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Law & Order

1990-Present

Season 12

Table of Contents

Who Let the Dogs Out?

S12E01 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the Dana Whipple case. Whipple was a California college lacrosse coach who was mauled to death by two Presa Canarios in the hallway of her apartment building in San Francisco on January 2001. The dogs had been given to her neighbors, Marjorie Knoller and her husband Robert Noel, both attorneys, by the dog's owners, who were in jail at the time. Knoller failed to restrain her dogs when they attacked Whipple. Noel was not present during the attack. After a long legal battle, Knoller was sentenced to serve 15 years to life for the death of Diane Whipple. In addition to the criminal charges, Whipple's partner, Sharon Smith, also succeeded in suing Knoller and Noel for $1,500,000 in civil damages.
  2. After the September 11 attacks, the opening was changed from the normal Law & Order intro in honor of the victims. It is recited as follows: "On September 11th, 2001, New York City was ruthlessly and criminally attacked. While no tribute can heal the pain of that day, the producers of Law & Order dedicate this season to the victims and their families and to the firefighters and police officers who remind us every day with their lives and courage what it truly means to be an American." The narration is replaced with the usual "In the criminal justice system..." opening for syndication. Due to the events on 9/11, the airing of this episode was postponed for a week.
  3. This is Elisabeth Röhm's first episode.
  4. Danny Miller, the imprisoned owner of the dogs, actually fulfilled two of the prerequisite requirements for being charged with murder one. The first prerequisite being what McCoy pointed out: that he was currently serving a life sentence when the murder happened. (New York penal code, article 125, section 27, subsection 4 states: "A person is guilty of murder in the first degree when...at the time of the commission of the killing, the defendant was confined in a state correctional institution or was otherwise in custody upon a sentence for the term of his natural life, or upon a sentence commuted to one of natural life, or upon a sentence for an indeterminate term the minimum of which was at least fifteen years and the maximum of which was natural life...") The second prerequisite for a murder one charge was that Miller had previously been convicted of murder at the time of the killing. (New York penal code, article 125, section 27, subsection 9 states: "A person is guilty of murder in the first degree when...prior to committing the killing, the defendant had been convicted of murder as defined in this section or section 125.25 [murder in the second degree] of this article, or had been convicted in another jurisdiction of an offense which, if committed in this state, would constitute a violation of either of such sections...")
  5. The American Kennel Club recognizes the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also known as Amstaff, as an official breed. It is unfortunately better known as a pit bull with a reputation as a vicious killer. While any dog can be trained to attack, the Amstaff is especially deadly because of its strong bite, surpassing many big cats. Many US towns have forbidden the ownership of Amstaffs within their corporate limits because of this reputation.
  6. The veterinarian working for the dog fighting ring says that he uses phenobarbital to euthanize animals. Phenobarbital is a barbiturate mainly used to treat epileptic seizures, including in animals like dogs and horses, though it is not usually used for euthanasia. The drug most commonly used for lethal injections (in both animals and humans) is sodium thiopental (better known by the brand name sodium pentothal). Sodium thiopental is also a barbiturate sedative: it is preferred for euthanasia because it is more potent and much faster acting than phenobarbital. The vet may have used phenobarbital because it is not quite as tightly regulated as sodium thiopental. In the United States, phenobarbital is a schedule IV controlled substance, whereas sodium thiopental is a schedule III controlled substance.
  7. Melissa Leo (Sherri Quinn) previously played Detective Kay Howard on the show Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), which had crossovers with Law & Order.
  8. "Pit bull" isn't an actual breed, but an umbrella term used to describe dogs, no matter their mix, who look a certain way. Typically, dogs who have square heads, square snout, short fur, medium sized and have a muscular build. There are some breeds that fall into that category, such as the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Pitbull Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and the American Bully, however not all Kennel Clubs recognize these breeds. When meeting the breeder, they say he's AKC licensed. This would be impossible as the "pit bull" isn't a recognized breed by the AKC.
  9. Brian Tarantina has portrayed three different characters over the course of the series:
  10. P.J. Benjamin has played three different roles over the course of the series:
  11. Nance Williamson has played four different characters over the course of the series:
  12. King, the Pit-Bull, is mentioned as "the damn thing" twice. Once by Medical Examiner Elizabeth Rogers and second by a female Animal Control Specialist.
  13. The title is a reference to a song of the same name, by the group Baha Men.

Armed Forces

S12E02 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on two separate incidents:
    • The Thanh Phong raid controversy surrounding Senator Bob Kerrey.
    • The My Lai massacre, which occurred during the Vietnam War on March 16, 1968.
  2. Kate Burton plays Erica Gardner in this episode and three others, but she previously played the role of Sister Bettina in Episode 2.17, Sisters of Mercy (1992).
  3. Tracy Howe (Sergeant) previously played the role of Mitchell in Episode 10.5, Justice (1999).
  4. Andrew Pang has portrayed five different characters throughout the course of the series:

For Love or Money

S12E03 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the Debra Hartmann case.
  2. Jack Gilpin plays Defense Attorney Axtell in this episode & three others. Previously, he played the role of Dr. Simon Reed in episode 5.12, Progeny (1995).
  3. Michael Medeiros has portrayed six different characters over the course of the series:
  4. Leslie Denniston has appeared as five different characters over the course of the series:
  5. Mark Margolis portrayed three different characters over the course of the series:
  6. When Lenny and Ed are questioning Freddie G Lenny says "it's the Sopranos, makes them think the can do anything." Actor Frank Santorelli who plays Freddie G also played Georgie on The Sopranos.

Soldier of Fortune

S12E04 2001
  1. The Twin Towers edit out of the opening sequence for first time.
  2. This episode appears to be based on the South African De Beers corporation diamond conflicts.
  3. David Drake played three different characters during the course of the series:
  4. John Cullum (Bernard Powell, Sr.) previously played the role of Harold Dorning in Episode 7.11, Menace (1997).
  5. Actor John Cullum goes on to play defense attorney Barry Moredock, who is appointed as a Supreme Court Judge in Season 10 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
  6. Steven Boyer has played three different characters over the course of the series:
  7. Tom Tammi has played four different characters over the course of the series:

Possession

S12E05 2001
  1. William Hill has portrayed seven different characters throughout the course of the series:
  2. Vanessa Aspillaga has played four different roles over the course of the series:
  3. Ten minutes into this episode, Briscoe and Green are outside walking the streets. Prominently displayed over their shoulders, on a pole in large white letters, is a poster advertising P DIDDY. Sean "DIDDY" Combs has been persona non grata since news of his arrest on September 16, 2024 for sex trafficking and other crimes. He is housed in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY (still as of 1/20/2025).

Formerly Famous

S12E06 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the 2001 murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley, the wife of the actor Robert Blake and the mother of his infant daughter.
  2. Jerry Orbach had throat and voice problems during the shoot and had to post-dub/ loop his dialogue in several scenes.
  3. [Although this episode aired after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was filmed prior to them.] After Briscoe and Green visit a copier/mailbox store, they barge into Brad Feldman's office to confront him with "obstruction of justice." The viewer can see the former World Trade Center South Tower and the Marriott Hotel behind Feldman as the two detectives speak to him. The tower is partially obscured by Feldman and by the large dark building on his right (One Liberty Plaza). The Hudson River, with the wake of a recently departed ferry, can be seen beyond the tower itself. The other dark building (the Deutsche Bank Building) to Feldman's left was severely damaged during the attacks and remained vacant for many years afterwards. The building was eventually dismantled, a process that was repeatedly delayed and took eight years (2004 - 2011). During dismantling, human remains were found on its roof and throughout its interior. A seven-alarm fire that occurred in the vacant building in 2007 killed two firefighters.
  4. Bruce Altman has played four different characters over the course of the series:
  5. Leslie Lyles has played four different characters over the course of the series:
  6. Haynes Thigpen (Mail Clerk) also played the role of Hal in Episode 20.15, Brilliant Disguise (2010).

Myth of Fingerprints

S12E07 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the Joyce Gilchrist case. Gilchrist was an Oklahoma City forensic chemist who was found to have falsified forensic evidence in order to help prosecutors obtain convictions. Dozens of innocent men and women were sent to prison. The falsified evidence led to the execution of at least one man who was later fully exonerated. Her work led in part to 23 people being sentenced to death, 12 of whom have been executed.
  2. First on-screen role for Ginnifer Goodwin, who at the time was only 22. She plays the victim's girlfriend during the cold opening.
  3. Lenny Venito (Detective Wade) also played the role of Sonny King in Episode 14.20, Everybody Loves Raimondo's (2004).

The Fire This Time

S12E08 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the case against the Earth Liberation Front, whilst the character of defence attorney Whitten, played by Tom Bower, appears to be based on and/or inspired by the controversial, radical left-wing lawyer William Kunstler.

3 Dawg Night

S12E09 2001
  1. This episode appears to be based on the shooting at Club New York involving music artist Sean 'Diddy' Combs (a.k.a. "Puff Daddy)".
  2. "3 Dog Night" is the name of an American rock band originally formed in 1967.
  3. Interim District Attorney Nora Lewin suggests that Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver--a character Courtney B. Vance was playing in the spin-off series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) --should sit second-chair on this case. The idea of having a black A.D.A. at the prosecution table is likely a reference to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office having Christopher Darden, a black A.D.A., as part of the prosecution's team in the O.J. Simpson murder trial case. (Courtney B. Vance had guest-starred twice previously in the original Law & Order series.)
  4. Sharrieff Pugh (Marcus) previously played the role of Fontaine in Episode 2.19, The Fertile Fields (1992).
  5. Southerlyn says that ' her ex, used to give her his phone to put in her purse in nightclubs'. In her last episode, Southerlyn says she is a lesbian.

Prejudice

S12E10 2001
  1. While not the first episode aired after 9/11, this was the first one filmed after 9/11. You can tell the change by the number of American flags in the background, increased uniformed police presence and then a reference to the Towers falling by A.D.A. Serena Sutherland.
  2. This episode appears to be based on the following cases/incidents:
    • The ongoing debate on whether extreme racism meets the criteria for a delusional mental disorder.
    • The 1998 James Byrd, Jr. case.
    • The Joseph Paul Franklin (a.k.a. "The Racist Killer") case in the late 1970s and early 1980.
    • The 1999 Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shooting involving Buford O. Furrow, Jr.
  3. Dennis Boutsikaris has played three different characters throughout the course of the series:

The Collar

S12E11 2002
  1. The school shown during the opening credits and labeled as Don Bosco Catholic School is the same school labeled as Tanner Day Academy in Mean (2004).

Undercovered

S12E12 2002
  1. Years later a generic version of Gleevec became available at a much reduced cost.
  2. While looking at the television screen art exhibit, Green says, "Must see t.v." This phrase is one of the slogans used by the show's original broadcast network, NBC.
  3. While shocking, $2500/month was a bargain compared to later years. The pharmaceutical company kept raising prices in the years before the patent expired. It was over $12,000/month by 2016. It remains high, as of 2026. Fortunately, generics started being allowed in 2016, and in just a few years the generic price became reasonable.
  4. Rosa Arredondo has played four different roles over the course of the series:
  5. John Cunningham has played five different characters over the course of the series:

DR 1-102

S12E13 2002
  1. This episode is often used in law schools as a teaching tool for discussions on attorney ethics.
  2. DR 1-102 -MISCONDUCT: (A) -A lawyer shall not: (1) -Violate a Disciplinary Rule. (2) -Circumvent a Disciplinary Rule through actions of another. (3) -Engage in illegal conduct involving moral turpitude. (4) -ENGAGE IN CONDUCT INVOLVING DISHONESTY, FRAUD, DECEIT, OR MISREPRESENTATION. (5) -Engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. (6) -Engage in any other conduct that adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law. [from ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility]

Missing

S12E14 2002
  1. This episode appears to be loosely based on the news story of California Congressman Gary Condit and missing intern Chandra Levy, whose skeletal remains were later found in a Washington, D.C. park.
  2. Maryann Plunkett has portrayed three different characters over the course of the series:
  3. Jennifer Van Dyck has played five different characters over the course of the series:
  4. For some reason Marianne Hagan is uncredited and her character is unidentified beyond being Ted Weldon's former girlfriend.

Access Nation

S12E15 2002
  1. Guest-star Kevin Kane (as basketball coach Matt Preminger) would go on to join the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as a regular.
  2. Larry Gregory has played six different roles over the course of the series:
  3. Tracy Conley was murdered on December 19, 2001.

Born Again

S12E16 2002
  1. Based on two separate cases:
    • The Candace Newmaker case, which involved 10-year old Candace, a Colorado girl that was smothered to death after several adults sat on her during a "rebirthing" ceremony that was meant to help bring her closer to her adoptive mother.
    • The Susan Smith case. Susan was convicted of murdering her two children, three-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. Her case gained international attention because of Smith's false claim that a black man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking. Her defense attorneys, David Bruck and Judy Clarke, called expert witnesses to testify that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment when she committed the crimes. Smith was originally sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years' imprisonment.
  2. Rebirthing therapy also plays a part in the death of a child in Cage (2006).
  3. Opal Alladin (Rochelle Diggs) previously played the role of Trina Fleming in Episode 9.8, Punk (1998).
  4. Wendy Makkena (Janet Weston) previously played the role of Officer Nicki Sandoval in Episode 1.13, A Death in the Family (1991).
  5. The victim, Paula Weston, was murdered on January 7, 2002.
  6. Debra Monk has played three different characters over the course of the series:
  7. Sandra's jogging partner is played by Jennifer Rohn.

Girl Most Likely

S12E17 2002
  1. A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn makes several statements regarding the victim's being a lesbian, yet never admits she is one herself. Southerlyn departed the series three seasons later--in Ain't No Love (2005)--after being fired. The episode was noted for Southerlyn's asking, "Is this [the firing] because I'm a lesbian?"
  2. Christopher McCann has played four different characters throughout the course of Law & Order:
  3. Stuart Zagnit has played three different roles over the course of the series:

Equal Rights

S12E18 2002

    Slaughter

    S12E19 2002
    1. This episode appears to be loosely based on two separate cases of E. coli outbreaks including
      • The 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak.
      • The 1996 Odwalla E. coli outbreak.
    2. Green says one of the phone calls was to the 508 area code, placing the recipient somewhere in southeastern Massachusetts.
    3. Stephen Bogardus has played three different roles over the course of the series:
    4. In this episode, Stephen Bogardus's business partner (Philip Casnoff ) portrays a man named Bill Talbot. In Uncivilized (1999), Bogardus himself portrays a man named Bill Turbit.

    Dazzled

    S12E20 2002

      Foul Play

      S12E21 2002
      1. When a youth director mentions he's heard of parents attacking an umpire, Southerlyn says her office prosecuted a hockey dad several months earlier. She's referring to the episode Thin Ice (2000), where a father murdered his son's hockey coach.
      2. This episode appears to be based on the 2000 Danny Almonte age scandal.
      3. A short, humorous referential tribute to the famous Bud Abbott and Lou Costello routine "Who's On First?" (@1937 - 38) : Briscoe: Who's the boy? Victor Soto: It's my son Ramiro. Green: Who just answered to the name Miguel? Soto: I don't know. Briscoe: Third base... Soto: I don't understand. Briscoe: Yeah, neither did Costello.
      4. In keeping with the baseball theme, the defense attorney is named Tom Kelly. A Tom Kelly was the manager of the Minnesota Twins from 1986 to 2001.
      5. The dishonest coach, Frank Leahy, shares a name with one of the greatest Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches, Frank Leahy. Leahy had six undefeated seasons, four national championship teams, and an unbeaten string of 39 games (37-0-2) in the late 1940s. He also coached four Heisman Trophy winners: Angelo Bertelli (1943), Johnny Lujack (1947), Leon Hart (1949), and Johnny Lattner (1953). He recruited a fifth, 1956 winner Paul Hornung. Leahy's overall record at Notre Dame was 87-11-9.
      6. Angela Reed (Amanda Hiller) also played the role of Mindy Morgan in Episode 17.20, Captive (2007).
      7. At a recreational league basketball game, McCoy and Southerlyn discuss the ethics and legality of a boy immigrating illegally to the US to play Little League baseball to increase his odds in getting a large Major League Baseball contract. At the end of the conversation, Southerlyn points out that McCoy's team's recruiting tactics might be paradoxical to his arguments. McCoy: He's 14... Old enough to understand what he was doing was wrong. Southerlyn: An immigration exclusion is intended to keep out serious felons. Not a child cheating in baseball. McCoy: We are not the ones who decided he was ready to play in the big leagues. Southerlyn: By the way... I thought only Trial Bureau DAs were eligible for this team. When did Danny Washington transfer over from the Investigations [Division].

      Attorney Client

      S12E22 2002
      1. The actress who plays the stripper Jasmine Blake (Annie Parisse) is none other than the actress who would go on to portray A.D.A. Alexandra Borgia during the 15th season of Law & Order (3 seasons / 64 episodes later - Fluency (2005)). In fact, the current A.D.A., Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Röhm), would be replaced by this actress.
      2. Ron Orbach, cousin of Jerry Orbach, makes his third and final appearance on the series as defense attorney Max Hellmann.
      3. Ronnie Farer has played 3 different roles over the course of the series:

      Oxymoron

      S12E23 2002
      1. Michael McCormick has played four different roles over the course of the series:
      2. Danny Burstein has played five different roles over the course of the series:

      Patriot

      S12E24 2002
      1. Dianne Wiest's final appearance as D.A. Nora Lewin.
      2. This is the first episode that speaks directly to the NYC terror attacks of Sept 11, 2001 when Briscoe points to the skyline and comments to his partner, "...there's supposed to be two towers standing over there."
      3. This episode appears to be based on two separate cases/incidents.
        • The prejudice against Muslims and Arabs after the September 11 (9/11) attacks.
        • The Jonathan Idema case.
      4. This is the final Law & Order (1990) appearance of Dianne Wiest as DA Nora Lewin. She was a regular in seasons 11 and 12. Wiest made her final franchise appearance the following fall on the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) season premiere Chameleon (2002).
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