All language subtitles for Law.And.Order.S22E19.WEBRip.x264.Hi

- 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.

- We need to go over your
schedule for next week.

The Freedom Caucus is
rallying for the ban

on trans athletes
in women's sports.

They want you in
D.C. to support...

- No, can we just talk
about this tomorrow?

I am fried.

- This is a great opportunity
for you to get attention

from the national press.
We need to nail this down.

- And we will, but right
now, all I wanna do

is enjoy a nice glass of
red wine and some quiet.

Today was supposed to
be my day off, remember?

- I'm just doing my job.
- I know. I know.

[glass crackles]

[suspenseful music]

What is that?

Oh, my God.

- We need to get you outside
and contact security.

- Ryan?

Ryan?

- We really shouldn't be...

♪

- [screams]

- DOA is Ryan Bartell, MD,

owner and resident of the home.

- Good lord.
- Brutal.

Let me guess...
Blunt force trauma?

- There are multiple
lacerations on the front

and side of his head.

Looks like the killer
used that desk lamp.

Swung it like a bat.

- A lot of rage to do
that kind of damage.

- Yeah, looks like our vic

put up a good fight,
all things considered.

- There appears to be skin and
blood under his fingernails.

I bagged his hands.
- Time of death?

- You're looking at
sometime late this morning,

somewhere between
10:00 a.m. and noon.

- Detectives.

Checked the doors and
windows like you asked.

No sign of forced entry,

but there are cameras covering
the front and rear entrances.

- Okay. Let's get
the footage, yeah?

- I just talked to
the congresswoman.

Her head of security is
gonna send it over, ASAP.

- Congresswoman?

- Vic's wife is Kristin Bartell,

congresswoman from
the third district.

- Really? Bartell.

- She loves being the
center of attention.

♪

But I doubt this is the kind
of attention she had in mind.

[dramatic music]

♪

- We were married for 15 years.

He was my whole world.

I don't... I don't know.

- Congresswoman,
do you know anybody

who wanted to harm your husband?

- This isn't about him.

He was a saint.

This is about me.

This is about my
political views.

This is my fault.

- What do you mean,
it's your fault?

- That was supposed to be me.

I was scheduled to
be here all day,

but I got called into
the office last minute

for an emergency
committee meeting.

- What makes you so sure that
you were the intended target?

- I'm a conservative
congresswoman in a state

where admitting that out
loud is a mortal sin.

I'm constantly
receiving threats.

In the minds of
far-left activists,

I'm literally the devil.

- Any of those threats
stand out in particular?

- Last week, there was an email.

And they said that they
would kill me in my own home.

- Do you know who sent that?

- No.

It was anonymous.

I just... I flagged the
message for my security team.

- "You won't know when, but one
day soon, you'll turn around,

and I'll be there,
in your house,

with no one around
to save you."

Message sent from an IP address
registered in your name.

- Yeah, I sent it.

I should probably know better,
but frankly, she deserved it.

- How's that?

- I'm a drag queen.

I started a program,
Read the House Down.

Once a week, me and other queens

volunteer to read to
kids from the community.

- You do it in drag?

- Well, the idea is to get
kids excited about reading

by making it fun.

- Aren't drag queens more
of an... an adult thing?

- Drag is just a
celebration of who you are.

The kids love it.
It makes it fun.

- There's nothing fun
about sending a threat

to that congresswoman.
- I was being dramatic.

But Bartell introduced a
bill that would ban children

from being exposed
to drag queens.

It's a coded way of
telling the crazies

out there that we're pedophiles.

It sparked all kinds
of online hate,

so I thought she should
know what it felt like.

- You seem angry.
- Damn right I am.

- Angry enough to show
up at Kristin Bartell's

house yesterday morning?

- I would never actually
do anything like that.

I'm a pacifist.

- All the same, where were you

yesterday morning
at 10:00 a.m.?

- [sighs]

- Dwayne Washington
was at a photo shoot

for his literacy program
at the time of the murder.

- Wow, that's some
great contouring.

- Hmm.
- But where does that leave us?

I'm being hounded by City Hall,
One PP, Capitol Police, it's...

- M.E. was able to retrieve DNA

from under Bartell's
fingernails,

but there's no
match in the system.

- Okay, what about footage
from the security cameras?

- Still waiting on
the congresswoman's

people to send it over.

- We're combing
through all the threats

she's received in
the past few months

to see if any of
them seem credible.

- I've got something
interesting.

I've been going through the
street cam footage we pulled.

This car shows up
at an intersection

near the crime
scene multiple times

the morning of the murder.

- So it's circling the block?

- It looks that way.

And check this... the car
belongs to a Paul Koening.

Multiple arrests for
rioting, inciting violence,

and stalking.

- All right, guys.
You know what to do.

[suspenseful music]

♪

- Okay, I have your
oat milk cappuccino.

Here you go.
- Thank you.

- NYPD.

We need to talk to the
owner, Paul Koening.

- He's not here.

- Know where we can find him?

- Nah, man. I just work here.

[clattering, rustling]

- Mind if we take a look around?

- I... I don't
know, I think, uh...

Don't you have to have
a warrant or whatever?

- You wouldn't be
Paul, would you?

NYPD.

- Where are you
running to, Paul?

- I didn't do anything.

- You sure about that?

- Some interesting
reading material

you got there in your bag, Paul.

You Antifa folks got
a real way with words.

- Quite the artist, too, huh?

- You are part of Antifa, right?

- It's not a group you join

with membership
fees or whatever.

It's a political
stance, an understanding

of what's right or wrong.

- Oh, so you think it's right

to murder a
politician's husband?

- I had nothing to do with
what happened to Ryan Bartell.

- Paul, we got video of
you in the neighborhood

of a U.S. congresswoman whose
husband was beaten to death,

five minutes before his murder.

And we just caught
you walking around

with a nightstick
and devil photos

of the same congresswoman.

Do the math.

- Enlighten me here, Paul.

You get to her house,
she's not there,

so you murdered the husband?

He was a family doctor.
Why did he deserve that?

- I never went inside the house.

I was just checking out the area

because we were planning
a peaceful protest

outside of Bartell's home.

- You wanna protest outside
of a private residence

with a baton, and you
wanna call it peaceful?

- Politicians like
Kristin Bartell

want to insert themselves
into the private lives

of every citizen in the country.

So why shouldn't their
personal space be fair game?

- If you didn't
do anything wrong,

why did you try to run?

- Because I don't
trust the police.

- Submit to a DNA test.

- And help an
authoritarian state

catalog my biological data?

Go to hell.

- Choice number two is,
we charge you with murder.

- Hey, Lou.

We put a rush on
Koening's DNA...

Not a match.

- And the lab
wasn't able to find

any traces of
blood on the baton.

- So he's not our killer.
- Doesn't look like it.

- All right. Cut him loose.

Hey, did Bartell's
security team ever

send over the footage
from the brownstone?

- You know, Vi's followed up
with them a couple of times,

but we haven't gotten anything.

- Why don't you pay a
visit to the congresswoman

and see what the holdup is?

- This is all of the
footage from the front

and back door cameras
from the last six months.

- Thank you.

- I apologize for the delay,

but we had a little complication

we were trying to sort out.

- What kind of complication?

- Well, the footage that you're
probably most interested in...

Footage from the morning
that Ryan was murdered...

Doesn't exist.

- Why is that?

- Someone shut down the system.

- Someone? The killer?

- No.

My husband.

- Now, why would he do that?

- Well, I'm not sure,

but I do know that he
occasionally sees patients

in his home office,
and for some of them,

he deactivates the cameras
for privacy reasons.

[suspenseful music]

♪

- Dr. Bartell was
such a good man.

It makes me sick to my
stomach when I think

about what happened to him.

- Sorry for your loss.

When was the last
time you saw him?

- Um, the morning he was killed,

he called to say
that he wouldn't

be in until the afternoon.

- Was that unusual?

- Uh, not really.

If he only had paperwork or
patient follow-up calls to do,

he often just did it
from his home office.

I'm pretty sure I can access
his personal calendar,

if you want me to check that.

- That would be very helpful.

- Thank you.

Huh. That's odd.

- What's odd?

- Uh, he has an
appointment blocked out

at 11:00 a.m. that day,

but there's no
patient name listed.

Just the letters TM.

- I take it that's unusual?

Bartell's assistant went
back over his calendar

and found four
other appointments

with the letters TM over
the past three months.

- Vi's going over the
security footage now

from the brownstone
to see if the cameras

were turned on for any of those.

- Now, whether TM are
initials or some kind of code,

add that to the
turned-off cameras...

- Bartell was hiding something.
- Yeah.

And whatever it was,
likely what got him killed.

- My money's on an affair.

- You got anything?

- Possibly.

Bartell consistently
turned off the feeds

before each of
these TM meetings,

but it looks like he
didn't start doing that

until after the first one.

- So do you have
video of the suspect?

- The appointment was at 11:00.

So that's right about here.

♪

- That's a child.

- He can't be more
than 12 or 13.

- Do you recognize this kid?

- Uh, that is our
school uniform.

Yes. That's Taylor Myers.

- TM.

We need to speak to Taylor.

- He should still probably
be in his advisory.

I can take you there.

- What grade is he in?

- Uh, he's in the seventh grade.

Um... [bell rings]

Unfortunately, he
had to repeat a year

due to a extended
absence last spring.

He's been struggling.
Mental health issues.

- Oh.

Has Taylor ever shown any
signs of violent tendencies?

- Not to my knowledge.

At least, not directed
towards others.

Oh, there he is. Taylor.

- Taylor Myers.

Can we have a word?

- Hey, kid.

- I'll take the side.

[tense music]

♪

- Kid, no!

[tires screech] [horn honks]

You okay?

What were you thinking?

- Taylor, right?

Uh, what was your relationship
with, uh, Ryan Bartell?

- I... I didn't have one.

I don't know who that is.

- Oh, uh...

that's you three months ago,

going into his house.

- Uh, uh...

I was selling gift cards
for a fundraiser at school.

I... I knocked on a bunch
of people's doors that day.

- Taylor, we know that you were
in that house for 40 minutes.

It doesn't take that
long to sell gift cards.

- Oh, that house. That guy.

Yeah, he was... He
was super talkative.

I mean, he... he talked forever.
I just didn't get his name.

I never saw him
again after that.

- Okay.

Listen.

If this man hurt you in any way,

you can tell us.

It's okay.

[apprehensive music]

♪

You're safe here.

You can tell us what happened.

- He didn't.

- That's enough.

He's answered your questions,
so if there's nothing else...

- Yeah, we'd like
to get a DNA sample

so we can rule him
out as a suspect.

- Absolutely not. My son
has done nothing wrong.

He was at school when
that man was murdered.

We're leaving now.

- [sighs]

- I just spoke to the school
to verify Taylor's attendance

on the day of the murder.
- And?

- Taylor was marked as present
during advisory that day,

but according to
Taylor's math teacher,

whose class is from
11:00 to 11:50,

Taylor was pulled
out for a session

with the school counselor.

- Did you check
with the counselor

to see if Taylor was there?

- I haven't been able
to get ahold of her

because she's been
on bereavement leave

the past two days.

The school counselor
is Susan Bartell.

- Bartell?

- Her brother is...
- Ryan Bartell, our vic.

- Taylor is a great kid.

This is obviously
some kind of mistake.

Taylor would never hurt anyone.

- Just answer the
question, please.

Was Taylor Myers in your
office, Ms. Bartell,

at 11:00 a.m. the day
your brother was murdered?

- Okay. Do you
know where he was?

- If you know anything
that went down

and you don't tell us,

you could be an
accomplice to murder.

- I'm telling you, Taylor
would never hurt...

- And we're telling you,
answer the question.

- I don't know where Taylor was.

- Why not? You signed him out.

He should be with you.

- It's not what you think.

- I hope it's not what I
think, because what I think

is that you were
funneling a little boy

to your brother's
home in secret.

- Please. Ryan wasn't
molesting Taylor.

He was treating her.

[suspenseful music]

- Her?

- Yes.

Taylor is trans.

She's known she
was a girl since...

Well, for her
whole life, really.

I've been counseling
Taylor for years now.

She's had a really tough time.

- So what do you mean by your
brother was treating her?

- As puberty started kicking in,

Taylor's gender
dysphoria got worse.

She was hurting herself,
and it got so bad

we feared for her life.

But her parents forbid her from
transitioning, even socially.

- So your doctor brother
was helping her, what,

with gender reassignment
or something?

- No, nothing
surgical or permanent.

I just asked him to provide
her with gender-affirming care.

- I'm sorry.

What does that mean, exactly?

- He was giving her medication
to block her hormones.

It's a pause button for puberty.

It's to provide
relief for trans youth

who feel distress going
through the wrong puberty.

- Let me get this straight.

You conspired with your
brother to medically intervene

in a child's care without
the parents' consent?

- I was respecting
her personhood.

The medication has
been used for decades

to help non-trans children
who begin puberty too early.

If, for whatever reason,
she changes her mind,

she just stops
taking the medication

and puberty kicks in.

It is completely
safe and reversible.

- Your brother is dead.

So what you did
wasn't that safe.

And the last time I checked,
death isn't reversible.

No one's got a
right to get between

a parent and their child.

- She had a student in crisis.
She made a judgment call.

- It's not her call to make.
- That I get.

What I don't get is,

if Dr. Bartell was
trying to help Taylor,

then why would she
try to kill him?

- Who knows? Maybe
violent outbursts

are a side effect of the meds.

A lot can go wrong when
you're secretly pumping

hormones into a teenager.

- That theory doesn't hold, bro,

because they weren't pumping
hormones into a teenager.

The medication was
actually blocking it.

- Whatever the answer, now
we have enough evidence

to demand Taylor's DNA.

[tense music]

♪

- What are you doing here?

Why did you let them in?

- I didn't have a choice.

- There is no way
Taylor's DNA was a match.

- I... I told you the truth.
I didn't do anything, I swear.

- It's okay, Taylor.
Your dad's right.

Your DNA was not a match.
- Then leave us alone.

This is harassment.

- We're here to talk
to you, actually.

- Yeah, the markers
on Taylor's DNA

indicate that we're looking
for a close male relative.

- Roll up your sleeves, please.

♪

Turn your hands over.

- I want a lawyer.

- You can call one
down at the station.

- Turn around.

[handcuffs clicking]

♪

- Calling docket ending in 9870,

the People versus Robert Myers,

alleging murder in
the second degree.

- People on bail?

- We have substantial
evidence that the defendant

murdered a beloved
physician in his own home.

No amount of bail is sufficient

to guarantee his
return to court.

People seek remand.

- Ms. Dumont?

- Robert Myers is a
hard-working working

family man with no
criminal history.

He's lived in the same
home with his wife and son

for over a decade. He
is not a flight risk.

- Your Honor, the likelihood
of a conviction is strong.

DNA will put the
defendant at the scene.

- We'll stipulate
to the forensics.

We plan to offer the
defense of justification.

Ryan Bartell gave dangerous
and life-altering medications

to my client's child.

When my client informed Bartell

that he was gonna
notify the authorities,

Bartell attacked him.

He was simply defending himself.

- You can argue
all that at trial.

Until then, defendant
is remanded.

Next case.

[gavel bangs]

- Myers is claiming
self-defense.

- Any violence in Myers's past?

- There was a prior incident

in his daughter's
school a few months ago.

Myers flipped out
when confronted

with Taylor's gender dysphoria.
- What did he do?

- Well, he smashed
the counselor,

Susan Bartell's laptop.

He threw a coffee mug

and shoved her up
against the wall.

- Okay.

Establishes he's got a temper.

- And that his daughter's
gender dysphoria

is the trigger for that temper.

- Yeah, at the same time,

Bartell's actions
are hard to defend.

He was giving medication
to a 13-year-old child

without her parents' consent.

- He was a physician
doing what he believed

to be in his patient's
best interest.

- I'm not sure that matters.

- Either way, he
didn't deserve to die.

Make that clear in your opening.

- Dr. Ryan Bartell practiced
medicine for over two decades.

He cared very much
about his patients.

And unfortunately,
that's the reason

he was brutally murdered.

The evidence in this
case will show that

the defendant beat Dr. Bartell
to death with a desk lamp...

Hit him more than 20 times.

Why?

Because Dr. Bartell
was treating

his transgender daughter
with puberty blockers.

Now, I understand that
the use of this medication

might not sit right
with everyone.

And we are certainly all
entitled to our opinions,

although it is important to know

the American Medical Association

has deemed gender-affirming care

for children like
her not only safe,

but medically necessary.

But ladies and gentlemen,

no matter what you believe

about Taylor's
course of treatment,

you must believe one thing.

This is murder.

Savage, brutal, and senseless.

The person who
inflicted these injuries

must be held responsible.

And that person is
sitting right over there.

[tense music]

♪

- Ryan Bartell was an activist,

a doctor who preyed
on a confused child

in order to further
his own liberal agenda.

What the evidence
will actually show

is that Ryan Bartell

illegally prescribed
dangerous medications.

He never sought or
received parental consent

and implemented unproven
and highly controversial

medical treatments.

Said another way, Ryan
Bartell was a criminal

conducting experiments
on a confused child.

My client is a devoted
and protective father.

He was desperate
to shield his son

from a radical
doctor's perversions.

He demanded that Bartell
stop treating his son.

Let me say that again...

Hisson.

At which point, Bartell refused,

so my client threatened
to call the police.

Bartell attacked him, forcing
him to defend himself.

And that, ladies and gentlemen,
is what really happened.

♪

- When you interviewed
the defendant,

did he appear to have
any serious injuries?

- No, but I did notice some
scratches on his forearms.

- And uh, did the defendant
tell you how he got scratched?

- He claims it was a stray cat.
- Huh.

He didn't tell you that, uh,

someone threatened his
life, tried to kill him?

- No, he did not.

- Never mentioned that he
was acting in self-defense?

- Never came up.

- And when did this
interview take place?

- Three days after
Dr. Bartell was murdered.

- Thank you. No
further questions.

- Detective, did you
recover a 5-inch-long,

seven-gauge hypodermic
needle from the crime scene?

- It's possible.

We recovered a variety
of medical instruments.

- So that's a yes?

- Sure.

- Was it similar to
this type of needle?

- Similar.

- And would you agree
that a needle like this

would qualify as a weapon?

- I suppose given certain
circumstances, it could.

- And the scratches
on my client's arm

would be consistent
with being assaulted

with this type of needle?
- Objection.

Calls for speculation.

This witness is not
a medical expert.

- Sustained.

- No further questions.

- Court will
adjourn for the day.

The trial will resume
tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

[gavel bangs]

- Uh, prep Susan Bartell.

She's up first thing tomorrow.

- Susan was supposed
to testify tomorrow.

- I know, but she left town.

She said she needed to escape.

- We need her testimony.

- We're trying to prosecute
her brother's killer,

for God's sake.

- Well, as always,
when it's time for her

to step up and face
the consequences

of her so-called activism,

she just dips into
daddy's trust fund

and jets off to Europe.

- What do you
mean, consequences?

- Some of the
parents at the school

are planning to sue her.

- For what?

- Violating their
parental rights

for helping Taylor transition.

I warned Ryan not to get
involved with that kid.

[sighs]

- Wait, you knew your
husband was treating Taylor?

And you didn't tell us?

[tense music]

- If you know anything
that could help our case...

♪

- Myers threatened to kill
Ryan a few months ago.

They had a meeting at our
house, in Ryan's office.

They talked about
the puberty blockers,

the treatments,
the side effects.

Then Myers went nuts.
He started screaming.

I overheard the whole thing.

- We need you to testify.

- Let me guess, you're worried
about your base discovering

that you knew your husband
was treating a trans kid.

- My husband is dead,
and I miss him terribly.

But right now, I need
to worry about me...

My career, my future.

This is the only thing
that I have left.

- Is your career
really that important?

Is it really worth
letting the man

who killed your
husband walk free?

♪

Your husband met with the Myers.

Could you tell us
about that meeting?

- Ryan knew that it was
in Taylor's best interest

to get the parents on board.

So he sat them down
to assure them that,

in his professional opinion,

gender-affirming care is safe.

- And when did that
meeting take place?

- About two months
before Ryan was killed.

- Did you overhear
the conversation?

- I did.

It got quite heated.

I heard Mr. Myers
screaming at my husband,

calling him horrible
names, threatening him.

- Threatening him? What
were his exact words?

- He said,

"If you lay a hand on
my son, I'll kill you."

- No further questions.

- Congresswoman, you've
taken a very public position

against allowing trans
children to transition.

- Objection. Relevance?

- Goes to credibility.

- The objection is overruled.

- So are you opposed to giving
puberty blockers to children?

Or were you lying, just
saying that to get votes

from your conservative
electorate?

- No, that's what I believe.

- And yet, those very procedures

were happening
under your own roof?

- They were.

I know, it's... it's crazy,

given this polarized
world, but...

My husband and I
loved each other.

We had a lot in common too.

Except politics.

- Your husband enjoyed
being a doctor, didn't he?

- He did.

He dedicated his life to his
practice, to his patients.

- So it's fair to say
that he had a lot to lose

if Mr. Myers reported his
misconduct to the police?

- If what you're asking is
would Ryan attack someone

over a phone call to the police,

then the answer
is an emphatic no.

Ryan didn't have a
violent bone in his body.

- No further questions.

♪

- The congresswoman did
a hell of a job today.

- She's a politician.

- Not today.

Today she was a wife
talking from the heart.

- The one thing we still
haven't figured out is,

how did Myers learn that Bartell

was actually treating Taylor?

We need to dig deeper into
Taylor's doctor visits,

the video near
Bartell's home office.

Maybe Myers or his wife showed
up, created another scene.

- Yeah, I get it.

But why are you so unsure?

- I'm not unsure of the case.

[chuckles] I'm
unsure of the jury.

Do they really
wanna convict Myers

for protecting his child?

- Just wondering
if you're worried

because that's how you feel.

- If I'm being
completely honest,

the idea of a child
being allowed to make

such a huge decision
at age 13...

That makes me uncomfortable.

- I'm not sure it's a decision.

- What does that mean?

- Taylor has known who she is

since she was old
enough to talk.

- She's a kid.

Right now, she thinks
she knows who she is.

What about in five years?

I didn't have a half
a clue about anything

when I was 13 years old.

- There's a difference
between not knowing

if you wanna be an
astronaut or a firefighter

when you grow up, and
not knowing who you are.

You never felt like
you weren't a boy.

Imagine being trapped
in a female body,

forced to grow boobs.

I'm just saying,
it's complicated.

- Yeah.

It says here, Susan Bartell

pulled Taylor out
of class three times

to meet with her brother.
- Okay.

- But we know Taylor visited
with Dr. Bartell four times.

- Susan Bartell was out sick

the day Taylor had her
fourth appointment.

- So if Susan wasn't in school,

how did Taylor get out of class?

You wrote a permission slip

so Taylor could go
see Dr. Bartell.

- I thought it
was for a checkup.

- You're lying.

You and your husband had
already met with Dr. Bartell.

You knew the kind of treatment
he wanted to provide.

- After the scene Robert made,

Bartell refused to give
Taylor the medication.

He... he didn't
wanna break the law.

He knew we didn't approve.

And Taylor got
really upset, so I...

- So you gave Bartell
consent to treat Taylor?

[apprehensive music]

- [sighs]

- [exhales] You need to testify.

Tell the jury that
Bartell had your approval.

- No, no, I... I can't.

- If your husband walks free,

he'll continue to fight
Taylor's transition.

He'll file lawsuits,
injunctions.

Think what that
will do to Taylor.

You have a choice to make.

Who do you want to
protect, your husband...

Or your daughter?

- Mom?

Is everything okay?

- Yes, sweetheart.

Everything is fine.

♪

- Taylor was in so much
pain that I prayed for a way

to make it stop.

And I had to accept that
this was the answer.

- So you authorized
Dr. Bartell to treat Taylor?

- Yes.

And I forged Robert's signature.

♪

But you have to understand,
I was terrified that he'd...

That she'd try to...

- Your husband claimed that
Dr. Bartell attacked him

to cover up the doctor's crime

of treating Taylor
without parental consent.

But Bartell wasn't committing
a crime, because...

you gave him permission.

- I... I felt like we
kept getting it wrong.

That no matter what
choice we made,

it was hurting Taylor.

And I just wanted
to make sure that

she didn't try to
hurt herself again.

♪

I'm sorry, but I thought
it was better to support

our daughter than to...

Than to mourn the
death of our son.

And I was just so scared she
was going to hurt herself.

Yes, she.

I... I needed to embrace her.

Love her.

[weeping]

- No further questions.

- We have no questions.

- The people rest.

♪

- Does the defense plan
on calling any witnesses?

- Yes. We call Taylor Myers.

- What?

- No.

You can't call
Taylor to the stand.

It will destroy her.

- Your Honor, the people object.

- Based on what?

The defense has the
right to call witnesses.

- I agree.

Court will resume
tomorrow morning.

[gavel bangs]

♪

- Mr. Price, please.

You can't let them put
Taylor on the stand.

- I would like to help,

but the court has ruled,
and I have to comply.

- You don't understand.

Taylor is very fragile.

She can't withstand
this kind of pressure.

- I assure you, my
cross-examination

will be respectful.

- I'm scared she might
try to kill herself.

Please.

There must be
something you can do.

- You could try to have
her declared incompetent.

- But she's 13, not 3.

I don't think any credible
psychiatrist will find

that she's unable to
tell the difference

between the truth and a lie.

- What about incompetent based
on mental health reasons?

- No, I've looked into it.

Unfortunately, suicidal
ideation isn't a valid basis.

- The other option is
to offer Myers a plea.

- Our case is strong.

And Dr. Bartell was a good man.

He was doing his job,
trying to help Taylor,

and he deserves justice.

- To what end?

Is it worth
sacrificing the future

of a young, innocent kid?

- I have empathy for Taylor,
but let's not lose track

of who our victim is.

- I agree.

But putting Taylor on the stand

presents a credible
risk to our case.

And if she breaks down, it
could bolster the argument

that she wasn't old enough

to make any of these
decisions herself,

or that medication's
screwing her up.

- In which case,
Myers will walk,

and we'll have traumatized an
innocent child for nothing.

[tense music]

♪

- Your client pleads
guilty to murder two.

We'll recommend 25 years.

- Man one. 15 years.

- Not gonna happen.

- He realizes he's
facing life, right?

- I'm happy to finish
the trial, roll the dice.

- Uh, your odds of
winning are not very good.

Ask your lawyer.

- If you were really
that confident,

you wouldn't be here.

- We're here because we're
worried about your daughter.

- We're trying to spare
your child the humiliation

of being forced to
defend her personhood

in front of a
group of strangers.

- Man one. 15 years.

- You're really willing
to hold your daughter's

mental health hostage?

Gamble with her future
over a goddamn plea deal?

- I was trying to save my
child's life, simple as that.

You keep saying daughter.

I don't have a daughter.

♪

- A plea deal?

You're telling me that the
man that murdered my husband

is getting 15 years?

That's what Ryan's
life was worth?

- No. No.

Your husband cared
deeply for his patients.

He risked everything
to care for Taylor.

He would appreciate...
- No.

No. You promised me.

- [sighs] I'm just
trying to protect...

- The trans kid.
Yeah, I get it.

You chose politics over justice.

- No, that's not fair.

- Oh, you... you begged
me to get on the stand,

to sacrifice my career
in the name of justice,

and you sell me out for
one transgender child?

No, that isn't fair.

[scoffs]

My primary opponent is
already running attack ads

claiming that I support
genital mutilation.

- [scoffs] That is
all the more reason

to protect kids like Taylor.

- You don't get it.

Thanks to you, I will likely
be replaced by someone

who doesn't even believe
that trans people are real,

that it's all make-believe.

So the only thing that
you've accomplished here

is making the world less
safe for those children.

Now get the hell
out of my house.

♪

[dramatic music]

♪

[wolf howls]