Fontana and Green investigate when the body of a young mother who had recently cleaned her life up is found in her apartment, with her five-day-old infant son Nicholas missing. Detectives soon track down Arlene Tarrington and ascertain that the infant she is claiming is hers is really baby Nicholas, but after her lawyers make a claim of post-partum psychosis and another man comes forward claiming to be the child's father, McCoy and Borgia are forced to decide which of the two they would rather lock up for the crime.
Season 16 Episode 7 of Law & Order resulted in a 0.00 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
s16e01 - Red Ball
s16e02 - Flaw
s16e03 - Ghosts
s16e04 - Age of Innocence
s16e05 - Life Line
s16e06 - Birthright
s16e07 - House of Cards
s16e08 - New York Minute
s16e09 - Criminal Law
s16e10 - Acid
s16e11 - Bible Story
s16e12 - Family Friend
s16e13 - Heart of Darkness
s16e14 - Magnet
s16e15 - Choice of Evils
s16e16 - Cost of Capital
s16e17 - America, Inc.
s16e18 - Thinking Makes It So
s16e19 - Positive
s16e20 - Kingmaker
s16e21 - Hindsight
s16e22 - Invaders
This realistic yet fictional drama looks at crime and justice from a dual perspective. In the first half-hour, Detectives Joe Fontana and Edward Green investigate crimes and apprehend suspects under the supervision of their precinct lieutenant, Anita Van Buren. The focus shifts in the second half-hour to the criminal courts as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy and Assistant District Attorney Borgia work within a complicated justice system to prosecute the accused under the guidance of District Attorney Arthur Branch.
Some cases may be simple, but most are multi-faceted. The investigations are challenging, prosecutions are complicated, and decisions about legal procedures and plea-bargaining are vexing. In the arduous and complex process of determining guilt and innocence, lives often hang in the balance.