Christine "Chris" Danielson is an attorney with the Eastern District of the United States Attorney's office. She was previously a Bureau Chief of the Homicide Bureau who works for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
History[]
Danielson is first seen as the Bureau Chief prosecuting Dennis King for murder. When King is arrested for violating an order of protection against the only witness, Chuckwei Bothame, Danielson stops by to inform him and his counsel he will bury them in court. At a hearing, Danielson convinces the judge to have charges brought for violating the order and raise King's bail to $500,000 on the violation. Afterwards, Bothame expresses doubts that she can stop King and tells him she will talk to Detectives Benson and Stabler, who are investigating the murder of Bothame's wife Nikki.
When it discovered Bothame has two more wives, Sarah Flint and Almani Bothame, Danielson meets with Benson and Stabler to discuss damage control. The detective reveal he has only three wives and also discuss implementing additional security measures. Danielson informs them she is financially strapped and cannot afford to put in additional security. However, they manage to convince Danielson to give each of Bothame's wives a panic button directly linked to the Special Victims Unit. However, Bothame has a change of heart and lies on the stand, claiming he never saw King kill anyone, despite Danielson's attempts to change his mind. When it is discovered that Sarah killed Nikki out of jealousy, Bothame tells the truth in court, and King is convicted of murder. (SVU: "Snitch")
Danielson eventually transfers to the U.S. Attorney's Office. When the SVU discovers an underage human and sex trafficking ring, Stabler calls Danielson to ask her for a favor: to continue working the case under her as she prosecutes the traffickers in federal court while helping the victims with counseling and relocation. While reluctant, Danielson agrees and deputizes Benson and Stabler. One of the victims identifies Victoria Reyes as a sex slave broker, but they run into problems when she is identified as a federal witness. Danielson manages to get Reyes to talk for immunity by threatening to pull her current deal. Reyes identifies Liam and Julia Ryan as the ringleaders and warns them that when the heat closes in, they will kill the children. They find the house where they are hiding, and Danielson calls to get warrants for their arrests on the way over. They discover the Ryans fleeing, and Stabler stops them while Danielson and Benson rush to the house to save the children. Danielson then takes over and has them arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life in a maximum security federal prison. (SVU: "Merchandise")
Danielson then heads an investigation when it is suspected that a member of the Kings County District Attorney's Office stole $500,000 from a drug bust. Danielson looks at the Major Narcotics Bureau run by Unit Chief A.D.A. Page Ferguson and three Detective Investigators working under her, Michael Walden, Sean Riggs, and Sunny Qadri, who conducted the bust. She orders all of them take a polygraph test. While Walden and Riggs pass, Ferguson is deceptive during the test, and Qadri refuses to take it.
After Ferguson is murdered, Benson catches the case and arrests Qadri for tampering with the case, which Danielson objects to. Danielson tries to argue that the murder is connected to her case, but Benson takes her down to her station, with Danielson following behind her. Danielson observes Benson interrogating Qadri, and when Benson come out for air, she argues that Qadri passed the polygraph test and makes the argument that Ferguson committed suicide. Detective Odafin Tutuola comes to tell them she had help from a woman named Lakeisha Watkins, who is the girlfriend of Damon Merced, an informant for another one of Ferguson's cases, which concerns the murder trial of Latin King leader Angel Rivera.
After they are interrogated and reveal Riggs and Ferguson were in a relationship, Danielson remarks that both aren't credible; therefore, she cannot use their word to question Riggs and prove murder. After they find evidence in Ferguson's car proving she was murdered, the SVU eventually discovers Merced on camera in the driver's seat, implicating him in Ferguson's murder. Danielson sends Benson to question him, only to find him and his girlfriend dead. Both Danielson and Benson interrogate Riggs, suspecting Merced was his longtime informant and orchestrated all three murders. Riggs reveals that Ferguson was a self-cutter, with her job being the trigger, and she planned to retire after the Rivera trial.
When they learn Rivera's girlfriend visited him the day Merced and Watkins were murdered, Danielson and Benson pay Rivera a visit. They get him to reveal who the real corrupt party is after giving his girlfriend immunity: Qadri. Danielson and Benson arrive with another officer, his trained dog, and a warrant for the money while Qadri smugly states she will only serve a year for stealing the money. She eventually reveals her motives and taunted Benson that they were the same. Afterwards, Danielson had Qadri arrested and convicted for taking drug money, orchestrating three murders, and obstructing the investigation. (SVU: "Dirty")
Prosecutions handled[]
- People vs. Dennis Harold King (SVU: "Snitch")
- U.S. vs. Liam Ryan and Julie Ryan (SVU: "Merchandise")
- U.S. vs. Sunny Qadri (SVU: "Dirty")
Appearances[]
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 seasons, 3 episodes):
- Season 9: "Snitch"
- Season 12: "Merchandise" • "Dirty"