Yes! And how even as an "old man" he out-witted the computer "experts" ... tracking the perpetrator in 3 days what took them several weeks to put together! Incompetent? He was genius! He said it best that charm age sometimes out ranks youth and technical ability!
@@creativewriter3887 Yes, a master of Social Engineering to get the info he needed. In fact, it could have been amusing if a real identity thief waiting in arraignment could have overheard and commented, "Hey, if the geezer was available, we'd make a mint with him."
"It's not what you own, son...it's what you are!" That is old school and the truth! Paul Benjamin (1935-2019): what a great actor...R.I.P. sir and thank you!
This is one of the best episode on the original series. I love how they made you feel sympathy for the killer and hate the victim. It was so satisfying to hear him give that epic victory speech at the end, even though it was by a murderer going to prison. The fact that he would rather spend his final years in prison rather than spend them considered mentally unfit really says a lot.
It really illuminates what a dehumanizing experience being the victim of a con is. Or even just being robbed. You don't have to be old to relate to that.
@@Kerorofan1990 Yep, a great voice actor, I forgot about that. I'd disinherit my son for what he did. Like the old man said, it was his property and his money so he could do with it as he saw fit.
"So I took was worth a whole hell of a lot more...My pride...my dignity...My self respect... ME...I took back ME! ME!" I always choke up during that part. Paul Benjamin was incredible in this episode.
Only I didn't believe it to be acting. It was more as though he were LIVING the role. It was a little too convincing for me. But that's my opinion, of course...
This is the great actor, Paul Benjamin who always played solid characters in stoic yet dignified mannner. i remember when he put Clint Eastwood in his place in "Escape from Alcatraz"....and that aint easy to do. dignified and classy character actor. RIP, Paul You were one of the best.
Nothing else hit harder than when Mr. Paul said "So what I took was worth a whole hell of a lot more. My pride. My dignity. My self-respect. Me. I took back ME!" WHEW! I felt that in my spirit! When someone tries their hardest to take away your power, you've got to get it back. Excellent performance from Paul! R.I.P Whispers.
The casting director for this episode should have gotten 5 Emmys for this episode alone. Everyone did an amazing job at portraying their respective roles. But Paul Benjamin was the best of them all. He bodied that role as the disrespected old man who was taken advantage of by the younger generation, but got his respect back because he had to go take it back. I always cry watching this episode.
Not to mention, what he lived through. And I'm not talking WW2 I'm talking segregation, Jim Crow, civil rights movements... the fact that he is an older African American man born in roughly the 1920s (to be old enough to serve in WW2) adds an entire other layer to his speech about how it was his soul, his *self* that was taken, and was worth a murder to retrieve. For this character, he grew up knowing older adults, possibly his grandparents, who had no ownership over anything. Not even themselves. Slavery was abolished *maybe* 60 years before he was born. Within a generation. And that knowledge just....adds even more tragedy to his particular character.
It's hard for me to determine who I have more contempt for: the dead guy who stole this man's home or the son who has zero repentance as to how he treated his father. My dad's approaching that age and I'm grateful for every day I can have with him even if he does sometimes drive me up the wall. The idea of only calling on a birthday and just sending a card for Christmas? That's disgusting. That's your dad!!!
I remember watching the orginal airing of this episode. I was absolutely amazed with the actor portraying Mr. Jackson. He should have received an Emmy for his work in this episode.
If the stupid son did not declare the man incompetent and swoop in with a lawyer the prosecution would have had no case. The man would have never confessed.
I think part of the point was the new lawyer was much more interested in having the old man declared incompetent so they could work on getting the property back and making sure they had control over the estate. Getting the dude off a murder was a lower priority.
I wouldn't say they had no case. Remember, they did have his fingerprints in the victim's apartment. There's no innocent explanation for why his fingerprints were in there. That alone, along with the clearly established motive, might have been enough to convict him. Not certain, but the case was clearly there.
@@3DSDF In real life a proper lawyer would have gotten him to shut up. A proper lawyer would have also understood how theit client thought etc... She was more interested in defending the sons interests than her clients
I honestly felt for this poor, old man even before I wised up philosophically. Now, I feel even more sympathy for him. Also, we lost this amazing actor (Paul Benjamin) on June 28 of 2019.
This particular case hits home for many Senior citizens today who are cheated, robbed or swindled out of millions of hard fought for Savings and Investments. The lowlifes that commit these crimes need to be buried in a jail cell for life.
The last years of my grandmothers life, she had dozens and dozens of magazine subscriptions. She was convinced more than once that she had won The Publishers ClearingHouse sweepstakes. A few more magazine subscriptions and your name will be entered to win the grand prize. Rinse and repeat. Ed McMahon never came. At least the magazines were put to good use -- laid out as pathways in her magnificent gardens to combat weeds. It may have only been 400 or 500 dollars per year to buy the magazines, but it was still hard-earned money taken from her. Money that perhaps could have gone to grandchildren or to reputable charities. Multiple lawsuits by US States on behalf of people who had been defrauded eventually cost Publishers Clearing House 82 Million Dollars, but that was likely only a fraction of all the money they had taken in over the decades from deceiving people on their chances of winning the grand sweepstakes.
This episode is heart-rendering. All my sympathies lay 100% with the older gentleman. The pain... you can feel it. Incredible acting- it’s almost different to watch because it’s so eviscerating. I love Law & Order, and episodes like this are exactly why.
Wow. A performance done so well, it really draws you into the pain and toil of those who, near the end of their life, still fight to be free of the wrongful accusations even when the odds are stacked against them.
As a Man whose getting up in years and never hears from his children I can certainly relate to this character. Sometimes your self respect is all you have left to rely on.
There could be many reasons for that. They may be all bad kids, buuuuuuuut, usually, they are not ALL bad kids: if they all shun you, there is some deep, dark reason . . . each case is unique.
@@misterwhipple2870 I have three children. One I'm in contact with the other I do hear from by text or email but neither is very substantial or on a regular basis. My children have chosen their path in life and I respect that. Theres nothing dark or sinister about it, it is what it is. I never once abused my children either physically or emotionally.
Why is it all veterans that the kids want to committ Could it be, juuuuust maybe, that you brought The War home with you, and beat your kids with it???
I remember him in the movie Alcatraz with clint eastwood, he worked in the library. Best part in the movie (clip on youtube) is when clint reaches out his hand from his cell cell to shake his and says goodbye. He knows clint has planned to escape that night and he smiles and says so long...boy. King of the mountain scene was also great.
You gotta respect a man who fights for his honor. What I mean by honor I mean his dignity, his respect, his reputation and to show that he’s not a coward. As being forgetful I’m forgetful too. I’m 28 and I forget things and that doesn’t make you senile or old.
I've noticed that in guest roles on a couple of television shows ('Law & Order'; 'In The Heat Of The Night'; 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings') Paul Benjamin was always cast as the heavy. Even so, he played the heavy with a distinction that had one wondering sometimes if he were living the role instead...
Paul benjamin the older man did an amazing job RIP he worked his entire life did all the right things and some stranger steals everything he worked for these were always the best episodes in my opinion where the defendant isn't pure evil the ones that make you question what would you do in the same situation
The original LAW & ORDER series was riveting to watch for its first several seasons. This episode proves why yet again. Great storyline, which in this case is magnified by great acting...
I agree, sometimes we forget that our elders still deserve some respect even if they are old and forgetful sometimes. The son didn’t respect his father’s decision and basically took over the father’s defense due to his lack of respect and confidence in his father, who by the way, fought and survived WW2.
And yet. Elderly men and women, some of which fought for us in the armed forces, are being killed and persecuted. You can't pick and choice who your principles apply to.
@@dealinginfiction So I shouldn’t respect my at her or mother despite the countless sacrifices they have made for me. I shouldn’t respect their decisions and should interfere when they tell me not to. Ok
@@dealinginfiction And I didn’t apply my principles to anybody, just stated my personal opinion, nothing more. Also, did I say anything that meant something disrespectful to men and women serving in the military?
This one got me Good, my Great Grandmother was 97, i had a Great Uncle like this Man, what was his was his, that he had worked very hard for all his life
She was probably there to convince people the old man was senile, so they could get the house back (probably so the son could inherit it after his father's death).
@@MaddeningFly He gets declared incompetent, he gets out of the charges, he gets the house back, which would then be under the son’s control. Old man gets put into home. Objectively, it’s the best outcome, old man doesn’t go to prison or convicted, they family gets the property back that was conned. The problem is life isn’t that simple.
The lesson I'd ask people to take as they debate what the old man should have done is this: You can never account for the actions of others one-hundred percent. Meaning, you never know how someone is going to respond to something you do. This isn't saying their response is justified on a moral or equivalent scale of return (I steal a candy bar and the police/shop owner blows me away), neither have anything to do with it, but people need to know that when they make certain choices, they may get certain outcomes.
Explain to me how the son did all that without his father ever appearing in court or even knlwing about it? When filing for such power over someone, until the judge rules otherwise, he is presumed still in authority over himself. So how could the judge rule without him ever being given the opportunity to despute it, be questioned, or offer any testimony?
5:02 - I'm not incompetent, YOU'RE INCOMPETENT!! I just had to do go back to that one. An uncomfortable decrepitude awaits us all, but the accused here shows that there's hope. A penniless old man with no hope beat a team of experts with tons of expensive technology. Hope is nice, but sometomes, hopelessness is what wina thw day.
After what happened with the Bernie Madoffs and Lehman Brothers of the world, it is hard to think this old man was going to get any justice in his lifetime.
People are stating that if the son did not interfere, then his dad would have gotten away with it. This is true, but the son was not after proving his father's innocence. The son just wanted to get the house back. Under his father's defense, he said that he mortgaged the house himself, so there would be no way to get it back. But if he was declared incompetent, then there's a chance to get the house back.
Yeah, people are aware of that. But from the father's perspective, his son was insulting him as a person in order to get a physical possession. If his son puts him in a nursing home because he says he's got dementia or if he goes to jail because he was in his right mind, either way he wouldn't have been in the house anymore. So what does it matter to the father? All he had left was HIS pride.
The issue is that from his view, the son cared more his possessions than he did for his ageing father, he sends him a christmas card and happy birthday but that is it, and those felt more like obligations than actual care. he saw that his son abandoned him and frankly from what i see, he really did, he was willing to make him see demented and insane rather than acknowledge he did it on his own and acknowelge he did as a mistake but not as an old demented insane old man, just a father who made a mistake, he has literally nothing left to lose, not even the sense that his family even cares anymore. he took justice into his own hands as at least he felt he made a problem and fixed it on his own, clear minded and indipendant.
Probably one of the funnier parts of this clip is when the new lady lawyer walks in impressively saying "THIS MEETING IS OVER!" when everyone was about to leave anyway.
50/50 chance. Judges will often in instructions say no matter how much sympathy you feel for the defendant, the law is the law. I would personally have a hard time convicting him, but often juries don’t see all the facts either.
I always liked Shaballa Green. Even when the person she is defending is guilty as hell you gotta give her props for being an excellent defence atterney.
She is an excellent lawyer, but I did not like her defending the black man who ended up beating a white man to death in Sanctuary. Just because the Jewish man didn't get a harsher punishment than was necessary when he accidently ran down the African-American kid. Not going to the police in the first place was wrong, but hardly warranted a 25-to-life sentence that the African American Community felt he deserved. Beating an innocent white man who had nothing to do with this situation was monsterous. Anyone trying to justify it is also in the wrong. And I loathed the fact that Green had the nerve to accuse Ben Stone of being a bigot when he rejected her 'two wrongs make a right' defense of the creep she was defending. She knew him long enough to know that he was not one bit racist. He prosecutes without prejudice, regardless of the race or gender of the defendant.
Totally agree Shambala was good lawyer but in that episode that you mentioned I really wanted that creep go to jail who killed Italian he would even killed his wife she was also in the car but samebody stopped him
This episode aired in 2003. 20 years later, I still remember vividly this specific scene. Even though the scene lasted only a few minutes, this fine actor delivered a one hell of a performance.
There had to have been a huge ovation after this scene. There had to be. You've got all these younger actors just staring at a masterclass of emotional acting.
Lorrain Toussaint as Shambala Green was always a beast of an attorney. She was best when taking on ADA Stone ( the prosecutor prior to Sam Watersons ADA Jack McCoy).
The actor did an amazinggg job of portraying the pain and struggle of the old man
Yes! And how even as an "old man" he out-witted the computer "experts" ... tracking the perpetrator in 3 days what took them several weeks to put together! Incompetent? He was genius! He said it best that charm age sometimes out ranks youth and technical ability!
@@creativewriter3887 Yes, a master of Social Engineering to get the info he needed.
In fact, it could have been amusing if a real identity thief waiting in arraignment could have overheard and commented, "Hey, if the geezer was available, we'd make a mint with him."
The legendary Paul Benjamin.🙏🏾
Yes. He did;
He also played an amazing role in a couple of my favorite episodes of ER.
"It's not what you own, son...it's what you are!" That is old school and the truth!
Paul Benjamin (1935-2019): what a great actor...R.I.P. sir and thank you!
He killed a guy to get back his self-respect only for his son to come in and take it away from him again. Poor guy
Had the son not interfered, he might’ve gotten away with it.
How many years did he get?
And we wouldn't completely hold it against him!
The thing is that the son wasn't after proving his father's innocence but rather just wanted to get the house back.
If it wasn't for that meddling kid!!!
10 years in a Minimum Security Prison
This is one of the best episode on the original series. I love how they made you feel sympathy for the killer and hate the victim. It was so satisfying to hear him give that epic victory speech at the end, even though it was by a murderer going to prison. The fact that he would rather spend his final years in prison rather than spend them considered mentally unfit really says a lot.
He wouldn’t have gone to prison if his greedy son hadn’t shown up. He just wanted that property his father owned.
It really illuminates what a dehumanizing experience being the victim of a con is. Or even just being robbed. You don't have to be old to relate to that.
He wasn't a murderer, that was justifiable homicide.
He took his name, property and life savings. He took his life in return. The way I see it he is still owed his name and property.
The older lawyer was winning, and that fool son got him on the stand. You Don't treat the Kingpin like that.
Lol
Wait, THAT'S Kingpin?!
But they’re old. So they must be senile!
@@GenshinLover283 Yup. Roscoe Lee Browne, that old lawyer, played Kingpin in the 90s Spider-Man cartoon.
@@Kerorofan1990 Yep, a great voice actor, I forgot about that. I'd disinherit my son for what he did. Like the old man said, it was his property and his money so he could do with it as he saw fit.
"So I took was worth a whole hell of a lot more...My pride...my dignity...My self respect... ME...I took back ME! ME!"
I always choke up during that part. Paul Benjamin was incredible in this episode.
Yeah. If an actor's job is to make you believe, that was as brilliant an example of acting as you'll ever see.
Only I didn't believe it to be acting. It was more as though he were LIVING the role. It was a little too convincing for me. But that's my opinion, of course...
D
@@terencedove5047 I have to wonder if he knew someone who lived it... or lived it himself.
@@odinfromcentr2 …EXACTLY! But thank you for being the one to say it…
This brother took acting to another level.
Was very good in Hoodlum
And the Silken Voiced Roscoe Lee Browne
Greatest voice next to Sir John Gielgud
He's in select company, no doubt.
Good acting is hard to come by these days.
One of the best guest actors they ever had on this show, and a top five episode of the series in general.
I agree 100%. I had to buy the whole season just to have this episode.
This is the great actor, Paul Benjamin who always played solid characters in stoic yet dignified mannner. i remember when he put Clint Eastwood in his place in "Escape from Alcatraz"....and that aint easy to do.
dignified and classy character actor. RIP, Paul
You were one of the best.
Nothing else hit harder than when Mr. Paul said "So what I took was worth a whole hell of a lot more. My pride. My dignity. My self-respect. Me. I took back ME!" WHEW! I felt that in my spirit! When someone tries their hardest to take away your power, you've got to get it back. Excellent performance from Paul! R.I.P Whispers.
The casting director for this episode should have gotten 5 Emmys for this episode alone. Everyone did an amazing job at portraying their respective roles. But Paul Benjamin was the best of them all. He bodied that role as the disrespected old man who was taken advantage of by the younger generation, but got his respect back because he had to go take it back. I always cry watching this episode.
Watching it now 4/2023😢❤! Love his speech at the End! Brings me too tears
And I thought I was the only one brought to tears by this episode. Nice to know I'm not alone.
You can feel the pride through the screen.
Not to mention, what he lived through. And I'm not talking WW2 I'm talking segregation, Jim Crow, civil rights movements... the fact that he is an older African American man born in roughly the 1920s (to be old enough to serve in WW2) adds an entire other layer to his speech about how it was his soul, his *self* that was taken, and was worth a murder to retrieve. For this character, he grew up knowing older adults, possibly his grandparents, who had no ownership over anything. Not even themselves. Slavery was abolished *maybe* 60 years before he was born. Within a generation. And that knowledge just....adds even more tragedy to his particular character.
It's hard for me to determine who I have more contempt for: the dead guy who stole this man's home or the son who has zero repentance as to how he treated his father. My dad's approaching that age and I'm grateful for every day I can have with him even if he does sometimes drive me up the wall. The idea of only calling on a birthday and just sending a card for Christmas? That's disgusting. That's your dad!!!
I remember watching the orginal airing of this episode. I was absolutely amazed with the actor portraying Mr. Jackson. He should have received an Emmy for his work in this episode.
It's BS politics injustice that he wasn't nominated at the very minimum. Such a great guest performance.
If the stupid son did not declare the man incompetent and swoop in with a lawyer the prosecution would have had no case. The man would have never confessed.
Exactly! His old lawyer would have gotten him off. Also his new lawyer is lousy, cause she just stood there and let her client run his mouth
I think part of the point was the new lawyer was much more interested in having the old man declared incompetent so they could work on getting the property back and making sure they had control over the estate. Getting the dude off a murder was a lower priority.
@@CherryBlossomBlyue because she knew that he would’ve kept talking. She couldn’t force him to shut up.
I wouldn't say they had no case. Remember, they did have his fingerprints in the victim's apartment. There's no innocent explanation for why his fingerprints were in there. That alone, along with the clearly established motive, might have been enough to convict him. Not certain, but the case was clearly there.
@@3DSDF In real life a proper lawyer would have gotten him to shut up. A proper lawyer would have also understood how theit client thought etc... She was more interested in defending the sons interests than her clients
Never underestimate an old person with zero f***s left to give.
RIP Paul Benjamin. Highly underrated actor who had a lot of appearances in popular shows like Law and Order and ER.
INDEED AND AGREED!!!!!💯
I honestly felt for this poor, old man even before I wised up philosophically. Now, I feel even more sympathy for him.
Also, we lost this amazing actor (Paul Benjamin) on June 28 of 2019.
🙁
Paul Benjamin was a helluva character actor. always played dignified characters. loved him in Alcatraz. rest in peace, sir paul
I had no idea he passed away. I remember him in "Escape From Alcatraz". 💔❤💔❤💔❤
I mean, to be honest, as much as I know he has to do time for it... I'd be half-tempted to plug Hitchens myself.
Very talented actor.
"No take your next EX-WIFE and get the hell out of here!" 😂🤣
Yeah, any marriage involving her definitely wouldn't last long.
Love that line.
@@sonrouge that’s not what he meant....
Her face, when he said that
LOL 200% divorce rate
This particular case hits home for many Senior citizens today who are cheated, robbed or swindled out of millions of hard fought for Savings and Investments. The lowlifes that commit these crimes need to be buried in a jail cell for life.
The last years of my grandmothers life, she had dozens and dozens of magazine subscriptions. She was convinced more than once that she had won The Publishers ClearingHouse sweepstakes. A few more magazine subscriptions and your name will be entered to win the grand prize. Rinse and repeat. Ed McMahon never came.
At least the magazines were put to good use -- laid out as pathways in her magnificent gardens to combat weeds. It may have only been 400 or 500 dollars per year to buy the magazines, but it was still hard-earned money taken from her. Money that perhaps could have gone to grandchildren or to reputable charities.
Multiple lawsuits by US States on behalf of people who had been defrauded eventually cost Publishers Clearing House 82 Million Dollars, but that was likely only a fraction of all the money they had taken in over the decades from deceiving people on their chances of winning the grand sweepstakes.
This episode is heart-rendering. All my sympathies lay 100% with the older gentleman. The pain... you can feel it. Incredible acting- it’s almost different to watch because it’s so eviscerating.
I love Law & Order, and episodes like this are exactly why.
Wow. A performance done so well, it really draws you into the pain and toil of those who, near the end of their life, still fight to be free of the wrongful accusations even when the odds are stacked against them.
It really did sound like he was about to have a heart attack toward the end of his speech.
I feel so bad for this poor old man he don't deserve prison😭
he took a life in cold blood.
@@jackvoodoo2900 And a huckster took his life savings and all he spent working for.. Hitchens also took a life.
@@jackvoodoo2900 And nothing of value was lost
At least he's staying in minimum security prison, which is like a counter country club compared to other prisons
I don't. He murdered someone.
I love the look on Serena’s face at around 8:15 she’s making a face like “you clever old man” . The con man screwed the wrong guy
As a Man whose getting up in years and never hears from his children I can certainly relate to this character. Sometimes your self respect is all you have left to rely on.
Probably well deserved and definitely wasn’t your fault
There could be many reasons for that. They may be all bad kids, buuuuuuuut, usually, they are not ALL bad kids: if they all shun you, there is some deep, dark reason . . . each case is unique.
@@misterwhipple2870 I have three children. One I'm in contact with the other I do hear from by text or email but neither is very substantial or on a regular basis. My children have chosen their path in life and I respect that. Theres nothing dark or sinister about it, it is what it is. I never once abused my children either physically or emotionally.
@@peace-yv4qd Like I said, every case is unique. But that's the way to bet.
I remember this episode. It was heartbreaking! Top level acting from the older man!
Do you remember what the resolution was?
They didn't really try to prosecute did they?
@@EvilLoynishis son got him new lawyer who wasn't verry good he took plea ten years in minimum security prison
"And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for my meddling kid."
Pesky kid... meddling next ex-wife lol
This is so sad, especially when he said I didn't tell my son b/c he would have me committed. Ugh!!! All of this happens everyday.
Why is it all veterans that the kids want to committ Could it be, juuuuust maybe, that you brought The War home with you, and beat your kids with it???
I got an identity theft protection ad before this video. I guess they were trying to stop me from enacting revenge
The elder gentleman should have won 2 Emmy's for this performance...
"Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have messed with?"
Love Clint Eastwood !!! Really good movie and he as always is amazing in it !!!
I’m sure he said “fucked with”.
Some of the best acting I have seen. Paul Benjamin RIP.
That is one of the greatest performances in Law and Order history. Amazing!
I was beginning to wonder if the old man was going to ask his new lawyer (while on the stand) "are you my lawyer or my prosecutor?"
Neither; that's his son's new ex-wife
They’re not in court. It’s merely a competence hearing.
She was trying to prove he was not competent to stand trial. She had to question him like that so the Judge would agree and say he's not mentally fit.
I remember him in the movie Alcatraz with clint eastwood, he worked in the library. Best part in the movie (clip on youtube) is when clint reaches out his hand from his cell cell to shake his and says goodbye. He knows clint has planned to escape that night and he smiles and says so long...boy. King of the mountain scene was also great.
Mr. Browne has the most wonderful voice. I could listen to him read the phone book.
Shambala Green is one of the most memorable characters in the series and she's only one of three really, really good guest performances in this clip
Next to Danielle Melnick, the biggest for to the DA Office
Lorraine Toussaint is always a pleasure to watch. Powerful actress.
You gotta respect a man who fights for his honor. What I mean by honor I mean his dignity, his respect, his reputation and to show that he’s not a coward. As being forgetful I’m forgetful too. I’m 28 and I forget things and that doesn’t make you senile or old.
I've noticed that in guest roles on a couple of television shows ('Law & Order'; 'In The Heat Of The Night'; 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings') Paul Benjamin was always cast as the heavy. Even so, he played the heavy with a distinction that had one wondering sometimes if he were living the role instead...
Oh youtube algorithm. Always bringing me around to Law & Order.
The portrayal of "Mr. Jackson" was superb acting. This was one of the best episodes of all time. Also, there are so many great supporting roles.
I'm more impressed than anything else both with the actor and the character
Paul Benjamin is a criminally underrated actor. Any performance I have seen him in is magnificent.
INDEED AND AGREED!!!!!!! 💯
One of the best Law & Order original series episodes ever.
Agreed
Two legendary actors.
One of the best performances I’ve ever witnessed. Bravo to the actor! 👏🏾
The older black gentleman really is a phenomenal actor. Such an expressive and real portrayal of a distinguished but insulted old man.
Wow this actor is amazing . I love the supporting actors on this show when it gets down to the crunch .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Benjamin
Paul benjamin the older man did an amazing job RIP he worked his entire life did all the right things and some stranger steals everything he worked for these were always the best episodes in my opinion where the defendant isn't pure evil the ones that make you question what would you do in the same situation
The original LAW & ORDER series was riveting to watch for its first several seasons. This episode proves why yet again. Great storyline, which in this case is magnified by great acting...
I say give him a medal. He performed a public service.
I know I was thinking the same thing
It's nice to look back on something and see that it's literally just as good as you remember
What a performance. Amazing.
The best episode ever. Paul Benjamin's Lonnie brings tears to my eyes, plus the added pleasure of seeing Lorraine Tousaint.
Not gonna lie, I didn't think this guy was incompetent like his son thinks he was.
I agree, sometimes we forget that our elders still deserve some respect even if they are old and forgetful sometimes. The son didn’t respect his father’s decision and basically took over the father’s defense due to his lack of respect and confidence in his father, who by the way, fought and survived WW2.
And yet. Elderly men and women, some of which fought for us in the armed forces, are being killed and persecuted. You can't pick and choice who your principles apply to.
@@dealinginfiction So I shouldn’t respect my at her or mother despite the countless sacrifices they have made for me. I shouldn’t respect their decisions and should interfere when they tell me not to. Ok
@@dealinginfiction And I didn’t apply my principles to anybody, just stated my personal opinion, nothing more. Also, did I say anything that meant something disrespectful to men and women serving in the military?
@@maximilianroldan9003 I wasn't trying to single you out. It was a general comment. For everyone to see.
80 years of charm I don't think I can trust little old ladies or elderly gentlemen the same way again
Honestly I don't think the old man should've gone to prison. Sometimes taking the law in your own hands is morally justified.
To what end? All can make their actions seem justifiable.
@@eldridgedavis well let me put it here, if it makes you feel awful to punish someone, it is probably too harsh.
I think Texas allows the "but he needed killin" defense.
This is why we have juries. Sometimes the law needs to be interpreted by the people. A jury of your peers can fill that need.
@@eldridgedavis if you really think that then you are one of those who made things that are not morally justified.
Beautiful performance of actor
This was heartbreaking. What a stellar performance by the actor who played the old man.
This one got me Good, my Great Grandmother was 97, i had a Great Uncle like this Man, what was his was his, that he had worked very hard for all his life
This elderly black man did a phenomenal job. 👏🏽
First half had me very confused like did the new lawyer really think she was helping?????
She was working for the son.
She was probably there to convince people the old man was senile, so they could get the house back (probably so the son could inherit it after his father's death).
That was her plan convince the jury he’s incompetent
@@MaddeningFly He gets declared incompetent, he gets out of the charges, he gets the house back, which would then be under the son’s control. Old man gets put into home.
Objectively, it’s the best outcome, old man doesn’t go to prison or convicted, they family gets the property back that was conned. The problem is life isn’t that simple.
@@kingofwhateverr550 Except the old man still has his pride.
So good! What amazing performances! And stellar writing.
RIP Paul Benjamin February 4, 1938 - June 28, 2019
Wow. That was some of the best acting I've ever seen. It was as if he was speaking from personal experience.
The lesson I'd ask people to take as they debate what the old man should have done is this:
You can never account for the actions of others one-hundred percent.
Meaning, you never know how someone is going to respond to something you do. This isn't saying their response is justified on a moral or equivalent scale of return (I steal a candy bar and the police/shop owner blows me away), neither have anything to do with it, but people need to know that when they make certain choices, they may get certain outcomes.
The real OG.
Explain to me how the son did all that without his father ever appearing in court or even knlwing about it? When filing for such power over someone, until the judge rules otherwise, he is presumed still in authority over himself. So how could the judge rule without him ever being given the opportunity to despute it, be questioned, or offer any testimony?
5:02 - I'm not incompetent, YOU'RE INCOMPETENT!! I just had to do go back to that one. An uncomfortable decrepitude awaits us all, but the accused here shows that there's hope. A penniless old man with no hope beat a team of experts with tons of expensive technology. Hope is nice, but sometomes, hopelessness is what wina thw day.
Outstanding performance- he had me hooked on every word and in my feelings'!!
OG took “Stand on Business” to the perfect degree.
"Don't lose any sleep. He had it comin'." -Statham in Safe
As a financial advisor, one thing that enrages me is people who take advantage of older people.
After what happened with the Bernie Madoffs and Lehman Brothers of the world, it is hard to think this old man was going to get any justice in his lifetime.
This elderly man was better at using the internet to find out what he wanted than I would ever have a hope of doing.
People are stating that if the son did not interfere, then his dad would have gotten away with it. This is true, but the son was not after proving his father's innocence.
The son just wanted to get the house back. Under his father's defense, he said that he mortgaged the house himself, so there would be no way to get it back. But if he was declared incompetent, then there's a chance to get the house back.
Yeah, people are aware of that. But from the father's perspective, his son was insulting him as a person in order to get a physical possession. If his son puts him in a nursing home because he says he's got dementia or if he goes to jail because he was in his right mind, either way he wouldn't have been in the house anymore. So what does it matter to the father? All he had left was HIS pride.
The issue is that from his view, the son cared more his possessions than he did for his ageing father, he sends him a christmas card and happy birthday but that is it, and those felt more like obligations than actual care. he saw that his son abandoned him and frankly from what i see, he really did, he was willing to make him see demented and insane rather than acknowledge he did it on his own and acknowelge he did as a mistake but not as an old demented insane old man, just a father who made a mistake, he has literally nothing left to lose, not even the sense that his family even cares anymore. he took justice into his own hands as at least he felt he made a problem and fixed it on his own, clear minded and indipendant.
Probably one of the funnier parts of this clip is when the new lady lawyer walks in impressively saying "THIS MEETING IS OVER!" when everyone was about to leave anyway.
I really feel like there should be no charges against him.
He killed someone though, no matter what the other person did to him, he killed someone.
@@Arjay404 shouldn’t have stolen his money then
He took a father away from his kids, scammer or not he murdered someone.
@@sapphirewingthefurrycritic985 he should have thought about his kids when he was stealing this guys money and life
@@sapphirewingthefurrycritic985 he took out the trash
My favorite line was “I took back me”…
I remember seeing some of these when they first aired! First one I saw was Born Again, which has one of my favourite McCoy lines!
1:15 The "next ex wife" line was gold.
Take that confession to court.
Explain what happened and the jury would find that gentleman not guilty.
50/50 chance. Judges will often in instructions say no matter how much sympathy you feel for the defendant, the law is the law. I would personally have a hard time convicting him, but often juries don’t see all the facts either.
Agree
I always liked Shaballa Green. Even when the person she is defending is guilty as hell you gotta give her props for being an excellent defence atterney.
She is an excellent lawyer, but I did not like her defending the black man who ended up beating a white man to death in Sanctuary. Just because the Jewish man didn't get a harsher punishment than was necessary when he accidently ran down the African-American kid. Not going to the police in the first place was wrong, but hardly warranted a 25-to-life sentence that the African American Community felt he deserved.
Beating an innocent white man who had nothing to do with this situation was monsterous. Anyone trying to justify it is also in the wrong.
And I loathed the fact that Green had the nerve to accuse Ben Stone of being a bigot when he rejected her 'two wrongs make a right' defense of the creep she was defending. She knew him long enough to know that he was not one bit racist. He prosecutes without prejudice, regardless of the race or gender of the defendant.
Totally agree Shambala was good lawyer but in that episode that you mentioned I really wanted that creep go to jail who killed Italian he would even killed his wife she was also in the car but samebody stopped him
There is no justice in sending this man to jail.
This episode aired in 2003. 20 years later, I still remember vividly this specific scene. Even though the scene lasted only a few minutes, this fine actor delivered a one hell of a performance.
You're really convinced he didn't do it until he says he did. Great performance.
The great Paul Benjamin was excellent as the defendant.
There had to have been a huge ovation after this scene. There had to be. You've got all these younger actors just staring at a masterclass of emotional acting.
RIP to paul Benjamin what a great Actor.
This man was Incredible!!! Loved his work!!
That's right Whispers! Do right by the Queen and Bumpy Johnson by using those pistols to stick up for yourself!
“Take your next ex-wife and get out of here”
This is man better get a Grammy!
Lorrain Toussaint as Shambala Green was always a beast of an attorney. She was best when taking on ADA Stone ( the prosecutor prior to Sam Watersons ADA Jack McCoy).
"This is the motion to have Lonnie Jackson declared incompetent to stand trial."
Literally puts him on trial the next scene.
Why does Hitchen look like a slightly more modern Fredrik Douglass
He thought he would get away with swindling a Tuskegee Airmen.
Can being a horrible son be a crime? Because the culprit was not 80 years old.
Such a good episode 😁
Grandpas last stand
I just saw myself in the future, amazing acting by the old man wow! Getting old is scary..sigh 😔
I love law and order