History Recap / LawAndOrderS14E10IllConceived

* RichBitch: Helen Zachary.

* BelligerentSexualTension: Southerlyn definitely picks up this vibe from Miguel's defense attorney towards McCoy.

Arnold Zachary, the owner of a clothing factory which employs mainly undocumented Latino workers, is found beaten to death. Security footage leads the police to Miguel Camacho, whose girlfriend Maria used to work for the victim and has recently had a baby. Upon meeting her son, who is clearly mixed-race, Green and Briscoe correctly work out Zachary was the baby's father. Miguel confesses to murder, but his lawyer gets it overturned on a technicality. [=McCoy=] and Southerlyn now have no case left until they learn that Zachary sent Maria monthly checks during her pregnancy - ''after'' she quit the company. Under questioning, Miguel admits that Maria had the baby as part of a surrogacy agreement with Zachary and his wife Helen.

In court the defense claims that Zachary forced Maria to carry the baby with the threat of having her and Miguel, who don't have green cards, deported. Helen Zachary portrays herself and her husband as callously taking advantage of Maria. Southerlyn realizes that Helen agreed with Miguel to help him get acquitted if he let her keep the baby. With a tape-recorded conversation proving this, Miguel comes clean. Maria didn't want to give up her baby, and Zachary threatened to have her and Miguel deported, so Miguel killed him. Miguel agrees to a deal for Manslaughter I, and will be deported anyway when he gets out of jail; Maria has already fled the country with the baby.

Arnold Zachary, the owner of a clothing factory which employs mainly Latino workers, is found beaten to death. Security footage leads the police to a bakery employee named Miguel Camacho; his girlfriend Maria worked for the victim and has recently had a baby. Upon meeting her son, who is clearly mixed-race, Green and Briscoe correctly work out Zachary was the baby's father. Miguel confesses to murder, but his lawyer gets it overturned on a technicality. [=McCoy=] and Southerlyn now have no case left until they learn that Zachary was sending Maria monthly checks during her pregnancy despite her having quit the company. Under questioning, Miguel admits that Maria had the baby as part of a surrogacy agreement with Zachary and his wife Helen.

In court the defense claims that Zachary forced Maria to carry the baby with the threat of having her and Miguel, who don't have green cards, deported. On the witness stand, Helen Zachary portrays herself and her husband as callously taking advantage of Maria. Southerlyn realizes that Helen had her own arrangement with Miguel: she would get him acquitted if he let her keep the baby. With a tape-recorded conversation proving this, Miguel comes clean. Maria didn't want to give up her baby, and Zachary threatened to have her and Miguel deported, so Miguel killed him. Miguel agrees to a deal for Manslaughter I, after which he will be deported anyway; Maria has already fled the country with the baby.

Arnold Zachary, the owner of a clothing factory which employs mainly Latino workers, is found beaten to death. Security footage leads the police to a bakery employee named Miguel Camacho; his girlfriend Maria works for Arnold and has recently had a baby. Upon meeting her son, who is clearly mixed-race, Green and Briscoe correctly work out Zachary was the baby's father. Miguel confesses to murder, but his lawyer gets it overturned on a technicality. [=McCoy=] and Southerlyn now have no case left until they learn that Zachary was sending Maria monthly checks during her pregnancy despite her having quit the company. Under questioning, Miguel admits that Maria had the baby as part of a surrogacy agreement with Zachary and his wife Helen.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Miguel's defense is based on arguing that Zachary did this. While [=McCoy=] doesn't approve of Miguel's lawyer's tactics, he does think that commercial surrogacy exploits impoverished women.

Arnold Zachary, the owner of a clothing factory which employs mainly Latino workers, is found beaten to death in his office. Security footage of an intruder leads the police to a bakery employee named Miguel Camacho; his girlfriend Maria works for Arnold and has recently had a baby. Upon meeting her son, who is clearly mixed-race, Green and Briscoe correctly work out Zachary was the baby's father. Miguel confesses to murder, but his lawyer gets it overturned on a technicality. [=McCoy=] and Southerlyn now have no case left until they learn that Zachary was sending Maria monthly checks during her pregnancy despite her having quit the company. Under questioning, Miguel admits that Maria had the baby as part of a surrogacy agreement with Zachary and his wife Helen.