- Full coverage of The Trial of Tim Heidecker in which Tim Heidecker stood accused of 20 counts of 2nd degree felony murder against The Electric Sun 20.
- Tim Heidecker, host of the show "On Cinema at the Cinema," is on trial for twenty counts of felony murder (i.e., committing or aiding a felony that directly results in someone's death), with a maximum sentence of 370 years. Heidecker had hosted an event called the Electric Sun Desert Music Festival several months prior with the aid of the fraudster Luther "Dr. San" Sanchez (Holtzman). Heidecker and Sanchez were handing out free vape pens filled with a chemical cocktail they devised, which caused severe physical and neurological damage to any who used it. Of the 157 concertgoers who were injured, 20 died. Sanchez committed suicide in his cell shortly after his arrest.
After Judge Edward Szymczyk (Webster) calls the court into session, San Bernardino District Attorney Vincent Rosetti (Pecchia) and associate prosecutor Miriam Waymon (Tudor) lay out their case. They call in numerous witnesses from the night of the festival, concertgoer and first responder alike, and they all paint the same image: Heidecker and Sanchez were passing out toxic vape pens without regard for anyone's security, and the festival was a disorganized mess that hindered medical response. The county coroner testifies that the chemicals in the vape pens were responsible for 19 of the 20 deaths (the last one being a heroin overdose). Several character witnesses are called in, including Tim's co-host Gregg Turkington, his employee Mark Proksch, and his ex-wife Ayaka Ohtani. Gregg spends most of his time complaining about Tim's behavior driving down the show's ratings, while Mark testifies about being physically and emotionally abused by Tim, and Ayaka explains how Tim's blind trust in Dr. San's medical capability (or lack thereof) resulted in the death of their son Tom Cruise Heidecker.
Throughout the entire proceeding, Tim is obnoxious and disruptive. He fires his lawyer Mark Dwyer (Filiberto) after the first day, choosing to represent himself. He makes unfounded claims of conspiracy against him, such as the San Bernardino sheriffs refusing to investigate a "China connection" for reasons of political correctness. His witnesses are similarly harmful: from giving testimony in cross-examination that supports the prosecution's case, to being outed as paid actors he hired to commit perjury on his behalf, every single one manages to make Tim's case look worse. He also uses his witnesses to settle personal scores, such as resolving a debate with Gregg as to whether "Star Trek IV" takes place in San Francisco. He also picks up two contempt of court citations: one for trying to attack Mark Proksch for insubordination (something Tim claims he has the Constitutional right to do), and one for an emotional outburst when Ayaka tells him she no longer loves him. When Tim rests his case, there is little doubt as to whether he will be found guilty.
After five days of deliberation, the jury finally reaches a verdict. Tim is acquitted on one death (the heroin overdose), but the jury cannot unanimously decide on the other 19 charges. As a result, Judge Szymczyk is forced to declare a mistrial, and Tim goes free. It is revealed that there was one holdout juror, with the unstated implication that Tim may have swayed them using illegal methods. Tim celebrates his freedom by announcing that he is going to challenge D.A. Rosetti, whom he dubs "Rosetti the Rat," in the upcoming San Bernardino county elections.
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