While Cerreta is recovering from being shot (see "Prince of Darkness"), Logan is assigned Detective Lennie Briscoe for a partner. Logan is not happy about working with him, but is relieved that at least it's temporary. They investigate the death of Tommy Duff, who was found dead outside a bar. A woman named Mary Kostrinski claims she thought he was going to rape her and shot him in self-defense. However, forensics indicate that he was several feet away from her when he was shot. Two officers on patrol had passed by the bar and seen Duff with Mary, but it didn't look like she was being threatened. The case against Mary proceeds.

Mary's lawyer, Lanie Stieglitz, specialises in women's rights cases. She calls Olivet as a defence witness, forcing Stone to confront Olivet with the fact that as a survivor of rape she may not be an impartial judge of Mary's behavior. Robinette then finds out that Mary received $30,000 in her bank account from Jimmy Scanlon - a mobster that Duff worked for. Duff stole from Scanlon, so Scanlon has evidently used Mary as a hired killer. Stone tells Stieglitz the truth. She stands by her principles and says that while it's too late for her to recuse from the case, she cannot continue to defend Mary.

Stieglitz and Stone agree a plea bargain in exchange for Mary implicating Scanlon. Mary confesses her late husband was abusive, and he wouldn't divorce her for religious reasons. So Scanlon, a family friend, agreed to kill her husband and make it look like an accident. Then she owed him a favor and was pushed into killing Duff. Scanlon is arrested. Later, Logan learns that Cerreta won't be returning and has accepted a desk job in another precinct. Briscoe becomes Logan's partner permanently.

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!!This episode contains examples of:
* CallBack: Stone thinks Olivet is too willing to believe Mary Kostrinski because [[Recap/LawAndOrderS3E6Helpless she herself was raped]]. He reluctantly ends up bringing that up at the trial when he cross-examines her.
** When Logan complains about Briscoe, Cragen reminds him [[Recap/LawAndOrderS2E1Confession he wasn't crazy about Cerreta at first either]].
* DonutMessWithACop: One of the cops on patrol outside the bar is eating donuts, and the trope is later referenced by Briscoe.
* EverybodyHasStandards: Lanie Stieglitz (Creator/ElaineStritch), Mary's attorney, refuses to participate in a fraud during her client's trial: "It's unethical and illegal. I'm not going to put you on the stand tomorrow, Mary, and I am not going to make a closing argument. And the jury is going to wonder why."
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: The "official" cause for the death of Mary's abusive husband was a work accident. Mary told Scanlon, the mobster about it, and she became a widow.
* PutOnABus: Cerreta's injuries lead him to accept an administrative position at another precinct, to Logan's disappointment.