Bull (2016–…): Season 2, Episode 18 - Bad Medicine - full transcript
[moaning]
It's just a dream, baby.
It should last you about
six months, give or take.
[tire pops, screeches]
What's going on?
[panting]: N-Nothing, kiddo.
It's just one of the tires.
[wind gusting]
[siren chirps]
Morning, Officer.
Saw you working on your tire.
Thought maybe I could help.
Oh.
Wow, that's really nice.
Um, I-I'm already halfway done.
Uh...
You okay?
Uh, yeah. [chuckles]
Since you have that mini
spare on, mind the wind.
Yeah, uh, will do.
Thanks, Officer.
Ma'am, what is this?
What's in these little vials?
Uh, it's medicine.
What kind of medicine?
CONGREGATION: Lord,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray for Nicholas Allen,
who still battles with leukemia.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for Mary Sims,
who is still recovering from
a difficult heart surgery.
Lord, hear our prayer.
And for anyone experiencing
any health challenges,
let us pray.
Lord, hear our prayer.
[bell tolls]
TERESA: I was out to
your mother's grave
not two weeks ago.
[chuckles]
I knew it was you.
Mrs. Allen, so good to see you.
I haven't been in that
church in eight years.
After my hip replacement, I
started going to St. Mary's.
It's closer to my apartment.
Oh, makes sense.
I miss your mother so.
Best office manager ever.
Well, she always said you
were the best paralegal ever.
I need a lawyer, Benny.
A really good criminal lawyer.
Not a real estate attorney like
your mother and I worked for,
not a paper pusher, a
criminal attorney.
Someone like you.
BENNY: It's an oil.
Made from marijuana.
Mm-hmm... No, no, no.
You can't get high from it.
Doesn't affect the
brain that way.
It's typically used
for pain or nausea.
It's legal in New York, right?
With a prescription.
Mm. So this friend
of yours's daughter,
she lives in Virginia?
[exhales] Which is why
she was arrested.
You have to be a
resident of New York
to get a prescription
to purchase it here.
Right. So how much did she have?
Eh... Couple hundred vials.
Hmm.
Way to bury the lede.
Yeah, I know.
It sounds like a lot.
Well, it sounds like a
lot because it is a lot.
What, was she selling them
out of the trunk of her car
at the local flea market?
[chuckles]
Problem is, your friend's
daughter knew it was illegal,
and she did it anyway, not
for one or two vials.
Well, the way her
mom explains it,
she only buys it twice a year,
so she gets a really big supply.
And you know... [groans]
The thing is, if she
lived in New York,
we wouldn't even be
having this conversation.
She would get it
monthly, legally.
You know better than I do,
it's completely irrelevant.
If she wants to buy this stuff,
if she needs to buy this stuff,
she should move to a
place where it's legal
so she's not knowingly
breaking the law.
Oh, come on, it's
a Class C felony,
so it's only a year,
minimum sentence.
We've pled out harsher
charges than that.
Bull... [sighs]
Look.
I don't really ask
for a lot of favors.
She's being held
at the Woodbury
police station jail,
and is being released
in the morning.
I'm gonna run down
there tomorrow,
meet her at the D.A.'s
office, where hopefully,
I can negotiate a deal.
I think it would make a big
difference if you were there.
Uh, wait here, please.
Thank you both, for jumping into
the fray on such short notice.
Your mom, my mom.
Ah. [chuckles]
This is Dr. Jason
Bull, by the way.
I don't have a mom
in this fight,
but, uh, it's a
pleasure to meet you.
What kind of doctor?
Psychologist.
Dr. Laura Allen.
Primary care physician.
Oh.
So, Doctor, just curious,
what is it, exactly, you
use all this CBD oil for?
Uh, pain management.
Headaches, mostly.
Hmm.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Come on in.
[quietly]: All right.
BANNER: Dr. Allen.
I am Assistant United States
Attorney Sylvia Banner.
These two gentlemen
your counsel?
Benjamin Colón, attorney; Dr.
Jason Bull, trial scientist.
I'm sorry.
I-I think there might
be some mistake here.
I was under the impression
that we were meeting.
District Attorney
"Morris Frank"?
From the city of Woodbury?
There was a slight
miscommunication.
D.A. Frank was kind enough
to lend us his office.
This is now a federal matter.
Federal matter? W-Wait, wait.
We're talking about a
couple hundred vials
of non-psychoactive CBD oil
for her personal use; I mean,
doesn't the federal government
have better things to do?
Actually, we don't.
And it's 1,800 vials.
1,800 vials that we believe
were intended for sale to no
less than 27 other people
in the state of Virginia.
And this would not be the first
time that Dr. Allen smuggled
controlled substances
across state lines.
T-They're for my patients.
I sell them to my patients for
exactly what it costs me.
You have the right to remain silent.Dr.
Allen, you are being charged
with 27 counts of possession
of a controlled substance
with intent to distribute
in violation of federal law.
In addition, you
are being charged
with violating interstate
commerce rules,
which strictly forbid
the transportation
across state lines of
controlled substances
by persons without
license to do so.
Mr. Colón, please, you
have to call my mom.
Don't say another word, Dr.
Allen, and don't worry,
I'll make that call.
♪
She broke the law, folks.
It's the bottom line.
So what we need to do is get
a jury that understands
that it's not something
she chose to do.
She had no choice.
But she did. You know that.
She had a choice.
Did she?
I don't think so.
We are going to argue
that Laura had
a professional responsibility
to give her patients the
best care possible.
Even if it meant
breaking the law.
So what kind of jurors
are we looking for?
What we're looking for are
jurors who are professionals.
Professionals who
feel a sense of duty
to do their absolute best.
Teachers, firefighters,
emergency room doctors.
People who relate to Laura
because, in their line of work,
they, too, go above and beyond.
BENNY: Do we have
any teachers with us today?
All right, and, uh,
what grade do you teach?
I teach ninth grade
biology; I also coach
the girls' basketball team.
She's been at her current
school for almost 20 years.
It's quite a stint.
BENNY: Let's say
you were offered the same job
at a different school,
but double the pay.
Would you take it?
Would I take it?
I don't think so.
I mean, I would never
leave my girls.
You can't buy what
coaching my team gives me.
This juror is acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.
What we want are jurors who
posses deontological ethics.
One more time, for those of us
who don't read the
dictionary for fun.
People who are committed to
doing their absolute best
for the people who
depend on them,
no matter what the consequences.
And what do you do for a living?
I-I'm a county clerk.
Oh, okay.
Uh, do you like your job?
I love my job.
BENNY: And, uh, how are your hours?
LYNN: You mean,
when am I supposed
to be there by,
or when do I actually show up?
Oh, okay.
[laughs]
Let's start with when you're
supposed to be there.
9:00.
And when do you usually show up?
Between 7:30 and 8:00.
Now, what's that about?
Uh, is the commute easier
if you get an early start?
Uh, no, it's just about making
sure everything's really ready,
so when people come in at 9:00,
I'm prepared to help them,
and they don't have to wait
any longer than necessary.
This juror is acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.
BENNY [quietly]: All right.
Do you believe in
the rule of law?
Sure do.
And as a county clerk,
isn't part of your
job issuing permits?
Among other things.
So if somebody comes in,
uh, they want a permit,
they want to build a 12-foot
wall in front of their house,
but the code says walls
can only be eight feet.
What do you do?
I'd have to deny the permit.
Because...?
That's the law.
No matter what time
you get into work.
No matter what time
I come into work.
This juror is also acceptable
to the prosecution,
Your Honor.[gavel bangs]
GARRISON: We have our jury.
Doctor?
So, what's your thesis here?
That people who love their jobs
will look the other way when
a citizen breaks the law?
Well, as long as you're asking,
what's yourthesis here?
Yes, she broke the law in
Virginia, but not in New York.
And to what end?
So that people in pain could
experience some relief?
Thank goodness you're here
to make sure that evildoers
like Dr. Allen don't get
away with anything.
Excuse me.
What was that all about?
Just wishing each other luck.
NICK: Mom!
Nick. Uh...
Mom. What are you doing here?
Uh, sorry. Dr. Bull,
uh, this is my mom.
And this is my son, Nicholas.
So, is it Nicholas,
Nicky, Nick, or... Dude?
Nick. [coughing]
But I kind of like Dude.
Ah. Then Dude it shall be.
And you can call me Dr. Bull.
I think we had a-a good day.
Great day.
More great days to come.
Okay. Then we should
get out of here...
Yeah... while the
getting's good.
How sick do you think he is?
Well...
they were praying
for him at church.
Excuse me?
Yeah.
Priest said a prayer
for him during Mass.
I mean, it... flew
right past me,
but.. he said it was leukemia.
[sighs] Of course.
That's how she found
out about the CBD oil:
Her son's cancer.
Yeah, but why wouldn't she
be honest about that?
Well, I'm guessing she
didn't want us to know
she's using CBD oil on a minor.
As a Doctor of Pharmacology
at the largest teaching
hospital on the East Coast,
what is your opinion
on CBD oil as a
treatment option?
At this time, the federal
government classifies it
as a Schedule I drug,
which means it has no
medical benefit whatsoever.
I think that says it all.
BANNER: So I am curious.
Based on your medical expertise,
would you recommend CBD
oil as a treatment
for MS?
No.What about
Parkinson's disease?
YATES: No.
BANNER: And would
you recommend it
as a treatment for...
an adult suffering
from leukemia?
YATES: No, I would not.
BANNER: And based on
your medical expertise,
how would you
characterize the choice
to treat a child's leukemia
with CBD oil?
I would characterize
it as reckless...
unsound, unsafe, dangerous...
and, while I'm not a lawyer,
I would venture to say
almost certainly criminal.
Objection, Your Honor.
The man is guessing.
And he's not a lawyer.
His opinion as to
the criminality
of this hypothetical example
is just that, an opinion.
Objection sustained. Jury will
disregard Dr. Yates's opinion
with regard to criminality.
But they won't, will they?
Not a chance.
BANNER: I have no
more questions,
Your Honor. We'll resume
hearing testimony tomorrow.
This court is
adjourned.[gavel bangs]
How red is it over there?
MARISSA: Uh, you
know the Red Sea?
You know that reindeer
Rudolph's nose?
You know when they roll
out the red carpet?
I'm not following you.
Yeah, it's red. You're
a little slow today.
[sighs]
So, what are you
doing after court?
We need to have an
honest conversation.
BULL: You can see where
the other side's going.
They're getting ready to
use your son against you
like a baseball bat.
The fact that he has leukemia.
The fact that you're
treating him with CBD oil.
That's what's going
on, isn't it?
You're saying that as if it's a bad thing.
Well, that is,
according to their expert today...
Please.
That supposed expert was wrong.
The oil has been a huge
help with every...
It doesn't matter whether
he's wrong about that.
What he's right about,
or at least will be as far
as the jury's concerned,
is that when you're giving this
oil to your adult patients,
they are capable of
making a decision
about whether or not
they want to take it.
But when you're giving
it to a child...
Mychild.
My child.
I'm not a monster.
I know.
And that is why you're here...
today.
We're here to arm you.
The defense calls Dr.
Laura Allen.
My son was diagnosed with
leukemia two years ago.
He immediately started
chemotherapy.
At first the side
effects were tolerable.
A little nausea, some vomiting
once or twice a week.
Then it was every day.
And then it was every day,
three, four times a day.
He lost 20 pounds
that first month.
We tried everything to
alleviate his misery,
but nothing worked.
He was so weak.
If he could...
if he could get out of bed
and make it to the bathroom,
it was a good day.
And there were not a
lot of good days.
Then I walked into his room
one night to check on him,
and he was sitting on his bed,
holding a plastic
bag over his head.
I don't know where
he got the idea...
He still won't tell me... but I
knew what he was trying to do.
I stopped the chemo
the next day.
[sniffles]
But... I'm a doctor,
and I knew stopping the
chemo wasn't the answer.
We were gonna have to resume the
treatment again at some point.
I honestly didn't
know what to do.
Then I read about CBD oil.
So I drove to New York,
wrote myself a bogus
prescription,
and I bought one vial.
I gave Nicholas one dropper-ful,
and within two hours,
he stopped throwing up.
Over the course of
the next two weeks,
he put on five pounds, and
he was up and out of bed.
He even had some
friends over to play.
My baby was living
his life again
instead of just waiting to die.
So why not... move to New York
or another state
where it's legal?
I thought about that.
But after seeing how much
CBD oil helped my son,
it occurred to me it might
also help some of my patients.
And how do you abandon
people at that point?
You show them something
that works, and then...
you just leave?
You just...
you just take it away from them?
CHUNK: I know we
brought her here
to prepare her to testify...
but I don't know how you
improve on what she just did.
I know you were hoping to avoid
telling this part of the story.
And I know...
it feels private and personal,
and it half belongs to your
son, but I need you...
to make your peace with it...
because when it comes
time to defend you...
it may be the only
option we have.
Think Nick'll still be
up when you get home?
I hope so.
Thanks for the ride.
You're on my way.
No, I'm not.
Benny told me where you live.
You live downtown.
They have bars where you live?
Of course. Then
you're on my way.
Does somebody have a problem?
With what?
Drinking?
Nah, I drink fine.
I'll make you a deal.
Come in the house with
me, say hi to my mom...
And Nick, if he's up...
And I'll make both
of us a drink.
Though I'm not sure what
kind of liquor my mom has.
Why would you do that?
'Cause I want to
keep an eye on you.
I need you in court tomorrow,
preferably not hungover.
Hi, Mom! Nick!
Mom, it's the middle of winter.
I don't know what to tell you.
First he's cold, then he's hot,
then he's cold, then he's hot.
LAURA: Get over here.
Come here.
Mom, you're embarrassing me.
Yeah, well, you were the one
sitting around in your underwear
like some kind of a nudist,
and I'm embarrassing you?
Maybe I should come
back another time.
[knocking]
[knocking]
Can I help you?
Dr. Laura Allen?
I'm with New York City
Children's Services,
and we have an order to
remove Nicholas Allen
from this residence.
Remove Nicholas? What
are you talking about?
BULL: They're taking him
over to Sacred Heart
Hospital for observation.
Put him under a 24-hour hold.
Mom? What's going on?
Stay where you are.
No one's taking my son anywhere.
So, who called you?
Obviously, someone
filed a complaint.
I'm sorry. I'm forbidden
by law to tell you
who initiated this action.
It wouldn't happen
to be the assistant United
States attorney, would it?
Fine. No names.
I'm part of Dr.
Allen's legal team.
Can you tell me
what this anonymous source alleges?
All I know
is that a minor named
Nicholas Allen
is supposedly being denied
proper medical care
and that his life is
in imminent danger
and illegal drugs are involved.
This is a nightmare. I'm sorry,
but I need you to surrender him
to this officer, ma'am.
No.
Laura,
we don't have a choice.
You better knock me down.
You better mace me.
You better take me to prison,
because that's the only way
you're getting to my little boy.
NICK: No! Mom!
Don't let them take me!
It's okay. Okay, I'm
calling for backup.
Don't do that. Wait a second.
Listen.
We will take him in my car.
We're taking him.
You can follow us or
we'll follow you.
But we're taking him.
His mother and I are taking
him to the hospital.
Right, Dr. Allen?
That's what you want, right?
You want him to go
to the hospital?
Nowhere on this paper does it
say we can't take him there
and you can't stay
with him there.
Mom, pack Nicky a bag.
[sighs]
Dr. Allen, it's
almost 11:00 at night
and we both need to
be in court tomorrow.
[sighs]
I know you want to
be near your son.
But... they're never
gonna let that happen,
not for at least
another 22 hours.
What do you say we
get out of here?
You can go. I'm just
gonna sit here.
You want me to get
someone from my office
to come and sit with you?
I don't want you sitting alone.
I asked the doctor what
if he sees something,
something he doesn't agree with,
something that, in his mind,
indicates that Nick's not
getting the care that he needs?
What happens then?
And?
And he said they'd probably
put him in foster care.
You know I wouldn't
let that happen,
at least not without a fight.
I'm on trial for trying to
make my dying son feel better.
How screwed up is that?
So do I believe
that if they want
to take my son away
from me, they will?
You're damn right I do.
Ugh.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry
for being difficult.
I'm sorry for being dramatic.
You can go.
I'll be fine.
I'll see you in the morning.
I'm happy to call someone.
No. I want to be alone...
with him...
or at least near him.
15, 20 more minutes,
I'll be leaving, too.
Honestly.
Will you call me or text
me when you get home?
No.
I'm a grown-up.
I'll see you in the morning.
[man coughs]
Your Honor.
We have been sitting
here and waiting
for almost an hour
and 15 minutes.
Do we know if the
defendant is planning
on deigning us with
her presence or not?
Gentlemen, what do we know?
Uh, Your Honor, she
is on her way.
[whispering]: Please tell
me she's on her way.
[phone vibrates]
Where the hell are you?
LAURA: Nicholas is gone.
What?
He ran away.
I came to the hospital
to try to see him
before court this morning and
when I got here, he was gone.
No one even knew he was missing.
I'm in my car. I'm-I'm
looking for him.
Laura, I need you
to listen to me.
I'll get my team to
find Nicholas, okay?
What I need you to do right now
is come to court and testify.
Laura?
Laura.
GARRISON: Counselor,
it's time to move on.
Your Honor, I just
got off the phone
with Dr. Allen. Turns
out her son is missing
from the hospital.
She's out looking for him.
If we could just take...
GARRISON: No, we can't "just."
You and your client have
exhausted this court's patience.
I'm issuing a warrant for Dr.
Allen's arrest.
Call a witness, any witness
and stretch out their
testimony as long as you can.
I'll be back.
[phone vibrates]
Yeah?
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
I heard them talking about chemo
last night and it scared me.
So I waited till the sun
came up, put on my clothes
and just walked out.
I thought I could make it to
the courthouse to find Mom,
but I got so tired.
I picked him up
at a park nearby.
This nice lady let
me use her phone.
[knocking]Sorry to interrupt.
We haven't met. You the dad?
Um, Dr. Jason Bull. I'm
part of the legal team.
Forgive me. Dr. Kulkarni.
Want the good news or
you want the good news?
After a full evaluation,
I'm in complete support
of your treatment regimen,
including the CBD oil.
That's great.
Yeah. Honestly, I...
I couldn't have advised a better
treatment plan than yours.
I do want Nicholas to stay with
us one more night, though.
That little trip to the park
dehydrated you
just a little bit.
Want to give him some fluids.
Uh, what about Child Services?
Ah, I'll have my report
in the next hour.
My guess is that
Nicholas will be able
to go home with you tomorrow.
[chuckles]
Thank you, Doctor.Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Doctor.
Anybody have any
questions, I'll be around.
Forgive me, Doctor.
Uh, if I needed you to
testify about the efficacy
of Dr. Allen's treatment,
would you be willing?
Of course. Schedule permitting.
Thank you. Mm-hmm.
We have to handle
one other thing.
What's that?
There is a warrant
out for your arrest.
She felt she had no
choice but to go and find
her son since the people
who were supposed
to be responsible for him
clearly weren't up to the task.
How can you fault a parent
convinced that her
son was in danger
for doing what any parent
would do in this situation?
Dr. Bull, your client is
charged with a serious crime
that could see her spend 20
years in a federal prison.
She was out on bail
and due in court this morning.
Neither she nor you
made any effort
to communicate with this court
in any way to seek
its permission
to search for her son.
I'm revoking your bail.
And remanding you
to the jail here in the
federal courthouse
until the completion
of your hearing. BULL:
But Your Honor...
Your Honor, my son's
in the hospital.
He's waiting for me.
Well, someone will just
have to explain to him
what happens when
people flaunt the law.
See you in court
tomorrow morning.
8:00 a.m., everybody's
here just as you asked.
Car downstairs to take
Benny and me to court?
Last I checked.
Let's do this.
Marissa,
where are we with
the mirror jurors?
Uh, three green and nine red.
Okay. Chunk.
I need you to prep Dr.
Kulkarni. Okay?
Now, he's due to go on the
stand later this afternoon
and he is a busy guy and he
is gonna resist this notion,
but go to the hospital
if you have to.
Do it in the hall between surgeries.
I don't care.
It's a tall order,
but I'm a tall man.
Yes, you are.
Danny.
Let's try and round up as many
of Laura's 27
patients as we can.
Get them into Manhattan and
I want you to march them
into that courtroom and
force that judge, that jury
and even that tight-ass
federal prosecutor
to see whose quality of life
it is they are monkeying with.
I'll do the best I can.
Cable.
I need you
to really drill
down on that jury,
just check for any sweet
spots we might've missed
because everybody gets sick.
Everybody has a doctor and
there has got to be a way
to reach these people
we're not tapping into.
I'm on it.
BENNY: Dr. Kulkarni,
how long have you been a
board-certified oncologist?
17 years.
BENNY: And at the behest
of the City of New York's
Child Services Bureau,
you have thoroughly examined Dr.
Allen's son, Nicholas.
I have.
And how would you characterize
the level of care
he's been receiving?
Outstanding.
BENNY: Even though
that care has included
the administration of CBD oil?
DR. KULKARNI: Yes, absolutely.
BENNY: Isn't it
true that doctors,
real dedicated doctors,
are often torn
between doing what's required
and doing what they know
to be the best thing
for their patients?
Like, uh, the insurance will
say a doctor can only do "X"
when he or she knows that they
really need to do "Y," too.
Objection.
The defense is asking the
witness to speculate.Sustained.
Okay. Let-let me ask this
differently, Your Honor.
I-I'd like to try and
be of some help here.
May-may I tell you about
something that happened to me?
Your Honor?
Nice move.
Chunk, you really
prepped this guy.
Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet.
DR. KULKARNI: When I
was 20 years old,
my mother fell sick
with esophageal cancer.
It's a particularly painful
cancer of the throat.
For several months, she was
in and out of the hospital.
And finally, they sent her home
because there just wasn't
anything for them to do for her.
This was before med school.
I was going to local
colleges, living at home.
And at night, I'd sit in my
room and I'd hear my mother
either labor for breath
or moan in pain.
I mentioned this to a
friend of mine at school
and as it turned out,
her dad was a doctor.
So, came, saw my mother,
spent some time with her
and he told me he was gonna give
her something for the pain.
That something turned
out to be morphine.
It's a tricky drug.
Given in the right amount,
it can do amazing
things, but, um...
give too much and
the patient dies.
In my mother's case, it did just
what it was supposed to do.
The moaning stopped.
The labored breath became
less and less pronounced.
She slept a lot,
uh, but always with a
smile on her face.
For the first time in two years,
she was experiencing
something like peace.
Two days later, I
walked into her room
to tell her I was
going to school.
She wasn't breathing.
She had died during the night.
Her pain gone.
The smile still there.
Now... was the doctor
at fault?
Did he give her too
much morphine?
We'll never know.
But I think he gave
her what she needed:
Mercy.
No one talks about it,
but doctors face these choices
every day.
But if they truly care
about their patients...
Objection.
Overruled.
MARISSA: We have seven,
she has five.
BENNY: Dr. Kulkarni,
you actually prescribe
the same CBD oil
to some of your patients as Dr.
Allen does, don't you?
I do. So let me ask
you something.
Hypothetically speaking,
how far would you go
if you lived in a state
where your ill patients
couldn't get the CBD
oil they needed
to relieve their suffering?
That youneeded to relieve
your child's suffering?
I would hope that I
would have the courage
to go to hell and back.
Just as Dr. Allen did.
MARISSA: For those of
you keeping score,
we are staring at eight
green and four red.
And how far away are
our surprise guests?
They should be coming through
the door any second now.
[door opens]
[gallery murmuring]
I, uh, apologize for the
disruption, Your Honor.
But these are 13
of the 27 patients that Dr.
Allen
has been treating
with the CBD oil.
They...
came into the city today,
at a moment's notice, in
hopes that we could put them
on the witness list,
and allow them to tell the jury
how Dr. Allen has done
nothing but make their
treatments more bearable
and their lives more livable.
Objection! Your Honor,
this is the first
that the prosecution has
heard about these witnesses.
I would like to request a recess
for the day...
so that I could
possibly vet the list.
Someone's getting nervous.
BENNY: Your Honor,
I can't guarantee I can
get all these people back
if we recess today.
I love a good fight.
If counsel for both sides
will approach the bench.
BULL [quietly]: This is good.
This is good for us.
Yeah.[speaking softly]
The witness is dismissed.
This court is adjourned
until tomorrow morning.
[gavel bangs]
I'll catch up with
both of you later.
There's something I have to do.
[sighs]
Of all the gin joints
in all the world...
Within three blocks
of the courthouse...
I walk into yours.
Oh.
Hey. I like the
color of her drink.
I'll have one of those.
I think you and I have
something to talk about.
Oh, really?
You into women's volleyball?
[chuckles]
The jury's swinging
my way; You know it,
and I know it.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
Humor me for a second.
'Cause if I'm right... and this
is what I do for a living...
The game is pretty much over.
I mean, maybe you squeak
by with a mistrial,
but is that really a
risk you want to take?
What? I'm-I'm just trying
to figure out how
you got that...
gigantic head of yours through
that teeny-tiny door.
[chuckles]: Oh...
Wow. She smiles,
she jokes.
She's full of surprises.Hmm.
So, how about this?
You reduce the charges
to straight possession,
my client will plead
guilty to a misdemeanor
and do... four years probation.
She still has a fighting chance
of keeping her medical license,
and you get the
conviction you want,
and everybody wins.
No.
No?
No.
Even though you're
not gonna win?
Even though I maynot win.
So, what's your end game here?
You get a kick out of
tearing families apart?
I know it was you who
called Child Services.
I never tried to hide that.
You ever had a child?
[laughs]
Are we... are we going there?
I've-I've never had
a child, so...
I would never be
able to understand
what your client
is going through?
[chuckles]: Oh...
that is simpleminded.
Even for you.
And what-what about you?
How many children
do you have, Dr. Bull?
Only a man with a
name like "Bull"
could equate fertility
with empathy.
One... but just for an inkling.
A second.
My ex-wife had a miscarriage.
You're right.
I withdraw the question.
Forgive me.
Look...
it is my job to help the
courts adjudicate these cases.
And once they do, the
system takes over.
It's very simple.
It's not personal, Dr. Bull.
It's my job.
It's just my job.
Your job.
Not your agenda?
You think I have an agenda?
Well, why else would you
choose to take the case?
I chose this case
because nobody else
in my department would take it.
They all sympathize
with your client.
Truth is, so do I.
But...
just like her, I took an oath,
and just like her, I have a
professional responsibility.
Mine is to uphold the law.
And when your beliefs
don't align with the law?
Look...
the reality is...
our beliefs don't matter...
because it's not up to us
to decide what happens to Dr.
Allen.
I do my job.
You do your job.
The system does the rest.
So, what did she say?
She doesn't want to play.
Is there any good news?
Well, we do have eight
jurors on our side...
We just need to move
those other four.
Well, it's gonna be tough.
I did some focus group
work with them tonight,
and they're having a
really difficult time
reconciling the fact that while
they sympathize with Laura,
she knowingly broke the law.
Then our job is to reconcile
those feelings for them.
We need to empower them, we
need to tell them that...
in so many words, their
feelings about this case
matter morethan the law.
That each and... BENNY:
That each and...
every one of you...
every one of you
sitting here in front of me,
your opinion matters.
Your opinion matters.
Your opinion matters,
your opinion matters,
and your opinion matters.
Now, I-I can tell
you my opinion.
I believe Ms. Allen
did the right thing.
She did the most... responsible,
loving and kind thing
for her patients and for her son.
I mean...
think about it.
How could she have
done any less?
But... you know what?
My opinion doesn't matter.
For that matter, the
prosecution's opinion
doesn't matter.
Now, the prosecution would like
for you to think otherwise.
The prosecution would
like for you to think
that your opinion
doesn't matter at all.
That the law is the law, and
everything else is irrelevant.
But, you know,
let's talk about the
law for a second.
You know, it's different in New
York than it is in Virginia.
And according to the
federal government,
the law in New York
and 41 other states
is in violation of
the law of the land.
So what isthe law of the land
if the states can't
agree with it?
So... [laughs softly]
Clearly, the law is
not as cut-and-dried.
Clearly, that's why
we need your help,
why we need your opinion.
Now, I believe we've proven
that the only thing
my client did
was do her job to the
absolute best of her ability.
Be a mother to the absolute
best of her ability.
To administer mercy whenever
she saw the opportunity.
Now, if you think
that's a crime,
then you know how to vote.
But if you're like me...
You know, you think
that's something
that should be encouraged
in our society...
I just ask that you do one thing
today, and that's just...
do for Laura what she
would do for you.
Show her the best care possible.
Thank you.
GARRISON: Has the jury
reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
We the jury find the defendant,
Laura Allen...
not guilty.
♪
Oh... [laughs]
[laughs] Yes.
For someone who just lost, you
don't seem terribly upset.
How can I be upset?
The system worked.
It was the outcome that
the people wanted.
At least all the people here.
And that's how it's
supposed to be.
I did my part, you did yours.
Justice was served.
Well, she's a tough one.
Oh, yeah.
You could tell she
was out for blood.
You think so?
Without a doubt.Hmm.
Captioning sponsored by CBS.
It's just a dream, baby.
It should last you about
six months, give or take.
[tire pops, screeches]
What's going on?
[panting]: N-Nothing, kiddo.
It's just one of the tires.
[wind gusting]
[siren chirps]
Morning, Officer.
Saw you working on your tire.
Thought maybe I could help.
Oh.
Wow, that's really nice.
Um, I-I'm already halfway done.
Uh...
You okay?
Uh, yeah. [chuckles]
Since you have that mini
spare on, mind the wind.
Yeah, uh, will do.
Thanks, Officer.
Ma'am, what is this?
What's in these little vials?
Uh, it's medicine.
What kind of medicine?
CONGREGATION: Lord,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray for Nicholas Allen,
who still battles with leukemia.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for Mary Sims,
who is still recovering from
a difficult heart surgery.
Lord, hear our prayer.
And for anyone experiencing
any health challenges,
let us pray.
Lord, hear our prayer.
[bell tolls]
TERESA: I was out to
your mother's grave
not two weeks ago.
[chuckles]
I knew it was you.
Mrs. Allen, so good to see you.
I haven't been in that
church in eight years.
After my hip replacement, I
started going to St. Mary's.
It's closer to my apartment.
Oh, makes sense.
I miss your mother so.
Best office manager ever.
Well, she always said you
were the best paralegal ever.
I need a lawyer, Benny.
A really good criminal lawyer.
Not a real estate attorney like
your mother and I worked for,
not a paper pusher, a
criminal attorney.
Someone like you.
BENNY: It's an oil.
Made from marijuana.
Mm-hmm... No, no, no.
You can't get high from it.
Doesn't affect the
brain that way.
It's typically used
for pain or nausea.
It's legal in New York, right?
With a prescription.
Mm. So this friend
of yours's daughter,
she lives in Virginia?
[exhales] Which is why
she was arrested.
You have to be a
resident of New York
to get a prescription
to purchase it here.
Right. So how much did she have?
Eh... Couple hundred vials.
Hmm.
Way to bury the lede.
Yeah, I know.
It sounds like a lot.
Well, it sounds like a
lot because it is a lot.
What, was she selling them
out of the trunk of her car
at the local flea market?
[chuckles]
Problem is, your friend's
daughter knew it was illegal,
and she did it anyway, not
for one or two vials.
Well, the way her
mom explains it,
she only buys it twice a year,
so she gets a really big supply.
And you know... [groans]
The thing is, if she
lived in New York,
we wouldn't even be
having this conversation.
She would get it
monthly, legally.
You know better than I do,
it's completely irrelevant.
If she wants to buy this stuff,
if she needs to buy this stuff,
she should move to a
place where it's legal
so she's not knowingly
breaking the law.
Oh, come on, it's
a Class C felony,
so it's only a year,
minimum sentence.
We've pled out harsher
charges than that.
Bull... [sighs]
Look.
I don't really ask
for a lot of favors.
She's being held
at the Woodbury
police station jail,
and is being released
in the morning.
I'm gonna run down
there tomorrow,
meet her at the D.A.'s
office, where hopefully,
I can negotiate a deal.
I think it would make a big
difference if you were there.
Uh, wait here, please.
Thank you both, for jumping into
the fray on such short notice.
Your mom, my mom.
Ah. [chuckles]
This is Dr. Jason
Bull, by the way.
I don't have a mom
in this fight,
but, uh, it's a
pleasure to meet you.
What kind of doctor?
Psychologist.
Dr. Laura Allen.
Primary care physician.
Oh.
So, Doctor, just curious,
what is it, exactly, you
use all this CBD oil for?
Uh, pain management.
Headaches, mostly.
Hmm.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Come on in.
[quietly]: All right.
BANNER: Dr. Allen.
I am Assistant United States
Attorney Sylvia Banner.
These two gentlemen
your counsel?
Benjamin Colón, attorney; Dr.
Jason Bull, trial scientist.
I'm sorry.
I-I think there might
be some mistake here.
I was under the impression
that we were meeting.
District Attorney
"Morris Frank"?
From the city of Woodbury?
There was a slight
miscommunication.
D.A. Frank was kind enough
to lend us his office.
This is now a federal matter.
Federal matter? W-Wait, wait.
We're talking about a
couple hundred vials
of non-psychoactive CBD oil
for her personal use; I mean,
doesn't the federal government
have better things to do?
Actually, we don't.
And it's 1,800 vials.
1,800 vials that we believe
were intended for sale to no
less than 27 other people
in the state of Virginia.
And this would not be the first
time that Dr. Allen smuggled
controlled substances
across state lines.
T-They're for my patients.
I sell them to my patients for
exactly what it costs me.
You have the right to remain silent.Dr.
Allen, you are being charged
with 27 counts of possession
of a controlled substance
with intent to distribute
in violation of federal law.
In addition, you
are being charged
with violating interstate
commerce rules,
which strictly forbid
the transportation
across state lines of
controlled substances
by persons without
license to do so.
Mr. Colón, please, you
have to call my mom.
Don't say another word, Dr.
Allen, and don't worry,
I'll make that call.
♪
She broke the law, folks.
It's the bottom line.
So what we need to do is get
a jury that understands
that it's not something
she chose to do.
She had no choice.
But she did. You know that.
She had a choice.
Did she?
I don't think so.
We are going to argue
that Laura had
a professional responsibility
to give her patients the
best care possible.
Even if it meant
breaking the law.
So what kind of jurors
are we looking for?
What we're looking for are
jurors who are professionals.
Professionals who
feel a sense of duty
to do their absolute best.
Teachers, firefighters,
emergency room doctors.
People who relate to Laura
because, in their line of work,
they, too, go above and beyond.
BENNY: Do we have
any teachers with us today?
All right, and, uh,
what grade do you teach?
I teach ninth grade
biology; I also coach
the girls' basketball team.
She's been at her current
school for almost 20 years.
It's quite a stint.
BENNY: Let's say
you were offered the same job
at a different school,
but double the pay.
Would you take it?
Would I take it?
I don't think so.
I mean, I would never
leave my girls.
You can't buy what
coaching my team gives me.
This juror is acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.
What we want are jurors who
posses deontological ethics.
One more time, for those of us
who don't read the
dictionary for fun.
People who are committed to
doing their absolute best
for the people who
depend on them,
no matter what the consequences.
And what do you do for a living?
I-I'm a county clerk.
Oh, okay.
Uh, do you like your job?
I love my job.
BENNY: And, uh, how are your hours?
LYNN: You mean,
when am I supposed
to be there by,
or when do I actually show up?
Oh, okay.
[laughs]
Let's start with when you're
supposed to be there.
9:00.
And when do you usually show up?
Between 7:30 and 8:00.
Now, what's that about?
Uh, is the commute easier
if you get an early start?
Uh, no, it's just about making
sure everything's really ready,
so when people come in at 9:00,
I'm prepared to help them,
and they don't have to wait
any longer than necessary.
This juror is acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.
BENNY [quietly]: All right.
Do you believe in
the rule of law?
Sure do.
And as a county clerk,
isn't part of your
job issuing permits?
Among other things.
So if somebody comes in,
uh, they want a permit,
they want to build a 12-foot
wall in front of their house,
but the code says walls
can only be eight feet.
What do you do?
I'd have to deny the permit.
Because...?
That's the law.
No matter what time
you get into work.
No matter what time
I come into work.
This juror is also acceptable
to the prosecution,
Your Honor.[gavel bangs]
GARRISON: We have our jury.
Doctor?
So, what's your thesis here?
That people who love their jobs
will look the other way when
a citizen breaks the law?
Well, as long as you're asking,
what's yourthesis here?
Yes, she broke the law in
Virginia, but not in New York.
And to what end?
So that people in pain could
experience some relief?
Thank goodness you're here
to make sure that evildoers
like Dr. Allen don't get
away with anything.
Excuse me.
What was that all about?
Just wishing each other luck.
NICK: Mom!
Nick. Uh...
Mom. What are you doing here?
Uh, sorry. Dr. Bull,
uh, this is my mom.
And this is my son, Nicholas.
So, is it Nicholas,
Nicky, Nick, or... Dude?
Nick. [coughing]
But I kind of like Dude.
Ah. Then Dude it shall be.
And you can call me Dr. Bull.
I think we had a-a good day.
Great day.
More great days to come.
Okay. Then we should
get out of here...
Yeah... while the
getting's good.
How sick do you think he is?
Well...
they were praying
for him at church.
Excuse me?
Yeah.
Priest said a prayer
for him during Mass.
I mean, it... flew
right past me,
but.. he said it was leukemia.
[sighs] Of course.
That's how she found
out about the CBD oil:
Her son's cancer.
Yeah, but why wouldn't she
be honest about that?
Well, I'm guessing she
didn't want us to know
she's using CBD oil on a minor.
As a Doctor of Pharmacology
at the largest teaching
hospital on the East Coast,
what is your opinion
on CBD oil as a
treatment option?
At this time, the federal
government classifies it
as a Schedule I drug,
which means it has no
medical benefit whatsoever.
I think that says it all.
BANNER: So I am curious.
Based on your medical expertise,
would you recommend CBD
oil as a treatment
for MS?
No.What about
Parkinson's disease?
YATES: No.
BANNER: And would
you recommend it
as a treatment for...
an adult suffering
from leukemia?
YATES: No, I would not.
BANNER: And based on
your medical expertise,
how would you
characterize the choice
to treat a child's leukemia
with CBD oil?
I would characterize
it as reckless...
unsound, unsafe, dangerous...
and, while I'm not a lawyer,
I would venture to say
almost certainly criminal.
Objection, Your Honor.
The man is guessing.
And he's not a lawyer.
His opinion as to
the criminality
of this hypothetical example
is just that, an opinion.
Objection sustained. Jury will
disregard Dr. Yates's opinion
with regard to criminality.
But they won't, will they?
Not a chance.
BANNER: I have no
more questions,
Your Honor. We'll resume
hearing testimony tomorrow.
This court is
adjourned.[gavel bangs]
How red is it over there?
MARISSA: Uh, you
know the Red Sea?
You know that reindeer
Rudolph's nose?
You know when they roll
out the red carpet?
I'm not following you.
Yeah, it's red. You're
a little slow today.
[sighs]
So, what are you
doing after court?
We need to have an
honest conversation.
BULL: You can see where
the other side's going.
They're getting ready to
use your son against you
like a baseball bat.
The fact that he has leukemia.
The fact that you're
treating him with CBD oil.
That's what's going
on, isn't it?
You're saying that as if it's a bad thing.
Well, that is,
according to their expert today...
Please.
That supposed expert was wrong.
The oil has been a huge
help with every...
It doesn't matter whether
he's wrong about that.
What he's right about,
or at least will be as far
as the jury's concerned,
is that when you're giving this
oil to your adult patients,
they are capable of
making a decision
about whether or not
they want to take it.
But when you're giving
it to a child...
Mychild.
My child.
I'm not a monster.
I know.
And that is why you're here...
today.
We're here to arm you.
The defense calls Dr.
Laura Allen.
My son was diagnosed with
leukemia two years ago.
He immediately started
chemotherapy.
At first the side
effects were tolerable.
A little nausea, some vomiting
once or twice a week.
Then it was every day.
And then it was every day,
three, four times a day.
He lost 20 pounds
that first month.
We tried everything to
alleviate his misery,
but nothing worked.
He was so weak.
If he could...
if he could get out of bed
and make it to the bathroom,
it was a good day.
And there were not a
lot of good days.
Then I walked into his room
one night to check on him,
and he was sitting on his bed,
holding a plastic
bag over his head.
I don't know where
he got the idea...
He still won't tell me... but I
knew what he was trying to do.
I stopped the chemo
the next day.
[sniffles]
But... I'm a doctor,
and I knew stopping the
chemo wasn't the answer.
We were gonna have to resume the
treatment again at some point.
I honestly didn't
know what to do.
Then I read about CBD oil.
So I drove to New York,
wrote myself a bogus
prescription,
and I bought one vial.
I gave Nicholas one dropper-ful,
and within two hours,
he stopped throwing up.
Over the course of
the next two weeks,
he put on five pounds, and
he was up and out of bed.
He even had some
friends over to play.
My baby was living
his life again
instead of just waiting to die.
So why not... move to New York
or another state
where it's legal?
I thought about that.
But after seeing how much
CBD oil helped my son,
it occurred to me it might
also help some of my patients.
And how do you abandon
people at that point?
You show them something
that works, and then...
you just leave?
You just...
you just take it away from them?
CHUNK: I know we
brought her here
to prepare her to testify...
but I don't know how you
improve on what she just did.
I know you were hoping to avoid
telling this part of the story.
And I know...
it feels private and personal,
and it half belongs to your
son, but I need you...
to make your peace with it...
because when it comes
time to defend you...
it may be the only
option we have.
Think Nick'll still be
up when you get home?
I hope so.
Thanks for the ride.
You're on my way.
No, I'm not.
Benny told me where you live.
You live downtown.
They have bars where you live?
Of course. Then
you're on my way.
Does somebody have a problem?
With what?
Drinking?
Nah, I drink fine.
I'll make you a deal.
Come in the house with
me, say hi to my mom...
And Nick, if he's up...
And I'll make both
of us a drink.
Though I'm not sure what
kind of liquor my mom has.
Why would you do that?
'Cause I want to
keep an eye on you.
I need you in court tomorrow,
preferably not hungover.
Hi, Mom! Nick!
Mom, it's the middle of winter.
I don't know what to tell you.
First he's cold, then he's hot,
then he's cold, then he's hot.
LAURA: Get over here.
Come here.
Mom, you're embarrassing me.
Yeah, well, you were the one
sitting around in your underwear
like some kind of a nudist,
and I'm embarrassing you?
Maybe I should come
back another time.
[knocking]
[knocking]
Can I help you?
Dr. Laura Allen?
I'm with New York City
Children's Services,
and we have an order to
remove Nicholas Allen
from this residence.
Remove Nicholas? What
are you talking about?
BULL: They're taking him
over to Sacred Heart
Hospital for observation.
Put him under a 24-hour hold.
Mom? What's going on?
Stay where you are.
No one's taking my son anywhere.
So, who called you?
Obviously, someone
filed a complaint.
I'm sorry. I'm forbidden
by law to tell you
who initiated this action.
It wouldn't happen
to be the assistant United
States attorney, would it?
Fine. No names.
I'm part of Dr.
Allen's legal team.
Can you tell me
what this anonymous source alleges?
All I know
is that a minor named
Nicholas Allen
is supposedly being denied
proper medical care
and that his life is
in imminent danger
and illegal drugs are involved.
This is a nightmare. I'm sorry,
but I need you to surrender him
to this officer, ma'am.
No.
Laura,
we don't have a choice.
You better knock me down.
You better mace me.
You better take me to prison,
because that's the only way
you're getting to my little boy.
NICK: No! Mom!
Don't let them take me!
It's okay. Okay, I'm
calling for backup.
Don't do that. Wait a second.
Listen.
We will take him in my car.
We're taking him.
You can follow us or
we'll follow you.
But we're taking him.
His mother and I are taking
him to the hospital.
Right, Dr. Allen?
That's what you want, right?
You want him to go
to the hospital?
Nowhere on this paper does it
say we can't take him there
and you can't stay
with him there.
Mom, pack Nicky a bag.
[sighs]
Dr. Allen, it's
almost 11:00 at night
and we both need to
be in court tomorrow.
[sighs]
I know you want to
be near your son.
But... they're never
gonna let that happen,
not for at least
another 22 hours.
What do you say we
get out of here?
You can go. I'm just
gonna sit here.
You want me to get
someone from my office
to come and sit with you?
I don't want you sitting alone.
I asked the doctor what
if he sees something,
something he doesn't agree with,
something that, in his mind,
indicates that Nick's not
getting the care that he needs?
What happens then?
And?
And he said they'd probably
put him in foster care.
You know I wouldn't
let that happen,
at least not without a fight.
I'm on trial for trying to
make my dying son feel better.
How screwed up is that?
So do I believe
that if they want
to take my son away
from me, they will?
You're damn right I do.
Ugh.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry
for being difficult.
I'm sorry for being dramatic.
You can go.
I'll be fine.
I'll see you in the morning.
I'm happy to call someone.
No. I want to be alone...
with him...
or at least near him.
15, 20 more minutes,
I'll be leaving, too.
Honestly.
Will you call me or text
me when you get home?
No.
I'm a grown-up.
I'll see you in the morning.
[man coughs]
Your Honor.
We have been sitting
here and waiting
for almost an hour
and 15 minutes.
Do we know if the
defendant is planning
on deigning us with
her presence or not?
Gentlemen, what do we know?
Uh, Your Honor, she
is on her way.
[whispering]: Please tell
me she's on her way.
[phone vibrates]
Where the hell are you?
LAURA: Nicholas is gone.
What?
He ran away.
I came to the hospital
to try to see him
before court this morning and
when I got here, he was gone.
No one even knew he was missing.
I'm in my car. I'm-I'm
looking for him.
Laura, I need you
to listen to me.
I'll get my team to
find Nicholas, okay?
What I need you to do right now
is come to court and testify.
Laura?
Laura.
GARRISON: Counselor,
it's time to move on.
Your Honor, I just
got off the phone
with Dr. Allen. Turns
out her son is missing
from the hospital.
She's out looking for him.
If we could just take...
GARRISON: No, we can't "just."
You and your client have
exhausted this court's patience.
I'm issuing a warrant for Dr.
Allen's arrest.
Call a witness, any witness
and stretch out their
testimony as long as you can.
I'll be back.
[phone vibrates]
Yeah?
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
I heard them talking about chemo
last night and it scared me.
So I waited till the sun
came up, put on my clothes
and just walked out.
I thought I could make it to
the courthouse to find Mom,
but I got so tired.
I picked him up
at a park nearby.
This nice lady let
me use her phone.
[knocking]Sorry to interrupt.
We haven't met. You the dad?
Um, Dr. Jason Bull. I'm
part of the legal team.
Forgive me. Dr. Kulkarni.
Want the good news or
you want the good news?
After a full evaluation,
I'm in complete support
of your treatment regimen,
including the CBD oil.
That's great.
Yeah. Honestly, I...
I couldn't have advised a better
treatment plan than yours.
I do want Nicholas to stay with
us one more night, though.
That little trip to the park
dehydrated you
just a little bit.
Want to give him some fluids.
Uh, what about Child Services?
Ah, I'll have my report
in the next hour.
My guess is that
Nicholas will be able
to go home with you tomorrow.
[chuckles]
Thank you, Doctor.Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Doctor.
Anybody have any
questions, I'll be around.
Forgive me, Doctor.
Uh, if I needed you to
testify about the efficacy
of Dr. Allen's treatment,
would you be willing?
Of course. Schedule permitting.
Thank you. Mm-hmm.
We have to handle
one other thing.
What's that?
There is a warrant
out for your arrest.
She felt she had no
choice but to go and find
her son since the people
who were supposed
to be responsible for him
clearly weren't up to the task.
How can you fault a parent
convinced that her
son was in danger
for doing what any parent
would do in this situation?
Dr. Bull, your client is
charged with a serious crime
that could see her spend 20
years in a federal prison.
She was out on bail
and due in court this morning.
Neither she nor you
made any effort
to communicate with this court
in any way to seek
its permission
to search for her son.
I'm revoking your bail.
And remanding you
to the jail here in the
federal courthouse
until the completion
of your hearing. BULL:
But Your Honor...
Your Honor, my son's
in the hospital.
He's waiting for me.
Well, someone will just
have to explain to him
what happens when
people flaunt the law.
See you in court
tomorrow morning.
8:00 a.m., everybody's
here just as you asked.
Car downstairs to take
Benny and me to court?
Last I checked.
Let's do this.
Marissa,
where are we with
the mirror jurors?
Uh, three green and nine red.
Okay. Chunk.
I need you to prep Dr.
Kulkarni. Okay?
Now, he's due to go on the
stand later this afternoon
and he is a busy guy and he
is gonna resist this notion,
but go to the hospital
if you have to.
Do it in the hall between surgeries.
I don't care.
It's a tall order,
but I'm a tall man.
Yes, you are.
Danny.
Let's try and round up as many
of Laura's 27
patients as we can.
Get them into Manhattan and
I want you to march them
into that courtroom and
force that judge, that jury
and even that tight-ass
federal prosecutor
to see whose quality of life
it is they are monkeying with.
I'll do the best I can.
Cable.
I need you
to really drill
down on that jury,
just check for any sweet
spots we might've missed
because everybody gets sick.
Everybody has a doctor and
there has got to be a way
to reach these people
we're not tapping into.
I'm on it.
BENNY: Dr. Kulkarni,
how long have you been a
board-certified oncologist?
17 years.
BENNY: And at the behest
of the City of New York's
Child Services Bureau,
you have thoroughly examined Dr.
Allen's son, Nicholas.
I have.
And how would you characterize
the level of care
he's been receiving?
Outstanding.
BENNY: Even though
that care has included
the administration of CBD oil?
DR. KULKARNI: Yes, absolutely.
BENNY: Isn't it
true that doctors,
real dedicated doctors,
are often torn
between doing what's required
and doing what they know
to be the best thing
for their patients?
Like, uh, the insurance will
say a doctor can only do "X"
when he or she knows that they
really need to do "Y," too.
Objection.
The defense is asking the
witness to speculate.Sustained.
Okay. Let-let me ask this
differently, Your Honor.
I-I'd like to try and
be of some help here.
May-may I tell you about
something that happened to me?
Your Honor?
Nice move.
Chunk, you really
prepped this guy.
Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet.
DR. KULKARNI: When I
was 20 years old,
my mother fell sick
with esophageal cancer.
It's a particularly painful
cancer of the throat.
For several months, she was
in and out of the hospital.
And finally, they sent her home
because there just wasn't
anything for them to do for her.
This was before med school.
I was going to local
colleges, living at home.
And at night, I'd sit in my
room and I'd hear my mother
either labor for breath
or moan in pain.
I mentioned this to a
friend of mine at school
and as it turned out,
her dad was a doctor.
So, came, saw my mother,
spent some time with her
and he told me he was gonna give
her something for the pain.
That something turned
out to be morphine.
It's a tricky drug.
Given in the right amount,
it can do amazing
things, but, um...
give too much and
the patient dies.
In my mother's case, it did just
what it was supposed to do.
The moaning stopped.
The labored breath became
less and less pronounced.
She slept a lot,
uh, but always with a
smile on her face.
For the first time in two years,
she was experiencing
something like peace.
Two days later, I
walked into her room
to tell her I was
going to school.
She wasn't breathing.
She had died during the night.
Her pain gone.
The smile still there.
Now... was the doctor
at fault?
Did he give her too
much morphine?
We'll never know.
But I think he gave
her what she needed:
Mercy.
No one talks about it,
but doctors face these choices
every day.
But if they truly care
about their patients...
Objection.
Overruled.
MARISSA: We have seven,
she has five.
BENNY: Dr. Kulkarni,
you actually prescribe
the same CBD oil
to some of your patients as Dr.
Allen does, don't you?
I do. So let me ask
you something.
Hypothetically speaking,
how far would you go
if you lived in a state
where your ill patients
couldn't get the CBD
oil they needed
to relieve their suffering?
That youneeded to relieve
your child's suffering?
I would hope that I
would have the courage
to go to hell and back.
Just as Dr. Allen did.
MARISSA: For those of
you keeping score,
we are staring at eight
green and four red.
And how far away are
our surprise guests?
They should be coming through
the door any second now.
[door opens]
[gallery murmuring]
I, uh, apologize for the
disruption, Your Honor.
But these are 13
of the 27 patients that Dr.
Allen
has been treating
with the CBD oil.
They...
came into the city today,
at a moment's notice, in
hopes that we could put them
on the witness list,
and allow them to tell the jury
how Dr. Allen has done
nothing but make their
treatments more bearable
and their lives more livable.
Objection! Your Honor,
this is the first
that the prosecution has
heard about these witnesses.
I would like to request a recess
for the day...
so that I could
possibly vet the list.
Someone's getting nervous.
BENNY: Your Honor,
I can't guarantee I can
get all these people back
if we recess today.
I love a good fight.
If counsel for both sides
will approach the bench.
BULL [quietly]: This is good.
This is good for us.
Yeah.[speaking softly]
The witness is dismissed.
This court is adjourned
until tomorrow morning.
[gavel bangs]
I'll catch up with
both of you later.
There's something I have to do.
[sighs]
Of all the gin joints
in all the world...
Within three blocks
of the courthouse...
I walk into yours.
Oh.
Hey. I like the
color of her drink.
I'll have one of those.
I think you and I have
something to talk about.
Oh, really?
You into women's volleyball?
[chuckles]
The jury's swinging
my way; You know it,
and I know it.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
Humor me for a second.
'Cause if I'm right... and this
is what I do for a living...
The game is pretty much over.
I mean, maybe you squeak
by with a mistrial,
but is that really a
risk you want to take?
What? I'm-I'm just trying
to figure out how
you got that...
gigantic head of yours through
that teeny-tiny door.
[chuckles]: Oh...
Wow. She smiles,
she jokes.
She's full of surprises.Hmm.
So, how about this?
You reduce the charges
to straight possession,
my client will plead
guilty to a misdemeanor
and do... four years probation.
She still has a fighting chance
of keeping her medical license,
and you get the
conviction you want,
and everybody wins.
No.
No?
No.
Even though you're
not gonna win?
Even though I maynot win.
So, what's your end game here?
You get a kick out of
tearing families apart?
I know it was you who
called Child Services.
I never tried to hide that.
You ever had a child?
[laughs]
Are we... are we going there?
I've-I've never had
a child, so...
I would never be
able to understand
what your client
is going through?
[chuckles]: Oh...
that is simpleminded.
Even for you.
And what-what about you?
How many children
do you have, Dr. Bull?
Only a man with a
name like "Bull"
could equate fertility
with empathy.
One... but just for an inkling.
A second.
My ex-wife had a miscarriage.
You're right.
I withdraw the question.
Forgive me.
Look...
it is my job to help the
courts adjudicate these cases.
And once they do, the
system takes over.
It's very simple.
It's not personal, Dr. Bull.
It's my job.
It's just my job.
Your job.
Not your agenda?
You think I have an agenda?
Well, why else would you
choose to take the case?
I chose this case
because nobody else
in my department would take it.
They all sympathize
with your client.
Truth is, so do I.
But...
just like her, I took an oath,
and just like her, I have a
professional responsibility.
Mine is to uphold the law.
And when your beliefs
don't align with the law?
Look...
the reality is...
our beliefs don't matter...
because it's not up to us
to decide what happens to Dr.
Allen.
I do my job.
You do your job.
The system does the rest.
So, what did she say?
She doesn't want to play.
Is there any good news?
Well, we do have eight
jurors on our side...
We just need to move
those other four.
Well, it's gonna be tough.
I did some focus group
work with them tonight,
and they're having a
really difficult time
reconciling the fact that while
they sympathize with Laura,
she knowingly broke the law.
Then our job is to reconcile
those feelings for them.
We need to empower them, we
need to tell them that...
in so many words, their
feelings about this case
matter morethan the law.
That each and... BENNY:
That each and...
every one of you...
every one of you
sitting here in front of me,
your opinion matters.
Your opinion matters.
Your opinion matters,
your opinion matters,
and your opinion matters.
Now, I-I can tell
you my opinion.
I believe Ms. Allen
did the right thing.
She did the most... responsible,
loving and kind thing
for her patients and for her son.
I mean...
think about it.
How could she have
done any less?
But... you know what?
My opinion doesn't matter.
For that matter, the
prosecution's opinion
doesn't matter.
Now, the prosecution would like
for you to think otherwise.
The prosecution would
like for you to think
that your opinion
doesn't matter at all.
That the law is the law, and
everything else is irrelevant.
But, you know,
let's talk about the
law for a second.
You know, it's different in New
York than it is in Virginia.
And according to the
federal government,
the law in New York
and 41 other states
is in violation of
the law of the land.
So what isthe law of the land
if the states can't
agree with it?
So... [laughs softly]
Clearly, the law is
not as cut-and-dried.
Clearly, that's why
we need your help,
why we need your opinion.
Now, I believe we've proven
that the only thing
my client did
was do her job to the
absolute best of her ability.
Be a mother to the absolute
best of her ability.
To administer mercy whenever
she saw the opportunity.
Now, if you think
that's a crime,
then you know how to vote.
But if you're like me...
You know, you think
that's something
that should be encouraged
in our society...
I just ask that you do one thing
today, and that's just...
do for Laura what she
would do for you.
Show her the best care possible.
Thank you.
GARRISON: Has the jury
reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
We the jury find the defendant,
Laura Allen...
not guilty.
♪
Oh... [laughs]
[laughs] Yes.
For someone who just lost, you
don't seem terribly upset.
How can I be upset?
The system worked.
It was the outcome that
the people wanted.
At least all the people here.
And that's how it's
supposed to be.
I did my part, you did yours.
Justice was served.
Well, she's a tough one.
Oh, yeah.
You could tell she
was out for blood.
You think so?
Without a doubt.Hmm.
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