Ep 19. Justice

The episode "Justice" from season 3 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit takes the team of detectives on a journey to uncover the truth behind a shooting at a courthouse. When the courtroom shooter is caught, he is represented by a public defender named Nikki Staines. Staines is known by the detectives and the legal community as a fierce and unrelenting defense attorney who has never lost a case. However, this time, Staines and the detectives have opposing goals.

Staines believes that her client is innocent and was the victim of a corrupt system that failed to protect him. She accuses the judge, the prosecutor, and the police of conspiring to lock up her client, without any direct evidence. It is up to the detectives to prove Staines wrong and find the real reason behind the shooting.

The investigation takes the detectives to the judge's chambers, where they find evidence of bribery, corruption, and moral decadence. The judge, who was about to retire, was caught in a web of lies and deceit, and his former clerks were more than willing to speak up. The prosecutor, too, was not above reproach, and the detectives had to dig deeper into her background to find out some of her unorthodox methods.

The shooting was not a random act of violence, as the detectives had originally assumed. It was a premeditated act meant to send a message to the court officials: that justice was being served, but not in a fair and impartial manner. It was an attempt to show that power corrupts, and that those who hold it should use it for the greater good, not their personal gain.

As the detectives close in on the truth, Staines becomes more and more agitated. She knows that her client is guilty, but she cannot accept it. She is willing to go to any length to prove her point, even if it means putting her own reputation on the line.

In the end, justice is served, but not in the way anyone had expected. The shooter is convicted, but so are many of the court officials. The detectives and the justice system are seen as the heroes of the story, but the true hero is justice itself. The episode ends on a powerful note, reminding us that even in the darkest of times, justice will always prevail.