Pippa Cox is a former attorney with Corporation Counsel who was assigned to work with the Special Victims Unit during cases involving children and teenagers. Following the charges against her husband, she transferred out of Corporation Counsel and became a defense attorney for children and teenagers accused of crimes.
History[]
When the SVU started investigating allegations of physical abuse of a child named Ruby Mesner, Cox watches Detectives Benson and Amaro interview Henry, her brother. She listens as Henry accuses his nanny, Irina Janovik, of pushing Ruby down the stairs. Captain Cragen asks if he is swear able and Cox thinks he is but it is still up to the judge. She then instructs Cragen to pick up the nanny and to return Henry and Ruby to their parents, Tom and Viola. When it discovered that Henry was the one who pushed Ruby, Cox is reluctant to believe Henry is as troubled as she has heard without a paper trail. She listens to the detective's concerns but refuses to believe Henry should be removed from his home, with Benson vehemently objecting. Fin suggests letting Henry talk to a shrink to get the DA off their back and Cox consents to that. Cox reconsiders after Henry confesses to setting the family's apartment on fire to kill his mother and sister, killing his neighbor's dog, holding another kid hostage, and shooting Amaro. When Henry's parents ask what will happen to him, Cox informs them that Henry will be charged with juvenile delinquency and sent to juvie hall, where he will be locked in a secure treatment facility. (SVU: "Born Psychopath")
When a famous music teacher named Jackie Walker is accused of molesting a boy, Cox arrives at the precinct to discuss the case. She questions the motives of one of the boys, Jonah Allen, and tells the detectives to get his father and question him. After some additional interviews, Cox finds Jonah's story credible and finds enough for probable cause to search for a sex toy Jackie supposedly used on them. Detective Rollins cautions against this since there is no history of prior abuse and the medical exam is inconclusive. She also brings that if he is stained by this, it will never go away and Cox coldly states that they will continue the search regardless of this. When the police find evidence implicating Jackie, Rollins is still skeptical. Eventually, Cox agrees that his case won't get past a judge without another victim. They eventually find another boy named Cooper Burns and he tells a similar story coupled with more evidence. Cox subsequently has Jackie arrested and arraigns him and the judge sets bail at $1,000,000. Eventually, more children come forward, claiming Jackie touched them. As a result, Cox confers with everyone. After it is discovered that Jonah and Connor were coached by their sisters to accuse Jackie, Cox appears in court again, requesting a dismissal of all charges, and apologizes to Jackie and his family. (SVU: "Dissonant Voices")
When a boy named Nicky Moore is sold to a child broker in Connecticut by his adoptive mother, she meets with Benson and Deputy Commisioner Hank Abraham to discuss plans for a trial. Cox informs them that Connecticut has laws that make what the mother did legal, but Abraham refuses to accept that and demands they continue to work the case. Benson agrees and manages to work that since the father didn't consent, they can look for the kid on that premise. Abraham issues an AMBER alert on Nicky despite Cox pointing out the legal issues with that. She later accompanies Benson to confront one of the kidnappers, Alexa Pearson, after she gives up the locations of the children. Cox and Benson show her that her supposedly paralyzed husband can walk and tells Alexa to help herself. Alexa gives them Roger's location and they eventually find Nicky. Cox talks with Abraham and Benson about chairing the Pearsons and finding homes for the other children, including a baby boy. Cox and Benson later testify in family court about the baby's circumstances and make a motion to make the baby a ward of the state. (SVU: "Wednesday's Child")
Cox later served as corporation counsel for the baby, named Baby Boy Doe, after his current foster mom files for separation and the foster father relapses. Cox moves that he be removed and Judge Ruth Linden grants the motion while wondering if he will find a family, Cox expresses hope that they will. Benson asks her if she can visit him; Cox doesn't think it would be a problem and points her to the baby's case worker. She later visits the 16th Precinct when they arrest the baby's mother Ellie, informs Benson of the baby's paternity, and reveals his name as Noah. Cox later appears in court again when Ellie is killed and listens as the judge declares Noah a ward of the state. She is later surprised when the judge grants custody to Benson. (SVU: "Spring Awakening")
She is later called after two girls confess to stabbing another girl named Zoe Harris. She watches Perry Gilbert's confession and states she isn't competent to stand trial. While Benson argues that this is a con, Cox is convinced it is not an act. Cox orders a psychiatric evaluation after they cannot find any additional evidence proving she knew what she was doing. In family court, Cox asks Perry on the stand if she understands stabbing Zoe was wrong. However, Perry continues pointing at Glasgowman as the one responsible. Cox directs her to answer with a yes or a no, but all Perry says is Glasgowman's partners will kill her and everyone else involved, and the judge stops the questioning, leaving Cox disturbed. Perry is sentenced to a juvenile psychiatric facility while her partner, Zoe's sister Mia, is released into the custody of her parents. (SVU: "Glasgowman's Wrath")
She is later called to handle the case of three African-American boys who harassed a transgender girl named Avery Parker and subsequently pushed her off a bridge. After Cox meets with two of the boys, Markus Green and Keon Williams, she decides to give them probation and community service. Then, she meets with the third boy who actually pushed Avery, Darius McCrae. Cox explains to Darius and his mother that because Darius was the one that instigated the events, he will be serving three months in juvenile hall. Darius tries to defend himself, but Cox simply berates him for his actions, asking how he thought Avery felt. She then explains if he doesn't take the deal, he could be facing a year. While Mrs. McCrae wants to talk to a lawyer, Cox informs her no one is available today. When Avery dies from injuries caused by the fall, Cox meets with SVU at their precinct to discuss their options. She later accompanies Benson and Detective Tutuola to a meeting with ADA Kenneth O'Dwyer, who wants to charge Darius as an adult. Cox reminds Dwyer they can charge Darius with manslaughter in family court, but Dwyer is adamant and takes the case from Cox. (SVU: "Transgender Bridge")
When SVU arrests a celebrity named Teddy Hawkins on child pornography charges, Teddy reveals a massive child pornography ring, with Pippa's husband Hank being involved. At first, Pippa is in a state of shock and refuses to believe it, especially when her children, Jordan and Lia, don't show any signs of sexual assault but when Hank is taken to trial and Olivia escorts her out of the courtroom while the media take pictures of her, she loses her temper and snaps at Olivia, saying that there were other ways that the case could have been handled and that she has been transferred from dealing with juvenile children due to her husband's tainted reputation. She then asks if this is payback but Olivia insists it isn't. Pippa eventually breaks down and cries in Benson's arms after this realization. ADA Barba meets Pippa outside her apartment, wanting to talk to her, but Pippa says she is leaving town for a few days and hesitantly leaves. She later meets Benson at a café and they talk. She states that her parents are furious with both her and Hank, Jordan isn't talking as much as he used to, and Lia is back to sucking her thumb. Through tears, she says that she must have been blind not to see the signs. Benson replies that pedophiles are very clever at hiding what they do and that it was not her fault. A few days later, Pippa goes to her old apartment to get some clothes only to find Hank sitting in the bathtub with slit wrists in a suicide attempt. She calls 911 and after Hank is released from hospital, he pleads guilty. Pippa and Olivia are at his sentencing. Hank looks at Pippa and Pippa looks away from him, upset and angry. Pippa is a wreck and says that he is still her husband. She states she is shocked that she had children and slept with a man that was a pedophile. (SVU: "Collateral Damages")
Following Hank's imprisonment, Pippa transferred out of Corporation Counsel and became a defense attorney for children and teenagers accused of crime, much to Rollins' surprise. She reunited with Benson and Rollins after being hired to defend a child named Will Vargas in court when he falsely admitted to murdering his mother Irena Nowak's abusive boyfriend Dwight Wagner. When Irena confessed to murdering Dwight on the stand despite Will's pleas not to confess, Pippa was shocked and surprised by the confession. (SVU: "Ballad Of Dwight and Irena")
Known clients[]
Appearances[]
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (5 seasons, 8 episodes):