Frank Lazar is a Brooklyn assistant district attorney who has an antagonistic relationship with Jack McCoy.
History[]
When two nurses, Mary Davis and Victoria Hemmings, are killed a month apart, Lazar is assigned to Davis' case while E.A.D.A. Stone handles the Hemmings case when David Zifrin confesses to both. Lazar later meets with Stone and A.D.A. Robinette in his office when the lead detective on the Davis case, Brian Torelli, is discovered to have ignored exculpatory evidence. Lazar defends Torelli's actions and refuses to give a deal to a potential witness, Marty Lake, in the case because they have a solid case. When Zifrin's attorney finds out about this exculpatory evidence she calls Stone to the stand and he testifies. When Lazar questions Stone on cross he paints Stone as a jealous of the fact that his own case against Zifrin was dead and is seen as incompetent.
Zifrin is eventually found guilty but Marty is released when Stone goes over Lazar's head and convinces the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Jerry Silbo, to make him a deal. Lazar marches into Adam Schiff's office furious they cut him this deal and threatens to go to the press but Sciff calls his bluff and tells him he'll be charged for withholding evidence. It's eventually discovered Zifrin is innocent and the real killer is a junkie named James Lee Pawl. As a result of this embarrassment, Lazar quit his job and joined the Litigation Department of the Wall Street firm, Smythe & Bradley. (L&O: "Jurisdiction")
Lazar laters represents Matt Bergstrom when he is charged with the murder of a mailman, the attempted murder of Kitty Lansing, and assault of Erica Davies. Lazar sees that they don't have much evidence on the murders and the assault is shaky so he offers them assault in the thrid degree. McCoy says he will think about it but Lazar warns him he has till Monday or he will file a dismissal. When they come back they inform him that they are looking for bodies in Texas and New York and will send him to death row if he doesn't cooperate. Lazar works out with McCoy a deal where he pleads guilty to all the charges he is currently looking at and Bergstrom will reveal the locations of six dead women. Lazar accepts a sentence of 25 to life for everything and a promise of no extradition for the death penalty.
Bergstrom reveals the locations without admitting culpability, but it is discovered Katherine and the mailman were attacked by a man named Michael Ashford on the orders of his sister who was dating Kitty's ex-husband. Lazar immediately moves to recant Bergstrom's confession and goes forward on the assault but McCoy tells him they dropped the charges. Lazar suspiciously asks why and ADA Carmichael informs both him and his client they are sending him to Texas. Because the deal is no longer valid, Bergstrom can be tried and sentenced to death. Bergstrom desperately confesses to another murder to live while Lazar and McCoy work out the details and Bergstrom forces Carmichael to hear his confession. (L&O: "Agony")