This first-time event, brought to you by GBH in partnership with NPR, PBS and stations across the country, is a celebration of all that #PublicMediaGives people everywhere. I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. . Anders Behring Breivik. "No reasonablejury could conclude that this evidence is not favorable.". Regardless, there's little attention paid to the humanity of the actual chemist . She said it gave me the desired effects. Months before Faraks misconduct came to light in 2013, another lab technician named Annie Dookhan was arrested in 2012 after it became apparent that she wasnt even testing the drug evidence; rather, she just marked results as positive so that she could impress her colleagues with her speed and efficiency. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with . In the aftermath of Farak's arrest, it's been argued that because she was under the influence, all of the cases she tested could be considered to have been wrongfully convicted. Penate argued the court should follow those findings. The disgraced chemist was sentenced to less than two years behind bars in 2014, following her guilty pleas for stealing cocaine from the lab. Netflix's new docuseries How to Fix a Drug Scandal is about way more than former drug lab chemist Sonja Farak's years-long addiction to the drugs she was testing everyday. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. The disgraced chemist was sentenced to less than two years behind bars in 2014, following her guilty pleas for stealing cocaine from the lab. The four-part Netflix series goes deep into the story of a man named Rolando Penate, a case Farak had handled at the lab. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy.. She Was Born in 1978 & Raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. Sonja Farak during her arraignment at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown in 2013. Actress Shannon O'Neill portrays Farak in How to a Fix a Drug Scandal. By Arun Rath Matt Baskin. 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. Damning evidence reveals drug lab chemist Sonja Farak's addictions. She played as the starting guard for Portsmouth High Schools freshman team. The prosecutors have been tied to the drug lab scandal involving disgraced former state chemist Sonja Farak, who admitted to stealing and using drugs from an Amherst state lab. Farak received a sentence of 18 months in jail and 5 years of probation. The move comes months after the American Civil Liberties Union and the state's public defender agency asked the state's highest court to throw out all of the cases tainted by Sonja Farak, who . A new documentary by Netflix 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks at the . After she was caught, Farak pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced to prison time of 18 months. October 6, 2020 All Things Considered. 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. She received an 18-month jail sentence. Carr told Women's Health she was really interested in humanizing Farak's story to fill in the gaps left by New England media. The number is 888-999-2881. He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. She started doing drugs almost as soon as she took the job at Amherst, but it was after years of negligence on her superiors part that her actions finally came to light. A majority of the report focused on Kaczmarek, who was primarily in charge of the day-to-day handling of the Farak prosecution. With her response, she only listed a Hatfield, Mass. Kaczmarek failed to disclose information and intentionally misrepresented the evidence she had, and worked to actively shut down inquiry and deflect zealous work by Farak defendants counsel who were doing their jobs by requesting evidence of Faraks misconduct, according to the report. She still resides in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, specifically, in the Portsmouth Park Area. that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. Fake drugs were found in their place. I wasnt abused and yet I still turned out a certain way, still had some problems.. There was something so tragic but also surreal about this story.. T he day Sonja Farak's world unraveled - the day a crack pipe and sliced evidence bags of cocaine were found at her workstation - started like many others: she attended court. Given the account that Farak was a law-abiding citizen, it is questioned as to how an educated person with a stable job would commit a crime of this magnitude. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. They were all rendered unacceptable. Cohen and Felson's (Long, 2021) Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. More than 24,000 convictions have been overturned as a result of her case. Jared Fogle. In 2017, Rolando Penate filed a $5.7 million lawsuit against 18 defendants, including Farak. Less than a year later, former drug lab technician Sonja Farak would also be arrested for tampering with the drugs she was tasked with testing. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, Greenway Food Truck Festival promises diverse flavors in the heart of Boston, New heads of Mass Democrats and Mass GOP spar on abortion, The drag show during North Brookfield's Pride celebration will go on, The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry, Basic Black: Castle of Our Skins celebrates Black artistry through chamber music. This Board of Bar Overseers report comes as Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins last week said shes asking the states highest court to toss thousands of convictions for which evidence was processed at the now-disgraced Hinton lab. With the lab's ample drug supply, she was able to sneak the drug each day from a jug that resided in the shared workspace. How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. On top of that, it was also ensured that no analyst would ever work without supervision. Carr said shes been horrified to read angry reactions towards Farak over Twitter. That's when rogue. Westcott has been in recovery from heroin addiction for nearly nine years. The chemist, Sonja Farak, worked at the Amherst crime drug lab from 2004 to 2013 during which she was high almost every day. She has since been one of 18 defendants facing a lawsuit by Rolando Penate, who claims they. Farak testified that she started off trying meth in the lab because she was "curious. She admitted that back in college shed research drugs and noted that meth sounded like one she was particularly interested in trying. "If she puts her mind to something, she can do it, Amy told the producers of How to Fix a Drug Scandal.. Inwardly though, Sonja was struggling. However, from the docuseries, it is clear that she remains in touch with her daughters. Farak as a young woman (Photo: Netflix) Her misconduct led to more than 24,000 drug cases being dismissed. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! READ NEXT: Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts, Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Her medical records included notes from Faraks therapist in Amherst, Anna Kogan. F ormer FBI special agent Peter Strzok's wife discovered his affair with FBI lawyer Lisa Page on his phone in 2017, the Justice Department revealed in its response to . Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 to stealing drugs and tampering with evidence, in addition to using crack cocaine and other drugs while analyzing evidence at the lab. Over time, Farak's drug use turned to cocaine, LSD and, eventually, crack. She really did, at certain times, tried to stop doing this but couldnt.. Her parents were described as loving, and somewhat strict. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. 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. The difference? More than 24,000 convictions have been overturned as a result of her case. While what she did was wrong, many have been sympathetic to her plight. In fact, she was highly accomplished before all her struggles. That is as much public exposure as shes opened herself up to since her release from jail. I think that this is really painful and difficult that her case is getting re-examined in sort of a public way because, you know, when you put things on a network like Netflix, people are going to talk about it.". "As the gatekeeper to this evidence, she failed to turn over documents, and she adamantly opposed the requests for access. Sonja Farak, a chemist with a longterm mental health struggle, is the catalyst of the story, but it doesn't end with her. Capricorns. On January 6, 2014, Farak pled guilty to the charges against her. They wrote that she served 13 months and was paroled sometime in 2015. After Faraks arrest in 2013, police found pages of mental health worksheets in her car indicating she'd struggled with drug addiction since at least 2011. According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. Farak was a former lab chemist at a lab in Amherst, Massachusetts and was convicted of stealing and using drugs from the lab where she worked. The surveillance of the chemists as well as the standards and the confiscated drugs has also been increased considerably. 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. Magistrate Judge Robertson denied a request in Penate's lawsuit that Kaczmarek be prohibited from contesting the special hearing officer's findings. 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. Netflix's latest documentary series, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, focuses on the story of Sonja Farak, a former Massachusetts crime lab chemist who was found to be abusing the drugs she was . Original release. Join us. 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. He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. Support GBH. Linda was born on 19th July 1951. If Farak found a substance was a true drug, the person it was confiscated from could be convicted of a substance-related crime. Penate is just one of the thousands of people whose cases were affected by Faraks actions. You can try, Suspensions and a reprimand proposed for prosecutors admonished in drug lab scandal. "And I think often when we're looking at these criminal justice stories, and we're looking at 'perpetrators,' we sort of almost see them as avatars, like 'there was this bad chemist and she did X.'" How to Fix a Drug Scandal: With Shannon O'Neill, Karl Kenzler, Paul Solotaroff, Jared Olanoff. Lets find out. Farak's findings, and occasional testimony at court about her testing, was used as evidence to convict the person who had been arrested. She had been accused of intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penates] civil rights.. Sonja Farak grew up with an interest in sports, and a desire to do well in life. Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. Oxygen.com was not able to reach Farak for comment. Sonja Farak in court in 2014.. Her parents were described as loving, and somewhat strict. After their arrests, prosecutors at the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office then. She was arrested on January 19, 2013. Now, you might be curious about where Sonjas mother, Linda, is at the moment. She purchased a home there in 2006. YouTube Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. I mean she could have been my client. Harmony's brother Jamison asks about her often, the parents say. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The people who were involved in this will finally get justice, Westcott said. The latest true crime offering from Netflix is the documentary series How to Fix a Drug Scandal. It dives into the story of Sonja Farak, a chemist who worked for a Massachusetts state drug lab and got arrested for taking the drugs she was testing as well as tampering with evidence. In conclusion, Linda seems to be where she always was. Audiences also hear from Farak's mother and sister who have never spoken to the press before. I mean she could have been my client.". Farak is one of two Massachusetts drug lab technicians who were caught tainting evidence that was used to convict thousands of defendants on drug charges. Shortly into her role at Amherst, Farak decided to try liquid methamphetamine to ease her personal struggles. The average amount for each recipient is estimated at $375. "Not only did I already put my life on hold for the years that I was using, but now I was ready to be a functional member of society and I was blocked from doing that because of these charges," Westcott said. . Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Any uncashed checks will be distributed to Community Legal Aid, Inc., the Transformational Prison Project, and the Tufts Education Reentry Network program after one year. Despite being a star child of the family, Sonja suffered from the mental illnesses that haunted her even in adulthood. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. 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Penate's lawsuit, which seeks $5.7 million in damages, is believed to be one of the last remaining suits tied to the scandals; the statute of limitations to file such suits has expired. The woman is older now and is perhaps trying to put the incident concerning her daughter, behind her. Former chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted in 2013 on charges of improperly testing drug evidence at a drug lab in Boston. The newest true crime series from Netflix, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, was released on April 1, 2020. She shone academically as well. One thing that How to Fix a Drug Scandal makes clear is that it wasnt all Sonja Faraks fault. Farak graduated with high distinction from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was passionate about science, according to Rolling Stone. Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts. Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. Towards the end of the docuseries, we see her coming to terms with Sonjas indiscretions. She cried as she was sentenced, I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan, said in the docuseries. (Courtesy Shawn Musgrave) For the first time ever, the board that disciplines attorneys is recommending a former Massachusetts prosecutor lose her law license for failing to turn over evidence that might have exonerated defendants. Those are things that cause people, including my clients, to make choices that negatively impact themselves and others. When Sonja graduated high school in 1996, she didnt just receive various varsity letters for sports. Between Farak and Dookhanwho's also featured in How to Fix a Drug Scandal38,000 wrongfully convicted cases have been dismissed, according to the Washington Post. Sonja Farak worked at the Amherst crime lab testing the authenticity of controlled substances submitted by state law enforcement agencies. Filmmaker Erin Lee Carrs 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. Massachusetts officials are notifying more than 30,000 people who will share a $14 million dollar settlement for the impact of the states drug lab scandals a decade ago. Soon after, the state police took over the control, and the lab was moved to Springfield, where it remains under the supervision of the state police. In fact, How To Fix a Drug Scandal shows the Faraks at a football game after Sonja serves time for her actions. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Why did she do that and where has it left her? The Board of Bar Overseers (BBO) is reviewing the actions of three prosecutors in the investigation of the scandal to determine whether any of them deliberately withheld potentially exculpatory evidence. While Carr doesn't know a lot about Farak's personal life ("She's a very, very private person," she notes), the director does believe she is a "clear cut example" of the power of second chances. The responsibility of the mess that she created should also rest upon the shoulders of her workplace that allowed her the opportunity to indulge so freely in drugs in the first place. Tens of thousands of criminal drug cases were dismissed as a result of misconduct by Dookhan and Farak. Farak has stayed sober, according to the docuseries. Farak worked at the Amherst Lab since the summer of 2004 and she started taking the labs drugs soon after. 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 came daily. Many people watching the show are wondering: where is Sonja Farak now? After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. She first worked at the Hinton State Laboratory in Jamaica Plain for a year as a bacteriologist working on HIV tests before she transferred to the Amherst Lab for drug analysis. Because of all that, it's no surprise that Farak was sent to prison in Massachusetts. Furthermore, Netflix has created a documentary on her story named 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal'. The scandal led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. The district attorneys in Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Hampden and Northwest counties have dismissed charges in about 6,000 cases linked to Farak. She was also her class co-valedictorian. You can try, Judge dismisses 'qualified immunity' claim in suit against ex-prosecutor in drug lab scandal, Judge declines mass dismissal of cases from tainted drug lab, New Evidence May Implicate Additional Chemists In Statewide Drug Lab Scandal. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. Sadly, theirs weren't the greatest crimes in this real-life drama. Trump's latest attack addresses DeSantis' overseas trips to the U.K., Israel, Florida's Covid-19 record, and polling support for the 2024 Presidential race. Part of that process included having a conversation with Farak, though Carr couldn't capture it on camera. A lead plaintiff in the class action suit, Nicole Westcott, 34, of Belchertown, said she doesn't know exactly how much money she stands to receive if a judge signs off on the settlement later this fall. But this wasn't the only drug lab scandal that would rock the state's criminal justice system. Before her sentencing, Farak failed a drug test while. There was something so tragic but also surreal about this story., She suffered from substance misuse disorder and she was in the worst kind of place to try to combat that, defense attorney Luke Ryan told, . Court records showed that Farak was smocking crack and dropping acid on the same day that she tested the drugs in Penates case. She said, It was about coping; it certainly wasnt about having fun; I dont think shes had fun in quite a while.. The prosecutors have been tied to the drug lab scandal involving disgraced former state chemist Sonja Farak, who admitted to stealing and using drugs from an Amherst state lab. Her wrongdoings were exposed when unsealed cocaine and a crack pipe were found under her desk. It focuses on some strong female characters: Annie Dookhan, an employee of a forensics drug lab who falsified thousands of drug tests, Sonja Farak, who was convicted of stealing drugs from the lab where she worked, and . She was released in 2015. In 2019, she was seen leaving the Springfield Federal Court but declined to comment on the status of the case. Instead, the documentary . . chemist, Sonja Farak, had been battling drug addiction and had tampered with samples she was assigned to test around the time she tested the samples in Penate's case. When she tried it she did so when others in the lab went out to lunch it met her expectations. This achievement earned her a full page layout in the local paper and some local TV news coverage. After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. She continued to experience suicidal thoughts, but instead of going through with those thoughts, she started taking the drugs that she would be testing at work.
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