All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.S11E19.Whiplash.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

the people are represented
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.

Your parents
hated me, right?

They didn't hate you.

Well, maybe not your
dad, but your mom...

She didn't hate you.
She liked you.

Did you see the way she kept
checking out my hair?

That's just how she is.

And could her ring
be any bigger?

What are you doing?

They're going to come out
any second now.

I need a cigarette.

Then let's just go around
the corner then, okay?

Hispanic male, 30, 35.

Couple coming out of the restaurant found
him like this.

What do you make of it?

Abrasions on the neck
and a bruise--

looks like it runs
down to his chest.

Mugging?

Maybe just some kind
of fight.

Found about 250 bucks
in his pocket.

Any I.D.?

Nothing. Either
they took the wallet

or he didn't have one.

How long's he been dead?

An hour, maybe less.

Anybody see anything?

Unis are still canvassing
the area.

We did find some other stuff
in his pockets.

Bus transfer.

Stop's around
the corner.

Should've took the subway.

[Captioning sponsored by
STUDIOS USA TELEVISION

and NBC]

Any chance we can get
a rush on him?

Soon as I rush
ten other jobs.

Okay. How about a preliminary?

Well, looks like he's from
Mexico, Central America.

Solid build,
calluses on his hands.

I'm guessing some kind
of manual laborer.

So, what did him in?

All right,
see this dark area?

That's his heart.

He's got a widened
mediastinum.

I was going
to say that.

If he was over 50, I'd be
thinking atherosclerosis

or high blood pressure.

And if he was 30?

Well, might be an aneurysm.

I won't know
until I cut him open.

What would cause that
in a guy his age?

Well, considering
there's other bruising?

Some kind of trauma
to his chest.

So something hit him.

Or someone.

MTA says the transfer indicates

he boarded a Q-32 bus
at 5:34 p.m.

Q-32 originates
in Jackson Heights.

How'd you know that?

My sister lives
in Queens.

So, he's taking the bus into the City with
$250 in his pocket?

Well, we figure he was
on a job somewhere

got paid and then he was
on his way home.

Or out on the town
for the night.

Any luck pinning down
where he worked?

None of the drivers on that
route recognize him so far.

Rodgers says he had
callused hands

like he worked construction
or something like that.

Well, how about
the inventory search?

Yeah, we got keys, we got a comb, candy
wrappers.

Oh... and this.

"A Brief History
of Marionettes."

Well, it could be a program
insert from a puppet show.

Well, we'll check the
ads in the weeklies.

Club soda.

We're an open congregation.

Most of the people who come here
are transients.

When you say transients,
you mean illegal immigrants?

God doesn't discriminate,
Detective.

This man might've
had little kids

who attended your
puppet show last Sunday.

That was coordinated through
our children's service.

Who runs that?

Volunteers.

Well, what about on Sunday?

I think Norma Lopez was here
on Sunday.

Thank you.

Do you know
this man?

We found his body on the street yesterday.

We're just trying
to identify him.

Look, I don't want to get
his family in trouble.

Hey, we're not from
the INS, Ms. Lopez.

It looks like Marta's father.

She's six.

Does Marta have
a last name?

Santiago.

Any idea where they live?

I'm not sure,
but the little girl

she's in first grade
at PS 73.

They should have an address.

Thank you.

Mrs. Santiago?

She is just not
feeling too good.

And where's her husband?

San Salvador,
visiting family.

Mrs. Santiago...

we found this man
on the street.

We just want to find out
who's responsible for this.

And when she
tells you

it's her husband,
the immigration people

come and take her and her
children away.

No, nobody's going to
take anybody anyplace.

I promise.

Is Hector.

Is Hector.

We're very sorry,
Mrs. Santiago.

Ay Dios!

Look, we need to ask you a couple
of questions

if you're up to it, okay?

Okay.

Your husband was found
on East 56th Street.

Do you have any idea
why he would be there?

Maybe my Hector was working
near there.

Mrs. Santiago...

did he get paid on Wednesdays?

No, Hector got paid every day--
$50.

We found $250 in his pocket.

$250?

Is it possible that he was doing something
illegal?

Something he didn't want you
to know about?

No. Not Hector.

You didn't report him missing?

I was afraid to call the police.

I kept telling myself
that he was going to be okay.

He wasn't feeling well
on Tuesday.

What was wrong?

He said that he had hurt himself
at work.

Who's he work for?

¿Donde estás papalito?

This man, Mike Anderson.

I wanted him to rest,
but our baby was sick.

Ay Dios mio!

I haven't seen
Hector Santiago in weeks.

Well, where'd you think he was, skiing in
Switzerland?

Well, I just didn't need him
for any jobs.

His wife was under
the impression

he was still working for you.

Maybe he didn't want her
to know that he wasn't.

Or maybe you paid him off to
duck a workers' comp claim.

What are you talking about?

Hector's dead.

What?

His wife said he hurt himself on the job
here Tuesday.

Tuesday? He wasn't here.

You can ask these guys.

Well, do you have any

renovation somewhere else?

Hey, Hector was
a good worker

I had nothing against him.

I just didn't have the work.

The truth is, I felt really bad
laying him off

you want to know.

Bad enough to
help him find

another job?

Hey, if Hector needed
a job

there's a corner up in Harlem

where these guys hang out
looking for day work.

That's where I found him.

Anybody here know
a Hector Santiago?

We're with the police,
not Immigration.

Come on, bro,
help us out.

Come on, guys, we just want
to find somebody who knows him.

I know him.

What do you want?

When was the last
time you saw him?

Monday.
Why are you looking for him for?

Where'd you see him
on Monday?

Here, looking for work.

Any luck?

Yeah. He got picked up
to do some moving work.

What's happened to him?

Which outfit
picked him up?

It's a... red truck.

You don't know
the name?

Hey. ¿A veces te hace
el camion rojo?

Si.

¿A quien le pertenece?

No seas tonto.

No te vas a meter
en problemas.

Reed Moving Company.

Reed Moving Company?

Yeah, that's the one.

Hector went with them.

Are you sure he's not
in any trouble?

No, his troubles are
over, believe me.

Thanks.

His name's Hector Santiago.

We got a witness who says

he saw him get into
one of your trucks on Monday.

A lot of these guys
come through.

Yeah, well,
this guy's dead.

Otis, you got two.

Look, maybe he did work for me.

I-I honestly don't remember.

Well, then maybe
he worked for you

Tuesday and
Wednesday, too.

I need some extra muscle

I send one of my drivers
to the corner.

I don't suppose
you send them their W-2s?

These people would be in
the street if it wasn't for me.

Look, Mr. Reed, how many jobs

did you need extra
muscle on on Monday?

I had two office moves Monday.

So where are those crews working
now?

One's downtown.

One's on a job on the West Side.

Yeah, he worked
on Monday and Wednesday.

The truth is, I started here
a few weeks ago myself

so I get all the new fish.

What was the job he was
working on Wednesday?

That would be the brownstone in
Bensonhurst.

You sure you remember him
working Wednesday?

Absolutely. It was a brownstone
four-flight walk-up.

This guy-- Hector, is it?

Well, after
the first trip

he comes to me
and he tells me he's hurt.

For the rest of the day,
he's practically useless.

I had to pass all the light
stuff on the truck to him.

Well, how did he get hurt
on the job that morning?

He wasn't hurt on this job.

Well, what then?

He said
he was in a car accident.

It could definitely be from an
auto accident.

Cause of death was a dissecting
aneurysm of the aorta

caused by
severe blunt force trauma.

If it was so severe, why wasn't he more
beat up?

Oh, I've seen cases
with no external bruising.

It's a deceleration injury.

As in motor
vehicle deceleration.

As in whiplash.

He's thrown forward

then he gets pulled back
by the seat restraints.

This extreme jerking motion

can cause traumatic
injury to the aorta.

So the neck abrasions
were from the seat belt.

Well, could he walk around all day like
this?

I saw one guy lived for a month
before the aorta ruptured.

The good news is you can close
the file, send it down to AIS.

Assuming it was an accident.

Something I'm missing?

Guy gets in a car crash

why doesn't he
tell his wife?

We don't own a car.

Did any of Hector's
friends have a car?

Nobody I can think of.

Maybe he
took a taxi.

We can hardly
afford the bus.

Well, he did have that $250 on him.

Hector would never

have wasted money on a cab.

Excuse me.

Yeah? Green.

Can you think of any reason why

your husband might lie
about this?

I don't know.

Maybe he just
didn't want me to worry.

Thanks.

Mrs. Santiago, do you know
someone named Chad Patel?

Patel? No.

We had our officers pull
the accident reports

from Monday and Tuesday.

One of them listed your husband as the
passenger.

Chad Patel was
the driver.

We're investigating the accident you were
in on Tuesday.

I already talked
to police.

Well, we just need

to verify a
couple of things.

The two guys that were
in the car with you--

Hector Santiago
and Everold Daly--

they're friends
of yours?

Just friends of a friend.

What were they
doing in your car?

I run into them
at this place in Queens.

I gave them a ride
back to Harlem.

Why do you ask me
these questions?

One of them died.

The doctor
tells us it was

from the accident.

But I saw him after.

He looked okay.

How about you?

You okay?

My arm and neck hurt,
but I got to work.

You know how it is.

You should really see a doctor, though,
Mr. Patel.

The other guy died
from his injuries.

I can't afford no doctor.

When's the last time you saw Mr. Santiago?

After the accident.

The police tow my car.

We all take the bus.

How did this accident happen?

Some car cut me off.

I hit my brakes.

Some guy in SUV

rear-ends me.

And you called

the cops?

I tell them that the guy
was tailgating me.

He was on
his cell phone.

He wasn't
paying attention.

The cops didn't do anything.

Okay, thanks.

Should we be looking
at this SUV driver?

Cops on the
scene let it go.

Well, they didn't know

Hector Santiago
was going to die.

Driving while on a cell
phone isn't illegal.

Not yet.

All right, well,
I'll call the DMV--

find out if this
guy's got a history.

The other driver saw
you on your cell phone.

No way.

I got on my cell phone
after the accident.

My eyes were on the road
the whole time.

Who were you calling,
your lawyer?

You got two moving violations
in the past year

a DWI a while back...

"A while back"

was in college.

I was calling my wife.

Look, the accident
wasn't my fault.

This guy just slammed on
his brakes for no reason.

He said he was cut off.

Bull.

There was nobody
in front of him.

I tried to swerve out of the way

but there was this other car
in the lane next to me.

I was boxed in.

Did you tell that to the cops
at the scene?

Gave them
my insurance information.

They said I could leave.

Look, I did everything
I was supposed to do.

I even offered
to take him to the hospital

but the officer said

he already called
an ambulance.

An ambulance responded?

As I was leaving.

Oh, man,
my insurance is going to go

through the roof now, isn't it?

Thanks.

Too bad.

Guess he shouldn't have refused
medical assistance.

So, what, if a guy's half-dead,
you just leave him there?

If he's RMA
and we treat him

do you know what happens
if he dies then?

The city gets sued;
I get screwed.

So you didn't realize

how badly Santiago
was injured?

All three of them
were ambulatory.

No loss of consciousness.

Even then, I advised them

to get checked out
at a hospital.

And what
did they say?

They said they had
their own doctors.

Patel said
he didn't have a doctor.

You got your run sheets
from that day?

Yeah. I pulled them

when you called.

Treat and release.

They all signed off.

Well, what's this where it says, "Patient
complaint"?

Somebody wrote,
"Pain radiating from the neck."

Yeah, I did

and that's just what they said.

I thought
it was kind of strange--

these guys all saying
the word "radiate."

Chad Patel.

You looking for the Indian,
he's gone.

I saw him leave last night
with a bag.

Told me he was moving out.

Did he tell you
where he was moving to?

Oh, no.

But it must be someplace
he don't need a hot plate.

Gave me his.

Told me
I could keep it.

Thanks.

And then there was one.

Mm-hmm. Everold Daly.

623 East 116th.

Where's Everold Daly?

Who?

Yeah, right.

Open the door.

Where is he?

He's not here.

What's this?

The bathroom.

All right, Everold, come on out.

He's going out the window, Ed.

That's good,
that's good.

Now, radiate your ass
up against the wall, come on.

The DMV says your friend Patel's been
involved

in two other rear-enders
in the last nine months.

So, if you don't
start talking, Everold

you're going
to be looking

at an accessory charge
to manslaughter.

I wasn't driving.

Insurance fraud's a felony.

It doesn't matter
if you were driving or not.

Maybe you'd like a few months in the
Immigration lockup

to think about it.

No.

No Immigration.

So, you want
to help yourself, here?

Smash was too heavy-footed
on the brakes.

"Smash"?

Patel.

He likes to smash up the cars.

But the other man, he no have
a chance to slow down.

The guy in the SUV

Patel is supposed

to swing in front of him,
then stop.

There's another car
in on the thing, too.

He pulls up next to the man
so he can't get out of the way

then thump--
he hits us from behind.

A swoop.

So, who was driving
the other car?

I don't know
this rude boy's name.

Look, Patel say he already
crashed two cars before this one

and no harm come to anyone.

What happens after the accident?

We tell
the ambulance driver

what we're supposed to.

Then Patel takes me and Hector
to the clinic.

We talk to the doctor like so.

We have sore necks.

That's it.

And how much you get paid
for all this?

$200.

Where's Patel now?

I don't know.

I don't.

I never even met him
before the other day.

How'd you meet him?

The man at the moving company.

He come up to me and Hector
after work on Monday

he pay us for the day,
then he say he know how

we can get
another $200.

Which guy at the moving company
told you this?

The big boss-- Mr. Reed.

Mr. Reed?
Yeah?

We need you
to come with us.

Why?

Oh, come on.

You're smarter
than that.

Okay.

Hey, man,
we'll give you a ride.

Yeah, don't worry.

My partner's an
excellent driver.

I don't know why I'm in here.

How about hiring guys to play bumper cars
on the West Side Highway?

That ring a bell?

I pay men
to move furniture.

Have a seat.

A man died from an accident
you arranged, Mr. Reed.

He left behind a wife
and two little children.

You're looking
at homicide charges.

Homicide?

Criminal fraud executed
with reckless conduct

creating a grave risk of death
to another person.

That's the definition of Murder

in the Second
Degree.

And like I said, I
run a moving company.

Come on, DMV already confirmed
Chad Patel's been involved

in two other accidents
in the past year.

Everold Daly
will testify

you gave him
Patel's phone number.

He was looking
for work.

I got to figure
you're the low man

on this totem pole, Mr. Reed

but if you don't give me anyone
higher up on the food chain

that leaves you at the top.

Look, you're in
way over your head this time.

Yeah, well, it's my head, and...

I want to see a lawyer.

Reed made bail.

The judge set a $25,000
cash alternative.

For second degree murder?

With Reed
as our only defendant

it doesn't give us
much sizzle.

I take it the court
wasn't overly impressed

with our depraved
indifference theory.

A car accident was staged.

That endangers the lives
of everyone in those vehicles

not to mention
the rest of us on the road.

If that's not depraved
indifference to life, what is?

What about the second car?

Daly doesn't know
the name of the driver

and Reed's not talking.

If these accidents
were staged

there has to have been more than a few
hundred dollars in it.

Follow the money.

We'll get our sizzle.

Mr. Patel's
second accident claim

was settled
for $6,500.

What injuries did he allege?

Soft tissue damage
to the back and neck.

"Soft tissue damage"?

As opposed to

a broken arm or leg.

The lay term is "whiplash."

Hard to prove, hard to disprove.

That's the same injury

he claimed
in his first accident.

You settled both, Ms. Miller.

To fight it

we'd have to spend $700

bringing in a doctor
for an opinion

another couple hundred
for a second X ray

maybe even an MRI.

Add another $3,000
bringing in legal counsel

to depose
the plaintiff.

So, you settled
for nuisance value.

Exactly.

All right, I'm going
to need copies

of all your soft tissue claims
for the past 12 months.

Exel's one of
the largest auto insurers

in New York, Ms. Carmichael.

That's a pretty tall order.

If it'll help,
I'll get you a subpoena.

Last thing I need
is more lawyers.

I'll get you the copies.

Jack...

I went through
Miller's files.

19 claimants listed themselves
as employees of Bill Reed.

A cottage industry. How much money are we
talking about?

Several hundred thousand
dollars, at least.

And that doesn't
take into account

any other insurance companies that may
have been sued.

And there's a common thread
besides Bill Reed.

All 19 men went to
the same chiropractic clinic.

Let's get a
second opinion.

It's not my practice

to second-guess
another doctor.

We believe these accidents were part of a
con game.

What we're trying
to figure out is

if the injuries warranted
insurance settlements.

Well, soft tissue injuries

are extremely complex
to diagnose

and the nerve conduction tests
that were ordered by Dr. Raleigh

are notoriously
unreliable

and the patient's X rays,
and the MRI results

are completely within
the normal range.

Then all these
expensive tests

really tell us nothing.

No, not exactly. You'd expect that some

of the 19 charts
that you've given me

would have an injury verifiable
by an X ray or an MRI

but there's not a single test

that shows any problems
whatsoever.

So, they're faking it?

They average
ten visits

with this chiropractor.

I believe if you examined

the no-fault coverage
on those policies

the amounts
would correspond exactly

with the number of treatments

his patients
received.

I guess they were cured

as soon as their coverage
ran out.

According to Patel's insurance
claims

you treated him
for soft tissue injuries

allegedly resulting

from three different
car accidents

within a span
of less than ten months.

Our client can't refuse
to treat a man

because he's a lousy driver.

He also treated every
one of Patel's passengers.

Nothing unusual about getting referrals
from current patients.

All of these referrals
were employees of Reed Moving.

I'd imagine chiropractic
problems

are common
in the moving business.

And so are car accidents?

I wouldn't know.

But you do know exactly when their

no-fault coverage runs out.

Dr. Raleigh's patients are
mainly

low-income individuals
without insurance.

I don't see why he should be
singled out for the failings

of our nation's
health care system.

How about

for claiming treatment
he never provided?

Those are Mr. Patel's
current work records.

On six occasions

Dr. Raleigh claimed
office visits

Mr. Patel was actually working as a
busboy.

Well, obviously,
my billing department

has made a clerical error.

Six clerical errors.

Even if that's true, at most, uh

what you're describing
is a minor civil matter.

I wouldn't call
a pervasive pattern

of insurance fraud
that led to a man's death

a civil matter, counselor.

I'd call it murder.

Murder?

That's ridiculous.

Car accidents were staged

that put lives at risk

and then the occupants
of those vehicles

were steered to this office
to claim injuries

that didn't exist.

You can't prove that.

We're prepared to call a board
certified

orthopedist who will testify

that none of their injuries
were real.

And we'll call five others

who'll swear they were.

We've tried more medical cases

than you've
tried homicides.

I'm afraid
this discussion's over.

What now?

If they can fake
it, so can we.

All you have on my client is
the testimony

of an illegal immigrant
desperate to avoid prosecution.

Not anymore.

We checked soft
tissue claims

from other major, auto insurance companies
in the city.

Do you have any idea

how many of those
people worked for you

at one time or
another, Mr. Reed?

46.

All treated
at Raleigh's clinic.

You talked to Raleigh?

How long do you think it'll be

before we'll have ten witnesses
willing to testify against you?

All I did was spread a few bucks
around, that's it.

Bill... Why don't you go after the people

who really got fat
off of this?

And who would that be?

Before he talks, he needs a
deal.

Conspiracy to commit fraud,
five years probation.

Try Man Two,
three to nine.

Look, I never thought
anybody'd get hurt.

These were supposed to be
little rear-enders

with everybody
wearing their seat belts.

This is Chad
Patel's car.

That will be our first
exhibit to the jury.

That doesn't look like a little fender
bender to me.

It was Raleigh's idea.

I moved him into his office
a couple of years ago.

He knew I hired

a lot of illegals
from the corner.

Said if any of my guys want
to get in on this scam

he'd give me a finder's fee.

I was supposed to pack the car
with three or four guys

and after the accident,
they'd go to Raleigh's clinic.

How much was your fee?

500 bucks per.

You'd pay these people $200

to risk their lives
and you'd keep $300?

Look, it's not like

we were ripping off
little old ladies, here.

These were
the insurance companies

and the lawyers,
Petrie and Sanders

they ran
the whole thing.

Petrie and Sanders supplied
the grease.

The law firm representing Dr. Raleigh?

One and the same.

Their firm handled
all the personal injury claims

of Raleigh's patients.

So, Reed sends Dr. Raleigh
illegal immigrants

and these shysters
turn them into clients?

Their contingency fees

in these cases
run in the millions.

A scam using immigrants
as crash-test dummies.

And these two lawyers
orchestrated the whole thing.

No wonder they
wouldn't let

Raleigh talk about a plea.

All right, let's make examples
of these two.

I want murder indictments
for both of them.

That's not going to be easy.

Petrie and Sanders never had
direct contact with Reed.

And Dr. Raleigh
was the bag man.

And we can't flip Raleigh
because they represent him.

What about getting him
shadow counsel?

He's the one who'd have
to request it.

Oh, how do we cut Raleigh loose

from these
damn lawyers?

A motion to disqualify?

On what grounds?

The People plan to call
both of you as witnesses.

Here are
your subpoenas.

This is outrageous.

Judge, we refused
to play ball

with Mr. McCoy
on a plea bargain

for our client.

This is simply
retaliation.

What about it, Mr. McCoy?

We need these lawyers to prove

there was a conspiracy to
defraud the insurance companies.

You have to be more specific.

They can testify
about the money

the phony accident
victims received.

Even if the accidents
were phony

we can't be compelled

to testify against
our own clients.

We have attorney-client
privilege with these people.

Does seem to present a problem.

Not if we offer
blanket immunity

to every one of their clients

who might conceivably be
implicated by their testimony.

What about Dr. Raleigh,
doesn't he get immunity?

We're not going to ask them
about their conversations

with Dr. Raleigh.

Your Honor,
we've spent two months

preparing
for this trial.

And I'll give substitute counsel
plenty of time

to get up to speed.

So, what are you worried about?

What exactly are you looking for,
Mr. McCoy?

Testimony

against the law firm
of Petrie and Sanders.

That's why
you disqualified them.

You should be thanking us,
Dr. Raleigh.

Your lawyers wanted you

to take the fall
for this.

What would

this testimony be worth?

Man Two; three to nine.

That's what you gave Reed.

I don't think your client's
culpability is any less.

Maybe not, but
his information

is worth more.

Dr. Raleigh's the only one

who had direct contact
with these attorneys.

What are you looking for?

Two to six.

No opposition to parole.

Let's hear what
he has to say.

Petrie and Sanders
paid me a referral fee

for sending them
accident victims.

How much?

$600 for every client I referred

plus five percent
of the insurance settlement.

And no-fault takes care

of chiropractic visits
that never took place.

Were Petrie and Sanders aware

that the accidents were staged?

They were the ones who insisted

on at least three victims
per accident.

Alan Petrie and
Richard Sanders?

We're in the middle
of a deposition here.

You're under arrest for the murder of
Hector Santiago.

You might want to find yourself a new PI
firm.

And you might want
to get a lawyer

who knows something
about insurance fraud.

Petrie and Sanders told Raleigh

to target new, expensive cars

that would be likely to have
good insurance policies.

That's how they picked the SUV

in the accident that killed
Hector Santiago.

Has anyone
approached you

about a plea bargain
for these creeps?

They put out
a feeler.

I haven't returned
the call yet.

Raleigh is the only one
who actually puts

Petrie and Sanders
in the driver's seat.

We could get Man One...
restitution if we deal.

These attorneys sacrificed
Hector Santiago and men like him

for nothing more
than a legal fee.

For that, they have to be made
to pay full price.

Reports of auto insurance fraud

in New York have doubled
in the last five years.

Fraud adds almost $200

to the average family's
insurance bill.

Have you examined

the reports of the accident
that killed Hector Santiago?

Yes, I did.

What's your expert opinion
on whether that was

a real
or a staged accident?

It was a
"swoop and squat."

Two cars came up alongside
the mark-- in this case, an SUV.

Then the lead driver sped up,
swooped in front of the mark

and jammed on his brakes.

The second car stayed next
to the mark

so he couldn't veer left.

The mark slammed on his brakes

but not in time to avoid
hitting the lead car.

How many accident cases

did Dr. Raleigh
and the defendants share?

Based on my department's
investigation, 58.

And of those accidents

how many fit the pattern
of a "swoop and squat"?

Virtually every single one.

Ms. Claire, um,
do you have any proof

my clients participated
in this fraud?

They took their
legal fees

out of the settlements in these cases.

Isn't it possible they...

they didn't know
the accidents were faked?

I find that unlikely.

Why?

Aren't soft tissue injuries
easy to fake?

Doctors may
disagree, yes.

So, it's possible

the accident victims
were well-coached

by Dr. Raleigh to
deceive my clients?

When a lawyer gets 200 cases
from the same chiropractor

and the medical reports
read almost identically

I find it hard to believe

the lawyer didn't know exactly what was
going on.

Mr. Petrie came to my office
three years ago

on a personal injury case.

He liked the workup I did
for his client.

Two weeks later,
he and Richard--

uh, Mr. Sanders-- took me out

to an expensive dinner
as a thank you.

They said that if I helped them generate
cases

there'd be even
bigger thank yous.

Did they propose how
to generate cases?

They suggested
we stage car accidents.

They, uh, said they would pay me
$600 for every referral

plus a percentage
of any insurance settlement

I helped to secure.

Did there come a time

when you acted
on the defendants' proposal?

Bill Reed set up a car accident
using four of his workers.

Afterwards, they came
to my office for treatment

and I sent them to Petrie
and Sanders for representation.

Did any of these
car accident victims

require treatment,
Dr. Raleigh?

No.

And over the years

how many of these
so-called victims

did you deliver

to Petrie and Sanders?

Including repeat customers, 212.

You received a very cushy deal

to testify against my clients
today, did you now, Doctor?

I wouldn't call two to six years
in prison cushy.

Not even if you're facing 25
to life on a murder charge?

Dr. Raleigh, it's quite
common for doctors

and chiropractors
to refer their patients

to personal injury lawyers,
is it not?

Yes.

Nothing wrong with that,
is there?

No...

unless money changes hand.

Do you have any proof

that my clients ever put
a single penny in your hand?

They always paid cash.

And you billed
the insurance companies directly

for your services?

Yes.

Yes.

Seems you took care
of everything... Dr. Raleigh.

Our law firm turns away
potential clients all the time.

If Richard and I think
somebody's being dishonest

we don't want anything
to do with them

but I'd rather make mistakes
once in a while

than turn away somebody
who's truly deserving.

Mr. Petrie, have you
and Mr. Sanders ever knowingly

participated in fraud?

Absolutely not.

Ever paid anyone
to get in an accident?

No.

Ever paid Dr. Raleigh?

Never.
What about the testimony

we heard from the prosecution's
insurance industry expert?

Well, people should remember
that that's exactly what she is:

a representative

of the insurance companies

and insurance companies
don't like paying insurance

and they especially don't like
law firms that make them.

Thank you.

I have nothing further.

Mr. Petrie...

you visited Dr. Raleigh's office
over 30 times

during the past two years.

It's not uncommon
for a lawyer

to attend his clients'
physical examinations.

And always the same diagnosis:
soft-tissue injuries.

It happens to be
the most likely injury

to occur
from a rear-end collision.

And rear-end collisions happen
to be the most lucrative type

of accident to sue on, correct?

I think,
as a general proposition

that's probably true.

So, was it luck,
Mr. Petrie

that every client
referred by Dr. Raleigh

had been involved
in a rear-end collision?

I'm a lawyer, Mr. McCoy.

I try the facts I'm given.

Every accident

from Dr. Raleigh's office
a rear-end collision.

Every claim whiplash.

Every client
an illegal alien

and/or an employee
of Bill Reed.

Pretty coincidental facts,
Mr. Petrie.

My law firm doesn't represent
Park Avenue matrons, Mr. McCoy.

We're down in the trenches

fighting for the people
society has forgotten.

And you turn a nice buck
doing it, don't you, Mr. Petrie?

Yes. My law firm is successful.

I don't make apologies for that

but we don't collect
if our clients don't collect.

It's as simple as that.

Petrie's painted himself

as a cross between Robin Hood
and Cesar Chavez.

There's bound to be four
or five blue-collar types

who are going
to be sympathetic.

These guys have an answer

for everything.

We should make sure
his performance backfires.

Let's look through some of their
more serious injury cases.

Let's look through some of their
more serious injury cases.

Maybe we can find some little
people who aren't so grateful.

What happened to your husband, Mrs.
Ndabe?

Musa was in a car accident
last year with three other men.

A car hit them
from the back

and Musa ruptured his spleen.

He died that night.

This is highly prejudicial,
Your Honor.

You've already made your objections in
chambers, Mr. Kaufer.

Please sit down.

Did these defendants represent you
and your husband?

Yes.

After he died

they settled with the
insurance company for $100,000.

And how much did you receive?

Mr. Petrie and Mr. Sanders took one-half.

Not one-third?

One-half.

They also took $37,000
for expenses.

Leaving you with $13,000

for your husband's
wrongful death?

Yes.

Is that why you're testifying
here today

because you
feel cheated?

No. I'm here because
my husband's accident

was not really an accident
and these men knew it.

Objection.

The jury will
disregard the

statement about
the defendants' knowledge.

Why is it you believe

that the car crash was not
an accident, Mrs. Ndabe?

Because at the hospital,
Mr. Petrie was already there.

He said that Musa
was in critical condition

and I had
to sign papers--

the retainer--
in case he died

so that his firm
could represent us.

And why was that so urgent?

Mr. Petrie told me

that if a different lawyer
was to take the case

they would find out
what really happened

and I might not get any money

that I could even be deported for what
Musa had done.

Mrs. Ndabe, by testifying here
today

aren't you afraid
that the insurance company

may realize they were defrauded

and try to get
their money back?

I may lose
the money, yes

but I don't want to let
my husband's killers go free.

Mrs. Ndabe,
I'm sorry for your loss.

I know that in times of sadness

we often search
for a reason for the pain

something to explain
the inexplicable.

Objection.

Ask a question, counselor.

Mrs. Ndabe, in your time of need

who paid your husband's
medical bills

his funeral bills?

Who treated you
with kindness and respect?

It felt
like kindness

at the time.

Later it turned out
to be expenses.

So, you're bitter about
your part of the settlement

is that it, Mrs. Ndabe?

No, I'm not bitter.

But you waited such a long time

before coming forward
with your accusation.

I was afraid.

I wasn't legal.

Or is it maybe

because you didn't want
to do anything

until you saw how little money

you were going to get?

That's not true.

No, no, I'm sure it's not.

Thank you, Mrs. Ndabe.

Hector Santiago's death

is a terrible tragedy.

By all accounts,
he was a decent man

who simply made
a terrible mistake

agreeing to participate
in an insurance scam--

a scam that ultimately
cost him his life

but it was an agreement
my clients had no knowledge of

an agreement they could have
no knowledge of

unless you want lawyers

to be their clients' inquisitors
rather than their advocates.

So, why are my clients on trial?

After all, Dr. Raleigh's the one

who paid Bill Reed
to stage the accident.

He's the one who dealt
with the insurance companies.

He's the one who billed

for the nonexistent
medical treatments.

So why put Alan Petrie
and Richard Sanders on trial?

It's because Mr. McCoy knows
that people are willing

to believe the worst
about lawyers

especially
personal injury lawyers

and the more successful
they are

the more political pressure
is brought

by the insurance companies

to bring them down.

So they're portrayed to you
as bottom feeders

ambulance chasers.

But these
so-called ambulance chasers

are our protectors.

Lawyers like Alan Petrie
and Richard Sanders

defend us from
the corporations

and the insurance companies

to whom the rest of us
are just numbers.

Everyone hates lawyers...

until they need one.

Alan Petrie and Richard Sanders

made millions of dollars
on the backs

of the Hector Santiagos
of the world.

They're not champions
of the people.

They're just corrupt lawyers

who preyed on
the most vulnerable among us

in order
to make themselves rich.

Inducing hard-working men
desperate to feed their families

to risk their lives
in car accidents

with innocent drivers.

Their scheme endangered
all of us

because it turned all of us
into potential victims.

Thirty visits

to Dr. Raleigh's office
to observe

medical examinations...

that all ended
with the same result

the same injuries

the same rear-end collisions.

You heard Dr. Raleigh testify

that thousands of dollars
changed hands

in these visits

but where was the big money
in this scam?

Did it go to Bill Reed
or Hector Santiago

or even Dr. Raleigh?

It went to these defendants,
these lawyers...

who handled
212 identical cases

and made $2.5 million
plus expenses doing it

leaving the Mrs. Ndabes
of the world

with their 13 percent.

Petrie and Sanders
were running a fraud mill

and Hector Santiago
and the men like him

were simply the grist.

The bottom line is this:

Hector Santiago is dead

because these men

paid him $200

to get into a cheap car
and cross his fingers...

and hold on tight.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have.

As to Alan Petrie

on the charge of murder
in the second degree

how do you find?

We find the defendant guilty.

As to Richard Sanders

on the charge of murder
in the second degree

how do you find?

We find the
defendant guilty.

Do we charge them
with Mr. Ndabe's murder?

We have 20 years to decide.

Gives the new meaning
to the term "jailhouse lawyers."

What happens to all
those settlements now?

The insurance companies
are moving to set them aside.

Hector Santiago's family
won't see a penny.

He died for nothing.