21x09 - The Great Pretender

[bunniefuu]

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]

- Oh my God.
- 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 .

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 .

"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 dr*gs?

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 $ million.

She needed more like or .

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...

$ , .

- 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
$ 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 m*rder.

Figure out where she
was, who she was with.

What was her last credit card charge?

Night of the m*rder at
a place called Gelina.

- She dropped 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 : .

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 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 f*ring 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 grand.

So yeah, I was pissed.

When was the last time you saw Ella?

Two nights ago.

She stopped by the
bar around : 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 k*ll her.

We're gonna need a
little more than that.

I was here working till : 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 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 : 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
First Avenue around : ,

then you took her down
to the Lower East Side.

- Henry Street, to be exact.
- So?

So she ended up m*rder*d
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. 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 k*ll 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 m*rder.

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 k*ll 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 b*at 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 CR - .

People v Wyatt Ackman.

Charging m*rder 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 feet and d*ed instantly.

Rather than calling
, the defendant fled,

but not before removing

a $ , necklace from her person.

A necklace he had just given her.

While Mr. Ackman has no criminal record,

he is heir to a $ 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 m*rder.

So he's looking for a clever defense.

- Is that it?
- Yeah.

He's trying to hide
behind his addiction.

It's like k*lling 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, 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
m*rder. We met for coffee.

How did he appear?

Seemed to be doing great.

Said he hadn't used in 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 m*rder

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 m*rder.

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. 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 k*lling people.

No, they're k*lling 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 m*rder case?

My client can help you
bring a criminal fraud case

against Charles Ackman
and his corporation.

He's k*lling people every day.

Every single day.

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

Why'd it take a m*rder charge
for you to see the light?

My treatment counselor relapsed.

What?

He overdosed last night.

d*ed 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 m*rder 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 m*rder,

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 dr*gs.

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 , people

d*ed 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 -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 : 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 K*llers

and it was safe.

Did he also tell you his feelings

about those most
impacted by these dr*gs?

He said addicts make
the choice to do dr*gs.

They're not victims.
They're victimizers.

Thank you.

You were charged with the
m*rder 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
k*lled 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 dr*gs.

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 dr*gs.

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, w*r 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 w*r heroes?
- Yes, sir.

We've helped a lot soldiers
injured on the b*ttlefield.

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 dr*gs

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 sh**t
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 d*ed 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]