History Recap / LawAndOrderS12E15AccessNation

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. Access Nation claim that Rice was background checked, but lied on the forms. However, the CEO John [=McDowell=] is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, One of [=McDowell's=] employees discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife to a domestic violence shelter in violation of a restraining order; after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell's=] attorney advised him to stop performing background checks on their customers. He pleads out in Conley's death and his lawyer is advised by the trial judge to get his own lawyer.

* DeathGlare: Southerlyn buys a large amount of personal information about [=McCoy=] and Lewin from Access Nation in order to prove how intrusive they are. She reels off a list of facts about [=McCoy=] that are all privacy violations; the asks if she wants them to hear Lewin's information too. Lewin responds with one of these.

* DeathGlare: Southerlyn buys a large amount of personal information about [=McCoy=] from Access Nation in order to prove how intrusive they are. When she says that she could get Lewin's information too, Lewin responds with one of these.

* SinisterSurveillance: Access Nation can provide a terrifying amount of personal information about someone, including their full financial and medical history.

* IdiotBall: Any ethical attorney would advise [=McDowell=] to continue performing background checks on their clients. Instead, when discovering that a client is abusing their service to break the law, they should drop the client and contact the authorities and spell that condition out in their confidentiality agreement.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. Access Nation claim that Rice was background checked, but lied on the forms. However, the CEO John [=McDowell=] is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, [=McDowell=] discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife in violation of a restraining order; after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell's=] attorney advised him to stop performing background checks on their customers. He pleads out in Conley's death and his lawyer is advised by the trial judge to get his own lawyer.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. Access Nation claim that Rice was background checked, but lied on the forms. However, the CEO John [=McDowell=] is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, [=McDowell=] discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife in violation of a restraining order; after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell's=] attorney advised him to stop performing background checks on their customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death and his lawyer is advised by the trial judge to get his own lawyer.

* IdiotBall: Any ethical attorney would advise [=McDowell=] to continue performing background checks on their clients. Instead, when discovering that a client is abusing their service to break the law, they should drop the client and contact the authorities and spell that condition in their confidentiality agreement.

* AmoralAttorney: [=McDowell's=] attorney's irresponsible and ultimately illegal advice to his client to stop performing background checking on his company's clients puts him squarely in this category. His actions lead to Tracy's murder and gives [=McCoy=] a solid crime-fraud exception claim to attorney-client privilege when the e-mails between him and [=McDowell=] are uncovered.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. Access Nation claim that Rice was background checked, but lied on the forms. However, the CEO John [=McDowell=] is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, [=McDowell=] discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife in violation of a restraining order; after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell=] decided the company would no longer perform background checks on customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

Whilst investigating the murder of a psychiatrist named Tracy Conley, Green and Briscoe learn that after she died, a confidential patient file was edited. Virgil Rice, who's a convicted serial rapist, had hacked into her computer and discovered from his file that she planned to report him for breaking the terms of his parole. A data brokerage firm called Access Nation sold him sensitive personal data about the victim, including records of posts she made in a chat room. From these, Rice found out that she was a survivor of rape; he believed she held a grudge against him because he was a rapist, and this drove him to kill her. When the defence gets vital evidence suppressed, the case will not hold up. [=McCoy=] is forced to offer a plea deal and then explain to Conley's parents why Rice will serve only ten years in jail for her murder.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. They claim that Rice was asked whether he had a criminal record, but he said no. The CEO, John [=McDowell=], is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, [=McDowell=] discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife in violation of a restraining order; after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell=] decided the company would no longer perform background checks on customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

Directed by Creator/

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. They claim that Rice was asked whether he had a criminal record, but he said no. The CEO, John [=McDowell=], is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Rice approached Access Nation, [=McDowell=] discovered a customer was trying to buy information to help him trace his wife in violation of a restraining order;
after seeking legal advice, [=McDowell=] decided the company would no longer perform background checks on customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. They claim that Rice was asked whether he had a criminal record, but he said no. The CEO, John [=McDowell=], is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Conley's murder, [=McDowell=] discovered a violent husband was trying to buy information from Access Nation to help him trace his wife; on the advice of his lawyer, [=McDowell=] decided the company would no longer perform background checks on customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

* SinisterSurveillance: Access Nation can provide a terrifying amount of personal information about someone, including their full financial and medical history.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. They claim that Rice was asked whether he had a criminal record, but he said no. The CEO, John [=McDowell=], is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Conley's murder, [=McDowell=] discovered a violent husband was trying to buy information from Access Nation to help him trace his wife; on the advice of his lawyer, [=McDowell=] decided the company would no longer perform background check on customers. He is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

Now [=McCoy=] wants to prosecute Access Nation, but this means proving they knew Conley would be in danger if they sold Rice her information. They claim that Rice was asked whether he had a criminal record, but he said no. The CEO, John [=McDowell=], is arrested when an employee reveals that the company knew about Rice's rape conviction. In court, [=McDowell=] denies it and plays to the jury's sympathies by saying that Access Nation would help them find out if their neighbor is a terrorist or their babysitter is a pedophile. In response, [=McCoy=] presents copies of [=McDowell's=] emails, purchased from a rival company. Months before Conley's murder, [=McDowell=] had asked for legal advice when a violent husband tried to buy information to help him trace his wife at a women's refuge. The company's lawyer told [=McDowell=] to stop performing background checks on customers. [=McDowell=] is found guilty of culpability in Conley's death.

Whilst investigating the murder of a psychiatrist named Tracy Conley, Green and Briscoe learn that a patient's file was edited after her death. Virgil Rice, who's a convicted serial rapist, had hacked into her computer and discovered from his file that she planned to report him for breaking the terms of his parole. A data brokerage firm called Access Nation sold him sensitive personal data about the victim, including records of posts she made in a chat room. From these, Rice found out that she was a survivor of rape; he believed she held a grudge against him because he was a rapist, and this drove him to kill her. When the defence gets vital evidence suppressed, the case will not hold up. [=McCoy=] is forced to offer a plea deal and then explain to Conley's parents why Rice will serve only ten years in jail for her murder.

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The first half of the episode focuses on the investigation into the murder. The second half focuses on Access Nation and how Rice got access to confidential