Law & Order
Out of the Half-Light
Season 1, Episode 11 · Aired 1990-12-11
Synopsis
A teenaged African-American girl claims to have been raped by white police officers. Police and prosecutors struggle to get the truth when an ambitious African-American congressman claims the investigation is a racially motivated cover-up. However, when the rape kit tests negative, the prosecution suspects the case may be a hoax. The conflict heats until Robinette learns from the girl's parents that she and her boyfriend had sexual relations. The family fears an unwanted pregnancy, so, with the urging of the congressman, they claim the girl was raped by police officers. Having admitted the hoax, the family avoids the congressman whose campaign has been destroyed. Prosecutors devise a solution involving all-round gag orders. They concede that reputations were seriously damaged, but they reason that, with its impetus deflated, the case will fade quickly from people's memories.
In the series
This episode is part of Law & Order (1990–2010) on NBC.
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Key cast
- Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe
- Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren
- Chris Noth as Mike Logan
- Benjamin Bratt as Rey Curtis
- Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green