The Path to Love: A Sonny Carisi Love Story

12: Old Tragedy

I sit in the courtroom the next day and listen to Tensley's attorney try to talk his way out of this. "Mr. Exley, your client is back in my courtroom again facing a serious charge." The judge looks to him shocked but rhetorically asks "should we install a revolving door?"

"Serious?" Tensley calls out, "he's bragging on Facebook." She refers to the boy she hooked up with while in recovery.

Her lawyer whispers something to her and returns himself to the judge, "your honor, miss Evans was in extreme emotional duress. Rather than prosecution, she needs a full psychiatric evaluation."

Barba argues, "your honor, this is just another delaying tactic."

I look to Sonny who looks to me with wondering eyes, "I wasn't aware you were a psychiatrist, Mr. Barba." The judge argues. "Mental illness is not something this court takes lightly. Psychiatric evaluation is so ordered." She looks at Tensley intently, "but, miss Evans, you are still on probation. If you violate the law again, in any way, I will remand you." She bangs her gavel and we leave to head back to the precinct.

The next day Benson fills us in on the new information we received from Tensley. "She's a victim. We're not sure exactly of how much, but she was having sex with much older men. We need to look into this." She tells us as we sit down to discuss.

"But it was consensual, what can we do about it now for her? And who is this guy?" I ask out loud.

"Adam Brubeck was the biggest teen producer out there. "Summer Days", "Five ways to play Hooky", "Farcity Blues" Rollins says, pointing him out on the board and listing off his successes.

"I think I've heard of one of those" I semi shrug trying to remember if I've seen any of those movies.

"And according to Tensley," Benson goes on, "Brubeck passed her around like a sex toy party favor."

"Explains why she's such a train wreck." Carisi adds in to the conversation.

Nick comes around the table, "if she's telling the truth."

Amanda responds, "Nick, I'm glad you're back, but really, you should have heard her."

"Well, she's an actress." He reminds her.

Barba agrees, "Amaro's right. She could be playing you both."

"We had to pull it out of her, guys." Benson tells us. "This girl doesn't even know that she's been victimized."

Barba lays it out flatly, "Gregory's father thinks that his son was, and there's video to back up that charge. I have to indict her."

Benson is taken back by this, as am I, "hold on, you do?" I ask him before he walks away completely.

"This is textbook mitigating." Benson says.

"And Exley is free to bring that up, when he tries to cut a deal." Barba simply returns and goes to leave.

"In the meantime, how about I take a run at Brubeck? See if he wets his pants." Carisi offers up, and Barba quickly turns back around.

Amanda jumps on him, "were you sick the day that they went over statute of limitations at law school?"

He answers, "yeah, yeah, she's 24, which in New York is one year too late to charge statutory rape. Anybody want to explain to me why that law still exists?"

"You can thank the church lobbyists for that." Barba answers his question even though it seemed more rhetorical to me.

Nick adds on, "the law's the law, all right? She needs to do time."