At the beginning of the trial, the E.A.D.A. and senior defense counsel will make opening remarks to the jury and then take turns making their case. They directly question and cross-examine witnesses, asking them questions that support their case or sow doubt in the case of their rival. Some of those interviewed by police in the first half (witnesses, former suspects, and family members of criminal defendants and victims) will return to be put on the witness stand to testify for both sides, depending on which party called them. In addition, professional testimony is given by forensic scientists, criminal lab technicians (including fingerprint analysts, DNA profilers, and ballistics analysts), and psychologists or psychiatrists (if the defendant is using a crazy plea). They will also object if they go beyond the scope of what the law allows, e.g. “directing/harassing the witness”, “accepting facts, not evidence”, etc. on which the judge will confirm (admit) or annul (dismiss). The judge could even ask them to turn to the bench or ask both sides to meet in their chambers to make other arguments outside of a jury. Bratt left the show at the end of Season 9, stating that it was an amicable departure and that he expected to return for guest appearances at some point.

(He eventually returned for the Season 20 episode “Fed.”) Detective Curtis was disbarred for leaving the troupe to care for his wife, who was suffering from multiple sclerosis, in her final days. [43] It was created by Jesse L. Martin replaced Ed Green as Detective, who was more designed as a loose cannon in the form of Logan of Noth as Curtis of Bratt. [44] (Briscoe was described as a recovering alcoholic, as Cragen had been; Green has been described as a recovering problem gambler.) In 2000, Steven Hill announced that he would leave the series after season 10. Hill, who was the last remaining member of the original cast, said his departure had been friendly with the producers. He was replaced by Dianne Wiest as acting district attorney Nora Lewin, and Adam Schiff was struck off screen to work with Jewish charities and human rights organizations in Europe. [45] The ADA is typically introduced in an indictment scene where defendants plead (usually not guilty) and bail conditions are set. However, they sometimes appear earlier in the episode during the police segment to arrange an exchange of information or to decide if detectives have enough evidence for search and/or arrest warrants.

The show premiered on September 13, 1990 and ended on May 24, 2010. 456 episodes were broadcast and produced. The show ran for twenty seasons on NBC. At the time, it was NBC`s longest-running crime drama and, along with Gunsmoke, the longest-running prime-time script drama. The first two seasons aired Tuesdays at 10 p.m. From season 3 at 4 p.m., the show aired Wednesday at 10 p.m. For season 17, it was moved to Friday at 10 p.m. For seasons 18 and 19, the show was postponed to Wednesday at 10 p.m. For season 20, the show aired on Fridays at 8 p.m., while in the spring it was moved to Mondays at 10 p.m., where it aired its finale on May 24, 2010. Meanwhile, Moriarty`s behavior on and off set became problematic for Wolf. Following a public statement in which Moriarty called Attorney General Janet Reno a “psychopathic Nazi” for her efforts to censor violence on television, Moriarty had a verbal confrontation with Reno at a dinner in Washington, D.C. Wolf asked Moriarty to moderate his comments, and Moriarty responded by leaving the show the following week.

This may have been caused by his drinking, as he admits (in his Wikipedia article) to being “a very bad drunk” before getting in the car in February 2004. The final plot for Ben Stone involves his resignation for guilt after a woman he forced to testify against a Russian gangster was murdered by his cohorts. As Moriarty`s successor, Sam Waterston was Wolf`s first choice for the role of Assistant District Attorney John J. “Jack” McCoy Jr.; Waterston`s character differed markedly from Moriarty`s, as Jack McCoy was conceived as more emotionally stable and with more sex appeal. [37] The series (and its spin-offs) shared a universe with the series Homicide: Life on the Street, with the two sharing several crossover episodes. The series was filmed in New York City and is known for its extensive use of local color. [11] [12] The sets were located at Chelsea Piers. In the first few episodes, the court scenes were filmed in the Tweed courthouse before a courtroom was built. In subsequent seasons, New York City mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, attorney William Kunstler and Bronx Congressman José Serrano all appeared in their own roles on the series.[13] Through the concept of the following legal procedure, it must have seemed fascinating when it was first presented, its execution seems leaden and artificial. It is television by numbers that connect the dots to make the image.

This is where people make “big speeches,” the kind of televised debates about justice, honor, dignity, and what you have that is now memorization dialogue. Here, the form is in the foreground, resulting in a program that is not working properly. However, Miles Beller Govich proved even more unpopular with fans than her predecessor, and she left the show after one season, arguing that Detective Cassady`s assignment to the venue had been temporary and had been postponed. She was replaced by Jeremy Sisto, who had previously appeared as a defense attorney in the season 17 episode “The Family Hour” as Detective Cyrus Lupo. At about the same time, Thompson announced that he would be leaving the show to seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.[54] (No off-screen explanation was given on the show for Arthur Branch`s departure.) Waterston`s character was promoted to acting district attorney (later named district attorney in season 20) and his previous position was filled by executive assistant prosecutor Michael Cutter, played by Linus Roache. [55] [56] A box set entitled Law & Order Producer`s Collection was released on VHS in 2000. [114] The set of 3 cassettes contained six episodes of the series.