White collar crime often turns on intent. A jury concluded Peter Hoffman intended to deceive Louisiana's tax program incentivizing local production. The trial judge was less sure. Now, Hoffman fights for his life, and he's getting support from retired judges and law professors.

The pay cabler argues the fictional character of Wendy Rhoades, played by Maggie Siff, and the real-life performance coach who is suing the network have very little in common, and the series and the book it is alleged to have infringed are "strikingly dissimilar."