Blood Libel (3 Jan. 1996)

An anti-Semitic teen is accused of killing a Jewish teacher. His defense attorney argues that the accused is really the victim of a Jewish conspiracy.

Director:

Constantine Makris

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator), I.C. Rapoport (teleplay),

Stars:

Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, S. Epatha Merkerson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Orbach	...	Detective Lennie Briscoe
Benjamin Bratt	...	Detective Rey Curtis
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston	...	Jack McCoy
Jill Hennessy	...	A.D.A. Claire Kincaid
Steven Hill	...	D.A. Adam Schiff
Chris Cooper	...	Roy Payne
Jeanne Ruskin	...	Alice Marsdale
Jackey Vinson	...	Matt Hastings (as Jack Vinson)
Lee Wilkof	...	Dr. Alvin Sabloff
Mark Zeisler	...	Richard Kovax
Zach Grenier	...	Mr. Aronson
Santiago Douglas	...	Eddie Camarillo (as Douglas Santiago)
Mike Mearian	...	Judge Horace Busey
Liz Larsen	...	Lana Halstead

Storyline

Detectives Briscoe and Curtis investigate the murder of Sarah Aronson, a high school art teacher who is found dead after hours in her classroom with the school locked and the alarm system on. The police initially focus on one of her colleagues, math teacher Richard Kovaks, after they learn Sarah had become aware Kovaks was selling higher grades to some of his students. When he has an alibi for her time of death they focus on four students who put a cryptic anti-Semitic slur in the high school yearbook. Student Matt Hastings is charged with murder and hires Roy Pane to defend him. Pane has defended white supremacists in the past and his defense is that there is a Jewish conspiracy to frame his client.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 January 1996 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

"Who'd want to murder an art teacher, who'd she ever hurt?"

That question is asked by Benjamin Bratt as he and Jerry Orbach catch a homicide involving an art teacher who was staying late and was found murdered in her classroom by the custodian.

That question is soon answered as the investigation leads to the fact that another teacher was selling grades and she was going to rat him out. The perpetrator turns out to be Jack Vinson who with his buddies had been writing some covert anti-Semitic messages in places like the Yearbook, etc.

Vinson's parents retain for a hefty fee Chris Cooper who is a lawyer for white supremacists. But he's good at what he does as he gets some forensic evidence thrown out which would have nailed Vinson to the wall. And he spreads enough manure around to suggest that there is some great Jewish conspiracy at work to frame his fine upstanding white client. Even Jerry Orbach comes in for it.

You'd think in New York City, in Manhattan of all places such things could not happen. But all Cooper has to do is get one juror to hold out and the the DA has to do it all over again.

I have no doubt that Sam Waterston will do it until it comes out right.