Rita Calhoun is a New York City-based defense attorney who was once a prosecutor.
On SVU[]
Rita went to the Dowland School growing up before going to an Ivy League law school. She is known to defend criminals who have been accused of extremely heinous crimes, particularly those with careers in law, medical professions or celebrities and will continue to defend them even if the criminal has confessed on tape or video. She defends that everybody is entitled to a defense. This has resulted in her having an extremely conflicted relationship with the Special Victims Unit, particularly Olivia Benson, who strongly disapproves of the lengths she goes to defend her clients.
At the same time, she developed a relationship with the Special Victims Unit, such as when she defends Nick Amaro and later Benson during their IAB and grand jury investigations. (SVU: "Amaro's One-Eighty", "Post-Mortem Blues") While defending her, she doesn't let Benson tell her she had beaten William Lewis while he was still handcuffed because, ethically, she couldn't let her deny that in a trial. (SVU: "Post-Mortem Blues") She also turned to Benson and SVU when Abby Stewart's parents called her about her sexual assault by Chris Roberts at a school dance. (SVU: "A Misunderstanding")
Calhoun showed her most aggressive colors when she defended Ian Hunter and got him acquitted of the rape of Valentina Palma. After failing to successfully defend Charles Gallagher for raping women at Hudson University, along with judicial misconduct in the case against Palma, Calhoun begrudgingly lamented she wanted desperately to advance her career by putting her all into defense work. Knowing there are too many high-ranking manipulators and felons like Gallagher, she admits she takes the route of trying to "lie back and pretend you're enjoying it". (SVU: "The Long Arm Of The Witness")
Known Clients[]
- Adam Cain (SVU: "Twenty-Five Acts")
- Manor Hill Academy (SVU: "Lessons Learned")
- Andrew Lennox
- Brett Forrester
- Avery Jordan (SVU: "Legitimate Rape")
- Detective Nick Amaro (SVU: "Amaro's One-Eighty")
- Josh Galloway (SVU: "Comic Perversion")
- Sergeant Olivia Benson (SVU: "Post-Mortem Blues")
- Shakir Wilkins (SVU: "American Disgrace")
- A.J. Martin (SVU: "Spousal Privilege")
- Deputy Chief M.E. Carl Rudnick (Co Counsel with John Buchanan) (SVU: "Devil's Dissections" & "Criminal Pathology")
- Abby Stewart (SVU: "A Misunderstanding")
- Ana Kapic (SVU: "Terrorized")
- Declan Trask (SVU: "Spellbound")
- Ian Hunter (SVU: "The Long Arm Of The Witness")
- Judge Charles Gallagher (SVU: "The Long Arm Of The Witness")
- Laura Kingsbury (L&O: "The Perfect Man")
Trivia[]
- In a deleted scene from "Post-Mortem Blues", it is revealed that Rita and Ed Tucker were once in a romantic relationship. It is unknown if their relationship is still considered to be canon.
Appearances[]
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (6 seasons, 14 episodes):
- Season 14: "Twenty-Five Acts" • "Lessons Learned" • "Legitimate Rape"
- Season 15: "Amaro's One-Eighty" • "Comic Perversion" • "Post-Mortem Blues"
- Season 16: "American Disgrace" • "Spousal Privilege"
- Season 17: "Devil's Dissections" • "Criminal Pathology" • "A Misunderstanding"
- Season 18: "Terrorized" • "Spellbound"
- Season 22: "The Long Arm Of The Witness"
- Law & Order (1 season, 1 episode):