Law & Order (1990) s22e19 Episode Script
Private Lives
1
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.
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.