Law and Order

The show follows a crime, ususally adapted from current headlines, from two separate vantage points. The first half of the show concentrates on the investigation of the crime by the police, the second half follows the prosecution of the crime in court.

In New York City, when a crime is committed, the victims are represented by two distinctly separate yet forever intertwined groups of people. There's the police department, represented here by the 27th precinct homicide detectives. It is their job to investigate the crime, collect evidence, interview witnesses and then, when the evidence points to a suspect or suspects, they will place them under arrest. The matter is then taken over by the prosecutors of the Manhatten District Attorney's office, who discuss deals and plea bargains, prepare the witnesses and evidence all whilst conducting the people's case in the trial of the accused. Both teams work together as well as with the Medical Examiners Office, Crime Lab and Police and District Attorney psychologists or psychiatrists. Matters are rarely resolved easily, or for the people involved, satisfactory. Crimes are committed which frequently create public unrest and controversy, race, morals and beliefs are frequently challenged and manipulated, the guilty can go unpunished and the innocent ruined forever. The detectives and prosecutors are weary, cynical, flawed, human and vulnerable. And yet they are somehow still dedicated to their jobs, to make the guilty answer for their crimes and gain some sense of justice for the victim and the victim's family. These are their stories...