All language subtitles for Law.And.Order.S21E09.WEBRip.x264-ION10

.

- In the criminal justice
system,

the people are represented

by two separate,
yet equally important groups:

the police,
who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

[dramatic musical sting]

[laughter]

- Okay, okay.

I wanna make a toast
to our amazing hostess.

- Mm-mm, nope necessary.

- Oh, well, I'm gonna do it
anyway, girl.

So just deal.
- [laughs]

- Ella, thank you so much

for putting together
this incredible evening.

You truly never
cease to amaze me,

and I want to say
that your passion for life

is so inspiring and infectious,

but it's your honesty
and humility

that really impressed me.

And I am just so proud
to be a part of your life.

Okay, no, no, no, no.

You're not getting off
that easy.

You need to say something.
- Okay. Fine.

I'm just really glad
you guys are here tonight.

I feel so fortunate

to have such fascinating
and authentic friends.

Because of you all,

I feel like
I'm the luckiest person alive.

- Aw!
- Aw...

- Ella, big smile.

[dramatic chords]

♪

- Okay, female,
Caucasian, age 27.

Name is Ella Whitlock.

- How'd she get in here?
- Better question is why.

- M.E. says time of death was
approximately six hours ago.

- Cause of death?

- Probably blunt force trauma
to the head.

She clipped her head on
the equipment on the way down.

She's got some
broken fingernails,

some splinters
in the palm of her hand.

- She probably was
holding on for dear life.

Didn't go down without a fight.

- Still got her bracelets
and her watch.

They look expensive.

- Yeah, we found an expensive
designer purse too.

- You find her phone?
- Mm-mm.

- Anything else?
- A stack of invitations.

Looks like she was opening
a nightclub.

- Opens May 9.

"Ella's:
Where dreams come true."

- More like nightmares.

[dramatic music]

♪

- No witnesses

and no surveillance cameras
near the warehouse.

It's a pretty desolate
part of town.

- Do we know why she was
in that neighborhood?

- Yeah.
She was leasing the space.

Looks like she was
building it out,

trying to start a nightclub.

- What do we know
about the vic?

- Not much other than the fact
that she was single

and livin' la vida loca.

Social media has her
in Paris, London, Cabo.

- A few yachts too.

- Okay, let's notify
the parents,

find out what they know.

- Yeah, well, all of
her followers are private,

so we haven't had any luck
tracking anybody down.

Plus, she's not in
any of our databases.

Still waiting on phone
and text data.

- But we did find
a business card in her purse.

A lawyer named David Kornfeld.

- Okay, sounds like
a good place to start.

- Ella was a new client.

I was helping her with plans
for a nightclub.

She was the hardest working
heiress I ever met by far.

- Heiress?
- [chuckles] Oh, yeah.

She was part of
the Whitlock clan.

Old money.
- Best kind there is.

- [chuckles]
- Was she having any problems?

Stalkers, threats,
boyfriend issues?

- No, not that I'm aware of.

- Was she into drugs?

- No.
No, I don't think so.

Like I said,
she was very driven.

It's rare to see someone
born into that kind of wealth

so...ambitious.

All she talked about
was that damn nightclub.

She was so passionate about it.

- Well, if she was
so passionate,

why were they so far behind
in the construction schedule?

You know, we found
a stack of invitations

in that warehouse space, said,
"Nightclub opening in May."

But from what I saw,

opening in September
would've been a miracle.

- She...she wasn't
the greatest businesswoman.

She had a lot of
creative energy and charisma,

but she didn't know
what the hell she was doing.

- Can you be more specific?
- She only raised $2 million.

She needed more like 4 or 5.

- So she was out of money.

- Well, she said she was gonna
get a loan from her parents.

- Do you have her parents'
name?

- No.

- Do you happen to know
where she lived?

- Uh...

[dramatic sting]

- How long had she been here?

- About two months.

She's renovating her condo
down in Tribeca.

- Were there any disturbances
or arguments?

- No, she was delightful

and incredibly kind
and generous with the staff.

Called everyone
by their first name,

looked them in the eye.

- Has she had
any recent visitors?

- No.

- Hmm.

Look at that.

Parents?
- Yes.

Walter and Elaine Whitlock.

I can't imagine their pain.

[soft dinner music plays]

[indistinct chatter]

- Mr. Whitlock.
- Yes?

- We have some bad news, sir.

Is there some place where
we can go speak privately?

- I'd rather
you just tell me here.

- It's about
your daughter Ella.

- Ella.
- Yes.

We believe she's been
a victim of a homicide.

- What?

- We're very sorry
for your loss.

- I don't have a daughter
named Ella.

- You don't have a...

- I have two sons,
Andrew and Nathan.

- That is you
and your wife, correct?

- Yes, but I have no idea
who that woman is.

[uneasy music]

♪

.

- So the photo was a fake.

- Yeah, it was Photoshopped.

- So she was living
a fake life.

- Yeah, but her death was real.

- Yeah, I'm guessing one
must be connected to the other.

Do we have any cell data yet?

- I just called them.
Said they were behind.

Don't ask.
- What else do we know?

- Not much.
Still no video, no witnesses,

but since we know her name
isn't Ella Whitlock,

we ran her prints through AFIS.

Her real name--Mary Costello.

Arrested for larceny
six years ago.

Grew up in Passaic, New Jersey.

- All right, let's talk
to her real parents,

let them know what happened
to their daughter

and if we're lucky,

maybe they'll know
something we don't.

- Mm-hmm.

- Mary told us she was in Paris

working in
the fashion industry.

Said she was
having a great time too.

Meeting lots
of interesting people,

making a good salary.

- When was the last time
you talked to her?

- About a month ago

she called to wish me
a happy birthday.

- Did she mention anything...
unusual?

Were there any sort of issues?

both: No.

- No, she was upbeat
and positive.

She said she'd never
been happier.

- Showed us a new diamond
necklace she got.

Said someone gave it to her.
It cost...

$200,000.

- She say who this person was?
- No.

- You didn't ask?

- We don't like to pry.

- If there's anything you can
think of that could be helpful,

give us a call.

- Oh, hey,
uh...What do we do now?

I want to see...

I want to give her
a proper burial.

- [crying]

- [whispering]
It's okay. It's okay.

- Not everyone's thrilled
with where they're from

or what their life is,
I get it,

but to hide
your family like that

and to pretend to be
somebody else is just twisted.

- Ah, it's actually really sad.

You must really hate yourself
to create a whole new persona.

- And for so long too.

I mean, I get an occasional
fib here and there but...

- What do you mean?

- One night
in Fort Lauderdale...

I was young.
I was drunk.

I told a woman I was a doctor.
- And...

- Turns out
she was an actual doctor,

so it went downhill fast.

- [laughs]
I'm sure it did.

- Hey, we're over here
digging into Mary's financials.

Shocker--she was up
to her eyeballs in debt.

She had seven different
credit cards, all maxed out.

And she also had
a $2 million credit line

with a local bank,
maxed out as well.

- She was one hell of an actor,
that's for sure.

- Yeah, people think
you're rich,

they roll out the red carpet
and open their wallets.

- All the while she's borrowing
from Peter to pay Paul.

- Which means a lot
of people got screwed over.

So let's establish a timeline
for the night of the murder.

Figure out where she was,
who she was with.

- What was her last
credit card charge?

- Night of the murder
at a place called Gelina.

She dropped 7 grand.
- That's hell of a tab.

- Yeah, good chance
one of her companions

made a post about it too.

- I'll check it out.
See if she was tagged.

[dramatic sting]

- You said her real name
is Mary Costello?

- Yes. That's correct.

- Did anything unusual happen
at dinner last night?

- No, no, everyone
was having a great time.

- What time did Ella leave?
- Uh...around 11:00.

She said she had to meet up
with some people for work.

- Did she mention any names?
Locations?

- No, sorry.

- This was taken
at the dinner, correct?

- Yeah, I took a selfie
and posted it during dinner.

- Ella was wearing
a diamond necklace.

- Yes, beautiful.
[chuckles]

- Reason I ask is
she wasn't wearing it

when we found the body.
Just to confirm--

she didn't take it off
for some reason?

- Was she dating anyone?
- Uh...I'm not sure. Ha.

Like I said, we met
a couple weeks ago, so...

Well, it turns out
we did use the same matchmaker.

- Matchmaker?
- Yeah.

Yeah, her name's Tiffany.

- I know lots of wealthy men

and lots of young,
beautiful women,

so I figured I might as well
find a way to monetize it.

- So these people
pay you to set up dates.

- The men pay me an annual fee.

In exchange,
I send photos and resumes

of my female acquaintances.

If they're interested
in someone, I introduce them.

- Okay.

I'm guessing you
don't accept cops as clients.

- [laughs]

Only if you're worth
over 200 million.

- Oh.
- What about Ella?

- Thought she was
a great catch.

Attractive, fun, full of life.

- Did you introduce her to
any of your clients recently?

- I've introduced her
to several.

Some she liked,
some she didn't,

but just last month
she met someone really special.

Comes from a prestigious,
old-line family just like Ella.

I was really optimistic
they'd hit it off, you know?

It's much easier for people
from that type of wealth

to relate to one another.

- Excuse me. Wyatt Ackman?

You mind if we ask you
a few questions?

- About what?
- Ella Whitlock.

- Did something happen to her?

- I'm afraid so.

She's dead.

- Sorry for your loss.

- Seems as if she got
into a little altercation

at her nightclub downtown.
- Ohh...

- You two were dating, correct?

- Y-yeah, yes, yes.
So-sort of.

- Were you two having
any issues?

- No.

- When was the last time
that you talked to her?

- Yesterday.
Briefly over the phone.

- And what did you talk about?
- The club.

She couldn't wait to finish it.
Turn her dream into a reality.

- More like a reality
into a dream.

- What do you mean?
- Did you know

that she was living
under an assumed identity?

- And that she was
dead-ass broke?

Didn't go to college,

didn't have two nickels
to rub together,

and her real name
was Mary Costello.

- I...I had no idea.

- If you don't mind me asking,

what were you doing last night?
- Excuse me?

- You know, the more people
we rule out, the better.

- Oh, I-I see. Sure. Um...

I was home for most of
the night working, watching TV,

went out for a walk.
- Mm.

- You can check with
my doorman.

- Oh, we will.

- Oh, did Ella
ever use Bluetooth

or charge her phone
in your vehicle?

- It's possible. Why?

- It worked.

When she synced her phone
in Ackman's Maybach,

it stored
all of her personal data.

So we have
all of her texts, emails.

- Oh, you keep
surprising me, Frank.

- I don't sell shoes
for a living.

- Anything interesting?

- Lots of complaints
from creditors,

investors, contractors,

but there was one guy
who was really aggressive.

I mean, he wasn't just whining,

he was firing off
legit threats.

"Done playing with you, girl.

Like for real.
I want my money."

That was sent three days ago.
- Mm-hmm.

And then the next day,
he sends this.

"I better see you tonight,
or this ain't gonna end well.

I promise."
- You got a name?

- Yeah, Matthew Dooley.

And it just keeps
getting better.

He was arrested five months ago
for aggravated battery.

- Let's find Mr. Dooley
right away.

.

- I went on a trip with her
to Istanbul.

I was supposed to be her guest,

but I ended up
getting stuck with the tab.

I had to put it on
three credit cards.

Dropped 48 grand.

So yeah, I was pissed.

- When was the last time
you saw Ella?

- Two nights ago.

She stopped by the bar
around 11:00 or so.

Said she was gonna
pay me back real soon,

but there was a problem
with her trust fund.

Needed her trustee
to authorize the transfer,

but he was in Prague.
It was all a bunch of crap.

I knew she was a fraud,

so I just told her
to get the hell out.

- How did you know
she was a fraud?

- She used the word jughandle
once to describe an offramp.

You know, like
when you're on a highway.

That's something
people from Jersey say,

not people from Park Avenue.
- Hmm.

- So I did some digging.

I ran a reverse image search,
and I found

a yearbook photo of her with
the name Mary Costello.

- How'd that make you feel?

- Like an idiot...
but I didn't kill her.

- We're gonna need
a little more than that.

- I was here working
till 3:00 a.m.

Check the video.
- Oh, we will.

- Can you think of anyone else
that Ella screwed over?

- She said some Mexican guy
loaned her some money,

but he wanted
to get paid back right away.

He was threatening
all kinds of scary stuff.

Like, real scary.

She said his family was
connected to a drug cartel too.

- Yeah, we talked to
the big, bad Mexican dude.

Turns out he's just like
everybody else in that crowd.

A poser.

Father is a high school
science teacher.

Said he was
only threatening Ella

so she could pay him
his money back.

- It worked too.

She went over to his apartment
two nights ago around midnight,

gave him 50 grand in cash.
- Is he telling the truth?

- Hey, I've been pulling
traffic cam video

outside this guy's
apartment building.

Found footage of Ella hopping
into a cab at 12:07 a.m.

I tried to track down
where it was headed, but...

- It's okay.

We'll just track down
the cabbie instead.

- She's cute, but I still
don't remember picking her up.

- Two nights ago,

Upper East Side
around midnight.

- I drive lots of people, bro.

I never even
look at their faces.

Even if I wanted to,
I couldn't.

Plexiglass is too thick.
I can barely see through it.

- We spoke to your boss,

and he was kind enough
to give us your GPS data.

Picked her up at
919 First Avenue around 12:07,

then you took her down
to the Lower East Side.

841 Henry Street, to be exact.
- So?

- So she ended up murdered
at that exact address

not long after
you dropped her off.

- Whoa, whoa, wait.

You're sayin' you thinking I--
- No, we're not saying

a damn thing--we're just
asking you questions.

- We just want to know
what happened

after you dropped her off.

- I know who
you're talking about,

but nothing weird happened.

I took her down
to the warehouse.

She paid me, and that was that.

Gave me a big tip too.
50 bucks.

- And then what,
you just drove off?

- Not right away.

It's kinda creepy down there,
so I watched her go inside.

Just wanted to make sure
nothing bad happened.

- Was anyone around?
See some homeless dudes, cars?

- Yeah.

Yeah, there was a car
parked across the street.

A nice one too.

I think it was a Maybach.

- This is a mistake!

I didn't kill her, I swear!

I was just--
- You were what? Huh?

We already talked
to your driver, Wyatt.

He puts you at the scene
at the time of the murder.

- But if you want to tell us
your side of the story,

we'd be happy to listen.
- There is no my side.

I already told you,
I didn't kill Ella.

I loved her.
Why would I want to hurt her?

- Because you found out
her name was Mary.

- The bartender Dooley

sent you a text
telling you she was a fraud.

- She played you
like a punk, Wyatt.

So you beat her up
and threw her off a balcony.

- No. I...

I'm done talking.
I want a lawyer.

- Lawyer? No.
You're gonna need a priest.

.

- Docket number CR20097-82.

People v Wyatt Ackman.

Charging murder
in the second-degree.

- My client pleads not guilty.
- I'll hear the people on bail.

- The defendant argued
and fought with his girlfriend

then pushed his girlfriend
off a balcony.

She fell 40 feet
and died instantly.

Rather than calling 911,
the defendant fled,

but not before removing

a $200,000 necklace
from her person.

A necklace
he had just given her.

While Mr. Ackman
has no criminal record,

he is heir to a $2 billion
pharmaceutical fortune

and is therefore a flight risk.
People seek remand.

- Ms. Greenough.

- Your Honor,

Mr. Ackman is battling
a severe opioid addiction.

He's been receiving treatment
for this disease

off and on
for the past two years.

- Let's cut to the chase.

You're asking me
to send him to rehab?

- An inpatient
treatment facility.

- Your Honor, he can detox
at Rikers like everyone else.

- I agree.
The defendant is remanded.

- The defense wants to use
settled insanity defense.

- What the hell is that?
- A legal concept.

As far as I know, it's never
been used in New York.

- What's the theory?

- It's a variation
of not guilty

by reason of mental disease
or defect.

And the basic idea is

the defendant's
drug addiction is so severe,

he or she can't form
the requisite intent

to commit murder.

- So he's looking for
a clever defense.

Is that it?
- Yeah.

He's trying to hide behind
his addiction.

It's like killing your parents

then begging for mercy
because you're an orphan.

- File a motion to preclude
any evidence on the topic

and in the meantime,
let's find out the nature

and extent of
Mr. Ackman's drug use.

[dramatic sting]

- Wyatt Ackman had it bad.

- When did he come here
for treatment?

- First time, 18 months ago.

Tried to go straight
on his own, bare knuckle it,

but he was hurting.

Shaking, vomiting,
chills, body aches.

Chronic use like Wyatt's
alters the brain chemistry.

Wreaks havoc on
the central nervous system.

- How many times has
he been to this facility?

- Three.

Took me four.

Destroyed my life
in the process, of course.

Lost my wife and my career,
but I got clean.

- When was the last time
you saw Wyatt Ackerman?

- The day before the murder.
We met for coffee.

- How did he appear?

- Seemed to be doing great.

Said he hadn't used in 64 days.

- He say anything else?
- Yeah.

Ella.

Said he was
gonna propose to her.

He was madly in love with her.

[dramatic chords]

- There's no evidence
this murder

is even remotely connected
to the defendant's addiction.

The defendant's
own treatment counselor

will testify he was sober
around the time of the murder.

- Just because he said
he was sober

or appeared sober
to a treatment counselor

doesn't mean he actually was.

Moreover,
the settled insanity defense

speaks to long-term drug use.

Like I said,
it's a simple concept...

- It's a simple concept,

but that doesn't mean
it makes sense.

- Excuse me?

- Treating drug addiction
as a form of insanity

is too big a stretch for me.
Your motion is denied.

Are all parties
ready to impanel?

- Actually, I'd like to discuss
a plea with the prosecution.

- Even better.

- We'd be willing to plead
to Man One. 15 years.

That's not all.
We have a recording.

A phone call between my client,

the former chief operating
officer of Northwestern Pharma,

and his uncle Charles Ackman,

the founder and CEO
of Northwestern Pharma.

- People die in cars
every day.

Doesn't mean they're gonna
stop making them.

- But you've seen the study.

Our own scientists
are warning us

that oxycodone
is up there with heroin.

They say it penetrates the
pleasure centers in the brain

seven times faster
and more efficiently

than other opioids,
and with prolonged use,

the pain relieving effect
diminished

and pain can intensify.
The body may become dependent.

This leads to
symptoms of withdrawal

which makes it
extremely difficult to stop.

We're killing people.

- No, they're killing
themselves.

We just happen to be the ones
getting rich from it.

- There's more too.
A lot more.

Conversation took place
five years ago.

Not only did Uncle Charles
continue to produce the drug,

he predicated his company's
entire marketing strategy

and business plan
on getting people addicted.

- That's horrific.

- But what does it have to do
with the murder case?

- My client can help you
bring a criminal fraud case

against Charles Ackman
and his corporation.

- He's killing people
every day.

Every single day.

- If you're so outraged,
why didn't you speak up sooner?

Why'd it take a murder charge
for you to see the light?

- My treatment counselor
relapsed.

- What?

- He overdosed last night.

Died early this morning.

- I just talked to him
yesterday.

He seemed fine.

- I just want to end
all the pain and suffering...

and hold my uncle accountable

for destroying
so many families.

- Our murder case
against Wyatt Ackman

is filled with holes.
There's no eyewitness.

And let's not forget, we have
a less-than-perfect victim.

- You're right,
she wasn't perfect,

but she's still dead.

- Oh, I understand,
but she conned him.

His emotions were running high,

which means he might have
a viable EED defense.

- He's a rich brat who'll do
anything to save his own ass,

including selling out
his own uncle.

I think we should
reject the plea.

- But if we move forward
on murder,

there's a good chance we end
at manslaughter anyway.

Why not take the plea

and use Wyatt to build a case
against his uncle?

- Because it's beyond
the scope of our jurisdiction.

- He's a drug trafficker, Jack.

He's knowingly
selling and marketing

a highly addictive
and lethal product.

If he were a heroin dealer,
we wouldn't think twice.

- But he's not.

He's the CEO of
a publicly traded company

and the highly addictive
product he sells is legal.

We're not the FDA, Nolan.

It's not our job
to evaluate drugs.

- But it's our job to prosecute

a CEO who's been
defrauding the public.

Who's been withholding crucial
information about oxycodone

while incentivizing doctors
to over-prescribe it.

- Let Congress or the
Justice Department handle it.

- People are dying.

Last year alone,
over 75,000 people

died from opioid overdoses,

but we have
a real opportunity here.

If we take down Charles Ackman,
if we expose what he knows,

we will literally save
hundreds of thousands of lives.

- Okay.

Take the plea.

And bring an enterprise
corruption case

against the uncle.

- To hell with corruption.
If we're gonna do this,

let's try the son of a bitch
for manslaughter.

[somber music]

♪

- Go for it.

.

- I understand we're here
for a motion to suppress.

- The people plan to offer
an audio recording

of a conversation between
Wyatt and Charles Ackman.

The defense is seeking
to exclude the tape,

and we're asking that
their application be denied.

- I'll hear you, Mr. Zanini.

- Well, it's really
quite simple.

My client never
gave permission to be recorded.

- I had no idea
my nephew was taping me.

- New York is
a one-party consent state.

Wyatt Ackman
authorized the recording.

That's enough for it
to be admissible.

- My client
signed an affidavit.

- I was in Boston
at a conference

when the conversation
took place.

- Here's a receipt
from the Four Seasons.

Massachusetts requires
consent of both parties.

- I agree.

The motion to suppress
is approved.

The audio tape is out.

- Wyatt Ackman
can still testify

to the conversation
he had with his uncle.

- But without the tape,
it's gonna come down to

the word of an addict,

who's getting
the deal of the century,

against the word of
a polished executive.

- People love an underdog.
- Not always.

- We can win this case, Sam.

- What's really
going on here, Nolan?

- What's really going on

is that I am trying
to hold a bad man

accountable for his actions.

For our purposes,
for this case,

Eric Howe is the victim.

So find the doctor
who prescribed him the meds.

If he's worried about
criminal charges, immunize him.

We need to show the jury
who Eric Howe was

before he got addicted
to these damn pills.

- Eric came to see me
about seven years ago.

He was an accomplished
physician in his own right.

- What brought him
to your clinic?

- He'd been in a car accident.
He was experiencing

excruciating pain
in his back and neck.

- And you prescribed oxycodone.
- Yes.

- Why did you prescribe the oxy

manufactured
by Northwestern Pharma?

- At the time,
it was being touted

as the best medication
on the market.

- Did you receive
any incentives

from the defendant's company?

- The company paid me
for speaking fees

and consulting services.

- Did you do any actual
speaking or consulting?

- They paid me to go on trips.

A safari in Kenya,
a tour of the Galapagos.

I'd give a 20-minute talk
to sales reps,

and they'd write me a check.

The more I prescribed,
the more I earned.

- How much did
the company pay you?

- Almost half a million
dollars.

- Thank you.
That's all I have.

- You never met my client,
have you?

- That's correct.

- Never talked to him
on the phone.

Never Zoomed with him.
- True.

- He never offered you a dime.

- Not directly.
- Not at all.

Isn't that fair to say?

- I suppose.

- And you're the person,
not my client,

who wrote the prescriptions
to Mr. Howe, correct?

- Yes.

- But you're not being charged.

- I've been given immunity
in exchange for my testimony.

- Even though this happened
on your watch.

- Objection.
- Withdrawn.

Nothing further.

- Let's reconvene tomorrow
at 9:00 a.m.

- You're seeing Wyatt
later for prep?

- He's coming
to the office tonight.

- He needs to knock it
out of the park tomorrow.

- The jury needs to understand

that your uncle knew
how dangerous these pills were.

- Mm.

- Have you reviewed
the recording?

- Mm-hmm.

- Since we can't play the tape,

I'm gonna need you
to memorize it.

Are you okay?
- I don't, um...

I don't think I can testify.

- What are you talking about?

[dark music]

- I started using again

at Rikers.

My hookup
just got released, so...

I'm dry.

I'm not feeling so good.

I have some pills at my house.

- Excuse me?

- All you have to do is pick up
a package from my housekeeper.

Bring it to court
in the morning.

[heavy music]

.

- Mr. Ackman,
up until your arrest,

were you working for your uncle
at Northwestern Pharma?

- I had been there
for about ten years.

- Can you tell
the members of the jury

about a conversation
you had with your uncle?

- Objection. Hearsay.

- It's an exception
to the hearsay rule.

Statement against
penal interest.

- Overruled.

- About five years ago,
my uncle admitted

that he knew oxycodone
was highly addictive.

He knew the effect
it was having on people.

He knew people were desperate
to get more, to get high.

It was being abused,
crushed, and snorted

by tens of thousands of people.

- And did he also acknowledge

that he knew some doctors
were selling prescriptions?

- Yes.

- What did he do
with this information?

- He hid it.

- He continued to market
the drug?

- Aggressively.

He directed the marketing
department to lie.

Told them to say it was

less addictive
than other pain killers

and it was safe.

- Did he also tell you
his feelings

about those most impacted
by these drugs?

- He said addicts
make the choice to do drugs.

They're not victims.
They're victimizers.

- Thank you.

- You were charged with
the murder of your girlfriend,

Ella Whitlock, also known as
Mary Costello, correct?

- Yes.

- But when you agreed
to testify against your uncle,

the prosecution reduced
the charge to manslaughter.

- Yes, that's true.

- So you admit that
you killed your girlfriend.

- I did.

We got into a horrible
and emotional argument.

- You hit her and
you pushed her over a balcony.

- Yes.

- And you're also an admitted
drug addict, correct?

- Objection. Relevance.
- Overruled.

- Yes, I've had trouble with...

Prescription pills,

the pills my family's
company manufacture.

- Are you high right now?

- Objection.
There's no foundation.

- Overruled.
Answer the question.

- No.

I'm not high.

- My private investigator

spoke with your housekeeper
last night.

She said that a woman
came to your home

and picked up
a prescription for you.

Do you know
anything about this?

- Objection. Calls for hearsay.
- Sustained.

- Nothing further.

- You told me to make sure
Wyatt was an effective witness.

He was a mess last night.
- So you got him drugs.

- I picked up
a prescription for him.

- He could've overdosed.
- He didn't.

- That's not the point.

- It's obvious this case
is important to you.

That means
it's important to me.

So I did what I had to do
to make sure Wyatt delivered.

Simple as that.

- What is your title,
Mr. Ackman?

- I'm the founder and CEO
of Northwestern Pharma.

- And what does
your company do?

- We manufacture a variety

of therapeutics
and pain medications.

- Including oxycodone.

- Yes, it's one of
our most popular drugs.

It's incredibly effective.

These pills provide comfort and
relief to millions of people

who would otherwise
live in excruciating pain.

Cancer patients,
accident victims, war heroes.

- And the pills are legal,
correct?

- Yes, of course.

- And do you personally
market the drug to, uh...

doctors or pharmacies?
- No.

- Did you ever meet Eric Howe?
- No.

- Did you say war heroes?
- Yes, sir.

We've helped a lot soldiers
injured on the battlefield.

- Interesting.

Are you aware that veterans
are twice as likely to die

of an opioid overdose
than civilians?

- No, I'm not aware
of that statistic.

- You knowingly and willfully
marketed a product

that you know
is inherently dangerous

to a large segment
of the population.

- Objection.
- Ask a question, Mr. Price.

- Your scientists warned you

about the addictive qualities
of these pills, didn't they?

They told you that a certain
percentage of the population

would get addicted
to these drugs

and that a certain percentage
of them would overdose and die.

- Doctors prescribe
the medication because

they believe the benefits
outweigh the risks.

These pills are legal.
They're FDA approved.

If certain people
choose to abuse them

and bad things happen,
that's unfortunate,

but it's not my fault.

- You withheld information
from consumers.

They were taking these pills,
unaware of the risks.

- They're legal.
- So are handguns.

That doesn't mean you can shoot
someone and get away with it.

- Objection.
- Overruled.

Mr. Price, be careful.
- Nothing further.

- Your Honor,
may we be heard in chambers?

- What is this about,
Mr. Zanini?

- I've received information

that Mr. Price's
personal circumstances

make it impossible for him
to be fair and impartial.

- What exactly
are you talking about?

- My brother died

of an oxycodone overdose
nine years ago.

- Which creates bias in
the appearance of impropriety.

- My personal life

has absolutely nothing
to do with this case.

- One could infer
that Mr. Price

is using this case
to even some kind of score,

which violates his
professional responsibility.

- You want me
to declare a mistrial?

- And recuse ADA Price

from any further involvement
in the case.

- I have done nothing but
follow the facts and the law.

- I find the allegation
troubling,

but I see no reason
for a mistrial.

[heavy music]

♪

- Don't let his looks
fool you.

Charles Ackman is nothing more
than a drug trafficker.

The only difference is
the type of narcotic he sells.

Oh, and the way
he's treated by society.

Heroin dealers get life.

Oxy dealers get stock options.

But make no mistake,

this defendant
and his corporation

have caused more carnage,

more death and destruction
than any drug cartel.

Eric Howe was...

a brilliant doctor,

and thanks to the defendant

and his relentless
marketing strategy,

Eric Howe is dead.

Now, I know that it's easy
to blame the addict.

It elicits feelings of anger.

Resentment.

Some of us view
drug users as weak,

unable to resist temptation.

And we think,

[sighs]
"Why can't he just stop?"

I implore you to get past
that way of thinking.

I know I have.

No one wakes up in the morning

and decides they want
to be a drug addict.

Opioid addiction
is a complicated disease

and there are people out there,

people like Charles Ackman,

who prey on those
predisposed to this addiction.

Ackman knew exactly
what he was doing.

He knows how potent
and addictive these pills are,

yet he still pays doctors
to prescribe them

to as many patients as possible

knowing that
many of those patients

will ultimately become
addicted

and that many of those addicted

will overdose and die.

But the defendant doesn't care.

He just wants
to reap the profits

and pump up
his damn stock price.

Members of the jury,

you have the power to stop him.

And to tell him

enough is enough.

- Has the jury
reached a verdict?

- We have, Your Honor.

- Accused and counsel,
please rise.

On the charge of manslaughter,
how do you find?

- We find the defendant...

guilty.

- Members of the jury,
thank you for your service.

You are excused,
and we are adjourned.

[mallet taps]

♪

[wolf howls]