You often hear the term “miscarriage of justice” thrown around in documentaries about true crime. Shows like “Making a Murderer” and its brethren are based around the idea that sometimes the justice system gets it wrong. Well, in “How to Fix a Drug Scandal,” it’s not the justice system that is completely at fault. In fact, millions of dollars and multiple convictions might have been jeopardized by one lab chemist in Massachusetts.
As seen in the trailer for “How to Fix a Drug Scandal,” the new Netflix docuseries follows the incredible true story of the fallout that occurred after the arrest of a crime drug lab chemist, who was suspected of tampering with evidence from multiple cases. How was this 35-year-old woman tampering with evidence? Well, she was smoking it, as it is discovered that Sonja Farak was in fact using the drugs that she was assigned to test. The result of this discovery and investigation had ripple effects that span multiple cases and led to a huge controversy.
‘Drug Scandal’ is directed by Erin Lee Carr. The filmmaker has been making quite the name for herself in the realm of documentary films, as the director of projects that include “Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop,” “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” and my personal favorite, “Mommy Dead and Dearest.”
“How to Fix a Drug Scandal” debuts on Netflix on April 1.
Here’s the synopsis:
In 2013, Massachusetts State Police arrest 35-year-old crime drug lab chemist Sonja Farak for tampering with evidence: and that was only the beginning. Over time, details emerged that Farak had been in fact using the drugs that she was tasked with testing. Did anyone know what had been going on? And when did they find out? The scope of Farak’s addiction—and the number of people convicted as a result of her drug testing—comes to light, despite repeated efforts to suppress evidence in the case. This riveting four-part docuseries directed by Erin Lee Carr (Mommy Dead and Dearest, Dirty Money) examines an essential, but obscured, part of the criminal justice system. In addition to re-creations of Farak’s compelling grand jury testimony and interviews with attorneys and experts, we hear from Farak’s family for the first time, delving deep into how the actions of one crime lab employee can impact tens of thousands of lives.