Patrick Griffin is a sergeant whose son Ellis raped a woman at a party. He is Olivia Benson's former partner. When Ellis was accused of rape, Patrick tried to help Ellis avoid prison time by creating reasonable doubt, much to Benson's shock and disapproval.
Though Patrick's efforts were in vain, Ellis was ultimately given a short sentence for his crime after pleading guilty and showing remorse for his actions. (SVU: "Rape Interrupted")