Law and Order
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Ingrid Block was a defense attorney in a fraud case against serial con artist and double rapist and murderer Richard Morgan.

Background[]

Block became the chief counsel for Richmore Investments, which was run by Richard Morgan out of an office in Trent Towers. When she heard that an accountant handling their books, Nancy Pierce, was raped and murdered, Block was shocked. When Morgan gave Block his shadow box containing all of the belts he earned to hold onto while he was renovating his building, Block became suspicious. She eventually asked him if he killed Pierce and Morgan smugly said, "as a matter of fact, yes." Block tried to get him to come forward so Daniel Hardy, then the prime suspect of Pierce's murder, wouldn't get convicted, but she realized Hardy was meant to be Morgan's patsy. The next day, the shadow box was returned to Morgan's wall, with Block assuming Morgan took it back. Morgan later bought his own building with the money of the people he was conned, and Block moved in with him. On December 19, 2009, Morgan raped and killed another accountant, Renee Simmons, and then gave Block his shadow box for safekeeping.

Confidential[]

Block and Morgan enter the building to discover the police searching their building. Morgan asks his head of security what is happening and he explains they are looking for a missing woman. Captain Cragen introduces himself and two of his detectives, Benson and Stabler. Block advises against the police searching their offices without a warrant because of tenant privacy rights issues and the possible breaching of their leases. Morgan ultimately gives them access to the building and Block requests updates every hour from their chief of security.

When Renee's body is discovered in a dumpster outside their building, Benson and Stabler interview Morgan with Block present. Block claims Simmons wasn't missing and that is why Morgan didn't report it, but Stabler orders Morgan to answer; he tells them that she and twelve others were fired. Block explains that they cleaned out their offices for them and advises Morgan that he doesn't need to talk to them, but Morgan insists. When Morgan implies that Matt Simmons, Renee's ex-husband, killed her, Block brings up an order of protection Renee took out on him after their divorce. Block later witnesses the police arrest Morgan for fraud and grand larceny at a dinner with some clients, and protests that they are ruining his reputation. Block represents him at his arraignment and later accompanies him when he is interrogated in the SVU squad room. Before they arrive, Block calls one of Morgan's clients, Thomas Rooney, and tells him when Morgan will be at, already aware that Rooney lost his life savings to Morgan and that his wife died of cancer recently.

Benson and Stabler interrogate Morgan to get him to confess to the murders. Block says that if they had DNA, Morgan would already be in handcuffs, and they proceed to leave. As Block and Morgan are getting on an elevator, Rooney arrives, pulls out a gun, and fatally shoots Morgan twice in the chest. When Benson asks Block if she is okay, she replies that she is fine and later gives Benson a statement about the shooting while staring at the pictures of Pierce and Renee. As she is leaving, Benson brings Block back and asks her about Pierce and Renee. Block tells Benson that she had no idea Morgan was conning his clients but suspected that he was. Block initially agonizes over revealing what she knows, but she does and they take the karate belt Morgan used to kill both women, to get Hardy released from prison. Block visits Hardy and tells him everything, including how she knew Morgan killed Pierce, and Hardy chastises her for letting him rot in prison for 22 years. After Hardy's conviction is overturned and he is released, she is arrested by Stabler for the facilitation of Renee's murder.

At her trial, Block uses Stabler's history with a man he unknowingly helped to get wrongfully convicted, Victor Tate, to make it look like Stabler is just trying to make amends for a past mistake. Block later takes the stand herself and testifies her narrative about how attorney-client privilege prevented her from revealing what she knew. During cross-examination, Block admits that she should've done more to stop Morgan and that Renee's murder is her fault. Hardy later comes forward and reveals that he moved the shadow box back, with Morgan instructing him not to tell Block about it. Block is acquitted as a result. After the trial, Block asks ADA Cabot for a plea deal on Rooney's murder charge and Cabot tells her that she will get back to her. Benson and Stabler later discover Block facilitated Morgan's murder by telling Rooney where he would be at what exact time. Block tells them that she only made a phone call and Rooney did what she should've done sooner, but she was hoping the law would have caught up with him before he murdered again. When Stabler makes a comment on how the law doesn't guarantee justice, Block states that, this time, she did and smiles.

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