mean Boyd would kill him if he didn’t participate, so he had no choice but to help with the robbery. 

Rourke asks Deonte where Boyd got the guns fresh out of prison and suggests that he actually brought them himself. Vaughn objects, and she instead asks why, when Boyd was locked in the freezer for 40 minutes, he didn’t just walk out the door if he was so afraid of Boyd. Deonte doesn’t have an answer.

Amanda and Fin inform Rourke about Jay and that he’s willing to testify, including about the real reason Deonte shot Boyd, which was explicitly shared with him.

Jay takes the stand and states that Deonte killed Boyd so he couldn’t testify against him. He adds that Deonte knew Boyd was a convicted rapist, but that didn’t matter to him, the only thing that matters to him is himself.

The judge asks if the jury has reached a verdict. The jury foreperson (Kathleen M. Darcy) shares their verdict that Deonte is found guilty on the charges of four counts of armed robbery, murder in the second of Ali, and murder in the second of Boyd. They do not; however, find him guilty on the charge of rape.

Outside the courtroom, Benson and Amanda check up on Elizabeth and Tess. Tess says she’s okay because she never thought she could sit in the witness box, and she did it. Carisi apologizes for not being able to do more for her, but Tess cuts him off with a hug and thanks him. Elizabeth and Tess agree that they never would have survived without him. As Carisi watches them leave, Benson says she can tell that he’s free and ready to move on just like them.