Law & Order

Birthright

Season 16, Episode 6, Aired 11/2/05

Episode Summary

Teenage suspect Traci Sands dies in police custody after being arrested for the murder of the man who reported her to child protective services. Rodgers reveals that she died because someone outfitted her with a benecrine I.U.D. that reacted with Sands' sickle cell syndrome and ended up killing her. Fontana and Green follow the trail to a charitable clinic and nurse Gloria Rhodes, who believes she is saving the world by sterilizing women that she does not believe are worthy of having children. McCoy faces former assistant district attorney Paul Robinette in court as Robinette defends Rhodes.moreless

8.6

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Cast & Crew

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Jesse L. Martin

Det. Ed Green
S. Epatha Merkerson

Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston

Exec. A.D.A. Jack McCoy

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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Robinette is back

8.4

"Great"

By tvfanz, Feb 04, 2006 Report Abuse

One of the things I like about L&O is the case makes return visits notably Noth/Logan and Brooks/Robinette. Though I don't expect to see Ben Stone back anytime soon.

Why oh why does Robinette end up with loser cases. When I saw the opening credits I knew whoever he defended was on their way to prison.

They don't give him much too do and that's too bad he was one of the reasons to watch L&O in the first place especially the rare times he disagreed with Stone.

It's almost as if the character Robinette was so passionately pro-prosecution he takes cases that some else might actually win. Didn't like the episode because of the waste of Brooks' talent.moreless

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1 0
A young woman dies while in police custody for murder. Her death was caused by a poisoned IUD which contained Benecrine, that reacted in her blood stream because she carried the sickle cell trait.moreless

6.3

"Fair"

By Milks23, Dec 02, 2005 Report Abuse

A woman is arrested for killing a man who supposedly sold her out to child services and, which caused her to lose her daughter.

After she is arraigned and transported to the local jail, she dies mysteriously. An autopsy reveals that she was poisoned by an infected I.U.D, which we learn caused her to be sterile, and the actual poisoning was caused when the drug Benecrine gave her a bad reaction because she had the sickle cell trait.

After investigating, the detectives learn that a Nurse Practitioner is purposely infecting troubled, and drug addicted women who come to her for help.

A case is brought against the Nurse due to the fact that she new Tricia had the sickle trait and that the drug Benecrine could be lethal to her.

Overall not a bad episode.
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Tracy Sands mysterioulsy dies after being arrested for murder, Fontana and Green fly onto the scene desperately trying to crack the case.

9.2

"Superb"

By draculay, Nov 19, 2005 Report Abuse

This was a good one. I notice that Law & Order uses alot of the same people for some of the smaller roles, ex. Richard Hirshfeld as medical examiner \"Brody\" and I recongized Michael Ciminera as the uniformed officer \"Donatti\" (he was also in the begining of episode \"Obsession\" as a uniformed officer) .

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This episode really made you think.

10

"Perfect"

By angelspinknose, Nov 03, 2005 Report Abuse

This had to be one of the most controversial episodes ever. A 16 year old girl dies while in jail and its determined that she was sterilized and that caused her death. The investigation leads them to a free clinic where more than 20 woman were sterilized because the nurse in charge felt these woman were a drain on society and didn't need to have any more children.

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Paul Robinette defends a nurse who has been sterilizing young women without their consent.

8.5

"Great"

By Angelwomyn, Nov 03, 2005 Report Abuse

Before this episode, the last time we saw Paul Robinette was in the episode Custody. In that ep, a young black woman who was a cocaine addict gave birth to a drug-addicted baby and the baby got taken away from her and a white family adopted him. Then the biological mother and her boyfriend kidnapped the baby. And Paul Robinette was defending her and saying she had a right to her baby even though she was an addict when she had him. He also said the system was racist for giving the baby to a white family. Why am I recounting this? Well, in this episode, a nurse is sterilizing young women (mostly minorities) without their consent because she doesn't think they have the right to have babies, and Paul Robinette is a zealous defender for her. What happened to women having a right to their babies? These women weren't even permitted to conceive babies. I'm not saying this wasn't a good episode. I just thought it was out-of-character for Paul Robinette to be the defense attorney. Then again, maybe he doesn't actually have very strong convictions. Maybe his beliefs change depending on who's paying him.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- One of the few episodes with the former A.D.A. Paul Robinette (Season 1-3) as a defense attorney. Edit
- When discussing forced sterilization with his colleagues, Jack McCoy mentions a judge ordering an abusive mother to go on Norplant. Norplant is a surgically implanted contraceptive, not a form of sterilization. It is very effective in preventing pregnancy while it is in use, but it only lasts for five years, so it is not permanent. A woman who is on Norplant can have it surgically removed if she wishes and at this point she can become pregnant. Edit
- Not only do the dates on the title cards not corrrespond with days of the week in 2005, but some of them aren't even from the same year. Edit
Notes
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- This was one of two episodes submitted for consideration by Wolf Films for the 2006 Emmy nomination. Edit
Quotes
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- (To a suspect's grandmother) Ed Green: Do you know where she lives? We need to ask her a couple questions. Lillie Sands: I don't care how handsome you think you are, young man, don't lie to me. I know how this goes. Edit
- (Traci Sands rips Joe Fontana's suit.) Joe Fontana: You see this? Tailor-made. I expect a reimbursement. Anita van Buren: That is one pissed-off little girl. Joe Fontana: She's a juiced-up crackhead. Anita van Buren: You call your tailor, I'll handle the interview. Edit
- Anita Van Buren: She burned and scarred the uterus of a young girl with a drug that caused her death. Alex Borgia: Arrest her. We'll find the right charge. Edit
Allusions
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- Jack McCoy: The jurors shouldn't have to think Nurse Rhodes is Dr. Mengele to know that she broke the law. Another reference to Nazi Germany and eugenics. Josef Mengele performed grotesque medical experiments on Auschwitz inmates. Edit
- Jack McCoy: A white woman sterilizing black girls because she doesn't think they're fit to reproduce? It's eugenics. Alex Borgia: I thought that ended in Nazi Germany. The Nazis believed in eugenics and creating a "master race" of white Aryan people. This ultimately led to the Holocaust. Alex is mistaken about when it ended, however. The state of Oregon performed its last forced sterilization 1n 1981. Edit