Warning! Spoilers ahead for Law & Order season 24, episode 4.The main case inLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 4 could have prevented Maroun’s ethically questionable move if it had gone in a different direction. The long-running procedural often raises ethical questions that have no easy answers, and some of thebest episodes ofLaw & Orderleave it up to the audience to decide what was right or wrong after the final credits roll.
Maroun has been one of the ADAs who tries cases since the premiere of the soft reboot in 2021.Law & Orderseason 24has amplified her willingness to cross ethical lines to get justice for victims. This trend started with episode 1, in which Price stopped Maroun from doing something that would have ended her career after a witness backed out of testifying. Maroun’s behavior in episode 3 continued this arc, butthe ADA was forced into a corner by the way the case was handled.
Law & Order Season 24, Episode 4’s Complex Case Explained
It Hinged Upon The Definition Of Murder
Law & Orderseason 24, episode 4 offered a unique take on the debate over when life begins. The case began as a story about terrorists targeting fertility doctors with homemade bombs, which seemed to be leading to a story about reproductive rights. However, one of the victims was declared brain-dead and was only kept alive by life support, and thus the DA’s office charged the bomber with murder. This put the defense in the position of needing to argue that brain-dead wasn’t dead and that the woman was still alive.
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While the bomber’s motive had to do with a disagreement about when life begins, this case asked the question of when it ends. It was a risky move because if the judge didn’t agree that the victim was dead, the charges could be dismissed. Thus,the DA’s office had to focus on proving that the victim was dead in addition to making the case that the defendant set the bomb that killed her.
The DA Focused On The Wrong Charge, Forcing Maroun To Do Something Ethically Questionable
Ironically, Maroun’s Stubbornness Got Her Into This Situation
Focusing on murder charges could have been a problem for the DA’s office.This decision meant that both sides were presenting evidence pertaining to whether a victim who had no brain activity was alive or dead,including a bizarre claim by an expert witness for the defense that a small percentage of people declared brain-dead regain brain activity and recover sufficiently to live full lives. This singular focus not only risked the defendant escaping punishment for all aspects of the bombing but forced Maroun into the ethically questionable decision to convince the victim’s husband to take her off life support.
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Ironically, this situation wouldn’t have occurred if Maroun hadn’t insisted on it. Nolan had originally planned to charge the defendant with attempted murder and upgrade the charges if and when the victim passed away. However,Maroun was concerned that the victim could remain comatose for years and, thus, the witnesses would all be dead or incapacitated by the time the defendant was charged with murder, so she insisted on upgrading the charges now.
This decision caused the woman to pass away, ending the question of whether she was alive or dead, but it was unclear whether Maroun did the right thing since her purpose was to ensure that the DA’s office won the case.
The ethically sticky situation could have been prevented by going along with Nolan’s more conservative plan. However, since the DA’s office agreed to charge the defendant with murder and was now at risk of losing the case, Maroun felt the best way to mitigate the damage was to convince the husband to take his wife off life support. This decision caused the woman to pass away, ending the question of whether she was alive or dead, but it was unclear whether Maroun did the right thing since her purpose was to ensure that the DA’s office won the case.
Law & Order Season 25, Episode 4’s Murder Case Is Interesting (& It Should Revisit The Argument Again)
It Would Be Better To Make This Case Independent Of Another Crime
The question of whether a brain-dead person can be considered dead for legal purposes is interesting, so Law & Order should revisit it. However, it was a distraction during this case, which should have focused on proving the defendant set the bomb that led to this situation. At the very least,there should have been additional charges, especially considering Riley’s testimony that he thought the defendant was armed at the time of arrest after rescuing a five-year-old boy who was playing with one of the other bombsduring a botched attempt at a second murder.
There is no reason the series can’t revisit the question of brain death versus death in a different context, especially given the reveal at the end of the episode that Nolan’s father is comatose.
Law & Order’s new tonehas given it the opportunity to tell many powerful stories, especially involving Maroun. There is no reason the series can’t revisit the question of brain death versus death in a different context, especially given the reveal at the end of the episode that Nolan’s father is comatose. However, it would work better as a standalone topic rather than trying to argue over whether a defendant committed murder or attempted murder.
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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.
