The Best Episodes of Law & Order Season 12

The investigation into the death of a jogger mauled by a vicious dog leads to an Attica inmate, his attorneys, and an underground dog-fighting ring.

Director: Don Scardino

Writer: Kathy McCormick

The fatal stabbing of a man leads to the discovery of his status as a Vietnam war veteran and the truths uncovered about an incident that occured with him and three former soliders in his division.

Director: Martha Mitchell

Writer: Sean Jablonski

The death of a parolee, who was a hit man, leads to a wealthy widow and daughter and whether they hired him to kill their rich relative.

Director: Constantine Makris

Writer: Sean Jablonski

The daring daylight kidnapping of a diamond dealer which results in two murders at the scene uncovers an international dynasty of diamond sales and its links to a foreign civil war.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Investigating the murder of a woman in a rent-controlled apartment, the detectives discover that she was engaged in a long-running battle with her landlord and had been blocking the potentially lucrative sale of the building.

Director: N/A

Writer: Robert Palm

The shooting death of a former singer's wife leads the detectives to investigate his manager and sons after his explanation of the events surrounding her death have no credibility.

Director: N/A

Writer: Marc Guggenheim

A murder investigation uncovers deliberately faulty forensics in the wrongful conviction of two men 12 years earlier in the case that paved the way for Van Buren's promotion.

Director: David Platt

Writer: Aaron Zelman

When a building is set ablaze, a girl must be identified despite her fatal burns. Through further investigation, it turns out that an extreme environmentalist group struck the match...

Director: David Platt

Writer: David Black

When a celebrity is implicated in a nightclub murder, McCoy and Southerlyn battle the flaks who attempt to insulate their client from any involvement or interrogation.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

The murder of a magazine publishing company's black CEO leads to a suspect who has a clear streak of racism and whose attorney intends on using that as a mental defect.

Director: Edwin Sherin

Writer: N/A

The death of a cleric leads the detectives to a priest who was given information by a murder suspect outside of the church but insists that he can't discuss anything about it, bringing McCoy to question whether the confessional seal should apply.

Director: Matthew Penn

Writer: N/A

The father of a dying girl gets his revenge on an insurance executive who denied a certain leukemia treatment for his daughter. One problem arises when the father is technically on both sides of the law.

Director: Jace Alexander

Writer: N/A

The bludgeoning of two women in their apartment leads the detectives to a suspect who has taken a hostage while demanding legal representation ... and Southerlyn's actions, while heroic, results in disbarment proceedings against her for violation of Disciplinary Rule 1-102.

Director: N/A

Writer: Marc Guggenheim, Aaron Zelman

When a girl's parents frantically search for her, Briscoe and Green see that the girl's belongings were packed up in her apartment. They learn that the girl had been seeing a married man -- her boss. When the boss is brought up on charges, his wife sheds some new evidence.

Director: David Platt

Writer: Matt Witten, Eric Overmyer

The murder of a psychologist leads to a case involving a computer company that sells information and their responsibility in shielding their clients' history in order to serve their needs.

Director: Constantine Makris

Writer: Sean Jablonski

The investigation into the death of an 11-year-old girl uncovers the possible culpability of the child's mother and a rebirthing therapist.

Director: Jace Alexander

Writer: Matt Witten

When a high school student is found dead in an apartment building, Briscoe and Green suspect that the murder was a result of her running a website. As McCoy and Southerlyn investigate the case further, they realize that her best friend, who was reluctant to come forward as a witness, may be the answer to the murder.

Director: Steve Shill

Writer: N/A

A stock analyst's murder leads the detectives to a corporation whose stock had fallen ... and plenty of suspects in the investors.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

The investigation of a student's killing leads to a case involving meat contamination at a food service.

Director: Constantine Makris

Writer: Rob Wright

A woman is drugged and falls to her death, and the evidence suggests that her ex-boyfriend and her current husband's ex-wife may have conspired to kill her.

Director: N/A

Writer: Matt Witten, Eric Overmyer

The investigation into the death of a private investigator uncovers corruption, deceit, and immigration fraud in a Youth Baseball League whose manager will go to any lengths to win.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

The wife of an attorney with many disgruntled clients is killed but the detectives believe that he was the intended target as he was willing to reveal information despite confidentially agreements. As the investigation continues, his tumultuous love life is exposed and the prosecutors are suspicious of his desire to return to the courtroom.

Director: Matthew Penn

Writer: N/A

The investigation of a woman's strangulation leads to a case involving the selling of drugs and a gangster's son.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

A tenement building explodes and the lone victim is Joseph Haden. The building was rent controlled and there had been a tenant strike, so the police initially suspect arson. But the landlord doesn't have insurance, ruling out their arson theory, and the medical examiner discovers that Haden's neck was broken and he was tied up before the explosion happened. Trying to figure out Haden is even more difficult. He didn't appear to have a family or a girlfriend and never got any substantial mail. He worked at the Jiffy Job service station making minimum wage, yet had $90,000 in the bank. Briscoe and Green do some more digging and find out that Haden was using an alias, and his real name was Yusuf Haddad.

Director: David Platt

Writer: Sean Jablonski