Paul Robinette
Encyclopedia
Paul Robinette, played by Richard Brooks
, is a fictional character
who appeared in the TV
drama series Law & Order
from the pilot episode in 1990 until the final episode of the third season, "Benevolence," in 1993. He is the first of the seven Assistant District Attorneys which have been featured on Law & Order, and the only male.
and worked his way through law school
and into the Manhattan District Attorney
's office at a young age. He works under Ben Stone
(Michael Moriarty
), whom he comes to think of as a mentor, despite occasionally disagreeing with his prosecution methods.
Robinette advocates racial equality
through equal treatment, including equal punishment; while he abhors racism
, he also feels little sympathy for black people who turn to crime. He insists on being given the same opportunities as the equal of his white colleagues, without what he feels are added advantages from affirmative action
policies.
In the first season episode "Out of the Half-Light
", Stone asks Robinette if he thinks of himself as "a black lawyer, or a lawyer who's black". Originally considering himself the latter, Robinette would gradually come to think of race as a more integral part of his reasons for practicing law
. He later confirms this in the 1996 episode "Custody
".
(Jill Hennessy
).
Initially, his disappearance from the show was never explained and was not mentioned in either the third season end or fourth season opener. NBC
press releases at the time of the character's departure mentioned that Robinette had moved to a Park Avenue
law firm. On the 4th season DVD, a deleted scene (Episode 3 "Discord") includes Lt. Anita Van Buren
(S. Epatha Merkerson
) asking to see Robinette. Stone responds with "Uh, you'll have to take a cab uptown. Park Avenue
. Woodward, Martin, and Schwartz."
(Sam Waterston
). In the 1996 episode "Custody", he defends a black woman who attempted to kidnap her son from his white foster parents. In the 2005 episode "Birthright", he defends a nurse accused of performing sterilizations on promiscuous black teenagers whom she deems emotionally unfit to become parents. In the 2006 episode "Fear America", he defends a Muslim
accused of murder who killed to cover up his terrorist activities. In that episode, Robinette accuses McCoy and the D.A.'s office of participating in a giant conspiracy
to make every Muslim appear to be a terrorist.
Richard Brooks (actor)
Richard L. Brooks is an African-American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette during the first three seasons of the NBC TV drama Law & Order .Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brooks studied acting, dance, and voice work at...
, is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who appeared in the TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
drama series Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
from the pilot episode in 1990 until the final episode of the third season, "Benevolence," in 1993. He is the first of the seven Assistant District Attorneys which have been featured on Law & Order, and the only male.
Character overview
Robinette is introduced as having been raised in HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and worked his way through law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
and into the Manhattan District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
's office at a young age. He works under Ben Stone
Benjamin Stone
Benjamin "Ben" Stone is a fictional character portrayed by Michael Moriarty in the TV drama Law & Order.-Character overview:Stone works in the Manhattan District Attorney's office under Alfred Wentworth and Adam Schiff. It was Schiff with whom he is closest, treating him as a kind of surrogate...
(Michael Moriarty
Michael Moriarty
Michael Moriarty is an American-Canadian actor of stage and screen, and a jazz musician. He played Benjamin Stone for four seasons on the TV series Law & Order.-Early life:...
), whom he comes to think of as a mentor, despite occasionally disagreeing with his prosecution methods.
Robinette advocates racial equality
Racial equality
Racial equality means different things in different contexts. It mostly deals with an equal regard to all races.It can refer to a belief in biological equality of all human races....
through equal treatment, including equal punishment; while he abhors racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, he also feels little sympathy for black people who turn to crime. He insists on being given the same opportunities as the equal of his white colleagues, without what he feels are added advantages from affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
policies.
In the first season episode "Out of the Half-Light
Out of the Half-Light
"Out of the Half-Light" is the eleventh episode of NBC's legal drama Law & Order. It originally aired on December 11, 1990.-Plot:A 16-year-old African-American girl claims that two white policemen raped her...
", Stone asks Robinette if he thinks of himself as "a black lawyer, or a lawyer who's black". Originally considering himself the latter, Robinette would gradually come to think of race as a more integral part of his reasons for practicing law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He later confirms this in the 1996 episode "Custody
Custody (Law & Order episode)
"Custody" is an episode of the NBC legal drama Law & Order. It aired on February 21, 1996, as the 126th episode of the series.-Plot:When a social worker is murdered, his gambling habit and scam of the foster-care system are revealed...
".
Departure from show
He leaves the DA's office and eventually becomes a defense attorney who represents his clients as victims of institutionalized racism. He is replaced by Claire KincaidClaire Kincaid
Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid is a fictional character on the television series Law & Order, played by Jill Hennessy from 1993 to 1996.-Character overview:...
(Jill Hennessy
Jill Hennessy
Jillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
).
Initially, his disappearance from the show was never explained and was not mentioned in either the third season end or fourth season opener. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
press releases at the time of the character's departure mentioned that Robinette had moved to a Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
law firm. On the 4th season DVD, a deleted scene (Episode 3 "Discord") includes Lt. Anita Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
(S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
) asking to see Robinette. Stone responds with "Uh, you'll have to take a cab uptown. Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
. Woodward, Martin, and Schwartz."
Guest appearances
Robinette has reappeared on the show three times: once in 1996, 2005 and 2006, often as opposing counsel to Stone's successor, Jack McCoyJack McCoy
John James "Jack" McCoy is a fictional character in the television drama Law & Order, created by Michael S. Chernuchin and played by Sam Waterston since 1994. He is the second-longest tenured character on the show, after Lt. Anita Van Buren . On January 28, 2009, McCoy's character ended the longest...
(Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
). In the 1996 episode "Custody", he defends a black woman who attempted to kidnap her son from his white foster parents. In the 2005 episode "Birthright", he defends a nurse accused of performing sterilizations on promiscuous black teenagers whom she deems emotionally unfit to become parents. In the 2006 episode "Fear America", he defends a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
accused of murder who killed to cover up his terrorist activities. In that episode, Robinette accuses McCoy and the D.A.'s office of participating in a giant conspiracy
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views and/or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue...
to make every Muslim appear to be a terrorist.