Law and Order (Franchise)/Recap/S4 E5 Black Tie

In her New York penthouse, Danielle Keyes talks to her servants. The chief servant, Helga Holtz, is sent to wake her husband, Jonathan Keyes. She goes to his bedroom, but finds him undressed and dead on the floor. Back at the police station, while Profaci badgers Briscoe and Logan to fund him in a charity race, Briscoe gets an anonymous tip over the phone that Mr. Keyes was murdered. When Briscoe and Logan arrive at the penthouse, the Keyes's lawyer, Garrett Darby, tells them that Mr. Keyes died of natural causes. When they go to see the body, a Dr. Bradley tells them that Keyes died of heart failure, and Helga says that Keyes went to a charity ball before heading home. Keyes's body is now on the bed and dressed in a tuxedo.

Danielle says that they came home separately the night before and she didn't see her husband. When Logan asks why they slept in separate rooms, Danielle says she has a sleep disorder. She says the tabloids probably trumped up the murder accusations for a story. The butler, Felix, says that the medical examiner's people have arrived, but Danielle and Darby object to them conducting an autopsy. Darby eventually calls the police commissioner and tells Briscoe he can get a restraining order to block the autopsy, but then Van Buren shows up. When told that Danielle Keyes has already contacted a funeral home, Van Buren suggests that the medical examiner do the autopsy there, and when Darby says he'll enjoin against an autopsy, Van Buren says they can try a non-invasive procedure. This satisfies Keyes.

Outside, Logan snaps at Van Buren. She says that the higher ups had already pulled the plug, and chews out Logan.

""Oh, get real, Lieutenant. We couldn't handle it, is that what you're saying?"

"What you can't handle is my rank in a skirt, but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss it.""

- Mike Logan and Anita Van Buren

ME Rodgers says that she's ruled out most unnatural causes of death, but couldn't get blood samples to rule out poison -- the body had already been embalmed by the time she arrived. Outside, Logan complains about the embalming, and then Briscoe finds a newspaper of Jonathan Keyes's last ball. His suit wasn't what he was dressed in when he died, indicating that the body was moved and changed before the police arrived. Briscoe wonders if he died having sex with someone besides Danielle.

They track down Marcella Di Portago, from the party, who says that Jon Keyes was dating someone else, and left with her after the party. They then check with his limo driver, who sends them to Kathy Rodgers, Jonathan's latest girlfriend. They find her at a modeling shoot, where she insists that Danielle Keyes must have killed Jonathan. She doesn't want to talk because she wants to sell her story to the media; the detectives threaten her and get her to talk. She says when she left he was still alive. She called him from her home and says that Danielle walked in on him while he was talking with Kathy; this conflicts with Danielle's statement that she didn't see Keyes the night before.

Danielle says that she didn't see him that night; she admits that she knew he was cheating on her but claims she didn't care. She avoids any questions about the tuxedo. Darby comes in and says that the ME has stated that Jon Keyes died of natural causes. Danielle throws them out of her apartment.

Van Buren says that the tuxedo change doesn't prove anything; nor does Kathy's claim that Danielle did it. Profaci comes in and says that Lance Keyes, the son, wants to talk to them. When they go talk to him, he says that Danielle killed his father, and his lawyer adds that Jonathan was going to divorce Danielle and limit her funds. She would get a million dollar trust if he divorced her, and thirty-six million dollars and real estate if he died. Lance brings up that she owns an estate in the South Hamptons. Outside, Briscoe points out that Lance will get whatever the wife doesn't, so if she's jailed for murder he gets everything. Logan still thinks the wife did it. Briscoe says they can't get a warrant to search the wife's house in the Hamptons, but Logan says that they have every right to search a victim's house; Keyes is the victim, so the house is in. Briscoe looks uneasy but goes along with it.

In the Hamptons home, they search Keyes's medicine pills. Logan finds a cotton swab with dried blood, and a medicine bottle top. When they report to Van Buren that the cotton had insulin on it, she's unimpressed.

""That's wonderful, Mike, let me ask you this: either one of you ever hear of a warrant?""

- Anita Van Buren

They wonder if Danielle poisoned Jonathan with too much insulin. Van Buren shuts down any attempts to get warrants to search pharmacy records, so they go talk to Helga to see if Jonathan was diabetic. When they do, Helga says that neither of the Keyes were diabetic. The detectives theorize that she left the cottonball in the bedroom, and that she called them before. They bring her in for questioning when she won't confirm this.

At the station, she admits to dressing Keyes and making the bed. She says she wanted to see if there were any indications of murders. She has more loyalty to Jonathan than Danielle Keyes; she worked for him longer. Van Buren comes in and says that Lance Keyes showed up.

Lance's lawyer says he got a private investigator; the investigator found a syringe with insulin traces. Helga says it had to have been Danielle's; Jonathan wouldn't have been in Danielle's bathroom, where the syringe was found. The syringe has her prints on it, she was the only one home, and there's a paper trail indicating that she bought the insulin. Privately, Van Buren is unhappy about the private investigator finding the evidence, and points out that all the evidence can't overrule the ME report of 'natural causes.' Logan wonders if they're giving up; Van Buren says that she'll get the DA's office to dig up Keyes and see what really killed him.

In his office, Stone chews out Van Buren for investigating the case poorly.

""Either you investigate a case properly, or you consider early retirement.""

- Ben Stone

Schiff says that he's been feeling political pressure to drop the autopsy request too. He won't do it, but worries that the judge may be swayed. Kincaid comes in and says that Danielle has arrived with her defense attorney, Professor Norman Rothenberg. Schiff remarks that Rothenberg is a great lawyer. They argue about the evidence, and when Stone brings up the cotton ball, Rothenberg says it was illegally obtained. Once Jon Keyes died, Danielle got ownership of the condo, so a warrant was needed to search it. Stone says he'll let a judge decide.

""And when he does, Ben, a simple 'I'm sorry' won't be sufficient."

"Is that a threat, Norman?"

"No, Ben, it's a promise.""

- Norman Rothenberg and Ben Stone

Lance's lawyer talks about the Keyes family. Danielle was of blue blood but was going broke until she married Jonathan; all Jonathan wanted was a beautiful wife. But Jonathan began cheating on her when Danielle aged; when Danielle cheated too, Jonathan became angry and threatened divorce. Danielle's partner was Marcello Di Portago.

Marcello admits the affair to Kincaid, but says that wasn't the reason for the divorce. She says that Jonathan was tired of sleeping in the guest room. Kincaid wonders if Danielle used insulin; Marcello says yes, and that she got it from a famous writer, Wood Ferguson.

Ferguson admits that he uses insulin as he rambles his way through a lunch with Kincaid.

""To tell the truth, I always thought a pearl-handled Derringer in a beaded purse was more her style. As far as I knew, the insulin was purely for the war on cellulite.""

- Wood Ferguson

He says that both Keyes used insulin to diet, but that Danielle injected Jonathan since he was too squeamish. He admits that he let Danielle pick up syringes in his name. Later, she talks to Ben Stone, and he seems confident about going to a judge for an autopsy.

Judge Mooney says that the DA's papers are convincing, and finds Rothenberg's appeals to emotion (and lack of legal reasons to oppose the autopsy) unconvincing. Danielle Keyes objects to the idea of an autopsy on her husband. She claims that the insulin she got was for Jonathan and that he had started injecting himself. She says she doesn't know how her fingerprints got on the syringe. Stone points out that the ME's report is consistent with an insulin overdose, and Mooney allows the autopsy. Later, the tech runs a tissue sample; Jonathan had overdosed on insulin. Briscoe and Logan arrest Danielle Keyes on her yacht.

In court, Lance's private detective testifies about the syringe he found. Rothenberg gets him to admit that Lance didn't actually let him in; Helga did. He says he didn't need a warrant since he's a private citizen. Rothenberg calls it a burglary.

""Objection!"

"I object too, your Honor, and I renew my motion to suppress the syringe, as it was obtained by an illegal search.""

- Ben Stone and Norman Rothenberg

Rothenberg also confirms that the detective was paid $20,000.

Helga discusses the condition of the body, and says that she knew Mrs. Keyes well enough to think that she killed Jonathan. Rothenberg says that his associate, Gerald Austin, will be taking over for the defense. Austin confirms the dinner menu for Keyes's last meal, and that it was a very rich meal. Austin says that Helga served a rich meal knowing that it would cause Jonathan to inject himself with insulin to lose weight.

Outside, Stone talks to Rothenberg.

""$400 an hour is a lot to pay for the second string.""

- Ben Stone

Rothenberg says that he plans to appeal, so there's no harm in letting Austin have a little practice. Stone wonders what grounds he'll have to appeal; Rothenberg doesn't say. Stone tells Kincaid that Rothenberg will tank the trial and just start working on the appeal.

On the stand, Kathy Rodgers recounts her version of the night in question, but Austin points out that the voice Kathy heard could have been any woman, and that Jonathan had a history of having women in his room. Then Danielle testifies; she and Austin imply that Lance may have taken the bag from the Hampton home. Rothenberg interjects a question and confirms that Lance had no permission to enter the apartment. Stone interrogates her and says that it's weird that Danielle claims not to care about Jonathan's affairs and that she dressed Jonathan before calling the cops. Neither Austin nor Rothenberg object to Stone's questions, even though the judge thinks they should.

Privately, Stone tells Kincaid that Rothenberg will appeal based on the gym bag search. Later, in court, Danielle is convicted and Rothenberg and Austin immediately serve notice of appeal. Talking to Schiff, Kincaid says that they have 200 years of precedent, but Schiff says that of the five appeals judges, two are very left-wing. Rothenberg's brief is 100 pages long, so Stone and Kincaid get to work responding.

In appeals court, Stone and Rothenberg talk, and Rothenberg thinks that it'll come down to one swing vote. Then they talk to the judges. Rothenberg argues that it's unfair that a rich citizen can buy a private detective's services while poor citizens can't; he also says that private detectives, being licensed by the state, are agents of the state and bound by the 4th amendment. Stone argues that private citizens aren't bound by the 4th amendment. When a judge asks whether a dentist could drug a patient, find a gun in her briefcase, and submit it to the police, Stone says that the Supreme Court thinks so. Another judge asks if the cops could just hire private investigators to get around warrants, then, and while Stone says this is true he says it doesn't apply here. The judges argue that it's unfair that richer citizens can afford investigators to get around search laws while poorer ones can't, and Stone says that they should address this not by making less justice available to the rich but by making more available to everyone.

Later, Rothenberg wins his appeal. Schiff says that they'll never be able to convict Danielle Keyes of anything, and the lawyers leave the office.


 * Note: First appearance of Professor Norman Rothenberg