So how did the crooked cops think they could get away with this?

I think if you take it past it's just a film then it falls apart.

Nearly a whole department of crooked cops running around New York trying to kill one witness and then one of their own detectives and no one else notices? No.

And where did they get all the tape to tape the newspaper to the bus windows?

Remember, it's Hollywood magic.

I love this movie. it is entertaining and full of good action, but the only problem I have with it is the issue you bring up. Even if they don't make the courthouse in time, there would be a murder investigation . And unless you believe in giant conspiracies, you must admit that the truth would eventually come out. Also, I think if they really needed the jury to stay longer, they could have ordered it. I was on a grand jury once and they were thinking of holding us over.

well, did they know about Mos Def's character? I think the only ones that knew about him being in the bus with Willis' character were the crooked cops. The swat team and the negotiator only 'knew' that Willis' character had gone insane and had taken hostage a bus. Also, remember that Willis' character wasn't originally intended to escort Mos Def's character to court. It was an unofficial, last minute switch because the other guy couldn't make it.

I think the corruption ran straight up to the top of the precinct and the precinct commander had a good political relationship with the commission, so at least within their precinct they had wide latitude to break the rules.

It also struck me that the more chaos Bruce Willis caused, the more worried they got because the problem was leaking from containment within their sphere of influence. It's why Willis was so desperate to get to the DA.

As long as they didn't get to the DA, the phony crazy cop narrative cooked up by David Morse was viable.