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Context Recap / LawAndOrderS13E11Chosen

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1Directed by Creator/EdwinSherin
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3Written by Creator/MichaelSChernuchin
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5The detectives investigate the murder of bookie Gordon Meeks. They soon establish that the killer is his partner, Stephen Strelzik; Meeks was going to report Strelzik for stealing from their business, so Strelzik killed him. Strelzik's attorney, Dworkin, deliberately selects a majority-Jewish jury then has Strelzik reveal on the stand that he was stealing to send funds to Israel. The judge, also Jewish, is very sympathetic to this and won't do anything to stop it. In [=McCoy=]'s summation, he asks the jury to consider the facts of the case and uphold the law, not let themselves be manipulated by an appeal to their personal loyalties. They convict, and Strelzik gets a life sentence for felony murder. Dworkin privately tells [=McCoy=] that although he had to defend his client, he personally doesn't think Strelzik should be out on the streets.
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7!!!This episode contains examples of:
8* BatmanGambit: Dworkin's entire defense to get Strelzik off the hook by playing to the jury's sympathies. To that end, he selects a majority-Jewish jury, has the trial overseen by a Jewish judge, then claims that Strelzik killed in self-defense because he was stealing money to help Jews overseas in Israel that are dying due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It initially works in his favor, but [[SubvertedTrope [=McCoy=] beats him at his own game]] for one simple reason--he reminds the jury that, sympathetic motive or not, Strelzik still killed a man, and whatever's going on in Israel has nothing to do with existing US laws regarding murder.
9* DomesticAbuse: The detectives initially think one of Meeks' clients got a black eye from an altercation with him, but it turns out her husband beat her for losing his money.
10* DoubleMeaningTitle: Refers both to the concept of the Jews as God's chosen people, and Dworkin's deliberate selection of the jurors for his own ends.
11* EvilDebtCollector: Meeks' job was to intimidate customers to pay up - often by means of physical violence.
12* GracefulLoser: Dworkin concedes [=McCoy=] won fair and square, and even agrees with him that Strelzik is dangerous.
13* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Dworkin speaks this way in court.
14* SoapboxSadie: Strelzik's wife, who launches into a lengthy rant on the stand about Palestinian atrocities against Israel.

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