Aisha Crenshaw: The observation posts are a joke. Those drug deals are captured on tape just as clearly as what I did, but the police don't respond. I doubt they even look at those tapes.
Jimmy Berluti: Is crack a big problem in your neighborhood, Aisha?
Aisha Crenshaw: Is it a big problem? My 2-year-old daughter was killed in a drive-by three years ago. I've seen my friends' children become dealers, addicts. My street has become Crack Lane, Mr. Berluti. It's almost impossible for a child to grow up in our neighborhood without it being shoved in his face. There are drive-by shootings, random killings, intentional killings, and at the root of it all are drugs: cocaine, crack. All being dealt openly and notoriously by Marcus Thayer and others. And the police do nothing.
Judge Harrod: Counsel.
Jimmy Berluti: So what happened that day?
Aisha Crenshaw: What happened is I decided to do something to save the kids on our street. I decided to protect the lives that Marcus Thayer was so intent on destroying.
Judge Harrod: Miss Crenshaw, as I have advised your counsel, I would advise you. "Defense of others" is not a justifiable theory...
Aisha Crenshaw: It's justifiable to the parents who live in our neighborhood.
Judge Harrod: Miss Crenshaw, I would instruct this jury not to accept self-defense or defense of others...
Aisha Crenshaw: Why don't you instruct the mayor to instruct the police to clean up our streets?
Judge Harrod: You have the right to present your testimony, but as you move forward...
Aisha Crenshaw: These dealers are arrested over and over, and never do time. It has to stop.