Warning: SPOILERS ahead forLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 7.Law & Order’s Nicholas Baxter demonstrates his hypocrisy with his decision in season 24, episode 7, “Truth and Consequences.” After joining theLaw & Ordercast,Baxter vows to be a different type of district attorney than Jack McCoy, promising to put justice for New York City residents above winning or losing any particular case. This stance has often put him at odds with Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price, who thinks Baxter makes decisions for the wrong reasons.
Law & Order’s change in tone with Baxtercontinues with “Truth and Consequences,” when he faces an ethical dilemma. Successfully prosecuting a student for the murder of his professor depends on the testimony of the professor’s wife, a judge who fears her history of addiction to opioids will come out and ruin her career. When the DA’s office subpoenas the judge, the mayor speaks with Baxter and asks him to back off, claiming that this scandal would cause all the judge’s previous cases to be overturned. Sadly,Baxter decides to go along with his recommendation.
Baxter’s Law & Order Season 24, Episode 7 Decision Shows His Hypocrisy
Lying To Price About The Reasons Proves It Isn’t About Justice
Baxter likely justifies his decision to himself by focusing on the mayor’s warning that moving forward would lead to hundreds of cases being overturned. However, there is likely another motive that he won’t admit. While the district attorney is an elected position, a mayor who is displeased with him could wage a campaign against him. This would make it harder for Baxter to do his job, and it could lose him the next election. Thus,Baxter’s decision to follow the mayor’s recommendation is more about his own career prospectsthan about getting justice.
Why Camryn Manheim Left Law & Order & What Happened To Dixon
Camryn Manheim left Law & Order ahead of the season 24 premiere for a reason, but her character left the Homicide Unit for a different one.
Price correctly calls Baxter on his hypocrisy when Baxter claims he is “doing what was best for the people of this city.” As Price points out, nobody cares about the consequences of forcing a Palestinian immigrant student to testify, even though it might mean expulsion from school and deportation from the U.S. Yet Baxter bends over backwards to protect a judge from embarrassment on the stand.If Baxter believes he is doing what’s best for the city,he should tell Price about the fear of other cases being overturnedinstead of resorting to empty platitudes.
How Baxter Can Redeem Himself In Law & Order
He’ll Need To Stand Up To Power Again
It’s unfortunate that Baxter lets the mayor intimidate him out of putting the judge on the stand. However,he can still redeem himself by demonstrating a willingness to take on powerful interests in the name of justice. He does this inLaw & Orderseason 23, episode 22, when he ignores his wife’s demands that he walk away from the DA’s race and not allow their daughter to testify against a man who tried to assassinate him. Such incidents make it clear that he is capable of having a backbone when it suits him.
Law & Orderneeds to redeem Baxter as soon as possible by having him find the courage to stand up to powerful people in the name of justice.
It’s disappointing enough that Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy is one of thecharacters who did not return to theLaw & Orderfranchisefor season 24, and Baxter demonstrating that he has less integrity than McCoy makes this even worse. Thus,Law & Orderneeds to redeem Baxter as soon as possible by having him find the courage to stand up to powerful people in the name of justice. That’s more important than his re-election prospects.
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Law & Order is a procedural crime drama series that premiered in 1990, featuring New York City police detectives and prosecutors as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes. The show is known for its two-part approach, dividing between the crime-solving efforts of the detectives and the legal proceedings in court.
