History Recap / LawAndOrderS17E3HomeSweet

[=McCoy=] can't prosecute Miles because the documents weren't supposed to be read - Rubirosa didn't realize they were confidential until after she'd already seen them. So he convinces Goodwyn, who's an old ex, to help him. They stage a scene with Rosalie to tell Miles that she's accepted a plea deal for manslaughter. Rosalie says that, since the deal doesn't include an arson charge, she's already placed an order of attachment for the insurance settlement. Miles says he cancelled the policy, but Rosalie says she's made legal provision for this because Goodwyn warned her he'd do it. He becomes enraged and confesses to blowing the house up; saying it was the only way to stop Rosalie taking everything he had. He is arrested. Rubirosa later tells [=McCoy=] and Branch that Miles had to sell to [=IdealMart=] to cover his legal fees. Branch hypothesizes the document was intentionally left to be found so that they could have the prime Bronx real estate.

* Expy: [=IdealMart=] is an obvious stand in for Wal-Mart.

Van Buren is under political pressure to solve the case, so she insists that Green and Cassady continue to look into Rosalie. They learn that she used to be an electrician and still has a key to the house. Rosalie is charged with murder. Her lawyer, Alyssa Goodwyn, specialises in women's issues and spins the case as being about Rosalie's right to the money Miles owed her. She files a motion to dismiss and the judge, also a woman, is strangely hostile to the case despite the solid circumstantial evidence. She gets angry with Connie for objecting to the very idea of the judge considering the motion and dismisses. Rubirosa discovers the judge has connections through a charity to Rosalie and should have recused herself. [=McCoy=] and Rubirosa file a motion to re-instate and have the judge recuse, but she refuses. Branch is forced to intervene, meeting the judge at a sushi bar and threatening her with an official complaint, leading to the case being re-instated with a new judge.

* HonorBeforeReason: Miles Schaffner is wealthy enough to pay off his ex-wife, both in cash and assets and simply be rid of her. Instead he drags the fight out for ''ten years'', then concocts an elaborate scheme to destroy his newly uninsured home, kill himself and frame his wife. When he survives and a young girl is killed by mistake, he won't admit his culpability in hopes she will go to prison and he won't have to pay her. Even being told that she will go to prison for six years and that he will have to pay her upon release isn't good enough for him. He hates her ''that'' much.

* Jerkass:

** The initial judge, Edith Milbanks, knowingly has connections to the defendant that should have made her recuse herself. Instead, she hides them and dismisses the case despite the strong circumstance nature of it. Even when confronted with this information, she refuses to re-instate the charges and recuse herself. Branch has to directly threaten her with an official complaint in order to get her to do the legal and ethical thing.

An eight-year-old girl called Jenna Wechsler is killed when a townhouse blows up. The house's owner, Miles Schaffner, survives. Police on the scene find that the explosion was deliberate: a gas pipe was cut, and wiring was tampered with. Green and Cassady initially investigate an environmentalist group whose leader had sent threats to Miles' lawyer. Miles owns land that he allows the group to use, but his ex-wife Rosalie is forcing him to sell his land to pay an outstanding settlement that he owes from the divorce. Miles has repeatedly refused offers from a supermarket chain called [=IdealMart=], but if he died, they'd be the highest bidder and his estate would have to sell the land to them.

* BaitandSwitchComment: When asked under interrogation if she would take her divorce money from [=IdealMart=], Rosalie lists negative things about the company, no unions, forced overtime, etc...then enthusiastically says yes.

* HonorBeforeReason: Miles Schaffner is wealthy enough to pay off his ex-wife, both in cash and assets and simply be rid of her. Instead he drags the fight out for ''ten years'', then concocts an elaborate scheme to destroy his newly uninsured home, kill himself and frame his wife. When he survives and a young girl is killed by mistake, he won't admit his culpability in hopes she will go to prison and he won't have to pay her. He hates her ''that'' much.

* InnocentBystander: Little Jenna was in the wrong place and the wrong time. Miles only meant to destryoy the building and kill himself.

Van Buren is under political pressure to solve the case, so she insists that Green and Cassady continue to look into Rosalie. They learn that she used to be an electrician and still has a key to the house. Rosalie is charged with murder. Her lawyer, Alyssa Goodwyn, specialises in women's issues and spins the case as being about Rosalie's right to the money Miles owed her. [=McCoy=] posits Rosalie wanted Miles dead so the land would be sold to [=IdealMart=] and she'd finally get her money. Meanwhile, Rubirosa takes a closer look at documents compiled by [=IdealMart=]'s lawyers. These show that less than a week before the explosion, Miles cancelled an insurance policy he'd had on the house for over thirty years.

[=McCoy=] can't prosecute Miles because the documents weren't supposed to be read - Rubirosa didn't realize they were confidential until after she'd already seen them. So he convinces Goodwyn, who's an old ex, to help him. They stage a scene with Rosalie to tell Miles that she's accepted a plea deal for manslaughter. Rosalie says that, since the deal doesn't include an arson charge, she's already placed an order of attachment for the insurance settlement. Miles says he cancelled the policy, but Rosalie says she's made legal provision for this because Goodwyn warned her he'd do it. He becomes enraged and confesses to blowing the house up; saying it was the only way to stop Rosalie taking everything he had. He is arrested. Rubirosa later tells [=McCoy=] and Branch that Miles had to sell to [=IdealMart=] to cover his legal fees.

[=McCoy=] can't prosecute Miles because the documents weren't supposed to be read - Rubirosa didn't realize they were confidential until after she'd already seen them. So he convinces Goodwyn, who's an old ex, to help him. They stage a scene with Rosalie to tell Miles that she's accepted a plea deal for manslaughter. Rosalie says that, since the deal doesn't include an arson charge, she's already placed an order of attachment for the insurance settlement. Miles says he cancelled the policy, but Rosalie says she's made legal provision for this because Goodwyn warned her he'd do it. He becomes enraged and confesses to blowing the house up; saying it was the only way to stop Rosalie taking everything heh had. He is arrested. Rubirosa later tells [=McCoy=] and Branch that Miles had to sell to [=IdealMart=] to cover his legal fees.

[=McCoy=] can't prosecute Miles because the documents weren't supposed to be read - Rubirosa didn't realize they were confidential until after she'd already seen them. So he convinces Goodwyn, who's an old ex, to help him. They stage a scene with Rosalie to tell Miles that she's accepted a plea deal for manslaughter. Rosalie says that, since the deal doesn't include an arson charge, she's already placed an order of attachment for the insurance settlement. Miles says he cancelled the policy, but Rosalie says she's made legal provision for this because Goodwyn warned her he'd do it. He becomes enraged and confesses to blowing the house up; Rosalie was bleeding him dry, and this was the only way to stop her. He is arrested. Rubirosa later tells [=McCoy=] and Branch that Miles had to sell to [=IdealMart=] to cover his legal fees.

Van Buren is under political pressure to solve the case, so she insists that Green and Cassady continue to look into Rosalie. They learn that she used to be an electrician and still has a key to the house. Rosalie is charged with murder. Her lawyer, Alyssa Goodwyn, specialises in women's issues and spins the case as being about Rosalie's right to the money Miles owed her. [=McCoy=] posits Rosalie wanted Miles dead so the land would be sold to [=IdealMart=] and she'd finally get her money. Rubirosa takes a closer look at documents compiled by [=IdealMart=]'s lawyers relating to the property. These show that less than a week before the explosion, Miles cancelled an insurance policy he'd had on the house for over thirty years.

Van Buren is under political pressure to solve the case, so she insists that Green and Cassady continue to look into Rosalie. They learn that she used to be an electrician and still has a key to the house. Rosalie is charged with murder. Her lawyer, Alyssa Goodwyn, specialises in women's issues and spins the case as being about Rosalie's right to the money Miles owed her. Rubirosa takes a closer look at documents compiled by [=IdealMart=]'s lawyers relating to the property. These show that less than a week before the explosion, Miles cancelled an insurance policy he'd had on the house for over thirty years.

* GoldDigger: Rosalie, who hasn't worked for thirty years since marrying Miles.

An eight-year-old girl called Jenna Wechsler is killed when a townhouse blows up. The house's owner, Miles Schaffner, survives. Police on the scene find that the explosion was deliberate: a gas pipe was cut, and wiring was tampered with. Green and Cassady initially investigate an environmentalist group called Green People whose leader had sent threats to Miles' lawyer. Miles owns land that he allows Green People to use, but his ex-wife Rosalie is forcing him to sell it to pay an outstanding settlement that he owes from the divorce. Miles has repeatedly refused offers from a supermarket chain called [=IdealMart=], but if he died, they'd be the highest bidder and his estate would have to sell the land to them.