All language subtitles for Law and order S15E06 - Cut

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.

Housekeeping. Hello?

Hello?

Housekeeping. Hello?

Miss?

(GASPS) Oh, my God.

Nora Hacks“.
Checked 'm yesterday.

Where's she from?

Park Avenue.

Sounds like a little
afternoon delight.

Did you interview
the other guests?

Yeah, nothing so far.

What about cash
or valuables?

Nice watch on the table,
$500 in her purse,

credit cards.

So we can
rule out a robbery.

She ordered
room service.

Tea for two. So, she
definitely had company.

You're dusting
all this, right?

Wow. Somebody
work her over?

I'm not so sure.

What are
those bruises?

Liposuction.

Maybe a tummy tuck,
fresh incision staples.

I'd say within
the last 24 hours.

Give me the South
Beach Diet any day.

You got
a time of death?

Ballpark, between 6:00 and
9:00 last night. Roughly.

Is there anything that
says this is a homicide?

Petechial hemorrhaging could be
indicative of strangulation.

And I think
her skull's fractured.

What do you say
we're looking at here?

I think it's an accident.

She's sick, doped up,
passes out, hits her head.

Well, she had
surgery yesterday,

so this could be some
post-op complications.

Sorry. I can't rule
anything in or out yet.

Including homicide.

Demerol.

She could have been
woozy from these.

She left her
cell phone on.

Maybe she was
expecting a call.

I'm calling the last
number she did.

It's busy.

She called this number
a couple of times yesterday.

What's the number
on that bottle?

It's the same number.

Dr. A. Lawrence.

Must be his office.

Hey, what do you think
we talk to room service?

Excuse me.

I want all the numbers
on this cell phone run.

Calls made, received,

the numbers in the phone book, too.
Okay? Sure thing.

Send these
to the crime lab.

Got it.

Excuse me.

You have any idea
when you'll be done in here?

The hotel is
fully committed.

This is a crime scene.

It says so right there
on the tape.

Yes, but that doesn't tell
me when I get the room back.

Can I see you
just for a sec?

It's gonna take

however long it takes.
Do you understand me?

And if you get in our way,
or don't cooperate with us,

we're going to turn this whole
hotel into a crime scene.

And that's gonna be
really bad for business.

Now, excuse us.

ED: What time did you take
the tea to her room?

Around 4:30,
4:45 p.m.

Who was she with?
Nobody then.

When I came back
for the tray,

I heard someone else
in the room.

Well, the tray is
still in her room.

How come you
never picked it up?

They were arguing,
so I just left.

Ms. Hackett and
a man with an accent.

FONTANA: An accent?

Yeah, you know.

Kind of snooty.

Snooty?

Yeah, you know,
snooty.

Highfalutin.
He was shouting.

What were they
fighting about?

I got to the door,

I heard angry voices,
I just walked away.

FONTANA:
What time was that?

Around 6:00.

Yeah,

Ms. Hackett was pre-registered
for early check-in.

She stopped by the desk around
1:00 to pick up the key.

I checked her in myself.

Was she alone?

She was with
ayoung woman.

I didn't catch her name.

Did you catch
a description?

I'm afraid not.

I was totally focused
on Ms. Hackett.

Do you have video
surveillance inthelobby?

Ms. Hackett came in
through the VIP entrance

at the rear of the hotel,
which has no surveillance.

Why not?

The VIP entrance is for
our preferred customers.

People who require
a modicum of privacy.

And why would Ms. Hackett
be considered aVIP?

She was referred
by Dr. Lawrence.

We accord all his patients
preferential treatment.

LAWRENCE: Yeah,
there were no complications.

Ms. Hackett spent
several hours in post-op,

and she was released
around 1:00.

Yeah, all very routine.

Oh. Angie, could you please
check on Mrs. Hellerman?

Tell her
I'll be right in.

Your phone number was on Ms.
Hackett's cell phone.

Well, I ask
all my patients

to check in with me
after surgery.

What did she say?

That she was
doing fine.

There were no problems?
None at all.

She called you
a couple of times.

Nora was a worrier,
but she was fine.

I don't know
what could have happened.

They're putting her
under now, Doctor.

I'm sorry, gentlemen,
I have an eyelift waiting.

Let me know if there's anything
else I can help you with.

I'm so sorry
about Nora.

So are you a Cubs fan
or a White Sox fan?

How'd you know?

You're kidding me, right? You
sound just like my cousin Rose.

Cubs, of course.

Me, too.

What neighborhood
you from?

The Patch.

I'm from Little Sicily.
I went to St. Michael's.

No kidding. My little
brother went to St. Mike's.

What's your last name?

Gusmorino.

Are you related
to Nick Gusmorino?

He's my uncle.
(ALL LAUGHING)

I'll be damned. This is a
small world, isn't it?

Yeah.

It's a shame
about Ms. Hackett.

Yeah. I can't believe it.

You know, Angela, we have to get
in touch with her next of kin.

Would you happen to have

an emergency contact number
on her file?

I should.
Let me check.

Her sister, Darlene Hackett,
lives in Connecticut.

Who picked up Ms. Hackett
after her surgery?

Her assistant.

You need her name
and number, too?

RAZI: Ms. King seemed all right
when I left her at the hotel.

A little shaky.

Oh, my God.

I'm sorry, this is
just so bizarre.

So sudden.

You said Ms. King? I thought
her name was Hackett?

Hackett is
her real name.

Everybody knows her
as Corrine King.

Was she an actress
or something?

She's a novelist.
She writes thrillers.

Her last one,
Gentlemen of Evil,

was on the best-seller list
for 39 weeks.

We were trying to
contact her sister.

Do you know if she has any
other family we can talk to?

A husband,
a boyfriend maybe?

She was divorced.
She didn't date.

Her ex didn't happen to
have an accent, did he?

She didn't really
talk about her ex.

They weren't on
friendly terms?

No terms at all,
far as I know.

She told me
when she turned 40,

he left her
for his yoga instructor.

I guess it left
kind of a bitter taste.

My God. She was
young, relatively.

53, 54.

What happened?

When was the last time
you saw her?

Well, I bumped into her
at a restaurant last year.

Us? She pretended not to see us.

Me and my wife,
Heather.

There you are.

Hi, sweetie.
Hi.

Sorry, I didn't know
you had company.

That's all right. These
gentlemen are from the police.

Hello.
About Nora.

Right.
Nice to meet you.

Hi.
All right. Going in.

Heather and I were
in Newport with friends.

We got back
around 10:00 p.m.

Your ex-wife
have any enemies?

Anyone want
to hurt her?

Otherjealous
lady novelists?

Was she successful?

Hugely.
Sold millions.

Airport trade.

Unreadable,
in my opinion,

but apparently
most people liked it.

You and Ms. Hackett
have any children?

No. Why do you ask?

Who inherits her money?

Well, not me, if that's
what you're thinking.

She'd rather give it
to the ASPCA.

Her sister, I suppose.

It's the only family
she has left.

We're looking to talk to a
man with a snooty accent.

He was in the room
with your wife.

That could be her agent.

I think the guy's from
Cape Town, originally.

South African.

That could be snooty.

CLIVE: When her husband
dumped her

for a younger,
thinner blonde,

Nora decided to chuck it
all and began writing.

And you became her agent.

I admired her moxie.

She took a humiliating
act of betrayal

and turned it into
a best-selling novel

of revenge
and retribution.

Sounds great. I'll have
to pick up a copy.

You called her yesterday
afternoon around 3:00 p.m.?

I dropped by the hotel
to keep her company.

We have a witness that overheard
the two of you arguing.

Nora and I were like
an old married couple.

We often had
creative differences.

Oh, yeah. What were your creative
differences with her yesterday?

The direction
of her new book.

I thought it was too dark.
She disagreed.

What time did you
leave the hotel?

Around 6:00 p.m.

I had a meeting
with a publisher

across town at 6:30 p.m.

Are you in her will?

(SCOFFS) Goodness, no.

Not that I need be.

All of her books
are still in print.

I'm sure
her sister inherits.

Have you
talked to Darlene?

We've been trying
to reach her.

She's in town.

My assistant spoke to her
an hour ago,

about the memorial service.

Oh, my God.

You don't think
somebody...

Ms. Hackett, we look
into all possibilities.

So, why was she staying
at the Renfield?

Why didn't she
just go home?

That's where she always stayed
after these little procedures.

Well, they took such
good care of her there,

and it was so close
to Dr. Lawrence's office.

So, she'd gone to see Dr.
Lawrence before then?

A number of times.

The last one was
about a year ago.

I was praying
it was the last.

Nora was chasing some impossible
ideal of female beauty.

Flawless face,
perfect hair,

ayounger body,
the latest clothes.

Anything to hide the
fact that she was 54.

Do you know why she went in
for the latest operation?

She'd just signed
a big new publishing deal.

We hear that
she was really successful.

DARLENE:
Extremely so.

Who inherits her money?

I do, probably.

Ms. Hackett, we know that your
sister had a visitor at the hotel.

Clive Raymond.

That creep?

You think Clive might be involved
in Nora's death somehow?

Do you?

It's hard to see
how he'd profit.

Although I'm sure
he would if he could.

Well, he was
her agent, right?

Her ex-agent.

She dropped him
a few months ago.

Well, he forgot
to mention that.

Clive was desperately trying to
get Nora to come back to him.

Losing a big client
like her must've hurt.

There's a lot of money
at stake.

How do you know that?
How do I know?

The lawyers
are involved.

Nora was a shrewd
businesswoman.

We hear she just got
a new publishing deal.

Her biggest one yet.

A five-book deal.

Which she negotiated herself,
thank you very much.

So, without the help
of her agent?

Clive?

She didn't
need him anymore.

Yeah, we hear
they had a falling out.

Now, that's way too polite.
She fired him.

Before the new deal?

That's our position.

He sees it
differently.

When the publishing company

started sending
the advance checks to us

instead of to Clive,
he threatened to sue.

How much money
we talking about?

10% of$25 million.

Nora was alive and well

when I left her
in that hotel room.

To think that
I would hurt her,

well, it's beyond the pale.

You did forget to mention
that she fired you.

That's what that little argument
was about, wasn't it, Clive?

I was angry. Yes.

I put her on the map, and she kicks
me to the curb like a stray dog.

Where's the loyalty?

So you put her
on the map.

Ask anyone.

And then she dumped you.

ED: That must've
pissed you off.

Look, I went there
as a friend.

To hold her hand,
talk to her.

To convince her that
she had made a mistake.

By roughing her up?

No. No!

Look, I came
all the way down here

of my own volition

to clear up
this little matter

and remove the dark cloud
over my good name.

Now, can't you give me a lie detector
test or truth serum or something?

Detectives,
M.E. just called.

Needs to talk to you
right away.

You just make yourself
the home, Clive.

From the looks
of the report,

our victim died from a
fatal drug interaction.

From the Demerol?

Yeah, mixed with Nardil.

It's an MAO inhibitor.
Anti-depressant.

Like Prozac?

Yeah, same effect,
different chemical makeup.

MAO inhibitors can
cause severe reactions

when combined
with other drugs.

And Nardil
stays in the system.

She really should have
discontinued taking it

at least 10 days
prior to surgery.

And her doctor, he should
of known all of this?

Well, I assume
she would have told him.

Now, if she didn't,
for some reason,

and he didn't know
that she was taking Nardil,

her death is
a therapeutic complication.

And if he did know?

If he knew, and gave
her Demerol anyway,

I would be inclined to call it
criminally negligent homicide.

FONTANA: Angela.

We thought you might
need a little boost.

(BOTH SPEAKING ITALIAN)

Angela.

We were wondering if you
can do us a small favor.

Depends.

We're just tying up
the Nora Hackett case,

and there's something we'd like
to check in her medical file.

We're really not supposed to
give that information to anyone.

It'd be
just a quick peek.

And, besides that,
we're authorized.

Well, I guess
that would be okay.

Here we go.

What do you
need to know?

ED: If she was
taking any medication

when she came in
for surgery.

That would be
on the intake form.

Oh, that's funny.

FONTANA: What?

Here it is,
right on top.

You sound surprised.
Where's it supposed to be?

On the bottom.

The forms are all filed in
reverse chronological order.

Angie, I need
Dr. Stein's...

Detectives.

Here for a consultation?

Does it look like we
need makeovers, Doctor?

What's going on here?

Angela, what are you
doing with this?

We just asked her to
double-check some information

in Ms. Hacketfs file.
That's all.

Didn't they teach you
at the academy

that medical files
are confidential?

They also taught us
how to get a subpoena.

I'm sorry.
They're the police.

They said
they were authorized.

I guess
it can't do any harm.

She wrote NA.
"Not Applicable."

What's this about,
anyway?

Did Ms. Hackett ever mention
that she was taking Nardil?

Nardil? Absolutely not.
Why?

The Medical Examiner says

her death is due to a lethal
interaction of drugs,

Nardil and Demerol.

Oh, my God.

I never would have given
her Demerol, had I known.

Her internist's name
is here.

Do you have his number?

Yeah. Yeah, of course.

Demerol?
I don't understand.

Any first-year intern would
know not to prescribe Demerol

ifa patient
were taking Nardil.

There was no mention of Nardil
on her surgical intake form.

That surprises me.

Nora was very careful.

She knew Nardil,
like other anti-depressants,

could be lethal in combination
with certain drugs.

Doctor, when did you
prescribe it for her?

Like a lot of
creative people,

Nora experienced
problems with depression

on and off
over the years.

I put her on Nardil
six months ago.

Trust me,
she was well aware

of the potentially dangerous
interactions with other drugs.

So between her last plastic
surgery with Dr. Lawrence

and this one, her internist put
her on this anti-depressant.

And he explained
all the risks.

Yeah, but Dr. Lawrence wouldn't
have necessarily known,

so she should
have told him.

How we gonna prove that?

But if she was
aware of the risks,

how come she didn't put she was
taking Nardil on the intake form?

Well, maybe she did.

Do you remember that doctor at
City Hospital a few years back?

There was a woman who went
into labor on the sidewalk.

Oh, right.
He refused to admit her,

and then he changed
the records to cover it up.

So, you're thinking that Dr.
Lawrence altered his records?

Well, he has
a damn good motive.

I'm going to call
the D.A.'s office

and see if we have enough
for a subpoena.

Can I help you?

Where's Angela?

Family emergency.

When will
she be back?

When they hired me,
they said she wouldn't.

Can I help you?

Yeah, we need to
speak to Dr. Lawrence.

I'm sorry.
He's in surgery.

What's this?

Some reading material
for the doctor.

Reading material?

Yeah, it's a subpoena for Nora
Hackett's medical records.

When I put the document
under the stereomicroscope,

the first thing
that I noticed

was that the fibers following
the letters IINII IIAII

were disturbed.

Disturbed by what?

A pen.

They were also lifted
by an eraser.

Say it simple.

Something was erased
and then written over?

Take a look.

Now I'll manipulate
the image

so we can see the striations
of what was erased.

(BEEPING)

FONTANA:
Well, I'll be damned.

Nardil.

So, unless someone
actually saw

Dr. Lawrence
altering the form...

Well, there was a receptionist
who was very helpful.

All of a sudden
she's in the wind.

Family emergency.

Timing's kind of
coincidental, isn't it?

Exactly.
You got an address?

Yeah, Dyckman Marina.

Go rock a boat,
see what she knows.

Angela around?

She's not here.

I'm Detective Fontana.
This is Detective Green.

New York City
Police Department.

How are you doing, man? We hear that
Angela had some sort of family emergency.

That's just Angie's way
of saying, "I quit."

She doesn't like
confrontation.

Confrontation with who?

Her boss, maybe?
Dr. Lawrence?

I think you better talk
to Angie about that.

Well, that's why
we're here, man.

Do you know
where can we find her?

She went to Chicago
yesterday.

You have a number?

No.

And I don't really know
where she's staying.

She's crashing
with friends.

Here's my card.

You hear from her, you tell her to
call me anytime day or night, okay?

It's very important.
Very important.

Okay.
Thanks.

So, what do you
want to do?

Well, I'll give her Uncle Nick a call.
He owes me one.

You really
know her uncle?

Why, did you think
I was putting her on?

You, yeah.

I guarantee,
at this time tomorrow,

we'll be meeting her
at LaGuardia.

I just got tired
of the place.

People, attitude,
egos.

Rich ladies getting their boobs
and noses done, you know?

They treat you like
something they stepped in.

Gets old
after awhile.

Listen, Angela.

The reason we reached out
to your Uncle Nick

to get you back here
from Chicago.

Yeah?

We know that Dr. Lawrence altered
Nora Hackett's intake form.

You do?
Yeah.

We had it analyzed
by experts.

We can prove it
scientifically, in court.

I don't know anything
about that. Honest.

Forgive me
for saying this, Angela,

but we think
that you do.

And we think
you feel bad about it,

and that's why you left.

Look, Angela, I'm sorry
I got you into this.

I didn't mean
to middle you.

Middle me?

You know, put you between
a rock and a hard place.

Jam you LIP-

Why would I be jammed up?
I didn't do anything.

We believe that,

but if you know
all this stuff

and you don't
say anything,

it could all
come back on you.

And we don't want
to see you take a fall

for a quack
like Dr. Lawrence.

I didn't actually
see him do it,

but, yeah, when I went back
and looked at the form later,

I pretty much knew.

But it's not just
the form, okay?

Ms. Hackett called twice
after her surgery.

Said she wasn't
feeling well.

Said she was
tired and dizzy.

Did you tell
Dr. Lawrence that?

I did, absolutely.

I put her on hold
and I told him.

He said he was busy,
he'd get back to her later.

But he never did.
He never called her back.

So how do we know the doctor
didn't return her call

after he left the office?

The police checked
all of the records.

He made no calls to Nora
Hackett's cell phone

or her hotel room
that night.

The M.E. said that there's
an excellent chance

the death
could've been avoided

if she'd been
found in time.

And he might well be held
liable in a civil suit.

The M.E. thinks there's
a case to be made

for criminally
negligent homicide.

It's a very
gray area.

Cosmetic surgery.

It's an epidemic
in this country.

Whatever happened
to aging gracefully?

(LAUGHS) Only a man would say
that without a trace of irony.

Men age gracefully,
Arthur, women just age.

That was actually one of
Corrine King's main themes.

Didn't know thrillers
were your thing, Serena.

Well, I need some
excitement in my life.

Realistically,
the only criminal charge

we can leverage
against Dr. Lawrence

is falsifying
business records.

So what do you propose?

Step aside.

Let her estate file
a civil malpractice suit.

Let them sort it out
that way.

Talk about pusillanimous,
to use your word.

Dr. Lawrence prescribed Nora
Hackett a lethal drug combination,

which she should
have known.

Then he turned
his back on her

when she called for help,

and then he tried
to cover it up.

No one's saying
he didn't screw up.

BRANCH: Well,
I'll tell you what.

If we find out that
this was a one-time slipup,

I'll be happy to leave it to the
family to take him to court.

But if we find a pattern of
recklessness and negligence...

We'll look into
Lawrence's practice.

I already did
some digging.

It turns out he had a partnership
with a doctor at one time.

Good.

If you're looking for dirt,

an ex-partner's even better
than an ex-wife.

Let's just say Alvin Lawrence
and I had different styles

when it came to
running a practice.

I didn't see a surgical
wing in your office.

Don't have one.

I prefer to do major
procedures in the hospital.

Too many patients end up needing
emergency post-op care.

Yours or Dr. Lawrence's?

It's all the same
to the insurance company.

Between the skyrocketing
malpractice rates

and his recklessness,

I didn't need the stress.

He's not
a good surgeon?

In some ways,
he's a great surgeon.

But he takes huge risks.

Operates on patients
he shouldn't.

So naturally,
he has a higher rate

of post-op complications
and failures.

Not to mention lawsuits and higher
premiums for malpractice insurance.

So, what about Nora Hackett?

She came to me first.

Wanted what would have been her
fifth or sixth cosmetic surgery.

Did you agree to it?

I told her to take a break,

take some time
to think it over.

I even advised her
to see a therapist.

Why?

Standard practice,
as far as I'm concerned.

If a patient has had
a number of surgeries,

I won't operate on them unless
they have a psych consult first.

Did she?
Wouldn't dream of it.

She went straight to Alvin.

He had no problem
accommodating her.

Why turn away a patient?

Cosmetic surgery
can't heal all wounds.

You have to understand
its limitations and dangers.

It's not a cure-all.

Here we go. Doctors
Barton and Lawrence.

We dropped them
a few years back.

Seems like you made quite a bit of
money from them before you did.

The premium increases
don't tell the whole story.

We paid out a lot more
than we ever took in.

Lawsuits?
Halfa dozen.

Dr. Lawrence?

The suits were against
the clinic as a whole.

Yeah, Lawrence was
named the offender.

It's a matter
of public record.

I assume
the suits were settled.

They were.

Last straw for us was when a
patient went in for a chin tuck

and ended up
with facial paralysis.

BELMAR: When I was
in my late 30s,

I began to notice that
men didn't look at me

on the street
anymore.

It was like I suddenly
became invisible.

You know
what I mean?

Of course
you don't.

Stupid question.

Anyway, it was then

I decided to
have my first surgery,

liposuction.

I felt like
a new person.

Ms. Belmar,

can you tell me aboutyourexpefience
with Dr. Lawrence?

I thought it was going
to be a simple chin tuck.

But when I woke up
from the anesthesia,

the entire left side
of my body felt like lead.

I could hardly lift my arm.

They said

I'd had a stroke.

What happened?

During the pre-op
consultation

I told Dr. Lawrence
I had myasthenia gravis.

It's a neurological disease

another doctor told me could cause
complications with sedation.

What did Dr. Lawrence say?

He assured me

he'd performed procedures on
patients with my condition,

and it had
never been a problem.

All he had to do
was monitor my breathing.

But he didn't do that?

When the New York Health
Department investigated,

they found ten violations
in the operating room.

Including
a faulty ventilator.

Did Dr. Lawrence know
that the vent was faulty?

The Health Department
said he did.

I like to tell my patients that
I can make dreams come true.

Well, based on these
before and after pictures,

I'd have to agree with you.

Well, Ms. Southerlyn,
what can we do for you?

You know, I've actually
changed my mind,

but thank you
for your time.

You know...

You know
you have great eyes.

Well, thank you very much.

And fabulous
cheek bones,

just a beautifully
proportioned face.

Thanks. I guess
I'm right.

I don't need
anything done.

Well, there are a few little
things I could touch up.

Here and there.

Oh, yeah,
like what?

Well, you have some lines
around your eyes.

Really? I thought that was
just life experience.

Perhaps.

Yeah, a mini-brow-lift
to help your forehead,

a little collagen
for the lips,

Botox for the area
around your mouth.

Mrs. Benton's
coming to.

LAWRENCE: How is she?

Cranky.

Well, nothing a martini
or two won't cure.

So, how old are you?

I'm 31.

You're here
just in the nick of time.

Really? I thought
I was a little early.

No, when you're younger,

laser resurfacing,
endoscopic face-lifts,

and mini-tucks
are the best ways

to put off the need for a
full face-lift or an eye tuck

until you're a lot
further down the road.

Chamberlin's prepped
and under.

Oh, I'll be there
in a minute, Frances.

Look, I'm pretty booked up
for the next three months,

so if you're interested,

you might want
to schedule something today.

Really?

Yeah, and if you want, you can always
come back for another consultation.

For what?

To talk about augmentation.

Look, think about it.

It's very nice
to meet you.

The question is,
in this case,

did he cross the line
from sloppy and over-booked

to criminally
negligent homicide?

Well, I think so.

He was operating
more and more recklessly.

Something like this
was bound to happen.

We have to prove
two things to a jury,

that he caused her death...

Which he clearly did
by prescribing the Demerol.

But was that
more than a mistake?

And we have to prove that he
acted with criminal negligence,

not civil.

The statute says that
it's criminal negligence

when a person engages
in conduct

that carries a substantial and
unjustifiable risk that death will occur.

If that person fails
to perceive that risk,

and that all of that
constitutes a gross deviation

from a reasonable
standard of care.

Well, I think this absolutely
meets the threshold.

I think it's a slam-dunk
civil case.

He's already
been sued, Jack,

and apparently it didn't
get his attention.

Now, the responsibility for patient
care has got to rest somewhere,

and I want this office
to serve notice

we're not going to tolerate
this sort of thing.

It's a matter of
protecting the public.

Dr. Lawrence's
ex-partner said

he wouldn't even operate
on Nora Hackett.

He even advised
that she see a therapist.

Call Dr. Olivet. Have her
take a look at her files.

And when the police
pick up the good doctor,

I hope the media is there.

Do the public good to see
him on the 11:00 news.

REPORTER 1:
Hey, Doctor.

What the hell
is this?

(REPORTERS CHATTERING)

Chin up, Doctor.

REPORTER 2: Doctor!

If my client's only crime was
tampering with a business document,

and I'm not saying
he did that,

then let him pay the fine,
and we'll be on our way.

This isn't the Health
Department, Erica.

That document was
a medical record,

signed by his patient.

People die every day
from drug interactions.

Surgery is an inherently
risky undertaking.

Which is why we have
safeguards and standards,

which Dr. Lawrence ignored
on numerous occasions.

Look, everybody knows
plastic surgery

is a very sexy topic
these days.

This office is just
chasing headlines.

The only thing we're chasing
is a reckless practitioner

who preyed on
his clients' insecurities.

GARDNER: He's a board
certified surgeon

who's performed thousands
of successful operations.

One accidental death does not
a crim-neg homicide make.

This was far from
his first misstep.

There were seven lawsuits
filed against him

in the last five years.

Those cases were
all settled out of court.

There are confidentiality
provisions in place.

The witness
that I spoke to said

she had no such provision
connected to her settlement.

Ann Belmar.

Belmar?

She didn't?

She should have.

And we have
his receptionist.

She'll be testifying
for the People.

Mr. McCoy?

Detective Fontana.

Yeah.

How's it going
in there?

We'll see.

I had a conversation
last night

with Angela Gusmorino's
uncle.

Yes?

And he heard a rumor that Angela and Dr.
Lawrence had an affair.

And that the affair
ended badly,

and that's why Angela's
testifying against him.

Any proof of that?

Italked to some of the
women in the office,

no one knew
anything about it.

But I thought
I'd tell you about it

in case the defense
heard the same rumor,

you wouldn't get caught
in the switches.

What do you think?

I think Angela Gusmorino
is a straight shooter.

Maybe the defense started
the rumor and got cold feet.

Could be.

In any case, I hope you nail
this son of a bitch to the wall.

ANGELA: Nora called twice
after her surgery.

She was complaining
about not feeling well.

She said
she was dizzy.

Did you tell Dr. Lawrence
about these calls?

I put her on hold
both times

and told Dr. Lawrence
what she was saying.

He said
he'd call her back.

And did he?
No.

Did he return any calls
that afternoon or evening?

As he was leaving,
he called La Pergola

to say
he was running late.

JACK: La Pergola?

The restaurant.

He was having dinner there
before going to a show.

Nothing further.

Ms. Hackett had seen Dr.
Lawrence for surgery before,

hadn't she,
on several occasions?

Yes.

And after each one
of her previous surgeries,

did she call him?

Dr. Lawrence asked
all of his patients

to call after surgery,
to check in.

And how many times
would they call, typically?

Once or twice.

What about Ms. Hackett?

Two, three times.
Sometimes more.

For what reason?

To complain.

About what?

How she was feeling.

Her stitches
were too tight.

She was groggy, nauseous,
that kind of thing.

Did she ever complain
about pain?

Sometimes.
Headaches, tenderness.

Did Dr. Lawrence
speak with her?

Usually, yeah.

And in response
to her complaints,

what would Dr. Lawrence
usually prescribe?

Usually...

Aspirin and bed rest.

This was
a more serious surgery,

so he prescribed Demerol.

So, she was a complainer.

You could say that.

Is that how you and your co-workers
thought of her, as a complainer?

We used to say
she was high-maintenance.

JACK: Did you ever meet the
decedent, Nora Hackett,

AKA Corrine King?
No.

Then what is the basis
of your professional opinion?

The methodology
of case study.

You review the full scope
of her medical records,

you interview family members,

friends, colleagues,
even the doorman.

And were you able
to make a diagnosis?

Based on
all the available data,

it's very likely that Nora Hackett
suffered from Body Dysmorphic: Disorder,

an obsessive preoccupation,

a fixation on a perceived defect
in one's physical appearance.

Is it an illness that only a
psychologist or psychiatrist

is trained to deal with?

Yes. But all medical students
are trained to diagnose it.

Especially plastic surgeons,

because they encounter
with much more frequency.

And if you have a patient with
symptoms of body dysmorphia?

It's the responsibility
of the surgeon

to insist
on a psychiatric consult

before performing surgery.

According to
the medical records,

did Dr. Lawrence ever,

through all her visits
and all her surgeries,

ever send Nora Hackett
for a psychiatric consult?

No.

Your witness.

Mirror, mirror,
on the wall,

who is the most beautiful
of them all?

Where to start?

A preoccupation with a
perceived physical defect.

It sounds so mushy.

Isn't it almost
too subjective to diagnose?

Not when the patient
tells everyone

that her biggest problem
is being fat, or ugly,

and then subjects herself to frequent
and multiple major surgeries.

There were more than eight million
elective cosmetic surgery procedures

last year
in this country alone.

Are all those patients
Body Dysmorphic?

Nora Hackett was.

Maybe we all are.

Is there anyone
in this room

who is satisfied
with the way you look?

You're trivializing
a serious illness.

Aren't you
infantilizing women

if you take away
their choice

to have surgery by handing that
decision over to a doctor?

Not if the patient suffers from
delusions that diminish herjudgment.

Would you prescribe
diet pills

to someone
who suffers from anorexia

because she thinks
she's fat?

Plastic surgery
is serious business.

So is abortion.

Would you give
doctors the right

to require women to have
a psychiatric consult

before scheduling
an abortion?

Objection. Relevance?

Dr. OLIVET: No, I'll answer.

If the physician observes
symptoms of mental illness,

there is a clear obligation

to try to get the patient help
before performing an abortion,

plastic surgery, or any
other elective procedure.

What if that patient
refuses that help?

Disputes that diagnosis?

Do we forbid her
to choose?

Never mind, it's all academic
since you never met Nora King.

May I?

Please.

Cosmetic surgery,
abortion?

They're both legal,
they're both elective,

and they're both
a matter of choice.

You haven't had
any cosmetic work done.

Why are you trying to turn
this into a feminist issue?

Because it is.

Would you be asking a male
defense attorney that question?

I just wonder why a
champion of women's rights

is defending a man
who makes his living

exploiting
women's insecurities?

Elective surgery
isn't something

that should be legislated
through the courtroom, Jack.

I'm not legislating
anything.

I'm just prosecuting
a murder.

You should take a walk on
the Upper East Side, Jack,

where every third woman has had something
tucked, pulled, enlarged, or lifted.

And it's not just women.

Spend a little time in a
corporate boardroom these days

and see how many moguls have
gone from dyeing their gray hair

to lifting
their sagging chins.

No, thanks.

You're really convinced
he belongs in jail?

My boss is.

Dr. Lawrence will lose
his license anyway,

and her sister's civil suit
will bankrupt him.

Is that why you
came down here,

to get us
to drop the charges?

Dr. Lawrence
crossed the line.

If he had sent her
to a psychiatrist

instead of
operating on her...

She just would have
gone to another doctor.

He didn't cross
the line, Jack.

He just made a terrible,
terrible mistake.

I'm not some
cut-happy charlatan.

I'm a board certified surgeon

and a member of the American
Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

How do you explain what happened to Ms.
Hackett?

It was an accident.

She never told me
that she was taking Nardil.

Would you have prescribed
Demerol, had you known?

Of course not.

We heard testimony that her
surgical intake form was altered.

Yeah. I don't know
anything about that.

You didn't change the form
to cover up your mistake?

No, I did not.

To save your
lucrative practice?

I don't need the money.

I have more than enough
to retire and live well.

It's been suggested
that you are careless,

even reckless.

I'm human.
I make mistakes.

But to suggest that I don't
care about my patients?

Nothing could be
further from the truth.

You don't rush through
these procedures?

On the contrary,
what I do is like

creating a sculpture
or designing a garden,

pruning one rose
at a time.

I feel a deep obligation
to every one of my patients.

I'm important to them.

They need me.

At $10,000 to $15,000
a procedure, Dr. Lawrence,

who can afford
to be your patient?

If it were up to me,

cosmetic surgery would be
covered under health insurance.

It's expensive, risky.

The results
are worth the risk.

You look better
and you live better.

You get the better table
at the restaurant,

the betterjob,
even the better spouse.

Have you availed yourself of the
benefits of plastic surgery?

I would if I could be the
doctor holding the scalpel.

When Nora Hackett
first came to you,

wasn't she already the successful
novelist Corrine King?

Yeah. Yes.

And you performed
how many surgeries on her?

Five.

In addition to the five
she'd had previously?

Well, it was her body,
her choice.

Her choice even if she was
suffering from Body Dysmorphia?

After all those surgeries,

when she requested
this latest one,

why didn't you send her
for a psych consult?

I could do more for her than any
psychologist or psychiatrist

practicing talk therapy.

By making her prettier?

Which made her happier.
Did it?

Then why was she
taking anti-depressants?

Objection.
Sustained.

JACK: Nothing further.

LAWRENCE:
Uh, Mr. McCoy?

Dr. Lawrence?
What are you doing here?

I wanted to speak with you,
if I may.

This is highly
improper, sir.

I can't talk to you
without your attorney present.

But that's what I wanted to
talk to you about, my attorney.

Ms. Gardner?
What about her?

I don't think she's doing an
adequate job of representing me.

She's doing a superb job, with a difficult
case. You're lucky to have her.

No. She made a mistake, putting
me on the stand like that.

Now, the jury
didn't like me.

Icould tell.

And then, asking me
who altered the records?

Not that I know,
but it made me look...

Why she'd do that?

She had to. To preempt
me asking the question.

But you didn't ask.

The 'wry knows
who doctored those records.

I can't believe
this is happening to me!

I can't go to jail!

My patients love me.

They wait six months
for an appointment.

Don't you get it?
I change people's lives.

They can't just go
to some other doctor.

This is a nightmare!

Of your own making!

You don't get it, do you?

Good night, Dr. Lawrence.

Is there still time to strike
some sort of arrangement?

You could plead guilty.

JUDGE: Have you
reached a verdict?

We have.

On the count of the indictment,
criminally negligent homicide,

as to the defendant,
Alvin Lawrence,

how do you find?

FOREMAN: We find
the defendant guilty.

The jury is dismissed with
the thanks of the court.

(GAVEL BANGS)

It's a Class "E" felony.
He'll do four years, tops.

For a professional like
Lawrence, his life is over.