| "Privilege" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 4.17 | → |
| Production number: E3122 First aired: 21 February 2003 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Patrick Harbinson Directed By Jean de Segonzac | ||
Detectives investigate the apparent suicide of a 20-year-old woman who jumped from the balcony of a prominent family's home.
Summary[]
A woman apparently throws herself off a playboy's penthouse. Further investigation reveals that woman was assaulted and that the death was actually a murder. Detectives begin looking into associates of the penthouse, including the owner’s son and soon unravel a coverup involving the whole family, orchestrated the suspect’s grandmother.
Plot[]
Detectives Benson and Stabler are called to a crime scene where a young woman in a maid's uniform has jumped to her death from a high-rise apartment building. Suicide was determined to be the initial cause of death, but the sexual-related bruising causes them to question whether she had been pushed.
The woman is identified as a film student, Carmen Trancoso. Her face had been destroyed by the fall, so the detectives initially identified her as Anna Rivera, a former maid at the Lamerly's penthouse. The detectives learn Carmen had been dating the Lamerly's son, Drew, but the relationship had gotten too intense. Drew broke it off with her and Carmen began to stalk him. Benson and Stabler visit the attorneys who were representing Carmen, who was trying to sue Drew for rape. However, Drew is prepared with his lawyer Lorna Scarry, who refutes Carmen's claim.
As they dig into Drew's past, it is revealed he had been expelled from a private school. The detectives learn Drew's prom date, Jenny White, also claims Drew had raped her. Jenny had been a prostitute at the time and is now married to a rich and powerful man. Because of this, she hesitates to come forward. Then investigators now believe Carmen did not jump, she had been pushed. Drew claims the family's head of security, Tom Paysen, had killed Carmen, but Paysen tampered with the security cameras.
The detectives bring Drew in for an evaluation by Dr. Huang and a lie detector test, but he almost does too well on it. Then finally catch a break, a rare material traced to a jacket in his closet is found on the victim. Drew is placed under arrest. Scarry attempts to get Cabot to cut a deal. When that doesn't work, she claims he is not guilty by virtue of diminished capacity because his father was highly abusive. Drew's grandmother, Candace, tries to make the case on the stand, but Cabot claims in the abuse from his father never came up in Drew's polygraph. The judge rules against Cabot and allows the testimony. Since it was privileged information, Cabot refuses to be defeated.
The detectives go to Jenny White Rochester and convince her to testify after her husband reveals his knowledge of her past life. Jenny gives her story to the detectives after they realize it was Drew's grandmother, who was the ringleader, and not his father. Candace had groomed Drew to be the violent man that he is. Her son also realizes this and subsequently testifies against her. Candace is now in as much trouble as her grandson, whose defense has been rejected by the court.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Joel de la Fuente as T.A.R.U. Technician Ruben Morales
- Tom O'Rourke as Judge Mark Seligman
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Mariette Hartley as Defense Attorney Lorna Scarry
- Jordan Gelber as C.S.U. Technician David Layton
Guest cast[]
- Erik von Detten as Drew Lamerly
- John Bolger as Douglas Lamerly
- Sarah Wayne Callies as Jenny Rochester
- Jonathan Hogan as Headmaster
- John Ottavino as Tom Paysen
- Tina Sloan as Mrs. Hartnell
- Scotty Bloch as Ms. Blundell
- Steven Marcus as Landlord
- William Wise as Roger Burnbaum
- Keith Reddin as Lab Tech
- Michael Learned as Candace Lamerly
- Dan Snook as Angus Rochester
- Malaya Rivera Drew as Suzie Fleckner
References[]
- 29th Precinct
- Brazil
- Guatemala
- Paris, France
- Radleigh High School
- Roger, Burnbaum, & DeLisle
- Lorena Athens
- Anna Rivera
- Carmen Trancoso
Quotes[]
- [When Tom Payson refuses to let the detectives inside the Lamerlys' residence]
- Benson: Well, we could come back with a warrant and a couple of TV crews if you'd like.
- [about the murder victim]
- Tutuola: Okay, she's wearing high heels, fancy underwear, dresses like a maid and lets herself into a rich man's apartment? Sounds like an out-call fantasy to me.
- [about the murder victim mistaken for the Lamerly's maid, Anna Rivera]
- Stabler: She was wearing stiletto heels and expensive underwear. I don't think she came up to polish the credenza.
- Munch: Any idea how many film schools there are in New York? Plus a student failing to show up for class on Monday morning is not exactly going to set off alarms.
- Benson: Hi. Can we help you?
- Drew Lamerly: Uh, my name is Drew Lamerly. Suzie called me. I think I should make a statement.
- Benson: About what?
- Drew Lamerly: Carmen Trancoso. It's my fault she's dead.
- Stabler: [to Drew about his relationship with Carmen Trancoso] You guys spent the night together a lot, right?
- Drew Lamerly: Well, I told you, it was a very intense relationship.
- Stabler: [shows Drew pictures of the bruises on Carmen's body] You call beating the crap out of her intense, huh? You little prick, you did this to her.
- Drew Lamerly: Yes, I did do this, but she wanted me to.
- Benson: No. No woman wants this.
- Drew Lamerly: Carmen did! This was her thing.
- Benson: So you beat and rape her because it was her thing?
- Douglas Lamerly: Detectives, our attorney, Lorna Scarry.
- Stabler: Funny, we just came from Carmen Trancoso's attorney.
- Lorna Scarry: How is Mr. DeLisle? Hit by any ambulances lately?
- Benson: So our victim is now a gold-digging whore and we are totally being jerked around. Every time we come up with something, the Lamerlys are ready and waiting with some plausible explanation.
- Elliot Stabler: Lady, we don't care who you were or who you are, just yes or no: did Drew Lamerly rape you?
- Jenny White: Yes, he raped me, but if you ask me anything in front of my husband, I will deny it.
- Tom Paysen: [to Munch and Fin] SVU. I thought you were just the panty police, but you're right up there.
- Munch: Up where?
- Tom Paysen: Dreamland. Carmen was a mixed-up kid who committed suicide. Look at the evidence, you dumb bastards.
- Dr. Huang: I think he fooled the machine. He ramped up his body's response to the control question to cover up his lies about killing Carmen...
- Stabler: He wanted to take the test. He knew he'd pass.
- Stabler: The jury's buying this brutalization crap, huh?
- Cabot: So far, the evidence supports it: Drew got into fights, he beat up Jenny White. Maybe his dad did brutalize him.
- Benson: You don't believe that...
- Cabot: If Drew was a gang kid with no dad and a mother who was on crack, we wouldn't blame them for using an environment defense.
- Stabler: I do blame his environment. He's a spoiled rich kid whose family helps him get away with rape and murder!
- Jenny White: He was... easier to handle then, when he was 13, 14...
- Elliot Stabler: When his father first brought him [to the brothel]?
- Jenny White: No. Uh, that was the sickest thing about Drew - he came with his grandmother; she'd... pick his girls for him.
- Benson: How're you feeling, Mrs. Lamerly?
- Candace Lamerly: I'll survive.
- Benson: I hope so... long enough for you to stand trial anyway.
- Candace Lamerly: What're you talking about?!
- Stabler: Conspiracy, perjury, hindering of prosecution - you want me to go on?
- Candace Lamerly: You can't prove a damn thing!
- Benson: We can... Douglas told us everything - and now you'll be joining Drew in prison!
- Candace Lamerly: What have you done?
- Douglas Lamerly: I let you turn my son into a monster!
Background information and notes[]
- In the episode "Justice", the suspect's brother-in-law misstates his tag number, saying "BQY-2064" when he should have said "BQY-2604." In this episode, the same tag number (BQY-2604) is used for the Lamerly's vehicle.
- During the trial, Drew's lawyer stated that the lie detector interview couldn't be used because of privilege. However, there was a third person in the room with him and Dr. Huang. The presence of a third party shatters the doctor-patient privilege and would be admissible in court.
- Drew called Candace his mother once when she is actually his grandmother.
- Goof: When Munch is reviewing the security tape from the Lamerly's penthouse, he notices a jump in time on the clock. The minute hand moves from the 8 to the 10 and Benson replies, "10 seconds are missing". However, since it moved from the 8 to the 10, it was really 10 minutes.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Office of |
Apartment of |
New School |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Lamerly Penthouse |
Radleigh High School |
Lamerly Estate |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|
|
Trial Part 35 |
261 East 61st Street |
Trial Part 35 |
| Previous episode: "Tortured" |
"Privilege" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 4 |
Next episode: "Desperate" |