Since Farak makes one half of the scandal, heres what you need to know about what she did and where she is now. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. The depths of her thefts and addiction are explored over the course of the series. If she puts her mind to something, she can do it, Amy told the producers of How to Fix a Drug Scandal.. More than 24,000 convictions in 16,449 cases tainted by former state chemist Sonja Farak have been dismissed in a court case brought by the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Committee of Public Counsel Services (CPCS), and law firm Fick & Marx LLP. Farak wasn't . You skipped the table of contents section. A federal judge has rejected claims from an embattled former state prosecutor that she is protected from liability in the fallout over a Massachusetts drug lab scandal. And yet, due to their actions, they did injure people and they did inflict a lot of pain, not just on a couple of people, but on thousands. [1] The premise revolves around documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr following the effects of crime drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan and their tampering with evidence and its aftereffects. She Was Born in 1978 & Raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Only a few months after Dookhan's conviction, it was discovered that another Massachusetts crime lab worker, Sonja Farak, who was addicted to drugs . Between 2003 and 2011, chemist Annie Dookhan engaged in serious misconduct at a state drug lab that jeopardized the integrity of over 20,000 cases in Eastern Massachusetts. Sonja Farak. Carr said shes been shocked to read angry reactions towards Farak over Twitter. The crime laboratory in Amherst stores and analyzes alleged controlled substances seized by local and state police. Sincevery few people willingly dabble in drugs, its more of a question to ask why is this person using drugs to begin with? This is even further legitimized when it's revealed Sonja Farak was dealing with depression since she was 16 years old. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The show also delves into the issues of the state in discovering and reporting on the extent of the cases that were affected by Faraks actions. appreciated. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. Thank you! Prior to working at the Amherst Drug Lab, Farak had been a chemist at the Hinton Drug Lab from 2003 to 2004. . Netflix's most original true-crime film: "How to Fix a Drug Crisis," [3] was released on April 1st, 2020. After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. When she got married, it turned out that her wife, too, suffered from her own demons, and their collective anguish made Sonja desperate for a reprieve from this life. She has kept a low profile but has been spotted in court for civil cases related to her own case, including in 2018. The series chronicles nine years of misconduct at two Massachusetts drug labs. Despite being a star child of the family, Sonja suffered from the mental illnesses that haunted her even in adulthood. WilliamW. Fick All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved. Netflix Pandemic doctor believes he's stumbled on 20-minute coronavirus cure. I find that everyone needs to be given a second chance.". Faraks therapist, Anna Kogan, wrote in her notes that Farak was worried about Nikki finding out about her addiction as well as the possible legal issues if she were ever caught. Read More: Where is Sonja Farak Sister Now? A new documentary by Netflix 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks at the . She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much According to Matt Segal, Legal Director of ACLU of Massachusetts, the justice system is set up to where it is "so easy to hold onto a wrongful conviction and so hard to overcome it.". Massachusetts chemist accused of tampering with evidence, drug possession, Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges, Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. A spokesperson for Attorney General Maura Healey said the AG has long been clear that the conduct that occurred during the previous administration was completely unacceptable and her focus has always been making sure the mistakes of the past never happen again., She implemented a clear policy relating to the disclosure of evidence that is covered at mandatory trainings, created an internal ethics committee, and is committed to continually enhancing the offices integrity practices, the spokesperson added. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sonja had stolen samples from her colleagues' tests and amended the lab database to cover her tracks. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Investigators gave that information to Kaczmarek and the state AG's office,according tohearings before thestate board that disciplines attorneys. As extensively detailed in How to Fix a Drug Scandal, Farak was arrested on January 19, 2013. You can check your records electronically by following this link: Please do not include personal or contact information. I think its very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. She cried as she was sentenced. Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. Very little is known about Farak, the former chemist at the states drug lab, since she has kept a very low profile, even more so after her release from prison. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Specifically speaking, she played on the line on offense and defense. Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Spanish, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Khmer, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Russian, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Vietnamese, To find out if your case was affected by either Ms. Dookhan or Ms. Farak, you can call a toll-free hotline operated by defense lawyers with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency in Massachusetts. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into . Farak was released from prison in 2015 and has kept a low profile since. I felt euphoric, Kogan wrote of Farak. Sonja Farak in How to Fix a Drug Scandal. In the last couple of minutes of the mini-series, there seems to be a reunion at a local Boston restaurant, where many of the key players in the series appear. Sonja had been smoking crack on her lunch break and was asked to take a drug test, which tested positive. In one scene, theres an ACLU poster, and on it is a woman that looks eerily similar to actress and producer, Olivia Wilde. I could not imagine being high on liquid methamphetamine and hiding it, day in, day out, Carr told, adding that her preliminary curiosity surrounding Farak kicked off the making of the docuseries. CNNs Michael Martinez and Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report. Since most drug chemists spend most of their time testing evidence, it doesn't make sense to showcase a chemist sitting at a bench, doing their work, when most of the exciting parts are actually catching the criminals. Between August 2004 and January 2013, chemistSonja Farakengaged in serious misconduct at the state drug lab in Amherst that jeopardized the integrity of thousands of cases, mostly in Western Massachusetts. Sonja Farak, one of the drug chemists putin the spotlight in the documentary, first made headlines when she was the first girl in Rhode Island to play high school football in a public school system! According to the news release from the attorney generals office, workers at the Amherst laboratory contacted state police on Friday to report a discrepancy in the controlled substance inventory held in evidence. Sonja Farak's stature. On January 6, 2014, Farak pled guilty to the charges against her. Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. In her response to the lawsuit, Farak wrote: I agree that I began stealing and using the state labs supply of methamphetamine oil, but I do not recall if it was late 2004 or early 2005 so I cannot agree with the year stated.. Between Farak and Annie Dookhan, over 47,000 drug convictions were overturned, sending them to retrials. One of the reasons for the decrepit state and standard of the Amherst lab was the lack of funds. In her June 17 ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson dismissed former Assistant Attorney General Anne Kaczmarek's claims of qualified immunity a doctrine that gives legal immunity to some public officials accused of misconduct. She worked there for a year but soon understood she wouldnt make sufficient money there in the Boston area to buy a house. Thank you for your website feedback! Please limit your input to 500 characters. She purchased a home there in 2006. After she was caught, Farak pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced to prison time of 18 months. All Rights Reserved. She has since been one of 18 defendants facing a lawsuit by Rolando Penate, who claims they committed "intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penates] civil rights.. Farak also used her position in the lab to manufacture her own drugs for personal use. "It was Defendant who had the responsibility within the AGO [attorney general's office] to see that the Farak investigation materials were disseminated to the DAOs [district attorneys' offices]," Robertson wrote, adding there is no evidence anyone from the attorney general's office sent the potentially exculpatory evidence to those offices.". "The mental health worksheets constituted admissions by the state lab chemist assigned to analyze the samples seized in Plaintiffs case that she was stealing and using lab samples to feed a drug addiction at the time she was testing and certifying the samples in Plaintiffs case, including, in one instance, on the very day that she certified a sample," Robertson's ruling reads. She married Lee after starting her job, but their marriage was rocky. But director Erin Lee Carr 's engrossing docuseries goes a different way. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The new numbers appear in a report issued by a court-designated "Special Master." One thing that How to Fix a Drug Scandal makes clear is that it wasnt all Sonja Faraks fault. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. Carr said that Farak is a private person. investigating Farak for misconduct at the Amherst Drug Lab. The dilemma went beyond Farak, which How to Fix a Drug Scandal deeply explores. Hints of difficulties to come were not obvious as a child, at least not from the outside. She later pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced in 2014 to serve 18 months . To find out if your case was affected by either Ms. Dookhan or Ms. Farak, you can call a toll-free hotline operated by defense lawyers with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency in Massachusetts. While I certainly think her longstanding refusal to acknowledge what she was doing comprised the rights of lots of people, I have sympathy for a human being who is struggling with a very difficult addiction, he said. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Since her release, she has kept a low profile and managed to stay out of the public . Her ar-rest led to the dismissal of thousands of drug cases in Massachusetts. According to her teammates, She was the best center in the league last year, and they [felt] stronger with her in there than with some guys.. A second Massachusetts state chemist in just a few months has been accused of mishandling drug evidence, the attorney generals office said Sunday. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The lax security and regulations of the place and the negligent supervision of the employees and the stock of standards are the reasons why Farak was encouraged to do what she did. A preliminary investigation found that Dookhan may have touched 60,000 samples that were involved in 34,000 drug cases. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy . I mean she could have been my client.. A lock icon ( Moreover, more than 24,000 cases ended up being dismissed due to Faraks misconduct. As a teenager, she had attempted suicide. A former state chemist, Sonja Farak, made headlines in 2013 when she was arrested for stealing and using drugs from a laboratory. Dookhan and Farak Case Hotline: 888-999-2881. AG Healey has also dedicated her efforts to finding fair resolutions for all involved, including advocating for the dismissal of convictions impacted by (Annie) Dookhan and Faraks crimes, and ensuring certain fines and fees are returned to defendants whose criminal charges have been dismissed.. Where is Sonja now? By Gina Tron. Learn The Real Facts About What Dinosaur Had 500 Teeth. Sonja Farak Photo: Netflix. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. After contemplating another suicide, she settled on drugs, and the fact that she had such easy access to it at her workplace made it easier for her to get lost in that world. Damning evidence reveals drug lab chemist Sonja Farak's addictions. Sonja Farak, 35, who worked at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested at her Northampton home Saturday night by Massachusetts State Police and is facing two counts of tampering with evidence, one count of possession of a Class A substance, and one count of possession of a Class B Substance, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley. Documentary series How To Fix a Drug Scandal follows crime drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan and how each of their own unique levels of misconduct impacted thousands of cases and resulted in chaos for the legal system. The actions of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan caused a racket of such a scale that the state had to recompense for it with millions of dollars and had to make a historic move in the dismissal of wrongful convictions. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. "All Defendant had to do to honor the Plaintiffs Brady rights was to turn over copies of documents that were obviously exculpatory as to the Farak defendants or accede to one of the repeated requests from counsel, including Plaintiffs counsel, that they be permitted to inspect the evidence seized from Faraks car," Robertson wrote in her ruling. On a Friday afternoon in January 2013, a call came in to Coakley's office: "We have another Annie Dookhan out west." Earlier that day, a chemist at the Amherst drug lab had tracked . Her first doc was Thought Crimes: The Case . Where is Sonja now? Am I somebody who took her personhood? In January 2014, Farak, then 35, of Northampton, was given an 18-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorized dispensary (the drug . The number is. In one, drug lab technician Sonja Farak was caught tampering with evidence so she could steal hard drugs for personal use. While its a small fact said in the documentary mini-series, its a mind-bogglingone. In the . Netflix's How To Fix a Drug Scandal tells the story of crime drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan and how their misconduct affected thousands. While Dookhan spoiled evidence in the favor of the prosecution, Farak smoked it. But there are also some things audiences may have missed on their first viewing. Her interest soon led to a regular drug habit. The Bechdel Test is a test that measures the representation of women in fiction. Over 40,000 drug convictions were excluded due to Annie Dookhan and Sonja Faraks criminal misconduct (both were sentenced for their crimes). Former chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted in 2013 on charges of improperly testing drug evidence at a drug lab in Boston. Sonja Farak is the former state drug lab chemist featured in Netflix's "How to Fix a Scandal." (The Massachusetts 2017 group exoneration involving chemist Annie Dookhan took place at the main lab.) The newest true-crime docu-series on Netflix that requires to be on your to-watch list is How to Fix a Drug Scandal, a shocking glance into how two drug lab chemists deliberately changed the proof over the course of many years and affected tens of thousands of court cases. She disclosed to her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. A status hearing on Penate's suit, which was filed in 2017, is scheduled for July. On further review, the Court ordered the automatic dismissal with prejudice of all cases tested at the Amherst Drug Lab between January 2009 and January 2013, effective December 13, 2018. The case notoriously involved a rare one . I wasnt abused and yet I still turned out a certain way, still had some problems.. Massachusetts authorities are reviewing the sentences of 1,140 people who are in prison after being convicted with evidence at least partly provided by Dookhan. Sonja Farak worked as a chemist for the state of Massachusetts, specializing in identifying illegal substances. Since her release, she has kept a low profile and managed to stay out of the public eye. Farak was charged with tampering with evidence and drug possession on January 22, 2013. Luke Ryan Photo: Netflix "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" documents the riveting details about how a . She had suffered from mental health issues throughout her life and, according to Rolling Stone, had tried to kill herself in High School. A different film might have demonized Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, showing how their unconscionable behavior sent potentially innocent people to jail, destroying countless lives in the process. For information on how to obtain relief through the class action lawsuit, please contact the attorneys representing the class, as provided below: LukeRyan She remained a football fan, and loved the Patriots. [2][3], Dookhan was accused of forging reports and tampering with samples to produce desired results. The number is 888-999-2881. In 2019, Sonja was seen leaving Springfield Federal Court but declined to speak to press. Who Is Sonja Farak And What Is Her Drug Scandal. Did you encounter any technical issues? If you're on the prowl for . Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. Sonja Farak from How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Photo: Netflix) By Alex Finnis. Farak is one of two Massachusetts drug lab technicians who were caught tainting evidence that was . Matt is short for Matthew, and the mat is a play on words of his name. Two Massachusetts drug-testing laboratory technicians are caught tampering with and falsifying drug evidence, and prosecutors are reluctant to disclose the full extent of their criminal behavior. Powered by. It features the true story of Sonja Farak, a former state drug lab chemist in Massachusetts who was arrested in 2013 for consuming the drugs she was supposed to test and tampering with the evidence to cover up her tracks. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. According to the ACLU, she became a voice for the ACLU in 2012, which is right around the time when the Sonja Farak case exploded. It didnt matter whether or not she was the one who did the testing or some other chemist. She started taking drugs home, and doing them first thing in the morning. While Farak kept her drug use separated to work only at first, her use still spilled out. In the documentary, Heather Harris, a forensic chemist, states that drug chemists don't make for compelling television. She had been accused of intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penates] civil rights.. I was totally controlled by my addiction," she revealed in the documentary. Where is Sonja Farak now? Sonja Farak and two other chemists analyzed drug samples at the lab from late 2004 until its closure on January 18, 2013. She looked into the western area of the state because it was less costly and less hectic. In "How to Fix a Drug Scandal," a new four-part Netflix docuseries, documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr presents the stories of Massachusetts drug lab chemists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak, and . Sonja Farak's net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million in 2020. Episode 1. Yet, the cases of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhanbecame "one of the largest mass dismissals of criminal convictions in United States history." If you need assistance, please contact the Executive Office of the Trial Court. While not reporting, he enjoys long-distance running. Magistrate Judge Robertson denied a request in Penate's lawsuit that Kaczmarek be prohibited from contesting the special hearing officer's findings. The scandal led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. Copyright 2023 by Vizaca. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education. After serving just a year of her 18 month sentence, Farak was released from prison in 2015. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She said, It was about coping; it certainly wasnt about having fun; I dont think shes had fun in quite a while.. "No reasonable individual could have failed to appreciate the unlawfulness of [Kaczmarek's] actions in these circumstances," Robertson wrote in her ruling. According to the notes, Farak thought it gave her energy, helped her to get things done and not procrastinate, feel more positive., Her partner Nikki Lee testified before a grand jury that she herself had tried cocaine, that she had observed Farak using cocaine in 2000, and that she had marijuana in her house when police officers arrived to search the premises as part of their investigation of Farak., In Faraks testimony during a grand jury investigation, she said that she became a recreational drug user during graduate school and used cocaine, marihuana, and ecstasy. She also said she used heroin one time and was nervous and sick and hated every minute of it [and had] no desire to use [it] again., Farak met and settled down with Nikki Lee in her 20s. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. Instead, all such relief must now be sought through the pending class action lawsuit, Stacey Foster v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, et al, provided that the claimant meetsthe criteria to qualify as a member of the class. Farak stole the drugs (mainly meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine) because she was addicted. We allege that this chemist tampered with evidence, placing the integrity of that evidence in question, Coakley said in a statement. Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges. Why did she do that and where has it left her? Penate is just one of the thousands of people whose cases were affected by Faraks actions. Here are 10 things everyone completely missed in Netflix's How to Fix a Drug Scandal. In 2019, the former chemist was seen attending a civil case at a federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. After eight years at the lab, Sonja was finally caught out and arrested for her actions. How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had undergone from depression for many years. Three former Massachusetts assistant attorneys general all engaged in misconduct while investigating a state drug lab scandal involving disgraced former-chemist Sonja Farak, according to the . Filmmaker Erin Lee Carr's newest docuseries "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" shines a spotlight on misconduct on several levels but its primary focus is on a Massachusetts former drug lab technician named Sonja Farak. However, throughout her time at the lab, Sonja was habitually abusing these substances for personal use and carried out her role whilst high on liquid methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD and even crack. Hanchett found a leftover beaker with a white residue on it. Farak pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with evidence, four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorized dispensary, and two counts of possession of cocaine in 2014. On top of that, it was also ensured that no analyst would ever work without supervision. YouTube On January 19, 2013, AGO investigators obtained a warrant to search Farak's car, searched the car, and seized hundreds of pages of paper, including the Diary Card and other mental health worksheets. "As the gatekeeper to this evidence, she failed to turn over documents, and she adamantly opposed the requests for access. Release year: 2020. This is whenMatt Segal reveals a T-shirt to commemorate their time on this case. The civil lawsuit was one of the last tied to prosecutors' disputedhandling of the case against disgraced ex-chemist Sonja Farak, who was convicted in 2014 of ingesting drug samples she was supposed to test at the Amherst state drug lab. In 2019, she was seen leaving the Springfield Federal Court but declined to comment on the status of the case. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? Approximately one year later, she pled guilty to tampering with evidence, unlawful possession, and stealing narcotics. Chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan tampered with evidence and even used narcotics. But it turns out that Farak was really high while running some of those tests. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. The charges against Penate were dismissed after Farak's conviction. First and foremost, this show is about the utter importance of mental health. (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx Farak worked at the Amherst Lab since the summer of 2004 and she started taking the labs drugs soon after. The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. A search of her bag later showed the ingredients for cooking her own cocaine: baking soda, candle wax, and modeling clay, along with utensils that she could use to make it. She started working shortly after for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in July 2003 until July 2012, and from July 2012 until January 2013 for the Massachusetts State Police when the lab fell under their jurisdiction. How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. A judge's ruling that tossed out a defendant's conviction because of a drug lab scandal has now jeopardized nearly 10,000 convictions tied to disgraced former state chemist Sonja Farak and the . Powered by WordPress.com VIP. General drug lab cases information. CNNs attempts to reach an attorney representing Farak were unsuccessful. NORTHAMPTON Sonja J. Farak told a nurse at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee in December 2013 that she used methamphetamines and other stimulants "whenever she could get her hands on them." And since her job as a chemist was to test drug samples at a state drug lab in Amherst, that opportunity . She said it gave me the desired effects. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts. While what she did was immoral, many have been sympathetic to her plight. Farak has stayed sober, according to the docuseries. Defense attorney Luke Ryan's clients Rolando Penate and Rafael Rodriguez were convicted based upon Sonja Farak's drug lab testing. That settlement awaits approval by a judge. 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