Law & Order (1990) s02e03 Episode Script
Aria
Narrator: 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.
So, I testify on a couple of RDOs.
What's the difference to him? It's not out of their pocket.
Everybody gets one, Jack.
You'll get yours.
Hey, I need 'em.
She's dropping cash like it's on fire.
Every card is jacked full.
"A horse is a horse, of course, of course.
" "My kingdom for a horse!" Look at this the next De Niro.
En garde.
Woman: Hey! Hey, you guys want to give that stuff back to Costume, please? Youth: Jason, give me a hand here.
Hey, Graham.
I think this is it.
Sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for them.
Priscilla, you decent? "No need praying, Prissy.
" Reviews can't hurt us now.
Hey, what if David Merrick's trying to call? Oh God.
- Cop #1: Where are the damn paramedics? - I radioed they're coming.
Hold on, honey.
I didn't want to do it.
I didn't want to All right, let them through.
All right, we got her.
Nurse on PA: Dr.
Kipper, report to the solarium.
Dr.
Kipper to the solarium, please.
- This your run? - We got there first.
was Priscilla Blaine.
You got a cause of death? Narcon's response was positive.
She OD'd.
- Who found her? - Classmates at the Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Closing night party.
"No business like show business.
" Am I hearing this wrong or something? If she OD'd, what do you need us for? When she died over and over "I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it.
" She didn't want to do what? Hey, you're wearing the suits.
Nurse on P.
A: Security, please report to the cafeteria.
Security, please report to the cafeteria.
Amitriptyline.
Amitriptyline? Never heard of it.
Psychiatrist "scrip" anti-depressant.
How much did she take of them? About 200 milligrams.
Probably do a small elephant.
Was there any physical trauma? Any bruises? Anything suspicious? She did have an Ace bandage on her right ankle.
Nothing wrong with it.
No visible bruising or contusion about the ligament.
- Is it an old injury? - No blood in the joint space.
Fashion statement? Priscilla wasn't on drugs.
I would have known if she was on drugs.
Mrs.
Blaine, would you happen to know if Priscilla was seeing a psychiatrist? See, the reason I'm asking is, the drug in her system was an anti-depressant.
She wasn't depressed.
You mind if we take this? We were going to have new headshots taken next week.
Patti, did your sister happen to mention anything about seeing new people lately? I wouldn't really know.
I remember the first day she got into the Academy.
They took 50 out of 1,500.
Ever since she could talk, she wanted to be a performer.
She didn't do drugs.
She was too focused.
They just would have slowed her down.
You think she was happy? Yeah, she was.
I guess.
Woman: Anything for anyone.
It's just not her.
What do you mean? The drugs? Mm-hmm.
She didn't believe in them.
I thought she'd be hit by lightning before she would die like that.
The officer who was here last night said she kept on repeating, "I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it.
" - Do you know what that was about? - No.
Is it possible that somebody could've pressed her into taking the pills? No one's really into that around here.
Yeah, there was a lot of drinking because it was closing night.
I don't know.
Did she have a boyfriend? We broke up a few months ago.
It was getting weird.
Yeah? Was she depressed by the break? Not quite she dumped me.
Roger, when you and Pricilla were together, did she like to party a lot? You know No, Pricilla didn't do drugs.
The only pills she took were birth control.
God only knows why.
You mean the intimacy level was a little? It was great at first, but then, I don't know, five, six months ago she weirded out.
Holding hands became a big deal.
Did you ever talk about it? She said she was seeing someone about it.
Shrink? She started seeing one before we broke up.
- A lot of good it did.
- Do you know who he was? Uh Seliger, up at P & S.
Unfortunately, it falls under the category of privilege.
Whose? I mean, the girl's dead.
Privilege does survive the death of a patient.
Does that include prescription history, Doctor? Priscilla asked me for something a few weeks ago.
I told her I didn't think that it was necessary.
Yeah, because her friends are telling us she didn't even like painkillers.
I'd say that was an accurate assessment.
Really I wish I could help.
Doctor, we understand that.
Now, bottom line, we just want to know who can waive that privilege.
If the court appoints a personal representative, they'd have the authority to sign a waiver on Priscilla's behalf.
Ah.
It would probably be her mother.
Mrs.
Blaine: I just don't understand.
If Priscilla had problems, she knew she could come to me.
Mrs.
Blaine, as parents we all want to feel that way.
But I've got five, and I've learned my lesson.
They all have things they don't want to tell us.
I used to brush her hair every night.
She'd tell me about her day.
All the little details.
A hundred strokes.
She had hair like Rita Hayworth.
Did she cut it recently? Sometimes children don't appreciate what they have.
Mrs.
Blaine Dr.
Seliger may be the only person who can tell us if Priscilla's death was accidental or not.
But he can't tell us anything unless the administrator of Priscilla's estate waives the patient/doctor confidentiality.
Maybe it's not anybody's business what they talked about.
She didn't want me to know when she was alive, I don't see any reason to change that now.
My mother got pregnant with me when she was 17.
I kind of put the brakes on her career.
She was an actress? She was a pretty woman with a fair voice, whose main claim to fame was "Eliza Doolittle" at the Bloomfield Community Playhouse.
We haven't spoken in two years.
Until this.
Why the rift? Well, 12 years of dance class three times a week and acting class twice a week is a bit wearing.
My mother couldn't decide if I was Martha Graham or Helen Hayes.
And which were you? I was Patti Blaine, so I got out before I wasn't.
And Priscilla? Since she was three.
Lessons, agents kind of like a last hope.
She never even knew she had a choice.
Your mother's a sales clerk, isn't that right? - Mm-hmm.
- This Academy must be pretty expensive.
Well, Priscilla helped with the tuition.
Oh? Our father died when we were young and he left us some money.
Ah.
You and your sister stay pretty close? We talked a couple times a month.
Just, "Hi, how are you?" Nothing big.
When was the last time? About a week ago.
It never sounded like anything was wrong.
I'm not much of a big sister.
Who did she talk to? Probably Jasmine.
They grew up together.
Maybe none of us really knew her.
Some of the stuff she pulled was pretty confusing.
Like what? Like she faked hurting her ankle to get out of some big show.
Why? Didn't she want to dance anymore? I don't know.
I mean she always thought everyone was better than she was.
- Logan: Were they? - Priscilla was good.
She had to work at everything she got.
And her sister was the natural.
She did everything better than Priscilla with half the effort.
She just shined it on.
She didn't want it.
Maybe in a weird way, she had more guts than Priscilla.
Did Priscilla give you any indication that she was unhappy? I don't think Priscilla knew whether or not she was unhappy.
She was probably happiest when she was pleasing her mother.
- And lately? - Lately she just wasn't herself.
Pressured, absent-minded she even left her backpack here a couple of times, and that's certainly not like her.
This one? Logan: She spends her whole life trying to replace her sister.
She couldn't take the pressure, downs a handful, checks out.
Okay, then why is she found kneeling by an unhooked phone moaning, "I didn't want to do it" over and over? She changed her mind or she's talking about that show biz stuff.
But not about the drugs? You have the same notes I do.
She'd do anything to please other people.
Are you saying she got talked into partying? She's much too anti-drugs.
- She would have drawn a line.
- Maybe, maybe not.
How anxious was she to please? A kid when I was growing up, in Little League, his old man every game was behind the backstop, yelling, screaming orders at him.
- So? - Game before the playoff, the kid hits a dink to shortstop, pulls a "Ron Hunt" dives head first right into first base dislocated his shoulder.
And you're saying a 10-year-old intentionally hurt himself? I'm saying it's subconscious.
The point is, he couldn't take the pressure.
When I was a kid, my mother hounded me to practice the piano.
To this day, I wish I had learned.
Are you gonna make your kids do things they don't want to? From the moment they're on the planet.
"Brush your teeth, do your homework, you're grounded " - Come on, Phil, that's different.
- It's just a matter of degree.
- What the hell is that? - Unlabeled.
Yeah.
Right here.
Logan: That's her.
Your girl had a shadow life.
Good bet on where the drugs came from, huh? - Cragen: Who knows about it? - Logan: Jasmine? The boyfriend? Maybe none of them.
See what you can find out about this company "Candlelight Productions.
" No one knows anybody anymore.
We may know one thing what "I didn't want to do it" means.
Candlelight Productions went out of business six weeks ago.
What? She's been meeting someone named "JZ" two or three times a week.
It could be a nickname for "Jasmine.
" I don't think so.
It only shows up six months ago.
Before that, nothing.
I never heard of anyone named "JZ" Logan: She never mentioned anything? Six months, two, three times a week and you didn't know anything? Jasmine, Priscilla is dead.
Any secrets she had are no longer worth keeping.
He owns a club in Chelsea "Flashdancers.
" The strip joint? It's not a "dirt palace.
" Just businessmen, yuppies out for a good time, that kind of thing.
Look, I was the only one who knew.
Knew what? That she worked there? It was good money.
Really good money.
She was trying to earn enough to move out.
Whatever she did, I don't want to know about it.
- Trucker: Thanks, bud.
- Cerreta: She give you a lot of trouble? They all do.
Some weeks it's like babysitting.
Come on, girls! Come on, come on.
This one, though, she could really shake it.
When did she stop working? I haven't seen her in about three or four months.
She was getting some film interest.
I don't know.
The good ones, they're tough to hang on to.
Suddenly, they don't show up.
Yeah, and when they do, they're lit, right? I mean, you gotta figure, there are a lot of drugs in and out of here.
Like I said, whatever the girls do What kind of film interest was Priscilla getting? Do you know the people? Well, we're not talking Cecil B.
DeMille.
They're around all the time.
I don't associate with them.
It's not my trade.
JZ, help us out here.
You must know somebody we can talk to who might know these people.
Yeah, there's a guy his name is Ed Zakaris.
He's a pig.
Candlelight Productions? Never heard of them.
Maybe it went by a different name.
Hey, if I didn't hear of them Look, we saw the tape, all right? Yeah? Wouldn't be surprised.
How did it get past you, Ed? These businesses are fly-by-night.
They grab some jerk, he invests in their flick, they make it, they close, they open up next week, new name.
"Candlelight," "Flashlight," whatever.
What about this director, Franklin Frome? He used to be one of the great ones.
Yeah, he won the "Best Actor award in a group scene" 1975.
That's terrific.
"Mr.
Olivier's" address.
Did she work in one of your films? Yeah, sure, the one with the mother.
You know her mother? Elizabeth.
Are you saying Mrs.
Blaine knew Priscilla was working for you? She set it up.
Wait a minute.
I thought you found Priscilla at "Flashdancers.
" Yeah, I gave her my card.
Next thing, her mom gives me a call.
Did she know what kind of films you make? Dropped her off every day.
Occasionally watched a shoot.
Must have had a cooling effect on the set, huh? No, she kept her distance.
Didn't even want her kid talking to the other actresses.
What about when Mom wasn't around? It's just so hard to believe.
I mean, I was the one that was supposed to die.
I tested positive last month.
It's the cost of business.
I made a thousand bucks a day.
Did Priscilla make that kind of cash? No.
No, she was just foreplay.
She never went all the way.
Her mom wouldn't let her.
Girl's in a prestigious school like that, why did she do porno? It wasn't her, it was her mom.
Can you believe that? I mean, just pushing and pushing, you know? Priscilla was shy.
It was hard for her.
I mean, a few times she got so nervous, she cried.
Some of the actresses when they got nervous like that, would they drop something? Well, I did when I was working.
It made me forget what I was doing.
- What was it? Amitrip - Amitriptyline.
"Trips.
" I couldn't go on without it.
Did Priscilla use this? - I told her it would help her relax.
- You gave her the drugs? Well, I said never to take more than one.
She took eight.
Well, she must have been freaked I mean it was this new flick she was going to be starring in.
"Starring," huh? You mean no more "foreplay"? Her mother knew what she was gonna have to do? She had been on set, so she knew people didn't pay to see the stars hold hands.
Angel admitted to giving Priscilla the drugs? - You want to hit her with a drug charge? - Let's cut her a deal.
She'll testify that "Mommy Dearest" forced her daughter into pornography.
Wait a minute, do I follow here? You want to charge the mother with murder? - It was a suicide.
- That was brought on by the pressure of doing porno, which the mother forced her into.
"I didn't want to do it," over and over again.
Come on, Mike.
"I didn't want to do it" can mean a lot of things.
The most probable being she was freaked out by the porno.
It was her dying utterance.
It's admissible, but only for what it's worth.
So, what do you think? We could take a run at "depraved indifference to human life" suicide was the inevitable consequence.
You don't believe she's guilty, do you? Of being a rotten mother? Yes.
Yes, I do.
But there has to be a line.
A kid goes out and robs a bank, you put the parents in jail? Maybe, if there was cause and effect.
She was 19, she could have left home.
She did not have to kill herself.
Maybe she did.
Mrs.
Blaine, you are under arrest for the murder of Priscilla Blaine.
What? The charges are murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first and second degree, and criminally negligent homicide.
How does the defendant plea? Not guilty.
Your Honor, The People are asking $500,000.
Judge, my client is mourning the loss of her child.
Judge: Violins, Mr.
Pollard.
Bail is set at $250,000.
Bailiff: Next case, docket number Solicitation for purposes of prostitution Adam: Even if you could prove that the mother forced the girl to make the films against her will you'll still have a hell of a time proving that that was the proximate cause of the girl's death.
Stone: Case in Indiana a girl is kidnapped, sodomized, sexually abused.
A year later, she took poison and died.
The court ruled that the conduct of her assailant was the proximate cause of her death.
Yeah, this isn't Indiana.
In New York, suicide is an independent intervening act.
Therefore, the mother's actions, no matter how despicable, are not the cause-in-fact of the girl's death.
Unless we can prove that Ms.
Blaine knew the films were making Priscilla suicidal.
Mr.
Robinette, I'm sure you know that I can't possibly I know the difference between real patients and hypothetical ones.
All right.
One could argue that such a hypothetical patient might be an exhibitionist and there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent her death.
But if she were forced by someone a loved one, husband, parent Being forced into the sordid life by someone she loved could be so deleterious to her mental health that it had to be a substantial and contributory cause of her suicide.
And you've dealt with patients or a patient who's had pressures similar to this? Yes, I have.
He's got a lot to say only he can't say it.
Privilege can be waived.
By the administrator of the decedent's estate.
Mrs.
Blaine already applied for letters.
Priscilla had money her father left her.
The bank won't release it without tax waivers signed by the administrator.
Return date's next week.
Mrs.
Blaine is charged with killing her daughter.
I'd say her interests are adverse to that of the estate.
There's a sister, isn't there? You know any good probate lawyers? Do you mean I would have to go to court? No.
Not in the way you think.
You see, surrogate court merely appoints the administrator of an estate when there's no will.
And that would give you the authority to waive the doctor and patient privilege.
Robinette: If Dr.
Seliger takes the stand, it'll be the closest thing to Priscilla being there herself.
Stone: This is not easy what we're asking, I know.
You want me to testify against my mother.
It's not a criminal proceeding.
It's a civil hearing.
One thing I learned growing up, and that's you don't cross my mother.
Priscilla knew that, too.
I can't help but wonder, if I hadn't have left, you know, if I didn't quit, then Patti, your leaving is not the cause of Priscilla's death.
I believe you know what caused your sister's death.
I'm just asking for the legal right to get to the truth.
Petition of letters of administration in the estate of Priscilla Blaine filed by Elizabeth Blaine.
Objections have been filed by Patricia Blaine.
The objection has been filed, Your Honor, on the grounds that the applicant's appointment would not be in the best interest of the estate.
Your Honor, the D.
A.
Is using the proceedings - to mount a witch hunt against my client.
- Please, Mr.
Pollard.
I am here to represent Ms.
Blaine, Your Honor, not the District Attorney.
Are the parties prepared for a hearing? - Ready, Your Honor.
- Pollard: Ready.
Mr.
Robinette, does the District Attorney's Office have charges pending against the petitioner, Elizabeth Blaine? Yes, we do.
And could you tell me, what are those charges? She's been indicted for the murder of her daughter, Priscilla Blaine.
An indictment is not a conviction, Your Honor, and certainly no evidence of my client's guilt.
The grand jury is nothing more than the District Attorney's puppet Enough, Mr.
Pollard.
The court takes judicial notice of the indictment.
Patti: When we were little, she had us both taking lessons, trying to get an agent.
- Melnick: How old were you? - Patti: Five.
- And Priscilla? - She was three.
And was this something you both enjoyed? I didn't.
Melnick: And your sister, Priscilla? It was harder for her.
I left, and after that Priscilla was expected to fill that void.
I see.
And what did these expectations entail? Well, when she was five she had dance class three times a week after school and on Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:00.
Melnick: Patti, did Priscilla ever express to you that she was unhappy with the way your mother had planned her life? Once she lost an audition for "The Nutcracker Suite.
" My mother was very upset.
It was always like that.
And that night when we got home, Priscilla asked me, did I think Mom didn't love her anymore? Objection.
Hearsay.
Sustained.
Patti, tell the court why you would like to be appointed administrator of your sister's estate.
Because, in my opinion, my mother is unfit.
Melnick: Do you believe that your mother was responsible for Priscilla's death? Yes, I do.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Aside from when Priscilla was a five-year-old, did she ever tell you that your mother treated her badly? No.
Did Priscilla ever tell you your mother forced her to make pornographic films? We didn't discuss Did she ever tell you your mother made her do anything she didn't want to do? - No, not in those words.
- In fact when you told her that you thought your mother was pushing her too hard, she got angry at you, isn't that true? - Yes, but she - Patti who will receive Priscilla's money if your mother is convicted? - I will.
- I see.
And how long has it been since you've seen your sister? Well, we talked every couple of weeks.
When was the last time you saw her? It's been about two years.
So you were very devoted.
You came to her funeral, and you came to collect an inheritance.
Objection, Your Honor! Mrs.
Blaine: She wanted to be an actress.
I did too when I was her age, only I didn't have someone to encourage me.
I wanted it to be different for her.
But why these films? She wanted to act for the cameras.
They weren't giving her that in school.
There's a difference between acting, though, and acting in a pornographic film.
All she did was take off her clothes.
Did Priscilla ever do anything more than undress in front of the camera? No.
It never went further than that.
- I made sure of that.
- Thank you, Mrs.
Blaine.
Mrs.
Blaine, Priscilla was going to star in an upcoming film with the same director, wasn't she? - Yes.
- And as the star in that film, she would have to do more than just take off her clothes, isn't that true? They told Marilyn Monroe that nude calendar would ruin her career.
It made her a star.
Ahem would you tell us, please, Mrs.
Blaine, was Priscilla nervous about starring in a pornographic film? All actresses are nervous before a big part.
Yes, but when your daughter came to you and told you she was nervous, what did you say to her? I told her she should talk to her friend, Angel she had made a lot of films.
Mrs.
Blaine, did it never occur to you that starring in a pornographic film might not be in your daughter's best interest? Priscilla was an adult.
She made her own decisions.
I did nothing wrong! No, you merely encouraged her to prostitute her I encouraged her to do exactly what she wanted to do! Be seated.
The particulars of this case are repugnant to me.
Frankly, I don't think either of the applicants are fit administrators of Priscilla Blaine's estate.
It's also clear the prosecutor's office is using this proceeding to reach its own goals.
However, I cannot in good conscience ignore the criminal charges against the applicant.
I'm going to sign an order issuing letters to the objectant, Patricia Blaine.
This hearing is adjourned.
What are some of the effects of amitriptyline? Man: Alleviates nervous tension, symptoms of depression.
And in larger dosages? Reduced inhibitions, may evoke a state of euphoria.
What is the usual prescribed dosage? three times a day to a maximum of 150 milligrams as necessary.
- There are 25 milligrams to each tablet? - Yes.
How much of this drug did Ms.
Blaine take the night she died? - Over 200 milligrams.
- So, that's at least eight tablets? Man: Yes.
Was there any physical evidence to indicate whether or not Ms.
Blaine was an habitual user of drugs? The corrosive appearance of the stomach lining and the presence of partially digested tablets suggest her system didn't easily absorb the drug.
If I'm a vegetarian all my life, and one night I eat a steak, my body has a hard time digesting it, right? Something like that.
So, it's more probable than not that Ms.
Blaine was not an abuser? Man: That's correct.
Stone: And if she had wanted an extra kick, - 50 milligrams would have sufficed? - That's correct.
So, in your expert opinion, Doctor, why would Ms.
Blaine have taken eight tablets? To die.
I told her never to take more than one.
Had Priscilla ever asked you for drugs before? No.
And I had never offered them.
Did she say why she wanted the amitriptyline? She was nervous about the new film.
- The one she was going to star in? - Yes.
Why was she nervous? She didn't think she could go through with it.
Stone: Go through with what, Ms.
Greer? Having sex in front of a camera.
So, she needed the drugs to help her do that? Yes.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You and Priscilla were good friends? - We were friendly.
- Just friendly? Well, her mom didn't want us getting too close.
In fact, didn't Mrs.
Blaine discourage Priscilla from spending any time with you at all? - Yes.
- Why was that, Angel? She knew that I took drugs.
And she didn't want Priscilla associating with people who took drugs, isn't that right? Yes.
When did Priscilla Blaine start working for you? I believe it was late February.
And how many of these films did she appear in? Four no, five.
Was she featured in any of these? No.
Yet she was going to, and I quote, "star in your next film.
" Is that correct? Yeah.
Did Mrs.
Blaine know about that? Did she know? She wanted script approval, the whole bit.
In your new film, was Priscilla Blaine expected to perform sex acts on screen? Tastefully, yes.
Did Mrs.
Blaine know that her daughter was expected to perform sex on screen? She'd been watching us shoot for months.
She knew.
And when did your film go into production? We were supposed to start shooting June 3rd.
The morning after Priscilla Blaine died? Yes.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Ahem Mr.
Frome, did you approach Priscilla about starring in this new film? No, she came to me.
Priscilla came to you and asked if she could star in the film? Something like that.
Was her mother with her? Frome: No, she was alone.
Do you have any reason to believe that Mrs.
Blaine forced her daughter to ask you for the part? - No.
- Objection.
Beyond the scope of the witness' knowledge.
Mr.
Stone, I did permit you great latitude.
I'll allow it.
She was legally an adult.
If she didn't want to do pornography, why didn't she just walk away? Her mother had total control over her life.
Priscilla was powerless in that relationship.
She dated a boy her mother didn't want her to.
She lied to get out of a performance and she even began seeing you without her mother's permission.
She lied because she was afraid to confront her.
But she was an actress.
Did she really have that kind of difficulty expressing herself? She was so used to subverting her emotions, there were days she came to my office and couldn't say a word.
She found other ways.
What other ways? She had long, lovely hair.
She knew her mother prized her hair.
A month ago, she cut it all off.
Not styled shorn.
Doctor, this is a transcript from the time you discussed that incident with Priscilla.
Would you please read the highlighted portions out loud? "Priscilla: 'I started, and I just kept going.
' Doctor: 'Why did you do it? ' Priscilla: 'Maybe I don't know, Mom said my hair was what sold me or something.
I thought without the hair, whatever maybe she'd get it.
"' Doctor, would you characterize that incident as self-destructive? Cutting hair, cutting skin it's how some kids get their point across.
And did you believe it would lead - to more serious forms of self-destructive behavior? - It usually does.
Dr.
Seliger, did Priscilla Blaine ever talk to you about committing suicide? Indirectly.
How so? She made a tape of a monologue from a play she did in class.
What did she plan to do with that tape? She gave it to her mother.
Said she "hoped she'd understand.
" When did she give the tape to her mother? A week before she died.
Your Honor, at this time I'd like to play the tape for the Court.
The Defense renews its objection.
Mr.
Stone is insisting the death was a suicide, and is now attempting to introduce non-relevant facts into that theory.
Objection's noted, Mr.
Pollard.
I'll allow the tape for what it's worth.
Mama, you awake? I couldn't sleep.
I haven't slept in days.
Last night in the dark I looked at myself in the mirror and all I could see were the whites of my eyes.
And I knew how scared I really was.
Are you dreaming, Mama? Remember Abilene, Mama? How the towns clicked by and I begged you to stop the train? Lexington, Nashville, Little Rock.
I was sick for a thousand miles.
And I hated you for it.
Well, Mama, you sleep.
Me I'm getting off this train.
I'm tired now, Mama.
When you wake up don't be angry that I'm gone.
It's my turn to sleep.
Adam: So they might believe the girl committed suicide, but the defense will appeal.
Admission of the tape was reversible error.
Judge Hale didn't think the tape was overly prejudicial.
Even if the girl did kill herself, it's tough to prove that the mother's behavior was the proximate cause of her death.
And we're almost there.
The tape went a long way to prove that.
Mrs.
Blaine knew that acting in those films was making her daughter suicidal.
Yeah, but if she doesn't take the stand, you got no way of proving what she knew or didn't know.
And Pollard's no fool.
He's been around.
No way he's gonna put her on the stand.
No way you're going to make your case.
What if it wasn't suicide after all? At the probate hearing, Mrs.
Blaine said that when Priscilla was nervous about starring in a film, she told her to talk to Angel about it.
At trial, Angel said Mrs.
Blaine didn't want Priscilla around her.
Maybe she knew Angel was getting drugs to get through the performance.
So Mrs.
Blaine sent Priscilla to Angel to get the drugs to help her have sex on camera.
So we change our theory? Priscilla didn't commit suicide, she OD'd? Mrs.
Blaine not only forced her daughter to have sex on camera, but she gave her the drugs to help her do that.
Ergo, she is guilty of her daughter's death.
And with her prior testimony, we don't even need Mrs.
Blaine on the stand.
Now, Ben, what do you think? Do you believe this girl committed suicide? I do believe that Mrs.
Blaine is guilty of her daughter's death.
I'll do anything to make it stick.
It's prejudicial.
It's inflammatory I am not deciding on decibel level, Lucas.
There is nothing in that transcript that would prejudice a jury.
What about her right against self-incrimination? Mrs.
Blaine testified under oath.
She was represented by counsel.
Her rights were fully protected.
"Question: 'What did you say to your daughter when she told you she was nervous? ' Answer, Mrs.
Blaine: 'I told her to talk to her friend Angel.
She made a lot of films.
"' Now, what's the problem with that? He's manufacturing proximate cause.
A jury could infer that the defendant sent her daughter to Angel specifically to get drugs.
- Still, if the girl committed suicide - Pollard: Exactly.
What if she didn't? What if she accidentally OD'd? Your point being? We're in agreement on one major point nobody will ever know what Priscilla's intentions were.
But we do know that her mother intended to get that film made no matter what the cost.
That's a sandbag.
He's changing theories in mid-case because he hasn't got anything to stand on.
Oh, I think not.
I think if you ask a jury, they'll tell you her taped plea to her mother the most passionate performance of that girl's life.
I see no reason to overrule the motion.
I'll allow Mrs.
Blaine's testimony to be read into evidence.
I'll need 10 minutes with my client.
So now you're telling me it was an accident and it's still my fault? Mrs.
Blaine, I'm not a psychiatrist I don't know what part of your psyche made you push your own flesh and blood into pornography but yes, I do think Priscilla's death was your fault, both legally and morally.
But I loved her.
She was my life.
No, she was your daughter.
She had a life of her own.
Criminally negligent homicide with a sentencing recommendation? An "E" felony? She's not dangerous, Ben.
Man two? She does the max.
It was kind of like a fairy tale, wasn't it? Which one? "Mirror, mirror on the wall " She looked at her daughter and saw herself.
Somehow, I don't think she'll ever understand what she did wrong.
No, I suppose you're right, but it's scary.
What's that? That an emotion like love can do so much damage.
These are their stories.
So, I testify on a couple of RDOs.
What's the difference to him? It's not out of their pocket.
Everybody gets one, Jack.
You'll get yours.
Hey, I need 'em.
She's dropping cash like it's on fire.
Every card is jacked full.
"A horse is a horse, of course, of course.
" "My kingdom for a horse!" Look at this the next De Niro.
En garde.
Woman: Hey! Hey, you guys want to give that stuff back to Costume, please? Youth: Jason, give me a hand here.
Hey, Graham.
I think this is it.
Sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for them.
Priscilla, you decent? "No need praying, Prissy.
" Reviews can't hurt us now.
Hey, what if David Merrick's trying to call? Oh God.
- Cop #1: Where are the damn paramedics? - I radioed they're coming.
Hold on, honey.
I didn't want to do it.
I didn't want to All right, let them through.
All right, we got her.
Nurse on PA: Dr.
Kipper, report to the solarium.
Dr.
Kipper to the solarium, please.
- This your run? - We got there first.
was Priscilla Blaine.
You got a cause of death? Narcon's response was positive.
She OD'd.
- Who found her? - Classmates at the Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Closing night party.
"No business like show business.
" Am I hearing this wrong or something? If she OD'd, what do you need us for? When she died over and over "I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it.
" She didn't want to do what? Hey, you're wearing the suits.
Nurse on P.
A: Security, please report to the cafeteria.
Security, please report to the cafeteria.
Amitriptyline.
Amitriptyline? Never heard of it.
Psychiatrist "scrip" anti-depressant.
How much did she take of them? About 200 milligrams.
Probably do a small elephant.
Was there any physical trauma? Any bruises? Anything suspicious? She did have an Ace bandage on her right ankle.
Nothing wrong with it.
No visible bruising or contusion about the ligament.
- Is it an old injury? - No blood in the joint space.
Fashion statement? Priscilla wasn't on drugs.
I would have known if she was on drugs.
Mrs.
Blaine, would you happen to know if Priscilla was seeing a psychiatrist? See, the reason I'm asking is, the drug in her system was an anti-depressant.
She wasn't depressed.
You mind if we take this? We were going to have new headshots taken next week.
Patti, did your sister happen to mention anything about seeing new people lately? I wouldn't really know.
I remember the first day she got into the Academy.
They took 50 out of 1,500.
Ever since she could talk, she wanted to be a performer.
She didn't do drugs.
She was too focused.
They just would have slowed her down.
You think she was happy? Yeah, she was.
I guess.
Woman: Anything for anyone.
It's just not her.
What do you mean? The drugs? Mm-hmm.
She didn't believe in them.
I thought she'd be hit by lightning before she would die like that.
The officer who was here last night said she kept on repeating, "I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it.
" - Do you know what that was about? - No.
Is it possible that somebody could've pressed her into taking the pills? No one's really into that around here.
Yeah, there was a lot of drinking because it was closing night.
I don't know.
Did she have a boyfriend? We broke up a few months ago.
It was getting weird.
Yeah? Was she depressed by the break? Not quite she dumped me.
Roger, when you and Pricilla were together, did she like to party a lot? You know No, Pricilla didn't do drugs.
The only pills she took were birth control.
God only knows why.
You mean the intimacy level was a little? It was great at first, but then, I don't know, five, six months ago she weirded out.
Holding hands became a big deal.
Did you ever talk about it? She said she was seeing someone about it.
Shrink? She started seeing one before we broke up.
- A lot of good it did.
- Do you know who he was? Uh Seliger, up at P & S.
Unfortunately, it falls under the category of privilege.
Whose? I mean, the girl's dead.
Privilege does survive the death of a patient.
Does that include prescription history, Doctor? Priscilla asked me for something a few weeks ago.
I told her I didn't think that it was necessary.
Yeah, because her friends are telling us she didn't even like painkillers.
I'd say that was an accurate assessment.
Really I wish I could help.
Doctor, we understand that.
Now, bottom line, we just want to know who can waive that privilege.
If the court appoints a personal representative, they'd have the authority to sign a waiver on Priscilla's behalf.
Ah.
It would probably be her mother.
Mrs.
Blaine: I just don't understand.
If Priscilla had problems, she knew she could come to me.
Mrs.
Blaine, as parents we all want to feel that way.
But I've got five, and I've learned my lesson.
They all have things they don't want to tell us.
I used to brush her hair every night.
She'd tell me about her day.
All the little details.
A hundred strokes.
She had hair like Rita Hayworth.
Did she cut it recently? Sometimes children don't appreciate what they have.
Mrs.
Blaine Dr.
Seliger may be the only person who can tell us if Priscilla's death was accidental or not.
But he can't tell us anything unless the administrator of Priscilla's estate waives the patient/doctor confidentiality.
Maybe it's not anybody's business what they talked about.
She didn't want me to know when she was alive, I don't see any reason to change that now.
My mother got pregnant with me when she was 17.
I kind of put the brakes on her career.
She was an actress? She was a pretty woman with a fair voice, whose main claim to fame was "Eliza Doolittle" at the Bloomfield Community Playhouse.
We haven't spoken in two years.
Until this.
Why the rift? Well, 12 years of dance class three times a week and acting class twice a week is a bit wearing.
My mother couldn't decide if I was Martha Graham or Helen Hayes.
And which were you? I was Patti Blaine, so I got out before I wasn't.
And Priscilla? Since she was three.
Lessons, agents kind of like a last hope.
She never even knew she had a choice.
Your mother's a sales clerk, isn't that right? - Mm-hmm.
- This Academy must be pretty expensive.
Well, Priscilla helped with the tuition.
Oh? Our father died when we were young and he left us some money.
Ah.
You and your sister stay pretty close? We talked a couple times a month.
Just, "Hi, how are you?" Nothing big.
When was the last time? About a week ago.
It never sounded like anything was wrong.
I'm not much of a big sister.
Who did she talk to? Probably Jasmine.
They grew up together.
Maybe none of us really knew her.
Some of the stuff she pulled was pretty confusing.
Like what? Like she faked hurting her ankle to get out of some big show.
Why? Didn't she want to dance anymore? I don't know.
I mean she always thought everyone was better than she was.
- Logan: Were they? - Priscilla was good.
She had to work at everything she got.
And her sister was the natural.
She did everything better than Priscilla with half the effort.
She just shined it on.
She didn't want it.
Maybe in a weird way, she had more guts than Priscilla.
Did Priscilla give you any indication that she was unhappy? I don't think Priscilla knew whether or not she was unhappy.
She was probably happiest when she was pleasing her mother.
- And lately? - Lately she just wasn't herself.
Pressured, absent-minded she even left her backpack here a couple of times, and that's certainly not like her.
This one? Logan: She spends her whole life trying to replace her sister.
She couldn't take the pressure, downs a handful, checks out.
Okay, then why is she found kneeling by an unhooked phone moaning, "I didn't want to do it" over and over? She changed her mind or she's talking about that show biz stuff.
But not about the drugs? You have the same notes I do.
She'd do anything to please other people.
Are you saying she got talked into partying? She's much too anti-drugs.
- She would have drawn a line.
- Maybe, maybe not.
How anxious was she to please? A kid when I was growing up, in Little League, his old man every game was behind the backstop, yelling, screaming orders at him.
- So? - Game before the playoff, the kid hits a dink to shortstop, pulls a "Ron Hunt" dives head first right into first base dislocated his shoulder.
And you're saying a 10-year-old intentionally hurt himself? I'm saying it's subconscious.
The point is, he couldn't take the pressure.
When I was a kid, my mother hounded me to practice the piano.
To this day, I wish I had learned.
Are you gonna make your kids do things they don't want to? From the moment they're on the planet.
"Brush your teeth, do your homework, you're grounded " - Come on, Phil, that's different.
- It's just a matter of degree.
- What the hell is that? - Unlabeled.
Yeah.
Right here.
Logan: That's her.
Your girl had a shadow life.
Good bet on where the drugs came from, huh? - Cragen: Who knows about it? - Logan: Jasmine? The boyfriend? Maybe none of them.
See what you can find out about this company "Candlelight Productions.
" No one knows anybody anymore.
We may know one thing what "I didn't want to do it" means.
Candlelight Productions went out of business six weeks ago.
What? She's been meeting someone named "JZ" two or three times a week.
It could be a nickname for "Jasmine.
" I don't think so.
It only shows up six months ago.
Before that, nothing.
I never heard of anyone named "JZ" Logan: She never mentioned anything? Six months, two, three times a week and you didn't know anything? Jasmine, Priscilla is dead.
Any secrets she had are no longer worth keeping.
He owns a club in Chelsea "Flashdancers.
" The strip joint? It's not a "dirt palace.
" Just businessmen, yuppies out for a good time, that kind of thing.
Look, I was the only one who knew.
Knew what? That she worked there? It was good money.
Really good money.
She was trying to earn enough to move out.
Whatever she did, I don't want to know about it.
- Trucker: Thanks, bud.
- Cerreta: She give you a lot of trouble? They all do.
Some weeks it's like babysitting.
Come on, girls! Come on, come on.
This one, though, she could really shake it.
When did she stop working? I haven't seen her in about three or four months.
She was getting some film interest.
I don't know.
The good ones, they're tough to hang on to.
Suddenly, they don't show up.
Yeah, and when they do, they're lit, right? I mean, you gotta figure, there are a lot of drugs in and out of here.
Like I said, whatever the girls do What kind of film interest was Priscilla getting? Do you know the people? Well, we're not talking Cecil B.
DeMille.
They're around all the time.
I don't associate with them.
It's not my trade.
JZ, help us out here.
You must know somebody we can talk to who might know these people.
Yeah, there's a guy his name is Ed Zakaris.
He's a pig.
Candlelight Productions? Never heard of them.
Maybe it went by a different name.
Hey, if I didn't hear of them Look, we saw the tape, all right? Yeah? Wouldn't be surprised.
How did it get past you, Ed? These businesses are fly-by-night.
They grab some jerk, he invests in their flick, they make it, they close, they open up next week, new name.
"Candlelight," "Flashlight," whatever.
What about this director, Franklin Frome? He used to be one of the great ones.
Yeah, he won the "Best Actor award in a group scene" 1975.
That's terrific.
"Mr.
Olivier's" address.
Did she work in one of your films? Yeah, sure, the one with the mother.
You know her mother? Elizabeth.
Are you saying Mrs.
Blaine knew Priscilla was working for you? She set it up.
Wait a minute.
I thought you found Priscilla at "Flashdancers.
" Yeah, I gave her my card.
Next thing, her mom gives me a call.
Did she know what kind of films you make? Dropped her off every day.
Occasionally watched a shoot.
Must have had a cooling effect on the set, huh? No, she kept her distance.
Didn't even want her kid talking to the other actresses.
What about when Mom wasn't around? It's just so hard to believe.
I mean, I was the one that was supposed to die.
I tested positive last month.
It's the cost of business.
I made a thousand bucks a day.
Did Priscilla make that kind of cash? No.
No, she was just foreplay.
She never went all the way.
Her mom wouldn't let her.
Girl's in a prestigious school like that, why did she do porno? It wasn't her, it was her mom.
Can you believe that? I mean, just pushing and pushing, you know? Priscilla was shy.
It was hard for her.
I mean, a few times she got so nervous, she cried.
Some of the actresses when they got nervous like that, would they drop something? Well, I did when I was working.
It made me forget what I was doing.
- What was it? Amitrip - Amitriptyline.
"Trips.
" I couldn't go on without it.
Did Priscilla use this? - I told her it would help her relax.
- You gave her the drugs? Well, I said never to take more than one.
She took eight.
Well, she must have been freaked I mean it was this new flick she was going to be starring in.
"Starring," huh? You mean no more "foreplay"? Her mother knew what she was gonna have to do? She had been on set, so she knew people didn't pay to see the stars hold hands.
Angel admitted to giving Priscilla the drugs? - You want to hit her with a drug charge? - Let's cut her a deal.
She'll testify that "Mommy Dearest" forced her daughter into pornography.
Wait a minute, do I follow here? You want to charge the mother with murder? - It was a suicide.
- That was brought on by the pressure of doing porno, which the mother forced her into.
"I didn't want to do it," over and over again.
Come on, Mike.
"I didn't want to do it" can mean a lot of things.
The most probable being she was freaked out by the porno.
It was her dying utterance.
It's admissible, but only for what it's worth.
So, what do you think? We could take a run at "depraved indifference to human life" suicide was the inevitable consequence.
You don't believe she's guilty, do you? Of being a rotten mother? Yes.
Yes, I do.
But there has to be a line.
A kid goes out and robs a bank, you put the parents in jail? Maybe, if there was cause and effect.
She was 19, she could have left home.
She did not have to kill herself.
Maybe she did.
Mrs.
Blaine, you are under arrest for the murder of Priscilla Blaine.
What? The charges are murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first and second degree, and criminally negligent homicide.
How does the defendant plea? Not guilty.
Your Honor, The People are asking $500,000.
Judge, my client is mourning the loss of her child.
Judge: Violins, Mr.
Pollard.
Bail is set at $250,000.
Bailiff: Next case, docket number Solicitation for purposes of prostitution Adam: Even if you could prove that the mother forced the girl to make the films against her will you'll still have a hell of a time proving that that was the proximate cause of the girl's death.
Stone: Case in Indiana a girl is kidnapped, sodomized, sexually abused.
A year later, she took poison and died.
The court ruled that the conduct of her assailant was the proximate cause of her death.
Yeah, this isn't Indiana.
In New York, suicide is an independent intervening act.
Therefore, the mother's actions, no matter how despicable, are not the cause-in-fact of the girl's death.
Unless we can prove that Ms.
Blaine knew the films were making Priscilla suicidal.
Mr.
Robinette, I'm sure you know that I can't possibly I know the difference between real patients and hypothetical ones.
All right.
One could argue that such a hypothetical patient might be an exhibitionist and there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent her death.
But if she were forced by someone a loved one, husband, parent Being forced into the sordid life by someone she loved could be so deleterious to her mental health that it had to be a substantial and contributory cause of her suicide.
And you've dealt with patients or a patient who's had pressures similar to this? Yes, I have.
He's got a lot to say only he can't say it.
Privilege can be waived.
By the administrator of the decedent's estate.
Mrs.
Blaine already applied for letters.
Priscilla had money her father left her.
The bank won't release it without tax waivers signed by the administrator.
Return date's next week.
Mrs.
Blaine is charged with killing her daughter.
I'd say her interests are adverse to that of the estate.
There's a sister, isn't there? You know any good probate lawyers? Do you mean I would have to go to court? No.
Not in the way you think.
You see, surrogate court merely appoints the administrator of an estate when there's no will.
And that would give you the authority to waive the doctor and patient privilege.
Robinette: If Dr.
Seliger takes the stand, it'll be the closest thing to Priscilla being there herself.
Stone: This is not easy what we're asking, I know.
You want me to testify against my mother.
It's not a criminal proceeding.
It's a civil hearing.
One thing I learned growing up, and that's you don't cross my mother.
Priscilla knew that, too.
I can't help but wonder, if I hadn't have left, you know, if I didn't quit, then Patti, your leaving is not the cause of Priscilla's death.
I believe you know what caused your sister's death.
I'm just asking for the legal right to get to the truth.
Petition of letters of administration in the estate of Priscilla Blaine filed by Elizabeth Blaine.
Objections have been filed by Patricia Blaine.
The objection has been filed, Your Honor, on the grounds that the applicant's appointment would not be in the best interest of the estate.
Your Honor, the D.
A.
Is using the proceedings - to mount a witch hunt against my client.
- Please, Mr.
Pollard.
I am here to represent Ms.
Blaine, Your Honor, not the District Attorney.
Are the parties prepared for a hearing? - Ready, Your Honor.
- Pollard: Ready.
Mr.
Robinette, does the District Attorney's Office have charges pending against the petitioner, Elizabeth Blaine? Yes, we do.
And could you tell me, what are those charges? She's been indicted for the murder of her daughter, Priscilla Blaine.
An indictment is not a conviction, Your Honor, and certainly no evidence of my client's guilt.
The grand jury is nothing more than the District Attorney's puppet Enough, Mr.
Pollard.
The court takes judicial notice of the indictment.
Patti: When we were little, she had us both taking lessons, trying to get an agent.
- Melnick: How old were you? - Patti: Five.
- And Priscilla? - She was three.
And was this something you both enjoyed? I didn't.
Melnick: And your sister, Priscilla? It was harder for her.
I left, and after that Priscilla was expected to fill that void.
I see.
And what did these expectations entail? Well, when she was five she had dance class three times a week after school and on Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:00.
Melnick: Patti, did Priscilla ever express to you that she was unhappy with the way your mother had planned her life? Once she lost an audition for "The Nutcracker Suite.
" My mother was very upset.
It was always like that.
And that night when we got home, Priscilla asked me, did I think Mom didn't love her anymore? Objection.
Hearsay.
Sustained.
Patti, tell the court why you would like to be appointed administrator of your sister's estate.
Because, in my opinion, my mother is unfit.
Melnick: Do you believe that your mother was responsible for Priscilla's death? Yes, I do.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Aside from when Priscilla was a five-year-old, did she ever tell you that your mother treated her badly? No.
Did Priscilla ever tell you your mother forced her to make pornographic films? We didn't discuss Did she ever tell you your mother made her do anything she didn't want to do? - No, not in those words.
- In fact when you told her that you thought your mother was pushing her too hard, she got angry at you, isn't that true? - Yes, but she - Patti who will receive Priscilla's money if your mother is convicted? - I will.
- I see.
And how long has it been since you've seen your sister? Well, we talked every couple of weeks.
When was the last time you saw her? It's been about two years.
So you were very devoted.
You came to her funeral, and you came to collect an inheritance.
Objection, Your Honor! Mrs.
Blaine: She wanted to be an actress.
I did too when I was her age, only I didn't have someone to encourage me.
I wanted it to be different for her.
But why these films? She wanted to act for the cameras.
They weren't giving her that in school.
There's a difference between acting, though, and acting in a pornographic film.
All she did was take off her clothes.
Did Priscilla ever do anything more than undress in front of the camera? No.
It never went further than that.
- I made sure of that.
- Thank you, Mrs.
Blaine.
Mrs.
Blaine, Priscilla was going to star in an upcoming film with the same director, wasn't she? - Yes.
- And as the star in that film, she would have to do more than just take off her clothes, isn't that true? They told Marilyn Monroe that nude calendar would ruin her career.
It made her a star.
Ahem would you tell us, please, Mrs.
Blaine, was Priscilla nervous about starring in a pornographic film? All actresses are nervous before a big part.
Yes, but when your daughter came to you and told you she was nervous, what did you say to her? I told her she should talk to her friend, Angel she had made a lot of films.
Mrs.
Blaine, did it never occur to you that starring in a pornographic film might not be in your daughter's best interest? Priscilla was an adult.
She made her own decisions.
I did nothing wrong! No, you merely encouraged her to prostitute her I encouraged her to do exactly what she wanted to do! Be seated.
The particulars of this case are repugnant to me.
Frankly, I don't think either of the applicants are fit administrators of Priscilla Blaine's estate.
It's also clear the prosecutor's office is using this proceeding to reach its own goals.
However, I cannot in good conscience ignore the criminal charges against the applicant.
I'm going to sign an order issuing letters to the objectant, Patricia Blaine.
This hearing is adjourned.
What are some of the effects of amitriptyline? Man: Alleviates nervous tension, symptoms of depression.
And in larger dosages? Reduced inhibitions, may evoke a state of euphoria.
What is the usual prescribed dosage? three times a day to a maximum of 150 milligrams as necessary.
- There are 25 milligrams to each tablet? - Yes.
How much of this drug did Ms.
Blaine take the night she died? - Over 200 milligrams.
- So, that's at least eight tablets? Man: Yes.
Was there any physical evidence to indicate whether or not Ms.
Blaine was an habitual user of drugs? The corrosive appearance of the stomach lining and the presence of partially digested tablets suggest her system didn't easily absorb the drug.
If I'm a vegetarian all my life, and one night I eat a steak, my body has a hard time digesting it, right? Something like that.
So, it's more probable than not that Ms.
Blaine was not an abuser? Man: That's correct.
Stone: And if she had wanted an extra kick, - 50 milligrams would have sufficed? - That's correct.
So, in your expert opinion, Doctor, why would Ms.
Blaine have taken eight tablets? To die.
I told her never to take more than one.
Had Priscilla ever asked you for drugs before? No.
And I had never offered them.
Did she say why she wanted the amitriptyline? She was nervous about the new film.
- The one she was going to star in? - Yes.
Why was she nervous? She didn't think she could go through with it.
Stone: Go through with what, Ms.
Greer? Having sex in front of a camera.
So, she needed the drugs to help her do that? Yes.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You and Priscilla were good friends? - We were friendly.
- Just friendly? Well, her mom didn't want us getting too close.
In fact, didn't Mrs.
Blaine discourage Priscilla from spending any time with you at all? - Yes.
- Why was that, Angel? She knew that I took drugs.
And she didn't want Priscilla associating with people who took drugs, isn't that right? Yes.
When did Priscilla Blaine start working for you? I believe it was late February.
And how many of these films did she appear in? Four no, five.
Was she featured in any of these? No.
Yet she was going to, and I quote, "star in your next film.
" Is that correct? Yeah.
Did Mrs.
Blaine know about that? Did she know? She wanted script approval, the whole bit.
In your new film, was Priscilla Blaine expected to perform sex acts on screen? Tastefully, yes.
Did Mrs.
Blaine know that her daughter was expected to perform sex on screen? She'd been watching us shoot for months.
She knew.
And when did your film go into production? We were supposed to start shooting June 3rd.
The morning after Priscilla Blaine died? Yes.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Ahem Mr.
Frome, did you approach Priscilla about starring in this new film? No, she came to me.
Priscilla came to you and asked if she could star in the film? Something like that.
Was her mother with her? Frome: No, she was alone.
Do you have any reason to believe that Mrs.
Blaine forced her daughter to ask you for the part? - No.
- Objection.
Beyond the scope of the witness' knowledge.
Mr.
Stone, I did permit you great latitude.
I'll allow it.
She was legally an adult.
If she didn't want to do pornography, why didn't she just walk away? Her mother had total control over her life.
Priscilla was powerless in that relationship.
She dated a boy her mother didn't want her to.
She lied to get out of a performance and she even began seeing you without her mother's permission.
She lied because she was afraid to confront her.
But she was an actress.
Did she really have that kind of difficulty expressing herself? She was so used to subverting her emotions, there were days she came to my office and couldn't say a word.
She found other ways.
What other ways? She had long, lovely hair.
She knew her mother prized her hair.
A month ago, she cut it all off.
Not styled shorn.
Doctor, this is a transcript from the time you discussed that incident with Priscilla.
Would you please read the highlighted portions out loud? "Priscilla: 'I started, and I just kept going.
' Doctor: 'Why did you do it? ' Priscilla: 'Maybe I don't know, Mom said my hair was what sold me or something.
I thought without the hair, whatever maybe she'd get it.
"' Doctor, would you characterize that incident as self-destructive? Cutting hair, cutting skin it's how some kids get their point across.
And did you believe it would lead - to more serious forms of self-destructive behavior? - It usually does.
Dr.
Seliger, did Priscilla Blaine ever talk to you about committing suicide? Indirectly.
How so? She made a tape of a monologue from a play she did in class.
What did she plan to do with that tape? She gave it to her mother.
Said she "hoped she'd understand.
" When did she give the tape to her mother? A week before she died.
Your Honor, at this time I'd like to play the tape for the Court.
The Defense renews its objection.
Mr.
Stone is insisting the death was a suicide, and is now attempting to introduce non-relevant facts into that theory.
Objection's noted, Mr.
Pollard.
I'll allow the tape for what it's worth.
Mama, you awake? I couldn't sleep.
I haven't slept in days.
Last night in the dark I looked at myself in the mirror and all I could see were the whites of my eyes.
And I knew how scared I really was.
Are you dreaming, Mama? Remember Abilene, Mama? How the towns clicked by and I begged you to stop the train? Lexington, Nashville, Little Rock.
I was sick for a thousand miles.
And I hated you for it.
Well, Mama, you sleep.
Me I'm getting off this train.
I'm tired now, Mama.
When you wake up don't be angry that I'm gone.
It's my turn to sleep.
Adam: So they might believe the girl committed suicide, but the defense will appeal.
Admission of the tape was reversible error.
Judge Hale didn't think the tape was overly prejudicial.
Even if the girl did kill herself, it's tough to prove that the mother's behavior was the proximate cause of her death.
And we're almost there.
The tape went a long way to prove that.
Mrs.
Blaine knew that acting in those films was making her daughter suicidal.
Yeah, but if she doesn't take the stand, you got no way of proving what she knew or didn't know.
And Pollard's no fool.
He's been around.
No way he's gonna put her on the stand.
No way you're going to make your case.
What if it wasn't suicide after all? At the probate hearing, Mrs.
Blaine said that when Priscilla was nervous about starring in a film, she told her to talk to Angel about it.
At trial, Angel said Mrs.
Blaine didn't want Priscilla around her.
Maybe she knew Angel was getting drugs to get through the performance.
So Mrs.
Blaine sent Priscilla to Angel to get the drugs to help her have sex on camera.
So we change our theory? Priscilla didn't commit suicide, she OD'd? Mrs.
Blaine not only forced her daughter to have sex on camera, but she gave her the drugs to help her do that.
Ergo, she is guilty of her daughter's death.
And with her prior testimony, we don't even need Mrs.
Blaine on the stand.
Now, Ben, what do you think? Do you believe this girl committed suicide? I do believe that Mrs.
Blaine is guilty of her daughter's death.
I'll do anything to make it stick.
It's prejudicial.
It's inflammatory I am not deciding on decibel level, Lucas.
There is nothing in that transcript that would prejudice a jury.
What about her right against self-incrimination? Mrs.
Blaine testified under oath.
She was represented by counsel.
Her rights were fully protected.
"Question: 'What did you say to your daughter when she told you she was nervous? ' Answer, Mrs.
Blaine: 'I told her to talk to her friend Angel.
She made a lot of films.
"' Now, what's the problem with that? He's manufacturing proximate cause.
A jury could infer that the defendant sent her daughter to Angel specifically to get drugs.
- Still, if the girl committed suicide - Pollard: Exactly.
What if she didn't? What if she accidentally OD'd? Your point being? We're in agreement on one major point nobody will ever know what Priscilla's intentions were.
But we do know that her mother intended to get that film made no matter what the cost.
That's a sandbag.
He's changing theories in mid-case because he hasn't got anything to stand on.
Oh, I think not.
I think if you ask a jury, they'll tell you her taped plea to her mother the most passionate performance of that girl's life.
I see no reason to overrule the motion.
I'll allow Mrs.
Blaine's testimony to be read into evidence.
I'll need 10 minutes with my client.
So now you're telling me it was an accident and it's still my fault? Mrs.
Blaine, I'm not a psychiatrist I don't know what part of your psyche made you push your own flesh and blood into pornography but yes, I do think Priscilla's death was your fault, both legally and morally.
But I loved her.
She was my life.
No, she was your daughter.
She had a life of her own.
Criminally negligent homicide with a sentencing recommendation? An "E" felony? She's not dangerous, Ben.
Man two? She does the max.
It was kind of like a fairy tale, wasn't it? Which one? "Mirror, mirror on the wall " She looked at her daughter and saw herself.
Somehow, I don't think she'll ever understand what she did wrong.
No, I suppose you're right, but it's scary.
What's that? That an emotion like love can do so much damage.