# Which LAW & ORDER characterswould you be willing to hire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211 "2016-07-18T14:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/81 "2016-07-20T11:00:41Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The episode where Rodgers revealed that she went to see _Rigoletto_ with Briscoe was actually an episode of _CI_. It was called “Dramma Giocoso,” where the violinist daughter of a famous singer is murdered. Julian Sands guest stars as an egotistic conductor. Briscoe’s actual death isn’t mentioned, but it is after he left the force, and we know he already had a pretty grim diagnosis when he retired. This is one of my very favorite _CI_ eps. Thanks. I didn’t think I had seen any later episodes of CI, so I thought Rodgers had mentioned it on the mothership series. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/82 "2016-07-20T11:06:02Z")
Way back, before he became Lennie, Jerry Orbach played a slimy defense attorney. Of course, L&O’s defense attorneys were usually pretty slimy. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/83 "2016-07-20T11:58:16Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Way back, before he became Lennie, Jerry Orbach played a slimy defense attorney. Of course, L&O’s defense attorneys were usually pretty slimy. I can’t agree that they were usually slimy. Some were, some weren’t. They might seem slimy id you’ew buyinf into the police version of the narrative, but as the show went on and became more dependent on twists, the police were frequently shown to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/84 "2016-07-20T12:40:14Z")
When the defense attorney was just a walk-on part, they were usually OK. When the defense attorney had a significant part of the plot, they were usually slimy. Not always, but pretty often. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/85 "2016-07-20T14:28:23Z")
I have to disagree in regards to Elaine Stritch as Lanie. She told her client she wouldn’t suborn perjury by putting her on the stand and the jury was going to wonder why. Patti LuPone played a good defense attorney too. McCoy realized his key witness was lying and threw her a bone and she ran with it and got her client off. I always wondered about putting the defendant on the stand. From what I understand, that’s not usually done. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/86 "2016-07-20T14:56:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Ty Burrell from MODERN FAMILY (or maybe Jesse Tyler Ferguson – whichever plays Phil) was a murder’s father once. Amanda Peete played a Patti Hearst type. Ty’s MF wife Julie Bowen was in an SVU episode, along with Sarah Gilbert and Luke Perry. Jeremy Sisto played a defense lawyer before becoming a permanent cast member. His onscreen partner Anthony Anderson played a hotheaded detective in SVU before joining the mothership. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/87 "2016-07-20T15:21:16Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Patti LuPone played a good defense attorney too. McCoy realized his key witness was lying and threw her a bone and she ran with it and got her client off. I always wondered about that episode. McCoy asked that witness a question that he knew would be answered with an obvious lie, knowing that LuPone’s character would pounce on it, which she did. But doesn’t that mean that McCoy suborned perjury? Even though it was for a good cause, and even though he knew the perjured testimony would immediately be called into question, it seems like he would be subject to punishment. Someone mentioned James Earl Jones guest-starring. This was during the Ben Stone era, and he played a defense attorney named McCoy. Watching that episode today, it’s so weird to hear people saying “Mr. McCoy” when Sam Waterston is nowhere in sight! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/88 "2016-07-20T15:57:39Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I always wondered about that episode. McCoy asked that witness a question that he knew would be answered with an obvious lie, knowing that LuPone’s character would pounce on it, which she did. > > But doesn’t that mean that McCoy suborned perjury? Even though it was for a good cause, and even though he knew the perjured testimony would immediately be called into question, it seems like he would be subject to punishment. > > Someone mentioned James Earl Jones guest-starring. This was during the Ben Stone era, and he played a defense attorney named McCoy. Watching that episode today, it’s so weird to hear people saying “Mr. McCoy” when Sam Waterston is nowhere in sight! At that point McCoy was no longer trying to convict the defendant, an au pair accused of murdering the baby in her charge. He had figured out she was innocent snf and that the witness (the baby’s older brother) was the killer. He asked the brother the question in order to trap him in a lie that would expose his perfidy. The bone he was throwing the Patti Lupone character was not helping her get her client off, as he could do that unilaterally. It was letting her, the lawyer, look good by being the person who asked the follow-up questions that would exonerate her client. So no, McCoy was not suborning perjury,because he was not encouraging the witness to lie. He was using the fact that he could prove that the witness was lying to exonerate the defendant and to gather evidence against that witness, and secondarily helping out a friend. If the Lupone character hadn’t picked up on the cue, he would have recalled the witness and one it himself. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/89 "2016-07-20T17:49:35Z")
Back to Before They Were Stars…Courtney Vance played a stockbroker who snookered his firm for a bonus and killed his boss when the boss began to look into it. His character was always so chilling to me…Vance has such a soft, smooth voice, but you could really hear the menace in it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/90 "2016-07-20T18:47:18Z")
I would hire Abby Carmichael as a Dominatrix. (_cough_ If I were into that kind of thing _cough_) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/91 "2016-07-20T19:00:53Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > No love for Dr. Warner? Have you people not seen “Devil’s Advocate”? I just remembered…Connie Nielsen (who played Detective Dani on SVU while Mariska was on maternity leave) was also in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/92 "2016-07-20T19:08:14Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I would hire Abby Carmichael as a Dominatrix. (_cough_ If I were into that kind of thing _cough_) I’m pretty sure either she or Jane Rizzoli would punch you in the face for suggesting it. And not in a sexy way. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/93 "2016-07-20T22:37:50Z")
Dr. Rogers and Lennie Brisco, just to hear them talk. Sometimes there’s dialogue on other shows that I imagine one of them saying. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/94 "2016-07-21T21:58:28Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > We never see Skoda doing therapy on the show: only trying to determine someone’s fitness to stand trial and related legal issues. He seems to be better at that thatn Oliviet was, but she may be a better healer. Skoda did make one big mistake - I happen to be watching “Fools for Love” the 2000 episode in which Skoda falls for the story that a truly evil defendant is telling. Fortunately, she still gets convicted. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/95 "2016-07-21T22:02:55Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Skoda did make one big mistake - I happen to be watching “Fools for Love” the 2000 episode in which Skoda falls for the story that a truly evil defendant is telling. Fortunately, she still gets convicted. Even Rodgers made a mistake once (though she was also the only one who caught it, and immediately fessed up). Surely you’re not suggesting tht anyone be held to a standard of excellence even RODGERS cannot meet . ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/96 "2016-07-21T23:10:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Even Rodgers made a mistake once (though she was also the only one who caught it, and immediately fessed up). Surely you’re not suggesting tht anyone be held to a standard of excellence even RODGERS cannot meet > . No, Skoda made an understandable, if unfortunate, mistake in judgment - nobody’s perfect (even Lenny managed to elicit a false confession once, didn’t he?). It’s just that Skoda’s error was a bit out of character, since he’s usually pretty skeptical - which makes the mistake noteworthy. Rodger’s error of fact, by the way, was based on a mistake made by an expert in the Yates’ case, I think - an error in which the expert cited a Law and Order episode, making it a pretty meta situation. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/97 "2016-07-21T23:13:57Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > No, Skoda made an understandable, if unfortunate, mistake in judgment - nobody’s perfect (even Lenny managed to elicit a false confession once, didn’t he?). It’s just that Skoda’s error was a bit out of character, since he’s usually pretty skeptical - which makes the mistake noteworthy. Rodger’s error of fact, by the way, was based on a mistake made by an expert in the Yates’ case, I think - an error in which the expert cited a Law and Order episode, making it a pretty meta situation. We’re not disagreeing. Skoda and Rodgers are the two ost competent characters in the franchise, and even they erred – once each. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211/98 "2016-07-23T14:20:51Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Jack was my choice for prosecutor until Rafael Barba came along. I love him. He’s like Jack McCoy with filed-down sharper edges… maybe a \*cubist \*Jack McCoy… \ He’s clever and a little devious, and when he makes a decision he acts swiftly and decisively. Thiiiis x100,000,000,000,000! Barba is the sole reason I still watch SVU. He’s the fuckin’ best and [a snazzy dresser to boot](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38100000/Barba-with-the-Purple-Socks-rafael-barba-38172587-500-282.jpg). Raul Esparza is a ridiculously talented actor. He can change his facial expression so subtly but it says a ton. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-order-characterswould-you-be-willing-to-hire/760211.md?page=4)