Savages (Law & Order episode)
Encyclopedia
"Savages" is the 114th episode of NBC
's legal drama
Law & Order
, and the third episode of the sixth season. This episode explores the issue of capital punishment
, which had been recently reintroduced in the state of New York
by then-governor George Pataki
.
investigate a man found shot to death in a warehouse full of what appear to be stolen goods. The dead man turns out to be an undercover
police officer investigating a drug dealer.
The investigation leads to Paul Sandig, a wealthy certified public accountant
(Victor Garber
). The detectives determine that Sandig murdered the officer in order to cover up a money laundering
operation set up to conceal the profits of the drug dealer.
Jack McCoy
and Claire Kincaid
argue the case for and against seeking the death penalty to district attorney
Adam Schiff
. As in reality, the fictional New York had just enacted a death penalty statute and Schiff must decide whether or not to pursue the first death penalty case in the state. Schiff determines that the death penalty is warranted and opts to pursue it.
McCoy wins a guilty verdict, but must fight the constitutionality of the statute in the appellate division
with defense attorney Helen Brolin (Maria Tucci) before sentencing. The constitutionality arguments center around due process
and the meaning of the Fifth
and Fourteenth Amendment
s. The appellate division renders no decision, declaring the issue is not ripe because no one has yet been sentenced to death, and remands the case for sentencing.
At sentencing, Sandig breaks down on the stand under questioning and begs for his life, but is nevertheless sentenced to death by lethal injection
.
In the season 11 premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, "Unstable", it is revealed that Executive ADA Sonya Paxton was the first prosecutor to get a capital conviction in New York, when George Pataki
reinforced the death penalty.
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...
's legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
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,...
, and the third episode of the sixth season. This episode explores the issue of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, which had been recently reintroduced in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
by then-governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
.
Plot
Detectives Lenny Briscoe and Rey CurtisRey Curtis
Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt from 1995 to 1999.-Character overview:Curtis is introduced as homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th Detective Squad...
investigate a man found shot to death in a warehouse full of what appear to be stolen goods. The dead man turns out to be an undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
police officer investigating a drug dealer.
The investigation leads to Paul Sandig, a wealthy certified public accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
(Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
). The detectives determine that Sandig murdered the officer in order to cover up a money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
operation set up to conceal the profits of the drug dealer.
Jack McCoy
Jack 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...
and Claire Kincaid
Claire 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:...
argue the case for and against seeking the death penalty to district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff (Law & Order)
Adam Schiff is a fictional character on the TV drama series Law & Order. He was played by Steven Hill from 1990 to 2000. Schiff was one of the main characters of the series and appeared in every episode of the first ten seasons except for Everybody's Favorite Bagman, which was produced before Hill...
. As in reality, the fictional New York had just enacted a death penalty statute and Schiff must decide whether or not to pursue the first death penalty case in the state. Schiff determines that the death penalty is warranted and opts to pursue it.
McCoy wins a guilty verdict, but must fight the constitutionality of the statute in the appellate division
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
The Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division is the intermediate appellate court in New York State. The Appellate Division is composed of four departments .*The First Department covers the Bronx The Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division is the intermediate...
with defense attorney Helen Brolin (Maria Tucci) before sentencing. The constitutionality arguments center around due process
Due process
Due process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
and the meaning of the Fifth
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
and Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
s. The appellate division renders no decision, declaring the issue is not ripe because no one has yet been sentenced to death, and remands the case for sentencing.
At sentencing, Sandig breaks down on the stand under questioning and begs for his life, but is nevertheless sentenced to death by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
.
In the season 11 premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, "Unstable", it is revealed that Executive ADA Sonya Paxton was the first prosecutor to get a capital conviction in New York, when George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
reinforced the death penalty.