| "Murder Book" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | L&O, Episode 17.16 | → |
| Production number: 17016 First aired: 23 February 2007 | ||
 | ||
| Written By David Wilcox Directed By Constantine Makris | ||
Plot[]
When the publisher of a controversial crime novel is murdered, the evidence points to a murderer who previously eluded McCoy's efforts at prosecution.
Summary[]
J. P. Lange, a famous, now retired athlete writes a book titled "If I Killed Her" about the murder of his ex-wife for which he was previously acquitted. Then, the publisher of that book is murdered. During the investigation a copy of the banned book is found for sale on an internet site sold to them by the ghost writer, Gerald Stockwell. The detectives confiscate the book and the police lab finds the victims blood, an autograph by Lange and Stockwell's fingerprints at the crime scene. Both suspects have plausible explanations for the police's evidence, but Stockwell is initially arrested. He claims Lange bribed a juror to secure an acquittal in his previous trial and that he saved a session recording where Lange confesses to the murder of his ex-wife. Lange cannot be re-tried for the murder of his ex-wife, but can be, and is charged with the crime of second degree murder of the publisher. During the trial McCoy sets a trap for Lange in order to get previously excluded evidence introduced. The judge calls Lange a liar and agrees to let the evidence in, namely the contents of the book and the taped recording of his confession of how he killed his ex-wife. The prosecution team wonders whether the jury convicted the defendant purely on evidence presented for murdering the publisher or if they were, in effect, convicting him for murdering his ex-wife.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
- Milena Govich as Detective Nina Cassady
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
- Alana De La Garza as A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa
- Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch
Recurring cast[]
- Marlyne Barrett as Attorney Bocanegra
- January LaVoy as Assistant M.E. Bell
Guest cast[]
- Mario Van Peebles as Defense Attorney Carsley
- Christopher Denham as Gerald Stockwell
- Kelly Hutchinson as Lydia Neville
- Damian Young as Judge Stephen Emerton
- Dennis Cockrum as Don Lampard
- Louis Vanaria as Todd Dawson
- Bobby Cannavale as J.P. Lange
- Celia Keenan-Bolger as Elaine Fowler
- Marya Grandy as Judge Brenda Scalisi
- Craig Mathers as Dean Savitsky
- Diana Ruppe as Sarah Dooley
- Paul Jason Green as Maitre D'
- Brian Hyman as Computer Technician Stubbs
- Joel Garland as Mickey Scertza
- David Matranga as Peter Giggs
- Jeff Skowron as Reporter #1
- Sonya Tsuchigane as Reporter #2
- Charles Everett Broach as Court Clerk
- Patrena Murray as Jury Foreperson
- Charles Everett as Court Clerk
- Peter Conboy as NYPD Officer (uncredited)
- Marisa Kinsey as Member of the Gallery (uncredited)
- Joe Mancini as Juror (uncredited)
References[]
- If I Killed Her
- Jennifer Lampard
- Serena Darby
- Virgil Publishing
- Cafe du Jardin
- Death Junky
- Leo Tolstoy
- War and Peace
Quotes[]
- Arthur Branch: Convince me that this is not colored by your history with Lange.
- Jack McCoy: I want to convict him, Arthur. This coincides nicely with the fact that he's guilty.
- Nina Cassady (to J.P. Lang): Well, this isn't exactly the prison you belong in now, is it?
- J.P. Lang: Your partner's got some mouth on her.
- Jack McCoy: Quite a writer's retreat. I don't think it took Tolstoy half that long to crank out "War and Peace".
- J.P. Lang: There's nothing in that book she needed to be concerned about.
- Jack McCoy: Really? Don't you confess to the murder of your wife?
- Defense Attorney Carsley: This was a deliberate setup, your honor. Mr. McCoy is just trying to find a way to say that my client got away with his wife's murder.
- Judge Emerton: Be that as it may, the people have a right to impeach the witness based on his prior testimony.
- Defense Attorney Carsley: Excuse me?
- Judge Emerton: You heard me, Mr. Carsley. A lie is a lie in my courtroom and saying that book is fiction... I think your client just told a big one. You can call Mr. Stockwell.
Connie Rubirosa: So, what do you think? Did the jury convict Lange for the right murder?
Jack McCoy: That we'll probably never know.
Arthur Branch: Until one of them writes a book about it.
Background information and notes[]
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgil Publishing |
Café Du Jardin |
NYPD Computer |
Rikers Island |
| 6 | 5 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
|
Donny's Auto Reapir |
Chambers of |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Melting Pot" |
"Murder Book" Law & Order Season 17 |
Next episode: "Good Faith" |